Rattray Dark Fragrant

Tin note is nice, like raisins and fruitcakes. The tobacco is very dark, and looks like little ribbons with waves. Very nice looking and aroma wise. Not much nicotine, smokes very smooth and mild. I really wanted to like this alot, it has a very nice appeal, but alas, it is just so mellow you forget about it after awhile and about mid-way through a big bowl, you wonder why you didn't pack one of the more livlier blends you have.

It really does have some moments but not as many as you'd like for the price of the tin. It doesn't give off to much perique either so don't think you are going to get a spice on the tongue alot, you won't. Not bad, but not great, though good effort for nice looking tobacco.

If you associate maduro or black tobacco with strong flavors and a nicotine hit, then think again regarding Dark Fragrant. This is a very mild and smooth smoke, perhaps too mild for those looking for the robust flavors of a VaPer blend. Although not an aromatic like many “black tobaccos” on the market today, this does have a nice aroma of raisins and spice in the tin. On opening I find the contents too moist for my liking, and a day of drying improves DF in my opinion. It is a short and wide ribbon cut which packs easily and stays lit nicely, burning to a dry grey ash. DF is cool, smooth and never bites. It has very mild flavors of raisin, spice, and a very subtle sweetness. Clearly DF is for the sensitive palette. It is not very complex, but in my experience a “top shelf” tobacco. A unique mixture and smoke!

Update: I smoked several bowls prior to this update in large bowl pipes. Today I tried it in a smaller group #4 size and I found DF more flavorful. I am not sure pipe bowl size is a factor, but is something to be aware of.

The tin aroma is at first like sweet, warm prune Danish. The aromas of green hay, toasted flavors (coffee), sweet & sour notes, whole wheat toast, dried fruit, and autumn leaves. The sparsely used Perique adds a ghostly, distant, earthy scent all but lost behind the other prevailing aromas The aroma is rounded, soft and balanced. Very pleasant indeed.

Easy packing, lights and burns very well.

Less complex on the palate, but still nicely balanced. Warm Virginia flavors, nutty toasted notes, dry piles of leaves, and black pepper. The Perique, even in this small measure, plays a small (but noticeable) part of the whole. Light but rich tobacco, quality leaf is obvious, no flavoring just “dark, fragrant” stoved Virginia with a pinch of Perique.

Delicious toasty Virginias, warm edible flavors. Perhaps a bit too subtle, but stoved tobaccos are by nature lighter and milder. I think this blend speaks of quality, masterful blending, and wonderful flavors, unfortunately it just doesn't speak quite loud enough. I really like this stuff, an easy smoke, but it could definitely benefit from a little more gusto - flavor-wise.

3½ Stars

This is quality stuff. Naturally sweet Virginia taste ( from the Black Cavendish ?) , mellow, no bite, no gurgle, burns slow, I like it. I don't find the Perique or Orientals and I don't know why it's called "Fragrant". Don't think you are getting an aromatic, just that good old time tobacco scent. I noticed this mellowed out even more after opening the tin and letting it rest a few weeks. I'll keep this around, nice in a cob. Update: If you want to taste any Perique you need to stoke it up, slow sip it and it's hard to taste the Perique. Also, keep this well tamped or it will go out.

Updated 9/24/11- I'm on my second tin of this and it has an occasional place in my rotation. I remains very mild with NO bite. I actually like something stronger for my initial hit of "N" in the morning, but it can work. I find it a great "on the go" tobacco, where you don't have the time to sit and contemplate the complexity, which there isn't any. I also like it later in the day when maybe I've abused my tongue, this one will get you through the smoke. That said, it provides a very natural sweet smoke with a very pleasant aroma, without clouds of smoke, I think this would be a good choice for smoking in public ( not cloying).

Updated 11/15/11 -Ok, call me crazy, or maybe my taste is shot but I was smoking a bowl of some SG's FVF and as I slow sipped the first 1/3 of the bowl I thought I had loaded the wrong tobacco. The FVF tasted exactly like Rattrays D&F, I know, it's not even the same makeup but I couldn't tell them apart. The FVF went on to develop into a much different smoke but I had to put this out there. I understand the references also to McC's Dark Star, flavors are similar. I have really grown to like D&F.

Meh.

First: either my tin is mislabeled, the components have changed since 2005 (my tin) or the top description is wrong. My bottom label reads "Black Virginia Blend W/Perique". I suppose Virginia tobacco can be cavendish processed, but usually once that is done, it is identified as such. Orientals? huh.. none detected in taste or by label.

It's not BAD, just boring. The most interesting aspect of it is the unique ability of self-extinguishing, sort of like Indiana cigarettes. I can smoke most blends to the bottom with 1 or 2 lights, not this.

Taste-wise, yeah, probably cavendish. Drug store blend fullness and depth Chop it finer, you get Borkum Riff. Perique? No. My mouth and throat prickle at its presence. Too bad, because I like the taste of perique. I would have endured the prickle for a taste of it.

Rattray's offers some truly fine VA blends, and it was probably why I bought this to begin with. This is bowlshit. I'm putting the remaining 50g in my kitchen to extinguish grease fires.

This review comes after smoking the better part of a 100 gram tin that has been in my cellar for almost 3 years. So, I know that the tobacco has been aged properly.

The tobacco is beautiful to look at and the tin aroma is delicious. Sadly, that is where the positives end. There was almost no flavor to be found, tat is, if you can keep it lit. Yes, I know, it is fired, but I have smoked many fired tobaccos in my day and find that this one is just downright unburnable most of the time. Not to mention the tongue bite when you do manage to set fire to it.

Not worth the effort in my humble opinion. Stay away unless light tobaccos make you light headed. Then, this may be your answer.

A dark Virginia blend with a touch of very pleasant sweetness. Light orientals and maybe a tiny perique? It IS unique and it smokes very nicely when dried properly. I don't smoke stoved Virginia much but when I do, I will reach for this pleasant blend. I have several tins stashed but it's smokes very cool and fragrant from a new tin.

If I could by this tobacco by the pipefull, I'd buy about one a year. A tasty tobacco that just does not come up to the standards of other stoved tobaccos such as Dark Star, McClelland's 2035, McClelland's 5120 and my all time favorite: Stonehaven.

All of Rattray's non stoved Virginia tobaccos are excellent. I suggest they leave the stoving to others.

Dark stoved Virginia, very similar to Robert McConnell's Rich Dark Madouro. This one is, on the contrary, actually possible to keep lit.

Dark fragrant has a pungent sweet 'n sour aroma. People around me said that it smelled as if i had never cleaned my pipe, (read: sour) It is indeed hard to smoke this one dry.

The cut is uneven and DF is hard to pack and keep lit, but if you let it dry for some time and smoke it slowly, DF will reward you with an unusual topping that is quite delicious.

A nice change of pace if you like pungent and long for something PUNGENT.

Jakob Kiilerich, Denmark