John Patton Storm Front
(3.59)
Two cube cut Burleys combined with cigar leaf. Meaty, sweet, and smokey. This might be John's favorite blend yet!
Notes: Sold through 4noggins.com.
Details
| Brand | John Patton |
| Blended By | John Patton / Rich Gottlieb |
| Manufactured By | 4noggins |
| Blend Type | Cigar Leaf Based |
| Contents | Burley, Cigar Leaf |
| Flavoring | |
| 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 to Full
Extremely Mild (Flat) -> Overwhelming
Average Rating
|
3.59 / 4
|
Reviews
Please login to post a review.
Displaying 21 - 30 of 46 Reviews
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 18, 2014 | Mild | None Detected | Medium to Full | Pleasant |
1/18/2018 Hmm just ordered more Storm Front and something has changed. Maybe the cigar blender? It tastes very similar but the aroma is very different? Still very good but not the 4 star blend i had before. I will smoke this up and if i need to change my rating i will..
2/13/2015 - **Ordered another half pound, this time for my old man, this batch has a slight aroma of lemon meringue, not in an aromatic topping way, just the burleys fermenting aroma I guess.... Just delicious as always! Perhaps I can wean my dad off Captain Black Royal, (which is a fine smoke) but SF is cheaper and has better quality leaf.... So consistent every order! We're very lucky to have RIch manning 4Noggins like a 1930's tobacconist on Broadway in Manhattan. He has the best prices and service. He deserves every reviewer place an order with him just to experience what service was really like 80 years ago....**
Storm Front has become my all day / everyday blend after I first tried it some weeks ago. I get Cedar and #2 Ticonderoga Pencil aroma and flavor, toasted bread with hints of dark chocolate, just wonderful. Do not let the cigar leaf scare you, this is nothing like a cigar but adds SO much flavor to a burley blend, you must try it... **While I sure appreciate the bulk pricing, SF deserves to be tinned!**
I had been reading the reviews of the Patton blends, Storm Front in particular since it has an unusual condiment, Cigar leaf. Upon opening the bag I was greeted with a delicious OTC old school aroma of cracker jacks. This is a fine cut like Carter Hall with little flakes and ribbons mostly resembling fish food, packs easily into any size pipe and can either be scooped with a finger just as easily as sprinkling into the bowl in thirds. Flavor is delicious Burley with a hint of cigar leaf that in no way overpowers, its just like adding salt and pepper to your meal. SF is so unique that I encourage everyone to try an ounce just to see what a little cigar leaf can add to a blend, its really stellar. The room note will not make anyone swoon over you but on the flip side will not make any enemies either. Mr Patton has truly created a modern day classic with Storm Front and might just make my daily smoke, really the only and I mean only drawback is the lack of nicotine (for me) which might be perfect for some but I like a little rope tobacco or 5 Bros added to keep my nicotine addiction at bay... Between the price, flavor and ease of packing, Storm Front is a 4 star blend in my book. Highest recommendations!!
2/13/2015 - **Ordered another half pound, this time for my old man, this batch has a slight aroma of lemon meringue, not in an aromatic topping way, just the burleys fermenting aroma I guess.... Just delicious as always! Perhaps I can wean my dad off Captain Black Royal, (which is a fine smoke) but SF is cheaper and has better quality leaf.... So consistent every order! We're very lucky to have RIch manning 4Noggins like a 1930's tobacconist on Broadway in Manhattan. He has the best prices and service. He deserves every reviewer place an order with him just to experience what service was really like 80 years ago....**
Storm Front has become my all day / everyday blend after I first tried it some weeks ago. I get Cedar and #2 Ticonderoga Pencil aroma and flavor, toasted bread with hints of dark chocolate, just wonderful. Do not let the cigar leaf scare you, this is nothing like a cigar but adds SO much flavor to a burley blend, you must try it... **While I sure appreciate the bulk pricing, SF deserves to be tinned!**
I had been reading the reviews of the Patton blends, Storm Front in particular since it has an unusual condiment, Cigar leaf. Upon opening the bag I was greeted with a delicious OTC old school aroma of cracker jacks. This is a fine cut like Carter Hall with little flakes and ribbons mostly resembling fish food, packs easily into any size pipe and can either be scooped with a finger just as easily as sprinkling into the bowl in thirds. Flavor is delicious Burley with a hint of cigar leaf that in no way overpowers, its just like adding salt and pepper to your meal. SF is so unique that I encourage everyone to try an ounce just to see what a little cigar leaf can add to a blend, its really stellar. The room note will not make anyone swoon over you but on the flip side will not make any enemies either. Mr Patton has truly created a modern day classic with Storm Front and might just make my daily smoke, really the only and I mean only drawback is the lack of nicotine (for me) which might be perfect for some but I like a little rope tobacco or 5 Bros added to keep my nicotine addiction at bay... Between the price, flavor and ease of packing, Storm Front is a 4 star blend in my book. Highest recommendations!!
Pipe Used:
Cob
PurchasedFrom:
4Noggins
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 22, 2014 | Mild to Medium | None Detected | Mild to Medium | Pleasant |
Going through a 2oz sample bag of this one. First of, for being a cigar leaf blend, I find it exceptionally smooth and creamy. My experiences with other cigar leaf blends are that they can be much sharper or harsher. It's an all natural and overall quite mild blend with a mellow natural sweetness and an extremely creamy smoke. The tobacco is predominantly cube cut which packs easily when taking a scoop or two that are each tamped down. Not much evolution throughout the bowl, but who cares, the taste and mouthfeel is terrific. A very relaxing, smooth. no brainer belnd at a very affordable price tag.
Pipe Used:
Group 5 size briars, corncobs
PurchasedFrom:
4noggins
Age When Smoked:
fresh
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 01, 2014 | Mild to Medium | Mild to Medium | Full | Pleasant |
This has become my favorite blend to date . I want to smoke it all the time , i reach for other tobacco then i think nah and ill pack another bowl of this.
Its a simple easy smoke that just taste good. Burley goodness added with some creamy smokey flavor, its perfect. Burns very well and the coolest tobacco I have smoked in a pipe.
If your a burley lover you need to give this a try . I don't believe you will be disappointed. Its also reasonably priced.
*update * Jan 2017
Since this review 4 Noggins has raised the price on John Patton bulk tobacco to almost 8 dollars more a pound and has driven it out of my budget. So i no longer smoke any John Patton blends. Its a shame too as they are about the best smoke you can get in bulk to me. The price has forced me to downgrade from 4 to 3 stars.
Its a simple easy smoke that just taste good. Burley goodness added with some creamy smokey flavor, its perfect. Burns very well and the coolest tobacco I have smoked in a pipe.
If your a burley lover you need to give this a try . I don't believe you will be disappointed. Its also reasonably priced.
*update * Jan 2017
Since this review 4 Noggins has raised the price on John Patton bulk tobacco to almost 8 dollars more a pound and has driven it out of my budget. So i no longer smoke any John Patton blends. Its a shame too as they are about the best smoke you can get in bulk to me. The price has forced me to downgrade from 4 to 3 stars.
Pipe Used:
Kaywoodie , KB&B Yello-Boles,Savinelli
PurchasedFrom:
4 Noggins
Age When Smoked:
smoked upon delivery
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 21, 2013 | Medium to Strong | Very Mild | Medium to Full | Pleasant to Tolerable |
This is a good smoke, but I will say that you probably have to enjoy burley to appreciate it. Like all the rest of John Patton's blends, this arrives a bit on the dry side. The great thing about this is that it's ready to smoke right away and you're not paying for excess water weight. Just for the heck of it, I did try re-moistening a small amount of my first 8 ounce purchase and comparatively I prefer it at the moisture level that Mr. Patton intended. Drier is better.
Meaty is a good descriptor, but I would also classify Storm Front as earthy and woody but definitely not sweet. Sure there's a slight sweet quality to the room note but I do not find the smoke sweet to taste. The pouch note is akin to that of Carter Hall, kind of a light fruity/boozy aroma. The cigar leaf adds just a touch of spice and depth to the overall flavor profile but at heart, this mixture is pretty much just a plain old-timey pipe smoke. Comparisons to C&D's burleys are spot on, both in flavor and strength. When smoked too fast I even get a lump in the back of my throat. Altogether Storm Front is smooth, flavorful & even better on cold evenings.
Meaty is a good descriptor, but I would also classify Storm Front as earthy and woody but definitely not sweet. Sure there's a slight sweet quality to the room note but I do not find the smoke sweet to taste. The pouch note is akin to that of Carter Hall, kind of a light fruity/boozy aroma. The cigar leaf adds just a touch of spice and depth to the overall flavor profile but at heart, this mixture is pretty much just a plain old-timey pipe smoke. Comparisons to C&D's burleys are spot on, both in flavor and strength. When smoked too fast I even get a lump in the back of my throat. Altogether Storm Front is smooth, flavorful & even better on cold evenings.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Aug 21, 2011 | Mild | Medium | Mild | Tolerable |
Upon opening the package containing a pouch of Storm Front, I was immediately greeted by the aroma of a drug store burley such as Carter Hall, Prince Albert, or other Middleton product. Smoking it also offers an experience similar to a Middleton product, albeit with a touch of something else which makes it a bit more creamy and substantial than Prince Albert. If this touch of something is cigar leaf, it is in such a minute quantity as to be unrecognizable. The flavoring agent has a synthetic quality which gets a bit disgusting as the bowl progresses. If I wanted to smoke a drug store blend, I would go down the street to Rite Aid and get one rather than mailing for one from across the country with a different name affixed.
11/27/2011 - Upgrading to 2 stars. After letting the pouch sit out for a number of months, enough of the synthetic agent has evaporated to reveal a taste similar to a mild, short-filler "lawn mowing" cigar. The room note will not win you any friends because it smells like you are smoking a mild cigar.
10/3/2012 - This blend reminds me of a woman I dated in my younger days. She was a bit of a cheap floozy with bleach blond hair and dark roots and some bad habits, but I kept going back to her for quite some time. So it is with Storm Front. It has a bit of a cheap drugstore burley taste, has too much PG, and gets kind of bland at the bottom of the bowl, but I keep going back to it anyway. Maybe it's because it smokes consistently every time and satisfies just enough of my cigar and burley leaf needs to keep me sated. Maybe it's because it's so easy and care free (like that woman) to smoke. I will be ordering more. God help me, I just can't stop myself...upgrading to 3 stars.
1/25/2014 - Subsequent batches have been less aromatic, a welcome improvement...upgrading to 4 stars.
11/27/2011 - Upgrading to 2 stars. After letting the pouch sit out for a number of months, enough of the synthetic agent has evaporated to reveal a taste similar to a mild, short-filler "lawn mowing" cigar. The room note will not win you any friends because it smells like you are smoking a mild cigar.
10/3/2012 - This blend reminds me of a woman I dated in my younger days. She was a bit of a cheap floozy with bleach blond hair and dark roots and some bad habits, but I kept going back to her for quite some time. So it is with Storm Front. It has a bit of a cheap drugstore burley taste, has too much PG, and gets kind of bland at the bottom of the bowl, but I keep going back to it anyway. Maybe it's because it smokes consistently every time and satisfies just enough of my cigar and burley leaf needs to keep me sated. Maybe it's because it's so easy and care free (like that woman) to smoke. I will be ordering more. God help me, I just can't stop myself...upgrading to 3 stars.
1/25/2014 - Subsequent batches have been less aromatic, a welcome improvement...upgrading to 4 stars.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Oct 16, 2020 | Medium | Extremely Mild | Medium to Full | Pleasant |
I recently discovered this blend and thought I'd try it since I've been looking for a cigar leaf blend that didn't disappoint. Well....... After quite a few bowls I can say that this is what I've been searching for, for the last 35 years of my pipe smoking life. Totally balanced blend that is easy to load, smoke, enjoy without hesitation. The cigar leaf does stay in the background and the burley does take the lead with it's nutty and buttery, intoxicating aroma that makes pipe smoking so enjoyable and relaxing. I highly recommend this blend to anyone that is a burley fan and to those that thought burley wasn't your thing. Try it. You're a pipe smoker that likes to find incredible tobacco, right? This is a refined blend that does what other cigar leaf blends try to do but can't.
Pipe Used:
Cob, Meers, Peterson, Ser Jacopo.....
PurchasedFrom:
4Noggins.com
Age When Smoked:
2 months old
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Feb 04, 2019 | Medium to Strong | None Detected | Medium to Full | Tolerable |
From the tin a rummy aroma of ripe plum and blackberries hides behind woody and earthy notes and that of dark chocolate, which predominates the blend after brief aging.
The fruitiness is slightly less prevalent when smoked, and remains barely traceable after two weeks of aging. It still produces a thick and full bodied smoke with earthy and woody tastes, and a taste that of leather. When smoked fresh, the smoke leaves the mouthfeeling of sipping a fine spirit. Aged, the finish is full bodied, dry, and long lasting.
Much like its brother Oriental Dusk, it’s a mighty fine blend with cigar leaves.
The fruitiness is slightly less prevalent when smoked, and remains barely traceable after two weeks of aging. It still produces a thick and full bodied smoke with earthy and woody tastes, and a taste that of leather. When smoked fresh, the smoke leaves the mouthfeeling of sipping a fine spirit. Aged, the finish is full bodied, dry, and long lasting.
Much like its brother Oriental Dusk, it’s a mighty fine blend with cigar leaves.
Pipe Used:
Royal Danish by Stanwell 83
Age When Smoked:
Fresh and by two weeks.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Feb 07, 2015 | Medium | Very Mild | Mild to Medium | Tolerable |
Pipe tobacco that is seasoned with cigar leaf requires a perfect balance for me. I also smoke cigars and while I don't expect a predominant cigar taste, I want a luxurious, smokey and cigar spicy taste.
First I am greeted by a sweet liquor topping that I don't really care for, then burley nutiness and some very subdued cigar notes. Actually, remove the cigar leaf in the description and then you have an over the counter pipe tobacco than doesn't live up to its colorful name Storm front. Now the only plus is the price and if you can convince yourself that it's amazing, then you have a winner. I unfortunately lack the required level of imagination to see it past its flaws.
Virginia lover
First I am greeted by a sweet liquor topping that I don't really care for, then burley nutiness and some very subdued cigar notes. Actually, remove the cigar leaf in the description and then you have an over the counter pipe tobacco than doesn't live up to its colorful name Storm front. Now the only plus is the price and if you can convince yourself that it's amazing, then you have a winner. I unfortunately lack the required level of imagination to see it past its flaws.
Virginia lover
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Oct 03, 2012 | Medium to Strong | Extremely Mild | Full | Pleasant |
Woodsy, earthy campfire notes. Very pleasant smoke...
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 17, 2020 | Mild to Medium | None Detected | Medium | Tolerable |
In one sentence: This is an excellent all-day smoke for Burley lovers, reminiscent of the codger blends without the toppings.
Tin Note: Fragrant Burley, feels like there's a strawberry or vanilla topping or something similar, but since the producers claim there's none, I'll assume their honesty.
Right as you light up the pipe, you can clearly taste the two ingredients. Burley and cigar leaf combined very well, balanced, and tasty. Like some other reviewers, this reminds me strongly of the codger blends, particularly Carter Hall.
While ordering the blend I was afraid that it might be too strong in body and nicotine. However, it's extremely smooth and somewhat creamy and is only around mild-medium in nicotine strength and medium in body.
It comes in very nice coarse cut, very easy to pack and smoke. Doesn't require any relights. The flavor doesn't change throughout the smoke and unlike many other blends, it doesn't taste ashy when you reach the bottom of the bowl. Perfect moisture level, easily an all-day smoke if that's your thing. Goes perfect with coffee.
The topping that I imagined in the tin note don't really translate in the smoke, but that's pretty similar to those old codger blends as well. In other words, for me at least, this really reminds me of Carter Hall or Sir Walter Raleigh, but I know that those have more additions to them while this is supposed to be fairly "clean". If the price difference doesn't bother you and you want to smoke pure tobacco, go for it. For me, however, the codger blends taste about the same and they're much more affordable. I enjoyed this blend very much, but I don't think that I'll buy more in the near future.
Tin Note: Fragrant Burley, feels like there's a strawberry or vanilla topping or something similar, but since the producers claim there's none, I'll assume their honesty.
Right as you light up the pipe, you can clearly taste the two ingredients. Burley and cigar leaf combined very well, balanced, and tasty. Like some other reviewers, this reminds me strongly of the codger blends, particularly Carter Hall.
While ordering the blend I was afraid that it might be too strong in body and nicotine. However, it's extremely smooth and somewhat creamy and is only around mild-medium in nicotine strength and medium in body.
It comes in very nice coarse cut, very easy to pack and smoke. Doesn't require any relights. The flavor doesn't change throughout the smoke and unlike many other blends, it doesn't taste ashy when you reach the bottom of the bowl. Perfect moisture level, easily an all-day smoke if that's your thing. Goes perfect with coffee.
The topping that I imagined in the tin note don't really translate in the smoke, but that's pretty similar to those old codger blends as well. In other words, for me at least, this really reminds me of Carter Hall or Sir Walter Raleigh, but I know that those have more additions to them while this is supposed to be fairly "clean". If the price difference doesn't bother you and you want to smoke pure tobacco, go for it. For me, however, the codger blends taste about the same and they're much more affordable. I enjoyed this blend very much, but I don't think that I'll buy more in the near future.
Pipe Used:
Brewster billiard
PurchasedFrom:
4noggins.com
Age When Smoked:
New
target="_blank"
