Rattray Jocks Mixture

Because I respect our reviewers and do appreciate Jock's Mixture for it's ability to please some of my pipe smoking friends, let me just say gently that it did mightily please my palate!

The Latakia/Cavendish flavor was tangy and delicious. The quality of the Virginia leaf was evident and provided a nice touch.

I do not often drink beer. So, when I do, I sure don't mess around with "light" brews. I go for the gusto.

I do not often smoke Latakia laced pipe tobacco. So, when I do, I sure don't mess around with "light" versions of that leaf. I go for the gusto.

Jock's Mixture is like drinking stout beer. It tastes great and makes me pee.

A fellow pipe club member brought this gem in today. This has a really nice fermented raisin smell, lots of black tobacco with some brown mixed in. My first few puffs released a really pleasant deep, dark, rich flavor. This smoke has a nice spiciness taste to it. A really rich tasting blend. One I would buy. Some have referenced this as a Scottish mixture.

I agree with the previous reviewer that this tobacco is, essentially, 'Old Gowrie Plus.' But, for me, this makes it as close to the quintessential all day tobacco as I've ever encountered. As much of a cliche as it is, if I could only smoke one tobacco for the rest of my life, this would probably be it.

Old Gowrie is, by far, my favorite Virginia flake, delicious, albeit monochromatic. Jock's adds the perfect amount of condimental spice. It is sweet (much more so than Highland Targe) and full-flavored without being cloying or overwhelming. For me the latakia line between 'just enough' and 'yuck' is a fine one and Jock walks it perfectly. I love Turkish and appreciate it in English/Scottish/Balkan blends but, strangely, I don't miss it at all in Jock's.

Fortunately, I don't have to smoke only one tobacco for the rest of my life so I can enjoy Old Gowrie when I'm in the mood for a straight VA, Squadron Leader when I feel like something a little more spicy, one of Cornell & Diehl's excellent blends when I'm in a burley mood and, very occasionally, when I get a wild hair, Celtic Talisman. But Jock's is the blend that's in my 'cellar' (bottom desk drawer) and the one I'll come back to day in and day out. I give it four stars only because five aren't available.

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. . . )

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.

This is a great morning smoke. It's not heavy, is complex enough to be interesting and is, IMHO, what a "Latakia with Cavendish" should taste like. Rich and nutty to start, the flavor stays relatively consistent all the way to the bottom and it DGTs better than most Latakia blends do for me. I like to smoke this with a cup of strong British tea (brewed so strong a mouse could trot across the top and keep his toes dry!) as I read my morning's collection of posts in alt.smokers.pipes. It's got a nice mild spicy flavor that reminds me of holiday baking, fireplaces and the smoke from my dad's White Owl cigars emanating from the basement.