Solani 656: Aged Burley Flake

Solani 656 is so good that I believe it actually contains some sort of cosmic nutrient that heightens my senses and gives me super human strength. My hair grows faster and thicker. I have a beard growing from my chest and vascular biceps that gets bigger with each puff of this gift from a higher power. It burns strong and cool and the smoke is so thick it can be chewed, swallowed, and digested. I would gladly give up my ability to taste KFC (original recipe) to have this delicious flavor linger in my whiskered maw for eternity. I'm being serious here... this tobacco is amazing! Take my money Solani!

Somehow both rustic and refined in equal measure. Cube cut, it begins with a slightly flat mustiness that soon rounds out and deepens into coffee and dry cocoa. Typical cheap-cigar notes of some burleys are happily absent, giving way instead to dark malt and pleasantly bitter nut. A little earthiness waxes and wanes. Never grows harsh or sour. A classic, completely unique stroke of blending genius.

This stuff is just... perfect. There, I've said it, and I never thought that I would. And I am about to go say the exact same thing about Solani's 660 Silver Flake. R.L. Will must be one hell of a tobacco blender, because this tobacco (along with 660) is absolutely unbelievable. The beauty is in the simplicity, and as a great someone once said, "It is what it isn't." And yet, it is what it is, as well. It's just perfectly simple, and the simplicity is complex. Strange contradictions abound.

It comes in a beautiful tin, wrapped in beautiful paper inside, and the flakes are gorgeous, uniform little brown chewing gum sticks. They behave absolutely perfectly, whether you're rubbing or folding and stuffing. I must say, the flakes are a little thick for me to be folding and stuffing (and I don't fool with that often anyway, as I don't believe there is much benefit to be had by doing so), so I smoke it rubbed, and it's great. Lights easily, burns beautifully, never bites and is cool as a cucumber. Moisture level is also literally perfect. It is exactly how it should be. Is this blender even human?

The taste is really, really hard to describe for me. It is certainly not Carter Hall or Prince Albert, good god no. In fact, this is the PERFECT tobacco to give someone if you want to instantly make them rethink all those times they said they hated burley. It is nuanced, gentle, soft, yet creamy, bold, and nutty. It is the absolute, unchallenged heavyweight champion of the world of burley tobaccos, the Holy Grail of burley tobaccos.

BUY THIS STUFF. I hesitate to rant and rave like this, because for one, I hate to sound like a frivolous goof, and for another, I don't want all of you buying up all my 656 ABF! But really and truly, if you enjoy natural, straight tobacco, and you have not had this, you are missing out, big time.

Opening the tin, I found subtle aged grains, Oats & molasses, sweet bran muffins, nuts, dates, cinnamon and cocoa. The whole mélange comes out fruit, chocolate and scorched granola. This stuff was grown and aged by masters, all scents married completely but you're still able to pick out dozens of aromas if you take the time.

Rub, pack and light.

Very interesting. Toasted pure tobacco. Subtle roasted nut and coffee flavors. Simple, but tastes great. Aging doesn't seems to have changed the burley much, except it's softer and very well balanced. Because burley has virtually no sugar in the leaf, it can't ferment like Virginia or a few other tobaccos. But it's lack of sugar also means it's not as likely to burn your tongue. Remember: Burley also has the most nicotine of any pipe leaf. This stuff has a nice kick to it. Eat something first. And don't smoke it before attempting sleep.

I've never had burley presented this way. I'm very impressed. The blend of vastly different burleys, has mingled and married deliciously. The toasting makes the whole thing more interesting. Rustic but with style, begs to be smoked outside, but wherever you smoke it - this stuff is great. Room note is quite light and tolerable.

Goes onto my favorite list as a “Something Different” selection.

I was anxious to try this blend as I have been smoking and thoroughly enjoying Wessex Burley Slice. Both of these tobaccos are manufactured and tinned by Kolhase & Kopp in Germany. The tins, sans cover label, are the same. The inside paper package - tobacco leaf artwork - is also the same. The flakes, however, are arranged differently. ABF are stacked lengthwise in 3 rows, whereas BS are are packaged on their sides, lengthwise, as bacon would be packaged (overlapping-style). The tin aroma is more sour (in a good way) and tangy with ABF. Burley Sliced had more of a sweeter, molasses tin aroma mixed in with the aroma of high grade Burley. The BS has a slightly darker appearance in the tin and ABF has some lighter leaf in the mix. I believe the description of ABF listed above after the tin description heading to be in error. According to the K & K website and the description of ABF in the Dan Tobacco Catalog, there is the addition of chocolate in the blend as a seasoning before the pressing. If you think about it while smoking, and puff slowly, you can detect these chocolate notes.

As far as the smoking experience, they both were smoke-able right out of the tin. No problem with packing or lighting for me. In both cases re-lights were minimal for flakes that were so fresh. What I did find after several smokes of each is that the BS has more in the way of molasses flavoring, not at all cloying, whereas ABF was more sour/bittersweet. There was no detectable molasses flavoring with ABF and it had more body. Its nicotine content I judged higher than BS as it tended to produce a fullness in my throat. The sour/bittersweet flavor was apparent with ABF and not with BS. Neither produced any moisture in the heel of my pipe. I conclude after many bowls of each that ABF and WBS are definitively different from one another, but both provided an excellent smoking experience. They both use high quality Burley leaf. I am glad the two are different as switching from one to the other adds variety to the smoking experience. ABF is a solid smoking experience for those who favor high quality Burley. Compared to the legendary Edgeworth Sliced, I find ABF far superior and one of the best Burley tobaccos that I have ever smoked. 5+ stars and one of my favorites.

UPDATE 10-1-10: For those interested in such things, my last 4 ABF were arranged differently in the tin. My first half dozen tins had the tobacco slices stacked atop one another in 3 rows, side by side. My last 4 tins have the slices lying side by side as bacon in a package - identical to the way K&H packages their Wessex Burley Slice.

I would also add that ABF improves even more so with aging as it brings out a very nice champagne-like taste to the smoke. Best smoked when dried out totally to the touch.

UPDATE 9-26-14: I'm into my 51st tin of ABF. After having smoked 30 tins of Wessex Burley Slice and into my last tin of Edgeworth Sliced (according to the tin produced in Holland), I would have to conclude that ABF, hands down, is the better of the three. I am primarily a Burley smoker and I have never had another Burley satisfy me as much as ABF. Along with Irish Flake, my two absolute favorite pipe tobaccos.

Original review 11/2009- Four ounces into this tobacco, and I think I am in love. That says alot for someone who really does not, as a rule, like burleys. But, this is really starting to change my mind.

The body is very nice. The smoke is silky and smooth, not harsh and hot like most other burleys that I have experienced in the past. The maker here is clearly a very skilled and careful craftsman. There is truly a nut-like quality that has eluded me with earlier burley attempts. And a level of sweetness that is light but tasty. There are NO rough edges here.

This one pairs nicely with a strong cup of coffee in the morning, or whenever you need a refreshing break. Easily an all day tobacco, except for the price. But I am not one to mark a great tobacco down for the price. No matter what my pocketbook says, this is great stuff.

Update 09/2011- The stock of tins I have are smoking perfectly after the 2 year mark. This is the one Burley that I truly enjoy everytime I smoke it. Air time is needed with this one. I think the latest reviews are from people trying this without properly airing it. Two weeks of jar time with the occasional opening is the ticket. 15 more tins in storage, will try again at 3 years. Cheers!

I don't care for Burley blends. I like it as an addition but alone or in heavy quantities, it simply doesnt suit me. However, this blend breaks that mold. First off... Tin note: Molasses, Hay, Alfalfa, Prepping: Wasn’t wet but it does have an interesting sticky texture.

The smoke begins with a your expected nutty, woody, earthy, characters that burley blends are known for but the natural molasses note begins to appear quickly. Thought his tobacco that will not satisfy a sweet tooth, it does off an excellent interplay between sweet/savory, molasses/ nutty.

The sweet molasses character has become more pronounced. If you aren’t used to Buley’s, give it time. This blend is becoming quite a wonderful smoke. It really combines well with a cup of coffee or tea with a bit of milk, as the creaminess goes well with the molasses. Nic: Slightly above medium, though I did have it with coffee in the morning without much issue. Slight headache.

It is quickly becoming a top blend for me and will probably be switched out time to time with the Va/Bur blend University Flake in my rotation. A wonderful burley blend that lives up to its hype! 7.5/10

This blend gives burley the treatment it deserves! A light barely sweetened cocoa note the most obvious. Earthy and nutty with a slight bitterness like a good coffee .It pairs great with a cup as a morning smoke . Has a smooth mouth-feel that is quite pleasant . No real obvious cigar notes . No real spice enough to mention. 3 burley leafs blended to perfection ! I enjoy it a lot ! I will be sad when this tin is empty. Must get more .

I picked up a can of Aged Burley Flake a few months ago on the last day of work at a local tobacconist as a souvenir of sorts. This was, and in some sense still is, a new experience to me - it was the first flake tobacco I ever bought, as well as my first burley blend. It was probably one of my best choices since I started smoking a pipe.

First off, the aroma is amazing. One can clearly distinguish the cocoa and the chocolate. It packs pretty well. It is, however, a little bit too wet for my liking most of the time, so I usually give it a few minutes to dry before packing. After smoking my way through about ten flakes I found out that the flavour of this blend gets significantly stronger the more agressively it is being smoked. It starts of with a light and sweet cocoa, then goes down into chocolate territory, but if pushed harder the taste becomes very similar to dark bread. Becouse of this, I find it very fitting to pair with a glass of good slavic kvass.

I truly adore this one. This is currently my go-to "autumn melancholy" tobacco. It has helped me on a few gloomy days already. Fully recommended.