My cobs have always burned really hot, as in almost uncomfortable to hold hot, as a result they got very little use over the last couple of years. I was using the balsa filters although I don't think that had anything to do with it.
This past week I was building a new fence and wanted something to chew on, so I dusted one off and loaded her up with some burly flake #2, burned pretty much the way I remembered very hot and very little taste, I decided to try something different, I packed the next bowl TIGHT (as in lets see how much #2 I can stuff in here) and took the filter out.
Tremendous difference, the flavor was what I expect out of burly, the bowl barely got warm, not even close to hot, and even being distracted by working only had to relight once at about the 3/4 mark, this is the Washington and is normally a 30/45 min smoke at best, this one went over an hour and a half.
I have come to believe that when there is a problem with a pipe it is almost always my technique or choice of tobacco.