Red Virginia, Vintage 2011

Red Virginia is the continuation of McCranie's shop's dated, unflavored red Virginia series and follows the same logic as the Red Ribbon line: North Carolina leaf from a single harvest year, fermented and tinned as ribbon cut. The 2011 batch is among the later releases in this series, and the tins were produced by McClelland.

Its profile sits on the typical axis of single-leaf Virginia blends: dark sugar and dried-fruit sweetness accompanied by a pronounced tartness. In younger tins the herbal, hay note is more upfront, shifting toward bread and jam with age. Since no other leaf or flavoring enters the mix, Virginia carries the full weight of the flavor, making the blend a reference point for those wanting to track how a single leaf type changes over the years. The series ended when the maker closed in 2018.