Mellowest Unflavored Burley Blends?

[Skippy Piper]

I really love the flavor of Burley but most of them tend to give me a sore throat when I smoke them (and no, I don't inhale, my throat is just weirdly sensitive to Burley). I've tried lots of Cornell & Diehl Burley blends like Pegasus, Haunted Bookshop, Old Joe Krantz, Old Joe Krantz Blue Label, and Kelly's Coin; and while they all tasted great they all really kicked the heck out of my throat. Suffice it to say anything made by Cornell & Diehl is a no-go for me. Prince Albert and Carter Hall both really rough up my throat too.

However, I recently tried Five Brothers and discovered that it was surprisingly mellow and didn't bother my throat at all. It had a nice softly nutty, woody Burley flavor but was exceptionally smooth and easy on my throat and gentle on the sinuses when retrohaled; though the nicotine content was a fair bit higher than I like in an everyday smoke.

That got me looking around for other Burleys that might be similarly mellow and smooth but pack less of a nicotine wallop. I'd prefer a natural tasting blend without any cocoa or other toppings, though I don't mind a bit of plain sugar casing if it helps smooth the blend out.

So far I'm looking at trying:

Lane Limited - BL/WB
Peter Stokkebye - PS41 Cube Cut
Daughters & Ryan - Two Timer

but I was wondering if there are any other really mellow and easygoing Burley blends I should try? Any recommendations would be much appreciated!

 

[makhorkasmoker]

If you smoked 5 bros and it did not hurt your throat, then it is highly likely that what’s bothering you with those c&d blends is not the burley. All of the c&d blends you list have other components—perique, Virginia etc. it is probably these components or a combination of these with burley that’s bothering you. Toppings and casings in those codger blends can cause problems too

Alas the list of truly straight minimally flavored burleys is short. You’ve listed one—two timer.

C&d white burley and dark burley are 2 other candidates.

Then there is straight Kentucky burley as well as burley “red tips” (the upper leaves). Available only in whole leaf but well worth the trouble . You can toast it to make it milder

And there’s the boutique Belgian stuff.

This is from someone who has a similar issue and struggled a good while before figuring out the real issue. I now smoke pretty much exclusively straight untopped non-cased air cured blends I mix from whole leaf

 

[Skippy Piper]

If you smoked 5 bros and it did not hurt your throat, then it is highly likely that what’s bothering you with those c&d blends is not the burley. All of the c&d blends you list have other components—perique, Virginia etc. it is probably these components or a combination of these with burley that’s bothering you. Toppings and casings in those codger blends can cause problems too

It's real dang mysterious trying to figure out what exactly bothers my throat and what doesn't. In an attempt to sort it out I've been doing a "blend of the week" experiment for the past year, where each week I smoke a single blend every day for a week and write down my experiences with it. Based on what I've learned so far I thought it was relatively untopped Burley and Perique that bother my throat, but the recent discovery that Five Brothers doesn't give me any trouble and some Virginia based blends with no Burley in them at all do bother my throat throws the whole thing into question. For reference, here's the blends I've tried for the experiment so far:


Blends That Gave Me A Sore Throat
Carter Hall
Condor Plug
Cornell & Diehl - Autumn Evening
Cornell & Diehl - Briar Fox
Cornell & Diehl - Corncob Pipe (And a Button Nose)
Cornell & Diehl - Haunted Bookshop
Cornell & Diehl - Interlude
Cornell & Diehl - Kelly's Coin
Cornell & Diehl - Old Joe Krantz
Cornell & Diehl - Old Joe Krantz Blue Label
Cornell & Diehl - Pegasus
Cornell & Diehl - Winchester
Escudo Navy Deluxe
Gawith Hoggarth & Co. - Dark Flake Unscented
Gawith Hoggarth & Co. - Dark Flake Aromatic
Gawith Hoggarth & Co. - Kendal Dark
Mac Baren - HH Bold Kentucky
Mac Baren - Three Nuns
Mac Baren - Vanilla Cream Loose Cut
Mac Baren - Vanilla Roll Cake
Middleton's - Cherry Blend
Orlik - Golden Sliced
Peterson - Irish Flake
Peterson - Royal Yacht
Prince Albert
Sir Walter Raleigh Aromatic
Super Value - Bourbon Whiskey
Sutliff - Pumpkin Spice
War Horse Bar
War Horse Green


Blends That Didn't Give Me A Sore Throat
Arango - Balkan Supreme
Capstan Blue
Capstan Gold
Captain Black Original
Cornell & Diehl - Cordial
Cult Blood Red Moon
Five Brothers
Gawith Hoggarth & Co. - Bob's Chocolate Flake
Gawith Hoggarth & Co. - Coniston Cut Plug
Gawith Hoggarth & Co. - Happy Brown Bogie
Gawith Hoggarth & Co. - Jamaican Flake
G.L. Pease - Union Square
Lane Limited - 1-Q
Lane Limited - RLP-6
Lane Limited - Very Cherry
Mac Baren - 7 Seas Red Blend
Mac Baren - HH Pure Virginia
Mac Baren - Vanilla Flake
Peterson - Early Morning Pipe
Samuel Gawith - 1792 Flake
Samuel Gawith - Fire Dance Flake
Samuel Gawith - Full Virginia Flake
Sutliff - 507C Virginia Slices
Sutliff - 515 RC-1


I've gathered quite a lot of data from my blend of the week experiments so far, but the results are a little nebulous. Generally speaking it seems like most blends made by Cornell & Diehl bother my throat, but then there's a couple outliers like Cordial and G.L. Pease Union Square that don't. For a long while I thought it must be anything with Perique or over 15% Burley content that wasn't heavily topped with something sweet that was the culprit, but Five Brothers threw that theory out the window.

At this point it seems a little random trying to figure out what will give me a sore throat and what won't, but I figure if I keep at it long enough than eventually a pattern will emerge. In the meantime I suppose I should just be grateful to have finally found a relatively plain Burley blend that I can smoke comfortably, even if it does have more nicotine than anyone probably needs!

 

[Sigmund]

The tough thing is we dont know what is in the stuff. There could be a mystery substance added to the ones that bother you. Unfortunately, we dont have access to that information. For all we know it could stand out like a sore thumb if we did.

Keep narrowing the field. Hopefully with less irritation as you go.

 

[makhorkasmoker]

It's real dang mysterious trying to figure out what exactly bothers my throat and what doesn't. In an attempt to sort it out I've been doing a "blend of the week" experiment for the past year, where each week I smoke a single blend every day for a week and write down my experiences with it. Based on what I've learned so far I thought it was relatively untopped Burley and Perique that bother my throat, but the recent discovery that Five Brothers doesn't give me any trouble and some Virginia based blends with no Burley in them at all do bother my throat throws the whole thing into question. For reference, here's the blends I've tried for the experiment so far:


Blends That Gave Me A Sore Throat
Carter Hall
Condor Plug
Cornell & Diehl - Autumn Evening
Cornell & Diehl - Briar Fox
Cornell & Diehl - Corncob Pipe (And a Button Nose)
Cornell & Diehl - Haunted Bookshop
Cornell & Diehl - Interlude
Cornell & Diehl - Kelly's Coin
Cornell & Diehl - Old Joe Krantz
Cornell & Diehl - Old Joe Krantz Blue Label
Cornell & Diehl - Pegasus
Cornell & Diehl - Winchester
Escudo Navy Deluxe
Gawith Hoggarth & Co. - Dark Flake Unscented
Gawith Hoggarth & Co. - Dark Flake Aromatic
Gawith Hoggarth & Co. - Kendal Dark
Mac Baren - HH Bold Kentucky
Mac Baren - Three Nuns
Mac Baren - Vanilla Cream Loose Cut
Mac Baren - Vanilla Roll Cake
Middleton's - Cherry Blend
Orlik - Golden Sliced
Peterson - Irish Flake
Peterson - Royal Yacht
Prince Albert
Sir Walter Raleigh Aromatic
Super Value - Bourbon Whiskey
Sutliff - Pumpkin Spice
War Horse Bar
War Horse Green


Blends That Didn't Give Me A Sore Throat
Arango - Balkan Supreme
Capstan Blue
Capstan Gold
Captain Black Original
Cornell & Diehl - Cordial
Cult Blood Red Moon
Five Brothers
Gawith Hoggarth & Co. - Bob's Chocolate Flake
Gawith Hoggarth & Co. - Coniston Cut Plug
Gawith Hoggarth & Co. - Jamaican Flake
G.L. Pease - Union Square
Lane Limited - 1-Q
Lane Limited - RLP-6
Lane Limited - Very Cherry
Mac Baren - 7 Seas Red Blend
Mac Baren - HH Pure Virginia
Mac Baren - Vanilla Flake
Peterson - Early Morning Pipe
Samuel Gawith - 1792 Flake
Samuel Gawith - Fire Dance Flake
Samuel Gawith - Full Virginia Flake
Sutliff - 507C Virginia Slices
Sutliff - 515 RC-1


I've gathered quite a lot of data from my blend of the week experiments so far, but the results are a little nebulous. Generally speaking it seems like most blends made by Cornell & Diehl bother my throat, but then there's a couple outliers like Cordial and G.L. Pease Union Square that don't. For a long while I thought it must be anything with Perique or over 15% Burley content that wasn't heavily topped with something sweet that was the culprit, but Five Brothers threw that theory out the window.

At this point it seems a little random trying to figure out what will give me a sore throat and what won't, but I figure if I keep at it long enough than eventually a pattern will emerge. In the meantime I suppose I should just be grateful to have finally found a relatively plain Burley blend that I can smoke comfortably, even if it does have more nicotine than anyone probably needs!

Considering the range of tobaccos you can smoke without issues, I agree with Sigmund.

 

[Skippy Piper]

The tough thing is we dont know what is in the stuff. There could be a mystery substance added to the ones that bother you. Unfortunately, we dont have access to that information. For all we know it could stand out like a sore thumb if we did.

Keep narrowing the field. Hopefully with less irritation as you go.

Considering the range of tobaccos you can smoke without issues, I agree with Sigmund.

You guys make a good point. A lot of the time it may just come down to mysterious unknown casings and manufacturing methods moreso than the individual tobacco components. I can make some general assumptions that tend to hold true about which manufacturers' products are going to bug my throat and which won't (C&D bad, Middleton bad, Lane good, Gawith generally good), but past that it's largely a guess and check procedure.

So, I'll just keep on guessing and checking! I do have pretty high hopes for D&R Two Timer, since I used to roll cigarettes with their Three Sails and Ryback Gold and liked their tobacco a great deal, so I'll give Two Timer a try and see how it goes!

 

[Briar Lee]

I really love the flavor of Burley but most of them tend to give me a sore throat when I smoke them (and no, I don't inhale, my throat is just weirdly sensitive to Burley). I've tried lots of Cornell & Diehl Burley blends like Pegasus, Haunted Bookshop, Old Joe Krantz, Old Joe Krantz Blue Label, and Kelly's Coin; and while they all tasted great they all really kicked the heck out of my throat. Suffice it to say anything made by Cornell & Diehl is a no-go for me. Prince Albert and Carter Hall both really rough up my throat too.

However, I recently tried Five Brothers and discovered that it was surprisingly mellow and didn't bother my throat at all. It had a nice softly nutty, woody Burley flavor but was exceptionally smooth and easy on my throat and gentle on the sinuses when retrohaled; though the nicotine content was a fair bit higher than I like in an everyday smoke.

That got me looking around for other Burleys that might be similarly mellow and smooth but pack less of a nicotine wallop. I'd prefer a natural tasting blend without any cocoa or other toppings, though I don't mind a bit of plain sugar casing if it helps smooth the blend out.

So far I'm looking at trying:

Lane Limited - BL/WB
Peter Stokkebye - PS41 Cube Cut
Daughters & Ryan - Two Timer

but I was wondering if there are any other really mellow and easygoing Burley blends I should try? Any recommendations would be much appreciated!

If Carter Hall gives you a sore throat it’s hard to recommend any burley.

Carter Hall was the last codger burley blend.

R J Reynolds was formulating it for twelve year olds.

 

[dd57chevy]

What he said .

 

[Skippy Piper]

If Carter Hall gives you a sore throat it’s hard to recommend any burley.

Carter Hall was the last codger burley blend.

R J Reynolds was formulating it for twelve year olds.

And yet I can somehow smoke Five Brothers with no problems at all, so there's gotta be some hope for me and burley!

 

[makhorkasmoker]

If Carter Hall gives you a sore throat it’s hard to recommend any burley.

Carter Hall was the last codger burley blend.

R J Reynolds was formulating it for twelve year olds.

Carter hall, like most otc blends, bothers my throat and mouth quite a lot, while strong burleys like c&d dark and whole leaf Kentucky never give me a problem

 

[Douglas]

Have you tried Semois?

 

[Skippy Piper]

Have you tried Semois?

I have not! I'd love to give Reserve du Patron and Le Petit Robin a try, but they've always been out of stock everywhere online every time I've gone looking for them. They both certainly sound like something I'd like though and if I can ever get my hands on some Semois I'll definitely give it a try!

 

[Douglas]

I have not! I'd love to give Reserve du Patron and Le Petit Robin a try, but they've always been out of stock everywhere online every time I've gone looking for them. They both certainly sound like something I'd like though and if I can ever get my hands on some Semois I'll definitely give it a try!

Try it if you can. When I’ve over smoked and my mouth is a little fatigued Semois is my go to. It’s just smooth to me. Noninvasive if that makes sense. Don’t get me wrong, it has some strength, but It’s still an easy going smoke to me. Have you tried the email waiting list on SP.com?

 

[VDL_Piper]

This isn't unflavoured but try GLP Barbary Coast and for something completely different Rattray's Hal O' the Wynd or Brown Clunee might suit but based on the info, I'm with the other guys in saying if you can't smoke Cartel Hall then I just don't know.

 

[Skippy Piper]

Try it if you can. When I’ve over smoked and my mouth is a little fatigued Semois is my go to. It’s just smooth to me. Noninvasive if that makes sense. Don’t get me wrong, it has some strength, but It’s still an easy going smoke to me. Have you tried the email waiting list on SP.com?

Just added myself to the waiting list! And I know what you mean about blends being an easygoing smoke. For me "easygoing" means being able to retrohale the smoke without it stinging my sinuses at all. Really smooth and gentle. So far the only blends I've found that meet that criteria for me are Captain Black Original, Lane RLP-6 and Very Cherry, and Five Brothers. I've smoked a whole lotta different blends, but there's not many my sinuses find smooth and easygoing.

 

[NomadOrb]

It's crazy how people are affected differently by tobacco. Pretty much every blend you listed as giving you a sore throat are smooth to me, especially Pegasus and Old Joe Krantz Blue.

Not many other burleys to recommend to be honest. Perhaps go the whole leaf route or try Ken Byron Ventures. I haven't tried his Burley blends myself, but they are usually spoken of quite highly. His Verge Engine Overdrive is fantastic as a side note.

 

[Indygrap]

Like you, burley bothered my throat. I say “bothered”, in past tense because I’ve apparently grown out of it(?). You aren’t the only one I’ve know with this issue. It’s odd but now I rarely experience irritation.
I’ve worked a few burleys into my rotation that it looks like you’ve tried, so I’ll mention one I tried recently that might interest you. Rivertown Oak & Ember. It’s a VA/Bur & I tried a bowl at my local shop. Very mellow & smooth, good flavor, & repeatable. Hope you find a blend that works for you, but if not, there are plenty of others.

 

[romaso]

FYI, both of these are sweetened and flavored:
Lane Limited - BL/WB
Peter Stokkebye - PS41 Cube Cut
Same for Stokkebye 702 Burley.

Your best bet might be Daughters & Ryan - Two Timer for a plain burley.

 

[Briar Lee]

And yet I can somehow smoke Five Brothers with no problems at all, so there's gotta be some hope for me and burley!

Five Brothers is likely 100% dark fired “burley”and there’s not one shred of that in Carter Hall.

Prince Albert was the first flavored and patent processed white burley in 1907, and Carter Hall the last fifty years later.



Carter Hall has the same artificial Juicy Fruit chewing gum topping the children were accustomed to.

See

Dark-Fired, Cavendish: Usually Burley? :: Pipe Tobacco Discussion

Dark-fired and Cavendish, I think it is correct to say, are processes, not specific kinds of tobacco leaf. But do these usually use burley, or do both burley and Virginia sometimes end up processed these ways? I've often wondered, and it seems both are sometimes used, but I'm not sure. I can...

pipesmagazine.com

 

[SmokeyJock]

Have you tried Solani Aged Burley Flake?