Burley Lovers, Help A Brother Out

[Merton]

So many members here rave about Burley blends. I would like to learn about them even though i know that I will likely always prefer Virginias, especially Red. Recently, i discovered that i very much like Amphora Full which, even though an aromatic, has some percentage of Burley. In the past i have tried le Petit Robin (meh) and Peretti's Belmont (named for the very nice town where Mr Peretti resided) which I liked but which is really a Burley aromatic with a light rum topping. I just tried Stokkebye cube cut and while I did not dislike it I cannot imagine smoking it regularly. I thought the flavor was rather one dimensional with a mushroom sort of flavor, very indistinct sweetness and, I hate to say it, sort of a dirt flavor to it. Not earthy, dirty. Perhaps i am too old to learn new tricks and everyone's tastes are different, but what do you Burley smokers love about the stuff. I have some MacBaren Golden Extra arriving Monday. Is that a good choice or is something else a better option. Thanks.

 

[canucklehead]

I like the dirt.

 

[Grangerous]

You have to sip Burley. You can’t expect an explosion of flavor and don’t try to chase it. There’s very little sugar in Burley. So I do understand when people try it and get nothing. There are times when I’m unable to taste it. But with patience, you may find it quite nutty and sweet.

Try it after a sweetened drink. You may find flavors open up to you after a sip of sweetened hot tea or soft drink.

Once you’ve had that “I get it” Smoke, you’ll be able to detect those most of the time.

 

[jerseysam]

I've gotten into sweeter/boozier codger burleys over the last year.....after a few years of English/Balkan smoking I'm now able to get richer, toasty/nutty/cocoa from these type of burleys I didn't when starting out with a pipe. I've tried a lot of blends, which I'm sure is true of many of us here on the forums. My palate is still a 'no' on burley blends from the Haunted Bookshop, Five Brothers, Semois, etc. school. There's just something tangy/earthy/cigarette-ish there for me in that range still.....but there's a real nice, nutty/cocoa medium body flavor I get from the sweeter/boozy burley I'm really digging.

Sir Walter Raleigh Aromatic, Watch City Deluxe Crumb Cut, Uhle's Blend 255 or 300...those are usually in my rotation as regularly available sweet burley blends. Peretti's has a very nice range, from sweet to spicy overall. London Blend and Peretti T-Day are up there now in my rotation, but they were/are limited releases. For more aro-forward but with toasty/nutty burley presence...Burley Morning Pipe or Wilkes Chocolate Burley.

 

[didimauw]

Yup, burleys can be very boring. That's what I like about them. Don't have to think about all the different flavors going on, confusing the tongue. Many burley blends I like, have some virginia's in them, but barely enough to taste. I hate virginia's, so that's a good thing.

I'd suggest for a true burley, would be burley flake by MacBaren.

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

I'm not a huge Burley fan but there are several I enjoy. Watch City Slices and Deluxe Crumb Cut, Mac Baren HH Burley Flake and Golden Extra.

 

[pip01]

My favorite burley blends are Solani Aged Burley Flake, Wessex Burley Slice & McBareen Burley Flake. These 3 are the holy grail of burleys. Just lovely stuff and smoke beautifully. Before I had ABF I hated burley now its one of my favorites. I do enjoy Golden Extra as well but not as much as the others I mentioned.

Although C&D are know for their burley blends more often than not I find their blends to to flat and underwhelming in the taste dept.

GLP Barbary Coast is another nice burley forward blend that I like very much.

Also coffee really helps to bring out the burley flavors. They pair very well together.

 

[elasmo]

Not a huge burley fan....unless it says "Redburn" on the label. Much bigger into the kentucky/dark fired aspect of it.

 

[edger]

It takes me a long time to come to a judgement on a new tobacco, what with different pipes, differing moisture levels, and differing moods, but I recently bought a pound of Sutliff RR(Edgeworth match). If this is dried a bit, for me, the casing (chocolate/molasses) recedes and reveals the very good quality burley in the foundation of this blend. Everybody uses the word "nutty", but, for me, this stuff is it's definition! A very satisfying tobacco to my mind. Try it as it is pretty inexpensive. Best of luck!

 

[mso489]

After some years of reading Forums posts, it seems that enjoying burley is partly genetic. Some can't taste it much at all. Others tend to recoil or actually throw up. I like Virginia leaf, and certainly Va/Per, but burley based blends and blends with burley as a condiment tend to be my favorites. I grew up from infancy with a dad who smoked Granger, so it may be partly behavioral imprinting. The usual flavor cited is nutty, but there are gracious woodsy undertones, and some spice and hay as well. Burley tends to be a little fuller flavor than Virginia. Pardon a musical metaphor, but it is more alto saxophone than trumpet. Enjoying burley can be learned, but you have to be inclined to it. If you find it unpleasant, you are unlikely to come around, it seems.

 

[Ahi Ka]

@Merton do you like VaPer blends? If so, I wonder whether transitioning into something like haunted bookshop or OJK via some triple play or other stout Virginia forward blend with burley/dark fired condiment. I love my simple mindless burley abuse (spell check changed what I wrote to that, thought I may as well leave it). But my real passion is for burley blends with perique. If you liked amphora, maybe try their burley blend or Kentucky blend? I got a lot more rich earthy coffee notes from those as opposed to the nuts

 

[J.Henry845]

You can't go wrong with Golden Extra!
Amphora Burley Blend is damn good too and on sale at SP.

 

[Servant King]

I'm a new-ish pipe smoker. When the initial novelty of gimmicky aromatics wore off, my first preference was burley blends. However, this was short lived, as I quickly became enamored with straight VAs, and VaPers low on perique (like Lane 125th Anniv.). However, one of the best blends I have ever had was a burley: C&D Canal Boat. Based upon your experiences with other blends, I can definitely recommend this one. Your incoming MacB GE is a good option too. I did not like Watch City Slices. Had that one-dimensional dirt modality that you were describing. I think anyone else here will agree, regardless of personal preferences, is that the best thing to do is just try several and see what's best, keeping in mind that you might experience a rapid change of taste like I did.

 

[chuckDJeesus]

MacB all the way. Burley Flake, Old Kentucky, Old Dark Fired. All great smokes. Love the nuttiness and earthy undertones. Easy to light. Easy burning down to the last. MacB burleys are no pissing around with re-lights and no tongue bite. Those three are my go to.

 

[samuelgawith01]

So many members here rave about Burley blends. I would like to learn about them even though i know that I will likely always prefer Virginias, especially Red. Recently, i discovered that i very much like Amphora Full which, even though an aromatic, has some percentage of Burley. In the past i have tried le Petit Robin (meh) and Peretti's Belmont (named for the very nice town where Mr Peretti resided) which I liked but which is really a Burley aromatic with a light rum topping. I just tried Stokkebye cube cut and while I did not dislike it I cannot imagine smoking it regularly. I thought the flavor was rather one dimensional with a mushroom sort of flavor, very indistinct sweetness and, I hate to say it, sort of a dirt flavor to it. Not earthy, dirty. Perhaps i am too old to learn new tricks and everyone's tastes are different, but what do you Burley smokers love about the stuff. I have some MacBaren Golden Extra arriving Monday. Is that a good choice or is something else a better option. Thanks.

Cornell and Diehl Burley Flakes #1,2,3,4 &5,on a full stomach. Any of the Solani Burleys.?

 

[olkofri]

Burley bites like a mutant snapping turtle from outer space.

You've been warned.

 

[renfield]

C&D Pegasus and Mac Baren Burley Flake, especially the latter.

These don’t have that dirt/mushroom note you mentioned. Of the two Burley Flake would be my call.

As was mentioned above, pair Burley with a cup of coffee. Sublime.

 

[maduromadness]

Burley took a little time for me to come around to. I initially found them harsh and ashy tasting with little flavor and an unpleasant tin aroma. It wasn't until I tried ABF by Solani that I really understood it. Additionally learning how to smoke gently and in wider bowls rewarded me with Burleys. They can be mild and imperceptible, smokey power houses, chocolate covered nuttiness, or tangy woody and sourness and anywhere between. Goodluck... some good suggestions here.

 

[rajangan]

I think if a burley bites it's likely due to the addition of citric acid or sugar which is meant to tame its harshness and strength. I had bulk MacBaren burley of some kind years ago and it was baaad. Semois, homegrown, and whole leaf burley have zero tongue bite and adding it to biting VAs actually reduces tongue bite.

 

[krizzose]

I'm a Virginia guy first and foremost, but there are few burley blends that I wouldn't be without:

MacBaren HH Burley Flake
Stokkebye Burley 702
Stokkebye Cube Cut
GL Pease Barbary Coast