The King Street Emporium

String Duster

Virginia

String Duster is the fourth entry in the Appalachian Trail series, and the name is a piece of Appalachian vernacular worth knowing. A string duster is a fiddle, the instrument at the center of the old time music tradition that developed in the mountain communities of the southern highlands. The fiddle carried everything in that tradition: dance tunes, ballads, laments, the whole social fabric of a community that gathered around it. Calling a tobacco a string duster is a particular kind of compliment. The blend puts red and bright Virginias at the center, with Turkish leaf adding its dry and slightly tangy character alongside. Rum and maple toppings are applied lightly, present enough to sweeten the room note without pulling the blend fully into aromatic territory. The Virginia does the structural work while the toppings and the Turkish serve as accent. Ready rubbed cut, mild to medium strength. One of the more approachable entries in the series for smokers who lean toward lightly topped Virginias.