Rattray's Red Rapparee

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mortonbriar

Lifer
Oct 25, 2013
2,653
5,663
New Zealand
Well I cracked open a 2013 tin of RRR this morning (for my 33rd birthday) and pulled out a few pinches to smoke.

My day got busy making 17 knives, thats another story.

Actually, I may as well tell it. I was needing a flexible putty knife the other day and I chopped a section off an old hand saw since its good thin tool steel with a spring to it, it was my great grandfathers saw and it was something of an ethical decision to chop into it because of my fondness for hand tools and also the family connection. In the end I decided that its better I use this tool than let it collect dust and since I use my table saw or drop saw for nearly everything, and I have two more hand saws from the same great grandfathers collection.
Anyway, last year I managed to miss most of my five siblings birthdays and various other nieces and nephews so I sent them all presents on my birthday explaining it was a hobbit birthday, like what Bilbo did. Not only did I get away with it but the family quite enjoyed it, I guess its like Christmas in July. This year for my hobbit birthday I cut up the rest of the saw into 17 little whittling knives and ripped a little end piece of mahogany up for handles (its such a sweet smelling wood to cut).
By the time I got to the tobacco it was crunchy dry due to lying out for 12 hours, but i mixed in a little bit of the moist stuff from the tin and packed it up. Delicious. I have never tried this blend before so cannot say if the two years added anything to the flavour. Tin note had a musty earthy thing going on, crunchy tobacco 12 hours later was less musty smelling and a little sweeter. I think this blend is ok with being very dry by the way, most of what I packed was the crunchy stuff and it smoked just fine. Sipping on Dewars, a good match, scotch for scottish. The virginias reminded me of other blends I have smoked from the European side of production, I cannot really describe that but its an old time leather natural sweet thing and the orientals were very pleasant, balanced i would say. Latakia less pronounced than other english blends I have smoked that included latakia. Nothing out of the ordinary on the nicotine, but I am not a very good judge of that, it all depends on what is in my stomach beforehand and I just had a big birthday dinner.
I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys english blends but would like an option where the latakia takes a back seat without disappearing.
Isaac (the dewars helped too... hic...)

 

cobguy

Lifer
Oct 18, 2013
3,742
15
RRR is some tasty stuff ... more of an Oriental blend to me.
A little added Latakia goes REALLY well with it too ... almost transforms into a Balkan. :puffy:
Knives! Let's see those knives! :)

 
P

pipebuddy

Guest
It's a pretty good tobacco but I find it a bit weak on the nicotine level.

 

stanlaurel

Part of the Furniture Now
Jan 31, 2015
701
9
Red Rapparee. Really good stuff. I smoked 4 bowls in 3 different pipes this weekend. The nic is moderate but there is enough to satisfy me.
Isn't "Black Mallory" "Red Rapparee" with more Latakia added?

 
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pipebuddy

Guest
7 Reserve from Rattray's could contain less Latakia, if I rely on the tin description. It's RR but adjusted to be suitable as an all - day smoke.
I think Ashton's Consummate Gentleman ot W.P. Solomon's Presbytarian mixture are light on Latakia, no? Consummate Gentleman has a pinch of Latakia and Presbytarian does not seem to have much more, if I recall well.

 

fmgee

Part of the Furniture Now
Sep 26, 2014
922
4
Ashton's Consummate Gentleman claims to only have a pinch of Latakia but it is a pretty big pinch. I wrote a Review of Consummate Gentleman recently. It is good stuff.
I am almost out of RRR so yesterday I mixed it 50/50 with Carter Hall. It gave me a milder but still pleasant smoke.

 

grue

Starting to Get Obsessed
Feb 9, 2016
199
0
I've been smoking this since yesterday. Delicious stuff, innit. :puffy:

 

lochinvar

Lifer
Oct 22, 2013
1,687
1,632
Red Rapparee is my favorite of all time. It is similar to Black Mallory, but Black Mallory has more latakia and more unsweetened black cavendish. It is a truly wonderful Oriental blend, or if you prefer a Balkan blend in the vein of Sobranie White. With a little age on it, blends like RRR and McConnell Oriental fade in the latakia area until what is left is more leather and a whisper of campfire, while the Orientals and Virginias marry and make manna.
I think 7 Reserve would have more latakia and less Oriental. Professional mixture definitely has less Oriental and more or the same amount of latakia. Of course, its been years since I smoked either.....a tasting may be in order.

 

mortonbriar

Lifer
Oct 25, 2013
2,653
5,663
New Zealand
It is delicious Grue, I wonder if threads get sweeter with age too, I see this one has a good year on it.

I think I have a few pinches left of RRR, will dig out this week!

 

mackeson

Part of the Furniture Now
Mar 29, 2016
758
2
Yup it's good stuff. For my taste, I like Black Mallory a bit more

 
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