A Newbie Reviews: C&D Billy Budd

[hmhaines]

Unpleasant.
This is only the second tobacco I've tried and hated, the first being Drew Estate's Gatsby. Billy Budd tastes like old leather soaked in perfume. It is burning well, but I'm really grossed out. I'll give it another shot in a different pipe, but I can't imagine a powerful enough change to result in me enjoying this tobacco.
Anyone else have issues with this?

 

[andrew]

I like it alot, but I find I need to jar it up for a good 6 months first or it has a weird kind of taste, which I think is the flavoring on the burly or something like that. It is a strong blend though and you need to like latakia.

 

[jackswilling]

Never had Billy Budd but I enjoyed my tin of the Drew Flake. May even order some more. It is a good flavored flake for me. I need to find your review of the Gatsby

 

[hmhaines]

Haven't reviewed the Gatsby, don't plan to. Gave my tin to a friend after trying it! Additionally, I've heard that DE is pulling out of pipe baccy.
I really enjoy Latakia, straight or blended. I'll age the Billy and see what happens.

 

[mso489]

hm', I think the tobacco may need a little more age, but I think you may need a little more pipe experience too. Billy Budd does wonderful things with cigar leaf as a condiment, but you have to be ready for it. At some point down the road, you'll light it up and have a whole different experience. Don't rush it. Put it in a well sealed jar and come back to it in a year or two.

 

[hmhaines]

^^ Sealed and waiting!

 

[ericusrex]

Some have an aversion to strong burley. Since you don't like BB, I'd suggest you stay away from Haunted Bookshop and Big N Burley too.

 

[pitchfork]

It's the Cornell and Diehl burley -- it's plain, unsweetened and strong. The first time I had it, it tasted like old gym socks. On fire. Now, it's 80% of what I smoke.

 

[hmhaines]

Old gym socks.... Sounds about right. Perhaps I'm not a burley guy!

 

[pitchfork]

I didn't think I was, either, but now I truly love the stuff. You never know...

 

[jacks6]

Hmmm... I haven't tried any of these yet.

 

[hmhaines]

Been smoking pipes for a couple weeks, smoking cigars for a year or so.
I've got some straight burley that I'll try in the next few days.

 

[kiel]

Burleys based blends never seemed that great to me, but once I tried them in a corn cob… Serious,IMHO burleys taste better in cobs. The first time I realized this was with Classic Burley Cake. I almost threw CBC out until it was smoked in a cob. Same thing with Lunchtime Blues.

 

[andrew]

I'm pretty sure it's the flavoring used in the burly as pretty much every burly is flavored. To me it's almost like the flavor of orientals but it's not orientals as Billy Budd doesn't contain any, so it's almost like an oriental flavor applied to the burly, which I just find too strong, as I like english blends with orientals in them, and that same taste, I just find it's too much in fresh Billy Budd. So I think the flavoring of the burly mellows alot in that time and then it becomes a really nice full bodied smoke for me. I don't hate it fresh, I just prefer it greatly when it's had time for that flavor to mellow out. So I don't think it's the burly as pretty much all burly is flavored/cased etc...

 

[skraps]

It is not new that C&D blends can be a bit "off" right out of the gate. They have been known for using slightly "green" leaf in their blends. They process everything themselves and for the most part it's a made to order company still.
Rough cut Burley and Bright VA Flake... yeah, probably could benefit from a few months of melding.

 

[hakchuma]

Wait. Billy Bud doesn't contain oriental? That makes me suspicious of Billy's bud in general because to me it has a very STRONG oriental flavor.

 

[andrew]

No oriental, this is why I think the burly is flavored with oriental, and it's this strong flavor that needs to mellow out.

 

[hmhaines]

I can see it being a topped Burley.

 

[pitchfork]

I'd bet a few nickels the burley isn't topped and may or may not have had a minimal casing when it was first cured. We could probably write Cornell & Diehl and just ask.

 

[dottiewarden]

Perhaps I'm not a burley guy!

I used to think the same thing, now Burley forwards are my current favorite blend type. Oh how I love that nutty flavor!