Rattray Blossom Temptation

I got Rattray's Blossom Temptation, Peterson's Summertime 2020, and Kohlhase & Kopp's Asia 2018 (which TobaccoReviews won't let me review since that blend apparently hasn't been approved by a moderator yet) from a friend in Southeast Asia since they're very hard to find in the US.

Blossom Temptation comes in a rectangular "jewelry box" tin instead of the round tin that most of us are used to. It's a beautiful box... but the tobacco will likely eventually dry out since it isn't air tight. The tobacco looks great though, with big bits of the very light Golden Virginia leaf and the slightly darker broken flake Virginia mixed with the Black Cavendish.

Opening the jar/tin, the smell is immediately refreshing. It's fresh and summer-y, very natural. It doesn't have the overpoweringly "fake" sort of smell that many aromatics have, especially cherry aromatics. First few puffs... the slightly tangy blackcurrant is the main aromatic flavor, and the cherry is slightly more in the background. The cherry is more like fresh ripe cherry, or even cherry blossoms, not in the typically "floral" sense, but in the more "fresh" and "outdoorsy" sense. But they both share the space nicely with the tobaccos, particularly the sweet Virginia's. Not much changes over the course of the smoke. The flavorings do fade slightly as you get toward the bottom, but not by much.

Bottom Line: I love this one. I wish more blends like this were available in the US. From what I understand, the manufacturers believe that these lighter, fresher blends are a more "European" flavor profile. Whatever it is, I love it. I don't like having to spend a ton of money shipping it in from Malaysia, but until I find a closer source, that what I'll have to do. -UPDATE- Blossom Temptation has started appearing for sale in the US. Great!