Rattray Charles Mixture

What to say about this one?

Tin note is superb, i really loved to sit there and just smell the tin. Its of vanilla and all things cookie. And strong too! I was surprised to find something that strongly flavoured coming from Rattray's.

The smoke tastes like something-something vanillaish. And thats all there is to say. No tobacco taste, no other flavours not nothing but something-something vanillaish. But at least the taste lasts till the very end of the bowl

It burns cool and dry and will give your tongue no grieve. I did not try to overheat it, so smoking it cool is probably something you have to keep in mind, since i have the strong suspicion it would not fare well with being smoked too hot.

This is the first blend of the Aromatic Line i tried so far and the reason i did not try anymore as of yet. This is no bad blend at all but since its just vanilla (ok, maybe some caramel and almond are there, but it really just boils down to that one taste) i fail to see any unique selling point. If you want vanilla you can get anyone of the 35.000 vanilla blends out there, why should it be Charles Mixture really?

Having said that i only somewhat can recommend this blend, although objectively it's a high quality blend.

Originally a Christmas gift, this came straight out of left field with its volume of flavour. From the packaging, one could be forgiven for placing this as a general English blend, rather than the full aromatic it actually is. The British Racing Green and gold script accents (of the newer packaging), being rather regal, traditional, and staid, are rather misrepresentative of the taste. Actually, from the off, I liked this a lot. This tobacco's got a decent amount of casing that'll supercharge the lover of aromatics and send those who like traditional tastes squealing like stuck pigs, with a hot poker up the clack-valve. Evidently, It's not for everyone, and yet, for me, liking both English blends, and as a person happy to advocate neo-tobaccos, the initial experience was far from derogatory. I didn't have the issues with the bite that some of had, which I certainly find more prevalent in the Peterson line, and I found it a relatively smooth smoke, when tamed. However, one would be best sipping, as opposed to erratically chuffing this weed, erring on the side of caution.

It's a no-holds-barred aromatic, with a robust sweet coconut; ever so almond-like finish, which smokes akin to drinking a Chinese pearl tea. It's fairly easy to see where those who draw comparisons with Pina Colada are coming from. I certainly didn't find the casing particularly abrasive, and it was nice to partake in an aromatic where taste follows the aroma suit - a rare thing, indeed. However, It's not as pungent as folk make out; It's certainly representative in the smoke, but it's better on most other coconut- flavoured offerings. The room note is a definite winner with non-smokers in the house, too.

Initially, I'd have been inclined to attribute a three star rating, but upon letting the tin air for a short time, It's marked personality was lost, and even the Virginias became flat, papery, and nondescript. I think if I was to buy this again, then it would need to be in sample or pouch quantity, rather than tinned at 50g. Certainly, It's worth transferring this to an air-tight container, and for once, I'd dissuade folk from actually letting it breathe.

Like Marlin Flake this one is a good Virginia blend and maybe tastier and sweet in the palate but it bites a lot!!!

This is a wonderful aromatic if you are into that type of thing. It is blended with typical Rattray quality and has great burning characteristics. It is very similiar to Blue Note, only with a big dose of coconut thrown in. I like Blue Note as well if not better, but only once in a blue moon which means one tin of either blend will probably last me forever. If you are looking for a high quality aromatic however, you can't go wrong here.

Well, based on Rattray's other fine offerings (e.g., Marlin Flake and Black Mallory) I thought I would give this one a spin around the dance floor. Whew! What were they thinking! This is emphatic coconut, kind of reminds me of what I would imagine a scented candle tastes like.

Near the bottom of the bowl, a kinda-sorta tobacco taste comes through, but up till that point it is totally dominated by the topping. Interestingly, the tin aroma is not quite as obviously coconut as the taste is. Those of you who think that the taste of an aromatic is never as strong as the flavor need to try this one out. At least one bowl.

While I can imagine that the room note might be pleasant to some, I find it cloying, the kind of cloying that would probably put a motion sick person over the edge.

This tin will last me a good long while, probably a lifetime.

OK, if you don't like aromatic tobaccos, run the other way. This is sweet and full with a strong coconut flavor and a very tart aspect. It's nice in a way, but I only smoke it outside on walks because it's so darned highly flavored that it can be cloying. Bystanders like it quite a lot though, and there is a bit of decent tobacco flavor underneath. Still, once this tin is finished (in a year or two!) I won't be buying more. Too much of a good thing, unfortunately...