Rattray's Bagpiper's Dream - a non-aro smoker's aro

[andya27]

A few weeks back papipeguy gifted me several tobacco samples (many thanks!). I immediately tried all of them, enjoyed all of them, and now am going back and smoking each one again, perhaps a bit more slowly to appreciate them all the more.
This morning's smoke - on a cool and blustery Cleveland morning - was this Rattray's aro.
I'm not an aro smoker. I have four oz of 1Q that will probably never be smoked. I have a few other mild aros that sit in mason jars. I just don't get aros...until this one. And this is one aro that I will purchase on my next tobacco order.
Maybe it's the cognac they say is the topping. Maybe it's all those Virginias, which are my favorite blend (along with Latakia). Whatever it is, I like it.
For those of you who have not had the opportunity to smoke this, it's a fairly mild blend of several Virginias and Cavendish, with a cognac topping (according to the tin). The tin note is fantastic - a sweet but not sickly sweet fragrance. Room note is just as nice. And the smoke is pure joy from first light to dottle.
I found this tobacco especially easy to keep lit, no tongue bite, not a hot smoker - really no negatives at all.
It is a sweet flavoring - but for me that's a nice change from the types of tobaccos I typically smoke.
I have reserved two of my Savinellis for aros (the 626 Fuoco I smoked today and a Sistina 320). I'll use the big-bowled 320 for my next smoke with this fine tobacco.
Two very big thumbs up.
And if you are like me and a loose-leaf tea drinker, a strong oolong like the Phoenix Mountain Dan Cong I steeped this morning is the perfect liquid complement.

 

[lordnoble]

This resides happily in the number 3 slot of my all-time favorites (thanks to papipeguy for introducing me to this one as well). Am I an aro smoker? Sure. As much as I am an "English" smoker and a VA/Per smoker and a Lakeland smoker... You get the idea. I don't have one genre I adhere to, which may make it harder for me to "get" blends, but it also affords me a very wide latitude of blends to try and enjoy.
Bagpiper's Dream is an expertly blended tobacco. It is a joy for the smoker and a joy for those around the smoker. While I've smoked through several tins of this, I never get bored with it and each bowl provides a nuance I hadn't picked up on in previous smokes. It doesn't bite me even when pushed.
I suggest that smoker, aro or non-aro, pick up a tin of this delightful tobacco and give it a whirl. Will it flip everyone's skirt? No. But I'd wager it'll flip more than you'd expect from an aromatic.
-Jason

 

[papipeguy]

Glad you like Bagpiper's Dream. It is one of the very few aromatics I smoke and always have 2 or 3 tins around. The cuts are interesting too and, I believe, that is what keeps it lit for an entire bowl. Strands, broken flake and coins all in one blend. Happy smoke rings, Andy.

 

[andya27]

This resides happily in the number 3 slot of my all-time favorites

lordnoble - Since we're both fans of this aro, perhaps we have similar tastes. I'd be interested in knowing what Numbers 1 and 2 are in your rankings.

 

[Bulldog]

Thanks for this thread - I am also an "English" smoker; however, I am always looking for blends to expand my palate and test the boundaries of what I like. I'll give Bagpiper's Dream a try.

 

[macabra11]

Sounds interesting. Something I would most definitely like to try.

 

[yazamitaz]

Forum member brdavidson sent me a sample of this last year and I loved it. This and Frog Morton's Cellar (don't bash me but I will refer to them as similar since they are aro-ish to me) are the only two tobacco's that I have tried since I started getting serious into flakes that I enjoy. I smoke both out of a cob and I really get to taste the flavors of each.
Glad you enjoyed it.

 

[anthonyrosenthal74]

Bagpiper's Dream is one of my favorites as well. It burns wonderfully. And it has a very nice mild sweetness to the flavor. I believe it's the cognac that really makes this blend work. Great tin note, great room note, you can really taste it, and it's truly a joy. I've recently made up my mind to dedicate my Hilson Dream to this tobacco because the two are like a match made in heaven. Last two smokes with that pipe burned to an ash no problem. The name's of the tobacco and pipe had nothing to do with it. Really it was just an accident. But they go together wonderfully. The trick, apparently, is to open the tin and keep it in the tin with just the plastic lid on for a week or so to make it really come alive. It's not overly goopy like some aromatics... in fact it's hard for me to call it an aromatic really. It is aromatic, it is sweet, but it seems like it should have it's own genre. Another cool thing about this blend is you can take the label off the can which is only sealed on the ends. They use a peel off label. You can take the label off, cut it to fit however you like, peel off the waxy paper side and stick it to your mason jar. Makes for a great look.

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I suppose I have odd tastes when it comes to my tobaccos. Sometimes I want a balkan, sometimes I want an aro, and sometimes I want Bagpiper's Dream. I would recommend this blend to anyone. Especially to someone just starting out with a pipe since it's so easy to manage.

 

[numbersix]

I've wanted to try this for some time - thanks for the post!

 

[phil67]

Sounds interesting as I no longer smoke aro's either. About the only thing that I smoke which comes close to an aro is Peterson's University Flake (love it). Just may have to pick this up on my next order, whenever that will be.

 

[lordnoble]

andya27,

1 & 2, huh?I guess it's kind of a misnomer to say it's in the top 3 since #2 is two blends which I can't pick which is better of the two.
#1 is the now discontinued Villiger 1888 Mid Day. Wonderful tobacco. Love it. Always puts me in "the zone".
#2 is split with W.O Larsen Vintage Signature and H&H Marquee Series: Black House vying for superiority.
-Jason

 

[andya27]

Jason - those are tobaccos I've never even heard of. Clearly there are some great finds out there that don't get a lot of play on the forum.

 

[pipefish]

Been on my list for quite a while now--will definitely pick some up on my next TAD order.

 

[papipeguy]

andy, Black House is from Pipes & Cigars and is a great blend. Another of Russ' creations that is excellent is Magnum Opus.

 

[frozenchurchwarden]

After my first bowl of this, it seems very much like Sutliff Top Shelf.

Top Shelf is flavoured stronger, will burn fast enough to smoke itself, and smells a little better while burning. But it has the typical aromatic "mid-point" shift that turns bitter (and yes it's quite sticky).

Bagpiper's Dream is more consistent throughout. Though it still has a mid-point shift, it's more manageable, you just have to watch your cadence more carefully to keep the flavour going.

I find both highly enjoyable.

 

[frozenchurchwarden]

If someone would just put this topping on a straight Virginia, I have a feeling that would be better. Maybe it's a waste of Va, but I wish you could get the aromatic start and the straight Va finish.