Robert McConnell Red Virginia

Mmmmh,... I like its aroma, taste and flavour with pleasant room note even too lingering. Opening the tin the moisture level is right but it dry out quickly, i recommend to put it on a jar. This tobacco has a declination more spicy/fruity than grassy, with an undertone linalool note that I appreciate with a glass of Trani Muscat as partner. Recommended

I opened the tin I'm smoking now in 2007, but let it be for the most part until recently. To be honest I didn't really like it at all at first (even if I don't recall it tasting drastically different back then), but I've come to reconsider in the last month or so. It bears resemblance more to an aromatic than a straight VA, so I don't treat it as such. Its topping is on the light side, but still very noticeable. The fruity descriptions (strawberry in particular) are quite accurate to me, and it certainly makes the blend worth while. I can see why people are fond of this blend, but I also see why some are not. I guess you should give this a shot if you're primarily a VA smoker who doesn't shy away from aromatics of the subtler kind now and then.

Tin aroma is good, with wafts of fruit with vanilla overtones and a somewhat pungent (perique'ish) component (I can't say I pick up on the "spice" and roundness I usually attribute to perique while smoking it, though).

I'll miss having the mixture around now that this tin is nearing the end of its life, but I'm still undecided on whether or not to buy it again. It's good, but not outstanding (something I find to be true about most McConnell blends). Perhaps when the next break-in is due...

I just love this stuff, it has a great full VA flavor with hints of strawberries, but this aromatic casing is very natural, fruity and not at all artificial. If you like me, love a natural Virginia with something special going on, then this is one of those blends. I would call this blend a semi-aromatic, and in that genre one of the best in its class. The spiciness is very subtle as is the Perique taste....this description by McC's is quite misleading.

this starts out with a bit of an irritation on the tongue that gives the impression of a tongue bite to follow, this is apparently caused by the casing which seems to burn off within the first quarter of the bowl because this blend caused no tongue bite at all. 2nd quarter this settles down and becomes a very pleasant smoke that gets richer as it progresses, i found the final 1/4 to be the high point of the blend. the burn is clean and complete. one thing that i found with the cut is that the strands seem to be so fine that if packed just the little bit tight they would restrict the draw, i found that a loose pack was much better and allowed for a much more pleasant smoke. i tired the frank method with the blend and found it to work exceptionally well. overall i would say that this well above average for a tobacco with a flavoring.

"a dash of Perique" is absolutely right. I hardly tasted it at all. The only hint of Perique that I got was when I happened to smell it rolling out of the bowl.

Overall to me, this was an average Virginia. It bit if smoked to fast but the taste was just okay. I enjoy Gawith's Full Virginia and Best Brown to this one.

My tin also says "The original RED VIRGINIA pipe tobacco" The smell from the tin is simply delicious, fruity at first but smell deeper and up come chocolate and even roast almonds/hazelnuts. I think this is a top flavour as opposed to a casing. The smoke itself is that of a virginia, light, mild with the barest hint of Perique,I would say about 1-2 %. I am now smoking this with some Perique of my own added, more zest as one would expect. I plan on keeping this in my rotation! Rob.

My sentiments regarding this tobacco were eloquently expressed by reviewer ?pxi106? below and restated here:

?This isn't a tobacco that triggers deep thoughts on the first smoke. You don't think anything the second time you try it, either. As a matter of fact, this isn't a tobacco that will ever jump into your mind. Yet you will notice yourself reaching for it almost every time you go to fill a pipe, almost unconsciously. An insidious tobacco.?

I did notice myself reaching for it more often than my other open VA blends. I wasn?t particularly impressed with it at first but after repeated bowls, it grew on me. This is a nice, pleasant and refreshing VA blend.

A cigarette is to be smoked. A cigar is to be enjoyed. A pipe is to be savored.

I rate this tobacco 9.0 out of 10.

My first McConnell. A fair but not outstanding VA/P blend. The taste is primarily red VA, but I do find that the perique definitely makes itself known by its peppery effects on my tongue, in the room note, and a certain nicotine kick I identify with perique. If there is indeed a topping, it has eluded me outside the tin.

The VA is not very sweet, and I agree with Tantric that the blend has a "wood like character". This gives it something of an 'earthy'tinge, which can be pleasant in terms of complexity, but also makes it a little rougher in flavor. It also makes me wonder how aged is the VA component.

The broken flakes smell delicious, and pack easily. Moisture level is about right. The blend smokes well and evenly after the charring light. The perique is prominent for the first third and then recedes in the latter half, as does the roughness mentioned above, and the VA sweetens just slightly. Overall, the flavor is fairly consistent (monotonous?). There is only a little moisture, and it burns down to a fine ash.

Certainly it is well-blended in terms of balance, but by the same token it simply seems to lack enough distinction to draw me to buy another tin. I'd rather go to Marlin Flakes for a VA, or Esoterica's Dunbar or Dorchester for a VA/P blend.

This is indeed a lovely VA blend, smooth and buttery. My tin was from '92 and it is way better than K&K's version. I could not detect much Périque, and I suspect some Virginia Cavendish has been added.

As usual with Robert McConnell, the leaf is of outstanding quality, and does not hurt your tongue. I could use some more nicotine, but the mildness makes this a good morning smoke for me. Red Virgina has some similarities to Old Gowrie, and is a good quality plain VA.

Goes very well with Earl Grey tea.

Jakob Kiilerich, Denmark