Rattray - Black Virginia pipe tobacco reviews

Review

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Reviewed By:	Date:	Strength:	Flavoring:	Taste:	Room Note:	Recommendation:
Showing reviews 1 through 20 of 34 reviews of this tobacco NEXT >
Plus Twos	07/23/2010	Mild	None detected	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable
Despite its extremely dark colour there is no roughness but a pleasant tang - just the thing for an early morning smoke with a cup of coffee.
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doc'spipe	04/19/2010	Mild	None detected	Extremely Mild (Flat)	Pleasant
I first tried this in the 1980s thinking it would be similar to the Tinderbox's Captain Spice. Boy, was I wrong! First off, there was little if any tin aroma. Second, it wasn't jet black like the Spice. Third, it was a bugger to keep lit. Finally, little to no taste. Not sweet at all, occasionally a whiff of that hay-like barn smell, but not much. I was quite disappointed to say the least. If Tobaccoreviews existed then - a 1 star rating. Over the years as my experience in pipe smoking grew, I would from time to time try Black Virginia. I came to appreciate it for what it was - a mild, stoved or steamed Virginia, nothing more, nothing less. I would dry this out in the tin for days at a time and this helped to reduce the frequency of re-lights. With slow smoking I sometimes experienced the subtle hay-like taste in an otherwise bland tasting blend. All in all, if you want something very mild with an at times very subtle flavor, and if you are willing to dry this stuff out sufficiently for smoking, this may suit you. As such, only somewhat recommended. For this piper after nearly 34 years of pipe smoking, not a re-visit for me.
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dogwood	12/08/2009	Mild	None detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant
This is an excellent english cavandish that the virginia lover with savor and enjoy. People have commented on the one dimentional smoke produced but it is wonderful for the smoker who looks for natural dark virginia taste. The smoke is rich and sweet. Black virginia is an extremely relaxing smoke.
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Skando	11/01/2009	Mild	Extremely Mild	Mild	Pleasant
BV has been the latest (and previously unattempted) trip to Rattray's Va's dept. At the opening of the lid I realized right away that this almost black stoved Va shares the most with Rattray's Dark Fragrant, having the latter just a smidgen of Perique and maybe a bit pronounced casing. The contents of my 100grms tin was not moist, I found the tobacco just ready to smoke and - differently from other esteemed reviewer - I haven't faced any kind of efforts, nor steam and hot pipe. I have basically appreciated BV, giving an easy (non complex) smoke with the lightest hint of fruity sweetness. I see BV as a no-nonsense tobacco, perfectly fitting its intended task for those moments one looks for a mild Va smoke. Regarding myself, I could easily rate it *** (the same to DF and McC's Maduro) if they just had a wee bit more body.
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Orchid	10/11/2009	Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Tolerable
It does need a little more attention to keep it going, and the rewards are not really worth the effort. Although certainly entirely uncased, there is a natural liquorice- like flavour to Black Virginia, but other than that, it’s a bit tedious. I find it draining on both the palate and general constitution. Next morning, my mouth felt very ‘ashy’, so the smoke on this must be very heavy. Besides the widely noted extra effort in keeping it alight, the actual smoking is not unpleasant (for one bowlful when otherwise feeling fit and up for anything), but it’s not very inspiring either. The only way I would ever smoke this again is mixed with something else. I’m trying a blend of 5 parts Samuel Gawith’s ‘Golden Glow’ (aka Medium Virginia Flake) to 2 parts Black Virginia (by weight). The hay/grassy light quality of the GG is not on the face of it an obvious match for the liquorice of the BV, but it works quite nicely. I like the ‘Black & Gold’ concept that comes with this blending, and the light and dark flavours makes for a smoke of greater dimensions than offered by either tobacco unmixed. This is my first go at blending, and I wonder whether a dash of perique might make it something more heroic. I’d be interested to hear of other blends by other smokers here using Black Virginia. On its own, this is a two star tobacco - in my GG blend, it’s an interesting three star (my blend is, of course, four star).
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Ol'BlueSmoke	09/19/2009	Mild	None detected	Mild	Pleasant
This blend smelled great in the 100 gram tin and seemed very promising. I'm not going to tell you how much I paid for this, too embarassed. Well what this smelled like in the tin (dried prunes, sweet, hay-like) did not really translate to anything with any depth or even pleasantness in its monogustation and olfaction. Too mild for me, not satisfying at all and no nicotine thrill whatsoever. This was bland, boring and I was surprised Rattray would put this out. I see by the other reviews that this is not well liked...I wish I would have looked here before trying this I could have saved $@*%$ :) Sorry not telling, but I really made a bad call on this one...hell you gotta try new stuff anyway and not just rely on reviews..but man...what a waste.
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DK	12/31/2008	Mild	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable
Nice pouch aroma! Whatever it is, it doesn't hold for either the taste or the room aroma when it comes to strength. This is a subtly-flavored stoved virginia with a mild tanginess that is quite enjoyable. As others have mentioned, this needs to be dried out or you'll puff your lips off trying to keep it lit. Dried out, it smokes cool and slow and burns to a fine gray ash. Doesn't change complexity as you go down the bowl. In fact, this is hardly a complex smoke. I'd call it very simple. A tangy virginia flavor that doesn't call much attention to itself. While I find this a good tobacco and can recommend it, it really doesn't have enough flavor to suit me on a regular basis. I'm going to mix a small amount of blending perique to this and see what happens. Probably a very small batch to start. Still, this is a pleasant light tasting tobacco and is perfect for someone who doesn't want to be overpowered by their tobacco.
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marosi	09/18/2008	Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Tolerable
I am mad at Black Virginia. I have attempted to smoke this blend several times over the course of many years, all from the same tin. Each time I found it very hard to light, unwilling to accept a char, difficult to keep burning without excessive puffing which heats things up to an intolerable degree, and lacking in any enjoyable flavor. When I sit down at the end of the day to enjoy the one or two bowls life, and my wife, allot me, I do not want to have to do battle with the blend. Black Virginia, damn you to hell! To tone the hyperbole down just a bit, Black Virginia is black in the tin, as described. It appears to be covered with something, but what I do not know. It smells tangy, like most virginias, plus something else which defies description, at least for me. It packs ok, due to its very odd cut. It is cut into large chunky flat squares. The only thing that I have seen similar is cavendish existing as a constituent part of a va or english blend. Cavendish, however, will burn, and this, at least for me, will not. Even after drying, it is wholly resistant to the flame. When I finally get it going, it flames out quickly, and burns hot. The flavor is a great let down from the strong tin presence. Overall, this tobacco had bad mojo, and I have thrown the rest of mine out. Things have been right with the world ever since.
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Fly ticky	04/25/2008	Mild	Very Mild	Very Mild	Very Pleasant
Good smoke I can dig it.
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donk93953	01/05/2007	Mild	Extremely Mild	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable
This is interesting....Ive never considered myself a Virginia smoker. Of course, its present in the blends I generally reach for (Highland Targe, Black Mallory, all the Frog Mortons), but not just a Virginia. Granted this is stoved, but it is still new territory for me. I've had a dozen bowls now and like this. Its dark as charcoal, incredibly mild, smooth, rather monochromatic, but enjoyable. Everyone else has described its appearance, but I found mine only need one night spread on a serving tray to dry a-bit. I'll grab this tobacco again. It probably will be part of my usual rotation. Try it....
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Pipestud	12/24/2006	Mild	Extremely Mild	Very Mild	Pleasant
This will no doubt please the pipe smokers who enjoy light, semi-sweet Virginia flavor. If you prefer more taste in your Virginia leaf, better let this one dry out first or your constant sucking for flavor will produce a throbbing tongue. I have seldom seen a dark stoved Virginia that packs less wallop. I don't know whether or not this blend burns clean to a fine white ash at the bottom of the bowl because I never got there.
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calavera	04/06/2006	Very Mild	None detected	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable
This one is good, but the taste is somewhat ethereal. Through the wisps of smoke, an occasional tangy sweetness dances at the edge of the palate. Never as much as I want, but always enough to keep me coming back for another try. My tin dried out fairly quickly.
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Spike	02/08/2006	Mild	None detected	Very Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable
10/07/2005 As a major consumer of Rattray's fine pipe tobaccos, I was let down by this one. First I must say I have not been a lover of Stoved Virginias. They may be too subtle for my less-experienced palate. I will follow the advice of some of the other esteemed reviewers and dry the heck out of this tobacco. Otherwise it may take me a number of years to work my way through the 100 gram tin. Will update after the drying-testing process is completed. 02/08/2006: I have smoked eight of the eighteen blends listed in this section and this is the only disappointment of the lot.
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Meerschaum Man	01/08/2006	Mild to Medium	None detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant
This is difficult for me to smoke. The stoving leaves an oily residue that stains the fingers and presents problems with trying to keep it lit while not getting tongue bite that Virginia leaf is notorious for. It mixes favorably with Hal 'O the Wynd without excessive taste clashing. The only way I can appreciate smoking it is to let it dry for a couple of days outside the can. I guess I've learned that I'm not a zealot for stoved tobacco. Meerschaum Man Smoking an old noname Meer
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OSR	01/02/2006	Mild	Extremely Mild	Extremely Mild (Flat)	Tolerable
This stuff bites my tongue regardless of the moisture level in the tobacco. The taste is flat, somewhat spicy for such a one dimensional virginia (is there some flavoring added?)and I can't get past the bitiness... With all the good va's on the market (stoved or not) I sure can't recommend this one.
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Cactus John	11/25/2005	Strong	None detected	Full	Pleasant
This is a nice tobacco but a little strong for me. I like stoved virginias but this one didn't have any of the sweetness usually found in a stoved virgina. This one wouldn't be good for a beginner smoker or someone starting out with virgina tobaccos. It would be good for someone looking for a full bodied virgina. It might be better with about 10 years of age on it. But just not my idea of a every day smoke. It burned good and never got harsh. I liked everything about this tobacco except the strength.
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lustra	08/14/2005	Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Tolerable
I agree completely with Beer on this one. I will note that I opened a 100-gram tin at least two years ago, and it is still a bit damp for smoking. In that time, I have smoked about 50 grams of the tobacco. I suspect I will continue to nibble at this tobacco for few more years, mostly out of curiosity to see if it ever dries out.
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The Keeper	08/13/2005	Strong	None detected	Full	Tolerable
I found the start of this bowl better than the midway or finish. It is top quality leaf which emits a nutty, tangy taste to start. This gradually develops notes of cigarette, mustiness, and a hint of chestnut. This is a good tobacco, but out of all the dark stove blends I've tried, I don't think this rates as highly as Stonehaven or Dark Star. It is a different leaf - erring more on the side of strong, straight tobacco flavor than the other two mentioned offerings. Towards the end I detect a bitterness not unlike a burley blend. Though I don't find this bad, this isn't really the experience I am looking for when smoking stoved VA. Good. I'd smoke it again, but I don't plan to stock up.
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tonyg	07/24/2005	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable
If I could by this tobacco by the pipefull, I'd buy about one a year. A tasty tobacco that just does not come up to the standards of other stoved tobaccos such as Dark Star, McClelland's 2035 and my all time favorite: Stonehaven. All of Rattray's non stoved Virginia tobaccos are excellent. I suggest they leave the stoving to others.
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Daniel Morlan	01/20/2005	Mild	None detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable
I have smoked four bowls of this splendid weed just to be sure of my opinion of it. I've discovered the following... 1.) It smokes consistently, pipe to pipe. 2.) It is hard to get bit by it unless you really provoke it. 3.) From the beginning, to the end of the bowl, there is a consistent sweetness that only gives way towards the very end. 4.) It's lack of overcomplexity makes it a delightfully delicious, charming tobacco. This will become a staple in my cellar. So far this has bumped its way easily to first place. I could smoke this all day, and not have a nicotine problem, and the flavor is so great that I am not tiring of it. Between this blend, Hamborger Veermaster, and Escudo. I'll rank this as a sublimely high, surpassingly excellent blend for a straight VA. Sweet, butterscotchy hints with the occasional (if you smoke just a tad too hot) eucalyptus undertone. Unflavored, well-balanced, great character smoke. As much as I love to write, I cannot adequately describe the flavor of this wonderful blend. It's almost fruity, but not artificially so. If your tastes are sensitive, you're apt to find a medley of wonderful flavors in this tobacco that ranges from fruity to butterscotch-esque, to even a toasty finish. It's meant to be savored slowly, and while it can be described as being mild, it's quality as a VA in THIS posters opinion, is hard to surpass because... 1.) I like it's lack of overt complexity. 2.) I like that it's not prone to biting. 3.) It is easy to smoke, and enjoy at all times. 4.) The sweetness lasts and lasts. Bottom line, this is a wonderful tobacco, and if there are any others like this, I simply must know about them! Being such a lover of Virginias, now that I can REALLY taste their subtleties, I almost feel like I've graduated as a pipesmoker. This is a very, very wonderful blend, and if you're blessed with a Palate that can interpret the flavors... I'll leave it at that.
Showing reviews 1 through 20 of 34 reviews of this tobacco NEXT >