Boswell Pipes & Tobacco Boswell's Premium Burley

I am quite new to pipe smoking. I have only sampled eight blends-- all but one of them from Boswell's. I tried to get small samples of a range of varieties. Boswell's Premium Burley was my representative from the realm of Burley.

By the numbers: Taste:3.5/4 Burn: 3.5/4 Room Note: 4/4 Value: 3.5 Average: 3.625 = ****

I certainly cannot call myself an aficionado of any blend or any blend style at this point. But, I can say what I like. And I really like Boswell's Premium Burley.

One of the challenges I have had as a new pipe smoker is a failure to detect much flavor other than just a generic tobacco taste. Initially I thought the same thing about this blend. But, once I cycled through my samples and came back to this one, something special happened. I genuinely enjoyed it as something unique from my other samples.

The bag note is very sweet. More than my other blend samples, this one carries the bag note of tobaccos that I used to sniff at the drug store-- back when they just left bags of cheap pipe tobacco out where kids can get a hold of them. This one, however, is more subtle.

The blend packs nicely and stays lit well.

Upon smoking, my untrained palette actually picks up on two things. First, there is a unique flavor and mouth-feel as compared to my non-Burley blends. For lack of a better word, I would say "nutty." There is also just a hint of sweetness on the lips and tongue. The dominant flavor is, of course, tobacco. But, there is something riding along side it that is something akin to a good hazelnut coffee. But, the novice (like me) might not pick up on it at first.

As for the room note, this blend lends a warm, sweet aroma that is what you classically think of as pipe smoke.

My third or fourth bowl of this blend was a special experience for me. It was the first time I smoked my pipe and just quietly enjoyed it without thinking about it. It was just good and comfortable. It was the first time I actually felt like a pipe smoker.

In short, this is a "happy" tobacco. It is content to be simply enjoyed for what it is-- a pleasant, slightly nutty, slightly sweet companion to whatever else you are doing. I highly recommend this one to the newbie.

A mild, sweet not to cased, aromatic burley. Reminds me of barbary coast by glp, but a lot milder. Solid baccy taste, doesn't get too bitter at the end. Top mild burley from a top American blender.

Whiskey/Vanilla topping but very light and not over done. If you like Prince Albert, you will like this.

this tobacco comes in a ribbon cut, inspecting the pouch we can see burley bright virginia and black cavendish, it packs and lights very easily. The taste is of nuts and chocolate in the burley kind of way, the cavendish adds a chemical sweetness that reminds me of cheap aromatic house blends. The nicotine is almost non existent on this one. I would recommend this to the smoker that thinks Prince Albert is too much, or to the aromatic smoker venturing in less aromatic blends, but to me it's just completely boring. It does seems to help form cake pretty fast, and you can puff this all day without having to worried about bite tongue.

would I buy this again... no, could you do worse... yes.

I ordered 6 blends from Boswell's. They are wonderful people and accommadating like no other shop.Again, this tastes like less sweet Norse Gold. I guess that is their signature taste like Peretti Burley or Wilke Toasted Cavendish. Do not expect Peretti 333 or Wilke Nut Brown Burley. This is more like an extremely high end Sir Walter Raleigh or Carter Hall. Reminds me the most of Edgeworth Burley in the pouch. I am sorry to say I have found all the 6 Boswell blends rather disappointing. Northwoods was the best of the lot and that was because of the imaginative nature of the blend.

Just received a pipe back from Boswell after having been fitted with a new stem. Included with it was a sample of Boswell Burley. As a burley smoker I was anxious to try this blend and was quite pleased. Mild is the word-no tongue bite whatsoever. Excellent room note and great taste. Highly recommended.

This might be the first Boswell pipe tobacco I have tried. In short, I’d say this is light American “codger” burley meets a bit of vanilla black cavendish. It’s not a ribbon or chunky cut, I’d call it a rough cut. Burns cool and clean and easily without many relights. Fairly light in body for a burley (this is no C&D Burley Flake). No nicotine punch. Zero bite. It has a nutty earthy burley taste but I can also taste and smell the vanilla black cavendish. I am not much of a black cavendish fan, but I do like this tobacco because the vanilla flavoring is subtle - although make no mistake the light vanilla background flavor is there for the duration. I’d say this is a good light burley blend for an aromatic smoker, or for a burley smoker looking for a bit more sweetness than say, a more traditional burley like Sir Walter Raleigh, Prince Albert or Granger. Definitely worth a try.

I’ve ordered this twice now, because it is something I like to keep on hand as a blender (usually to help tame overly aggressive beasts). Both times I didn’t see visual evidence of much black Cavendish, so the sweetness derives mostly from the fully ripened Kentucky Burley itself. The tempering sauce probably had extra sugar and perhaps some butternut flavoring to emphasize the inherent character of this particular Burley. You realize these things if you compare against something minimally processed like Wessex Burley Slice. This is apparent especially when you set flame to the tobacco, when the extra sugars combust. But rest assured, once the lighting is over and you’ve settled into a nice relaxed cadence, this is perfectly smooth and without bite.

The honey and vanilla are very subtle here, I get more nutty tones. The nutty flavors show up as specifically cashew butter and hazelnut cream on my tasting wheel (a carry-over from the specialty coffee reviews I’ve done). As a solo player it’s pleasant enough, but a bit one-dimensional for me. A perfect codger smoke, I’d say. No question it is a smooth and relaxing smoke which leaves a pleasing ambient aroma (that would be the room note for those of you who smoke indoors). Seems to work its best magic in an old Medico Gothic, but I’ve never had an unpleasant smoke in any pipe. Just about time to order some more!

This is one special leaf! I had long thought I did not care much for burleys at all. I was basing my prejudice on personal experience, having found little to like in burley-forward blends in the past. That I eventually came upon Boswell's interpretation proves yet again that one should keep an open palate and revisit old favorites and disappointments alike.

Boswell's Premium Burley is a beautiful leaf of comfortable cut and perfect moisture content in the 1oz bag that I had ordered (this review is thus based on the bulk version only). Filling the pipe is hardly a chore and the bowl takes the match on first light, forcing you to put down the pipe to allow for the usual charring ritual. From the first puffs, a pleasantly nutty sweetness develops, that remains throughout the bowl. It is a comforting mixture, for sure, but I would disagree with those who claim it lacks complexity. Every single pipeful of Boswell's Premium I have smoked to date has kept my interest till the last, to the point where reaching the (dry) heel catches me off guard. I have tried this in several of my Ferndowns with varying shapes and sizes and the results have been consistent and highly enjoyable.

My warmest recommendation for this quality leaf. Grab a book, fill a bowl, and simply enjoy the moment.