Rattray Jocks Mixture

My review of Jock’s is based on about two ounces from a four ounce tin that was at least 15 years old. Although listed as a ribbon cut, mine was definitely a ready rubbed with sizable chunks of flake, however it may be different in its current version. Overall, I think that DK’s review really nails it as I agree with much of what he said in his review. Jock’s is a really well blended, Virginia forward English blend that smokes fuller than many other light English blends. Jock’s has a spicy component that I find keeps me from pushing it. The Cavendish IMO adds depth to the blend and is not the sticky sweet American style black Cavendish. The Cavendish almost gives it a buttery quality. Overall though, this is a very flavorful, slightly sweet blend that occupies somewhat of a unique niche in the marketplace. Not quite a four star blend for me, but close.

If you are looking for a real Scottish blend, here it is. Virginia, Black Cavendish (unflavored) and a little bit of Latakia and the deed is done (Orientals are important but not fundamental). In my personal opinion Robert McConnell Scottish Blend is far more tasty and intriguing, but anyway Jocks Mixture is a good example of a Scottish blend. Really pleasant the sugary nuances coming from the Black Cavendish. Mild to medium strength. So, if you like Scottish blends, sure this is for you and, if you like just a hint of Latakia (not too much), sure this is for you. Not suitable for Latakia lovers. In my personal rating system (from 1 to 10) my score is 8 and three stars.

Rattray - Jocks Mixture.

When I open this I think straight away "this appears to be a very standard looking Tobacco": it's a very even distribution of Cavendish, Latakia and Virginia, with a moistness that can't be argued with, which makes it superb for someone less patient like myself as NO time is needed to let it dry out. I can't wait to get started!

Getting this one lit is a real simple task, it ignites awesomely and the burn is marvelous throughout the whole pipe .... even, cool and consistent. Flavour? .... again very even in its distribution of tastes, none of the tobaccos particularly stand above the others, which I find a touch disappointing as I actually enjoy it when the Latakia takes the front seat but with this one it remains a tad subdued as the spread is too even for a blend with Latakia (for me). Another negative is this gives a little tongue, but that is subjective, we all vary for that! The fact it bites is cancelled out by the Vitamin N/inhalation ease as it is easy to inhale with neither a great amount nor a small amount of N. Room note is prominently Virginia and fairly light, so it can be enjoyed without upsetting any anti smokers around you. I think that this will be great if you like your Latakia flavour to be more "mild smokiness" than "blazing furnace". Please note, the 3 star vote is based on my preference for more Latakia taste and not the quality!

Three stars.

EDIT 2/27/2017

I opened a tin of this a few years back and just finished it up. For me this is kind of weird blend in that I hold to my earlier assessment that this is the best tasting thing when I am outdoors hunting, but at all other times it is just an OK blend.

For that, I am taking a star off this so as not to mislead anyone, but if you are a deer hunter, I would still recommend trying this one to see if you have the same phenomena. I have added quite a few tins of this to the cellar and look forward to trying this with some age on it.

ORIGINAL REVIEW 5/28/2013

I find this to be the greatest treat to be had while sitting in my tree climber while deer hunting. I guess you can say that this is a contemplative blend as there is no better place for me to enjoy such a smoke.

I purchased my 100 g shortly before the opener in October and finishing my last bowl during a cool Sunday Night on Memorial Day weekend, I am saddened that it is done.

It is great and definitely warrants a repurchase in bulk before the next hunting season. This is something I always want to have on hand when the leavews start to turn. It was great in any pipe I used.

It is a mistake to try and judge this blend for something it is not. What it is, is a blend wherein the Virginias and Cavendish are dominant and the Latakia serves as a CONDIMENTAL flavoring (ie not the main course). The overall effect is a very fresh sturdy smoke, redolent of the outdoors or strong black tea. No the Latakia will not be the dominant note, but it helps round out the sweetness of the Virginas and add deeper tone to the flavor. If you want a Balkan or straight Latakia look elsewhere. If you want a good, if eccentric smoke, give it a try.

A mild blend that improves as it breaths. Basically a Virginia with a touch of Cavendish and Latakia that both hide in the background. If I didn't know better, I'd think it had some Perique as this has that Perique pepper spice.

I would like more strength and complexity to get this to 4 stars but the spice provides enough interest to be an all day mild smoke. A top note was present during the initial opening of the tin, but that quickly faded after about a week of breathing, a nice easy ribbon cut to work with.

Reminds me most of Sutliff's Court of St. James or a smoother H&H Louisiana Red ( both with Perique)

Rattray's is a brand I really need to explore more, since this, believe it or not, is only the second blend by them I've tried after Professional Mixture, which I liked a bit better than this. I will give it three stars, because the quality seems to be there in this year 2000 tin, but I don't find anything in it to really make it stand out or excite me. I reckon I'll finish the now jarred tin eventually (this is probably my 7th or so pipe of it in four months), but I doubt I'll be reaching for that jar all that often.

Reason? Not really sure I can pin it down. Maybe it's the overload of black cavendish and not enough aged Virginia taste, or perhaps the difficult to detect Latakia: I actually like light Latakia blends quite often, but I also like to know it's there usually, without having to be informed of its presence!

It's a good blend for a lazy morning on a day off, drinking lots of strong, black, yet unremarkably roasted coffee, which nevertheless does the trick as a day-starter, going through my list of tobaccos I haven't reviewed...

When that "to be reviewed" list starts to get long, I generally go for the easier ones first. This tobacco, then, for me, is easy and easygoing, but not knocking my socks off, though as with so many blends, I'm sure there are those who love it.

Me? I just like it, yet have too many tobaccos in my collection that I like quite a bit more. Again, seems a quality blend, and I think the problem is more that it's just not quite my thing stylistically.

This is a blend that is spicy in a way that lingers on my lips, but doesn't bite my tongue. It should be smoked slowly and deliberately. It would be easy to forget you were smoking it if you were wraped up in reading or some other pursuit, and would miss out on the subtleties of this light pleasant blend. There are several different Virginias somewhere behind the Latakia and Cavendish, and they poke their heads out occasionally throughout the bowl to make sure you haven't forgotten about them, but the overall strength of the blend does not waver much, and it doesn't suddenly go through the roof at the end of the bowl, like with many blends. However, it does develop a bit of an 'ashy' taste in the second half of the bowl, even without tamping or lighting to mix ash in with the tobacco. I enjoy this blend with both a cup of pekoe tea, or a single malt scotch, both of which seem to round out the flavors in the blend nicely.

Immediately upon opening the tin, you are hit with the aroma of high quality leaf. You just know it when you smell it! I wasn't disappointed by the smoke, but I wasn't blown away by Jocks Mixture either. The Virginias are woody forward with some grassy notes lingering in the background. No nonsense great tasting Virginias. The quality of the leaf is very apparent.

It was the Latakia left a little to be desired. This was even more apparent to me after lighting up a different blend immediately after that had a more flavourful Latakia component in equal proportion. I would have appreciated a more herbaceous Latakia that could have added a little more complexity to this blend.

I also found that this blend smoked a little too hot even though I wasn't puffing it quickly. I put my pipe down to rest and it kept heating before taking several minutes to cool off. This is definitely a blend for a patient smoker. All in all, I have to give this a 2.5 rounded up to a 3, on the account of the heat. Rattray never seems to skimp on quality so it doesn't deserve lower than that, but this blend left a little to be desired.