Virginia Memory (Review Added)

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O Please ! O Please ! O Please !

On getting the pipes back out in 1990-something, finding out there was no more Balkan Sobranie Virginian No. 10 being made came very close to pushing the "screw pipes then" button.

Back then, there was ONE tobacco -- la sola mia. If Russ Ouellette comes even close with this, it's going to change everything.

http://pipesandcigars.com/hehomasevini1.html

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O please let us know what you think of it. Does it come close?
 
It seems to be one of those "Coming Soon to a Store Near You" deals. I'm assuming he'll roll out the parade & brass band when it debuts.

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Not all that close, but still quite good! Maybe once it ages for a decade it will be closer. I recommend it though.
 
Thank you for that. I didn't realise it was "out" yet.

I hold no brief for the "Maybe with five years of aging" idea. BSVa10 was transcendental on arrival ; aging mellowed it a bit but didn't transform it.

It'll get tried, but without unrealistic expectations. What's it like on your end ?

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it's good stuff... but i never had the sobranie va no. 10 so i cant compare. yak, pm me your address and i can send you a few bowls worth to sample.
 
Tobacco Reviews":2rxtvlc0 said:
I'm very pleased to be the first to review this mixture. Back in the day, I was a big fan of Sobranie Virginian no.10. It was one of my " go to " baccys at any time of day, and I found it especially nice in the summer, in the warm weather. Russ' new mixture, Virginia Memory #10, is aptly named in that I feel as if he's not trying to duplicate this tobacco, but inspire a memory of it. Upon opening the tin, I was struck by the very light, almost grassy appearance of this weed, and I must confess my first though was "what the..?". The tin aroma is fairly light and hay-like, with a very faint cigar aroma if you concentrate. The tobacco came fairly dry, so there is not much need to air it-- although, I must confess that I like to air all my tobacco and load pinch method from a paper rather than a tin. Upon lighting I was honestly surprised by the smoothness and "core" of flavor from such a lightly colored blend. This does take me back to the old no.10 in it's taste and fantastic smoothness. The N content is much lighter on than the original, but I'm really enjoying this! Great in a fairly largish bowl on a sunny afternoon with a good cold beer (sorry guys, I'm in Florida!) Easy on the palate, I think this is a fantastic very unique tobacco and the Trumpetboy highly recommends!!
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Smoking some right now in a large Adam Davidson fig. This particular tin has been open for too long and it has lost some flavor but still pretty good. I still dont think its a replication of that hallowed blend but an evocation. It does bring up memories. Later tonight I will pack a bowl of the #10 from 1962 that I opened at the Chicago show and do a comparison.
 
vaperfavour":aw831ev1 said:
Smoking some right now in a large Adam Davidson fig. This particular tin has been open for too long and it has lost some flavor but still pretty good. I still dont think its a replication of that hallowed blend but an evocation. It does bring up memories. Later tonight I will pack a bowl of the #10 from 1962 that I opened at the Chicago show and do a comparison.

Was that your cutter top tin that Nick was showing around the smoking tent? I did stick my nose in the tin and it was really promising.
 
Argh! I just did a review side by side and the whole review got lost!! :evil: it will have to wait, time for bed...
 
THANK YOU, SAM A, FOR THE NICE SURPRISE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :cheers:

Expect retaliation ! :twisted: :twisted: :twisted:

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If this is a fair sample of his craft, Russ Ouellette is one smooth hand at blending tobacco. I had pretty much figured that finesse was what GLP did, uniquely (the old timers like Sobranie House & J.J. Fox having gone the way of all flesh). It's not a characteristic that most other contemporary blenders are notable for in my limited (to smoking what I like) experience. Looks like he has company.

Smooth as velvet. Has a nice dark brown flavor that's light, rather than intense from the cigarage in it. But unlike other cigar blends I've tried, the cigarial component doesn't stick far enough out of it to notice much -- you can tell it's in there if you look for it, but it isn't in there (classical musician speak) "giving a secret recital" (calling attention to itself in the ensemble). Smells actually good in the jar -- fresh and pleasant. Very light room note with minimal cigaritude.

Kind of monotonal, the way Squadron Leader is. But a pleasant & refined monotone, as monotones go. No kalaidoscope effect going on or rabbits coming out of hats here.

As you near the end, your mouth can tell you've had an encounter with the cigarial realm, but not such an intense one that, after a couple sips of coffee, you're not up for another pipe, although it will be colored enough to notice. Which probably says something, by implication, about its Vitamin N level (pretty moderate on this end).

Strangely, you don't so much get the impression of a Virginia foundation with a superstructure as of . . . a house. It being kind of on the dry side may have something to do with that -- the same thing happened with a recently opened tin of nearing-5-year-old Robusto which, for a Peaseweed, was distinctly on the dry side also. It, too, was kind of averaged-out and curiously undefined in its Virginia/Latakia aspects -- even phase-cancelled there.

Obviously quality stuff. That I find myself imagining with the US-grown wrapper leaf replaced by . . . maybe a chocolaty Dominican ? A Nicaraguan Oscuro ? Something that's spicier, meatier and fuller. The US stuff, in pipefodder, comes across (on this end) as enough on the thin, dry and bitter side to stir memories of March Wheeling cigars back in the day -- the better, six-cent ones (not the expensive, eleven-centers).

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Almost poetic, Yak. Good review. I think I read more fun instances of the word "cigar" used as a active descriptors than I have before. :lol:

SL is kind of monotonous, but in a way I like. There's some two-note "chord" 'baccas I seem to like the notion of, even though they stick to their own. So long as the phase-cancelling (good term, by the way) isn't into the useless muddy realm and heads to the colorful area of creating a unique experience (which is why synth geeks like me love the slight detune/LFO functions so very much).

Sounds like a good mix. 8)
 
yak, you are right... russ ouellette is indeend one smooth hand at blending. his entire marquee line of tobacccos have impressed the hell out of me... magnum opus and sweet and savory holding the top spots for me (for now).

p.s. no retaliation necessary... honestly.
 
Oh, it's coming, Sam. It just takes me a while to get my sh*t together sometimes. 8)

And thank you again ! A whole jar of it was over the top :shock:

And greatly appreciated 8)

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Hi VF

Revised the review to fine-tune it a bit. Having just finished a bowl of BSVa10, you'll have exactly what I'm talking about fresh in your mind. In that stuff, the Virginia amplifies the cigar leaf (& vice versa); each brings out the best of the other, while the various orientals dance and sparkle around the edges. It's like the coda of the last movement of the Mozart "Jupiter" symphony.

That Virginia-Cigar leaf interaction is where the phase cancellation seems to be with US-blended cigar-tobac pipeweeds. The old J.J. Fox "Bankers" excelled there also, although it was differently weighted.

Like ? I certainly prefer smoking it to smoking too many others I've tried to remember and list. It IS good stuff, and decidedly so. Snap judgement after one trip around the block ? It's a quality mixture.

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