Rattray's reviews

1. Bagpiper’s Dream
This is some of the best smelling tobacco I’ve come across! While I’ve encountered plenty of whiskey blends, a few with rum, and a couple with more exotic liquors; this is the first time I’ve smoked a cognac flavored blend. The tin note is heavy, delectable, and still maintains the natural sweet odor of the Virginias. There is just a little bit of spice that makes me think of mulled wine or cider. While the cognac is unmistakable, it is hardly overwhelming and my initial impression is to hurry up and pack a bowl so I can taste this stuff I smoked out of a Gatlinburlier no.76 housepipe. This was a medium strength aro that, oddly enough, reminded me of a Maker’s Mark cigar- not in the flavor, but simply the way it was like tobacco that had been soaked in a particular spirit. There were note of dark cherry/grape that reminded me of Hennessey VS. At the very end of the bowl I picked up some notes like cocoa. It was a very pleasant smoke that burned cool and refused to bite. I think I may have discovered a new “top ten” blend. A+


2. Charles Mixture
The Cavendish takes center stage in the scent of this blend. It reminded me of a mix between drugstore blend vanilla tobacco and Malibu coconut rum. This seems to be the most heavily topped of Rattray’s aromatic offerings, which makes me slightly wary right out of the gate. I could faintly pick up on the Virginia and Carolina leaf hiding behind the sweet liquor smell, but it was very faint. The moisture level felt fine and I packed it up in my Venturi 1976 Bicentennial pipe. This was an interesting one After smoking and taking my notes I typically read a few reviews to get the perspective of others. My favorite for this blend began…”Charles can have his mixture, I certainly don’t want it!”. There was some unique stuff going on in this blend- notes of clove that distinctly reminded me of a Djarum – and grapefruit like flavors. It is VERY heavily topped and you best puff extremely light if you don’t care to get bitten. As it progressed in the bowl it settled into something similar to instant Arnold Palmer drink mix. It finally degraded to tasting like stem juice from a wet aro (even though I swabbed the stem and the cleaner came out dry. I’ve never smoked anything like it, but I’ll put it on par with Mixture no.79 A resounding D-


3. Hal ‘o the Wynd
If I didn’t have it labeled, I would have sworn this was a McClelland blend- the classic vinegar note is definitely there. It hangs with some raisin and hay notes to make a unique, but quite palatable bouquet. For a broken flake it is rubbed pretty well out the tin and packs with a nice springy quality. I smoked it in a thick-walled Dr. Grabow smooth, straight Royalton. I was told that this was a strong, but I found it to be more on the medium side. The Virginias have a slightly “sharp” taste at first and the perique rounds it out with a faint bit of spice. The longer I smoked, the sweeter the Virginias became, and by the middle of the bowl I found it to be quite the well balanced blend. It stayed lit effortlessly, and burned nice and dry. VaPers only make up a small portion of my cellar, but this is one of the best I’ve smoked. I highly recommend this one and give it an enthusiastic A!


4. Sweet Fragrant
The broken flake in this blend required a little additional rubbing out, but the moisture consistency was spot on. I’m not sure you can find a more aptly named tobacco- it is a delicious olfactory concoction of vanilla, sweet almonds, and honey. The Virginias provide the blend with wisps of hay and nothing comes across as over-the-top or dominant. The consistency is great, right out the tin, and I fired some up in my Zurg Glass Sipper. This stuff was spot on from the beginning The first flavors were toasted marshmallow and vanilla which melded into a cake batter like taste in the middle of the bowl. It was medium strength but zero bite and very smooth. Towards the end I was really able to pick up on some lemony notes from the Virginias. It burned clean with minimal relights and stayed tasty to the bottom of the bowl. This one is definitely an A.


5. Terry Red
This is a tasty smelling blend! Topped with rum, ginger, and cherry, the description itself was enough to make my mouth water. It doesn’t have a goopy, overwhelming scent but instead has a nice balance between the sweet and pleasant Cavendish and the bright and equally delightful Virginias. I smell more of the rum than the cherry, though both are present- the ginger is seemingly MIA prior to lighting. I smoked this in my Chacom Manet. This is certainly a “sippin’” aromatic. The Cavendish builds on the sweetness in the Virginias, adding strong notes of vanilla and a minor note similar to Grand Marnier. The ginger came through in the second half but the run and cherry never fully developed. It reminded me a bit of Dan Blue Note with more propensities for turning sour and biting if puffed too quickly. I question whether some of its fickleness didn’t come from burning a bit wet, which would make this blend shine more in a MM cob. Overall, close to good but where it missed, it really missed. C-