Solani 656: Aged Burley Flake

After readiing several reviews i prepared my self for a unique smoking experience.once the tin breaks a deep fresh aroma consisted of spices,bread and cocoa notes comes out.the flakes are manageable despite they are stucked each other.the moisture is medium and a little drying time might be needed.lighting needs some effort and several relights are needed.while smoking the flavours are natural and simply great from the beginning till the end.rich cocoa flavour is offered in a sharp and pleasing way.molasses,earth sweet notes are there also in a natural combination full of spices.generally the flavours are natural and they combine in a pleasant way with the light cocoa topping i believe is added.burns slow and cool to perfect ash with a few moisture left at the filter.the nicotine level is almost medium,the room note almost pleasant and the aftertaste is nice and spicy.no chance of tongue bite.not an all day smoke for me but an excellent after dinner blend that fits perfect to my churchwarden pipes!

Easily my favorite burley. Very high quality and never bitter like some other burley blends. I have yet to find another burley that matches this tobacco. Very cool, tasty and slow smoke.

Tastes of toasted oats cereal with a very slight sweetness against dark smoky burley - surely some aged fire cured leaf here. Enjoyed the slow burn and hardly any rough edges and no bitterness. I found this much better dried out a bit when it was smoother and single light after the char did the trick. A good change of pace from Virginia flakes and sure to please burley lovers. Superior blend.

Most folks before me have this one well covered. This is top shelf stuff, not noticeably flavored, very natural, and classically burley.

Just right sized flakes, easy to tend, easy to smoke, and it's keeps your attention.

If you are learning about natural tobaccos, without gen usual casing and flavor goo, this is a good place to start. This flake is also great for breaking in your new briar without nasty specters and ghosts.

Get some.

Solani 656 is my first pipe tobacco and I love it. I quit smoking cigs and started smoking this. The taste is nice I find myself smoking more and more everyday. It doesn't bite. Takes some relights but it's good all the way through to the last bit.

edit- since trying 6 or so other tobaccos, this holds 1st place. with Peterson's Irish Flake at a close 2nd. As far as I know this is THE quintessential burley. Highly recommended.

Well....this is the gold standard for burley flakes. There is not more to say that hasnt been said. Its very flavorful -- nutty with hints of cocoa and brown sugar. A suble taste of almost creme brulee sweetness and is very creamy. Its cool and simply put; perfect. If you have not had good luck with other burley flake....give this a try.

I love Burley! This definitely delivers the goods. The tin note is of malted grains with a touch of sweetness. The flakes are easy to deal with, and the roll-and-stuff method works great. It lights easily after about 2 or 3 tries, and I like the fact that the tins stay pretty consistent as far as moisture is concerned (not too dry). It burns pretty evenly, and has a decent dose of nicotine (after all, it IS Burley). This flake is so full of flavor that it's ridiculous! It's zesty, nutty, sweet. There are hints of sweet molasses, grains, and cocoa - all of which make a damn fine Burley blend. I'll be buying more for sure. If you like Burley in any form, get a tin!

I am really impressed by this tobacco's quality. It has a caramelish sort of boiled sugar undertone which I am loving. I think this is probably the best Burley based tobacco I ever had in my life. I cannot detect any Kentucky in it and I am not quite sure I am missing it. Not that it does not contain any, but the virginia leaf is somewhat missing. Sometimes it is nice to see how some tobacco will interact with other tobaccos, but but the main player here is the burley leaf. I am finding this smoke very robust and solid and it gets better and better the more you progress with your bowl. This tobacco is gonna get a 4 solid stars.

Wanting to experience a higher quality burley after initial surveys of various tobacco types I turned to the search function here and found this to be the highest rated example. I was also intrigued by a straight burley flake, not a terribly common form of these tobaccos. I was not disappointed, however this can be a frustrating blend.

I find the packaging to be part of the fun of tinned blends, and while coming in the typical rectangular tin with a label, the antique nautical woodcut is really cool. The flakes are dark and moist, with a rich woody scent of tobacco and cocoa. The leaf is obviously of the very highest quality.

To address its assessment as frustrating, I find the physical smoking qualities to be somewhat poor as the flake is very moist and really required considerable attention. Part of this was impatience on my part as I plowed through my first tin without providing the type of climate control or preparation to achieve the proper humidity. The smoking of each bowl was the same as I would get bursts of incredible flavor that were difficult to sustain leading me to stoke the tobacco which is exactly the wrong way to treat this. This tobacco rewards slow smoking. I also find that the flavors develop much better with a tight pack, however go too far and it just won't burn well. The key is being attentive.

Despite those qualifications, the taste is inspiring. I have to take Solani at their word that no flavoring is added, but it's hard to believe because this pops with cocoa flavor and it's delicious. When crunchy dry it also produces a cinnamon note that combines with both the cocoa and burley pepper like a Mexican mole sauce. The burley roughness is there as well at times that reminds me of radishes. There are also toasted grains, the oily smoke of rich fatty nuts, and light caramelized sugars with a mild consistent sweetness that is more typical of Virginias. Unlike other burleys it doesn't get bitter or ashy. Nicotine seems pretty low for a burley.

I carefully considered the rating on this. The too moist flakes can be painful and frustrating, which could steer this to a 3. This is made more irritating because of the reward of the taste, but ultimately the taste is so outstanding that it is a solid 4. Take the time to get the moisture and preparation right and focus on your technique and it is an awesome smoke.