Rattray Bagpiper's Dream

(3.21)
A fragrant pipe tobacco blend of Black Cavendish and four ready rubbed Golden Virginia tobaccos including ribbon cut, plug, curly, and flake, lightly top dressed with cognac for an elegant smoke. Tobaccos used are 5.6% domestically grown and 94.4% foreign grown.

Details

Brand Rattray
Blended By  
Manufactured By Kohlhase und Kopp
Blend Type Aromatic
Contents Black Cavendish, Virginia
Flavoring Cognac
Cut Ribbon
Packaging 100 grams tin
Country Germany
Production Currently available

Profile

Strength
Mild to Medium
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Extremely Mild -> Overwhelming
Flavoring
Medium
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
None Detected -> Extra Strong
Room Note
Very Pleasant
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Unnoticeable -> Overwhelming
Taste
Medium
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Extremely Mild (Flat) -> Overwhelming

Average Rating

3.21 / 4
37

13

11

6

Reviews

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Displaying 1 - 10 of 67 Reviews
Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Sep 12, 2011 Mild to Medium Mild Mild to Medium Very Pleasant
I think aromatic smokers must be the finest ladies and gentlemen in the world. They never bash the English/Virginia/Perique smokers while taking a bashing (unfairly) themselves.

Ain't nuthin' wrong with a pleasant aromatic and this new Rattray's offering is sublime. It "is what it is," and that comes down to a nice Vanilla sort of taste that has been enhanced with some mighty fine booze.

This tobacco burns clean and dry and delivers the goods in both strength and flavor.

Want a quality aromatic? Well, here you go!
74 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Feb 24, 2016 Medium Medium Medium Pleasant
The various Virginias offer some citrus and grass to support the lightly more obvious woody earth, fermented dark stewed fruit, and a minor spice note. There’s a noticeable floralness to the Virginias as well. The black cavendish is an important second player with a deep vanilla that is continually present through the smoke, but never rises to dominate in any meaningful way. The cognac is sweetly fragrant with a little berry taste, and a mild dash of soap. I believe of some of the floral essence comes from a topping, and it reminds me of rose and maybe geranium, too. It doesn’t quite venture into Lakeland territory, but seems a little like a kissing cousin to that well known topping. The toppings do weaken a tad after the half way point, but are noticeable to the finish. Has a slightly more than mild nic-hit. Won't bite. A little moist out of the tin, though it doesn’t need any dry time. Burns cool and fairly smooth with a touch of creaminess at a reasonable pace. Requires a few relights. Leaves a little moisture in the bowl, but not enough to distract or goop. Will burn to ash with little effort. Has a lingering after taste and sweet, floral room note. An aromatic with a little complexity, it’s more for the experienced smoker, and isn't really an all day smoke, but repeatable during your waking hours.

-JimInks
45 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Dec 08, 2013 Mild Medium Medium Very Pleasant
Now as of late I have not been to enamored with aromatics, I have all but removed them from my rotation, but when Glynn sent me a sample of Bagpiper's Dream to try I said where's the harm.

On first inspection this tobacco is the perfect consistency for smoking, not too wet and not dry. It smells divine. The sweetness of cognac is unmistakable but it is far from overpowering, it's just right.

As I smoked trough the bowl, still possessing reservations about aromatics in general, I was blown away. Smoking this reminded me why I smoked aromatics in the first place. It filled all the criteria a top quality aromatic should. It smelled divine in the room (girlfriend approved; the highest accolade any tobacco can receive in the room note category), it TASTED like it smelled for the whole bowl! (a rarity) AND as if it hadn't already impressed me enough, it didn't need a single relight.

Top quality stuff, the cognac may not be for everyone but if it is you'll agree, it's a tough one to beat.

P.S. Please take into account that my 4 star rating is based on an aromatic scale alone. I never group aromatics and non-aromatics together as they are different smoking experiences.
Pipe Used: Falcon Coolway 23
PurchasedFrom: GQ Tobaccos
Age When Smoked: Fresh
30 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Dec 05, 2014 Mild Mild to Medium Mild to Medium Very Pleasant
Sample from the same friend that sent me the Directors Cut (thanks again!), this one runs the gamut of blonde-to-black with a bag aroma of the alcohol topping (cognac, apparently) atop a bed of really fine Virginias. This is an Euro-style aromatic rather than your typical U.S gooper, and the tobacco was nicely moist but not slathered in sauce.

In the pipe, this performed like a straight Virginia and smoked very dry. It tasted and smelled like an aromatic. In short, it took the best characteristics of both types and combined them into a very well-made blend. Clearly the constituent tobaccos were of high quality, unlike your basic heavily cased aro. The only problem was that I didn't care for the flavoring that was used. Bummer! And I like cognac. Then again I like cherries, too, but don't want them in my pipe. But I was disappointed because a high quality aromatic is as rare as hen's teeth. This is one but the flavor isn't exactly in my wheelhouse. I had the same feeling about SWRA as far as taste. But if you enjoy aromatics but hate the goop, and if you're looking for one that combines top quality tobacco, a spectacular room note and a sweet taste (although I found it on the sour-bitter side!), give this one a spin. I'm glad I tried it.
18 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Mar 29, 2012 Mild to Medium Mild Medium Pleasant
Bagpipers Dream is a different kind of aromatic than those often found here in the US. The tin note is sweet with the liquor scent coming through. The appearance is of high quality tobacco. There are even some curlies in the blend! The Virginias rather than the Cavendish run the show here. BD is not overly complex, but more so than most aromatics. It smokes on the dry side and the tobacco taste comes through the casing. The casing itself isn't a bell ringer for me as it's a little too floral for my tastes. Due to the quality of the tobacco, I think it's worth a try for any aromatic smoker. Rattray has definitely put some thought and into this blend. Recommended.
15 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Dec 29, 2008 Medium Strong Medium Pleasant
I tried a bowl of this at a nearby B&M at the suggestion of the salesman on staff. It was so tasty I bought some tins to enjoy in the future. Normally I would have waitied to review this until I had had some more but with so few people chiming in on this one I had to give it my 2 cents earlier.

It tastes great - sweet & aromatic for sure - but the Virginia taste comes through and it was not "goopy" or overly cased with sugar. Supposedly it's flavored with cognac and I can actually detect a hint of this alcohol in the taste. The room note will likely have non-smokers hanging out near you - its that good! Couldn't have this all the time, but it's a quality dessert smoke. The sample I had seemed to have dried a bit in the store and I suspect that is the preferred way to enjoy it as I had no bite - at least in my one encounter.

If you can enjoy heavy aromatics and like VA's give this try - it is quality smoke.
12 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Oct 15, 2014 Mild to Medium Medium Mild to Medium Pleasant
This is a surprisingly good aromatic mixture of the highest quality. I say “surprisingly good” because I don’t particularly care for the tin note. However, Bagpiper’s tin note doesn't quite foreshadow the intricacies of its flavor character once this blend is put to flame.

The taste is a delicate balance of sweet & tangy with a touch of spice. The smoke has a nice texture to it and the room note is pleasant. It's kind of a cloying, sweet-floral lily-like aroma, with hints of vanilla and holiday spices.

Once properly lit, the Virginias shine a bit more and provide a woody, toasty tobacco taste. The topping has good staying power and continues to add contrast throughout the bowl with its sweet mulled wine like flavor. Bagpiper’s performs wonderfully. There’s very little bite, no weird waxy chemical taste or strange off-flavors. As long as it's sipped, it doesn't burn too hot and it burns dry right to the bottom.

Altogether, this is a good aromatic tobacco and should not be missed by fans of the genre. Very enjoyable & recommended.
Pipe Used: Briar & Cob
Age When Smoked: 2
11 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Oct 13, 2014 Mild Medium Mild to Medium Very Pleasant
I'm an aromatic and non aromatic smoker myself but tend to smoke a few more aromatics than non for convenience. But Bagpipers Dream is by far my favorite aromatic I've ever smoked. It's sweet, mild, and a very delightful, relaxing smoke. When I bought my first tin I opened it next to my friend and he immediately noticed the smell and fell in love with it. The aroma this stuff gives off is incredible. I just want to shove it up my nose and smell it all day. It has a very distinguishable vanilla scent and the cognac gives it a nice alcohol or fermented smell, not in a bad way, but the best way possible. As soon as you open it put your nose real close and inhale deep and slowly and enjoy.

When smoked, this stuff is crazy smooth. Almost no tongue bite at all and the flavor comes through beautifully. You'll see that a lot of people say it tastes just like it smells and they are spot on. The taste is incredible, light, and you won't want it to end. It comes with the perfect amount of moisture and stays lit very well. I very rarely have to relight and when I set it down for several minutes and come back, it starts right back up. Very delicious, puts off a good amount of smoke, and people will love you for smoking this stuff around them (I've actually attracted people by the smell of the smoke, no joke).

If your an aromatic fan, this is the THE aromatic to smoke. If your not an aromatic fan, I still say give it a try and you might be surprised by it. I highly recommend to all pipe smokers, young and old, new and experienced.
11 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Mar 26, 2014 Mild Medium to Strong Mild to Medium Very Pleasant
Tin note is very inviting, with vanilla and caramel sweetness and a hint of woods and earth. Once lit, there is an explosion of plum and cassis on the nose. On the tongue, this tobacco has a very real sweetness that carries through the entire smoke. This might seem all over the top, and to be sure this is a very fragrant, very sweet aromatic, but there is a complexity and balance here that prevents it from being vulgar or cloying. The tobacco is perfectly presented for smoking, requires no drying, and burns cool and dry to the last. The virginias themselves are light and mild. A very gentle, friendly tobacco.
10 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Jun 22, 2014 Mild to Medium Mild to Medium Medium Pleasant
Rattray - Bagpipers Dream.

The unlit blend is an eclectic mix of shapes, sizes and colours, there being some large jet black Cavendish pieces, some light Virginia and some darker Virginia. Aroma is that of a predominantly Virginia blend with a topping of brandy, but it isn't too false smelling. Moisture level's decent.

The flavour of B.D's pleasant. The brandy gives a touch of grapy-sweetness without making the smoke taste of bitter alcohol. The black Cavendish rounds the flavour with a vanilla sweetness but the leading tobacco's the Virginia. It burns well for the duration of a bowl and remains bite-free.

Nicotine: mild. Room-note: pleasant.

A good aromatic, three stars:

Recommended.
Pipe Used: Davorin Denovic Morta
PurchasedFrom: Smoke King
Age When Smoked: New
9 people found this review helpful.
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