Hal O' The Wynd

Thanks for the reminder Sable - Hal O' The Wynd is on my list but continually gets bumped. I love Va and VaPer and have seen this on a review list (DK or jiminks?) of tobaccos that every pipe smoker has to try at least once. Great that it was in good shape after so long and glad that it works for you.
Andy

While you're on the Rattray's page of your favorite e-tailer, check out HOTW's sibling blends: Old Gowrie, Brown Clunee, and Marlin Flake.

All are top notch, and if you liked HOTW, these are sure to please you too. Brown Clunee is one of my all time favorites.

HotW is a wonderful blend. I have been smoking it for quite some time, and, yes, it does age nicely. I recently bought a pound for jarring.

I also rediscovered Old Gowrie lately. A bit lighter than Hal, but a nice addition none-the-less.

And if there's perique in either of these,it is so light as to be barely there. I don't taste any of the perique spiciness.

Ahh, Hal of the Wynd, Marlin Flake, and Old Gowrie... :::sigh::: it's love.

Red Rapparee is a great blend as well.
Does Rattray's make a bad blend? :P

I have a tin of Bagpiper's Dream that has been opened for about 5 months. I sort of forgot about it. Anyway I popped the lid the other day and sure enough... not dried out. I loaded up a pipe and it smokes just fine. I may have a pipe of it right now. But after that, I'm jarring it. Just to be on the safe side.

Jud:
An old Charles Rattray blend list in my collection describes Hal O' The Wynd as follows:
"Rich rust red honeydew with slight yellow streak. No latakia or dark cavendish (sic) to alter the even red colour. Quite surprising mildness for a straight Virginia, slow burning."

I really like hearing that there are still surprises in store, even for pipers with as much experience as some of you.
I picked up some Old Gowrie on a recommendation from rmbittner, who said the Rattray's VAs were great for learning to sip because the flavor changes so drastically when you really get the technique right. I went through half the tin before I managed to get it, but I was hooked when I did. I read a lot about how McCleland's VAs need to sit open with the plastic cap on the tin for a couple weeks to really come into their own, but I'm starting to suspect that this "airing out" benefits just about any VA-based blend. Anyway, I just ordered some HotW, because I figured that if anything could make me like a Rattray's Va/Per even more, it would be taking it up a notch in the strength department.

"Rich rust red honeydew with slight yellow streak. No latakia or dark cavendish (sic) to alter the even red colour. Quite surprising mildness for a straight Virginia, slow burning."

Click to expand...

That makes sense to me. But the current blender lists Perique as an ingredient in both Hal and OG, so everyone is calling it a Va/Per. ::

I don't taste perique in any of the Rattray's blends, either. Then again, Royal Yacht has burley in it, and yet everyone considers it a pure VA. And I'm pretty sure that Stonehaven is a VA/Bur blend.
I do recognize Kentucky burley in HotW and I don't really care for it, to be honest. This is because the "ashy" finish I often get with burleys. Pure VAs usually only get better towards the end of the bowl. IMHO, obviously. it's still a good blend, but for stronger, pure VAs I need go to the three remaining British manufuaturers.
The old Rattray's literature (.pdf, 4MB) states that HotW, Brown Clunee and Old Gowrie are All-Viriginia tobaccos without any condimental leaf, flavourings, or seasonings. Current manufacturer lists Kentycky, perique, black cav along with VA leaf in all these blends. I have no idea when, and how many times, the recipes have been altered. I can't say or remember if the first tin I had about ten years ago had burley in it. I was a new smoker then.
Why they (and many other brands) changed the ingredients, I can only guess. Perhaps economical reasons? Perhaps they couldn't source more stronger ("Empire"?) VAs at some point at all, and had to add burley and other leaf for strength (taste profile and Vit N)? Perhaps someone here knows.