4noggins Bald Headed Teacher

I received this as a free sample from 4Noggins with my first order from the same. I was highly impressed with the speed at which they shipped my order and, of course, throwing in free samples is always a nice touch. I see myself buying a lot more from them in the future.

On to the tobacco itself. I don't think it would be too fair to rate this low as I didn't have the opportunity to smoke enough to form a proper opinion and since it didn't cost me anything, that would just be in poor form. So this opinion may not be too helpful.

I did find the blend to have a bit of a topping as there was sweetness from something and it was not a virginia sweetness, rather a vanilla type sweetness, perhaps the burleys are cavendish processed. Because that was my immediate thoughts. I don't typically like too much sweet with a lat blend, but didn't mind this one too much.

I feel this falls in the american english or scottish genre. There are others that I, no doubt, prefer over this blend, but I did enjoy it, particularly in my Meer.

*update 12/21 Out of the gate this blend still holds its own. Haven’t smoked it in a while but wow it is good and worth having in the cellar if you like burleys.

*Update 8/2018 This blend has become too sweet for me and too wet. I still enjoy but find myself reaching for BigNBurley or Morley’s Best if I’m wanting Burley and Latakia.

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Absolutely lovely blend. If you like Burley blends this is a must try. The Latakia does not overpower, instead it adds a nuance that is delightful and very different from anything else I have tried. I ordered this with a few other 4Noggins blends and it was by far my favorite (Down By The River being my #2 favorite of the bunch). I just ordered a larger order of BHT to keep on hand.

After a few years of this piping business, I've at least figured out what I really like. English/Balkan style tobaccos, and the very American unsauced Burley-Based stuff.

Bald Headed Teacher is a great tobacco for when I can't figure out exactly what I want to smoke. It's burley upfront, and while I'd prefer to not use the wording directly off the manufacturer's description, is only "seasoned" with some bright virginias and smokey latakia. The latakia is like deja-vu, a whiff of a familiar smell you can't really put your finger on but elevates this blend just enough to add some mystery to a tobacco that otherwise would be one of those non-contemplative, everyday smokes.

Nicotine is pretty stout on this one, but not a head swimmer. Just right.

The Lat is minor enough in this blend that the room note isn't "Tire Fire" either, which my wife believes to be a good thing.

Few weeks back I tore something in my left rotator cuff and was laid up for a bit in a sling. The two top things I do to comfort myself are to watch westerns and buy tobacco (If you don't count sex and drinking). I don't smoke more, don't smoke less either. You might have noticed Hollywood hasn't put out a lot of westerns lately. I couldn't very well go brick and mortar shopping. All my regular internet haunts were out of what I was looking for, so I stumbled over to 4Noggins. They had a few things I wanted in stock and one of those spend a hundred bucks get shipping free deals. It's more comforting to buy more tobacco than less right?

So I checked out this here site for reviews of 4noggins own blends. Y'all seem to love this stuff, and I understand why they inspire loyalty; friendly, quick, and competitively priced. BHT seemed to have a whole lot of four star reviews.

This is my first impression --- I let some air dry, not that it came real damp or anything, I just like things drier. I tried in a pipe I rarely use for first taste, a big old Willmer volcano, When I'm feeling snobbish or pretentious I like to take first tastes in a meerschaum or something tighter and more neutral, sort of like those fancy folks spitting out wine at the vineyard.

This blend is the closest I've smoked to an aromatic in a while, though I don't think it has a casing or if it does it's a, well, tobacco flavored casing. It's just really sweet and nutty, must be the burly they use. I was surprised to find myself liking it, liking it a lot. I barely noticed that the bowl made it all the way through Wyatt Earp with maybe two relights, no heat, and most importantly without getting boring.

It's a little too sweet to be an everyday smoke for me, but it's not something I'll find under the desk in a year and throw out either. I'm impressed with the blending skill, innovation and service at 4noggins. They also threw in a sample of button bay which smells a little too sweet too, but I'm willing to try anything from those guys. I'm giving it three stars cause I like these guys. Oh, and I'm on pain killers. Not that it doesn't deserve at least three stars, just that it's not my regular cup of tea.

This very tasty blend consists of mainly burley with some virginia and a touch of Latakia, together with a semi sweet flavouring that is not overdone like a real aromatic can be. So no goopyness at the end of your bowl. I find this blend has much to recommend if you're into an all-day unpreposessing smoke, say a Carter Hall. but you want some more diversity in flavour, which the slight aromatic addition together with the touch of Latakia gives. And Rich of 4Noggins is a great guy to deal with as well!

I like aromatics but received this as a sample from 4noggins with my order and I was pleasantly surprised. Every once in awhile I like to try or smoke something besides aromatics. I'm a newbie pipe smoker but since I started I have come a long way in my taste buds for tobacco. If I would have received this when I started I would not have liked it. The aroma and taste are medium to full but it's very tasty and pleasant. I would actually order this! Definitely recommend for those that like English type blends or non aromatic.

Ok I plugged in my review then read what some others said about it and I'm confused...apparently this is an aromatic but to me it's not what I think of...generally I think of aromatics as being sweet but this is to me like an English blend so I will have to revisit because some reviews mention chocolate! seems like a completely different thing to what I smoked. Anyway worth a try.

Back in junior high days, my eighth-grade math instructor’s name was Mr. Cletus Hinton. Although that was a lifetime ago, I do remember him quite well. It was hard to miss him you see as he stood about 6’-8”. He had that classic old school master look about him. Always dressed in a long-sleeved white shirt sporting a conservative tie, finely pressed dark slacks, and wing-tipped shoes with the thin laces, Mr. Hinton was the icon for educational orderliness and decorum.

About his solemn and serious countenance, one could survey his stark facial features, a lurking brow, Buddy Holly style horn-rimmed glass and a glistening bald head rising as if to touch the classroom ceiling. This somber man had a passion teaching mathematics and a love for basketball, a true Hoosier. Often, I remember goading him in to talking about his glory days as a player, a clever diversion to stave off the boring lesson of the day of course.

On his right hand he adorned a massive USA Olympics Basketball team ring, his pride and joy. A ring that I came to know all too well as many a time it came crashing down on the top of my skull for being the class clown. That is what he called me, you know, Mitchell the clown. Looking back, I deserved that and feel somewhat gleefully onery despite it.

Present day-post trauma, whenever I find myself grasping the jar of Bald-Headed Teacher, flashbacks to old Mr. Hinton seems to always come to mind along with the painful love noogies that were bestowed as part of his mentoring. As I unscrew and lift the lid, there is an autonomic head duck and wince in anticipation of the oncoming thump, a clear example of classic conditioning. Luckily, no stars have been seen today. Nonetheless, the purpose of the reflections that follow, are designed to impart the object lesson that this chrome-dome tutor must divulge concerning tobacco versus adding and subtracting integers.

From way out east, Connecticut proper, 4Noggins presents this original lively mixture the subject Bald-Headed Teacher. Despite my inquisitive research I could find no history or clever story in existence as to how this blend came to so uniquely badged. I am sure there was one however, the novelty of the namesake alone kind of goads one’s curiosity all the same.

4Noggins charters this hairless jumble as an old-fashioned Burley-based blend, although one could argue the mash conforms to the standards of the Aromatic English or American English genre, perhaps. The recipe itself presents the smoker with a classic bulk stew of domestic course cut white and dark burley leaves, complemented by thin ribbon cut bright Virginia, a lesser amount stoved Red, and modest snips of blackened Oriental Latakia. There is a vanilla topcoat applied to the mixture along with some mystery flavorings/casing that, at least for me, registers as a bracing tangerine note; sweet and zesty.

Baldy’s raw scent is not that old nauseating Hai-Karate or British Sterling fu-fu stank. Rather, initial inhales of the jarred mix present a colorful cologne of strong dark and spicy vinegar from the present Latakia, earthy Burley nuttiness, mildly sweet vanilla/soft chocolate pockets, and tangy influences emanating from the Virginia and or the allusive additive(s). Generally, it smells utterly charming given the goofy labeling.

Subsequent, the room fragrance produced in the burning is somewhat muted but exceptionally pleasant. The air is populated with the smoky essence of toasted nuts served on a wooden platter; A+ for imagination the instructor said. Seasoning the meat of this burly perfume, are swells of sweet-scented aromatic vanilla-tang notes, citrusy and malty in temperament.

The tobaccos themselves are just a tad bit moist so an average drying time must be observed for optimal consumption. Packing protocols are fairly straight-up and easy, but the clump of tobacco likes to spring up, raising a hand in hopes of being selected to answer the question asked by the clean noodled professor.

Now finding the area under the taste curve, grab your pencil! First, let me clarify that I smoked my official review tastings in both my treasured 1960’s Molina briar and my workhorse MM Country Gentleman. Although flavorful in both venues, the cob really magnified the depth of the blends taste nuisances significantly.

At first light the impoverish Latakia takes a brief strong swing at the problem on the board but quickly fades to the very back of the class, taking on a consistent buttery sweet-tempered mushroom face versus the standard intense smokiness; almost indistinguishable throughout the smoke. Coming front and center immediately, to show who is the real smarty-pants, is a delectable toasty Burley base with its warm nutty flair accented by pronounced sugary molasses and muted milk chocolate overtones. And although the sweet vanilla slices push through distinctly, it must be the effect it has on the native Burley and/or the mystery element(s) because generally I register darker cocoa tones on Burleys. This, however, is of a creamy milk variety that I consistently glean; different and very differentiating; nice!

Finally, used primarily as a compliment, the Virginias offer the usual spirited citrus mid-body and a subtle sweet woody stoved finishing. The portion of Bright in the soup of tobacco is a little more generous. Inherently that comes a higher sugar content and or potential for bite. Acknowledging that, it is best to smoke this blend in short, measured drawls. If you puff with too much vigor, then the dreaded raking starts to take root on the mid-tongue and upper palate. Not a grueling bite but a little annoying all the same.

Again, Bald-Headed Teacher consistently present me with a tangerine/orangey parting note that meshes well with the overall taste combination as described. Generally, I characterize this recipe as very satiating if not plain yummy. Some may argue the flavorings overpower the taste of the native tobaccos but personally I really like this mix. It does not sit in the top 5 of my preferred Burley blends but does find its assigned desk in my standard rotation.

Bare and tight on the top, this blend is genuinely a tasty all-day smoke. Burning cool and dry while offering a modest nicotine effect, Bald-Headed Teacher is genuinely a smooth and mellow experience. Not overly complex despite the actual noted recipe, the enjoyable mixture presents the piper with a very consistent flavor and burn throughout the entire bowl. Boldness is not in this man’s character, but the teacher does offer some nice depth to the flavoring with average richness and fullness.

So please set aside your pipes momentarily as we all stand to recite the Pledge of Allegiance to this fine example of tobacco blending 101. See you later in Detention.

I’m an occasional smoker - I usually smoke 3-5 times a week, and when I do I typically pick an English mixture. But right now, I’m sitting on my balcony in the sunshine on this beautiful winter‘s day, and I’m smoking a bowl of this in a beat-up old Stanwell, and damnit, it’s a perfect pipe smoking moment. There’s not a single thing wrong with this blend - packs well, burns well, not too heavy... I won’t give you any detailed tasting notes. There’s more refined palates than mine to do that. But this is a lightly aromatic, very old-fashioned, uncomplicated blend that tastes of nothing but pleasant, mild tobacco. Wonderful. This is definitely an all-day, every-day kind of smoke, if you are so inclined.

Smoking 4noggins Bald Headed Teacher is like eating just ripened fresh hazelnuts from the garden of your grandma. Recommended to the newbies as it is a nice intro to the Burley world.