Virginia Pipe Tobaccos

The "Virginia" pipe tobacco classification is where things really get muddy and complicated. Since Virginia tobaccos are used in most all blends, how does one differentiate blends that contain a pinch more of this or that or those that are commonly referred to as "English" even though they're made in the US? Confusing!! And, UK's elimination of its tobacco purity laws seems to further complicate matters. This post by Bob Tate at PipesMagazine.com is an interesting read on the subject.

Based on the research we've done to simplify this classification, we believe Virginia-based blends can be sub-categorized as follows: American (made in the USA), English (made in the EU), Straight Virginia, VA-Bur (Virginia-Burley), VA-Per (Virginia-Perique), and VA-Ori (Virginia-Oriental), where the Virginia is more forward in the composition and the Burley, Perique, or Oriental leaf is secondary.