What's Similar to Newminster 400 SNF or HH Virginia Flake?

[Tongue-Fried]

As the title states, I’m looking for some recommendations to try a few new Virginia tobaccos.

Over the past year, I have discovered my love for Newminster 400 bulk as my daily smoke, and HH Virginia Flake as my dessert smoke, occasionally a fresh batch of bulk Virginia No. 1.

It may be jumping the gun a little, but hearing about the STG acquisition of MacBaren and Sutliff, I’m worried that my favorite tobaccos will fall by the wayside or the quality become compromised. Again, may be jumping the gun a little here, but it’s got me wanting to try more blends similar to the bright Virginia flakes that I’ve come to love, so that I can be more versatile if those blends change drastically.

I’d like to stick with companies that are less likely to be bought out, such as Cornell and Diehl, GL Pease, and The Country Squire: Tobacconists that will be here for the long haul, as I don’t really ever seem to have much extra cash these days to invest in cellaring.

So, what blends would some of the bright Virginia lovers recommend I try? Something that has the signature hay/tobacco barn, slight bread, honey, and naturally sweet taste about it. I’m not a fan of perique unless it’s very subtle, and honestly I don’t really enjoy the ketchup/BBQ taste of a lot of darker or red Virginias… Just the honey, naturally sweet, and tobacco barn tastes for me.

Thanks in advance fellas!

 

[Servant King]

I hear ya on all the above. As a VA habitue myself, my best recommendation is to sample a bunch of them; since you mentioned C&D and GLP, I can think of no better place to start than Opening Night and Union Square, respectively. Also, there's Orlik Golden Sliced, which has such little perique that often I can't even taste it in there.

Alternately, you can simply use the STG acquisition as an excuse to fully capitulate to the TAD gods and stock up to the point where any future blend changes/disappearances is a moot point. Of course, this option tends to have a much higher chance of getting us into hot water with our significant others, but that is a risk we pipe smokers are used to taking and, just occasionally, coming out on the right side of...

 

[Sobrbiker]

Try Yorktown or the GLP VA’s if you wanna stay C&D, most of the others I’ve had from them (not a lot, mind you) seem to have a good amount of reds.

Honestly, I wouldn’t panic-I’d be surprised if most of the staples change. But I’m new, and may be being naively ignorant.

 

[Sobrbiker]

And if you are worried, 5lbs of NM400 wouldn’t require robbing liquor stores.

 

[Tongue-Fried]

Not really panic, just frustration. I’m someone who locks into one or two blends, and that’s all I’ll smoke until the end of time. I just don’t have a lot of extra cash to store up pounds of my favorite blends like some others do, and get worried that by the time I have the extra money to do so, the blends I love will be tainted or gone.

I’ll look into the Yorktown, Opening Night by C&D. I’d probably like SunBear, but it’s always gone in a flash, and I’m looking for something that’ll be readily available for years.

I also looked at C&D Virginia Flake, as well as their Manhattan Afternoon. I tried Peretti’s signature Virginias, but couldn’t get past the soapy taste… unfortunate, I wanted to like their blends.

 

[TN Jed]

I'm a fan of Faulkner Flake from The Country Squire.

 

[Tongue-Fried]

And if you are worried, 5lbs of NM400 wouldn’t require robbing liquor stores.

Thats is true, I may in the least save up and buy 5-10lbs of NM400… people say that it’s beautiful when aged.

 

[Tongue-Fried]

I'm a fan of Faulkner Flake from The Country Squire.

Thank you! I like the Country Squire, but I don’t like how you can’t filter their blends to just straight Virginias in order to check out the flavor notes of their different Virginia blends.

 

[TN Jed]

Thank you! I like the Country Squire, but I don’t like how you can’t filter their blends to just straight Virginias in order to check out the flavor notes of their different Virginia blends.

To my novice palate its straight bright Virginias. You could call them and I'm sure they'd answer any question. The great thing about a b and m.

 

[Servant King]

If you do choose to go the aforementioned submit-to-TAD-gods-resistance-is-futile route, I thought I'd share this thread, which you may find helpful (I sure did):

Building Your Cellar - Things To Consider :: Pipe Tobacco Discussion - https://pipesmagazine.com/forums/threads/building-your-cellar-things-to-consider.84161/

@Sobrbiker is right by the way; stocking up on 400 is extremely easy on the wallet, surprisingly so.

 

[Tongue-Fried]

If you do choose to go the aforementioned submit-to-TAD-gods-resistance-is-futile route, I thought I'd share this thread, which you may find helpful (I sure did):

Building Your Cellar - Things To Consider :: Pipe Tobacco Discussion - https://pipesmagazine.com/forums/threads/building-your-cellar-things-to-consider.84161/

@Sobrbiker is right by the way; stocking up on 400 is extremely easy on the wallet, surprisingly so.

Well, I smoke roughly 2.5lbs per year, so at $200 for a 5lb bulk of Newm. 400, that would last me 2 years.

 

[Peter Turbo]

Sutliff Virginia Slices
Capstan Blue/Gold
WCC Simply Orange
C&D Derringer/Yorktown/Red-Yellow Ribbon/Opening Night
Amphora Virginia

Something like that, they're all readily available so have at it. I didn't get a soapy taste from LJP VA's, tried Ampersand and 150th.

This might help as well.

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

I think it's premature to be concerned about the MB acquisition. If recommend you try MB HH Pure Virginia, Aylesbury Sir John's Flake Virginia, Capstan Gold and Blue Flake, Vauen No 14 and F&T Cut Virginia Plug and Vintage. These are the Virginias I smoke regularly along with MB Virginia Flake.

 

[Tongue-Fried]

I think it's premature to be concerned about the MB acquisition. If recommend you try MB HH Pure Virginia, Aylesbury Sir John's Flake Virginia, Capstan Gold and Blue Flake, Vauen No 14 and F&T Cut Virginia Plug and Vintage. These are the Virginias I smoke regularly along with MB Virginia Flake.

You’re probably right. Like I said in an earlier post, I’m just that person who locks in on blends I like, and that’s all I’ll smoke until I take my last breath; and to have both of the blends I like possibly affected has got me wondering.

I really appreciate your recommendations!

 

[shanez]

And if you are worried, 5lbs of NM400 wouldn’t require robbing liquor stores.

It doesn't require it but he can still do it just for fun.

 

[Sobrbiker]

It doesn't require it but he can still do it just for fun.

Unfortunately I don’t think many prison commissaries carry good Va’s…

 

[Servant King]

Unfortunately I don’t think many prison commissaries carry good Va’s…

Tongue bite is hardly the greatest concern for the incarcerated, after all...

 

[Scottmi]

get some Hamborger Veermaster.

 

[Tongue-Fried]

I’ve been checking out some of the blends from Ken Byron (KBV) this morning. They seem to note nice flavors and get outstanding reviews from Jim.

 

[captpat]

If you're on a budget then buying bulk blends will be the best way to hedge against uncertainties in the future. If you like NM 400 why not invest in the bunch of that? Don't forget to budget for cellaring containers -- mason jars or mylar bags to keep your stash in a smokeable condition. Tobacco will never be as inexpensive or plentiful as it is today, now is the time to stock up. I agree with @hoosierpipeguy that it's far too early to overreact to the MB purchase.

Tobacco is a natural product so over time a given blend will change, as its ingredients change. Blenders are often tweaking recipes and manufacturing processes. Sometimes these factors worsen a blend, other times they get better and sometimes they pass by unremarked. Expecting a blend to stay the same for your smoking life is an unrealistic expectation.