Befriending those Beguiling Virginias

29th January, 2010: Posted by glpease in Tobacco, Technique

A great virginia can be a wonderful smoke, but for many of us, at least for me, getting the most from the experience doesn’t always come easily, or instantly. I recently read a post on one of the forums written by a fellow who enjoyed many mixtures, and liked the sweetness he experienced in virginias, but lamented that, for the most part, that sweetness is only delivered in hints. I can relate. One of the reasons I was a dedicated Latakiaphile for so long was this very phenomenon. I’d puff a bowl of virginia, enjoy it for a while, but before the end of the bowl, I’d find the experience lacking. Where did the flavour go? Where was all that sweetness I was promised?

The sweetness of a tobacco has to do with the levels of sugar in the leaf. This can be naturally occurring, as in some virginias, and especially bright leaf, or added, as is the case with many virginia blends. It’s not uncommon to find sugar levels of 20-25% in bright leaf, and if the tobaccos are cased, it can be even higher. Sugar equals sweetness, right?

Sort of. Many readers will already know this, either from experience, or because they were fortunate enough to have a mentor, early on, who showed them The Way. I hope there may be something of interest here for them, but today, I’m writing to those who haven’t been so fortunate. I struggled for years to develop a good relationship with virginias, picking up tidbits along the way, but never quite getting it. If it can help one smoker, neophyte or veteran, discover the pleasures of the venerable virginias, this article will have served a purpose.

Coaxing the natural sweetness out of a tobacco requires slow, gentle smoking, and it can often take a while with virginias for the smoker to appreciate and acclimate to their more subtle flavours sufficiently to slow down and sip, which is necessary to enjoy them to their fullest. Typically what happens with smokers new to virginias, especially those accustomed to bolder mixtures, or heavily aromatic blends, is that they’ll get that hint of sweetness in the first part of the bowl, and then puff more aggressively in the hopes of intensifying it. Often, what actually happens is the opposite.

Latakia mixtures are, for the most part, pretty easy to smoke and enjoy, providing you enjoy them, if you’ll forgive the brief excursion into petitio principii. The flavours and aromas are bold and assertive. Mixtures are the extroverts at the party. They welcome the smoker immediately and effortlessly, and engage the senses without effort. Not everyone likes them, but no one would deny their forthright and outgoing demeanor. Virginias are different. They are subtle, quiet, and in many cases, demure. They’re happy to engage, but they aren’t presumptuous, so they tend to wait in the corner, patiently, and only offer their hand in friendship when you’ve reached out to take it.

Different tobaccos have varying levels of natural sugars. Brights tend to have the highest sugar content, burleys the lowest. Part of this is a product of the particular cultivar of the plant, part is a result of growing conditions. A lot of it has to do with the way the leaf is cured. When a plant is harvested, it does not simply die. Metabolic processes will continue, using the supplies of nutrients in the leaf and stalk. One of those nutrients is sugar and starch, and as long as the plant’s cells have water and food, they’ll keep doing what they do.

The flue curing of virginias results in a fairly quick kill of the cells. The stalks are hung in heated barns where the leaves will wilt and yellow in a matter of a few days, not the weeks required for the air-curing typically used with burley tobaccos. This leaves more of the sugars intact, and that’s where the virginia tobacco’s natural sweetness comes from. But, we need to coax it out carefully when smoking to get the most from this sublime leaf.

When smoked slowly, a small amount of moisture in the stream, a natural byproduct of combustion, carries the sweetness of the leaf along with it. Some of the more complex molecules are liberated by heat, and are carried in the smoke itself. The full experience comes when there’s a balance between the two, so smoking slowly is essential.

Taking gentle sips, keeping the leaf just barely smoldering, is the key to greater enjoyment. Though it can be tempting to puff more aggressively in an attempt to intensify the flavours, too often, the opposite will occur, and along with diminishing taste, more heat will be created, and a harsher smoke will result. Instead, slow down. Breathe with the pipe. Let your mind focus on what your palate is experiencing, and, in time, those delicate flavours will become more noticeable, more present.

There’s a reason virginias are often thought of as tobaccos for more experienced smokers. Take your time. Learn to slow down and really enjoy what they have to offer, and these beguiling blends will begin to reveal themselves to you over time.

It’s worth it.

-glp

15 Responses

  1. Jon Burton Says:
    January 29th, 2010 at 14:17

    I am REALLY enjoying the more frequent entries to “The Chronicles” lately! Thanks for sharing. This is great advice, and information. I have never really had a pipe “mentor” to speak of. So, things like this are quite precious to guys like me.

    Cheers!

  2. glpease Says:
    January 29th, 2010 at 14:31

    Thanks, Jon. I’m trying to keep up with things, but you know how it goes. I’m glad that these little articles are of value to at least one person “out there!”

  3. Nick Miller Says:
    January 30th, 2010 at 12:52

    Cool article, as a VA guy I’m always happy to read your writings on this subject and not that stinky Latakia weed. I will add one thing that you didn’t mention, Virginia’s especially have to be dry, IMO if you start a bowl out with most tobacco your in for a crappy bowl and I don’t care how good someones technique is.

    So, after this article I have to ask, when are you planning on making a super sweet VA for all of us to enjoy?

  4. glpease Says:
    January 30th, 2010 at 14:16

    Nick, thanks for your comments. Some of us actually find that some moisture benefits VA smoking. I, for one, prefer my Latakia (stinky weed?) blends a little bit on the dry side, but find that if VAs are too dry, they actually don’t smoke as sweetly. To each his own! There are at least as many notions about the right way to do things as there are pipe smokers.

    Super sweet? It would be tough to get sweeter than Union Square without adding sugar to the leaf. Maybe one of these days, once I finish up the stinky Latakia weed blends I’m currently working on.

  5. Ramon Says:
    January 30th, 2010 at 15:43

    Thanks for the reminder, Greg. Smoking very slowly is essential indeed. I get the impression that smoking at a faster pace actually burns some of the flavors off.
    The fresh tin of uncased and unflavored VA flake I smoked had a slight bitterness to it IMHO - does that come from smoking it too fast, from an inadequate moisture level, insufficient age, or something else?
    And yes, that stinky Latakia stuff is much easier to smoke! :-)

  6. Bill Curnutte Says:
    January 31st, 2010 at 18:02

    I’d have to be a chemist to prove this, but I think smoking Virginia slowly lets the aroma in the unsmoked tobacco come through largely unchanged, while smoking it quickly creates so much heat that it burns the sugar into a caramel mixture. Where caramelized sauteed onions are nice in cooking, in tobacco they mix with other elements of the combustion to produce a bitter smoke. At any rate, Virginias most definitely recreate the experience of the freshly opened tin best when they are smoked very slowly. Thanks for the musing.

  7. Moe Says:
    February 2nd, 2010 at 17:56

    What a pleasure it is to come and find two new additions to the chronicles. Thank you Greg!

  8. Gus Martinez Says:
    February 3rd, 2010 at 13:00

    I loaded my pipe once again with Virginia, one of many who usually I smoke, while reading this article, I thoroughly enjoyed it, I enjoyed it gently and slowly, fully enjoying it while reading, concentradome in my pipe and in the article, actually the Virginia smoked slowly, are special

    thanks for such good articles Greg

  9. Jordi Rabasa Says:
    February 4th, 2010 at 14:01

    Greg: Gracias por dedicar un poco de tu tiempo para hacernos mas felices a los fumadores que leemos tus artículos. Por favor, no dejes de hacerlo con asiduidad.
    Desde Barcelona, a orillas del Mediteráneo, rodeado por las montañas de la Serralada Litoral, llenas de arbustos de brezo (briar) te mando un saludo y tienes a un amigo.

  10. Deirdre Says:
    February 8th, 2010 at 12:04

    Greg, you have established yourself as a master of latakia blends (BTW I used to think of parmigiano-reggiano as “stinky” cheese, but now I can’t get by without it for long); and you are rapidly becoming the “go to” for delicious VA’s as well. I, too, want to say it was nice to come on and find new postings here - and another very helpful sharing of technique.

    One more thing: If you are thinking of developing another oriental in the Cairo vein, I’m there!

  11. Joseph Says:
    February 11th, 2010 at 7:51

    Greg, great entry!

    I agree with the slow sipping technique (in general) but there are some VAs where I find this doesn’t work. The McClelland leaf in particular. For me, the McCl blends smoke a little bitter and bland when smoked slowly and sipped and actually seem to smoke really good when puffed on a little harder. I have no clue why and maybe I’m the only one that experiences this.

  12. john Says:
    February 11th, 2010 at 9:41

    Greg–that was a fantastic articulation of just what I have found to be true. I love VA’s and slow sipping them is likened to sipping a wee bit of Glenlivet. It does neither one any good to guzzle.

  13. David Says:
    March 1st, 2010 at 16:57

    Great article and great thoughts!

    I’d like to mention that, in addition to smoking slowly (and let’s face it, smoke everything slowly and you’ll enjoy yourself more), using the air pocket method on VAs has recently brought a whole new VA experience into my world. Much more taste present and the sweetness is oh so delightful all the way through. I highly recommend combining these two methods, fellas.

  14. Jimbo Says:
    March 29th, 2010 at 12:50

    For me pure Va’s are like Burgundy wines to the more numerous mixtures being Bordeaux; more subtle, more difficult, can be more expensive and scarce to the point of far more being sold than was ever grown!
    Oh - and B&H Original Virginia Flake is Romanee Conti / La Tache!

  15. Vinnie799 Says:
    April 18th, 2010 at 10:30

    Fine article Greg, fine article. In the past six or eight months I have picked up on smoking Virginia flake. Gawith’s, Iwan Ries, and Erinmore. My favorite flake however it McClelland’s Blakneys’ Best Tawney Flake, So far. I like the tang it has and….. well anyway this is not a review so, shut my mouth on that. I like the nicotine hit they all have but in just the past few months I’ve encountered ’sipping’ tobacco rather than puffing. I first read about sipping in another forum then here I come across it at this site.

    About a year ago I told my tobacconist in Talleyville, DE that I wanted a small bowled pipe and he showed me a King’s Cross featherweight. Long story short, I took it home with me. That darned thing is equivalent to a liquor’ tumbler. I started using it with Tawney and other VA’s and the thing is so small that you just can’t smoke it hard and like it. However as I smoked her very slowly, as it’s easy to overheat it, forcing me to find about ’sipping’ , never knew what is was called as I was just keeping the heat down. Low and behold things started to become VERY sweet tasting So much that nothing but flake (rubbed out well of course with this little gem,) that nothing else gets smoked in it. especially after a double shift and being home around 12:30 a.m. and being back to work for the 8×4 shift, that tiny sipper and some VA is absolutely awesome, well, it was untill the house fire two weeks ago. anyway IMHO, VIRGINIA FLAKE IS SIPPIN’ STUFF!

Share Your Thoughts

Please note: Comment moderation is enabled and may delay publication. There is no need to resubmit your comment.