Rattray Highland Targe
(2.88)
The outstanding feature is the pronounced flavor of robust latakia. This tobacco has earned proper recognition by those smokers who have a particular liking for this type of leaf.
Details
| Brand | Rattray |
| Blended By | Kohlhase, Kopp und Co. KG |
| Manufactured By | |
| Blend Type | Scottish |
| Contents | Black Cavendish, Latakia, Oriental/Turkish, Virginia |
| Flavoring | |
| Cut | Ribbon |
| Packaging | 100 grms tin |
| Country | Germany |
| Production | Currently available |
Profile
Strength
Mild to Medium
Extremely Mild -> Overwhelming
Flavoring
None Detected
None Detected -> Extra Strong
Room Note
Pleasant to Tolerable
Unnoticeable -> Overwhelming
Taste
Mild to Medium
Extremely Mild (Flat) -> Overwhelming
Average Rating
|
2.88 / 4
|
Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 26 Reviews
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 22, 2014 | Mild to Medium | None Detected | Medium | Tolerable to Strong |
I bought this one because I liked the name lol. Also because I liked the tin art on it. A simple rugged highland warrior. I also had just purchased my butchers boy, and figured I would try a blend from the pipe aker to see if it went well together. I was wrong on that account btw. That short wide pipe doesn't like fine cuts of tobacco. Burned my mouth like I was a little kid smoking for the first time. It much prefers dunhill nightcap or 965.
The smell in the tin is very nice and smoky. I liked the way it wafted out some at me when I popped it open the first time. It has some gold and browns, and some black cav in there. Even some faint greenish colors I'm guessing are orientals. It packs and lights well, although the initial tin moisture was a bit much for me.
It is very tasty, in a light sort of way. Nice smoky flavor from the Latakia, just as they said on the tin. And it has a slight sour taste to it that reminds me of green olives. Almost like the way a dirty martini tastes of seawater. It's not over powering on the nic front, so it would be good most of the day. It burns right down to the draft hole if you dry it bit. I left mine out overnight on a piece of newspaper with the a.c on. (You can borrow that trick if you like).
I have bought more of this one, so I can definitely recommend this one to others who like scottish blends, or want to try one. I like others better, but this will be in my rotation for a long time to come. Mostly due to its subued nature and nice easy smoke.
The smell in the tin is very nice and smoky. I liked the way it wafted out some at me when I popped it open the first time. It has some gold and browns, and some black cav in there. Even some faint greenish colors I'm guessing are orientals. It packs and lights well, although the initial tin moisture was a bit much for me.
It is very tasty, in a light sort of way. Nice smoky flavor from the Latakia, just as they said on the tin. And it has a slight sour taste to it that reminds me of green olives. Almost like the way a dirty martini tastes of seawater. It's not over powering on the nic front, so it would be good most of the day. It burns right down to the draft hole if you dry it bit. I left mine out overnight on a piece of newspaper with the a.c on. (You can borrow that trick if you like).
I have bought more of this one, so I can definitely recommend this one to others who like scottish blends, or want to try one. I like others better, but this will be in my rotation for a long time to come. Mostly due to its subued nature and nice easy smoke.
Pipe Used:
Rattrays butchers boy, Luciano billiard
PurchasedFrom:
Just For Him.com
Age When Smoked:
Fresh
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Apr 02, 2012 | Mild to Medium | None Detected | Mild to Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
This blend did not impress me the first few times I smoked it. But lately I've found myself enjoying it and appreciating it's unique qualities. For those of us who enjoy lighter fare, this is a delicious blend that's loaded with taste. The flavors are abundant. There's a lovely sweetness from the cavendish and the orientals make this a wonderful well rounded blend. This is a keeper in my book.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 27, 2021 | Mild to Medium | None Detected | Mild to Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
This is a review of the 1990s version, which used Syrian Latakia. The smoky, earthy, woody, musty, floral, wine-like Syrian Latakia takes a small lead. Right on its heels are the earthy, woody, herbal, floral, spicy, vegetative, lightly sweet and rather sour Orientals. The Virginia offers a fair amount of tart and tangy citrus, sour lemon, plenty of grass/hay, bread, mild sugar, light spice and floral, acidic notes. It is a couple of notches above the condimental line. The sugary, toasty black cavendish smooths out a few rough edges, though some still remain. It’s a tad more than a condiment in terms of effect. The strength and nic-hit are in the center of mild to medium. The taste falls a couple of slots short of the medium mark. It won’t bite or get harsh. Burns cool and clean at a moderate pace with a very consistent smoky sweet and sour, floral campfire flavor that extends to the lightly lingering, pleasant after taste. Leaves little dampness in the bowl, and requires an average number of relights. The room note is a rung stronger than the after taste. Can be an all day smoke for the veteran, and repeatable for the less experienced. Three and a half stars out of four. If and when I get the chance to smoke the current version, I will review that.
-JimInks
-JimInks
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Aug 07, 2011 | Mild | None Detected | Mild | Pleasant to Tolerable |
The aroma from a fresh tin is muted and complex to no end. This blend really smells delicious. An aroma that's mostly Virginia - sweetness, hay & grain notes, ketchup, spice cake and fig newtons. Orientals add tart freshness and come close to balancing the Virginia. As far as Latakia, the tin aroma of this stuff is merely haunted by the ghost of Latakia. All together, very interesting.
No problems with packing and lighting, pretty low maintenance.
First puffs release a burst of warm hay and grass aromas, settling into fruitcake-like sweetness, and then into a pleasant muted complexity. I detected butter cookies, pancake batter, the ocean, horse feed (oats), vegetal leafy notes, fresh notes like cucumber or melon, lemon custard, very slight Cavendish sweetness. The Latakia is nowhere to be found.
Quite pleasant, the only real problem here is a lack of strength. Nice flavors but ultimately too light. But if you want a cool, tasty Virginia-heavy blend that's extremely light and smooth - you could do a lot worse than Highland Targe.
No problems with packing and lighting, pretty low maintenance.
First puffs release a burst of warm hay and grass aromas, settling into fruitcake-like sweetness, and then into a pleasant muted complexity. I detected butter cookies, pancake batter, the ocean, horse feed (oats), vegetal leafy notes, fresh notes like cucumber or melon, lemon custard, very slight Cavendish sweetness. The Latakia is nowhere to be found.
Quite pleasant, the only real problem here is a lack of strength. Nice flavors but ultimately too light. But if you want a cool, tasty Virginia-heavy blend that's extremely light and smooth - you could do a lot worse than Highland Targe.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 25, 2005 | Mild | Mild | Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
English Mixtures with Latakia is not very common and popular in Denmark. Also very hard to get! Well im one of the "few" person in this country who doesn´t care much for "Danish-style-black-cavendish" and artificial humectants. This blend is smooth and delicate, with just the right amount of Latakia and not too much Oriental. It packs easily and lights up just as easy.
The first 1/3 of the bowl is very refreshing with a slight touch of lightly smoked Latakia Later: The bright VA enters, and almost dominates the smell. I detect only a slight hint of Oriental
This is a very fine blend that reminds me of velvet and oats This could be a nice morning blend for me in the future, as it is almost as refreshing as a cup of coffee. I could use a little more nicotine though.
Jakob Kiilerich, Denmark
The first 1/3 of the bowl is very refreshing with a slight touch of lightly smoked Latakia Later: The bright VA enters, and almost dominates the smell. I detect only a slight hint of Oriental
This is a very fine blend that reminds me of velvet and oats This could be a nice morning blend for me in the future, as it is almost as refreshing as a cup of coffee. I could use a little more nicotine though.
Jakob Kiilerich, Denmark
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Jun 28, 2016 | Medium | None Detected | Medium to Full | Strong |
more english than scottish. dark and brown leaves are well balanced.you can feel the latakian camp fire scent at the first remarque but not too much. I lit it with ease. no bit no gurgling or any other bad things. A smooth smoke from top to the bottom. Generally this stuff is my morning pleasure. It smokes very cool. In some reviews they said very flat smoke. Maybe but a good compaignon for morning coffee in the front porch.
Pipe Used:
meerschaum; 9 mm filtered european pipes
PurchasedFrom:
Novelli, Roma
Age When Smoked:
from cellar, 3 yo. some rehydration applied.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Mar 22, 2010 | Mild to Medium | None Detected | Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
I am smoking this from a 5 year old tin so that may have some effect on my review. The light up of the blend reveals latakia and almost seems to bode well for a heavy latakia blend but that's fairly deceptive. Only a few puffs into the pipe shows that this is certainly a harmonious blend. The virginia, cavendish, latakia and orientals produce a wonderful English/Scottish experience that shows what true harmony tastes like. There are flashes of latakia and hints of sweetness that really round out the flavor. I even get a quick whiff of chocolate that seems to be all the leaves working together. I don't think it's a topping or casing at all since this seems like very high quality leaf and devoid of any of these scents in the tin. I'm beginning to feel that an unsweetened cavendish addition to English blends really helps the fullness and round off the rough edges to produce a wonderful smoke.
Now, it's time for some caveats. There are some people that are hoping for a latakia heavy blend and they aren't going to get that in this blend. It's also a blend you can smoke all day if you like. If you want a heavy late evening smoke then you will find this disappointing. If you want a change of pace "Scottish" smoke that still has fullness and flavor then you'll enjoy this. If you approach it from that angle it's a good blend.
Now, it's time for some caveats. There are some people that are hoping for a latakia heavy blend and they aren't going to get that in this blend. It's also a blend you can smoke all day if you like. If you want a heavy late evening smoke then you will find this disappointing. If you want a change of pace "Scottish" smoke that still has fullness and flavor then you'll enjoy this. If you approach it from that angle it's a good blend.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Jun 28, 2022 | Mild to Medium | None Detected | Mild to Medium | Pleasant |
Mild and flavorful Scottish mixture. Smoky Latakia with a smattering of Virginia and Turkish. The Unsweetened Cavendish brings all the players together for a vetting smoke. This is one of those tobaccos that really comes into its own with age for me. This review is based on a tin that has been aging for over 5 years. Not a Lat bomb if that is what you are seeking. The Latakia is there but in condiment doses. The Turkish plays well bring a bit of sour in spots. The Virginia adds some grassy appeal. All in all a fine blend that I have found myself reaching for most nights as my Smoke with a pot of tea. Solid 3
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Aug 15, 2021 | Mild | Mild | Mild | Pleasant to Tolerable |
This smoke is as mild as good. At first I was a bit disappointed, my palate being used to more bold blends in the english/balkan/scottish universe. But once I put away my annoyance and opened my senses to this weed I have found a great companion for those moments when I want a not-overly simple mild blend. The quality of the tobaccos is good, the taste is mild but not flat, even if I would say it is more english than scottish. Once packed in the bowl it burns well without issues, the smoke is not going to irritate eventual spectators. I could understand other reviewers' doubts, but in my opinion this tobacco is good and it comes at a good price: it deserves a chance in an english mixtures enthusiast's rotation.
HT could be an all-day tobacco, a true friend for days at the workshop or even for a smooth hike.
HT could be an all-day tobacco, a true friend for days at the workshop or even for a smooth hike.
Pipe Used:
Savinelli
PurchasedFrom:
Tabaccheria Barberia
Age When Smoked:
fresh
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Feb 18, 2012 | Mild to Medium | None Detected | Mild to Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
A very nice, light weight mixture. In spite of the description above, it doesn't contain much Latakia - it's more of a Va-Orient. blend with Latakia as an added spice. Clean tasting, if somewhat anonymous with its generic Va. and Orientals, it fits in among the morning blends. Inoffensive. There are, of course, a lot of more interesting blends out there, and this is not one I'll stock up on. Still, I enjoy it for what it is.
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