I'm not a big aromatic fan, especially do not like strong toppings on VA blends. This baccy gives the sweet natural VA line with a good balanced perique support. (Pq is absolutely detectable from the beginning till the end of the bowl.) Flavoring and taste: 4/4

I think the room note should be a discrete pure pipe-tobacco smell. Smokable even in a party. 3/4

A nice mild va/per smoke. 4 stars.

One thing I find I like about this tobacco is its resilience when it comes to overheating. Most Virginia's are like high maintenance women, when you treat them nice they are a real treat, but get the smallest thing wrong and they can be very temperamental. For most Virginia's if you don't pack them right, light them right, puff too much, puff too little, they can turn sour and unfulfilling. This is the reason I smoke an English or burley when I am doing something like walking the dog, it doesn't require as close attention. Old Gowrie is different. It seems to me to be very forgiving. When I puff too fast (which I often do) it seems to say "come on big guy, what else do you have?" The smoke gets bolder the faster I puff but not sour, still very pleasant.

I must admit that the Rattray line is not a line of tobaccos that I have explored very much, but based on this gem I will definitely be exploring more of their offerings.

Highly recommended.

So far, I've been smoking this in a corn cob. I tried it in a few briars, but I seem to get more flavor from a cob - go figure.

The moisture right out of the tin is perfect, absolutely perfect. The broken flakes are wonderful, and upon first sniff I got some hay, some ketchup, some perique. Mouth watering.

This blend is one of the few blends I know that burns all the way to the end of the bowl with no fuss, and it's always a very dry smoke. The tobacco retains it's flavor for 85% of the bowl, so that is also a big plus.

Some people have said that the nicotine was a bit high but I didn't get that at all. Maybe because I've wrestled with Black XXX Rope and lost. So the nicotine here is nothing to be afraid of. I would call it well mannered and normal.

Four stars, no question. I'm a sucker for a good Virginia blend. Can't wait to try it's big brother, too.

Burns quite slowly and evenly, and is little trouble even in small-bowled clays.

Maybe a little damp straight from the tin for some, personally I find no need to dry it before lighting. The dampness isn't enough to cause tongue-bite.

Taste-wise it's very honest, nicely blanced, undemanding and clean. There's a hint of spice with with the Virginia very much to the fore and the perique adding a little extra depth, tang and zing as you get lower in the bowl. VA is very much the dominant partner, but the Per would be missed if it wasn't there.

I particularly like this in the morning, when I want a tobacco that complements strong French/Italian coffee blends (so no latikia) and without head-spinning levels of nicotine, though it's good at any time of day when I don't want the depth and richness of a full-on English or Balkan blend.

Nicotine is present, but without the kind of kick some of the fuller English blends or stronger VAs have.

My roll-up (Golden Virginia) smoking wife reckons OG has little to no room note at all (though OG has much more flavour than Golden Virginia, or any of the modern cigarette tobaccos). It's a good choice when in the presence of cigarette/mild cigar smokers as they're less likely to complain about the smell.

Maybe not the greatest tobacco in the world, if it were a wine it's more of a more of a good everyday/all-day French Cabernet than a heavy claret, but who would want to drink heavy wines all the time?

Might also make a good introduction to "real" tobacco for aromatic smokers, and a good introduction to this kind of blend to the inexperienced.

Top notch Va that satisfies. Rubs out easy, packs and lights easy with a little dry time. If you are a Va lover like I, please do not wait as long as I did to try this.

The 50g tin contained a rough slighly moist flake with a fine tin-note of mellow fruit, light smokeyness, soft leather, and a vinous quailty.

It rubbed out well and was easy to light and it stayed lit with little or no relighting. The taste was delicious,smooth Virginia tasting rich but not cloying with a spicy/smokey aftertaste. It smoked slowly extending the enjoyment and even at the bottom of the bowl there was no bitterness or bite. It was also an ecconomical smoke leaving next to no dottle..

I was very impressed by this blend, it has near perfect balance of tobaccos so a pipe smoker can enjoy it regardless usual taste preference. A must try.

While this is a very mild blend, overall, there is "something" unique to this blend that keeps me coming back that I can not put my finger on.

Nice sweet smoke, but I prefer its "big brother", Hal O' the Wynd. Old Gowrie lacks the grassy and bakery flavours of HOTW. One could perhaps see OG as an all-day HOTW, but as I don't smoke Virginias all day, or even every day, I will likely not buy another tin of OG. Having said that, Old Gowrie is still a joyful smoke. With all Rattray's, like a fine wine, they benefit from airing.

The 100gr. tin delivers a broken flake that still needs some work if you choose to rub it out completely. I have decided that I like loading the broken flake as it is and not rubbing it out. The cut is a nice thin ribbon that is so popular with european tobacco houses. I have become a fan of this cut and think that the smoking is made easier by it. The color of the tobacco is that of a very well done Sticky Toffee Pudding. The tin aroma even suggests a dark sweet treat.

Moisture level is about right and can be mitigated with the briefest of time out of the tin. Lighting is easy after the char and stays lit unless you let it go out. Burns dry to the bottom of the bowl. Very little dottle.

The flavors start in that light grassy, bright high note. It soon turns darker and hints at molasses, brown bread, caramel, cashews and coffee. Mid bowl this all deepens once again to a level that delivers chocolate, warm spices and more yeast bread.

I have to say that after smoking Old Gowrie, I think I may prefer it to HOTW. But, sweet is the life that has those choices to make. Cheers!

My second bowl I smoked slower and it was sweeter, however, I did notice a little nip at the tongue

OG was right in the middle for me in terms of strength and preference.

Virginia, Kentucky, Perique all feel as though they're present and in that order, I'd say. Flavour/aroma was of dusty books and buttered toast.

Not as strong or malty-sweet as Hal not as tangy or steamy-soft as MF.

A good tobacco which will probably bring me back at some point but I'd choose HOTW over it. For whatever that's worth.