Burley - am I doing it wrong?

[docbrick]

Hello everyone,
I should preface this post by saying that I smoke mainly Virginia-Perique blends, English, and straight Virginias: Vapers being my favorite.
I have been smoking pipes semi-constantly (1 to 4 bowls a week, or none at all) for about a year now and am I feeling pretty confident with my technique and comfortable exploring new blends. I rarely, if ever, get tongue bite, and am religious about my oral health.
I recently decided to get into some burley blends, as I had not really explored any blends with that component. So I ordered Solani Aged Burley Flake, C&D Old Joe Krantz and GL Pease Barbary Coast.
I have noticed that Aged Burley Flake is rather unkind to my mouth: sore throat or a painful or sometimes painless white taste bud on the tip of my tongue. I've had three bowls of this blend in total.
Old Joe Krantz, I do okay with and I do not believe I have gotten the white taste bud more than once (if at all). I had probably 10+ bowls of this blend.
Barbary Coast gave me the white taste bud the other day, although it may have been from tea that was too hot. I've had three bowls of this blend.
The white taste bud seems like a burn potentially or maybe a canker sore, but perhaps I just noticed that it is appearing with these blends? I don't have any real empirical data yet, but I am going to test these out further (although I am a bit apprehensive.)
Am I smoking these burley blends too fast (I rarely, if ever get bit with any other blends, so my speed is pretty slow?)? Or is there some other underlying issue? I would love to solve this issue, as Old Joe Krantz is nearly my favorite blend and would love to further explore Aged Burley Flake.
Curious if anyone else has had a similar experience or could bestow me with their wisdom.
Thanks for you time,

Brett

 

[cosmicfolklore]

A possibility is that the different level of PH in the Burley is causing a bite. When I've been smoking a lot of Virginias and VaPers, I get a bit of bite from anything Burley.

I'll have to add that those particular Burley blends are not my favorites. Many here really love them, but I find them kind of boring. When I step out into a Burley, I go full on C&D Burley Flake, #1 being my absolute favorite. They are heavy hitters, but why not go full on a Burley when you want a burl. ::

 

[aldecaker]

I think it may just be body chemistry. I can huff burleys like an overloaded freight train with no ill effects. Va and VaPers, I have to be very careful with, else my mouth gets too tangy, and I get the same thing you get with burleys. I don't know if it's getting my mouth too acidic or too alkaline, but either way, it's not very enjoyable.

 

[didimauw]

Nah, ur mouth just likes Virginia's. Mine on the other hand, only likes burleys. Going this way since I started, 5 years ago.

 

[ray47]

Try some C&D Pegasus, a Burley/Virginia that is a good intro to Burley and most who have smoked it will attest to the fact that it will not bite, even if smoked hard.

 

[bigpond]

If your body can't tolerate burley than there is no "right" way to smoke it. If you are getting blisters or burns when smoking it, and you do not get same from smoking other blends at the same moisture, your body does not like burley.

 

[mso489]

People react differently to burley, even just to the taste. So you may be reacting and need to not smoke most burleys. I think Old Joe Krantz is a good one, so if that one agrees with you, that's good. But I wouldn't push it. Stick with what pleases. That's the whole point.
Some people can't taste burely; some taste it and find it disagreeable; some like it but find it biting no matter what; and some people enjoy it in most forms.

 

[ophiuchus]

... and someone has to say it al least once in this thread ...
Don't toss the burley; put it away, smoke what's working for you now, and come back to the burley later. Your technique or tastes may change and it may work for you later.
Then again, it may not ... you'll find out. No harm in being a Virginia/VaPer smoker. ::

 

[toobfreak]

Like any other tobacco or blend, what it is and what it tastes like to you depends on what angle you are coming at it from. So you get six different reports from people--- one says its sweet, the other says it's sour, and another one says its salty or tastes like grandma's bathroom soap!

 

[PaulTheScandinavian]

I'm pretty new with pipesmoking but find burley being easier and more forgiving to new pipesmoker versus Virginias/vapers are, although like some virgina blends Burleys may sometimes taste a bit harsh I pushed too fiercely, I do love all these types Virginias being the challenching ones, I'm prone to bite, getting very easy that what we call leather tongue, but I'm now somewhat used to it and could find remedy if need be

 

[docbrick]

Thanks for everyone's input! Truly appreciated. I have a feeling I may have puffed a bit carelessly with these blends, as I have gotten into comfortable rhythm with my everyday blends.
I'll trying taking things a lot slower and see if things improve.