The Sweetest Virginia (Flake) You've Had?

[ChonkyTonks]

@AJL67, I just got a tin of McConnell Red this week. The first smoke of it was good, but I felt like it was a little one-dimensional. However, it has quickly jumped up the list as I have had it a few more times. Very consistent. Some sweetness, but overall a nice smoke. Per my latest update on TAD, I ordered 2x100G from Esterval's.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Someone may have mentioned this, but the sweeter the tobacco is, the more harsh it is going to smoke, if you push it too hard. Virginias are not for beginners. If you can't smoke slow enough to keep the bowl cool, and the smoke cooler, you aren't going to enjoy a sweet flake.
Also, when you do get a hint of flavor, don't speed up to get more, because you will kill the taste. It is counter intuitive, but if you start getting flavor, slow down even more, to get more flavor.

 

[AJL67]

Someone may have mentioned this, but the sweeter the tobacco is, the more harsh it is going to smoke, if you push it too hard. Virginias are not for beginners. If you can't smoke slow enough to keep the bowl cool, and the smoke cooler, you aren't going to enjoy a sweet flake.
Also, when you do get a hint of flavor, don't speed up to get more, because you will kill the taste. It is counter intuitive, but if you start getting flavor, slow down even more, to get more flavor.

I jumped into them head first and that was the most important lesson, slow down and don’t over pack, small puffs equal more flavor and enjoyment and no bite.

 

[pipesolitude]

Try the OGS and McConnell Red, not as sweet but two of my fav, i think i send some St James Flake with a little age, not thar sweet but a good solid vaper.

Took a little time bcs could not smoke for a while, but I’ve now tried McConnell Red Virginia and Orlik Golden Slice, so I thought I would come back to this thread with my thoughts.

In the category I’m looking for here, these will not be on the top of my list. For my palate, MRV is just a bit too sugary sweet, and the sweetness I get is not really from virginias but from the casing (a bit similar to McConnell Scotish Cake). It is tasty, but for me it falls into a sweet ”dessert” type of smoke (more so than natural virginia-sweet), whenever in the mood for that.

OGS on the other hand… some say perique can hardly be noted in this. But I beg to differ, I think it definitely marks the flavour profile, and for me it really qualifies as a VAPer, but with less assertive perique that integrates very well with the sweetness of virginias. But it is not what I’m looking for in a virginia flake. But as a mild VAPer I love it! It is probably the best I’ve had in that category, bcs I’m not a super fan of heavy perique so this milder version is fantastic! In another thread on best VaPer, this would be on the top of my list together with ST James Flake. I’m smoking a bowl of OGS now and it is so smooth and satisfying, very tasty and easy to smoke.

But IMO, Newminster 400 really hits the mark in the category of sweet virginia! If I had to settle for only one virginia tobacco for the rest of my life, this would probably be it.

 

[pipesolitude]

Edit: Golden Sliced

 

[AJL67]

And the 400 is a cheap bulk which makes it even better

Took a little time bcs could not smoke for a while, but I’ve now tried McConnell Red Virginia and Orlik Golden Slice, so I thought I would come back to this thread with my thoughts.

In the category I’m looking for here, these will not be on the top of my list. For my palate, MRV is just a bit too sugary sweet, and the sweetness I get is not really from virginias but from the casing (a bit similar to McConnell Scotish Cake). It is tasty, but for me it falls into a sweet ”dessert” type of smoke (more so than natural virginia-sweet), whenever in the mood for that.

OGS on the other hand… some say perique can hardly be noted in this. But I beg to differ, I think it definitely marks the flavour profile, and for me it really qualifies as a VAPer, but with less assertive perique that integrates very well with the sweetness of virginias. But it is not what I’m looking for in a virginia flake. But as a mild VAPer I love it! It is probably the best I’ve had in that category, bcs I’m not a super fan of heavy perique so this milder version is fantastic! In another thread on best VaPer, this would be on the top of my list together with ST James Flake. I’m smoking a bowl of OGS now and it is so smooth and satisfying, very tasty and easy to smoke.

But IMO, Newminster 400 really hits the mark in the category of sweet virginia! If I had to settle for only one virginia tobacco for the rest of my life, this would probably be it.

 

[pipesolitude]

I will likely order a lot of the 400 from the US, even if it will end up cost me a fortune with all the punitive taxes added.

 

[AJL67]

I will likely order a lot of the 400 from the US, even if it will end up cost me a fortune with all the punitive taxes added.

St least it’s super cheap to start with!

 

[troyniss]

Newminster no.400 or Peterson Flake.

Peterson flake to me is more citrus sweet and white sugar where no.400 is a more baked sweetness.

 

[FurCoat]

Erik Stokkebye Evening Flake is a fine tobacco

 

[peteguy]

Your title needs work. The sweetest stuff I have ever had was 20 yr old Dark Star. Enjoy the hunt.

 

[Tabacco]

I’m having my third bowl of this year’s Carolina Red Flake and I think this is the sweetest unflavored “fresh” Virginia that I have ever smoked. I did not smoke the previous editions.

 

[woodsroad]

Swetest Virginia? Her name was Ethel Jean, and she was a flake. But so sweet.

 

[cigrmaster]

I finally committed to finding my batch of 2006 Samuel Gawith Best Brown Flake and damn it is tasty. Way back when I bought 3 pounds of it from a guy at the old pipesmokersforu.uk. He sold it to me for 55.00 a pound and he thought he robbed me. I couldn't get my paypal account to pay him fast enough.

I am smoking it now and I feel like a retard for not finding this earlier. It is smooth as butter and the flavors of stewed fruit( stewed fruits are real flavors as it is a desert from the old country) my grandmother would take peaches and plums and apricots and prunes and figs and cook them till soft in a heavy sweet syrup. I get that flavor fairly often when I am smoking my really aged Virginia's. The sweetness also has a tad of molasses flavoring which I also really love.

I am going to be smoking a lot of this in the next couple years as I have another dozen pounds from 2012 and 25 tins from 2012. That can sit for more years while I smoke up this batch.

 

[simong]

Swetest Virginia? Her name was Ethel Jean, and she was a flake. But so sweet.

Swetest? Bad speller or just a bad man? Either way, find myself feeling sorry for Ethel, whether she be sweaty or sweet!
Tobacco wise, I think the sweetest I've had was John Aylesbury luxury / classic flake.

 

[cigrmaster]

Swetest? Bad speller or just a bad man? Either way, find myself feeling sorry for Ethel, whether she be sweaty or sweet!
Tobacco wise, I think the sweetest I've had was John Aylesbury luxury / classic flake.

Aylesbury Luxury flake is one of my favorites as it is nice and sweet. It was a son of a bitch to get even back in 2012-2013. I ended up cutting a couple of deals for 10% off if I bought 50 at a time. I got all I wanted and then they changed it to Classic flake years later. I have no idea how the new compares to my 2012 and 2013.

 

[woodsroad]

Swetest? Bad speller or just a bad man? Either way, find myself feeling sorry for Ethel, whether she be sweaty or sweet!
Tobacco wise, I think the sweetest I've had was John Aylesbury luxury / classic flake.

As a recovering journalist, I always had the copy desk to catch my stupid errors. I am pleased to provide you with free entertainment.

I too, am a John Aylesbury fan, and although I can't compete with #cigrmaster in terms of hoarding strategic acquisitions, I too put a few tins away back when.

 

[spicy_boiii]

There so many sweet VAs.

One aspect not mentioned, is I find the newer lemon VAs used in blends to be very tartly sweet, and to age very quickly. The lemon VA seems to have a massive amount of natural sugar in my experience, sometimes overly so.