Rattray 3 Noggins

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!