C&D Bayou Morning, GLP Haddo's Delight, McClelland St. James Woods.
Just read the reviews for Director's Cut, I must try this one!
Just read the reviews for Director's Cut, I must try this one!
VA & Va/PER suggestions
- Thread starter uberam3rica
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My two favorite VA/Per's:
SG St James Flake
GLP Filmore
This thread is a rehash of a 2 year old thread here:
VaPers Help
Another interesting read at another website from 2009:
Virginia-Perique (VA/Per) Showdown
(this is 5 web pages, so if you do not wish to read all, then cut to the chase on page 5)
SG St James Flake
GLP Filmore
This thread is a rehash of a 2 year old thread here:
VaPers Help
Another interesting read at another website from 2009:
Virginia-Perique (VA/Per) Showdown
(this is 5 web pages, so if you do not wish to read all, then cut to the chase on page 5)
I've written down some of these and will definitly pick some of them up eventually. I just bought a new pipe, amd some baccy yesterday so new tins will have to wait a bit.
I hear ya. For a while I switched to Escudo after reading how many people can't tell a difference, but I sure could. Escudo is not as sweet, it's more peppery (which I dislike)...overall not as rich and smooth and flavorful. I buy DNR in the quantity where there's a slight price break, and I smoke one coin a day in a small pipe. Folded, it burns really slow, plenty of time to satisfy me.
Echoing what others have posted and a couple of new ones, in no particular order and off the top of my head:
McCrainie's Red Ribbon and Red Flake
McClelland's Christmas Cheer
H&H Anniversary Kake
H&H Louisiana Red
Motzek Strang or Motzek Curley Mixture
HU Director's Cut
SG St James Flake
SG FVF
Solani Silver
Escudo
PS LBF
GLP Fillmore
GLP Telegraph Hill
GLP Haddo's Delight
GLP Union Square
H&H Viprati
Drew Estates Gatsby Flake (got quite a topping, so maybe I'm stretch here.)
F&T Cut Virginia Plug
McBaren Capstan Blue and Yellow
H&H Acadian Perique
Brigham Klondike Gold
JA Luxury Flake
JA Sir John
McCrainie's Red Ribbon and Red Flake
McClelland's Christmas Cheer
H&H Anniversary Kake
H&H Louisiana Red
Motzek Strang or Motzek Curley Mixture
HU Director's Cut
SG St James Flake
SG FVF
Solani Silver
Escudo
PS LBF
GLP Fillmore
GLP Telegraph Hill
GLP Haddo's Delight
GLP Union Square
H&H Viprati
Drew Estates Gatsby Flake (got quite a topping, so maybe I'm stretch here.)
F&T Cut Virginia Plug
McBaren Capstan Blue and Yellow
H&H Acadian Perique
Brigham Klondike Gold
JA Luxury Flake
JA Sir John
I really like Stokkebye's LNF as a staple (4 cases of pint jars in the closet and working on a fifth), then I was steered towards the virginia and perique blends that Rich at 4Noggins has by Cortez' recommendations. It started with his suggestion of Prairie Wind, which I ended up really liking. Loose ribbon kind of cut and it was an excellent first (for me) example of the "plummy" flavor some va/per blends have. From there I also tried Alamosa which comes in kind of a broken flake and seemed to have both the plummy and peppery flavors. Almost punches one in the face with them.
McClelland's va and va/pers ended up in jars in my closet too, specifically 2010 (va)and 2015 (va/per). I really like that "ketchupy" aroma that starts so many conversations. There's a pint jar of 2015 on my shelf that's been closed up since January of 2015. I think I'm going to leave it alone for now. Have yet to try Dark Star, but now it's in the back of my mind, thank you Jefff and others!
McClelland's va and va/pers ended up in jars in my closet too, specifically 2010 (va)and 2015 (va/per). I really like that "ketchupy" aroma that starts so many conversations. There's a pint jar of 2015 on my shelf that's been closed up since January of 2015. I think I'm going to leave it alone for now. Have yet to try Dark Star, but now it's in the back of my mind, thank you Jefff and others!
Great suggestions, every single one. Instead of just adding more names to the list, I can offer an observation... based on my snobbish opinion, but an observation, none-the-less... *Let's avoid pipe tobacco Political Correctness for a minute and just straight talk this for a minute...
American; McClelland has a ketchup-y aroma in the tin, but the flavors of the smoke is outstanding, ranging from sweet to full bodied, chocolate-y notes. No, it doesn't taste like chocolate, just has that cocoa-ness to it in some blends, as well as some may be more lemony acidic, or even have a natural subtle spiceyness.
Most C&D Virginias, used alone and in their blends, look, smell, and taste air cured. It is more scorchy on the tongue, but many pipe smokers still like the flavors. To me they lack a depth and I can tell that there is sweetness in there, but it just doesn't seem resolved. Thus, the air dried conclusion, like raw corn is not nearly as sweet as cooked corn. ...if that makes sense. I put D&R and GLP in this category also, however, I think GLP may be using some better Virginias in some of his blends. And, just becauise I think most of these are more raw tasting, doesn't mean that they're bad, just more... raw tasting, ha ha.
H&H has a variety of Virginias, some similar to McClelland and some more similar to C&D. I assume that H&H isn't processing their own Virginias. Maybe they are a large enough operation, IDK. But, they have some unique flavors in some of their blends, but some still seem more McClelland-y or more C&D-y to me. This was not said out of any knowledge of how H&H works, just from having sampled their selections, which of course by the suggestions above they have some good stuff.
European; I find that most European Virginias aren't in the same ballpark as C&D and McClellands. Most all seem to rely on the subtle casing flavors like licorice, honey, or other sweeteners and processes like pressure and such. Meaning they are more heavy handed with the flavors in the casings and rely on making flakes to offset some of the issues that a smoker might have with raw flavors and biteyness.
MacBarons, Pure Virginia is the only Virginia by them that I would suggest to a friend. Virginia #1 is what I suggest to enemies and evil tyrants, because it is so artificially sweet that it is bitey as a mouthful of rattlesnakes. Everything else in their lineup is too aromatic for me.
Peter Stokkebye has one very unique Virginia, and that is Luxury Twist Flake. It is a Virginia Cavendish, and while I tend to run from flavored tobacco, this one is interesting enough that I smoke it mixed with VaPers very often. Their Luxury Navy Flake is good, but to me the Virginia in the mix is like an air cured that was pressed. It has lost a lot of that stringent-ness in the process, and it's not terrible.
As far as European Virginias go, there are a few others that lack the added flavors, SG FVF, Best Brown, a couple of those Seasonal releases, I can't remember which season was what, but... GH&co, Curley Cut Delux stands out. I haven't found anything else from them that comes close to an American Virginia. Homberger Veermeister and Limerick are pretty good. Then there's staples like Escudo and such. There are a few diamonds hidden the haystacks of European Virginias, but the best of European Virginias just come close to what is produced in the US. Worth exploring, but be cautious.
When you get a palate vocabulary built up for the subtleness of Virginias, explore McClellands more in depth, the Blackeny process, stoved, matured, etc... Sundowner, Aurora, there really is a vast range of blends and single leaf that can give you a huge variation of flavors that are naturally coaxed from their offerings. If I could wear a patch that endorses any one tobacco company it would be a big, proud McClelland patch. In tinkering around with growing and processing my own Virginias, I am most enamored by what they do, and that fermented Virginia aroma that you'll get from their produce.
*Note, that I use words like most and some and genralities, and I avoid painting these companies with absolutes. So, before someone gets their panties in a wad, this is just my observations. If everything gets nitpicked, it just makes it harder to talk about tobaccos or really anything. Let's avoid pipe tobacco Political Correctness. It's just my opinions, and I am only an expert in those opinions. YMMV
American; McClelland has a ketchup-y aroma in the tin, but the flavors of the smoke is outstanding, ranging from sweet to full bodied, chocolate-y notes. No, it doesn't taste like chocolate, just has that cocoa-ness to it in some blends, as well as some may be more lemony acidic, or even have a natural subtle spiceyness.
Most C&D Virginias, used alone and in their blends, look, smell, and taste air cured. It is more scorchy on the tongue, but many pipe smokers still like the flavors. To me they lack a depth and I can tell that there is sweetness in there, but it just doesn't seem resolved. Thus, the air dried conclusion, like raw corn is not nearly as sweet as cooked corn. ...if that makes sense. I put D&R and GLP in this category also, however, I think GLP may be using some better Virginias in some of his blends. And, just becauise I think most of these are more raw tasting, doesn't mean that they're bad, just more... raw tasting, ha ha.
H&H has a variety of Virginias, some similar to McClelland and some more similar to C&D. I assume that H&H isn't processing their own Virginias. Maybe they are a large enough operation, IDK. But, they have some unique flavors in some of their blends, but some still seem more McClelland-y or more C&D-y to me. This was not said out of any knowledge of how H&H works, just from having sampled their selections, which of course by the suggestions above they have some good stuff.
European; I find that most European Virginias aren't in the same ballpark as C&D and McClellands. Most all seem to rely on the subtle casing flavors like licorice, honey, or other sweeteners and processes like pressure and such. Meaning they are more heavy handed with the flavors in the casings and rely on making flakes to offset some of the issues that a smoker might have with raw flavors and biteyness.
MacBarons, Pure Virginia is the only Virginia by them that I would suggest to a friend. Virginia #1 is what I suggest to enemies and evil tyrants, because it is so artificially sweet that it is bitey as a mouthful of rattlesnakes. Everything else in their lineup is too aromatic for me.
Peter Stokkebye has one very unique Virginia, and that is Luxury Twist Flake. It is a Virginia Cavendish, and while I tend to run from flavored tobacco, this one is interesting enough that I smoke it mixed with VaPers very often. Their Luxury Navy Flake is good, but to me the Virginia in the mix is like an air cured that was pressed. It has lost a lot of that stringent-ness in the process, and it's not terrible.
As far as European Virginias go, there are a few others that lack the added flavors, SG FVF, Best Brown, a couple of those Seasonal releases, I can't remember which season was what, but... GH&co, Curley Cut Delux stands out. I haven't found anything else from them that comes close to an American Virginia. Homberger Veermeister and Limerick are pretty good. Then there's staples like Escudo and such. There are a few diamonds hidden the haystacks of European Virginias, but the best of European Virginias just come close to what is produced in the US. Worth exploring, but be cautious.
When you get a palate vocabulary built up for the subtleness of Virginias, explore McClellands more in depth, the Blackeny process, stoved, matured, etc... Sundowner, Aurora, there really is a vast range of blends and single leaf that can give you a huge variation of flavors that are naturally coaxed from their offerings. If I could wear a patch that endorses any one tobacco company it would be a big, proud McClelland patch. In tinkering around with growing and processing my own Virginias, I am most enamored by what they do, and that fermented Virginia aroma that you'll get from their produce.
*Note, that I use words like most and some and genralities, and I avoid painting these companies with absolutes. So, before someone gets their panties in a wad, this is just my observations. If everything gets nitpicked, it just makes it harder to talk about tobaccos or really anything. Let's avoid pipe tobacco Political Correctness. It's just my opinions, and I am only an expert in those opinions. YMMV
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