Regarding Virginia flavor.

[Indianapiper]

So. I was smoking some Newminster 400 Navy flake, which is listed as a pure Virginia blend. I noticed that It usually takes a good amount of time before any flavor starts to come forward. It bites like heck if I push to hard and is a good training tool for me to practice breath technique. However, I find it annoying that it takes so long for the flavor to even show up. I was wondering if homegrown/home blended Virginia blends are the same way? I know the bite issue can be mitigated with some perique or Dark air cured, but what is your experience with the flavors. Sometimes a quarter of the bowl goes bye before I get any flavor. The delay leads me to pulling harder to get more flavor, which works for a bit but then my tongue pays for it.

Has anyone else experienced delayed flavors while piping on a primarily Virginia blend? Figured I would add that I have the flakes dried out to a decent level. When folded for stuffing they break in the middle and it burns readily, though it does not rustle like dry leaves when I fold it.

Thinking about my Virginia perdicament has me thinking about blends. Maybe predominantly Bright and some red. A bit of Maryland and finish it with Dark fired?

 

[ChinaVoodoo]

I don't really like straight flue cured because it hurts my tongue. I can't say I ever noticed a delay in flavour though.

 

[Indianapiper]

I don't really like straight flue cured because it hurts my tongue. I can't say I ever noticed a delay in flavour though.

Yea the delay in flavor is something I find truly annoying. I have no idea what causes it. Heck I even experience something like it with Cigars. With Cigars The first inch is tasty as heck, then the entire next 1/3 has almost no flavor, then the last third the flavor comes back. I have no idea what causes that as well. Truly an exasperating thing.

 

[ChinaVoodoo]

Perhaps this has something to do with attention and sensory adaptation. Try breaking up your smoking experience with a beverage of choice, or leaving the room for a minute and returning.

 

[Hayden]

If you try it a good amount of time, than maybe rub it out and simply put it this way into your pipe.
Maybe it is just to lose in your pipe till a certain point.

I'm also just started last sommer to get into pipe again and virginias have helped me quiet a lot to develop the breathing technique and my palet.
At the moment i get my best smoke out in the beginning and most virginia flakes i simply rub out, let it dry till it is dry to the touch and maybe a little bit more and the simply stuff your pipe.

What i have also spotted to be a real bottleneck when it comes to flavours is the burning of the tobacco. If you just have a small amber in your pipe you charr all the tobacco without that much of a flavour. Try to really get a good burn all over your pipe. If its starting to fade, give it a quick relight.

 

[Indianapiper]

If you try it a good amount of time, than maybe rub it out and simply put it this way into your pipe.
Maybe it is just to lose in your pipe till a certain point.

I'm also just started last sommer to get into pipe again and virginias have helped me quiet a lot to develop the breathing technique and my palet.
At the moment i get my best smoke out in the beginning and most virginia flakes i simply rub out, let it dry till it is dry to the touch and maybe a little bit more and the simply stuff your pipe.

What i have also spotted to be a real bottleneck when it comes to flavours is the burning of the tobacco. If you just have a small amber in your pipe you charr all the tobacco without that much of a flavour. Try to really get a good burn all over your pipe. If its starting to fade, give it a quick relight.

Gonna try and dry it out more, perhaps I am not getting it as dry as I thought I was. I'll do that, load a bowl and let it sit for a few hours and see how it goes. Good call on the ember, gotta make sure it is all actually smoldering.

I may head to the pipe shop this weekend and get some perique and cube cut burley. Rub out the remaining flakes and mix them together and see if that improves the bite situation.

 

[Hayden]

Yeah, at least what i often experience when the tobacco is too wet, is that the humidity will work against your amber. The smoking also leads to some condensation and will also rehydrate your tobacco in addition. You get some little amber in the middle, the sides are unburnt and you just transform a good amount of tobacco into coal without good flavor.

I dry my rubed out flake till it is dry to the touch and has a dry sound when you move it around.

Thats at least the go to method i have at the moment.

 

[burge]

Virginia gets better with age. See an older post. Fermenting helps also sweating it helps. Leaving it tucked away helps with moistening it out and letting it dry.