Gatlin-Burlier Gatlin-Burley

The Gatlinburlier is a fun brick & mortar establishment to visit. If you're ever in the Smokey Mountains I'd recommend that you stop by & visit for a spell. The proprietor (Richard) is a hoot and will keep you entertained with his rather odd sense of humor. Their selection of house aromatic blends is second to none. Lightly topped yet fragrant ... the tin note won't slap you in the face ... but light 'em up and you're in for a smooth & tasty smoke. I would classify Gatlin Burley as a very light American English blend. Mostly good quality earthy, nutty burley with just a hint of Latakia and a top note. This is simply a good blend worth trying if you like a quality “mostly burley” smoke.

First of all, every pipe smoker who visits Gatlinburg, TN should stop in and see the wonderful gentlemen at the shop (located in The Mountain Mall). They really are great people who are very knowledgeable about tobacco and pipes. When asked about their blends, the gentleman told me, "Grab a bowl full on us! What good is an empty pipe, after all?"

With that being said, this blend is just what I've been looking for in an American-English. It has a great, smokey tin note with a hint of nuttiness. It packs well and takes a flame readily without a fuss. I like my tobacco a little drier, and this was PERFECT for me right out of the bag.

There is a lot more depth to this tobacco than what one might think. First of all, it is full of flavor and produces copious amounts of thick, creamy smoke. The top noting is noticeable beside the smokiness of the Latakia. To me, it seems to just be a simple sweetener and nothing more. I don't get hints of vanilla or anything like that. The best way I can describe it is a dark sweetness; a sweetness that can be compared to brown sugar. It doesn't stand out though but instead adds to the experience. The nuttiness of the burley is there as well playing along nicely with everything else. Definitely doesn't goop up a pipe, and burns to a fine gray/white ash. The nicotine level is about average.

If you're on the fence about English blends, or if you enjoy mild English blends, I recommend that you give this one a try. If you're a Latakia-lover and want nothing but smokiness (not that there is anything wrong with that), then you might want to look elsewhere. It's a great all-day smoke.

I found this to be a mild English. That's it,, a great all day - go to smoke. It never fails to please or satisfy me. Store it in a glass jar, not a plastic bag, if you want to keep it around and age it a bit. It comes dry, which I like, but you'll likely not want to allow it to dry further.

I always love stopping in the Gatlinburlier, expert friendly staff who just like you to hang out and talk pipes and tobacco. Go see'em when you are in the Smokey Mtns. You won't be disappointed.

I am really digging these blends of Gatlin-Burlier and this is one of my favorites!

These Folks make super Aros but this blend is more of a cross over or English Hybrid.

What we have here is a smooth American English that is mild with a top note of something that tastes like vanilla. In some ways it reminds me of 4 Noggins Bald Headed Teacher but smoother and more refined.

Perfect for a hot Summer Night Smoke or when you want a mild Latakia blend that won't clobber you or send your Loved Ones looking for an exit or worse a Fire Extinguisher.

The Gatlinburlier Smoke Shop in Tennessee got a lot of play in the 90s in the old Pipe Smoker's Ephemeris as a go to shop for terrific tobacco. I remember calling in and placing an order for a half dozen of their house blends after reading about some of them. Gatlin-Burley was reportedly one of their top sellers and an unusual Aromatic Burley with Latakia blend that worked. I loved the added flavoring but my notes tell me I never identified what it was. The Latakia could be tasted but not in obtrusive fashion. The Burley was strong in its own right and certainly was tasty as I recall.

I smoked this while the spent the afternoon restoring a 100 year old Peterson that I came upon and it just seemed like it was gone before I knew it, and I was smoking a large billard. I really liked this tobacco, it had flavor from the start to the finish but was never too hot. It had an easy draw and stayed lit very well in spite of me putting the pipe down occationally. I did taste the Latakia, but it was more like a spice and not dominent. The flavor was nutty sweet and I never got any of the vanilla others mention. To be truthful it tasted like my old Amphora Brown with a touch of Latakia. I could see this being an all day smoke and a regular go to for many. I would have no trouble living on this stuff. I am learning to like this companies house blends a lot.

I first discovered Gatlin-Burley a few years ago while visiting The Gatlinburlier pipe and tobacco shop. I asked for a blend with latakia and this was suggested by the man behind the counter. I'm certainly glad that I took him up on his suggestion because this has become my favorite pipe tobacco. I always keep at least a pound on hand. I live in Tennessee, but on the opposite end of the state from Gatlinburg. Whenever my friends or co-workers or I visit Gatlinburg I always make sure at least eight ounces of Gatlin-Burley makes the trip back home to me.

Gatlin-Burley has been called by some as an "American English" and I tend to agree. It has a mild burley and latakia flavor with just a hint of aromatic top note that provides a pleasant room note for those around you without infringing on the base flavors of burley and latakia. It does seem to have PG added but it never smokes wet or goopy in my experience. To me, the flavor, strength, and nicotine level are all mild to medium.

Anytime you have a chance to be in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, be sure to stop in the upper level of The Mountain Mall and visit the exceptionally friendly staff at The Gatlinburlier and be sure to bring a pipe with you so that you can sample the house blends. You may very well find a favorite in Gatlin-Burley as did I. By the way, you might also want to know that their house pipes are great smokers at a reasonable price.

The Gatlin-Burlier shop, the staff, and the Gatlin-Burley blend all rate four stars in my opinion.

This week I had the pleasure of visiting the Gatlin-burlier for the first time as a pipe smoker. Monday I stopped in without my pipe. I had it with me in Gatlinburg, but I left it in the cabin we rented. I would never have guessed that I would have been able to try out some blends had I had the pipe with me. I mean, smoking?? Inside a mall?? In 2007?? But as of the first week of July, the anti-smoking nazi's have not taken away the freedom to smoke in this particular tobacco shop. So if you stop in, bring your pipe or buy one of their corncobs. Anyway, I thought I would try out their signature blend on the theory that it had to be decent or they wouldn't name it after the store. I bought a small 2 oz bag of Gatlin-Burley to take back to the cabin with me.

Oh my word!! After 3 bowls of this stuff, I am absolutely in love with this blend. It is the most delicious tobacco I have tasted in 15 years of smoking. The burley is nutty, a little earthy, very slightly spicy and just plain delicious. Then the latakia comes into play. It's definately present throughout the smoke. It has a nice smokiness about it, but in this blend it is really more of a condiment. It gives the blend a noble english flavor. However, Gatlin-Burley doesn't taste like a typical English. There is something added here. It's top-noted with something that I can't put a finger on... It's got a very subtle sweetness that doesn't naturally occur in Burley/latakia blends, so I am sure that this hint of sweetness is given by the flavoring. But the flavoring doesn't change or mask the taste of the tobacco. I almost wonder if the flavoring is nothing more than simple syrup (just sugar dissolved in water). If I knew what it was I'd put it on every blend I smoke!!! Whatever it is, it works.

Gatlin-Burley is an english in the sense that it tastes like tobacco, but I guess it can't be considered an english because of the added flavoring. And that is just fine with me. Call it whatever you want. I'm calling it THE BEST TOBACCO I'VE EVER SMOKED!! Perfect!! It's exactly what I've been searching 15 long years for.

I went back for another 2oz bag before leaving town. This won't last long. By next week I'll be out and that is a very bad thing indeed. I may buy a 5 pound bag of Gatlin-Burley very soon. Move over GL Pease's Barbary Coast, you have been bumped. This is my new Burley-based blend.

Not much can be added about this tobacco that wasn?t previously covered by the other fine reviewers here.

What I would like to comment on is how I came to be introduced to this wonderful smoke. While on vacation in Gatlinburg Tennessee I set out to only do two things. After living through a day of skiing I proceeded to find the Tobacco Shop I had researched on-line ?The Gatlin-Burlier? www.gatlinburlier.com This was to be my vacation, and what a vacation it was!

I would highly recommend anyone venturing that way to pay a visit to this store. After smoking a few suggested bowls with the manager Richard and talking tobacco endlessly I walked away with several NEW BLENDS of tobaccos (my idea of souvenirs), a far greater knowledge of the Tobacco world, and a new friend.

Four Stars to Richard and the Gatlin-Burlier!

I first purchased this on a trip to the mountains. I had just begun pipe smoking and accidentally found myself standing in a wonderful little shop in the Mountain Mall. The proprietor was warm and welcoming. He was kind to me as a new smoker and offered a bowl in the store for free. I fell in love with this mixture immediately. I purchased a couple of ounces and proceeded to finish it quite quickly. I ordered 4 more ounces by mail and placed it in a jar for later smoking. Then, life happened. I recently found that old jar 15 years later. What I smoked brought a tear to my eye. Oh, how this developed! I have never experienced a tobacco that aged this well. It was the same nostalgic taste, only better. The topping is quite subtle. The latakia mellowed into a warm campfire smoke. The bowl burns to clean white ash. The smoke is creamy and clean. This is one of the best house blends I have ever tried and stands up to the big producers all day long.