4noggins Button Bay

(3.29)
A mix of nutty Burley and rich Virginia tobaccos made user friendly by the Turkish, Perique, and Latakia. A lovely balance of sweet, spicy, & smokey. Button Bay packs easily with few relights. A "Very English" blend.

Details

Brand 4noggins
Blended By Rich Gottlieb
Manufactured By 4noggins
Blend Type American
Contents Burley, Latakia, Oriental/Turkish, Perique, Virginia
Flavoring Fruit / Citrus
Cut Coarse Cut
Packaging Bulk
Country United States
Production Currently available

Profile

Strength
Medium
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Extremely Mild -> Overwhelming
Flavoring
None Detected
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
None Detected -> Extra Strong
Room Note
Pleasant to Tolerable
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Unnoticeable -> Overwhelming
Taste
Medium
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Extremely Mild (Flat) -> Overwhelming

Average Rating

3.29 / 4
8

3

2

1

Reviews

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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 Reviews
Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Aug 02, 2014 Strong None Detected Medium to Full Pleasant to Tolerable
And I've been on a burley kick lately - so I'm starting with Button Bay.

Happily incinerated in my DGE Poker Nosewarmer. Gravity fed, finger-tamped, and initial char with a match.

Damn this stuff smells good in the pouch. Unlit taste is familiar, but very sweet compared to your standard fare English/Balkan. There is a fruity sweetness that is similar to a cavendish-added English, but not as strong as Northwoods or American Patriot - more subtle like Dunhill's MyMixture 956. There is a heavy, heady richness in the smell as well - a smokey and savory element to the latakia (quite sparing in this blend) and oriental, respectively.

Mouthfeel of the smoke is very rich. It takes quite a bit of work to taste the sum of the parts here, they are balanced quite well. If I could try to related the most predominant tobacco, I'd say Oriental makes it's presence known first, but there is some sweet/sour (caramel green apple) in there, muted *just enough* by a breadlike note. As I mentioned Latakia seems to be a good condiment to the Orientals, just to make it familiar. Snork and the "post smoke" taste in my mouth reveal some spice, but as with the latakia it's just peppered (heh) in there (compared to a blend with similar components, say C&D's Epiphany, that is quite aggressive with perique).

As the bowl warms up through midbowl, the savory flavors border on almost salty, there is an underlying sweetness as well.

This is not a "bomb" of any specific tobacco. It's a complex, yet mild and completely unoffensive smoke to this fan of the English and Balkan varieties. Balanced, and very rich on the tongue. Savory upfront, but with a very subtle sweetness throughout. Room note is bready, a little musty. Very little of the "burned tire" complaint I get from the wife when smoking a lat heavy blend.

You know I can't leave a review without a food comparison... here goes: Caraway-seeded Rye bread, left in a bag with a cut green apple just enough to collect a whiff of sweet and sourness, and eaten with a thin wedge of smoked cheddar of no insignificant aging that has no more than two cracks of fresh black pepper.

Nicotine did pack a bit of a wallop. Got a bad case of hiccups towards the end. Don't care, totally worth it.
Pipe Used: DGE Briar Poker
PurchasedFrom: 4Noggins.com
Age When Smoked: Unknown
8 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Sep 19, 2010 Mild to Medium None Detected Medium to Full Pleasant to Tolerable
Got this as a sample from the fine folks at 4noggins.com. I am a fan of several of their blends, and admittedly had very high expectations.

Packed this into my new Peterson Aran and sat down with my morning coffee. At first, I didn't quite get it, but as a relatively new pipe smoker, my palate may not be as attuned as other more experienced smokers, so I gave it some time. Here we go:

Stuck my nose in the bag and breathed in the wonderful nutty, smoky, spicy aroma.

Lights and burns well--a nice cool smoke. At first puff, I didn't quite know what to think or what I was tasting--perhaps the coffee had dulled my senses?

After a few minutes, the flavor came out in a big way. A present but not overpowering hardwood smokiness. A peppery spiciness noted by another reviewer as being too strong, but which I find gives the smoke great character without burying the sweeter undertones. With each draw, I can taste the contributions of the Turkish, Perique, Burley, and Latakia.

About half way through the bowl, the flavors come into a very elegant balance--the peppery overtones seem to have mellowed a bit revealing a creamy, sweet smokiness. I smoked this to the bottom of the bowl, leaving little more than a fine white ash.

Rich provided me with a generous sample at no charge when I placed my latest order--it will surely not last me long though, and it looks like I will be placing another order with 4noggins sooner than expected. Their fine blends and excellent customer care are why 4noggins has become my go-to tobacconist.

After a few more bowls, I will revisit this review and perhaps bump it up to 4 stars. My students will tell you I'm a hard grader, but I think that in the end this blend will really earn an A.

9/29/10 Just ordered an additional half pound from Rich. I'm bumping this up to four stars. This is now one of my go to morning smokes. Thoroughly enjoyable.
6 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Jul 30, 2008 Medium Very Mild Medium Pleasant to Tolerable
This blend has it all: it's lovely nutty (high quality Burley),subtle sweet (VA), delicious spicy (Turkish and Perique), and pleasant smoky. Just fantastic. Top quality smoke from begin till end of bowl. Burns very well (but not fast), no relights (just some tampering now and then) and leaves nothing more than a very small amount of fine white dust. Very, very recommended!
5 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Oct 27, 2008 Medium Very Mild Medium Pleasant to Tolerable
I'm singing with the chorus:good,inexpensive and addictive tobacco! Mr.Gottlieb do it different,without doubt. Beautiful bits of tobacco leaf are floating in there;how the blender come to such a result is beyond mewhenever I finished a bowl,I want more! Bravo!
2 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Oct 12, 2008 Mild Mild Mild Pleasant
This blend shines in its subtleness of taste and aroma. Pulled a jar from my cabinet this evening that's been sealed up for a year. Wonderful sweet-nutty aroma upon opening. Easy to light, and smoke to the bottom of the bowl. Hints of sweetness, hardwood smoke and a touch of spice lingering on my tongue and in the air around me. A very mild-richness, and pleasant from start to finish - easily an all day smoke. Thank you 4noggins for yet another truly enjoyable blend. Highly recommended.
2 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
May 30, 2017 Medium to Strong None Detected Full Strong
I had to dry it because I don't like wet tobaccos (even a little). When it's dry, the taste is smooth and strong in the same time, thanks to the perique. If you don't like it, pass your way. Otherway I recommend it to you.
1 person found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Jun 18, 2010 Medium None Detected Medium Pleasant to Tolerable
The description given by the house, reflects exactly what I think of this mixture. Rich knows his work is without doubt, to create a mixture that much English, so smooth, so easy to smoke, what satisfaction! Truly, my compliments! Recommend it to anyone!
1 person found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Aug 02, 2009 Medium Very Mild Medium to Full Pleasant to Tolerable
I got a generous sample of this tobacco from Mr Gottlieb. Normally I don't like burley. Burley is mostly - in German/Danish blends - a condiment of low quality and a substrate for artificial flavors.

But this blend is fantastic!

High quality leaf with just the right amount of Latakia. All ingredients are perfectly blended. Creamy and nutty smoke, easy to light and smoke. There is nothing to add to tin description!

Although my preferences are English, Balkan and Virginias, I must confess I crave for Button Bay.

It's not easy to get american tobacco to Germany. Thanks to Mr Gottlieb, he's a outstanding and reliable dealer.
1 person found this review helpful.
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