Rattray Jocks Mixture

Just like Accountant's & Professional Mixtures...

They're ok but nothing great that makes me want to buy more.

A must smoke. Yet another Rattray's treasure. Smooth, supple, tantalizing, and cool smoking. Perfect for when you need to take a break from what your doing and you want to forget all about what's happening around. Sit back, close your eyes, and take your time puffing through a bowl. But the time your done you'll have another outlook on the situation. Even great to take with you on a Sunday afternoon cruise in the car.

My review is based on what I assume to be a brand-new, 2008 tin.

I find this blend quite delicious and an enjoyable change of pace from either matured Virginia flakes or latakia-rich English/Balkan blends. Frankly, I think it's an undiscovered treasure.

Here, the ribbon-cut Virginias are underpinned by just a dash of latakia, with black cavendish tying the components together. The latakia never stands alone here, it simply enriches the Virginias. Meanwhile, the cavendish adds a pleasing, though very faint, sweetness. At times, this feels like a softer, more supple Old Gowrie. Then there are waves -- briefly -- of enveloping richness.

Although the constituent tobaccos are slightly different, this reminds me very much of McClelland's Anniversary, which lacks the cavendish and features chunks of matured-Virginia flake rather than ribbon-cut (if my memory serves). There are strong similarities in flavor, though.

I have yet to smoke a Rattray blend that I didn't enjoy, and Jocks continues that trend. This is a blend that deserves to be much more widely appreciated. And cellared! This stuff should be amazing in 10-20 years.

NOTE: Some older reviews have cited "stickiness" in the tin and described "chunks of bright leaf" in the tin. Neither was present in my tin of Jocks. I can't help thinking that some of these reviews were based on early K&K runs of Rattray's blends, which have changed considerably in the intervening years. The Jocks of five years ago may be quite unlike the Jocks of today. I'd encourage those earlier reviewers to revisit the blend to see if their criticisms are still warranted. And I'd encourage newcomers to take into consideration the posting date of a review when judging its contents. (But I'm clearly prejudiced in favor of this blend. . . )

This is not bad but did not really grab my attention. The virginia plays dominant role in this one with the cavendish and latakia supporting. The cavendish in this does give it a nutty burley kind of flavor that is in good balance with the virginia. The latakia is very light in this and is not at all assertive. This burns a little on the warmer side for me and as one reviewer mentioned I recieved the same lip tingle with out the bite, not a perique kind of tingle. This is not bad but not something I would look for when purchasing blends. Worth a try.

Jocks Mixture is extra-light in the Latakia department, so if you?re looking for a way to try Latakia without it being ?over the top? this may be a good choice.

The Cavendish and Va intermingle well for a bit of complexity. Latakia adds flavor as a condiment. Overall the effect is a cool and relaxing smoke. This would be a good one for working in the yard

This is a mild English, for me too mild. All the components stay relatively subtle and nothing stands out, although it gets a little richer at the half bowl mark. There's an ever present sweetness and tanginess. Burns very very easy. This might be a great blend to get started with Latakia blends or in general for beginning pipe smokers.

2.5 stars

I think they made this "Mixture" in his "Jock". Another bomb from Kohlhase & Kopp!

The blender's notes for Jocks are spot on. It is rich yet mild and has great flavor, which all adds up to medium to my tastes. This was one of those that I purchased because I was already pleased with some other blends, Professional Mixture and Accoutants. I was searching for something mild and different than the others and tried Jocks. It was love at first puff and is standard now as a choice early in the day, or when I want something that isn't a classic Orientals blend, but not bland.

The pinch of Latakia is in condimental proportions that works wonderfully with the Virginia and the Virginia Cavendish. Like Professinal Mixture, this is easily an all day smoke, albeit, a completely different type of blend. There is a subtle sweetness throughout the bowl that I have come to crave but it is never hum-drum.

As with some of the other reviewers, I have come to love Jocks because it is well balanced and a wonderful example of skilled blending that is reliable. Jocks, Professional and Accountants mixtures are my Rattray's trilogy and are in my daily rotation. Highest praise.

Cheers, VC

I am guilty of enjoying everything from American drugstore aromatic blends to the most Latakia-heavy concoctions on the market. I've managed to find a time and place for most types of pipe tobacco. Occasionally, the way we categorize mixtures lets us down: some blends do not easily fit into categories like "Virginia", "English", "Aromatic", etc. This is one such mixture. Jocks may disappoint if you go into it with the notion it will be easily categorized. It is mellow and rounded, with a mild earthy sweetness, a slight chocolate character (though less so than in Highland Targe), and a muted spiciness. With all this restraint, when taken slowly and attentatively, the result is surprisingly flavorful. I enjoy it most when I don't sit and concentrate on identifying the leaves that make it up. It simply produces a tasty smoke that is of a different character than what you'll commonly find. The tin I used for this review was purchased in Sept. 2001 and opened in late 2005. I have no idea what this would taste like off the shelf. The tobacco was originally quite moist; I had to let it dry out quite a bit before it became enjoyable.