Are VaPers the Biggest Rabbit Hole in Pipe Tobacco or is it Straight Va?

[karam]

Something I have been ruminating on for a while: since smoking my first VaPer three years ago (DLNRs) I have been chasing the dragon of the perfect VaPer for me. Haven’t found it yet but have found several VERY enjoyable blends along the way. Some definite keepers to build up.

As an ignorant guy, I wrote off straight Virginias because Capstan blue did not deliver its amazing tin note to the smoke (for me), yet since the summer I have found myself really digging some select straight Virginias, starting from Full Virginia Plug, GH Curly Cut Deluxe (thought it contains Perique, it doesn’t), and more recently being VERY excited about F&T Cut Blended Plug, this blend is incredible!

Latakia has lost its draw for almost a year now (though Nightcap still holds, and more recently tried Schurch tobaccos may be here to stay), DFK I still love but not running to it as I did last year, and VaPers make 80% of what I smoke. So I found myself wondering if I am closing in on graduating from Latakias, DFK bombs and VaPers to the club of straight Va. I’ve started building a stash of Full Virginia Plug, and been hovering over Georg Huber’s Golden Flake for a while now, as well as seriously considering digging more into F&T.

Will straight Va be the final and biggest rabbit hole?

 

[sablebrush52]

Will straight Va be the final and biggest rabbit hole?

Nope.

 

[karam]

Nope.

Laconic

 

[DanWil84]

+1 on No. I'm still a baby in regards of tobacco, but I enjoy the variety pipetobacco and cigars give me and VA's are till now my least favorite. Still tasty, but for me a little flat. Maybe its my tastebuds and not having any with age on them, but I wouldnt see me smoke 80% VA's in the foreseeable future.

 

[Chasing Embers]

Will straight Va be the final and biggest rabbit hole?

Nah, straight orientals. Straight Virginias are easy.

 

[Chasing Embers]

but I wouldnt see me smoke 80% VA's in the foreseeable future

I have heard so many English smokers say that early on and now years later they rarely touch latakia if at all.

 

[karam]

Nah, straight orientals. Straight Virginias are easy.

I can see why you could say that, had pure Greek Basma a year ago which had as much nuance as some blends do.

 

[Chasing Embers]

I can see why you could say that, had pure Greek Basma a year ago which had as much nuance as some blends do.

If you have the opportunity, try kasturi. The most amazing tobacco I've ever smoked.

 

[Briar Lee]

Tonight I’m having a nightcap of Newminster #400 Superior Navy Flake, (which has to be better stuff than the 399 attempts they took at ordinary navy flake). It’s fruity and tastes like oranges, then like lemons, indescribably drlicious

Men have been enjoying bright leaf Virginia tobaccos, the really good ones, for over 150 years.

Visiting Our Past: Brightleaf tobacco intoxication the 1880s

Tobacco became a cash crop in the colonies, eventually spurring one of North Carolina’s first industries. The industry boomed in the 1880s.

www.google.com

Virginia bright leaf is the Mona Lisa of tobaccos,

 

[DanWil84]

I have heard so many English smokers say that early on and now years later they rarely touch latakia if at all.

If that's the case, than that's the case and I won't be sad about it. As said, i'm not that experienced and have tried some englishes (965, Presby and Red Rapparee) and I don't get that campfire smokeyness but more a drier spicer experience from the orientals.

 

[Chasing Embers]

If that's the case, than that's the case and I won't be sad about it. As said, i'm not that experienced and have tried some englishes (965, Presby and Red Rapparee) and I don't get that campfire smokeyness but more a drier spicer experience from the orientals.

It can often take many years.

 

[workman]

It's not like there is a final destination for pipe smokers that all must inevitably reach.
My experience is one of finding some blends I like and getting comfortable with them regardless of genre, barring lat blends, I don't smoke those anymore.
I try something new now and then, but not as much as I did. There's no need.
Btw, burleys are a nice rabbit hole as well.

 

[craig61a]

Nope.

 

[alaskanpiper]

That’s a personal question

 

[Grangerous]

Enjoying Burley scraps is the anticlimactic end of the rainbow.

 

[kcghost]

For me it will be. I smoked mostly English blends with lots of Latakia while loathing VA's and VaPers. Then some forty years into tobaccos I woke up one day craving VaPers. And I have been smoking then about 80% of the time.

 

[WVOldFart]

Many times the destination isn't as good or as fulfilling as the journey. Enjoy the trip and as your taste buds change, enjoy the next journey.

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

Given my investment in Virginia cellaring, I believe my future smoking is pretty much determined. Thankfully, I have enough of about everything else to enjoy variety.

 

[TheWhale13]

I started out my journey with Englishes now I'm into vapers. Excited to see what the future holds for my pipe!

 

[PipeyPiper]

It was actually Capstan blue that got me hooked to pipe smoking. Still love it but I also love latakia based English and Balkan blends and that springboard was a Virginia/latakia blend by S&G called Balkan Flake which is still one of my favorites.
Cant stand perique even though I've tried to like it. We all have different tastes and thats okay.