Rattray Westminster Abbey
(2.43)
Westminster Abbey is an elegant blend of Virginia, burley, and hand-rubbed Virginia flake with a bit of black cavendish, topped with delicious cream caramel flavor.
Details
| Brand | Rattray |
| Series | Aromatic Collection |
| Blended By | Rattray's |
| Manufactured By | Kohlhase & Kopp |
| Blend Type | Aromatic |
| Contents | Black Cavendish, Burley, Virginia |
| Flavoring | Caramel, Cream |
| Cut | Ribbon |
| Packaging | 100 grams tin |
| Country | Germany |
| Production | Currently available |
Profile
Strength
Mild to Medium
Extremely Mild -> Overwhelming
Flavoring
Strong
None Detected -> Extra Strong
Room Note
Pleasant
Unnoticeable -> Overwhelming
Taste
Medium
Extremely Mild (Flat) -> Overwhelming
Average Rating
|
2.43 / 4
|
Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 Reviews
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 19, 2015 | Mild to Medium | Strong | Medium | Pleasant |
In the pouch (I received this as a 20 gram sample), this tobacco has an interesting aroma, hints of caramel, sure - but also a smell of fruity notes, which I assume is delivered by the tobacco, which would indicate that the flavouring is not there to mask the tobacco & should be somewhat muted and interplay with the tobacco without dominating it (this is not entirely the case).
The appearance of the tobacco is very pleasing to my eye, consisting of Bright Virginias, Dark Cavendish & Burley.
The mixture pack well, although some of the Cavendish is a bit clumpy so may need to be separated out before loading the pipe. Despite that characteristic within this tobacco, the moisture doesn't seem to be too high, and the tobacco is also not 'gloopy' in any way.
This blend burns well, with occasional sips it should need few - if any - relights.
The room note is quite delightful, full of the caramel top note that was scented in the pouch. It's smoke is fairly copious, so it can become a bit sickly if a whole bowlful is smoked in a small room.
The taste is not what I had expected from the pouch note. The tobacco only makes very fleeting appearances, and is dominated by the topping. The topping does have some caramel note to it (can't taste any cream, though). Unfortunately, however, the taste is rather synthetic & doesn't carry the promise of the pouch or room note up the pipe. I also suspect that they perhaps overused the Burley, which, whilst ensuring a good burn rate means that without a goodly measure of caution this can get devilishly hot & can also bite the tongue.
Overall, I'll give this two stars, it is an attractive tobacco with a good room note & burns well. It's also possible that some aromatic devotees will love it, but for me (not an aromatic expert/lover), it certainly isn't calling me back, and when this sample is finished, my one experience with this tobacco is likely to be my last - in other words, if you really like & know your aromatics, go ahead and buy some, it might be your thing, otherwise, I wouldn't bother.
The appearance of the tobacco is very pleasing to my eye, consisting of Bright Virginias, Dark Cavendish & Burley.
The mixture pack well, although some of the Cavendish is a bit clumpy so may need to be separated out before loading the pipe. Despite that characteristic within this tobacco, the moisture doesn't seem to be too high, and the tobacco is also not 'gloopy' in any way.
This blend burns well, with occasional sips it should need few - if any - relights.
The room note is quite delightful, full of the caramel top note that was scented in the pouch. It's smoke is fairly copious, so it can become a bit sickly if a whole bowlful is smoked in a small room.
The taste is not what I had expected from the pouch note. The tobacco only makes very fleeting appearances, and is dominated by the topping. The topping does have some caramel note to it (can't taste any cream, though). Unfortunately, however, the taste is rather synthetic & doesn't carry the promise of the pouch or room note up the pipe. I also suspect that they perhaps overused the Burley, which, whilst ensuring a good burn rate means that without a goodly measure of caution this can get devilishly hot & can also bite the tongue.
Overall, I'll give this two stars, it is an attractive tobacco with a good room note & burns well. It's also possible that some aromatic devotees will love it, but for me (not an aromatic expert/lover), it certainly isn't calling me back, and when this sample is finished, my one experience with this tobacco is likely to be my last - in other words, if you really like & know your aromatics, go ahead and buy some, it might be your thing, otherwise, I wouldn't bother.
Pipe Used:
Dr. Plum short billiard
PurchasedFrom:
sample from a friend
Age When Smoked:
unknown (but quite new I think)
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 30, 2018 | Mild | Mild | Mild | Pleasant to Tolerable |
This is my least favorite of the Rattray’s aromatics I’ve tried so far. Upon first opening the tin, the aroma was that of movie theater popcorn. No caramel whatsoever. It was intriguing but not what I was expecting.
For me the flavoring is very mild, it’s just a very subtly sweet tobacco flavor. Only occasionally do I get a fleeting whiff of caramel, but it’s more of a suggestion of a flavor rather than overt caramel. I can see many people enjoying this as a mildly aromatic smoke, but those looking for a more intense experience might enjoy Rattray’s Buckingham better, though that one is still somewhat mild compared to others.
Burns well and I got no bite. Recommended to those seeking a mildly aromatic blend.
For me the flavoring is very mild, it’s just a very subtly sweet tobacco flavor. Only occasionally do I get a fleeting whiff of caramel, but it’s more of a suggestion of a flavor rather than overt caramel. I can see many people enjoying this as a mildly aromatic smoke, but those looking for a more intense experience might enjoy Rattray’s Buckingham better, though that one is still somewhat mild compared to others.
Burns well and I got no bite. Recommended to those seeking a mildly aromatic blend.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Apr 08, 2016 | Very Mild | Mild to Medium | Mild to Medium | Very Pleasant |
Not bad, but not excellent. Shaggy ribbon cut with a few flakes of Cavendish. Easy to light and burns well. Flavor is not as strong as the tin note, but several layers of caramel and vanilla do come through. Burns to fine dottle. Easy to like but not easy to love.
Pipe Used:
Falcon Billiard
PurchasedFrom:
Smoking Pipes
Age When Smoked:
Fresh
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 12, 2020 | Mild to Medium | Medium | Medium | Tolerable |
This is a fine representation of a European aromatic, a blend topped against a mostly strong virginia base. If it wasn't written above, I would doubt that there is any burley in this blend at all. There is little doubt though that this is topped with Caramel; it is written in the description and is boldly stated right on the front of the tin. I love caramel, it may be my favorite confection, but I am so poor at identifying aromatic toppings that I would have never guessed this as caramel if it wasn't clobbering me over the head with it in writing everywhere.
I think this is due to the interaction of the citrus rich virginia. The topping comes off as more fruity to me. I actually opened a jar of Three Blind Moose, which also has a caramel topping, but against a burley dominant base. With TBM, it was obvious that it was topped with caramel to my tastes, and it was only then when I smelled both the blends that I noticed the similarities in scent. What all this rambling represents, I guess, is that the Virginia in this blend strongly influences the overall flavor of the blend. This is typically a good thing for me. But in this case, I really did not like the topping and how it interacted with the virginia; as such, It is not something I would buy again, but it certainly was not repulsive by any means.
This one falls between two and three stars, but I will place it at two as I just feel the caramel as advertised just does not come off as very "caramel - y." If you do like the topping on this though, it may very well be a four star smoke for you as it is put against some great virginia leaf and performs well.
I think this is due to the interaction of the citrus rich virginia. The topping comes off as more fruity to me. I actually opened a jar of Three Blind Moose, which also has a caramel topping, but against a burley dominant base. With TBM, it was obvious that it was topped with caramel to my tastes, and it was only then when I smelled both the blends that I noticed the similarities in scent. What all this rambling represents, I guess, is that the Virginia in this blend strongly influences the overall flavor of the blend. This is typically a good thing for me. But in this case, I really did not like the topping and how it interacted with the virginia; as such, It is not something I would buy again, but it certainly was not repulsive by any means.
This one falls between two and three stars, but I will place it at two as I just feel the caramel as advertised just does not come off as very "caramel - y." If you do like the topping on this though, it may very well be a four star smoke for you as it is put against some great virginia leaf and performs well.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 12, 2020 | Mild to Medium | Medium to Strong | Mild to Medium | Tolerable |
I was a bit hesitant ordering this one, and confused by it's relatively low rating here, as the few Rattray blends I've tried were quite exceptional. I mean how could something as delicious as Caramel not be anything but sublime?
The 'pringles' tin popped open to a mostly gold mix with a pungently sweet, fruity candy smell, more reminiscent of Pixie Stix sugar than anything Caramel. It wasn't off putting, just misleading. The ribbon had a good feel and moisture with some thicker bits; packing and lighting well. Puffing out a very sweet smoke akin to the initial aroma. A sweet, one dimensional, Aromatic to be sure that wasn't overly stewed or syrupy, but nowhere near as tasty as some other top end models (McClelland, or even other Rattrays). A small wisp of the Virginia nuttiness comes through, but really you are just smoking this one for the toppings, which unfortunately lacked Caramel.
The room note (I was told) was more of a cherry cigarette, so not as indulgent as the flavoring would imply. The quality of this imports guts is present, yet the presentation was a miss. I'll likely be mixing the rest of it with other products.
The 'pringles' tin popped open to a mostly gold mix with a pungently sweet, fruity candy smell, more reminiscent of Pixie Stix sugar than anything Caramel. It wasn't off putting, just misleading. The ribbon had a good feel and moisture with some thicker bits; packing and lighting well. Puffing out a very sweet smoke akin to the initial aroma. A sweet, one dimensional, Aromatic to be sure that wasn't overly stewed or syrupy, but nowhere near as tasty as some other top end models (McClelland, or even other Rattrays). A small wisp of the Virginia nuttiness comes through, but really you are just smoking this one for the toppings, which unfortunately lacked Caramel.
The room note (I was told) was more of a cherry cigarette, so not as indulgent as the flavoring would imply. The quality of this imports guts is present, yet the presentation was a miss. I'll likely be mixing the rest of it with other products.
PurchasedFrom:
tobaccopipes.com
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