4noggins Otter Creek

I'm still a newbie ... about 6 months in. Early on, I liked this. Now, after some tastier English's and Virginia/VaPers, I find it just a bit above bland. It's not offensive in any way, but not very noteworthy either. Thus far, my favorite from 4noggins is Weybridge.

A very good sweet tobacco that burns very well. It is mild but has a good flavor. It is a good choice for a long big pipe smoke. I like it as my change of pace blend or for that long relaxing smoke. It burns well, clean and with a nice ash.

Otter Creek is an even cut ribbon tobacco comprised of Black cavendish, Burley and Virginia. No stems or twigs to speak of in my 1oz pouch. The aroma is sweet, nutty and a bit toasty. The moisture level as with all 4Noggins blends, is perfect. The tobacco packs and lights very well, and no stickiness on the fingers after packing.

The topping on this blend is extremely light. You get the most of it when sipped slowly, and on the exhale through the nose. The burley seems to be main stage here. It's nutty, and the vanilla rounds off any potential rough edges. The Virginia is vegetal and grassy. As others have stated, I do not get any sweetness from the black cavendish, just the slight sweet addition from the vanilla.

Otter Creek burns clean and cool, leaving a long-lasting clean/refreshing feeling on the palate. I've enjoyed this with my morning coffee with heavy cream during the summer heat.

I really enjoy 4N's Thomas Blend and Three Blind Moose, but this one may just beat out both. The tin note has that real vanilla bean booziness to it. The cavendish is sweet and out front. The burley is right behind, nutty with a slight burnt taste. The virginia is the least noticeable, extremely mild sweet grass notes. The vanilla topping is sweet, at times it reminds me of those small marshmallows in Carnation hot chocolate mix, but it isn't heavy and it doesn’t take away from the tobacco. The vanilla does lessen by mid-bowl, but the tobacco is good enough to maintain one's interest. It smokes effortlessly. Decent amount of nicotine for an aromatic. It's especially smooth on the tongue and palate. It's not some life altering tobacco, but it is well blended, it tastes great, it has depth of flavour and an overall hearty character. Probably closer to 3 star, but I love vanilla burleys and there is zero bite, so it’s a 4. Highly recommend.