Tobaccos 4noggins - Essence of Vermont

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JimInks (3046)	2013-05-08		Mild to Medium	Medium	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

The earthy, woody burleys have a nice, light cashew, molasses flavor as the lead components. The perique is mostly a condiment, but the spicy, fig, plum and raisin tones are noticeable. The maple topping is rich, and I find it dominates the other flavors somewhat. The strength is in the center of mild to medium. The taste is a couple of steps past that center. The nic-hit is very mild. Won't bite, or get harsh even when pushed. If you dry it some, the burleys are a little more noticeable to your taste buds. It burns at a moderate pace, cool and clean with a very consistent, smooth flavor. Leaves little moisture in the bowl and doesn't requires many relights. The after taste and room notes very pleasantly linger a little. It passes the wife test, but if you're on a diet, smoke it before you have your morning eggs and toast, and you won't need any pancakes!

-JimInks

14 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pipestud (1829)	2011-08-25		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

Rich Gottlieb needs more credit as a blender. This is an absolutely superb offering for those who want to enjoy a unique combination of Perique and Maple. Spicy yet sweet and a biteless all day smoke that packs a delightful punch due to the quality Burley. Not much aromatic essence and a full tobacco taste. Four stars all the way!

12 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2010-04-06		Mild to Medium	Medium	Medium	Pleasant

I ordered a few ounces of this when buying a pipe and some other stuff from 4 Noggins. More of an impulse buy than anything. But I did read the reviews here and thought it sounded like a nice change of pace.

It's fantastic.

Very much Walnut or Carter Hall with some maple topping; but it's quite well done. I find I really enjoy this and it's one of those I find myself distinctly craving at certain times.

Bone dry and more of an essence than a heavy flavoring. I guess it is called the "essence" of VT afterall.

I'm not one for heavy candy like tobaccos. But this one is quite nice despite the fact that the maple translates noticeably, but not obtrusively, to the smoke and doesn't get left behind in the tin.

If you like subtle maple essence that compliment rather than embellish the underlying tobacco you'll like this I think.

I personally think a small dose of latakia would really set this off. But then again Rich does this for a living and I push pencils.

In any event a sold 4 stars to my taste against the field and not just in its "Class".

5/15 edit: I'm dropping this one star down to 3. It's become a bit monotonous and I'm sort of feuding with burley right now i guess. Tend to get bitten more often that not.

Still a very very good aromatic. Smokes dry. Isn't syrupy. The perique makes it more interesting than most. But it's still a maple flavored aromatic. And really that can only take you so far IMO.

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	StevieB (2080)	2017-08-02		Mild	Mild	Mild	Pleasant

4noggins - Essence of Vermont.

A dark brown, slightly coarse, mixture that's a little moist to the touch when fresh. From the pouch's aroma there's no argument that this has a sweet topping.

Of the tobaccos it's the Burley which is running the show, the Perique is much lighter: it adds a subtle seasoning. The topping comes across as definite, albeit not at all heavy; I wouldn't go too low on the flavour rating, but it is NOWHERE near being sticky/gloopy. The temperature from Vermont is cool, without a bite in a bowl. This is seldom in need of a re-light.

Nicotine: mild. Room-note: pleasant.

A blend that deserves a recommendation:

Three stars.

Pipe Used: Cob

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: 4noggins

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	TallPuffO'Burley (633)	2016-12-19		Medium	Mild	Medium to Full	Tolerable

I recently finished a generous sample of this I had received a while back. It wasn't till I read some of the reviews that I even knew there was any perique in this blend. Needless to say, I did enjoy this blend. So much so, that I purchased some more to jar and cellar before I finished the sample.

This is one of those blends that summons yester year to me. A burley with a soft aromatic topping. It reminds me of PA, SWRA and CH. In other words this is a drugstore burley, that is well done. It comes rather moist in the bag, but burns fine with no goopiness left behind.

I read some reviews where it was stated that this was a biter. I did not find this to be bitey at all. I believe the use of Perique is a credit to the gentle nature of this blend.

The taste, to me, is certainly maple and some liquer type essence. Probably a rum. It is a unique taste to be sure. I would say the topping is pretty mildly applied and does well to accentuate the natural nutty sweetness inherent in the burley.

A very well done blend. 4 stars.

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	DrT999 (318)	2015-06-27		Mild	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

The perique is subtle, but it does keep the underlying tobacco interesting. The maple is also mild, and could mostly be found in the first quarter of a bowl. This is no goopy overly-sweet aromatic, but a mild, fairly flavorful blend.

Pipe Used: briars

Age When Smoked: 1 month

Purchased From: 4 noggins

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	colonel jpl (25)	2014-04-21		Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

The great thing about 4noggins aromatics is you can taste the tobacco. It is not a heavy wet overpowering flavor. This blend has a light maple taste however the sweetness of the tobacco comes through. The room note is great and I can pickup the maple there. This is a good somewhat complex smoke.

Purchased From: 4noggins

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	SteelCowboy (685)	2012-01-22		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

I picked up some of this weed more than a year ago and for whatever reason I wasn't all that fond of it. I came across it this weekend in the cellar and I'm so glad I didn't toss it out. Given the fact that this is mainly a Burley blend, I doubt the time in the cellar added much to the quality. This is a fine tobacco. It is an aromatic, but the burley flavor is forward, well ahead of the casing. The perique lends a nice light spice to the mix, but those that are not fond of perique shouldn't worry as it's added with a light hand. This blend is only mildly sweet and there is plenty of tobacco flavor to be had. It burns nice and dry and could be an all day smoke for Burley lovers and those that enjoy light aromatics without Cavendish. If you are looking for a “full on” American style aromatic, you may want to seek out other maple blends. Highly Recommended.

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2016-04-03		Very Mild	Medium	Extremely Mild (Flat)	Pleasant

Dark red ribbons. Homogenous colours. To the nose, lots of maple, sugar, and balsamic vinegar? Is it a sauce for a summer salad? A very humid tobacco. I let it dry a whole day.

I fill a meerschaum test pipe and fire it up and it is a charm as it needs no relighting.

The aforementioned bouquet of smells is undetected in the smoke. Instead, only sweet and slightly sour aromas are detected in the smoking process. Nothing too special in the tobacco tasting department. I could barely notice the perique as the burleys largely dominate the blend. Mild burleys at that. Vitamin N wise, I feel dissatisfied and need more. The cafeine in my coffee had more effect!

Still, it is an all day smoke for those who enjoy a very mild (maybe flat) smoke. Not for me though. The blend doesn't allow the tobaccos to develop their taste and shine. Could be used a mélange for mixing with other heavier ones.

Pipe Used: Meerschaum

Age When Smoked: New

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Blue Bayou (60)	2013-12-08		Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

I think you could mix every one of the 4noggins blends together and come up with this blend. Seems to me they keep using the same tobacco and just add various flavorings to it. You just can't sink your teeth into any of the blends I have tried so far. Sorry to be a curmudgeon...

Pipe Used: Corncob

Age When Smoked: 63

Purchased From: 4noggins

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	albfneto (184)	2012-05-22		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

I evaluate this as an "intermediate" tobacco, not sweet as an "aromatic" (aromatized) tobacco (ex. Cavendish) bu not "pure tobacco taste" neither a classical English Mixture. Resuming, is Interemediate between and English Mixture and a "Pure Tobacco" but also have traces of sweetness. The manufacturer classified it as natural aromatic. It is sweet, but have a slighly bitter taste, flavour, may be due to the Perique presence and to the Burley, classically known by their bite taste. Interesting Tobacco, very different. Bite and Sweet together and is wet in an appropiate ammount, bu not burns slowly. The Maple scent is clearly recognized mainly in the room note. Recommended.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	point9 (114)	2014-12-13		Mild	Mild	Mild	Very Pleasant

An interesting maple aromatic burley blend. The aroma is delightful with modest, nothing like ordinary aromatic blends. Burley is out-front note with subtle, ancient-incense like perique in the background. It will get hot and even a little bity if you puff hard. Great room note even my wife agrees. Smoking it in car never gets you trouble. Worth a try!

Pipe Used: corn cob

Age When Smoked: 6 months

Purchased From: 4 noggins

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Drumdude06 (4)	2012-05-04		Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Mild	Very Pleasant

I prefer Va/Per then English/Balkan blends for the most part, but I do enjoy aromatics from time to time. This aromatic is really special and is my favorite aromatic blend. The maple flavoring is really enjoyable, and the slight amount of Perique adds a very nice touch that takes the blend beyond a normal aromatic. This blend has definite raisin, maple, and dried fig tastes that add sweetness to the blend. There is also a slight amount of spiciness provided by the extremely light touch of Perique. This is a great all-day smoke or a smoke around non-smokers.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	dedalto (25)	2011-08-12		Mild to Medium	Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

As far a maple flavored aromatic this is a nice smoke, but it will bite.

Pipeworks & Wilke's Vermont Maple Cavendish offers more maple tast without any goop, and I think better tobaccos, and totally free of bite.

Two stars

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Mac (20)	2011-01-17		Mild	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

An excellent offering from 4noggins.A Burley Blend which can be enjoyed as an all day smoke or as an after dinner smoke with a suitable beverage. Alcoholic or non alcoholic.To my mind best smoked in a reasonably large bowl to savour the fruity but spicy flavours that tickle your taste buds as you work your way through the bowl.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2010-08-02		Mild	Mild	Medium	Pleasant

It is not bad tobacco, but sorry it is not to me. I feel very bad puffing this tobacco.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	SirShaggy (28)	2008-07-25		Mild	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Wow, this is good stuff! I received an ounce from Rich with a recent order. I would not have purchased this on my own due to the Maple in the description. I am glad I received it. I will buy it in the near future. This is a mild smoke with just a hint of Maple to it. The Perique is lightly blended in so as it won't overpower. I burned clean all the way to the bottom on 2 bowls. I got a nice grey ash at the bootom and no residue. The tobacco is moist but not sticky. It packs very well. It is a medium brown in color and pretty finely cut. You can taste some sweetness as you smoke as well as a hint of maple and maybe a touch of raisins and nuts?!?! It will burn hot if you puff fast which is not hard to do with this. It's tasty!! This is a pleasurable smoke. Thanks Rich.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Desertislandtoolworks (18)	2020-04-25		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

I found some of this tobacco that had been lost in a move (4 years ago) recently and decided to give it a go. It doesn't feel overly dry but smoked a bit fast and hot so I will try again after adding a bit of moisture. Overall the maple notes were subtle as was the sweetness. There was also a touch of nuttines to the flavor which developed through the bowl as the maple flavor faded. The end of the bowl was very Burley forward and to me less enjoyable than the initial breakfast flavors. Overall pretty easy smoking pleasant tobacco. I remember liking it when I bought it and that hasn't changed. I don't think it is available any longer as I was unable to locate it on the 4noggins site.

Pipe Used: Basket briar

Age When Smoked: 4 years

Purchased From: 4 Noggins

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Polaris82 (22)	2015-09-04		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

I first bought two ounces of this blend in late 2011 or early 2012 from 4 Noggins. I first tried this right out of the bag through a new corncob and didn't get satisfactory results. I decided to let it sit for a half a year and then tried it through a vintage Ropp and still didn't get anything but an overpowering Cigarette taste. I was very interested in finding a quality maple smoke and so far have been disappointed. I don't get anything but a cigarette taste from this blend and if I wanted to taste cigarettes I'd drive down to the corner store and pick up a pack. Its contents are listed a burley and perique but I can't see how this doesn't contain Virginias. May revisit this in the fall in a long stem considering I still have nearly 2oz. On the bright side, 2 stars since I've tried far worse.

Pipe Used: Corncob, Ropp

Age When Smoked: 6 months

Purchased From: 4 noggins

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2010-09-18		Mild	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Another superb blend from 4noggins. This is a favorite morning smoke for me, and goes very well with my first cup of coffee. Slow burning with a nice but not overpowering touch of maple, and as other have noted some fig or spiced raisin.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2009-07-11		Mild	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

I really enjoy a good burley blend, and this fits the bill. A wonderfully crafted mixture from Rich at 4noggins. Any pipe tobacco blend that can pass the "wife" test, has to be quality. My wife has said to me that EOV reminds her of freshly poured syrup with a slight fig aroma. The taste is very mild but far from bland. I enjoy this blend most while reading a good book or watching a film as it burns slowly enough to really savor. Very Recommended!

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2009-03-19		Mild	Medium to Strong	Medium to Full	Very Pleasant

Is this in fact Captain Black's high class cousin Admiral Black? Comparisons are deceptive and invidious, but at the first few puffs, I have to admit I thought of the Captain, steering his vessel on tempestuous seas.

Essence of Vermont arrived in a sample from, where else? Vermont, courtesy of Rich. It packs quite solidly, being a little damp, and in colour is a rich mixture of darkish and medium-toned brown leaves, cut in rough shreds.

Resemblence to the Captain disappears after a while, as the burley makes its presence felt along with the brown sugar taste of the casing. The description on the 4noggins site says "Maple", and it would seem to be a fairly heavy sauce they have put on. The casing is not goopy or overwhelming, but this is definitely an aromatic blend.

It has no bite -- no Vermont ferrets nibbling or big dogs snapping -- and it produces a lot of smoke. You can smell the smoke while puffing, and it is very similar to how this blend tastes. The flavour stays all the way to the end.

Perique is noticeable, but luckily -- for me, at any rate -- not very strong. It gives the blend some complexity and helps to spice up the maple/molasses taste.

All in all, another outstanding product from 4noggins, and one that I will definitely keep on hand. I wrote in another review that Rich's Down by the River is the only aromatic I can smoke -- this is another.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	jankoez (69)	2008-12-27		Mild	Mild	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

Excellent maple flavoured blend. In contrary of Rum and Maple...

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2008-11-08		Very Mild	Mild	Mild	Pleasant

I have been smoking a LOT of this for the past few weeks. Kept in a mason jar for some months since its arrival now, I find that this particular blend has smoked well since day one (like all of Rich's blends that I have tried.) The maple aroma that greets the smoker upon opening the jar, lingers in the smoke as well - just enough to say, "I'm still here." Easy to light, cool smoking and easy on the nicotine. The burley shines in this blend, and it truly is an all day smoke. It burns so well, that I have been able to add some of my most finicky pipes to my rotation! Thank you 4noggins - this blend is highly recommended!

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2008-07-26		Mild	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Glad I found this one! Compared to the majority of maple cased tobacco's this has a truely 'natural' maple taste (at least so it seems to me, I'm no specialist). The burley is great, the maple is great en finishing touch is delivered by the perique. Which makes you taste raisins and dried fruit.

1 person found this review helpful.