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SSGT.

Might Stick Around
Jul 7, 2024
90
439
Sealy Texas
Have you tried Windsail straight out of the bag and compared it to what's in your pouch? I prefer D&R's Penhooker Silver over Windsail. I find it a touch smoother and sweeter.
That general store sounds like good times.
I have not as of yet, and yes I love that little hole in the wall store. It's the male counterpart to the beauty shop anything and everything from coon hunting, best farmer, crookedest, or craziest family in town will be discussed any given morning.

Last Saturday while Mr. Kincade was speaking of the miracle of Viagra, Mr. Thompson said "I ain't killing myself with something like that". To which Mr. O'Reily responded "Hamburger's had helper fer years and ain't kilt nobody yet", Just a wealth of information I hear every time I stop by.
 
I am mostly a Virginia smoker, and I know exactly what you are talking about. Early on, before I could start to discern flavors in Virginias, as the flavors are very delicate, like in a tea, as opposed to how in your face burleys can be. So, you will get a fine layer of nicotine and other aspects of the smoke in your mouth as an after taste. And, it can be salty tasting. I also get that very rarely from latakia blends.

Try drinking ice water when smoking, something to cleanse the palate while smoking. It may make it easier to taste your tobacco also. I will drink coffee also, but coffee doesn't help you while you are learning to taste the tobacco.
 

RudyH

Might Stick Around
Sep 1, 2022
79
102
Wisconsin
Pardon me for sounding dumb or weird but I'm only a year or so into pipe smoking and I am still learning and sampling. I just got some Daughters & Ryan Windsail Silver and I think its ok, but it is my first Virginia, and I found it to have a slight salty taste. I was just wondering if all Virginias are like this or if it is a trait of the brand
Have you smoked enough bowls of it to learn if the tobacco stabilizes with a particular flavor? For me, it usually takes three or four bowls of a new tobacco before I get a stable flavor.

There are a lot of blends in the "Virginia" family of pipe tobaccos, and I think trying a few representative blends is a good policy.
 

PiperCalvinist

Starting to Get Obsessed
Apr 9, 2024
183
592
South Texas
I've found Virginias can taste quite a bit different, especially when you factor in aged Virginias. I suggest you to try something like HH Pure Virginia or try to get your hands on some Virginia blend that has 2-5 years age on it. Most Virginias have a grassy hay-like taste mixed with a fresh baked bread type flavor. Some speak of citrus and dark fruit flavors. Although, I haven't really experienced much of that yet.
 
I've found Virginias can taste quite a bit different, especially when you factor in aged Virginias. I suggest you to try something like HH Pure Virginia or try to get your hands on some Virginia blend that has 2-5 years age on it. Most Virginias have a grassy hay-like taste mixed with a fresh baked bread type flavor. Some speak of citrus and dark fruit flavors. Although, I haven't really experienced much of that yet.
Depends on the type of VA. Matured vs Red vs Brown vs Bright all have their wheelhouse of flavor. Then there's the never-ending variables that come into play with where the VA was sourced, crop date, who produced it and how. HH Pure VA is a great choice...amongst many! :)
 
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I might try in other forums too, I'm sorry if this is out of place. But has anyone ordered from Estervals? or other European venders?
I'm interested in HU tobacco.
Yes, multiple times and without issue. But there was a thread here recently about a guy getting a large charge from UPS. If you want to avoid any potential issues just ship DHL. On the other hand, if your order is smaller (under $200) you might be ok with UPS, but there is that risk.
 

Edwoooo

Might Stick Around
Jun 17, 2022
54
301
Valley Springs, California
Yes, multiple times and without issue. But there was a thread here recently about a guy getting a large charge from UPS. If you want to avoid any potential issues just ship DHL. On the other hand, if your order is smaller (under $200) you might be ok with UPS, but there is that risk.
thanks for heads up. what do you think the best road to take is, if in fact someone got slapped with a charge or import tax? do you just ignore the charge, and the package and let it return to sender?
 

Choatecav

Part of the Furniture Now
Dec 19, 2023
506
1,355
Middle Tennessee
Pardon me for sounding dumb or weird but I'm only a year or so into pipe smoking and I am still learning and sampling. I just got some Daughters & Ryan Windsail Silver and I think its ok, but it is my first Virginia, and I found it to have a slight salty taste. I was just wondering if all Virginias are like this or if it is a trait of the brand.
I'm just gonna ask this...... has the OP had Covid over the past 6 - 10 months?? The reason I ask is that I had it a while back and it completely changed how pipe tobacco tastes to me. Not so much when smoking a cigar, but definitely with a pipe. I have now pretty much come back around to normal, but for a while I was getting sweets and salty where I had never detected them before.
 
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sparker69

Part of the Furniture Now
Feb 25, 2022
784
4,809
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Smoke quite a bit of Virginia, flake in particular. I've never noticed a salty taste, but I'm going to look for it next bowl. Try a few other Virginias if you like it and see how it compares.
 

dingdong

Part of the Furniture Now
Apr 2, 2024
579
5,850
Jakarta, Indonesia
Pardon me for sounding dumb or weird but I'm only a year or so into pipe smoking and I am still learning and sampling. I just got some Daughters & Ryan Windsail Silver and I think its ok, but it is my first Virginia, and I found it to have a slight salty taste. I was just wondering if all Virginias are like this or if it is a trait of the brand.
I have tried D&R Windsail Silver, but i feel its a bit too harsh on its own. I ended up blending it with other tobacco. C&D Virginia Gentleman tastes much smoother for me, or else flakes such as SunFlower, Macbarens or SG flakes is also good. I believe there are so many good choice of Virginia straight or blends in the US.
 

SSGT.

Might Stick Around
Jul 7, 2024
90
439
Sealy Texas
I'm just gonna ask this...... has the OP had Covid over the past 6 - 10 months?? The reason I ask is that I had it a while back and it completely changed how pipe tobacco tastes to me. Not so much when smoking a cigar, but definitely with a pipe. I have now pretty much come back around to normal, but for a while I was getting sweets and salty where I had never detected them before.
no haven't ever had it.
 
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Edwoooo

Might Stick Around
Jun 17, 2022
54
301
Valley Springs, California
no haven't ever had it.
It may be your pipe. I don't scrape or overly clean my pipe. I use only one pipe for all irginia and never mix English or aromatics with that pipe. Also, I sometimes have your experience. I never judge a virginia based tobacco based on only one or two tries. somehow my brain adjusts the flavor perception over time with more bowls. I'll give you an example:
in the past, I smoked mainly aromatics and Balkans. The first time I tried Orlik golden sliced tobacco, I tasted nothing. I thought people have lost their minds for hyping it so much. I tried it a week later and it was sweet and I loved it.
another example:
Dunhill ready rubbed...I purchased a tin in 2019 because of the name really. I tried this one and it tasted like it was nothing but salt in every puff. I almost tossed it out. a few days later I tried it again, and it became one of my favorites. no salty taste at all. to this day, every new pipe tobacco I try, I know it will taste better by the second or third bowl. It's your brain trying to relate this new flavor with something strong or familiar but cannot quiet figure it out, and it needs more time.
 
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