Uhle's Blend 300

Uhle’s is one of America’s few and true pipe shops. Which is a nice thing, but it is the quality of their blends, especially their Burley and the excellent Bishop’s Move (English) that really attracts me to Uhle’s. Blend 300 is a cube cut, kind of “old timey” Burley that is lightly sweetened with honey. I just gravity fill the bowl and settle back for a long smoke. Uhle’s website has Blend 300 listed under their non-aromatic section, but I personally would call this an aromatic, albeit a light one. Either way, the sweet and nutty flavor never turns bitter and burns cleanly. Sometimes, simple is a very good thing and Blend 300 is just that.

I have been on a Burley bender lately...and that is a good thing. My pipe tobacco journey has been a rewarding experience, not for this review but this is a truly wonderful hobby that promotes relaxation, thought and the ability to reward the senses with a natural hobby that is steeped in history and tradition. Uhle's is the pinnacle of Burley (well I may not be qualified to say that given my limited expeience with it but compared to others I have tried the Uhle blends are never flat or tasteless, nor are the overly flavored.They have a true talent for blending and flavoring tobaccos and are masters of the art. Blend 300 has a wonderfully sweet tin aroma that smells like Parliment cigarette's with a light vanilla honey aroma. I hate to compare it to cigarettes' but that is what I was a initially hit with. ( I never smoked cigarette's but every relative and friend I had growing up somked and this is what the packs of unsmoked cigarettes smelled like...with a sweet vanilla and honey added). The flavor of this tobacco is really fantastic. The topping/casing is masterfully applied, to really brings out the flavor of the Burley and Cavendish. Toasty, nutty burley with a chocolate sweetness. Brown sugar walnuts and hazelnuts are also present from the synchornous melange of the two tobacco's. There is also a Turkish/Oriental like woodyness to the smoke that is somewhat surprising given the blend. The bowl is not overly complex nor does it change much throughout the smoke. A consistent flavorful smoke, a truly classic tobacco blend. Great with a cup of coffee first thing or with a glass of wine as you wind down the day.

I split a 1.5 oz sample with a friend, so this review is based on just .75 oz or so.

Honey-Hive flavoring... well, ok, if they say so. I've tasted more honey in other tobaccos - it was quite faint in this one, and I'm not even sure it was honey. There was a slightly sweet quality to the cube cut burley, and that sweetness was not what I associate with straight burleys. On the other hand, Uhle's classifies this one as an aromatic, so their definition of same is considerably tighter than my own.

I enjoyed this one as a straight smoke. As with the Perettis BCP I just reviewed, I doubt this will be more than an occasional smoke, but it was nice. The flavor was never overbearing, and this one accepted some overpuffing with hardly more than a whimper. Very gentlemanly blend, with the usual burley nuttiness in every puff. I preferred the additional sweetener in their Perfection Plug but this one is geared toward the more natural side, based on my small sample. I recommend everyone interested in burley try this one, as I find myself constantly amazed at the nuances inherent in many burley blends. That leaf is quite the chameleon at times and at others, quite the pied piper. This is a good example.

A great tasting Burley blend. Earthy with lesser notes of cocoa and nuts. The honey topping is very light adding a nice sweetness. Can't taste the Black Cav. It's a very simple smoke which can become a little tiring unless you're a real Burleyphile. A slow burning, long lasting smoke. I'll be using this as a blender and I think it'll make some first rate VaBurs and BurPers.

Mild to medium in body and taste. Very mild in flavoring. Burns best if the cubes are lightly crushed after drying.

What can I say other than this was a really nice Burley with just the right amount of sweetness. The honey flavor was pretty mild but just added a nice sweetness. I like Perfection Plug better but this is non-the-less a great smoke.

Soli Deo gloria!