4noggins Prairie Wind

I bought this expecting something similar to Louisiana Red for a little variety. This has less perique to me, and there is a little more sour in the profile. It tastes like a red Virginia with a topping I can't identify and a whiff of perique that doesn't really show up until the last half of the bowl.

I bought a pound of this with a pound of C&D Three Friars. The difference in volume was dramatic, and the reason was moisture. The Three Friars was at a perfect moisture content for me, and the Prairie Wind was very moist. It can be dried of course, but you are paying a premium for water.

This has been good but not great. I don't regret the purchase, and I will smoke it up, but for my money Louisiana Red is a better VaPer goto smoke.

The very tangy, dark fruity, sugary, bready, vegetative, wood, earthy, lightly spicy red Virginia has a touch of vinegar as the lead component. The grassy, mildly tart and tangy citrusy, sugary, bready, vegetative, lightly floral, acidic bright Virginia is a secondary player. The earthy, woody, plumy perique offers raisins, figs and spice as it mildly underscores the experience. The fruity toppings are more sweet than sour, and mildly sublimate the tobaccos. It won’t bite or get harsh,and has no rough edges. The strength and nic-hit are just past the center of mild to medium. The taste is a step past that level. Needs a light dry time. It's well balanced, burns a little slow as it’s moist, and has a cool, very consistent fruity, mildly sugary, spicy flavor from top to bottom. Requires a few relights, and can leave a small amount of moisture if not dried a little. Has a lightly lingering, pleasant after taste, and the room note is a notch stronger. Three stars.

-JimInks

Prairie Wind's descriptive indicates a good amount of Perique. Maybe it was the sweetness of the Red Virginia (added) that kept the Perique-o-meter at the mid-way mark. And speaking of the Virginia, its presentation was unusual in that Red is usually more naturally sweet. I got a little of the roughness (not unpleasant) that a Red can offer when the air drying process is shortened. But, the added flavoring misted gently on the leaf did sweeten it up. I liked this blend and found it to be unique and I cannot compare it to any other.

Pipestud

After a several-month sojourn into VAs and VA/pers I was looking for a nice bulk VA that I could keep on the shelf and load into a rollup pouch to have with me while out running errands, walking etc.. Something that I could fire up when the mood struck that didn't require any prep work beside tucking into the bowl. Rich at 4Ns was kind enough to send along a sample of PW with my last order. What we have here is a very light blend of several VAs with some perique added for a bit of zing. The pouch note does contain a hint of topping/casing/humectant? with a wiff of dried fruit. Frankly, I was a bit suspect of this before I fired it up. (I guess this is common in most of 4N blends. I don't know, but it is mentioned in other reviews). This does NOT carry through in the smoke, however. First impressions are a nice sweetness, light earthiness, with a little background spice. The most persistent flavor I noted was a kind of light cocoa. Now the best thing about this blend is what happens with the perique. It comes down on the spice rack from sharp pepper to something more akin to cinnamon, which suits me just fine. Perique, for my taste, can be overdone. Lots of changes down through the bowl: sweet, earthy, spicey. burns exceedingly well to a nice light gray ash. No goop, no soggy dottle even in a couple of my pipes which tend to smoke a tad wet. BUT, remember to give this some dry time ! My most lasting impression came a few hours after my last bowl of PW. It was after dinner and I lit up a bowl of Rattray's Hal O' the Wynd in a different pipe. And I was struck by a bit of deja vu. The similarity in profile to PW, only stronger, but exactly the same notes. So to my mind Prairie Wind comes across as a Hal o' the Wynd LIGHT. For me it's great. Check it out for yourself. And treat yourself to some outstanding service from 4 Noggins, too.

4noggins - Prairie Wind.

A dark brown ribbon that includes a fair few black pieces and a couple of yellow ones. The moisture's how I like it to be, a little damp, but perfectly smokeable fresh.

The smoke? The Perique is an unquestionable addition. But, it's prevented from becoming irrepressible, sharp, or vinegary by the Virginias and a sweet topping; that, or the Virginia's inordinately sweet! Although, I'd be inclined to say it IS a topping. The burn from it's good, generating a cool smoke, which only bites when forced to do so. And when it does it's more of a peck than a bite.

Nicotine: medium. Room-note: tolerable.

Prairie Wind: I can't see any reason why it shouldn't get full marks. Highly recommended:

Four stars.

I agree with the below review, I too noticed a similarity with Hal o' The Wynd, with Prairie Wind being much lighter in the slightly (not sweet) caramel? taste front, and also the 'N' content. Seems to me that I could smoke this all day without complaint - just a nice VaPer that has enough striaght flavour and lightness to please many and not offend anyone.

I found this to be a reliable and good VaPer. It is not the best I have had nor is it the worst. That said, it will not overtake my favorites in this genre, so it probably falls into a two star blend to my personal tastes. But as taste vary, I can't see anyone being terribly disappointed they spent money on this one and it may very well end up becoming a favorite to that person.

As to the smoke, it is well balanced between the Sweet Virginias and the spicy perique. It performs well, doesn't bite and has a bit of earthiness to it. I liked it, just didn't love it.

Thanks Richard. What a joy it is to be able to talk to a tobac supplier on the phone and get recommendations that are solid and concise. After talking with Richard about SG-St. James Flake, he suggested that I try Prairie Wind. Now he clearly told me that its not a match to SJF, but it's a nice VA/PR mix that should please my palette. He was right, just a nice easy smoke with great 'old world' taste that can be smoked all day. Just a great all around good smoke. Thanks 4Noggins !

I am very happy with the fact that 4Noggins are now listed on this site, they are my new supplier and Richard is a fantastic guy from whom i have recieved exellent service.

When i recieved the sample from 4Noggins, i sniffed the little bag and thought that it smelled a lot like Anniversary Cake ( a blend i do not really care for ) It was only recently that i lay the contents on a baking sheet to dry out. Again i was still convinced that this blend is gonna be identical to AC.

Upon the first few puffs this blend still resembles Anniversary Cake to the extent that i thought it was the same blend sold under a different name. As i smoked it, it became clear that this blend is much better and much more suited to my tastes.

The Perique is there but not overpowering, it tasted like McCranies Red Ribbon with a bit of Perique added, just the right amount. I assume other smokers will appreciate this and recommend it.

Mo, South Africa

I Like this, it's a mild VaPer, with an American style twist. This was a recent Bulk purchase from 4 Noggins, it has an almost shag cut that I find very easy to work with. It's not complex, it has just enough interest to keep it out of the boring grouping, and it's an all day smoke. A pleasant scent, Mild to medium "N", no bite and great on relights.

Let's talk flavoring: About 5 years back, I bought this blend and distantly remember a topping, I think it was a whiskey, but I could be wrong. This new batch, I get little or no topping. Was this just some blending inconsistency or was there a change ? I've looked at our previous reviews for a hint, but again, some of us say maybe Vanilla, maybe Cocoa, and maybe none. At this stage I feel there is something here, more of a very light "Carter Hall or "Sir Walter Raleigh" like topping, it's not distracting, but I can't identify it? I do feel it works really well with the Perique to make for a "darker flavor" rather than sweet

This needs a little more complexity and "N' to be a 4 star blend , but it's a solid 3. Try an oz., it's cheap, and you'll smoke it right down and be saying, " maybe I should have bought 4 oz's."