Rattray Hal O' the Wynd

Another decent stuff from Rattray.

Not that much strong as tin says, not that much bland for an every hour smoke either. It needs to be dried before smoking for a satisfying flavor. Tends to moist a bit but you can adjust this with your puffing skills. With a careful smoking I am sure you can taste the real tobacco taste with a subtle sweetness.

Leaving a dry and clean ash, demonstrating the presence of high quality leaves.

Rattray's Hal 'O the Wynd ... opening the sealed canister I'm greeted with a very appealing & zesty fragrance that is much like Old Gowrie on a low dose of steroids .... reminiscent of dried hay, plums, & raisin bread. This tobac is a VaPerBur that's not to heavy on the Perique (which I prefer). I like smoking this blend for the clean natural tobacco flavor it imparts upon my palate. It delivers an earthy flavor (like Old Gowrie) as well as a baked raisin bread taste & aroma (unlike Old Gowrie) that I truly enjoy ... in summary, HOTW has more of the flavor that I prefer. This is an excellent smoke and as such it is part of my regular rotation. At times this blend can be a little difficult to find in stock, so if you try it and like it be sure to pick up some extra for cellaring. Given some "jar time" this blend becomes even more mellow & tasty. 4 stars!!!!

Tin discription:for gentlemen only!Hal O' the Wynd, handmade!this tobacco is really special!when you crack the tin you get a sweet citrusy smell combined with spices and some sourness!this is a broken flake with a bit moisture..might need some rubbing and drying time.for me only rubbing because after drying i noticed some of the flavours where not so strong.needs a bit effort with the lighting and some relights are needed.while burning you definitelly feel something unique is there!citruses,grass notes,earth are combined with spices,figs and sour notes!all these in a sweet creamy flavour!burns slow and cool with medium temperature to total ash.no tongue bite for me.the nicotine level is medium.in the discription is says it is a strong blend.i found it medium and very pleasing.the room note is tolerable.i detected some similarities with 3 nuns.definitelly a must try blend that can make your whole day very special!

Rattray - Hal O' the Wynd (British Collection).

One of the early reviews I did, where due to my head injury I was struggling to articulate myself. So, I ordered a fresh tin to re-post. Hopefully I can ameliorate on my previous review of it!

The unlit blend's rubbed to the perfect consistency to fill straight away. It's a little damp, but not too problematic in that area. Generically speaking the colour of it's medium brown, with very close inspection being a requisite to identify the few different shades.

The smoke: LOVE IT! The Kentucky's the lesser of the three, just adding a very subtle character. The prominent taste is one of Virginia/Perique. The quantity of Perique is PERFECT; giving gentle spices, and dark fruit. The stronger of the bunch is the Virginia, being sweet, ripe, with a little sharpness. Hal O' gives an impeccable burn, and a cool smoke.

Nicotine: above medium. Room-note: a little strong.

Adore it. Highly recommended:

Four stars.

Yes, YES....... OH, MAN....... YES! Very enjoyable and flavorful smoke. What a complex array of favors come through in this tobacco! The Perique has a stewed, fermented raisin taste that is simply captivating. I am not usually one for Virginia/Perique mixtures, but on a friend's suggestion, I tried this concoction, and was extremely surprised at what I received. Burns well, tastes terrific, and I will come to this tobacco again.

This is strong stuff! I wouldn't smoke it on an empty stomach or from a big pipe.

The reddish brown, fully rubbed out, broken flake has a mild and pleasant tin note with sweetish hints of brown bread, grass and dried figs. In a new tin the tobacco appears to be somewhat on the moist side, but doesn't really require drying.

To fill my pipe I make little balls of tobacco that I gently stuff into the bowl. Getting it burning evenly can take a little patience: after a thorough charring light and leveling out the ashes, I apply an equally thorough true light. Especially during the first third of the bowl regular tamping is advisable.

From the look of the blend, its tin note and even its taste you wouldn't expect the strength of Hal O' The Wynd. As far as nicotine content is concerned, I'd compare it to Dunhill's Nightcap. The mild and mellow natural tobacco flavor is dominated by the tangy, hay-like sweetness of the Virginias, which mixes perfectly with the spicy, but also slightly fruity, earthy acidity of the Perique and creamy hints of dark chocolate, and gets a little bolder during the second half of the bowl, always being kind to your tongue. It's a well balanced, safisfying, complex smoke, which can offer loads of subtle aromas, when enjoyed coolly and with care, and will leave you with some dry, light grey ash. Because of its smoothness and good-natured burning characteristics it can be a perfect all day tobacco, that can even be recommended to newbies, as long as you take the necessary precautions.

The room note is lead by sweetish tobacco smoke scents and therefore tolerable.

I think I found one of my absolute favorite tobaccos of all time!!!

Beautiful smoke! Mellow and creamy flavorful smoke with absolutely no bite or harshness whatsoever. Gorgeous broken flake of medium brown and red virginias with a few light specs here and there. Its a bit wet right from the tin, but still ready to go. Lighting takes a bit to get it rolling, but behaves wonderfully after that. Flavors of sweet red virginia take full and center stage. Not overly complex flavors and doesn't take a lot of contemplation. Flavors of bread, sweet but subdued fruit, dark and rich sweetness but not cloying, along with slight hints of hay and tangy tartness come through. Not much if any spice at all with a few citrus notes. No bite even with the occasional hard and fast puffing. The flavor remains extremely consistent throughout the bowl and just the right amount of N. I can't emphasize enough how mellow (not in flavor) this tobacco is. There is zero harshness even on the retrohale.

This will be one of my all day, everyday, smokes....absolutely a delight!! Heaven! This is my 'desert island' blend (as some other reviewers have put it).

Very nice tobacco, but it mostly displays virginia properties. Not that I cannot detect any of the floral qualities of the burley leaf, but you really have to look for it. As for the perique, it will only give you hints every now and then if ever so slightly. That is to say you might miss some of the undertones and nuances present in this tobacco if you don't pay any attention. This mixture is very demanding in that it does require your full attention. The tin note is not overtly impressive, it just smells like tobacco, but it has a vinegary tone to it. Also, it evolves quite nicely through all the stages of your bowl. I particularly like the fact I haven't been able to detect any toppings or flavourings, whether they are in there or not. I can see how some people would complain about this tobacco being somewhat bland or tasteless, namely as you light up, but nothing could be further from the truth. Hasty readers will miss out the most important facts of a novel when they demand it unfolds within its first 10 pages. And if you are so demanding, this tobacco will probably put you off, so I'd not call it an easy read. And there is no bitter end to this novel. You will be able to smoke this tobacco to a white ash without compromising it. Not recommended for newbies as this is a mixture for the more experienced smokers.

Edit 20/05/17 I don't know why I gave this tobacco a 3 star rating, but I am upgrading now to 4 stars.

For no particular reason I can think of, I had not tried this Rattray before. However, after smoking only 2 Ozs. it has instantly become a favourite. If, as some reviewers put it, GL Pease is the most consistent blender out there, whoever blends Rattray?s tobaccos is close behind. I ordered Hal O? the Wynd in bulk, and emptied the 4 Oz. pouch contents into a tight sealed glass jar. Opening it after a couple weeks I was greeted by a wonderful Va. aroma. Dark, musk, nutty and slightly toasted, it immediately established its strong and austere yet gentle character. I don?t recall experiencing such a provocative and arousing scent in a straight Virginia before.

Broad cut, almost broken flake, and slightly moist, I had no trouble packing it in a bent Dunhill briar root, medium sized. Lighting HOTW took some time, but once it got going it was heaven! What a wonderful, savoury and exciting tobacco! Thick volumes of smoke physically expressed the elegant richness of this honeydew Va.

No feebleness, no pretentiousness: just good, straightforward tobacco, with that subdued refinement characteristic of high quality blends. Slow burning (a delight when reading a good novel), the flavour remains consistent throughout the bowl, issuing notes redolent of roasted chestnuts, raisins and wheat, without being as sweet as, say, DLF or McClelland?s 5100, nor as harsh or bitter as Full Virginia Flake.

IMO, HOTW admirably synthesises the best qualities of at least three of Rattray?s finest Virginias: it has the natural smoothness and soothing effects of Old Gowrie, the rich creamy tastiness of Brown Clunee, and the body and strength of Marlin Flake. A wonderful, top quality smoke (nay, companion), full and precise in its structure, composition and denouement. This one is a must for all Va?s lovers.