| Author | Message | ||
     JOHN R HORNYAK Member Username: Jrtaster Post Number: 37 Registered: 02-2005 |
interested in your personal recommendations of "straight" virginias ( not va/pers, virginias with burley, latakia, orientals, etc.) which are not in flake form ( i just don't enjoy working with flake tobaccos). parameters: must be currently available in the U.S. you must have personally smoked them bulk or tin, no difference I have tried and liked Old Gowrie and G&H dark birds eye. appreciate your suggestions and guidance. thanks, john | ||
| Amos Manchild Member Username: Lobo Post Number: 106 Registered: 04-2005 |
The straightest non flake Virginia tobaccos I smoke are C&D bulk blenders, 517R: Bright Virginia Ribbon and 525: Red Virginia. | ||
| Matty Member Username: Matty Post Number: 58 Registered: 12-2008 |
Hands down Briar Fox C&D. | ||
| steven nathanson Member Username: Nate560 Post Number: 30 Registered: 11-2008 |
I agree Briar Fox the Rattrays blends and Mcraines Red Ribbon all good va's. | ||
| Mark Combs Member Username: Jazzmoose Post Number: 17 Registered: 04-2009 |
My choice: Hal O' The Wynd from Rattrays. | ||
| smokey strodtman Member Username: Smokey422 Post Number: 513 Registered: 08-2005 |
McClelland 5100. | ||
| Duke January Member Username: Duke Post Number: 63 Registered: 05-2008 |
John, It is my opinion that tobacco blend labeling seldom offers full disclosure as to the components inside the tin. I think newer blenders find it important to define the components in its blends more so than older blending houses as a response to today’s pipe smokers and their love of the hobby. I think, older tobacco blenders found benefit in not fully disclosing what tobaccos were in its blends. Not to hoodwink its customers, but to create a smoke unlike any other blender’s Virginian. This notion also includes casing and topping ingredients. I’m sure some blenders use only one varietal tobacco in making its straight Virginian, but again we may never know? I myself have smoked labeled Virginians and then finding subtle characteristics I sense could be Burley or Perique. My all time favorite Virginian is Dunhill Light Flake. I can’t swear it’s only Virginian, but to me it is the best of Virginian tobacco that always warms my cockles. Rattrays’ Virginians have symbolically and historically been recognized as serious straight Virginians, including Old Gowrie, HOTW, and Marlin Flake. Its current blender K&K states on its website other varietal tobaccos as part of these specific blends. K&K spent good money for those old recipes and I’d bet its following those instructions carefully. Despite that fact I will smoke those Rattrays with delight and still consider them great Virginians. I too love McClellend’s, which I feel is the straightest of Virginians in the market. I’d suggest you tray various labeled Virginians and enjoy smoking. Best of luck. | ||
| Brian Silverman Member Username: Laufenstoc Post Number: 13 Registered: 06-2009 |
Hi John, You got me thinking....I never realized that there's not much I have in my rotation in the Straight Virginias that isn't pressed tobacco. So here's another way of looking at it. Some pressed VAs are marketed in "crumbled" or "broken" flake, or rubbed out to varying degrees. Others are still pressed into solid flake or slices. Of the ones I like that don't require more tedious preparation, there's Wessex Campaign Dark Flake and Brigade Classic Virginia. Rattray's Marlin Flake is my hands down favorite of their blends. I think Duke makes a good point too. You never really know the blend recipe beyond a few basics. Samuel Gawith Full Virginia Flake is possibly my favorite straight VA, but it's more work to rub out and carefully pack. Definitely not your "stuff and puff". | ||
| Ian Minton Member Username: Ian_minton Post Number: 51 Registered: 03-2008 |
John you're missing out on a world of flavor, body, and dimension by excluding Virginia flakes from your rotation. Most of the best Virginia offerings available on the market today are in flake form, but I would like to highly recommend to you Red Ribbon by McCrainies, or McClelland's 5100. There are also some Butera blends: Dark Stoved, and Matured Ribbon that are out of this world. Mr. Duke January brought up an interesting point, that is true- seldom will you know exactly what it is that you're smoking. Recipes of tobacco blends are often a closely guarded secret among blenders, my advice from experience is to focus less on having strict requirements of what a blend consists of, and spend more time exploring blends that you enjoy. It took me years and years of smoking so so many different blends with different amounts of age attributed to each blend to formulate an understanding of what a good blend is. And indeed- what I really enjoy in a blend, and even still I am surprised every now and again by new and interesting offerings or blends that have married, matured, or mellowed with age. One of the great pleasures of the pipe and tobacco world, is how dynamic it can become, and the extraordinarily large amount of offerings between not only the varieties of tobaccos and the myriad of ways they can be used to complement each other, but also the pipes and the mechanics of how their construction, or briar type or age of, can affect said tobaccos such as they are. Exploring these possibilities as with pilgrims intentions we give ourselves not only one of the greatest pleasures known to the thoughtful mind, but also partake in an element of an enduring tradition that we can pass on- those experiences we discover- here at pipes.org and elsewhere, as well as to loved ones who might someday cherish these traditions as we do. Thinking about that, ask yourself this question: Why not explore the world of Flake tobaccos:-D | ||
| JOHN R HORNYAK Member Username: Jrtaster Post Number: 40 Registered: 02-2005 |
thanks everyone for some thoughtful and thought-provoking replies first off, i do smoke some flake-type virginias, like escudo, which is a va-per and which i love. erinmore flake, of course is not a straight virgina, but also a favorite. and the point that some "straight" virginia probably are blended with with non-virginia leaf is dead on in my case, tho, arthritic fingers and- to take ian's point- a desire to explore, to move away from the predominance of flakes among virginias, nudges me to other venues already i have rediscovered old gowrie and found a new friend in g&w's dark birds eye on this path and with your guidance and suggestions i'm sure a few more great ones will become new favorites. john | ||
| Ian Minton Member Username: Ian_minton Post Number: 54 Registered: 03-2008 |
I have found Flakes to be very similar to how I viewed beautiful women as a youngster- I wanted to get to know every one;) |