Ribbon cut VA recs

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Butter Side Down

Can't Leave
Jun 2, 2023
316
3,415
Chicago
As far as VAs go, I've always been a flake smoker but I picked up a tin of Rattray 40 Virginia (a ribbon cut) a few months back and I have to say I'm really loving the no fuss, no muss simple pleasure of just scooping my pipe in the jar, giving the top a press and lighting it up all codger style. Plus I don't always have two hours to enjoy a pipe, so I'm also digging the fact that I can get through a medium bowl much faster than I do with a flake. So...

Anybody have any recs for some other tasty ribbon cut VAs?
 

Butter Side Down

Can't Leave
Jun 2, 2023
316
3,415
Chicago
I really like ribbon cut blends, too.

If you enjoy perique with your VA, Telegraph Hill and Elizabethan Mixture (as well as Match Victorian) are really nice.
I think I might actually have a tin of Elizabethan lingering at the bottom of a pile of solo tins I've collected over the years under the loose heading "to try at some point later on." I should dig that out.
 

Auxsender

Lifer
Jul 17, 2022
1,133
5,836
Nashville
I think I might actually have a tin of Elizabethan lingering at the bottom of a pile of solo tins I've collected over the years under the loose heading "to try at some point later on." I should dig that out.
Keep your expectations in check. In my opinion, which is admittedly unpopular, it’s deeply mediocre compared to other VAPer blends out there. I had a tin, smoked two bowls and gave the rest away. It’s not terrible, but, why eat dry-ass chicken breast when I could have porterhouse steak? Or, more applicably, why smoke Lizzy Mix when WCC 558 exists?
 
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minerLuke

Starting to Get Obsessed
Jan 2, 2023
295
586
Vancouver BC
Peter Stokebye Virginia long cut is a good straight ahead VA ribbon available at a bulk price.

Daughters and Ryan Three Sails is very good as well but it's more shag than ribbon cut.
 
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Butter Side Down

Can't Leave
Jun 2, 2023
316
3,415
Chicago
Thanks for the suggestions all. If anybody has more, keep them coming.

Wasn't able to find any of these at my trip to Iwan Ries over the weekend, but I did pick up another tin of Rattray 40 VA, a tin of Capstan RR Blue, and a GL Pease I'd never seen before called Penny Farthing (not strictly a VA and more of a shag than a ribbon cut apparently, but it sounded interesting nonetheless).
 

Swiss Army Knife

Can't Leave
Jul 12, 2021
464
1,358
North Carolina
Sutliff's match for Elizabethan Mixture is, I think, better than the original and obviously cheaper to boot. They sell it under the name Match Victorian. Another one from the Sutliff stable is 707 but it's closer to a broken flake than it is strictly Ribbon.