HOTW- Bad Tin? Sucks? Personal Taste?

[vink]

I think I clarified the title; hope you don't mind.

So title says it all. I recently opened a jar of HOTW that got nearly 8 years of age. I tried the stuff in like 3-4 different pipes and each time it tasted like an ashy, dirty, boring mostly DFK blend. No sweetness at all. Not much nicotine either. From the jar it smelled DFK forward too. Don’t take me wrong I like Va-DFK blends, but I thought this one was a Va forward blend with a bit of Kentucky. I’ve read many reviews saying it’s really sweet and I can’t get any sweetness at all! Do we need to dry this one like crazy or something?

 

[gamzultovah]

Send it my way. What do you want in trade?

 

[bullet08]

I do hear some HOTW (HOT Women) do.. you know.

 

[kcghost]

Every blend isn't loved universally.

 

[sablebrush52]

Could be a bad batch. It happens. Or it could just be that you just don't like it. I like Haddo's and some here would rather commit suicide. Some here love Germain's Balkan Sobranie. I'd rather eat glass.

Different strokes for different folks.

 

[canadianpuffer]

That is a weird flavour profile - I remember it being closer/in the family profile of McConnell Scottish cake. Been years since I had both - time to crack some tins ?

 

[eljimmy]

I found it a bit boring myself.

 

[captpat]

I find it to be fairly good, not too demanding, also not a bucket list blend.

 

[musicman]

Hal is a pretty darn good blend IMO, but I tend to prefer Old Gowrie and Marlin Flake.

 

[smudgersmissingleg]

HOTW is ok but I prefer Marlin Flake.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

It’s not my favorite of the Rattray lineup, but it doesn’t disgust me. I’d agree with boring. But, I don’t hate it.

 

[mso489]

The old saying is damning with faint praise.

 

[Chasing Embers]

Exotic Orange was the only Rattrays blend that I wanted more than one tin of.

 

[vink]

Send it my way. What do you want in trade?

That’s an idea! Got some stonehaven?

 

[Worknman]

I found it to be quite rich and tasty, definitely not boring. To me it tastes like Old Gowrie with more perique, and I dont detect much dfk.

 

[Worknman]

That’s an idea! Got some stonehaven?

Have you ever tried Stonehaven? Thats another one that occasionally falls flat for some people depending on whether they get a good batch and are able to find the exact moisture level required to unlock the desired flavors.

 

[vink]

Have you ever tried Stonehaven? Thats another one that occasionally falls flat for some people depending on whether they get a good batch and are able to find the exact moisture level required to unlock the desired flavors.

Yeah many times! While it’s true sometimes it’s not as tasty as others it’s still pretty good.

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

I'm a fan of HOTW but it needs 5 years or more of aging to get really good. You may have had a bad tin or it just didn't hit your sweet spot.

 

[forloveoffreedom]

I'm a fan of HOTW but it needs 5 years or more of aging to get really good. You may have had a bad tin or it just didn't hit your sweet spot.

Nailed it right here and 10 years is even better. I can say lots of blends suck but I’d never say which ones. Seems low bar and it’s ok not to like something. That’s why we all have different and hopefully large cellars.

 

[gamzultovah]

That’s an idea! Got some stonehaven?

No Esoterica in my lineup. Much like HOTW is to you, Eso products are to me. TETO.