Solani 656: Aged Burley Flake

I have to say that i LOVE this blend. I was lucky to get hold of this tin from my very dear friend Pipestud a few months ago.

I was hesitant to open it at first, it was when my current tin of Briar Fox somehow caught fire in an unusual number of very small but very cool fires that i was looking for an evening replacement. I was not planning on opening any of my aging tins of BF so, judging by the reviews, i thought this would be ideal based on the VitN content.

The best way i can describe the taste is to say that it has a deep, toasty, nutty taste that i kinda find Old Worldsy. It burns for a long time even in a small bowl and i find it most satisfying. I have a little Meer ( have lots of those ) dedicated to this blend and i will whip it out when in need of a relaxing no frills medium to strong smoke.

I did find it to be moist upon popping the tin and let it dry for around 24 hours until almost crispy. The flakes does remind me of University Flake in look and smell ( minus the berry ) and i felt immediately at home once i lit it up.

Good Stuff

Mo, South Africa

Didnt think i would like this blend(not a burly fan) BUT WOW love it!

I've not met a Solani blend yet that I don't like. This lovely flake is no exception. I normally rub this out and let it dry 15 minutes before loading. The tobacco burns slowly, to a fine white ash. I would describe this beauty as follows: think of MacBaren's Burley....a little less sweet....a little darker taste....a little stronger in the nicotene department.......very little bite......There you go.

Update 10 SEP 07

Well, well...I've tried it in a briar pipe, and we don't get along...funny, I like it in a Meershaum, but dislike it in a briar!

I think my taste buds are just not compatible with the all burley flake.

Final verdict: I highly recommend it in a Meershaum, but cannot pronounce myself about a briar, because of the incompatibility of my taste buds with the Burley bakkie. If that makes sense to you lads...

Update 22 AUG 07

After 4-5 pipe fulls, I like the bakkie as much, it definitely goes with the Meerschaum; I haven't tried it in a briar yet, maybe later. I will review my impressions with the briar.

The taste is of pure tobacco, slighty nutty, sometimes a bit bitter but it never lasts long, a second or two. What I've noticed is that upon relighting, the first few puffs will be a bit bitter, sort of like a natural almond taste, then the pure tobacco and nutty taste kick right back in.

Being my first good attempt at an all Burley blend, I must say this leaf is certainly interesting. I get a high satisfaction out of it, especially on the taste side: this mixture is simply incitating me to smoke more and more! I'm sure the fans of Burley blends know what I am talking about...

I am impressed by Solani Aged Burley Flake.

I will rebuy this bakkie and it will now be on a regular basis! This mixture is, honestly, addictive.

I must upgrade it to highly recommended. This baby is a winner!

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19 AUG 07

Solani's Aged Burley flake...so this is what burley is all about!

I am far from the disastrous experience of Cornell & Diehl's Safe Harbor Flake.

Before I say anything, I must confess: I am sold to Solani's blends, and I feel no shame about it, only pride and joy. Yes sir. But I am objective, nevertheless.

When I opened the tin, I was welcomed by mostly brown, dark brown and just a few golden shades; surprisingly, the Bakkie smelled like cigarettes, let's say Player's filters. More like Canadian than American cigarette tobacco... I was surprised by the tin aroma, this is not what I expected from an all burley flake, but it's only due to my lack of experience with that type of blend...I was anticipating something more like a nutty, somehow more sweet smell. But, mind you, the next day, the cigarette aroma is gone, replaced by the smell of solid natural tobacco with a tiny, very subtle sweetness in the background. Nice. And the flakes - real ones! are beautiful.

The moisture level is ideal and I couldn't resist filling up my Meerschaum immediately, 'cause I've been very receptive to all Burley blends recently. Out of curiosity, I guess...

The goddamn bakkie is great! I cannot describe the taste of it, the Meershaum still has some remains of Solani's whiskey, but barely already...the bakkie smokes evenly, the burning is easy and it has a subtle, very discreet nutty after taste combined with a tiny bitter, but not unpleasant, undertone.

Past third-bowl, the whiskey taste is gone, replaced by the burley. The Meershaum likes the all burley flake, I can assure you: this bakkie tastes like pure tobacco, nothing added. All it tastes like is pure, unaltered tobacco. Surprising but exciting at the same time!

Recommended - very diferent bakkie! I don't think it will become a regular smoke but I will buy more when I will want a different smoke to enjoy...

The story goes that Rudiger Will worked on this blend for a year and still was not satisfied. Just prior to giving up, he experimented with toasting at various times and temperatures, finally finding the right combination to bring out a subtle sweetness that one tastes in Aged Burley Slices.

Subsequently I have discovered my favorite burley blend of all time, displacing former favorites such as Haunted Bookshop, Edgeworth Sliced, Nut Brown Burley, and Burley Slice by Wessex. With all the anxiety we're feeling about the effects of the anti-smoking movement, we sure have a lot of great tobacco blends to choose from, don't we? It seemed that the loss of Edgeworth Sliced was going to leave us without a top-shelf burley flake, then along comes Burley Slice and now Aged Burley Flake. Lucky for me, Aged Burley Flake is just perfect, IMHO.

Its nutty taste and perfect smoking characteristics make it the one burley flake that I can smoke all-day long. In the morning with a cup or two of coffee, ABF is about as good as any smoking/beverage combination as I have found. If you're still mourning the loss of Edgeworth Sliced, you obviously haven't tried Aged Burley Flake.

All'apertura forte profumo di cacao, flake con grado di umidità perfetto. Brucia lentamente senza necessità di riaccensioni. Costante il sapore di Burley durante tutta la fumata; non scalda la pipa. Perfetto per accompagnare un caffè nero forte. Un "must have" per gli amanti del Burley. Unico vero difetto il prezzo... 29 euro sono davvero tanti per 50 grammi di tabacco.

PERFETTO with UN BUON CAFFÈ! This Solani Flake is three Burleys from Kentucky, Brasil and Malawi that are masterfully proportioned to provide a perfect pairing for those who enjoy strong coffee. In Milan, I often walk to IL BAR after Sunday Lunch for a strong espresso which prepares my palette for the rich bitter chocolate, leather and oaky flavours this blend evokes. It remains flavourful & burns perfectly throughout the bowl. It also pairs well with rich whiskies like GlenScotia 15 or GlenMorangie 14 which evoke earthy coffee and cocoa notes. Also delicious with Sicilian Nero D’Avola red wine aged in Oak. I hope you are able to enjoy some. Grazie.

3rdguy

I always finish a tin of this in quick fashion. Consistent flavor throughout the bowl and has a nice sweetness to it. I like to rub mine out aggressively and quite dry for a hassel free smoke. HOF blend right here and worthy of cellaring.

It’s Saturday, so that means I am revisiting my new friend, the Castello 55, which I have dedicated to burley blends. Today we're going to burn some Solani Aged Burley Flake in it.

Solani Aged Burley Flake is a 3 way mix of dark brown burley from Kentucky (where I proudly reside), light burley from Brazil, and white burley from Malawi. These fine tobaccos are pressed and sliced into beautiful medium-sized flakes.

This is a fresh tin I opened and jarred a month ago so it could settle a bit. I have some aging in the cellar as well, but I wanted to start with a fresh tin for comparison.

The tin note is interesting, stick with me here: it’s as if you’re standing in the middle of an old barn, holding a cup of hot cocoa, and bending over to smell a bowl of fresh, plums. That may not sound enticing to some, but I was forged and hardened in just this kind of environment. I spent my childhood in old barns hanging tobacco and tossing hay, so to me it brings back fond memories. I find the tin note mesmerizing. Cocoa, dark fruits, and earthy barn.

I pull out a flake. It feels like it doesn't need any drying time. I rub the flake out, not too much but gently. It unspools into ribbons. I load up the Castello 55 and prepare to revisit a tobacco I haven't had in some time.

The rubbed flake takes a few times to get lit, but after two false lights, it is smoking nicely.

This tobacco tastes masculine, wise and adventurous. If Indiana Jones ever smoked a pipe, this is what I would imagine he’d smoke; maybe not while he’s in the office researching relics, but rather when the plane is going down and he has to think fast.

I taste cocoa, leather, roasted nuts, earth, campfire woodiness, a mild sorghum sweetness and a slight acerbic bitter on the end like dark chocolate. These tastes meld together as the bowl wanes but stays true throughout. It is a no-nonsense burley.

The room note is cocoa, savory nuts and hay. I find it pleasant but my partner Amanda does not agree. She said it stinks. It may be a bit strong and acrid for non-smokers.

The tobacco feels quite strong in nicotine. It tingles the tongue, but never bites and the pipe never got hot, just a little warm. It pairs very well with Coffee, both in taste and in strength, and I would put this in the “WAKE ME UP” category, not the “RELAX” category.

It burns nice to the very bottom, leaving a white and gray, fine, mottled ash with only mild dampness in the bottom of the bowl. I did have to use a pipe cleaner once, but I think if I had dried this out for a half hour before I loaded it, I wouldn’t need to do that. The flakes felt nicly dried, but they are quite thick and I think there was a little extra moisture in there. Also this is only the second time I’ve smoked this pipe so it doesn’t have any cake yet.

So in the end, this is a superior burley flake. One of the best I have ever had. Nicely complex for a burley-only blend and pleasing but also strong enough to scratch that burley itch. If you don’t like burley, this isn’t going to change your mind, but if you do, this could be at the top of your list! It is pure quality, though and through. 5/5 stars. A wonderful experience.