G. L. Pease The Virginia Cream

Smells real good in tin, like a soda as suggested.

Beautiful leaf, bight and red ribbons with some dark specks or chunks. On dry side. Packs easy. Burns steady. Not hot or wet. No chemical residue.

A steady sweet note thru the bowl with occasional spice; toward end maybe some more spice detected. But not highly flavored or real sweet like most aromatics. Can't say the sweetness tastes like a soda or pure vanilla to me, just nice company to the quality rich base tobaccos. The taste was a combo of delicate, nice flavors. Not earthy or hay.

My stuffed tin lasted about 40 bowls in two size 3 pipes. I broke each pipe in with about 15-20 bowls of TVC. and after 10 or so bowls the flavor was just about the same in each pipe -- but one broke in sooner. The flavor lasted until the last shreds of tobacco in the tin (two+ weeks). An achievement that such a light flavor stayed with the bowls and tin until the end. I find most flavored tin blends lose something after about 7-10 days unless you preserve the tobacco. I didn't; just smoked it up exclusively. Make sure you seal the lid back on after packing, and of course if you will take more than 2 weeks to finish a tin, you should preserve it in a jar.

I don't know if age will sweeten it more, as the already sweet flavor accompanies the Virginias. But aging may increase the taste experience a little.

I compared it to Blue Note due to the looks (though that has flakes) and a little to 3 Star Blues' original flavor profile. However, TVC is mostly unique.

Highly recommended for Virginia smokers who want something different but not extreme.

G. L. Pease - The Virginia Cream.

The blend appears to be more of a Coarse Cut than a simple Ribbon. Out of the two colours in there, brown with a small proportion of black, there are a few robust pieces of the latter. The note from the tin is quite aromatic and it has a decent water amount, so on with the smoke:

The moment I take my first puff it's clear to me that this is a blend of eminence; the vanilla (I don't get any bourbon) doesn't seem thick, cheap, or vulgar, it just oozes class: added in the right quantity to give a quality embellishment to the smoke without stealing all the thunder.

Putting the added taste to one side, that leaves the natural tobacco's: again, they're a very high quality. Even though the tin appeared to only have a tiny proportion of Black Cavendish in there, it tastes like there's more than that. I don't get much grass notes from the Virginia, but I do get an easily discernible Perique hit. The Kentucky is the final tobacco to mention: nothing remarkable, nor particularly pre-eminent, but it gives structure to the smoke.

My only quibble with V.C. is the very slight tongue bite. But considering that that's subjective there's no reason why that should put you off!

I don't get a great deal of nicotine from this, but that sits fine with me.

This is a top class blend:

Highly recommended.

Four stars.

OK, let me get this off my chest before I go any further. If your a tobacco "Purest" and avoid anything with a "Top Note, Casinig etc". Don't spend $9 and change on TVC and come here and bash this fine blend. Because you knew what you were getting into before you made your purchase. Now on the other hand, if you're open minded toward what you smoke and like new things then I think you may just have to try TVC. I have to say that I've really enjoyed the half tin so far. This is definitely a very nice VA and it shines through from beginning to end. Don't get me wrong it's not as if the other tobaccos in the blend aren't noticeable because they are. The Dark Fire is there and gives a little more backbone to the blend while the Perique adds just a touch of extra spice. The cavendish is there just to round things out. The dreaded "Top Note" is barely noticeable which is a good thing. It does pop up as you work your way through a bowl more so in the room note than in the taste of the tobacco. Yes it adds to the sweetness but in a good way, because if your like me it smooths out the spiciness of the DF & Perique. A very well balanced blend from a master blender (Well done Mr Pease Well done). TVC burned cool, dry down to a fine white ash. No Goopy mess in the bottom of the bowl. No pipe cleaners needed to work your way through a pipe full. This is NOT some weird gimmick. This is just a damn fine blend, I just hope that they start to offer this in half pound tins because I only ordered a quarter pound and it won't last long at the rate I'm going. I can definitely see this as an all day blend. So once again if you have an open mind and want to experience an Areo that "Is and Isn't" at the same time then TVC might just be right up your alley. I Remain your Brother in Smoke 4/4

I thoroughly enjoyed this blend. It's not what I've come to expect from aromatics, and is a nice addition to my cellar.

The tin description is quite accurate. A solid Virginia blend with a not overpowering bourbon/vanilla topping. If you've ever had 1Q I wouldn't even compare the two, as their characteristics are quite different. The 1Q is more so a vanilla extract and sweet Cavendish, and this is a bright Virginia and spicy Kentucky with a bourbon characteristic.

The room note is pleasing as well, having a cookie-like scent I enjoy.

One thing I will note is that this is a fair bit stronger than most other aromatics I've had, giving me quite a surprise at the end. Probably would have smoked a slightly smaller bowl, but it's not intolerable.

If you like Virginia or aromatic blends, I'd recommend you at least try this one. I really enjoy it, and would have given it a 3.5 stars if it were an option. But as it is, four stars!

I'm twenty puffs into this, and I am very, very impressed. Nothing at all like any aromatic I've ever tried, and I've tried all of them.

As others have noted, don't come here bashing The Virginia Cream because you expected Pease to create something that's completely impossible. "An aromatic that every Pipe smoker will enjoy, Guaranteed!" It ain't happening.

As far as TVC is concerned, it's a tasty aromatic. The topping is not the star of the show. The Virginia, Dark Fired and Perique take that role. The topping seems to add a subtle natural enhancement to the delicate leaf, leaving one satisfied.

Virginia Cream starts out with as much aromatic taste as it's going to get. At first light you are enveloped with a Cream Soda Float. As the bowl burns further, the tobaccos develop into a beautiful bouquet of Sweet Virginas, with hints of dark fired and perique which adds some spice to the smoke. The cream soda tends to stay on the down low, enhancing the leaf not drowning it down. At the bottom of the bowl, Virginia Cream started to taste similar to C&D's Three Friars, Which was a huge surprise. Virginia Cream isn't goopy, doesn't burn wet, but does leave a hint of its existence in the pipe. Nothing a deep clean or a few bowls of Haunted Bookshop won't cure.

With all that being said, it does better in a large bowl, allowing the tobacco to breathe. I've smoked it in a small cob, it seemed to mute the flavors. Surprisingly, The Virginia Cream reminded me of C&D's Golden Days of Yore. A beautiful aromatic tobacco that does the aromatic magick just like Virginia Cream. The Katerini in Golden Days adds a spice that the perique adds to the Virginia Cream. Two different aromatics, but oddly the same. Strange.

TVC isn't for everyone, but if you're looking for an aromatic to smoke while taking a break of the normal rotation, she'll do.

ADDITIONAL NOTES: Having smoked about 7 bowls of The Virginia Cream, I've had some bowls not live up to the greatness of other bowls. The topping changes between smokes, which has thrown me for a loop. I get caramel and coffee notes from time to time, and of course the CreamSoda/ginger beer note(Love this) The dark fired adds a bit of nuttiness that helps bring forward the coffe note I'm getting. The perique is the culprit of the soda/ginger beer flavor, that this blend exudes. The bourbon reveals itself stronger at first light then dissipates and the vanilla steps forward a bit later. Also Orlik Dark Strong comes to mind in the tin note....weird huh! Over all this blend is excellent, the tobacco is top notch, and the smoke is very complex for an aromatic.

I really enjoyed Virginia Cream and especially the hint of Vanilla (tasted a little like it had nutmeg in it) mixed with a muted, but noted alcohol. The Virginia and chunks of whatever the darker leaf was, burned pleasantly and without bitterness, even as I hit the bottom third of the bowl. Subsequent bowls of this blend in a variety of style pipes brought the same results, although a Dublin shaped pipe that I smoke aromatics in, made the presentation stronger and actually, to me, better, as the smaller space gathered in all the flavors as I puffed. And my wife and kids actually didn't run for cover when I smoked it. Really good stuff.

Pipestud

Definitely a home run mixture from G.L Pease being a 100% virginia lover this is mixture proves to be exactly what is says. From the tin description and all other reviews about it. Blend of the year I truly believe. Blended to perfection,everything is spot on. The red and golden virginia's make the backbone of the blend and harmonizing very consistently with the subtle topping's to make a hands down great vir/aro!

Tin note is bourbon and vanilla, or maybe bourbon/vanilla since bourbon contains the compound vanillin. Moisture is good. The Virginias form the base, the Kentucky adds a bit of depth, and the perique adds a bit of fruitiness along with an occasional tingle of the tongue. Cavendish adds a little sweetness, I guess. The bourbon and vanilla are added in perfect amounts, so that you enjoy the flavors without smoking sticky goop. I'd put the prominence of the toppings between English and American aros, and it's just right. This one smokes fairly cool, but will burn a little hot if pushed. I've experienced 0 tongue bite, which is something I can't always say with aromatics. I'm a big fan of this blend. The bourbon/vanilla is delicious and compliments the tobaccos. Its "less is more" approach to the toppings makes the blend more subtle and complex compared to some my other favorite aros, Rattray's summer blends and their Exotic Passion (formerly Exotic Orange). They are a lot more heavy-handed with the toppings and need some dry time. The Rattray's I mentioned are an occasional treat, but this can be an all day, every day smoke