4noggins Owl's Head

An well balanced, complex mixture, the components cannot be easy perceptible, no Latakia predominates, but... Black Cavendish addiction, give sweetness to the mixture.

So Called as English mixture (Latakia, Virginia and Orientals), really is an Americam Mixture (Latakia, Virginia, Orientals and Cavendish).

The result is splendourous, great blend. One more for my favorites, together with Chipman Hill and Penzance.

Superior even to some benchmarks, as 965, EMP, NightCup, Presbyterian.

I was lucky enough to receive a few ounces of Owl's Head prior to its formal release and I must say that Rich really did a great job with this "heavy on the Orientals" new English blend. Although true for most pipe tobaccos (IMHO), Owl's Head really benefits from being well dried before smoking. I prefer my English blends to have an underlying sweetness, (think Legends, 965, Magnum Opus) and Owl's Head leans more toward sweet than savory, although there is enough of each to make for a very enjoyable blend. The Latakia plays more of a supporting role here. I am alway cautious of English blends that add cavendish, but in the case of Owl's Head, it was smartly done. However, if you prefer an English/Oriental blend that is on the stronger side with more of a nic kick, this may not be your blend. 4 Noggins continues to produce high quality house blends and Owl's Head is no exception. Highly Recommended.

I am a something of an oddity - a faithful smoker of Continental aromatics for over 30 years now. Yet this is my favourite non-aromatic tobacco, discovered after I got a sample from Rich at 4noggins. There is enough in it to keep me interested with distinctive note of orientals and some hints of latakia, but not so prominent as to put me off since I do not usually smoke latakia. No casing to be detected (if any it is so slight so as to be negligible). The addition of Cavendish keeps it all in a familiar perspective for a continental aro smoker. Burns slightly moist at first, and needs minor drying, but burns well leaving a fine dottle that retains shape of the bowl. Top marks for a fine blend, Mr. Gottlieb. I'll have more.

Edit: after 2 years of storage, I opened it again and the smoke is just heavenly. The blend is beautifully balanced, moisture negligible, orientals and virginia still present, and cavendish keeping a sweet & firm grip on latakia. I have since smoked Dunhill's 965 and Nightcap and there is simply no contest - "Owl's Head" is the best of them by a long shot in leaf quality, blend balance, and reliability. There should be Oscars awarded for this.

Quoted from my review on the Pax Tobacco Crawl at Pipes Magazine.

Whooaa, now this is what I'm talking about. A lovely, superbly balanced blend with a kiss of smoky Latakia that finishes with a sweet spot of Cavendish.

I packed this into my Missouri Freehand for my morning commute. What a great pipe! Owl's Head moisture content was perfect and the leaf blend required no preparation. It lit with one match and burned evenly down to the bottom of the bowl with no relights required. I give credit to both the blend and the pipe. The flavor profile goes from sweet to more smoky as the bowl progresses.

We're blessed with many incredible English blends, Squadron Leader, Quiet Nights, Penzance, Magnum Opus. Owls Head can compete with the best. The balance is perfect - on the whole, a bit lighter body than some Lat blends. This is not Pirate Kake.

If a novice smoker were looking to try their first English blend, Owls Head would be an excellent choice. The Latakia and orientals don't dominate and the Cavendish establishes a sweet foundation palatable to even the most shy tongue.

I happened to mention to Rich that the market for English blends is so crowded, that it is hard for a blend to stand out. Owls Head is a meld that newcomers or English aficionados can enjoy equally.

I got this as a sample when purchasing some other tobaccos from 4Noggins. I will be ordering more. The tobacco is blended very well as to where no one type overplays the other. The cavendish plays a very minor role to the orientals and virginias and the Latakia lends a slight smokiness to the blend. Even though I am usually not as into Latakia blends as I am va's and vapers I am slowly getting addicted to this blend. Two thumbs up Rich.

I have been looking for a favorite tobacco in the mild English class. With this tobacco I have found it. It is Oriental forward, tastes delicious, and burns nicely to the bottom of the bowl. Definitly try Owl's Head from 4Noggins if you too like this style. Now one of the handfull of tobaccos in my permant rotation.

Another home run for 4Noggins! What an easy, friendly smoke. Every component pulls together complementing one another. I am a big latakia fan but it is nice to have a blend in which the latakia has only a supporting role - it's there but it whispers. Burns well and it very gentle on the tongue, indeed it envelops the tongue like a warm cozy blanket. A very satisfying smoke that can be enjoyed anytime or all the time. Highly recommended!

The first few times I smoked this I thought it was a pretty decent starter English for someone who had not tried such a blend before. The more I smoked it the more I came to appreciate how good a blend it is. While not as intricate as Rattray's Black Mallory, it has a very nice follow up Cavendish Virginia interplay after you get through the initial woodsy Latakia note. Buy at least 2 ounces, you can't go wrong.

I ordered 16 oz of this from 4Noggins based on their recommendation and the reviews I could find for this blend. 16 oz is not enough for a month's daily smoke but quite a lot if it is a blend that isn't to your taste. Upon first look, it was latakia and virginia. Opened the bag and was greeted by this smooth smelling English blend. How was the smoke? I was looking for an English blend with some smooth nutty flavoring. This might be it, very smooth and kinda mild. Leaves a nutty sweetness in your mouth, but not aromatic, which I do not like at all. An English blend of taste. This might be one of the smoothest English blends I ever had. I can smoke this all day long. If you like English blends, you must give this one a try.