Burley Processing, What Is the Difference in Taste?
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You are somewhat confused.
Burley is air dried. It is not flue cured nor fire cured.
Virginias are flu cured and Fire Cured is.. well.. Fire Cured.
A lot of people say Fire Cured tobacco is a Burley but if you were to order seeds from a seed company like the big boys do, they buy Fire Cured Seeds if they plan to grow and fire cure their tobacco.
I've grown Burley and I've grown Fire Cured. I would agree that Fire Cured is essentially a Burley but the Fire Cured leaves are considerably thicker and darker than a Burley.
Burley is air dried. It is not flue cured nor fire cured.
Virginias are flu cured and Fire Cured is.. well.. Fire Cured.
A lot of people say Fire Cured tobacco is a Burley but if you were to order seeds from a seed company like the big boys do, they buy Fire Cured Seeds if they plan to grow and fire cure their tobacco.
I've grown Burley and I've grown Fire Cured. I would agree that Fire Cured is essentially a Burley but the Fire Cured leaves are considerably thicker and darker than a Burley.
+1, and there are different types of burleys out there, ranging from some pretty weak white burley to some pretty strong stuff. I tend to put Kentucky Fire Cure in the burley category too, but that is for my own mental separation, as well as Rustica. The way growers, processors, tobacconists, and consumers separate the different leaf types is very different depending on what level you are at, with the consumer being the least informed. But, none of these levels seem to correspond with the way the others do. There is even different jargon for the processes at each level.
Among the burleys the variety seems to be what gives each its differences in taste. There are literally hundreds of different varieties available.
Jitter, isn't some burley sun-cured as well?
Among the burleys the variety seems to be what gives each its differences in taste. There are literally hundreds of different varieties available.
Jitter, isn't some burley sun-cured as well?
Cosmic, I don't think anyone sun cures Burley, but I might be wrong. He's a little discussion about sun curing Burley from the growers forum
https://fairtradetobacco.com/threads/sun-cure-verses-air-cured-burley.5042/
https://fairtradetobacco.com/threads/sun-cure-verses-air-cured-burley.5042/
As I stated above, growers, processors, blenders/tobacconists, and consumers all have their own jargon. Most pipesmokers do think of Kentucky Fire Cure as a Burley. But, I stated also that consumers are the least informed of all of the categories.
I think of them as a burley also, along with rustica. But, technically... Jitter is right. And, it answers your question. But, people will still suggest ODF as a burley blend over and over. So, there isn't much use fighting that dragon.
Here is a link to a commercial seed supplier. You will note that they sell 2 kinds of seeds, Burley and Dark. Dark being short for Dark Fired .So I think we are all saying the same thing. The growers differentiate between Burley and Dark Fired, the manufacturers, not so much
What is probably really going on is that Burley IS the same as Dark fired. But Dark Fired leaves are easily twice as thick as Burley leaves. If you want to smoke some leaves in a barn for a few days you'd probably want to go with the thicker leaves.
http://workmantobacco.com/tobacco-seed-4/
edit: forgot to add that "dark seed" can mean dark air cured or dark fired.
What is probably really going on is that Burley IS the same as Dark fired. But Dark Fired leaves are easily twice as thick as Burley leaves. If you want to smoke some leaves in a barn for a few days you'd probably want to go with the thicker leaves.
http://workmantobacco.com/tobacco-seed-4/
edit: forgot to add that "dark seed" can mean dark air cured or dark fired.
In Haiti, I think they air cure burley, just dry it out under a roof, probably many other places. It's sort of the no-cost or low-cost way to cure. I think the leaves are rolled and knotted. 'Haven't seen it, and may have it wrong, but I have examples of the product.
Now, after curing there are processes that burley can be put through... cavendish process, toasted, double toasted, twisted into ropes, pressed, sliced into flakes, cut into cubes, cased, topped, etc... all of this also affects the flavor.
Appreciate the clarifications. Some dark fired Kentucky blends taste too spicy for me, but they have their place in my rotation. I shied away from Latakia blends based on a couple I didn’t like. Then I discovered HH Syrian, Penzance, Maltese Falcon, & Smokers Haven 20th Aniv.
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