Tobaccos Rattray - Black Mallory (British Collection)

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JimInks (3019)	2014-03-29		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

A full bodied English that offers a slight sweetness along with the smoky, woody, earthy, musty, floral qualities you'd expect from Cyprian Latakia. The Virginias provide earth, some grass, mild tart and tangy citrus with a touch of tangy darker fruit, wood and bread. They are the ground base for the other players in the mixture. The Orientals offer earth, wood, vegetation, some floral and herbal notes, spice and a few dry, sour notes. They are not quite supporting players. The sugary black cavendish is a condiment, and doesn't conflict with what smokers generally look for in English blends. The strength is medium, while the taste is a couple of steps past that mark. The nic-hit is a slot short of medium. Won't bite or get harsh, and barely any rough edges. Burns cool and clean at a moderate pace with a very consistent, fairly smooth, mildly sweet and more savory well balanced flavor. Leaves little moisture in the bowl, and requires an average number of relights. Has a lightly lingering, pleasant sweet campfire after taste, and stronger room note. Not an all day smoke, but it is repeatable.

Update 10-2-2020: Having smoked the 1950s production, it is apparent that the earlier mixture is similar in many ways, but the Syrian Latakia (not Cyprian) is a little more potent than the later versions I have smoked. And the Orientals were tad more pronounced, too.

-JimInks

50 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pipestud (1829)	2002-04-21		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Pleasant

If I could smoke just one Latakia infested blend for the rest of my life the choice would be Rattray's Black Mallory. And not the original Made in Scotland version either. The Perth made variety is not sweet enough. The current Kolhasse & Kopp version is, to me, sweeter and more flavorful, and because it has all the right components for aging, the older the better. This is Rattray's best English blend. More refined an laid back than its companion blend, Red Rapparee, it contains a hint of sweetness and changes character as the bowl is smoked. If Latakia overwhelms you in large doses, then Black Mallory may be for you. Not real strong but full of flavor. And the smell right out of the tin is heavenly.

45 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Steerpike (149)	2006-02-03		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Strong

Delicious accompaniment to the Red Raparee. Fuller, darker tobaccos overall with a generous dose of Latakia. The tin aroma is not dominated by Latakia, but is decidedly smokier than the RR. Lots of earthy, fermented smells from the orientals too.

It lights with ease, and burns just as well, evenly and fairly slow, right to the bottom. The flavour is full, spicy, with a pleasant smokiness well backed up by the orientals. The flavour gets richer toward the bottom of the bowl, and the sell is wonderful, especiallly whenm smoking out of doors in the crisp winter air.

Where RR is a smoke for the autumn, this is a tobacco well suited to winter, the cold air brings out the best flavor and aroma. I cant think of many things more pleasurable than smoking this while walking home from the pub through the snow covered Hertfordshire countryside. Strongly reccomended to lovers of Latakia.

37 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30124)	2009-11-23		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

The first word that comes to mind when I smoke this is "luxurious". I can picture the royalty in Scotland smoking this stuff, before breakfast and after, as they lounge in their smoking rooms.

Dark black with streaks of chocolate brown, this is the heavier companion to Red Rapparee in the sense that the tobaccos are the same. However, the quantities of each are different, and the result is a heavier, richer smoke with fewer subtleties than RR. It smokes cool and sweet and has a hearty flavor that goes well after dinner... or after a big lunch. This is one tobacco that demands a relaxed state in order to appreciate its robustness. No limp wrists in this blend. Since Dunhill 965 has made itself scarce in the U.S, this will take its place in my rotation, next to Red Rap. Very sensuous tobacco with great rich flavor.

If you like full flavor and depth, this is one you can't afford to miss. The K&K version may be different than the older one, but it stands on its own.

27 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	fr_tom (393)	2014-04-11		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This blend is tasty, mellow and balanced. I find it to be a little milder than I think some of the reviewers do. The black cavendish keeps it from being harsh, and I can pick up the smoky latakia, the sweet Virginia and the spicy orientals in about that order of dominance. It works well, although for my palate, I would like a little more body.

This one is easy to recommend if you are interested in a smooth and somewhat refined English flavor profile. I found this to be an easy smoke. It did not burn hot, and it was easy to keep lit.

Cost per ounce is somewhat high if you pay attention to these things, but it might be worth having some around.

20 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Noorrmm (192)	2002-01-29		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Strong

Appearance: Mostly dark, some ribbons and some random pieces.

Aroma: Very full Latakia aroma with goodly amounts of darker Va, and black Cavendish (unsweetened). Some Turkish in the background.

Packing: Seemed to pack best in larger pipes, with a light touch needed.

Lighting: Took flame readily when not overpacked

Initial flavor: Very big, rich and mellow. The Cavendish led the parade with its smooth nutty taste, the Latakia lent it a smokiness that was just right..

Mid-bowl: No single flavor dominated the mixture, but all of them weighed in to form a nicely layered, complex, undemanding smoke. Cool at all times, can be enjoyed alone or with any beverage of your choice.

Finish: No surprises at the end, just a bit more Latakia presence.

Summary: This was one of my favorites in the pre-Danish days, I smoked it almost every evening. I?m really happy that it?s been restored so close to the original.

20 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30124)	2005-10-26		Mild	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I first tried Rattray as a high school sophomore. I worked on a loading dock next to a Tinder Box, where I would trade damaged cheese & sausages for undamaged tins & pouches of tobacco. Because I was a devout Norse Gold, heavy aromatic smoker, I did not appreciate the subtleties of Rattray, Dunhill or the newly arrived McClelland's that were all the rage among my older pipe smoking buddies. I didn't appreciate Rattray probably because I hadn't developed a palate or tobacco vocabulary wide enough to appreciate it. As a middle aged man traveling about Scotland, I was not given the opportunity to sample the Rattray products, as the venerable shop in the charming town of Perth had since closed. The gracious host at my inn told me that Charles Rattray had died & had no one to pass his 'wee' shop on to. 'A wee, little shop, it was' as he put it. Sorry to say, Black Mallory, though of refined quality, doesn't send chills up & down my spine. It's subtle enough, but it's rather bland & unimaginative. Also, depending upon humidity or room temperature, you have to fight like the Dickens to keep this stuff lit. It's simply not worth the frustration. It's a bit too light on the Latakia and lacks the full-bodied character & aggressiveness of Dunhill's Aperitif & London Mixture. Since I have no basis of comparison to the old Rattray blends, I can't speak about it. As for how it stands now, Black Mallory charms but in an unmemorable sort of way.

Three of five stars

15 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Geronimo Von Klaus (76)	2014-12-01		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Strong

Oooooooooh yes, this is good.

Deep, dark, murky and rich, with glorious depth of flavour and complexity. The initial plume that came out of the bowl reminded me of the Samovar which I am a huge fan of, and the tinge of sweet from the Black Cavendish made this seem slightly decadent.

The bowl got warmer and some of the Orientals mixed with the VA's, and the Latakia took a bit of a back seat, and the VA is high quality and offers a nice accompaniment to the Black Cavendish.

The smoke billowed, it took almost no work, and I sat and enjoyed for almost an hour.

Sublime, a true gent of a smoke, high recommended.

13 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Gentleman Zombie (729)	2014-03-31		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

I really like this blend. It's got a little something special to it that makes it stand out for me. The Latakia and the fine Orientals lead the way in nice balance. Next is the Black Cav followed by the mildly sweet Virginias. It's the way the Black Cav fits in that makes this special for me. It's interaction with the Latakia creates a wonderful flavor. I just love it. It's really weird that this same Black Cav is the reason I didn't care for Marlin Flake. I guess it just fits better here. Medium bodied with medium to full flavors. 4 stars.

Pipe Used: MM General, MM Country Gentleman

Age When Smoked: fresh

Purchased From: smokingpipes.com

12 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	H Gillman (39)	2014-07-09		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

Nice tin note. The smokiness of the Latakia seems to be the predomininant aroma, which I absolutely love. Nice dark ribbons with the odd light ribbon strewn here and there. Moisture is perfect right out of the can. Very nice and mellow smoke with no re-light. Wonderful flavour when rolled around the mouth and slowly exhaled from the nose. You taste and smell the beauty of this blend. A nice evening smoke worth trying.

=2015-07-31 Update=

One year in a mason jar with only a few openings for a smoke found that this is one of those tobaccos that mellows and gets better with age. A wonderful smoke.

Pipe Used: Several Peterson's

Age When Smoked: New 100g tin

Purchased From: Jades smokers corner

11 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Perique (163)	2015-08-05		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Strong

Black Mallory presents as a wide range of nearly black through lighter brown ribbons in the traditional 100 gram, cylindrical Rattray's tin. The nose is of delicious, smokey Latakia aromas framed in sweet Cavendish with just a hint of Virginia tang.

This blend arrives at an optimal moisture level and is smokable right out of the tin. The charring light brings a puff of Cavendish sweetness balanced by some drier, Oriental flavors. It should be noted that the Cavendish on display here is nothing like that commonly used in damp, messy American aromatics. Rather, this is traditionally, naturally sweet black Cavendish that pulls together the more robust tobaccos into a smooth, seamless package. 

That said, this is a subtly sweet, smoky, woody blend that I would enthusiastically recommend as an introduction to English blends. Black Mallory is softly sweet without ever being cloying, the Virginias are smooth and biteless, the Orientals provide a nutty, woody background, and the Latakia is deep and rich and yet buffered nicely by the unflavored Cavendish. There are deep bass notes here nicely tempered by the Cavendish, making Black Mallory one of the more accessible Latakia blends. A smooth and dry smoking medium English that I find to be an excellent blend that manages to provide dark, smokey Latakia notes perfectly balanced between the Cavendish and Virginias. The mouthfeel is deep, rich and creamy.

Dedicated English smokers and Latakiaphiles may be disappointed. But for an accessible medium English that provides plenty of body, or an introduction to the genre, Mallory is a sweetheart. 

9 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Tantric (321)	2002-09-20		Strong	None Detected	Full	Strong

Perhaps I am more used to the Dunhill/ Sobranie/Sullivan Powell type of English mixtures, but I find it very difficult to rate and appreciate the Rattrays´ varieties. Although they seem to use top grade leafs Rattrays? Oriental/Latakia mixtures tend to be on the dry, harsh side, and oddly spicy to my taste (quite the contrary to their Virginias, which I find not only exceedingly palatable, but smooth and very well tempered). Now, of the Rattray?s Oriental family, Black Mallory and Highland Targe seem to me an exception.

Mineral and strong I can only think of Black Mallory as an upgraded, rounder version of the old Balkan Sobranie Original Mixture. BM is less ?aromatic?, but strangely enough deeper in flavour, and much more defined in the Latakia-Oriental spectrum. The Virginias here are virtually non existent, or in any case they are of such variety that they merely add a whisper to the final flavour, leaving the centre stage to the stronger Orientals.

I agree with Pipestud in that this is a more refined tobacco than Red Raparee. Indeed it its stronger, but I find it is less pungent and astringent. There is a certain ?nature? quality---a zest almost grassy, earthy and humid (maybe the steam sensation referred to by tillmanj?)--- that sets it apart from most English blends.

Full but not exactly heavy, it burns very nicely and has a long lasting, bitter-sweet and smokey flavour, that invites you to meditate or to contemplate things with a certain aloofness. The only other tobacco that slightly reminds me of RBM is Dunhill?s London Mixture, albeit the latter in a much more milder and restrained fashion. If Black Mallory has a drawback is its jealousness: once you smoke a couple of bowls, it will be some days before other tobaccos taste like something. An excellent choice for the full bodied Latakia smoker.

8 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	krg1000 (183)	2014-05-09		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is yet another fine offering from Rattray. The blend is expertly mixed with fine ingredients that ends as a great mixture worthy of the pipe smoking gods. The moisture level is just perfect upon opening. The tin note and room note are just wonderful. This blend lights and stays lit with little effort. The nicotine level is on the lower end of the spectrum, so it should not be too harsh for anyone. It burns down to a fine ash at the bottom of the pipe. Highly recommended.

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JuanCarlos (13)	2014-04-27		Strong	Extremely Mild	Full	Strong

One of my all time favorites english mixtures. Nice orientals backing up a generous portion of latakia and hints of dried figs on the cavendish. It gains strength on the middle of the bowl and left only grey ashes.

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30124)	2009-09-14		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

After all the build up I had heard about this blend, when I actually got my hands on a tin I have to admit I was a bit disappointed. This is not to say that it's not a good blend as it most certainly is, but in the end Black Mallory just didn't quite do it for me in the manner in which I was hoping.

The cut is a perfect ribbon. There might be a couple of larger bits throughout a tin, but this is minimal. The coloration is a mixture of lighter, medium, and darker browns. And when opening the tin, I get a deep, almost woodsy smell that is lightly sweet. Packing and lighting also come quite easily and without effort.

Once lit, I find myself swimming in a smoke of intricate subtleties. The latakia is present, of course, and is flavorful. It does, however, seem to lack the punch that many other English blends that I enjoy have. Perhaps this is because of the Orientals, which are equally as present as the latakia, if not a little bit more so. The Virginias are also present, coming through sweet and mild. It is on the lighter side of "full English mixtures," but is still a great smoke nonetheless.

I think the reason this one fell slightly flat for me was (1) the build up to trying it and (2) the lack of age. The build up before I bought a tin was incredible; I had people who have tastes quite agreeable to mine tell me how much they love this blend. Also I opened my tin less than two weeks after purchasing it, meaning it had no time to age. And honestly, I think this is a blend best left untouched for a while so that it may age. If I had let my tin sit for a year, I may have been saying this was a favorite blend of mine. As it is I find it to be great - but not quite the best - and worth purchasing again with intentions of cellaring.

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30124)	2004-05-14		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Black Mallory offers Latakia in nice proportion to the other components. The cool smoky flavor of the Latakia combines well with the sweet tang of the Va. This blend is not overpowering in any way. Black Mallory would be a good choice for the Va smoker looking to venture into the world of Latakia.

Though a light English, the good earthy flavor and subtle interplay of flavors are enough to keep the dedicated English smoker happy. Similar, in a way to ?Accountants?.

I found that sweet drinks such as iced tea enhance the flavor of Black Mallory. Because it is fairly light, I can see this as a summertime ?on the porch with a pitcher of tea? blend.

I don?t give away 4-star ratings very easily ? Black Mallory is worthy.

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	StevieB (2075)	2017-10-13		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

Rattray - Black Mallory (British Collection).

Over the past six months, or so, if a tobacco's reviewed and I see an older review of the blend by me that I think reads ineptly, I've been enjoying re-reviewing the blend in question. I thought this could do with re-posting, so here we go again!

The moisture can vary from tin to tin, but over the years the worst I recollect is a 'bit damp', not soaked. It's quite an equal split of brown and black, mid-size, ribbons.

The smoke: ignites easily, and requires very few re-lights. The Latakia is running the show, having a strong woodiness to it, with the Orientals taking second place. The black Cavendish lends a softness, taking the edge of any causticity from the Latakia. Virginia? I get VERY little Virginia. It burns fairly cool, without bite, but has a tendency to be a touch quick if puffed to fast.

Nicotine: medium. Room-note: full.

Black Mallory? A decent blend that three stars suits well:

Recommended.

Pipe Used: Altinok Lee Van Cleef: Friday pipe

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: My Smoking Shop

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	TallPuffO'Burley (632)	2016-04-12		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

This is a fine Scottish blend, a term, that is about as problematic as the term English blend. In my mind it is standard Latakia blend that also incorporates some Black Cavendish or burley. I am not sure and I really don't think there is a hard and fast rule, but I do know that Rattray makes a lot of them. I have only tried this one and Jock's Mixture. I liked Jock's Mixture better than this one, but that is not to say that this one is a bad blend by any means.

I really did enjoy this one as well. This blend has the smokiness you would want from the latakia content, that I would peg at about a medium, and the sweet nuttiness from the Cavendish and perhaps the orientals. It does not offer much in a nicotine kick, but that is pretty normal for a lat blend, in general.

It is tasty and worthwhile, particularly if you like your lats a little sweet (less sour or campfire like) or are into the American English blends (also problematic term, but in my mind these are more burley than black Cavendish) made by Cornell & Diehl.

So I will leave this one at three stars as it does fall below Jock's to me, but too good to be at a two star.

Similar Blends: Dunhill 965.

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	SteelCowboy (685)	2012-05-20		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I used to smoke Black Mallory often and for whatever reason stopped about three years ago. I came across some from 2010 and after a couple of pipes I remembered why. BM is a good quality medium English blend that in some ways reminds me (distantly) of some of the Dunhill blends. It has richness to it, maybe from the addition of the Cavendish, but I'm not sure. It packs with ease, smokes cleanly and offers a solid English taste that any English lover would enjoy. BM is a little lower on the “N” scale than the Dunhill blends. It has a little complexity, but in the current world filled with more English blends than ever, it doesn't stand out for me. Will I buy more? Yes. Is it worth my daily rotation? No. Give it a try; it's worth a tin, especially with the reduced quality 965 that is now on the market. Recommended.

UPDATE: I was lucky enough to get my hands on a tin of the original BM from the late 60's/early 70's and it was just EXCELLECT! Although the flavor has changed with time, it offered a chance to get an idea of what the original blender intended. If the rare tin comes your way, GRAB IT!!!

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30124)	2003-02-04		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Pleasant

This Rattray's Tobacco is el Supremo of the Rattray's line of fine tobaccos. I should also say that this glorious mixture and Dunhill's London mixture are my Desert Island choices. Made up of some really naturally sweet Virginias which are stoved and unstoved that marry so well with fine Turkish and Cyprian latakia. I believe there is another type of leaf in the mix as well but cannot put my finger on it. The cut of the tobacco is narrow ribbon. The taste is full and has an edge like looking over a cliff at the wind swept sea. The fullness of the latakia with the Turkish, Virginia interwoven into the silky heavy clouds of smoke are an english fanciers delight.Enjoy this tobacco while sipping a good smokey single malt Scotch Whisky, its a real treat in taste.

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	HabaneroHardy (395)	2020-01-03		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Unnoticeable

The tin art has changed on this one, it has a yellow half egg design with what I can only describe as multiple black Muslim steeples if one were to view it as a Rorschach test. The tin note has a really rich dark, earthy, slightly spicy and sweet smell. To me has more of an Oriental/Turkish smell. This smokes smooth, mild, with a little sweetness upon lighting up and produces a lot of smoke, one reviewer even compared it to steam but I would not go that far. This is a medium full Scottish Blend which I have read means an English Blend with Cavendish so I will take their word for it. This has a background flavor that reminded me of another blend and upon reading a few other reviews I have to agree that this reminds me of Dunhill 965 and or Nightcap. This is a great blend for me in the late afternoon and evening. I am glad that I got to try this popular blend finally and will smoke some more in the coming days. To me this tastes a little more Oriental with the Lat coming in second and probably the Cav coming in third but is really blended well.

Pipe Used: Savinelli Roma Poker 310

Age When Smoked: New

Similar Blends: Dunhill 965/Nightcap.

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Badmedicine (51)	2019-04-27		Medium	None Detected	Full	Pleasant

I will admit, my reason for trying this (my first Rattray's, I may add) was that the name conjured images of a dear departed friend from my youth, also named Mallory. A lass of punk leanings, she often dressed in leather, black, and spikes, but was one of the kindest and most level-headed souls I've ever met. In many ways, this tobacco echoes those attributes. At first glance, it appears rather menacing, almost entirely black with a few perfunctory shreds of yellow strewn about. The tin note gives a better indicator of it's true nature; Smoky, yes, and a little spicy, but also deep, fruity, and inviting. The smoke continues this trend, with a heavy, buttery mouth-feel and luxurious flavors of smoke, dark fruits, buttery caramel, and a pronounced sweetness. Never offers to bite, even when pushed, and burns politely down to a fine, dry ash. My new favorite in the medium English category (replacing the now-defunct McClelland Coyote Classic), and a fitting tribute to memories of a dear friend.

Pipe Used: Icarus Stubby Apple, Wimbledon Author

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: S.G Roi Tobacconist (B&M)

Similar Blends: McClelland Coyote Classic.

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Gaius Baltar (25)	2017-12-02		Medium to Strong	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

Curious, I observed that the best way to smoke is in a meerschaum pipe or in a falcon pipe with a cup covered with meerschaum. Not compacting too much can be loaded directly from the tin. It does not go out but it is better to avoid re-ignitions because they embitter the flavor. At the beginning the Latakia appears next to the Black Cavendish that gives a very intense sweet note, followed by the oriental attack. The Virginia is in the background amalgamating everything. If you smoke at low temperature that sweet smoke harmony stays well almost to the end. If the smoke is rushed, the taste of the smoke is ruined. Smoke slowly, I do it with coffee in the morning in winter. It looks a lot like 123 Mixture by R.Lewis IMHO. It is not smoke for the whole day, but you have to smoke it at least at breakfast.

Pipe Used: Falcon pipe with a cup covered with meerschaum

Age When Smoked: New from the tin

Purchased From: Duaso Tobacco Shop in Barcelona (Catalunya)

Similar Blends: Robert Lewis - 123 Mixture.

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	BeardedBen (3)	2015-10-20		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Full	Tolerable to Strong

My go to tobacco since MacBaren HH Vintage Syrian is not available here anymore and when I feel fancy enough to buy it (it's only sold in really pricey - in comparison - 100g tins around here). I've not been able to buy Red Raparee around here but when I tried it abroad, I can now second the notion that the two go along great (Red being a hint less complex but interesting for different reasons). As for this tobacco: The Latakia is prominent but not overwhelming, the other components fit in rather nicely, it burns evenly and not too hot in the right pipe (I've found it prefers bigger bowls to really shine). The only downside is that the Cavendish is a hint too sweet for me and the Orientals are a bit less spicier than I thought them to be on my first try from what I was told on here and by acquaintances, but it doesn't really harm the experience much. What it doesn't do is give me the needed hit, I've found myself sucking on the pipe like a toddler on his bottle when I was not careful on the first dozen bowls. I have become used to that though and have made it a habit to smoke others for the N-hit and just smoke Black Mallory for the pure enjoyment, which works kinda well. All in all it's the best of its genre I have found without having to resort to order MacBaren HH VS online, which is legally questionable and a general pain in the arse in this country anyway.

Strength: Mild to Medium. The tobacco itself is silky and mellow to smoke and as someone with my tolerance you don't smoke it for the nicotine, really. Not necessarily a bad thing, just adding it for people who are used to stronger blends.

Flavoring: None detected. The Latakia and the Orientals do their thing well enough to make any kind of topping unnecessary. If there is any flavoring, I have neither noticed it nor do I care.

Taste: Full. Cavendish a hint too sweet for me, Orientals could use a bit more spiciness, but oddly specific personal preference aside, the taste is awesome still. Accompanies whatever else you do with your taste buds pretty well, and due to the silky and mellow smoke it doesn't really "alter" other tastes, just enhances or contrasts them by a neat dose of Latakia smokiness. Lovely stuff.

Room note: Tolerable to Strong. While I personally, as a card-carrying Latakia hound, would put Very Pleasant just for the heck of it, this is called the wife rating for a reason, and my SO hates the stuff (as do some friends). It doesn't stink up the place as much as others of the genre, but most certainly not for lack of trying.

Overall Rating: three stars. keep in mind that is a rather good score for me, I only 4-star tobaccos that have pleased me in every way possible, the details that made me not give 4 this time are minute to the common reader of this review and based on personal preference. Can recommend it to everybody who enjoys these kinds of blends and doesn't mind a little less strength.

EDIT: I have been asked by acquaintances (whom I told about finally reviewing this tobacco on TR.com) and I'll tell you what I told them: This review of course concerns the Kohlhase & Kopp version; I have tried the original quite a few years prior to this one (talking about decades here, Rattray's is produced in Germany for more than 20 years now iirc) and yes, it would have maybe warranted 4 stars, but as memory is a fickle thing and I can't get my hands on any vintage tin to accurately review it here and now, take that info as you wish though. Even if the latter were the case, Latakia loses much of its appeal with (that much) age so why bother in the first place. All rambling aside, K&K are doing an excellent job; don't think of this edit as a bad thing, just added it because I've been asked.

Pipe Used: DrPlumb Club No8, MM corncob, custom pearwood

Age When Smoked: new; 25g aged a year, improved ever so slightly

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Joeray (61)	2014-07-28		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

This is a decent smoke, nice, mellow, sweet and smokey. A very well balanced blend and nice to smoke with a cup of coffee at relax time, not too powerful or overwhalming, just at the right balance so this blend have it's own character that each composition had "married" so well to build the taste and flavor of the smoke. The tin note is good, smokey and herbal scent smells so good when first open the tin. Is nice to pack and is not difficult to keep the light. Burn so well at my pipe and not make my pipe too hot. Smokey taste with the nice sweetness from the cavendish follows with little bit spicy and earthy from the orientals taste so good at my palate. With medium strength I really enjoy a pleasant smoke and not worried about the tongue bite. Just sip it slowly, with proper pack the draw is easy to make a great smoke and for somewhat, when I smoke this blend, it reminds me with the McClelland's Old Dog and Dunhill MM965, I found the similar sweetness and taste at this blend.

Pipe Used: Chacom Epsom

Age When Smoked: 1 Year

Purchased From: Indonesia Local Tobacconist

Similar Blends: McClelland Old Dog, Dunhill My Mixture 965.

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Eulenburg (193)	2005-03-23		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Very Pleasant

The thing I love about Rattray's RED RAPPAREE is precisely its lack of smug Dunhillian smoothness, its fieriness, its peaty drama, its dour highlander theatricality. Wonderful to smoke while you guzzle your dad's expensive single-malt. (Glorious old memory!)

Black Mallory is much more "English" in its demeanor nobly bland. It's a lovely old English smoke alright, but I find it kind of staid. One might as well be smoking Dunhill Standard Medium, you know?

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30124)	2003-05-07		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable to Strong

Rattray's best blend IMHO. The description states that the basic tobacco is broadly akin to those of Red Rapparee, but that's not exactly how it comes across to me. From my smoking perspective, the only kinship to Red Rapparee is that they both happen to be Englishes, and that's where the similarities end.

Red Rapparee is a much stronger blend, and not quite as flavorful. Some may consider me crazy, but I kind of liken Black Mallory to G.L. Pease's Renaissance. There appears to be a noticible Syrian Latakia presence in this blend, giving it a buttery, nutty flavor.

Unlike Red Rapparee, this medium blend works well as an all day tobacco. While it has only average lighting qualities, it does burn clean and dry. The flavor is consistently good from one bowl to the next. If you happen to like English blends, this may be one you can be loyal to.

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	AJS2323 (32)	2021-01-06		Medium	None Detected	Full	Tolerable

On opening the tin there is a grassy sweet smell that is fairly complex. It then converts into a smokey aroma. You can certainly smell the main components, sweetness from the cavendish, grassy notes from the Virginia and the smokey spice from the Latakia and orientals. Very nice smell

The Latakia is certainly there when you start to smoke but it is not over powering. It’s a nice compliment to the blend. You start to get the broad sweetness come through after the mild smokey flavour. You then get the grassy and fermented spice come through which is very pleasant. Over all a very nice tobacco, first time I have tried it. I was outside with quite a breeze so my pipe was burning a little hotter than normal and this did not effect the flavour at all. Very stable burn and not harsh. Consistent flavour throughout with a nice after taste and beard 🧔 note.

I will smoke some more as the week goes on but I would say this is in line with Peterson early morning pipe, Ashton Consummate Gentlemen with the sweetness being similar to Ashton Artisan blend. This would be a good starter English blend.

Pipe Used: Peterson system

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: My smoking shop

Similar Blends: Ashton Consummate gentlemen, Peterson early morning pipe , Ashton Artisan blend.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	canvas (337)	2020-07-04		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

I still have no idea what it means to be Scottish (tobacco-wise), regardless, this potent mix has all the exciting gunpowder to excite the senses. The tin opens to a wonderfully heavy Latakia and Oriental spice (reminiscent of other great English blends: Frog Morton, 536, Plum Pudding, Bengal Slices), which always remind me of the smell of blood in a less-than-well done steak. Savory, unapologetic, deep, and cured leather all come to mind.

The mix hits about every shade of brown and leaf imaginable, sliced up into a nice bouncy, thin cut that fires up without a wait. Took a few relights to get rolling, but once it settled down and the smoke perked up, you get a nice meaty strength session that focuses (for me) on the Latakia without being a charcoal fest. The Oriental pops were present, but not as loud as the initial aroma. The Virginia kept it all together I suppose, but any nutty earthiness was buried below.

Like other Rattary products, Black Mallory was a top notch product. It delivered strength/nicotine without knocking you on your rump, but still put a few hairs on your chest for the effort.

Purchased From: tobaccopipes.com

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Gr8tefuldawg (87)	2020-05-04		Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Rattray- Black Mallory

Opened today, and received it in the mail, about 5 days ago, tin reads spicy Latakia two different Va’s blended with black cavendish and Oriental.

Upon first opening I smell the Latakia and the spice, some sweetness come through and I get a nice earthy smell.

The taste upon first light is a slightly sweet spicy smokey flavor, and it continues throughout the bowl, a particularly good Scottish blend, which I am quite fond of so far.

Enough Latakia to satisfy but not overpower with a little sour that works well with the spicy sweet components, I let this dry for 30 minutes as it was relatively wet upon opening.

Nic hit is medium, smokes relatively cool, depending on your cadence this blend could get hot without appropriate drying.

I would recommend this to the seasoned English smoker as it offers something slightly different and to those who may be first starting with “English blends” after only enjoying aromatics.

Will add this to the cellar when I can find it again.

Pipe Used: Comoy Dunbar

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: Tobaccopipes.com

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	crapgame1967 (61)	2017-01-10		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

This here was part of a gun cabinet find,the tin was purchased in 1998 and found in the case sometime in 2015. The tin was bulging and when the tin was opened it opened with a load kind of popping noise and was met with a rich and smokey aroma hit me and stopped me cold! Upon closer examination there were greenish specks all through the tobacco...maybe the virginia? The whole tin was a rich and dark color and the smell...the smell made me close my eyes and smile. Campfire..or a fireplace comes to mind from the tin and once packed and flamed there was no disappointment at all! There is a smokey and pleasant spiciness sure to please any smoker.I am pleased to report that nothing resembling catsup was detected from the Virginia's.This is a rather heavy smoke so enjoy this before bed with a favorite beverage!

Pipe Used: Kirk Bosi Chuchwarden

Age When Smoked: 17 years

Purchased From: local tobacconist

Similar Blends: Nothing at all!!.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Jorge Soler (202)	2015-07-20		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

This tobacco is very similar to Red Rapparee, but it it has more cavendish in it. I thought this would translate into more sweetness, but it hasn't. The Latakia tobacco is quite apparent in this blend, but I think it is more dominated by the Orientals. The strength is rather medium and it does not seem to bite. I like the RR more, but this is a good smoke too, so I am going to recommend it.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30124)	2013-12-13		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable to Strong

long time ago ( 15 Years ?) it was a good tobacco -

now its one of many equal under the same prescription - names but among other.

Kohlhase - not more to say

Age When Smoked: new

Similar Blends: Kohlhase tobaccos:, all are more or less the same - no difference:, Kohlhase - Ashton Artisan´s Blend, Kohlhase - Rattray Black Mallory, Kohlhase - Huber Balkan Blend, Kohlhase - Astley's No.99 Royal Tudor Full Latakia Mixture, Kohlhase HU - Tobacco- Original Warehouseblend - Balkan Passion.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Scamp (20)	2012-08-22		Medium	Mild	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

I've been smoking pipes for a good few years now, I have a tendancy to go for latakia blends, especially ones with a dose of oriental. I didn't know quite what to expect from this blend knowing that it has black cavendish in it. I normally tend to associate black cavendish with more aromatic blends. However, Mr Rattray must've known what he was doing all those years ago when he perfected this one as it seems to complement the rest of the tobaccos seemlessly. It has the typical metallic/smoky flavour from the latakia, but is very well rounded by the VA's and orientals, burns brilliantly right from initial lighting without any drying out prior to smoking, an excellent smoke all round, four stars!

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30124)	2009-04-23		Mild	Extremely Mild	Medium	Tolerable

Preface: I have been smoking Dunhill Standard Mixture Medium for near-on 30 years, believing that it has no equal anywhere on earth. But it is gone now, and so I begin a quest for my Holy Grail: A substitute to replace the standard on which all English tobaccos are based:

Black Mallory comes up short. It's too harsh for my tastes, but paradoxically, not strong enough, leaving me pulling on my pipe in search of satisfaction. I suspect the former is due to Orientals, and the latter Cavendish. I was never a big fan of 965 due to the Cavendish, but if you were, you might try this one. I just feel it lacks a full body feel, which is typical of cavendish blends.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Lochinvar (78)	2005-08-11		Medium	None Detected	Full	Tolerable

This rich and complex blend is my standby. It is without peer. It has an exotic, rich taste and a heavy smoke. This is a perfect example of a Scottish mixture (sweeter and heavier than an English, not so heavy and strong as a Balkan). The Virginias Latakia and Orientals come together with great style and flavor. The black cavendish (what makes it Scottish rather than an English or Balkan) gives it a hint of sweetness that gels the whole blend. This blend is of Edwardian opulence. I always keep at least 10 tins in my cellar just in case of a pinch in oriental supply or (horror) the brand should go like so many before it. If you have never tried Black Mallory you have never lived.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Jakob Kiilerich (120)	2004-12-22		Medium	Mild	Full	Tolerable

I am new in the English department. I love Presbyterian, Highland Targe and my Mixture 965. Black Mallory, though, is far more interesting than the former ones.

The mixture is dominated by black leaf. Judging from the smell, I think there is quite alot unsweetened Cavendish in it, The Latakia is not very present. When lit the Latakia comes to its right; very robust.

All components in BM are so well balanced, that I have not seen or tried anything like it before. BM is friendly to the palate, nose, friends, wives etc., and people around me are asking: "what is this lovely tobacco you are smoking, Jakob"

I am normally not a Latakia-man, but BM has made me want to try other Latakia/Oriental-blends. I have stashed several tins, and now I am off to discover the famous Nightcap.

Outstanding!

Jakob Kiilerich, Denmark

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Beer (345)	2004-08-31		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

Everyone says great things of this blend: after enjoying Red Rapparee, the idea of a darker and fuller variation on it was very intriguing. What I found is a competent, tasty and well-behaved english mxture! I really can't find particular faults to list about it: it packs well, burns well, and gives a satisfactory smoke deep in woodsy notes. As such, it fully deserves a high rating! Anyway, I won't buy it again. Why? Simply put, it offers nothing that I can't find in other blends: maybe I have been spoiled by Greg Pease and by Dunhill's London Mixture, but I find that Black Mallory lacks that extra touch that makes a good tobacco great. If you want a traditional full english mixture, though, you can't go wrong with this offering by Rattray.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pipesolitude (23)	2017-07-03		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

I would recommend BM if you are looking for a full english blend that is easy to smoke and not too strong. This blend is rich in flavour. The nicotine is not very strong, you can easily smoke more than one bowl if you feel like it (unlike for example London Mixture). The tobacco is not slow burning, it is not a meditative kind of tobacco. I would say that it is stimulating but not too complex, it does not demand your full attention, and you can easily smoke away while focusing on other things.

On the negative side, the last part of the bowl tends to get moist and a bit foul, so in order not to finish the bowl on a bad note I tend to toss it away. And I recommend not to keep the tobacco in an opened tin for too long before storing it in an airtight jar, otherwise the tobacco will soon start to deteriorate and loose its flavour.

In short, this is not a overly complex tobacco, but it is rich in flavour, easy to smoke, and it does not burn super slow. These simple qualities actually makes it one of my favorite tobaccos, because most often this is precisely what you want in your pipe: a tobacco that is stimulating but not too strong, that allows you to focus on other things and that does not take forever to finish. Not a four star rate, because of the negative aspects, but, nevertheless, I highly recommended BM as an all day english blend!

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Stefanos (222)	2017-03-20		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

Visually it is quite similar to Red Rapparee’s mixed cut of mostly black and red ribbons with a few brighter ribbons but with the darker leafs more predominant. Tin aroma is not what one would expect from a Latakia dominant blend, instead it has a fruity crispiness which comes from the tobaccos with no topping or casing. As smoking revealed this is not a Latakia dominant blend – ‘black’ could refer to either Latakia or Cavendish and I believe in this case it is Cavendish the referent…

The tobacco is slightly moist, could use a little drying, but generally it’s ok. It lights easily and stays lit and burns to the end.

It produces voluminous smoke which at first deceived me into thinking that it is a full bodied tobacco but it’s not. Actually I think it lacks some backbone - maybe a little more Virginia would have amended this. Black Mallory is definitely mellower than Red Rapparee with smoother mouthfeel despite its foreboding ‘blackness’. It lacks the sharpness/tang from the Turkish which characterize Red Rapparee, but I do not sense more Latakia here. I believe it’s the (unsweetened) Black Cavendish which dominates. This is backed by a little Latakia smokiness and the Turkish tobaccos add some spice but are surely on the background. Black Mallory is easier to smoke than Red Rapparee, at least to those not accustomed to the Turkish taste, but yet I find it less complex and less tasty than its sibling.

Room note is not very offensive, it has that burnt brown cake smokiness. So while Red Rapparre showcases the Turkish tobaccos, Black Mallory does the same for the Black Cavendish. To be honest I do not find many similarities between the two blends apart from tin art and tobacco presentation…

Similar Blends: Robert Lewis' Tree Mixture - both manufactured by K&K.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Greekpipesmoker (201)	2017-01-23		Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

A pretty dicent english mixture.when you open it latakia comes out in a dominant way.packs easy might need a few relights..burns cool without much moist.if you go slow the latakia are not very prewent,you get more spicyness and a sweet base.offers though the woodyness taste in a balanced way .a pretty dicent blend with a mid nic level not to start your day.

Age When Smoked: When opened!

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Wallenberg (11)	2016-04-10		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

On finishing the second tin of Black Mallory (how this name sounds like a lady; a lady that may give you trouble, but you keep coming back to), it is finally time to give it the review it deserves.

Upon opening the tin, a wonderful scent develops that ripens with time. Nothing spells Orient more vividly to me personally.

Packing and lighting were no trouble. Black Mallory was one of my first tobaccos I've smoked, and, being the heftily puffing beginner I was, there must be truth to it.

Now to the best part. Some reviewers use the term "soapy", often in ways I cannot agree to. Some may disagree, but here is the best soapiness to encounter. Soothed by the Black Cavendish, the alkaline and sour-creamy Orientals and Latakia play a tune to which listening transports one into a tent rich of incense, finest delicacies and belly dancers. But my description fails to mention that the spectrum of this tobacco varies like the colours of - here we are again! - soap bubbles. By smoking Black Mallory, you enter an opium den in its finest romantic appearance, minus all the hassle the opium smoker gets himself into. Black Mallory was a world for me to explore as beginning pipe smoker, and it keeps on presenting itself to me like it did a year ago.

Puffing too hard will give you tongue bite, but it generally is a very pleasing tobacco. The aftertaste is spicy and slightly soapy.

Black Mallory does its best to give you a pleasant room note; for our modern world where the smell of tobacco is shunned like the devil's sulphur and pitch aura, this is an achievement for a non-aromatic. Still, a star just has been deducted.

I am a bit biased towards Rattray's for gems such as Hal O'The Wynd, Old Gowrie, 7 Reserve and Marlin Flake.

Pipe Used: cobs, meerschaums, briars

Age When Smoked: fresh out of the tin and three months later

Purchased From: Tabakfachgeschäft Gausterer, Schwechat, Austria

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	HobgoblinTA96 (59)	2016-04-04		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Tolerable to Strong

Black Mallory is a classic example of a Scottish style blend with its mild Cavendish. A medium strength blend in the same clan as Old Dublin.RBM being more moist than POD with a thicker and rougher cut of leaf. RBM also does not carry through with as much flavor in the spice department as POD. Still a well put together blend and a must try for those that prefer their tobacco on the mild side. Cheers

Pipe Used: Peterson's Calabash and German Black Clay

Age When Smoked: Fresh from tin

Purchased From: Iwan Ries

Similar Blends: Peterson's Old Dublin.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	point9 (114)	2015-06-21		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Compare to the Rattray's 3 famous exquisite Vaper/burs, their English blends seem to be caught up by plenty of new comers in the territory. Black Mallory is a decent English blend with smoky, full flavors, but falls short of complex and some depth. A bit stronger and fuller than Red Red Raparee.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	NobbyR (79)	2015-03-30		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

This tobacco might be a good choice for those who want to venture into the world of Latakia for the first time, because even though there's a generous dose of it in this blend, it is balanced by an equally high amount of Black Cavendish among the Virginias and Orientals.

The tin note is clearly dominated by the peat fire scent of the Latakia with only hints of grassy or floral sweetness. The tobacco might be a little on the moist side in a new tin.

The fine ribbon cut makes it easy to fill your pipe. Personally, I prefer the Frank method. Lighting is just as uncomplicated.

The well balanced, mellow taste is sweet and spicy at the same time with the smokiness of the Latakia becoming more pronounced mid-bowl. However, the spiciness of it and of the Oriental leafs is always complemented by the smooth, earthy, nutty sweetness of the Black Cavendish and the tangy aromas of the Virginias. It's a pleasant, complex smoke from top to bottom leaving some powdery grey sah

The room note reveals mostly the Latakia and Orientals and is therefore tolerable.

Pipe Used: Rattray's Butcher Boy

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: Peter Heinrichs

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30124)	2013-05-13		Mild	Very Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I've tried all 3 versions of this and the original rattray's blend wins hands down. That blend is absolutely superb with a great aged mellowness and the oriental at the forefront. An absolutely sublime smoke.

Unfortunately the McConnel and K&K blends fall way short and are nothing to write home about. My club and I detected a top note of some sort in these two versions. It was smokeable, but nothing really stood out about this blend. If you can't get the original rattrays from the 60s or 70s, skip it. There are better orientals out there.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Bigdadz (39)	2013-01-13		Mild	Mild	Mild	Tolerable

This tobacco came highly recommended by my local tobacconist. I got myself a 100 gram tin and sadly, I couldn't smoke more than 4 bowls before giving it away.

While it is quality leaf no doubt, I find it too mild and it has a slight sweet casing that I find disconcerting.

Like frog morton on the town, I would recommend this tobacco to an aromatic smoker that wants to make a gradual transition to english blends.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	brogreggblues (45)	2012-07-01		Mild	Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

I can echo BriarBurner's sentiments here. Black Mallory is my go-to summertime English blend. It's got my favorite combination of tobaccos: VA, Lat, and Oriental, just like my all-time favorite blend, C&D's Good Morning.

Black Mallory is rich, mellow, well-balanced, and works well in every pipe I've smoked it in. Mild for an English, with low Nick strength. Perfect entry-level English, easy to enjoy when a heavy English blend is just TOO heavy. Recommended.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	machinebcon (50)	2012-03-31		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

A real "Scottish" mixture, as it contains Cavendish - and a surprisingly mild, mellow, creamy, sweet and especially cool smoke. Absolutely no bite even if you abuse it. Haven't tried other Rattray (K&K) blends, but this one is much better than I originally thought. Tastes like incense, Latakia is prominent, Black Cavendish adds some roundness. Tolerable room note for a Latmix. I often prefer it over Dunhill's Nightcap (which is excellent but quite a bomb!) - but these two are completely different animals, anyway. Especially in N content, this mixture is way lower. I'm giving it 4 of 5 stars, absolutely nothing wrong with Black Mallory :)

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	TEO (33)	2011-12-18		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Medium	Pleasant

I smoked this straight out of the tin and it was rather wet, I had to relight it too much times, especially during the first third of the bowl. Taste is rather light, throughout the whole bowl.

I then left it to mature 2 years in a glass jar after a little drying out and it built more character and musky flavour.

The first third is toasty and smokey but I sense a subtle tangy flavouring coming in at midbowl that stays along with oriental spices.

It seems to be sweeter at the beginning and smokier thru the bowl in which it leaves only a fine ash.

I' d give it 4 stars if it only had more body. Nonetheless a recommended mixture.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	brotherofbriar (5)	2011-08-29		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

Ah, the mightily oceanic Black Mallory. In many ways this is the big brother to Red Rapparee. Whilst the later may be likened to a small pleasure boat out on an afternoons cruise, Black Mallory is a pirate ship bristling with guns, swash and buckle. The big difference between the two is of course the latakia. For my money, I can't even detect it in Red Rapparee (this may be because my palate had become jaded by one to many latakia bombs) but it's here in spades in Black Mallory. Dense white smoke, oily and heavy with tar. Leather notes too, yes, and certainly a saltiness that keeps one thinking of the sea. A perfect smoke for a foggy or rainy afternoon inside by the fireside with a cup of sweet tea or an Islay malt whiskey. Delicious with a decent dose of vitamin N. Avast! Sip this fine smoke like nectar, and dream of the oceans deep.

UPDATE September 2017. With the days getting shorter my interest in all things pipe has been rekindled and I have returned, like an old friend, to the mighty Mallory. I have decided to bump this blend up a star as it is as close to perfection as you can get. It may burn a little moist straight out of the tin but this is nothing a little air curing won't resolve. For some reason Dunhill My Mixture 965 has fallen a bit out of favour of late, lacking the enormous complexity of this blend. I think it is the Black Cavendish that really works its magic with the latakia and the orientals. Light a bowl and set sail for a paradise isle, where, surrounded by mermaids and sirens you can reflect on a burnished coral throne, and dream of the ocean deep....

Pipe Used: Savinelli champagne, Kiko Tanzanikan meershaum

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Smoke-King

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	fireball (36)	2011-03-18		Mild	None Detected	Mild	Tolerable

Update2: Ok, I've learned to appreciate it. I've had a tin of this in the office for the last few weeks and have been smoking a bowl or two a day. It's actually pretty nice, a solid medium English/Scottish, no sweetness at all, just this background tinnitus like hum of seawater and a just a straightforward middling latakia hit. Worth a try if you want a no-nonsense English/Scottish. And despite my earlier reservations, there's a significant difference to the very mild 7 Reserve. I wouldn't rush and and restock on this, but that's only because there are so many similar mixtures out there to try.

Update: Immediately after writing this review just I went and smoked a bowl of BM. To be honest, maybe I'm being a bit harsh. There is flavour present, it's not that salty and it burns well.

Indistinguishable from 7 Reserve for me, looks, smells and tastes pretty much the same, which was disappointing as I was hoping for a bit more flavour/strength from this one. Strangely salty in the mouth, a bit like oysterized seawater, maybe it's just me. Comes in a 100g pot so I guess I might learn to love it, or at least appreciate it.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Fumatore (49)	2008-06-28		Medium	Very Mild	Medium	Tolerable

I ordered a tin of this since it was described to me as a good English from Rattray, and similar to 965. I find it to be overdone with black Cavendish and some kind on light topping. Not what I think of as an English tobacco. Harsh and stringent at times, leaving it's mark on my tongue. This stuff does smell outstanding in the tin. Might be a good tobacco for someone moving from aromatics.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Dubinthedam (133)	2008-04-13		Medium to Strong	Very Mild	Very Full	Strong

Half way through the tin and I love the stuff, top quality english, plenty of taste and sweetness, it's a classic. I'm reviewing it because I'm amazed more people haven't given it four stars. It should have five.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30124)	2007-08-27		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Surprised I haven't reviewed this one yet.....Black Mallory and Balkan Sobranie Original Mixture were my first two Latakia smokes, and I've smoked copious amounts of both. I shared a 100 gram tin of this with my Father recently and wondered why I don't smoke it more often. Well, it's hard to get in Austria, maybe that's why.

Anyway, on with the review. There isn't as much latakia as some blend I smoke nowadays, like, say, Margate or Balkan Flake, and certainly not as much as Pirate Kake or Commonwealth mixture. This is fairly sweet, owing, I think to the black cavendish and virginia, and pretty smoky, despite it's lack of massive Latakia content. I really enjoy the (I don't like this word) interplay between the turkish and cavendish, though I normally don't care much for black cav. (even unsweetened)

Having never smoked Red Rapparee, I can't compare the two. But, it's other companion, 7 reserve, is certainly several notches lower on the smoke-enjoyment scale. 7 reserve, while passable, is nothing to write home about. Black Mallory is something to keep on hand at all times. Another fine smoke from Rattray.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	SopwithCamel (255)	2006-12-05		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

What a pipeful of pleasure this one was! Very different from the other Latakia blends I have tried. More spicey, smoother, and less smokey. The aroma from this blend has an incense like quality to me.

The cavendish is apparently toasted, and is scrumptious, without being cloyingly sweet. Although this is a fairly potent blend, I find it to be very relaxing and completely satisfying. It is a little heavy for the warm weather months, but it is pure heaven when the weather turns cool.

This is the third blend from Rattray I have tried, and the quality is impeccable. A fine tobacco.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	donk93953 (29)	2005-06-15		Medium	Extremely Mild	Full	Tolerable

Ahhh...the Black Mallory. First smoked this in 1971. Love it then, love it now. The descriptions preceeding me are accurate as to the tobaccos present, but this is a must try for everyone. To me, its one of the great blends. Dont smoke it all day, but in the evening with a pint, or a dram ..ahhh, true enjoyment.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	BostonPipe (84)	2005-03-12		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Tolerable to Strong

I find this to be a very pleasant English smoke. As others have stated I find it to be a much more refined version of RR. I like the proportion of latakia that is used in this blend and its' slow steady burning qualities. The flavor runs consisitent the length of the smoke with a slight noticable increase in strength in the latter half. What I do miss that RR seems to satisfy for me is an "edginess" in taste. It is not so smooth as to be boring, rather, for myself it is almost a zoning out effect. Sort of, "Well isn't that nice," type of experience. Overall a nice smoke that I will turn to once in a while.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Hans and Franz (11)	2021-04-08		Medium	Medium	Full	Pleasant

A notable tobacco indeed. I came to this looking for a substitute for my favorite McClelland blends (Legends, English Woods, Balkan Blue, etc.), and it did not disappoint.

Dry it out, and it smokes very well, with a perfect balance of smoky, spicy, and sweet. Ages well too, as I am coming back to this after a break, smoking from a three year old tin, and it is very, very nice.

Pipe Used: CPW Meerschaum

Age When Smoked: Fresh to 3 years old

Similar Blends: Hearth & Home Magnum Opus.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	McClintock (15)	2020-12-26		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

A lot of reviews on this one, I’ll see what I can add.

Very nice, leathery smell from the tin. Unfortunately, this one gave me a devil of a time keeping lit, despite allowing a fair amount of dry time. Flavor was smoky, sweet and mineral with an occasional metallic note I found a bit distracting/unpleasant. After smoking a few g.l. Pease Latakia blends in the weeks leading up to trying this one out, I found the experience to be rather mundane. I found it lacking in spice and to be quite flat. With the sheer magnitude of options for Latakia blends available, I can’t see myself ever choosing this one again. I ended up mixing what I had left with some blending orientals and enjoyed the result better than the original blend. It’s smooth and easy going, just nothing stand out. Simplicity works to the advantage of something with better balance like Squadron Leader. As with all things tobacco, subjectivity reigns supreme and this one did not meet my standards for a repeat purchase after several attempts to figure it out.

Pipe Used: Duke of Dundee billiard

Age When Smoked: 6 months

Purchased From: Smoking pipes

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Farhadk (1)	2020-12-05		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild	Tolerable to Strong

Vary nice tobacco. I enjoy every time I smoke this. not so hot, not so cold, easy to light up and well maintained during the smoke.

Similar Blends: Peterson - Early Morning Pipe.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Doudeijns (19)	2020-03-31		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Tolerable

I bought this tobacco to try and to build up a library, as it were, of tastes and experiences. Why this tobacco in particular? Because it's English, of original recipe (and therefore free of additives) and because tobacco reviews has lots of good things to say about it.

The presentation is good although I've got some reservations about the tin - a cardboard cup with a plastic lid. It doesn't seem to be air tight as the tobacco dries out rather quickly.

I'm able to distinguish three layers or sensations of taste. First, there is a body, the omnipresent bit, that is smooth and bland. I presume that this is what Cavendish tastes like if it doesn't have any casing. Second, there's a strong earthy taste that gives a short lived aftertaste of burned peat. Third, there's some sweetness that at the same time slightly peppers the tongue (the Virginia I suppose).

There's not much more to it. It's fairly consistent throughout the bowl.

l find it hard to keep it lit, slightly annoying, no matter what pipe I use. It seems to work best in a Rhodesian.

Pipe Used: Zulu, Rhodesian

Age When Smoked: 2 months

Purchased From: Danpipe

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Flyingdutchman (19)	2019-08-29		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

A black label with what seems to be an American Native and a Jar of tobacco, under what it seems to be a palm tree, indeed an image evocating sunny lands, hides a smoky and elegant Scottish mixture. I wanted to give this tobacco a try since a long long time, me being a "as long as Samuel gawiths are available bla bla bla" so one day, lacking of the 2 more euros needed for an SG I opted for a tin of Black Mallory. As I said, the tin note is earthy, spicy, smokey though fruity. Nuts, figs, hay and red fruits seems to be buried under peat: a very attractive note! Medium moisture. Smoking Black Mallory is a must for a piper. The smoke is creamy, satisfactory and really tasty. All the tin notes are mantained plus a bit of Vitamin E. First class virginias can be detected in a whirlwinds of aromas, as well as the black cavendish and of course, latakia. In my opinion, there must be some burley too. In the end of the bowl, some spiciness comes forward as if some perique was added.. Great tobacco! Great taste with medium strenght

Pipe Used: Brebbia billiard

Age When Smoked: fresh from the tin

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Smokedinacob (10)	2018-11-22		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

Seems to me very similar to Dunhill Nightcap. A latakia-heavy English mixture. Neither sweet, nor sour, nor incense-like, which means it is not an English I will buy again.

Similar Blends: Nightcap.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Briar Piper (89)	2018-11-19		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Very Full	Tolerable

Essentially dunhill 965 with black cavendish in place of the brown. Where 965 was tinged with cavendish, black mallory is sauced with it. Easily in the top 5 best full english blends in my book, this is a smoke every english lover must have. The room note is surprisngly stronger than it is in 965, saltier, tarry, and thick. While this might not bother the smoker, it can offend others. This is muted considerably as the blend ages, as well as any sharpness from the cavendish. Now that dunhill 965 is gone, aside from its availability under the name "old dublin" from peterson, this is an easy blend to recommend if you can't fins old dublin.

However black mallory is in a class of its own, and you may prefer it over 965 if you like black vs brown cavendish. The old rattray made black mallory was not quite as good as it is today in my humble opinion. Easily 4 stars.

Pipe Used: Castello

Similar Blends: 965, old dublin.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	L'Italiano (231)	2016-06-01		Mild	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

Classical English Mixture with Black Cavendish. Good but not excellent. The Black Cavendish is natural, only sugar added. Overall the blend is mild in strength with a full latakia taste. The elements (tobaccos) are the same of Red Rapparee (Virginia, Latakia, Oriental, Black Cavendish) and the taste is quite similar. But it is different. If we want to compare the two from the side of the taste, we can say that Red Rapparee is more delicate, gentle, while Black Mallory is more “masculine”, unrefined. In my personal system rating (from 1 to 10) my score is 7 and two stars.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	georgariou33 (16)	2016-03-11		Medium	Medium to Strong	Medium	Very Pleasant

great balanced English blend...very tasty...rattray does a good job with there blends...i have over 100 different blends in my collection as i smoke a different blend ever day and i would say this one of mt nicest

Pipe Used: stanwell and big ben only

Age When Smoked: 70

Purchased From: pipes and cigars

Similar Blends: nothing.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	WillBrown (137)	2015-10-08		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant

Having just sampled Margate recently, I find it difficult not to compare the two. The Latakia in BM is more in the background. It's not as smooth as Margate, the sharpness of the Virginia's sneak through more in BM. BM's a good English blend and should satisfy those, like me, who are into such blends. A solid 3 stars for me.

Keep on Piping!

Pipe Used: Molina big bowl

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Virginia lover (218)	2015-04-11		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

This is a 25+ years old 100 GRAM tin blended by Robert McConnell. A dark colored mixture with a powerful fermented and musty smell. Even through the moisture level was good, I put it in a jar and also used the paper towel method to bring out the best in this long gone original blend.

The fermented red Virginia is present with the brioche-like flavor, there is a good amount of sourness from the Orientals and the Latakia is woody and smoky tempering the other two tobaccos. The ingredient tobaccos are very well blended and time has not been bad to them. A mellow and creamy smoke that is tangy and with a wine barrel like aroma.

Virginia lover

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Laudante (29)	2014-05-25		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

The name and the tin are beautiful. The mixture is also refined and sweet. I like it better on medium sized to small pipes and on cloudy weather.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Monopod (26)	2014-04-14		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Delicious accompaniment to Red Rapparee.

Nuff said really. I found RR to be the heavyweight, but BM fills in a lot of the missing notes of the tobacco " Chord." The Latakia seems "to know it's place " ....... by the tobacco blenders' skill and art.

Pipe Used: Many and various

Age When Smoked: From tin.

Purchased From: Greens of Leeds ( UK)

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Wibblefishofdoom (139)	2014-03-08		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

This one has been on my list to try for a while but never really got round to getting a tin. However, after running out of ideas for what latakia blend to have with my morning coffee, I finally took the plunge and treated myself to a tin.

The tin note is one of latakia with a good waft of sweetness, an inviting one that went nicely with the largely dark ribbons speckled with a few lighter brown tones. Packing and lighting are easy enough. The smoke though, I found a little bit of a let down, there is a nice sweetness to it, perhaps with hints of something citrus, and the latakia is not overpowering. A very nice flavour but it all too quickly descends into a roughness that detracts from the overall experience. There's no tonguebite but it does start to develop a bit of a hacky taste the further on the smoke goes.

In summary, a good smoke let down by a certain roughness. That flavour is so nice but I really have a job getting a full smoke of it and nothing else. i will probably try another tin of this sometime in the future just to verify my findings but in the meantime, two stars will have to do.

Pipe Used: Peterson Killarney 65

Age When Smoked: Unknown

Purchased From: mysmokingshop.co.uk

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	don1688 (27)	2013-05-04		Mild	None Detected	Full	Tolerable to Strong

I had not written a review of this until I read Reiny's review today.

I have to agree. It was harsh. I like forward Latakia blends, but this was just bitter in a negative way. I tried it in many pipes and with varying degrees of drying- still found it harsh.

Nicotine was not pronounced. I was very much looking forward to this, but if in 6 months I can't make it work, I have to believe its not for me.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30124)	2013-05-04		Extremely Mild	Medium	Extremely Mild (Flat)	Pleasant to Tolerable

Should be Flavoring: harsh, Taste and Strength: none detected. I hope to God the rest of the Rattrays line are better than this because this is absolutely awful. Tinder dry, flat, harsh and tasteless and absolutely no nicotine to speak of, if you puff hard enough on it you might eventually be rewarded with the flavour of your own cooking toungue. Avoid.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	sirchud68 (60)	2012-12-27		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Tolerable

Top notch stuff. I bought a tin of this and a tin of SG Squadron Leader and, though they are two different tobaccos, I really love this blend. I keep reaching for this tin when I have the two setting out on my bar. I enjoy S.L. as well, but will be stocking up on more Mallory! A nice mild all day smoke.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30124)	2012-12-06		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

Not a bad English but not my favorite. Depending on the pipe, it would shine though. Sometimes a nice Kingsford charcoal briquette taste would dominate...but not all the time. Worth a try.

Soli Deo gloria!

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30124)	2012-04-30		Extremely Mild	None Detected	Very Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is a tobacco perfect for a hot summer evening. I enjoy it when I am going to smoke multiple bowls, especially when smoking food out in the back yard. The tin smell is of soured ketchup, but once lit the smell is that of grilled sweet corn. My buddy thinks it smells like model plane fuel (and he likes it lol,) I have no idea what he is talking about on this one. The flavor is very mild. It is a very cool, smooth smoking tobacco, and it is fairly simple in flavors. Virginias on the light, but after that it is just a mild mixture of everything but the latakia. The latakia only comes through in the mouth feel. It has a sweet, wheat like quality, and a slight tartness towards the end. I actually detect a slight burley character even though it is not listed in the ingredients. I find that I enjoyed it exponentially more the first week or so of smoking it but after that I started wanting something more. Still, I will have this on hand every summer.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30124)	2012-04-29		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

A good presentation of a mild-medium English.It combines 3 of my favorite tobacs..i.e.virginia, latakia & orientals.With the addition of Black Cavendish, along with the virginia, a sweetness is added to the taste.I find no individual tobac to dominate this blend but instead a rich & creamy well rounded taste with NO bite. If you have been wanting to rest those aromatics of yours for a while this is a good entry into English Blends.Time to go burn some briar.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Cochon74 (29)	2012-01-18		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

I have to say, I love latakia blends, but this one just did not do it for me. The only thing I can chalk it up to is the Black Cavendish. I started pipe smoking on a strict diet of Latakia, Virginias, Orientals, Burley and Perique. My English experiences have all been Lat/VA/Oriental -only. The addition of Cavendish to this blend must be what turned me off.

Out of the tin, it smells wonderful - full, smoky, promises of a wonderful smoke. IT packed well, lit well and smoked nicely. A well-behaved tobacco, to be sure.

However, I just found the flavor "cheapened" somehow by the Cavendish. The latakia was punchy and present, the Orientals (while subtler than to my liking) were also present. I didn't get much from the VA's and the Cavendish somehow brought everything down by rearing it's mundane, indistinct head.

I wanted to like this tobacco and smoked the entire 2oz tin. It improved slightly the longer the tin was open, but honestly, I was disappointed.

I'd heard so much about Rattray's and BM in particular... and it obviously has a following, judging by the reviews. But I won't be revisiting it anytime soon... unremarkable and certainly not as well-made as Gawith, Pease or Esoterica offerings of this type.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30124)	2011-12-12		Medium to Strong	Mild to Medium	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

Best full-English blend (cavendish/latakia) I've ever smoked. Nice flavour, burns well. The closest blend to an aromatic I can enjoy.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30124)	2011-08-04		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant

Appearance is a dark brown rough ribbon. Tin smells medium sweet, very light smoke, a bit musty. Tastes lightly sweet, dry, and lightly smoky.

Black Mallory is based on Red Rapparee, with the addition of more latakia. Rattray said "While it looks heavy, it pleases the eye, surprises the palate, and tastes fragrant and sweet". It does taste lightly sweet, but there are dry notes that take away from the sweetness. It almost rates a medium-to-strong for strength, like Red Rapparee. Black Mallory is of the same high quality, but I prefer Red Rapparee for its deeper and less dry smoke.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Mr. Big (321)	2011-07-28		Mild	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

Updated 3/30/2015- I've had a tin cellared away for about 3 years, my initial try encountered some hot spice ??? . I allowed the tin to dry and breath over a two month period and I don't want to sound too negative ,but ....., this blend doesn't bring anything, typical muting of flavors with the Cavendish tobacco additions. It packs well and burns well and I don't detect any major bite , but it just says" BLAH". It is light on all components, it's not heavy Latakia, some Orientals and it's not real sweet ( as a matter of fact I detect some bitterness), Red Rap is much more interesting. You want something for mindless smoking while in the garden ? well you could burn this stuff, but it is slightly hard on the tongue .

I totally agree with reviewers ," COCHON74 01/18/2012" & emmbee 4) 2005-10-26

Updated 7/16/12- Another few months in the cellar and more drying and this has improved slightly. This is still spicy and could bite if smoked all day. To me there are some similarites to McC, Ringlow Syrian Reserve, only this is not as smooth. both I find without much sweetness and lacking flavor. Not how I remember this from the 70"s

Pipe Used: cob

Age When Smoked: 3 years

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	arclight (5)	2011-07-15		Mild to Medium	Medium	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

This is a good straight smoke. The ribbon cut makes it easy to pack. I did not notice an oyster taste...but I could smell it upon cleaning... The Latakia is very mild in the blend. This would be a good tobacco for people wanting to try a Latakia mix but are unsure about it. This is an excellent mixture, I recomend it with a strong ale. It burns down to a nice grey ash.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	the_german (309)	2011-04-19		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

I had not intended to review this blend at this time. But, after visiting friends and returning, I found a tin of this blend in my smoking supplies box when unpacking. I had not put it in there, but there it was, so I owe my friends a tin of tobacco. They shall get it.

Meanwhile, I got this one. Nose in tin: Latakia and VA, with BC notes in the background. Ribbon cut good for small and medium bowls. Accordingly, packing and lighting is easy.

Once lit, the Black Cavendish takes a few moments to assert itself over the Latakia, but once it does, the taste is creamy-smooth, the room note is quite a bit better than what I usually expect from anything containing Latakia, and after all is smoked and puffed, there remains nothing but an even grey ash.

Cleaning the pipe afterwards is remarkably easy, with extremely little condensation to be cleared out. Overall, good tobacco.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Tom Servo (58)	2011-03-29		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Open the top on Mr. Rattray's Black Mallory, and get the typical aromas of a nice, mellow English blend. Similar to Red Rapparee in aroma but more mellow, more smooth. The creosote smell of the Latakia is softer, sort of like a cold campfire the day after the camping is done. Smoke and fresh leather, sweet and tangy notes compete for attention. Warm, soft and clean. Interesting scent of old pennies and savory blackened meats.

Beautiful, dark blend. Ribbon cut tobaccos pack easy, light easy.

Smooth, creamy (almost oily), mellow smoke. Light Latakia on the palate, Orientals assert themselves throughout the bowl. Leather and dusty notes wrap around the sweetness of the Virginia. That old penny scent is translated to the flavor as well.

Overall - subtle and elegant, flavorful and refined, sweet and savory, rich, old leather and beach bonfires in the salty sea air. I still prefer Red Rapparee myself, but Black Mallory is a very fine, rich, sophisticated smoke. This one has to go on the favorite list too.

Definitely worth a try - JRCigars online has Rattray 100gm tins for $10.95 before tax & shipping.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30124)	2011-03-20		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

I too found an oyster taste throughout my many bowls, a slight sea salt briny taste mixed with sweet and good deep all tobacco flavors but please don't let that deter you from at least trying this, its really quite tasty. Try this blend with hoegaarden beer.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Skando (203)	2011-01-02		Medium to Strong	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

Red Rapparee & Black Mallory.

As a change of pace from my usual tobacco diet - which is almost non-Latakian - I'm working through RR & BM at the same time.

I'm old enough to have met both of them say twenty years ago, at the beginning of the sunset of the UK made brands (BSOM, BS759 and BSVa10 passing from tins to pouches), and they were absolutely top EM's.

My current tins have been waiting me unsealed almost one whole year. The inner discs are still semi-wet, but tobaccos have just dried out the heck of their exaggerate moisture (the heaven knows how much PG they put in…).

Anyway, they stuffed fine into a couple of Dunhill's group 5 bents and have to say they light & burn very easily.

They are brothers, out of any doubt.

RR is offering a supremely smooth-like-silk smoke, sweet & spicy & biscuity. The Orientals take the main seat, perfectly accomplished by the Virginias (light & red). Just a trace of Latakia in the very background, and some almost-non-flavoured Black Cavendish to round off the edges. Strength is medium, body a bit over that. Intriguing and savoury, I may completely understand the smoker who chooses RR as his all-day smoke.

Where RR is more Oriental forward, BM is more on the Latakia instead. A drier but still sweet blend, darker, mustier and stronger than RR. More on the interplay between Virginias and Latakia. Again, the Black Cavendish does its job. The room note is of course less acceptable by the wife… In my memory BM used to be a truly fuller EM than nowadays.

The brothers are pleasant and satisfactory, that's for sure. What retains me from giving 4* is the PG soaking treatment, which causes the smoke being a bit aggressive to my palate.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30124)	2010-12-26		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This tobacco has beeen very well summarized. I will join the majority and highly recommend it.

Rattray's best offering!

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30124)	2010-11-02		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Tolerable

This blend is amazing. It always exceeds expectations. The Latakia and Cav work perfectly together. It has a wonderful smoky aroma to it that draws the mind back to the pub. Complex and brilliant in every respect. This is a tobacco for the ages!

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pseudo Nim (128)	2010-08-07		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

A nice change of pace is what springs to mind, an English mixture with some Black Cavendish thrown in to subdue it.

A litttle air time and your ready to load, smokes without a bite down to a grey ash and all flavours playing nicely together.

Not as tasty as Red Rapparee, but worth the purchase of the odd tin here and there.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	zulujerk (146)	2010-08-04		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

My sample of Black Mallory was packed tight into a tin estimated at 3-5 years old. The contents uniformly black, with scattered dark brown leaf, the smell pungent with deep smokey notes. Not particularly moist but far from dry, the upper layer of tobacco showed whitish tinged ribbon leaf, a clear mark of aging. The texture of the ribbon was standard, not too stringy, nor a rough cut. It packed well into the couple of pipes I smoked with the blend, a medium sized Stanwell and a larger Peterson. I packed the tobacco tight, in all instances, as I prefer a restrained draw. There were no problems with moisture or wetness, even as I tamped regularly.

Some have noted a subdued Latakia element in Black Mallory, while I found the leaf to be in the front at all times. I'm not accustomed to Cavendish in an English mixture, but I did note a creaminess similar to that of 965, which also contains the leaf (Black Mallory contains the black variety, while 965 Cavendish is brown. There is no mention whether the Cavendish is Burley or Virginia based, or whether sweeteners have been added in either instance). There is a slight nuttiness here, perhaps owing to the Burley based Cavendish. It works, and adds a nice depth to the sweetness of the Virginias. I've stated before my inability to single out the Turkish/Oriental leaf, and I will say the same here.

This is a full mixture, beyond that of something like Westminster yet more restrained than Nightcap. I found myself smoking back to back bowls of Westminster and Black Mallory in an attempt at comparison, and found that I favored Black Mallory in complexity and strength.

I had no problems with relights, as an aggressive smoker who likes to tamp frequently. The burn rate was exceptional.

Black Mallory finishes strong, building toward the end of the bowl and imparting a strong taste on the palate. I wouldn't suggest smoking this in the company of others, as it can be overwhelming to the senses. To those who enjoy strong, full English mixtures, I believe you will find Black Mallory an exceptional blend, one in which the Cavendish provides a unique element to the standard English. I plan to keep this in my rotation, and confess to almost smoking this religiously upon cracking the tin. I can picture a daily rotation of FVF, Black Mallory, and University Flake.

Recommended.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30124)	2010-06-28		Medium	Very Mild	Medium	Tolerable

This was the first English I tried. I generally stick with the Virginas but I love this one.

Someone else called this one refined and I would have to agree.

Everything about this one is great and if you are considering an English to try this one is a good start.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Latakia (70)	2010-05-26		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant

The latakia with the black cavenidish really goes well. The latakia is present but not overwhelming. The VA and Orientals also make it a very balenced blend with a beautiful aroma. This will be a regular amongst the Rattrays but as I got through the series, I am having a hard time determining what I like the most. Very good blends and all for different reasons, seasons, times and moods.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Tee-dub (48)	2010-05-17		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

Well, I like this.

How to describe it? Its flavors are very light, but its texture feels rather more substantial. Another reviewer called it "luxurious," and that word may be apt. It's well-heeled, restrained, silky smooth, forgiving, obliging, and agreeable.

The Latakia is apparent in the tin, but is harder to detect once a match brings it to life. The Latakia quietly provides a round, full texture, but only in the background.

It's smooth, easy, and an agreeable companion. Other than a notable taste of citrus, no flavor cries out for attention. Leaves a sort of waxy aftertaste that, while odd, isn't off-putting.

I like it.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	gladi8tor96 (143)	2010-05-17		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

Update 2015 - I revisited this tobacco, again after a few more years and several other blends under my belt. Wow! I remember why I loved this blend and why it was listed as one of my favorites (and is again). It contains the perfect harmony between sweet and smokey. The virginias provide sweetness, but doesn't dominate...not as sweet as Frog Morton. This is a dominate latakia blend, in my opinion, but the latakia is smokey, floral, and not overpowering like Gaslight, which at times can almost be like oil/tar that's not bad...it's a fantastic blend as well). The orientals mixed with the latakia give a fragrant creamy smoke that is something different than all the other english blends I have tried (and different than the balkan blends that are more savory and smokey than sweet, though I do love those blends as well). The turkish perhaps rounds out the blend, but I didn't detect any and there was no scratchiness in the throat nor was the nicotine strong either. There is the citrus that I spoke of before, but also floral hints. The flavors are diverse yet play off each other in a perfect symphony. The taste is not overdone but will keep one interested throughout the entire bowl. Simply an amazing tobacco that is a must try for any true pipe tobacco connoisseur.

OriginalThis is a wonderful English Blend, in my H.O. It is so creamy with hints of smokiness, that come with Latakia. I also caught hints of citrus here and there. The mixture allows for a sweet and rich smoke, but the citrius (from the Latakia and/or orientals) is unexpected and amazing! It was a bit wet coming out of the tin and a bit difficult to get lit for the first few bowls, but there was absolutely no bite!! Very pleasant taste and aroma. I was unable to rid my mouth of the taste for hours after, however, which is was unexpected.

Overall still a wonderful smoke. The mouth being coated seems to have only occurred in the beginning of the first tin and hasn't re-occurred since.

Pipe Used: Bent Billard, Dublin, Egg, Acorn

Age When Smoked: New from store - 1-5 years

Purchased From: Pipesandcigars.com

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30124)	2010-05-03		Mild	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I find this blend to be very mild, both in flavor and strength. The lite bodied cavendish is quite evident while the latakia component plays a small role. While it is smooth and it is somewhat creamy, there isn't enough flavor for me. If you like a mild english with a pinch of latakia, this might do it for you. I was surprised to find this listed here as medium to full.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Duke (41)	2010-04-29		Mild	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

This is a nice blend of quality tobaccos and anyone wanting a quality English that is mild in strength, voile'. Out of the tin I found it fairly wet, but I prefer dryer tobacco. I don't sense a topping, yet it has a neutrally sweet component that is probably the Cavendish, yet it is not a problem. I would enjoy a more Oriental presence. I found large-bowled pipes benefit this tobacco and the smoke itself. This tobacco burns as quick as a firecracker fuse, so a small bowl ends before any chance of any smoking rhythm. A large Billiard provided me with the best smoke of this blend. Like Briar Patch, I cut my teeth on Dunhill's and so it lacks in strength in comparison. I like nicotine and it is an integral part of my tobacco enjoyment. I miss my old blends. It's like a Ford man switching to a Chevy, it may not work out.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Susanna Hoffs (74)	2010-04-25		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Tolerable

Hmmmm.... Not sure about this one. Problem I find with this blend is that it coats my tongue, leaving a dusty/waxy sensation.

The smoke is mild to medium, and relatively creamy to be fair. I can taste the orientals and latakia, and would call this a somewhat recommended middle of the road English.

Odd one for me... Maybe a bit of time is required to marry a better relationship of taste and flavours, and to rid me of that damn tongue issue!

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30124)	2009-11-12		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Tolerable to Strong

This is my first english blend and i realy loved it :)

I came from cigarettes and always liked black tobaccos like Javaanse Jongens Sterke. This mixture however is extremely satisfying, nice natural aromes, awesome spicyness. i totaly like it.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30124)	2009-10-05		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

This blend is one of the greates Latakia blends I've tried. And it is the best English blend of Rattray's tobaccos.

The blend has a nice proportion of good tobaccos. The strength is fit to my taste, it does not overhelms and I don't seek for a richer smoke. My normal and slow puffing cadence makes a good, satisfying smoking with this blend.

Lights easily and it no need to effort for keeping it lit.

It has a delightful Latakia taste which remains on palate for hours after finishing the bowl. This is an elegant English mixture. Highly recommended.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	RMBittner (66)	2009-08-05		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This may or may not be all that helpful. . . But this review is based on a 1991 tin -- so it has some age on it -- opened in May of 2009. (I was planning to cellar this longer, but the can started swelling, I wanted to try it before it burst open on its own.)

Because so much has already been posted here -- and I'm not sure my report has much bearing on what a fresh tin would taste like -- I'll just say that this is a well-made, medium-weight English with sturdy and spicy orientals and a dash of cavendish. Being a lover of English, oriental, and Balkan blends, I enjoyed it.

I must add, though, that it reminded me a bit of Margate, which I actually prefer somewhat. Although I rarely smoke English with cavendish added to it, if I'm going to do it I want it to be something special; there's something about Margate that really sets it apart for me. Black Mallory is good, but it never reaches that higher level of pleasure for me like Margate does consistently.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30124)	2009-06-16		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Medium	Tolerable to Strong

Very round, creamy and smooth smoking experience. Spicy (cumin, wood, smoke, leather etc) aromas set on a sweet backdrop. As the smoking process proceeds, the tobacco becomes sweeter and acquires deeper, more complex tones. There is constantly an incense tone to this smoke which I am not sure whether it is produced by the neighboring of smokiness and sweetness in the tobaccos or if it means the presence of flavoring. In any case I find that quite disagreeable.

No bite but not too much strength either. I would have preferred less latakia in it which as it stands determine too much the bouquet in my view. Ideally use a meerschaum for this blend.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30124)	2009-04-21		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

The Mallory is a classic. I don't know about the "old" versions, only what's avaliable now. Seems more useful. This review is based on a fresh 100g tin, I've noticed some reviews are based on the "bulk" type, that may be different in moisture etc. So, this is on the TIN. God help the bulk version of anything once someone other than the blender gets their paws on it! To me this is a straight up English blend. I've let it air/dry out for a few hours as it seemed slightly too moist for me - might work for you as is? Anyway, with some drying it loads in the pipe easy. It lights easy. And Lordy be it stays lit. In my book if a tobacco cannot do that all else is meaningless. Flavor is straight up english. Nothing fancy. A Good Smoke! Ash is white and burns easy to the bottom of the bowl. Burns dry. I have found this to be a great tobacco when I'm tired of bite from other blends. I keep returning to the Mallory when I want something simple that stays lit is enjoyable to smoke. There are many many other goods blends out there. My experence with the Mallory is that it is a no nonsense English that you can actually smoke - few instructions required.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30124)	2009-03-10		Medium	None Detected	Full	Tolerable

This is an outstanding blend, similar to Red Rapparee, a little sweeter, less tangy. Very smooth & creamy. Highly recommended.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30124)	2009-02-21		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

Very good English Blend. Just the perfect amount of latakia for me (about 25% to 30% I guess). It smokes smooth and a little creamy, but not as much as 965 for instance. Cavendish is very moderate here, just as I can enjoy it... too much and it ruins a blend for my taste. This tobacco is all about balance and one of my favourites on the cold days.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	BingCrosby (161)	2009-02-20		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

This, for me, is what an English blend should be like.. An excellent interplay between virginia, latakia, and oriental.. not as much latakia as some of the balkans out there but enough to keep things interesting.. This is a balanced smoke all the way.. deffinately good for contmplative times.. more of an evening smoke than early in the day.. this is up in my top 5 latakia blends alongside the great squadron leader.

update.. I have had a hard time getting through the 100 grams I bought of this stuff about a year ago.. It is great stuff.. but for some reason I am finding it is not my thing. This is just a personal preference.. I am finding I like balkans a little more for latakia.. also it is a constant battle of drying and rehydrating.. which I haven't experienced with other tobaccos.. I have gone through about 100 grams of rattray's old gowrie in the same amount of time it took me to go through a quarter of this blend.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30124)	2009-01-22		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

A very nice English/Oriental blend.

Excellent taste, especially through the nose (which it won't easily burn). Peat, myrrh and wood - overall a well-balanced taste that obscures the individual ingredients.

Cool smoking and difficult to get hot. Right amount of dryness in the tin and the ribbon cut make it easy to keep lit.

Similar to original Frog Morton with a little less sweetness but about the same (maybe a bit more) body.

Similar to Westminster but has more incense and much more body. Also, the cut is more consistent and generally smaller.

I smoke mostly English/Orientals and try new blends all the time for the sake of variety. Haven't found anything better yet. I most frequently pack this loosely in a narrow bowl, sip, no tamp.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30124)	2008-09-10		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

Another decent one by Rattray. It strikes me as a little light on Orientals and makes a fine Latakia Delivery System. Very damp in the tin and very tightly wound long ribbons. My personal preference is to shorten them a bit, and dry them a lot. The Frank method works especially well for me in billiard/Canadian shapes, but takes well to a layered fill in bent bulldog/author shapes.

Pretty to look at, especially the Virginias' contrasting colors. Great tin aroma that smells just like...really nice tobacco.

A bit sharp at light up, but settles down quickly to a nice balance of spice, smoke and sweetness. No gurgle in four different briars and burns cleanly all the way to the bottom of the bowl.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Old Puffer (42)	2008-06-27		Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Well, after reading glowing reviews here, especially by such respected reviewers giving it such high marks, I finally tried this very popular blend. Although I can't say that there was anything bad about BM, I was just a bit disappointed. What really turns me on is a really rich tasting baccy that gives me a little nico' zing and holds my attention throughout the bowl with interesting flavors. I guess my expectations were running in high gear and I expected too much.

My first experience was that I tried it the first time right out of the bag; big mistake. Although it felt about right - way too much moisture. Could not keep it lit beyond the first half of the bowl and after a lot of tamping to keep it going, it finally turned into a hard gob that I had to toss out. Spread it out and let it dry overnight until I thought it was just too dry but tried it anyhow and it packed and lit well and burned OK.

BM turned out to be, against my expectations, A little ho-hum. It came on with only mild to medium strength, flavoring was only mild, and the room note was unspectacular also. In it's favor, this baccy does not burn hot, I experienced NO tendency to bite, and it went to the bottom of the bowl without a whimper, mostly tasting like it started. The balance between Virginia and Latakia was perfect and the taste (for a mild tobacco) was as well balanced as I could expect for a very English blend. I cannot fault it and will happily finish what is on hand and probably order more when it is gone. I just can't put it on my favorites list (yet).

I have a feeling that some of my slight disappointment may be in the batch that I received. Against the descriptions I have seen here, the blend was not very dark and there was not even a hint of visual oiliness. I have come to recognize an appreciation of strength and richness for blends expressed by guys like pipestud and It occurs to me that I may have had a somewhat weakened blend. I will certainly be accountable for a revision of this review if another batch presents itself differently.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Glorfindel (86)	2008-05-02		Strong	Extremely Mild	Full	Tolerable

Harsh - Hagen has it right here I think. Very heavy cloying properties.

1 star for me. 2 stars for English fans, they seem to like it.

Much better English mixtures out there without that "brassy" taste I get here. I certainly won't pay $$ for this one - lucky I got to try it for free.

If you're into English mixes and hate aromatics - this might be your thing.

Ohterwise, try it only if you can get some for free ;)

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30124)	2008-04-10		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is a richly satisfying smoke for the latakia lover. Not being a huge fan of oriental tobacco's I personally prefer this to many of the so-called "English" blends. I bought a 100g tin. The tobacco is dark and oily looking with an earthy, woodsy aroma. There is no discernable topping to complicate proceedings. Black Mallory lights and burns easily to a dull light grey ash with no bitterness and zero tongue bite. Particularly delicious with a salty Islay malt whiskey, and just as good with an afternoon cup of tea. Probably a little too heavy for an all-day smoke but richly rewarding when the time is right.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	PipePaladin (78)	2008-02-10		Medium	Very Mild	Medium	Tolerable

As with other reviewers this one reminded me of Dunhill 965! I am not really in love with English blends but this one is different like the Dunhill one and the Commonwealth of S. Gawith. Its has a light toping and the Cavendish makes it very easy to smoke! Worths a try!

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30124)	2008-02-07		Mild to Medium	Mild	Medium	Tolerable

simply put: i don't like it. it's not poor quality, perhaps, but having just smoked red rapparee, it's a huge disppointment. i can't imagine this being in any way the same ingredients as charles rattray used for his version. it's quite sweet, with a bit of oriental and latakia fighting for attention, and yet at the same time harsh. no real interplay between the virginia, latakia, turkish and cavendish.

how it could be seen as a strong tobacco by anyone is beyond my comprehension. was it perhaps the harshness of the concoction that did it?

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Xeneize (275)	2007-08-06		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

Another wonder from Rattray. A perfect all day smoke for those who find 7 Reserve Medium and the like way too mild. Sometimes this is my favorite English from Rattray, sometimes it's Red Rapparee. I find in BM more Latakia and less Orientals than in RR, with darker Virginias. This one also bites if smoked recklessly.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30124)	2007-01-23		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable to Strong

Black Mallory is a good Latakia blend for smokers who like the idea of enjoying Latakia but find many traditional blends (965, I'm looking at you here) just too overbearing.

The intensity of the flavor is pretty comparable to Frog Morton, in my opinion. But the Virginia adds a savory, sweet dimension that offsets the smokier Orientals quite well.

My tin is several years old and has dried out almost too much, but burns better than ever. Drying it out makes all the difference.

It's a great choice for a mostly Virginia smoker who occasionally wants a taste of something more English. I suppose you could consider it a "gateway" blend for learning to enjoy the classic English stuff.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30124)	2006-09-14		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

I genuinely enjoyed this blend!It has a wonderful sweeteness to it that really has to be experienced to be appreciated.This is one of the mildest English/Scottish offerings I have ever had.The flavor ,strength,and overall quality of the blend llies somewhere between C&D's "Black Duck" and Dunhill's"Aperitif".This is a solid choice for the Balkan/English afficianado looking for a special treat.The black cavendish lends a sweet note to a rather "sour" and full English.I would recommend this to any one looking for something truly different. 3.5 0f 4 stars. P.S. The room note is actually rather pleasant and might even win you favor with the fairer sex! ############################## Update 9/14/06 Another Bomb by Kohlhase and Kopp!

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30124)	2006-09-05		Mild	Very Mild	Medium	Tolerable

Smoky, Dark, Sharp blend. Not a real fan, Its quality-just not for me.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30124)	2006-04-13		Strong	None Detected	Full	Tolerable

Rattray's Black Mallory is not an English blend as others have noted in their reviews. This is predominately a Virginia weed and that is what most strongly comes forward. There is a slight creaminess that I like, but the Virginia is harsh and the nicotine level stronger than one would imagine. I understand why others like Black Mallory and lovers of Virginia weeds will probably appreciate it. Going into this expecting an English blend disappointed me and I will not be purchasing it again. The smell in the tin, the raw tobacco, is fantastic, but the overall smoking qualities leave a lot to be desired.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Paddy (127)	2006-01-09		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

For me, this blend is about as mild a blend as you can smoke and still experience the "English" or "Scottish" blend flavor. This blend does not give me the latakia smokiness in the nose. Instead it provides a mellow, almost sweet latakia flavor on the tongue. This blend has no bite or edge as you might experience with a young Red Rapparee. I also do not detect any orientals other than latakia. I am guessing, but I make this blend out as consisting of mild Virginia, unsweetened cavendish and a type of smooth latakia. This blend does not offer "big" flavor, but it is memorable as a very friendly English. This could be an all day blend for the English lover or a dandy choice for someone looking to try such a blend for the first time. Those who require strong latakia in their English may be disappointed. I like it. Recommended. Paddy.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	The Printer Piper (15)	2023-01-01		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

I bought this about a year ago when I was sampling different Latakia blends. Now that its a year later and I'm a little better at picking out different tastes, I really am enjoying this blend. Its not too powerful and gives a great Latakia forward aroma. I love the way it smells, although its probably not for everyone. I didn't pick up much spice, but it is smokey and somewhat dry. Overall I like it and am enjoying a lot more Rattray's blends which so far all seem to be first shelf.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Bubbamorris (16)	2022-11-17		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Full	Tolerable

Wow. The first time I tried this I was amazed. Simply put, this is what I remember Plum Pudding tasting like. I don’t know what happened with Plum Pudding, but I haven’t had another tin yet that tasted like my first tin. This makes up for that.

Upon opening the tin you get smacked with the standard latakia smokiness but also some spicy, zesty, and herbal orientals. The Virginias are in the background. The black cavendish is also in the background.

Lighting it up, that’s when the magic happens. The first few puffs when lighting are filled with that magic, cologne-y, musky, sweet smokiness. It’s like a Christmas party. You have your fireplace going, people wearing colognes and perfumes are mingling and having fun, some food is cooking in the kitchen, and there’s a dessert table filled with treats. Bunch that all together and that’s what it tastes like when lighting. After it gets going, it develops into a more earthy, woody, and spicy flavor, while still retaining some of that smoky sweetness and a slight floral note. There is also a creaminess and an occasional pleasant herbal quality. The orientals in this will definitely leave your tongue with a little tingle. On the finish I get anise and the Virginia fruit sweetness. You get all of this flavor without it ever being heavy. The latakia never gets too dark or muddy, yet it never gets light. It’s just perfectly balanced. Sweet, savory, and spicy.

Compared to Red Rapparee, it’s definitely more latakia foreword as opposed to Virginia foreword. If you’re looking for a sweet (not sugary, but fragrantly sweet) latakia foreword English, I can’t think of a better blend. I agree with Pipestud; if I had to pick one latakia blend to smoke the rest of my life, this might be it (although GL Pease Westminster and the Sutliff Balkan Sobranie Match are also up there).

Pipe Used: Rattray’s #113

Age When Smoked: 3 months

Similar Blends: Seattle Pipe Club - Plum Pudding.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	neuron_md (32)	2022-11-06		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

I find this to be a very relaxing blend. You can light it up and not need to pay attention to it, but simply enjoy it.

The tin aroma is just sweet, sugary and wonderful. The cold draw on the pipe before lighting is equally heavenly. I can draw on it all day.

On lighting, it has a sweet and creamy flavor, with a medium to full body on the palate.

The room note is pleasant, in contrast to the pungency of most blends with Latakia.

The nicotine hit is mild, and I can smoke it all day. No chance of tongue bite even if pushed.

A fine English blend in the tradition of Dunhill blends.

Pipe Used: Peterson bend and straight billiards

Age When Smoked: 12 years

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	oldecodger (4)	2022-06-09		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Medium	Pleasant

Very fine smokable second bowl in the late evening, especially in the summer, together with a glass of reasonable priced primitivo or nero d'avola. The Latakia has mellowed over the years, but is still there. I bought this 100 g tin about 18 years ago, and forgot it completely... A couple of weeks ago, when it got warm here, i thought about looking over my tobacco stash and discovered this old tin. It is very mellow, sweet and useful for me to recapitulate the past day and planning ahead for tomorrow... Nothing fancy, nothing wild, just the perfect last evening bowl. Very pleasing.

Pipe Used: quite a few

Age When Smoked: 18 years

Purchased From: local tobacconist

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Antonello Zugaro (7)	2022-03-18		Medium to Strong	Medium to Strong	Medium to Full	Tolerable

Versione "appesantita" del Red Rapparee. Troppo Black Cavendish con conseguente tendenza a scaldare eccessivamente la pipa. Buona combustibilità. Contenuto nicotinico significativo. Non adatto a fumatori inesperti.

Pipe Used: Ascorti

Age When Smoked: New

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	nach0 (35)	2021-10-06		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable to Strong

I spent a few bowls till i noticed how complex is this blend. At first moment wasnt exactly what i was expecting, little too fermented and saltyness, the smell reminded me smth like pickles or vinegar and even olives came thru my mind. After a week or so smoking it everyday, it started showing me another nuances that made it instantly entered on my top 3 list of best tobacco. I feel like more i smoke it, more i get from, simply amazing. i´d recommend following a sweet and fresh drink.

Pipe Used: many including briar and cob

Age When Smoked: fresh from the tin

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	GergelyAdam (10)	2021-05-06		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

Black Mallory. Tin evokes a good smoked bacon from Kolozsvár. Black colors dominate the mix, this is definitely Latakia! Other ingredients doesn’t “distract” us everything supports the smoky flavor. Approx has 35% latakia in it, but it is not harsh , rather rounded, but at the same time the taste is a bit monotonous. It stays steady all the way through, however it burns a little fast. Nicotine level is mild to medium. Smoke volume is rich even without paying much attention. So, if you ignite it in a non-foggy-humid weather, this tobacco can generate easily your own aura of smoke. It is a decent smoke, but there are more interesting blends on the market. Somewhat recommended.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	mustache drip (6)	2020-09-05		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Inmagine Squadron leader but a bit stronger sweeter and very creamy. Flavors os leadher, figs and incense. Burns cool and on the slow side. Very nice indeed.

Pipe Used: Savinelli billiard

Age When Smoked: fresh

Similar Blends: Sqadron leader, Mcclelland Old dog..

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30124)	2006-01-08		Medium	None Detected	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is a blend that I really have to be in the mood for to appreciate. The full character of Rattray's treatment of the Virginia leaf is the sweet and commanding theme of this dark leaf mxiture. Cyprian leaf and Orientals provide support and added strength for a smoke that must be a participant event to be fully enjoyed. This is an English blend for the experienced smoker that can have quite a bite if not smoked slowly. Age brings a smoother character to this so letting it sit in the cellar might not be a bad thing.

Meerschaum Man Smoking an Altinok Smooth Canadian

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pipepundit (168)	2006-01-05		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

I have always preferred Black Mallory over Standard Mixture and My Mixture, both of which I rate highly and enjoy. It is similar, yet provides a more piquant experience. If the Dunhill blends are sec Black Mallory is brut.

Is this named after the mountaineer?

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30124)	2005-12-02		Medium to Strong	Very Mild	Full	Pleasant

Said by Rattray's to be similar in composition to RR. I find this one to be fuller, sweeter, and smoother than RR. Some have mentioned a cavendish component. I am not able to accurately identify some tobaccos by sight, but suspect this has a sweetened cavendish element to it. It has an underlying sweetness to me that just seems to be too much to be natural. I have no problems with packing or burning qualities in fairly large bowls, and the room note is excellent for an English style tobacco. I continue to smoke RR for it's added "edginess", but I smoke this one quite a bit too. Highly recommended for English style smokers.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	RCUSElder (244)	2005-05-18		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable to Strong

Revised 05-17-2005

This is a high quality English/Balkan blended from Rattray's that really didn't do much for me at first, but after trying several aged 50g. tins, I have been pleasantly surprised. Upon opening the tin you are greeted by mostly dark medium-cut ribbon leaf. The tin aroma is mostly Cyprian latakia with the Orientals close behind and the Virginia way in the background. The quality of the leaf is apparent, packing and lighting are easy. Flavor is medium to full English all the way down the bowl with some sweetness from the VA popping in and out. I have to say, that the flavor seems much better from the 50g. tins than fromm the 100g. tins. Why that is, I don't know, but after smoking several pounds of this blend, I only buy the 50g. tins now. Definitely in the top 10 of English blends.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30124)	2004-09-02		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

Black Mallory is particularly moist and will survive in a glass jar without humidification for a very long time.

The tin I am reviewing has been smoked and reviewed for about a year. The burning and taste qualities have changed substantially over that time. My tin has gone from fairly hot, edgy and acrid to a well-behaved, smooth blend.

This is a nicely balanced mixture. It appeals to me when Oriental and Latakia flavors are craved in the context of mild, stoved Virginia leaf (Cavendish and possibly cased lightly).

This is sweeter than Red Rapparee and less biting. One bowl of RR does my tongue in for the day. Black Mallory also seems to be a bit more Latakia forward, whereas RR puts the Orientals to the bow.

It vaguely resembles 965, but with lower notes and deeper flavors. Pack the first two layers in your pipe a little loose, lest this compact and render gentle puffing fruitless. Puff hard for a sore tongue.

Rattray, as a line, seems to use the best leaf available with admirable skill.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30124)	2004-08-04		Medium	Medium	Medium to Full	Tolerable

Let me preface by saying I'm a latakia freak. I eat Penzance and Old Ironsides right out of the can. Can one have too much latakia in their diet? This blend is dominated by it, but not overwhelmed. When I need a break from my normal intake of that smokey goodness, I will hit my VA flakes and work my way back into my normal intake of latakia. This blend is ideal for that second to last step towards my usual balkan and krumble cake diet.

I enjoy that little hint of spice all the way through and the toasted cavendish works well with the turkish leaf. It's a quality blend that merits a try. As mentioned before, it is more refined than RR. I prefer BM over RR simply because of the latakia content (go figure).

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30124)	2004-05-29		Medium	Medium	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This used to be one of my staples in a 30 year smoking life. It's essentially a medium English, but with that distintive spice that the virginia Rattray uses. Some might find that spice, tang, or whatever not to their taste, and like some of the reviewers have noted, it can be a bit too "steamy" out of a fresh can. I still smoke it once in a while, but gravitated towards heavier perique blends, but anyone who likes English mixes should try this one at least once.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30124)	2003-10-09		Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

I must agree with Rocket's assertion above, "the only kinship to Red Rapparee is that they both happen to be Englishes". (And they are both blended by Kohlhaase & Kopp.) Black Mallory is no Red Rapparee. I prefer Red Rapparee by a fair degree. Black Mallory is well-behaved, indeed to a fault. By contrast, RR has a virginia tanginess that has gone missing in BM.

This being said, BM is a good medium English smoke. If I had to smoke one or the other all day, it would clearly be BM. However, I generally only smoke Englishes towards the end of the day, and prefer one with more latakia punch than Black Mallory provides. (Gee, maybe I have a latakia dependency problem...) I will still keep some BM around, however, for a change of pace. So many Englishes, so little time...

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	tillmanj (73)	2001-02-28		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Tolerable

I am something of a lover of english type blends, and I purchased this because it was spoken well of by other lovers of english blends that I have met. In most respects it is a good solid english type tobacco. It has a fair amount of Latakia, a good rich taste, and burns fairly easily. However, it does have one drawback. It seems that no matter how slowly or carefully I smoke it, there is always a noticeable amount of steam in the smoke. This has happened at almost all levels of moisture, until I dried some out completely, and then slowly remosturized it myself over a period of a few weeks. Now, I don't mind fiddling with a tobacco this much, but some folks would be put off by it. However, I seem to be in the minority when it comes to the steam flavor of the blend, as most people I ask about it have never noticed it. Other than that drawback, and an occasional bowl of it refusing to stay lit no matter how carefully it is packed, I enjoy it, and will probably buy more of it in the future, though I don't rush out to buy more whenever a tin gets half empty, like I do with some english type blends.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pippifein (7)	2023-03-02		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium	Unnoticeable

Well, the tobacco starts off a bit peppery, the Cavendish as the basis of the tobacco is omnipresent. The Latakia is unfortunately underrepresented. BM is not as well balanced as the Red Rapparee, actually not comparable because the Red Rapparee is based in Virginia. The Red Rapparee is also clearly superior in complexity and depth. I was hoping that the BM would have a good load of Latakia, but unfortunately I was disappointed.

Pipe Used: Savinelli 670 KS

Purchased From: Local Dealer

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JaWiBr (431)	2023-02-04		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Tin note of mildly sweet smoky. Tobacco is black, light brown and dark brown Ribbon cut. Moisture content is ok, some may need to dry it a bit. Burns slow with few relights. The strength is mild to medium and nic is mild. No flavoring detected. Taste is mild to medium and somewhat consistent, with complex notes of wood, floral, smoky, sugar, leather, toast, spice, lemon zest, herbal, sugary savory, buttery, smooth, dry earth, mildly acidic/spicy, mild incense, a mildly tangy citrus, background note, and a mild peppery retro. Latakia is barely beating Virginias for the lead with Cavendish and Oriental/Turkish providing excellent support. Room note is pleasant to tolerable, and aftertaste is great.

Pipe Used: 1988 Castello Collection Great Line

Age When Smoked: 2 years

Purchased From: smokingpipes.com

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	The Old Man (19)	2021-12-19		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Black Mallory is a sublime Scottish blend. The Latakia and a good dose of black Cavendish and Virginias combine to provide a smoke that is very smooth and mild, yet rich and savory. It has a luscious burning aroma.

The blend does come a bit damp in the tin so I dried the leaf until it was perfect for smoking. The short-cut ribbons make for an easy 3-part firm pack. Burns fairly cool to a powdery fine white ash and it leaves a lingering Latakia aftertaste.

After 5 or 6 months in the jar, Black Mallory becomes even more savory. The rich Latakia, black Cavendish and VAs further meld to make a rich, satisfying smoke without overwhelming nicotine. And, after smoking a fair amount of Picadilly Circus lately, I'd say Black Mallory is less Latakia forward and the sweetness is a bit more noticeable. Black Mallory is definitely a milder and sweeter blend than Picadilly Circus but it does seem to have more nicotine than Picadilly Circus (and it burns a bit warmer due to the increased VA content).

At the end of the day Black Mallory is a genuine classic and it's my favorite Scottish mixture.

Age When Smoked: Fresh to 6 Months

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Jonno51 (11)	2021-03-05		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

It came ready to smoke, but I gave it 30 minutes air as well. This is my second 50 gram tin of BM.

The tin note is dominated by the Latakia, and the appearance of the ribbon cut mirrors that. Predominantly dark tobaccos, certainly darker than Red Rapparee, its Rattray's sibling. It lit well, and only needed one relight near the end of the bowl. A little tamping helped it along. Not over generous with its smoke initially, this changed as the bowl wore on.

Scottish mixtures are my preferred blends, that is Latakia/Orientals/Virginias with the addition of some English style Cavendish. You might say that makes me biased but I have recently reviewed Charatan's Four Leaf, and St James Park by Robert McConnell and marked them down despite their falling into the same Scottish category. The Latakia and Orientals are forward, particularly the Latakia, with the sweetness of the Virginias and the smoothing effect of the Cavendish very much in the background.

It is a rich, smoky, smooth experience, burning cool without any hint of bite. It is less spicy/complex than Red Rapparee but stronger in nicotine without being anything to be afraid of. It burns down to ash without any dottle, all in all a very satisfactory smoke, without asking as many questions of your palate as does RR. IMHO you can't smoke the same blend all the time, otherwise you forget what makes it special, familiarity breeds contempt etc etc so BM will take its place in my rotation. I won't smoke it every day but it will get a weekly airing at least. The only blend I smoke every day is Red Rapparee.

If you are coming into English/Scottish mixtures from VaBurs I would recommend BM, if you're coming from VaPers then Red Rapparee would probably be a better option. I would not recommend this to smokers of aromatics who want to try their first taste of Latakia, something like Early Morning Pipe might be more suitable. I award it 3 stars, but would give it an extra half star above that if it were possible.

Pipe Used: Vauen 4415 bent briar

Age When Smoked: Straight from the tin

Purchased From: Barbers of Harrogate

Similar Blends: Red Rapparee, Tree Mixture, Old Dublin, MM965 in that order.

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Phillip Ellis (14)	2020-04-07		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

This is to me a sweet English blend "Scottish" the flavor profile is nice and for a crossover blend type its great. However i am not a fan due to the lack of latakia power that it has. This to me would be a good blend for someone to try that is in the process from making the switch from Aero's to English blends. Hope this helps.

Pipe Used: Corn Cob & Comoys

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Boswells

Similar Blends: Boswell's Northwoods.

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	drdave (17)	2015-04-13		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Tolerable

My local tobacconist (Cigar and Tabac in Overland Park, Ks - a great place!) was out of my beloved Red Rapparee; so I opted for a tin of the Black Mallory. It has been quite a number of years since this concoction graced any of my pipes and I thought it would provide a good enough standby. Sometimes we are disappointed, chagrined, and sadly mistaken. Black Mallory had too much of something, and though the first few smokes were okey dokey, after consuming most of the 100 gram tin it became overbearing and downright bitter. In a mild panic, I thought maybe all my pipes had suddenly turned bitter. Using a different tobacco, Dunhill's Standard, I loaded my beautiful Preben Holm freehanded creation to test out that horrible theory. The night before the Preben Holm had provided a bitter experience with the Black Mallory and I conjectured this would be an extreme test. The first few draws of the Standard Mixture were a little bitter but when it hit the zone the smoke was citrusy sweet and nutty. So I won't be sucking any more Black Mallory because - it sucks.

Pipe Used: 12 briars and 1 meershaum

Age When Smoked: should have never been born

Purchased From: Cigar and Tabac

Similar Blends: i don't want to know what it's similar to.

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30124)	2011-02-23		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is the tobacco that helped increase my understanding of the different types of leaf in a blend. I found that in Black Mallory, the Virginians and Orientals take the center stage, with Latakia playing a supporting role and the Black Cav. barely noticeable.

I wouldn't call this a Full English; not enough Latakia for that, but rather a milder Medium blend. As far as the smoking of Black Mallory goes, it's very smooth and you can tell the sweetness of the Orientals, as they really tame the Virginians in this mix. The spice of the Latikia is present, but isn't overwhelming in any way.

The smoke is a bit thinner than I like, and doesn't have the creaminess that I enjoy with a fuller Latakia blend. However, this is a personal preference only. The smoke is enjoyable and I found the sweetness of the Orientals really plays out well. In fact, the oddity of the Orientals (in that this is my first mixture that had them) threw me off for a few bowls. I couldn't tell what it was that I was smoking at first.

I think this is a blend for those who would like to experience what an English mixture is. It seems a bit more on the Oriental side than the Latakia, and produces a smooth, sweet smoke with a hint of spice.

I've found through smoking this and other mixtures that I enjoy LOTS of Latakia and that Orientals tame the smoke down too much for me. It's still a great blend for smoking, despite my personal preference. I'd recommend others give it a try. It certainly has a large following and a great reputation.

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30124)	2008-12-29		Medium	Mild	Medium	Tolerable

It is pretty obvious from reading the reviews here that either people have really, really different palates (quite possible) or this blend has changed its character of the past few years (another VERY likely possibility). This review is of a the bulk blend.

Is it an English tobacco? I think so - it tastes only of Virginias, Latakia and maybe some Orientals. I cannot detect much in the way of casings - MAYBE there is a smidgen of Cavendish in this, but it's merely a pinch. The Latakia is used sparingly, but is definitely there.

Is it a "full' English? No. Its a mild-tasting blend. You actually can taste food after smoking this tobacco. The Virginias seem more predominant than in a typical English-style perhaps. It reminds me a little bit of GLP Blackpoint - only without the Perique, sweeter and with more nicotine.

This could be good morning smoke or even an all-day English for some. I would second the opinion here that BM would also be appropriate for aromatic smokers moving to English since it does have SLIGHT sweetness to it.

It won't have you waning on about its complexity but BM is well blended, tasty, easy to smoke without biting and won't dominate your taste buds for the rest of the day/evening with the lingering flavor of Latakia.

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30124)	2007-11-24		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Tolerable to Strong

Like all the K & K Rattray's this is very moist in the tin and needs drying. What do they add to these blends ? Maybe just water as it dries quickly. It's very rich, smokey with an overall sweetness. Like most Rattray's it's very hot unless dried and smoked gently. However, I can say that about most tobaccos. This is a rich after dinner tobacco for me. Dunhill's Aperitif is similar to but much smoother with less bite, and tastes like a more natural tobacco. Update: 2007-Nov

I've just finished another 50g tin of this blend, much of it smoked quite dry. Without the heat from excess moisture this tobacco has been so complex, layered and flavorful that I have purchased a few more tins. The virginia tobacco and the black cavendish gives this a dark sweetness. Balanced against this, however, the orientals are sharp. I could never smoke this every night.

I'm sure it's different than the original but we are fortunate that someone is still blending this classic. Unique!

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30124)	2007-08-24		Strong	None Detected	Full	Very Strong

Black Mallory! I've smoked the bulk version only, so I suspect it's different than the tin version, but anyhow, I shall review all the same.

Black Mallory sure wears its name good: it's very black! Not much golden or brown leaves in there. Strong smell of Latakia, as a matter of fact, pretty much the only smell I could detect. Almost addictive... Nice long cut with some short cut leaves.

Filling is easy, lighting takes a bit but when it's started, it's all latakia, strong, robust, with a wooden -leather sort of touch.

As this was my first venture in the full english ( I'd say, this was about 12 years ago, lads), I made sure to be able to keep up by fixing myself some martinis. It worked, the smoke mellowed down after a while.

Strong tasting 'till the end, leaves a nice gray, dry ash. I bought a couple more pouches after but never really came back to it on a regular basis. i wouldn't recommend it as a morning smoke...

But still, a nice bakkie, when you want a real kick!

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30124)	2007-05-15		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

I found Rattray's Black Mallory to be a fine blend for those who like a Latakia blend, in moderation. Latakaniacs will most likely find this blend a bit lacking, but, for those who enjoy a slightly more medium to medium-strong English blend, and for we who occasionally shift from smoking predominantly Virginias and Virginia/Periques to English and Balkan blends, often in Autumn, and sometime crave a taste of the East, Black Mallory is a very nice mix, and has become one of those staples, along with Cornell & Diehl's Star of the East, (a stoved red Virginia, Turkish blend with 50% Cyprian Latakia), I keep in the back of the pantry for this purpose.

It is a little deceptive in presentation. Its Oriental bent is obvious upon opening the tin, but the bright browns with the black strands and the aroma from the tin seem to suggest a milder English than it actually is.

During the first bowl, the Cyprian Latakia seemed to strengthen through the bowl, but never overpowered. The second and third bowls revealed its character more homogeneously through the bowl as compared to the first. While the Orientals never overwhelm the Virginia, they subtly give it a fuller body, and certainly don't hide, offering a nice Eastern spice. The flavour notes don't quite resolve into a chord, rather giving it an interesting arpeggiated profile.

Although the flavours seem to keep their distinct notes, they are all in the same key, offering a nice complexity, and the blend is a full, smooth, interesting English smoke.

I found the fully rubbed out chopped and ribbon cut easy to pack, and smoked from the tin more easily than a lot of strong English blends; smooth with a light Virginia sweetness, though not at all cloying, and remained cool and dry throughout. Not having tried its sibling blend, Rattray's Red Rapparee, I can't offer any comparisons, but I enjoy the Mallory well enough to want to try the Rapparee. It does remind me of a slightly fuller, more English version of Sobranie Balkan, or a lighter C&D Star of the East.

All in all, a fine smoke for those times when one wants a stronger flavour that doesn't force itself upon one, but will still make itself known, now and again. Very nice for a rainy afternoon with a book or enjoying the remains of the day on the veranda, and a great 'early in the day' pipe for the confirmed Latakia lover.

I quite like the blend, and intend to put some away. I have a feeling that allowing the Virginia to age a bit will add a new note to the mix, and I'd be interested to see if the blend marries more fully, to resolve the flavour notes. I feel Rattrays Black Mallory could be an even smoother, full bodied medium-strong English with, possibly, a finer character after aging a year or three.

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30124)	2006-04-21		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

After a three year hiatus from reviews I return with some notes on this blend. I had forgotten my login info from my previous profile "RebelPipester" and I no longer had the registered e-mail account, so if you want to see my tastes of three years ago please check out that profile.

With that said the tin I own is probably four years old. When I opened it four years ago I was not really impressed with this blend so I put it away to age some. I recently "reconstituted" the blend using deionized water and wish I had read the reviews prior to doing this. Needless to say I'm still not impressed.

I began by smoking this like I would any English/Latakia blend and found a fair amount of tongue bite. In addition, I am in agreement with most of the reviews here, mostly with the two stars or less ratings. I don?t even get a nicotine rush from this blend like I would from most Dunhill blends.

What prompted me to write this is a comment made in comparison to Dunhill?s Standard Medium. This blend isn?t close to the same league as Standard Medium. Black Mallory is harsh, unrefined, dare I say one-dimensional as compared to any Dunhill blend. Heck even Dunhill?s Standard Mild has more punch and MUCH better smoking qualities.

With that said, after reading the other reviews of this blend I can find this tolerable if I take my time to smoke it SLOWLY, I?m in my early 30s (always on the go) and unfortunately usually do not have the time to doctor a pipe as much as this blend requires.

To wrap this up, there are so many quality English/Latakia blends out there it is just a waste of time to buy this blend. If I?m going to offend the olfactory senses of the non-smoking public I?d rather do it with a Dunhill (Standard Series Blends), McCranie?s (Old Syrian), Samuel Gawith (Perfection or Squadron Leader), Cornell & Diehl or McClelland (25th Anniversary or Frog Morton Series) blend.

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30124)	2005-10-08		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

I concur with the esteemed Lochinvar, below. This is a very high-quality, classic Scottish blend with perhaps equal amounts of unsweetened Black Canvendish and Latakia against a solid Turkish component. There's a beautiful sweetness to the smoke that darts in and out - very nice.

Like most of Rattray's offerings, this blend is unique and pleasing. It reminds me of a stronger Highland Targe (yet another great Rattray mixture).

It may just be me, but the tin nose of the "English" genre of Rattray blends has a consistent signature smell, not unlike the way McClelland's tins do. While McClelland's tins smell something like ketchup (or whatever), Rattray tins smell like some kind of Malt to me. I wonder if you smell the same thing?

Either way, Rattray blends are subtle and they pack and burn wonderfully right out of the can. But please, don't smoke Rattray's "English" blends if you are looking for a Latakia "knock out", because that's not the point here. Not at all. The point is balance and quality - two attributes sorely missing from a lot of contemporary English blends out there.

Use a little patience and time with this and other Rattray's blends - there's a lot to learn from them.

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30124)	2003-02-12		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

There are many fine English blends out there. To my taste this just isn't one of them. The flavor is medium latakia with little else to offer. It is flat, one dimensional, to my taste. It is not a bad blend so please don't misunderstand me. I'm just saying that there are so many English blends that I like that there just isn't any reason for me to want to smoke this one. The balance of Red Rapparree has been lost and the latakia dominates to the degree of being boring. Compare this to the variety of tastes in a blend like GLP Rennaisance or Dunhill London Mixture and Black Mallory is no match (excuse the pun).

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30124)	2002-01-15		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Tolerable to Strong

Thus far, I have been impressed with the quality and smokeability of the blends chosen for review by the Royal Society. I haven't disliked a single choice, and I find that this month's selection is no exception. This is an excellent, flavorful, sweet English-style tobacco with a decent amount of Latakia. The smoke is satisfying without being overly heavy or full, and the burning properties are very good. On opening the tin, I perceive a sweet, slightly sharp aroma, balanced by the leathery note of a medium Latakia blend. The sweetness comes across as natural rather than artificially added, and I can detect no topping or casing. In appearance, the blend is approximately 1/2 black, with the remaining leaf a varied mixture of dark, medium, and light browns that is fairly attractive in appearance. The cut is medium in length, with a few unrubbed flakes mixed in here and there. The moisture level is mainly on the low side, very similar to that of GL Pease tobaccos. Packing is easy and the tobacco takes fire readily, burning to a very fine, clean white ash. Through the bowl, an average number of relights are needed. I first sampled this blend in a large Stanwell Kingsway apple. In the first third of the bowl, the taste is as varied as the aroma. There is a nice, mild sweetness that mixes well with the Latakia and other tobacco notes; no one flavor is dominant. The complexity is decent, not outstanding but far from boring. This is a fairly full smoke, medium in darkness and richness with just the slightest hint of spice. There is some bite at the start, nothing major but enough to require a certain cautiousness on the part of the smoker. I find I am especially susceptible to this, since I want to smoke quickly and get more of the excellent flavor onto my palate. In the second 1/3, the flavor is still sweet and good. There is some increased complexity, and the smoke remains a bit on the full, rich side. There is increased maturity, with the sweetness not quite as "brittle", and I find this part more enjoyable than the first. The early bite appears to have vanished, and there have thus far been no moisture problems. In the final third of the bowl, there is somewhat less sweetness present, making the leathery Latakia darker and more obvious. The spice note is also slightly stronger, and the overall complexity has continued to increase and mature. The "sour" note that I find often present in high-quality Latakia blends has just shown itself, and provides a good ending to a very nice bowl of tobacco. The smoke remains bite-free, though there are some minor moisture problems at this point. A single pipe cleaner takes care of these, however, and the bottom of the bowl burns clean and dry. Overall, I found this an excellent medium Latakia/English mixture. After my third bowl of this, I placed an order for another two tins. I would rate this as less full than Raven's Wing or Penzance, and not quite as sweet as Frog Morton. It is a decently complex, high-quality blend that I find best as an all-day or hot weather smoke. If you enjoy English tobaccos, by all means try out this one!

Nobody has rated this review yet.