Help With Sutliff’s 515-RC1
- Thread starter Kingsley
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Like others have said, jar it and come back to it after (at least) a few months. It becomes quite nice after that. I despise vinegar and this one definitely reeks of that when fresh. Later, it is great for mixing and fine on its own.
I find any VA is better dried to a crisp. On the verge of turning to dust. Found that out by not putting the lid on properly one day and thinking oh shot ruined like half a pound of tobacco, oh wait no I made half a pound better a lot better.
I dried it out for a couple of hours, jarred it back up, and plan on forgetting it for a couple years. Even if it turns to gold with some years on it, I’d rather just pay an extra dollar or so an ounce to get something that’s wonderful now, and luckily, there are plenty of good Red VAs that fit quite comfortably in that range.
Back in the day, I threw out a 1/2 lb. of McC 5100 for the exact same reason. Red Virginias light some people up, and I’m no exception to that rule.
I like it but don't love it. Smoked straight, the vinegar is just a little too much for me. Otherwise, it's got a lot of sweetness and depth of flavor. I blend with it and it's fine. I like Sutliff Red Virginia Ribbon quite a bit, and mixing it 50/50 with 515-RC really cuts down on the perceived vinegar taste.
I have some that's a couple years old that's quite nice. It's not the best Red VA available, but it's great background smoke. I jarred up a pound recently that was much more replete with vinegar/fermented notes. Whether it's a difference in age or batch, I don't know. At $30/lb, it's a good buy.
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