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Taste of Burley

mfresamfresa Master
in Tobacco Talk
Maybe my taste buds are dead, but I don't seem to notice much character in Burley.  Is it me or does Burley need other tobaccos to achieve some direction in its flavor?  You burley experts, please advise.  Thanks
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Comments

  • ocpunk714ocpunk714 Master
    I’m not a burley expert by any means, but I have shredded my own organic burley. As you said, their really isn’t much character. On its own, very bland. I’ve added Virginia, Latakia and orientals that will hopefully blend well in time. For now though, the smell could burn a hole through your nostrils. It is crazy strong when you first shred it out.
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  • mfresamfresa Master
    OK, so this is "normal" for burley.  Thanks
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  • jfreedyjfreedy Master
    Yep, not much flavor. Burley is typically used as a filler tobacco providing thick smoke and tends to mellow out the tobaccos it’s blended with. Has a lot of nicotine too. I’ve used straight burley to cut the strength of some aromatics that were too sickly sweet. And, as Jon David Cole says... “burley is lurking everywhere” in tobacco blends. 
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  • jim102864jim102864 Master
    I find it to have a nutty or oat-y type flavor at most (definitely in the tin note).  I agree that it needs to be blended with other tobaccos if you want any real flavor and it definitely can deliver a nic hit.
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  • WoodsmanWoodsman Master
    The "Codger" blends are heavy on the Burley side. Carter Hall (My favorite of the genre.) is mainly Burley and Virginia. It's a pleasant break from the English blends I usually smoke.
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  • CharlesCharles Master
    I recently mixed 2-ozs of Country Squire burly, 2-ozs of Sutliff J4 Burley, and 2-ozs of McClellan 5105 stoved Virginia.  I dried out about a bowls worth and Jared the rest.  It smoked rather well and lasted nearly an hour.  It has a sweet nutty flavor, similar to Prince Albert and has a very pleasant room note.  I am thinking about separating two ounces and mixing in some vanilla flavored something to see where it goes.      
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  • mfresamfresa Master
    Yes, I think as a base for blending, it probably does very well.  Good luck :-)
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  • WoobieWoobie Enthusiast
    I think (in my little experience) that you can't really lump all Burley into one group. Virginia lovers, like myself, will talk about bright, lemon, red, stoved and all kinds of other Virginias. Flavors range from hay to citrus to dark fruit.

    Burley doesn't get that much love. And quality seems to be a problem too. Some burley heavy blends taste like cigarettes, so it gets a bad rap. But it can be earthy, nutty, sweet, almost chocolate, on in the case of Dark Fired, a hardwood smoky version of the above. Some burleys are tasteless to me, but they still add a lot of body and volume of smoke you wouldn't have otherwise.

    Finally, nicotine from Burley effects me differently than nic from Virginias. Virginias tend to wake me up, get my blood flowing, and in excess, make me jittery. Burley- in all its forms, including Perique-makes me slow down and think.
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  • ocpunk714ocpunk714 Master
    I have just finished testing a blend I came up with today that is burley based. Organic/White Burley mixed with stoved black Virginia and small amount Latakia/Orientals. 

    The right amount of spices have boosted my organic burley. My taste buds feel fresh and there is a very warm woodsy feel to the blend. 
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