Tobaccos 4noggins - Down by The River

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JimInks (3050)	2015-04-18		Mild	Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

A basic no-nonsense, no frills burley blend with some nuttiness, light cocoa, and a mild molasses/maple flavor. The nic-hit is mild. Burns clean and well with few relights, though it needs to smoked at no more than a moderate pace or it'll lose a little of its taste, especially toward the finish. Will burn hot if you're a fast puffer. Leaves very little moisture in the bowl. An all day fairly innocuous smoke.

-JimInks

9 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Country Doc (20)	2013-04-24		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Pleasant

Nutty burley gently suffused with quality maple. Excellent flavor all the way down. Not a complex smoke, but quite delicious. Definitely more an aromatic than a straight burley.

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	StevieB (2082)	2017-06-23		Medium	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

4noggins - Down by The River.

The ribbons appear uniform and finely cut. There's a very subtle sweetness emanating from the pouch, but it's slightly ambiguous as to what it's from. The moisture in Down by The River looks perfect.

It lights easily, giving a consistent and steady burn. That's good, but the temperature and bite aren't: hot and nippy. The tobacco doesn't taste particularly 'bad', but I find it boring. At first the topping seems very light, but by halfway it becomes clearer. Nowhere near 'strong', but it's a more definite added sweetness.

The room-note: nice. The nicotine: medium.

Down by The River? It's alright, but no better than two stars.

Somewhat recommended.

Pipe Used: Altinok Lee Van Cleef; Friday pipe

Age When Smoked: Three months

Purchased From: 4noggins

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	leacha (15)	2015-03-27		Mild	Extremely Mild	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

A high quality burley from 4noggins. From the charring light down to mid point of the bowl you get the nutty taste burleys are known for. About mid point I started to pickup hints of chocolate here and there till the end. It did burn a little hot and after noticing the burn I adjusted my cadence and the smoke remained cool.

I'm a believer that your mouth PH is a major contributing factor if a tobacco will bite and I did not experience any bite at all.

Pipe Used: Peterson System Standard 309

Age When Smoked: 18+ months

Purchased From: 4noggins

Similar Blends: John Middleton, Inc - Carter Hall, Prince Albert - Prince Albert.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2009-03-03		Mild	Medium	Medium to Full	Pleasant

I am working my way through some of the 4Noggins blends. Down by the River has to be the finest aromatic I have ever smoked. It is the only aromatic I have found that actually tastes like it smells. Yes, the maple flavour is there, all the way through, but without dampening a great burley taste.

I am a relatively late convert to burley, having wandered like some lost soul in Balkan and VaPer country for many a year. I used to sneer at aromatics, but DBTR is not like any other aromatic. Call it a flavoured codger blend -- the boutique version of an OTC. I still like the Balkans, and this blend gives a great contrasting alternative.

No bite, but I wouldn't say it can be smoked without attention. Puffing too hard seems to weaken the maple notes and reduce the fantastic burley essence. Another thing is that unlike most aromatics, DBTR does not lose its topping taste half-way down and turn to ash. Clearly, 4Noggins is using very high-quality leaf and genuine flavouring, not some sprayed-on synthetic casing.

I don't know how it will age. I have jarred about a pound and a half, and will be ordering more. It is said that aromatics do not cellar well, but with this one, even if the maple casing fades one will still be left with a fantastic burley.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Blackhorse (96)	2008-10-06		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I just stumbled onto this one and had to try it, being a Burley lover. This one shines in a very specific way. The description provided is dead on and gives the reason for its greatness...absolutely tolerant of pipe and how it's smoked. I've tried it in three very different pipes and it's the same - start to finish - great nutty Burley flavor, medium strength, burns readily...smoke it down without any particular atention being needed...shoulda called it "Brainless Burley Blend" in a good way. All of the above go toward making it one of the great all day Burleys out there. Add to that the amazing service provided by 4-N's and it's a winner. I'll second the "check out their website" comment - LOTS to choose from. One of the very few sites I've ever found "Kendal Kentucky" in stock. :-) A solid four stars for this blend and it's source!

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Mikefu (20)	2018-05-28		Mild	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Nice cut and moisture level from the bag. Smells like a sweetened burley, with cocoa and nuts leading the way, with a bit of maple topping. Smells pretty natural. After packing and lighting, you are greeted with a traditional burley profile of nuttiness and a nice sweetness, aided by the maple topping. As the bowl burns down, a bit more cocoa flavors develop. It has a tendency to burn a bit hot, and if pushed, can get very ashy, although it is hard to get to bite. Overall it is a good, simple blend, but does take a bit more conscious effort to truly enjoy than the description would lead you to believe. Good, but not great.

Pipe Used: Various Briars

Age When Smoked: Fresh and 4 months

Purchased From: 4noggins

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	anglocatholicpiper (34)	2017-09-30		Mild	Medium	Mild	Pleasant

I really like this Va/Bur blend. I agree with CountryDoc's comment, "Definitely more an aromatic than a straight burley." For me, after a time, its sweetness can get old. But there is some kind of delightful spice to it- not latakia- that adds to its complexity and keeps it interesting. If you like Va/Bur blends on the sweeter side, this one is at least worth exploring.

Pipe Used: Various Briars

Age When Smoked: Fresh Bulk

Purchased From: 4Noggins

Similar Blends: Uhle's Blend 44.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Gentleman Zombie (729)	2017-03-02		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

The Burley is nutty and mildly earthy. The maple flavoring is lightly applied and mildly sweet. This Burley's flavor tastes a bit thin to me. Can also burn a bit warm. It's not terrible, but I'd take Carter Hall or Granger over this.

Mild to medium in body and taste. Flavoring is very mild. Burns a little too fast.

Pipe Used: MM Dagner Poker, Country Gentleman, Marcus

Age When Smoked: fresh

Purchased From: 4 Noggins

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	DenizBeck (323)	2017-02-14		Mild to Medium	Medium	Medium	Very Pleasant

Original Review: From the first puff i loved this blend!

Excellent tasting Burleys, with a slight flavouring. I would describe the flavouring as "christmas cookies" mayba a little maple-ish. Paired with the very nutty and slightly sweet Burley its a 10/10 pointer for me.

Id guess even natural Burley fans would find joy out of smoking this. Aromatic Fans MUST try it, even tho the flavouring is in the background.

_______________________________________

Re-Visit: My palate must've changed, as I perceive this rather as an aromatic nowadays! And I'm puzzled how it is categorized as "Burley Based", as this is what I'd call "aromatic" ! But "very, very good aromatic!!" the kind you rarely find out in the wild! The kind that leaves a bit of spiciness on your tongue to remind you "it's tobacco you're smoking!".

Nutty, with a flavoring that reminds me quite a bit of "W.O. Larsen No. 32 Curly Cut", as I find it to be "Butter-Cookies"-ish! Caramel, Maple and a hint of Vanilla. Paired with the nuttiness of the Burley..... perfect aromatic blend! Great for the morning hours or for times you have/want to mind the room note - which is excellent!

One thing from my past review holds true: "I guess also natural Burley lovers will like this" - these days I consider myself a "natural Burley lover" (C&D Burleys mainly... Pegasus, Burley FLakes, Haunted Bookshop, Big N Burley) and: YES, it's a treat for me, really! It packs the essence of burley in it, but mixes it with a distinct flavoring that matches the tobaccos well - albeit for me it could be a tad more spiciness in this blend... still...4 stars!

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	brashboy (84)	2015-11-03		Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

This tobacco is better than its reviews. It is a delicious Burley mixture with a very light flavoring added, which seems to be a cocoa and a very mild cherry, though not all detect the cherry note. The flavoring is detectable more in the tin note than in the pipe or the room note.

Excellent burn, great nutty taste and a decent nicotine hit (mild to medium) make this one a real winner, and I always keep some around. Burley lovers: you have to try this. Those who like high-quality aromatics should give it a whirl, also, if you do not insist upon tobacco drenched in a flavoring. And if you enjoy good Burley with just a bit of added flavor, you will love it.

Similar Blends: Hearth & Home's (or Scotty's) Butternut Burley.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	½ bowl (103)	2008-09-19		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium to Full	Pleasant

Down By The River is a light aromatic... no, check that, it's a very light aromatic; and a good one. It's everything that the above "tin description" claims; and I concur with the previous reviewers' comments. (I use the term "aromatic" somewhat freely. If there's a technical difference from "topping" or "flavoring" then please excuse my ignorance.)

4-stars if you're an aromatics smoker seeking something like a nuttier and sweeter version of Prince Albert.

3-stars if you want a gently sweet, and very nutty change of pace, while avoiding goopy, cloying drug store blends.

2-stars if you are willing to tolerate artificial flavoring on at least an occasional basis.

1-star if you avoid aromatics and top-flavors on principle. (But if you're a Burley smoker, is that totally possible?)

4noggins' DBTR smokes dryly; generates a really pleasant salinity; produces great smoke volume; nice nicotine hit; no bite; burns down completely on two matches; and leaves fine white ash.

My only criticism is that its "finish" exposes the chemical nature of the flavorings -- by which I mean it has a vague but noticeable (polymer?) aftertaste that dissipates in about 10 minutes. (Aromatics smokers will consider this a really minor quibble as well as an artifact of personal mouth chemistry. At any rate, it's not enough to put me off this blend.)

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pip'n'Piper (55)	2022-03-28		Mild	Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Nice ribbon, perfect moisture. Tin note is toasty, sweet, and nutty with a nice background of cocoa. Taste is the exact same. Burns well. Very nice smoke, BUT it disagrees with my mouth. The description reads "does not require your full attention", well I was dreaming with my eyes wide open and lost what was a very comfortable layer of skin from the roof of my mouth. Whilst swooning over the delicious toast and cocoa, my throat was rusticated with feathers of glass. Worse yet, my tongue packed his bags and is now hitch-hiking to the west coast. If anyone finds a tongue wandering the shores of British Columbia turning over shells and soup cans looking for a new home, rambling about shooting his baby down by the river, tell him we love him and miss him and want him to come home... Alright, it wasn't that bad; just a very stern acidity that creeps up if smoked too fast and lingers for a while after, especially around the back of the throat, so for goodness sake pay attention. It dropped my voice a full octave, now, instead of singing Down By The River by Neil, I'm left croaking Underground by Waits. Regardless of me, though, it has alot going for it. It really does taste good and is quality tobacco. However, I won't be getting up for seconds. Will have to try Harvest Moon or Prarie Wind to get my next confluence of tobacco and Neil Young. 2 stars.

Pipe Used: Cobs

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: 4noggins

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	albfneto (184)	2013-03-18		Mild	Extremely Mild	Mild	Unnoticeable

Is a pure Burley. not highly flavoured, burns fast and hot, and because of this may cause tongue bite. The taste, however, is good. Bitter as all the Burleys, but at the same time, sweet. For begginers or not, for all day smoking. Decent Burley, but no much more than this...

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	ap (57)	2013-02-09		Mild to Medium	Mild	Medium	Pleasant

Great and simple Burley , this blend burns cool and have a nutty taste with some sweetness.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2011-07-23		Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is a relatively well behaved (not goopy) aromatic burley. I am giving it two out of four stars because I prefer OTC like Carter Hall and Prince Albert, but the topping is fairy mild and not all obtrusive. I found it somewhat nippy, however.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Mac (20)	2010-03-27		Mild	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

What can i say that has not been said before . A great all day smoke that in my opinion is best smoked in a MM Corn Cob. I just wish it was available here in australia.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Punchy (19)	2009-03-21		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

Down By The River the fish may not be biting but this blend sure does. I tortured myself for 10 days finishing a four ounce bag as it nipped my tongue from the charring light to two-thirds of the way down the bowl. Oddly, the rest of the way was pretty tasty and smooth. Light, maple burly notes could be savored to the bottom. Not a well behaved blend.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2008-08-15		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Once again, the tin description from Rich is pretty accurate. For me this is not a "knock your socks off" blend but there is plenty to like about it if you like Burley. (which I do) It packs easily and burns well all the way down. Nice semi sweet nutty taste with the merest hint of some flavouring in the background. A good one for working in the garden or walking the dog and is a worthy alternative to the standard OTC Burleys. Recommended.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pipemanuk (76)	2008-06-16		Mild	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

A simple straightforward Burley in the Carter Hall tradition...which is a big plus in my book. And there's a place for a good honest smoke like this. Complexity has its place for sure, but this is a down to earth, all day tobacco. Another good reason to shop with the man from Middlebury. Check out his website....you won't be dissappointed!

Neil Young forever:-)

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	smoking-rob (79)	2008-06-14		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Supplied in bulk from Rich at 4noggins, this pleasant burley blend is sure to satisfy your palate. The description of this blend is accurate enough and I have not much to add to it. You'll not be disappointed.

1 person found this review helpful.