Paul V

I've been smoking for 8 months now (aromatics) and would like to begin exploring Virginias.  Most of the descriptions I've read of different Virginias describe a spicy or tangy flavor, which does not appeal to me. I'm looking for natural sweetness and robust flavor without too much spicy or tangy taste.  Any suggestions you Virginia veterans can give would be much appreciated.

R Saylor

Paul, try McClelland Deep Hollow.

Renegade

McClellands 2000 is a good transition Virginia. You might also try Samuel Gawith Best Brown Flake for natural sweetness and a very robust flavour that is not peppery at all.

Charles Perry

Try McClelland 5100 (Red Cake).  It is a bulk red virginia that is just wonderful.  Ok, maybe that is my opinion but I know of several shops in several states that claim it is their best selling virginia.  Also, Georgetown Tobacco (or something like that, look them up on pipes.org) sells a blend called Toms Red and Black.  It is great.  As far as I can tell it is a mixture of 5100 and 5105 (a stoved virginia).  Smokes nice and cool with a natural slightly sweet taste.  Now, if you want to put your money in tins then McCranies (again look up on pipes.org) has Red Ribbon and Red Flake, both are great tobaccos.  You might also try Fribourg & Treyer Blackjack, or Cut Blended Plug (or is it Flake).  My last recommendation is Dunhill Light Flake....always a good smoke, in my opinion of course.

H. Plugson

Paul, here are my recommendations for fine virginia tobaccos:

• Dunhill Light Flake
• Caledonian Virginia Flake
• Rattray's Brown Clunee
• Orlik Golden Sliced

Of course there are many others, but these will be a good introduction to virginian tobaccos.

K. Dixon:

Visit C&D's site and go through the catalog. There are sooo many good Virginia blends listed I'm sure you'll find at least one keeper in the batch. Ask Craig to make you a sampler pack. and make sure Night Train is included.  http://cornellanddiehl.com

Mike Stanley

I would suggest some Bobs Chocolate Flake from G&H. Real nice, somewhat aromatic and easy to smoke. It does contain 8% latakia but the wife only detects on occasion.

farndog

McClelland's Virginia Woods or Deep Hollow.  Gawith's Best Brown and McConnell's Scottish Flake are good if you would like to try a flake tobacco - be warned that both can make your head swim if you aren't used to it.

Bear Graves

Hey Rich, ya can't go wrong with some McClelland 5100 with a little age under it's belt, or McClelland's #27. Hang in there, some Va's on the way!

Briarroot

Hmmm, where to start?  Full bodied (nicotine), but cool? Well ... I'll tell you some of my favorites:

Straight Virginias:

• Rattray's Hal O'the Wind
• Samuel Gawith Full Virginia Flake
• Samuel Gawith Best Brown Flake

Virginia & Perique:

• Escudo (or Dunhill Deluxe Navy Rolls)
• Dunhill Elizabethan Mixture
• Esoterica Dunbar

Flavored Virginias:

• Samuel Gawith 1792
• Mac Baren Virginia #1  (Ok, so this last one ain't "full but cool," but I love it anyway!)

Have fun trying these!
 

Colonel Panic

One of my favorite fuller straight Virginia tobaccos is Rattray's "Hal o' the Wynd".  Another that's quite nice is Gawith, Hoggarth & Co's "Brown Flake". 

Jeff Schwartz

Not at the exclusion of those that I fail to mention but these are some of my favorite Virginia tobaccos. All of them have a single uniting characteristic -- they are all very tobacco tasty.

Full strength:

• Gawith Hoggarth Sliced Brown Twist is a full bodied Virginia blend and very tobacco tasty. A full stomach might be in order for this one.
• Gawith Hoggarth Rum Flake. Though it contains less than a majority share of Va. I'd be hard pressed to suggest a tastier blend. Dedicate a pipe to this one or better yet, dedicate an MM corn cob to it.

Medium strength:

• Samuel Gawith Full Virginia Flake. A wonderfully rich yet very mild Va. flake composed mainly of African Zimbabwe Va. leaf. Unique in flavor but very tobacco tasty. One of my favorites
• Haddos Delight. Lots of Perique. Lots of topping. Very big on flavor.
• Three Nuns. Lots of Perique with strong citrus overtones.
• Capstan Medium. Lightly top noted but the quality of the underlying Va. tobacco comes through loud and clear.

Mild strength:

• McClelland 5100. An English red cake tobacco. This is one you purchase by the pound, jar it and store it away for a year or so. The result will be something along the order of sublime.
• W. O. Larsen Old Belt. Just a very bright, unpretentious tobacco tasty broken Va. flake. Known to inflict pain upon those having claimed their mouths were part asbestos. Smoking very slowly is the key here.
• Mac Barren Virginia #1. Topped with honey and very tobacco tasty. Also known to scorch the innards of those whose mouths escape unscathed from most other tobaccos. Again, go slow with this one.
• McClelland Dark Star. Mild and tasty. Slow burning as well.

flatulent1

My favorites to date are...

• Solani 633
• CAO Patriot Flake
• GLP Cairo
• McClelland Mixture No.1
• Hamborger Veermaster
• Hal O' the Wynd

Okay, so they're not all strictly 100% Virginias, so let's just say these are the non-latakia blends that really, really do it for me.  Most of these smoke exceedingly cool and bite-free.
 

Return to the ASP Extracts Index