Those familiar with my tasting profile will know that I was once a pipe smoker.

Burley Beard Tobacco by San Fransisco- based Velvet Cloud Vapor promises to deliver one of my favourite pipe blends. Will this blend perch me on the knee of the pipe-smoking grandpa I never had? Or will it be doomed to the dusty corners of an olde time drug store? Read on, to find out.

The Details:

PG:VG Ratio: 100% VG

100% VG Nicotine: 6mg

6mg Tank Cracker: No

No Origin: USA

USA Price: $10.00 USD / 15ml

$10.00 USD / 15ml Website: http://www.velvetcloudvapor.com/

The Goods:

Yet another from Velvet Cloud Vapor’s line of 100% VG juices, Burley Beard was the juice that I was simultaneously the most excited for – and most terrified of. My tenure as a vaper has yielded “tobacco” flavours that have ranged from acceptable caramel to confusing attempts at recreating all that was bad with smoking.

Nosed from the bottle, Burley Beard hints at the best of an OTC burley pipe tobacco. It’s rich, fruity, and a fair bit sweet.

This vape begins with a rich smokiness – one that I have been craving since giving up all manners of cigars and pipes. This isn’t a campfire blend that those familiar with either Latakia tobacco or Islay scotch would recognize; instead, it is a gentler smokey taste that reminds me of lighter tobaccos.

Burley Beard then opens up into a soft stewed prunes flavour – a hallmark of most of my favourite burley blends. Accompanying this is a creamy mouthfeel that is hard to describe, as it is most certainly not cream. Perhaps it is a trick of the 100% VG. Whatever it is, it plays very nicely with the dark fruit notes.

Exhaled through the mouth, a bright butterscotch note is the most prevalent characteristic. It’s a surprising end to the vape, with a decently sweet taste coating the tip of the tongue. Not sugar sweet – far closer to the flavour of honey or agave syrup.

Blown from the nose, Burley Beard ends with the same smokiness and dark prunes flavours as before. This added nuance to the vape adds a level of interest that I find quite appealing.

I must note that the combined package that is Burley Beard is altogether surprising at first vape. The flavour is vivid and intense, with a truly organic feel to overall taste. Those used to the standard RY4, faux-bacco flavours of most juice vendors should take care: it can be a little overwhelming at first. My suggestion is to simply give in to the barrage of sensations that Burley Beard has to offer.

Because of this, though, I question whether it can be a true all-day vape; the flavour is intense. But for a more pipe-like inhalation meditation, Burley Beard will be one of the juices I reach for.

It is unsurprising, then, that I would recommend pairing this vape with most things that would work well with its analog cousin. Dark coffee, brown ales, and any matter of whiskey (especially bourbons or sweeter highland scotches) work well. If you’re inclined to vape and eat, consider a dessert with chocolate, salted caramel, or both.

The Verdict?

Burley Beard by Velvet Cloud Vapor gives me a taste again of what was once my favourite pastime. Those searching for the flavour of a nutty, cube cut burley should apply within.

Rating: 4.5/5. Could this be an all-day vape? A half-point deducted for a perhaps too-intense flavour for an all-day vape. But as a vape in general this is a solid 5.