Fribourg & Treyer Cut Virginia Plug

A very good sliced plug, not as strong and rich as F&T's Cut Blended Plug, but very good all the same.

A very well behaved tobacco, easy to rub out and easy to light, burns down to a nice grey ash with no waste. Unfortunately no longer available in England and has to be procured from overseas. Therefore I tend to smoke it sparingly as a treat.

This is only the second F&T blend I have tried, after Negrohead (Blackjack), which I loved. The first bowl did not impress me. It seemed to burn unevenly and smoke airily. I tried a different pipe the next time, and it was much better. Now, as I type this review, I am smoking it fully rubbed out in a small-bowled churchwarden, and am finally becoming aware of this Virginia's merits. The size and color of the flake is like OGS, but the taste is fuller, the flavors more complex. Even though my tin is young, and just opened, I am getting different notes from different smoking rates, a good sign. I think this flake will continue to develop with age. I also have found the results for me are best in this little churchwarden, as it seems to concentrate the "bouquet." Speaking of bouquet, this one is good in (and out of) the nose! Flavor? A solid Virginia flavor. Nothing exotic. Perhaps in ten years...

First of all thank to Clarkus who has kindly gifted me this excellent tobacco. CVP is an elegant and smooth Virginia with sweet and subtle grassy-nutty notes, light in nicotine and enjoyable all the day. With CVP the keyword is delicacy: If you need the full flavor and strength avoid this one, conversely, if you can appreciate a caressing smoke CVP is for you.

A robust tobacco aroma in the tin. The flakes are precisely formed, uniform and thin with a tweedy, variegated color. Not too moist, and easily rubbed out. Once lit it was a steady long burn. Impressive. A tad oily at first, a plus. Hearty, not as sweet as FVF. Not at all sugary, but more of a tamarind subdued sweetness. Woody, dry smoldering burn. Natural and pure tobacco. Should perform nicely when folded. I gravitate toward big, bold flavors, peaty scotch, well-hopped ales, Lakeland flavors, but this straight VA hits the spot for me.

07/27/09 UPDATE: I am revising some of my reviews. I have given out more 4 star ratings than anything else. That practice is probably not helping. So, I am reducing CVP to 3 stars, not because I like it less than I did before, but because I am limiting 4 stars to fewer than 25% of all my reviews. One day I may use the 4 star rating to designate my top five.

This blend made me a confirmed pipe smoker. After abandoning aromatics in search of more flavor, I tried several underwhelming blends and I was beginning to despair and wonder if pipe smoking was for me at all. I thought I would try one more time with a straight Virginia. After reading the positive reviews of it here, and the fact that I was fascinated by flakes and the classy-looking tin, I decided to give Cut Virginia Plug a try.

This was the first tin I'd ever finished except for the four or five bowls I gave to a veteran pipe smoker who loved it. It never bit me and only got hot if I deliberately huffed. You can fold, spindle, or mutilate the flakes or even cram them in like a miniball in a muzzle-loader and still get a decent smoke. I think my most favored packing technique was to roll a section of flake lengthwise, stuff it in and then thoroughly rub out some more and put it on top as kindling.

After thoroughly enjoying its sister blend, Blackjack, I wanted to give this blend a try. I may never go back to Blackjack.

This is a simply great blend. I love the packaging and flake presentation. Simple, handy, and beautiful. I took about half a flake and rubbed it out to a broken flake consistency and loaded up my pipe. This blend has a great flavor. It is a nice sweet-wood virginia flavor with the occasional fruit and pepper accents. It flavor is clean and refeshing, leaving a delightful finish on the palate. The aroma is a neutral, tobacco aroma. Unoffensive, but may not be appreciated by all. A treasure to try for any Virginia smoker. Get it before I start stockpiling it!

This excellent Virginia is a solid favorite... not complex yet a very rich and satisfying smoke. I won't belabor the points already made by previous reviewers as many are right on target.

I do think that this cut plug can serve as an all day, anytime of the day smoke and will smoke well in almost any type and size pipe. I think for me this is one of those few tobaccos that is simply... versatile.

I've smoked this in too many pipes to mention how many and what size and type. Great for the beginning Virginia smoker and for the experienced smoker.

Highly Recommended!

Regards, Peter .........a pipe is to be savored.

Absolutely superb--sometimes. In a good pipe, smoked slowly, this tobacco is as good as it gets--sometimes.

At the beginning, sometimes, it is mild and fruity, like a nice Chablis. Other times, it is such a slow starter, so light and subtle--and tasteless--that it will make you crazy.

Later on, almost always, it's sweet, tangy, and loaded with flavor--like eating BBQ shrimp at the Jazz Kitchen in Austin, Texas. Smooth, cool, and delicious. But sometimes not. Sometimes it's just a sort of dull medium Virginia of no particular distinction.

In short, this is generally a charming smoke. Occasionally, it can blow your doors off. I've smoked a full tin in a wide variety of pipes--clays, meerschaums, briars of various sizes--and I've experimented a great deal with rubbing it out, and I still haven't found exactly what it is that makes this tobacco work so well when it does. Like a beautiful woman, it has its mysteries.

CVP is a dense tobacco, and it burns slowly for a LONG time. I have gone to smaller bowls when I smoke this blend, simply to avoid smoking the same tobacco for two to three hours.

Outstanding taste, texture and aroma. Beautiful flakes cut to perfection. I could smoke this anytime, anywhere. Definitely one of my top five Virginias. Too bad it costs a little more than most, or I would have this stocked for the ages.