Rattray Dark Fragrant

This is mostly a dark stoved Va, probably from the same base as Rattray's Black Virginia, with a measure of Perique and some additional sweetener.

It has all the dried fruit aromas one would expect of a stoved Va and burns cool, slow and without bite. The Perique is always in evidence, adding plum like flavours and the characteristic pepperiness of Perique. The combination imo works very well. The casing or topping is sweet but unobtrusive.

Sometimes I wonder 'what is the point of this tobacco?' when I encounter something that while well made, adds nothing to what we already have. By contrast, this is one of those tobaccos that makes me think the world is a better place for it being around.

I really enjoyed the sample of this that I tried. There are many comparisons to Dark Star in the reviews and I think it an apt comparison as both are stoved black blends that seemingly feature the Virginia leaf. I am assuming the Cavendish used is of Virginia.

I love Dark Star, but one thing about it is that it is extremely monotone. Which is fine if you like the tone, which I do. It is a very, naturally, sweet tasting tobacco. DS also is sweet, but to my tastes, offers a little more complexity and makes it a more interesting smoke. Perhaps it is just the pinch of perique adding a bit of spice. There also seems to be something else that I thought was Turkish/oriental. I don't see it listed in the contents above, but in any case, there is a welcome touch of sour that compliments the sweetness.

As to performance, it performs well, particularly for a stoved blend. Sometimes these types of blends are real buggers to light and maintain combustion. I had no problems smoking this down to ash from the initial light. This one will not bite at all; another benefit of this type of tobacco processing.

It is very good and probably deserves four stars, but I will leave it at three for now until I am able to smoke a larger quantity of the blend. I have a tin of this in the cellar gaining age as I type.

Where`s the "Oriental?" I detect mostly Va`s. Upon opening the tin you are greated with a very moist, fruit-like aroma, and what I suspect is cavendish tobacco. As I prefer my tobak on the dry side I did let it air for a couple of hrs. Initial light was difficult and the smoke pleasant, the taste seemed musty and left too much dottle in the bottom no matter what type bowl it was smoked in. Drying of the mouth makes it a very unpleasant experience and least favorite of the Rattrays blends!! This is a Dogfight that I could never win, so I will not engage....again!!

Of all the Rattray offerings this is at the bottom of the list, at least in my book. This is the only Rattray offering I have ever tried that has gone foul. It combines weak, stringy flavor with harshness and essence of pipe funk. No matter what I smoked this in I found it to be without charm, and I gave it a chance in almost every VA dedicated pipe I own and a few Latakia ones, so strong was my dismay at a Rattray letdown. Were I stuck on a desert island, this would be better than nothing, but would most definitely not be my first, fiftieth, nor five-hundredth choice.

The flavour of this very dark, shag-like leaf "hardly registers as smoke". While not exactly in the "warm air" category?there is a very light, English Cavendish-style savouriness to this, particularly on a virgin palate?I would recommend Dark Fragrant to aromatics aficionados who want something very mild and discreet, minus the gunk. Dare I suggest that this might be a good blend for the ladies?

Nice, interesting tobacco. Pure dark Virginia, mild in strength, with a tangy?almost sour/sweet?flavour quality. The tobacco seems to be broken flake, in very short crimp cut dark (stoved)pieces. This feature makes it difficult to pack, because you cannot rub it out any further and at least I tend to clog the upper half of the bowl, allowing too much hot air on the lower half. Then, when I tamper it, the lower half tends to clog, making it very hard to get a good, nice draw, thus keeping it lit. Otherwise, the taste is very nice but it can be a bit harsh on the tongue and palate. After a bowlful of Dark Fragrant you?ll need a glass of water! I read somewhere that this is a tobacco for those who wish to settle down with a pipe. Due to the time it takes packing it, keeping it lit, tampering it and relightening, there is no chance of doing anything else but paying attention to the pipe. I enjoyed its zesty flavour, the sharp spiciness, and, at times, the mellow sweetness it achieves. However, IMO, it is too difficult a tobacco to deal with (i.e., the exact opposite of Golden Sliced).

Another old favorite, brought back to life by K&C. It's uniformly dark, smells almost like raisins or undried figs, and a bit too moist for me as-is. A bit of airing out, a bit of rubbing (I think it is matured in cakes, then rubbed out), and it lighs well. It burns cool and reasonably dry, but does need more than the occasional relight. The flavor is similar ro he aroma, sweet and full bodied, but fairly simple. It was nearly a twin of McConnells Maduro, as I recall, and I smoked them interchangeably. I got a few complaints at work, but much less than my Latakia blends.

I really enjoy Dark Fragrant. No, it’s not a 1=1 match for Dark Star, nor should it be promoted as one. But it is a good, darkly stoved Virginia with a whisper of Perique that stands on its own. After a couple charring lights, it fires up and gives the pleasure of raisins, dried figs, and a hint of dried tart cherries. It has a good tang to begin with that develops into a spicy, dark fruit rich sweetness by midpoint. It’s not overly complex, but it is delicious, easy to pack and smoke, completely free of bite, even when pushed, and burns down completely with little moisture. This isn’t a multi-faceted, complex smoke that changes with each puff, but rather a satisfying, easy to smoke blend that hits the right notes for a low effort smoke. 3.5 solid stars.

An old fashioned blend. There was once a number of smokes one could find in this category. Now this may be the only one. Its mostly a dark almost black Cavendish virginia, with a small pinch of Perique. There is a very very mild sweet add to it, but its hard to know quite what it is. But it IS VERY mild indeed. Its a very seductive smoke and it takes a few bowls to start to really appreciate just how good this blend is. It is mild in the nic dept, but it does have some. Enough to keep you interested. A fine unusual all day smoke. Im a big fan of it. 3 and a half stars.