What is your favorite VaPar ?

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P&C's Hearth & Home Anniversary Kake is a favorite.  A unique Va/Per with plum Perique, little if any pepper and it ages very well.  All Hearth & Home blends at P&C, cans and bulks, are 20% off in December.

Rattray's Marlin Flake amps up the strength a bit, but remains smooth and the Perique is also more plum-like than peppery.

A few other favorites (though not flakes) include Rattray's Hal O' the Wynd, Esoterica Dorchester, Esoterica Dunbar, and Robert McConnell Scottish Cake.  While not strictly a Va/Per, C&D Exhausted Rooster is a fine choice as well.[/i]
 
Luxury Navy Flake and by the box. (1.5# box) I go through a lot of boxes over the year.

There are a lot of good flake VaPer's out there -- almost a lifetime mission worth. I have seen a number of good ones already recommended.
 
Geoff":gsxy815l said:
Luxury Navy Flake and by the box.  (1.5# box)  I go through a lot of boxes over the year.  

There are a lot of good flake VaPer's out there -- almost a lifetime mission worth.  I have seen a number of good ones already recommended.  
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Any of the Peter Stokkebye blends, IMO, need at least 2-3 years in the cellar. The PS blends, IMO are not top notch anyway, so fresh they can't possibly meet my standards.

Now that said, after a few years of aging, they're pretty good. Newmister's blends take less time, but also need aging IMO.
 
rothnh said:
P&C's Hearth & Home Anniversary Kake is a favorite.  A unique Va/Per with plum Perique, little if any pepper and it ages very well.  All Hearth & Home blends at P&C, cans and bulks, are 20% off in December.

I've talked to several fellow pipsters that rave about and recommend H&H Anniversary Kake as well. Some are touting it as their all time favorite and they love the way it comes in nice chunks in the tin.
It it true that H&H ages their tobaccos for several years before it goes to the public?
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sonpuff":26fq6qrn said:
I've talked to several fellow pipsters that rave about and recommend H&H Anniversary Kake as well. Some are touting it as their all time favorite and they love the way it comes in nice chunks in the tin.
It it true that H&H ages their tobaccos for several years before it goes to the public?  
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I have no info on how long Hearth & Home blends/cans are aged before release, but I'm thinking little if at all.   I've heard that McClelland pipe tobacco cans are "held" for 3 years before release, however, but not sure if that's the truth or just an urban legend.

While Master Blender Russ Ouelette creates the Hearth & Home blends for Pipes & Cigars, most (if not all) the various H&H pipe tobaccos are manufactured at Mac Baren's Sutliff subsidiary in Richmond, VA.

Most H&H blends come in 2 oz. and 8 oz. cans, and quite a few (like Anni Kake, for example) are also available in bulk at P&C.  

I buy H&H blends in 8 oz. cans (I find the consistency better and on sale, that's actually cheaper than the bulk) and jar them shortly after receipt.  I use 8 oz. Ball screw-top canning jars and it takes 3 of the 8 oz. jars to hold 8 oz of Anni Kake with a little left over to smoke right away.
 
Escudo, hands down. Strong and vivid VAs and perique, and I'm a sucker for the spun rounds presentation.
 
alfredo_buscatti":761w8byt said:
Escudo, hands down. Strong and vivid VAs and perique, and I'm a sucker for the spun rounds presentation.
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Hands down, Escudo, with 18% Perique, is the first choice with Va/Per lovers.
 
 [/b][/quote] I've heard that McClelland pipe tobacco cans are "held" for 3 years before release, however, but not sure if that's the truth or just an urban legend.
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Urban legend. You'll find tins of McC's 'bacs in shops dated 2013. Kinda hard to age it for 3 years and sell it the same year it's tinned! They DO AGE the blends prior to tinning in their facility in KC for 3 years though, so you ARE getting aged 'baccy when you buy it. BTW, The aging is what turns the 'baccy ketchupy :twisted: :twisted: 
 
McClelland #2015 *young, not aged; though aged would still be the favorite.
 
alfredo_buscatti":tiqqxoo8 said:
Escudo, hands down. Strong and vivid VAs and perique, and I'm a sucker for the spun rounds presentation.
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Escudo is my favorite so far. Man I just love this stuff. Just the right amount of Perique so that it does not take your head off and a nice sweet taste at the lips. Cool smoking....bowl nice and warm and never too hot.

I also love Nordig's Hunter Series "Beagle blend". It is also a low Perique blend as well.

I've got an 8oz tin of H&H Anniversary Kake on order. I plan to jar and cellar half of it and let it age for several years.
 
sonpuff":dd0ablpk said:
I've got an 8oz tin of H&H Anniversary Kake on order. I plan to jar and cellar half of it and let it age for several years.
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I doubt you'll be disappointed with that AK. ;) 
 
Hard to say a favorite - so many good ones. I just mentioned it in another thread and it has been called out in this one, but Beacon Extra by McClelland is easily the best they do by my tastes. Deep, rich, and satisfying as a Vaper. If you're into the richer tasting VaPers like St James Woods, St James Flake, or aged Escudo, this stuff is hard to beat.. imo. Definitely worth trying if you like McClelland blends. I love most of their VaPers from 2015 to the Blakeney series but Beacon Extra floats my boat more than any other.
 
It's all about what you want in a Perique blend, IMO.

Tap it in there too hard, and for me, the Perique can be overwhelming. For me, Perique has to be a condiment and it's best when it displays it's plum note -- the pepper? Not so much.

Also (and hugely important) is the quality of the Perique. The green river variety, made in barrels side by side with true Perique in Saint James Parish, to me, is rather bleh. Funny how manufacturers label the green river as "Perique."

But hey, our tastes differ.
 
I'm always surprised that GLP's Telegraph Hill doesn't come up more in VaPer conversations. Top notch VA, and just the right amount of perique (for me) - enough to add both spice and depth, but doesn't overwhelm the natural sweetness of the VA.
 
GLP Fillmore I love. PS Bullseye and Escudo are both terrific. GH Louisiana Flake is a surprisingly good one as the Per is very subtle and understated. Even OGS and LGF have their fine points. A little GLP Stratford or Dunhill Elizibeathan if you want to clear your sinuses out.

Geez, there are so many it's impossible to really narrow it down. :lol!:
 
Impossible to find for the past few years, but Kingfisher gets my vote. Stash is running low :(
 
fishnrust":jjkkrbys said:
Impossible to find for the past few years, but Kingfisher gets my vote. Stash is running low :(
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That's one I have never run into, ever.
 
One of you above said that Escudo's perique was low-key. Not so; like roth said, 18%.
 
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