ASP Virginia Tobacco FAQ 2/12/12
- From: Allen Lloyd <allen@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sun, 12 Feb 2012 04:38:25 -0500
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Frequently Asked Questions
Virginia Tobacco
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This FAQ concerns information about Virginia tobacco. This is a
dynamic document subject to change. If you have an addition,
revision, or deletion that you think needs to be taken, post your
thoughts on this thread. The FAQ's will be posted weekly. The source
of this FAQ is from an archived version dated about February 2005.
Visit the ASP website at http://www.aspipes.com/ for a version that is
easier to read and print.
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.
What Are The Characteristics of Virginia Tobacco?
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.
What Are Some 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)
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