Drucquer & Sons Blairgowrie

I have mixed feelings about this blend. I love the cut. Slow cool burn, great for outdoors. I was expecting an English with Perique and that’s really not what this is. The Latakia is much less pronounced than the Perique to me. So much so that I get very little Latakia in the smoke compared to the tin note that signaled this is a Latakia mixture. I do like English with condimental Latakia but I never had a Latakia mixture where the Perique outshines the Latakia (I guess that’s why Nightcap is classified an English with Perique and this is classified as Scottish). To me the Perique and Oriental are neck and neck second to the Virginia in overall flavor. VA/Oriental mixtures without Latakia always leave me missing the Latakia. Anyway, I’m confused. Not unhappy, just confused. Perfect moisture out of tin. Will smoke more and try to figure this blend out. Recommended but don’t expect an English with Perique.

Another example of G. L. Pease's blending ability. It's a tasty Scottish blend that has some punch & smokes mildly. I'd say it's perfectly blended... producing a subtle sweetness. Once you pop the lid & give a whiff, you know you're going to like it... that is, if you prefer these types of blends. The Red Virginias are the main player in this blend & the Cyprian Latakia is basically condimental. The mild, sweet Orientals lend some extra spice & flavor & play an important roll in this mixture. The Perique provides a subtle, sweet, fruity flavor.

The strength level is very close to the strong threshold which surprised me because it smokes so mildly. However, I wasn't disappointed because strength in a blend with an enticing flavor is what motivates me toward a good, tasty blend. I just finished the first bowlful in a large, Cavicchi Dublin. Next: I just popped the lid on a tin of Levant which I understand is even stronger & will sample some Trafalgar in the process & pass my notes along. Some more of G. L. Pease's "old timey" flavor.

I personally love how much latakia is in this blend, which is very little. The orientals and virginias go so well and are at the forefront of this blend. To me, this is more of a va/per. Creamy creamy creamy. Just a fun smoke. Slightly Unique.

Tin note of sweet vegetation, dried fruit and spices. Tobacco is a reddish-brown broken flake. Moisture content is great. Larger pieces may need to be rubbed out. Burns slow with few relights. The strength is medium and nic is mild. No flavoring detected. Taste is medium to full and consistent, with notes of toast, wood, spices, leather, floral, savory sweet, mild Rasins, fermented sour, musty earth, orange peel/zest, herbal hay, moderately spicy, citrus, smoky, lemon grassy, a tangy stewed fruit background note, and a peppery retro. Virginia is leading with Oriental/Turkish and Perique supporting. Latakia is bringing up the rear. Room note is pleasant to tolerable, and aftertaste is great.

This is really good tobacco, its blended perfectly. Great flavor, just enough nicotine to be relaxing. It smokes perfect right out of the tin. I love 965 and nightcap, I smoked them religiously when dunhill still controlled the production. I loved being able to buy them in bulk. Now that no longer an option, I've searched for a bulk on the same level with no luck. Blairgowrie is available in a 100g tin which almost fills a quart mason jar for $30. So it's a high quality smoke that'll last awhile. If you're a fan of good tobacco with no extra flavoring, then I highly recommend it.

Preparation & Burn: 7/10 I don't like the cut. It's also a bit dry. Not fun for packing. Burns fairly well though.

Taste: 10/20 Nothing special, but has a sort of hay forward sickly sweetness I don't like.

Mildness: 7/10 My idea of a good smoke is a relaxing, low nicotine session. Therefore, the milder the better. Not much nicotine here.

Total: 24/40

No more details. It's either good or unworthy. This Scottish mixture is one of the best mixtures you'll ever stoke your pipe with. No need for explanation... it makes no difference.

A masterful interpretation of the Scottish style with aged and matured Virginias on top and in control with the Orientals providing strong support. The Perique and Latakia make an appearance at various points in the smoke. The presentation is as a ready-rubbed and displays colors that run from light through medium to dark brown—more of the dark and medium than the light. The tin note carries a distinctly fermented quality. This blend has a relatively full-bodied flavor, but it is not overly strong—it is very smooth and contains no sharp edges. I get mostly dark bread and perhaps a bit of toast and wheat stalk from the Virginias and there is a sour herbal and spicy flavor that is always present from the Orientals (I suspect Izmir and at least one other Oriental varietal) and they really compliment the Virginias. The Latakia is easily detectable on the initial light and then it recedes back into the blend and that charred wood taste is most noticeable in the first half of the bowl. The Perique is more apparent in the latter half of the bowl providing a hint of date-like fruit and some pepper, but it is more of an undertone than a strong taste.

Burns slowly providing a cool smoke.

A truly GREAT blend!

Wow. What an experience.

The tin note is reminiscent of a whiskey cream and campfire, reminds me that here in Canada growing up we used to cook marshmallows on the fire and then use a kids Tylenol syringe to shoot 40 creek whiskey cream into the center of the golden brown ball. you'd then pop them into your mouth before the sugar and alcohol melted the exterior of your sweet liquor popper.

The rubbed tobacco is thick and holds moisture well, the tin opens ready to smoke, dark in colour it still holds colourful hues throughout the tin when held in the light. First light the smoke the blend tastes full and beautiful and hoenstly the flavour i find is consistent throughout the bowl, continuing the tin note through out the room note is just as pleasant. My taste profile on the tobacco combines: nuts, toffee, whiskey, malty and caramel smoothness with a a rich thick texture and honestly would instantly be pegged as a Scottish blend for the combination of flavours.

The tobacco being rubbed out I found nice to pack. I chose to smoke this tobacco in a dedicated pipe and the blend is very much considered a DAILY dessert blend to me, the smoke is just very sweet and creamy. The Cyprian latakia is definitely a factor in creating the fruit and robust spiced flavor that accompanies the extremely sweet matured Virginia. the perique is lost in the mix for me and I cant seem to pick it out as well as other blends I've had but rather than see this as a downside id like to think of it as a major enhancer for other flavours in the tin.

I would love to know because i cant seem to find it : how the virginia is matured and aged but the taste makes me imagine its done in premium scotch barrels.

This blend is an excellent smoke that stands out. The hype about it may be over exaggerated by some people, but it still warrants a full 4 stars from me as its extremely well balanced and the smoke is more than enjoyable all day long with a specific emphasis on the late evening.