Recomendations For Someone Crossing Over From Aro's to Va's

[bentmike]

Just my 2 cents:
Orlik Golden Slices

Peterson's University Flakes

Mac B Vanilla Cream Flakes

Mac B Mixture Flakes

Mac B Old Dark Fired
I was a aromatic smoker exclusively for many years but I slowly moved over to the Virginias. After a couple years I almost don't care for the aros too often anymore especially after the bowl is smoked down a bit. Ultimately I think the heavy casings once vaporized in the smoke taint the remaining tobacco. I notice that yes the taste does change as a virginia is smoked down in the bowl but it's often not such a drastic one as when smoking the aromatic blends.
Alot of good recommendations on this thread that I have yet to try but have wanted to. Time to get a TAD order going.

 

[thesmokindragon]

Not all pure Vs , but all outstanding flake...Just watch the air-times

and speed of smoking it ;-)
Dunhill Flake

Peterson's UF

Solani's Silver Flake

Marlin Flake

SG FVF, St James

L.J Peretti's London flake

Any of the MC V blends are fantastic; Blackwoods, St James Woods

Tudor Castle
Could go on and on with great V or V blends...

 

[drrock]

My suggestions, based on my own experience as I began transitioning from aromatics to Virginia pipe tobaccos:
Astleys No. 109 Virginia Flake

Fribourg & Treyer Cut Blended Plug

McClelland Virginia Woods

Orlik Golden Sliced

Reiner Long Golden Flake

S. Gawith Best Brown Flake
Have fun!

Glen

 

[baronsamedi]

McClellands 221-b Black Shag is a great tasting and smooth stoved VA. +1 for the MacBaren HH Mature VA, too. Lane's MV-1000 is a mild VA with a light vanilla casing. I add a little Perique to it and it smells and tastes great.

 

[igloo]

Rattrays Marlin Flake or Hal O' The Wynd . If you are going to go ,go big . The rest are posers .

 

[captainbob]

One can enjoy aro's as well as predominant non-aro Va blends. I do it every day. I suggest that you try a G.L. Pease/Craig Tarler Blend named: Two Friends Heritage. It was the only tobacco that Craig Tarler smoked since it was created in 1999. It is always in my rotation and I highly recommend that you try it: Two Friends Heritage by C&D.

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[mluyckx]

CaptainBob: I thought Heritage had a bit of a flavoring to it ? Although I do like it a lot.
I also second MV-1000 mentioned earlier, which also has somewhat of a topping.
The Gawith flakes mentioned above are worth a try. Hal O'The Wynd is a staple for me. So is Escudo. Although some of these technically are Va/Periques and not straight VA.
The list is just too long to mention. Go get some, try and play around. For instance I know a lot of people like McClelland's 5100, but I'm not a big fan of it. So it just shows that even in the world of VA's there's small differences that will have some blends please your palate while others not so much. And that is the marvel of pipe smoking ;-)

 

[mlyvers]

all great choices here sir. be careful, some of these babies are strong tobacs. experiment you will find something that you like.
mike.

 

[captainbob]

Belgian Mick,
You are correct. There is a miniscule amount of Plum, Rum & Maple in Two Friends Heritage to bring out the sweetness of the Virginia's. As with virtually all blends, aro and non-aro alike, there is flavoring. However, it is "degree of flavoring" that sets the distinction between aro's and non-aro's. It is all a matter of "degree".

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[cigrmaster]

igloo, lol, posers my ass. There is a reason why Rattray's is half the price of quality blends, you get what you pay for. :nana:

 

[plet]

I think the Bull's Eye flake would be good to start with. It has some Cavendish in it making it easy to smoke when changing over from Aro's. Just my opinion

 

[papipeguy]

I usually opt for lat blends but I just bought McC's Stave-Aged 35 Ribbon. Straight Virginia with the peice of bourbon cask in the tin. I sampled it at the B&M this afternoon in my Nording Signature and liked it enough to buy it on the spot.

 

[hfearly]

Two tobaccoes won me over from Aros to Vas: SG St. James Flake and Peterson's University Flake.
Now, I absolutely LOVE Escudo, MacBaren Club Blend, and SG Best Brown Flake. Once in a while I crave one of the "purer" VAs and VaPers: Reiner's 71, Marlin Flake, Esoterica Dunbar.
Sometimes a more "flavoured" VA such as Erinmore Flake, MacBaren Navy Flake, MacBaren Scottish Mixture, 1792 flake, tickles my fancy.

 

[tbradsim1]

Erinmore, PSLBF, Solani Silver Flake, all good. The old cajun

 

[slowwideturns]

Looks like i have a lot of tobacco to add to the stash and i hope this is educational for others as well, thanks everyone

 

[hfearly]

Rothn,
I recently tried Solani Aged Burley Flake and their 127 Green. Really impressed with Solani. I'll definitely give the Silver Flake a try - thanks for the recommendation!

 

[chopsie]

I've mainly smoked aromatics and am in the process of moving from smoking cigarettes to smoking a pipe. I just picked up some Mick McQuaid plug today and cut it into cubes its proving to be a very slow and cool burning tobacco with a hint of sweetness but is an absolutely amazing tobacco. If you can find it I cannot recommend it enough.