4noggins Father Orin

4noggins - Father Orin.

The blend's a mixture of brown, yellow, and black, pieces. It's slightly coarse but none of the blend's unmanageable. The aroma's clearly an aromatic one, and I can identify the bourbon and honey. Moisture's superb.

I note both the bourbon and honey in the smoke, without the flavour seeming too aromatic. Alongside these two is a top notch VaBur smoke, being nutty, rustic, with more dark fruit as opposed to grass and hay from the Virginias. A quibble with Father O', for me, is tongue bite: it has to be sipped gently. It burns well providing it's being well maintained, I can't just sit back, relax, and ponder on life, it needs regular tamps and a few relights. The temperature's fairly cool.

Nicotine: mild to medium. Room-note: pleasant.

Father Orin? A good enough smoke for three stars:

Recommended.

Father Orin, named one presumes in honour of a chaplain or pastor somewhere in Vermont, by Matt the great blender.

Got this recently from Rich at 4Noggins, and so this review is based on fairly fresh Father Orin. In a rather small briar.

A great smell in the bag, somewhat like ERR or Sir Walter. Could not smell bourbon and honey, but could smell a rather fermented fruity casing. This is not noticeable once the flame hits. Curiously cool smoke, and a very light taste. In flavour it is a little similar to Stokkebye Cube Cut. You can really taste the burley, and the topping, whatever it is, just sits there on the sidelines. I have to say that it reminds me of Sir Walter a little, and of ERR, though that may just be the pipe I am using.

The tobacco is cut in quite big pieces, like little shreds, rather than flakes or strands. Packs easily, stays lit, burns relatively quickly and does not lose its taste. This could become an all day blend, but I will be aging my supply for a future dominated by taxes, import controls, restrictions on export and other Orwellian conditions. With several pounds of this in the cellar, pretty any condition could be faced optimistically.

Presentation: mix of light tan, dark brown and almost black ribbon. High natural moisture level on opening, improves after drying with no chemical aftertones. Pouch aroma: mild to medium off-fruity, probably close to fermented redcurrants or blackberries. I could not detect any honey (unsure about bourbon). Topping is rather light, pleasant and not intrusive. Absolutely no bite, burns evenly through to the end of the bowl with no bitterness. A top notch well-behaved blend of good burley and virginia that can be smoked all day.

Trying to find a rewarding Burley/Virginia blend, since Stonehaven/Esoterica is out of stock for a couple of months, I gave a chance to Richard's/4noggins Father Orin. Well, although this one has nothing in common in terms of taste with Stonehaven, I discovered a very, but very, nice tobacco. My tongue and nose didn't discover the Bourbon, nor the honey, in which I was a bit concerned reading the discription. However, I discovered the fullness a tobacco should have. One can easily smoke it throughout the day, without getting boring. The nicotene levels are medium so I like very much to inhale, though I don't belong to this smoker's category. Through my Burley/VA search, I discover a new myself, getting distance from my older aromatic smoke world, and Father Orin really helped me on that way.

Hello,fellow pipe-smokers!This is my first review in this forum and as English is not my mother tongue please show some understanding. In order to feel better this blend,I smoked it almost exclusively for 7-8 days,3-4 bowls per day,in briar pipes of various sizes and shapes,and my comments are as follows: The pouch/bag aroma is very inviting,reminds me of a sweetened spirit (something like Cardhu with a drop of Drambui)and a very slight acidic smell (for comparison purposes 1/10th of the usual Mac Clellands and on a par with H&H Annie Cake)that goes away if you leave the jar open for 3-4 minutes. The cut is a mixed one,ie. wide ribbon and loose cut and I think this helps in filling and lighting which are very easy,of the fire and forget kind. Taste and flavour :Although when unburned you could call this a (slightly) aromatic blend,once lit it's barely so. Generally,the behaviour was of a high quality American style,straight no-nonsence tobacco.The flavourings were noticeable up to 1/4th of the bowl,and then stayed in the background,if at all,while in the foreground was a nice medium to strong tobacco flavour and a slightly sweet (and sometimes sweet and salty!)taste,so not exactly multidimensional,but very enjoyable throughout the bowl. Although in the description there is no Perique,I think I could feel it-just a bit- towards the end in the flavour and my lightly peppered mouth,but then again,I have sensitive mouth. Ah,no bite at all,even when provoked,and no choking when accidentally or deliberately inhaled. By the way,when I feel that I don't get enough satisfaction from a blend,I start inhaling the smoke.No need with this one.It is sufficiently full,-but no overpowering-to leave me feeling contempt and very satisfied. I best enjoyed it in medium sized bowls,especially after a good meal and/or a strong coffee.Not that good as the first (morning) pipe of the day,as I prefer lighter blends (e.g.SG BBF)for this. All in all,I highly recommend this blend to all true tobacco taste lovers (don't be put off by the nice smell in the bag,even Solani 633 or Capstan or F&T CVP do have a tin aroma but would you call them aromatics?).Virginia and Va/per smokers must give it a try,and of course the Va/burley lovers. Well,that's it.Thank you for your time and your patience.

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elias62

This one starts out in one-star territory and just barely redeems itself with two stars by end of bowl. Jar note suggest banana custard to me. Tastes mostly of mild white Burley, with a very light hit of fruitiness when lighting that soon becomes so faint that it is essentially flavorless. Last burst of flavor at end of bowl, mostly on the retrohale, sort of like a stale Erinmore. I don’t get any bourbon. Very bitey during lights, and even with temperate puffing it gets a pipe quite warm to the touch. Leaves a stale, woody aftertaste. Ambient aroma of cigarettes.

Maybe I got a really old, stale sample? Reluctant and tepid two star recommendation.

This was the last of 4 - 4noggins blends I tried. Berry-like bag aroma. Same fluffy stuff. Another disappointing experience. I wound up mixing all 4 of the 2oz. bags together & saved as an "emergency" tobacco stash...I guess their blends are just not for me.