Burley Tobacco – The Base Of Great Blends.

Burley is one of the most commonly found tobaccos in the pipe mixture world. It was first discovered and harvested during the 1860s in the American South. States such as Ohio and Kentucky (along with others) would see the demand for this tobacco skyrocket within the decade and were quick to take notice. Within no time at all White Burley could be seen growing in many of the large plantations. The popularity of this tobacco would only go on to increase further and by the modern day, it has become regarded as a staple. Countries such as Malawi have gone on to become some of the more prominent exporters of Burley in the 21st century. Through a process of air curing (or flue curing) and ageing it attains a vibrant golden yellow to white colouration. Naturally it contains only a small amount of sugar, resulting in a somewhat subtle tasting tobacco. This makes it an ideal choice for sweetening. The majority of American Blends contain a healthy portion of Burley mixed with Cavendish and Virginia, topped with a wide range of flavours. Customer and staff favourites such as the loose Cherry & Vanilla, Kentucky N and Spirit Of Scotland exemplify this practice  Over on this side of the pond Burley has often been used in traditional English Blends, Flakes, Plugs and even Rope tobaccos. Sometimes it will be used to take the edge off a harsher tobacco in a blend. For instance Charatan’s Eventide is a strong Latakia dominant blend that utilises Burley perfectly to this effect. A pipe tobacco landscape without Burley is truly something hard to imagine. If you have smoked even a few pipe mixtures, it is unlikely you haven’t come into contact with this versatile tobacco.