BURLEY —“white burley” – is a mutation of Virginia that developed in Maryland after the Civil War. It has natural tobacco taste, almost nutty, and will never “bite.” It takes flavorings and casing especially well as it has very little taste of its own. It is the most common base tobacco in drugstore blends. Whether you enjoy Cake, Rope or Flake, the tobacco needs a little more preparation before it can be smoked. These three styles of tobacco may be prepared in several ways.
We have all kinds of cigar accessories, including cutters, punches, lighters, humidors, and ashtrays. We also offer the largest selection of fine pipes in Colorado. If that isn’t enough, we also have the largest walk-in humidor in the Denver metro area. You can try any pipe tobacco you like from the many jars of free samples we have to offer. This is a mild English blend with a touch of aromatic black Cavendish for flavor and aroma.
This is an all Burley blend for those who like burley without the bite. This last country, in fact, accounts for much of the world’s VA production. The most common color grades are lemon, golden, and red. Ignoring a great many factors , the color of a VA relates to its sugar content.
Transplanting begins in May and progresses through June with a small percentage set in July. Producers must contend with major diseases such as black shank and blue mold and insects like aphids, hornworms and budworms. Plants are topped by removing the developing flower head at approximately 60 days from transplanting and treated to prevent the growth of side shoots called suckers. Topping allows energy that would have produced a bloom to promote leaf expansion. At approximately four weeks after topping the tobacco is stalk cut using a knife that is shaped like a tomahawk.
The tobacco plant is unique in that the plant develops different characteristics and flavors contingent on the type of soil and climate it is grown in. Many tobaccos blends have added natural and artificial flavorings added, but if the climate and soil is of poor quality the tobacco will never be a quality smoke. Which tobacco is right for you depends on your experience with tobacco and your personal tastes. If you’re new to smoking water pipes, a mild blend is your best way to ease into things. A good aromatic tobacco is lightly topped with a natural flavoring. Aromatics tend to be more moist than non-aromatics due to the flavoring added, which can lead to problems smoking them.
Other cultures of the indigenous peoples of the Americas smoke tobacco socially. The tobacco plant is native to South America but spread into North America long before Europeans arrived. Tobacco was introduced to Europe from the Americas in the 16th century and spread around the world rapidly. This color painting by Frank Wiles first appeared in the September, 1914 number of Strand Magazine to illustrate the first installment of “The Valley of Fear”.
Some are pressed into flat plugs which are sliced into flakes. Others are tightly wound into long ropes, then sliced into discs. Plug tobacco is maintained in its pressed block form and sold in small blocks. The plug will be sliced into thin flakes by the smoker and then prepared in a similar fashion to flake tobacco. It is considered that plug tobacco holds its flavor better than rubbed or flake tobacco. Generally it is rubbed out with the fingers and palms until it is loose enough to pack.
Each plant is speared, spiked or spudded onto a stick topped by a metal spear, spike or spud that fits over the stick. Sticks of green cut tobacco are most often allowed to field wilt for three or four days prior to hanging in a barn. Tobacco is allowed to air cure for eight or more weeks turning from the normal pale green to yellow and then to brown.