Here's my review on Rattray's Red Rapparee on Tobacco Reviews. As is evident, I'm begining to really like this blend.
Rattray's Red Rapparee does indeed contain Latakia. This is the blurb that accompanies the tin on the little round booklet: "A charming, perfectly balanced dark mixture of Virginia tobaccos, Orientals, Black Cavendish and a luxurious quantity of Latakia. The ash is pale grey and similar to that of a good cigar. A wonderful spicy mixture". Note: RRR does NOT contain cigar leaf, but DOES contain a "luxurious quantity of Latakia". Hope this clarifies things for all those preceding reviewers who detect cigar leaf, or who detect Latakia but are surprised it is not listed by Tobacco Reviews above in the blend composition. Typo I presume. I have gone through the better part of a 100g tin now, and, being a certified Latakiophile, I think I've found my Holy Grail. I consume a pound a month of Star of the East and Westminster. Also quite a bit of London Mixture. And I clench pipe and sip slowly for a flavorful cool smoulder. RRR does not disappoint. The addition of Scottish Cavendish to RRR reminds me a bit of Dunhill's 965, but here the flavors are much more pronounced than in 965. I can see a slight lineage to Black Mallory, but RRR has a greater Oriental component to it. Shades of chocolate covered salty pretzel indeed, as previously stated. Add to that a dollop of saddle leather and beef jerkey and at a slow cadence this blend really sings. No diminution as the bowl progresses either. The blend holds its flavor profile strongly all the way to its ashy end at bowl's bottom. A word of caution, this blend is very pipe sensitive. I've found the best results in narrow billiard and chimneys, about group 3 to 4 in size. Wide pots do this blend a disservice. The slower the smoking cadence the stronger the flavor profile here. A very fine blend. Can't wait to see how it ages. A four star recommendation.
