Need Advice on Smoking Virginias.

[minerLuke]

Lots of good advice here already but ill suggest something slightly different. If you want to learn straight Virginia's, get yourself a bag of Daughters and Ryan 3 Sails VA shag and just go to town. It's a cheap ( $25/ 1lb bag) and quite good British style VA shag. It comes dry in the bag and the shag or very fine ribbon cut is about easy as it gets to load and smoke. Just try it in all your pipes you already got and whichever pipes you thought it tasted a bit better in can be your 'VA Pipes'

Once you got a feel for the 3 Sails, then go ahead and experiment with whatever tickles your fancy.

As a bonus the 3 Sails makes a great VA mixer so you don't have to feel stuck with a big bag, there are plenty of good uses for it.

 

[BenMN]

Another vote for Union Square. It is so good.

 

[coys]

I also rub out and dry VA flakes out until you might think it's a little too dry. Some, like Full Virginia Flake, are rewarding but make you work for every bit of it. Union Square to me is a very nice pure experience.

I like the tea-like essence of a well blended VA, is all I can say. It's a flavor that I enjoy.

Smoking them dry and slowly is the way I have found works best. Some of the dark ones that I like do require relights so there's a temptation to torch them constantly but this will make them harsh or acrid tasting, for me. I agree with the comment of 'just barely lit' and letting them cool down a bit between lights.

I am peculiar in that I basically started with Virginias and branched out from there. The first tin I completed from start to finish was a tin of Carolina Red Flake so I think I may have started into pipes without any training wheels!

 

[Coreios]

There are some boring Virginias. Maybe start off with a more interesting Virginia that has something else like, Superior 403, smoke that for a while and you'll finally outta boredom start picking up the tea and country summer nights taste notes. Then get something like Erinmore Flake, or Capstan, HH Virginia is good too. All opinion though. Beware 403 has KY. Fire in it but its sweet and earthy. Has a nice room note to me.

 

[itsnotuitsme]

i want to add my absolute favorite virginia i found yet, because it hasn't been mentioned.

robert mcconell red virginia. despite its name its a blend of red va, bright va, and a little perique.

i recommend rubbing it out until its like a ribbon cut, and let it dry for a bit. it hits the perfect sweet spot for me.