Burley?

[ithelouniverse]

I know this is a very broad question, but what does burley taste like? I got a few things that have it and I'm not sure the notes I should be looking for...

 

[cortezattic]

It's not sweet at all, unless it's been flavored. It's a bit on the woody, or some say nutty side -- though I think its flavor has more in common with the skin of a nut rather than the nut meat itself. It tends toward the bitter side, but not entirely in a bad way.

Here's Russ Ouellette's take on the subject: Burley, The Rodney Dangerfield Of Tobacco.

 

[rmbittner]

It's usually said that burley has very little flavor on its own, and that's been my experience with it. It does contribute what everyone -- myself included -- calls a "nuttiness" that can be very appealing. For me, it's that nutty quality, along with the nicotine boost that burley brings to a blend, that helps me to identify it. Many of us also sense it on the tongue; burley smoke tends to coat the tongue in a way that no other leaf does. I can also "feel" it at the back of my throat.
Bob

 

[mrmotoyoshi]

It seems to me that Burley's in fact get no respect (for the most part)
I really enjoy some Burley blends.
To answer your question, like others have said, they have a nutty/organic type of flavor. In complete agreement with Rmbittner about the feeling in the back of the throat, especially with Kentucky Burleys in my experience.
If you want to get a feel for some good quality burleys, Dunhill Ultra Mild was nice for a taste of White Burley. Solani Aged Burley flake is about the best Burley I've ever had. Peterson University Flake is nice if you want a little flavoring with your Burley and some VA as well.
Burleys are also great for building cake in a pipe, if that's your thing

 

[blazze]

Throw some CH or PA in a pipe and smoke it! In my opinion its a nutty almost chocolaty flavor. Great with coffee as a first pipe in the morning. But yes as others have said.. It doesn't have a whole lot of "flavor" to it.

 

[hawke]

Im still sorting out my favorite tobacco. ALong the way Ive done some research to find out the basic types and their condiments, sometimes a particular tobacco and others a flavor addition. In doing Ive compiled some info and consolidated it which might lend helpful to some, including me.

Virginia Tobacco: Brightleaf tobacco is commonly known as "Virginia tobacco", regardless of where in the world it is harvested.

Virginia tobaccos that are bright colored have a sharp, piquant flavor, and should be smoked slower, or enjoyed in a “flake” form, slowing combustion temperatures

Darker Virginia tobaccos will have more “body”, smoke slower and are sweeter.

Virginia tobaccos have acidic qualities, affecting how human taste buds on the tongue sense taste and how the olfactory sensors in the nasal sinuses sense smell.
Burley Tobacco: is a light air-cured tobacco used primarily for cigarette production.

Burley tobaccos have no natural sugars; they have an alkaline quality, and have a lot of “body” (mellower and softer sense of taste). White Burley is the mildest, with a transparent flavor. Burley tobacco is like a sponge for casing sauces and top dressings. Natural Burley that has been aged and compressed has a nutty, pleasant flavor, naturally, without added casing sauces or dressings. Fire cured dark Burley has a nicotine punch and strong flavor, that would be wisely used in moderation, or as a condiment to a blend.
Oriental Tobacco (Turkish tobacco): is a sun-cured, highly aromatic, small-leafed variety (Nicotiana tabacum) that is grown in Turkey, Greece, Bulgaria, Lebanon, and the Republic of Macedonia. Oriental tobacco is frequently referred to as "Turkish tobacco". Many of the early brands of cigarettes were made mostly or entirely of Oriental tobacco; today, its main use is in blends of pipe and especially cigarette tobacco (a typical American cigarette is a blend of bright Virginia, burley and Oriental).
Perique tobacco is used as a condiment to a blend, mixture or flake. Perique has the quality of pepper, a unique taste and aroma that many people enjoy. Other condimental tobaccos include Latakia, and some strong Oriental tobaccos. Sometimes a mild Oriental tobacco is used as a base in a blend or mixture.
Some of the smoothest tobaccos can be a Cavendish, which are usually compressed, steamed, cased and aged for further fermentation, the process effectively turning any remaining ammonias within the leaf converting to starch and sugars. Blends or mixtures that have not been aged are “green”; sometimes have an alcohol smell, due to hasty application of a cheap top dressing disguising inferior tobacco. Beware of and avoid cheap tobaccos with a cheap perfume—spend the extra money for a natural, quality aged mixture.

 

[cortezattic]

Like blazze said above, it's probably best to sample some Burley-forward blends to develop a palate for Burley. Haunted Bookshop or Prince Albert would be among my first recommendations; or Mac Baren Old Dark Fired if you want a little more sophistication. But doing so is more of a study in how Burley contributes to a blend -- not how it tastes. Best idea I can come up with is to buy an ounce of some of the blending Burleys on the market, listed here with some of the product descriptions. Smoking them on their own will give you a good feel for the character of the leaf.
C&D Bulk Burley Ribbon Cut: Kentucky and Tennessee leaf

C&D Cube Cut Burley: higher nicotine content, used mainly for blending to slow down a burn and add some body

C&D Dark Burley: smoke cured and mild smoking

C&D White Burley: smoke alone or in a blend to add body, or whole mouth feel

H&H Burley Shag: light and nutty tasting, and will thin out a blend

H&H Dark Fired Kentucky: fire cured, smokey & earthy -- but less than Latakia. Has a sharp edge, and adds body to a blend.

H&H Toasted Burley: double toasted to bring out a natural nutty sweetness and a nice cocoa note

H&H Premium Ribbon Cut Burley: flavor is slightly sour and nutty, like a pecan. The base of many old-time American OTC blends

H&H Dark Burley: bold and a bit spicy in flavor and is somewhat cigar-like

H&H White Cube Burley: tightly compressed little Grape Nuts looking nuggets of white Burley are cool-smoking and distinctly nutty

 

[dryseason91]

+1 on the Solani Aged Burley Flake. It's all burley with (according to tobaccoreviews.com) some cocoa casing. The flavour is bold yet round, featuring plenty of coffee, dark chocolate and bitter nut. It's easily one of my favourite blends.

 

[smeigs]

get some carter hall. Its pretty much all burley. The taste great in a corn cob.