Delicious.
Brown No. 4 is an absolute favorite, but it's not a straight VA. My advice is to enjoy it anyway, but that's for another thread.
Recommend a Straight Virginia?
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Brown No. 4 is an absolute favorite, but it's not a straight VA. My advice is to enjoy it anyway, but that's for another thread.
McClelland Virginia 22 is wonderful. Recently finished a 100 tin from 2000 and it was well worth the time invested. Dan Tobacco Hamburg Veermaster is also a favorite. Silky smooth, creamy.
Mike S.
Mike S.
I would suggest starting off with Dunhill Flake and then go from there. However Dunhill is not among my favorites but rather a good starting point.
I love Mcclelland Blackwoods flake.
I love SG FVF.
Both of these are probably the best everyday Virginias that you can get anybody to fess up to as being spectacular Virginias.
But I'd have to recommend GLP Union Square, to me, the only straight Virginia that hits all of the notes. Bread, citrus and other malty earthy notes. Wow. Just buy all three and do a side by side.
I love SG FVF.
Both of these are probably the best everyday Virginias that you can get anybody to fess up to as being spectacular Virginias.
But I'd have to recommend GLP Union Square, to me, the only straight Virginia that hits all of the notes. Bread, citrus and other malty earthy notes. Wow. Just buy all three and do a side by side.
I am watching and learning. I have blown my $ for the immediate future, buying tools. I have plenty of tobacco for now, just need to keep from ordering more, for the time being.
Just to me too:
I'll second the idea of testing a number of VAs of different styles. They can manifest a number of different profiles, and as we all have different taste, you never know which will catch your fancy.
Dunhill Flake is a great tobacco in my book. It was the first flake I really thoroughly enjoyed top to bottom, every bowl. It is still a flake that I find consistently gives me a really enjoyable smoke.
McClelland 5100 (Red Cake) has a very different flavor (which isn't one I happen to be especially fond of), but it smokes really easily. When I was getting into VAs, and struggling with flakes (keeping them lit without scorching my tongue) 5100 was the thing I could always reach for to have a non-frustrating, hassle-free, and painless smoke.
The two Capstans are also solid recommendations, though I happen to prefer the Gold (I'd put it up there with Dunhill Flake). Both share the distinctive Capstan flavor, but Gold is lighter.
Full Virginia Flake is good and worth testing if you are exploring VAs. I haven't returned to it for a while, but it wasn't quite my cup of tea. Be warned though that it is finicky in the sense of hard to get to burn right (there was a thread on here recently about prepping it).
McClelland 2010 Classic Virginia is also a winner in my book, and not like anything else on the list (the famous ketchup scent will kick you out of the bag). Other McClelland VAs might be better; my knowledge of their lineup isn't very deep, so I defer to others here.
Orlik Golden Sliced is good stuff. It was the VA in which I first detected those intoxicating hints of what a VA could be. But I'm not sure I'd recommend it out of the gate.
I'll second the idea of testing a number of VAs of different styles. They can manifest a number of different profiles, and as we all have different taste, you never know which will catch your fancy.
Dunhill Flake is a great tobacco in my book. It was the first flake I really thoroughly enjoyed top to bottom, every bowl. It is still a flake that I find consistently gives me a really enjoyable smoke.
McClelland 5100 (Red Cake) has a very different flavor (which isn't one I happen to be especially fond of), but it smokes really easily. When I was getting into VAs, and struggling with flakes (keeping them lit without scorching my tongue) 5100 was the thing I could always reach for to have a non-frustrating, hassle-free, and painless smoke.
The two Capstans are also solid recommendations, though I happen to prefer the Gold (I'd put it up there with Dunhill Flake). Both share the distinctive Capstan flavor, but Gold is lighter.
Full Virginia Flake is good and worth testing if you are exploring VAs. I haven't returned to it for a while, but it wasn't quite my cup of tea. Be warned though that it is finicky in the sense of hard to get to burn right (there was a thread on here recently about prepping it).
McClelland 2010 Classic Virginia is also a winner in my book, and not like anything else on the list (the famous ketchup scent will kick you out of the bag). Other McClelland VAs might be better; my knowledge of their lineup isn't very deep, so I defer to others here.
Orlik Golden Sliced is good stuff. It was the VA in which I first detected those intoxicating hints of what a VA could be. But I'm not sure I'd recommend it out of the gate.
I've got an 8oz tin of Union Square from 2012 that I'm sitting on. I'm going to wait a couple more years before I pop it open. I've never had it before so I hope it's worth the wait. I may pop it open when my son graduates from HS in a year and a half. We can smoke it together.
If you are wanting to try Virginias so that you can find them in blended tobaccos, then don't forget C&D Virginias. They are not very good to smoke by themself, IMO. But, it would be critical to know them... I would think. GLP's Virginias are close, but C&D's Staight Virginia Flake would be crucial, as well as Brair Fox, but just keep in mind that it is blended with a burley to make it somewhat palatable.
Sir John's from John Aylesbury. Often overlooked and under the radar. Picked up a can a couple years ago and have not been disappointed...purchased several more. I like it better than Orlik Golden Sliced.
I still find smoking straight Virginias very challenching ,(very prone to bite) unless it is Orlik Golden,Reiner Long Gold or St Bruno
with Burleys I got no problem
with Burleys I got no problem
Samuel Gawith Full Virginia Flake, McCranie's Red Ribbon and Red Flake, any of the McClelland Matured Virginias, Rattray's Hal O' The Wynd, RO Acadian Gold, Aylesbury's Luxury Flake, GL Pease Union Square, MacBaran Modern Virginia, just to name a few.
EDIT: Forgot to mention Astley's 44.
EDIT: Forgot to mention Astley's 44.
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