On a Burley Journey

[select565]

I can't speak for Marconi, but as an adamant fan of this forum, I feel obligated to support only the businesses that support keeping this forum open. I wish all of the others well, but I just prefer to spend my money at places where I know that a little of it comes back to the community.

I hear you. And respect that. On the other hand as a new pipe smoker it would be foolish to limit myself to sponsors of this website. Especially if a blend is unavailable or often out of stock.

would make sense to only support sponsors if I have been smoking for decades, tried every blend I’ve wanted to try and stocked up on every blend I’ve wanted to stock up on.

 

[logs]

That is a nice thought Sean.
My problem is going to be that I don't like bitter as a taste profile.I bought two tins of Solani aged Burley Flake opened one and I had two bowls then it went the same way as the 1oz of Haunted book shop into the compost bin.I know, I'm not proud of it I should have of put in a jar for a very long time.

Jarring and aging it won't make the bitter go away. It's part of the flavor profile of many of the stronger burley blends and is exactly what many people enjoy about them. If you don't like that taste you'll need to look for blends that are milder and more neutral. Alternately you can go for flavored burley's, of which there are millions and come in a wide variety of profiles.

You might also try American/English blends that mix burley with latakia. Morley's Best and Adagio are some of my favorites. No bitter there.

 

[marconi]

Just the first two, then! I can also appreciate Pegasus, though it's not a favorite of mine. It does have its fans.

I have two packets of Amphora Burley great value only had a couple of bowls quite liked it not as smooth as the HH.I have a tin of the Solani going to age it until I can appreciate it. Pegasus was the first American burley blend I tried quite complex. I have bought it twice and smoked it,nice blend I should have aged it would have been even better as ofafeather said.

 

[ofafeather]

C&D Briar Fox recently came up in a thread too. VaBur

 

[pantsBoots]

C&D Briar Fox recently came up in a thread too. VaBur

Yes! Just tried this for the first time the other day. I don't like most of what C&D does, but I could see myself buying more of that one. The Virginias were higher quality than I'm used to from them.

I have two packets of Amphora Burley great value only had a couple of bowls quite liked it not as smooth as the HH.I have a tin of the Solani going to age it until I can appreciate it. Pegasus was the first American burley blend I tried quite complex. I have bought it twice and smoked it,nice blend I should have aged it would have been even better as ofafeather said.

My issue with the Mac Baren HH Burley is that it was too smooth for my taste, so the Amphora was right up my alley. The Solani does benefit from age, no doubt as I just finished an old, crusty tin, but it also does come pre-aged a bit, at least if I can trust the name of it.

 

[coming to_falling too]

C&D Briar Fox recently came up in a thread too. VaBur

Indeed, Briar Fox is pretty good.

 

[marconi]

Why are you limited to buying from smoking pipes? I do enjoy HH but not as much as the others mentioned. hh burley is readily available on SP and most other websites when I check. It’s up on so now in all weights

I will tell you I live in ENGLAND.A lot of US online retailers will not post to the UK and if they do they charge a lot of Postage $20-40. SP has been good to me over the last year If I order 4oz of bulk tobacco they charge me between $4-5 dollars postage that means I i can try more blends that are unavailable in the UK at an affordable price. Leaving aside aromatics and tins i have been able to buy all the bulk blends I like. Its been great because I have been able to try all the blends people talk about and recommend on the forum it makes me feel part of the forum.I have tried all the C&D VA an VA/pers. Sutliff flakes, Match blends 515 etc.Rimboche SJ,ODF R/R, Comoys, Stokkebye flakes etc Other Brits on the forum I know do the same For me the customer service is first class when packages have gone missing in transit. SP has been really good.They even awarded me a bronze VIP badge which I wear proudly on my double breasted smoking jacket.

 

[ofafeather]

They even awarded me a bronze VIP badge which I wear proudly on my double breasted smoking jacket.

????

 

[marconi]

Jarring and aging it won't make the bitter go away. It's part of the flavor profile of many of the stronger burley blends and is exactly what many people enjoy about them. If you don't like that taste you'll need to look for blends that are milder and more neutral. Alternately you can go for flavored burley's, of which there are millions and come in a wide variety of profiles.

You might also try American/English blends that mix burley with latakia. Morley's Best and Adagio are some of my favorites. No bitter there.

That's very helpful confirming that some burley blends are just bitter which is fine if you like bitter.I will stick with the straight smooth creamy ones like HH and enjoy my English Va burs.

 

[select565]

I will tell you I live in ENGLAND.A lot of US online retailers will not post to the UK and if they do they charge a lot of Postage $20-40. SP has been good to me over the last year If I order 4oz of bulk tobacco they charge me between $4-5 dollars postage that means I i can try more blends that are unavailable in the UK at an affordable price. Leaving aside aromatics and tins i have been able to buy all the bulk blends I like. Its been great because I have been able to try all the blends people talk about and recommend on the forum it makes me feel part of the forum.I have tried all the C&D VA an VA/pers. Sutliff flakes, Match blends 515 etc.Rimboche SJ,ODF R/R, Comoys, Stokkebye flakes etc Other Brits on the forum I know do the same For me the customer service is first class when packages have gone missing in transit. SP has been really good.They even awarded me a bronze VIP badge which I wear proudly on my double breasted smoking jacket.

Roger that!!

 

[marconi]

Have you tried Solani Aged Burley Flake?

Yes I have, horror story I threw the contents into the compost bin.I have another tin which I shall keep locked up for a few years, then throw it into the compost bin. No just joking I will give it to a pipe smoking friend who loves burnt toast and will appreciate the bitter profile as many people do.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Yeh, everyone throws that Solani Aged Burley Flake out there, but I find it the most humdrum of all of the burley I've tried. Just too monochromatic for my tastes.

 

[logs]

Yes I have, horror story I threw the contents into the compost bin.I have another tin which I shall keep locked up for a few years, then throw it into the compost bin. No just joking I will give it to a pipe smoking friend who loves burnt toast and will appreciate the bitter profile as many people do.

Never throw away Solani (or any burley flake for that matter). Just trade it here.

 

[Grangerous]

Got as far as HH Burley Flake and stopped. Need I go any further? The only issue I have with Burley Flake is trying to get hold of it.

Yes. By all means, stop. You’re telling me that you’ve found a blend that you really like? That’s great! Now spend some real time with it, get to know it. Enjoy it and enjoy smoking it in all of your pipes.

These guys all mean well, but would have you jump back on the hamster wheel to find “another” blend —when you have one you enjoy smoking right in front of you!

At the very least, you’ll establish a baseline blend that you’ll know you’ll enjoy every single time that you reach for it. Tell me? What’s wrong with that?

 

[Grangerous]

Yeh, everyone throws that Solani Aged Burley Flake out there, but I find it the most humdrum of all of the burley I've tried. Just too monochromatic for my tastes.

I have to agree. It’s good, mild cool smoking, but a yawn.

 

[ebnash]

I, myself find Solani ABF and HH Burley Flake very similar. At least that was the case when I tried them side by side a couple years ago. I enjoy them both, very much.

Either way, you get out of pipe smoking, what you put into it. If you want to explore Burley, you need to smoke a bunch of different blends.

In my humble opinion, their are big differences in Burley Blends, for the most part. Myself, I can’t stand Smokey leaf, so I stay away from blends with a lot of dark fired or similarly treated tobacco.

Haunted Bookshop is my desert island tobacco. Not because it’s the beat tasting smoke I’ve ever had, but because it smokes well and tastes the same in every pipe I try it in. I always know what I’m going to get with it.

Go on a journey and see what you find...

 

[danimalia]

Got as far as HH Burley Flake and stopped. Need I go any further? The only issue I have with Burley Flake is trying to get hold of it.

Well, I can understand the instant attraction and feeling of satisfaction from HH Burley Flake. In terms of flavor, it is probably my favorite Burley. But I like the Solani a lot too, and the strength and natural goodness of C&D burleys. If you didn't enjoy ABF and Haunted Bookshop, I'd suggest Watch City Slices, which is similar in components to the HH, and maybe some of the codger/OTC burleys: Lane RR (or Sutliff's Edgeworth Match), Prince Albert, etc. I also like Hearth & Home Classic Burley Kake

 

[mso489]

It sounds like you need to pick and choose among burley blends. People have defined reactions to burley -- love it, can't taste it, throw up, or like it only in certain blends (that's you). You might try one of the C&D English blends, like Tuggle Hall, Stratfordshire, or Bayou Night, but these are strong, so sample in an ounce baggie first.

 

[maduromadness]

For my taste HH Burley, ABF, and Wessex Burley are the top of the tier for Burley blends. All others while good don't have the presence and roundness they possess. Few talk about the sour, ashy taste or rough edges that Burley can have but the Burleyphiles on here like Grangerous are the ones to hone in on. To me it sounds like you'd be more into VaBurs or VaBurPerOrs at the moment. Trust me when I say "simple" is an acquired taste.

 

[ofafeather]

Trust me when I say "simple" is an acquired taste.

^^^^^ +1