Know your Virginias
Subtilis87
Newcomer
in Tobacco Talk
I am just beginning to appreciate Virginia blends. It seems there are many types of Virginas ( Red, yellow, bright leaf, black stoves, and more). I have really been enjoying blends heavy in red Virginias.
For the experts: Can you describe the characteristics of the different Virginas?
I'm looking at you @jondavidcole !
For the experts: Can you describe the characteristics of the different Virginas?
I'm looking at you @jondavidcole !
Comments
I do stove red and yellow VA and VA blends. It lessens the tongue bite and I like the darker fruit flavor that it imparts. I like to mix the stoved with "fresh" VAs, Latakia, Dark Fired, burley and Perique in my own blends.
Bright/Lemon/Yellow - sweet, grassy, citrusy, sometimes a zesty bite. OGS is my touchstone for this type of Va.
Red - still sweet, but a little muted. Softer, rounder, smoother flavor. Richer. Like semi sweet baked goods, breast, a little malty and often tangy dark fruit flavors. IMO the higher the quality (Christmas Cheer) the more likely you'll get a cinnamon/incensy spiciness. Definitely my favorite.
Dark Stoved - I don't have a ton of experience with them, but IMO very similar to reds but mellowed out/richer in all respects. Smooth as silk.
"This is a yellow Virginia that has been cooked on a metal surface until
blackened. I use it sparingly as its flavor can be a bit intense, in a
maple syrup kind of way. Has a naturally developed spirits-like sweet
tang. Low/moderate in nicotine, may burn hot. "
I have used an at home stoving method with great results, which I read about in Dr. Fred Hanna's fantastic book entitled "The Perfect Smoke."
Basically, the method involves using a Virginia based blend, and placing it in the oven at around 180 degrees for 5 hours. I use a large blue enamel soup pot, but I have been meaning to invest in a large pyrex style pot, around the same size.
This method works great, and takes some of the bite off a young Virginia blend. I have even used it with good success on Vaper blends.
Be advised however, that once stoved, the blend will no longer benefit from aging. If you plan to let your blend rest for a few years, skip the stoving process and save it for a blend that you don't have the patience to age.
Top 10 Best-Selling Virginia Blends
https://www.tobaccopipes.com/blog/10-virginia-blends-to-try-before-the-end-of-the-year/
tobaccopipes.com is really pushing the Cobblestone blends. They also are carrying more of a variety of Cobblestone than other on-line retailers.
Boswell Dan's Blend - A blend of Golden Long cut Virginias. Mild, and cool blend. If you like Virginias this is a wonderful, gentle, smooth smoke.
This was the first Virginia only tobacco I tried, very nice tobacco. I tried two others from Mac Baren but they did not appeal to me.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OmHigiqlPJE
Could be honey as a topping, that's true, although it seems almost too processed a flavor for honey to me. I smoke Interlude which is cased with honey, and aside from the fact that it's a red, it tastes nothing like this. But, if MB is correct when implying that theirs is a topping and not a casing, then I guess it could be honey. Molasses is mostly used as a casing (in fact, I don't know of a blend that uses it as a topping, although I could be wrong for sure), because it is so bitter (i.e., it changes flavor in the dryer). So, it could be topped with honey like you suggest for sure, or a super sweet simple syrup (which is the direction I'm leaning). Anyway, I might be giving some away, along with a couple other blends that I sampled that I don't like, so stay tuned, lol, and thanks for reply.
https://www.smokingpipes.com/smokingpipesblog/single.cfm/post/tasting-notes-low-countrys-edisto
I just read that, almost exactly my impression of it as well although he does seem to find a little more sweetness in it than I do. But, if it is regular stock, which it looks likely it will be, I do think that it would be a good go-to when CRF isn't around (like now).
Maybe your right, but I smoke a lot of Opening Night (not sure about Luxury Twist Flake though--I've never smoked it). I think Opening Night (and from what I read about Twist Flake) there's more bright in it, so it's sweeter and less peppery than Edisto, which seems to have a lot more red in it.
Don't you live in BFE?