A Tale of Two Burleys

[BriarsAndBottles]

I recently smoked some Pegasus and MacBaren London Burley within a day or so of each other, and while I could tell both were quality blends, my preference strongly leaned towards the LB. I noticed it had a chocolate topping I rather enjoyed, but would that be the main reason for my differing opinions?

I don’t know enough about the components of each to know if that has something to do with it, but hoping to find others that line up with my tastes.

I like the C&D Eight State quite a bit too so I don’t think it’s a C&D vs MacBaren issue.

 

[Piping Abe]

Both London Burley and Eight State have a cocoa/chocolate thing going on that is intentional. A topping or casing. Pegasus has none and your just getting raw Burley Flavor and Black Cavendish.

 

[BriarsAndBottles]

@Piping Abe thanks for the helpful response. Maybe I just like my burley with some chocolate. I have an old tin of Edgeworth sliced I got from someone on the forum that I also enjoy that I think might also be in that category.

 

[sardonicus87]

I'm the other way, I like my burley with no chocolate. I skip most burley recommendations because most I see, when I look them up... added chocolate flavor. Worst offender so far is the K&K blended Solani ABF, absolutely atrocious and way overrated. If you like chocolate though, you may like it. Chocolate/cocoa unfortunately, is probably the most common added flavor, much to my dismay as a burley lover and chocolate hater.

My own preferred burley is MB HH Burley Flake.

 

[VDL_Piper]

I'm the other way, I like my burley with no chocolate. I skip most burley recommendations because most I see, when I look them up... added chocolate flavor. Worst offender so far is the K&K blended Solani ABF, absolutely atrocious and way overrated. If you like chocolate though, you may like it. Chocolate/cocoa unfortunately, is probably the most common added flavor, much to my dismay as a burley lover and chocolate hater.

My own preferred burley is MB HH Burley Flake.

Interesting as I get quite forward chocolate/cocoa flavours from MB Burley Flake, have pounds of the stuff cellared.

 

[john19]

Interesting as I get quite forward chocolate/cocoa flavours from MB Burley Flake, have pounds of the stuff cellared.

Me too. I get some chocolate/cocoa/coffee note from HH Burley Flake. And from Old Dark Fired too, but no so much.

 

[sardonicus87]

I generally don't get chocolate notes from burley unless it's added to it. Though with burley, I only smoke it fresh opened and undried, and I don't age it. With MB HH Burley, I get floral notes and buttery nuts, not chocolate. I don't even get the slightest hint of chocolate taste.

And I never get anything like that from any ODF, it's always just a pure barbecue flavor to me.

 

[john19]

I generally don't get chocolate notes from burley unless it's added to it. Though with burley, I only smoke it fresh opened and undried, and I don't age it. With MB HH Burley, I get floral notes and buttery nuts, not chocolate. I don't even get the slightest hint of chocolate taste.

And I never get anything like that from any ODF, it's always just a pure barbecue flavor to me.

Different people = different palettes.

 

[sardonicus87]

Though I will say, if I open a tin of burley, after a month or more, it does start to get that chocolate taste if it didn't have it before, then I toss it.

 

[john19]

Though I will say, if I open a tin of burley, after a month or more, it does start to get that chocolate taste if it didn't have it before, then I toss it.

Toss it? Send it to me .

 

[vosBghos]

I'm the other way, I like my burley with no chocolate. I skip most burley recommendations because most I see, when I look them up... added chocolate flavor. Worst offender so far is the K&K blended Solani ABF, absolutely atrocious and way overrated. If you like chocolate though, you may like it. Chocolate/cocoa unfortunately, is probably the most common added flavor, much to my dismay as a burley lover and chocolate hater.

My own preferred burley is MB HH Burley Flake.

Intersting, have you tried Wessex Burley Slice ?

 

[sardonicus87]

Intersting, have you tried Wessex Burley Slice ?

Yes, and as fresh and newly opened, it does have a cocoa taste to it moreso than a chocolate taste, and it definitely seems like an added flavor, even though the only listed addition on the K&K blended version is licorice, which I don't taste at all, but who knows what other ingredients are in the sauce, the tin doesn't even list any added flavors.

Reminds me of a toned-down version of the K&K blended Solani ABF and I wouldn't doubt for a second that they're adding a cocoa or chocolate flavoring to it. But that description on the tin of a "licorice taste" is very much not the case. Occasionally it does seem to have hints of licorice buried under the chocolatey taste. I wish I knew what it was like before K&K started blending it though.

But so far, of the chocolate tasting burley, it's the most tolerable.

 

[BriarsAndBottles]

Yes, and as fresh and newly opened, it does have a cocoa taste to it moreso than a chocolate taste, and it definitely seems like an added flavor, even though the only listed addition on the K&K blended version is licorice, which I don't taste at all, but who knows what other ingredients are in the sauce, the tin doesn't even list any added flavors.

Reminds me of a toned-down version of the K&K blended Solani ABF and I wouldn't doubt for a second that they're adding a cocoa or chocolate flavoring to it. But that description on the tin of a "licorice taste" is very much not the case. Occasionally it does seem to have hints of licorice buried under the chocolatey taste. I wish I knew what it was like before K&K started blending it though.

But so far, of the chocolate tasting burley, it's the most tolerable.

When did K&K take over? I had a tin from 2009/10 that I opened then but then forgot about for 10 years when I stopped smoking from 2011-2020. It was dry as hell but very delicious, definitely had a flavor on it, I guess licorice.

 

[sardonicus87]

When did K&K take over? I had a tin from 2009/10 that I opened then but then forgot about for 10 years when I stopped smoking from 2011-2020. It was dry as hell but very delicious, definitely had a flavor on it, I guess licorice.

2022 I think... and my tin is 2023 or 2024

 

[Sigmund]

If you do like the cocoa vibe give HU Makhuwa a try if you can get it. It’s awesome and also good with a little pinch of lat.

 

[Singularis]

Both London Burley and Eight State have a cocoa/chocolate thing going on that is intentional. A topping or casing. Pegasus has none and you’re just getting raw Burley Flavor and Black Cavendish.

Looking through the comments, I see nothing about how Pegasus has a light topping. At least, that’s my read on the blend. On a scale of untopped to topped, I’d start with HH Burley, then move to Haunted Bookshop, Pegasus, Eight State Burley, and ending with something like MB Symphony and Golden Extra. All different blends in their own rite, and I’m sure others would rank them differently. But my point is, I think Pegasus has a mild topping that makes it just smooth enough to be widely appealing.

 

[ADKPiper]

I would tend to agree. Although I smoke more Pegasus than any other blend I admit there are better burley blends out there. But generally that are way more expensive and not available in bulk. Plus even though those other blends are smoother and richer I have grown to love the complex semi bitter no nonsense thing that Pegasus has. I'd call it an acquired taste. It's an every day smoke for me and the others are occasional. I buy Pegasus by the pound.

 

[proteus]

Still waiting for Eight State burley to come back ... I'm all out ...

 

[huntertrw]

A Tale of Two Burleys​

"It was the best of Burley, it was the worst of Burley, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity..."