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Piping Notes 01 - Virginia RED TIPS

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alPol05

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Piping Notes 01 - Virginia RED TIPS

A few weeks ago I received my package from the WLT with tobacco I purchased and several sample packages. One of the samples was Virginia RED TIPS - Flue Cured.
Today I found a bit of time to try this leaf and compare it to other Virginias I have. Here are my observations.
1. Virginia RED TIPS - The tobacco straight from the bag was pleasantly pliable in my fingers and didn’t need any drying or humidifying – it was just right and ready to smoke. I shredded the leaf for a few bowls. I have a few pipes that I use for smoking pure leaf just for testing. These pipes are always thoroughly cleaned and used only for that purpose.​

I loaded my pipe and struck a match. The first cloud of smoke… The first taste in my mouth… It was a surprise from the beginning to the end. Fantastic taste, aroma, and the unmistakable scent of pure tobacco! Burning hay in my nostrils and light, sweet taste in my mouth!
I am fascinated and pleased! What a great surprise!​

As I write this, I smoke the third bowl and don’t want to stop.

I also have two other blending Red Virginias that I wanted compare to the Red Tips. These are commercial blending tobaccos that I bought some time ago. Although these are not Virginia Tips, this is the best I have on hand.
2. Sutliff Red Virginia for Blending
I loaded a bowl into a fresh pipe and started puffing. My enthusiasm was falling at the neck breaking speed. I was puffing a bit faster and stronger… What is happening? I was smoking something without the taste and aroma. Am I smoking tobacco? My mouth is sour, and I have a tongue bit. The second bowl was only slightly better. I could finally identify some remnants of tobacco taste, but the sour tongue and burning mouth could not deal with this much longer.

3. Stokkebye Red Virginia for Blending

A few hours later I tried this tobacco in a fresh pipe. This smoke was a bit better. There were some aroma and less harshness than in the Sutliff Virginia. It is a step above the Sutliff, but my mouth was sour, and I felt a slight tongue bit.


I am disappointed and sad – Is this what I paid for?

On the bright side, I want to have another bowl of the Red Tips!


Thank you, Don!
 

burge

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Now your hooked on the leaf. Doesn't surprise me we all here have had our eyes opened.
 

deluxestogie

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Thanks for your insightful tasting notes. I agree that WLT Red Tips are rich and aromatic, and beat the commercial blenders, hands down. Although I have no inside information on the quality of leaf used by Sutliff and Stokkebye, my guess is that your immediate contrast between them and the WLT leaf can be attributed to the casings used by the two commercial blenders. I find that commercial casings (polyethylene glycol and or glycerin used by every single manufacturer) reduce the combustibility of tobacco. This results in the need for more aggressive puffing (think of bellows on a forge), in order to keep it lit and generate an equivalent volume of smoke. That is, with commercial blender leaf, we are smoking our pipes at a higher temperature.

Bob
 

greenmonster714

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I agree. Back when the Black Friday sale was on I chose my free pound to be the VA Redtips. The leaf isn't the most eye appealing but the taste makes up for that.
.
 

burge

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I have a small sample of the red and I have not tried it yet. Peter Stocklebye is one of the best tobaccos out there. To buy it its about 30-36 dollars a pound.
 

alPol05

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I have a small sample of the red and I have not tried it yet. Peter Stocklebye is one of the best tobaccos out there. To buy it its about 30-36 dollars a pound.

Yes,... thanks for your comments. Stokkebye indeed appears to be better tobacco. My goal, however, is to move all together to pure tobacco and I am making slow but definite progress.

Wiktor
 
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