4noggins Button Bay

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.

This is a very enjoyable smoke. Smoky, earthy, nutty, sweet, and spicy. The Burley is the star here and it's of very high quality. I do wish though that it had been applied with a slightly lighter hand. It masks the other components to a small extent. It's still a great smoke though. Medium in body. Medium to full in flavor. 3+ stars.

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.

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!

The very nutty, earthy, woody, toasty burley is the lead component. The Turkish offers plenty of earth, wood, some vegetation, herbs, floralness, mild sourness and spice. It is almost a supporting player. Not far behind is the smoky, woody, earthy, musty, floral, incense-like, lightly sweet Cyprian Latakia. The Virginias provide some tart and tangy citrus, grass, bread, mild sugar, floralness, sour acidic lemon, and a pinch of spice. They form the base of the blend, and their effect is in-between the Latakia and perique. The spicy, plumy, earthy, woody perique is just above the condiment line. Has a very light fruit/ rum topping that mildly tones down the tobaccos. The strength, nic-hit and taste levels barely reach the medium mark. No chance of bite, but it does have a few small rough edges, and the spice content may result in a light tongue tingle. Well balanced with a little complexity, it burns clean and a tad warm at a reasonable rate with a very consistent sweet and sour, nutty, spicy, floral, acidic, campfire flavor that extends to the lightly lingering after taste. The room note is a notch stronger. Leaves little moisture in the bowl, and requires an average number of relights. Can be all day smoke for the veteran, and repeatable for the less experienced. I deduct a star because the acidity is a little distracting, so I give this blend two stars.

-JimInks

4noggins - Button Bay.

It's a manageable coarse cut mixture, any bigger broken flake pieces aren't that big as to be in need of further rubbing. It doesn't contain any twiggy bits either. It's smokeable, but if anything I'd say it's too dry.

Button Bay takes to the flame easily, and then gives a reliable burn. Where the tobaccos' are concerned it's the Burley that's in charge, easily stealing the show: it's primarily a Burley smoke. With the added flavours, I'd happily call them mild to medium (with the onus being on medium), and I don't just taste sharp citrus, I get an actual fruity note. The dryness creates a slight problem, one that technique could take a share of the blame for: speed of burn. And if I'm not cautious I can get quite a bite from it.

I'd call the nicotine medium, and the room-note just alright.

The rating: Button Bay isn't exactly a bad smoke, nor is it exactly my cup of tea. I don't know why the current description says "Very English" blend, it seems far from being English, to me.

Somewhat recommended.

I am a fan of Carter Hall. There, I've said it. In the winter months I like to add a little smokiness and spice, so I ordered some Button Bay because it had distinctive reviews, and mixed it about 1/3 to 2/3 Carter Hall. Tastes really good on a winter day.

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.

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.

Latakia is a ritual, The Best tobacco ever. I like this blend, very smooth puffing. Really I remember the Night Cap in the Button Bay. I like this tobacco. Thanks Rich...