Rattray Old Gowrie

Old Gowrie is my backup plan for when the tinfoil hat doomsday preppers and gluttonous hoarders discover Best Brown Flake and make it impossible for me to smoke that for a couple of years.

It's got that excellent fruity, steamed and heat pressed Virginia smell in the tin. They've cooked the VA quite well ... it is super rich, medium flavored with no harsh taste and no bite. The Perique and dark leaf are added to enhance the VA, not to stand alone, so folks looking for a Va/Per blend should keep looking.

It's got an appropriate amount of strength, I don't have any problem smoking a bowl with breakfast but it is just fine as the afternoon wears on too. It's just a perfect, all-day Virginia smoke with the refined taste and feel of the English style. Not bad at all for Plan B.

I give her 4, I love K+K blends (Peterson's, McConnells and Rattray's). It's all been said before. For me it's very similar to Scottish Cake but without the Perique and a little more subtle. I love Marlin Flake and I will make a point of trying HOTW asap...OG is a great baccy for a beginner to access what a good non-aromatic is really like.

Old Gowrie seems to fit the bill for lovers of that bread-like Medium Red Virginia taste. Sometimes this variety of Virginia is ghost-like or difficult to taste but not with Old Gowrie. You get that filling bread taste for the whole bowl. The Dark Fired Kentucky acts as a slightly spicey condiment that helps bring out that bread taste rather than giving a traditional dark fired taste. The Perique does the same and if you are feeling like it, you can get the peppery taste by letting some go up your nose. I can see why this tobacco is usually out of stock. To me it is a quintessential red virginia blend and should be in everyone's cellar. The nicotine is not potent but it satisfies and it can bite but only when you are on your third or fourth pipe, which can happen without a person even realizing it.

Without hesitation, this is a 4 star blend all the way...a personal favorite, alongside HOTW, that will always be a member of the cellar and rotation. Not a fan on first smoke? Try giving it at minimum about 6 months to a year of rest. I didnt find much remarkable about either blend right out of fresh tins, but just as with HOTW, OG really blossoms with just a smidgen of age. Literally, the change in volume and flavor is night and day - you must try it to believe it. I don't know how Rattray pulls it off, but it's pretty phenomenal.

Rattray's big 3 are all deservedly well-reviewed and expertly blended. The components of OG are in perfect proportional balance and play very well off one another. You get primarily the deep, brooding sweetness and tang of VAs with plum and pepper bass notes off the perique. It's pleasantly rounded off with mild smokiness and dark tea notes coming from the delicious Kentucky. The smoke begins heavier on the VA and perique and transitions to a more kentucky-forward flavor profile as the bowl progresses. Rattray's may well have created the vapers(or vaburpers) of my dreams.

OG is long and cool smoking, and never bites if puffed within reason. Volumes of creamy, flavorful smoke. It's naturally quite moist in the tin and will need about a half hour of dry time for maximum enjoyment. Can't recommend Rattray's enough, especially to fans of Kentucky leaf. I foresee many more purchases in my future endeavors.

Medium to dark brown and pipe ready. Moisture is bang on. Easy to light and burns easily.

Spicy vg sweet with a thick white smoke. Easily an all day any weather baccy. Raisins and mild fruity with a hint of woody and earthy. A good balanced tobacco pleasing in all aspects without going over the top.

Nic level is a low medium. Slight wetting on the last part of a bowl but not troublesome.

For me this is what a vg is all about not to bright and hot. Dont go mad because it can steam your tongue. To sum up a refreshing and uplifting smoke robust but not heavy.

Four stars and get two tins it wont sit around.

I am loving the broken flake appearance of this tobacco and the tin note (sort of vinegary and sweet at the same time if that makes any sense), but it is failing to impress. You cannot smoke this tobacco straight out of the tin (it is rather moist) and it sort of sticks to your fingers. Because of this, I thought it was probably cased or topped with something, but I cannot detect any other flavours apart from the Virginia and the Kentucky. It has some flowery scent or sweetness to it. I don't think this is due to any added cavendish but because of the Virginia itself. After rubbing, it seems to pack quite nicely in your bowl and does not seem to smoke hot at any rate. Also, I can detect some tongue bite if you puff hard. The experience you might have with this tobacco might differ to mine though if you don't let it dry properly, so be advised. In the nicotine department I'd say it is rather mild whereas the room note is not very pronounced or noticeable. There is something which is setting this VaPer apart from other VaPers, but I am finding it quite hard to put my finger on it. I guess the Kentuky content in it gives it a somewhat cigaretteish quality to it, but this is not bothering me anyway. The Virginia in this blend has a mild piquant characteristic, but not in a bad way. Now and again, I get a hint of some Gawith Hoggarth's ropes or pigtails, but this is not very pronounced. I think it is worth to mention I only had to relight a few times despite smoking it at a very low pace. I'd not engage in any other activity while smoking this blend as it really requires your full attention to get the most out of it. The problem with this tobacco is that it is not an easy smoke, so I'd not recommend it to anyone who is still learning the ropes, but if you like VaPers, this is a must you need to try. This tobacco evolves very little in complexity and strength as you go past every quarter of your bowl, but this is not necessarily a bad thing. By not giving it 4 stars I am not trying to imply this is not a good smoke, but just that it is not ringing all the bells.

Edit1: it is incredible how good this tobacco can get after one or two weeks in your jar. As a matter of fact, I've learnt this is true with most tobaccos. The problem with this blend is that it is dominated by the Virginia, which I find gorgeous in my personal opinion. It is somewhat reminiscent of Dunhill's De Luxe Navy Rolls and the tobacco is so complex and delicate I can't even put it into words. I am changing this to 4 stars: I am impressed.

one of my favorite tobaccos. A stunning Virginia, complex, relatively strong with a hint of perique. Wonderful smell, divine taste...citrusy, earthy. Absolute must try for fans of Virginias. I have tried Marlin Flake and I enjoy Marlin Flake as well but this is just a bitt better for me.

I recently tried three of the Virginia blends (Marlin Flake, Hal O' The Wynd and Old Gowrie) from Rattray as they tend to get lumped together and I wanted to know what seperated them.

OG was right in the middle for me in terms of strength and preference.

Virginia, Kentucky, Perique all feel as though they're present and in that order, I'd say. Flavour/aroma was of dusty books and buttered toast.

Not as strong or malty-sweet as Hal not as tangy or steamy-soft as MF.

A good tobacco which will probably bring me back at some point but I'd choose HOTW over it. For whatever that's worth.

Nice all day smoke, Virginia is the leader, Kentucky and Perique in a support role. No chance of bite, smoke is cool and dry. Taste - honey, hay, dry fruits, figs with touch of spiciness. Simply good, natural tobacco. Recommended.