Peter Stokkebye Toasted Burley (No. 312)

My pouch of Toasted Burley appears to be more of a ready rubbed than a broken flake, although that could simply be from the bulk storage. The pouch scent is very mild and a little sweet and a little earthy. It needed some dry time and I didn’t rub it out any further for the bowls that I smoked. In the pipe is lightly sweet, with a little cocoa, but that is likely more from the Burley and not added cocoa flavoring. I can’t say what the added flavor is but it doesn’t overpower the blend. In the pouch is appeared to be a good quality and I find that in the smoke too. There are none of the negatives that can be associated with some Burley’s. There is no harshness and no bitterness at all. It’s much more nutty than earthy in flavor. There is no complexity, but I didn’t expect that there would be. There is just some added strength as each bowl progresses, but overall this is mild to medium in strength. I also like the fact that it doesn’t burn hot. This is the third bulk Stokkebye blend that I have tried recently (the others being Dutch Cavendish and Turkish Export) and I have been impressed with each one thus far. This is great on its own as an all-day smoke for Burley lovers, and would also be a great blend to add some body and sweetness to a blend.

PS Toasted Burley is pretty much as described above. It's a broken flake burley that has a mild to medium nicotine hit. The aroma of the unlit tobacco is typical of burleys. It lights easily and burns slowly, requiring few relights. So, how does it taste?

Let me begin by stating that I'm not a fan of straight burley tobacco. Most that I have tried are rather one dimensional. The better ones deliver some cocoa notes and a little sweetness. PSTB is, IMO, not one of the better ones. Instead of cocoa, I get burnt coffee and acrid wood smoke. There is some sweetness, but I believe it is in the casing rather than the tobacco. There is also an underlying bitterness that the casing does not completely disguise.

I can imagine that PSTB would make a good base tobacco if blended with some sweet Virginias and an even sweeter topping. However, as a straight smoke, i can't recommend it to anyone but a burley lover. To me, it's just too bitter and uninteresting.

UPDATE: I've smoked this tobacco in several different pipes and learned that this has a significant effect on the quality of the smoke. It tastes best in a narrow, deep bowl. It's also important to control one's smoking tempo. If pushed, it tends to taste bitter but, smoked slowly, it's much sweeter and better tasting. I still don't taste the cocoa flavor that burleys often display. Rather, it reminds me more of a cavendish tobacco. I've also blended it with some other tobaccos. Mixed 1:1 with PS Luxury Navy Flake, its makes for a great smoking experience. Based on this, I've upped my rating to Recommended.

A no regret smoke that is easy on palate and pocketbook. The initial sweet top note gives way to the burley undercarriage and the non temperamental burn rate delivers a satisfying smoke filling my pipe at least twice a day.

Toasty and nutty with hints of cocoa, some earth, and a light molasses sweetness. This is a very nice smoke, and if you’re a Burley smoker this could very well be your new all day blend. 3.4 stars.

I really enjoy the burley as a broken flake and the toasting has left it with a nice brown and dark brown color. I noticed the topping was the same as PS Luxury Bullseye Flake. That said it is just a very slight sweet topping, not a flavoring. Hard to make this bite. Has a mellow classic burley taste and great natural warm tobacco room note.

As a blending tobacco this really shines as a great base. I have used 3oz of this mixed with 1oz of PS Highland Whiskey. The result is an extremely mild, intriguing, semi-aromatic mixture that I can use all day. Highly Recommended.

Baseline tobacco. You think you've had plain burley (P.Albert, Granger, etc.), but you haven't until you've had something like this. Really centers you to where tobacco flavor (burley) begins, and just how "topped" some dumb old OTC's really were (joking about the dumb). This is good to blend with at times as well.

An occasional favorite of mine is about 50% of this Toasted Burley, with 25% Stokkebye's Dark Fired, and 25% Golden Extra. I rub in about a 1/2 oz or so of this ratio into a Ziploc at night, and spritz it lightly with water, zip up tight, airless as possible, and let it rest until morning. A cob of this with strong fresh ground coffee puts me in a wonderful mind. I imagine a smoker of century's past would be enjoying a very similar flavored experience.