The Virginia Cream

[Thomas Tkach]

Ooh! Wait! I remembered I had this sweet little James Upshall 1/8 bent pot P grade in a group 3. Just dug it out of my 'safe' drawer. Has a nice Burley smell to the bowl so no horrible ghosting. Lovely slender stem, nice robust chamber walls. Should be a good one to try with the Creme de Bourbon Pease. I might have gotten this one from Fatman some time ago...maybe not. Well there's very little if any cake in it as it's been smoked very sparingly.  I'm going to scour the bowl slightly with my sanding dowl to even everything up well...give it an inside wash and try it out. Nice!


Looks a fair bit like the Upshall in this photo but my bowl is cropped lower...should work OK?

That looks more like a billiard with slightly thicker walls to me. When I think Pot, I think:

 

[Blackhorse]

Funny. The photo is of a different pipe than mine. Like I said, mine is cut lower so it's not as tall as the photo and the chamber walls are more broad. I almost used the photo you picked. Mine is more like a Prince but with straight outside sides.

I shoulda never done this. Groan.

 

[juanmedusa]

Funny. The photo is of a different pipe than mine. Like I said, mine is cut lower so it's not as tall as the photo and the chamber walls are more broad. I almost used the photo you picked. Mine is more like a Prince but with straight outside sides.

I shoulda never done this. Groan.

I don't have much in the way of a traditional pot either. But I do have a fairly fat chambered Alberto Bonfiglioli that just might do the trick. I'll try it next. Ps, not the same pipe I smoked this blend in already.

 

[DrumsAndBeer]

For better or for worse, here's my official review of The Virginia Cream. (Recommended)

.......................

If there’s ever an aromatic that smokers of more natural mixtures might enjoy, this could very well be the one. First of all, this isn’t a limp wristed, mild vanilla blend. Moreover, the topping is never the focus. It’s only a mere sidebar to the overall flavor experience, an aromatic accent or high-note if you will.

From the description, this one seemed like it would be right in my wheelhouse. The Virginia Cream is sweet and spicy with a handful of appreciable nuances. The bulk of the Virginia's are bright, adding a delicate grassiness that melds harmoniously with topping. An earthier red Virginia flavor is also present, working with the rest of the components to lend a solid backbone and a few complexities. Altogether the sweet & spicy effect, mixed with the subtle touch of vanilla & bourbon produces a flavor that I find to be somewhat reminiscent of horchata.

By mid-bowl the taste intensifies, delivering a somewhat rustic variation on the theme; this also comes with a bit of strength. However, there are no huge, tectonic flavor-shifts to be found in a bowl of this, just good Virginia flavor with a moderate amount of spice and a pleasant & very well executed top note.

The Virginia Cream is an easy-going & relaxing smoke. It’s smooth, sweet and enjoyable. Altogether, I prefer smoking this in a pipe with a wide & shallow bowl. I have a couple pot shaped pipes that I have dedicated to non-Latakia mixtures. These do a nice job focusing the flavors of more complex blends by helping to keep the ember burning on the cooler side. Of course, smoking this with a slower cadence helps improve the flavor as well.

 

[Blackhorse]

What he said.

 

[Ozark Wizard]

Sounds like another one for me...

Haven't tried any of Pease's work, guess this isn't a bad way into those waters............

 

[Brewdude]

Well............

................I might actually give this a whirl after all. Yes, you heard it here first!

:shock: 



Cheers,

RR

 

[puros_bran]

Pretty alright stuff. Could of used more vanilla.  :lol: :lol:



Actually this is one of Pease's more brilliant creations. I won't be stockpiling this one but if you even remotely enjoy Aromatics you should. If you don't think you like aromatics you should buy a tin.

Despite his 'all-american' verbiage on the tin this is perhaps Pease's most English-like blend to date.  You could stick this in a jar labeled GH&Co and no one would call you out for it.   I was rather shocked sitting enjoying the after smoke spice still dancing around in my mouth when I went to Tobaccoreviews.com to look for the reviews.  I hadn't had the TVC/GH&Co connection made in my head yet but I found I had subconsciously clicked on GH&co's review area.

Imagine a Lakeland blend that didn't contain lilacs and fresh summer breeze and this is it... But with a bit of spice added into the mix.


Special shout out to P daddy-o.. He sent me a nice message telling me how swell a guy I was and promising to send a review sample of GL Pease TVC... Then he did.. The federal revenueers tried to stop it from happening but they got their peckers all twisted up in buearocracy and forgot what they were trying to charge me for. Lol.

 

[Brewdude]

Well, slap my arse and call me Sally.........

Just tried this for the first time today and have to say that I'm very impressed with it right out of the gate. And this from a piper that doesn't usually do aros!

I got in a tin of this from an order some time ago and had forgotten about it until just the other day. Bought it just on the recs from this thread with the intention to open it when I needed a change of pace. That day was today.

Upon opening the tin, it had a very pronounced aroma of sweet fruity something with a background note of vanilla. Can't say that the aroma reminded me of bourbon as such. Rather to me it was more of a berry note, like blackberry jam. I found it a little overwhelming actually.

I found the ribbon cut just at the right moisture level for immediate packing. So in it went to an older Sav 1/2 bent I'd been neglecting for some years. Always liked that pipe. It's either blasted or rusticated (hard to tell) in an apple shape. The nomenclature on the bottom of the bowl says "LINEA PIU 5" if you're interested. In any case it's a very substantial pipe with a deep bowl.

So I loaded her up being careful about the packing. Not too tight as ribbon cuts can often spell trouble for me if it's packed too tight.

Upon the match I was greeted with a very pleasant experience. Sweet flavors predominated, with the frutiness up front yet at the same time never strident. The vanilla hung on in the background but was identifiable.

What I was impressed with, was the way the 'ginny weed made itself plainly known throughout the bowl. This was not some awful goopy aro at all. In fact it became somewhat beguiling early on and I looked forward to each and every puff.

The 'ginnys were always at the forefront with the casings to the back. That's what made this so enchanting. And so it went down the bowl.

I did get a bit of the raw character some posters have noted, which bordered on harshness at times. My tin is dated "1021 15" which I take to mean Oct 21, 2015. So it's had a bit of time already.

Yet, that slight raw character never was unpleasant. And I did pick up on some of the cinnamon notes others have spoken of. This could be contributing to the "pepperiness" others have noted.

I found this to be a thoroughly pleasant bowl. Most unexpectedly, I hasten to add. Color me surprised, considering my stance on aros!

I look forward to exploring this further. It's not often that a new blend gets an approval rating from the dude of brew. But there it is!

Maybe you can teach an old dog new tricks after all..........So sue me!


:rabbit:



Cheers,

RR



Well, I opened it

 

[Stick]

Well, slap my arse and call me Sally.........

Just tried this for the first time today and have to say that I'm very impressed with it right out of the gate. And this from a piper that doesn't usually do aros!

I got in a tin of this from an order some time ago and had forgotten about it until just the other day. Bought it just on the recs from this thread with the intention to open it when I needed a change of pace. That day was today.

Upon opening the tin, it had a very pronounced aroma of sweet fruity something with a background note of vanilla. Can't say that the aroma reminded me of bourbon as such. Rather to me it was more of a berry note, like blackberry jam. I found it a little overwhelming actually.

I found the ribbon cut just at the right moisture level for immediate packing. So in it went to an older Sav 1/2 bent I'd been neglecting for some years. Always liked that pipe. It's either blasted or rusticated (hard to tell) in an apple shape. The nomenclature on the bottom of the bowl says "LINEA PIU 5" if you're interested. In any case it's a very substantial pipe with a deep bowl.

So I loaded her up being careful about the packing. Not too tight as ribbon cuts can often spell trouble for me if it's packed too tight.

Upon the match I was greeted with a very pleasant experience. Sweet flavors predominated, with the frutiness up front yet at the same time never strident. The vanilla hung on in the background but was identifiable.

What I was impressed with, was the way the 'ginny weed made itself plainly known throughout the bowl. This was not some awful goopy aro at all. In fact it became somewhat beguiling early on and I looked forward to each and every puff.

The 'ginnys were always at the forefront with the casings to the back. That's what made this so enchanting. And so it went down the bowl.

I did get a bit of the raw character some posters have noted, which bordered on harshness at times. My tin is dated "1021 15" which I take to mean Oct 21, 2015. So it's had a bit of time already.

Yet, that slight raw character never was unpleasant. And I did pick up on some of the cinnamon notes others have spoken of. This could be contributing to the "pepperiness" others have noted.

I found this to be a thoroughly pleasant bowl. Most unexpectedly, I hasten to add. Color me surprised, considering my stance on aros!

I look forward to exploring this further. It's not often that a new blend gets an approval rating from the dude of brew. But there it is!

Maybe you can teach an old dog new tricks after all..........So sue me!


:rabbit:



Cheers,

RR



Well, I opened it

Sally, I'm delighted for you!