Which VAPER is Best?

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esoxhunter

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Virginia Perique blends are my favorite. That said, I have not sampled a huge variety. I found that I really like Escudo, DNR, Frog Morton on the Bayou, Bullseye and Haddo's Delight, and those are the ones I have stuck with over the years.

Now that I'm 50, I decided it was time to get adventurous. So, I perused this site, tobaccoreviews.com, and other sites to identify which other VAPERS that others have said good things about. I compiled a list and ordered them from various online retailers, including 4Noggins and Cup O'Joe's. They have now arrived. This is the list:

Rattray's Hal O' the Wynd
McClelland St. James Woods
McClelland Beacon
McClelland Beacon Extra
McClelland Black Parrot
Astley's No. 2
Bullseye Luxury Flake
Former's Cross Grain Flake
Cornell & Diehl Kajun Cake
Cornell & Diehl Bayou Morning Flake
Cornell & Diehl Frog Morton on the Bayou
Davidoff Flake Medallions
McConnell's Scottish Flake
Solani 633
Reiner Blend 71
Gawaith St. James Flake
Escudo
DNR
Pease Haddo's Delight

So, my questions:

1) Which currently available blends am I missing? (Comments on past blends are welcome too)

2) Is there a consus as to which ones are better than others?



 
Add Rattray's Marlin Flane and Old Gowrie. Both top notch VaPers in my book. Beacon is the tinned version of the McC 2015 bulk.

Some others to consider, but not always available:

G&H Louisiana Perique Flake

GLP Fillmore

GLP Stratford

GLP Triple Play

Peterson's Irish Oak

Stokkebye Luxury Bullseye Flake

Stokkebye Luxury Navy Flake

C&D Exhausted Rooster

H&H Anniversary Kake (or Cake, can't remember off the top of my head)

Heinrich's Curly Cut

Dan's Hamborger Veermeister














 
A couple to add-

McConnell's Scottish Cake (Used to my favorite)
Ashton Revival Black Parrot

Jim
 
McConnells Scottish Flake is not a Va-Per, its the Cake that you want.

Another you should try is PH Special Curly.
 
INFORMATION OVERLOAD
INFORMATION OVERLOAD
REBOOTING

It is fun watching this play out...repeatedly.

How I came to BoB was a search. I have smoked Iwan's slices for years and years along with a bit of Proper English. I did buy the HH Syrian and HH Virginia when they had a deal a year plus back but that was about it for experimenting.

I found out Iwan was PS and have been ordering that -- which was a pleasant impact on the checkbook. Not that it made a huge difference but there is that satisfaction of cheaper.

So, here I am and finding pipe smoking from a whole new perspective. I just can't keep up with it. Tobacco names fly in and out of my mind faster than quarks.

Trying to get with the program, I have been ordering a few more VaPers and finding that VaPer is a rather inclusive family with a variety of flavors and feelings. How you find the "right stuff" in all that remains daunting to me.

Looks like everybody is having a ball in the process though. Just not going to be much help. Sorry.
 
I'm not a big Perique fan but there are two VaPer blends that I enjoy. I keep a tin of Escudo for my "heavy" VaPer smoke when I feel the need ( not often) but really like Orlik Golden Slices and smoke it on a regular basis. :twisted:
 
You might want to add G.L. Pease’s Telegraph Hill to your list.
For me, the Virginias and the Perique are in perfect balance in this easy-to-handle, ribbon-cut blend. It's a subtle, delicious all-day smoke!

When you’re looking for a more "stout" VaPer, I also recommend C&D Bayou Morning (bulk, ribbon-cut). This one’s on your list already.
 
For a bulk I favor C&D's Bayou Morning. But their Red Carpet is hard to beat, IMO.

I try not to buy too much of that one, it disappears far too quickly...up in smoke just like 'that'!
 
MisterE":nnjor17r said:
Dan's Hamborger Veermeister
MrE,

Are you sure about it's with in some perique? That's I had never heard nor written previously.

A lot of blends are without the ingredients are always difficult to tell unless the manufacturer states it. For example, Vito had a discussion with our Rattray's Dark Fragrant. I finally looked at the bottom of label stated it "perique". I had also found that many of Rattray's were had perique too. Here is there page to see (for translated by English by Google):
Kohlhase tobaccos

If you think it's with perique, then you have it.

Jim
 
allyby":cv1b3hsn said:
McConnells Scottish Flake is not a Va-Per, its the Cake that you want.

Another you should try is PH Special Curly.
Sorry, I actually meant to write "cake", not "flake".
 
Ol'Dawg":mnxyw1yy said:
A couple to add-

McConnell's Scottish Cake (Used to my favorite)
Ashton Revival Black Parrot

Jim
Is this "Black Parrot" something different than the McClelland that I listed?
 
Looks like you've touched on a great many good selections esoxhunter. And others have chimed in with excellent selections as well. So I've not much to add right now.

I smoke VaPers frequently, maybe as much as 50% of the time. And while I like to ring the changes, I find myself coming back to McClelland's bulk 2015 again and again. Granted, the weed I have has had 15% more P-weed added. And it's aged as well. So it makes a harmonious blend. But it's stellar in all ways, at least for me. In fact I have some set out for after supper tonight.

The standard 2015 already has St James Perique. So give this a go and see if it blows your skirt up!


Cheers,

RR



esoxhunter":5hsimuhn said:
Virginia Perique blends are my favorite. That said, I have not sampled a huge variety. I found that I really like Escudo, DNR, Frog Morton on the Bayou, Bullseye and Haddo's Delight, and those are the ones I have stuck with over the years.

Now that I'm 50, I decided it was time to get adventurous. So, I perused this site, tobaccoreviews.com, and other sites to identify which other VAPERS that others have said good things about. I compiled a list and ordered them from various online retailers, including 4Noggins and Cup O'Joe's. They have now arrived. This is the list:

Rattray's Hal O' the Wynd
McClelland St. James Woods
McClelland Beacon
McClelland Beacon Extra
McClelland Black Parrot
Astley's No. 2
Bullseye Luxury Flake
Former's Cross Grain Flake
Cornell & Diehl Kajun Cake
Cornell & Diehl Bayou Morning Flake
Cornell & Diehl Frog Morton on the Bayou
Davidoff Flake Medallions
McConnell's Scottish Flake
Solani 633
Reiner Blend 71
Gawaith St. James Flake
Escudo
DNR
Pease Haddo's Delight

So, my questions:

1) Which currently available blends am I missing? (Comments on past blends are welcome too)

2) Is there a consus as to which ones are better than others?
 
Dick Silverman aka "Chief Catoonah" (Winner of the 2012 Chicago Throwdown with his wonderful "Princes Street Mixture") has his latest blend "Bailey's Supreme"! It's a RIDICULOUSLY good VaPer IMHO!

From Dick's website:

"BAILEY'S SUPREME -- a Virginia mixture, with a touch of Perique, that has superior flavor and a rich body. Simultaneously sweet and savory, the depth of flavor comes not from one distinct Virginia, but from several different ones working harmoniously. A most enjoyable all day blend with an astonishingly wonderful room note. This tobacco blend is one of my original recipes. Using the finest blending components, this tobacco is hand mixed in small batches by me."

I was lucky enough to take this blend out for its' initial "test run". You'll thank me later.......

http://www.chiefcatoonah.com/baileys-supreme.html
 
PS: Maybe I didn't see this one, so I'll mention this one too!

Park Lane Tobacconist's "RED PARAMOUR" aka "RED CRACK" :mrgreen:
One of my all time favorites. Paul Bonacquisti was a true genius when he blended up this one!
 
DoverPipes":g9wcfc1b said:
Dick Silverman aka "Chief Catoonah" (Winner of the 2012 Chicago Throwdown with his wonderful "Princes Street Mixture") has his latest blend "Bailey's Reserve"! It's a RIDICULOUSLY good VaPer IMHO!

From Dick's website:

"BAILEY'S RESERVE -- a carefully balanced mixture of fine Matured Virginia flake with a touch of St. James Perique; this natural, unflavored tobacco is one I enjoy everyday and has become a favorite of many who prefer unadulterated tobacco which also provides a pleasant "room aroma" appreciated by others. This tobacco blend is one of my original recipes. Using the finest blending components, this tobacco is hand mixed in small batches by me"..

I was lucky enough to take this blend out for its' initial "test run". You'll thank me later.......

http://www.chiefcatoonah.com/baileys-reserve.html
I agree with this - I got a sample from Dick at the Chicago Show and it is really good stuff.

My personal favorite VaPers are Escudo, Beacon Extra, St James Flake, St James Woods, and Scottish Cake... probably in that order. And VaPers, to me, age better than anything else. Smoking 4+ yo Escudo, SJF, SJW, etc... divine. The way that VA and Per marry with each other over time to become a harmony of deep flavor is quite amazing.

I'd give honorable mention to something like Marlin Flake... it definitely has perique and I can taste it/smell it, but it isn't as present as some of those others so a bit more on the fringe of what I'd call a "VaPer".

Also, I don't believe that Beacon is a tinned version of bulk 2015. I've smoked both and much prefer the 2015, they don't seem at all the same though may have similar components. And on that note, anyone that doesn't believe that different amounts of similar components makes a different blend - try Beacon and then Beacon Extra. Completely different tasting blends, and I asked Mike McNeil at Chicago "are these really the same blend with the perique percentage changed??" -- the answer was yes and yet they taste/smell completely different to me, still. Beacon is just OK and something I wont buy more of... Beacon Extra is something I find absolutely astounding and have loaded my cellar with. YMMV, of course!
 
I've smoked a lot of the VaPers already mentioned in this thread but to me Orlick Golden Sliced is the best of them all. I usually smoke 2-3 bowls a day and it's the same each time: smooth, rich, sweet, and no tongue bite. A moderate amount of Lady "N", readily available, and a good price. Oh, and it ages really well. Don't know what more anyone could want in a VaPer. :D :D :D
AJ
 
esoxhunter":xf1z4dwl said:
Ol'Dawg":xf1z4dwl said:
A couple to add-

McConnell's Scottish Cake (Used to my favorite)
Ashton Revival Black Parrot

Jim
Is this "Black Parrot" something different than the McClelland that I listed?
When McClelland first tinned Black Parrot, it had the most perique from all blends VaPer. When I was first opened a tin from Black Parrot , it smelled like pure perique. I haven't tried there new Ashton Revival yet but the reviews seem pretty good.

Revival Black Parrot

Jim

PS-If you check it seems that may K&K blended by Black Parrot in Europe for McConnell and probably imports to McClelland for makes the tins under their brand. McConnell blended by K&K
 
Best VaPer? Aww hell, that's too easy...

...the one you like best, of course.

Simple, really.
 
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