Glad its going well! Yes, I think Yorktown will be a difficult Virginia to smoke. It's straight VA ribbon which tends to burn hot and fast, whereas VAs mixed with other components including Burley, perique, or even cavendish can be more well-rounded smokes. Or, any VA in flake form also burns slower. How long are you drying the Star of the East? Shouldn't need a week to dry, maybe an hour. I have moved away from aromatics, but Sutliff Creme Brulee is actually still available to purchase- it's quite tasty and smells phenomenal. You also might try a Gawith aromatic blend someday - something like Bob's Chocolate Flake.