Rattray Hal O' the Wynd

HOTW is the other great VA from Rattray. Quite strong, rich, spicy, with concentrated flavor that seems like the essence of the red VA leaf. A top favorite VA flake.

My daily smoke, Great straight VA, subtle sweetness, good strength. burns well, fine aftertaste. With age should be fantanstic.

This is a zesty full-bodied medium brown VA that comes in a broken flake. Excellent tin aroma. Nice moisture. No need to rub out although you can for a quicker burn.

I believe this tobacco is loved by die-hard VA folks. For me, an occasional VA smoker, it was too strongly flavored and a bit too bitey. I much prefer the lighter Old Gowrie. When I want a fuller VA flake, I tend to go for McClelland's Blackwoods or Dark Star, which I find easier on the palate.

Top quality for sure . . . just not my style.

HOTW is very good to me, it has a natural sweetness that plays well with the earthy characteristics of the smoke. This blend responds very well to the DGT. I believe that it enhances the flavors of this blend.

This is a full-bodied smoke that has a depth that is kept from being too heavy by its tanginess. Like many Virginias, it has a citrus quality to it that might be like a blood-orange compared to its lighter, more refreshing cousin, the navel orange. The flavor evolves from being too sharp at the to slowly gaining a depth and richness that ripens throughout the bowl. If smoked too quickly it can be a bit bitter and burn hot, so it is a tobacco that needs attention. The care needed, combined with its complexity, keep it from being an everyday smoke for me, but I will definitely keep a tin around for when the mood strikes. It has a subtle sweetness combined with a fullness of body and a nicotine kick that is unusual in a straight Virginia. Overall: A-, weekly smoke, pleasant aroma.

Not much more needs to be said about this tobak. I have been smoking on various opened tins of whatever for a while now, but I HAD to pop the top on one of the three aged (6-7 yrs. old) tins I have cellared after reading these reviews and being reminded of how tasty HOTW was and still is. It does not get much better than this, folks! As others have noted, that figgy/datey/raisiny aroma when I opened the tin was delicious to say the least, and the smoking experience is as fine as frogs hair; rich and savoury. One of the best VA tobaccos anywhere. Norrmm, Briar North, Tantric, ArtGuy and others have justifiably noted this tobaks worthiness for being included in any VA smokers top ten, or maybe even top five. I gave it top-billing, but I will make these three tins last as long as possible, and pick up more to take their place in the cellar. Most definitely works for me.

A great red Virginia but the new tin with glossy paper (more yellowish) is in all aspects a step down compared to the old one pictured.

As a part of my (hopefully) never-ending quest for the perfect tobacco, I picked up some of the fabled Hal O' the Wynd.

I enjoyed it in every pipe I tried it in, several different shapes and sizes. This is a weed I will enjoy on occasion. I realize that I am risking being burned at the stake for rating this below 4 stars, but I calls 'em as I see's 'em.

The tin description says this is a 'sharp' blend. For the first third of the bowl, this is true. It has a sharpness akin to that of very old cheddar. A bit of a bite - not in the tongue-bit sense though.

Once you pass the sharpness, you are rewarded with a nice full, natural Virginia flavor. This is a very rich tasting Va, no doubt about that.

I found that if I rub it out just a bit more than the way it comes, it burns extremely well, relights only needed when I have set the pipe down. I had no problem with tongue bite, but then I went into this meeting with Hal with great respect. I suspect that if I got the least bit insolent, Hal would have noted my lack of respect and I would have suffered greatly.

Definitely not for the new smoker, and even experienced smokers of English blends will need to be careful if this is their first Va.

If I could figure out how to smoke just the last 2/3 of the bowl, this could be a favorite. I just didn't care for the edge that the top 1/3 posessed.

Having started my voyage into Virginia blends, I picked up a tin of this to give it a try. It's not half bad, but I find I enjoy McClellands Blackwoods Flake more and find myself reaching for that more often. That's not to say that this blend is bad by any means - I just enjoy the taste of the other better. It's a good "clean" tasting blend that produces not much in the way of a smell in the room as far as I can tell, and the taste is that of a vague light sweetness at times as it is smoked. Fresh out of the tin, it has a somewhat raisiny/grassy smell about it (which interestingly smells really great right after having smoked a bowl of it), and it packs easily. It's a good smoke, but I don't think it'll be on my top tier - there's a little something non-descript about it overall.