Tobaccos Benson & Hedges - Special (Mellow) Virginia

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JimInks (3048)	2016-09-11		Mild to Medium	Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

The Virginias have a little grass, wood and earth along with a fair amount of tart citrus, and a light tangy dark fruitiness along with a very slight floralness. They form the base of the blend. The nutty, woody, earthy, lightly molasses sweet burley plays a strong second lead. The woody, mildly smoky, earthy, lightly floral, herbal, dry tasting dark fired Kentucky also sports a small spice note that well complements the other components. The rich caramel and toffee toppings, along with a light vanilla don’t tone the tobaccos down very much, but you’ll notice them in every puff. The strength is a couple of steps past the center of mild to medium, while the taste level barely reaches the medium threshold. The nic-hit is a slot below the strength level. No chance of bite, and has no harsh or dull moments, but fast puffing may get you a very light cigarette hit. Sports a light rough edge here and there. A little moist, it burns slightly less than a moderate pace, cool and clean with a sweet, very consistent flavor from start to finish. Requires an average number of relights. Leaves a dab of moisture in the bowl. The pleasant after taste will linger as does the stronger room note. Not quite an all day smoke, but certainly is a repeatable one.

-JimInks

15 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	StevieB (2081)	2014-12-02		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant

Benson & Hedges - Mellow Virginia.

The smell from this isn't exactly what I was expecting for the price. From a cheaper tobacco the aroma sometimes can often be bland and boring but the smell from this has a deep almost Caramel side to it. The pieces of tobacco are chunky, a lot of them resemble broken flake pieces.

The smoke from Mellow Virginia tastes quite rich. The different tobaccos are mixed together well with the surprising factor being that unlike a lot of cheaper tobaccos that contain Virginia the flavour of Mellow V' isn't a 'Virginia only' one! The Burley cuts through the blend nicely, a warm taste with slightly sugary type of sweetness. It can be inhaled without reprisals unless I take in a huge mouth full of smoke, to be fair though I am more than content to smoke this for only the flavour!

I think the fact that this is so easily available and classed as a dreaded 'Super-Market' brand negates the score for most people but from my point of view (as I found with St Bruno) just because it's an over the counter blend it doesn't change WHAT'S GOOD IS GOOD! Four stars in my humble opinion!!

Pipe Used: Peder Jeppesen IDA Cherrywood

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: My Smoking Shop

15 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	HastingsPiper (9)	2016-05-19		Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild	Very Pleasant

This blend came as a very pleasant surprise to me. The pouch note is mouth watering, with a lovely sweet toffee/ caramel and honey aroma. Very seductive!. The moisture content is spot on and ready to go. The tobacco is wonderful golden leaves with a trace of dark leaves, ribbon cut, and appears to be of fine quality. I couldn't wait to fire this up, and was rewarded, unusually, by the exact same taste as the pouch aroma. Nice, sweet toffee like flavours , nicely balanced with a slight honey topping. This blend is not supposed to have any added toppings but it has, very mildly, and in it's favour, and will not trash your pipe or make you feel sickly. It burns well, but can get a bit hot if over done. Zero tongue bite though. The only negatives I can find is it does tend to go a bit sour near the end of the bowl, which is a shame, no matter how I pack it, and can go a bit strange, taste wise, when left in a baccy jar for a day or two, again becoming a bit sour. Odd. Other than that I recommend this highly as a good OTC tobacco. Well priced too.

Pipe Used: Falcon International.With and without filter.

Age When Smoked: New.

Purchased From: Asda

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Granny Smith (29)	2014-12-28		Mild	Mild to Medium	Medium	Very Pleasant

This is damn decent tobacco. Some people always give bad reviews to tobaccos easily found in supermarkets but they are talking through their rear ends. Out of all the easily available blends this comes third in my list behind St. Bruno and my all time fave, The Mighty Condor. Mellow Virginia is in my rotation because it offers a welcome change of pace for me since I usually smoke the more powerful Lakeland style blends. Mellow Virginia offers a nice caramel taste...rich and smooth and I do like it.

Pipe Used: Peterson Dracula

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: ASDA

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pipestud (1829)	2003-10-16		Mild	Very Mild	Mild	Pleasant

I recently ordered this one from across the pond along with some St. Bruno and Mick McQuaid. It comes in a pouch, is ribbon cut and easy to load and smoke. And while, as the above reviewers indicate, this is a milder type of smoke it is not bland. (Not in the American sense anyway.)

I rather enjoyed the unique taste of this Virginia/Burley mix. Just a hint of some discreet flavoring made the experience even more enjoyable. B&H Mellow Virginia burns cool, does not bite and leaves a rather dry dottle. I certainly shall order another pouch in the future. Perhaps not as elegant as the blue blooded St. Bruno and Mick McQuaid, but still, a dadgum nice batch of weed for this simple country boy.

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	DeathMetal.org (231)	2017-07-19		Mild	Mild to Medium	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This classic mixture -- Virginia, Burley and some dark-fired leaf -- forms a spicy and tangy mixture on its own. The "mellow" in "Mellow Virginia" is that this blend produces a full-bodied smoke bursting with flavor but lowers the tang, despite having topped the rubbed-out flake with what tastes like honey, citrus or apricot, vanilla and a faint floral essence. The Virginia rises on the tongue with a sparkly vinegar-sweetness, but then the Burley and dark fired rise as a counterpoint, picking up the sweet flavor and melding it into the caramelizing Virginias. This creates a toasted nut and grain flavor where the toffee-like top note takes a background. It loads easily with a dump and tamp, burns slowly and is remarkably bite-free, giving a long-lasting bowl of gentle but flavorful smoke. Wish this were available in the states.

Thanks to Pipes Magazine Forum member "mawnansmiff" for this sample.

Similar Blends: Peter Stokkebye - Amsterdam (No.83), Dunhill - Ready Rubbed.

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Manorhill (15)	2017-01-30		Medium	Medium	Medium	Pleasant

UPDATED TO ADD Due to the new tobacco laws in the UK, this tobacco is now sold as "Special Virginia". The product remains the same, they are just not allowed to use a descriptive word in their name anymore! Because of this name change, you may have to wait for the supermarkets to start stocking it again. Bless you Morrisons for being ahead of the competition.

A wonderfully comforting smoke with a rich caramel flavour and aroma. As the ads in the 1980's used to say, it's neither harsh nor mild but cool and satisfying. It's the one I always come back to, especially as my local stores only ever seem to stock St Bruno. I do appreciate the sweetness of Mellow Virginia. True pipe smokers may sniff at it, but it remains my favourite, with its sufficient nicotine hit.

Pipe Used: Mr Brog Tabachos

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Asda, UK

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Wibblefishofdoom (139)	2011-09-15		Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This was one of the first tobaccos I tried, I found it a bit rough and thought it was down to me not packing or smoking it properly. After doing the rounds with a few other tobaccos, I came back to it and gave it another go and wasn't impressed.

The aroma in the packet aroma is reasonably pleasant though nothing special. Lighting and packing is easy too. It's there that the troubles start. Even with filters in the bowl and stem, the flavour is, at best, okay and descends reasonably quickly into that rough bitter taste that cigars often reveal towards the end of their smoke. Without the filters, I get about two good puffs before descending into bitterness. I get not so much tonguebite as tongue three course meal and my lips feel so swollen and numb that they feel like Lesley Ashe after her botched collagen treatment. Also, the gurgling from the bowl suggests that this is a very damp smoke, not a pleasant sound when I'm trying to chill with my pipe.

Okay, so I admit I am still an inexperienced pipe smoker, so might be packing it wrong or suchlike, but considering this is the only tobacco I've not enjoyed thus far and the only one where I've thrown away a half full packet, I see no reason to try this again.

Update: 14/02/2013

Strange that I find that myself reviewing this again. I only bought 25 grams of this recently as it was a week before payday, only a fiver left in my pocket and was in desperate need of some of the naughty leaf. I was in my local shop having just topped up my electricity key and espied this on the shelf. In my hour of need, I took the plunge and thought "What the hell! At least it will give me something other than money to worry about.".

After finally getting home, I thought I'd best tuck in. The packet aroma was as nice as I remember from the first time, it was the best bit of it back then if I rightly remember. A little trepidation crept in as I whacked it in the pipe and lit up. A hint of pleasure and pleasant surprise as tasty wafts of toffee arraigned themselves upon my taste buds and nostrils as I sat back and chilled out. There's also something else there, something akin to a milder Condor Green. The flavour continued throughout most of the smoke only getting a little rough towards the end. There was only the slightest hint of tonguebite at the bottom of the pipe and none of those numb lips either.

Although my original review was right at the time of going to press, I can't help thinking a lack of both experience and a certain physical tolerance to the vagaries of pipe smoking played a part in my lack of enjoyment of this and some other tobaccos. With a bit of hindsight, wisdom and experience I am now in the process of correcting some of these. My correction here then, is that this is a good, solid, earthy smoke, perhaps a little brother of Condor Green. At some point I look forward to getting a full 50g of this so I can enjoy its worthy three star delight.

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Tantric (321)	2005-03-10		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Mild	Pleasant

Mild Virginia is an excellent choice when looking for a cheap, uncomplicated smoke. In spite of its name, it has nothing to do with the bygone excellent Benson & Hedges pipe tobaccos, such as Cut Plug, Sullivan?s Mixture or the wonderful Original Virginia Flake (IMO one of the best tobaccos there ever was).

This is a more commercial product, blended by Rothmans or Odgen?s of Liverpool, and together with St. Bruno, Clan, and Erinmore, it can easily be found in any news stand or Deli, anywhere in England. Ready rubbed, the tobacco is mainly light brown, with some darker strands thrown in, very soft and silky (not syrupy). It is easy to pack, it tends to burn cool, and it has a nice, nutty flavour. The room aroma is quite agreeable (to the point that non smokers would actually praise it) and subtle, dissipating quickly. For more experienced smokers, this tobacco would be a trifle bland, and not at all a memorable smoke. Then again, it is an excellent choice for beginners.

Think of it as an upgraded Gold Block, or the English version of American drug store blends.

(N.B.: for some reason my Tantric ID was obliterated from my review, the first one for this tobacco, so I have posted it again)

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Fusty the pipe (33)	2020-06-16		Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Special Virginia - not the most appealing name to use when rebranding your product; it hardly smacks of deep thought and introspection from the good people at STG but, hey ho.

In it’s old, Benson and Hedges guise, this was the favoured smoke of my best mate at schools, dad. I remember this blend smelling far more appealing in the room or the car than the ‘old codgers’ blends my grandad used to smoke; I remember there being multiple open pouches around their house to sniff at and - on occasion - pinch a bit of.

Lockdown has allowed me more time to read reviews and build up tobacco stocks and this was one of the blends I really wanted to get first, because of the fond memories associated with it but I have to say, I was slightly disappointed.

The pouch in the ‘90’s came with information about different pipe types on the inside of the pouch which I found fascinating as a teenager, in the final days of analogue, before the inter web thing came along. The pouch taught me about meerschaum pipes, clay pipes, Churchwardens and all the rest with the sign off line “whatever your pipe of choice, Mellow Virginia is the perfect tobacco.” Or words to that effect. I note that there is still some pipe related blurb on the pouch but of the three pouches that I have bought so far this year, they are all the same blurb.

Anyway, I’m descending into a fug of nostalgia rather than a fug of pipe smoke.

Some may say it hasn’t changed but to my pallet it certainly seems to be more sour and less fruity on the tongue. It has a tendency towards a flavour of cheap aftershave after the first few pulls which can last longer than required but not throughout the bowl. Some people may call this ‘soapy’ but to me it reminds me of stale aftershave.

I find it to be a fast burner, even if you try to sip at it, which is fine if you are wanting a quick smoke. I’ve had it in Falcons, bulldogs, basket pipes and a cutty, with different bowl shapes and sizes and I always seem to get the same result so at least it’s consistent.

Of tongue bite itself there isn’t much but there is a warm pepper vibe going on somewhere between the half to two thirds of the bowl mark.

There are toppings - caramel certainly and possibly some vanilla which adds to a very pleasant room note - “make peace with your pipe” indeed.

The pleasant smell doesn’t seem to hang in the room for long though, before you get hit by the smell of the virginia’s hanging around, making the place smell of cigarette smoke. This might not bother some people but it can bother me.

It’s easily available from the supermarket and online but most smaller shops seem to have given up stocking tobaccos for the discerning pipe smoker these days - certainly in my part of the world - but then pipe smoking does seem to have been driven underground somewhat these days, like the A-Team.

All in all, it’s part of my rotation but a part I might visit once or twice a week and one that I prefer to smoke outdoors in the garden.

Pipe Used: Multiple

Age When Smoked: New to a few months old

Purchased From: Supermarket

Similar Blends: Nothing else I’ve come across yet..

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2012-04-16		Mild	Mild	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

"A rich blend of pipe tobacco for a mature, satisfying smoke" eh? I wouldn't describe it as rich or mature (whatever THAT means), but it is pipe tobacco and it is comforting, and may even be described as satisfying.

This is a classic British newsagent pouch tobacco. It's less strong than Condor or St Bruno, but the clue was in the title, it's mellow.

Perhaps some here might feel that "Recommended" is too generous as this tobacco is nothing unusual or special. But isn't that exactly the point of this tobacco? For a mellow unassuming pouch tobacco it doesn't put a foot wrong, and just because it's mellow that doesn't make it bland.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Philosopher (27)	2011-07-07		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

This was the first tobacco I smoked in a pipe back in 1983, and I think it is a good one: can't see why so many don't rate it. It's a nice toffee sort of flavour, doesn't bite easily, and is altogether very pleasant.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2007-06-26		Medium to Strong	Medium to Strong	Mild	Pleasant

Thank god for this tobacco. Unlike nearly all of the pipe tobaccos youre going to come across who claim to be 'mild' this one actually is and that is a rare thing indeed. If like me you are quite sensitive to harsh tobaccos then this little beauty could be the answer. A cool clean smoke with a pleasant aroma that does not leave any nasty lasting taste. The sort of thing you can smoke all day and not really notice a after taste. A good, cheap, well burning and reliable brand. Go for it. And I dont work for em either :)

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	John_B (35)	2019-07-18		Medium	Mild	Medium	Very Pleasant

This is a tobacco that I have been meaning to revisit for a very long time. I tried a bowl way back in the 1970s and for some reason I had not gotten round to trying it since. I know that it has had a good many poor reviews, but I like a challenge and wanted to see if it was as I remembered. On opening the pouch, I was greeted with a very familiar aroma of years gone by. Toffee and dark fruit and hints of chocolate reminiscent of old time Confectioners and Tobacconists. In fact it is one of the nicest pouch notes that I have encountered. As it came a little moist, I gave a good half hour of drying time. One false light and one true light and I was in business. The initial flavour was sweet and grassy with a good dose of dried fruit and this intensified somewhat and settled into a classic VaBur by mid bowl with a little dark chocolate from the Kentucky coming into play. The room note carried the toffee fragrance well and for a non aromatic it would be very acceptable to most. There was no hint of tongue bite or any tendency to burn hot. In fact it was a very well behaved smoke and kept its flavour all the way down with a good nic hit to end up. I got nearly an hour smoking pleasure out of a medium sized bulldog bowl. The after taste is great and the beard/moustache note is sublime. I would say in summation that I enjoyed this tobacco very much and would see it becoming part of my rotation. I wouldn't nescessarily recommend it for beginners, but it should please a seasoned Virginia smoker. One to enjoy slowly and it will reward your patience.

Update:-

Half way through the pack and my impressions have only changed for the better. Longer drying time before smoking helps bring out the nuances of the Virginias and it is fuller in flavour and more like a full Virginia. It smokes way better than it has a right to as an OTC blend !

Pipe Used: Falcon

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: Tesco

Similar Blends: MacBaren Navy Flake.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Mawnan Smiff (28)	2016-03-08		Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Pleasant

I was wary of buying this baccy simply because it was a B+H product which brought back bad memories of very bland cigarettes. I needn't have worried though. Upon opening the pouch I sniffed the contents and was pleasantly surprised......vanilla was the prominent aroma for me with just a hint of citrus fruit.

Packing was a doddle as it is more of a ribbon cut than a ready rubbed though it was a tad overly moist for my liking which seems the way with most baccys I have bought.

Fired it up and tugged away until I got a decent burn in the bowl. The vanilla I smelled in the pouch was still there and mid bowl a nutty/woody taste became very apparent which was very pleasant.

A couple of relights were required to keep the party going though I have since aired it for an hour or so and subsequent bowls have rarely needed a relight.

An altogether very smokable blend that I will certainly be coming back to.

Pipe Used: Peterson Kapet bulldog.

Age When Smoked: Fresh.

Purchased From: Asda (Penryn).

Similar Blends: St. Bruno but a tad more mild..

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Daddycool (1)	2015-11-11		Medium to Strong	Mild to Medium	Medium to Full	Pleasant

This was my first OTC tobacco I've bought since smoking pipes, I wasn't too keen at first. As a new pipe smoker who usually goes for flavoured tobacco, I thought this would be a bit too harsh for me. I was right..! I got the dreaded tongue bite and a harsh taste in my mouth. I usually smoke hard and fast on my walk to work. After nearly giving up on mellow Virginia I thought I needed a new approach to smoking it. I decided to take long draws at a slower rate, and hey presto...I could taste the sweet nutty flavour without tongue bite and it tasting harsh. Now I really like it, especially the sweetness of the tobacco. One other thing I found though is it doesn't smoke/light too well outside. Maybe that's something else I need to practice on. But it's the perfect inside smoke at a decent price. It is something I would buy again..!

Pipe Used: Dr Plumb Dinky

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Brighouse newsagents

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Causeway (8)	2015-06-26		Medium	Medium to Strong	Medium	Very Pleasant

Mellow Virginia is something of a guilty pleasure - you know you shouldn't like it; you know there's not much to like about it - but for whatever reason it can hit the spot at unexpected moments. And as those unexpected moments are part of the intrinsic pleasure of pipe-smoking, so Mellow Virginia earns a place in your heart.

As noted by another reviewer, Mellow Virginia appears to be a rather inferior leaf which is brought to life by its casing. This is a deep caramel and toffee flavour which can last for a whole bowl depending on how it is smoked. In my opinion Mellow Virginia is best smoked with pipe clamped in mouth and with rapid initial draws to get the smoke started. Once it's well-lit in this manner, it seems to relax into a sometimes dark and inky boiled sweet, giving out plenty of flavour and smoke. Sometimes it tastes of caramel crossed with pencil lead; other times like a bitter resin. It can be a good smoke and a bad smoke, but you can never guess which in advance. The nicotine hit is variable and seems to depend heavily on how it is smoked.

Mellow Virgina is widely available in supermarkets and newsagents in the UK - it's a well-known and recognised OTC brand, and it's easy to see why it has become something of a staple - it rewards the long term smoker by catching one unawares at times. You can't predict when these moments will be, only anticipate them, crave them almost. But the same is true of the reverse - it can give many a bad smoke if you don't get the lighting and initial draws just right.

Recommended, if you can persist with it long enough to find a way of making it work for you. Despite the casing there is some complexity here.

Edited to add: This tobacco is usually fairly moist in the pouch - dried out its taste reminds me of Orlik's Golden Sliced. I've also noticed that the taste is affected by the way it's cut and packed - if you get a pouch in which the tobacco is crumbly it is generally a better smoke. Sometime it comes stringy, which requires a bit more work.

Pipe Used: Peterson's Shamrock

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	DrT999 (318)	2015-04-24		Mild	Mild	Mild	Very Pleasant

Not a blend I normally would have sought out -- I admit, all the old commercials on youtube from the 60s-80s made me curious. 30 years ago, I would have likely loved this mild and yes mellow blend: a hint of caramel over the mild and perhaps somewhat basic tobacco blend but not overly sweet, and no bite. If I could still be an inside smoker, I might want to have some of something this pleasant smelling around, even if the tobacco portion of the flavor is far too mild for my current tastes.

Pipe Used: various briars

Age When Smoked: 1 month

Purchased From: James Fox

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Kentishman (7)	2014-07-16		Mild to Medium	Medium	Mild	Pleasant

Oh dear. Living where I do without a decent local tobacconist I have had to resort to newsagent or supermarket tobacco on occasion. And this was one of those times. At the tesco metro it was this or st Bruno so I thought give it a go. Really sweet and gloopy virginia and little else. I learnt a lesson I should have learnt much earlier. Make sure you have some pipe tobacco a home and don't run out. All British supermarket options are xxxx. And the price difference to your favourite smoke is minimal. Not just a review for this tobacco. Avoid everything from a supermarket or newsagent.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2013-03-05		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Pleasant

I had overlooked this tobacco because of the many negative reviews on this site. Then I was in the tobacconist and a man before me bought a pouch, so spur of the moment I got one too.I found it a very pleasant, nicely burning, easy going and tasty tobacco. An all day smoke.Will be in my rotation.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	DrDyson (148)	2009-11-09		Mild	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

This is a mild Virginia, roughly rubbed out, with what I'm inclined to call a trite, unsubtle vanilla/caramel/malty topping. It used to be available as a flake, but I don't think this is still true (in the UK, at least). It's an easily-available supermarket/drugstore brand, mild, with not too much vitamin N, and quite a pleasant room note.

Several people that I've known over the years have adopted MV as an all-day smoke. It's certainly unassertive, and it won't weary you in the way that more robust and demanding tobaccos can. Like several other reviewers, I've noticed that MV tends to deteriorate in quality as you go down the bowl. DGT fails to deliver its customary reward, too: re-lit, MV comes across as hot, tasteless and ashy. Personally, I don't care much for the vanilla-type flavour, and the product as a whole leaves me with the impression of something a bit cheap and third-rate. My suspicion is that the topping is there to gussie up a somewhat low-grade leaf.

Let me try to rank MV in relation to other UK supermarket tobaccos, though. On the one hand, if it's a choice between MV and St Bruno or Three Nuns or Player's Whiskey, don't go for MV. On the other hand, MV is far, far superior to either of the Craven abominations; it has more character and body than the contemporary version of Gold Block; it smokes better than Clan (cooler, and without the mannerisms of flavour and room note); and it's nothing like as strong as the Condors. I don't notice that MV bites worse than most other Virginias will, either. The secret is not to rush, and not to smoke it when it's too dry.

As supermarket brands go, MV is all right, even if no more than all right. Availability is its strongest point. I'd give it two and a half stars if I could. Somewhat recommended: if you're stuck, it's a decent stopgap; MV is by no means a tobacco of distinction, but it's not bad for what it is.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2004-03-04		Mild	Very Mild	Very Mild	Pleasant

Mild Virginia is an excellent choice when looking for a cheap, uncomplicated smoke. In spite of its name, it has nothing to do with the bygone excellent Benson & Hedges pipe tobaccos, such as Cut Plug, Sullivan?s Mixture or the wonderful Original Virginia Flake (IMO one of the best tobaccos there ever was).

This is a more commercial product, blended by Rothmans or Odgen?s of Liverpool, and together with St. Bruno, Clan, and Erinmore, it can easily be found in any news stand or Deli, anywhere in England. Ready rubbed, the tobacco is mainly light brown, with some darker strands thrown in, very soft and silky (not syrupy). It is easy to pack, it tends to burn cool, and it has a nice, nutty flavour. The room aroma is quite agreeable (to the point that non smokers would actually praise it) and subtle, dissipating quickly. For more experienced smokers, this tobacco would be a trifle bland, and not at all a memorable smoke. Then again, it is an excellent choice for beginners.

Think of it as an upgraded Gold Block, or the English version of American drug store blends.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	thesmoggypipester (77)	2022-04-18		Medium to Strong	Medium	Medium to Full	Pleasant

One of the British over the counter classics that is much superior to other readily available over the counter tobaccos available in Britain. Mellow Virginia (as it used to be known) will always have a special place for me as it was what got me back onto pipe smoking many years ago. It is the same today as it was when I first tried it. Virginia, burley and an addition of kentucky with a stewed fruit, slightly spiced caramelised topping. Packing is easy enough as the small course chunks just find their place in the pipe, lighting takes a little effort but as the moisture is optimal its not too tiring. Then its straight enjoyment from top to bottom. The pouch note does come through but never strongly which allows the constituent taboos to play their flavour notes. Strength is a good kick but should be OK for even the novices. Room note is very nice even the wife doesn't turn her nose up too much.

All in all a very nice smoke, and as I'm sat in my garden with this in my falcon and a can of mcewans export im reminded that all is well in the pipe smoking.

Pipe Used: Falcon

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: The black Swan shoppe

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2020-08-28		Mild to Medium	Mild	Medium	Pleasant

I hated this when I first tried it years ago... because I didn't have a clue what I was doing. Now I'm older... have a pipe with a filter...know how to actually smoke a pipe...it's lovely.its called special Virginia now. It's got a slight vanilla extract thing going on. There's some great smashed up flakes in there. Can get a tad sour in the bottom. But it's the best OTC I think.good smoke

Pipe Used: Nording 1995 Neumarkt special

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Tesco

Similar Blends: Unflavoured at Bruno.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Greekpipesmoker (201)	2018-09-07		Medium	Mild	Medium	Tolerable to Strong

After having a small abstention from new blends i noticed this one from the famous cigarette blender.i said why not?once the seal brakes a nice and almost natural flavour of caramel and vanilla comes out.a deeper smell reveals lots of sour notes and nuts.the blend is moist but no drying time is needed.packs well and some pieces left from the broken flakes are not a problem with lighting though several relights are needed.while smoking the flavours combine almost well each other with the toppings wich do not take down the tobacco flavours.the virginias are grassy,earthy with some florall notes.burleys are nutty,with some molasses and woodsy notes.kentucky burleys are strong being sour and sharp that can be confused with tongue bite wich is a little present if puffed fast.the toppings are in the backround making the experience better but not good because they don't feel always natural.burns slow and medium hot to ash mixed with unburned parts of tobacco and some moisture created at the filter.the nicotine level is medium and as i mentioned some tongue bite exists if puffed fast.the room note is heavy and the aftertaste sour.not an all day smoke.generally this is not a star but considering it's price it's worthy trying.

Age When Smoked: Fresh

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	renwardhoop (177)	2017-06-29		Mild	Extremely Mild	Mild	Unnoticeable

It's weird, this stuff has been around for years and I've never got around to trying it. Well not properly anyway.

Put off by the fact that it is OTC I've been avoiding it. I was expecting it to be foul in some way, like a Borkam Riff or Condor blend.

It's isn't. It actually a good virginia, with no bite, no overwhelming flavours, just the taste of a mild virginia tobacco. Usually with these 'plain' blends they are totally tasteless, but in this case it is oddly satisfying every time I pick up the jar.

It's a staple and solid blend, yes, generic, but a great filler between aromatics or stronger English blends, of which I enjoy both.

The pouch aroma is again, surprisingly pleasant and takes me back to the 70's. the leaves themselves seem to be coarser than I remember from the last time I tried this, whether by design or due to the fact that the blasted spoilsport Government has decided that pipe tobacco has to be treated like cigarettes, if you follow me. Either way, the coarser cut makes loading easy and some of the strands, as someone noted earlier, resemble a broken flake, not unlike SG's wonderful Golden Glow.

There is no nasty aftertaste, and relights are few. there doesn't appear to be a room note.

the best thing about this tobacco is that it is actually available from supermarkets and even some corner shops (shows my age). I'll make sure I have this in stock as it's perfect when you just don't know what you want, won't foul your best briars and is perfect straight out of the pouch (although I chose to decant it into a jar).

A damned good blend and one of the best OTC's available.

Pipe Used: All of them

Age When Smoked: coupla month

Purchased From: Local supermarket

Similar Blends: Gold Block, capstan RR.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2011-10-05		Medium to Strong	Mild to Medium	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

The more I smoke this, the more it grows on me. I find it burns better with some drying, after which you can pretty much take it down to the so-called "fine white ash". The flavour seems just fine to me all the way to the bottom. There's a peppery effect mid-bowl, which can be mistaken for bite, but isn't. Otherwise, it appears so mild and well-mannered, you can easily be caught by the sting in the tail! Am I the only one to find this tobacco deceptively strong?

One benefit of using a Falcon pipe is that inspection of the condensate is made easy. Dried MV produces no more than an average amount of moisture. For a tobacco that produces a prodigious amount, try Haunted Bookshop. If anything will set your cheap briar a-gurgling, that one will!

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2011-06-03		Mild	Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

i like this when i take my dog about 5/30 i have a smoke listen to the birds this is one of them tobaccos that is nice to start the morning off then i like my condor

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2010-12-07		Mild	Medium	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

After a trip to the UK I noticed that if a newsagent only stocks one pipe tobacco, it will be this one, so I thought I'd try it out.

I must say that in my opinion it is nowhere near as bad as some say; I actually find it a pleasant mild smoke with a proper 'Grandad' room note that reminds me of going to watch Bradford City at Valley Parade when I was young, and sitting behind a pipe smoker. Slightly vanilla scent in the packet, not much in the smoke, which is fine by me. I doubt I'll buy it again since I have to get all my tobaccos by mail normally and I prefer tins, but I'll finish the packet happily. Three stars!

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2009-05-06		Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

Interesting reviews below: this is available to me on every street corner, which is why I avoid it like the plague, especially when there is much more to offer in London.

Benson & Hedges of Bond Street were once a force to be reconed with in pipe tobaccos and for a number of years I enjoyed smoking both their Cut Plug and Virginia Flake. As a note of interest, Orlik still blend a virginia flake under the B & H brand

Sadly, MV is now delivered by Gallaher and it's not as it was when first launched B & H; it's harsh, insipid and unpalatable.

No recommendation here - It would need to be the last in existance, before I could contemplate the thought of a purchase.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2002-08-07		Mild	Mild	Very Mild	Tolerable

One of the most readily available 'ready-rubs' here in the UK. I would echo Tantric's review above, to the letter. For the novice its a reassuring blend, which adds confidence by lighting (and more importantly staying lit!) easily and offering no hint of harshness or the dreaded tongue-bite. But as your tastes develop I'm sure like me you will find this bland and uninspiring. Still if you're on the road and miles from your favourite pipe shop it's better than total abstinence.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Ford Prefect (9)	2020-12-25		Mild	Very Mild	Very Mild	Tolerable

I hated it at first, weird sour smell on pouch opening and unpleasant taste with excessive moisture, even though I generally use absorbing filters! It ended up in a jar being mixed with some Amphora Full Aroma and St. Bruno RR. After a couple of weeks in search for clear-your-palate smoke I grabbed some of it and to my surprise enjoyed a bowl very much. In my view, it's a rather boring smoke but may provide fairly neutral and versatile mixing ingredient.

Pipe Used: Various with balsa and meerschaum filters

Age When Smoked: Fresh from the pouch

Purchased From: Supermarket

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Noodle (6)	2014-06-20		Extremely Mild	Extremely Mild	Extremely Mild (Flat)	Unnoticeable

I bought this as I wanted to try a few of the easily found brands and the tesco just a mile away has it. First off I can't rate room notes as I'm an outdoor smoker and have no sense of smell. Moving on inhaling over the tobacco gives a faint creamy vanilla 'taste' and that is the highlight. It smokes like there is very little there and I ended up throwing it into rolling tobacco every now and then which once it's dry and crumbled a bit it works fairly well. In pipes though no it's not great it's bland insipid stuff. Buy if it's all they have but don't go looking for it

Pipe Used: Pre republic Pete system, mm Great Dane spool

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Tesco

Similar Blends: Fresh air.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Maccas (6)	2013-02-09		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

Not for me - tasted of cheap cigarettes, I have watered this down with a cherry cavendish to get through it. Would not buy this again.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	garydobbs (20)	2012-04-03		Mild to Medium	Mild	Medium	Pleasant

I picked this up because I was stuck away from home and it was the only variety of tobacco I could find. I wasn't expecting to enjoy it because I've read so many indifferent reviews, but I found this a pleasant and quite enjoyable smoke. In the pouch it smells of apples and did have a fruity taste when smoked, though the taste didn't last down to the bottom of the bowl. At first I experienced some tongue bite but found this was less of a problem after a few bowls. It's one to be smoked gently rather than quickly and when the smoke is allowed to travel around the mouth the taste is rather special. It's not the best of the easily available brands but it's certainly not as bad as some are claiming.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2011-05-09		Mild	Mild	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

I agree with others who have noted the peculiar Jekyll & Hyde way in which this one starts out as a rather nice mild smoke but then becomes quite nasty. It is the only pipe tobacco sold by my local newsagent; and it is a pity that a blend that is quite widely available is not better quality. Good enough for an emergency, I suppose, but I would recommend only ever smoking half-way through the bowl.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2010-10-27		Mild	Mild to Medium	Mild	Pleasant

This tobacco reminds me of chewing gum. It starts off with a pleasant flavour then soon becomes bland and insipid. This is a blend and not as the name indicates a Virginia tobacco. There is Virginia in it but there is also other stuff too.

Once the lovely sticky toffee flavour has worn off you are left with a very mediocre tobacco. There is none of the blending skill you find in quality blended tobacco. I think part of the reason for this is that they have used very average tobaccos to go in the blend. This is not the worst tobacco I've tried but is sure is not the best by a long way. The good thing about Mellow Virginia is that it's cheap and readily available. If I was to buy a supermarket tobacco I'd buy something else. If the topping lasted the whole bowl I'd give it more points but it doesn't so I wont. All in all a disapointing smoke, not recommended, there are far better tobaccos out there.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2010-10-12		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

Pack smell: Old fashioned toffee note

Flavour & Taste: a bit like sticky toffee pudding with a slight 'soapiness' - not in league with Condor original though (wich made me feel sick). Needs to be smoked gently to taste the flavour and not get that harsh bitterness of ash lower down in bowl.

Room smell: sweet toffee aroma (possibly a bit sickly), not the richer molasses & peaty smell of St Bruno.

Had some St bruno left but not enough for a full bowl, so mixed some Mellow Virginia with it. It was quite pleasant. Fuller flavour, not as sweet & sickly as MV alone.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2010-05-26		Mild	Mild	Mild	Tolerable

Not on my Desert Island list, sickly overwhelmingly sweet aroma from the pouch. Tastes very mild, but tolerable for perhaps the first ten minutes. However, tends to make pipes go wet, and after the first ten minuted the tobacco itself turns sour.

Not good....

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2010-05-12		Very Mild	None Detected	Extremely Mild (Flat)	Tolerable

An easily available leaf but thats about its only strength. Its room note is very sweet and almost sickly especially to others in the room. It needs to be re-lit often and with 1/2 to 1/3 of a bowl left it taste dreadfully ashy. My recommendation is hold out and buy a better quality tabacco.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pipemanuk (76)	2009-12-15		Very Mild	Very Mild	Mild	Pleasant

Like a good few others I too smoked quite a bit of this about 10 to 15 years ago. I must admit that whenever I smoked Condor or St Bruno, I got given a load of grief from SWMBO...so taking the route of least resistance, I usually ended up with this.

As I remember it though, it wasn't half bad actually and like another reviewer I wonder if the recipe has been changed or the standard of tobacco diminished. For one thing the flavour seemed to last to the end of the bowl...which it doesn't appear to do today. Smoked gently, it starts off well enough and lasts maybe to the last third of the bowl and then goes a bit sour and ashey. I'm quite sure that it's the topping not lasting, and once it has gone, the cheap tobacco reveals itself.

Shame really: if Imperial/Gallaghers/Whoever took a bit of pride in what they produced and not just set out to make the cheapest crap that they can get away with, with the punters; this tobacco could become a nice little number again.

As it is, it's just about tolerable...well no...it's tolerable...but could be a lot better.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	DEN-C1956 (35)	2009-12-12		Very Mild	Extremely Mild	Extremely Mild (Flat)	Unnoticeable

i was very disappointed with this pipe tobacco but to be fair i did buy a few packets of it, but there was no kick to it,no room note to shout about,i was glad when i finished the packs and moved on.never again will i buy this tobacco. update....the fool that i am i bought a pouch of this stuff again after a very long layoff,i said i would never buy this tobacco again..well i let my guard down and i bought some...let me say that mellow virgina has changed.....i will repeat that..mellow virgina has changed....but not for the better..in fact is worse..a lot worse than it ever was,its more bland than i care to remember it as it was years ago..please dear reader...leave this alone..i hate the stuff.and i mean it this time...never will i buy it again.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2009-06-15		Extremely Mild	Mild	Very Mild	Pleasant

Perhaps its because I'm a novice and I've only just started smoking a pipe and this is my first tobacco..but I find this tobacco pretty disappointing. The pouch aroma is pleasant although I am sure it smells vaguely chemical to me, the sort of smell a cheap cigarette gives off. Upon lightning a bowl it is very mild and uncomplicated and can be quite pleasant to smoke requiring little attention to keeping it lit etc. But then in the last half of the bowl this all seems to change..no matter how I smoke this it just seems to give me horrible tongue bite, burn the roof of my mouth and leave my throat feeling jagged. A disappointment because like I said, the first half is very nice to smoke. I have smoked about half the pouch and on 2 occasions dumped the bowl and wasted product because the mouth burn was just THAT bad. I wouldn't recommend.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pseudo Nim (129)	2008-07-17		Mild to Medium	Medium	Medium to Full	Tolerable

Blend did they say ? but with what I ask ? all I get is gob fulls of soap a burnt tongue and pallate, it doesn't smell bad in the pouche (where it should be left) lights easy and burns well, the tobacco, your tongue roof of mouth and tonsils if you have them, if this is B+H's attempt at an English lakeland soap then they would have done better to leave out the kerosene topping. This is an easily available offering in England and there are those who do like it, I for one many years ago, oh how times change. Count me not amongst their ranks today. I just can't beleive this is recommended for new pipe smokers, it must be some sort of test.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Dubinthedam (133)	2008-05-08		Medium	Strong	Full	Strong

This is my second EDIT and I up it to 4 STARS. This is by far the best packet/pouch baccy I have ever smoked, I can only buy it back in Dublin at ?6.50 for 25grms....I shall be stocking up regardless of price next time when I'm back in the fair old city. This is a Lakeland perfume blend, this will ghost a pipe worse that the sweetest vanilla aromatic you've ever smoked. I still give it four stars, why? Well I like a wee bit of English soap, but for me the definitive English soapy VA is Irish Flake by Peterson's of Dublin, ironic or what! A wee pinch of this into Irish flake - I have yet to try, but it just might be one of the most amazing smokes I've ever had. Mild on nicotine, max on lakeland perfume, little tongue bite...and I just wish the Dutch could appreciate a good English soapy...but alas no, that would require them to think outside the box..and that is never possible. I have a source for St. Bruno in Naarden...another famous standard English lakeland....I will buy a few tins of that one too.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2008-03-23		Mild	Strong	Mild	Tolerable

"A rich blend of pipe tobacco for a mature, satisfying smoke" ? DO NOT MAKE ME LAUGH! This is horrible stuff. I used to smoke MV a long time ago and either its got really really bad or I was a complete pillock then. I smoked two half-bowls of this and threw the rest away. It tastes of perfume, has no nicotine and the texture of the "tobacco" itself is wierd and unsettling. Stay away from it. (the only supermarket blend I've tried that I rate is St Bruno, which seems honest and of real quality. It's just a shame I don't like Cavendish)

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2008-02-13		Medium	Mild	Medium	Pleasant

Easily available as a newsagent/supermarket/corner store product in the UK. Branded Benson & Hedges (a cigarette brand) and made by Gallagher I think.

For a 'high street' tobacco I find it OK. Pouch presentation is a coarse ready rubbed with a distinct caramel topping. First light is easy and I get a biscuity flavour over the tobacco. The tobacco itself does make itself known though - medium nicotine and some earthy Virginia flavours. Overall though, I am left with a slightly coarse, cheap impression. I suspect this isn't really high quality stuff. Popular with my (non-smoking) other half though.

For me, this is fine in small doses, but could not be a regular all-day smoke.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pipepundit (168)	2007-11-27		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Not at all bad! Mellow Virginia is rather a decent tobacco, to my palate at least bearing some resemblance to Stokkebye virginias, with a biscuit like taste. The nicotine content is satisfactory, the room note quite pleasant and light and the flavour simple without being boring. It is a trifle heavy on the stomach, otherwise it would make an excellent first smoke of the day. It would be a mistake to write it off as being negligible. Well worth a try.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2007-02-14		Medium	Mild	Mild	Tolerable

I was looking for a mild, readily available, virginia to break in a new pipe I recently bought. Read the reviews on this and thought it might fit the bill. Wrong.

Smoked in the new pipe it was tolerable at best. Initial taste a bit like Dunhill EMP I thought but that was where the similarity ended. The rest of the bowl was unpleasant - smoked hot and harsh IMO. In order to not discount the tobacco completely I smoked two or three bowls in my regular virginia pipe and amazingly it tasted worse than in the new pipe!

To add insult to injury the wife thought I had been smoking fags again such is the aroma this tobacco gives off - that'll be the B&H touch no doubt!

Not recommended, try St Bruno or Three Nuns if you're wanting a smooth readily available UK virginia.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2003-10-12		Medium	Very Mild	Very Mild	Pleasant

A rich and (surprise, surprise) mellow VA blend, thinly cut could possibly be hand-rolled. No surprise since here in GB B&H are most famed for their cigarettes anyway. I found a tendency to burn hot - but I'm used to cooler Cavendish blends, so probably puffed too hard! Sweet and very nice room note - that pipe smell, very traditional. Obvious choice for regular student smoke here in GB due to low price and extremely good availability...

Packs and lights with the ease normally associated with ciggies or cigars. Could become a staple in my tobacco diet due to above reasons.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Saint Nic (2)	2021-10-17		Medium	Medium	Medium	Pleasant

A good, user-friendly smoke from the supermarket. I go along with the consensus that this is surprisingly satisfactory, and is probably underestimated for being an OTC. I would only add that I call it a medium for strength. The Nic somehow creeps up on you, as Toking Tommy has said, even if you puff at a moderate pace.

The pouch I bought in England in late 2021 appears to be more of a coarse ribbon than the well-broken flake I've read about. Maybe they have changed it.

Pipe Used: old Hardcastle light bria

Age When Smoked: new

Purchased From: Asda

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2012-08-25		Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

As somebody who is relatively new to pipe smoking,i am about to write my first review.This was one of my very first tobaccos and it would be fair to say it did not leave any great impression on me.The pouch is very interesting as they always come with a picture and information on various pipes,shapes,country of origin etc, but for me thats about as interesting as it gets.The smell from the pouch is quite sweet...almost like a mixture of jam and some not so pleasant chemical of sorts, something akin to the smell of some hair dye that you will get from the bathroom when the fairer sex are sprucing themselves up for a night out.It loads very easy and stays alight quite well.The quality of the tobaccos is fine and it does have a not so bad mild aromatic aroma to it. I could never say though that i would be likely to buy again,it is what it is.A middle of the road tobacco,that will do the job,but for me...not one i will stock up on...in saying that i did think it allright..worth a try.

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2010-10-19		Mild	Mild	Mild	Pleasant

You know Mellow Virginia actually starts off pretty well. In fact the first quarter of the bowel is an extremely affable affair. The tobacco is of the rough cut variety. It handles well and lights easily enough. With the first few puffs you discover a sweet almost vanilla like flavour. There's a wonderful mildness about the tobacco and as you progress towards the high water mark of the smoke you begin to seriously consider this as your new all day companion.

It's the moment you pass the quarter mark that problems start and boy do they start with the rapidity of a peeved off tornado. Suddenly the delightfully sugary flavour evaporates and is replaced a bitterness which is stomach retching in its intensity. This lasts for the reminder of the bowel and gets its worst. Yes it is actually possible to go beyond gut retching. I suspect this foulness is because as this point in the smoke the casing is used up and the cheapness of the tobacco reveals itself. Nasty, nasty stuff.

All in all the last three quarters of bowel was without doubt the most horrendous smoke of my life. Even though this tobacco is readily available in most supermarkets in the UK and Ireland, my advice is to avoid unless your tongue delights in having a trowel load of hot ash plastered over it. I'll very reluctantly give this blend two stars but only because enjoyable start.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2010-05-06		Mild	Mild	Mild	Pleasant

I found this one to be very similar to St. Bruno in texture if a little lighter.

Once lit I get some very sutble flavours of caramel which makes for a very pleasant smoke. As has been said, the further down the bowl this gets it starts to turn bitter and ends up being nasty.

It is a real shame because it starts so well.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2008-01-31		Mild to Medium	Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I picked up my 25g pouch of Mellow Virginia at a local supermarket. As noted by other reviewers, it is indeed a commercial offering, which explains why it is stocked in most supermarkets here in the UK. As an aside, it is produced by Gallaher, who also make copious amounts of cigarettes and hand-rolling tobacco.

Anyway,

Appearance: a well-rubbed out brown-gold tobacco, with a few small 'chunks' of flake.

Pouch Aroma: rich, caramel-like, fruity and sweet. It is not unlike Amber Leaf hand-rolling tobacco, however, that Gallaher offering is much more acrid and acidic in aroma.

Packing and lighting: it is easily packed, lights easily and, moreover, stays lit reasonably well.

First half of the bowl: a mild-medium strength with a flavour of caramel and stewed fruits. Delicious!

Second half of the bowl: oh, what a change! The tobacco becomes stale and bland, not unlike over-chewed chewing gum: you still get hints of sweetness, but the overall flavour is close to zero. It remains mild-medium in strength and I wonder if the staleness is due to the burn-off of the delighful flavouring, leaving an insipid base tobacco. It leaves some dry dottle.

To sum up: cheap-ish, widely available and pleasant enough for a commercial product (cf. Gold Block). I just wish the flavour would last.

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2007-12-16		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

For an easily obtainable tobacco (in U.K.) this is quite good. Mild to Medium strength with a pleasant room note. Seems a bit 'sweetish' at first. With present litigation who is going to notice the aroma anyway, apart from your nearest and dearest!

Tried it in briars, cherrywood and corn cob, and good in all of them. Cheap enough to experiment with and recommended.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2005-03-10		Medium	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I used to smoke this regularly in my youth. It has changed and is not the same as it was 24 years ago. It used to have a lovely caramely taste and very sweet aroma. I find it quite harsh now and gives a hot smoke.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2004-09-30		Mild	Mild	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

This was my first tobacco, being extremely popular with the pipe-smoking fraternity in the UK. The smoke is clean, uncomplicated but not drab, a little bit of tongue bite with it.

Anyone starting out, this is a cheap good all-rounder.

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