Reason? Not really sure I can pin it down. Maybe it's the overload of black cavendish and not enough aged Virginia taste, or perhaps the difficult to detect Latakia: I actually like light Latakia blends quite often, but I also like to know it's there usually, without having to be informed of its presence!

It's a good blend for a lazy morning on a day off, drinking lots of strong, black, yet unremarkably roasted coffee, which nevertheless does the trick as a day-starter, going through my list of tobaccos I haven't reviewed...

When that "to be reviewed" list starts to get long, I generally go for the easier ones first. This tobacco, then, for me, is easy and easygoing, but not knocking my socks off, though as with so many blends, I'm sure there are those who love it.

Me? I just like it, yet have too many tobaccos in my collection that I like quite a bit more. Again, seems a quality blend, and I think the problem is more that it's just not quite my thing stylistically.

Going through the descriptions of the various Rattray's-branded blends available, I had practically given up on this one after trying 3N; the descriptions by Kohlhaase Kopp & Co. were practically identical.

Opening the tin, however, there are noticeable differences. Jocks Mixture has much more spice, while still being very weak in the Nic department. Being a crimp cut, this stuffs easily, lights easily, and burns down to practically nothing. The room note is OK, and the taste is astonishingly spicy for something advertised as being mostly BC. I do believe there is a goodly amount of Orientals in there, notwithstanding the sticker on the tin which says there is not.

Overall, not too bad. A bit weak for my own tastes, but for the beginner and the aromatics crowd, I think this could be a great introduction to serious tobacco. Works well for me in Falcon pipes, too. For a drink, a sturdy beer should do the job, or a gentle Oolong for the tea lovers.

Jocks Mixture is a nice sweet smoke. It does not have much to offer in flavour aside from a pleasant sweetness, so I think this may appeal to aromatic smokers who would like to try a tobacco that isn't soaked in chemical flavourings. No nip or bite, either. Jocks is lovely, like a light dessert, and I can see why pipers would enjoy it with a cup of good milk tea. With all Rattray's, like a fine wine, this benefits from a good airing.

They're ok but nothing great that makes me want to buy more.

Old Gowrie is, by far, my favorite Virginia flake, delicious, albeit monochromatic. Jock's adds the perfect amount of condimental spice. It is sweet (much more so than Highland Targe) and full-flavored without being cloying or overwhelming. For me the latakia line between 'just enough' and 'yuck' is a fine one and Jock walks it perfectly. I love Turkish and appreciate it in English/Scottish/Balkan blends but, strangely, I don't miss it at all in Jock's.

Fortunately, I don't have to smoke only one tobacco for the rest of my life so I can enjoy Old Gowrie when I'm in the mood for a straight VA, Squadron Leader when I feel like something a little more spicy, one of Cornell & Diehl's excellent blends when I'm in a burley mood and, very occasionally, when I get a wild hair, Celtic Talisman. But Jock's is the blend that's in my 'cellar' (bottom desk drawer) and the one I'll come back to day in and day out. I give it four stars only because five aren't available.

I personally prefer Presbyterian Mixture, which brings Oriental leaf and more depth to the party. Also, the casing, as with other KK&C blends, is slightly sweet and pleasant, but can be tiresome.

The virginia is the lead player... sweet and with nice depth and color. The cavendish provides a nice burley-like body to the smoke and the lightly applied latakia tags along for spice and a hint of zest. The result is a rich and flavorful yet mild blend (how do they do that??!!?) that never failed to deliver. I got the best results from a half-hour drying time, as the newer version did come somewhat overmoist.

I do not typically care much for light latakia fare but this one is so skillfully blended that I found myself smoking several bowls over a few days. I probably won't smoke this nearly as often going forward (too much competition!) but it will be part of my regular rotation when I want something different. Ol' Jock, whoever he was, is no doubt proud to have his name on this one.

I find this blend quite delicious and an enjoyable change of pace from either matured Virginia flakes or latakia-rich English/Balkan blends. Frankly, I think it's an undiscovered treasure.

Here, the ribbon-cut Virginias are underpinned by just a dash of latakia, with black cavendish tying the components together. The latakia never stands alone here, it simply enriches the Virginias. Meanwhile, the cavendish adds a pleasing, though very faint, sweetness. At times, this feels like a softer, more supple Old Gowrie. Then there are waves -- briefly -- of enveloping richness.

Although the constituent tobaccos are slightly different, this reminds me very much of McClelland's Anniversary, which lacks the cavendish and features chunks of matured-Virginia flake rather than ribbon-cut (if my memory serves). There are strong similarities in flavor, though.

I have yet to smoke a Rattray blend that I didn't enjoy, and Jocks continues that trend. This is a blend that deserves to be much more widely appreciated. And cellared! This stuff should be amazing in 10-20 years.

NOTE: Some older reviews have cited "stickiness" in the tin and described "chunks of bright leaf" in the tin. Neither was present in my tin of Jocks. I can't help thinking that some of these reviews were based on early K&K runs of Rattray's blends, which have changed considerably in the intervening years. The Jocks of five years ago may be quite unlike the Jocks of today. I'd encourage those earlier reviewers to revisit the blend to see if their criticisms are still warranted. And I'd encourage newcomers to take into consideration the posting date of a review when judging its contents. (But I'm clearly prejudiced in favor of this blend. . . )

The pinch of Latakia is in condimental proportions that works wonderfully with the Virginia and the Virginia Cavendish. Like Professinal Mixture, this is easily an all day smoke, albeit, a completely different type of blend. There is a subtle sweetness throughout the bowl that I have come to crave but it is never hum-drum.

As with some of the other reviewers, I have come to love Jocks because it is well balanced and a wonderful example of skilled blending that is reliable. Jocks, Professional and Accountants mixtures are my Rattray's trilogy and are in my daily rotation. Highest praise.

Cheers, VC

The Latakia/Cavendish flavor was light and somewhat bitter. The quality of the Virginia leaf was evident and provided a nice touch. I enjoy much heartier tasting fare though.

I do not often drink beer. So, when I do, I sure don't mess around with "light" brews. I go for the gusto.

I do not often smoke Latakia laced pipe tobacco. So, when I do, I sure don't mess around with "light" versions of that leaf. I go for the gusto.

Jock's Mixture is like drinking a light beer. I know what it is when I taste it, but when I smoke it in bunches, all it does is make me pee.

The Cavendish and Va intermingle well for a bit of complexity. Latakia adds flavor as a condiment. Overall the effect is a cool and relaxing smoke. This would be a good one for working in the yard

Visual: Lots of greasy black ribbon cut with peices of brown to black broken flake mixed it. it looks sticky in the tin.

Texture: It is sticky! this stuff has so much humectant that I could probably leave it open for two months and it would still not be dry! I don't recall my sample feeling like this.

Pack / Pipe: I usually found myself rubbing this blend out to seperate the broken flake peices and to "unclod" the tobacco. I then pressed some of the blend into a number of shallow pipes, (ie: Israeli Alpha 1/4 bent apple, a Comoy Rockroot Pot, an Ascorti 1/8 bent squash etc...) The tobacco does not lend itself to my usual trickle tampp method of loading, so a light hand needed to be used to have a successful smoke.

Lighting / Burn: This stuff often took 3-4 matches to get going, and seemed to go out within 5 - 10 puffs. However after the first relight, it often smoked to the bottom needed one or no additional matches.

1st 3rd: After getting the tobacco lit, I am rewarded with a sweet and somewhat tangy smoke that has just an afterthought of Latakia taste. I picked up a lot more of the Latakia taste when I smelled the smoke rolling out of the bowl. This tobacco is in no hurry to fnd the bottom of the bowl, so I had to make sure not to rush my tamping.

2nd 3rd: The tobacco is burning nicely now, and tends to get the bowl a bit warm, however, it is not really burning my tongue. Any tongue irritation is from the humdifying chemical applied to the tobacco. Once again this is a slow burning tobacco.

Final 3rd: The ash on top of the burning tobacco is loose and rolls around the top of the cherry. The final third still has some sweetness and that tang. (The tang is not necessarily VA tang, and again may have something to do with the humectant)

Notes: I will hesitate to order this as a tinned blend again. Hopefully my bulk order in the future will prove to be the same as my original sample experience. If it is, then I will smoke Jocks Mixture regularly. Until then...

Stogie rating of: 5 Fair Fonsecas

The tobacco packs firmly so i use a lighter hand as i would on a virginia and pack a little less that i would for a full english. It takes a few relights to keep this blend going nicely but tamps down to a dark grey ash.

I would describe the flavor as musty-sweet, nutty, with a nice touch of latakia to keep it interseting, about half way the latakia becomes more prominant, and the blend picks up flavor.

Overall a very nice blend, which i will keep on hand for those times when in the comany of non pipe smokers but i want a nice english flavor.

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