Burley Flake Advice Needed

[krizzose]

I’m thinking of trying a few of the burley flakes out there. I’m not a fan of too much DFK (though a little bit is fine), however, and I like my burley blends on the sweeter side. How would you rank the various burley flakes by sweetness? Thanks!

 

[redone]

Well, I’m new and clearly haven’t tried a ton of them but I have to say I’m CRAZY about Mac Baren HH Burley Flake. I don’t find it to be extremely sweet.

 

[npod]

+1
HH Burley Flake is wonderful. It has now moved up to all-time-favorites list. And it is readily available vs Solani Aged Burley Flake, which is also good. Both are just right in the natural sweetness department, IMHO. I can't rank them per se, because those are the only two burley flakes I smoke.

 

[ekert]

I'm still a newbie but it seems I like burley because I have really enjoyed Stonehaven, HH burley flake, Solani aged burley flake, and Peterson Irish flake.

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

I think you'll find most sweet tasting burleys have a bit of a topping/casing to them. I think Wessex Burley Slices and Solani Aged Burley Flake have toppings. I know the Solani does, my taster says Wessex does as well. And I don't really care much for either despite these two being quite popular.
I found Uhle's 00 to be nice, I think no topping (or if so, very, very slight) and it has a slight sweet taste. They have a White Burley blend that has a sweet note as well. I also found some sweetness with Watch City Slices and their Deluxe Crumb Cut. I think the crumb cut has some Cavendish in it so that would explain the sweetness there.

 

[krizzose]

Great, thanks guys. I don’t mind a little topping, as long as it’s not too aggressive

 

[mso489]

Not flake, but Peterson 3P plug, Va/burley, is excellent to me. I'm devoted to burley in its various forms.

 

[ernieq]

Every single Burley has casing. Many have top notes. You wouldn't want to smoke straight uncased Burley...been there... As far as Sweetness goes you might look at
Mac Baren Burley (London Blend) IF you can find a tin...it was discontinued, but luckily

Mac Baren Golden Extra

Wessex Burley Slice

Solani Aged Burley Flake

Orlik Dark Strong Kentucky
The first two are on the sweeter side, the second two have sweet undertones and the last is not-so-sweet. I just can't seem to find a taste for Mac Baren's new Burley Flake...
Ask 10 pipe smokers the same question and you'll get 12 different answers...

 

[cosmicfolklore]

These burley flakes crack me up. You want a burley, you go to C&D, masters of the MF burley. Burley Flake #1. Not these weak-assed, limp-wristed... no no no, I have to keep reminding myself, that I cannot berate folks who like aromatics, watered down burley flakes, or pink pipes. There's nothing at all wrong here. It's me. I'm the one with the problem... carry on. ::

 

[timt]

I've got a tin of Burley Flake #1 in the living room tobacco trunk but haven't tried it yet. How does compare to Solani Aged Burley Flake?

 

[cosmicfolklore]

How does compare to Solani Aged Burley Flake?

The first thing that you will realize is whether you should ever post in one of our annual "Real Man" threads here on pipesmagazine. The second thing you will realize is that Solani is the bubblegum version of burley. And, if you aren't careful, the third thing could be the color of the mixed up meals you have eaten for the last 8 hours as it splashes on your shoes. ::
It is pure, unadulterated burley. Tasty, like a fat cigar. Not, one of those sissy Cuban things, but like cigars real men smoke, construction workers, policemen, Indians, truck drivers... wait a minute... Macho macho man...

 

[seldom]

My palate lacks the experience and sophistication of other forum members but I've enjoyed HU Dockworker. It has some sweetness to it and doesn't have any casing however it is mixed with Virginia and oriental.

 

[crashthegrey]

How does compare to Solani Aged Burley Flake?

I was hoping for a response from Cosmic, and it did not disappoint.

 

[timt]

The first thing that you will realize is whether you should ever post in one of our annual "Real Man" threads here on pipesmagazine. The second thing you will realize is that Solani is the bubblegum version of burley. And, if you aren't careful, the third thing could be the color of the mixed up meals you have eaten for the last 8 hours as it splashes on your shoes. [::]
It is pure, unadulterated burley. Tasty, like a fat cigar. Not, one of those sissy Cuban things, but like cigars real men smoke, construction workers, policemen, Indians, truck drivers... wait a minute... Macho macho man...

Hmmm. I'll use a small bowl and see how it goes. I'm not sure what my deal is with burley vs a stronger virginia blend, like in Royal Yacht. RY doesn't give me trouble but I've had burley take away my appetite for dinner. Solani hasn't done that but then again I'm not packing huge bowls either.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Timt, I have noticed something counter-intuitive about strong blends. If you get a sick feeling from smoking a strong blend in a narrow chambered pipe, then try smoking it in your widest chambered pipe. For me, I get more robust flavor, yet milder affects from the nicotine using my largest pipes. It isn't something that seems like it should be that way, but for some unexplained reason, it works that way for me. Give it a shot. You will get deeper more cigar-like flavors from your tobacco also.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Also, nibbling on chocolate helps keep me from hitting that sugar drop that makes you feel nauseous.

 

[timt]

It is pure, unadulterated burley. Tasty, like a fat cigar.

Is burley and cigar tobacco similar? The last cigar I smoked made me spin a little. It happened to be a large one and I was smoking it for 3 hours - that may have been the issue I suppose.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Cigars are basically just fermented burleys.

 

[ekert]

Burley tobacco is the primary component of cigarettes and chewing tobacco, but I have never smoked a burley cigar.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Actually, Virginias are the primary tobacco for cigarettes. This is why the acidity is impurtant in Virginias, as it helps in absoprion of the nicotine through the lungs with cigs, but the acid hinders absorption through the mouth with pipes. But, burley is blended in for most cigarette blends in the US. Canada and some other countries prohibit burleys in cigarettes. And, what cigar is not a burley? The only difference between the tobaccos used in cigars is that it has been fermented or color cured.