Rattray Black Mallory
(3.15)
The basic tobaccos are broadly akin to those of Red Rapparee. Carefully apportioning of the quantities of seasoning leaf brings about a dark full bodied mixture. A notable tobacco.
Details
| Brand | Rattray |
| Series | British Collection |
| Blended By | Rattray's |
| Manufactured By | Kohlhase & Kopp |
| Blend Type | Scottish |
| Contents | Black Cavendish, Latakia, Oriental/Turkish, Virginia |
| Flavoring | |
| Cut | Ribbon |
| Packaging | 50 grams tin, 100 grams tin |
| Country | Germany |
| Production | Currently available |
Profile
Strength
Medium
Extremely Mild -> Overwhelming
Flavoring
None Detected
None Detected -> Extra Strong
Room Note
Tolerable
Unnoticeable -> Overwhelming
Taste
Medium
Extremely Mild (Flat) -> Overwhelming
Average Rating
|
3.15 / 4
|
Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 25 Reviews
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Oct 26, 2005 | 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
Three of five stars
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 23, 2005 | 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?
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?
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Apr 23, 2009 | 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.
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.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| May 13, 2013 | 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.
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.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Jan 13, 2013 | 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.
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.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Jun 28, 2008 | 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.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Dec 26, 2020 | 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.
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
PurchasedFrom:
Smoking pipes
Age When Smoked:
6 months
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Mar 31, 2020 | 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.
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
PurchasedFrom:
Danpipe
Age When Smoked:
2 months
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Nov 22, 2018 | 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.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Jun 01, 2016 | 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.
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