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
|
Reviews
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Displaying 11 - 20 of 67 Reviews
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 16, 2020 | Mild | Mild to Medium | Mild to Medium | Very Pleasant |
The truth is, the vast majority of us in the pipe world start our journeys completely bass akwards. We all seem to start our learning process with the most complicated tobaccos to master, aromatics.
Starting with aromatics is like trying to learn to fly an airplane in a stealth jet. The truth is, english blends are much more forgiving to beginner mistakes. They burn better than aromatics, they tend to come a little drier and require less work to reach an optimal moisture level, the speed at which you smoke has less impact on overall flavor, and most importantly, for the most part, they won't bite as harshly as aromatics.
That being said, most of us, as new pipers, grab the goopiest aromatic we can find, pack the bowl in a very unknowledgeable and inept way, spend our time doing our best impression of a hoover vacuum to keep said wet, poorly packed tobacco lit, and after a few skin grafts on our tongues decide......aromatics suck.
If you really know what you are doing (and this takes time and practice to learn) aromatics can be outstanding. And for me, one of the most outstanding ones of all is bagpipers dream.
Rattrays is one of my favorite blending houses. There is not a dud in their lineup as far as I am concerned, and bagpipers dream is a masterpiece.
The tin note is heavenly, if you can smell this and not want to smoke it, something has to be wrong with you. Inside we have a nice even mix of light, medium, and dark ribbon cut tobacco. The moisture content is damn near perfect for me, but it does benefit from a slight drying out.
It packs easy, lights easy, and smokes cool and fragrant. When done correctly, there is not a bite in the bowl.
The taste? Well, I have to be honest. I am not sure what I am tasting. Don't take that as a negative, I love the taste, I just can't really pinpoint down what I am picking up. Cognac is mentioned on the tin. Maybe I see that, but I am pretty sure if the tin didn't mention cognac, I would not have pinpointed that taste. It is mellow, kinda vanilla like, but oh so damn good.
While aromatics get a bad name in general, I will be the first to admit not all aromatic offerings are created equal. That being said this is one of the finest aromatics I have had the opportunity to smoke, and this will always have a place in my rotation.
Get you some.
Starting with aromatics is like trying to learn to fly an airplane in a stealth jet. The truth is, english blends are much more forgiving to beginner mistakes. They burn better than aromatics, they tend to come a little drier and require less work to reach an optimal moisture level, the speed at which you smoke has less impact on overall flavor, and most importantly, for the most part, they won't bite as harshly as aromatics.
That being said, most of us, as new pipers, grab the goopiest aromatic we can find, pack the bowl in a very unknowledgeable and inept way, spend our time doing our best impression of a hoover vacuum to keep said wet, poorly packed tobacco lit, and after a few skin grafts on our tongues decide......aromatics suck.
If you really know what you are doing (and this takes time and practice to learn) aromatics can be outstanding. And for me, one of the most outstanding ones of all is bagpipers dream.
Rattrays is one of my favorite blending houses. There is not a dud in their lineup as far as I am concerned, and bagpipers dream is a masterpiece.
The tin note is heavenly, if you can smell this and not want to smoke it, something has to be wrong with you. Inside we have a nice even mix of light, medium, and dark ribbon cut tobacco. The moisture content is damn near perfect for me, but it does benefit from a slight drying out.
It packs easy, lights easy, and smokes cool and fragrant. When done correctly, there is not a bite in the bowl.
The taste? Well, I have to be honest. I am not sure what I am tasting. Don't take that as a negative, I love the taste, I just can't really pinpoint down what I am picking up. Cognac is mentioned on the tin. Maybe I see that, but I am pretty sure if the tin didn't mention cognac, I would not have pinpointed that taste. It is mellow, kinda vanilla like, but oh so damn good.
While aromatics get a bad name in general, I will be the first to admit not all aromatic offerings are created equal. That being said this is one of the finest aromatics I have had the opportunity to smoke, and this will always have a place in my rotation.
Get you some.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Jun 21, 2007 | Medium | Medium | Medium | Pleasant |
An Aromatic from Rattray, the tin says it is composed of Dark VA flake, spun cuts, golden, red and dark VA and their exclusive black cavendish. The full spicy taste of the tobacco's is rounded off with, amongst others, cognac, all the rest is a secret (translated from the German description on the bottom of the tin). The tobacco smells very nice, fairly highly flavoured with a spicy background. Indeed the cut is loose cut with the mentioned rubbed out flakes and some spun cuts. The quality of the tobacco is excellent, smoothly palatable with no tongue bite. Behind the flavouring the spicyness creeps in and all the different cuts blend in harmoniously when smoking. Give this one a try if you are into high quality aromatics. Rob
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 21, 2017 | Very Mild | Mild to Medium | Mild | Very Pleasant |
When you open it a discreet sweet cognac aroma comes out.nice cut a bit moisty you might think it needs to be dryed but theres no need for it.packs well lights easy thougt it needs a few re lights.burns pretty good.it's an enjoyable blend well balanced fruity virginias and sweet cavendish.you get all the flavours promised.you can start your day with it.definitelly a good all day aromatic blend pleasant to others an excellent choise for a good aromatic smoking experience.
Age When Smoked:
When opened!
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 10, 2014 | Mild | Mild | Medium | Very Pleasant |
Until I get over the shock of the awesomeness of this blend , I'll say this
WOW ! This stuff is incredible and I enjoyed it from the moment I lit it till the end of ash
WOW ! This stuff is incredible and I enjoyed it from the moment I lit it till the end of ash
Pipe Used:
Briars .. small / med and larger
Age When Smoked:
received in trade in good condition
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Feb 16, 2018 | Mild | Mild | Mild to Medium | Pleasant |
This is one that I almost gave away after a couple of smokes. I'm glad I gave it another try after setting it aside a month or so. It's a lovely blend with a subtle sweetness and a nutty character from the Cognac, which is evident without being dominating. Soft, creamy smoke that requires little, if any, drying if packed lightly. Burns surprisingly slowly. Consistent flavor throughout the bowl, which is something I don't normally experience with aromatics. Very satisfying.
Pipe Used:
James Upshall Dublin, Morgan Cob Cigar
PurchasedFrom:
Arlington Cigars, Arlington Heights, Il
Age When Smoked:
1 month
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Jul 18, 2014 | Mild | Medium | Medium to Full | Pleasant to Tolerable |
I only discriminately smoke aromatics, usually opting for a good VA or other natural tobacco over an aromatic so when I placed an order for a couple of Va's I bought Orlick Golden Sliced (my staple) and was going to get a tin of Hal o' the Wynd but decided I would try something different from Rattray. It was a gamble as I usually don't try 100g tins of something I've never tried before but I'm happy I did.
The smell is certainly of some distilled beverage. Cognac? Okay - I'll take their word for it. Whatever it is it's certainly delicious - a bit flowery to the nose from the tin but when smoking it the flavor comes through and perfectly blends with the tobacco giving a truly alcoholic tobbaco flavor which brings to mind pirate ships and rum - or cognac or whatever! It's very nice indeed!
I always liked the idea of 'whiskey' or other alcoholic tobacco but the one's I've tried have always smelled nice in the tin but have always come up short in the pipe. This one is an exception to that experience however and will probably become something I always keep on hand as it's tasty and pleasant enough for my own tastes and it seems to me to be a bridge builder tobacco that all pipe smokers would enjoy. I'll test that premise out at the next opportunity of my traditional Catholic parish's men's "poker night."
This tobacco is a little on the moist side and will benefit from a little air drying. The container's lid is a little loose and doesn't seal as well as I would like but I just emptied the whole container into a ziplock bag and re-stuffed the bag back into the container to make a zip-lockable sealed container - the original container is too attractive to just discard and stuff the tobacco in a mason jar!
The smell is certainly of some distilled beverage. Cognac? Okay - I'll take their word for it. Whatever it is it's certainly delicious - a bit flowery to the nose from the tin but when smoking it the flavor comes through and perfectly blends with the tobacco giving a truly alcoholic tobbaco flavor which brings to mind pirate ships and rum - or cognac or whatever! It's very nice indeed!
I always liked the idea of 'whiskey' or other alcoholic tobacco but the one's I've tried have always smelled nice in the tin but have always come up short in the pipe. This one is an exception to that experience however and will probably become something I always keep on hand as it's tasty and pleasant enough for my own tastes and it seems to me to be a bridge builder tobacco that all pipe smokers would enjoy. I'll test that premise out at the next opportunity of my traditional Catholic parish's men's "poker night."
This tobacco is a little on the moist side and will benefit from a little air drying. The container's lid is a little loose and doesn't seal as well as I would like but I just emptied the whole container into a ziplock bag and re-stuffed the bag back into the container to make a zip-lockable sealed container - the original container is too attractive to just discard and stuff the tobacco in a mason jar!
Pipe Used:
Basket Pipe
PurchasedFrom:
4Noggins
Age When Smoked:
New
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Mar 08, 2014 | Mild to Medium | Medium | Mild to Medium | Pleasant |
Pleasantly surprised by the tin note after all the references to Cognac! It's much sweeter and creamier, and very pleasant! (Cognac is very low in sugar - less than 1 gram per ounce). Four cuts of Virginia translate into an attractive looking tobacco. Slightly moist out of the tin - some drying improves the burn. The taste is of Virginia, Cognac, cream and quite pronounced notes of fruit (raspberry and apricot) and flowers (rose). The raspberry and rose are evident in the pleasing room note too. Not overly mild in tobacco strength, which is a positive in my book. A bit hot and bitey when pushed but al in all a very good aromatic. As I am not particularly fond of either rose or raspberry I cannot give more than 3 stars. If you enjoy well done boozy, fruity and floral notes you will probably love this tobacco.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Mar 07, 2014 | Mild to Medium | Medium to Strong | Medium | Tolerable |
I must say after reading the reviews here I was really looking forward to smoking some of this blend. This review is completely a first impression, so take it with a grain of salt.
Bagpiper's Dream is reputed to be flavored with cognac. I've had a number of VSOPs in my day, but none that resembled the sweet, cloying slightly vomitous odor that popped out when I broke the seal on the can. The tobacco was rather moist so I let it dry out about an hour and loaded up.
It lit well and after a charring, stayed lit if I was attentive to the pipe. The sickly odor did not come through in the smoke. I thought it burned consistently, though on the hot side and I did get gurgle twice. I'm willing to put the blame for that on my Comoy Apple - it has never really behaved well. I will definitely give this another shot in two other pipes.
I set the pipe aside about ten minutes ago and while the taste in my mouth is not bad, it's nothing to make me say "Yum!" The room note right now is reminiscent of maybe sour apricot? Not pleasant.
There are aromatics I truly love: IRC Three Star Royal and Nording's Retriever for two. I think, however, you have to be an aromatic fanatic to love this one. Will update if further smokes change my opinion.
Bagpiper's Dream is reputed to be flavored with cognac. I've had a number of VSOPs in my day, but none that resembled the sweet, cloying slightly vomitous odor that popped out when I broke the seal on the can. The tobacco was rather moist so I let it dry out about an hour and loaded up.
It lit well and after a charring, stayed lit if I was attentive to the pipe. The sickly odor did not come through in the smoke. I thought it burned consistently, though on the hot side and I did get gurgle twice. I'm willing to put the blame for that on my Comoy Apple - it has never really behaved well. I will definitely give this another shot in two other pipes.
I set the pipe aside about ten minutes ago and while the taste in my mouth is not bad, it's nothing to make me say "Yum!" The room note right now is reminiscent of maybe sour apricot? Not pleasant.
There are aromatics I truly love: IRC Three Star Royal and Nording's Retriever for two. I think, however, you have to be an aromatic fanatic to love this one. Will update if further smokes change my opinion.
Pipe Used:
Comoy Apple
PurchasedFrom:
Pipes and Cigars
Age When Smoked:
New
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Aug 22, 2012 | Mild | Medium to Strong | Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
I bought a 100g tube of this stuff a couple of months back, and to be honest, I still haven't made my mind up as to whether or not I like it. Although I do have a tendancy to go for latakia blends, I do enjoy a good aromatic. When I read the reviews on here, I thought: this is it, an aromatic with a dose of nicotine! But when I tried it I was some-what disappointed, I don't want to piss on anyone's bonfire here as I can see from previous reviews that I'm in a minority, but I found this somewhat lacking. The smell from the tub was amazing, and the initial lighting gave me a wonderful myriad of flavours, including the tobacco tastes from the cavendish and virginia, as well as the casing. But as I smoked it down the bowl, it became more and more bitter and I became less enthusiastic about smoking it. I don't know, per-haps I haven't given up on it yet, but it's not as good as I was expecting, thats for sure!
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 03, 2014 | Mild | Medium to Strong | Medium | Pleasant |
A good aromatic. Strong Congnac flavoring that is actually quite pleasant. A bit one dimensional but a nice change of pace when a sweet aro is required. Another quality tobacco from Rattray.
Pipe Used:
Stanwell egg
PurchasedFrom:
Cup o Joes
Age When Smoked:
2 years
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