Wilke Pipe Tobacco Nut Brown Burley

I packed away one quarter pound in 2007 and left it to cellar. Not by plan, it was just the way things worked out when I boxed up some of my tobacco for a move. I decided to try some for the first time last night. I completely fell in love with it! Wonderful rum and nutty aroma in jar. Not an aromatic scent but a natural result. Deleciously creamy taste that lingered in my mouth a bit with each puff. Nice thick smoke. No need for multiple relights. Thoroughly enjoyed the steady flavor throughout the bowl, whereupon it only strengthened a bit for the better slightly as I went along. Nice clean ash. Some reviewers note excessive nicotine hit. Not for me. Was pleasant and straightforward. I was so pleased by it that I literally felt like not brushing my teeth before going to bed! I just wanted the great taste to stay! However, I did brush and then tried to find more to bolster my supply by going online to Pipeworks & Wilke's website. But, sadly, the blend is no longer available. Thankfully this wonderful website was able to lead me to another brand/blend that I hope provides same enjoyment. I went and ordered a pound of L.J. Peretti's Burley Plug Cut (BPC) without even sampling. The reviews sounded good and website for Peretti was excellent.

Let's start by taking Carole's word for it that this is a straight Burley with no additives in it whatsoever. If this is an accurate statement, then Carole has really hit the sweet spot with this tobacco. But burleys are typically classed as having a "nutty flavor" and this tobacco satisfies that criterion to a T. To be sure, other reviewers have detected flavoring agents, and even the addition of some foreign (i.e., non-burley) leaf. Perhaps they are right, but my impression is burley with perhaps a touch of honey. The initial light brings a touch of sweetness to the front, and after a few minutes the honey-like taste begins to grow, while the nuttiness of the burley kicks in. These two tastes remain throughout most of the bowl, with nothing else added, as this is a relatively uncomplicated tobacco which relies entirely on maintaining the two tastes throughout the smoke, something it does very well. Toward the end, the taste becomes a bit stronger, and if you're not a dottle smoker, this would be a good time to quit. Smoking it to the end is a difficult task, as the dottle becomes thicker and heavier, too moist to keep going to the bottom without some effort. Please keep in mind that I've had this tobacco in my cellar for over a year, so there must be a humectant present to keep the tobacco this moist. Smoking through the dottle I found that the sweet, nutty taste had disappeared entirely, leaving behind a characteristic tobacco taste with no other distinguishing characteristics. At the end, I was left with a dark gray ash, with a few shreds of unburned tobacco. Overall, I found the tobacco remarkably pleasant, and I will keep this in my rotation. If you're a burley lover, my recommendation would be to enjoy this tobacco and it's remarkable taste, but once the taste begins to get a bit stronger, don't continue because the remarkable flavor of this tobacco will dissipate-- unless, of course, you're passionate about building cake all the way to the bottom.

This stuff is why we smoke pipes. NBB requires only a pipe and a light and one is off to bliss. It requires no special prep. It is suitable for all day or whenever you want/. It is a fine sweet smoke. It is more sweet than strong. But handle with care, it does have nicotine punch. I enjoy smoking this with wild abandon before bed. You will sink to a beautiful repose.

It has a sweet nutty taste and it burns slow. It really is the perfect smoke for old codgers who remember what burley used to be. 4 stars.

Now that Edgeworth Ready Rub is gone its been time to look for a substitute. Although nothing will be an exact match, I was pleased to learn that NBB was back - Carole had pulled it off the shelf until quality issues could be resolved. Well, issues must have been resolved because this is a nice smoke.

It is a pleasing presentation of a well broken cube cut - a crimp cut, if you will, with the addition of short ribbons of leaf. Most Burley blends have some Virginia, Maryland and Turkish leaf additions for the qualities each bring to White Burley. One can only guess what the short ribbons in this blend are. Compared to ERR, any maple casing is turned way down in this blend.

NBB has a wonderful Burley room note, and the taste, though turned down from ERR, has a subtle nutty sweetness. I especially like that NBB doesn't get bitter toward the bottom of the bowl, which speaks to the quality of leaf used here. It lights easily and stays lit. I found it cool burning and it did not bite my tongue. Although not an exact match of an old favorite, I highly recommend this to Burley smokers or those looking for an ERR substitute.

What does someone write about a tobacco when he's been "scooped" by another reviewer? He writes "See Bard of Christ's review below."

Except for not noticing any overt nicotine punch, my review agrees with BOC's, except he wrote it better than I could.

This one is going into my regular rotation. Nice, congenial burley blend. Excellent!

In the pouch, this tobacco smells like timothy hay. It is sweet and grassy and brings "the country" to mind. This is a burley characteristic, but this blend blows all the others out of the water!

The cut makes it suitable for any size pipe. It packs easily and lights without fuss. I've never had trouble keeping this blend lit. It burns down to a darker gray ash.

The flavor of this tobacco is simple and straightforward, which is what most burley smokers want. It starts sweet, but not like candy at all, more like sweet corn. The sweetness dwindles as the bowl progresses, but this burley never gets harsh or sour, even when pushed. Be warned, though -- this tobacco has a nice nicotene punch! It's an iron fist in a silk glove, so unless you're used to it this is not an all-day smoke.

The most remarkable aspect of this tobacco is the room note! It smells like roasting tree nuts -- some say chestnuts, I say hazelnuts. For a tobacco with no detectable casing or flavoring, it sure smells nice! NBB is great for social situations where folks may be sensitive to strong tobacco aromas, but will tolerate aromatics. This blend is aromatic without being an aromatic!

To compare NBB to a beverage, I would liken it to Newcastle or Smithwick's Ale. Utterly approachable, elegant in its simplicity, and of top-notch quality. Highly recommended!

Certainly one of the best Burley blends you can find.

It has a deep earthy, nuttiness to it. It smells like good tobacco should too. I detect no casing on this at all.

No problems with bite, or bitterness.

If you love Burley, this is a good Burley to love...

7/24/2014 - Wow I have been updating my review for NBB for over a decade and I am sad to say that I just spoke to Carole and NBB is indeed gone forever. I asked her when it will be back and her exact words in an email were "NBB is not coming back" So that's it folks, when someone says stock up now on your favorite blend believe it since one day it might not be available. I fondly look back on receiving pounds of NBB and the aroma that accompanied them over the last decade +. Time to switch to Uhle's # 44, Watch City's Deluxe Crumb Cut Burley or Sutliff's Edgeworth Match....

2011 - Just wanted to update yet again that the pounds i bought in 2008 have improved with the extra age. I do not believe burleys improve with age but the small amount of virginia and turkish have melded over the last three years and its ever more exquisite. A day without NBB is a sad day indeed. Stock up...

08/20/2008 NBB is back and it is just as good as it has always been. I have been waiting for months for Carole to aquire the correct ingredients and she has them now. I plan to order several pounds and celler them just in case.

Original review - 08/03/2004

This is absolutley the finest burley. Everyone in my home likes the smell......and the taste is exquisite. Carole at Wilke's is a very pleasant shopkeeper and the tobacco is all quality. Cant go wrong. Cool, rich and a good blend when my King Eider has destroyed my tongue. Wonderful chestnut aroma in my Cob!

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April: This is now my everyday, at work smoke. Every batch is consistent and always at the perfect moisture level. It smokes best when dry, i leave some in a bowl on my desk, about a weeks worth.

Recently added some Christmas Cheer and made my own version of Half and Half but better. Yum!

Is this the best Burley I've ever smoked? Nope. Is this the best blend I have ever smoked? Nope. So what is it that makes me want to smoke this almost exclusively? I have no idea!

Perhaps it is because simplicity can be so beautiful, this Burley is very enjoyable. The four-ounce bag I received had some cubes and lots of leaves, nice and light brown in color with just the right moisture content. The smell in the bag is great...like fresh baked cookies. Packing and lighting is easy due to the cut and moisture levels.

The flavor is very mild, although I am used to Edgeworth Sliced, and the characteristic grassy taste of good Burley is prominently in the front. While enjoying the initial grassy element, the background keeps it full by providing a clean creamy finish with a mild nutty flavor. There is no bitterness, it smokes dry and down to a very fine ash.

UPDATE: 4/25/09 A few years later I am still enjoying this tobacco and now consider it my main blend. In the right pipe Nut Brown Burley is what I hope Heaven is.