Burley Negatives; Why Not Burley?

[Chasing Embers]

Haven't smelled your clothes after an English blend have you? 8O

 

[hobie1dog]

Why not burley? Burley is the bore of the family. It lacks the subtlety and variability found in most other leaves. It is so alkaline that it can be caustic to some folks. Also it tends to leave a lingering odor of "old man fart" on ones clothes.

That's the thing that I really wanted to say...yeah, that's it.

 

[mso489]

The bore of the family? I think burley must be leading a secret life with some of us -- earthy, elemental, and multi-faceted. But as mentioned up top, burley does illustrate well how differently individuals experience different leaf and blends. I believe it -- some people don't get a thing out of burley. Understood. Same is true of nearly every variety and blend.

 

[oldmojo]

I tried several, after asking Tom's advice. I didn't find them particularly objectionable, but neither did I fall in love with any of them. To me, they taste like walnuts, complete with a slight bitter twinge. C&D Pegasus wasn't half bad, but I still prefer my Oriental-forward Englishes, Balkans and VaPers. To each his own, and best wishes.

 

[brass]

My understanding is that burley is frequently (but not always) used as a relatively neutral base that helps create the melange that makes up the blend. Many of the burley blends are topped or cased heavily, which disguises the burley flavor but contributes to the mouth feel, body and finish.
I'm getting better at resisting TAD. Rather than order 4 or 5 tins of those suggested here, especially MSO, I went to the basement and found a can of Old Joe Krantz, circa 2007, which I'm enjoying while I type. Also grabbed a three year old tin of Paul Stanwell Jubilee, an aromatic composed of Virginias, burleys, orientals and dark fired Kentuckys.
I didn't think of myself as a burley fan but realized after reading your most entertaining and informative comments that my two all time favorites, and that of many others, is Esoterica's Stonehaven and Germain's Rich Dark Flake, both Virginia/burley blends.

 

[deathmetal]

It lacks the subtlety and variability found in most other leaves.

A few hours with Semois or Cotton Boll Twist will convince you otherwise.

It is so alkaline that it can be caustic to some folks.

This can be an issue. The famous "Burley bite" is real. I find this decreases with age.

Also it tends to leave a lingering odor of "old man fart" on ones clothes.

It's not fair to blame the Burley for that...

 

[oldmojo]

It's not fair to blame the Burley for that...

Has my wife contacted you?

 

[bigpond]

I'm not a burley lover but I do like what it adds to some blends. Stonehaven and Brunello Flake are two biggies for me that show what a dash of the old leaf can do. I do really like Semois but it has so little in common with good ol'burle that it's sort of it's own thing, imo.
That aroma...well, it's a chicken or the egg question.

 

[thomasmartin]

It's not that I dislike burley. But the burley tends to block out any other tobacco flavor in a blend. And I tend to get tired of it in the course of a bowl. At first lightning I think "how delicious" but after a third, after tasting nothing but Burley I get enough of it, empty the bowl and fill it with something else.

 

[mso489]

Whatever your aversion may be with tobacco, unless it is an outright allergy, it's worth revisiting a very small sample of a version of that genre, whether burley, burley blend -- or Va/Per or Balkan, or whatever, to test the waters. Tastes do change and develop, and you can always discover something surprising that you actually like. Just do this an ounce at a time.

 

[deathmetal]

Or the Va/Bur/Per, which if done right by my palate involves a whole lot of Burley, some Virginia and condimental Perique. The Burley takes on the flavors of the other two ingredients and broadens them, giving a kind of natural fruit topping effect.

 

[mso489]

I think Cornell & Diehl, starting in Pennsylvania (was it?) and continuing in N.C., and now in S.C., has breathed a lot of new life into burley both as single leaf or purely burley blends and as a tobacco blended with others. Other blenders have done excellent burley blends, but no one has built such a wide swath of excellent burley blends and raised such a popularity and reconsideration of it. Not since the codger blends made it a standard base for both aromatic and non-aro blends. I've recently tried the Sir Walter Raleigh Aromatic, speaking of codger blends. SWR regular doesn't deliver much flavor for me, but the aro version with some Virginia and liqueur seems really quite good, if mild. More points for the humble burley.

 

[deathmetal]

Agreed on C&D. They do great things with Burley... making OTCs as interesting as "boutique" and "artisANAL" blends.
I find it is my favorite base tobacco in any blend. Once you get used to that broad, big flavor... sort of like a power chord... it's hard to go back to anything else.
This week, I'm smoking a lot of a hack brew of Former's Straight Grain Flake and a mix of light/dark Burleys. Very tasty, with the flavors melding about 1/4 through a bowl into something very beautiful.

 

[thomasw]

I find it is my favorite base tobacco in any blend. Once you get used to that broad, big flavor... sort of like a power chord... it's hard to go back to anything else.

Well stated. Burley is brought out best with something else. Time to smoke a bowl of Oak Alley, which is a great example of your point.

 

[deathmetal]

That does look quite tasty, now that you mention it.
http://www.tobaccoreviews.com/blend/7973/cornell-diehl-oak-alley
I went in a different Burley direction today, and returned to my old favorite, La Brumeuse:
http://www.tobaccoreviews.com/blend/3787/tabac-manil-pure-semois
It's great but only if breath-smoked. For anything else, the Burley Bite(tm) emerges and it burns too hot anyway.

 

[tomnernas2ndson]

C&D Morley's Best is a regular in my rotation. I have more of that then any other tobacco. I but it in bulk always. I smoke it a lot in cobs and thicker walled pipes...Good mix for me.

 

[grimpuffer]

After reading some of the comments I must also wonder if my prior cigarette smoking experience makes me enjoy burley more?
It's interesting because I smoked from the time I was 14/15 until age 24. When I quit I immediately took up a pipe for the times when I wanted to still enjoy tobacco.
To this day I can't stand a pure VA blend but the first burley forward non-aro I had I was instantly hooked on burley.
Love every blend I've had that has a prominent burley element.

 

[mso489]

Never smoked cigarettes except when I was six, behind a construction site where we watched and took purloined cartons of cigarettes in a Radio Flyer Wagon, and I turned green after I got home. Later a few times, with my cousin whose mom (my aunt of course) smoked cigs. But my dad was an all-day Granger smoker, so all of my experience with burley is from smelling that. I didn't sample Dad's pipe, he only had one, and though he was a kind guy, neither was he to be trifled with. My point is, the burley in cigarettes and the burley of pipe tobacco are too totally different experiences to me, very remotely connected. For me, burley is a lovely pipe tobacco as a single leaf or in blends.

 

[brass]

I find that Virginias mixed with burley is kinder to my tongue than straight Virginias. I still get mild bite when smoking Virginias. But I'm so fond of them that I put up with mild pain.
Pax

 

[deathmetal]

I agree, Pax. One of my favorite blends is 60-40 Burley Flake #1 with Royal Yacht. Contrary to internet chatter, it will not put you on the floor, but is very sustaining for long work days.
I figured I'd throw up (bleeeaaargh! oh wait, not that kind of throwing up) a link to the promising Burley blends on TR. Someday I will have tried all of these, I hope.