Rattray Brown Clunee
(3.14)
"Brown Clunee" has a strong, delicious English character. The phenomenal taste is due to Charles Rattray's unique talent, who knew how to match the best tobaccos. In this case, the master opted for dark, ground flake from Virginia, Kentucky and Perique. All in all: a pipe tobacco that allows no comparison.
Details
| Brand | Rattray |
| Series | British Collection |
| Blended By | Kohlhase, Kopp und Co. KG |
| Manufactured By | Kohlhase & Kopp |
| Blend Type | Virginia Based |
| Contents | Kentucky, Perique, Virginia |
| Flavoring | |
| Cut | Broken Flake |
| Packaging | 50 grams tin, 100 grams can |
| Country | Germany |
| Production | Currently available |
Profile
Strength
Mild to Medium
Extremely Mild -> Overwhelming
Flavoring
None Detected
None Detected -> Extra Strong
Room Note
Pleasant
Unnoticeable -> Overwhelming
Taste
Mild to Medium
Extremely Mild (Flat) -> Overwhelming
Average Rating
|
3.14 / 4
|
Reviews
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Displaying 61 - 70 of 85 Reviews
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Apr 21, 2008 | Mild to Medium | None Detected | Mild to Medium | Very Pleasant |
April 2008 update:
I guess by my smoking habits and what's aging in the cellar, this fine flake has lost to Samuel Gawith's Best Brown Flake. The pace at which I need to smoke this so as not to be tongue-bitten does not deliver enough flavor for me. I have to add Perique to increase the flavor.
March 2005: There is not much to compare this to, except the heavier-bodied Best Brown Flake by Samuel Gawith (a "Hall of Fame" flake). Brown Clunee is overall darker and more naturally flavorful than the recently unsmokable Dunhill Light Flake and Orlick's Golden Sliced.
There is a tang in the tin aroma dissimilar to McClelland flakes. Which "tanginess" I like more will require several dozen more tins and years of intense experimentation. But, hey, somebody has to make the sacrifice.
BC is a lively, sweet smoke, but substantial, almost rich. It has more finesse than Briar Fox (which is good, but can get sooty at times and is cased).
Like most flake blends, I enjoy this in larger pipes, preferably pot shaped (wide mouthed, shallow bowls). BC burns cleanly to a medium gray ash. It leaves the pipe dry and clean.
Brown Clunee, Old Gowrie and Hal O' the Wynd are morning, afternoon and evening smokes respectively and with obvious generalization, though some might prefer the nicotine hit of HOTW earlier in the day. All can bite at the provocation of poor technique and failure to reduce the moisture to just above the crumble state. All three are delicious examples of its genre.
Why the darker stoved Marlin Flake pierces like a cornered porcupine, while these lighter offerings with more sugar can be managed to ecstasy, is a mystery.
I guess by my smoking habits and what's aging in the cellar, this fine flake has lost to Samuel Gawith's Best Brown Flake. The pace at which I need to smoke this so as not to be tongue-bitten does not deliver enough flavor for me. I have to add Perique to increase the flavor.
March 2005: There is not much to compare this to, except the heavier-bodied Best Brown Flake by Samuel Gawith (a "Hall of Fame" flake). Brown Clunee is overall darker and more naturally flavorful than the recently unsmokable Dunhill Light Flake and Orlick's Golden Sliced.
There is a tang in the tin aroma dissimilar to McClelland flakes. Which "tanginess" I like more will require several dozen more tins and years of intense experimentation. But, hey, somebody has to make the sacrifice.
BC is a lively, sweet smoke, but substantial, almost rich. It has more finesse than Briar Fox (which is good, but can get sooty at times and is cased).
Like most flake blends, I enjoy this in larger pipes, preferably pot shaped (wide mouthed, shallow bowls). BC burns cleanly to a medium gray ash. It leaves the pipe dry and clean.
Brown Clunee, Old Gowrie and Hal O' the Wynd are morning, afternoon and evening smokes respectively and with obvious generalization, though some might prefer the nicotine hit of HOTW earlier in the day. All can bite at the provocation of poor technique and failure to reduce the moisture to just above the crumble state. All three are delicious examples of its genre.
Why the darker stoved Marlin Flake pierces like a cornered porcupine, while these lighter offerings with more sugar can be managed to ecstasy, is a mystery.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Sep 16, 2007 | Mild | None Detected | Mild | Tolerable |
I think the Rattray family of blends are among the best on the market today because they are largely subtle and require some technical expertise on the smoker's part to extract their greatness. It's fun and fairly easy to find the sweet spot of each Rattray blend and as a group, they all burn remarkably well - they definitely burn better than most of the popular boutique blends that are often reviewed on this site and that's an important attribute to consider if you are a beginning pipe smoker.
Brown Clunee is a mild, ready rubbed VA flake that's easy on the tongue and perfect for anyone seeking a mild, easy burning, all natural VA blend.
I let it dry out before I smoke it - I take a large clump out of the tin and spread it out to dry for at least a day - after that, it's perfect. You can either rub it out further or just load the thick strands right in your pipe - either way works great.
BC has superb burning qualities (after the dry out period) so be careful to puff slowly, although personally, it's never bit me even after some moderately agressive puffing.
This is not a complex blend, but it is a great blend - perfect for the warmer summer months. Within the genre of mild VA blends, Brown Clunee easily earns Four stars.
Brown Clunee is a mild, ready rubbed VA flake that's easy on the tongue and perfect for anyone seeking a mild, easy burning, all natural VA blend.
I let it dry out before I smoke it - I take a large clump out of the tin and spread it out to dry for at least a day - after that, it's perfect. You can either rub it out further or just load the thick strands right in your pipe - either way works great.
BC has superb burning qualities (after the dry out period) so be careful to puff slowly, although personally, it's never bit me even after some moderately agressive puffing.
This is not a complex blend, but it is a great blend - perfect for the warmer summer months. Within the genre of mild VA blends, Brown Clunee easily earns Four stars.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Jun 11, 2007 | Mild to Medium | Extremely Mild | Mild to Medium | Very Pleasant |
Delicious, delicious blend. I don't think it's as tasteless as people are making it out to be. This has a good deal of flavor, though yes, it is somewhat one-dimensional. But what a dimension! I love this stuff at any time of day. Brown Clunee, Old Gowrie, and Hal o' the Wynd are blends I will always have on hand. I reach for them more than anything else.
This tobacco is like Hal o' the Wynd in flavor, but with the mellowness of Old Gowrie.
This tobacco is like Hal o' the Wynd in flavor, but with the mellowness of Old Gowrie.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 29, 2007 | Mild to Medium | None Detected | Medium | Pleasant |
What a marvellous tobacco! This is a really pleasant all-day smoke, never tiring, naturally sweet (I smell prevalently prunes), cool, round and creamy, with hints of pepperiness here and there. No kind of bite to the tongue, it caresses my palate and is a true pleasure to the nose. Extremely easy to fill into the pipe, which remains always fresh, and leaves a medium grey dry ash. I agree that it comes quite moist, so I left the 100grms can unsealed for almost a month, now it's ready for my daily use. A lighter cousin of HOTW, which I'm prepared to visit soon. Highly recommended!
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Dec 05, 2006 | Mild | Extremely Mild | Mild to Medium | Pleasant |
The sample I tried was a bit moist, but it packed easily and lit very well. It had no hint of tongue bite, but I puff pretty gently.
The flavor of this tobacco is mild,sweet, and smooth, yet it has a hint of spice in the background. This grows a bit stronger near the bottom of the bowl. This is excellent tobacco, and I recommend it highly.
I get so many different taste impressions from this tobacco, it is amazing. Raisins, nuts, licorice, and of course, sweet Virginia. If you take your time and go slowly, they will reveal themselves to you. My favorite mild Virginia.
I like to smoke this in a large Canadian billiard. This allows the flavor to intensify. Simply scrumptious.
The flavor of this tobacco is mild,sweet, and smooth, yet it has a hint of spice in the background. This grows a bit stronger near the bottom of the bowl. This is excellent tobacco, and I recommend it highly.
I get so many different taste impressions from this tobacco, it is amazing. Raisins, nuts, licorice, and of course, sweet Virginia. If you take your time and go slowly, they will reveal themselves to you. My favorite mild Virginia.
I like to smoke this in a large Canadian billiard. This allows the flavor to intensify. Simply scrumptious.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Jan 17, 2006 | Mild | None Detected | Mild | Pleasant |
Rattray's Virginias are very unique, to me anyway, very much unlike anything you will find from McClelland, Astley or the Lake District crowd. They are very fresh, vibrant and, if mishandled, harsh. Of the line this is the least in strength and character and fills in the notch of the everyday all day Virginia. I often fill a bowl with this if I am walking, hunting or working and cant pay proper attention to a more subtle blend. All in all a good blend if you're focusing on other things.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Oct 29, 2005 | Mild | None Detected | Mild to Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
An honest, unpretentious VA. There is a slight woodiness, alongside the faint raisiny sweetness that appears now and then. The overall flavor is otherwise somewhat gentle and reliable (i.e., there are no great surprises throughout the bowl), and I find it tends to bite only if I puff too hard in order to try to extract more flavor from it - which is to say: the flavor is appealing and satisfying if not strong. But Brown Clunee is not the heartiness of Marlin Flakes or the unique richness of Old Gowrie. Instead, it deserves to be smoked slowly and lightly, which is pretty easy given its good burn qualities right out of the tin.
Good on its own, I also find this works well also for blending (such as mixing 50/50 with SG's potent Brown Rope #4).
As a low-strength, easy-smoking VA, this would be a good "beginner " VA, as other reviewers suggested, but I think alot of its virtues would be appreciated best by a more experienced VA fan.
Good on its own, I also find this works well also for blending (such as mixing 50/50 with SG's potent Brown Rope #4).
As a low-strength, easy-smoking VA, this would be a good "beginner " VA, as other reviewers suggested, but I think alot of its virtues would be appreciated best by a more experienced VA fan.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Apr 03, 2005 | Medium | Extremely Mild | Medium | Tolerable |
As a fan of Virginia Flakes I give this one a big thumbs up! For the first smoke of the day or an all-day smoke for lovers of this type of tobac it is exceptional. Some softening agent added which is no impediment to a fine, steady smoke. For those of you who find Flake tobacs a hassle, give this one a try. Highly recommended.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Nov 03, 2004 | Mild to Medium | None Detected | Mild to Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
Brown Clunee left me with the impression of "why would you buy this again when you could get HOTW instead." The tin aroma has the typical prune-fig smell common to Rattray blends, but no casing is detected. Upon smoking, the flavor is smooth on the tongue, cool, easy, with a rounder, softer feel than HOTW. Still, there is nothing of any great interest here, and nothing that would pull me back to buy another tin.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Aug 30, 2004 | Mild | Extremely Mild | Medium | Pleasant |
This is another excellent experience as I work my way through Rattray's Va line. Not as musty as Old Gowrie, not as strong as Hal o' the Wind, not as sharp as Marlin Flake, this blend stands alone on its own delicious merits. If you've been smoking nothing but 1792 flake or Penzance, than sure this baccy might seem a little light in the loafers. But when smoked slowly and deliberately, there are many pleasant surprises in store. The flavor is all rich Va with quite alot of sweetness. This doesn't translate into bite however, although there is some spice involved. The room note is spectacular for a straight Va and I even got a compliment from my wife. It may not be near as impressive as HOTW or MF but just the same It fits the bill for a nice, light Va that would be a great all dayer. By the way the cut of this tobacco is extraordinary and perfect for packing right out of the can. With a nice strong cup of Peruvian Organic, its just what the doctor ordered.
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