Wessex Burley Slice

(3.19)
Return of original Richmond recipe, full flavored and nutty. The tin now reads “High quality Flake of 100% Burley. A slow combustion with a pleasant liquorice taste.”

Details

Brand Wessex
Blended By  
Manufactured By Kohlhase Kopp & Co.
Blend Type Burley Based
Contents Burley
Flavoring Licorice
Cut Flake
Packaging 50 grams tin
Country Germany
Production Currently available

Profile

Strength
Medium
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Extremely Mild -> Overwhelming
Flavoring
None Detected
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
None Detected -> Extra Strong
Room Note
Pleasant to Tolerable
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Unnoticeable -> Overwhelming
Taste
Medium
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Extremely Mild (Flat) -> Overwhelming

Average Rating

3.19 / 4
33

26

13

3

Reviews

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Displaying 1 - 10 of 75 Reviews
Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Jun 07, 2014 Mild to Medium Mild to Medium Medium Pleasant to Tolerable
There's an extremely light anise additive to accentuate the mild molasses and light cocoa toppings. The burleys offer a fair amount of earth, wood, some nuts, bread, and a small sharp note. No harshness or bite at all, and has a mild nicotine hit. The strength is a step or so below the medium level, while the taste level just misses the medium mark. The flake is lightly moist out of the tin and breaks apart very easily. Burns a tad slow with a cool, clean, very consistent flavor from start to finish. Leaves little moisture in the bowl, and can be burned to ash. Requires a few relights. Has a pleasant after taste and room note. A morning smoke with coffee that also serves well as an all day experience. Three and a half stars.

UPDATE 7-6-2022. The blend has been changed. The burleys (including white) are moderately rougher, more savory, woodier, breadier and nuttier with a hint of smoke. The sharp note is barely evident. The anise is a little more pronounced though it does weaken a tad by the half way point. The molasses is much lighter now. The cocoa is currently the lead topping as all the sauces mildly tone down the burleys. It won’t bite, but a freight train puffer may possibly experience light harsh and cigarette notes. The strength just misses the medium mark. The taste level is now medium. The nic-hit is a couple of notches stronger. The slices are darker, and less moist, so the burn rate is a touch faster than before. The room note is a little stronger, too, as it leans more toward tolerable than it does pleasant. Can be an all day smoke even though it’s more rugged and a little less sweet. All other aspects of the previous productions remain the same. It’s different enough to stand on its own as the old version was essentially an attempted clone of Edgeworth Slices. This is not, even though the base burleys resemble that used in ES are a little closer to that than older manufacture. The toppings and proportions are different than ES. My rating is the same as it was before: three and a half stars.

-JimInks
44 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Jan 08, 2013 Mild to Medium None Detected Medium Pleasant to Tolerable
Wessex Burley Slice… Beautiful thin flakes what are easy to fold and stuff into any of my pipe sizes, with a delicious aroma of yeasty bread dough and tobacco, I love Burly; and I have always prefer my tobacco in either full or broken flake, so for me this is an ideal tobacco, I am really enjoying these flakes.

Maybe a bit too mild for the fans of tobacco's like c/d burley flake series, but still in many of the important ways WBS has what IMO most burley lovers would be looking for. Nice nut-like burley flavors, mild, no harshness and bite free. Highly recommended to anybody that favors a good burley smoke.
23 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Oct 06, 2009 Medium to Strong Medium Medium to Full Pleasant
ORIGINAL REVIEW: In my search for a replacement to Edgeworth Sliced, I'd have to say Wessex Burley Slice is in the same league. I still have some Edgeworth Sliced from 20 years ago - enough for several bowls - so I can compare the two with more accuracy.

The tin aroma of Burley Slice is that of good Burley with what smells like a bit of molasses and perhaps some licorice added as a top note. The slices are similar in appearance to Edgeworth Sliced (but darker in appearance) and very fresh. They part folded part broke apart nicely as I like to prepare my slices for smoking in the form of broken flakes. For as fresh as it was, it took to the match readily and required little in the way of relights, gently tamping as I went. It smokes just as easily with the traditional fold and stuff flake method, so the choice is yours. The overall flavor for me was a stout, but sweet, Burley, nutty, spicy and delicious! A top notch, full tasting Burley. There was a hint of something soapy (very,very mild - I actually hate to use the word but can't find one to better describe it) which disappeared after the first several puffs and was not present with subsequent smokes (only experienced with the first of 4 tins out of 20 so far). By the way, that mild soapy taste was also present in the ORIGINAL ES produced by Larus. I have added molasses to some of my tobacco blends in the past and am familiar with its semi-sweet taste. I believe I taste a subtle presence of molasses (and licorice) here and this adds to the overall smoking enjoyment for me. The nicotine kick is evident and a tad less than with Edgeworth Sliced. It smoked cool and dry and maintained its character without producing any of the Burley bitterness characteristic of some Burleys. No typical end of the bowl Burley bitterness, and a relatively cool smoke unless you puff too quickly.

A very well produced flake that can serve as a suitable substitute for Edgeworth Sliced, tasting very similar; the only difference for me was in the nicotine strength as previously noted. Unlike ES, BS is only available in 50 gm tins. Since this flake burns slowly, 50g should go a long way.

For a Burley flake comparison, see my review of Solani's Aged Burley Flake, a comparable blend, reviewed one week after Burley Slice. As far as rankings go, I like them both equally. Overall, ABF has more of a sweetly-sour (in equal measure) presence that BS does not, BS being more sweet (not cloying) over sour. Variations on a theme of very good Burley leaf.

UPDATE 11-18-10: I just wanted to note that I have been fortunate to come by several 100 gm tins of Edgeworth Sliced over the past several months (that was produced by Orlik for Lane). Side by side, ES is a bit lighter in color and has a smidgen of a top-dressing not found in WBS. After many bowls of each, I do maintain that Wessex Burley Slice is the closest you can get to ES in taste (molasses/licorice). BS can be a bit harsh when fresh (and a bit medicinal/chemical tasting), so I usually open a tin and let it sit (closed) for several weeks before smoking, and this lessens the effect somewhat but doesn't eliminate it fully.

UPDATE 10-20-12: After nearly 30 tins each of Burley Slice and Solani's Aged Burley Flake I can say that the ABF is the better of the two. BS, when fresh, seems to have a slightly medicinal/chemical taste and can be off-putting at times. I must emphasize that they are a different smoke for me flavor wise - similar, but not the same. That said, I reach for ABF more often (several smokes a week, at times my daily smoke for several days running), whereas BS now a days is for when the muse strikes...which hasn't been too often lately. BS is just not as tasty or full enough for me, plus that chemical/medicinal taste is always there to my palate.

UPDATE 1-16-14: I find that if I let this dry out to the state of it crumbling when you push a flake into the bowl, not only is there no chemical taste, but it doesn't smoke hot and really resembles the Edgeworth Sliced of old (not the now defunct Orlik version, but the original).

UPDATE 3-5-14: My current tin was smoked fresh after about a 2 months ago purchase. Smoked it fresh in a meer lined Dr. Grabow pot (a GREAT smoker!) and there was absolutely no harshness, nor chemical presence whatsoever. No sourness either. Very good indeed! 5 stars.
14 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Sep 08, 2009 Medium Extremely Mild Medium Pleasant to Tolerable
I did not like this one quite as well as Solani ABF, but it was definitely in the same ballpark and definitely earned 4 stars. My only complaint - and it is picking nits - is that I got a light soapy taste with the charring light. This went away once I started the second light.

The taste of this one is less sweet than ABF, although I wouldn't classify that one as particularly sweet, either. This one seemed more of a natural heavy bodied burley (I do need to smoke them back to back, and since I haven't, I'll dispense with the comparisons from here on) with a nice, leathery flavor. Very natural tasting. This would be a great blend for cigarette smokers looking to switch to pipes. Also good for those looking to upgrade from "drugstore" burleys.

Note: This one dried out quickly in the tin. I found it best to put the tin in a ziplock to keep it from becoming tinder. It worked best with a 15 minute drying period initially and once it dried a bit in the tin, I could fire it up immediately. This one is well worth trying for burley fans.
14 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Mar 08, 2007 Medium None Detected Medium Pleasant
As I continue down the Burley trail that I've been on of late, Burley Slices by Wessex is my latest stop.

Impressions: Not as full flavored as Solani Aged Burley Flake, but it is stronger in its Burley presentation allowing the smoker to pick up more strength. And it is certainly a little more forgiving than the late, lamented Edgeworth Slices, with more refinement. You'll definitely get a bold, nutty taste with this one.
13 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Sep 15, 2010 Medium to Strong Extremely Mild Full Tolerable
Wow. I had the opportunity to try a 40 plus year old can of Edgeworth at my local pipe club, and instantly fell in love. Not able to afford what such tins command in price on a regular basis, somebody suggested that I try Burley Slices. And boy am I ever glad I did. I smoke a lot of Prince Albert as a regular go to, but given a chance, would make this my regular, daily smoke.

Upon opening the tin, I was welcomed with an honest, clean, rich tobacco note that left me quite tempted to eat a slice! This lights relatively well, stays lit, and is very consistent in taste from top to bottom - something which I don't find in very many of the different blends I've tried. It has never bit my tongue or disappointed in any way, and tastes just about the same in each of my pipes, although my Cavicchi Lovat really makes it shine. It is a fairly strong tobacco, and even being a cigarette smoker to boot, I usually get a mild buzz off of a bowl full (which I like). It would be very easy for me to smoke this constantly all day long if my budget were not a deciding factor. My only wish would be to find it considerably cheaper, and perhaps in a bigger tin than in a 50 gram.
12 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Jun 22, 2016 Medium to Strong None Detected Medium to Full Pleasant
Wessex - Burley Slice.

This is a superb blend! No messing around, a straightforward Burley lovers dream!

I've wanted to pipe this for a fair while, but I was damned if any could be tracked down: the tobacco market in the U.K. can be a little difficult! So I was overjoyed when I spotted some from Smoking Pipes. com.

The tin holds two rows of fairly wide flakes that give off a raw and somewhat earthy Burley aroma. As they're of a good moisture amount from a fresh tin (mine arrived today) the smoking can begin without any delay, and when it does I absolutely adore it!

The flavour from the smoke is a clear Burley one: it's very nutty, but it seems to have a touch of woodiness too, a little more-so than the usual Burley taste. It seems 'un-tamed' compared to some of the smoother varieties available! Unlike some of the other reviewers I don't get any extra flavours, all I can obtain from the smoke is a full and natural Burley taste. Of the two packing methods I prefer the fold and stuff technique, this way it seems to burn slower than if it's been fully rubbed.

The nicotine's just above medium, and the room-note's very pleasant: a great smoke!

Highly recommended.
Pipe Used: Peterson Standard System #303
PurchasedFrom: Smoking Pipes.com
Age When Smoked: New
10 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Jun 13, 2016 Medium to Strong Mild to Medium Full Tolerable to Strong
I'm going to be one of those few people who prefer this over Solani ABF, but I do prefer it. Opening the tin, you see a couple sets of dark brown strips that smell of burley and sweetness. I think that it is the molasses/treacle that has won me over and I think that any lover of Burley would be remiss without trying this one. I smoked this and ABF side by side and Wessex Burley Slice was definitely the winner. As I smoked it, I imagined warm, toasted pumpernickel or a dark, molasses-rich beer-bread. If Guinness is liquid bread, then this is combustible bread. Nutty, bready, a little sweet, and rich bass notes. This is just a great tobacco all-around, but I do have to qualify that with the fact that I love almost all Burley blends.

As for the room note I don't think you'd be dragging people out just to comment about it, but I kind of like the way that it smells. Of course, I like most tobacco room notes other than those that are very strong. This also has the perfect amount of nicotine for me in a smoke. I don't smoke often, but when I do I like to know that I have smoked. I found that cube cut for WBS seemed to bring out more flavor and also help with the burn rate.

Would I buy it again? Heck, yeah I would and I will. I just wish that there was a way to get it in bulk. I guess I'll just have to settle for the 50 gram tin for now. I smoke this at least once a week now and sometimes more, but this has been my weekly special time smoke. For times I know that I won't be bothered with anything and I don't have to pay attention to anything. This, in my opinion, is some seriously great stuff.
Pipe Used: Custom-bilts
9 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
May 08, 2016 Medium Extremely Mild Medium Pleasant to Tolerable
In the tin, Burley Slice offers up two neatly arranged rows of flakes which are 1.5 inches wide. It’s not overly moist, but too moist for my preferred way of smoking it. I have smoked this lightly dried and, taking a que from Gentleman Zombie, I also smoked it quite dry, although not fully rubbed out. I enjoyed it dried as it seemed to bring out more flavor. BS is nutty, ever so slightly earthy and with a touch of tang. The vast majority of Burley’s are cased in processing in order to reduce harshness and there are cocoa notes, although I can’t say for sure if it actually is cocoa. BS is monochromatic, but quite tasty all the same. The natural comparisons to Solani’s excellent Aged Burley Flake are going to be had, (for me, the gold standard) and I prefer ABF to Burley Slices because the flavor is deeper, slightly sweeter and more refined. However, this is a good Burley Flake with no bitterness and while rougher around the edges than ABF, it isn’t rough. There is a decent nic hit, although I wouldn’t put it on par with some of the heavy Burley blends from Gawith Hoggarth. I do find that to get the most out of this flake, it is best sipped as I didn’t care for the flavor when pushed. All in all, a decent offering, although I prefer ABF and Uhle’s “00” ribbon Burley to this blend.
8 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Apr 27, 2015 Medium None Detected Medium Pleasant to Tolerable
One of the best Burley flakes I've smoked. Has a very clean, somewhat bold flavor. Sweet and nutty with very little earthiness. Stays consistent throughout the bowl. This also makes a first class blender. Add any quality Virginia to this for a 4 star VaBur. The proportions I like are 60% Va and 40% WBS.

Medium in body and flavor. Burns best when fully rubbed and very dry.
Pipe Used: MM Country Gentleman, Mark Twain, Patriot
PurchasedFrom: 4noggins
Age When Smoked: fresh
8 people found this review helpful.
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