Robert McConnell Red Virginia... Has it changed?

[sittingbear]

My shipment from smokingpipes came in today and included were five tins of Robert McConnell's Red Virginia. This was one of the first Virginias I was introduced to several years ago, and I have always loved it. It never quite qualified as an aro, in my opinion, but I was always able to detect a sweet chocolate/berry flavor in it.
I'm currently smoking it in a Ferndown bent bulldog, and it tastes different from what I remember. It totally lacks the sweet chocolate and berry flavor. Don't get me wrong, it's still an outstanding Virginia! I just wonder if something has changed in the recipe? Perhaps the shortage of red Virginias has impacted this blend? Or have they tweaked the recipe?
Anyone else notice anything different with this blend?

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

Perhaps it just needs a little cellar time.

 

[sittingbear]

That's possible. I used to get my tins from a local B&M, and God only knows how long they'd sat on the shelf. These are fresh off the boat. They have been out of stock at smokingpipes for some time, so this is about as fresh as it gets, I think!

 

[leacha]

Or the pipe. Different pipes different smoke.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Yeh, when I return to a Virginia after a long time of trying other Virginias, the one I am returning to will often times taste different than I remember. This is why I don't pay any attention to the codgers who balk about Three Nuns tasting different, blah, blah, blah.

But, the one memory I have of smoking three tins of RM's Red Virginia, is that they were bitey to me. Even bone dry, it would sic it's vipers, hornets, and pit bulls upon my tongue.

 

[sittingbear]

Andrew, that's true. I have a rule of smoking a blend in five different pipes before making a judgement on a blend. I'll keep trying it in different pipes to see if it makes a difference. I was just surprised because I noticed a bigger-than-usual difference.
Cosmic, I think you're right, this is a blend I have to smoke with respect, otherwise it will bite! Still very good though. It just means I have to show down and enjoy it, sip by sip.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Dang, there I go, adding a few tins of this to my shopping cart. I won't be able to judge whether it has changed, most likely, but I am interested in whether it still bites me. Plus, I wish I had set back a few tins of it to see if age mellows it out. It's always nice to pop a tin of something obscure ten or so years down the line.