Rattray 7 Reserve

Hmmm... The first things I tasted in this blend is it's similarity to Red Rapparee. I think it's an excellent tin description. Similar virginia/oriental English blend but softer and easier to smoke. Red Rapparee and Black Mallory are great complex blends but can smoke hot/harsh. This blend has a character similar to Red Rapparee but is softer smoking and a little more focused on sweet tasting virginias.

I really like this blend and will probably smoke two tins a year, which is quite a bit for me given the other tobaccos I smoke.

As far as smoking it all day, I think that would scorch your tounge seriously! (So would Red Rapparee for that matter)

I first experienced this blend from a tin which I had cellared for 7 years and found it excellent. The taste was smooth and mellow with a perfect blend of sweetness and spice. Light definitely, but well rounded and satisfying. Think a hearty cup of Lifeboat tea as opposed to an espresso!

Subsequently I tried a tin with less age and was disappointed. It was not bad, but lacked the smoothness and amiability of my first sample. A tin with about 3 years age fell in between those two.

I am cellaring more of this and hope to find out if the blend has changed or if the additional aging is the key.

While I can't determine if the aging is the factor or if there has been a change in the blend, I am currently puffing delightedly on some 10 year old 7 Reserve.

I would love to try some of the original Rattray's production to see how it compares with the current German product.

I finally had the opportunity to smoke a tin of the original Rattray's production and was a bit surprised. Despite considerable age this did not impress me as much as the German version. There was a little more complexity but it seemed the component tobaccos did not harmonize as well.

A quality mild-medium english blend. Virginia is not as sweet as with Squadron Leader, so that remains my Number 1 tobacco in this category. That being said, this is a solid choice and I'd reccomend giving it a try if you're a fan of mild-medium English mixtures.

I would say this is a strange tobacco. In theory this is a milder version of Red Raparee, designed for the constant and not the intermittent smoker. In fact it is the exact opposite of G.L. Pease?s Renaissance. I tried it some years ago, when looking for a change of pace from the Latakia based mixtures I usually smoked (London Mixture/965/Balkan Sobranie Original).

The tobacco is indeed very good, savoury, piquant and easy to smoke. It comes ribbon cut, but it doesn't exactly follow the usual composition of an English blend. There is of course Latakia and Virginia, but the stronger accent is on the Turkish. The Virginias used are of a very tame nature, and the Latakia (Syrian I believe) is very discreetly applied.

Though I did like its flavour and its burning rate, the overall structure of the mixture seemed to me a bit on the dry side, making it rather harsh at the end. I found it had a somewhat astringent effect: it produced an itchy feeling on the palate and it made me very thirsty (a perfect excuse to wash the flavour down with one or two pints of Murphy's!). I also felt it lacked the roundness and depth of other English mixtures, as if something was missing. As a result, I never really felt satisfied with its flavour, wishing for more but at the same time weary of its desiccating effects. Not really an elegant and refined smoke, and IMO definitely not an all day smoke. An interesting Oriental experience, but would not classify it amongst the best English mixtures.

Earthy, musky, grassy and smoky 7 Reserve is better than Red Rapparee even if it is not a real Scottish mixture but rather a classic English mixture. Of course a Latakia mixture. Easy to smoke, plain, simple, tasty, enjoyable and palatable. I think this blend is ideal for Latakia lovers. In my personal system rating (from 1 to 10) my score is 8/9 and 3 stars.

This blend has a good deep scent in the tin and it packs and burns very well. upon lighting it was very mild and a bit bland initially. However, as others have said, once you've smoked the first quarter or so, the blend starts to build body and the orientals kick in and add some nice spice. I found it a bit lighter on the Lat than I was expecting and it never really hit the spot for me as regards a full bodied flavour, but as a mild English(ish) blend for an everyday smoke it's a perfectly good bowlful.

I stumbled upon this blend by accident. I ordered 5 tins of HOTW and somehow Rattray has managed to tin this blend with a HOTW sticker on the tin.

Smokingpipes.com stood by their customer and offered to send me my HOTW and said i could keep the tins of this stuff.

This blend is probably the perfect example of an all day smoke. Just like it said on the tin.

Unlike many other blends i have seen, it does not announce to be anything other than an all day tobacco. For that i give it full marks because it is perfect in that regard.

As a relaxing sit down in the evening smoke, this simply is too dull and boring. I taste the Virginia with the Oriental and Latakia popping in and out from time to time. It is not complex and it does not try nor pretend to be anything other than an all day tobacco and should be rated as such.

Mo, South Africa

Rattray - 7 Reserve.

One of my first reviews where I decided I can do better!

A finely cut ribbon, that looks to be of a good hydration, with nothing remarkable about the tin-note. I've smoked a few tins of this over the years and noticed every one of them has had a seal that practically needed a crow-bar to break it!

7 Reserve would make an enjoyable all day smoke for many, or a good introduction English, I recon. I find the Orientals louder than the rest of the leaves, the Latakia tastes quite mild, and the black Cavendish is easily the lightest addition. The Virginia gives body, and a slight sweetness, but nothing too demonstrative. The smoke feels a little too warm, and this reduces the rating. Oh, and it's also a bit of a biter.

The room-note's alright, and the nicotine's mild to medium.

My first review was glowing, but my taste has changed since then; I like an English to have more 'guts'. This tastes a bit too placid compared to what I favour. I'm not denying the fact it's well blended, but it's not one for me.

Two stars.

This is the only Rattray's tobacco I've smoked so far. A friend once told me that Rattray's "english" mixtures had a sweet taste, due to the cavendish in it. It was particularly evident in this one, as it tasted like an english mixture, but with a heavy sweet note that can let the smoker who is used to traditional english mixtures somehow unsatisfied. If I'm not wrong, it is probably a good example of what we call a scottish blend (english+cavendish).

It's not bad, in fact it's good, and definitely of good quality, but for my taste it's too sweet. However, I will try Red Rapparee and Black Mallory before making my mind about this type of blends from Rattray. I would only recommend this blend to someone who really likes sweet cavendish, but also english blends, and who would like to try the mixing of the two.