Several fermented, matured Virginias ranging from orange to red to dark brown provide a lot of very tangy dark fruit, tart citrus (with minute acidity), plenty of wood and earth, some sugary stewed fruit (plums, dates, figs) and bread, light grass, lemon, floral and spice notes, along with touches of sour and vinegar. There are light toppings: raisin, figs, and prunes, but they don't have sublimate the tobaccos much, and compliment/enhance the qualities of the dark red Virginia. While I tend to notice the aspects of the darker Virginia (sugary stewed fruit, earth, wood, dark fruit) a tad more than the others, the percentages of the various Virginias are inconsistent from flake to flake, so what your taste buds observe will change as you smoke a bowl, and from bowl to bowl. The strength and taste levels are medium. The nic-hit is a step past the center of mild to medium. Won’t bite or get harsh, but it does have a minimal rough edge here and there. The broken flakes are a tad moist, but I saw no need to dry them. They easily break apart to suit your packing preference. Burns cool, clean, and a little slow with a woody, earthy, lightly sour, spicy and savory, deep, ever evolving complex, very tangy and tart sweet flavor from start to finish. Leaves little dampness in the bowl, but it will require some relights. Has a very pleasant, mildly lingering after taste and room note. Not quite an all day smoke for the inexperienced, but it may be for the veteran. Three stars due to the inconsistent flavors, but four stars overall for the complexity and age potential. I suggest a wide bowl (pot, egg, author) to capture all of the nuances.
