Strong VA curiosity

[Briar Spirit]

I read a lot of folks reviews on many VA tobacco's but usually when I look into them further I find they tend usually to be mild in strength, very disappointing to me I must say.

I was wondering if any of you better knowledgeable folk know anything about any VA's that pack a Lady-N punch without having cigar leaf in them, cigar leaf if good with me in tobacco but I was curious if a good VA smoke existed without it!

I remember my Da' smoking the tobacco he used to grow himself and he let me have a small bag of it, small, it weighed about 2 lb's actually, but that was so many years ago now, that stuff put me flat on my back, I kid you not, the World swirled around so brutally I thought I'd been hit by a train, and found myself staring into the sky, that was AWESOME baccy. Every tobacco I have tried since has been nothing but disappointment after disappointment with regard to nicotine hit.

 

[Puff Daddy]

Sam Gawith's Full Virginia Flake always provides me a good nic jolt by the time I get a good 2/3 into the bowl, as does GH & co Curly Cut regular.

 

[sisyphus]

Ropes

 

[alfredo_buscatti]

Royal Yacht. Very strong, topped with something much like they used with 3-Year Matured, the topping of the latter stronger. The topping enhances the blend. Dark and light VA.

 

[Anonymous]

Virginia tobacco, by itself, seems to have a natural limit to its Vitamin N content.

The Powerhouse Virginia-containing blends seem to depend on their Burley content for the extra kick. (Note : almost all "Virginia" is blended with a small percentage of Burley to fill out & round off the bottom) (pardon the choice of words there. Tobacco is female).

The other "N"-enhancer seems to be Perique ("seems to be" because I'm generalising from what people have said over the years). Absent some special N-enhancing treatment (Lakeland procedures), most of the "warning : this stuff is potent" reviews here seem to be of blends of two (Jacknife Plug), or three (Haddo's Delight) of these.

The only (nearly straight) Virginia I've ever encountered that kicked by butt up around my throat was GLP's Laurel Heights -- Red Va. with a trace amount (that you'd never identify in smoking it) of Latakia. Off-the-chart tasty stuff but -- apparently due to some body chemistry -- a Yak killer. Every time.

FWIW

:cat: :face: :study:

 

[Briar Spirit]

Virginia tobacco, by itself, seems to have a natural limit to its Vitamin N content.

The Powerhouse Virginia-containing blends seem to depend on their Burley content for the extra kick. (Note : almost all "Virginia" is blended with a small percentage of Burley to fill out & round off the bottom) (pardon the choice of words there. Tobacco is female).

The other "N"-enhancer seems to be Perique ("seems to be" because I'm generalising from what people have said over the years). Absent some special N-enhancing treatment (Lakeland procedures), most of the "warning : this stuff is potent" reviews here seem to be of blends of two (Jacknife Plug), or three (Haddo's Delight) of these.

The only (nearly straight) Virginia I've ever encountered that kicked by butt up around my throat was GLP's Laurel Heights -- Red Va. with a trace amount (that you'd never identify in smoking it) of Latakia. Off-the-chart tasty stuff but -- apparently due to some body chemistry -- a Yak killer. Every time.

FWIW

:cat: :face: :study:

Good info of course, thank you, I have no aversion to other tobacco being in the blend, but I should rather it didn't have Latakia or that Indian leaf that tastes like cigars. I have tried and very much enjoyed Brown Pigtail but it's a different thing isn't it, there is something about the flavour of a good VA that really floats my boat, but the failing N-hit leaves me needing to smoke something else 'very soon' after smoking a mild VA. I get where you're coming from, VAPers would be the area to further investigation then.

Jim sent a 25g sample of that GLP Triple Play and I must say that stuff tastes wonderful, but it is a tobacco way out of my humble price range, in fact all of the GLP range that Gauntleys sell are way out of my league, £16.50 for a tin is simply too much. Yes, I know they cost more because they are a good tobacco, but it doesn't alter the rudimentary issue of cost. I tried some Bullseye tobacco some time ago, I oddly didn't like it then but it's been haunting me like a son of a gun. There seems to be more than one Bullseye out there though, and I don't recall which I tried, so typical of my appalling memory.

 

[monbla256]

For me, the strongest nic hit I've gotten from just about any blend I've smoked ( I have NOT tried some of the old style ropes that you folks produce and smoke over your way though) and it is composed of all va's ( it says on the tin and in the literature, but we all know how that goes :twisted: ) has been Dunhill's Royal Yacht. It does have a casing/flavoring agent of some sort, but then ALL 'bacs have SOME in them, it's part of the product process used by ALL blenders. It's what I smoke when I want that "nic hit" in my smoke

 

[shootist51]

Virginia tobacco, by itself, seems to have a natural limit to its Vitamin N content.

The Powerhouse Virginia-containing blends seem to depend on their Burley content for the extra kick. (Note : almost all "Virginia" is blended with a small percentage of Burley to fill out & round off the bottom) (pardon the choice of words there. Tobacco is female).

The other "N"-enhancer seems to be Perique ("seems to be" because I'm generalising from what people have said over the years). Absent some special N-enhancing treatment (Lakeland procedures), most of the "warning : this stuff is potent" reviews here seem to be of blends of two (Jacknife Plug), or three (Haddo's Delight) of these.

The only (nearly straight) Virginia I've ever encountered that kicked by butt up around my throat was GLP's Laurel Heights -- Red Va. with a trace amount (that you'd never identify in smoking it) of Latakia. Off-the-chart tasty stuff but -- apparently due to some body chemistry -- a Yak killer. Every time.

FWIW

:cat: :face: :study:

Good info of course, thank you, I have no aversion to other tobacco being in the blend, but I should rather it didn't have Latakia or that Indian leaf that tastes like cigars. I have tried and very much enjoyed Brown Pigtail but it's a different thing isn't it, there is something about the flavour of a good VA that really floats my boat, but the failing N-hit leaves me needing to smoke something else 'very soon' after smoking a mild VA. I get where you're coming from, VAPers would be the area to further investigation then.

Jim sent a 25g sample of that GLP Triple Play and I must say that stuff tastes wonderful, but it is a tobacco way out of my humble price range, in fact all of the GLP range that Gauntleys sell are way out of my league, £16.50 for a tin is simply too much. Yes, I know they cost more because they are a good tobacco, but it doesn't alter the rudimentary issue of cost. I tried some Bullseye tobacco some time ago, I oddly didn't like it then but it's been haunting me like a son of a gun. There seems to be more than one Bullseye out there though, and I don't recall which I tried, so typical of my appalling memory.

The flavor is what most of us smoke a pipe for, not a buzz. I smoke Virginias almost exclusively because I enjoy the flavor. Ocassionally I will smoke an English of Lat blend for a change of pace, but if a buzz is what you are looking for, there ore other things to smoke. I just sip a good single malt for the buzz :lol!:

 

[Briar Spirit]

The flavor is what most of us smoke a pipe for, not a buzz. I smoke Virginias almost exclusively because I enjoy the flavor. Ocassionally I will smoke an English of Lat blend for a change of pace, but if a buzz is what you are looking for, there ore other things to smoke. I just sip a good single malt for the buzz :lol!:

Well, having smoked a pipe for over 30 years, I believe I have some idea as to why I smoke a pipe, but you are free to rush to any conclusion you like.

Now if you don't mind, I should like to be able to explore this subject further, if that is okay with you.

 

[Briar Spirit]

For me, the strongest nic hit I've gotten from just about any blend I've smoked ( I have NOT tried some of the old style ropes that you folks produce and smoke over your way though) and it is composed of all va's ( it says on the tin and in the literature, but we all know how that goes :twisted: ) has been Dunhill's Royal Yacht. It does have a casing/flavoring agent of some sort, but then ALL 'bacs have SOME in them, it's part of the product process used by ALL blenders. It's what I smoke when I want that "nic hit" in my smoke

That is very interesting, a chap sent me a bit of Royal Yacht tobacco he found at his place that had been lying around for a bit, it was very old and not sealed up so had dried out completely. I tried resurrecting it but found it very weak and flavourless, I was assured by the chap who sent it that in its day it blew his socks off, I just figured he wasn't used to high nicotine tobacco. So it would seem I am in error then, this is something I shall keep in mind come end of Feb, blimey, I am going to have to start making a list, my memory is terrible, I don't stand a chance in remembering the excellent suggestions coming forward, hmmm, but then I could just pull this topic huh, see, empty head, need I say more.

 

[sonarman]

Old Dark Fired gives me a buzz, but like Yak said it may be the burley and not so much the Va.

 

[gravel]

The flavor is what most of us smoke a pipe for, not a buzz. I smoke Virginias almost exclusively because I enjoy the flavor. Ocassionally I will smoke an English of Lat blend for a change of pace, but if a buzz is what you are looking for, there ore other things to smoke. I just sip a good single malt for the buzz :lol!:

Well, having smoked a pipe for over 30 years, I believe I have some idea as to why I smoke a pipe, but you are free to rush to any conclusion you like.

Now if you don't mind, I should like to be able to explore this subject further, if that is okay with you.

At 30 years your N tolerance may be quite high which makes the post you replied strongly to all the more valid.

That said, I understand Irish Flake packs a strong N punch, but that seems to come from the Kentucky component more than the VA.

 

[MisterE]

+1 on the Royal Yacht. It's deceptively strong stuff.

I few months ago I revisited it. I can remember standing on the corner smoking it at a rehearsal break and having that realization I'd overdone it. Sweats, nausea, etc. That rarely happens to me so the memory is pretty strong, as is the tobacco.

 

[Briar Spirit]

The flavor is what most of us smoke a pipe for, not a buzz. I smoke Virginias almost exclusively because I enjoy the flavor. Ocassionally I will smoke an English of Lat blend for a change of pace, but if a buzz is what you are looking for, there ore other things to smoke. I just sip a good single malt for the buzz :lol!:

Well, having smoked a pipe for over 30 years, I believe I have some idea as to why I smoke a pipe, but you are free to rush to any conclusion you like.

Now if you don't mind, I should like to be able to explore this subject further, if that is okay with you.

At 30 years your N tolerance may be quite high which makes the post you replied strongly to all the more valid.

That said, I understand Irish Flake packs a strong N punch, but that seems to come from the Kentucky component more than the VA.

Wasn't meant strongly in the least, I am a man of curt words when offended, to be honest, I have a very high nicotine tolerance and mild tobacco leaves me craving like a bear with toothache. I don't get a 'buzz' from nicotine and am most certainly not chasing it, I quit smoking silly weed as a teenager, that'd be the stuff for folk seeking a buzz, and in truth I hated the stuff. But if offence was taken I should like to stress none was intended, I am seeking some advice from those who will of course have tried more brands of tobacco than I, I wasn't trying to seek comments about me personally, which of course I am getting.

 

[gravel]

No skin off my nose. Good to have you here Kirk.

 

[Rob_In_MO]

But if offence was taken I should like to stress none was intended, I am seeking some advice from those who will of course have tried more brands of tobacco than I, I wasn't trying to seek comments about me personally, which of course I am getting.

Eff You, Kirk!


:mrgreen:

 

[Briar Spirit]

But if offence was taken I should like to stress none was intended, I am seeking some advice from those who will of course have tried more brands of tobacco than I, I wasn't trying to seek comments about me personally, which of course I am getting.

Eff You, Kirk!


:mrgreen:

Up yours ugly!!

 

[Kyle Weiss]

You two. Sheesh. Now I have to be the role model. :roll: :lol:

Yakster, is Union Square all Virginia? I was under the impression it was, but I could be wrong. It's for the reason of the nicotine ceiling you were talking about more than anything, and I can sometimes sense Burley by the slightly more alkaline nature to it (I have more "acidic" chemistry, as it were, ask my vulcanite stems why they turn green at the button :lol: ) and the balancing of the pH in my mouth I deem as being the "tingle" I get when Burley is present. Union Square is pretty low-key for Lady N, and smooth as silk on my tongue.

It's really, really tough, if you ask me, to solidly find out what is in any particular blend or mixture as far as leaf content/ratios. It's a best-guess. Even from leaf to leaf, origins and growing conditions can affect the content of said leaf. I'm not one to get uppity over something not being "pure" this-or-that, I either like something or I don't. Then there's the aging/maturing, where juices get pressed and soakin' into the leaf, and that seems to steep more Vitamin N into the process, or makes it more available during combustion. I'm no chemist, so I don't know.

As far as what to suggest, Kirk? I dunno. If you want "just a Virginia," it'll mean your limited selections for you to buy might hinder your search. If you want just a 'bacca with some brass-ones, to give you your N-jolt for the day with some flavor, well, there's a few out there. Price-wise, you might have to spend a quid or two more. Or ten...twenty. :no: Sorry brother.

8)

 

[Anonymous]

Union Square = 100% Virginias.

Sui generis in that.

:cat: :face: :study:

 

[alfredo_buscatti]

For the strength you're seeking only Royal Yacht is more or less the straight VA you seek. Oh, C&D Bayou Morning Flake is supposed to be potent. Univ. Flake is VA and Burley, and it has more strength than most; but GH Dark Birdseye, Dark Flake, Dark Plug and Kendal KY are most of the other contenders for powerful tobaccos, but not as powerful VAs. Then too of course the ropes.