John Cotton John Cotton's Double Pressed Virginia

This is hands down the biggest disappointment I've had in a blend. Upon opening the tin I had a sweet raisin note with a hint of earth which smelled amazing and was very excited to smoke. Then as I continued to stick my nose in the jar I noticed something in the back end. An almost bitterness in the end of the sniff. As I rubbed it out, the tea was easy enough to rub and pack. I packed it light with a three pinch method with a slight variation. I packed the first pinch hand of a child and the second and third hand of a woman. Being a crumble cake I decided to rub it out first before trying other packing methods. The moisture content was just about right but still gave it a few minutes of dry time. It took the flame well enough for the charring light, took the true light well and I was off.

1st bowl - After the true light I was a bit taken back by what I was tasting. I had read that there was some nuances with this blend and I was not to expect a "typical" Virginia. However, I could have sworn I was smoking a burley blend and not in a good way. The first 1/3 of the bowl was a bit spiced and earthy and immediately noticed it was burning hot even while sipping. The flavor was full but acrid and I still felt like something was not right. The retro hale had it's own profile and was somewhat softer with notes of bread. About half way through the bowl it began to behave mechanically and the flavor profile smoothed out. This, however, was short lived and began to burn hot again with the flavors turning acrid and tasted like a cheap cigar. It was burning too hot and decided not to risk my pipe with a burnout

2nd bowl - I decided to take a different approach and not rub it out as much. Usually when I do this with crumbles I place the pieces on a coffee filter and fold it over, then press it down slightly with a plate. I allowed it to air out for a few minutes and checked the moisture content again. I packed using the savinelli method of 3 pinches with just enough tamp to make it springy. I got more of the same while smoking with acrid flavors and high temps.

3rd bowl - I decided to try a palm roll with this bowl and tamped it down loosely, then topped it off with a pinch and packed "hand of a woman." Mechanically it behaved a little better but not enough to enjoy it.

Out of the three bowls I was so disgusted by it that I never finished a single bowl. If I was going to create a match blend for this virginia I would go to a gas station on the wrong side of town, ask for the cheapest cigarettes they have, take them home into a blender (filter and all) and pack a bowl with it. I had heard good things about this blend but it turned out to be the one blend I never finished a tin of. Went in the trash.

A lot of money for a mouthful of bland, dry smoke. Too many Virginias that have more flavor at a lower price. Not recommended unless you like flavorless weed.

Although it appears as a plug when the tin is popped, it beaks up easily for packing and has an ideal moisture content; smokes smoothly without relights or condensation; no bite from start to finish

This is a medium virginia presented in crumble cake form . Very earthy from the start , the tin note and the taste . Not the sweet and smooth virginia taste you might get from . say . Vauen #14 or F & T Cut Virginia . More like the deeper taste one might get from Samuel Gawith Full Virginia Flake . The crumble cake is a little complicated to work with . One may rub it to a cube cut or sort of nudge it into a broken flake . I prefer the latter , either way the burn is sort of uneven . The taste is just a tad over medium and it burns cleanly down to the bottom . The Virginias used here are not top quality but good enough by today's standards . Not a great idea for the early morning pipe but best enjoyed later in the day . The double pressed process should make it more mellow and smooth and I think that quality was present here .

Bravo: It is so good to see a blender showing intelligent restraint making a VA product for those who love unadulterated pure VA leaf without molasses, vinegar, ketchup and other such atrocities. Nicely ripened, it shows some natural fruit and sweetness, smokes with full flavor, smooth and just nice. After even a few days in a jar, the sweetness and fruit flavors are showing more and more. The will age well. The cakes is fairly dry, crumbles apart easy and burns down with a consistent pure and pleasant VA flavor. Love it! Will buy more.

I've only recently developed a greater love for straight Virginia's with their grassy notes, so I was interested to read about a "double pressed" Virginia and was curious how it would affect it.

Taste wise, no affect. Still the same grassy, hay notes you'd expect from a straight Virginia. What I would say is that the double pressed does indeed have a smoothness to it, and unlike many Virginias, there was no bite to it at all. So basically I think what you could say is that if you like the flavour of straight Virginias, but have avoided them because of their potential to bite, then you may want to get some of this. It would seem to give you the best of both worlds.

The tobacco comes as a very loose plug and you can literally pull apart with your fingers if you wanted to.

I'd say its flavour is most comparable to Gawith's FVF, so if you're having trouble getting that, you could also look for a tin of this.

This pressed cake is an enjoyable smoke. Flavors are pleasant, sweet, and basically what I would expect from a virginia leaf. Runs a little on the dry side, but it doesn't seem to be a problem. Nicotine level is mild to medium. I would purchase this again.