Virginia and cigarette taste?

[chopper]

As mentioned already it takes time before ones palate adjusts to pipe tobacco and before one starts picking up the more subtle flavours.

My expectations were low since I switched to a pipe to kick my cigarette addiction.
So when I did start to notice different flavours that was a bonus.

Virginia blends can be a bit tricky to get right re; moisture level, packing and cadence.
They can also cause tongue bite especially for newbies.

My advice to a newbie would be to buy a heap of Virginia blends, jar them, then shove them in the back of your cupboard and forget about them.

Stick to blends that you enjoy for now and once your palate has developed somewhat then you're ready to get into Virginia blends.
By that stage the Va blends in your cupboard would have aged nicely.

 

[GreatWhiteNorthPiper]

As mentioned already it takes time before ones palate adjusts to pipe tobacco and before one starts picking up the more subtle flavours.

My expectations were low since I switched to a pipe to kick my cigarette addiction.
So when I did start to notice different flavours that was a bonus.

Virginia blends can be a bit tricky to get right re; moisture level, packing and cadence.
They can also cause tongue bite especially for newbies.

My advice to a newbie would be to buy a heap of Virginia blends, jar them, then shove them in the back of your cupboard and forget about them.

Stick to blends that you enjoy for now and once your palate has developed somewhat then you're ready to get into Virginia blends.
By that stage the Va blends in your cupboard would have aged nicely.

Thank you for the thoughtful response. I will do just that! And yes, I got nasty tongue bite when I smoked my last Virginia (PS Luxury Twist Flake). So I do need to work on my cadence!

 

[OSOBUCO]

maybe my negative experience with FVF was due to this:
I cant taste or smell a damn thing right now. I tried the FVF 5 days ago when I was just getting sick so maybe it's not for me at least when un-aged. I have read others have had the same experience. That said, I have an exceptional palate when it comes to my 30 years of wine experience and I can pick up many things others cannot so who knows. Taste is entirely subjective after all...

 

[Singularis]

maybe my negative experience with FVF was due to this: View attachment 148915
I cant taste or smell a damn thing right now. I tried the FVF 5 days ago when I was just getting sick so maybe it's not for me at least when un-aged. I have read others have had the same experience. That said, I have an exceptional palate when it comes to my 30 years of wine experience and I can pick up many things others cannot so who knows. Taste is entirely subjective after all...

Yeah, it's a thing. I first got hit with covid a year ago (in May) and then my sense of smell took a huge hit later that summer. It has gradually come back, albeit weirdly (a common occurrence), but I think it may be back completely. I managed to enjoy smoking a pipe through most weeks and months over the last year, but there have been times that I've experienced flavors and aromas that weren't quite right. Just a matter of rolling with it. It will come back.

 

[Singularis]

Canadian cigarettes are, by law, plain Virginia tobacco.

Any idea why this is the case? Something to do with protecting the interests of Canadian-grown bright leaf tobacco?

 

[Casual]

Any idea why this is the case? Something to do with protecting the interests of Canadian-grown bright leaf tobacco?

I think it is the intersection of protecting the local growers with the fig leaf of regulating the ingredients of cigarettes to prevent industry manipulation which led to lawsuits.

 

[TheWhale13]

That is quite offputting. At least for me as someone who has not tried it.

A lot of the finer things in life are acquired tastes for a lot of people. Like wine, beer, and tobacco. That doesn't mean that it's not worth doing though. The few things that aren't acquired tastes are pizza, sex, and heroin.

 

[hawky454]

Smoke a good Virginia in your pipe next to someone smoking one of today's cigarettes. I think you'll smell quite a difference. They smell like burning electrical wire to me, compared to Virginia at its best. ( I say that as someone who at one time liked some cigarettes (Nat Shermans, Camel unfiltered, Lucky Strikes, English Ovals, Chesterfields, Old Golds, etc.).

I used to love the way cigarettes smelled when I got a distant whiff of them back when I was a kid. I agree, they smell rank these days.

As others have already said, it can take some time before you can pick up on the flavor of VA’s. When I first tried them, they just tasted like smoke, I didn’t pick up any citrus or bread notes. It wasn’t until I tried Orlik Golden Sliced that I was able to start understanding what VA’s are all about. The mild citrus topping really helps your palate pick up on the natural flavors of the leaf. So, I would suggest going with lightly topped VA’s then gradually shift over to straight VA’s. Eventually you might even be able to pick up on the sugary sweet casings that most VA’s are cased with.