4noggins Down by The River

Down By The River is a light aromatic... no, check that, it's a very light aromatic; and a good one. It's everything that the above "tin description" claims; and I concur with the previous reviewers' comments. (I use the term "aromatic" somewhat freely. If there's a technical difference from "topping" or "flavoring" then please excuse my ignorance.)

4-stars if you're an aromatics smoker seeking something like a nuttier and sweeter version of Prince Albert.

3-stars if you want a gently sweet, and very nutty change of pace, while avoiding goopy, cloying drug store blends.

2-stars if you are willing to tolerate artificial flavoring on at least an occasional basis.

1-star if you avoid aromatics and top-flavors on principle. (But if you're a Burley smoker, is that totally possible?)

4noggins' DBTR smokes dryly; generates a really pleasant salinity; produces great smoke volume; nice nicotine hit; no bite; burns down completely on two matches; and leaves fine white ash.

My only criticism is that its "finish" exposes the chemical nature of the flavorings -- by which I mean it has a vague but noticeable (polymer?) aftertaste that dissipates in about 10 minutes. (Aromatics smokers will consider this a really minor quibble as well as an artifact of personal mouth chemistry. At any rate, it's not enough to put me off this blend.)

Nice ribbon, perfect moisture. Tin note is toasty, sweet, and nutty with a nice background of cocoa. Taste is the exact same. Burns well. Very nice smoke, BUT it disagrees with my mouth. The description reads "does not require your full attention", well I was dreaming with my eyes wide open and lost what was a very comfortable layer of skin from the roof of my mouth. Whilst swooning over the delicious toast and cocoa, my throat was rusticated with feathers of glass. Worse yet, my tongue packed his bags and is now hitch-hiking to the west coast. If anyone finds a tongue wandering the shores of British Columbia turning over shells and soup cans looking for a new home, rambling about shooting his baby down by the river, tell him we love him and miss him and want him to come home... Alright, it wasn't that bad; just a very stern acidity that creeps up if smoked too fast and lingers for a while after, especially around the back of the throat, so for goodness sake pay attention. It dropped my voice a full octave, now, instead of singing Down By The River by Neil, I'm left croaking Underground by Waits. Regardless of me, though, it has alot going for it. It really does taste good and is quality tobacco. However, I won't be getting up for seconds. Will have to try Harvest Moon or Prarie Wind to get my next confluence of tobacco and Neil Young. 2 stars.

Is a pure Burley. not highly flavoured, burns fast and hot, and because of this may cause tongue bite. The taste, however, is good. Bitter as all the Burleys, but at the same time, sweet. For begginers or not, for all day smoking. Decent Burley, but no much more than this...

Great and simple Burley , this blend burns cool and have a nutty taste with some sweetness.

This is a relatively well behaved (not goopy) aromatic burley. I am giving it two out of four stars because I prefer OTC like Carter Hall and Prince Albert, but the topping is fairy mild and not all obtrusive. I found it somewhat nippy, however.

What can i say that has not been said before . A great all day smoke that in my opinion is best smoked in a MM Corn Cob. I just wish it was available here in australia.

Down By The River the fish may not be biting but this blend sure does. I tortured myself for 10 days finishing a four ounce bag as it nipped my tongue from the charring light to two-thirds of the way down the bowl. Oddly, the rest of the way was pretty tasty and smooth. Light, maple burly notes could be savored to the bottom. Not a well behaved blend.

Once again, the tin description from Rich is pretty accurate. For me this is not a "knock your socks off" blend but there is plenty to like about it if you like Burley. (which I do) It packs easily and burns well all the way down. Nice semi sweet nutty taste with the merest hint of some flavouring in the background. A good one for working in the garden or walking the dog and is a worthy alternative to the standard OTC Burleys. Recommended.

A simple straightforward Burley in the Carter Hall tradition...which is a big plus in my book. And there's a place for a good honest smoke like this. Complexity has its place for sure, but this is a down to earth, all day tobacco. Another good reason to shop with the man from Middlebury. Check out his website....you won't be dissappointed!

Neil Young forever:-)