Introduction into virginias

[wesquire]

Hello, I have been smoking pipes for about 6 years,but I have stuck to the aromatic blends that my local shop sells. I've been slowly trying out non-aromatics. I've liked the Virginia's and I've decided to invest a little more time and money towards pipe smoking. I just ordered some McClelland 5100 and 3 friars based off some recommendations. What are your "must buy" Virginias? Side question, how much difference does it make to smoke different types of tobacco in your pipes? Does having specialized pipes really make it better? I've been just using one pipe ever since I started. I'm not a heavy smoker, sometimes I'll go months in between smokes, sometimes it's a bowl per day. Anyways, just picked up a savinelli 601k "professor" and found a cool, big, kriswill supreme on eBay that I bought. So to wrap this all up, I'm a new member with 2 new pipes wanting to explore beyond aromatics. Thanks

 

[elpfeife]

My first VA was Orlik Golden Slices. A lot of smokers have found it a good introduction.

 

[cobguy]

I just ordered some McClelland 5100

Very good first Virginia pick ... easy to pack, easy to smoke.
You may want to try a Navy Flake as well ... Dunhill Flake, OGS, Newminster #400, Klondike Gold, Capstan, etc ...

 

[Perique]

My recommendations for a new Virginia smoker include Stokkebye Luxury Navy Flake, Orlik Golden Sliced, and Dunhill Flake. These blends are flavorful, high quality, and easy to smoke (minimal prep, good moisture level, not tempermental, easy to find, and relatively forgiving).
If you have previously smoked only aromatics, pipe dedication makes a BIG difference. I suggest reserving your original pipe for your aromatics, and the new one for your Virginia blends.

 

[JimInks]

4Noggins carries Wessex Brigade Campaign Dark Flake. That one is really good, and much cheaper than Capstan Blue or Yellow, which are now inflated in price. Sam Gawith Best Brown, Orlik Golden Sliced, and Dunhill Flake.

 

[jackswilling]

Marble Kake

 

[ray47]

I'm still trying to get into Virginias and have smoked McClelland 5100 but haven't had much success. Maybe I've been a Burleyphile too long.

 

[tarak]

AK Marble Kake is good, McClelland Blackwoods Flakes is great- and McClelland Christmas Cheer just came out- get some, stick it in a jar a few months- then enter Virginia Heaven.
The trick with Virginias, I think more than any other tobacco, is to sip very slowly and lightly. There's beautiful, naturally sweet flavor there, but it will trade up for cigarette-like bitterness and tongue bite if you go after it too hard.

 

[bigpond]

It really helps to have a pipe that doesn't carry around an old chain rattling ghost when smoking virginias. They can be subtle and mild and are easily overwritten by aro's. I know folks like to recommend taking baby steps, but I don't see the point. Life is too short for training wheels and bad tobacco. Dive right in with some Full Virginia Flake!

 

[settersbrace]

FVF is IMO one of the tastiest Virginia flakes of the many I've smoked. If there's one caveat it's that it requires an ample amount if drying time, tin or bulk. It's just the nature of all the Gawith blends in my experience. Give a flake a loose rub onto a plate and let it sit for a day. Rub it out fully and let it sit some more, until it gets what may almost seem too dry, then load and smoke. If you are hell bent on folding and stuffing an intact flake just give it plenty of dry time. With no exaggeration I let it sit in a cool, dark and dry spot for 2 days or more depending on the RH which around my part of the world is usually 35%-55% in the milder months so you can see why it takes some time to get it smokable. I can say that the whole flake is a much more flavorful smoke if I have the wherewithal to fuss with it. Just my own personal experience, ymmv.

 

[cortezattic]

G. L. Pease Union Square is the pure Virginia experience without added sugars or flavoring of any kind.

 

[zekest]

I was skimming through this thread, and then it hit me: Oh, Virginias! As in tobacco.
Here I thought it was about something interesting for a change.

 

[wesquire]

Thanks for the great responses. Let me see if this helps the recommendations more:for now, I'm looking for medium to mild strength and taste, I enjoy sweetness, I'm not a huge fan of nuttiness, I typically do not like more than a few flavors mixing at the same time. I'll probably save the Kriswill for nonaromatics.

 

[phred]

Can't speak to the Virginias specifically, as I haven't yet branched into them myself (though I have some samples stashed for later) - but dedicating a pipe to a general blend has been helpful to me in distinguishing flavors as my palate develops. Keeping my Latakias separate from the Va/Per blends has allowed me to focus on the subtler differences within those types, and although I've heard that a lot of folks use the same pipe for straight Virginias as they do for Va/Per blends, I'll probably pick up another cob or two to start with when I delve into Va flakes, just to keep things straight until I've had a chance to do some taste-testing.
Good luck, and let us know what you find out as you explore this strange new world that has such flavors in it... :D

 

[wesquire]

Just ordered some OGS and Dunhill flake