VaPer/Or Blend Recommendations?

[shanez]

It's no secret, I love Dan Tobacco Ascanian No. 2. I'm well stocked but I am starting a search for another blend in the genre that's readily available. What I think makes this blend work for me so well is the VA is aged plus the Perique is nicely plummy.

I'm not looking for a replica but just something in the area. I'm considering taking a chance with Galloping Gertie or maybe Light of the Universe. I already have some Orion's Arrow which is nice but somehow not "enough". Anyone have any other ideas?

 

[edger]

I love C&D Bayou Morning. I've never tasted Ascanian #2. BM has 25% perique, but you can always cool your tongue in that damned pool! (Jealous!)

 

[Sweet Home Alabama]

Only smoke on the weekends

 

[elessar]

While I can't reccomend it yet, I have a bag of Gawith Hoggarth Louisiana Flake on the way. Sounds pretty good.

 

[shanez]

While I can't reccomend it yet, I have a bag of Gawith Hoggarth Louisiana Flake on the way. Sounds pretty good.

I love Louisiana Flake! If you like it and want another one to try give their Scotch Flake a try. Without the Perique the chocolate flavor comes through more.

I have several pounds of each cellared.

 

[Ahi Ka]

My best mate used to mix newminster 400 and McClellan Turkish ribbon 50:50 for his favourite va/or. Maybe you could experiment with adding a solid Turkish to lnf or other VaPer you like?

 

[biodarwin]

C&D Sunday picnic is my favorite va/per/ori

 

[Chasing Embers]

Orion's Arrow

 

[RookieGuy]

C&D makes a few decent VA/OR blends. Oriental Silk is currently my favorite, it's becoming my go-to morning commute tobacco. And Orion's Arrow is a close second.

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

10 year old St James Flake. Way too peppery when young, the perique seems to mellow substantially with age. Superb. While absent perique, I really like Sunday Picnic, Bijou, Sun Bear and the XX Flake. If you can find it, you might like the XX Dark Flake but it would need age before the perique mellows. I also find the Heinrichs Curly Block to have the plum, sweet flavor with minimal pepper

 

[kcghost]

I really enjoy Six Pence and Stonehenge from G.L. Pease.

 

[Chasing Embers]

I really enjoy Six Pence and Stonehenge from G.L. Pease.

No Orientals in those.

 

[Country Bladesmith]

Oriental Silk is pretty good. You could also experiment by ordering some straight C&D Izmir (it’s bulk), and adding some to some VaPers. It’s quite good mixed with Sutliff 515 RC-1 red Virginia (no Perique), or Sutliff Match Victoria.

 

[musicman]

10 year old St James Flake. Way too peppery when young, the perique seems to mellow substantially with age. Superb. While absent perique, I really like Sunday Picnic, Bijou, Sun Bear and the XX Flake. If you can find it, you might like the XX Dark Flake but it would need age before the perique mellows. I also find the Heinrichs Curly Block to have the plum, sweet flavor with minimal pepper

My understanding is that XX flake does indeed have Perique in it. In fact, I think it contains the same 18 yr old Perique that’s in XX Dark, although (to my palate) not as much. I like them both but XX flake might be my favorite special release of the past couple of years. The rest of your post is spot on. Those are all great blends. I’ll add Embarcadero and Temple Bar to the list.

I’m also a big fan of Ken Byron’s Va/Or and Va/Per/Or blends, but most of these are one off special releases so it wouldn’t help you to name blends.

 

[karam]

Heya @shanez, as you know I'm also very fond of Ascanian No2, and as you said all stated components can be clearly tasted. Like it so much that it makes me want to branch out to some VaOr, have you tried SG Sam's Flake?

 

[shanez]

Heya @shanez, as you know I'm also very fond of Ascanian No2, and as you said all stated components can be clearly tasted. Like it so much that it makes me want to branch out to some VaOr, have you tried SG Sam's Flake?

I've not tried Sam's Flake but the description and reviews of it make me want to.

I'm a bid VaPer fan and have several of the ones mentioned above including both 10+ year aged & fresh St James Flake, both XX & XX Dark Flake, and Curly Block.

When I find something I like, such as Ascanian No 2, I like to build a based of good and similar blends but not the same like I did with VaPers. So what I'm looking for is essentially a VaPer with Oriental included in it. Also it should not have Latakia, dark fired, and, ideally for me, it would have little to no red VA. As long as red is not the primary component I should be good with any blend though. One of the nice things about the Ascanian is that it doesn't bit unless you push it really hard.

I have a few blends on order so I'll find out if they fit the bill.

I am also going to try mixing some blends as suggested and I have some bulk Izmir I ordered last time it was on sale.

 

[musicman]

So, I have never tried Ascanian 1 or 2. #2 sounds like it would be right up my alley. Given that Estervals is no longer shipping to the US, are there any other options for Americans interested in ordering this tobacco?

 

[karam]

So, I have never tried Ascanian 1 or 2. #2 sounds like it would be right up my alley. Given that Estervals is no longer shipping to the US, are there any other options for Americans interested in ordering this tobacco?

Hoosier nailed the description: Ascanian No1 is a VaOr with Perique as a condiment, No2 is a VaPer with Oriental as a condiment, and as Shanez put it, you can really taste each component clearly. One of the few blends that do this for me. Old Ironsides is another.

@shanez this is probably a blunt way of cutting the data, but selecting "VaPer" and contents "Va, Per, O" in TR gets you this list. If it's any comfort, it does catch Ascanian No1 and 2 so it's doing something right.

Pity you don't like red Va and DFK though, I had my red Va revelation moment with HU Janneman Flake, also love some DFK in a VaPer to amp up the woody notes and spice.

 

[jcsoldit]

There have already been many fine blends recommended, and to those might I suggest Watch City's Old Dominion.

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[RookieGuy]

[Snip]

I'm not looking for a replica but just something in the area. I'm considering taking a chance with Galloping Gertie or maybe Light of the Universe. I already have some Orion's Arrow which is nice but somehow not "enough". Anyone have any other ideas?

In Orion's Arrow, what was it not enough of? Any particular component needed more of (or any), or less of? Or just a little more oomph?