Tobaccos Rattray - Bagpiper's Dream

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pipestud (1829)	2011-09-12		Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

I think aromatic smokers must be the finest ladies and gentlemen in the world. They never bash the English/Virginia/Perique smokers while taking a bashing (unfairly) themselves.

Ain't nuthin' wrong with a pleasant aromatic and this new Rattray's offering is sublime. It "is what it is," and that comes down to a nice Vanilla sort of taste that has been enhanced with some mighty fine booze.

This tobacco burns clean and dry and delivers the goods in both strength and flavor.

Want a quality aromatic? Well, here you go!

74 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JimInks (3047)	2016-02-24		Medium	Medium	Medium	Pleasant

The various Virginias offer some citrus and grass to support the lightly more obvious woody earth, fermented dark stewed fruit, and a minor spice note. There’s a noticeable floralness to the Virginias as well. The black cavendish is an important second player with a deep vanilla that is continually present through the smoke, but never rises to dominate in any meaningful way. The cognac is sweetly fragrant with a little berry taste, and a mild dash of soap. I believe of some of the floral essence comes from a topping, and it reminds me of rose and maybe geranium, too. It doesn’t quite venture into Lakeland territory, but seems a little like a kissing cousin to that well known topping. The toppings do weaken a tad after the half way point, but are noticeable to the finish. Has a slightly more than mild nic-hit. Won't bite. A little moist out of the tin, though it doesn’t need any dry time. Burns cool and fairly smooth with a touch of creaminess at a reasonable pace. Requires a few relights. Leaves a little moisture in the bowl, but not enough to distract or goop. Will burn to ash with little effort. Has a lingering after taste and sweet, floral room note. An aromatic with a little complexity, it’s more for the experienced smoker, and isn't really an all day smoke, but repeatable during your waking hours.

-JimInks

45 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Coltrain (8)	2013-12-08		Mild	Medium	Medium	Very Pleasant

Now as of late I have not been to enamored with aromatics, I have all but removed them from my rotation, but when Glynn sent me a sample of Bagpiper's Dream to try I said where's the harm.

On first inspection this tobacco is the perfect consistency for smoking, not too wet and not dry. It smells divine. The sweetness of cognac is unmistakable but it is far from overpowering, it's just right.

As I smoked trough the bowl, still possessing reservations about aromatics in general, I was blown away. Smoking this reminded me why I smoked aromatics in the first place. It filled all the criteria a top quality aromatic should. It smelled divine in the room (girlfriend approved; the highest accolade any tobacco can receive in the room note category), it TASTED like it smelled for the whole bowl! (a rarity) AND as if it hadn't already impressed me enough, it didn't need a single relight.

Top quality stuff, the cognac may not be for everyone but if it is you'll agree, it's a tough one to beat.

P.S. Please take into account that my 4 star rating is based on an aromatic scale alone. I never group aromatics and non-aromatics together as they are different smoking experiences.

Pipe Used: Falcon Coolway 23

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: GQ Tobaccos

30 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2014-12-05		Mild	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

Sample from the same friend that sent me the Directors Cut (thanks again!), this one runs the gamut of blonde-to-black with a bag aroma of the alcohol topping (cognac, apparently) atop a bed of really fine Virginias. This is an Euro-style aromatic rather than your typical U.S gooper, and the tobacco was nicely moist but not slathered in sauce.

In the pipe, this performed like a straight Virginia and smoked very dry. It tasted and smelled like an aromatic. In short, it took the best characteristics of both types and combined them into a very well-made blend. Clearly the constituent tobaccos were of high quality, unlike your basic heavily cased aro. The only problem was that I didn't care for the flavoring that was used. Bummer! And I like cognac. Then again I like cherries, too, but don't want them in my pipe. But I was disappointed because a high quality aromatic is as rare as hen's teeth. This is one but the flavor isn't exactly in my wheelhouse. I had the same feeling about SWRA as far as taste. But if you enjoy aromatics but hate the goop, and if you're looking for one that combines top quality tobacco, a spectacular room note and a sweet taste (although I found it on the sour-bitter side!), give this one a spin. I'm glad I tried it.

19 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	SteelCowboy (685)	2012-03-29		Mild to Medium	Mild	Medium	Pleasant

Bagpipers Dream is a different kind of aromatic than those often found here in the US. The tin note is sweet with the liquor scent coming through. The appearance is of high quality tobacco. There are even some curlies in the blend! The Virginias rather than the Cavendish run the show here. BD is not overly complex, but more so than most aromatics. It smokes on the dry side and the tobacco taste comes through the casing. The casing itself isn't a bell ringer for me as it's a little too floral for my tastes. Due to the quality of the tobacco, I think it's worth a try for any aromatic smoker. Rattray has definitely put some thought and into this blend. Recommended.

15 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2008-12-29		Medium	Strong	Medium	Pleasant

I tried a bowl of this at a nearby B&M at the suggestion of the salesman on staff. It was so tasty I bought some tins to enjoy in the future. Normally I would have waitied to review this until I had had some more but with so few people chiming in on this one I had to give it my 2 cents earlier.

It tastes great - sweet & aromatic for sure - but the Virginia taste comes through and it was not "goopy" or overly cased with sugar. Supposedly it's flavored with cognac and I can actually detect a hint of this alcohol in the taste. The room note will likely have non-smokers hanging out near you - its that good! Couldn't have this all the time, but it's a quality dessert smoke. The sample I had seemed to have dried a bit in the store and I suspect that is the preferred way to enjoy it as I had no bite - at least in my one encounter.

If you can enjoy heavy aromatics and like VA's give this try - it is quality smoke.

12 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	DrumsAndBeer (217)	2014-10-15		Mild to Medium	Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

This is a surprisingly good aromatic mixture of the highest quality. I say “surprisingly good” because I don’t particularly care for the tin note. However, Bagpiper’s tin note doesn't quite foreshadow the intricacies of its flavor character once this blend is put to flame.

The taste is a delicate balance of sweet & tangy with a touch of spice. The smoke has a nice texture to it and the room note is pleasant. It's kind of a cloying, sweet-floral lily-like aroma, with hints of vanilla and holiday spices.

Once properly lit, the Virginias shine a bit more and provide a woody, toasty tobacco taste. The topping has good staying power and continues to add contrast throughout the bowl with its sweet mulled wine like flavor. Bagpiper’s performs wonderfully. There’s very little bite, no weird waxy chemical taste or strange off-flavors. As long as it's sipped, it doesn't burn too hot and it burns dry right to the bottom.

Altogether, this is a good aromatic tobacco and should not be missed by fans of the genre. Very enjoyable & recommended.

Pipe Used: Briar & Cob

Age When Smoked: 2

11 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Bifkinator (10)	2014-10-13		Mild	Medium	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

I'm an aromatic and non aromatic smoker myself but tend to smoke a few more aromatics than non for convenience. But Bagpipers Dream is by far my favorite aromatic I've ever smoked. It's sweet, mild, and a very delightful, relaxing smoke. When I bought my first tin I opened it next to my friend and he immediately noticed the smell and fell in love with it. The aroma this stuff gives off is incredible. I just want to shove it up my nose and smell it all day. It has a very distinguishable vanilla scent and the cognac gives it a nice alcohol or fermented smell, not in a bad way, but the best way possible. As soon as you open it put your nose real close and inhale deep and slowly and enjoy.

When smoked, this stuff is crazy smooth. Almost no tongue bite at all and the flavor comes through beautifully. You'll see that a lot of people say it tastes just like it smells and they are spot on. The taste is incredible, light, and you won't want it to end. It comes with the perfect amount of moisture and stays lit very well. I very rarely have to relight and when I set it down for several minutes and come back, it starts right back up. Very delicious, puts off a good amount of smoke, and people will love you for smoking this stuff around them (I've actually attracted people by the smell of the smoke, no joke).

If your an aromatic fan, this is the THE aromatic to smoke. If your not an aromatic fan, I still say give it a try and you might be surprised by it. I highly recommend to all pipe smokers, young and old, new and experienced.

11 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Jacinto Cupboard (209)	2014-03-26		Mild	Medium to Strong	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

Tin note is very inviting, with vanilla and caramel sweetness and a hint of woods and earth. Once lit, there is an explosion of plum and cassis on the nose. On the tongue, this tobacco has a very real sweetness that carries through the entire smoke. This might seem all over the top, and to be sure this is a very fragrant, very sweet aromatic, but there is a complexity and balance here that prevents it from being vulgar or cloying. The tobacco is perfectly presented for smoking, requires no drying, and burns cool and dry to the last. The virginias themselves are light and mild. A very gentle, friendly tobacco.

10 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	StevieB (2081)	2014-06-22		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Pleasant

Rattray - Bagpipers Dream.

The unlit blend is an eclectic mix of shapes, sizes and colours, there being some large jet black Cavendish pieces, some light Virginia and some darker Virginia. Aroma is that of a predominantly Virginia blend with a topping of brandy, but it isn't too false smelling. Moisture level's decent.

The flavour of B.D's pleasant. The brandy gives a touch of grapy-sweetness without making the smoke taste of bitter alcohol. The black Cavendish rounds the flavour with a vanilla sweetness but the leading tobacco's the Virginia. It burns well for the duration of a bowl and remains bite-free.

Nicotine: mild. Room-note: pleasant.

A good aromatic, three stars:

Recommended.

Pipe Used: Davorin Denovic Morta

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Smoke King

9 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	musicman (131)	2020-10-16		Mild	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

The truth is, the vast majority of us in the pipe world start our journeys completely bass akwards. We all seem to start our learning process with the most complicated tobaccos to master, aromatics.

Starting with aromatics is like trying to learn to fly an airplane in a stealth jet. The truth is, english blends are much more forgiving to beginner mistakes. They burn better than aromatics, they tend to come a little drier and require less work to reach an optimal moisture level, the speed at which you smoke has less impact on overall flavor, and most importantly, for the most part, they won't bite as harshly as aromatics.

That being said, most of us, as new pipers, grab the goopiest aromatic we can find, pack the bowl in a very unknowledgeable and inept way, spend our time doing our best impression of a hoover vacuum to keep said wet, poorly packed tobacco lit, and after a few skin grafts on our tongues decide......aromatics suck.

If you really know what you are doing (and this takes time and practice to learn) aromatics can be outstanding. And for me, one of the most outstanding ones of all is bagpipers dream.

Rattrays is one of my favorite blending houses. There is not a dud in their lineup as far as I am concerned, and bagpipers dream is a masterpiece.

The tin note is heavenly, if you can smell this and not want to smoke it, something has to be wrong with you. Inside we have a nice even mix of light, medium, and dark ribbon cut tobacco. The moisture content is damn near perfect for me, but it does benefit from a slight drying out.

It packs easy, lights easy, and smokes cool and fragrant. When done correctly, there is not a bite in the bowl.

The taste? Well, I have to be honest. I am not sure what I am tasting. Don't take that as a negative, I love the taste, I just can't really pinpoint down what I am picking up. Cognac is mentioned on the tin. Maybe I see that, but I am pretty sure if the tin didn't mention cognac, I would not have pinpointed that taste. It is mellow, kinda vanilla like, but oh so damn good.

While aromatics get a bad name in general, I will be the first to admit not all aromatic offerings are created equal. That being said this is one of the finest aromatics I have had the opportunity to smoke, and this will always have a place in my rotation.

Get you some.

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Greekpipesmoker (201)	2017-01-21		Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Mild	Very Pleasant

When you open it a discreet sweet cognac aroma comes out.nice cut a bit moisty you might think it needs to be dryed but theres no need for it.packs well lights easy thougt it needs a few re lights.burns pretty good.it's an enjoyable blend well balanced fruity virginias and sweet cavendish.you get all the flavours promised.you can start your day with it.definitelly a good all day aromatic blend pleasant to others an excellent choise for a good aromatic smoking experience.

Age When Smoked: When opened!

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	ruffinogold (112)	2014-11-10		Mild	Mild	Medium	Very Pleasant

Until I get over the shock of the awesomeness of this blend , I'll say this ............ WOW ! This stuff is incredible and I enjoyed it from the moment I lit it till the end of ash

Pipe Used: Briars .. small / med and larger

Age When Smoked: received in trade in good condition

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	smoking-rob (79)	2007-06-21		Medium	Medium	Medium	Pleasant

An Aromatic from Rattray, the tin says it is composed of Dark VA flake, spun cuts, golden, red and dark VA and their exclusive black cavendish. The full spicy taste of the tobacco's is rounded off with, amongst others, cognac, all the rest is a secret (translated from the German description on the bottom of the tin). The tobacco smells very nice, fairly highly flavoured with a spicy background. Indeed the cut is loose cut with the mentioned rubbed out flakes and some spun cuts. The quality of the tobacco is excellent, smoothly palatable with no tongue bite. Behind the flavouring the spicyness creeps in and all the different cuts blend in harmoniously when smoking. Give this one a try if you are into high quality aromatics. Rob

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	CraigInTheCorn (11)	2018-02-16		Mild	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

This is one that I almost gave away after a couple of smokes. I'm glad I gave it another try after setting it aside a month or so. It's a lovely blend with a subtle sweetness and a nutty character from the Cognac, which is evident without being dominating. Soft, creamy smoke that requires little, if any, drying if packed lightly. Burns surprisingly slowly. Consistent flavor throughout the bowl, which is something I don't normally experience with aromatics. Very satisfying.

Pipe Used: James Upshall Dublin, Morgan Cob Cigar

Age When Smoked: 1 month

Purchased From: Arlington Cigars, Arlington Heights, Il

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	NONSUMDIGNUS (11)	2014-07-18		Mild	Medium	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

I only discriminately smoke aromatics, usually opting for a good VA or other natural tobacco over an aromatic so when I placed an order for a couple of Va's I bought Orlick Golden Sliced (my staple) and was going to get a tin of Hal o' the Wynd but decided I would try something different from Rattray. It was a gamble as I usually don't try 100g tins of something I've never tried before but I'm happy I did.

The smell is certainly of some distilled beverage. Cognac? Okay - I'll take their word for it. Whatever it is it's certainly delicious - a bit flowery to the nose from the tin but when smoking it the flavor comes through and perfectly blends with the tobacco giving a truly alcoholic tobbaco flavor which brings to mind pirate ships and rum - or cognac or whatever! It's very nice indeed!

I always liked the idea of 'whiskey' or other alcoholic tobacco but the one's I've tried have always smelled nice in the tin but have always come up short in the pipe. This one is an exception to that experience however and will probably become something I always keep on hand as it's tasty and pleasant enough for my own tastes and it seems to me to be a bridge builder tobacco that all pipe smokers would enjoy. I'll test that premise out at the next opportunity of my traditional Catholic parish's men's "poker night."

This tobacco is a little on the moist side and will benefit from a little air drying. The container's lid is a little loose and doesn't seal as well as I would like but I just emptied the whole container into a ziplock bag and re-stuffed the bag back into the container to make a zip-lockable sealed container - the original container is too attractive to just discard and stuff the tobacco in a mason jar!

Pipe Used: Basket Pipe

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: 4Noggins

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Room Note Professor (44)	2014-03-08		Mild to Medium	Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Pleasantly surprised by the tin note after all the references to Cognac! It's much sweeter and creamier, and very pleasant! (Cognac is very low in sugar - less than 1 gram per ounce). Four cuts of Virginia translate into an attractive looking tobacco. Slightly moist out of the tin - some drying improves the burn. The taste is of Virginia, Cognac, cream and quite pronounced notes of fruit (raspberry and apricot) and flowers (rose). The raspberry and rose are evident in the pleasing room note too. Not overly mild in tobacco strength, which is a positive in my book. A bit hot and bitey when pushed but al in all a very good aromatic. As I am not particularly fond of either rose or raspberry I cannot give more than 3 stars. If you enjoy well done boozy, fruity and floral notes you will probably love this tobacco.

Similar Blends: WO Larson Signature Vintage Mixture.

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	hunterPiper (3)	2014-03-07		Mild to Medium	Medium to Strong	Medium	Tolerable

I must say after reading the reviews here I was really looking forward to smoking some of this blend. This review is completely a first impression, so take it with a grain of salt.

Bagpiper's Dream is reputed to be flavored with cognac. I've had a number of VSOPs in my day, but none that resembled the sweet, cloying slightly vomitous odor that popped out when I broke the seal on the can. The tobacco was rather moist so I let it dry out about an hour and loaded up.

It lit well and after a charring, stayed lit if I was attentive to the pipe. The sickly odor did not come through in the smoke. I thought it burned consistently, though on the hot side and I did get gurgle twice. I'm willing to put the blame for that on my Comoy Apple - it has never really behaved well. I will definitely give this another shot in two other pipes.

I set the pipe aside about ten minutes ago and while the taste in my mouth is not bad, it's nothing to make me say "Yum!" The room note right now is reminiscent of maybe sour apricot? Not pleasant.

There are aromatics I truly love: IRC Three Star Royal and Nording's Retriever for two. I think, however, you have to be an aromatic fanatic to love this one. Will update if further smokes change my opinion.

Pipe Used: Comoy Apple

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Pipes and Cigars

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Scamp (20)	2012-08-22		Mild	Medium to Strong	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I bought a 100g tube of this stuff a couple of months back, and to be honest, I still haven't made my mind up as to whether or not I like it. Although I do have a tendancy to go for latakia blends, I do enjoy a good aromatic. When I read the reviews on here, I thought: this is it, an aromatic with a dose of nicotine! But when I tried it I was some-what disappointed, I don't want to piss on anyone's bonfire here as I can see from previous reviews that I'm in a minority, but I found this somewhat lacking. The smell from the tub was amazing, and the initial lighting gave me a wonderful myriad of flavours, including the tobacco tastes from the cavendish and virginia, as well as the casing. But as I smoked it down the bowl, it became more and more bitter and I became less enthusiastic about smoking it. I don't know, per-haps I haven't given up on it yet, but it's not as good as I was expecting, thats for sure!

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Palermo09 (23)	2014-06-03		Mild	Medium to Strong	Medium	Pleasant

A good aromatic. Strong Congnac flavoring that is actually quite pleasant. A bit one dimensional but a nice change of pace when a sweet aro is required. Another quality tobacco from Rattray.

Pipe Used: Stanwell egg

Age When Smoked: 2 years

Purchased From: Cup o Joes

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Dubinthedam (133)	2012-02-16		Mild to Medium	Medium to Strong	Medium	Strong

I do love rattrays, but mostly for their wonderful va blends. If I did smoke aromatics on a more regular basis this would be one of them, quality aromatic with a solid baccy taste, not too cased, not too much vanilla and the cognac and fruit flavors work well. Top aromatic.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	The Hun (38)	2019-01-15		Mild to Medium	Medium	Medium	Very Pleasant

Some years back, I went on a misbegotten nostalgia kick for the no longer available Borkum Riff Cognac blend. I tried Tobacco Galleria's Simplicity and got nothing from it. Around the same time I purchased a tin of Bagpiper's Dream and have been trying to formulate an opinion of it ever since.

Bagpiper's Dream certainly exudes an aroma of cognac upon opening the tin (or jar, where it now resides). The flavor of cognac is there the whole smoke, backed up by the sweetness of the Virginias. The burn is flawless and cool. There's enough Vitamin N to keep me interested and none of the horrible traits of many American aromatics (goopiness, vile juices, bite, etc.). There is a floral taste, which some reviewers have attributed to the Virginias, but I get a similar floral flavor from many cognacs--maybe it's just me. But...

I get overpowered by the flavors in Bagpiper's Dream. I don't know what it is for sure. Perhaps it is some of the other flavorings that have been added. I don't find myself reaching for it very often. Maybe I'm just not attuned to the many flavors in a quality tobacco. Maybe I just have simpler tastes. I find myself so overwhelmed that I have to put the pipe down and rest a while before I can continue.

This is not to say that Bagpiper's Dream isn't a quality blend, or that no one should try it. It's just not one of my favorites.

The search continues. Somewhat recommended.

Pipe Used: various

Age When Smoked: fresh from tin to 3 years

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	The Right Reverend (36)	2014-05-30		Mild	Mild to Medium	Medium	Very Pleasant

I really enjoyed this aromatic, and I enjoy only a few. The tin note and taste was boozy, just like I like it. It can bite, but you have to work at it. It is mild enough to smoke regularly but has a consistent tobacco/scotch taste through the bowl. Took a few light but then settled down. I like MacBaren's Scottish Mixture and this is reminiscent but lighter and certainly of a better tobacco quality. I have aged this a bit, one year, and it has developed a hint of pine, not a bad thing overall, and no souring from the aging. This is not a overwhelmingly sweet aromatic but lends itself to a very social room note.

Pipe Used: Cob and Clay

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Similar Blends: Mac Baren - Scottish Blend Mixture.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	MangoLegs (72)	2021-03-08		Mild to Medium	Medium	Medium	Very Pleasant

Preparation & Burn: 10/10 No preparation required. Just pack and light. Beautiful spongey/springy feel. Burns cool, no bite, good speed. Stays lit. Few re-lights required at all!

Taste: 8/20 Flowery fruity boozy and balanced. Nice toppings but mild tobacco flavor. Wish the tobacco was more obvious though.

Mildness: 10/10 My idea of a good smoke is a relaxing, low nicotine session. Therefore, the milder the better. I barely detect any nicotine here. Perfect!

Total: 28/40

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	raybrown55 (46)	2020-12-17		Mild to Medium	Medium	Medium to Full	Very Pleasant

Could an aromatic be better than this? Creamy, chocolatey, with an hint of liquor (they say cognac) and high class tobacco taste in the background; sweet and spicy aromas perfect in the holiday season. Along with his cousin Buckingham one of my favorites among the aromatics. Four stars

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2019-04-19		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Full	Very Pleasant

After sniffing the tin of Bagpiper's Dream, I immediately started salivating. It instantly became a high ranking member in my aromatic rotation of which there are very few. I loved the combination of Vanilla & Cognac & how it interplayed with the tobaccos developing a delicious, sweet flavor that hangs on the palate. It's not too harsh & as with any tobacco that may tend to bite initially, employing the DGT method will negate that issue somewhat. It is fairly moist but can be smoked from the opening or dried to the smoker's preference.

The tasty flavoring is there at the beginning & remains throughout but after some has burned off it gets even better... the point where all the varietals & flavoring meld together & form a unique flavor with a pleasing aroma. Drying it out doesn't seem to diminish the flavor or aroma which is my preferred method for preparation. If your taste buds are not dead or suffering from any type of infirmity, Bagpiper's Dream will seem like its name implies & will tantalize your taste buds.

BD doesn't cause chemical burn (bite) or become harsh if not pushed. I'm enjoying a bowl of it right now & I'm not really a heavy hitter when it comes to aromatics. Bagpiper's Dream has an alluring flavor that's surprisingly, tantalizingly delicious & a little "pinch" will go a long way. You could sprinkle a dab of quality Latakia & some Turkish to this and you'd have an exceptionally fine aromatic Balkan blend... "Balkan-Aro," if you will. I'll have to try this idea and edit the results... & here we go: If you mix this to your taste preference with a little Syrian, Cyprian, or both with some Turkish Yenidje, you can anticipate amazing results. However, Bagpiper's Dream is extremely satisfying & flavorful the way it is... just experimenting, as it were. It's no wonder so many appreciate this blend. It's an outstanding aromatic!

Pipe Used: Danmore Dublin & D. S. Huber Dublin

Age When Smoked: Fresh Tin

Purchased From: Cup O' Joes, Wilke Pipe Tobacco

Similar Blends: This is rather unique to me... maybe a more experienced brother of the briar might assist in similars. I'm at a loss...

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	pencils (58)	2017-03-21		Mild	Medium	Medium	Very Pleasant

I confess at the outset to enjoying aromatics as an occasional change from a general pipe diet of English and Balkans. Normally a latakiaphile, and never having enjoyed either Marlin or Hal o' the Wynd, I wondered how I would get on with a blend that is purported to be Virginia-heavy. However, this could easily be an all day dessert smoke, with its cognac and vanilla overtones and high quality base tobaccos.

Rattray can do nothing wrong for me, at the moment. Highly recommended to those who want a gently sweet blend, which burns to the bottom of the bowl with a consistent flavour and unfussed simplicity. Never goopy, always predictable in the best sense, and very moreish. Sometimes burns a little hot, but that may be eagerness in me due to real enjoyment. Retrohaling increases the flavour profile.

Age When Smoked: New tin

Purchased From: Turmeaus, Liverpool

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	tobaccolover (3)	2015-11-09		Mild to Medium	Very Strong	Medium to Full	Very Pleasant

Generally speaking I don't like aromatics and I decided that this would be my last attempt with this genre of tobaccos. On the opening the smell is extremely pleasant, you can detect berries, cognac, vanilla, and the smell of good quality Virginia. The Black Cavendish is somehow there but a little bit in the back. It smokes very smoothly, burns easily, one match is enough to light it up and you don't need to relight, that makes it a very easy to smoke baccy, even on a windy or wet day. For me the problem was the tongue bite. As mixtures that contain Cavendish in general, this tobacco gives a certain tongue bite. Of course you can reduce it by puffing slowly, but it's still present. The smell of cognac is a little bit overwhelming and the casing that gives the vanilla flavour is a little bit too strong in my opinion. In general it is a bit nauseating and harsh on my stomach. Compared to a other aros it's still a very good quality product, but I don't see how it's possible to say that it has no tongue bite at all. Also, the taste of good VA comes through, but still the flavour is too harsh and edgy. I wouldn't recommend it at all.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Nicotiana_rustica (23)	2014-03-03		Mild to Medium	Medium	Medium	Very Pleasant

Bagpiper's Dream smells intensely of cognac upon opening. The various cuts in the blend are a pleasure for the eyes and the himidity level is a bit high, so I had to put the tin away for a while before trying it.

BPD smokes dry and cool. It is very good, tastes of cognac big time but lets the tobacco taste come out as well. A nice aromatic of high quality!

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2012-03-22		Medium	Medium	Medium	Very Pleasant

This, my friends, is one of the finest aromatics I had the opportunity to smoke! And, for a change, it does contain enough Vitamin N to keep me happy. The loose cut, broken flakes and curlies that compose BD makes for a very enjoyable burning and smoke. The cognac - and not whiskey - casing is delighful to the nose and palate. Past half point, the casing diminishes and allows for the tobacco taste to emerge, which is a nice bonus. You are looking for a high grade aromatic that smokes dry. tastes great and has a decent dose of Vitamin N? Do not search anymore and get some BD!

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Postie (9)	2009-09-05		Medium to Strong	Strong	Full	Tolerable

Made me sick to my stomach. Being a Piper, I had hoped this would be kind of cool to have in my Bagpipe case. Well, better not.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	TheOtter (72)	2023-02-15		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Very Pleasant

This is my favorite aromatic so far, and I'll update this review if that changes. The cognac topping pairs with the cavendish perfectly, and provides sweetness and flavour all the way to the bottom of the bowl. Even as most of the cognac burns off it still lingers around longer than expected. The Virginias come from four different cuts, so don't be surprised if you even find some curly little coins. There is an unexpected little bit of zest coming from the Virginias that titillate the taste buds. This is perfection in the aromatic genre. The tobaccos are elevated by the flavours instead of being overstated by them.

4/4 relax and enjoy

Pipe Used: Savinelli Fantastia Dublin

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Flyingdutchman (20)	2022-09-06		Mild to Medium	Strong	Full	Very Pleasant

Absolutely my favourite aromatic mixture. The tin aroma recalls the best french cognacs, tobacco is a wonder to see including coins and ribbons and broken flake, extremely easy to pack, mildly moistured but burns all the way throught. Apart from the Brebbia Quartetto, this is the only tobacco my family loves to smell in the living room Try it. You must absolutely try it. Tell you this, if I'd have to choose between this and Ennerdale, i'd chose this.

Pipe Used: Mastro Geppetto liscia

Age When Smoked: Fresh from the tin

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Gerry P (39)	2021-11-30		Mild to Medium	Medium	Medium	Very Pleasant

This might be my favorite aro. It lights and smokes easily and doesn't bite. The cognac and vanilla flavorings are well-balanced and don't hide the tobacco flavor. I also get a little floral character, which adds a nice bit of complexity. As far as aromatics go, I think this might be considered more of an English-style due to its conservative amount of flavorings. (I could be wrong about the terminology here.) The other kind of aro is more goopy, like Rattray's Exotic Passion and Summer blends, Captain Black, Mixture No. 79, etc. I wonder if most people who avoid aros had negative experiences with the latter type. Those smokers might find that they enjoy a more restrained, less bitey, cooler aro like this one. The room note is excellent too

Age When Smoked: 3 years

Purchased From: Mayan Import Co., New Orleans LA,

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	canvas (337)	2021-02-28		Mild to Medium	Medium	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Those who know, know Rattray makes the good stuff, so I was curious about this highly rated and comparably more expensive blend.

The tin pops with a superb sweet/tart Brandy liqueur that is decadent and raised the eyebrow of every person (non smoker alike) I made smell it. This wasn't some spray on chemical bullsnot, it was the mouth watering real deal. The slightly moist black/brown mix packed well and had little trouble sparking up. One peculiar note is my tin had a few tiny cut disks, which I'm assuming was from the creation process?... nonetheless they were like finding some fun toys in the cereal box.

The first few puffs were rich and conveyed a smooth and booze tasty, that didn't overwhelm the senses and complimented the natural tobacco taste. Nothing felt cheap and I was enjoying the flavor all the way to the end of the bowl.

I will be rebuying this again (once in stock), it was worth the extra pennies and deserving of the 4 star hype.

Purchased From: tobaccopipes.com

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	L'Italiano (233)	2018-12-24		Mild	Medium	Medium	Pleasant

BAGPIPER’S DREAM: According to my personal taste it is not a dream. Not at all. I like aromatics and flavored blends but in this expensive mixture I can not find what makes the difference. Where is the kick in it? On the whole this is a classic flavored blend: there is casing and there is topping. And there isn’t only Cognac in this blend, but many more seasoning ingredients. Perhaps it will be a dream for aromatic blends’ lovers but in my opinion this is nothing special and honestly I find it hard to find the difference between this tobacco and a simple Danish aromatic sold in pouch. Very expensive, it is a pleasant tobacco, mild, but nothing more. So, in my opinion and in my personal rating system (from 1 to 10) my score is 6 and two stars.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Rustedrailsmokes (293)	2018-08-05		Mild	Medium to Strong	Medium	Very Pleasant

this has become a staple of my rotation. The cognac finish over the Virginia's is a great evening smoke. Easy to pack and for me stays lit usually without any relights.

I've smoked this in everything from Meerschaum to cobs to Castello Canadians and I've never found a pipe it doesn't like.

Pipe Used: various

Age When Smoked: fresh from tin to 2 years

Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com / Smittys

Similar Blends: Pembroke sort of.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	thesmoggypipester (77)	2017-05-26		Mild	Medium to Strong	Medium to Full	Pleasant

I know I have reviewed this before, but I thought an edit was nessesary.

First impressions after trying it for the first time in 5 years was great, but I tried a few bowl today and something has happened to it, it's been kept in the tin at room temperature, it was considerably drier than when I first opened it, so the tin is not air tight (mine was a 100g tub), and I'm quite perplexed as even though it's drier it will not stay lit!. The constant relight ruin the flavour it just turns it into a sour mess, and even though it's not bone dry, it burned quite hot and scorched my tongue.

One plus point is that it smells nice out of the tin and the room note is pleasant but I don't buy tobacco for everyone else to enjoy apart me.

Do be warned though, if you are going smoke it, try it in a cob or meerschaum to be sure you like it as it ghosts as quickly and fiercely as condor.

I guess this is very much a lesson that revisiting the past can be a crushing dissapointment.

Try it you may like it but as for me, in its current incarnation , whether it is the same and I've changed or there has been a subtle change in recipe, bagpipers dream turned into a bagpipers nightmare.

Pipe Used: Falcon

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	huntad (1)	2016-07-31		Mild	Medium	Medium	Very Pleasant

A lovely aromatic that smells great out of the pouch (my local sell this loose in pouches of 25g+). Im my opinion it really is great. The smell is more of a caramel with the sweetness of cognac.

As a relatively new pipe smoker I have two criteria that I judge all tobaccos by. 1- taste and 2- how well it behaves when smoked.

In my opinion the taste is very pleasant and seems to attract curious non-smokers which is always a plus.

The tobacco behaves great too. Two char lights and a single relight made for an enjoyable fuss free smoke.

I would recommend this tobacco to everyone to try though I know that not everyone will agree with me.

Pipe Used: mm cob and London made briar

Age When Smoked: no idea (tobacconist conditioned)

Purchased From: GT Coventry Kirkcaldy

Similar Blends: Perfection (or close to it).

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	bence (34)	2016-04-12		Mild to Medium	Medium	Medium	Very Pleasant

Basicaly I'm not an aromatic fun, but this one is the exception that proves the rule. The only aromatic baccy i met, which gives the very pleasant tin smell all along the smoke, and also the room note is the same. I use a bent peterson to enjoy this magic. 5 stars here...

Pipe Used: Peterson Connemara

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Viet Cuong (1)	2016-02-01		Mild	Medium	Medium to Full	Very Pleasant

I don't know how someone can still underestimated this wonderful tobacco! For me, it's like a gift from heaven. I really really recommend this to any level of smokers!

Pipe Used: Chacom Pilot

Age When Smoked: Just 3 months

Purchased From: Tauthuoc.vn

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Arkie (129)	2015-04-01		Mild	Extra Strong	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

I definitely would not describe this mixture as having vanilla or cognac. Nor does it taste floral or soapy. All I could taste was juniper berry which, along with the cognac, made it taste like the smell of juniper after shave lotion. I couldn't even finish the first bowl of it. Weird stuff and not recommended even for smokers who like aromatic mixtures.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Appalachian Chef (52)	2015-02-23		Mild to Medium	Medium	Medium to Full	Very Pleasant

I thoroughly enjoy this aromatic. It is not overly cased and the tobaccos sing the chorus with harmonies by the casings. It's just sweet enough with a little tanginess coming from the Virginias. I will keep this in an aromatic rotation and want to try more from Rattray's.

Pipe Used: Falcon Billiard

Age When Smoked: 3 months

Purchased From: P&C

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Spitfire1 (15)	2015-01-10		Mild to Medium	Medium	Full	Very Pleasant

Have been smoking thuis tobacco after Reading reviews About it and it realy is astonishing! The quality of this blend is realy put of pace. The complexity of flavors is overwhelming and The variation of flavors till THE end of the bowl is always refreshing for the palate.

This tobacco Will remain in my rotation.

Pipe Used: Peterson Mark Twain

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: Shop in Antwerp

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	tramm98 (1)	2014-01-17		Mild	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

BPD is an excellent aromatic blend with strong notes of alcohol in both the flavoring and aroma.

It smokes relatively dry for an aromatic but it could still use some drying out. I found that my best smokes of BPD were after I had let it sit out for about 15 minutes before smoking.

It does a nice job of staying lit through the bowl and will smoke well even if you come back to it after a break.

My one real complaint about BPD is that it begins to lose its flavor about 2/3 down the bowl. Sometimes you are left with the taste of fine tobacco. Other times you are left with the horrifying taste of sulfurous ash. Probably had more to do with how I was smoking, but it was an experience I will not soon forget!

Overall, I would give BPD my highest recommendation if not for fear that others would buy it all up!

Pipe Used: Cob, Savenelli

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: Pipes & Cigars

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Joeray (61)	2013-12-30		Mild to Medium	Medium	Medium	Very Pleasant

Another good blend from Rattray that i smoke. The tin note is very good, smooth and calm cognag flavor i can smell from it. Easy to pack and light with a great smoke and not much moise that makes my pipe fast gurgling. Is very sweet even when i relight it, the room notes is very sweet and pleasant that helps me to recover when i on bad mood.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	krg1000 (183)	2013-12-14		Mild	Mild	Mild	Very Pleasant

I got a tin of this blend on a whim to see what it was like. I was pleasantly surprised to find this to be a fine blend with a wonderful room note. The tin note and room note are amazing and the room note should get you some compliments whilst you some this fine blend. This stays lit and burns down nicely. Highly recommended.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Mesh (51)	2012-12-22		Medium	Strong	Medium	Tolerable

It seems to me that the blenders have tried to create a new style of aromatic by merging Danish and British (Lakeland) aromatic traditions. If that sounds appealing to you, give it a shot. Not my cuppa tea.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pipe1000 (14)	2012-12-19		Mild to Medium	Medium	Medium	Very Pleasant

Rattray's Bagpiper's Dream was an enjoyable smoke, but did disappointed slightly in that the smoke didn't quite live up to its tin note (although this is common place with most aromatics) in saying this, BP's Dream is a lovely aromatic and very enjoyable once air dried a little which left a somewhat dry bowl. The smoke was very smooth with no tongue bite. With a little more nicotine, this would be a well-rounded satisfying blend. It had a consistent flavour from the sweet Virginia throughout the bowl and I was left with a beautiful room note, recommended to any aromatic lover.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2012-10-09		Mild to Medium	Medium to Strong	Medium	Very Pleasant

Even though a scottish bag piper enjoying a cognac based tobacco does not immediately make sense, this aromatic is quite extraordinary!

The tobacco smells immensely of cognac upon opening. The various cuts in the blend is a pleasure for the eyes and the himidity level is a bit high, so I had to put the tin away for a while before trying it.

BPD smokes dry. It is very good, tastes of cognac big time but lets the tobacco taste come out as well. As it marks the pipe, you want to dedicate a pipe to this beautiful, rich and tasty aromatic.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	pipey duck (50)	2012-01-08		Mild	Mild to Medium	Medium	Pleasant

oh what a pitty!!! Out of the tin a soft and sweet smell and a great appearance of all sorts of cutting let me think of a satisfey smoke, And once lit,there is a really sweet and pleasant smoking,but , often complained, to less nicotin!!!! if there is anybody knowing a sweet but STRONG tobacco which is NOT in the 1792 SG,or ST BRUNO style,please mail me. coming back to bagpipers dream; It doesn´t bite,it keep lit easy,and there is a mouthfull of light flavourt high quality tobacco, 3 stars about the little nic otherwise 4, i can recommend for all mild smokers who look for a sweet but tobaccotasty blend,

update the flavouring is one of the best i tried but the body is .......? 3stars for being sweet and the fine cognac taste. 1 for being a nicotin skeletor. together 3 stars if you looking for a good but very mild booze tobacco

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	SteveH (37)	2011-10-16		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Medium cut, mixture of browns and black. Taste - mild and pleasant, but nothing exceptional.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Timberwolf (2)	2011-09-07		Medium	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Now, to set the tone of this review, I am not and aromatic smoker. I smoke primarily VA's, Burleys and limited English blends.

In looking for an aromatic that does not offer the traditional aromatic lack of taste and goopy residue in the pipe, I stumbled across this blend while filling a bad case of TAD.

The Cognac top dressing appealed to and intrigued me. Upon opening the tin, a pleasant aroma arose.

The pipe packed easily and the charring light emitted a distinct presence of the cognac, but also I detected quite regularly throughout the bowl the presence of vanilla.

I enjoyed this bowl as I was expecting a lot less. Quality tobacco, a pleasant room note that the wife and kids actually like, and a very nice change of pace.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2011-07-10		Mild	Mild to Medium	Mild	Very Pleasant

This aromatic was a bit different for me...and any tobacco that can separate itself from the crowd is a good thing in my opinion. When you open the can a very pleasant aroma drifts out and though it seemed familiar, I couldn't quite put my thumb on it. Then a lightbulb turned on and I had that "eureka!" moment. It was the jolly smell of bayberry. The pleasant holiday aroma that you usually detect around Christmas. Add to that a slight touch of whiskey and you have the overall flavor and aroma that comes from this particular blend of tobacco.

The taste is decent and will give you the hint of what you smell from the pouch. (To be honest, if you are looking for a great taste, you usually won't find it in an aromatic. You're better off searching for that from an English blend.) The tobacco burns cool and doesn't give much of a tongue bite. The room note really highlighted this tobacco much to the delight of my wife who can be pretty particular about the smoke. One down side that I noticed is that it is hard to keep the tobacco lit if you take it fresh from the tin. A little drying time is recommended. Overall, because this is such a distinct flavor from other aromatics I have to highly recommend this as it's a nice change of pace to add to your rotation.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2010-09-26		Strong	Medium	Medium to Full	Strong

I found this at my tobacconist unexpectedly. I usually stay away from aromatics. I tend to smoke English blends with plenty of Latakia and Macedonian in them. I usually go for Penzance or Balkan Sasieni. Anyway, I have been smoking this out of a meerschaum pipe, and it is a match made in heaven. This mixture does not burn too hot or sear the tongue even if I pull on the smoke stream with strength.I have tried this in a couple of my briars, and I noticed that the taste became sour, however. I think I had it in a Peterson's 313. At any rate, I do happily recommend this tobacco. One more thing, I smoked this in a local pub, and the people there did enjoy the aroma.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Blocka33 (6)	2009-07-04		Medium	Strong	Full	Very Pleasant

I bought a tin of this based on the few reviews and the fact that I am a "Bagpiper".

Peel that tin open and let the caramel cognac aroma woft out. Interesting amalgamation of flakes and cuts etc filling the bowl like a jigsaw puzzle.

Slightly moist out of the tin which i like but would benefit from a short period of drying before lighting.

Cool and tastey in the mouth. The real Virginia tobacco flavour is present and in glorious harmony with the sweetness - a triumph !

Will buy again.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Karel (9)	2023-03-22		Mild to Medium	Medium to Strong	Mild	Very Pleasant

Tin note: orange liqueur (triple sec)

Very pleasant room note. Tastes like orange liqueur, but can taste sometimes little bit chemically. It definitely doesn't smell and taste like cognac - it is way more sweet and fruity. Underlying tobacco tastes like sweet breads and woods.

This is a pretty good aromatic tobacco, but quite mild for my taste. The flavoring can taste little bit off sometimes. I'd still somewhat recommend this blend if you like sweet fruity booze.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Yadkin1765 (1)	2023-02-16		Mild	Mild to Medium	Medium	Very Pleasant

There is little to add to the descriptions provided by others. The blend is smooth and sweet as far as aromatics go without entirely overpowering the natural and traditional flavor of the tobaccos. I came to add only one remark, one word, really: Panettone. This is the flavor achieved by this smoke. A wonderful traditional continental Christmas confection, it is now my official holiday and winter indulgence. By this, I mean my holiday aromatic of choice. Perhaps, it will become more than that, but it simply fits the bill.

Pipe Used: Are Dedicated G. Jensen Bent Apple

Similar Blends: Nada, Zilch, Zip, Zippo.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Anakin1981 (11)	2022-12-24		Mild to Medium	Medium	Medium	Very Pleasant

This is one of the best aromatics that I've smoked so far. A nice blend of Black Cavendish & Virginia with Cognac flavour and I also tasted a bit of vanilla (or a similar sweet fragnance). Whenever I smoked it left me with an excellent taste and very pleasant aroma in the room. A bit moist and requires a few relights, it's not consistent in taste until the end and might get a bit hot at times.

All those positive reviews cannot be wrong so if you like aromatics and you haven't tasted it so far you should give it a try! One of my favourites for sure!

Pipe Used: Various

Age When Smoked: Fresh from the tin and after a year in a glass jar

Purchased From: Tobacco store

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Waldorf Salad (10)	2021-06-05		Medium	Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

I had very high hopes for this blend, but I'm a little let-down. Not sure what cognac smells like but the tin aroma is heavenly. Looks like a good quality blend with a pleasing mix of colors. There was a good moistness level but burned a little slow with not a lot of smoke. The tin aroma was reproduced somewhat in the taste but not enough to keep me very interested. It also gave me a bit more of a buzz than most aromatics.

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: Robert Graham

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2019-02-26		Medium	Medium to Strong	Very Full	Pleasant

After sniffing the tin of Bagpiper's Dream, I immediately started salivating. It instantly became a high ranking member in my aromatic rotation of which there are very few. I loved the combination of Vanilla & Cognac & how it interplayed with the tobaccos developing a delicious, sweet flavor that hangs on the palate. It's not too harsh & as with any tobacco that may tend to bite initially, employing the DGT method will negate that issue. It is fairly moist but can be smoked from the opening or dried to the smoker's preference.

The tasty flavoring is there at the beginning & remains throughout but after some has burned off it gets even better... the point where all the varietals & flavoring meld together & form a unique flavor with a pleasing aroma. Drying it out doesn't seem to diminish the flavor or aroma which is my preferred method for preparation. If your taste buds are not dead or suffering from any type of infirmity, Bagpiper's Dream will seem like its name implies & will tantalize your taste buds.

The strength is medium & doesn't bite or become harsh if not pushed. I'm enjoying a bowl of it right now & I'm not really a heavy hitter when it comes to aromatics. Bagpiper's Dream has an alluring flavor that's surprisingly, tantalizingly, delicious & a little "pinch" will go a long way. You could sprinkle a dab of quality Latakia & some Turkish to this and you'd have an exceptionally fine aromatic Balkan blend... "Balkanaro," as it were. I will have to try this idea and edit the results... & here we go: If you mix this to your tastes with a little Syrian or Cyprian & Turkish, you can anticipate amazing results. However, Bagpiper's Dream is fine just the way it is... just experimenting, as it were. This is an outstanding aromatic that rates off the chart. Four stars plus!

Pipe Used: Danmore Dublin & D. S. Huber Dublin

Age When Smoked: Fresh Tin

Purchased From: Cup O' Joes, Wilke Pipe Tobacco

Similar Blends: This is rather unique to me...

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2016-08-17		Mild	Strong	Extremely Mild (Flat)	Pleasant to Tolerable

I have nothing against aromatic tobaccos. In fact, I love them. The right ones, that is. For whatever reason, Bagpiper's Dream -- which I have every reason to believe contains high-quality tobaccos -- just plain nauseates me. I can't taste the base Virginias; I can't taste much of anything, to be honest. What I do get, and get in spades, is an overpowering aroma of florals and acetone. Almost like bathroom air freshener. The cognac topping doesn't really come through for me.

I'm a big fan of Rattray's tobaccos in general, and I'm willing to give this one the benefit of the doubt and chalk up my distaste to a body-chemistry thing. This stuff just clashes with me for whatever reason. It also ghosts a pipe, which I learned the hard way.

This is one of the few tobaccos I've ever smoked where I just couldn't finish the bowl.

One star.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2012-05-13		Mild	Mild	Mild	Very Pleasant

Not as sweet as the tin note/room note would have you believe, but actually a quite tasty, smooth blend. Smells fantastic both in the tin and in the pipe, but true to most aros, pack your snorkel as will get quite wet towards the end of the bowl. Very light on the Nic, but not a bad summer time smoke. A bit of a bar-setter for aromatics.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Mr. Big (321)	2011-07-28		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Overwhelming

Look I'm convinced that I really don't care for Aromatics, and that is what this is. Good quality tobacco is used so If you're an Aro smoker give this a try and disregard my rating.

Update 10/28/11 I gave my tin to a bunch of "newbees" as we played cards. Since I was not smoking, I could really evaluate the aroma, cherry floral, and very cloying. I took the tin away from them !!! Down one more star

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2010-12-30		Mild to Medium	Strong	Full	Very Pleasant

I tried this blend upon a suggestion of a friend. I am very impressed by this blend. It has a great room note and tastes just like it smells out of the can. I would think that even the biggest smoke haters will like the room note of this blend. If you like Aromatics then this is a must try!

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2009-12-05		Medium	Medium	Medium to Full	Tolerable

THIS IS A VERY STRONG AROMATIC FOR ME, FLAVOR IS ACTUALLY VERY NICE. COULDNT TELL VERY STRONG ROOM NOTE. TASTE IS NICE, ALITTLE STRONG FOR ME, AND IT DOES LEAVE A SOMEWHAT SOUR AFTER TASTE. YET STILL I WOULD RECOMMEND AND MAY EVEN MIX W/ SOMETHING ELSE TO TRY A SEE IF I CAN GET THAT AFTER TASTE OUT.

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