Sam Gawith Virginias

[monbla256]

My very first VA was Dunhill Flake. I smoked through most of the tin wondering why anyone would want to smoke fancified cigarette tobacco in a pipe. The first VA's that I really fell in love with were those of McClelland. And later on S. Gawith and many others.

Others have mentioned that VA's take time. I agree. In fact, for 3 years or so, whenever I opened a new VA, I would smoke the entire tin straight through & I would never use a pipe that had seen the likeness of a Latakia blend, Oriental or aromatic. At the time I wanted to experience each tobacco in different pipes, moods, temps, etc. I was running this experiment when I was looking for candidates to stock up my cellar with. It definetly helped me to understand what I preferred and to weed out some blends that I just didn't care for.

You could take a back door approach to straight VA's by finding a blend that has a small percentage of Perique in it. At lower percentages, perique is more of a flavor amplifier than a overt provider of flavor. Orlik Golden Sliced or Solani 633 would good candidates. If you desire a purist approach, find a rich VA blend that has a good portion of black stoved VA mixed with red, goldens, etc. This way you get a range of flavor in each smoke. Cut plays a big role in what you may experience as well. This is why so many VA smokers favor flakes.

Also with a lot of VA's I find that decanting the tobacco helps quite a bit to bring out more flavor. S. Gawith flake tobaccos typically require more dry time and more experimentation in prep than most flakes. I have dried whole FVF flakes overnight with excellent results. Cube them up the next day, smoke a bit and throw the rest into a small jar for later. I know an older gentleman who loves SG flakes but hates the prep, so he uses a "Santa Cruz Shredder" on his flakes for an easy breaking up of flakes.  

Anyway, just some random thoughts....

After this thread - I have really taken effort to do much of this stuff (to include BH's side stream/slow down advice).  And pay attention.

Even got a couple of different shaped bowled pipes to explore that.

I am smoking a folded and stuffed flake of OGS in a Va dedicated 320KS.

Just now - literally I am puffing away for 45 minutes now - I have fallen in love with OGS.

Sweet, bright, citrusy, smooth.

What a treat.

OGS is a VERY nice Perique lite VaPer and one I ALWAYS have around !! Being a confirmed Red Va smoker I can't recomend the product from the Carolina's that McClelland uses in it's Va blends/mixtures any stronger than get some and go to Va heaven !! They are a world apart from the Brit Va's as well as the blends from C&D or GLP. One that you might really like would be their Blackwood's Flake, probably one of the FINEST ALL Red Va blend/mixtures available today !! :twisted:

 

[DireWolf]

Hopefully I like Blackwoods - I have 4 or 5 tins of it (several aged from a cellar sell off).

Also very happy I bought several 2007 and 2009 tins of OGS when they came up.

And the 10 tins of Christmas Cheer from 2001-2010.

:lol!:

 

[monbla256]

Hopefully I like Blackwoods - I have 4 or 5 tins of it (several aged from a cellar sell off).

Also very happy I bought several 2007 and 2009 tins of OGS when they came up.

And the 10 tins of Christmas Cheer from 2001-2010.

:lol!:

CC is a NICE Red Va and only get's BETTER as it get's older! But much past 5 years and it really adds no more !! :twisted:  Start smoking that 2001 vintage as it's READY and you'll not be getting any of the brit stuff for sure !! :twisted: :twisted:

 

[scottbtdmb]

I am a devoted fan of Samuel Gawith tobaccos, particularly the Va's. While I would never refute the high quality of American based Va's, particularly the wonderful Va blends that McClelland makes, the British style Va's are the ones I keep coming back to. In particular, Full Va Flake when aged just a few years, is a desert island tobacco for me. I love the richness I get out of the smoke and the dark chocolate/coffee flavors are unparalleled in my opinion.

For a nice change of pace to FVF, I often turn to its little brother Best Brown Flake. I believe Kyle said one time that Best Brown has a flavor not unlike honey nut cheerios and I believe he is spot on with his description. I've never been a fan of MVF and I've never gotten much out of blending FVF and BBF as some like to do, but instead I enjoy both tobaccos individually for what they are. FVF is my go to smoke in the morning with a nice cup of French Pressed coffee. The tobacco and the coffee (especially a nice earthy Kenyan coffee) play off one another in a way that no other coffee/tobacco combo have ever done for me. For an all day smoke, BBF is hard to beat, as the nicotine never seems to bother me with BBF and the taste is mild/medium, as opposed to the full bodied strength/flavor of FVF.

With McClelland Va's, I certainly enjoy the citrus notes from blends like #27 and Blackwoods Flake and the sweet, candy like notes from blends like Va Woods. However, the strength never seems to be there for me, but of course YMMV! I will say that in the Summer when I am up at the pool, nothing beats smoking a pipe of #27 with a good beer, especially an IPA (indian pale ale). The citrus notes from #27 really play off of the hoppy IPA's and they work in harmony to make one another even better in terms of flavor profile/complexity.

Finally, the Va's from Cornell & Diehl and also Altadis have never done much for me. I will say that Greg Pease does find a way to work magic with some of the C&D Va's, which I will chalk up this blending expertise and the employment of condimental tobaccos and casings that seem to improve the overall quality of the Va blends.

Just my two cents on the matter!

-Scott

 

[Stick]

Sammy G's St James Flake... a superb VaPer blend. One of my faves.

 

[Thomas Tkach]

I have come to enjoy 5100 (bought a 1/2 lb with my last order) and 2035, but I still think the Brit VAs are the best. Most recently I've grabbed GH&Co's Bright CR Flake which is lighter and brighter, and Brown Flake U/S, which has a little Burley in it, but BBF is probably my favorite tobacco. I need to explore the Pease and C&D offerings more, though.

Though they are very affordable, I think I've come to appreciate the Danish VAs less (Stokkebye, Newminster).

 

[rx2man]

I know this has been covered by others but IMO you really cant buy this and expect to smoke it and enjoy it. i bought 250 grams 3 yrs ago and smoked it, was like wet hay and was rather unimpressed and did not know what all the fuss was about. So I jarred it and forgot about it. Fast forward to a couple mos ago when my cigars were not tasting good and started going through my pipe baccy. Happened to grab my now 3 yr old FVF and was blown away. The moisture content is down but is far from dry. Still very flexible, and it is smoking great for me. But I am in AZ and the air is very dry so seems perfect where I am. A lot will not view what I have to say now in a less than positive manner BUT it reminds me of 1Q. For sure not as strong flavor wise as 1Q and I happen to like 1Q so it is a compliment. A natural VA with age is something really special. Makes me wonder if 1Q is their attempt to copy a VA with time. I am still early on in my pipe journey but in the last couples mos have picked up 2 lbs of FVF, a pound of Veermaster, 10 tins of Wessex Campagne and 10 tins of Dunhill Flake and various other tins of VA and VABURs/VAPERs set aside for long term aging.

Just hope I do not have to wait 3 yrs to get into it lol

 

[juanmedusa]

I know this has been covered by others but IMO you really cant buy this and expect to smoke it and enjoy it.  i bought 250 grams 3 yrs ago and smoked it, was like wet hay and was rather unimpressed and did not know what all the fuss was about.  So I jarred it and forgot about it.  Fast forward to a couple mos ago when my cigars were not tasting good and started going through my pipe baccy.  Happened to grab my now 3 yr old FVF and was blown away.  The moisture content is down but is far from dry.  Still very flexible, and it is smoking great for me.  But I am in AZ and the air is very dry so seems perfect where I am.  A lot will not view what I have to say now in a less than positive manner BUT it reminds me of 1Q.  For sure not as strong flavor wise as 1Q and I happen to like 1Q so it is a compliment.  A natural VA with age is something really special.  Makes me wonder if 1Q is their attempt to copy a VA with time.  I am still early on in my pipe journey but in the last couples mos have picked up 2 lbs of FVF, a pound of Veermaster, 10 tins of Wessex Campagne and 10 tins of Dunhill Flake and various other tins of VA and VABURs/VAPERs set aside for long term aging.  

Just hope I do not have to wait 3 yrs to get into it lol  

3 pounds and 20 tins listed and no McClelland VA. I hope one of those other "various" tins is a McClelland. I'm not Monbla, but c'mon!

 

[rx2man]

[/quote]
3 pounds and 20 tins listed and no McClelland VA. I hope one of those other "various" tins is a McClelland. I'm not Monbla, but c'mon![/quote]

Had to look and have Dark Star but have not got into it.  I will have to remedy this situation.

 

[monbla256]

3 pounds and 20 tins listed and no McClelland VA. I hope one of those other "various" tins is a McClelland. I'm not Monbla, but c'mon![/quote]

Had to look and have Dark Star but have not got into it.  I will have to remedy this situation.[/quote]

If you want to really have some sweet Red Va to cellar, as well as smoke now, get a pound or two of McC's bulk FM 2000 and 5100 RC and jar it up, leaving some to consume NOW and you'l go to Va heaven !! :twisted: :twisted:

 

[Thomas Tkach]

Or get some 2035. I think that blend is under-appreciated. It's my favorite McC VA, although 5100 is nice, too.

 

[rx2man]

Or get some 2035. I think that blend is under-appreciated. It's my favorite McC VA, although 5100 is nice, too.

2000, 5100 and 2035 are now on the list. I was on their website last night and had no idea they had that many variations of VA's.

 

[Thomas Tkach]

Or get some 2035. I think that blend is under-appreciated. It's my favorite McC VA, although 5100 is nice, too.

2000, 5100 and 2035 are now on the list.  I was on their website last night and had no idea they had that many variations of VA's.

2015 is VERY highly regarded if you like some perique in your VAs. I have some but haven't sampled yet. (too many blends, too little time).

 

[juanmedusa]

Or get some 2035. I think that blend is under-appreciated. It's my favorite McC VA, although 5100 is nice, too.

Mature Virginia #24 is my favorite and also underappreciated imo. Though I got started and hooked on that one so I'm just now trying lots of McClelland Virginia. So not the most informed point of view but it's something I really like.

 

[Thomas Tkach]

Or get some 2035. I think that blend is under-appreciated. It's my favorite McC VA, although 5100 is nice, too.

 Mature Virginia #24 is my favorite and also underappreciated imo. Though I got started and hooked on that one so I'm just now trying lots of McClelland Virginia. So not the most informed point of view but it's something I really like.

I should note that I have only smoked one tinned VA by McC. I usually buy bulk, and the prices of even McC bluk are a bit steep, so I've stayed away from their tinned blends.