Affordable Pipes Blue Grass Melody

I have been curious to try this tobacco for a long time. The recent news of the discontinuation of Edgeworth Sliced has left me searching for an easily attainable substitute. Realizing from sampling many a burley blend that not all burleys are created equal, I have been hard pressed to find anything remotely approaching the sweetness and balance of Edgeworth. This one comes close; though maybe not as complex (I can detect no VA in the mixture) it is certainly a very broad rich and satisfying blend.

Appearance: A very nice mottled mixture of browns, reds and tans, nicely proportioned and of medium to fine cut.

Tin aroma: Initially, just what one would expect from a burley only mixture, deep rich buttery and nutty scents, upon deeper inspection though some other qualities emerge. There is a pronounced earthiness here, woodsy and deep almost mossy at times telling me the dark browns are do to some serious aging. Someone somewhere knows how to air cure burley for a long time still and likely your grandfather was smoking something similar in a cob.

This tobacco seems too moist to me, and after my first bowl I decided to air it for at least ½ hour before smoking another bowl. The first bowl smoked pretty dry, though a little steamy, the airing out helps tremendously with this one. I have increased the time to a full hour for this review smoke. I find that it is better to use a lighter hand while packing and tamping as this is a fairly fine cut and can be compressed too much quite easily.

In my experience this blend is fantastic in a cob, and very good in any briar devoted to burleys or VA/Burley or VAPER mixtures. For this review, I?ve chosen a Chacom Crystal (which used to be an Edgeworth favorite) but has had 3 previous bowls of Blue Grass Melody smoked in it to remove Edgeworth sympathies.

A first light is brings billows of rich white smoke, followed with a brief visit of the tamper and then a tamping light. Wow! That deeply aged burley taste is immediate and gratifying, this one resonates immediately. There is a deep rich nutty flavor followed by the kinds of subtle scents one gets while walking through a pasture bordered by deep woods in the summer. This one reminds me of many a campfire as well. I know there is more to come.

Mid Bowl: Approaching mid-bowl, the fullness tends to build and while I wouldn?t call this mixture particularly complex, there are subtle changes here are there as the lighter and darker burleys compete for dominance. There are deep resonant tones, and mossy or peaty tones (as in good single malt Scotches) and a fine smoky, buttery mouth feel to the steadily voluminous smoke. This burley mixture is quite full, yet surprisingly gentle on the pallet.

Home Stretch: As end of the bowl approaches, I find that it becomes more intense though never overpoweringly so. This is probably an excellent burley blend for the initiate and the veteran burley fancier as well. While it might never achieve the loyalty of Edgeworth Sliced, nor the far-flung availability, it is a fine addition to the cellar of anyone enjoying a rich and mellow burley mixture. There is a very subtle sweetness which becomes slightly more pronounced in the final third of any bowl. An outstanding effort by a relatively unknown blender.

Supplemental Notes: This is one of very nice rich full bodied burley with moderate complexity, a very good value for the money. Rating for those interested in numbers **** 4 full stars

Appearance: Medium width ribbon cut, nice range of colors from light tan to dark brown. No reds or blacks to be seen.

Aroma: The blend initially smells like a light aromatic, there is a noticeable sweet aroma. Further sniffing leads me to believe that it?s just the grade of Burley used, a naturally sweet and well aged tobacco.

Packing: The ribbons pack well into all bowl sizes, although one needs to take some care not to overpack a small bowl.

Lighting: Lights easily, but not too quickly. Usual two match light gets a good burn going.

Initial flavor: Milder than many other Burley blends. Nice sweet natural nutty flavor, very plain.

Mid-bowl: Maintains a steady burn, and a fairly constant flavor. There is some body from the darker Burleys, but none of the cigarish note I sometimes get from dark-fired leaf. Stays cool, and dry.

Finish: Burns to a clean gray ash, without gurgle. No surprises at the end.

Summary: A very pleasant, mild blend for Burley lovers. It doesn?t get much better than this. Also an exceptional quality at the price, which is quite reasonable.

As ol' Ben Franklin said, "Burley To Bed And Burley To Rise..."

A wonderful collection of burleys all in one bowl. Easy on the palate and just a plain wonderful smoke.

I like it as an end-of-day-contemplating-the-universe smoke ...

This is a phenomenal blend. The description above pretty much sums it up--nutty and relatively mild. The blend also has a natural sweetness that, while noticeable, stays in the background throughout the smoke. (The blend is NOT cased or topped with flavorings; the sweetness is from the burley itself.)

The blend can get away from you if you smoke it too fast (as I did the first couple of times). However, if you avoid the temptation to speed smoke, the blend will reward you with an amazing smoking experience.

For the money, this is one of the best burley blends on the market.