Rattray Old Gowrie

Summary: tamed Virginias with a light Perique influence produce a "raisin bread" flavor with medium strength.

For centuries, humans have sought to tame bright Virginias, reducing their acidity and sugar so that they do not burn hot and make the tongue tingle. "Old Gowrie" pounds those Virginias into a vinegary, breadlike flavor with just a hint of the tingly citrus acidity, then add Perique which makes the mixture further mild and adds a bit of spicy fruit flavor. My sample came out of a jar at the Briar Shoppe, so lacked any moisture problems, and took to the match immediately, bringing forth a flavor not unlike Turkish Delight, those little cubes of pureed dates, raisins, and other fruits covered in confectioner's sugar. Over time the whole grain flavor of the Virginias melded with that, and then the natural sweetness of the leaf caramelized to deliver a wine-like finishing note. While this is only medium in nicotine, it leaves behind a reasonably pleasant room note, does not bite, and can be smoked all-day without fatigue or nicotine overdose.

Man, what a smoke this is. This has been a favorite of mine for a while, but 5 years ago, I put aside some tins of Old Gowrie for aging. And while this blend is excellent fresh, it is absolutely sublime with some age on it.

Opening the tin, the smell is just out of this world. Tones of earth, figs, and a slight sour tone. Absolutely delicious tin note, which thankfully translates into the actual smoke as well.

This is a full bodied Va/Per. It can smoke a bit hot due to the sweet Virginia's, but if you take your time with it its fine. It needs to be treated with respect, as this is masterfully blended. Nice thick smoke, just bursting with flavor. Sweet Virginia's, nice tangy Perique, and Kentucky which provides just the right amount of body and strength.

One of my all time favorites. Simply superb.

I associate myself in the most part with what the four star reviewers have said about Old Gowrie. The first few smokes I had in various pipes did not seem to bring out the best in it until recently when I loaded it into an old rustic Bruyere pipe which I've had in my collection for over 30 years.

It was smooth and quite sweetish, which l like. Actually, quite sweet. The tin note IMO reminded me of a brand of Tea, like some kind of Celonese Tea. But that's where the similarity ended. Tea can't be loaded into a pipe (well, who knows) but Old Gowrie (OG) can and it sure lived up to its billing.

Wait a minute though, I did not taste the Perique - which OG is touted to have, for most of the smoke unless it exists in a very very limited dose. For me, this seemed like a straight Virginia.

I prefer the mild-medium strength virginias. (Fits better to my taste, maybe 'cause i use mostly non filtered pipes.) It is a mild-medium, so strenght for me: 4/4

I'm not a big aromatic fan, especially do not like strong toppings on VA blends. This baccy gives the sweet natural VA line with a good balanced perique support. (Pq is absolutely detectable from the beginning till the end of the bowl.) Flavoring and taste: 4/4

I think the room note should be a discrete pure pipe-tobacco smell. Smokable even in a party. 3/4

A nice mild va/per smoke. 4 stars.

This is my favorite tobacoo all times...Quality leaf of virginia...Package is fine but its needs to dry 1-2 hours...

Uniq and great taste...Everything is perfect for me...

No need to say too much if you are virginia fans this tobacco best of the best...

A 4 star tobacco for all times.

I try to dry this blend as much as I can for a fully satisfying smoke. The flavorful and cool smoke is suitible for an every hour and day smoke. I realy enjoy the fine and clean virginia taste with this blend.

Very similar to Hal'o the Wynd, but much more bland. I strongly recommend it for meerschaum users in their meerschaum pipes. Have it for your daily smokes and in your cellar forever!

I let this age in a jar for about two years before really going to town on it. Then I let it dry out for about 24 hours and let it rest in a tin with the lid on for a few days before rubbing it out to thin ribbons. Your mileage may vary. I don't get a ton of Perique flavour from this. A little spice in the latter half of the bowl. This is mostly a fruity Virginia, some breadyness, cereal, a good amount of sweetness, but the Kentucky, for me, puts this over the top. It's in just the right proportion. Not really smoky. Just a slightly herbal spice. Simply delicious.

Prepping- About perfect. Can be packed as is or slightly broken up further The Virginas seem to be brighter, with more hay notes, than Hal O The Wynd but the dark fruity notes are evident as well. The earthieness and spiciness from the DFK is always evident, like in HOW, but definitely toned down. The Perique is in the back seat but does accentuate the fruitiness like salt does the flavor of a meat. Wonderful blend. For someone who is sensitive to nicotine, HOW was a bit too strong for a routine smoke. Old Gowrie however is at a perfect level of strength; not too high but still evident. It indeed lives up to its reputation. 8.8/10

Imagine you have a friend, someone that you have known for some time. But perhaps he lives at some distance, and everyday life is busy so you don’t get a chance to see each other as often. But once you meet you are reminded why you enjoy his company so much. This guy has a strong personality, and wonderful in that way. There is a sense of unfailing sincerity and depth, and you know that you can always have stimulating conversations. But company is best spent if you have time to sit down because you can really chat away about everything. And the more time you spend the more you are also reminded that, underneath this firm an reliable character, there is a really sweet and generous nature. And that is why you enjoy his company, because there is this feeling of reliable quality that seems rooted. This is Old Gowrie for me. A robust tobacco, with sweet notes; a staunch friend that you can depend on over time. On an everyday basis you might need some variation, but everytime you seek up the company of Old Gowrie you are reminded why you like to keep this tobacco in your rotation. No time to stress, nothing to proove, this is just a reliable friendship whose company you enjoy. And if you had more quality time over, you would surely like to go visit Old Gowrie more often.

Taste: kentucky provides a stout body, and burleys give a very smooth profile and this quality improves with age, the perique provides some spice on the tounge but not too sharp, it has some floral top notes too, I can actually detect tonquin (or very similar), but a bit subdued.