Wessex Burley Slice

When I light this Burley the Molasses flavor always hits me immediately. There is some cocoa and nuttiness also . A sweet smoke . The natural Burley taste still comes through the casings . I could smoke this anytime of the day . Nic is about mild-medium . You can smoke it all day if you want probably. It is just plain good . 3 - 3 1/2 rating . It must be enjoyed by many because it is usually sold out !

Wessex Burley Slice is another keeper from my 2018 BurleyQuest. In the tin are two short stacks of well-formed flakes, medium dark brown mottled with lighter flecks, smelling of dark cocoa over traditional brown bread. These flakes can be torn to length, rolled and loosely stuffed for a long, satisfying smoke. I prefer to dry it a little before loading to make it light easier, which improves the initial tastes, IMO. Lit, scents include some non-musky earth, smoked meat, and fragrant, floral, woody resins. Tastes include an earthy variety of smoked turkey (as opposed to beef jerky) from the dark fired component, some cashews, and a woody quality that intensifies down the bowl. There is also a hint of some serious, salty Dutch licorice along with a breath of unsweetened, dark chocolate. Typical of Burley, this stuff is tannic, and it gets bitterer as it is smoked down. Think craft IPA. Meanwhile, the licorice is not so much recognizable as such as it works quite well to temper the bitterness without resorting to sugar. There is substantial (but still somewhat diffuse) body for an all Burley blend, likely due to dark fired leaf. The tastes are well-melded, also fairly consistent top to bottom, to the point where it seems monochromatic if I smoke it often. With tamping and poking it burns down to some black char that is better tossed than smoked. There is plenty of smoke. Strength gradually builds past medium. Tastes are just over medium for this Burly lover; however, it might seem more intense to those who don’t like bitter. I thought at first the room note was pleasant, until I got a whiff of my shirt an hour after smoking some WBS. Aftertaste is a lingering best of the smoke.

Wessex Burly Slice is pretty “natural”, also fairly distinctive, if that appeals, and I think it would be worth a go for anyone who wants to try a first class, pure Burley blend. After some experimentation I prefer it in group 4 pipes, max. 4 stars.

The nice looking burley flakes are neatly stacked inside the tin smell heavenly. These flakes need to be dried for a bit. The smoke has a nice molasses taste. It's not harsh nor bitey. Goes great with coffee. A real Saturday morning smoke but it's good all day long too.

If you like Burley, this may be the cream of the crop. If I was a Burley man, this would be my desert island tobacco. I'm more of a Virginia man, but I was still left in awe at the shear quality of this flake. The flavors or deep and brooding, with your typical Burley nutiness, and a nice touch of sweetness too. Nice work Wessex.

Upon opening the tin which makes a quality presentation, one encounters a wonderful dried fruit like aroma. Mmmm good enough to eat. The flakes are composed of a variety of brown shades and are very sticky, thick and don't rub out with ease. It takes a bit of effort to get it going but once lit the rubbed out flakes burn smoothly, cool and without any tongue bite. So far, so good, but then the flavor is quite a let down. The texture of the smoke is wonderful, smooth, silky and full bodied. however without much of a flavor. At first there is a bit of bitterness that can be characteristic of some Burleys, but that dissipates quickly. You are left with an not unpleasant but flat almost watery taste that is quite unremarkable. Perhaps it is the lack of any flavorings being added. I smoke a number of Burley tobaccos, pipesandcigars.com's Classic Burley Kake being my current favorite and this stuff doesn't have anything to offer that would displace any of my favorites. It's flavor and smoking qualities are mild and unobtrusive though, again without a hint of tongue bite but however it does possess a very generous helping of vitamim "N" for those who enjoy that sort of sensation (too much for me though this stuff can be headache inducing). I've only had a couple of goes at it with this tobacco (I'm puffing away on it as I write this) so perhaps it will grow on me but for now only two stars. Another drawback is the price as it is considerably more expensive then some far superior Burleys I regularly enjoy. I will try blending it another time with a Virginia based aromatic that lacks Burley and see how that works out. Somewhat recommended.

I haven't tried Solani Aged Burley Flake as yet.But if it comes in COOEE of this one it must be one of Gods favourites.Wessex Burley Flake really is a must for all lovers of Burley.

Rich, flavorful uncomplicated Burley. This is what Huck Finn would have smoked.

Having sampled 20 or so blends this year, this one has definitely stood out from the crowd. I concur with Sir Claude's taste notes below, though I would put this blend in the medium-strong nicotine range.

I smoked some of this blend right out of the tin a few months ago and found it to be an ok burley, pleasantly sweet to me as, yes, I like bright virginias. But a bit rough at the edges. Good relaxing smoke, yet... Meh. After a few weeks in tightly closed mason jar, however, voila!

No casing other than a sweetness that melds perfectly with the solid burley and which I found ravishing but not cloying. Smooth (and I mean smooooth), clean smoking experience with mouth-filling flavor and, as we frequently say, no hint of bite. I'm sensitive to high nicotine blends, so for manageable nic and for flavor I would have to give WBS the edge, albeit slight, over Edgeworth Ready Rubbed, which I also like and also have. I prefer to smoke WBS in my full bent grade 5 Hungarian shape. It's a great morning smoke with a mug of coffee.