VA\PER recommendations needed for newbie coming back

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Stogiegila

Stogiegila

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I once again gave the pipe a try. I'm still a full fledged cigar guy, but wanted to give it a go again.

I finally discovered that English blends are not for me (I don't like the after taste of Latakia and Orientals light my tongue on fire).

I did open a 2yr old tin of Escudo and successfully had a nice smoking session in one of my corn cobbs. No tongue bite, good sipping action and mild sweet flavors with no horrible after taste (no offense Latakia lovers). The flavors of Escudo are much more toned down to me than that of say Midnight Ride (which was my last failed attempt at an English blend) but I still found Escudo to be enjoyable and to date has been my easiest and most successful smoking tobacco.

So with that being said I'd like to make a purchase of some more tins to expand my varieties

I currently have some Orlik Golden Sliced and Peterson Irish Oak. I'm looking for a few other VA\PERs.....NO LATAKIA or ORIENTALS please.

I do prefer ribbon cut as I find it easier to load. I guess burley blends will work too, but I don't have much experience with them either.

Thanks for the help
 
I see where PHX actually got .03" of rain on 5 Jun!! Broke all-time record/s as it had NEVER rained on 5 Jun in recorded PHX history :p Now, to easily solve your VaPer search, go to Smoking Pipes or PipesandCigars (or both!!). Use their respective tobacco search option/s listed on the website/s. Voila!!! You should get a nice list of tins and bulks to shoot your TAD budget all to hell:D :D :cheers: FTRPLT
 
Not a straight VaPer, but don't forget Haddo's Delight! A fan favorite.
A VaPer in Ribbon form pretty straight up is Blakeney's best Arcadian Ribbon, often overlooked.
 
Hearth and Home: Louisiana Red, Rolando's Own, Virginia Spice.
C&D: Chenet's Cake, Exhausted Rooster, Haunted Bookshop if you want a little strength.
Sutliff 1849.

If you want to try a really good VaBur with some strength, MacBaren's Old Dark Fired. It's a flake, but it's very easy to break apart. If you like Escudo, Dunhill Navy Rolls is a little better.

There are many others, but I tried to pick the easy to find stuff.
 
When I want a true VaPer I will pick up a tin of McC's Bayou Sliced ( Blakeny's Best series) . Though it's a broken flake it rubs out easily and has a nice sweetness from the Va's with just the right amount of peppery spice as well. Try it :twisted: :twisted:
 
For ribbon mixtures, I'll second H&H Virginia Spice. Peretti Park Square is good too, although I like Virginia Spice better.

Even though they're flakes I'll throw these out there & see if they stick.

Reiner Long Golden Flake, somewhat pricey but worth every penny.
McClelland Beacon Extra.
 
Another vote (we're voting suddenly?) for Sutliff PS 1849.
 
OK I ordered the following:

C&D Haunted Bookshop
Dunhill Deluxe Navy Rolls
Samuel Gawith St. James Flake
H&H Louisiana Red

I have already tried H&H Virginia Spice and did like this a lot, but not as much as Escudo. This was also one of the few I've had that didn't give me tongue bite.

These should last me for a while. :D
 
Well done that man! I reckon you'll enjoy them. Do let us know your thoughts on each of them...
 
Stogiegila":op6cf00l said:
OK  I ordered the following:

C&D Haunted Bookshop
Dunhill Deluxe Navy Rolls
Samuel Gawith St. James Flake
H&H Louisiana Red

I have already tried H&H Virginia Spice and did like this a lot, but not as much as Escudo.  This was also one of the few I've had that didn't give me tongue bite.

These should last me for a while. :D
Click to expand...
Solid choices. But be aware that the Sammy G's comes pretty moist, so you'll need to let it dry down somewhat first. It's presented in flake form, and I rub mine out before drying.


Cheers,

RR
 
GH louisiana perique flake is my favorite. You could also get done blending perique and mix it with whatever you like for a real strong smoke
 
I agree with Brewdude about St. James Flake, which is one of my very fav VaPers. I didn't recommend it because I figured it might be too much to deal with if you aren't wild about flakes. I find it needs some dry time, but I also find you lose some flavor if you dry it out completely. Semi-moist seems to work best, and if you do that, I recommend breaking them into small pieces and packing your bowl lightly.
 
Yeah the S. Gawith Flakes are always a bit of a prep challenge. I think I ripped through an entire tin of FVF before settling on a method.

I allow the flakes some dry time and then I tear them lengthwise into strips. I then cross cut the strips into chunks, gravity fill and smoke slowly.

And I agree St. James Flake is a very good tobacco.
 
FVF is great, too. I have a lot of it jarred and aging. Same for SJF.
 
Thanks for the tips guys. I'll probably save that one for last so I can brush up on my techniques a bit more. :oops:
 
Well I opened the tin of Dunhill Deluxe Navy Roll:

Sweet pungent aroma. More red than Escudo. Stronger in flavor deeper and heavier more pepper and pungenty. Escudo is more mellow this is more direct and in your face. Similar profiles but this smokes hotter but no tongue bite. I prefer Escudo but 2yrs of age may make the difference.

As I stated in another thread, the DNR is Escudo on steroids. I definitely don't think they are the same but again the age difference may come into play.

One thing I learned is I now need to store up and age some stuff. Aging makes a difference.
 
Robert McConnell's Scottish Cake is a great Va/Per with a little Kentucky added. I find it is very well balanced and a great smoke.
 
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