Rattray Highland Targe

A wonderfully subtle blend. A nice all-day smoke or a smooth introdution to blends that include Latakia. Try this first thing in the morning. Not for the strong coffee drinker but is a fine companion for a large mug of English tea. If you like your flavors big and bold steer clear of this mixture.

This is one of those blends that I always seem to pick up another can of when I visit my tobacconist in Boston. I find it to be a smooth and comforting tobacco that is light enough to let you know it is there without becoming over- bearing if one picks up their puffing pace. I find it be a delightful, "Hello, how are you?", kind of smoke. The beauty of this blend is in it's simplicity.

I went out in search of a latakia mixture that wouldn't send me to the Betty Ford Clinic for latakia overdose. I took the risk, at the encouragement of a cigar store owner friend of mine, to try Highland Targe. The description states that the latakia has a robust flavor. With that warning clearly in my mind I closed both eyes and pulled firmly on the opener tab at the top of the tin. I opened one eye as the latakia fragrance rose to my olfactory sensors and was suprised to find the mixture lighter in appearnace than I expected. The cut is in long thin strands. I like this because if you bend over with your pipe in your mouth the strands kind of knit together and keep ash from falling out on your shirt or whatever. The dominant ingredient in this mixture is the VA and not the latakia. Is this a contradiction of the description on the label??? So, I lit my McCranie's bulldog packed with HT and waited for the "pronounced flavor". What I got, instead of the expected latakia laden "holy cow thatsa lotta latakia" was a greatly flavorful and yet gentle caress across my palate. The latakia is obviously robust in nature because the volume is much less than expected but it holds it's own very well. The VA is sweet but not overpowering. I found this to be a great smoke, not at all monochromatic, but not for the latakia addicted. Take this from a guy who loves 3 Noggins and Red Rapparree, both much stronger mixtures. If you are looking for a latakia mixture that will allow you to keep your socks on your feet, this is a good choice.

Quando il Latakia può essere un gentiluomo.

La latta è già bella di suo, da un lato il guerriero scozzese, dall’altro il selvaggio che fuma. Aprendola si vede un bel ribbon uniforme, con alternanza di chiaro e scuro, molto bello. A secco sentiamo preponderante il sentore erbaceo del Virginia e di sottofondo l’affumicato del Latakia, forse un po’ di agre degli Orientali, ma bisogna cercarli.

Questo tabacco necessita di pipe dai fornelli molto ampi. Si carica molto facilmente, e per ottenere il massimo è meglio fare arieggiare tutto il contenuto almeno per un’oretta.

Ottenuta una brace uniforme e pigiato bene iniziamo ad assaporare la miscela. Il Latakia, a differenza della prova a crudo sa sprigionarsi, ma lo fa con eleganza con un affumicato, signorile; quel sentore affumicato dei vecchi camini un funzione; si sprigiona dell’aspro, proprio degli orientali e poi il Virginia, sempre sui toni terrosi ed erbacei che dona uniformità alla miscela. Poco dopo un dolce pizzicore assale la lingua e il retronasale segno del contatto col Cavendish. Così continua la fumata.

Ogni tanto un sentore acido, come di olive verdi, che dà un tocco di vitalità alla miscela molto buona di suo.

Il Latakia diviene sempre più sontuoso, mai greve, un ottimo signor Latakia che sa unirsi in un dolce amplesso col dolce del Cavendish per formare un tutt’uno inusuale, piacevole che esce dai binari classici delle Scottish di più usuale commercio. Poi gli altri tabacchi sanno fare da contro canto. Insomma la partitura suona molto bene al palato. Un tabacco molto gustoso.

La forza è media sempre, ma appagante anche per chi ama tabacchi più forti.

Una miscela che sa fare scoprire il lato gentile del Latakia.

Verso chi è destinato, a tutti i fumatori. Anzi un novellino potrà capire che i tabacchi naturali sono sempre il meglio.

Voto 4,8/5

This is one of my favorite blends. NapaWineLover and Pipeline have pretty much nailed this blend, so see their excellent reviews, below, for more details.

Call me a heretic...but I must say, that if it weren't for the small amount of unflavored black cavendish in this...I'd pretty much call this a medium Balkan. Highland Targe wonderfully balances several flavor components that I love in a good Balkan: a slight sharpness with some sourness (as found in Balkan Sasieni and Smokers Haven - Our Best Blend) all melded with a sensible and moderate amount of smokey, top-grade Latakia.

The Oriental and Virginia elements in Highland Targe are superb and there's just enough Latakia in the background to keep these fascinating flavors swirling throughout the smoke. I try to smoke this blend as slowly as possible to maximize the pleasure - just beyond a smolder seems perfect to extract all the flavor sensations. (The slight sweetness of the cavendish is just that - pretty slight and subtle so it's a very small piece of the Highland Targe puzzel.)

To me, Highland Targe is in the same league as Exotique and Caravan, and at it's price, it's the clear winner on the value side of things.

Highland Targe is a top quality blend and genuine pipe smoking classic that can hold its own against the best out there because, well, it IS one of the best.

Used to be one of my all day...every day.... smokes. Something I can count on to be there consistently....light latakia..mild taste..burns easily in all my pipes (well at least in my Dunhills and thats all I smoke anymore)...I've enjoyed the Rattray's blends for years...35 years to be exact...yeah, they've changed abit but haven't we all ?

Update 1/17/04: I consider this smoke my "old reliable". Just enough VA to satisfy that if I want it. Enough Latakia and Oriental to fulfill that role. I don't smoke it every day, but when I want to *enjoy* a smoke for sure - I reach for Highland Targe.
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This was my first taste not only of English blends, but of non-drugstore variety tobacco. That was going on several months ago now. I've waited this long to review it so that my experience could be broadened, and therefore, my references to other tobacco a bit more complete. Without being too melodromatic, I wanted to give this blend a proper and respectful review. After just finishing half a bowl, I decided it was time.

At first I found this stuff very strong - I'm talking chills and a bit of sweat. Considering what I had been smoking previously may or may not even contain tobacco, no surprise there. After having some exposure to other full English blends, this is practically ice-cream... though still gives a decent Highland kick.

My initial reactions were: sweet, smokey and pungent all at the same time. In the best possible way. The orientals remain predominant, interacting nicely with the latakia - never becoming overly "zingy". All the while the VA hangs there in the background: solidly holding up the smoke with a nutty-ripe flavor. Speaking of which, the smoke of this stuff is light, white-grey, and very attractive all around. It is not at all aromatic but also not the WMD that is Durbar (see my review). I find that most near the smoker don't seem bothered by it. For the smoker - it is a savory sweet and lightly grilled aroma.

Opening the can even 6 weeks later brings a delightful latakia sweet-sourness into the air. The humidity of the mix is still nearly perfect even in the pop-top can that H.T. comes in.

Even right out of the freshly opened can this burned well, cleanly down to a grey ash. The nicely textured and colored ribbons are great to look at and pack. The initial charring light is a bit bitter and seems to threaten something extremely unpleasant. Have no fear, that settles in quickly with a hanging bitterness almost like baker's chocolate and a tinge of fruit through out the entire bowl. There is increased strength towards the end with the latakia and VA taking over the oriental spice, but not in a way that is at all unpleasant. In fact, it is downright tasty...like the final remants of a fine barbecue. I've got a pipe that is almost exclusively for this and Margate. I haven't found anything else I like quite enough to make it into this antique briar that is so nicely seasoned.

The recent humidity of the past two days (7/10/03) in my region has made all of my smoking a bit wetter and harsher than usual. But even in this climate the Highlander smoked cleanly with only two relights. Like most VA mixes, too little patience will tag your tongue a bit. But this has overall been a very easy to smoke tobacco.

I still find this a bit strong to smoke more than a couple of times a week (trying to avoid too many dealings with old split-hoof Nic), but I can safely say it will likely remain a standby smoke and one of my continued favorites.