Rattray Hal O' the Wynd

This is a great blend! I am actually having a second bowl right now. The more I smoke it, the more I like it. It has a pretty monochromatic tin note that most VaPers have (grass/hay). It is a rubbed flake, but I found that rubbing it out even more helps with the packing and makes it smoke a bit cooler. It takes and holds a light well after a good false light.

This is more robust than other Rattray blends I've tried so far. It's sweet, but to me I get more of the sweetness on the back of my tongue. It's citrusy and fragrant, but not annoying. The Perique is definitely there, and the Kentucky teams up with it to add the signature "robustness" this blend offers up. I can see this becoming a good cold-weather tobacco, as it warms me up whenever I smoke it. The only thing that bothers me about this blend: the nicotine is weaker than I anticipated. I was really hoping for a kick in the teeth, but it's definitely not a deal breaker.

For whatever reason this tobacco calls me in the fall. It tastes strong and makes a good long smoke. Packing the pipe is stright forward as is first light. So when the temp falls down to the 60's this will shine. Good hour smoke with no relight and a flavor that you will not forget. Low Nicotine and little Perique just a lot of sweet Virginia and Kentucky.

HOTW is a sharp VA, to my senses anyway. This is not a bad thing, there are some dark flavors here as well (burnt caramel, roasted nuts). This is a stout blend for a VAPER, but not the strongest I've had mind you. This blend really shined after leaving the contents exposed to air for about 8 hours; after this it really took off. I broke it up a little more than it already was and it filled the pipe well, accepted flame, and made some nice clouds of smoke in no time! Very fresh aroma and taste, this would be sublime after some aging, I'm wagering. Very nice tobacco. LETJC

At first the tin smell put me off a little. I thought this must be another pure Virginia with a little preique and no character. Well, I was wring. It's one of those tobaccos that gets better and better as the bowl goes on. Stick with it if you don't like it at first. It quickly grows on you. Not as strong as the label would suggest.

Kohlhase & Kopp has nailed it with this one. The three tobaccos have a good thing going on, the Kentucky is nicely complemented by the Perique and the Virginia. Nice dry fig smell off the tin, burns well with plenty of smoke. A dry, cold smoke with woodsy and spicy tones better enjoyed in the evening or at any time in winter.

Virginia lover

This is what I think of as a quintessential VA blend. I think that if there is something that Rattray really does well it is VA. Hal O' The Wynd will not disappoint the discerning smoker, with a nice perky, bitey flavor, it's like aged cheddar. The flavor reminds me of dry hay in a barn if you've ever jumped into a pile of it, kind of scratchy, but fun none the less. This is not my favorite smoke, but it sure places itself as a classic in it's genre for me. The room note is not to be sought after, but it's a good blend, I can't comment on the tin note as I've only ever had baggies of it. I think it would be worth an experiment to smoke this in tandem with GLP Union Square just for an interesting compare and contrast, two different VA's might be good partners in a VA lover's rotation. I found I really like this blend in fresh new pipes, meerschaums and narrow small cobs like the MM Pony Express. Give it a shot, it's curiously strong, kinda like Altoids...

I was reluctant to try this tobacco. The only Rattray blend I'd previously tried was Red Rapparree, a strong English blend that almost made me burn my pipes. But after hearing raves about it, I decided to give it a go and see what the fuss was all about. The tin arrived in a box with a bunch of Pease blends, innocently hiding behind styrafoam packaging. I immediately cracked it open, and was at once delighted by the tin aroma – the sweet, thick scent of a good Virginia. The tobacco was a bit moist, but a few moments of drying before loading into a bowl cured that. The leaf is a nice golden-brown, ready-rubbed.

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The initial flavor was stronger than I expect from a Virginia, though in a good way. There was a real sweetness to it, and I could almost detect a hint of fruit. After a few minutes, with the bowl burning nicely, the flavor became really robust, which again is unusual for a Virginia. With strength comes flavor, though, and this tobacco has flavor. I like my coffee strong, too, after all. This strong flavor stayed, consistently, through the smoke. Though there is a development, or progression, of the strength through a bowl, it is about as consistent in flavor as a Virginia tobacco can be, start to finish. Though the first few puffs seem to be plotting a case of tongue bite, I've yet to experience a bite from this blend.

Additionally, Hal O' The Wind DGTs extremely well, which I like because I often smoke a pipe on the 20-minute drive I make to work each morning, leaving me something to look forward to on the drive home. In fact, the strength of the tobacco seems to wake me up just a bit for the afternoon drive, while keeping a smile on my face despite the traffic.

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This isn't a blend for the beginning Virginia smoker. That said, it's one of the absolute finest tinned Virginias I've smoked, equaling, in my opinion, even the delights of such favorites as Red Flake. I know I'll keep this tobacco available on my shelf from now on, and will turn to it often. Hal O' The Wind is a pleasurable and enjoyable smoke.

A lot of reviews clain this one as strong. I will say it will get your attention, but it is not particularly strong in my book but full bodied yes. It is really quite tasty and it has to be paid respect too or the smoker could end up with tongue bite with this one. But having said that, if one smokes it nice and slow, they are rewarded with a very creamy, slightly nutty and spicy smoke that is great savored with a glass of red wine or a full bodied beer. The tobacco in the pouch is a pretty uniform brown in color and is a ribbon cut broken flake. It has a sweet but peaty pouch aroma and is very easy to load in the pipe. One light to start it, a tamp to the rise and then a good light and one can sit back and enjoy the smoke without constant relights. it burns nice and slow, and one can taste the sweet VA in the foreground and then whisps of the perique spice comeing and going. The kentucky just gives it body. It has a nice strong but sweet room note, won't make enemies but won't make friends either. It burns down to a medium grey, fine ash all the way to the bottom of the pipe with no dottle and no moisture. It really smokes clean. I smoke mine a little dry though so right out of the tin, it could smoke a touch wet. The taste remains consistant all the way down, it picks up a little more of the VA sweetness as it burns down and the perique notes retreat a little. All in all, this is a fine smoke and I find it quite enjoyable and therefore recommend it.

Not a bad virginia at all, prhaps the strongest of the trio, Old Gowrie, Marlin Flake and Hal O' The Wynd bringing up the rear. My main problem with this otherwise very fine tobacco, is that I can only get it to work if I let it air for 24 hours on a sheet of newspaper, put it back in the can, then leave it for a further month.

This seems to smooth it out for me as it can be a little steamy straight from the can with a mild tendency to try to bite.

However, having prepared accordingly, a smooth and tasty evening smoke for the summertime follows.