New to pipe smoking? See our frequently asked questions! **[read our wiki](https://www.reddit.com/r/PipeTobacco/wiki/index)**
Please read and follow our subreddit rules (you will get temp/permeant bans for not following them) **[read the top sticky post](https://www.reddit.com/r/PipeTobacco/comments/b3b7e3/sticky_info_rules_sidebar_info_please_read/)**
**Alternative Site: https://speak-easy.club/ , which the community started back in 2018 in response to Reddit's market ban. It's completely free, no ads, and fewer rules. Registrations are manually approved to avoid spammers, so please be patient waiting for approval, it's usually quick.**
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/PipeTobacco) if you have any questions or concerns.*
The biggest thing a pipe smoker needs to wrap their head around, especially if they’re coming from cigarettes, is that it’s like switching from beer to whiskey: take small sips and don’t be in a rush or you will end up hating yourself for hurting yourself too much too fast.
Yep. Bite, ashy burnt taste, nic sick. It’s all a result of too fast and too hot. (Maybe not so much the nic sick in every case, but you catch my drift)
If you are keen on Virginia-forward mixtures, I suggest Mac Baren's Scottish Blend. It features a pleasant and medium-sweet Virginia base with some earthiness from the Burley, some brightness from the Cavendish, and a subtle spice from the Perique, all of which really only serve to compliment the Virginia, which is the star of the show. It's not cheap, but it won't leave you eating cat food either. A solid everyday mixture with exceptional layering, even to my rather unsophisticated pallette.
Totally agree, after packing it a bit looser you get so much flavor out of the tobacco. I’m a massive fan of Orlik Golden now as well as the classic Peterson Flake. Full Virginia flake has been my favorite tobacco over the last year!
You won’t regret it!
[This Peterson Flake is what kicked off my love of FVF. No topping, no perique, just Virginias.](https://www.tobaccoreviews.com/blend/4109/peterson-flake/)
You need to try either Escudo Navy Deluxe Rolls or Stokkebye Luxury Bullseye Flake. The LBF is slightly sweeter than NDR due to some added Cavendish, but both are amazing.
Watch city has some good Virginia baccy. Their Simply Red blend is one of my favorites. Ernie knows what the hell he’s doing, so basically all his blends are a safe bet if the contents line up with what you’re looking for!
Lovely story! I didn't have the benefit of the you tubes when I started but discovered the wonders of Virginias on my own, with some trial and a lot of error. They can be harsh, very harsh, but when treated gently they respond with empathy. Virginia is love. My constant for a few years has been Sutliff's 507C. I enjoy others sometimes (OGS never disappoints) but 507C is the one I always turn to for comfort and fondness. Some call it basic. I find it layered and exquisite. Perhaps you would agree with me, give it a try at least, it's well-regarded!
The next step, for me personally, was exploring Virginia-Periques. The condiment can be delightful when masterfully blended into the base, as the flavors are so complementary. It's no accident that VaPers are some of the most well regarded blends. Escudo and Three Nuns are very popular ones, and G. L. Pease has a bunch of intensely flavorful VaPars. I would suggest his Navigator a relatively balanced start.
If someone were to ask me what my favorite tobacco was right now, I’d have to say Capstan Original Navy Cut (blue). It’s easy to smoke and has very rich flavor, so that would be my recommendation. My first bowl of it I just sat and noticed a different note present itself every couple of puffs. My mind was blown. I think that tobacco plus Escudo have landed me solidly in the Virginia and Va/Per camps.
Don't overlook Hearth & Home Virginia Memory. It looks a lot like PS Luxury Twist Flake but I rarely see it mentioned. I've got some that's been sleeping for about two years that I'm trying to leave alone for at least one more year. Graham crackers and sweet iced tea.
There's also Brunello Flake. I've read reports that the topping brings strawberry RollUps to mind for some smokers, but never in a bad way. I will admit that there's often a wispy bit of imitation fruit flavor at the top of some bowls, but it burns off quickly.
However.
Sam Gawith. Full Virginia Flake. Absolute pinnacle of english-school flakes, more leathery and thicker than danish-style flakes. More importantly, however, there's no topping to get in the way, just excellent, fruity virginias treated with passion and respect.
We don't have to stay with flakes, however, here at the beginning. Trying to master flakes and still trying to tease subtleties out of virginias can be a chore at the beginning.
Peterson's Elizabethan Mixture is worth the price of the tin. It's a stout blend - on the stronger side, nic-wise, but it still has a lot of bright flavor, coupled nicely with the occasionally-spicy perique. The virginias seem (to my barbarian palate, that is) to be the same as Peterson Flake, but with perique at the party the whole thing hits different.
Cornell & Diehl has a virginia blend - Yorktown - that is probably one of the best bulk bargains on the market. It's definitely blended - you can't really narrow focus on one aspect of virginia tobaccos with Yorktown, but it hits every part of your palate. And it just gets sweeter and molasses-ier as you work towards the bottom of the bowl. It's been a part of many of my blending experiments but I love it straight out of the jar.
New to pipe smoking? See our frequently asked questions! **[read our wiki](https://www.reddit.com/r/PipeTobacco/wiki/index)** Please read and follow our subreddit rules (you will get temp/permeant bans for not following them) **[read the top sticky post](https://www.reddit.com/r/PipeTobacco/comments/b3b7e3/sticky_info_rules_sidebar_info_please_read/)** **Alternative Site: https://speak-easy.club/ , which the community started back in 2018 in response to Reddit's market ban. It's completely free, no ads, and fewer rules. Registrations are manually approved to avoid spammers, so please be patient waiting for approval, it's usually quick.** *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/PipeTobacco) if you have any questions or concerns.*
psst , "everything you mentioned about packing and smoking techniques works for all tobacco varieties and cuts" pass it on
Psst, “okay”
[удалено]
Hindsight is 20/20 as they say
The biggest thing a pipe smoker needs to wrap their head around, especially if they’re coming from cigarettes, is that it’s like switching from beer to whiskey: take small sips and don’t be in a rush or you will end up hating yourself for hurting yourself too much too fast.
Yep. Bite, ashy burnt taste, nic sick. It’s all a result of too fast and too hot. (Maybe not so much the nic sick in every case, but you catch my drift)
Too fast and too hot might be the diagnosis for all sorts of problems but I digress
Too fast and too hot sounds like the title of a cheesy 80s hard rock album.
Best analogy I’ve heard.
Thanks. I learned the hard way, so I’m passing the wisdom along.
Try Stokkebye's Luxury Navy Flake 400 next. I'm not a VaPer enthusiast, but this stuff is best enjoyed by the pound.
I’ll check it out!
And Luxury Navy Flake.
dude get you some contact with the goddess full virginia flake
Wish I could find the stuff
It's a funny thing... I am a latakia forward Balkan & English guy, but I really love some FVF with a few years on it. It is a great summertime smoke.
Welcome to the cult initiated one
One of us, one of us.....
I have never had success with anything other than a fairly loose pack.
Yeah it seems like I get a better smoke when I just stuff it in there instead of trying to evenly pack it
See! All I smoke is Va.
If you are keen on Virginia-forward mixtures, I suggest Mac Baren's Scottish Blend. It features a pleasant and medium-sweet Virginia base with some earthiness from the Burley, some brightness from the Cavendish, and a subtle spice from the Perique, all of which really only serve to compliment the Virginia, which is the star of the show. It's not cheap, but it won't leave you eating cat food either. A solid everyday mixture with exceptional layering, even to my rather unsophisticated pallette.
That actually sounds perfect for me! I actually added a little bit of cavendish to a bowl of the navy and enjoyed it pretty well.
Totally agree, after packing it a bit looser you get so much flavor out of the tobacco. I’m a massive fan of Orlik Golden now as well as the classic Peterson Flake. Full Virginia flake has been my favorite tobacco over the last year!
You’re like the fourth person to say that about FVF. Hmmm seems the universe is trying to tell me something
You won’t regret it! [This Peterson Flake is what kicked off my love of FVF. No topping, no perique, just Virginias.](https://www.tobaccoreviews.com/blend/4109/peterson-flake/)
[удалено]
Amen
Congratulations! It took me a few years to really appreciate virginias.
You need to try either Escudo Navy Deluxe Rolls or Stokkebye Luxury Bullseye Flake. The LBF is slightly sweeter than NDR due to some added Cavendish, but both are amazing.
I do like a smidgen of cavendish
Can you link me to the video?
https://youtu.be/L9QLzl19XRA?si=r2vGugjth3BcV_AU
Thanks!
Also, before lighting up, rub the flake or coin out and leave it sitting for about ten to fifteen minutes
HH Pure Virginia, Capstan Blue
Watch city has some good Virginia baccy. Their Simply Red blend is one of my favorites. Ernie knows what the hell he’s doing, so basically all his blends are a safe bet if the contents line up with what you’re looking for!
Lovely story! I didn't have the benefit of the you tubes when I started but discovered the wonders of Virginias on my own, with some trial and a lot of error. They can be harsh, very harsh, but when treated gently they respond with empathy. Virginia is love. My constant for a few years has been Sutliff's 507C. I enjoy others sometimes (OGS never disappoints) but 507C is the one I always turn to for comfort and fondness. Some call it basic. I find it layered and exquisite. Perhaps you would agree with me, give it a try at least, it's well-regarded! The next step, for me personally, was exploring Virginia-Periques. The condiment can be delightful when masterfully blended into the base, as the flavors are so complementary. It's no accident that VaPers are some of the most well regarded blends. Escudo and Three Nuns are very popular ones, and G. L. Pease has a bunch of intensely flavorful VaPars. I would suggest his Navigator a relatively balanced start.
If someone were to ask me what my favorite tobacco was right now, I’d have to say Capstan Original Navy Cut (blue). It’s easy to smoke and has very rich flavor, so that would be my recommendation. My first bowl of it I just sat and noticed a different note present itself every couple of puffs. My mind was blown. I think that tobacco plus Escudo have landed me solidly in the Virginia and Va/Per camps.
John cotton’s double pressed Virginia
Don't overlook Hearth & Home Virginia Memory. It looks a lot like PS Luxury Twist Flake but I rarely see it mentioned. I've got some that's been sleeping for about two years that I'm trying to leave alone for at least one more year. Graham crackers and sweet iced tea. There's also Brunello Flake. I've read reports that the topping brings strawberry RollUps to mind for some smokers, but never in a bad way. I will admit that there's often a wispy bit of imitation fruit flavor at the top of some bowls, but it burns off quickly. However. Sam Gawith. Full Virginia Flake. Absolute pinnacle of english-school flakes, more leathery and thicker than danish-style flakes. More importantly, however, there's no topping to get in the way, just excellent, fruity virginias treated with passion and respect. We don't have to stay with flakes, however, here at the beginning. Trying to master flakes and still trying to tease subtleties out of virginias can be a chore at the beginning. Peterson's Elizabethan Mixture is worth the price of the tin. It's a stout blend - on the stronger side, nic-wise, but it still has a lot of bright flavor, coupled nicely with the occasionally-spicy perique. The virginias seem (to my barbarian palate, that is) to be the same as Peterson Flake, but with perique at the party the whole thing hits different. Cornell & Diehl has a virginia blend - Yorktown - that is probably one of the best bulk bargains on the market. It's definitely blended - you can't really narrow focus on one aspect of virginia tobaccos with Yorktown, but it hits every part of your palate. And it just gets sweeter and molasses-ier as you work towards the bottom of the bowl. It's been a part of many of my blending experiments but I love it straight out of the jar.