When I first came in contact with this tobacco, about 12 years ago, it was something like a dare. I was told I could only hate it or love it because it was so unique. The description at that time was “smells like a cow shed”. With this conditioning I had my first try of it and agreed. Needless to say, I wasn’t too impressed. Today I’m back for this snuff and I love it. But first things first. The tobacco comes from Bernard and it is sold in a yellow cardboard box which contains an open but slightly rolled up plastic bag with 50g of this snuff. This is one of Bernard’s “traditionals”. This company is selling a few different ones which are based on or made from recipes that are roughly 100 years old. I like that. I have seen one or two reviews which claimed that this tobacco is “strongly fermented”. That is in fact not true. The Virginie is heavily smoked. That is the process where all its flavour comes from. It does not spend the flavouring and curing process in a fermentation liquid as for example many Schmalzlers do. Heavily smoked means that I open the package - or now the snuff box because it couldn’t be kept just in that plastic bag - and I smell rainy, dark outdoors at dusk. Campfires, leather and yes, even the occasional farm or barn. Heavily smoked means that I think about charcoal. It means that I get a craving for smoked fish or smoked ham. This tobacco is heavy, rough and tough. A pipe smoker will know exactly what I mean when I say Latakia. But how does the snuff work in the nose where it belongs? In colour and consistency it could easily be mistaken for a Schmalzler. It is nice and moist, not too fine and very dark brown, almost black. The flavour is going through phases in my nostrils, developing into something quite complex. I believe this tobacco is best enjoyed when going for a walk through a forest or park when it rains and leaves have been rotting on the ground for a while, mixed with scents of moss, wood and clear fresh air. This is clearly an autumn and winter snuff and does not bring as much joy when snuffed on a very hot summer day. But that happens and is not a problem. This is pure tobacco flavour and natural tobacco sweetness after a very particular manufacturing process. If you only enjoy menthol with artificial fruity flavours, this snuff might not be for you. For 50g one might think that is quite a lot just for a try, but I think the price is near unbeatable for this amount. And make no mistake, this is by no means a “cheapo”. It is great value for the money. I absolutely recommend it and I know it will not be for everyone. But I promise that once you like it, you always will.

This is excellent snuff–just took a hit. Reminds me a bit of Molen’s Latakia AO 1860 (although better, I think). No “real” Lat in it, but the smokiness, etc. does remind one of a mild Lat pipe tobacco (it is no Pirate Kake!).

You’re right. I used to smoke quite a bit of Dunhill’s Nightcap and Early Morning Pipe back in the day.

Thks is one of my favorite snuffs, cardinal, also, which is quite similar.

I got some of this yesterday and was very impressed. A bit of a noob question but is this not a Schamlzler then? I thought from the review on Mr Snuff it was? Either way it’s a great snuff and one that will be permanently in my pocket.

The general consensus is that it doesn’t fit into the Schmalzler category, we’ve discused the issue some time ago. Nevertheless, it’s coarse and evermoist like most Schmalzlers. In fact, more than most Schmalzlers. What I don’t know is if it’s oiled or not…

Aha I see. Thanks @MarvinLapsus‌ seems I need to expand my sampling of Schmalzlers

@EZSaddler You’re welcome! You will surely find this thread interesting: http://www.snuffhouse.org/discussion/comment/341773

What I don’t know is if it’s oiled or not…

It is (see here for the contents). All of Bernard’s are oiled except for Feinster Kownoer.

@Readburd : Okay, now I think most mysteries behind Gekachelter Virginie had been cracked!

Im thinking of getting some of this, i’m worried about the smokey description after trying 6 photo MG Madras which reminded me too much of cigarette ashes.

If this is smokey like a campfire i could probably enjoy it but if it is reminiscent of cigarette ashes probably not.

Whats the consensus here?

I enjoy the Gekachelter Virginie regularly and I was a heavy smoker in former times. The smoky smell of the GV does not remind me of cigarette ashes. It is really enjoyable. So you do not have to worry about it. It is nice. Campfire is a good association in my opinion.

I just ordered a box of this yesterday. I have enjoyed it several times over the last ten years. It sticks out to me as a good traditional, pure tobacco unscented snuff. The aroma, grind and moisture are all excellent.

I don’t exactly get notes of Latakia, but the other associations above, I agree with. Great, no-nonsense tobacco when I’m not looking for the flavored SP and medicated snuffs I normally take. I can see buying multiple boxes of this stuff, vac-sealing and freezing to have a steady supply. Kind of messy to take; I need to have my nose relatively clear to be able to hold this in my nose.

I love this one. It is very close to viking brown for my nose.

This is my go to when I can’t find any KB Original.

I like it also a lot. A good plain snuff for me.

Gekachelt means Smoked AFAIK.

The name means tile ground according to my sister in law who lives in Germany.

Or… maybe “stoved” (Gekachelter)?

Der Kachelofen:

All I really know is that I like this snuff. I have a fresh batch right here.

Hey guys, I have read a lot about Bernards Virginie but havent tried it yet.

I am a fan of plain Kendal tobacco snuffs.

How does Bernards Virginie compares in aroma and nicotine to Viking snuffs? (like Viking Brown or Dark Rappee)?

A must to try for any plain snuff lover, @ALLex. I don’t find it as strong as old SG Viking Dark / Silky Dark, or the KBs, but it is stronger than Babaton, for sure. Some cons of GV: rather drippy and contains paraben as preservative (minuscule amount; I’m just irritated by the mere fact of its presence in this snuff, for I’m sure it can be made without it, just slightly tweaking the formula).

As far as the smokiness goes, I don’t find it smoky. Maybe just a very slight whiff there, unobtrusive at all. Either my nose is too weared out to detect such light smokiness, or it’s actually absent there, and most guys are misguided by the colour alone (think, black = smoky…).

On another hand, KB Plain (or was it Scented, I don’t remember anymore) I have found quite smoky after… washing the salts out and re-drying it. I have tried to calculate the total amount of salts in that snuff… I failed, but the resulting up-front smokiness of the washed out and dried flour took me by surprise. It was as smoky as Tops scotch (and in its genuine shape said KB wasn’t smoky to my nose).

Very interesting, me too i cant detect so much smokiness in English coarse snuff like Viking snuffs. 

More like an earthy-grassy-tarmac-leathery-tobacco type of smell, which i very much like. 

I really like that tarmac type of black ink aroma that is hidden in some rappees. 

I also agree with your views on paraben.

I was worrying if Virginie would be weak in nicotine but you reassured me when you said it is stronger than Babaton! I was not hoping to be equal strong as Viking but at least not a weak snuff (though Vikings used to be stronger when manufactured by Samuel Gawith, now that Wilsons make them I find them not as strong as they used to be).

I am definitely gonna order some Virginie!

My thoughts on this (and I’m figuring it is “stoved” but I did read the discussion beforehand, but if anyone has more info correct me please!):

As the name implies, this is 100% Virginia tobacco, and on the back of the pack it says (translated from German): “Snuff tobacco produced according to a tried and tested recipe using high-quality raw tobacco from arable farming areas of the best provenance, aromatically packaged” Tin notes are charcoal, smoked hardwood, leather, sweet grass, and earth. Correct me if I’m wrong, but I believe it’s been “stoved”, not dark fired in barns, which allows the tobacco flavor to come through a little more clearly. Although this is produced by Bernard’s it is NOT a schmalzler, there’s no paraffin oil and one can tell the differences right away. It reminds me of the Sharrow-made Viking Dark Rappee somewhat, but is far easier to take without the hellacious burn. In the nose, the sweetness dissapates and the earth, grass and leather come to the forefront. Unlike a true “dark fired” the leaf taste still comes through in a big way. Nicotine is there but not overwhelming, and it is safe to chain-pinch. I’d give it a 6 or 6.5 out of 10 in strength on the Squinty scale. I don’t feel it’s as strong as the Bernard schmalzler I have on hand. If you are a fan of dark snuffs and rappees, this is a must try.

Yep, that is correct. It is stoved (as the German name implies). I like it especially as a blending component, but it’s certainly solid straight as it sits.

The rumor is that Bernard will be going out of business next year due to not being able to manage the new EU tobacco regulations (halting production in May, 2024)*, but Roderick Lawrie (of Toque Snuff fame) recently mentioned that he was in “talks” with them to acquire their recipes, so there is that I suppose.**

*Schnupftabak – Wikipedia (s.v. sec. “Gebrüder Bernard”).
**Simply Snuff! | Facebook

Oh man, that’s be a bummer. I’ll check the links. Hopefully Roderick continues them on if that is the case. Also, I love the Wiki page you showed me, way more information than the regular English page.

I was eating some of my Jack Links Teriyaki Beef Jerky which is smoked and it tastes how the Gekachelter smells, funnily enough! It’s strange how you can notice things like that in snuffs. So I will add, smoked beef jerky also to the descriptor

This is a very good snuff! I tried it many years ago, and have been had it amongst my favorite snuff ever since. One 50 gram bag of it usually lasts me about three months, as I don’t use it daily. I have other dark snuffs that I take more frequently, and occasionally I mix a little Viking Scotch Dark with some Virginie, they go well together.

Sorry so late to this but am I correct that this is oiled?

Correct. It contains about 6.5% paraffin oil.

I’ve recently acquired some of this stuff and am blown away by how great it is - turns out that I might be a plain snuff guy after all

It’s a great classic plain snuff. I’m sad that it won’t be available in the future.

I have to say, glad I tried it but I feel that Barleywine might be a suitable enough alternative for my tastes