In Addition To Nicotine, There Is Something About Burley

[deathmetal]

Forum legend MSO489 writes:

A Forums member got sick on Semois and sent me the rest of the package after I'd raved about a sample.

First, Semois is awesome.
Second, it is Burley... and Burley has something else in it besides Nicotine that makes the stomach and gut react.
I mention this because two of my favorite tobaccos, Royal Yacht and Brown Twist Sliced, are both high-nicotine but do not have the impact on the gut that Burley blends do.
Then, the other day, I was messing around with some Dark Burley in my mad scientist laboratory, and had occasion to compare an older sample with a newer. The older sample was mellow; the newer one hit me in the gut, like "green" tobacco or cheese might. It was not aged enough and provoked a reaction.
I have since identified this as the Fifth Horseman behind Old Joe Krantz. My two-year aged stash, a few pounds of the stuff, is not cut thin like the newer version, but does not slam me to the ground. Newer orders have that green feeling, like eating raw onions.
I doubt that this condition afflicts everyone; some people puff away on Burley without it. Personal chemistry and all that. But I think it is worth reminding the community that this "Burley blast" is something else, and so, you may get different results with Semois, Old Joe Krantz, or even have Prince Albert feel like a medium-full instead of a mild-medium.

 

[ashdigger]

Burley kicks the chemical stuffing out of me. Some blends I can tolerate but others feel like I smoked bleach. Its a very weird thing.

 

[didimauw]

Hmm...I'm the exact opposite. I cant handle Virginia forward blends. Not in the stomach sense, but mouth sense. I'm a burley only type guy.

 

[deathmetal]

Not in the stomach sense, but mouth sense.

I have also felt this pain.
For me, topped blends are the worst; I just assumed that mouth bite was part of the process, and then I smoked some Old Joe Krantz (insert several glitter-covered pink-violet hearts after that name) and realized it was the flavorings that did it.
Some Virginias do not do this, notably the Royal Yacht (more pink hearts) and GH&C ropes.

 

[Chasing Embers]

I guess I've been smoking too long. I smoke just about everything in very large pipes, and walk away with little more than a mellow feeling, and a friendly ghost in my mustache.

 

[dottiewarden]

You may well be right about the need for a little age on Burley, but you just can't beat the natural Burley taste in a Burley forward blend.
I've never experienced any problem with a Burley other than such great taste I can't seem to get enough.
Favorites: Irish Flake, University Flake and most recently a much milder Burley "Golden Extra"
I've had other blends that supposedly had Burley included as an ingredient, but for me I want my Burley to be the star of the show.

 

[snagstangl]

I have read in old Pipe Lovers magazine that burley benefited from aging. They didn't think other tobacco did. I have had that experience with OJK myself when I first tried it. I had an ounce, didn't smoke much of it because it didn't taste good. I came across it a year later. Much improved. I would say in the 1930's (when the magazine was published) buying tobacco and waiting a few months to smoke it would be aging, since I think tobacco was bought simply when you ran out.
I know I have heard someone else on the forum talk about putting C&D stuff away for 6 months to let the burley kind of lose its odd flavor. I know I haven't paid attention to have a problem with "green" burley other than not tasting good to me.

 

[cobguy]

Burley tobacco that still has that green / un-aged flavor can be tamed by toasting it. Place the tobacco on a cookie sheet and bake at 180F for 20 minutes. Take it out and spray it lightly with a weak sugar casing, mixing well, then back into the oven again. Repeat this 3 or 4 times and, on the last round, air dry it to the moisture level to be jarred at.
One simple solution that can be used for this is 1 Tablespoon of chocolate syrup in 1 ounce of water. I've also used molasses, apple juice, pomegranate juice, etc ...

 

[peckinpahhombre]

I believe I was the forum member who sent the Semois to MSO489. I smoke a reasonable number of burley blends, but there is something aboud Semois that just maked me gag like crazy, primarily the scent which just smelled like sweaty gym socks to me. My gift to MSO489 was not motivated by altruism - I just wanted the stuff out of my house as quickly as I could manage.
I have also not had the same issue with any other burley.
However, I do agree that I have noticed that I prefer burley (in particular, dark fired kentucky burley) after it has a bit of age on it. JKP, for example, tastes much more smooth to my palate with 3+ years of age on it than it does smooth.

 

[pagan]

I prefer aged dark fired Kentucky Burley

 

[didimauw]

Toasted burley by itself, like Peter Stokkebye, is too sharp for me. It makes a great blender though. I'll have to let the rest of my old dark fired flakes age for a bit and re try it though!

 

[mso489]

death', I think I am mostly a legend in my own mind, but thanks! I don't want to accuse peck of generosity, since that isn't his style, but he sent along a couple of other items with the Semois that knocked my socks off. 'Nuff said.
My dad was a Granger smoker since before I was born, so maybe my tolerance for burley is conditioned. I have trouble with some tobaccos, especially aromatics, but burleys of various kinds and high nic blends don't seem to get to me. Well, maybe brown twist rope. Knock on wood, as my maw used to say -- I think from the Welch belief that you could awaken protection from the spirits in the trees if you knocked on wood.
Yes, Semois tends to be fragrant. In the jar, it has a sniff of the old horse stables, but once burning, smells and tastes like Thanksgiving dinner to me.

 

[jefff]

There was a time when almost all that most of us smoked was mostly burley. Since I smoked cigarettes for years the nic hit has never really effected me.
I don't smoked enough burley to know if fresh would bother me.

 

[onestrangeone]

Hmm, all I know is that C&D burly flake sucked ba!!s when I first opened it and after about 3-4 months jarred it is great!

I'm a Burly fan and smoke a fair amount of it, when I first read this thread I scoffed a bit, I smoke a lot of full bodied cigars and have a fairly high tolerance for nic.

Yesterday afternoon felt like an OJK day so I broke out a Nording freehand and filled her up, finished that one and decided another bowl won't hurt, jokingly told the wife, if you hear me throwing up come hose me down.

I made it almost to the bottom of the bowl, when I dumped it there was just a small amount of Dottle, I didn't throw up but it was close, the room started spinning and I was sweating like I was in a sauna. Had to sit still for about half an hour!

 

[jackswilling]

"Toasted burley by itself, like Peter Stokkebye, is too sharp for me. It makes a great blender though."
I have a lot of it, for just that, mixing with other blends. Not all burleys have high nicotine content. Many are mellow.

 

[deathmetal]

The Druids knew more than we credit them for.

 

[mackeson]

I'm hot and cold with pure burley/high burley content blends myself. Some are absolute nutty, chewy yumminess for me - others sharp and bitter. Can't really figure it out. I often seek out high nicotine blends though. While they don't cause the fabled spins for me, the nicotine is just more satisfying.

The Druids knew more than we credit them for.

Virgins make great sacrifices, right?

 

[beastinview]

I've always felt that the nicotine in burley hits me in the mouth and throat a lot. I'll feel niccups, constricting throat, numb lips, etc. I also get a tad more queasiness with burley when I overdo it.
With the strong VA ropes like Gawith, I get far more lightheaded, but none of the other affects that I get with burley.
I suppose it could also have to do with curing or something like that, but for whatever reason, I get nic hits from both--but just very different nic hits!

 

[cosmicfolklore]

To me, Semois is more like smoking a cigar than any of the cigar blends, in that it has that thick "sticky" smoke, barnyard aroma, and the nicotine just floods. Plus, a brick of it lasts for a very long time. I am on my third brick, and I love this stuff. But, I have to smoke it away from the family. They aren't too crazy about it, nor cigars for that matter.

 

[mackeson]

@Cosmic

I think you've pushed me over the edge into trying Semois. I keep reading about it here and it sounds intriguing. I'll have to order some next month when I place my monthly order.