It needs curing and fermenting, best accomplished in larger quantities than a home gardener would mess with.
Thanks for the reply. I lease a number of acres every year to my neighbor, a tobacco farmer, to grow on. Each year I help him set, top, cut, stick, hang and strip. Even trying to smoke fully cured and auction-ready burley is harsh beyond words. Even a leftover stick or two that has been hanging for a year or more is just as rough.
Maybe its the blend of differnt varieties that tame it?