Buy Tobacco Leaf Online | Whole Leaf Tobacco

Dark Air Varieties

Status
Not open for further replies.

taxedenuf

Well-Known Member
Joined
Dec 30, 2011
Messages
55
Points
0
Location
Wisconsin
I'm thinking about trying them next year any opinions? I'm thinking I can properly cure them up here in my solar/ kiddy pool converted woodshed.

What's it like smoked straight?
Maturity times?

Little Yellow and One Sucker is all I know of so far.
Thanks,
Mark in Wi
 

deluxestogie

Administrator
Staff member
Joined
May 25, 2011
Messages
23,929
Points
113
Location
near Blacksburg, VA
I grew Little Yellow in 2012.

  • plant length: ~40"
  • leaf length (10th leaf): 21"
  • leaf width (10th leaf): 9"
  • leaf number topped: 15
  • days at maturity: 53

The plants are fuzzy and sticky, and seemed good at discouraging insects.

The leaf air-cured to a thick, leather-like texture. Nicotine strength seemed somewhere between a Maryland and a burley. It smokes well straight in a pipe, though the enjoyable flavor is a bit mild. It also worked well in cigars, if boosted by stronger filler.

I flue-cured some. It came out a light, dull brown, was slightly sweet, and medium in strength.

Little Yellow is one of the few varieties that I really enjoyed, but nonetheless did not replant, since I ended up using it mostly as an occasional condiment, and really needed to reduce the number of varieties grown.

Bob
 

DonH

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jun 10, 2012
Messages
1,609
Points
0
Location
Massachusetts
If you're using Dark Air varieties for cigarettes, they're too strong flavored to smoke straight but are good when blended with milder varieties.

This year I grew One Sucker and one plant of Shirey, but the Shirey was a lone survivor of a small group of seedlings and it was a runt, so it will be hard to tell what it's like from just that one plant.
 

bonehead

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 9, 2013
Messages
761
Points
0
Location
southington, ct.
If you're using Dark Air varieties for cigarettes, they're too strong flavored to smoke straight but are good when blended with milder varieties.

This year I grew One Sucker and one plant of Shirey, but the Shirey was a lone survivor of a small group of seedlings and it was a runt, so it will be hard to tell what it's like from just that one plant.
i grew around a dozen shirley plants this year. i hav not tryed any yet but can't wait until it is aged enough to see what it can contribute to my cigarette mixes and chew.
 

Jitterbugdude

Moderator
Founding Member
Joined
May 22, 2011
Messages
4,266
Points
113
Location
Northeast Maryland
If you're using Dark Air varieties for cigarettes, they're too strong flavored to smoke straight but are good when blended with milder varieties.
.

Agreed!
I've grown 3 different dark air varieites and am done with them. I don't like them for chew nor a pipe - too much nicotine for me.
 

taxedenuf

Well-Known Member
Joined
Dec 30, 2011
Messages
55
Points
0
Location
Wisconsin
I grew Little Yellow in 2012.

  • plant length: ~40"
  • leaf length (10th leaf): 21"
  • leaf width (10th leaf): 9"
  • leaf number topped: 15
  • days at maturity: 53

The plants are fuzzy and sticky, and seemed good at discouraging insects.

The leaf air-cured to a thick, leather-like texture. Nicotine strength seemed somewhere between a Maryland and a burley. It smokes well straight in a pipe, though the enjoyable flavor is a bit mild. It also worked well in cigars, if boosted by stronger filler.

I flue-cured some. It came out a light, dull brown, was slightly sweet, and medium in strength.

Little Yellow is one of the few varieties that I really enjoyed, but nonetheless did not replant, since I ended up using it mostly as an occasional condiment, and really needed to reduce the number of varieties grown.

Bob

Thanks for the info Bob.

I like short quick plants.

Is the word Dark referring to dark green or dark curing?
 

taxedenuf

Well-Known Member
Joined
Dec 30, 2011
Messages
55
Points
0
Location
Wisconsin
i grew around a dozen shirley plants this year. i hav not tryed any yet but can't wait until it is aged enough to see what it can contribute to my cigarette mixes and chew.

Hi Bonehead,
Any problems with em curing green?
 

Rickey60

Well-Known Member
Joined
Aug 14, 2013
Messages
878
Points
0
Location
SW Mississippi
The dark air I got from Big Bonner is smoother than expected and not harsh at all, it can almost be smoked by itself. I do not know what type he has but it is good. Maybe he will chime in and comment.
Rick
 

leverhead

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 16, 2012
Messages
3,204
Points
83
Location
Grimes County Texas
I use some that I bought from Don, I think it was 10 years old when I bought it last year. I use it with BB's Maryland at about 1 part Dark air-cured to 2 parts Maryland. I like the combination better than Burley in my cigarettes, along with the flue-cured and Turkish.
 

bonehead

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 9, 2013
Messages
761
Points
0
Location
southington, ct.
Hi Bonehead,
Any problems with em curing green?
they cured real well except for the sucker crop. it looks ok now but i was worried for a while but all the sucker crop was slower to cure i think because the lack of heat. my heater and humidifier took care of that but it was slow and the ribs have a ways to go still.
 

Knucklehead

Moderator
Founding Member
Joined
Oct 18, 2012
Messages
12,171
Points
113
Location
NE Alabama
I use some that I bought from Don, I think it was 10 years old when I bought it last year. I use it with BB's Maryland at about 1 part Dark air-cured to 2 parts Maryland. I like the combination better than Burley in my cigarettes, along with the flue-cured and Turkish.

Lever turned me on to this combination and I really like it. I replace about half my Burley in the blend with the Maryland/Dark Air. The Maryland smooths out the Burley throat hit and the Dark Air brings the nicotine back up. It makes for a smooth full flavor combination.
 

bonehead

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 9, 2013
Messages
761
Points
0
Location
southington, ct.
Lever turned me on to this combination and I really like it. I replace about half my Burley in the blend with the Maryland/Dark Air. The Maryland smooths out the Burley throat hit and the Dark Air brings the nicotine back up. It makes for a smooth full flavor combination.
posts like that make it harder to wait so long to try the shirley i grew but i won't rush it.
 

taxedenuf

Well-Known Member
Joined
Dec 30, 2011
Messages
55
Points
0
Location
Wisconsin
Seems nummy. What time period are we lookin at for aging? How many varieties are there? Growin em all next year.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top