REVIEW | Rattray’s Old Gowrie - a Pipe Blend Fit for Hobbits?
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- Опубликовано: 3 май 2024
- When I think of pipe blends that might taste like a pipe-weed varietal out of Middle-earth in my imagination, the list of currently produced pipe blends is very short. Does this blend make that list for me, and why?
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Thanks!
Thank you so much for continuing to support my efforts, Wes, it is greatly appreciated! 🙏-Kevin
Your channel is like home to me and other pipe smokers, thanks for all you
do!
Wow, thank you! You’re very welcome and I’m so glad you enjoy being here :)
As a child back in 1956 my father was posted to 2 wing in France with the Canadian Air Force . My mother was from Dundee Scotland and for 4 summers would spend the summers with my grandmother , uncles and aunts . My uncle was a pipe smoker and every week would make the trip to Rattrays where he would stock up for the week . Perth is a beautiful City with lots of great memoires .
I’m so glad I could take you back there mentally today! Very cool :)
I live in the Highlands of Scotland, about 2 hrs from Perth, actually driving through it tomorrow, to visit my son😊
@@seanhaigh6192 At 75 I long to go back and visit the relatives that Are still there in Dundee , my mothers birth place . . Hopefully soon .
The grill... there's something to be said, that often goes unsaid, about enjoying the finer things in life; or stopping to smell the flowers. This is a thing I think most pipe smokers feel an inkling of, if not understand very well. The segue to the grill exemplified this perfectly without a single word being said, recalling fond memories of the simple joys of simple times.
Celebrate a simple life! :)
Honeysuckle off the vine is one of the greatest pleasures of being a Southerner!
And fireflies, sweet tea, and sitting in a rocking chair on the porch.
I could go on forever!
Good stuff as always brother 👊🏻
Absolutely, 100%! It’s a great life. :)
Appreciating the sound of a veritable horde of frogs and toads backing a chorus of crickets is a uniquely southern thing I've noticed. It drives people who aren't used to it insane, but it's music to us. And it drowns out your friends when they get drunk, thank god.
@@Killall12
Haha yessir!
It’s that time of year down here in NW FL.
The night critters are in full chorus!
What a great time! When you were describing the honeysuckle and brought me right back to my childhood, I have never heard of anybody else doing that with the flower. This was a great one. I really like that pipe. I hope you do one of yourpipe videos on that one. You have a blessed weekend, my friend. This is John Newton by the way from Snap-on John 100. I had to create this new channel.
I am glad I am not the only one who enjoys a good natural blend that isn't over the top aromatic toppings or lat/oriental bomb English blends. I like good mild aromatics, but I don't want to smoke a Jolly Rancher candy. Likewise, I don't like heavy English blends that I am going to taste in my mouth for two days like a raw onion.
There is a time and place for many different kinds of blends based on mood, but I do very much enjoy a good natural Virginia blend
I remember the honey suckle experience. Grew on the side yard fence back home.
Isn’t that a great memory?! :)
Got a tin of this thanks to your recommendation and I am absolutely in love with it! It's turning into an every day smoke for me and it has been my companion through a re-read of The Silmarillion!
Glad you enjoy it! That’s awesome :)
You had me at “natural tasting.” Beautiful review. I’ll definitely give this one a try.
You should! :)
Had my first bowl today and really enjoyed it. Thank you for your recommendation and your videos, watched nearly all of them. 😆
Thank you for watching the catalog of content here!
I just picked up a Missouri Meerschaum Wizard for my collection!
Ooh, a big one! Cool :)
Only other Tobacco I’ve ever heard the McNeals praise. “Charles Rattray is a genius” Marry said
Wow, very cool!!
Good description of Gowrie's profile and presentation. I agree it is a wonderful blend as I have quite an inventory of it, ha ha. I'll have to look for that honeysuckle, but I do recognize the particular nuance that you are describing. Yes, OG has a very floral accent that dances around nicely. This blend is right up there with my all-time favorite HOTW which first introduced me to the splendor of VAs many moons ago. Good choice my friend!
Rattray’s makes some fine blends!
I totally agree. A lovely blend that really works. Hal is another favourite for a more robust but clean tasting smoke. 2 classics
Great blends!
Thank you for your reviews, I hope you’ll never stop! I especially love your lord of the rings related content. Much love, Kevin!
There’s more on the way! Thank you so much, Giddy, for supporting my efforts! 🙏- Kevin
Great review! Old Gowrie is my favorite Virginia blend.
Saving a 100 gram tin for when I retire in about 17 years- I bet that 19 years Old Gowrie will taste great.
It most certainly will if stored properly in a cool dry place
Wonderful channel. Cheers from the South Carolina Lowcountry
Cheers! :)
I can watch you talking and smoking for hours pls make a livestream ❤
Maybe someday! :)
Thanks for another great video Kevin. So I just opened a vintage tin of Edward G Robinson (2012). Reminds me of simpler times. In vintage style, I'm using my Savinelli Bing, lol. Al
Very cool, Al!! Good age on that one! Nice
Love sharing a pipe with you at the end of a long week. It's a great way to unwind and relax. I enjoyed your reference to honey suckles as it took me back to a similar memory as a young man. Thanks for sharing!
Great memories!
Outstanding video showcasing an exceptional blend! Old Gowrie truly stands out in the Rattray's lineup, especially as it ages. As you already know, Old Gowrie is composed of a little over 90% pure tobacco, in contrast to Marlin Flake, which contains about 78% leaf with several additional ingredients. Furthermore, Old Gowrie is crafted from just four distinct components, making it much simpler than Marlin Flake, which includes twice as many constituents. This purity really allows its quality to shine through. K&K also seems to be able to source some of the better Virginia tobaccos that are currently available.
We are constantly blessed by your experience and knowledge, Russ, and the content of this channel is highly influenced by your mentoring of me over the years and by our lengthy pipe-related discussions that I love so much. Thank you!
How do you know of these recentases and what on earth could the rest of the 25% be on marlin flake ?? Are you saying there is 25% casing in it??
@@squiremuldoon5462 There is a government agency which requires the constituents of these products and their by-weight percentages be provided and they have made them available to the public. The data indicate that Marlin Flake is 12.0916% invert sugar, 3.47408% PG, 0.72727% gum arabic, 2.84434% flavoring, 1.45733% brown sugar cane, 0.6% comet blok licorice, 0.97155% yellow sugar cane, 77.8339% tobacco. By comparison Old Gowrie is 4.14384% invert sugar, 4.07047% PG, 0.745342% gum arabic, 0.65753% flavoring, and 90.3828% tobacco. Apologies for the significant digit heresy but the data are given as such.
@@squiremuldoon5462 Russ tried to respond to you yesterday but the comment didn’t go through. He said, “There is an agency which requires the constituents of these products and their by-weight percentages be provided and they have made them available to the public. The data indicates that Marlin Flake is 12.0916% invert sugar, 3.47408% PG, 0.72727% gum arabic, 2.84434% flavoring, 1.45733% brown sugar cane, 0.6% comet blok licorice, 0.97155% yellow sugar cane, 77.8339% tobacco. By comparison Old Gowrie is 4.14384% invert sugar, 4.07047% PG, 0.745342% gum arabic, 0.65753% flavoring, and 90.3828% tobacco. Apologies for the significant digit heresy but the data are given as such.”
@@hobbitonpiper wow thank you for the info ! That’s insane , no wonder I find Marlin flake to burn quite hot, even with a couple of year of age on it , and incompletely agree with you that old gowrie is a lot smoother even though on paper one would think it’s stronger than marlin flake.
I was just about to ask about the label on the lid of your jar when you mentioned that you had done a video on that subject already. So thanks for that! I've been curious about this for some time after seeing similar lids on other channels.
Yes here are all the details!:
ruclips.net/video/2zPQSh5kHHQ/видео.htmlsi=M1IBZQFwN5qqWL-B
Love watching your videos as I delve into the world of pipes!
I’m so glad you’re loving your time here! Thank you so much for supporting my efforts! 🙏-Kevin
@@hobbitonpiper as a former resident of Missouri and Arkansas that's currently residing in Louisiana, your videos just feel like home. Thank you again!
My personal favorite is Hal O' The Wynd, but I do enjoy them all very much. You really can't go wrong with these Rattray's Virginia blends.
I think K&K is able to source some very good virginia leaf
My last 6 days were so busy and stressful. Everything went as planned and tonight I finally got the chance to have a pipe with you. I haven’t tried Old gowrie yet but I’m enjoying a bowl of Hal o the wynd right now. I also tried Brown clunee before which I really liked.
You should try this one!
I think Gandalf would be a dark fired kentucky smoker.
Maybe so!
I just wanted to say I’ve been thoroughly enjoying your vids :) I bought my first pipe recently it’s a mac queen artisan ranger ! Really exited for this new hobby
That is awesome! Good choice! :)
I have an 8 yr old tin in the cellar, this might be the day to pop it open! I've been cellaring Rattrays for years love all their blends Especially Red Rapparee and Black Mallory.
That would be a righteous age to smoke this! You absolutely should…
Thanks!
Thank you so much for supporting my efforts! 🙏-Kevin
Thank you for the pleasant review and walk down memory lane. We had a different method of enjoying honeysuckles. We would just bite off the little bulb and then suck it out.
You’re the second to say that! I guess that works too! Something special about making those droplets form for me tho :)
@@hobbitonpiper it was fun to envision your experience
Thank you for sharing my friend! Very relaxing to watch!
I’m glad you were able to relax and enjoy! :)
I've been on a LOTR kick lately, reading the books and watching the movies just basking in the nostalgia which that story brings. Of course my favourite RUclips piper is right on time with a blend fit for hobbits! I'll be sure to pick this one up as soon as possible.
Being a piper in Utah means I can't purchase any blends or pipes over the internet, I have to drive an hour and a half to the nearest respectable tobacco shop! That's the price I pay to live in the country with a beautiful view I suppose. Wishing you the best, Kevin!
Maybe it makes you appreciate the blends even more since you have to travel to acquire them :)
@@hobbitonpiper Absolutely! And every trip is an adventure on its own!
Great review!
Ill have to pick up some to cellar for a while.
I only smoke filtered pipes ( otherwise everything gives me tongue bite ) so i havent had any issues from Marlin flake.
Man, you talking about honey suckle brings back some good memories. The way you mentioned enjoying honey suckle is how my sister did it, but me and my little brother ( i trained him, lol ) would pick a bunch, then we would bite off the green knob at the base, spit it out, then suck on the base of the flower to get the nectar....much faster, and less finicky.
I suppose that would work too! :)
Your videos are always a joy to watch! Thanks!
I’m so glad they bring you joy, Paul, and thank you so much for supporting my efforts! 🙏-Kevin
I just picked up my first tin ever of Rattray's. I went for the accountants mixture, to start. I'll have to acquire this offering next.
I often imagine what the tobaccos of middle earth taste like as well. I agree, I tend to think something natural myself, at most maybe a lakeland style aromatic..? Either way, its a very fun thing to ponder! Thanks for another enjoyable video man, cheers!
Fun to think about! :)
I too used to do the Honeysuckle thing, and enjoy that little drop, when I was a child here in the UK. Phil's pipe looks really good. What is the stem made of? I am hoping he will take a commission from me later this year. I really enjoyed your detailed notes on Old Gowrie. I enjoy this tobacco very much also. I know Perth pretty well, but just wish that big old tobacconist was still there today! Smoke well my friend.
I believe this is an acrylic stem with the “popcorn” color… kinda resembles horn, or mammoth ivory :)
It was through the middle earth sampler from Country Squire that I discovered my favorite blends are Virginia Kentucky. So yes I think Hobbits would enjoy this.
Me too! :)
Haven't smoked RATTRAY's in over 25 years, ever since it became made in Germany....when it was still blended in Perth, it was the "ESOTERICA" of it's day
This one is great, you should revisit it! :)
The way the hobbits loved food and drinks makes me think they might spike their pipe weed with something to make it more fragrant and tasty
Maybe so!
Great to see you Kevin. Now you've talked me into trying this blend. I do like the Marlin Flake. Those long flakes are pretty amazing. Speaking of amazing I know exactly where the good food is, on your grill. A bit off topic, I watched The Wolfman with Lon Chaney Jr and noticed there were quite a few pipe smokers in that movie. I found that to be quite interesting. Now que the happy music.
I’ll have to look that one up! I love finding pipes in movies
@@hobbitonpiper Four different pipes. It really caught my attention.
Thank you for the content, your genuineness and the child like joy that radiates from you are very refreshing.
Thank you for this feedback! It means a lot
Thank you for the review and food😊
Enjoyed it😊
You’re very welcome!
Very enjoyable video. Have a good one
Thanks, you too!
Nice video and chat.
Thank you!
Great Video Kevin! I’m sure this blend would be approved by many hobbits haha. Looking forward to your next smoke with me video!
Coming soon! :)
Love the reviews Kevin……I keep meaning to try some of that but haven’t yet. I do like hal’o the wynd!
You should give it a try for sure! :)
Excellent review! Old Gowrie is now, and has been for quite some time, in my top three blends.
So good! :)
That feast looked delicious. Two weeks into my pipe journey and I think Old Gowrie might be what I'm looking for.
It’s worth exploring for sure!
Memory unlocked! My gram had a hillside covered in honeysuckle. I remember doing exactly what you described. I want to experience that again. I cannot remember that flavor.
You should totally go hunting for honeysuckles and find some… :)
Old Gowrie is my #1 favorite tobacco… I was lucky enough to smoke with it with 40 years of age at the Vegas pipe show in 2022… it was a spiritual moment for me😅 take care Kevin and happy smokes! 🍂💨
That must have been epic!
Great review. Sounds like I need to revisit this blend. My favorite Rattray is Hal o the wynd.
This one is not as strong as Hal. It’s an excellent blend worth your time to revisit in my opinion
Another great tobacco review, my friend!👍 I just got more properly turned on to this last few bowls of my first tin, ironically, so will be looking to stock up on some more😎
I think that’s wise! :)
Enjoying some Balkan flake while watching this wonderful review. I wish tins of tobacco in the UK looked as great as this 👌🏻
Me too!!
I bought some 8oz jars that size on Amazon a couple weeks ago. The quality is great, however, they are a bit pricy - $25 for a dozen of them.
That’s higher than they used to be but for today’s prices that’s not bad!
Heads up: Cup o' Joes has a sale on 5 year old Capstan today. FYI.
Already bought one, thanks!
Just the way itis done
Thanks!
Yep, i couldnt agree more about the transition into enjoying English/Non Aromatics later on. I think in the beginning, natural tobacco blends didnt sound appealing to me. I was worried they wouldve been too harsh, causing me to quit the hobby. So i started with all types of Aros until Plum Pudding opened my eyes wide into a new venture of pipe smoking.
Yes for most it seems the subtle nuances of the more natural virginia blends are appreciated further down the road, if at all
Thanks for the review! Old Gowrie and Hal O' the Wynd are on my wishlist.
I watched this video while enjoying a bowl of Oriental Silk, which is another blend I could imagine the hobbits smoking. The Oriental leaf brings an exotic character that makes me think of the fantastical world of Middle Earth. Cheers!
Very nice!! Cheers!
Oriental silk is another great blend indeed
Great review, as always. Thank you!
You’re very welcome!
Baltimore oriole? Great chat as usual Kevin
Yes! Thank you!
Huh huh. Funny story. Went to buy some and kept searching for Old Gowron and couldn't find it. It dawned on me finally that there was no honor in searching for something named after a Klingon. :)
Haha!! Awesome :)
Miss your videos sir. So happy you see a new video
I’m here! :)
great video thanks!
You’re welcome!
Don't know if you know anyone out your way , but if you like a fresh spring grassy / hay notes , try some home grown virginia / burley mix , fresh , just tobacco , no anything added . I got some seeds last year to try out , just in case things get any tighter here in California . Very mild , but a nice light smoke . I have some Turkish started out for this year to have a little stronger blend for winter . We'll see how it turns out ?
I have a close friend working with raw leaf, fun stuff
Slowing down is tough for me, but I'll get there eventually. When I retire more than likely, but I have a tough time with straight Virginia's. I'm going to get a basic variety and chuck them in my cellar for when I'm ready. Couldn't hurt right?...
Smart!
I would add Hal O the Wynd and FVF
Great blends!
👍🏻👍🏻 good to see you! I'll keep this one in mind!
I think you should! :)
I love getting tea notes from blends! Thanks for another great review!
Me too!
Great review! Old Gowrie is definitely one of my favorites. Working on cellaring this one deep. Have a great rest of your weekend.
I think we should! :)
Thank you for another relaxing video...I was wondering, though, if you don't mind me asking what you do for a living, you live in a very beautiful place and seem to be very educated. I don't mean this to intrude or as disrespectful in any way. I hope you don't take offense to me asking.
I’m an IT internal auditor. Pretty boring to talk about :)
What is your favorite Christmas aromatic blend?
Sutliff Cringle Flake is usually my favorite Christmas blend, although it’s a virginia perique. For an aromatic I’d recommend picking this up in November and smoking it throughout the holidays:
ruclips.net/video/5te-GETwQTY/видео.htmlsi=FUsP6Qq2bPTQinw5
Kevin, the further you go down your pipe-smoking journey you may become an old codger. 💨💨
Haha, if I’m lucky! :)
Hey Kevin smoking nightcap my favourite in a chacom baltic ..be sure to catch Martin Freeman in the responder on bbc iplayer if you can great actor not exactly in the same realms of lotr but good just the same
I love his acting!!
Got some OGS in the pipe now. I don't expect to get the flavors that you do, but I keep going back to try it. I think I may plunk down the change for the Capstan Blue ready rubbed.
Just look for that half lemonade / half tea (Arnold Palmer tea) note in OGS, breads…slow way down and you’ll find it :) I do prefer the flake version of Capstan Blue if you are comfortable working with flakes. Thank you again for continuing to support my efforts! 🙏- Kevin
@@hobbitonpiper Nope, not there yet. LOL
Ahhhhhh honeysuckle, love it.
Me too! :)
Hi, thank you for this video. Did you ever try a meerschaum filter?
I’ve tried many different kinds of filters, but I do not personally prefer to use them.
Hey, man. I live in Hot Springs. If you’re near, give me a shout and we’ll hang out sometime!
I need to visit Hot Springs again sometime, I haven’t been in years but I remember enjoying it :)
Hi thanks for your beautiful reviews, I wanted to ask you what pipe are you using in this video?
You’re welcome! I tell you about the pipe around the 7:42 mark of this video :)
A great review that has me desiring for some natural tasting, delicious tobacco. What lighter were you using in this video?
It’s just a zippo with a Z-pipe butane insert
@hobbitonpiper awesome, thank you sir! Keep up the great content
Have you tried peterson’s sherlock holmes yet? If not do you plan to do a video review of it? Im curious on your opinions of it
I have smoked it in the past but do not have any currently
I live 45 min away from the Quaker Oats plant, and let me tell, you, if you drive by on the right day the aroma is so pungent! 🤢….i loved eatting honeysuckles and grandmas!❤️
Oh I bet so! I live closer than that to Tyson chicken plants …driving through there is not so fun! Honeysuckles are a great memory :)
@@hobbitonpiper We have Tyson’s in town, but I never drive to that part of the city. Thanks fully, it’s kinda out in the “boondocks!”
I think "Raking leaves" would be a Long bottom tobacco.
Is that a pipe blend? Never heard of that one
Have you ever reviewed Maltese falcon it's pretty good
I have not, but I’ve smoked a full tin of it, it’s a pretty good blend!
I'm in a fairly similar place with my pipe journey at the moment, feeling a little fatigued with flavored tobaccos and gravitating more towards simple natural tasting blends. I've been smoking a lot of Orlik Golden Sliced, HH Pure Virginia, Full Virginia Flake, and Gawith Hoggarth Best Brown #2 the past few months. I really like the flavors of Pegasus and Haunted Bookshop as well, but I've found that burleys that aren't steam/hot pressed or stoved tend to give me a sore throat so I don't smoke them too often.
I'm pretty happy with my current rotation of Virginias, though I've been thinking I'd really like a Virginia with a touch of Dark Fired Kentucky for variety. Do you think the current production version of Three Nuns might be worth a try? I've had Cornell & Diehl's 2024 Sansepolcro and liked the flavor a lot, but C&D's red Virginias tend to bother my throat so I couldn't make it a regular smoke. Mac Baren's red Virginias seem to agree with me just fine though, so I'm curious if Three Nuns might fit the bill for a good Virginia/DFK blend that is more Virginia forward and doesn't lean quite as heavily into the DFK as Old Dark Fired.
It’d be worth a try, and you should certainly try Old Gowrie was well based on your comment. And yeah, your personal mouth chemistry is likely having an adverse chemical burn reaction to those burleys.
Missing your talks... Hope all is going well.
All is great! Busy life :)
Smoking some right now with you!!!
Awesome, enjoy! :)
🤗🤗🤗👍👍👍💯💛💙🤛
Thanks! :)
Good Morning 😊 Thanks for the review and sharing your thoughts on the blend 👏🏼👏🏼Have a wonderful day 🙏🏽 Greetings from South Africa 🇿🇦
Thank you, have a great day!
Has anyone else experienced a loss in ability to taste/smell pipe tobacco after a while and has advice to get it back? I used to be able to taste so much. But after a few months a lot of the old blends I used to enjoy started tasting like hot air.
I used to be able to pick up on the Latakia in EMP, but not any longer. Same with Virginia blends, they just taste like smoke now.
This is after becoming more experienced with pipe smoking, slowing down, using the breathe method, etc.
Did I break myself after smoking heavy Latakia blends? Do I need to just put the pipe down for 6 months? Any advice would be appreciated!
Edit: I have maybe 1 pipe a day max.
Unless COVID took it from you, we should be able to get it back. Make sure you’ve studied this first and we will go from there:
ruclips.net/video/mVxLoKhLvUc/видео.htmlsi=ibzfWPfN4YpWZQVx
I bet it would be an English blend :)
No shot. :) Haha, it’s whatever your imagination tells you!
I have been enjoying some Virginia blends, but I always get this strange aftertaste with I smoke them. Well, I can’t tell if it’s an aftertaste or actually a subtle form of tongue bite? Is that the citrusy taste effect or am I burning my tongue?
Tongue bite is pain. If you’re hurting afterwards, it’s tongue bite. Tongue bite is not a flavor, although some will translate the early effects of tongue bite with cinnamon sometimes.
Do you hail from the St. Louis / St. Charles MO area?
No I do not. I’ve moved back to Arkansas from SW Missouri.
It seems to me that Hobbiton was pretty isolated so I doubt the tobacco was a blend.
A fair take! Probably so
I just got my Rsttrsys Old Growtie and will give it a try.
Love the birds & your barber. 😎🏜️
Ha, cool! :)
Do you know the difference between the Rossi or Savinelli 8320 and 8321
The 8321 is a more compact, scaled down version of the 8320
Thanks!
Thank you so much for supporting my efforts, I love your RUclips name! :) 🙏-Kevin
@@hobbitonpiper It’s my pleasure. I love all of your content and really appreciate your channel. And thank you, glad you like my YT name. 😊 Jason