Moisture content was high with my fresh 100 gram tin, so it may be best to let it dry for a bit before packing, or you may get a fair amount of moisture in your pipe or possiby need to relight. Otherwise, it smokes very well down to the bottom of the pipe.

The taste is pure, very mild VA. A mellow and relaxing tobacco, without very complex flavors. Nice amount of nicotine. A little bland for my tastes, but still recommended for when you want a more simple, pleasant smoke. Personally, I prefer Samuel Gawith's Full Virginia Flake for a sweeter, more complex taste, But Hal O' The Wynd is nice for a quick smoke, without the need to rub out flakes.

Medium strength with a full taste without the bite or harsh taste of tobacco. I found it to burn slow and smooth down to the bottom of the bowl without the bowl getting hot in a Bjarne Bent Brandy.

Well, my nature got the best of me and I plunked down another $14 to get a can of HOTW. Man, am I glad I did. This stuff is amazing! If all the Rattrays were this good, I would have tried it long before now.

A little drying time is necessary fo me, but after that it's off to the races. This is one you will get the most out of by smoking it slowly and sipping the bowl. I will not even try to describe the flavors as it is impossible. Suffice it to say that I have found what I believe to be one of the all time best va blends out there.

This gets 5 stars!!

Hal is lovely in a small pipe in the morning to start the day though I sometimes wish for a longer smoke to savor the wonderful smoke. The nicotine level is sometimes too much for me in a large pipe.

You have to try this tobacco. I will always have this tobacco on hand as part of my permenant rotation.

I like to smoke HOTW in the evening, enough nicotine for the end of the day. Dried out properly you get a tasteful VaPer with a special hint (Kentucky). I guess it's the Kentucky which sets HOTW apart from other VaPers. Everything is said about quality, flavor and taste of this baccy!

4 stars! Period!

Mostly dark brown and red Va, broken flake easy to fill...

For me its need 30min to dry...Than easy to lit and smoke perfect...

Generally i use group3 bowl...Its perfect match...If you like Va and nicotine use HOTW...Another winner from Rattray's...

I have not been happy with most Rattray's blends, and after my recent experiences with Marlin Flake, I was ready to give up on this House of Tobacco.

After perusing the many reviews of Hal O' The Wynd, the vast majority four stars, I decided to give it a try. I purchased 2 100 gram tins, one which will age a bit, one I am smoking now.

The tobacco appeared moist fresh out of the tin, thus I allow it to dry a bit before smoking. Tobacco quality appears to be excellent, and chosen carefully.

I find this to be a nice blend, with good Virginia Tobacco sweetness through the bowl, with a hint of spice added for complexity. I do not find this to be an extraordinarily full tobacco, nor do I find it to have any more than a medium nicotine content, if that. The taste is nice gaining depth through the bowl, but not necessarily gaining complexity, and somewhat on the monotone side of flavors, which isn't necessarily a bad thing.

I am not crazy over this tobacco, thus I rate it a solid three stars. Don't get me wrong, this is a good tobacco, and I like it well enough, that being said: I am not certain this will make my everyday rotation yet, but it could, time will tell. Pending smoking an aged tin, this rating may move to four stars.

My current, and all-time favorite, and I would give it 5 stars if I could, is Solani Aged Burley Flake. To me, the Aged Burley Flake is what tobacco is all about.

Happy Smoking, and Happy Holidays!!

On the positive side, I loved the aroma and the flavor early on before things got too hot. I ended up mixing the rest of the tin with some Old English from Pipes and Pleasures. It let me smoke the rest of the HOW, but it wasn't really recognizable anymore.

Now that I have some time and experience with technique under my belt, I think I'll revisit this tobacco. The flavor and aroma at the beginning of the bowl would be worth it.

My wife (a very attractive and intelligent woman) keeps telling me how much she likes the smell of this smoke. She has asked me to make it my usual or regular tobacco. So I will be smoking more of this in the future.

Fresh out of the can it is rather moist and do benefit from some airing, most certainly there is humectant involved, but never the less, it burns quite well and doesn't cause any difficulty keeping lit. It does however improve a great deal after being opened a month or so.

All in all this is an excellent medium-strength mixture with a good nicotine hit, very satisfying, but not tiring to the palate, even after a big bowl. I can't imagine tonguebite being an issue for anyone smoking this. It's remarkably cool. A solid 3/4.

PIPESTUD writes that it burned dry up to the end. I will not agree with him because to me, on the contrary, it was so humid till the end of bowl, that it felt a bit tiring.

A good tobacco, but for me it is worse than GOLDEN SLICED of ORLIK and SILVER FLAKE of SOLANI.I emptied the tin by mixing it with AUTUMN EVENING.

It needs a lot of attention when filling the bowl, it does not need pressure. A tobacco good as a time-out, after Oriental or aromatic.

Not that much strong as tin says, not that much bland for an every hour smoke either. It needs to be dried before smoking for a satisfying flavor. Tends to moist a bit but you can adjust this with your puffing skills. With a careful smoking I am sure you can taste the real tobacco taste with a subtle sweetness.

Leaving a dry and clean ash, demonstrating the presence of high quality leaves.

The 100grms can (inner strap and plastic lid) is the packaging available in Italy.

The smell at the open tin is wonderful: fruity/sweet&sour. The cut is a medium-fine ready rubbed; unlike the EM of the same brand, which are largely wet, the tobacco was ready to smoke for the very opening. The colour of the weed is a mix of mostly medium brown with occasional lighter and darker flecks.

A old Castello Old Antiquari KKKK straight apple having a narrow chamber has been very easily filled and lighted.

HOTW smokes cool and dry, robust - I truly cannot share the opinion that it's strong or more, those reviewers should try Irish Flake instead... - and substantial; fruity and somewhat earthy sometimes; always sweet, sometime faintly sour; biscuity and peppery to the nostrils; the palate is pleasantly tickled from mid bowl.

I'm feeling a very rewarding smoke, and wondering why I have been far from HOTW so long (some five years or more from the last can). It has all the features I may ask to a Virginian.

My highest recomendation.

10 for nicotine, 7 for taste... 8 overall

Upon ignition the bouquet becomes more smoky emitting sweet but also mildly bitter/truffle-like signs. This process increases toward the mid-end of the bowl and though doesnt overwhelm like other Virginia-Perique blends still manifests potency.

Thankfully the added tobaccos to the virginia basis (perique and/or kentucky?) do not alter the main grassy-sweet and deeply warm body of this blend but rather add a quirky bitterness that complicates this very good tobacco.

Opening the tin, I was somewhat underwhelmed by the rather bland tin aroma, which has slight hints of chocolate and Virginia with a slight hint of Perique, but is rather light and mild.

Reading the script on the tin, I thought it a little curious to read "a pure virginian tobacco" on the side while the extra label on the bottom clearly stated generous amounts of Kentucky and Perique would be included. As a ready-rubbed, the weed is easily stuffed and maintained, burning coolly and cleanly throughout.

The taste was something I had to get myself acquainted with at first, but I find it to be highly pleasurable; VA dominates, with spice from the KY and the Perique adding sweetness. The room note is not a crowd-pleaser for non-smokers, but for the pipe tobacco afficionado, it has spice and some grassiness with the Perique adding just the right amount of freshness.

I don't normally extend myself to criticism this extensively, but for me, this tobacco is very much comparable to Dunhill De Luxe Navy Rolls in a ready-rubbed form. I should warn beginners that this blend packs quite a whollop, though -- even the experienced smoker may feel a tad light-headed after a few pipes of this.

"Feuergetrockneter Kentucky, Virginia und Perique wurden hier kombiniert, zu Flakes gepresst und von Hand gerieben."

The three elements--Kentucky, Virginia and Perique--are blended seamlessly, giving a sweet, spicy, "mushroomy," smoke with plenty of body. There's a nice quality of hickory smoke or something in that basic range, it seems to me. This is a bit wet in the tin, but performs very well even straight out of a freshly opened tin. Very user-friendly...just stuff it in and light it. The complexity is such that you can get whatever you want out of this tobacco, whether it be a nice easy pleasant smoke or something more contemplative. Very close to a "desert island" blend for me. Totally worthy of its immense popularity.

UPDATE: Dried it out and had a much more pleasant smoke. It's not better than Full Virginia Flake, but different. It tastes like an aged McClelland 5100.

UPDATE #2: Even more dried out, it tastes exactly like Prince Albert. I love the tin design, but for $15 I honestly expected a lot more from this highly rated blend. If it was cheap, I'd go ahead and give it three stars, but because it's so expensive, I have to give it two.

Certainly, Hal O' the Wynd has a more complex character as it burns than does Marlin Flake. HOtW starts off as a very light, fruity smoke, mellowing and deepening significantly during the latter half of the bowl. The distinctive fruit palette remains but becomes much richer as the bowl burns. Natural tobacco notes also become more pronounced later in the smoke.

I found that if I paced the smoke I didn't get any of the bite that some people find unpleasant in Virginias, but then, as I mentioned, I smoke Virginias exclusively, so I 'm used to nursing the tobacco leisurely by default.

In my Rattray rotation, I find HOtW and Marlin Flake commanding my attention about equally, while Old Gowrie's distinctive and predominant grassy notes make that blend far less appealing for my taste.

This is an excellent blend, as others have affirmed. If you find you like it, I recommend Marlin Flake as a less complex but equally satisfying smoke.

Bright golden broken flake with an incredible natural aroma, well balanced and unique flavor and taste with many levels of complexity. This is my top favorite straight golden Virginia flakes out there, certainly not my everyday or all day smoke (like with any good wine), but I really enjoy this blend when I want to spoil myself.

note: As it turns out I woke up the next morning with a terrible sinus cold and my taste must have been screwed up because this is a 4 star blend if ever there was one. This tobacco is to be savored.

This isn't much help to most of us since we aren't going to wait 14 years to smoke! But I've just purchased 3 pounds for cellaring and am going to crack one every 3 years or so, meanwhile replenishing stock. This is one tobacco that fares really well in the cellar.

Full Virginia Flake and Stoneheven are also very good but I don't still enjoy smoking them because of their humidity. They have been packed in a jar to get old and fermentation in the drawer.

Five Stars for HOTW!

It's not, sadly, my life changing tobacco. I won't remember it as well as I remember my first...um...time.

But it is absolutely a very fine Virginia. It arrives partially rubbed out and with that natural honeyed raisin tin aroma characteristic of pure, mature Virginias. It packs well, smokes well, and produces generous quantities of honeyed smoke. I think it smells like a bumble-bee fart. And that's a good thing.

I do, however, find it a little coarse on the palate and so it works best for me in the longest stem I can find.

As much as I like this, I have to admit that I started my Virginia tour in the Wessex camp and nothing about 'Hal' makes me want to leave.

It's got almost the same 'edible' tin aroma that Marlin Flake is famous for and which is more subdued in OG. Kentucky and Perique components are more pronounced here than in OG, hence the full and rich taste, and red ripe Virginia makes it a top-quality and delicious blend. I have a strong association with red wine regarding the three tobaccos: Old Gowrie is like a reserved dry wine, Marlin Flake a rich sweet variety, and Hal O'The Wynd an old full-taste sweet Porto.

Four stars for the high quality, but... Yes, the nice yelow tin is pricey and does not contain enough of the great stuff. Three stars all in all, glad I tried it, but I'll be sticking to other blends of similar quality and a more adequate price, such as

(here the review suddenly ends up with some illegible text and blurred images of tobacco tins presumably but not necessarily of the UK origin)

I'll be putting this into my regular rotation.

[Update 2009] Now I am a primarily VA smoker and I can tell you this is pretty good. My personal preference though is Wessex Brigadehttp://tobaccoreviews.com/blend_detail.cfm?ALPHA=B&TID=1274 which IMHO is a much better smoke. Still this is a 4 Star.

I cannot avoid finding it very Scottish, maybe because of the natural malty and fermented taste it comes from time to time, making it close in flavor to good, pure malt, aged whiskey. (Or it might simply be because it is Scottish indeed)...

It has nice nutty and honey undertones as well, especially in the first half of the bowl. The second half, as usual, becomes stronger, but never as much as one would expect from the label. Actually, the strength is very pleasant and the nicotine is relaxing.

It burns very well until the end. I´ve smoked many tins without any single dottle or similar problem. I´ve been smoking it in very hot and humid southern weather and it works quite well.

Sweetness is perfect... neither cloying nor sour. It will be one of my regulars for a long while.

Many people compare it with Old Gowrie. I haven´t tried this one yet, but I have a two year old 100 gr. tin in my cellar (drawer) which I will open soon (the tin, not the drawer). I will be able to make a comparison then.

But today this is still, as far as I remember, the very best straight Virginia I have ever smoked.

it's a little sad to revisit this classic, after having become acquainted with the few british virginias left. too many additives, too little taste.not exactly bad, and perhaps in a few years i may upgrade it again, when i open the tins i've stored for aging.

03-20-07:

warning: this is a very good tobacco, but it is not for the beginner or the careless smoker!

tin aroma isn't that obvious, but it's classical pressed-and-rubbed-out red virginia: a little sharp, a little malty, slightly raisiny-sweet.

taste is similar, really, though much more powerful. it has a lot of edge, which i like, and is prone to tongue burn. no problems if smoked slowly, though. the winey and elegant sharpness recedes during the smoke, and the maltyness comes to the foreground.

i do find it kinda difficult to keep it lighted all the way to the bottom, and the last few minutes are not always a joy... still, a high quality tobacco.

Only peculiarity is in lighting and getting it settled down. Raises up like a ghost out of the grave on first and second and then third char. Has to be tamped down frequently during first third of the bowl because it keeps raising up but then settles down to a comfortable smoke.

I really like this for a rich, satisfying smoke. Wouldn't make it my all-day baccy though, the nicotine high can get pretty demanding and I don't even inhale. For this reason, I wouldn't recommend it for a beginner.

I put it in my top regulars and is definitely a keeper.

As a side note, I enjoy this blend more on meerschaum than briar.

My 100g drum was bright yellow, full of broken flake in the Rattray's way. The presentation is great and with all the Virginia tones and sweetness promises a great smoke. No problems at all with packing and lighting. I just stuffed it in and off I went. An easy tobacco to live with.

The first impression is of the caramel sweetness of Virginia, earthy tones, with good mouth-filling. Some brightness but well-controlled. Not as complex as Sam Gawith FVF but still very interesting. Nice earth/peat tones on the nose. Nicotine seems medium ? about right as an all-dayer. Enough kick in the taste to satisfy though a little bit monochrome compared to the best. There is some bite if going too fast ? not much. Also smokes hot and wet if I go too fast. Strength a bit higher than I had first thought ? call it medium/strong ? about right for me. McConnell Scottish Cake and FVF may be a bit better, but it?s close.

Update: Like many of us, I am not always afforded a schedule that allows me to sit and relax while smoking. So, often as not, I am engaged in some other activity while smoking my pipe, which results in careless puffing. Although HOW is one of my favorites, it does not forgive sloppy technique. With this in mind I became curious about Pipestud's preparation of this weed, as listed in his review below. So I rubbed it out well and then zapped it in a food processor. The result was a cut slightly more coarse than ground coffee. Voila.......no more bite.....an amazing transformation. I might need to try this approach with a few other hotties.......

Rattray's Old Gowrie is my current go-to Virginia. Hal o' the Wynd is stronger and, perhaps, a bit harsh by comparison. Given its higher nicotine content as well as its near-monochromatic flavor profile, I found it to be a tad wearying as I neared the last third of the bowl. Still, it was not an unenjoyable smoke.

Between these two Rattray's blends, I personally prefer Old Gowrie, which strikes me as both mellower and richer. But the quality of both blends is excellent. If you enjoy a higher-nicotine Virginia, you certainly owe it to yourself to take the Wynd-ing road.

UPDATE: 1/21/07 - I have upped my rating from Recommended to Highly Recommended on the basis of the transformation that takes place when this tobacco is smoked *very* slowly. "Sipped" might even be a better word here. Sipping it reveals layers of sweetness and rich creaminess -- while diminishing the harshness -- that I'd never encountered before in Hal. If this one isn't working for you, I'd recommend taking very slow, measured puffs; it can become an entirely different blend.

Out of the tin, the smell is one of maturing fruit cake or raisins maybe. Not too strong, but noticeable. Colours are an attractive Autumnal mottling - leaves in the Fall. Easy to pack, light and maintain burning. The only relights needed are if the nicotine gets a bit much and I let it die deliberately. Even then, the relight carries no discernible yak.

As far as taste is concerned, I am still a little undecided. I think it depends on the size of the bowl I use, but it tends to hover between a cool and citrus taste (light lemons?) tending toward a fairly harsh and 'lively' smoke. 'Perky' may not be descriptive enough. I am not sure I would want to smoke this on an empty stomach - particularly when the train carrying the nicotine pulls in to the station. Hard puffing not recommended! Not a great deal of taste variation as the bowl runs out, but the increase in nicotine is fairly intense. I've never been a cigarette smoker, but my wife reckons it smells as though I am slipping a sly one if she comes in after I have had a bowl of this.

As for the residue, white ash without wetness.

Am I converted to straight VA? Not yet.

I'm used to stoved VA flake, so it was something of a departure to see the bright colored quasi-flake. The tin aroma is lovely - sharp and tangy enough to make your mouth water, with that not-unpleasant metallic overtone that I've come to associate with a freshly opened package of quality cigarettes. The usual vinegary ketchup McClelland odor is thankfully all but nonexistent.

Much too moist out of the tin, but still smokeable without too many problems. It's best dried out for a few days. The semi-rubbed out texture is great because it can just be stuffed into a pipe without having to break up the flake. The first few puffs are a bit reminiscent of the honey casing on MacBaren, but after the first few minutes, this disappears and you are left with a good straightforward Virginia taste. The room note is sweet and enjoyable. It burns well and rarely requires a relight. Potential for tongue bite is moderate, but seems to be tamer than most of what McClelland sells. The last quarter of the pipe tends to turn a bit harsh and loses some flavor.

The nicotine content is slightly greater than I am used to. After a large bowl of this stuff, I am not always completely steady on my feet.

While HOTW doesn't really have a lot of subtle flavor interplay, there are times when this is exactly what I want. I bought eight ounces of Stonehaven at the same time, and I am already halfway through my tin of HOTW. I am definitely going to be stocking up on this wonderful blend.

Trust me.

OK, OK. A few more details. This is like a slightly milder version of Scottish Cake by McConnell's - and no wonder, it's blended by the same folks (K&K Co). I don't notice much of a nicotine whomp, I mean, it's there, but I've been smoking it out of pretty big bowls and I haven't needed to take a break. I could actually see this as a solid,robust all day smoke... maybe a little too robust for that. Still... that said, while I can see myself smoking this all the time, I wouldn't be against a more robust version flavor-wise (let's see how many times I can slip the word "robust" in here). But then it would be somewhat harder to smoke bowl after bowl after bowl of, so that's such a minor quibble. It beats Old Gowrie in my book, which is also a very solid blend, so that's saying something as far as I'm concerned.

Enjoy!

...

robust.

This has plenty of the warm red Virginia taste, but it can be a bit much in a large pipe if you are nicotine sensitive. This is a very simple, straight-forward blend. If you are looking for a Virginia with many flavor nuances, this will not make you happy.

If you wanted to like McClelland's Virginias, but can't make it past the vinaigrette, this is sure to please.

Like most VA's this blend lends itself to slow reflective enjoyment. Excessive and eager puffing can lead to a hot tongue. Packing this fine tobacco straight from the tin leads to a stronger fuller smoke. I like to rub this one out a bit and let it dry for a half hour or so this technique leads to a milder cooler smoke. Hal O' The Wynd smokes dry and complete with one light or two. The dottle left behind is light grey and dry.

Hal O' The Wynd is a VA smokers little bit of heaven. This will always be a part of my rotation of VA's. A true blue smoke. Four Stars!

I like this one, although I don't know that I can give it 4 stars. Room note isn't all that great. Maybe a little time will change that, and I'll re-review it.

What a great VA. With strength, but no foulness. I would almost say mild on the palate yet full and flavorfull. It remains consistant, I find that unique. (some might find this lack of development boring). I like it, it stays in the toolbox- I really recommend Brown Clunee over it as it is more interesting in that it develops from mild to spicy keeping interest.

BETTER PICK: MCCLELLAND CHRISTMAS CHEER 05' OR 06

This is a fairly full-bodied Virginia with flavors of dried apricot, nuts and a balsamic vinegar sharpness. It burns slowly and must be smoked slowly ? excessive puffing will bite you back. The flavor evolves through the bowl, picking up hints of cinnamon and black coffee as you reach the finish line. The room aroma is rich and pleasant. The burn was slow, and required frequent attention, leaving a medium gray ash with a bit of moisture at the bottom of the bowl.

Overall this was a very rich and pleasant smoke (that produced a slight but noticeable nicotine buzz). In my limited experience with Virginias, this is far and away my favorite

Malty, with a flavor reminiscent somehow all at the same time of the grain scent of a fine pilsner beer, cognac, malt whisky, chocolate, aromatic nuts, but also different from all these. The smoke is the smell of something you want to swim in, a kind of ambrosia, when you get the burn rate just right, just barely going. It goes out a few times and I occasionally scrape the ash away with a matchstick and blow it out before re-lighting. The orgasmic flavor builds to a crescendo right to the bottom of the bowl, which is the best part, even the very bottom, which is hard to light because it's almost played and a bit wet (it?s easy to get overzealous with the lighter at the expense of the tongue), but the flavor awakens olfactory neurons of gustatory pleasure heretofore unstimulated. The thing is, the pleasure is sustained, the receptors or neurons don't saturate like smells normally do, like those first few sips of coffee that are the best but then the intense flavor goes away. The first bowl of this was a remarkable experience second to none. Subsequent bowls reproduced the pleasureful flavor, but the ambrosia was harder to sustain. In some cases this clearly was my own fault because I would get too excited puff too hard, exceeding the optimal burn temperature. There may also be some dynamics upon exposure to air that change the tobacco and make it more finicky after the tin is opened. Nevertheless, this is one of my favorites, if its finicky nature is mastered there are outstanding rewards.

Smokes with a certain hotness that makes it seem too peppery. If you try to really puff it, it will bite in an unbelievable way.

When I just barely puff it, it has a nice sweetness, but produces so little smoke that it is not worth it.

It is a bit heavier than Old Gowie but not as strong as Marlin Flake can be to me (due I gather to the stoved virginia added). It is more comparable to Hamburer Veermaster flake and SG Medium Virginia Flake, but with more body. PS Navy Flake is not too different but with a nuttier virginia and more obvious perique. Dunhill's Elizabethian has close to the body but not as good a virginia accompanyment IMO. Olsen's 111 flake is stronger (with burley).

HOW has an airy, woodsy quality to the leaf (which some may call sweet but not I) and good, steady flavor. Cool, steady burning, and dry. Easy to pack and puff. Don't get carried away though.

A high quality product that has not changed as far as I can tell in the past 10 years or so. Don't know what the true original was like. Highly recommended to the straight virginia smoker who desires a somewhat fuller (but not heavy) experience at times.

Hal and I,have begun what I'm sure will be a very long friendship.So far,I have loved all the Rattray virginia's on offer.

Upon opening the tin I removed enough tobacco to fill two pipe bowl's,then let it sit on a sheet of paper for ten to fifteen minate's before,packing and lighting my pipe.

As the flame from lighter touched this superb blend I knew immediately,that I was in for a real treat. It was a little stronger than I first expected,but not in anyway overwhelming at all.It is absolutely delicious and only required a second light,and a few tamp's to have a wonderful smoking journey right through to bowl's end.It leave's a very nice grey white ash,with no goop at all.

Just as well that I removed enough tobacco for that second bowl,honestly,I could hardly wait to re-pack,and light up again,and when I did I was in no-way let down at all.

Hal,definitely stand's up in it's own right amongst the very best of the red virginia's that I have tried so far,with Hal earning the #1 ranking so far!

I can't wait to order many more tin's of Hal,so I can not only enjoy it when it arrives,but also age a few tin's as well.

Hal,is a definite winner in my home.

More,than very highly recommended.

Meerschaum Man Smoking an Altinok Canadian Smooth

Appearance: A standard Rattray's flake, I have seen it cut to fit the container and also as a partially rubbed out broken flake of light to medium nut brown fairly uniform thinnish ribbon.

Aroma: Lots of nutty goodness, spice cake, mild hint of vinegar, buttercream frosting, vanilla, a hint of wood shavings and sawdust.

Taste: Chock full o' nuts, certainly. Malt vinegar, Mozzarella di Bufalo (or perhaps Monterey Jack cheese, for a more familiar touchstone), creamy buttercream frosting, smooth and only very slightly sweet.

Comparisons: Stands among the best Virginia flakes unabashedly. Sharper than the mellow sovereign of Samuel Gawith's Best Brown Flake. Nutty in style as opposed to Rattray's own Marlin Flake, which is a sweet-style Virginia flake.

Bottom Line: One of the very best Virginia flakes. For those who love nutty-styled Virginia blends, but resist the urge to give into the extremity and torpor of Samuel Gawith's Best Brown Flake, preferring instead their smoke with a bit of sharpness and fervor, this is the ideal.

And it is a nice one. It's pretty strong, nicotine-wise I'd say it's stronger than Marlin Flake, and in taste it is definitely a bit sharper. In a way, if you think whiskey, this is like a 10 yo compared to a 15 yo. Both Rattray blends are great for their occasions.

In the tin, as expected, this is straight Va. and the nose feel is good. It is a bit wet, though, maybe a bit of drying out is needed?

Packs okay, might do better, but it's down to technique. Lights up well, and burns nicely to around mid-bowl. (Tends to go out there, but that could be just me, or the weather).

A bit monochrome for most of the bowl, but approached the right way, this is no detraction from HOTW's value. This is great tobacco, and a lovely, potent one at that.

Need to try this one out more, though. Still a bit early to form a definite rating.

[Update 170706] After a break of a few weeks, I returned to this. Mmmm. a lot less astringent, a lot less "immature", and now this is approaching that "Wow". A very good and tasty Va. and a good compliment to Marlin Flake. This I will keep coming back to. (Good that I bought a 100g tin, too).

[2107055] Again, sweeter, tastier, more balanced. Seems to benefit from a larger bowl. Maturing steady in taste with the "throat tightening" only coming here & rhere. Definitely a keeper. Judging from the head-swimming effect it seems quite heavy on the nicotine this time around, certainly after the mid-bowl. As I often enjoy a bowl with a glass of a brew or another I do tend to fit drinks & weeds together, too. HOTW does seem to work very well with a full-bodied Red Wine. And at times the two distinct tastes veer on conflicting, but actually mingle brilliantly and most of the time they just compliment one another very, very well. (Here a light lager just wouldn't do).

Appearance and Tin Aroma: Broken flake with mostly red leaf and a smattering of mohagany and golden leaf. Smells delicious! The predominant odor is of fragrant red VA leaf.

Packing and Lighting: I tried this in several pipes, but prefer group 3 sized pipes. You can further rub out, but packing the broken flakes as is, worked just fine. Moisture was perfect out of the tin. Lit after 2-3 lights to the bottom of the bowl.

Initial Flavor: Aaahh! Delicious red Va from the get go, marvellously fragrant. Reminds me of McCranie's Red ribbon.

Mid-Bowl: Delicious round full flavor. No need to puff hard to get satiated. DGT works excellently. Room note is to die for!

Bottom of Bowl: This is where beginners can get in trouble. This develops lots of strength and if you don't slow down, you will make yourself green from the nicotine quick! If you sip, you will be pleasantly satiated. I usually DGT quite a bit at this point.

Overall: I was afraid of this blend for many years, so my tins have just aged and aged. Recently, I got the courage to open a tin and I glad I did. It took me a while to finish the 100g tin due to the fact that I can only smoke a bowl of this blend once every two days because of its strength. Regardless, this is now my favorite VA from Rattray's with regard to flavor even though I still smoke more Marlin Flake by the same. The Red VA in this blend is spicy, but not as spicy as any of the McClelland, McCranie, or C&D offerrings. I find the strength a nice change due to the fact that I usually smoke Balkan or English blends. VA blends usually don't satiate my palate and I end up smoking a Balkan to end the day, but not so with this one...

Highly Recommended!

First of all, this tobacco has none of that ketchup/vinegar smell so often associated with McClelland. Secondly, the tobacco lights very easily and burns evenly, leaving a fine white/grey ash in the pipe. The flavour and aroma are similar to those of 5100, although the taste, in particular, is quite a bit stronger and multi-layered than that of McClelland.

Despite my impressions of "HOTW", I am STILL primarily a 5100 fan. Rattray has a reputation of fine products, but they do tend to be a bit merciless on the wallet. Also, there are times when I still prefer the more monochromatic sweetness of the 5100.

Even though the Ambassador is fine for daily driving, it's nice to know that the Javelin sits in the garage, all gassed up and ready to go. I don't see why a fan of red virginias can't have both.

update;

This is just what the description says it is,dark sharp red

virginia that is potent. Open a tin then age the tobacco,it

does nothing to age a tobacco that is vaccum sealed,think about

it,it's like an MRE,or C-ration if always vaccum sealed.Do you

think an MRE vaccum sealed will be better in a year? That's

funny! What I mean is open the tin,and then close the plastic

lid again.Let the tobacco have some oxygen. Then age it. Aged

Hal o the Wind has a tin aroma of Earl Grey tea,but still has a

wonderful taste,it mellows,and is more fragrant.

I believe this tobacco is loved by die-hard VA folks. For me, an occasional VA smoker, it was too strongly flavored and a bit too bitey. I much prefer the lighter Old Gowrie. When I want a fuller VA flake, I tend to go for McClelland's Blackwoods or Dark Star, which I find easier on the palate.

Top quality for sure . . . just not my style.

I rate this tobacco 9.9 out of 10. I am a fan of the Rattray baccys.

I enjoyed it in every pipe I tried it in, several different shapes and sizes. This is a weed I will enjoy on occasion. I realize that I am risking being burned at the stake for rating this below 4 stars, but I calls 'em as I see's 'em.

The tin description says this is a 'sharp' blend. For the first third of the bowl, this is true. It has a sharpness akin to that of very old cheddar. A bit of a bite - not in the tongue-bit sense though.

Once you pass the sharpness, you are rewarded with a nice full, natural Virginia flavor. This is a very rich tasting Va, no doubt about that.

I found that if I rub it out just a bit more than the way it comes, it burns extremely well, relights only needed when I have set the pipe down. I had no problem with tongue bite, but then I went into this meeting with Hal with great respect. I suspect that if I got the least bit insolent, Hal would have noted my lack of respect and I would have suffered greatly.

Definitely not for the new smoker, and even experienced smokers of English blends will need to be careful if this is their first Va.

If I could figure out how to smoke just the last 2/3 of the bowl, this could be a favorite. I just didn't care for the edge that the top 1/3 posessed.

With Hal O the Wynd I have been proven wrong. This is a wonderful virginia flake with a very carefull balance of rich full taste and a slight sweet tang.

It comes rubbed out but I usually rub it just a little more. Good in any sized pipe, it will burn trouble free to the bottom with a silky cottonlike ash.

This blend made such an impression on me that after only 3 bowls I went online and purchased 4 tins of it.

Truly one of my top 10 favorites of all time.

There must be some residual effect from my pack a day Malboro habit back in my 20s (now 30 years ago). But aside from an occasional tight little lump behind and below my sternum, neither of the above two blends has really whalloped me.

I like Hal; I respect Hal, but I don't love Hal. It is a top quality tobacco in every respect. It does all the things that a premium pipe tobacco is supposed to do. It excels.

It is a better quality tobacco than McClelland 2015, which remains my favorite. It just hasn't captivate me. (I am sounding like a woman about to break up with a lover!)

I've been trying Hal and Royal Yacht for about two months now. I enjoy them both. I also have learned the importance of a good nose when enjoying tobacco. When I first tried these tobaccos I had a miserable head cold. No tobacco tasted good. I might has well have been smoking cardboard.

I do enjoy the taste and scent of Hal O' the Wind. It is easy on the tongue and relatively easy on the wallet for a premium tin. It is well worth the investment. I would encourage anyone who likes quality Virginia to try it. It will return the investment with consistent smokig pleasure

I agree that it could be an "all-day" choice for someone not prone to tongue bite.

The "broken flake" contents in the tin were quite moist upon opening, and the first bowlful seemed bitter?the wrong kind of bitter?in a large bent Peterson ["calabash-shaped"]. After some airing out, and in a small, Vijja dublin, the "red" flavour came through more purely. OK. If you want something like MARLIN FLAKE, only more, this is not it.

Once I got the flavour of my favourite Rattray virginias out of my mind, though, this became pleasant, though not distinctive enough for me to go back to it very often.

Packing and Lighting: I packed my Dunhill bent bulldog with the tobacco as it comes out of the can, a coarse ribbon or partially rubbed flake, depending on how you like to classify it. Took longer both for the char and the final light than average. But once lit stayed lit.

Taste: Pretty pure Virginia taste, weaker in the beginning of the bowl and more pronounced at the end. Produces wonderful billows of rich smoke. From such smoke I expected a richer flavor than I found. Perhaps this would be better if I rubbed it out more for packing.

For me this was a modest dissapointment. I found this a kind of limp Virginia. Given the great number of excellent Virginia blends out there I don't see why one would buy this in preference to one of GLPease's Virginias or even Dunhill's Royal Yacht.

Hal may not be the 'holy grail of va's' but it's close.

Anyway, this stuff tastes like tobacco and has a subtle sweetness that needs careful smoking to bring out. It's not nearly as sweet or spicy as some others I've tried (such as patriot flake) but it has a very strong "tobacco" taste that is quite good.

I found this stuff a bit moist and usually I would let a little dry out on some paper before loading it into my pipe. Unless I did this I would have trouble with wet dottle that wouldn't burn.

I think I'll have to get a little better at smoking slowly before I buy more of this, but it's quite tasty once you get the hang of smoking it and I'mm sure there are more tins of this in my future.

Broad cut, almost broken flake, and slightly moist, I had no trouble packing it in a bent Dunhill briar root, medium sized. Lighting HOTW took some time, but once it got going it was heaven! What a wonderful, savoury and exciting tobacco! Thick volumes of smoke physically expressed the elegant richness of this honeydew Va.

No feebleness, no pretentiousness: just good, straightforward tobacco, with that subdued refinement characteristic of high quality blends. Slow burning (a delight when reading a good novel), the flavour remains consistent throughout the bowl, issuing notes redolent of roasted chestnuts, raisins and wheat, without being as sweet as, say, DLF or McClelland?s 5100, nor as harsh or bitter as Full Virginia Flake.

IMO, HOTW admirably synthesises the best qualities of at least three of Rattray?s finest Virginias: it has the natural smoothness and soothing effects of Old Gowrie, the rich creamy tastiness of Brown Clunee, and the body and strength of Marlin Flake. A wonderful, top quality smoke (nay, companion), full and precise in its structure, composition and denouement. This one is a must for all Va?s lovers.

HOTW starts off with a little tanginess on the palate, but quickly settles down to a mellow and (from what SWMBO says) and "nice smelling" smoke. My wife says the aroma is slightly akin to that of a chianti. I generally have to use a couple of pipe cleaners during a bowl as the broken flake is so rich in sugars. HOTW smokes very cleanly and stays sweet from top to bottom.

Take a little care, though, because if you get too aggressive when smoking this stuff it can nip your tongue a little.

This is an staple of mine and I can only give it highest marks. 5 x 5 on this even now.

Folks, the tin says Hal O' The Wynd has a most unusual share of strength. Well, it was smooth as silk from top to bottom and as refined as any straight Virginia I've ever smoked. It was cool, and it wouldn't nip even when the puffing cadence was stepped up a notch or two. And, it didn't seem to have a particularly strong nicotine content either. The taste leans toward a subtle sweetness, and I often loaded back-to-back bowls of this delightful weed.

It did take some work for me to get the leaf into what is my favorite style - totally rubbed out and zapped in my blender. It is loaded with broken chunks in the tin, which will allow outdoor smokers to lock and load quickly.

The only unusual thing about this tobacco is that while it produced a lot of moisture in the stem and shank, the tobacco itself burned to a mostly dry ash. While some other reviewers hinted that Hal gets stronger as you work you way down the bowl, I didn't get that impression at all. In fact, it is a fairly monochromatic smoke to me.

All in all, old Hal was an absolute pleasure to puff on and you can bet that I will be purchasing more of this delightful tobacco for my hall closet, uh, I mean my tobacco cellar.

I packed it into my clay tavern pipe as the description on the side of th box said for the finest Virginia weed, and i thought to have it. It packs nicely and lit quickly only having to relight twice. This pipe is about 15 inches long so it is quite different from other pipes, i seemed to have to give it a few draws to get a mouthfull of smoke.

The flavor was rich and slighly sweet reminiciant of almost rum cake of some sort, a bit light in the beginning, but about halfway through it intensified a bit, a very cool smoking blend, which may have been due to the pipe as well. My wife found the smoke to be pleasent, i guess passable would have been a good way to describe it for her.

Overall i really enjoyed this tobacco, it smoked cool with no tongue bit whatsoever, and is a nice relaxing smoke to read a nice book to. I would have to give it a 4.25 out of 5 Excellent smoke.

Aroma: Oh, boy. The first impression is dark chocolate with raisins and figs (not too dry). I haven?t smelled anything like it since Sobranie Flake went off the market. It smelled so good, I had to chew a bit to see if there were any additives. This is unusual, as I am not a tobacco chewer.

Packing: Since it?s almost rubbed out, it can be packed right from the can into medium and large bowls. Smaller bowls might need a bit more rubbing out.

Lighting: Best left to dry a bit before smoking, or lighting may be difficult. Once it?s aired out, it lights and burns well.

Initial flavor: Just a rich, sweet, full Va. Flavor with many nuances. The smoke is dense, and there is a decided strength of flavor to it, although I don?t feel a high nicotine content.

Mid-bowl: There is a good range of medium and low notes to the blend, very little in the way of higher range. The blend continues to delight the palate, and remains cool to the tongue. Even a few strong puffs occasionally doesn?t result in any bite. One of the best tasting Virginias I?ve tried in years, very similar to Marlin Flake.

Finish: Smokes dry, cool and gentle right to the end. If I remember to rub out the first pinch a bit, it will burn down to clean ash.

Summary: Maybe too strong for a first experience with Va, especially for a new pipe smoker. Having made that disclaimer, I will recommend to any smoker who loves Virginias, particularly the darker matured varieties

It does get rather heavy as the bowl burns down, but the flavor stays fresh and pleasant and it responds really well to the DGT. If you like Virginia flakes, you owe it to yourself to try this one.