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Pipe Tobacco: Difference between revisions
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=== Virginia === | === Virginia === | ||
Despite the name, Virginias are grown in numerous locales. There are several varieties of Virginias, but all are characterized a relatively high sugar content. Virginias are often used as the base tobacco in blends, but they are smoked "straight" as well. Straight Virginias undergo changes in flavor as they age, similar to fine wines. Lighter in body than Oriental blends, they have a subtle complexity of flavor that makes them a favorite of many experienced smokers. | Despite the name, Virginias are grown in numerous locales. There are several varieties of Virginias, but all are characterized a relatively high sugar content. Virginias are often used as the base tobacco in blends, but they are smoked "straight" as well. Straight Virginias undergo changes in flavor as they age, similar to fine wines. Lighter in body than Oriental blends, they have a subtle complexity of flavor that makes them a favorite of many experienced smokers. | ||
Much of this information comes from the ASP posts of Greg Pease and Paul Szabady, and from Jon Tillman's Tobacco Reviews site, with additional material from the ASP posts of Chase Turner, Bear Graves, Sykes Wilford, Steve Thomas, Mike Jacobs, Greg Sprinkle, Tapio Pentikainen, Art Ruppelt, Tarek Manadily, Michael McCormick, George Miller, Joshua Rosenblatt, Neal Mille, and Ray Roewert. | |||
==== The Characteristics of Virginia ==== | |||
VA's are complex and delicate. When smoked poorly, they can taste like hot air, but with good smoking technique they can span a range of tastes, and are usually sweet, tangy and fruit-like. VA's are more prone to cause tongue-bite than any other tobacco, so there are a number of reasons to practice good technique with these blends. | |||
Unlike most tobaccos, VA's improve toward the bottom of the bowl. A slow smoke will stove the bottom layers of tobacco, deepening the flavors and reducing the chance of tongue bite. | |||
What Are The Different Varieties of VA? | |||
Virginias are referred to in a number of different ways. A "bright" VA is named as such because it's taken from the top of the plant, where the highest quality leaf is. | |||
VA's can also be referred to by their colors. The most common color grades are lemon, golden, and red. Ignoring a great many factors (such as climate, soil, and time of harvest), the color of a VA relates to its sugar content. Tobacco that is cured longer (and is thus darker in color) will be less sweet than a tobacco cured quickly. | |||
Stoved VA's are also referred to separately. Stoving (the process of literally cooking the tobacco) darkens a tobacco and changes its taste, usually reducing tongue bite. Incidentally, VA's with the most sugar will darken the most. | |||
==== Where Is Virginia Grown? ==== | |||
VA's are grown all over the world. In the United States, the various Virginia-producing regions are referred to as "Belts", but this tobacco can be found in countries like Canada, Brazil, India, China, and the African countries of Tanzania, Malawi, and especially Zimbabwe. This last country, in fact, accounts for much of the world's VA production. | |||
As stated before, location (soil, climate, etc.) will greatly affect the flavor and character of any tobacco. It is not necessarily true, though, that the best VA's come from the United States, or from the state of Virginia. | |||
==== Popular VA Blends ==== | |||
Straight VA's | |||
* Brindle Flake, Ashton | |||
* No. 109 Virginia Flake, Astley's | |||
* Royal Vintage Golden Cake, Butera | |||
* Hamborger Veermaster, Dan Tobacco | |||
* Light Flake, Dunhill | |||
* Kingsbridge, Esoterica Tobacciana | |||
* Peacehaven, Esoterica Tobacciana | |||
* Virginia #1, Mac Baren | |||
* Blackwoods Flake, McClelland | |||
* Bulk No. 2010 Classic Virginia, McClelland | |||
* Bulk No. 2035 Dark Navy Flake, McClelland | |||
* Bulk No. 5100 Red Cake, McClelland | |||
* Christmas Cheer, McClelland | |||
* Dark Star, McClelland | |||
* Virginia No. 22, McClelland | |||
* Virginia No. 27, McClelland | |||
* Virginia Woods, McClelland | |||
* Red Ribbon, McCranie's | |||
* Brown Clunee, Rattray | |||
* Hal O' The Wynd, Rattray | |||
* Marlin Flake, Rattray | |||
* Best Brown Flake, Samuel Gawith | |||
* Full Virginia Flake, Samuel Gawith | |||
* Grousemoor, Samuel Gawith | |||
Other VA's | |||
* Escudo Navy Deluxe, A&C Petersen(VA/Perique) | |||
* Black Parrot, Ashton (VA/Perique) | |||
* Three Nuns, Bell's (VA/Perique) | |||
* Elizabethan Mixture, Dunhill (VA/Perique) | |||
* Dorchester, Esoterica Tobacciana(VA/Perique) | |||
* Tilbury, Esoterica Tobacciana (VA/burley) | |||
* Cairo, GL Pease (VA/oriental/Perique) | |||
* Haddo's Delight, GL Pease (VA/Perique) | |||
* Arcadia, McClelland (VA/oriental) | |||
* Bulk No. 2015 Virginia Flake, McClelland(VA/Perique) | |||
* Bulk No. 5115 Old World Classic Cake, McClelland (VA/light fruit topping) | |||
* Deep Hollow, McClelland (VA/vanilla topping) | |||
* St. James Woods, McClelland (VA/Perique) | |||
* Club Blend, Mac Baren (VA/cavendish) | |||
* Dark Twist, Mac Baren (VA/cavendish) | |||
* Roll Cake, Mac Baren (VA/cavendish/Perique) | |||
Last Updated: 07/15/2007 21:50:36 | |||
== Off sight links == | == Off sight links == | ||
An excellent resource for exploring pipe tobaccos is [http://tobaccoreviews.com/ tobaccoreviews.com] | An excellent resource for exploring pipe tobaccos is [http://tobaccoreviews.com/ tobaccoreviews.com] | ||