Virginia Ribbon

Virginia Ribbon is one of the single-leaf, ribbon-cut Virginia bulk tobaccos from North Carolina-based Cornell & Diehl. Records indicate the same product now appears in the maker's catalogue under the name Bright Virginia Ribbon: it's obtained by cutting golden Virginia leaf from the US Old Belt region — high in natural sugar, relatively low in oil — into thin strips. The maker's description notes sweetness accompanied by a faint citrus edge. The family's second member, Red Virginia Ribbon, is based on darker, heavier, slower-burning red leaf.

Being an unflavored leaf, it's smoked on its own as well as used as a base or sweetening component by those building blends; it's noted as particularly suited to pairing with Burley. High-sugar Virginias take well to aging, so this is suited to long-term storage. A product for smokers wanting to get to know plain Virginia character in its simplest form, or looking to build their own mixture.