What’s Your Top Choices For Virginias?

[dcon]

I know that there is a lot of love for the reds but, I like the bright and darks a little more. SG Best Brown Flake, SG FVF, GH Bright CR Flake, Sutliff #507-C Virginia Slices, and Dobie’s Four Square Cut Plug are some of my current favorite flakes. Esoterica Scarborough and MacBaren Virginia #1 are good in the blend/ready rubbed category. C&D Yorktown and GLP Union Square are good blends and flakes respectively but, I think they both need a little age. I, too, am consistently amazed and delighted with Amphora Virginia Blend. It is definitely the bargain leader and better than many more expensive Virginias.
VaPers is another category.

 

[skydog]

Some great Virginias and VaPers mentioned in this thread. I probably never would have become the VA fanatic that I am if it weren't for McClelland's reds. There are still some good red VA tobaccos out there, plenty mentioned in this thread. If I were advising someone just dipping their toes into the VA world I would definitely include the classic bright Virginias like the Orlik Golden Sliced but if that's not their preference then I'd steer them toward the reds that I love. Outside of McClelland my favorite red Virginias seem to be in VaPer blends now-a-days. Anniversary Kake has a lot of that great red VA taste to me as does some of the C&D and GL Pease blends that have a large portion of red VA.

 

[jrbjr]

So many to choose from, on lighter side I always enjoy Orlik golden slices, fuller, lower notes for taste, SG full virginia flake, thought HH Macbaren mature virginia is pretty tasty.

 

[tennsmoker]

I just blew through Cornell & Diehl's Jeremy Reeves' Small Batch of Sansepolcro of Red Virginia sourced from North Carolina. I could not stop smoking the stuff. Yeah, it is that good.

Oh, I was supposed to list my fav Vas. Right.

I just gave one there. Try it. It will blow you away. Or, it did me.

 

[5star]

Lots of interesting input from everyone
For me, when it comes to my personal favorite Virginia-
FVF

 

[maxx]

Would Carter Hall qualify as a type of Virginia? It’s a blend of Virginias and Burley.

 

[ryeguy]

Would Carter Hall qualify as a type of Virginia?

I think most people would class it as a burley blend, rather than a VA, and I understand that it has noticable flavorings--though I've never had it, so I can't say for sure.
If you are experimenting with VAs you really should try Orlik Golden Sliced. Not because it's the best, but just because it's good.
It's sort of a reference blend (like FVF in that respect: people are always comparing other VAs to it). It is certainly not the best there is, but it is solid and I think I can even say it is deceptively simple.
At no point have I considered it one of my favorite VAs, but it has always been part of my rotation of tobaccos. It has become a sort of go-to for when I just want a good smoke and don't have the mental energy left to figure out which tobacco I'm in the mood for.

 

[maxx]

Orlik Golden Sliced seems well liked. I’ll add that in my next order. I’ll probably add three from the choices being listed here. The rest will be English blends. I appreciate the responses, everyone.

 

[PaulTheScandinavian]

Then there is these G&H and J Germains Brown flakes unscented, but not sure if they qualify as type of virginia because of little added burley tobaccoes

 

[Mtlpiper]

I know this an old thread (forgive my resurrecting it), I thought I might tag something onto here while browsing around.

I'm still making that preferred Va list... I'm feeling that maybe I drift toward the darker flakes or red Va. This thread has some excellent suggestions. It's good to have some of these on hand to have a bit of variation in the old rotation.

As of right now (in no particular order) - flakes only:

• Dunhill Flake (Va)
• Blatter & Blatter - Tranches Danoises (Va)
• Capstan Blue (Va)
• Capstan Yellow (Va)
• J.F Germain's Brown Flake (Va - not sure if this does have burley)

also:

• Reiner's 71: Long Golden Flake (Va/Per)
• Rattray's Marlin Flake (Va/Per)
• Solani's Silver Flake (Va/Bur)

Orlik Golden Sliced seems well liked. I’ll add that in my next order. I’ll probably add three from the choices being listed here. The rest will be English blends. I appreciate the responses, everyone.

I came to the same conclusion as the OP based on research and forum recommendations (OGS). and when I bought and tried the OGS I found it tame, boring and a bit of a disappointment (after it was hyped much). I'm still figuring this out. I threw it in the cellar years ago and never bought it again. The OGS wasn't offensive - it was just bland.

I was in exactly the OP's scenario starting out and trying out different blends.

My tendency (like many) was to gravitate toward English/Balkans and Latakia heavy blends. The flavours (strong ones) being the main attraction. Everything from woody, fruity, BBQed meat, chestnuts and raisins and other dried fruit as well as leather and old boots and plain old 'tobacco'.

I didn't have much experience with straight Virginia's and my curiosity was peaked by the sweetness in a lot of blends I enjoy. It's easy to get thrown off by how different some 'Virginia forward' blends were in flavour.

Now for the past year or so I've been sampling a bunch of flakes in Va or Va forward blends (Va/Per or Va/Bur/Pa etc.). OGS (itself a Vaper) I received back then (even with age) has a tin note of next to nothing. Maybe it smells like a lightly malted slice of bread or a light summer hay bail after ageing for a couple of years. I don't mean to be a hater on OGS, but that's been my experience.

Everything I read on technique for smoking Va's is also showing true. You do indeed have to smoke them slow (and the flavour can really bloom or totally transform). The same blend rubbed out can taste completely different when folded and stuffed. Different again in different bowl sizes (packed tighter or looser) and with/without filters. They made me more careful with how I was lighting each bowl.

Moisture also really matters (also often written about). I got the Reiner's LGF super dry (crumbled/broke when I bent a flake). I smoked it and got bitten - rehydrated it a little and the next smoke was totally different (and significantly better).

I purchased some straight Va flakes from Blatter et Blatter last week (Danish Slices). Along with Reiner 71: Long Golden Flake, Rattray's Marlin Flake and Solani's Silver Flake. The only other straight Va I have is J.F Germain's 'Brown Flake'. It's been interesting to make comparisons and learn the Va flavours, isolating them a little more. I've yet to get around to my Capstan Blue tins, but from memory it's excellent.

I write all this as I finally had that Virginia eureka moment last night with a bowl of Reiner's LGF (rehydrated) followed by the rehydrated Blatter flakes. The latter instead of tasting just of mild grass with citrus notes and then heading toward a more cigar-ish flavour. When sipped it ended up reminding me of strong roasted sweet chestnut and maple syrup. The Reiner had a deep wild-honey and wood taste that got richer and more intense through the bowl.

I still don't think much of the OGS though, maybe I just got a bad tin? I'm looking forward to trying some of the suggestions here though that's for sure. I'll have to try some of the McClelland's. Forgive the long ramble...

 

[saintpeter]

I find myself drawn to the Dunhill Three Year Matured. I like it and ration it out to myself.

 

[spartacus]

All of your choices are solid blends. I might add trying some Samuel Gawith FVF, Golden Glow, and Best Brown. Also, some HU Director's Cut. It has about the same amount of Perique as the Reiner in my opinion.

 

[oldgeezersmoker]

Sutliff 507 c, 515 RC 1 and 507 S are readily available, often on sale and quality products. For VaPer, give Match Victorian (Elizabethan) a trial run. Any number of people have reported, in this forum, being extremely pleased with aged 507 c.

Gawith Hoggarth Broken Scotch Cake flies way under the radar, principally because I think reviewers are expecting what they thank a GH blend should taste like. For me, it scratches the same itch as SG Golden Glow, but I still haven’t smoked them back to back as I have been meaning to do.

 

[BROBS]

I find myself drawn to the Dunhill Three Year Matured. I like it and ration it out to myself.

I have a bunch of sealed sleeves of this ?

 

[mso489]

With no regard for availability at all, my all-time favorite Virginia flake was Brown Sugar Flake, a Lakelands blend. A member sent me a full unopened tin!

 

[artvandelay007]

Synjeco Bad Nun only get this if you like DFK. It is all Virginia with a lot of fire cures Virginia so you get many of the same notes.

My other favorite is HU Haymaker Flake. I’m about to try a bunch of G&H blends to see if I can find another favorite there. I also need to try SG Golden Glow. Then I’ll check out some more HU blends and revisit SG BBF and FVF to see if I want to get more of them.

 

[olkofri]

I think all I've had for VAs is Capstan Golden ready rubbed. I was thinking of ordering a tin of MB's HH Pure Virginia, but the aros took precedence. Maybe next time.

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

Synjeco Bad Nun only get this if you like DFK. It is all Virginia with a lot of fire cures Virginia so you get many of the same notes.

My other favorite is HU Haymaker Flake. I’m about to try a bunch of G&H blends to see if I can find another favorite there. I also need to try SG Golden Glow. Then I’ll check out some more HU blends and revisit SG BBF and FVF to see if I want to get more of them.

I detected a rather pronounced Lakeland taste with Bad Nun. I personally would not compare it to other Virginia blends aside from those that also have a strong Lakeland influence.

 

[artvandelay007]

I detected a rather pronounced Lakeland taste with Bad Nun. I personally would not compare it to other Virginia blends aside from those that also have a strong Lakeland influence.

I haven’t had any in the two batches I’ve tried. I wonder if they’ve improved their quality control. Of course I’ve heard many reports about different G&H blends being tainted. I’d like to hear from others that have detected those essences in their blends in the past and if they’ve had their newer product recently and if they still get those notes.

Also people that are asking for a straight Virginia blend probably do not have a blend like this in mind. But regardless it is one of my favorite (supposedly) straight Virginia blends.

 

[kola]

Pure VA's?

Gawiths: FVF, Best Brown Flake
Orliks Golden Slices
And a pure Red Virginia : McClellands 5100 (pull out your wallet)