Tobaccos Rattray - 3 Noggins

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JimInks (3022)	2014-03-26		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Tolerable

The Virginias are mildly citrusy with some grass, and small amount of dark fruit and earth as the lead components. The smoky, woody, earthy, floral, dry, sour and spicy Oriental offers a little "oompf" as a supporting player. The smoky, woody, earthy, musty sweet Cyprian Latakia is a secondary star. The black cavendish adds a light sugar sweetness as a condiment. The strength and taste levels are medium. The nic-hit is just past the center of mild to medium. Won't bite, and doesn't get harsh. Has few rough edges. Burns at a moderate pace, cool and clean with a very consistent sweet and sour, savory flavor. Has a short lived after taste with a slight bitter note. Requires few relights, and leaves little moisture in the bowl. More of a two and half star blend.

-JimInks

18 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	SteelCowboy (685)	2013-10-17		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

For me Rattray's blends are very much hit or miss with not a lot of grey area in-between. I really like the flakes as well as Red Rapparee and Black Mallory, but there is that group of blends in the middle like Accountants, Brown Clunee and No. 7 Reserve that I find to be just too bland. 3 Noggins falls into that group for me too. It's not a bad blend, but just not very interesting. It's a light English blend although some may call it a light Scottish blend, but either way there are just better options in both departments. On the plus side, on a whim, I bought a tin from the 1990's (was there a different blender between Rattray and K&K??) and time in the tin really improved this blend quite a bit. 3 Noggins had really sweetened up for me and tin note was wonderful, and the flavor was great. The question is…is it worth shelling out some bucks to wait 15 years for improvement? I think not.

14 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Wibblefishofdoom (139)	2013-04-24		Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

It's been just over a year since I reviewed my last sampling of Rattrays offerings and, having been distinctly unimpressed by it, I have been reticent about venturing back into their fold. However, after getting a couple of extra shifts at work and a bit of a bumper pay packet, I thought I would dip my toe back into the pond as it were and treated myself to a 100g tin of this stuff, mainly picking it out due to the latakia in it. I am only half way through the tin but, having had it for over six weeks, I have decided to get my experiences in now while they're still fresh.

Upon opening the tin, I picked a fruity, sultana like aroma akin to a dry port, nice but no latakia. After putting it into a pipe I've now dedicated to lats, the flavour was much the same with only a little lat coming through like a thin veneer of pepper. Not quite what I expected but a pleasant smoke nonetheless. However, after a third of the tin, the latakia started to come through a bit stronger and has maintained this presence so far. It's not dominant but is closer to an equal partner with the virginia and the cavendish. The oriental is yet to rear it's head but it might make an appearance later in the show.

On the whole then, a very good smoke so far. I found with my last tin of Rattray's, I was just smoking it to finish off the packet, having got bored of it. That sometimes happens with me, even with good tobaccos, where i just want to polish the tin off and get on with another tobacco. This, however, I am happy to continue smoking with no rush. It might take me another six weeks to polish it off but I'm perfectly happy happy with that.

12 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pipestud (1829)	2016-03-07		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

A ramped up version of several other Rattray's blends, 3 Noggins has strength from the Virginia, backbone from the unflavored Cavendish, heady flavor from the Latakia and subtly spicy sweetness from the Orientals. It is a favorite among those who enjoy the Rattray's Latakia range - much fuller than Black Mallory and more Latakia than Red Rapparee.

Pipestud

11 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2010-10-21		Mild	None Detected	Mild	Pleasant

This review is based on about 2 oz - half a tin. Upon opening the tin, the heavily pungent aroma of quality orientals assailed my nostrils. Light on the latakia but more heavy of body, due to the unflavored cavendish. I found this much tastier than 7 Reserve but muted in comparison to Jocks or Highland Targe, and certainly more so than Red Rap or Black Mallory. I enjoyed this but not sure where it fits into my rotation or even the Rattrays stable.

The flavor and strength of this was mild to my tastebuds. It almost tasted like Syrian latakia but I'm quite certain that wasn't in the original recipe so unless K&K has changed things, they must have toned down the Cyprian by using it sparingly and covering it up with cavendish and orientals. The virginias are of the sweeter variety. Now this is what I call a balanced tobacco. Everything seems to meld together. The flavor is subdued but as the description reads, it's heavier in body. As mentioned, that must mean more nicotine, but such did not register to me as an overabundance. This is a good tobacco but unfortunately, it does not state its case as a classic the way many of the other Rattrays do. I recommend this as something a lot of people would enjoy but at its price tag, there are others from different blenders I'd recommend first. This doesn't assert itself the way Red Rap, HOTW or many of the other Rattrays do. I'd recommend Highland Targe or Jocks over this to someone who is searching for a classic Rattray of this genre.

8 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Bifkinator (10)	2016-08-25		Mild	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I haven't smoked many Rattray tobaccos but the ones I've smoked I really enjoy. I'm a huge fan of Bagpipers dream so to dive into Rattrays non aromatics I had to grab a tin of 3 Noggins to start it off.

When you open the tin it's surprisingly fruity and sweet. Not what I was expecting in an English blend but I love it. I immediately get a ton of fig and nuttiness with some strawberry preserves and subtle apple. Moisture wise, it's perfect for me. I like my tobaccos a little more moist than most people so thats nice for me but most may want to let it dry for 5 to 10 minutes.

Lighting it up is easy and effortless. Starts right up and gets rolling. It puts off a fair amount of smoke with very little to almost no tongue bite. It's really tasty in my opinion! In the smoke I get a lot of fig again and walnut with a slight spice. It's sweet though with subtle strawberry and it keeps my mouth watering. Very pleasant for my taste. If you enjoy natural sweetness in tobaccos then this one you'll like. The room note is nice also. I really enjoy it and will occasionally hold my bowl at my chin and wave it to smell the smoke off the bowl. It's really nice.

I would totally give this a try if you haven't! It's definitely lacking some latakia but not in a bad way at all. It actually makes this blend stand out among English blends for me. I definitely recommend to any smoker.

Pipe Used: Neerup straight apple

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: Smoking pipes

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	the_german (309)	2012-02-24		Very Mild	None Detected	Mild	Pleasant

They said it were a fuller version of 7 Reserve. If so, I don't think I'll try 7 Reserve. I had expected a full-blown English, maybe a full scottish blend. I was rather disappointed.

The tin aroma is delicious: VA sweetness with a little nuttiness; some BC pepper in there. The leaf is a thin ribbon, the colours are about equal bright, brown and black; the BC presence in there is more noticeable than that of Latakia. Like all Rattray's blends, this one is composed of top notch leaf.

Stuffing, lighting and maintenance are all what I had expected; standard, nothing out of the ordinary. But to my surprise, this blend produces lots of condensation; I have to run a cleaner through the stem a couple of times during the smoke to stop the pipe from gurgling. The taste is mostly sweet, with a touch of spice, but for me, far far from full.

I classify this as a morning smoke for myself; it's not bad, but for something advertised as being "full," it does not deliver. I will finish the remains of my tin, but will not buy again. For perspective: I have about half of my pipes dedicated to Latakia-based blends, and the other half to VA/Pers, Burleys and so on, with two corn cobs serving for aromatics. I smoke this in two of my VA/Per/Bur pipes and do not expect to have to do much maintenance when changing those pipes over to the next blend...

Update 2012-04-25: I have tried this in my Falcons, and in those it develops some taste; maybe this is a blend that works best without a filter. I'll enjoy the rest of my tin that way, then.

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Noorrmm (192)	2002-01-28		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

This is the blend that fills the gap between 7 Reserve (too light for some, and Red Raparee (too heavy for an all day smoke). It is listed as a Full tobacco, but that seems to be a historical reference to nicotine content. I did not find it particularly strong in nicotine. The blend is nicely vareigated in color, mostly short to medium ribbon cut, with a well balanced English/Oriental aroma. It lights well (after airing out), and remains lit well. The initial flavor is well balanced between the Va base and the condiments. The Turkish provides a moderately spicy taste, and the Latakia is neither too faint, nor too bold. Kudos to K & C for staying so close to the spirit of the original Scottish blend. If you ae looking for something just a bit lighter than Red Raparee, this may be the perfect choice.

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	oldcodger (74)	2016-05-08		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Questions questions, questions. What is meat by "noggins"? Why three of them? What does the notation "full" on the label and "full English mixture" on the bottom of the can imply? Noggins is a slang term for head and also a small cup. Is one of these or something else meant? What does three signify? And why is this mild to medium blend characterized as full?

Rattray's 3 noggins is a mixture of Virginia, oriental, latakia, and unflavored cavendish. Open the tin and you get an aroma of Virginia and oriental. The latakia does not show up in the initial sniff. The cut is ribbon, and the moisture level just slightly high, but a tad better than most tinned tobaccos.

Lighting presents no problem, and the ribbon cut offers no challenge in keeping the light going. The Virginias are probably red, there is sweetness there. The orientals provide a spicy undertone. Yes, the latakia is there when you smoke it, but it is at a level well under medium. The unflavored cavendish (and this is what many would characterize as a Scottish mixture because of its inclusion) beefs up and rounds out the body.

The room note does not offer so strong an odor of dirty gym socks as do blends with a heftier latakia component. People will not brag on the room note, but this is not an offering which will engender many protests from non smokers.

In the Rattray lineup this is a stronger tobacco than offerings such as Seven Reserve and Professional Mixture (which have just a whiff of oriental and latakia), but notably less full than Red Rapparee. Actually it may have as much latakia as RR, but the oriental/latakia backbone of Red Rapparee is much more Balkan oriented.

Full English mixture? Three Noggins does not have the heft to qualify if that implies a dominant oriental/latakia mix. Or does that suggest a robust nicotine presence? There is nicotine there, but I would rate it a little shy of medium. So does the full English notation refer to the preparation? MacBarens H.H. Old Dark Fired characterizes itself as English because of the steam processing by which the tobacco is darkened. But 3 Noggins is light in color aside from the strands of latakia.

By and large, latakia lovers will find this OK so long as the yen of the moment is not for a full flavor. Those who normally puff English tobaccos (especially if they like oriental in it) will find this an acceptable smoke. Burley lovers may rate the flavor of 3 Noggins as a bit too bland, but I doubt they will have difficulty finishing off a tin of it. Aromatic smokers will mark this off the list.

Personally I rather enjoy smoking 3 Noggins. The mild to medium flavor is not overly complex, but when you pay attention to the smoking you will note some interesting nuances. I give only two stars "somewhat recommended" not because of anything that is wrong with 3 Noggins, but because for a fairly pricey offering it does not have the oomph to rate an unrestrained recommendation.

This tobacco does not have a high bowl ghosting factor. I smoke it in a variety of pipes and have not experienced any ghosting problems.

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	StevieB (2076)	2018-01-21		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

Rattray - 3 Noggins.

One of my reviews from some years ago I deleted as it didn't read well. New tin, repost!

A fairly coarse mixture, ribbons and some broken flake. The lesser of the ingredients is the black Cavendish, there's only about 15% in the tin. Moisture's good when fresh.

Easily lit and burns well. From the Latakia I get a mild smokiness, but it isn't a heady flavour; no 'Lat-Bomb' here. The Orientals work slightly bizarrely, at first they don't seem too bad, but develop more of a sourness as the bowl burns. The Virginia/black Cavendish give a gentle sweetness, and slightly subdue the Oriental piquancy. It has a cool temperature and doesn't bite. In build the smoke isn't that heavy, so it doesn't cloud the room with smog; alright in winter when you can't have open windows!

Nicotine: medium to strong. Room-note: pleasant.

The first quarter's far better than the latter part. The Orientals taint the enjoyment. Two stars:

Somewhat recommended.

Pipe Used: Altinok Meerschaum

Age When Smoked: One month

Purchased From: My Smoking Shop

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	MDP (39)	2010-02-15		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

As balanced as a fuller English blend can be without becoming dominated by any one condimental leaf. The flue-cured component is as hearty as are the Turkish and Latakia, hence the balance. Some Cavendish nuances came through here and there, now and again. 3 Noggins has only middlin strength. This would charm its way into several dozen tins for my cellar if it were cooler on my tongue when smoked beyond the barest draw. Still worthy of three stars, but surpassed by several like-blends.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2008-09-10		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

What the hell is a Noggin? I think the 3 "Noggins" in question are Larry, Moe and Curly.

Journal Notes, February 10, 1980: Full, no. Medium at best. The noggins must be Virginia, Turkish and Latakia. Blend kicks up Oriental throughout. Some toast, some pastry. A little smoke/campfire. Nothing to get excited about. Back to BS 759.

Journal Notes, May 1984: Tin dated 2/10/80. Dry, not brittle. Burns well. No bite. No Latakia. Mostly Turkish with some Virginia foundation. Ho Hum. Into mason jar.

Journal Notes, April 2000: Jar dated 5/84. Where in the hell did this come from? Nice Virginia Turkish, but nothing special. Last bowl. Still nice, but boring. Like the short cut of the tobacco. Lights easily, burns well.

Journal Notes, January 2000: New tin dated 3/98. Not bad, not good. Oriental upfront, nice Virginias...sweet and balanced. Back in the jar you go.

August 2008: Age has been kind to the 3 Knot-Heads, but still not a go-to smoke. Nice as a nostalgia smoke.

Better stuff out there at a better price.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	TallPuffO'Burley (632)	2022-07-15		Mild	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

This was a pleasant english and it really suited the warm weather in which I got to experience it. I tend to not like latakia blends in the summer, but the lat presence is light in this one as it seems to be led by a variety of oriental leaves. They add a nice sour citrus taste that is only slightly bitter.

Otherwise the orientals rest against some a base of virginia and cavendish that is nicely sweet harkening flavors mostly associated with bright virginias yet tempered with the cavendish to allow one to puff a little heavier than necessary without any oral discomfort. The latakia is but a whisper in the background and this blend is only slightly smokey. I seldom smoke in the morning anymore, but I would speculate that this would go great with some coffee as a first smoke of the day as it tends to be that kind of blend.

There is nothing negative I can say about the presentation or quality of the product. It is typical Rattray product, Classy and Tasty.

I recommend this blend to anyone, in particular, who enjoys blends such as Squadron Leader or EMP. Good stuff; I am glad I have more cellared.

Age When Smoked: 7yrs 6mths

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Gentleman Zombie (729)	2016-08-21		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I have a very odd relationship with Rattray's Black Cav. Didn't care for it in Marlin Flake. Loved it in Black Mallory. Here, once again, I don't care for it. It's the Black Cav that makes this bland. It taste a little like dirt. The other components are fine except the BC seems to suck the sweetness right out of the Virginias. Just like Marlin Flake it's the BC that spoils this one. Marlin Flake was still a decent smoke for me though, this one, not so much.

Mild to medium in body and taste. No added flavorings. Burns very well. Bland in both briar and cob.

Pipe Used: Ropp pot, MM Little Devil Cutty

Age When Smoked: fresh

Purchased From: smokingpipes.com

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	RMBittner (66)	2011-03-21		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

2008 tin, smoked in 2011

A Scottish that leans more toward the English side - with more latakia and less cavenish - than, say, Jocks or 7 Reserve. I'm a fan of this style of blend, and, for me, 3 Noggins really delivers.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JohnnyMcPiperson (119)	2011-01-28		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

This blend reminded me of a scottish mixture that I tried once. Did it take 3 noggins to come up with it, no I don't think so, maybe half of one... Not really a very original blend IMO. I found it to be very bland and boring, not what you'd expect from Rattray, but I guess you can't do everything right. Not that it's a terrible blend, just nothing very special. I smoked a small sample of it and that was all I needed to know that I didn't need any more. Kind of an old world blend I think, but it just lacks something that I can't put my finger on. The interesting thing is that I can pick up on all the different leaves in this blend, but for some reason the proportions just didn't come together for me to make a very cohesive blend. Not my favorite, but I would say it's worth a try if you can get an ounce or so.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Jakob Kiilerich (120)	2005-09-05		Mild	Extremely Mild	Mild	Very Pleasant

I have only tried the K&K version, and I suspect that their version is FAR from the original.

There is only a smidgen of Latakia in this mixture, if any at all. The black specks are probably unsweetened Cavendish. My first impression was that this is an unusually bland mixture, but smoked with care, as evere Rattrays' should be smoked, this bright VA blend might make a good morning smoke for some.

It is very light, fragile and not spicy at all. This is IMHO exactly how a bright VA should be like. The Latakia and the (almost non-present) amount of orientals make 3 Noggins a little more interesting than many pure bright VA's in the same category.

Smoked in the evening, it is just plain boring...

Jakob Kiilerich, Denmark

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2004-08-11		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

3 Noggins is a fuller bodied version of 7 Reserve, which is a light version of Red Rapparee. Whew! What it boils down to is this: This is the middle one.

As with 7 Reserve, 3 Noggins is comprised of good quality leaf. I smoked it very well dried, and experienced no tongue bite at all.

Initially, the Oriental is out front with its spicy flavor. By mid bowl, it has settled in to a fuller more well-rounded flavor with Oriental leading the way, with ample support from the sweetness Virginia and the smokiness of the Latakia. This balance stays with you to the end without any real change. The finish is subtle.

While I like this one better for its fullness, I like the more prominent Virginia flavor in 7 Reserve. I guess there?s just no pleasing some people!

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Albion1956 (42)	2002-01-22		Medium to Strong	Medium	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

A full tobacco, in that it has all the pieces to make a full English blend. This tobacco was my first foray into Rattray's English line some time back, I beleive it was the name that enticed me? A cornucopia of flavors envelopes the nose when opening, something akin to walking into a candy store. I'm not familiar with the German purity laws, but this tobacco did stay moist after being exposed to air for some time. Viewing the ingredients, one sees Virginia's of varying sorts, and Orientals, let's not forget Latakia, probably Cyprian. This blend is simular to others in it's makeup and appearance, but the comparisons stop there.This as said is a full tobacco, mostly in flavor, with the support of the omnipresent nicotine. The charring light affixes itself to the tobacco and it produces a sweet, yet tangy smell. the tobacco smokes well and burns to a dull grey ash leaving little dottle. This could be envisioned as a introduction to a full English for the veteren or novice. Enjoy!

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Knightsmoker (216)	2022-06-13		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Tolerable to Strong

Rattray's 3 Noggins has a tin note that is sweet, earthy, smokey, woody with a little sourness and spice. Smells great! Unfortunately, the tin smell does not translate into the full smoke promised on the tin. It is mild to med. from start to finish. The flavors never really develop, the VA's seem to be the dominate component here but offer only a little grass and citrus with hints of dark fruits here and there. The blend offers some smoky campfire notes and is earthy but there are only hints of sourness, spice and floral elements. The nic just touches mild to med. The room note is tolerable at best. The finish is rather short for a Lat blend. It smoked a little damp for me and required several relights, otherwise the blend would smoke hot. This is not the full smoke as advertised. If this is fuller than 7 Reserve, then I have no reason to even sample that. Personally, taking this for what it is, a mild to med. smoke, there are way better options out there, for example, Samuel Gawith's Skiff Mixture or EMP although both lack the black cav.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Mantis (1)	2022-05-07		Mild	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

This blend has a lower rating than I expected. It’s not remarkable, but it won’t let you down either. There are many types of pipe smokers, some smoke 1-2 bowls a week, others 1-6 bowls a day. I personally fall in the latter camp. I suppose if this was your 1 bowl a week you would find it lacking a bit, but when you are 3 or so cocktails deep and you’ve already had your 2nd or 3rd bowl of the day, you may find yourself staring at your tobacco collection asking, “what next?”

This is where 3 noggins really shines. It doesn’t disappoint, and it goes with just about anything. It’s a solid all day smoke, highly sessionable. It’s not a particular standout, and it doesn’t try to be. Like an old world drugstore brand that one of your dockworking ancestors smoked. He never thought too hard about it, and neither should you. Just light it and enjoy.

Pipe Used: Nording Hunter

Age When Smoked: 1yr

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pryhosm (248)	2021-11-20		Mild	None Detected	Extremely Mild (Flat)	Tolerable

Very mild blend. Tin note is very light, lightly sweet and with some notes of grass. This has taken me awhile to review. I have smoked it in every pipe type I have, cob, clay, meer and briar. Large bowl, small bowl, wide bowl and narrow. I cannot get any real flavor from this blend, which in and of itself is an impressive accomplishment. I would say the Cavendish is the lead leaf in this blend, I do not get any flavoring at all just a mineral and slightly sour flavor. There is also a slight woody flavor, similar to a toothpick kept in your mouth, Someone else mentioned Rattray's blends being hit and miss, I would agree. I love Red Raparee, Marlin Flake, Black Mallory, Hal 'O the Wynd and most of the Virginia flakes, Brown Clunee may be an exception. This one is a big miss for me. I truly get no flavor from the smoke and it just isn't worth the effort to try and find it.

Pipe Used: Briar's, meerschaum, clay's and cob's

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	MisterMyerPiper (1)	2020-07-01		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

As I am lighting one more bowl, I’m getting the same mixed experience.

There’s something of Red Rapparee in the oriental and Latakia although this blend is slightly stronger.

I don’t get much sweetness as the Black Cavendish does not play its typical sweetening role here. Perhaps it’s a question of quantity..

The tobacco lights perfectly and comes a tiny bit moist from the tin, ready to go in a few mins. Beautiful smooth retro-hale smoke and yet something is still missing.

I keep on wishing it was 965...hence, If you find 965 to be too sweet and you are in love with Rattray’s English, this one could be worth trying.

In conclusion: Enjoyable but would not buy more because 1) too many superior English / Scottish Blends in the spectrum. 2) a few pennies more expensive than most 3) it’s different but not special!

Pipe Used: Ben Wade Woodsman (Full Bent Calabash)

Age When Smoked: Less than 1 year

Purchased From: GQ Tobaccos

Similar Blends: Rattray's Red Rapparee. A fuller version, both in flavor and nicotine but nowhere near the punch, flavor, complexity of Dunhill 965 and Nightcap., Rattray - Red Rapparee (British Collection), Peterson - My Mixture 965.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	denholrl (22)	2018-12-25		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Very Pleasant

Lately, I've been moving away from English blends because Latakia was leaving me with alkaloid mouth, sometimes powerful enough that I would stop smoking before finishing a bowl. This morning, I opened a tin of Rattray's 3 Noggins that i bought in 2006. For me, the level of Latakia was perfect. Enough for that wonderful smoky flavor; not enough to produce that ashy, sour punch in the mouth. The Orientals were lovely. The Virginias sweet and smooth. Unfortunately, this is my last old tin. I'm looking forward to popping one of my one or two year old tins of this famous old blend. My "highly recommended" rating is for the 2006 batch, only.

Pipe Used: Connoisseur freehand cauldron

Age When Smoked: 12 years

Purchased From: Don't know. Long time ago.

Similar Blends: Rattrya's 7 Reserve . . . Connoisseur Pickwick.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Virginia lover (218)	2014-12-26		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

A 100 GRAM original Rattray's tin with the silver bottom and pictures on the top lid, a 35+ years old original Scottish mixture.

The smell is of fermented Red Virginia, very fruity and very slightly musty. The tobacco is flawless in its preservation, the moisture is perfect, a short and fine ribbon cut of dark, dark red and yellow golden.

The Red Virginia that dominates is now mellow and the bread accents are subdued, I get a sweet and tangy flavor. The Turkish is there, fragrant and slightly spicy but very light. The Latakia offers a smoky finish. It reminds me of a mellow single malt Scotch.

This tobacco benefits from rehydration and being stored in a jar as the Latakia smell and taste is not at all present if used directly from the aged tin.

Virginia lover

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2011-09-24		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

It isn't horrible, just not worth the money. Buy a lighter English from almost anyone else. The tobacco seems to smoke hot and can become acrid and bite. I only smoked 1 100gram tin of this so it might have been the tin. For some reason this blend gets bitter near the end of the bowl which I usually only expect in heavy burley blends. I love other Rattray blends, just can't stand this one.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2010-10-01		Mild	Very Mild	Extremely Mild (Flat)	Tolerable

I really wanted to like this, and not just for the money a 100g tin costed me. Or that beatutiful, old school packaging. I stumbled upon this while on a quest for the perfect EM, and I'm afraid this is not going to stay with me. It's flat, anonymous, with a huge olfactive hole where the "body" should be. The tin aroma is promising, with a queer hint of fermented raisins, but ultimately it adds up to nothing. I kept coming back to 3 Noggins on different pipes and in different contexts, but the results were not encouraging: it doesn't seem to work for me. It's not that I detected flaws, foul smells or cheap tricks, the material is clearly top notch, but the smoke it delivers is feeble, weak and, well, "empty". I'm not implying that it's bad tobacco, chances are it will work for some, but don't see myself buying more of this anytime soon.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2008-09-10		Medium to Strong	Mild to Medium	Mild	Pleasant

Well, another Rattray's tobacco bites the dust. Don't know what those folks in Germany are doing with the great Rattray's blends, but to me they are no longer smokeable, and the competition simply outclasses them these days, in all their offerings. Opened two aged 100 gram tins, and mostly found this stuff tasteless, with too much nicotine for a tobacco with little else in the way of redeeming qualities. Some funny chocolate flavor keeps wafting through, but not much else. Can't pick out the virginias, or much else for that matter. And it leaves an awful taste on the palate, and it ain't the pipe. I am officially done with Rattray's blends now. Tired of paying the big bucks simply to toss it in the garbage when it proves unlikeable. What was once a great house is simply an anemic shadow of its former self. Adios and good riddance. The great American houses have become the new standard bearers in the world of smoking tobacco, although Samuel Gawith is still making an impeccable product. There, my two cents worth, or one star's worth, or something. Night'all

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Budman (25)	2008-08-07		Medium to Strong	Mild	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

The first mistake I made with this blend was to attempt to smoke it right after opening the tin. After about twenty relights and my tongue ready to fall out I gave up. A few months later I found the tin in one of my drawers with a bunch of other forgotten tobaccos. Much drier now I filled up and gave it another try. 3 noggins is a well balanced blend with good strength. If you push it to the hot side put down the pipe and let it cool. Someone mentioned Latakia but all I see and taste is Black Cavendish,Oriental and Virginia. I would recommend this to any VA smoker looking for something with more kick. I like the nicotine punch this has also.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2006-10-23		Medium	Mild	Medium to Full	Tolerable

This is an interesting tobacco to say the least. When I first tried 3 Noggins I wasn?t very impressed. I was paying my father a visit and he kept raving about it so I tried a bowl. Well it wasn?t love at first puff. Back then (some three years ago) I was smoking mainly latakia laden blends, so it tasted somewhat flat to me. A little over a year ago I grabed a tin out of my fathers stash. Once home I placed it in the back of my humidor and promptly forgot about it. Over the last two years I have been a VA smoker so my taste in tobacco has shifted considerably, which brings me to my new impression of 3 Noggins. The other night I was looking for a change of pace smoke when I ran across my tin, now over a year old. Well I have to admit I smoked three bowls that night!

In my opinion this is a medium-full blend with VA?s, Orientals and black unsweetened Cavendish, I agree with Jakob that there is little to no latakia present (probably none). When smoked slowly this is a very nice tobacco with a very addictive malt/beer flavor and when I say beer I don't mean Budweiser, I mean real beer like an oatmeal stout. The orientals make themselves known periodically throughout the smoke but the VA?s and Cavendish dominate. I recommend smoking indoors in a large bowled pipe and if you over-puff, the smoke will become harsh and the flavor will go flat. I think this is a good spring/summer blend and could even be an all day smoke as I have done so on occasion.

I often pair tobacco?s smoking two pipes side by side. This blend does well with straight VA?s or VA/Per?s but doesn?t do well with latakia blends. So if you?re an adamant latakia smoker I don?t recommend this particular blend, but for you VA lovers or even an aromatic smoker looking to try an English/Scottish blend this is worth your time and money.

It should be noted that this was a K&K tin aged one year.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Lochinvar (78)	2005-09-01		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Tolerable

The FULL on the label refers to nicotine level, although the taste is certainly full (some people think Full means "lots of Latakia") This is a rich full blend that is as opulent to the palate as it is to the olfactory system. None of the ingredients seem to dominate rather they come together in a grand example of the English variety of blends. Whenever I smoke this the taste puts me in mind of a pint of dry stout. In any event a good entry from Rattray.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Tantric (321)	2005-03-23		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium	Strong

New review: 8 April, 2021 I tried this one because it said it was developed for a smoker who wanted something similar to 7 reserve but with a little more of punch. I more or less like 7 Reserve, but it tends to be too astringent on the palate, so I decided to have a go at this one. In a way one would think this is a tobacco in between the flavoursome apotheosis of Red Raparee and the more mundane and humble 7 Reserve. I don't think so. I believe 3 Noggins does stand on its own. It has a very peculiar taste: some what fruity, funky, but very nice. In a way it reminds me of Peterson's Perfect Plug, but with added element of the Orientals and, minutely, Latakia. It comprises a considerable amount of Latakia), some Orientals and Virginias, plus an unsweetened Black Cavendish. The Virginias used in this blend are a far cry from the varieties used in Old Gowrie, Marlin Flake or Hal O' the Wynd. Nontehless a very nice and solid smoke.

Pipe Used: Comoy's

Age When Smoked: N/A

Purchased From: Friend

Similar Blends: Peterson's Perfect Plug.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Beer (345)	2004-09-03		Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Tolerable to Strong

Declared as "full" on the tin, this EM certainly has a "thick" presence on the palate, but the taste is VERY far from fulll... Sure, in Rattray's lineup there are several blander/milder mixtures (with less orientals and latakia), but this brand has a weird policy: its products are on average more "all-day" oriented than stouter blends from brands like GLPease and Dunhill. 3 Noggins is similar to Red Rapparee but lighter and less tasty: latakia is not abundant, as the dominant smell in the tin is rather from the orientals and from the sweet virginias. In spite of the relatively high moisture, it burns decently and bites your tongue only if you rush it in a vain search for more flavor. The taste is delicate, nutty and slightly spicy. Too bad that it gets tiresome very soon: get Red Rapparee instead.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2011-08-16		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Tolerable

Appearance is a medium brown ribbon. Tin smells of sweet figs.

Sadly, 3 Noggins is a poor addition to the Rattray's line. Harsh and slightly bitter, I can not see how CR made this from 7 Reserve, a much better blend. Advice on making the most of this is to dry it well and smoke it slowly. 3 Noggins only just makes it above a negative recommendation, that is to say, try it. Where I could not, you may find what Charles Rattray's customer wanted when he asked for a change from 7 Reserve.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2009-09-09		Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

I think this blend would be better received if it was not labeled as a full English. I expected something along the lines of Artisan's and was disappointed in that respect, but all in all this is an acceptable medium blend of balanced flavors that smokes well. Unlike others I found no bite in this. I enjoy coming back to it from time to time as a change of pace from Virginias or mixing it about half and half with DaVinci for a very flavorful, cool evening smoke with a brown ale or four.

A bit pricey, but not bad to have on hand.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2008-11-06		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

I keep coming back to this blend, and I keep coming up short on describing it. There's a very minor vanilla note from time to time, but nothing stands out in the tobacco dept. Not an English, not an Oriental, sort of the Carter Hall of the imported tobacco world Will finish this tin, but another is not on the horizon.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2008-01-19		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Well, my original review is now suspect as I have been smoking this blend for a year. I still think it a very wonderful blend for those who like fuller Oriental blends. My change of mind (?) is that whatever Latakia noted originally is absent (transfer from equipment used for Latakia blends? Some unique Turkish leaf? Fire-cured Cavendish?).

3N is analogous to McConnell's Original Oriental Mixture. Both are well done offerings from K&K, and actually of the same genre. I do not seek either when Latakia is desired, and I smoke 3N, OO, Orcilla, Embarcadero, McC's Grand Orientals, etc. quite often. They have begun to outstrip my attention given to Latakia blends.

Rating remains the same.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2007-03-04		Medium	Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

When I first opened the tin I noticed the exact same aroma as Highland Targe. A faint vanilla smell. There is very little difference in the two but this blend is a bit fuller bodied than HT. Like Highland Targe there is very little latakia, and that component in this blend isn't noticebale. I seperated out some of the black tobaccos and smelled and tasted the black leaf and it's sweet cavendish.

Again, the original had Syrian latakia and Kopp seems to have replaced the latakia components in these blends with sweetened black cavendish. On it's own merit this is a nice tobacco. The virginia is sweet and soft at the beginning and later becomes tangy. The oriental tobaccos are present and add some nice spice about 1/4 of the way into the bowl. It really is a pleasant blend and the quality of the tobacco is very high. I liked this blend and will smoke it occasionally. However, I believe that if they are going to call this "3 Noggins" and use vintage tin art then it should be closer to the original blend and have some of the fragrant properties of latakia present.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2007-02-13		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Strong

I love 3 Noggins. I am not a big fan of latakia mixtures when the latakia overwhelms everything else in a blend. This mixture smokes as smooth as a latakia mixture I have ever tried. It burns dry and leaves the walls of the bowl clean. There is little or no dottle left behind.

I tried this because I was not happy with the way Red Rapparree is currently being blended - looking for something not as stringent on the palate and 3 Noggins fills the bill nicely for me. Smooth and almost creamy on the palate.

Jay

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2007-02-10		Medium to Strong	Medium	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

As of late, I've been enjoying Solani 633, Laural Heights and an old tin of Four Square that just ran out. I also occasionally enjoy the varities in the McClelland line of tobaccos. Recently I found in my cabinet a tin of 3 Noggins Full- only a 3rd full and very dry. It had been a while since I had a bowl of this blend. I chose a large bowl--a Radice that smokes nice and very cool, and I was pleasantly surprised with the Noggins. I noticed that the reviews were all over the map, but I wanted to put my two cents in here and say the flavor was good and as I smoked it slowly 3NF supplied a satisfying experience.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2006-10-26		Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

This is not the same blend I smoked back in the late nineties. I opened a can I had from 1999 and compared it to a new one, just to make sure, and - trying to set aside aging (!) - it's just not the same tobacco. The newer stuff is more bland and has more bite toward the bottom of the bowl.

It's an interesting blend, but as others (more erudite in smoking terminology) have pointed out, it comes across as somewhat bland (if not full) English and has a bit of tongue bite. I remember it being a smoother, fuller, and sweeter, but not particularly exciting blend. However, it still works well in small bowls. I tend to smoke very large bowls, and 3 Noggins just doesn't continue to please more than half way down. That's when it starts biting. And boring. In a large bowl, packed half way, it's worth the time. But, it will never again be a staple.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2005-06-04		Strong	None Detected	Full	Tolerable

3 Noggins is a strong moist tobacco that burns hot and harsh. The Virginias in this are not like the ones used in Old Gowrie, Marlin Flake or Hal O' the Wynd. I found nothing positive here and for the price, this was a total disappointement.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2004-08-05		Medium	Mild to Medium	Mild	Pleasant

Ok, Here we go. I found this particular blend to be rather Jekyl and Hyde, meaning somtimes it was refined, elegant, debonair even, yet other times I found it to be difficult, tempermental, and a bit violent. Has a nice room note, the wife seemed to like it. However, I found this Extremely difficult to get going, with almost instant tounge bite. However, once it got really cooking...LOOK OUT, it actually cooled down. It needed a cronic puffing bordering on manic to get the proper amount of fire going, but once going was hard to put out untill near the end of the bowl. I also find it a rather wet smoke, achieving a gurgling almost from the first match out of about a dozen. There appears to be some sort of preservative mixed in with this blend as well, as it keeps rather moist even after sitting in the pouch for some time. all in all Very wet for an English blend. I for one was surprised, this being my first foray into rattrays. For tast, it's right down the middle of the road, so I sort of like it. But I find It too troublesome to be a regular smoke for me. Others with more time and patience may find it great for an all day. I for one also prefer more latakia. all in all....3 out of 5

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Mephisto (32)	2004-01-25		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

well this is a full Engish and a well made blend but I just dont particularly like it. Full and a bit raspy there are better selections out there in this category. Good but not in my taste.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JaWiBr (439)	2023-01-18		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

Jar note of tangy fruit, mild smoky, and sugar. The black, brown and tan ribbon tobacco is on the dry side, but soft. no prep needed. Burns moderate with few relights. The strength is medium to strong and nic is mild to medium. No flavoring detected. Taste is medium and fairly consistent, with notes of tangy citrus, earth, leather, bitter wood, lemon zest, smoky, toast, acidic, spice, orange peel, floral, sour, spicy, dry, a tart strewed fruit background note, and a peppery retro. Latakia is leading with Oriental/Turkish and Virginias supporting. Black Cavendish is a background supporter. Room note is tolerable, and aftertaste is good.

Pipe Used: 1981 Peterson Mark Twain

Age When Smoked: 4 years

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