Rattray's Exotic Orange

[kiel]

I was able to smoke a bowl of Exotic Orange last night(finishing it up right now). Wow! I have dabbled in aros a little bit and never found one that was something I would put into rotation. EO on the other hand is something else! Really nice blend! I'm going to have to grab a couple tins once I get state side.

 

[anthonyrosenthal74]

I finally smoked a bowl of this (Thanks Duane! :D ) and I have to say I'm quite impressed. I chose a Peterson XL90 silver spigot, and it seems to have matched quite well to the tobacco. It wasn't overly moist (was sent in a baggy so I can't attest to moistness out of the tin) but I have a habit of letting aros sit out for at least 10 minutes before loading the pipe. The charring light was heavenly! Putting match to tobacco, the smoke released from the top of the bowl, filled my nostrils with the aroma of sweet caramelizing brown sugar with hints of vanilla, and you guessed it.... oranges! Sweet citrusy oranges haha! And you could taste it too. But it wasn't an overpowering flavor, drowning out the natural flavors of the tobacco. The flavors from the tobacco were still very present with the topping flavors more or less playing an accompaniment, but on occasion playing a lead role, only so the tobacco could step forward again and really sing. It was all really quite harmonious. The blend seems to burn pretty cool, the pipe never becoming more than a comfortable warmth in the hand, and I did have to relight about four times. The fourth relight due to I believe I tamped a little to hard near the end of the smoke. Also the cause of a tad bit of dottle left in the end of the bowl when finished.
There are supposed to be floral (rose petal) notes, as mentioned in other reviews. In fact Duane, mentions them himself in the original post. I'm not sure if I detected the floral notes or not. I did get a hint of something I'm not used to, which may have been the floral notes, but it was very fleeting for me, but not unpleasant. I will try this again in a wider bowled pipe to see if I can get a better interpretation of it. It did try to get a bit bitey a couple times on the relight.
All in all, I find it to be a very enjoyable blend. Wonderful flavor of both tobacco and toppings, wonderful flavor, a few relights (because they can't all be 0 to 3 relight smokes) low to medium nicotine strength (but I had just had a small meal before smoking). I have a generous amount gifted to me, but I think I'm going to have to find more

 

[ashdigger]

I tried some this morning for the first time. I smoked it in a Mod Falcon with a Patriot Corn Cob Bowl.......it's damn good. Very orange with a dose of vanilla.........dreamsicle style. My Falcons always the moisture level perfectly and there was some goop in the the chamber but nothing like the garbage left behind by Bagpipers Dream.

 

[Chasing Embers]

Glad you liked it Anthony. As for tin moisture, your sample was straight from a freshly open tin to the baggie. After my first few bowls, I can smoke it straight from the tin. I hope EO becomes more readily available as I will heavily stock it. ::

 

[anthonyrosenthal74]

I liked it a lot. It's definitely one I'd like to stock up on as well.

 

[aquadoc]

Seems perpetually sold out.

 

[Chasing Embers]

Last time it was out of stock for several months.

 

[snagstangl]

I started smoking on what you sent yesterday in a cob for about ten minutes, and then set it down and came back to it a few times through out the day for a few minutes at a time. After sitting and being relit 4 or 5 times, still tasted as good as the first time. Very good stuff.

 

[Chasing Embers]

I think Rattray's hit gold with this one. A cool smoking around with a good orange and tobacco taste but is in terribly short supply. Hopefully it will be a bit more readily available before the FDA's leash cuts it off for good.

 

[deathmetal]

There's a bit of a floral note that just borders lakeland territory, but never crosses that line.

This is one of those lines that should always be respected.
Sounds like a tasty tobacco.

 

[iamn8]

I'm not sure if it's similar, but the only other aro I'm a fan of is connoisseurs blend by Petersons, also an orange blend. I dig the tin note

 

[Chasing Embers]

You might also like Founder's Choice. It's the same blend they used for St.Patrick's Day 2015.

 

[aquadoc]

Has anyone tried Planta California Dream and Rattray Exotic Orange? If so, how do they compare?

 

[aquadoc]

Has anyone tried Planta California Dream and Rattray Exotic Orange? If so, how do they compare?

 

[josephcross]

Not usually a fan of aros, but having just finally received my tin of EO, I am thouroghly impressed. It's orange and very exotic. It reminds me of boutiques that my mom drag me to when I was a little kid. Full of consignment stuff from all over Asia, and mock orange that grew near my house back then as well. This blend has me waxing nostalgic something fierce. Job well done Rattrays and thank you Duane for the recommendation.

 

[Chasing Embers]

Very welcome. Blossom Temptation has recently fallen into my radar, and hope to try it soon too.

 

[npod]

I'm bringing this post back to life. It's summer, 2018, and I have been digging this Rattray's Exotic Orange (Passion). I actually have a craving for the stuff lately. I dedicated a pipe to the blend because the ghost is fierce! It's an orange(ish) stained blowfish with side swirl rustication with a deep chamber, good for the ribbon cut of this tobacco.
Thanks for bringing this up last year, Duane. I like it (this is literally the only true aromatic in my stash).

 

[Chasing Embers]

Still enjoying it here too. Don't have much of a ghosting issue here, but love it in the morning with some Earl Grey.

 

[npod]

Don't have much of a ghosting issue here

You might be the only human being to make that statement. For others trying this blend, I would be aware of ghosting. But YMMV.
Also, I recommend drying it! It smokes better dry, IMHO. There is very little residual moisture in the bowl.

 

[ekert]

That is indeed a very nice looking tin.