Tobaccos Rattray - Professional Mixture (British Collection)

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pipestud (1829)	2016-03-07		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Very Pleasant

As special as they come, IMO, and a favorite of mine in the Rattray's line when it was made by McConnell's. I've not tried the K&K version. The Latakia is smoky, dark and rich, the Orientals play off in the background and properly enhance the Virginia leaf within. And then some delicious and backbone offering Black Cavendish to boost the overall presentation.

Pipestud

15 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2012-03-28		Mild	None Detected	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

Based on a couple of ounces from a 100 gram tin, sampled over a 6 month period. As I was smoking, I recalled my days as a tobacconist many years ago and how I sold about 4 tins of it in 10 years. No one smoked this stuff back then, and it appears to be a bit of a forgotten blend in the Rattrays stable... deservedly so, I think.

The previous reviewer nailed this one for me. It doesn't assert itself in any way. The virginias are so-so and don't show off much sweetness or tang, the latakia is too sparse to do much and the orientals seemed... unkempt somehow. Dirty. Not sour-sweet or spicy. Just sort of a dirty taste. I thought the strength of the blend was fine but I put this one in the same category as 7 Reserve - it just doesn't bring much to the table. I grew up on Rattrays and they distinguished themselves in certain ways. This one does not. Recommended for all day smokers that just like to have a pipe in their mouth and don't worry too much about flavor or complexity. Reminded me of Dunhill Standard Mild. What's the point?

9 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	fr_tom (393)	2014-10-19		Mild	None Detected	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

It has been a little while since I smoked Sutliff's Sunrse Smoke, but Professional Mixture remnded me of that. The orientals and latakia are there in the flavor profile. You notice them, but they are fairly subdued. It is a little more oriental forward, but they are both a light touch. The smoking experience is pleasant but a little "thin." There are a few Virginia notes there.

I can believe that some people might be looking for exactly this blend. It is a mild unflavored black cavendish with Balkan tendencies. It did not punch any of my buttons, but it is a quality smoke. It is more of a 2.5 for me.

8 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Kilmarnock Piper (250)	2010-01-06		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

I put off opening this tin for some time. I have wanted to put down as many reviews here as possible, and as a result ended up with too many open tins. Last weekend, I bought 24 jelly size Mason jars and "cellared" all of the tobaccos I hadn't finished. They make quite a decorative collection on the table, I can tell you. After this undertaking, I felt better about opening a new tin, and made sure to smoke three bowls before reviewing. I wanted to get my first impressions down, but will consider this review a work in progress, since I really need some time to get used to this tobacco.

First of all, I can see how anyone who bought this thinking it was going to be an English or even a light English blend might be disappointed. It is predominantly a Virginia, with Oriental, and a mere touch of Latakia. One must concentrate on the Latakia to even know it is there. I must say that after three bowls I can't see myself putting it in the category of my favorite Virginias, but it has a "certain...special...something" which makes me want to learn to appreciate it more.

I loved the smell in the tin; it has that plum and raisin Virginia sweetness, but it is definitely not an aged or stoved product. The first bowl gave me a MacBarenesque tongue bite on the first few puffs, even though I was only sipping. This went away, however, as I progressed. What developed was a pleasant though not at all complex smoke in which the undertones were much more important than the overtones, if you know what I mean.

For my second bowl, I used a smaller bowled pipe than that I had used for the first. I also added just a pinch of blending perique to try to control the bite. As before, I got bit on the first few puffs, but this completely disappeared soon after. Now, this is the kind of tongue bite I can handle! This second bowl, nevertheless, seemed to smoke too hot and was cashed in only twenty minutes. At the end of the bowl, there was some bitterness perhaps from the Oriental which took away from the customary end-of-the-smoke Virginia sweetness.

Not to be discouraged, I loaded up an even smaller bowled pipe, but one which I know to be long-smoking, with a tightly packed wad, this time not spiked with perique. I am starting to get the hang of this tobacco-it likes to be packed tightly, or at least that is my first impression. I got more depth of flavor this time, but still no real depth, only an enigmatic something which I have seldom tasted in my pipe smoking career, which I would like to further explore.

No rich overlappings of flavor here, nothing beyond the subtle dried-fruity notes of any quality Virginia. But smoked at a medium cadence, with care not to let the tobacco burn too fast (it has that tendency), it was very pleasant. I am not usually a nose-smoke-blower, but this blend seems to be good for that exercise. I will use this blend as my main tobacco for the week and record any additional revelations that occur to me. Then I will probably leave the tin alone for a couple months or more to see how it ages opened. I do not see myself giving it four stars unless it improves dramatically, but there is something in the taste and overall ambience of this blend that may develop for me over time.

1-11-10 A few days opened have already tamed the bite I was getting on the first few puffs. Really a nice mild Virginia. Figgy and sweet! The dark specks in the tin cannot all be Latakia; in fact I am wondering if there is more than 1-2% in here at this point! Maybe it's a darker Virginia. Doesn't bother me-this style of Virginia pleases me more without Latakia. I will update again when the opened tin has aged some more.

4-27-10 Three more months in the jar has really mellowed the blend. Had a big bowl this morning in a Marxman Jumbo. Only a few bowls left, and I have really enjoyed this tobacco.

6-7-10 Yes, I have enjoyed it, and am now finishing the tin. It will keep its three stars, but is not the sort of blend I would buy again unless I were to get a deal on it. Too finicky. (maybe it's just me!)

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	SopwithCamel (255)	2007-11-18		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

It is abundantly clear that most of the reviews for this blend were done by people who had no idea what this blend is about.

It is meant to be a mild Virginia blend, with the "suggestion" of orientals. It is indeed just that. It is cut in short ribbons, and packs very easily. It is fairly dry, so it burns well. The flavor profile is subtly toasty, tangy, with an almost imperceptible dose of Turkish and Latakia.

I suspect this blend was made for people who spent time around others while working in their profession, leaving the stronger scented mixtures for private enjoyment. (This of course back in the days when professionals were allowed to smoke their pipes while working...)

It makes for a fine first smoke in the morning, or perhaps a good choice for the aromatic smoker looking to try more natural style blends. The tobacco is top quality. It smoked quite cool and dry for me. I find it to be delicate and discreet, a good choice for hot weather, or when I don't want to end up smelling like I've been toiling over a barbecue pit!

If you seek a mild English blend, with a light, natural aroma, this will serve you well. If you want a rich, full, contemplative smoke, you will most certainly be disappointed.

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	A. Morley (97)	2006-11-26		Mild	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

Yep, there just aren't many blends like this one left anymore. I, for one, bemoan that fact. Rattray's Professional Mixture attempts and succeeds at making an English blend that is simple, cool, comforting, and can be smoked throughout the day. In fact, for we old hard-heads who actually keep our pipes in our mouths as opposed to waving them around in our hands like some sort of professorial prosthesis, a pipe of Professional Mixture can simply be left to sit in the corner of your mouth as you go about your day. Take an occasional bracing puff and you can expect to be satisfied with a medium-full combination of good Virginia, a modest and respectable amount of Latakia(I know that's hard for some of you to grasp), and all topped off with a combination of some of the best tasting Orientals I have yet encountered. The mixture never bites, burns well, and after a time of simple bliss in smoking, one is left with fine, white ash into which no effort had to go. Somehow, I think this is more what an English blend was meant to be. Only later did bounders and juveniles decree that an English blend is a dump for Latakia, serving only to taint and turn the smoker as well as everyone around.

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Noorrmm (192)	2002-01-29		Medium	None Detected	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

Appearance: A mostly light and medium mixture, with a small amount of dark leaf present. The cut is mixed ribbon and random pieces.

Aroma: Lots of Virginia base, with a moderate amount of Turkish and just a little Latakia The aroma seems to be primarily that of Virgnias, with a smaller amount of condiments.

Packing: Packs easily in most pipes, group 3 and up.

Lighting: Lights easily, this seems to be true of most Rattray Oriental blends today.

Initial flavor: The Va comes across first, but not too assertively. The Turkish adds just a bit of flavor soon after, and the Latakia stays far in the background..

Mid-bowl: A classic Mild English/Oriental blend. I would classify it as considerably milder than medium 3 or 3.5 on a scale of 10,), but a gentle beguiling flavor. No gurgles noted. The Va continues to be the key player, the Turkish and Latakia are smaller parts.

Finish: Well behaved right to the end, leaves a gray ash and nothing else.

Summary: Somewhat lighter than 7 Reserve, also slightly lighter than Dunhill Std. Mild. A very good first pipe, or an all-day smoke in warm and/or humid weather

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	StevieB (2076)	2017-06-17		Medium	Mild	Medium	Tolerable to Strong

Rattray - Professional Mixture.

One of my first reviews that I thought sounded rubbish, so I ordered a new tin so I could re-post. In all fairness the first one was only based on a sample.

The majority of Professional Mixture is made of a uniform ribbon, but there's a few broken flake pieces too. A fresh tin has a level of hydration which is perfect.

I can't taste any Latakia in the smoke, nor do I notice the black Cavendish. What I do get is a slightly perfume/floral tasting mixture of Virginia and Oriental tobaccos. It seems to me as though there's been a bit of flavouring added, which enhances the perfume note, and leaves behind a ghost. Some of the better features are the burn, and tongue bite: even, and none. But they don't rescue it from a lonely star!

The room-note: less than tolerable. The nicotine: medium.

I binned it before it was finished. Not recommended:

One star.

Pipe Used: Many

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: My Smoking Shop

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	pencils (57)	2017-03-21		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

This was something of a surprise to me. Normally a latakiaphile, and never having enjoyed either Marlin or Hal o' the Wynd, I wondered how I would get on with a blend that is purported to be Virginia-heavy. For me, the proportions of virginias against cavendish and orientals (including latakia) combine to make a sweet and sufficiently complex mixture that is really satisfying. Similar to Accountant's Mixture, this could easily be an all day smoke.

I am starting to think that Rattray can do nothing wrong as long as they remember to add latakia. Slow and easy, tasty and something of a revelation. Highly recommended to those who want a gentle oriental blend with sweet virginias.

Age When Smoked: New tin

Purchased From: Turmeaus, Chester

Similar Blends: Rattray's Accountant's Mixture.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Nonpareil (20)	2019-07-29		Mild	None Detected	Very Mild	Pleasant

This blend is if anything, even milder than 7 Reserve. If you are looking for a big, flavorful outdoor sort of smoke this will probably not impress. However I like to puff slowly in the evening while reading or watching TV and I find this to be an extremely smooth, cool and yet satisfying blend. Easy to pack in different size bowls and stays lit while generating good smoke volume.

Pipe Used: Various

Age When Smoked: 11 years

Purchased From: Pipestud

Similar Blends: 7 Reserve, Stokkebye English Oriental Supreme..

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Martini (17)	2019-02-13		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

Very well balanced mixture. Not strong but tasty. Latakia is barely present so it adds a bit o Spice but It doesn't hurt. Very natural too. No added flavoring. All the day mixture

Pipe Used: Caminetto Ser Jacopo

Age When Smoked: 59

Purchased From: Swiss

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	SteelCowboy (685)	2011-08-16		Mild	Extremely Mild	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

Professional Mixture misses on a lot of levels for me. Professional Mixture seems to try to please too many tastes without mastering any of them. I agree with Claudius Stradivarius that PM is very similar to Accountant's also by Rattray. Professional Mixture is really a Virginia blend with a hint of Latakia. As an English blend it lacks Latakia. As a Virginia blend, the combination of Virginia's doesn't stand up to other Virginia blends on the market. As a Virginia/Oriental blend it lacks enough Oriental to win my heart. In the end it's just plain boring. It reminds me of Number 7 Reserve, another blend by Rattray that is also simply bland. I did have the chance to smoke a tin of the original Rattray Professional Mixture from Scotland recently. It was somewhat better and nice to see what the original blender had in mind when making this blend, keeping in mind that the age of the tin had changed the blend a bit. But in that case, while better, it didn't warrant the additional cost. I gave Professional Mixture two stars because it may be a nice entry level Virginia blend or an introductory very light English blend.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Tantric (321)	2009-04-14		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

I've smoked on and off this mixture (probably somewhere in the vicinity of 5 or 6 100 gms. tins), but I haven't had it in a long time. I believe this is a very reliable smoke: nothing spectacular, but very comfortable, light, with an intriguing interpay of sweet-sour and bitter.

The presence of Rattray's excellent Vriginias is there, which accounts for that "raisins, dates & port" aroma that Muddler reports. The Latakia (could it be Syrian?) is very subdued and "silent", but does provide that toasty-bitter backround, and the Orientals provides de tasty sourness.

However, I do find this mixture to be on the light side. For my palate is difficult to grasp the full flavor, so I tend to over puff, which inevitably leads to a hot pipe and a bitten tongue. Smoke this one with care, and it will probably reward you with an elegant, though somewhat muted, smoke.

I wouldn't go out of my way to get hold of this mixture. But it's good to know it's still out there. A nice, quiet smoke from Rattrays, always good for those seeking a natural tobacco experience.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	tillmanj (73)	2001-03-30		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Very Mild	Tolerable

A fruity tin aroma, and the appearance (mostly light strands) leds me to believe this may be a bit sweeter and brighter than Rattrays other offerings. Packs and lights easily, and burns evenly throughout the bowl. However, this blend is LIGHT. So light in fact, that I find myself puffing too hard, hoping for a fuller taste. I suppose this could be a decent all-day smoke for an ex-cigarette smoker, as the nicotine content is noticeable. I personally like to mix this into other tobaccos with more flavor, to add some nicotine punch to them. It is a shame that this blend is so close to being flat, because I sense some of the ingredients and qualities that make blends like Celebrated Sovereign and Arcadia stellar, but the mix here is anemic, and it just doesn't stack up. There is nothing wrong with this blend, and as I said earlier, I smoke a good bit of it, albeit mixed into other blends. The problem is that it doesn't have any particular qualities that stand out. It could easily be a staple tobacco for those folks that just want to smoke all day, and can't be bothered to appreciate the 'blend du jour.'

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	HabaneroHardy (395)	2021-04-12		Mild	Extremely Mild	Mild	Unnoticeable

A friend of mine gave me a generous sample of this along with the tin as he jars his tobacco. From the yellowed appearance of the plastic lid this looks like it has some age on it. I cannot remember where or when he bought it. I have had this for several weeks and just now got around to trying it the other day. The tin note has a nice “clean” smell to it along with and this is a poor choice of words “minty fragrance”. Obviously, there is no mint topping but this does not have the typical Latakia smoky smell to it. Maybe it is from the Orientals or Black Cavendish. One other reviewer described it as a perfume note. This was definitely lacking in the Latakia department. Other adjectives from reviewers are boring, subdued, mild, spicy, bitter, …… This one is okay but another one that I believe is really not sure what it wants to be when it grows up.

Update: 7/3/21, I rarely if ever change my ratings because that would open up a Pandora’s Box as time and tastes evolve. I had some of this still left in the tin and wanted to finish it off. This morning, I smoked a bowl and thought, okay, mild but not too bad and decided to read some reviews. When I saw mine, I thought it must be a typo as I do not recall rating this a one star. I stand by most of my review from smoking out of the newly opened tin but have decided to bump it up one star and with a few months of open air so to speak it is not bad. As for the rest of my ratings they can stay as is. It is all subjective anyway.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	pipe_organist (14)	2009-07-14		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

This has been a constant companion for me through the years; my "go to" pipeweed when nothing else sounds good.

As others have stated, it's a perfect ribbon cut, packs well, burns clean and dry with a nice grey ash (and some darker bits which I assume are some of the orientals). It has a nice gentle note of sweet, spice and a hint of licorice on the palate. Toward the end of the bowl the flavors seem to stay fairly constant, with little bite. I am a rather fast puffer, but this blend stays cool to the end for me, leaving only a few unburnt shreds at the bottom. (I tend to not be a dottle-smoker).

I am smoking this particular bowlful in a Family era Sasieni Four-dot "Ruff-Root" King Size (apple shape), likely to be post-WW II.

I purchased this tin several years ago, opened it and smoked about two bowlfuls, then put the tin in a storage bin when I went into one of my non-smoking dormant periods. It was left to dry out in the tin with the lid on it and languish for about 3 years. I was recently bit by the pipe bug again, and pulled this tin along with several others out of the storage bin and gingerly spread the dry ribbons on a sheet of waxed paper, misted it with distilled water and sealed it in an air-tight container. The result is the resurrection of an old friend.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Latakia (70)	2008-01-09		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

A great blend of Latikia, Orientals and Virginia tobacco. When I want a mild taste of Latikia but do not want to go all the way down that smoky path, this blend is perfect. Packs well and leaves a beautiful grey, light ash. No tongue bite and a smooth smoke. Room note is wonderful...not totally Virignian, not totally Latakia. Like to break in my pipes that will be used with a combination of different tobaccos with Professional Mixture. Haven't had any of the other Rattray's but because of the skillful blending of this mixture, can tell they know what they are doing. Not sure how it will age but soon to find out by buying a tim and stashing it away for awhile. Very relaxing and description above is very appropriate. Very non-pipe smoker friendly and think it will be appreciated by others around my pipe. Will be a regular in my stock.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2004-04-24		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Very Mild	Pleasant

I have just finished a 4 oz. tin of this blend and recommend it highly for those looking for a mixture to smoke all day. I have smoked Rattray's Professional Mixture in a variety of my Stanwell pipes, all bents, and have not enjoyed a mixture in a long, long time as much as I have this offering. I have found that the tobacco packs very well in which ever pipe I have choosen. The mixture lights with ease and burns very well leaving a whitish-gray ash. This tobacco seems to smoke clean to the bottom of the bowl with a minimum of re-lights. I have been complimented on the room note of Professional Mixture. Other non smokers have found it to be very pleasant and not the least bit offensive. It has been my experience that there is no "after-taste" with this blend. While smoking, there is a hint of Orientals but they certainly are not overpowering. Rattray's Professional Mixture will be re-ordered and will become one of my regular mixtures that I keep on hand.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Clive Moses Apikouris (41)	2012-12-25		Mild to Medium	Medium	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

From the the ingredients listed it would appear to be something that I would like. The tin aroma would also indicate that. Opening it up one is greeted with a melange of brown ribbon cut pieces of various shades possessing a kind of sweet raisin like or plummy fragrance similar to that of the Altadis Revelation match and E. Hoffman's Distinguished Gentleman. I was truly hoping for a pleasant piping experience. I had tried this mixture some four years ago disliked it and put it away. As I am presently enjoying "English style" mixtures that feature some Cavendish I was expecting to now enjoy P.M. The fact that it is a product of an authentic British Tobacco firm led me to truly want to like the stuff. It had retained it's moisture and scent and I loaded it into a Vauen filter pipe as I still harbored some suspicions from my hazy but not very positive memories of previous attempts to enjoy P.M. The first few puffs were very pleasant, fragrant and slightly sweet but very quickly the smoke developed a very nasty chemical gaseous quality and the stem began to seep an acrid juice that fouled my mouth. My tongue was stung by the seemingly toxic vapors and I put the experiment to rest. Undaunted (I had purchased the 100gm tin) I tried again a few days later in a filtered Dr. Grabow Freehand and experienced the same results. Fortunately I spared one of my quality English pipes from this nasty stuff.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2010-12-26		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This one is alright but there is too much Black CA and not enough Latakia. It is very close to Accountant's...

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2006-12-26		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

It is my pleasure to join the reviewers of this fine tobacco that found the subtle complexity, delightful taste and fine aroma to be very enjoyable. I am one of those that truly enjoy a fine blend with Orientals, including Latakia. The blend of moderate strength delivers much more than the maker?s modest promise.

The cut easily packs in any sized pipe and burns to a mottled fluffy ash. In fact, smoking this tobacco just above a smolder is the way I get maximum satisfaction. It burns cool, smokes dry and leaves a very pleasant room note. While it?s not mentioned in the blending notes, I believe it to have a modest amount of unsweetened black Cavendish that rounds out the aroma and smoothes out the Orientals.

I believe this to be a milder blending of Accountants mixture which I equally enjoy, but usually after a meal, where this blend is fine anytime. My other Rattray?s selection is Jock?s Blend. If there is an additional topping in Professional Mixture, it eludes me. I have smoked tins of different age, and I have never been disappointed in any of my trilogy of Rattray?s, regardless of the country of origin of the blender. This blend is composed of fine tobaccos, blended superbly and the tins are great storage as well, with a plastic cover that makes a good seal. I'm in complete agreement with the other reviewer's comments about the perfect balance in this blend. Highly recommended.

Cheers, VC

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2008-09-03		Mild to Medium	Strong	Full	Tolerable

First impressions in the tin are of raisins, dates & port wine. The weed itself comprises golden ribbon (Va), a little brown leaf & a good sprinkling of black leaf (Orientals). It?s described as a mixture that stimulates & soothes (oh brother). The pipe?s a Mastro de Paja bulldog. First few draws to get it going & the fruit comes through together with the Turkish. It?s pleasant, but the flavours don?t meld into one. There?s a spiciness in this that belies the ingredients. A third of the way down the bowl & it?s gone flat ? little spice, but the flavour has just flattened out completely. Ho hum. There?s a mustiness instead. Halfway through & the spiciness has transformed into a mild sting ? not unpleasant though - & the smoke is turning a little bitter. Further down, & its even more bitter ? it?s the Turkish, I?m sure, because in the background I can taste the Va?s which are mellowing out quite nicely, like whipped cream. Now three-quarters of the way into this smoke & the bitterness has almost subsided. It?s not a pipe thing, I?ve experienced this on every smoke ? not just this review. The sting has backed down into spiciness again & a richness has unfolded. Not bad. But not a complex smoking experience. Last quarter & it does improve, but it was never a remarkable experience.

I won?t be buying another tin of Professional Mixture. I found it disappointing, not in the league of what I?ve come to expect from Rattrays.

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2008-07-21		Mild	None Detected	Mild	Pleasant

"When the going gets weird, the Weird turn Professional."

A mild Virginia ribbon lightly seasoned with Orientals...a suggestion of Eastern tobaccos...to paraphrase old man Rattray in his booklet. The delivery is spot on to his description, in my humble opinion. Dry it out, clean pipe, don't over load and sip slowly. Mild Virginias (also IMHO) tend to be brighter than deeper, sweeter types in the red range. They also get along with Orientals' dry toasty character. This is the pipe equivalent of High Dry Toast nasal snuff. Therefore a slower cadence in puffing will deliver maximum enjoyment with minimal oral pyrotechnics.

Cheers, ya'll.

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2008-03-04		Mild	Very Mild	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

I have been told that Rattray's blends are some classic mixtures, but after my sixth bowl, I'm not impressed. I was looking to find a well balanced latakia blend, and this is not it. All I could taste was virginas, and that was brief after my tongue began to sizzle. I'm sorry but this tin will be my last, it smokes wet, gurggles, and man does it bite. I think my mouth deserves some ice cream. By the way WHERE IN THIS BLEND IS THE LATAKIA? There are a few errant black strips in this, that hardly constitutes a blend. Nasty stuff in my opinion, almost up there with Carter Hall, my opinion is my own however. To all others who enjoy, I'm glad you do. Sorry, but only one star worthy in my opinion, take it for what its worth.

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2007-08-24		Medium	Very Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Not as refined as the other Rattray's,like Accountant's, and not as strong as the powerful Black Mallory, despite the fact that it is quite as dark as the other ones.

A tendency to the harsh side, as if the components don't mix as good together...

Under all reserve, though, because I smoked the bulk version. of course, as soon as I buy the tin version, I will update.

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2006-05-12		Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Very Pleasant

I picked up a couple of cans of Professional Mixture recently at the Chicago Pipe Show. IMO this is an excellent viginia & oriential mixture, with a touch of latakia & turkish. The sweetness of the viginias comes through nicely with the spicy flavor of the orientals. The roomnote is very pleasant and I get compliments on how good it smells. It smokes cool & dry, and makes an excellent all day smoke.

This is a quality mixture that's not overwhenlming and is an excellent mixture for starting to enjoy English tobaccos. Don't be put off by some of the negative reviews of this tobacco. It seems that if a tobacco donsen't have 90% latakia in it, some of the reviewers knock it. Try it and see for yourself.

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2005-08-13		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild	Tolerable

New to Rattray and only tried because the local tobaccoist said it was a good choice. Well, I tried it and was not pleased. When I first lit my pipe I said this was not a wise decision to buy. It nearly burnt the nose hair right out of my head. Sorry try again.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Beer (345)	2004-08-31		Very Mild	Extremely Mild	Very Mild	Tolerable

After having tried all the range of the Rattray's latakia mixtures, I certainly wasn't holding my breath: I like Red Rapparee and Black Mallory, but I loathe all their other offerings. It seems to me that Accountant Mixture, Highland Targe, Jocks Mixture, 3 Noggins and 7 Reserve (the "best" of these five) are all slight variations on the theme of dullness: one is a bit tastier, one has some more orientals, one has the added sweetness and tonguebite of black cavendish... but they all are examples of very uninspiring tobaccos. They have little taste, they leave a grey sensation in the mouth, they are BORING. Perhaps when Mr. Rattray used to make them himself, they were subtle and delicious tobaccos, but today they are made in Germany by Kohlhase & Kopp and they often plain suck. As you can guess, my hopes for Professional were not high: a lighter version of the bland Accountant MIxture? Wow, that surely must be a feat! Indeed it is milder, with more bright virginias and less red ones, and less orientals and latakia. And, in spite of my low expectations, it still managed to disappoint me! The cut is finer than averagem and it burns quite well (probably because it's drier than many Rattrays too). The flavor is bland to the point of boredom (in spite of an intriguingly fruity tin aroma, which reminds of pears), absolutely monochromatic and reminding of burning paper. Cigarettish, if I may say so. Definitely a letdown of a blend: try GLPease Piccadilly instead if you want a light English which is MUCH better than this!

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2004-04-29		Medium	None Detected	Very Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

This blend just did not catch my attention. The leaf and quality of this blend is very high as are all of the other Rattrays blends. It burns fairly cool and even and has a fair room note. The flavor is very light and in my opinion uninteresting. I have to many blends that I realy appreciate to keep this in any kind of rotation. I may come back to this one in a couple of years just to see if my opinion changes.

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