Van Gogh 2021

Van Gogh is an all-Virginia blend from Ken Byron Ventures, a small-scale producer based in Pennsylvania. Per the maker's description, domestic and imported Virginias are brought together and, after pressing, presented as broken flake with a mottled, dark-toned appearance. The leaf goes through a light casing; no dominant flavoring or heavy sweetening is added, so the taste comes largely from Virginia's own breadlike, dried-fruit character.

KBV re-blends its offerings every year and releases them in limited numbers under a year stamp, so leaf sourcing and aging can differ between years of the same name. The broken-flake structure calls for rubbing out between the fingers before packing and rewards a slow smoke. Suited to smokers who want to follow unflavored Virginia's natural sweetness and its development in the jar over time, and to those already used to flake form.