Rattray Macbeth
(2.40)
Macbeth is based on an old recipe, but the taste is still timely. Enjoy the natural aroma of pure, fully ripe Virginia the best quality in combination with burley. Sometimes the most delicious blends do not require many ingredients. "Macbeth" is the best proof.
Details
| Brand | Rattray |
| Series | British Collection |
| Blended By | Kohlhase & Kopp |
| Manufactured By | Kohlhase & Kopp |
| Blend Type | Virginia/Burley |
| Contents | Burley, Virginia |
| Flavoring | Fruit / Citrus |
| Cut | Ribbon |
| Packaging | 50 grams tin, 100 grams tin |
| Country | Germany |
| Production | Currently available |
Profile
Strength
Mild to Medium
Extremely Mild -> Overwhelming
Flavoring
None Detected
None Detected -> Extra Strong
Room Note
Pleasant
Unnoticeable -> Overwhelming
Taste
Mild to Medium
Extremely Mild (Flat) -> Overwhelming
Average Rating
|
2.40 / 4
|
Reviews
Please login to post a review.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 Reviews
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| May 22, 2018 | Mild | Mild to Medium | Mild | Pleasant |
Sand-to dark brown ribbon cut with a tin aroma of fruit, although I think it's less "fruit" and more something like cognac or rum, with an OTC-like tobacco scent underneath. Easy to load and I found that a tight pack was best, as this stuff burned like dryer fluff.
I'm always saying that tobacco reviews should be based on AT LEAST an ounce in order to have anything resembling reliability. A smoker just has no clue about the blend after a bowl or two. There are a few exceptions (heavy aromatics)... and this one. I smoked the entire 4 oz over a month's time. I smoked it after breakfast, outside, before dinner, late at night, in bowls of all sizes, shapes and makeup. I DBT'd it, I puffed it fast and slow, I snorked and mouth-puffed. I smoked it every which way. At no time did it's presentation alter in the slightest. The cognac/rum (or whatever) topping was present in every puff, lending a bitter-sweetness that was clearly not Virginia-based. The tobacco flavor was non-descript... it may as well have been a Marlboro. It tasted "tobacco-y". Sweet Virginia lovers can avoid this one, as well as those that are looking for a nutty burley. All the overused reviewer adjectives were thrown out the window. This was simply tobacco with flavoring (and shame on K&K for claiming no flavoring in this one!). Not a bad blend, but definitely not British and certainly nothing from the mind of Charles Rattray. I have another tin that I'm going to use as a blender.
I'm always saying that tobacco reviews should be based on AT LEAST an ounce in order to have anything resembling reliability. A smoker just has no clue about the blend after a bowl or two. There are a few exceptions (heavy aromatics)... and this one. I smoked the entire 4 oz over a month's time. I smoked it after breakfast, outside, before dinner, late at night, in bowls of all sizes, shapes and makeup. I DBT'd it, I puffed it fast and slow, I snorked and mouth-puffed. I smoked it every which way. At no time did it's presentation alter in the slightest. The cognac/rum (or whatever) topping was present in every puff, lending a bitter-sweetness that was clearly not Virginia-based. The tobacco flavor was non-descript... it may as well have been a Marlboro. It tasted "tobacco-y". Sweet Virginia lovers can avoid this one, as well as those that are looking for a nutty burley. All the overused reviewer adjectives were thrown out the window. This was simply tobacco with flavoring (and shame on K&K for claiming no flavoring in this one!). Not a bad blend, but definitely not British and certainly nothing from the mind of Charles Rattray. I have another tin that I'm going to use as a blender.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 11, 2014 | Very Mild | Mild | Extremely Mild (Flat) | Pleasant |
Called a 'loose cut' by K&K, the Virginia is a fine cut ribbon with somewhat wider and shorter ribbons of burley. This is very beautiful tobacco! Gold with gold! And very easy to work into the pipe.
Tin smell: fruity. They swear there is no top flavor, so this is casing, and very present.
The smoke is very light with a wee bit of tar providing the counterbalance to the light fruitiness of the casing which is the mainstay of this blend.
Surprisingly it does convey a bit of nicotine.
Innocuous at best, I find little to recommend this tobacco beyond its spectacular appearance and easy workability.
Although K&K produce many first rate tobaccos, this one is somewhat of a mystery to me. Many will question its inclusion in their British Collection.
Summation: harmless. One star.
After writing the above I bumped into an old acquaintance in town who has also been smoking 'English' mixtures for over 40 years. Gave him a sample of Compton's #21 which I was smoking when we met. He handed over a mixture he had just made and said he used a good portion of a new blend from Rattray's, Macbeth, that was just too flavourless alone. He had added some Latakia, a bit of Orient etc. Later I smoked his mixture and it worked well, so there's an argument. It has potential as a mixer and that ups this recommendation to two stars for now. Perhaps it will develop with age.
Tin smell: fruity. They swear there is no top flavor, so this is casing, and very present.
The smoke is very light with a wee bit of tar providing the counterbalance to the light fruitiness of the casing which is the mainstay of this blend.
Surprisingly it does convey a bit of nicotine.
Innocuous at best, I find little to recommend this tobacco beyond its spectacular appearance and easy workability.
Although K&K produce many first rate tobaccos, this one is somewhat of a mystery to me. Many will question its inclusion in their British Collection.
Summation: harmless. One star.
After writing the above I bumped into an old acquaintance in town who has also been smoking 'English' mixtures for over 40 years. Gave him a sample of Compton's #21 which I was smoking when we met. He handed over a mixture he had just made and said he used a good portion of a new blend from Rattray's, Macbeth, that was just too flavourless alone. He had added some Latakia, a bit of Orient etc. Later I smoked his mixture and it worked well, so there's an argument. It has potential as a mixer and that ups this recommendation to two stars for now. Perhaps it will develop with age.
Age When Smoked:
three weeks (new on the market)
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 29, 2018 | Medium | Mild | Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
A light brown thin ribbon, just shy of being a shag cut. It has a pronounced fruit topping which I think is raspberry. Fortunately this burns off fairly quickly and doesn't intrude too much on the actual smoke. It might be fairly considered a light aromatic, and yet again K&K is caught telling fibs about what goes into its blends.
Despite this it's actually a pretty good smoke. I can't taste any Burley but that doesn't mean it isn't there. I think of it as a Va that has been touched up a little, rather than a VaBur.
Burns ok and is relatively uncomplicated, and, aside from the topping, has few faults. Seems to me that the constituent tobaccos were quality stuff.
Somewhere between a 2 and a three, but I'm rounding down on account of the nonsense in the description from K&K. So 2 stars.
Despite this it's actually a pretty good smoke. I can't taste any Burley but that doesn't mean it isn't there. I think of it as a Va that has been touched up a little, rather than a VaBur.
Burns ok and is relatively uncomplicated, and, aside from the topping, has few faults. Seems to me that the constituent tobaccos were quality stuff.
Somewhere between a 2 and a three, but I'm rounding down on account of the nonsense in the description from K&K. So 2 stars.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Jun 10, 2018 | Mild to Medium | Mild | Mild | Pleasant to Tolerable |
I quite agree with DK’s recent review you can read below. The tin aroma is sugary, fruity but I do not perceive any rum or cognac. The smell is certainly sweet but impossible to identify exactly. The tobacco burns very quickly and it seems to be a cigarette tobacco. It could be a RYO tobacco, although the cut is a ribbon/loose cut and not properly a shag. Anyway, for a better tasting you have to smoke slowly. There is flavoring, yes, but it is more topping than casing. Overall a slightly flavored blend, modest, that does not stand out. Not for Virginia lovers, not for Burley lovers and not for aromatic lovers. This blend is a compromise that could be appreciated by all those who have not too marked preferences. In my personal rating system (from 1 to 10) my score is 6 and two stars.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Dec 29, 2015 | Extremely Mild | None Detected | Extremely Mild (Flat) | Unnoticeable |
Upon opening I encountered a nice looking tobacco with a slight tin note , this looked like something that I would enjoy . A high quality Virginia , nicely cut , with an acceptable moisture level . And a Ratray's no less . Wow . But that's all folks . Almost no taste . Toward the bottom of one bowl I achieved a little Virginia taste , but very slight . But the can proved very valuable after all . I used it to cut my favorite Samuel Gawith tobaccos ro cut through their extreme moisture and add nothing to their fine flavor . As a mixer give this one 4 stars but on it's own , 2 is a gift.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Nov 30, 2022 | Medium | None Detected | Medium | Tolerable |
Second Rattray's from my list and I must admit it is better than my first one. It is a nice combination and there are pure flavors in this blend. Not a complex smoke, but it is possible to enjoy for a long and relaxed period, even without variations of aromas. It burns very well, however it can get high temperatures easily, especially at the end. I agree with other reviewers, even when is pleasant like it is, also can be useful to complement another mixture.
Pipe Used:
John Aylesbury - Billiard Dunkelbraun
PurchasedFrom:
Cigarworld
Age When Smoked:
1
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Jul 08, 2022 | Medium | None Detected | Mild to Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
Somewhat disappointing, coming from Rattray’s and with “Virginia in combination with Burley” stamped on it. I thought the taste was flat, with a slightly acid smell. On the positive side it fills and burns well, and could be recommended for an outdoor smoke.
Pipe Used:
Dunhill
PurchasedFrom:
Magne Falkum, Germany
Age When Smoked:
New
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 19, 2017 | Mild to Medium | Medium | Mild to Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
Well this is certainly pretty uninteresting.
Fruit and honey. Nice ribbon cut. Burns a bit hot if not careful. High quality tobaccos as with most Rattray's blends. However, it's cased too much for my liking, so I've put it in a jar to mellow out for a bit as in it's current state, there's no way I could smoke this or keep it in my daily rotation. It's just too uneventful.
Fruit and honey. Nice ribbon cut. Burns a bit hot if not careful. High quality tobaccos as with most Rattray's blends. However, it's cased too much for my liking, so I've put it in a jar to mellow out for a bit as in it's current state, there's no way I could smoke this or keep it in my daily rotation. It's just too uneventful.
Pipe Used:
Various
PurchasedFrom:
Local tobacconist
Age When Smoked:
New
target="_blank"
