The First Pax Virtual Tobacco Crawl - Virginia Burleys

[eightywon]

Smoking a bowl of the ready rubbed bulk version. Comes a little moist but I never dry mine, burns well and complete every time. It's also a very consistent flavor every time, every pipe. Sometimes a blend will be more or less smokey, sweet, peppery, nutty, etc, but there is no surprises with this, nothing ever missing. As for what that flavor is, it's kind of hard for me to say which is usually the case, so I'll let others do that. All I can say is that it is a solid smoke.

 

[thesmokingtexan]

Ok I am new to this reviewing so I am not going to pretend like I know what I am doing. I am going to say the words that first came to mind and then the image that came to mind.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Smooth but extremely bold flavour, Full of flavour from the initial light, velvet smooth texture, earthy tone, easy to smoke, no bite at all, sensational taste, cool and soft, thick flavourful smoke, low and slow, mellow and easy going.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The first time I smoked this and every time since I get the image and thought of being in a forest during late fall about 3 to 4 weeks after all the leaves have fallen when the ground and air in the forest is cool and has a smooth earthy smell from the leaves slowly decaying. Every step is soft as the leaves are no longer crunchy.

For some reason I cannot get that image out of my head when I smoke this and I love it. It reminds me of my child hood randomly exploring Huntsville State park. Back then the parents just told the kids to go exploring.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I am going to definitely buy a stock of this so that I can have this tobacco any time I want. This is so far one of the best flavours I have ever smoked.

 

[stosho]

Well I chopped it as described, I think, and will let it dry a bit before trying it out. Being new I was a little surprised to open the tin and see what looked like small bales of tobacco. I figure I'll try it in a few different pipes this week and see if I can detect any differences. I have a slight concern in that I blistered the roof of my mouth on a bratwurst today. The hazards of Wisconsin will force me to play hurt for the first Crawl.

 

[thesmokingtexan]

I am now smoking it chopped up. It lights good and smokes good that way but it seems to cook into hard blocks. This is not a problem just something I noticed

 

[settersbrace]

For week one in October what say we set the theme to dark Stoved Virginias?
Hey settersbrace I didn't see your post before I sent mine. Which are your favorite stoved?
McClellands Dark Navy Flake is my current favorite.

 

[settersbrace]

I smoke ODF quite regularly so this is an easy review for me. I get it in bulk so it's ready rubbed with some bigger chunks of flake mixed in and I love that about it.
I'm smoking a MM egg cob with the larger strands and hunks on the bottom 2/3 of the bowl with the finer shreds on top for a good fire starter. First light always brings the tangy notes out but ODF quickly settles in for a what I can only describe as a roasted meat forward flavor with some sweet steak sauce notes occasionally popping in. I get some pure Virginia taste throughout as well and typically the last third of the bowl does get "chunky" as described in another review. This takes some pick work with a pipe tool to straighten out but the last 1/3 is usually the best, smoothest part of the smoke. Hints of chocolate come through and it leaves a nice finish and burns to nothing but light grey ash. I'm inclined to smoke ODF in the evening as it's a satisfying way to close out the day. One of this years favorite new to me blends.
I'll close by mentioning that the moisture level from the bulk jar is about perfect. My packing method makes for an easy smoke with few re-lights and it smokes cool and dry in my cobs. I'm smitten with corn cobs and VaBur/VaPer blends for whatever reason and that's just how I roll as I'm sure it'd smoke just fine in one of my briars. It's summer and I like my cobs.

 

[thesmokingtexan]

I like settersbrace comparison to meat and steak sauce. That is a good description of that smooth tangy bold flavor. also after trying both prep methods I like the effect of shreding it like rsuninv describes better than the chopped method. It seems to smoke more evenly than chunky

 

[stosho]

I appreciate the suggestions for packing. I struggled to keep it lit but did feel like it rolled cooly over the tongue. Seemed to be no risk of bite. The word that came to mind for me was oaky. Not sure why. Despite the relighting I enjoyed the smoke and will try the strategic packing suggested by Settersbrace.
Nice posts guys.

 

[thesmokingtexan]

My last bowl was through a cob that had only been smoked once before. Regretfully most the flavor was lost due to the cob not being broken in.

 

[brass]

Greetings All:
Sorry for checking in so late. I was up this morning at 5am and headed out for some flyfishing on Big Hutning Creek and later Beaver Creek, Md. I caught my personal best wild rainbow trout: a whopping 25 inches, which is as big as a steelhead.
One the way to the waters, I rubbed out a single flake and which stuffed just right into my little Sebastian Beo Rhodesian. I'm just going to say I've never had a more satisfying bowl of tobacco. It was complex enough to keep things interesting from first light to the last of the dottle - not that there was any left. Burned down to ash. I had no problems keeping it going, maybe three or four relights, mostly at the end, when I was trying to get the last morsel.
My palate vocabulary is still limited but the base flavor was full and the pepper accents tickled my nose just right. I can detect some hints of fruit, maybe citrus softened with an apple like soft texture. But the sweetness is just an accent, not overbearing.
I did another bowl in a larger Savinelli author. It took a little effort to get it started and required a couple of extra relights but was again a very agreeable smoke.
I'm smoking some more rubbed out in a Johs bent tulip as I type and I'm inclined to think rubbing it out broadens the flavor spectrum.
ODF is the first Virginia burley I've tried and it has opened my eyes to the variety possible in pipe tobaccos. It is as good or better as most of the fine cigars I've smoked. I'm wondering how the upcoming VaBurs will compare? Can't wait.

 

[dread]

I'm smoking some ODF right now, finally got the chance to sit down and have a pipe. For the first time I cube cut it - I normally just fold and stuff it - and I feel like I'm getting more flavor out of it this way and it is much easier to control the smoke. I love this blend and I really like this method of smoking it.
To me this blend has a deep, earthy flavor with an edge, but a a mellow edge. I love the vitamin N hit from it as well and I've always found it to be a cool smoke. Not much of a reviewer I'm afraid, I just like this baccy. :mrgreen:

 

[thesmokingtexan]

What is vitamin n

 

[cmdrmcbragg]

I'll summarize what I posted to smokey and pruss':
I rubbed out a flake and stuffed it in my calabash trying to avoid the Mac Baren bite I'm used to experiencing. Smoked very cool throughout, very consistent flavor. I'm not a burley fan, it is just too one dimensional for my liking, but this blend wasn't too bad. After my first bowl I wouldn't say I am a fan just yet, but I can't complain about it. For what it is as a VaBur (I would argue it is a BurVa, as the VAs take a backseat to the burley) it was a nice smoke. We'll see if it grows on me over the week.
On a 4-pt scale I give it a 3.

 

[smokeybear]

You smoking a fresh tin or aged? Because mine is a year old and the Virginias come out a lot more at this age.

 

[sallow]

I smoked this a while back and did not give it its due, I think because I also had jack knife open at the time and that was too much Kentucky.
The ODF in the tin has a nice BBQ note. On fire I get more Virginia than burley and something sharp fills out the top note, but I don't know what it is. To me it almost tastes lakeland but milder and not quite.
This is a good smoke, and more complex than I thought. I wasn't planning on buying more but now I might.

 

[smokeybear]

Ya I think I'm going to add 5 tins to the cellar to age this blend I really enjoyed it most of all I enjoyed the kick (vitamin N) in it. I'm still a cig smoker and I did not feel the need to have one after which is an indication that the level of N was good for me.

 

[dread]

Consider buying it in bulk, only $42 a pound, one of the best deals going. There was an issue with the tins rusting earlier and I don't know if that has been resolved.

 

[thesmokingtexan]

I never thought I would buy a pound of tobacco at once but for 42 bucks for that delicious smooth easy smoking blend I might just have to do that.

 

[cmdrmcbragg]

@smokey, the tin I received is a year old as well and also has rust on the rim.

 

[thesmokingtexan]

When ordered in a pound does it come cut up or in the little rectangular sheets?