Having gone through all of the leaf I bought from WLT, I decided maybe I should do the same with my own. I have a large tub of flue-cured leaf, and a bag of very, very dry Samsun. Actually I took about half of that, spritzed it with water, and put it in a gallon Ziplock bag. Then I spritzed it a couple more times over a couple of days to bring the leaf into case. It’s pretty ratty, but still OK and it’s been sitting for a year and a half since it was harvested.
The VA leaf is kind of a mystery box. I had a dozen or so “Bright Virginia” plants, and four others that were some combination of “Tennessee Red Leaf” and “Ontario Bold”. Thise were the names on the web site where I bought them (seedman.com), but at least one of them is unknown to anyone with some speculation about what it actually is. Unfortunately, I didn’t keep track of what seedling ended up where. I say unfortunately, because those four plants were magnificently productive. To make matters worse, I didn’t keep the leaves separated when I harvested. Virginia is Virginia, right? Ah, we live and learn.
Anyway, as I go through the tub there are some leaves that are a light tan, some that area deep reddish mahogany brown, and some that are in between. I pilled one of each and shredded them, and tried them both. They’re definitely different. What I’ll call the “bright leaf” is mild, no bite, a little woody. The red leaf is more grassy, a little bolder flavor (maybe this is Ontario Bold?), and has some definite spice in the nose. They’re very different.
Later on I pulled some of the Samsun out of the bag and shredded it as well, and just tried some of it. It’s got a flavor that I liken to a dusty camel trail, very little spice in the nose. I got an occasional hint of burning fall leaves. It’s got a slightly astringent property to it as well. Quite a bit different than the Virginias, of course. I was thinking I could probably smoke it on its own regularly, but I don’t know. I mean, I could — it isn’t bad, but I do think it would be better blended.
I’m going to oder a sample of Izmir and compare it side by side with the Samsun. I’d like something with a hint more floral or anise to it in the English mix, and the guys on the FTT forum tell me that’s a Basma/Izmir/Yenidje characteristic. I can buy seeds for any of those, and Basma and Izmir are readily available as whole leaf.
Onward.