Wessex Burley Slice

God, this stuff is great. that being said, i really believe that you need to find the right pipe for it. i experimented with 4 or 5 different pipes of various shapes and sizes, and none of them really clicked. Finally i stuffed some in a Dr. Grabow of all things, and it hit me. Burns cool enough, no real problems keeping it lit. the flavor is outstanding, earthy and nutty and subtle. I didn't really like the way it was packaged, in a layered "bacon" style way, but that certainly won't ruin my opinion of this blend. If the much talked about Edgeworth Sliced was anything like this, i can see why it's so sorely missed

Please do not let the name Burley turn you off. I am a lover of Virginia tobacco. When I think of Burley with no other tobaccos blended with it, I think of tongue bite and heat, but this slice is bite free and cooler than a Colorado rain. The taste to me is extremely hard to define, unlike the usual sweet, woodsy, leathery or peppery taste it's more like a nutty tobacco taste. The word waxy comes to mind for some reason. Extremely satisfying to this VA lover. I will stock up heavily on this blend so it can be true to me for years to come.

If you like edgeworth sliced this is for you, Over the last year i had been searching for more edgeworth sliced. I hope wessex keeps this in stock. To me this is as close as it gets to getting edgeworth sliced I love it enjoy

Despite the packaging similarities, I believe this blend differs from the Solani ABF. In the tin the WBS is darker, sliced thicker, and the tobaccos in the flake are more homogenous. The ABF has lighter flecks and is more variegated. The ABF aroma may be slightly sweeter, the WBS being a bit more leathery, slightly sour (not in a bad way). The textures are noticeably different. The Wessex flake crumbles easily, and the Solani flake is more cohesive.

Side-by-side, in clay pipes, the ABF seems spicier, but the difference is slight. I'm thinking it would have been a better use of my time to load a either flake in a cob or fat briar. I like both flakes and rate them 4 stars.

This is one of the best examples of Burley currently available. It has all the oily nuttiness that burley is known for as well as pronounced cocoa notes. The flavor is big, although not broad. It does not bore like some straight burleys. The aroma is rich and room filling, but clean. Comparable to Solani's Burley Flake. A must try for burley lovers.

For all the Edgeworth my father smoked, he should have bought stock in the company... This delightful rememberance is an artful combination of mild and nutty leaf that is very close to the tinned slices of the mid '50's. I suggest smoking it in the slice for maximum flavor and duration of this most pleasant of smoking experiences. This most forgiving of Burley blends is without some of the undesirable characteristics of others that can burn hot and turn bitter. Easily an all day smoke, this has immediately become one of my regular rotation smokes. The tin aroma has a light molassas note that speaks of a complex yet not overpowering treat for the pipester. I recommend this blend to anyone seeking a most pleasant Burley smoke.

Meerschaum Man Smoking a Yanik Daemon Skull

Tin note of molasses, fermented vegetation and spices. Tobacco is a flake of a marbled dark brown and brown with tan stem spots. Moisture content is great, rubs out with a little effort. Burns slow with a few relights. The strength is medium and nic is mild to medium. Flavoring is mild to medium, with notes of Licorice, that dissipates to practically nothing by the end of the first 1/3. Taste is medium and mostly consistent, with notes of mild licorice, wood, leather, musty vegetation, toasted sweet bread, mild cocoa, rich earthy, dry bitterness, mild molasses, tart/tanginess, mildly savory, a semi-sweet nutty background note, and a smooth retro. Burley is leading with Flavoring supporting. Room note is pleasant to tolerable, and aftertaste is great.

Although this medium-strength 100% Burley blend is simple in construction it is far from being commonplace. With its full, deep, mellow spicy nutty taste, coddled by a mildly sweet chocolatey aged wood undertone, you can imagine this is a treat that provides me with infinite enjoyment.

I swear WBS hosts with a very stealthy diluted licorice topping that infuses beautifully with the natural sugary molasses flavoring of the native tobacco, although the manufacturer provides no evidence towards same.

The nose of this stuff is one heady moneyed Burley-esque. It is so darn savory that the cat wants in on the game, do you believe that? It may be a stingy clowder of pipe-smoking cats that seem to keep this one on the “hard to find” list.

My #2 favorite pressed Burley flake hands down. Typical German conservatism by constitution but soulfully flamboyant to the core when the flame hits the leaf.

If you spot it, grab it while you can. It will inspire the pipey Max Ernst that lies inside you just like it does for me.

I must state my bias up front. In my 35 years of smoking a pipe I've gone from aromatics to Virginia's and finally several years ago settled into burleys and corn cob pipes. I prefer cube cut, crushed plug and flake to ribbon cut by a very wide margin. I like the way you can codger scoop or even pour the above mentioned cubed and crushed into your bowl and I prepare flake the same way. Wessex Burley Slice is a high grade version of the other old burleys I love so well. To me there is a tread that connects all burleys that have favoring attributes of cocoa and molasses all the way back to Edgeworth so that if you love one you'll at least like the other. With all burley's I follow the advise of the late, great John Patton. Dry it a bit more than you think it needs and pack a bit lighter than you think it needs. With that in mind Burley Slice took light right away and needed no re-lights. The flavor is pecan like with some chocolate and that great old time molasses flavor. No epiphanies here. It's like a visit with an old friend, no surprises just good and relaxing. After a smoke the room note lingers and is very pleasant reminding you perhaps, if you're old enough, of something your Grandfather smoked. There's a lot of comparison of this blend to Solani Aged Burley Flake. I'm smoking both today side by side. My opinion will probably vary from most but to me they are very, very similar. My review of Wessex Burley Slice and Solani Aged Burley Flake will basically be the same. Both are great. Both are 4 star. Both could probably be offered in bulk at a more reasonable price. That's my only dig here. For some of us who smoke daily, price does matter and means the difference between a daily smoke and an occasional treat.