| Author |
Message |
    
Bob W.
Member
Username: Irie_bob
Post Number: 8
Registered: 05-2009
| | Posted on Thursday, October 22, 2009 - 12:13 pm: | |
Hey everyone,
Im coming to you all with a question about virginia flakes in general, but using this year's christmas cheer as my example. this is the first virginia i have tried and also the first flake style (broken flake) tobacco i have tried. my problem is keeping it lit and keeping it cool for the short time that it does stay lit, and i have tried everything from packing methods to different pipes. the only thing that has provided a TINY bit better results was really watching my smoking speed, which results in yet another relight, but i can taste the va flavor better and no bite that way. otherwise, i get a super bite with every puff and flavor thats less than pleasing.
-am i doing something wrong?
-is this a bad virginia to start with?
-could it be that i havent developed a taste for virginias?
please help me figure out where im going wrong because i look forward to exploring this whole other world of tobacco!!!
Thanks in advance!
Bob |
Ian Minton
Member
Username: Ian_minton
Post Number: 58
Registered: 03-2008
| | Posted on Friday, October 23, 2009 - 03:18 am: | |
Hi Bob, great question...
I think I have an answer for you. The Christmas Cheer offering by McClelland is a notoriously "immature" blend when released. My Christmas Cheers are OLD when I pop the tin (at the very LEAST 3 or 4 years). Not to mention that it's traditionally a bright VA of yellows and reds. I'm sure technique aside the blend just has the tendency to burn a little on the hot side, and add a newer pipe smoker to the mix, or somebody newer to flakes or virginias and I can see why I had a hard time when I was new to the blend.
Experience has taught me to buy a few tins every year and put them away- if you can find older tins online or at a pipe show that's a bonus;) Break out the tins when they have some age on them and I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.
Hope this helps! |
Bob W.
Member
Username: Irie_bob
Post Number: 9
Registered: 05-2009
| | Posted on Friday, October 23, 2009 - 07:42 am: | |
Ian,
thanks for the reply! maybe i should pick up a different blend for starting out with va's. |
Ian Minton
Member
Username: Ian_minton
Post Number: 59
Registered: 03-2008
| | Posted on Saturday, October 24, 2009 - 09:45 am: | |
I recommend Marlin Flake, or any Ratray's Va for that matter, certainly the Pease blends are a cut above the rest (in my opinion), there is also the Full Virginia Flake that is a religious experience... Older tins of Dark Star, #25, #27... Brindle Flake, Stonehaven (I like it with age)...
Virginia flakes are so different and wonderful, and as your tastes grow and develop, and your palate becomes accustomed to their many riches and understands what Virginias are supposed to provide across the spectrum you will realize how complex and amazing they are. In my opinion from experience it only gets better, the more you learn, the more you realize there is so much more to learn AND experience
Good luck!!! |
Gerard Carroll
Member
Username: Nogbad
Post Number: 88
Registered: 06-2008
| | Posted on Saturday, October 24, 2009 - 04:22 pm: | |
First one I tried was Gawith's Best Brown. You can't go wrong with this as a first VA flake and it doesn't have any lakeland soap casing added. |
jeff A
Member
Username: Mr_natural
Post Number: 47
Registered: 06-2007
| | Posted on Tuesday, November 03, 2009 - 01:56 pm: | |
Try cutting the broken flakes perpendicular to their length with a scissors, so you get little squares, something that looks like burly cubes. Let them dry (in the case of MC, it may be days!), pack very lightly, or just gravity feed, and light. I find this method of cutting up flakes works best for me.
Mr Natural |
Bob W.
Member
Username: Irie_bob
Post Number: 10
Registered: 05-2009
| | Posted on Wednesday, November 04, 2009 - 06:27 am: | |
thank you everybody. i will try some other virginia blends as well as that method that Jeff suggested. Thanks again for all your help! |
Chuck Marshall
Member
Username: Chuckbecksm
Post Number: 30
Registered: 10-2006
| | Posted on Sunday, November 08, 2009 - 09:31 am: | |
I'm would 2nd the drying. Christmas cheer is generally to moist right out of the tin. I know everyone has different opinions on this but I would dry it out. I like it so that when I rub it out it is on the verge of crumbly but not quite there. That will help with it staying lit, and it will be less tempting to puff hard to keep it going, thus giving you less bite. |
Bob W.
Member
Username: Irie_bob
Post Number: 12
Registered: 05-2009
| | Posted on Monday, November 09, 2009 - 04:23 pm: | |
thanks for all the suggestions!
i tried the drying method, got pretty crispy but smoked a little better. i could KIND OF taste some nice flavors coming through. i think i just need practice. in the meantime, i ordered some real flake tobaccos to experiment with, FVF and Best Brown by Sam Gawith. i have heard that FvF is a great tobacco and im hoping for the best.
Thanks again Everybody!
-Bob |
Dan Bryant
Member
Username: Bryantm3
Post Number: 83
Registered: 03-2009
| | Posted on Monday, November 09, 2009 - 11:53 pm: | |
it's good but it's awfully inconsistent. don't give up if you get a bad batch! |
Bob W.
Member
Username: Irie_bob
Post Number: 13
Registered: 05-2009
| | Posted on Tuesday, November 10, 2009 - 01:50 pm: | |
Hello everyone!
I just put about an ounce of my christmas cheer in a mason jar and its stoving in the oven. i read a lot of information online about stoving and i figured might as well give it a shot if i keep some of it normal. has anybody tried this? what do you think? |