Rattray Hal O' the Wynd

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 don't know why it took me so long to get around to filling a bowl with this brawny old Virginia, but I'm glad I finally did. The problem is that with all of the glowing reviews surrounding this blend, it's hard to find your way to the tobacco. It's hard to smoke and look directly into the sun at the same time.

It's not, sadly, my life changing tobacco. I won't remember it as well as I remember my first...um...time.

But it is absolutely a very fine Virginia. It arrives partially rubbed out and with that natural honeyed raisin tin aroma characteristic of pure, mature Virginias. It packs well, smokes well, and produces generous quantities of honeyed smoke. I think it smells like a bumble-bee fart. And that's a good thing.

I do, however, find it a little coarse on the palate and so it works best for me in the longest stem I can find.

As much as I like this, I have to admit that I started my Virginia tour in the Wessex camp and nothing about 'Hal' makes me want to leave.

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.

Okay this is a great blend. ROTT it was a little green and so I waited 6 months. 6-24 months it was great still a little bite but not bad. Perique lead the way for me with pepper and plum with the VA's right behind sharp and toasty, a little tangy and sweet. The KY added depth to the smoke but remained in the background. However, I have just finished a jar that is 3yrs and 4 months old. The profile has changed and quite a lot for such a short time. It could be that my taste has changed and/or developed. In any case the KY's spice seems at the front now. The VA's have softened and sweetened a little. The perique which was out front is still present but comes in and out and stays more in the background now. I like this blend at the 6-24 month mark. I take aging into consideration as it is important to me. Would love for others to update as it ages too.

This is a nicely packaged/presented 100g tin, cool artwork as well. I liked this blend a good deal. Needed some drying time for the broken flakes and then I was off. Smoked clean and had a simple yet compelling woodsy, peppery flavor, just the right amount of sweetness. VAs are not my usual fare, but as far as this one goes, its a winner.

A strong, stout Va/Per. Virginia forward. Perique is muted. Beware: Sip this one or suffer the consequences. Very rewarding for the experienced VA/Per or VA smoker, but not the best choice as an introduction to the genre. A niche blend. Good nicotine content - recovering cigarette smokers will like this one.

Update 11/2013: I find that I enjoy this blend much more in a large-bowled cob. The unique flavors from the cob just seem to do this blend justice and mellow it out a touch.

HOTW is another nice addition to my favoured VA tastes. That said, I do prefer it's stablemate OG. I'll also smoke FVF for when I want a richer and fuller experience, but that's not to take anything away from HOTW.

I find HOTW is less sweet tasting than the other two mentioned, and has a very slight peppery feel to it. Albiet a very mild one..

All in all a quality tobacco that comes in a lovely tin!

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.