Do You Lean Virginia Or Burley?

[mso489]

I doubt I smoke burley because it is cheap. Burley based blends cost about as much per tin as Virginia based. I don't smoke enough per day to worry about the difference. So I'm a good subject for the experiment. I just like the rich, nutty, gritty flavor of burley, while I also enjoy Virginias, Va/Pers, Orientals, etc. My stash has equal amounts of both burley and Virginia based; it's just that I smoke up the burley faster. I know burley has the rep of being the working man's leaf. Now that I'm retired, I work as little as possible. Anyway, if you're smoking burley to save money, you may not save much.

 

[Bobby Bailey]

I've tried near 20 different burley blends, and so far, it is the only tobacco I can't stand. They taste horrible to me and either it or the casing/topping irritates my mouth something fierce. Blends without burley, or at least very small amounts, don't do that.
I now don't even bother to try a blend if it lists burley.

 

[leonardbill1]

As between the two, Virginia. Burley is fine in a blend, but I've never been big on it straight or as the predominant tobacco in a blend.

 

[JohnClyde]

Virginia...but I'm minded that I've not gone down the burley rabbit hole in quite the same way.

That Solani aged burley stuff was pretty impressive, if a little monochromatic.

What are the cornerstone tobaccos for straight burley?

 

[sandollars]

All top notch and all burley based:

Solani 656 ABF
McB Burley London Blend
C&D Crooner
G&H Kendal Kentucky
Esoterica Stonehaven
Wessex Burley Slice
Tabac Manil Le Petit Robin
Tabac Manil ALL the others
C&D Eight State Burley
WCC Watch City Slices
Peretti BPC
WCC Deluxe Crumb Cut
C&D Old Joe Krantz
WCC Stubb's Pipe
Peterson Irish Flake
C&D Haunted Bookshop
Lane Limited (Edgeworth) Ready Rubbed
Peterson University Flake
HH Old Dark Fired
Peterson 3P's
G&H Dark Bird's eye

I am getting tired of typing. I could go on and on.

 

[JohnClyde]

All top notch and all burley based:

Solani 656 ABF
McB Burley London Blend
C&D Crooner
G&H Kendal Kentucky
Esoterica Stonehaven
Wessex Burley Slice
Tabac Manil Le Petit Robin
Tabac Manil ALL the others
C&D Eight State Burley
WCC Watch City Slices
Peretti BPC
WCC Deluxe Crumb Cut
C&D Old Joe Krantz
WCC Stubb's Pipe
Peterson Irish Flake
C&D Haunted Bookshop
Lane Limited (Edgeworth) Ready Rubbed
Peterson University Flake
HH Old Dark Fired
Peterson 3P's
G&H Dark Bird's eye

I am getting tired of typing. I could go on and on.

Thanks for the recommendations. I've smoked quite a few of those but not the straight burleys (dark birds eye, old dark fired, kendal kentucky). Would those be the go-to straights?

 

[sandollars]

Thanks for the recommendations. I've smoked quite a few of those but not the straight burleys (dark birds eye, old dark fired, kendal kentucky). Would those be the go-to straights?

I believe both Dark Bird's eye and Old Dark fired both have Virginia. Kendal Kentucky is straight burley and will knock your socks off in the Vitamin N dept. Dark Bird's eye is also on the strong side. Old Dark fired is medium.

For straight burleys, I recommend Wessex Burley Slice and Tabac Manil.

I believe all of the Tabac Manil tobaccos with the exception of Le Petite Robin are straight Semois burley with the only difference being the thickness of the ribbon cut. Tabac Manil is grown, processed and packaged onsite in the Ardennes valley, Belgium. Side note: The battle of the bulge was fought in that valley.... Maybe that's what accounts for it's unique taste. Regardless, it's one of my favorites and is always in my regular rotation. Everyone who likes burley hasn't lived until they taste Semois.

It's about the journey, not the destination. Enjoy!

 

[RonB]

I like Burley and Va blends. Sometimes just a straight Ava.

 

[STP]

Mostly Virginia, but I like Burley too.

 

[sandollars]

That Solani aged burley stuff was pretty impressive, if a little monochromatic.

What are the cornerstone tobaccos for straight burley?

Respectfully, I disagree.

Solani ABF is full of nuance; molasses, chocolate, pine-woodsie, earthy, little bit grassy, nutty, and sweet, sweet aromas of brown sugar. It's the bomb and IMO, one of the "cornerstone tobaccos" for straight burleys. I mention 2 others above.

 

[Johnny_Pipecleaner]

So I says to my one-legged wife, I says “Peg…”, and she says “how many times do I have to tell ya, it’s EILEEN!!” ?

but seriously, I’m VA all the way. I do burley, but it’s not my target.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Respectfully, I disagree.

Solani ABF is full of nuance; molasses, chocolate, pine-woodsie, earthy, little bit grassy, nutty, and sweet, sweet aromas of brown sugar. It's the bomb and IMO, one of the "cornerstone tobaccos" for straight burleys. I mention 2 others above.

Interesting, I found it kind of monochromatic as well. I mean, I do pick up on those flavors you mention, but they never seem to change, so you get the same flavor from start to finish, which gets boring to me.
But, I totally get those flavors, and can see why you would like it.

 

[greenmtnsmoke]

Virginias and VaPer!...burley always turns bitter, must be a chemistry thing?

 

[karam]

Respectfully, I disagree.

Solani ABF is full of nuance; molasses, chocolate, pine-woodsie, earthy, little bit grassy, nutty, and sweet, sweet aromas of brown sugar. It's the bomb and IMO, one of the "cornerstone tobaccos" for straight burleys. I mention 2 others above.

Aged boring flake is all that? Kidding, we can all like different things, ABF did nothing for me but that’s on me, not the tobacco.
For me it’s Virginia WITH burley…after it’s been Periqued or Dark Fired

 

[JohnClyde]

I believe both Dark Bird's eye and Old Dark fired both have Virginia. Kendal Kentucky is straight burley and will knock your socks off in the Vitamin N dept. Dark Bird's eye is also on the strong side. Old Dark fired is medium.

For straight burleys, I recommend Wessex Burley Slice and Tabac Manil.

I believe all of the Tabac Manil tobaccos with the exception of Le Petite Robin are straight Semois burley with the only difference being the thickness of the ribbon cut. Tabac Manil is grown, processed and packaged onsite in the Ardennes valley, Belgium. Side note: The battle of the bulge was fought in that valley.... Maybe that's what accounts for it's unique taste. Regardless, it's one of my favorites and is always in my regular rotation. Everyone who likes burley hasn't lived until they taste Semois.

It's about the journey, not the destination. Enjoy!

Tabac Manil is one of those I've got, but for some reason put in a separate category from trad US straight burley.

I was expecting cornerstones to be more along the lines of five brothers.

 

[mso489]

C&D's Dark Burley, Big'n'Burley, Old Joe Krantz original, Billy Budd, Tuggle Hall. Peterson 3-P and Irish Flake.

 

[F4RM3R]

I like and appreciate both but tend to prefer strong and spicy blends that burn cool. Burley/Kentucky fit the bill with their low sugars and high nic, but to balance things I prefer to have a little Virginia in the mix. I’ve ended up gravitating towards blends with no more than 50% virginia, but most of the time it’s around 20-30% Virginia and about 40-70% burley/Kentucky with some condimental stuff like perique/Latakia/orientals

 

[sandollars]

Tabac Manil is one of those I've got, but for some reason put in a separate category from trad US straight burley.

I was expecting cornerstones to be more along the lines of five brothers.

Not for me. I am not a fan of Five Brothers. It's too strong and is super 1 dimensional. And it's too strong for me. We all have our preferences. You should give it a try....

 

[mso489]

As noted in the original post, I am a burley devotee, but enjoy Virginias and other leaf as well. Recently, I popped open a tin of the discontinued McC's Dark Star, which is stoved Virginia aged and dark, and it is about the best Virginia leaf I've smoked. It had the reputation of not burning well, so I knew I'd have to address that. I used a small hand grater to get larger pieces down to size, and I let it dry a bit as well. It burns evenly and well, a few relights, but nothing frustrating. The flavor is complex and resonant. It will inspire me to open other of my Virginia blends from time to time, after this fine re-introduction.

 

[C&D Fanatic]

I lean burley for the main component/pure burley over a Virginia based mix generally, but do enjoy several blend that have a large Virginia component but have enough other types to make it just a part of it. I'll smoke pure burley but not pure Virginia's but that proponent comes down to the fact I smoke fast