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My grow blog in hindsight......

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Bex

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Hmmm.....My flue cured Virginia is probably as good as anything that I’ve been able to purchase. I suppose that the problem is that I don’t really like Virginia on it’s own - I’m a cigarette smoker, go for that ‘throat hit’, etc., which I never get from Virginia. Amusingly, a cigarette with too much Virginia in it makes me cough! I’m seriously hoping that my venture with Burley is successful this year - I spent over 3 hours this evening tweaking, trying, tweaking again, to try to get a blend I like. It was hard work!! How excellent would it be, if I was actually able to appreciate and enjoy what I’ve grown myself. It’s too bad that you can’t flue cure burley - I find that procedure so easy now. Every once in a while I go back to my ‘tobacco diary’ and read about the panic and anxiety I experienced (and overcame, thanks to this forum) my first and second year flue curing. Considering that options here are few, and whatever options there are, aren’t great, I can only hope that my efforts will be successful. Fingers crossed.
 

deluxestogie

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I seem to recall that the recipe for Camel cigarettes is something like:
  • flue-cured Virginia: 60%
  • burley (possibly "toasted"): 30%
  • Oriental (typically Samsun): 10%
Orientals (many of which can be successfully flue-cured) don't have the same acidity as Virginia. If you have no Oriental, then I would be inclined to try an initial blend of 2/3 flue-cured Virginia and 1/3 burley.

The "toasting" aspect of burley is a process with which I have no experience. I suspect it mostly serves to provide a flavor alteration. Increase the burley proportion to enhance the throat hit.

Bob
 

Bex

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I was a Marlboro smoker in my day - a legacy from my Dad, who used to smoke 5 packs of Marlboros each day, plus cigars. When I first came over here, I found the European Marlboros really light and tasteless, and went through tremendous machinations to get friends back in the US to send me cartons of cigarettes. I finally had no choice but to get used to the European Marlboros. My current blend, considering what you’re saying above, I guess is kind of strong - I’m doing a 50/50 to 60/40 blend of burley to Virginia. Some of the European burley, almost on its own, isn’t too bad (or too strong) - some tastes like More cigarettes (which has, at least to me, a kind of ‘cigar’ taste to it. My current ‘shipment’ of burley tastes almost like nothing. I got a shipment from the Germans some time ago that was truly horrid and very smelly, like a cigar (sorry!!) - when I complained, they said it was the ‘end of the season’, and was expected. The difference between the two shipments (and only about 3 month apart) was extreme. I really almost find the Virginia as a filler - just to lighten the load of the burley. Maybe its the soil here, but I’ve never tasted Virginia - even when I was getting it from a decent supplier here - that had any taste to it. To me it felt like you were sucking air through a straw. I suppose I don’t really know what it’s really supposed to taste like, but to me it tastes like almost nothing. Perhaps that’s the result of smoking for 50+ years ...???? But strangely, when looking at a commercial cigarette, you never really see a lot of yellow tobacco in it - it’s all usually brown.....??
 

skychaser

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Camel changed their blend about a dozen years back. Went from using a sweet turkish tobacco (possibly bursa) to a dry nasty tasting strain. Completely ruined that wonderful taste and aroma they had. I used to say I could tell a Camel at 100 yards by the sweet aroma they had. I smoked them for over 20 years before the change. Couldn't stand them after.

Try growing a Maryland strain for the Marlboro taste. Every time I smoke any Maryland I think of Marlboros or Winstons.
 

Bex

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I tried a Maryland (509??) my first or second year growing. I was a real novice and wasn’t too successful, but might still have some seeds, and will try them again. Thanks for the advice. The burley that I grew this year was Harrow Velvet. I have no idea what it will taste like - looking forward to it, though.....
By the way, I like your signature statement....
 

skychaser

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Harrow Velvet is my favorite Burley. (close to a tie with Golden Burley) We grow it every year. It always does well here in our climate. It cures easily and ages quicker than most other burleys. 3-4 months usually does it. It is also milder than many other Burelys. I can almost smoke it straight but I like it best mixed with a little Virginian to mellow out the throat hit a bit.

By the way, I like your signature statement....
Thank you. He deserves justice and should not be forgotten.
 

OldDinosaurWesH

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I made some "Turkish" cigarettes for my friend that smokes that particular brand and I mixed 60% burley (Harrow Velvet), 30% bright leaf (Gold Leaf 939), and 10% turkish (I've forgotten the variety, I got it from WLT). He liked them really well. I'm not a fan of Turkish style cigarettes so I only make the occasional small batch for someone to try out.
 

Bex

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That sounds close to the blend I use. I’ve never added (or grew) any Turkish tobacco, but my blend is basically 60/40 or so burley to virginia. I’m looking forward to trying my own tobacco. I tried one cigarette at the end of the summer (and it was horrible, LOL). Hopefully this will change as it ages.
 
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