Rattray Brown Clunee

Brown Clunee, Old Gowrie and Hal O’ The Wynd are three very similar blends, with the same characteristics. Not so for Marlin Flake that is completely another mixture. Here I want to speak about the differences among these three excellent blends, from the point of view of Brown Clunee. First of all, they all have the same ingredients (Virginia, Kentucky, Perique) without any casing. But there are also a lot of differences:

HOTW is the strongest of the three, less delicate than the others. OG is the sweetest, it is almost a straight Virginia or at least it has the same characteristics. Brown Clunee is the most spicy, the most peppery. HOTW has more Kentucky and less Virginia compared to OG. BC is really similar to HOTW, but it has less Kentucky and more Perique. Perique is really leading. On the contrary, in OG Virginia and also Kentucky are leading, but Perique is really a “bit player”. To sum up on the basis of the amount of the different tobaccos, we can follow this order: Virginia content: OG – BC – HOTW. Kentucky content: HOTW – OG – BC. Perique content: BC – HOTW – OG.

Finally, OG is a Virginia based mixture. Similarly HOTW is a Virginia based mixture but it could also be considered a Perique mixture and also a Virginia/Kentucky mixture (it is the most balanced). BC is certainly and without any doubt a Perique mixture, a Va/Per with just a touch of Kentucky. Three excellent blends, but in this case my favorite (the kind of the three I prefer) is Brown Clunee. For all these reasons, in my personal rating system (from 1 to 10) my score is 10 and four complete stars.

If you like Old Gowrie, Hal o' the Wynd or Marlin Flake (notwithstanding the cavendish tobacco therewith), you will probably like Brown Clunee as well. I'd say there is more Perique here than in the others, and this gives the whole mixture a tangy or zesty note to it. The subdued sweetness seems to come from the Virginia tobacco whereas the Kentucky leaf has a somewhat roasted (nuts) flavour that rounds the whole thing up. As for the presentation, it is just this broken flake you are so used to if you are familiar with this particular range. Also, it will improve if you let it sit in a jar for a couple of weeks. There is nothing special about the room or tin note for that particular matter, but I find it quite pleasing to retro inhale the smoke or pass it through my nose. In true honesty, I don't like it as much as the aforementioned, but to deny it a four solid stars would be falling far from the truth.

Rattray - Brown Clunee.

A medium brown, not too moist, ribbon. The aroma's mainly Virginia but there's a vinegary touch of Perique, too.

It lights easily and gives a stable burn and a fairly cool smoke. The flavour's leading character's the Virginia, with the Kentucky and Perique offering a definite seasoning. The Kentucky gives nuts without taking over with a fire-cured flavour. If I force it too much I get a bit of a bite, so I tend to sip at it.

Nicotine: medium. Room-note: pleasant.

Four stars.

Another simple, subtle RATTRAY virginia. This is a degree less stoved than OLD GOWRIE, and perhaps for that very reason some may find it even more kaleidoscopic. An indispensable classic from old Perth.

Not having tried any Rattray's before, I bought this one just to try something completely out of my comfort zone. The size of the tin too was something of a change, so I gave it a try.

The aroma on opening was nothing special, a little leafy and oaky. The packing and lighting, despite it being broken flake as observed by previous reviews, is easy enough, much like a good ready rubbed. The smoke, though, doesn't thrill. I find it a little reminiscent of Condor Ready Rubbed, not in a bad way, but not as good as the original. It's a little like the girl next door who looks a little like Natalie Portman, a bonny enough lass, but won't be replacing the aforementioned starlet in Black Swan 2. The last third, however, does strangely, but pleasantly, add a hint of cream and become mellower. The room note at point of smoking is okay, nothing to write home about, though does have a habit of popping up hours later in far pleasanter fashion, pleasantly reminiscent of that left by Gold Block. The tongue bite does kick in early but fades quickly, and after a few smokes, doesn't rear it's ugly head again. The major downside to this is the hacky, awful taste left in the mouth, not sure I can pin it down exactly, but it's like leaves, happy to smell them, wouldn't want to taste them though.

On the whole, not a bad smoke actually, just not too thrilling really. There is a certain blandness to this that is quickly overawed by that hacky mouth taste. That creamyness in the last third though, is a plus. Also, a 100 gram tin is just way too much, I now find myself smoking it just to get my moneys worth. Would I buy it again? Not in a 100g packet, but maybe in 25g or 50g rounds instead. On the whole I think two and a half stars would be fair.

Update 20/05/2014

Had a couple of more 100g tins of this stuff, the first bought out of nostalgia and the second out of desire, and I have to say I've changed my opinion entirely of this. Gone is the bland roughness I found first time around and arrived is a slightly sweet, slightly watery spice with all the hints of the earth a tobacco can provide. It serves me very well as an early evening, after dinner smoke but can be enjoyed throughout the day. I'm so glad I tried it again, so much so that I'm close to dedicating a pipe to it and keeping some in for good measure.

The sweetest and easy tobacco Rattary's family. BROWN CLUNEE is my tobacco every day over again for its easy taste predominance brown and dark stoved red Virginia. ( just little bit Kentucky perique) exceptionally easy and gentle to the mouth and tongue and nose time after time. Brown Clunee,lights easily and burns well. Cake clean dry (pipe bowl)...Confort,stability,and simplicity of Brown Clunee never disappoint year after year.For taste old Gowrie is a little better or clearer but the smoked is too strong for my mouth to smoke all day, old Gowrie always be my second choice.

It is always funny reading other reviews that guess at the percentages of any given blend.. I think we all perceive things so differently... I see this as the most Kentucky forward of the 'holy trinity '.. it reminds me of a slightly more refined version of g l pease cumberland.. and it is pretty darn tasty.. there is a fullness to the smoke but it never goes over the edge.. it feels like a strong medium in the nic range I also attribute that to the Kentucky.. you can feel it but it is polite.. nice little bit of perique in the flavor and retrohale.. the Virginia is there but not nearly as sweet as OG or HOTW..it is just a nice quality smoke.. I do pick up on a 'soapiness' that other people mentioned.. it is really odd.. cause I cant tell if it is coming from the leaf itself or some kind of additive.. whatever it is it tastes oddly 'natural'.. I dont mind it..

Another remarkable blend from Rattray's!this is a milder version of old Gowrie and a cousin of HOTW.Once you open the tin a grassy,spicy and vinegary flavour comes out.the blend moisture is high and the broken flakes can fill your bowl easily even if not rubbed.needs some drying time but do not overdry it because the taste flatens.while smoking it is a real pleasure.virginias are dominant offering grass,citruses and some dark fruits.the other compoments offer some spices and sour notes in a supporting role.the flavours are very clear and combine each other very well.the nicotine level is almost medium,the room note pleasant and needs some relights.burns slow and medium hot.definitelly an all day smoke and a must try one! lots of you may consider:why to try all thre blends(OG,HOTH,BC)? The similarities are a lot i agree but they differ in some points wich makes every single one special.

Brown Clunee is a tobacco with a very peculiar flavour. It?s depth and complexity do not reveal immediately (unlike, say, Gawith?s FVF or BBF). Rather, they evolve slowly, following different directions: sometimes taking a natural sweet turn, others a spicy?almost peppery?path, then switching to a kind of dry raisin taste. In the end, there is also a slight flavour of roasted chestnuts. The point is, that it is all natural tasting tobacco. There is no topping, no casing.

A broken flake of high grade Virginias (I think some of it honey-dew processed), Brown Clunee is a mild tobacco only in appearance. Easy to pack, I usually find my self needing two lights to really get it going. Smoked slowly, tongue bite can be avoided.

This tobacco is so rewarding for me, that I keep a medium sized Brebbia Dublin devoted to this blend alone.