Virginias for Beginners

[pipesinperu]

In the thread on sweet Virginias, I saw that rmbittner recommended Hal O' the Wynd as a good Virginia-based blend for learning to smoke these types of tobaccos because it has such a noticeably different flavor when sipped slowly. I was wondering if you all had any other blend suggestions for working on my sipping technique?
With that said, I should note that where I live I don't have easy access to different blends, so I have to settle for the occasional international mail order. Right now all I have on hand for Virginias are McConnell Scottish Flakes and Low Country Waccamaw. Is either of these especially good for learning? I find the Scottish Flake decent but a little one-note. Maybe I haven't quite got the hang of it? I like the Waccamaw a lot, and I can definitely pick up on the Virginias more when smoked slow, but then I tend to lose a lot of the perique and the Izmir. Is that typical? The only other blend I can get easily here is McBaren Virginia #1. Thoughts/suggestions?

 

[petes03]

The flakes you have are supposed to be very good ones, though I've not tried them personally.

For a good Va that smokes well with minimal prep and relights, try Orlik Golden Sliced (technically a Va/Per, but I, along with many others, can't detect any Perique in it) and Mac Baren Virginia Flake.

If you want to try your hand at some good Va/Pers, give Peter Stokkebye's Luxury Bullseye Flake, Dunhill Deluxe Navy Rolls, and Escudo a try.

A lot of people say that Dunhill DNR and Escudo are one in the same, but I think the Dunhill is a little sweeter and less spicy than Escudo. I'm not alone in that assessment either!

 

[redbeard]

Welcome to the forum!! This is the beat place of your questions to be posted and the quickly answered. Great group of guys and girls here.
I would say Luxury Bullseye flake is a great beginner Va/Per although I'm not nessacerally a beginner and it is my by far favorite smoke!! Well... Other than Luxury Navy Flake and possibly Luxury Twist :rofl: is it noticeable I am a Peter Stokkebye fan?
They are great smokes though!!

 

[cortezattic]

Indeed, Mac Baren Virginia #1 is a good blend to use to refine your sipping technique because, like most sharp Virginias, it will sting like an angry wasp if you're not careful. Also, it happens to be the only Mac Baren blend composed of only Virginia tobaccos -- no other varieties to confuse the beginner's palate.
If I relied on international sources, I would buy bulk tobaccos and avoid the extra weight of tinned tobaccos.

In keeping with that, I recommend choices from among the following bulks from 4noggins:

John Patton's Quadruple Virginia & Virginia Squire;

Rattray's bulk: Hal O'the Wynd, Marlin Flake, & Old Gowrie;

Sam Gawith Medium Virginia Flake & Best Brown Flake;

and, while you're at it, ask for a sample of McClelland's bulk 5120 Fragrant Virginia Ribbon.

 

[rmbittner]

pipesinperu:
Thanks for the shout-out! Actually, I think most Virginia blends can be transformed by how you approach them. Hal o' the Wynd is just the one I'm most familiar with personally. I think I also mentioned some dark-stoved Virginias in that thread you referred to; if smoked quickly, they'll yield a fairly bland smoke. But if smoked slowly, their flavors and sweetness really open up. McClelland's Dark Star and Butera's Dark Stoved are the two I'm most familiar with.
OTOH, I think it's a great education to work your way through Rattray's three most popular Virginia blends: Old Gowrie, Hal o' the Wynd, and Marlin Flake. You can learn a lot about Virginias -- Rattray's typically uses more African Virginias than American, which gives their blends a darker, deeper quality than you'll find in, say, a McClelland VA -- as well as smoking technique.
And then contrast/compare that with Samuel Gawith's Full Virginia Flake, a truly delicious VA flake that, in my experience, can't be pushed to smoke "bad" or "harsh." FVF is extremely forgiving of technique and speed. (But it usually needs some time to dry out.)
Bob

 

[derfargin]

If you can sip on MacBaren #1 and not get repeatedly punched in the mouth, I think you can probably smoke anything.
I found that the McClelland's Bulk 5100 Red Cake is a great taste on it's own, and doesn't have any teeth.

 

[pipesinperu]

Thanks to everyone for all the great suggestions. Those certainly sound like some great places to get started, and possibly find some future favorites.
Bob: Thanks again for the great info. I'm intrigued by the sound of Rattray's deeper, darker African Virginias. One (or three!) of those blends will definitely be in the next package headed my way. Any other blenders/brands out there using something a little bit different than the rest? Also really like the sound of the dark-stoved Virginias.
Re: Cortez's suggestion of buying in bulk, does anyone have experience with having bulk orders shipped overseas? I'm just wondering about customs. I've seen pictures of how the bulk bags come, but haven't tried ordering them yet.
For the time being, sounds like it might be time to revisit some Virginia #1. I have to admit that when I tried it just after picking up the pipe four months back or so, I was using the 9mm filter in my pipe, because that's all they sell at my local tobacconist's. From what I've read, those filters are good for preventing tongue bite, but bad for getting the hang of sipping/cadence, etc. I've recently starting using the "bent pipe cleaner" method to get the full taste experience, so we'll see how I do with avoiding that tongue bite now!

 

[beefeater33]

Try Capstan, I let it dry to almost crispy, thats when I get the most flavors out of it, but you gotta sip it.