Tobacco types
Many varieties of tobacco, including Burley, Virginia, sun cured and fire cured, are used to produce the blends in Tobacco’s hand-rolling and pipe tobaccos.
Virginia tobacco is named after the US state where it was first cultivated. It is also called "bright tobacco" because of its yellow to orange colour, achieved during the flue-cure. This type grows particularly well in subtropical regions with light rainfall, such as Georgia (USA), southern Brazil and Zimbabwe. Classic English brands like Benson & Hedges and Dunhill use mainly Virginia tobacco.
Burley is a slightly lighter shade of green than Virginia. After being air-cured, the tobacco turns brown with virtually no sugar, giving it an almost cigar-like taste. It needs heavier soils and more fertiliser than Virginia. The best Burley is grown in the USA, Central America, Malawi and Uganda. With Virginia and Oriental tobacco, it makes up an American Blend, as used in brands like Lucky Strike or Pall Mall.
Oriental is the smallest and hardiest type, grown into the hot summer of the Balkans, Turkey and the Middle East. These conditions and a high planting density create an aromatic flavour, enhanced by sun-curing, as in a traditional Turkish cigarette.