Rattray Exotic Orange (a.k.a. Exotic Passion)

As others...I am not into aromatic blends but I did enjoy this one.

The tin note is beautiful. Arrives in a beautiful tin. The tobacco itself is in a plastic bag that to me is obviously intended for shipping purposes only. Cheap and thin! Subtle on the citrus note when smoked.

Jar it up and dabble in it time to time. Nice change of pace with zero tongue bite for me.

I was finally able to find some in stock, so I decided to have a fruit showdown with some other blends I was meaning to try (Sillem's Red and Reiner's Professional) - who will reign supreme?

After tossing aside the useless, yet decorative tin, I tore the bag open to find a bounty of fruit and spicy flavors, all competing for your nose's attention. It reminded me of a floral tea. There was of course plenty of fruit in there, but nothing overly obnoxious or chemical.

The mix was light and bouncy to pack, without any sticky topping, and fired up without issue. The smoke was complex in that I couldn't place the individual flavors, and unique for an Aromatic, as it left a sweet finish (again, like sipping a floral tea). It's pretty mild, so you 'could' smoke successive bowls, but like any good dessert wine, it would overpower the buds.

For those seeking a full throttle Orange experience, no one tops Planta's Anno MMXIII, but for those who want to smoke some incense (and I mean that in a good way here), Exotic Passion can't be beat.

20230223 edit: Maybe I was a bit harsh. Found some use for this after testing a particularly unpleasant tobacco, really does make you forget about whatever else you might have been smoking. And while the topping is all I taste, it's not cloying. I probably won't smoke it daily, maybe not even weekly, but I probably will enjoy a bowl once in a while.

Tin note very strong, of tropical fruits. That's all I can taste in the smoke, mango, orange, passionfruit. Tastes like something I should be vaping rather than smoking from a pipe, and I'd be very upset to find one of my pipes ghosted with this. If you like to smoke and don't particularly enjoy the taste of tobacco, or if you're really into very heavy and fruity aromatics, maybe I can recommend this to you. I can say it's not goopy, and it burns pretty well. The flavorings do seem to be of high quality, but this flavor profile is not something I'm generally looking for in a tobacco.

The orange blossom notes are complimented by grassiness and a hint of spice from the Virginias. Burley takes a backseat here along with the cavendish that adds a pinch of sweetness. The passionfruit notes are very subtle, but present if you pay attention. Considering the name is Exotic Passion, I was expecting a bit more passionfruit. However, this is a great blend in its own right. Rattray really keeps impressing with their aromatics.

3.5/4, a little more passionfruit would push this to a 4.