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Buckingham combines a mixture of black cavendish, bright and dark Virginias and fragrant burley. Enjoying this blend you will experience the true promise of hickory nut and bourbon vanilla hitting the scent of cinnamon.
Notes: Buckingham is apparently a new incarnation of Peterson Gold Blend, whose recipe is owned by Kohlhase & Kopp.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| StevieB (2081) |  |
Medium | Mild to Medium | Medium | Very Pleasant |
Rattray - Buckingham.
Although this is an aromatic it still has a clean taste. It's not heavy, stodgy or clumsy tasting. I find that sometimes aromatics can be too gloopy but this has a classy extra flavour that can be easily appreciated without it taking everything over completely.
The tin note is fabulous! Without a doubt it's the hickory nut that takes lead here with the vanilla and cinnamon falling a little behind. It's one of those aromas that almost beseeches you to light up!
Although this was from a sealed tin it didn't seem to have a great deal of water trapped inside. This makes for simple ignition. A few short goes with a flame get it burning very well, there's no requirement at all for a jet flame!
Like the aroma, I get a prominent taste of the hickory nut coming through. It doesn't seem harsh but it is a lot easier to identify than the cinnamon and vanilla. I like this as I haven't come across 'hickory nut' much before! It tastes exactly as the name suggests; woody and nutty!
Out of the tobaccos I get the most flavour from the burley. This goes hand in hand with the hickory nut.
I get no bite whatsoever. I can draw my pipe like a mad man and still it eludes me!
Nicotine is about medium. It won't make your head spin, nor will it leave you still craving N.
The room note has a great nuttiness to it. Mind you, it's a little potent so possibly may offend some people!
This is a very good blend. The aromatics are strong enough to gain recognition and they embellish the burley perfectly. On the other hand they aren't too strong as to mess the blend up. The blend has an almost 'rustic' taste.
Easily rated. Highly recommended.
Pipe Used: Comoy Elegance
Age When Smoked: New
Purchased From: My Smoking Shop
15 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JimInks (3048) |  |
Medium | Medium | Medium | Very Pleasant |
The bright and dark Virginias provide a bit of citrus, some grass, dark fruit and earth as the base of the blend. The earthy, nutty, woody, lightly floral and fragrant burley may have some sweetness, but if so, it is not noticeable, and is an important supporting player. The fairly sugary black cavendish plays a secondary role. The hickory nut topping takes a little of the lead over the fruity bourbon vanilla, and the cinnamon is in the background. The toppings do sublimate the tobaccos to a fair extent. The strength and taste level are medium. The nic-hit is a step closer to medium than it is to mild. No chance of bite and has no harsh notes. Burns cool and slightly slow as the tobacco is a tad moist fresh out of the tin, but I saw no need to dry it. The nuanced, rich, deep sweet and mildly savory flavor has a light inconsistency, a light creaminess, and hint of alcohol. Leaves little moisture in the bowl, and requires a few relights if smoked straight out of the tin. Has a pleasant, mildly lingering after taste. Not quite an all day experience, but veteran aro smokers may consider it to be one. Three and a half stars.
-JimInks
12 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Glorfindel (86) | |
Medium | Medium | Medium to Full | Pleasant to Tolerable |
This seems to be an aromatic that doesn't push itself as an aromatic. The flavors are there but muted and dry to the point that dedicated English fans might like this one.. It's not a weak or wet American style aromatic.. The burley and VA character are full and honest. There is true tobacco taste and strength here, and NO BITE. A simple and effective run at at flavored smoke without masking the HIGH quality tobacco that Rattray always uses. You'll get your money's worth here folks,, dry, medium strength, balanced.....
Update:11-18-16,,,, Folks I think we have a sleeper classic in the making here. I'm half way through the generous 3.5 ounce tin and loving it more and more,, English, Aromatic and all pipe smokers should give this one a try,, very impressive !!
4 Stars
Pipe Used: Meer Lined
Age When Smoked: New Tin
Purchased From: pipesandcigars.com
Similar Blends: None I've ever tried,,,, LOL :).
11 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| tleek (51) | |
Mild | Medium to Strong | Mild | Pleasant to Tolerable |
I purchased this because hickory nut, vanilla, and cinnamon seemed like great flavors for an autumnal and holiday blend. Buckingham does not disappoint. The hickory nut dominates the flavor but the cinnamon and vanilla both complement it nicely. This is a nutty blend that is nicely sweetened and spiced. The cinnamon is most evident when echoed through the nose. I taste burly here, and it’s natural nutty character plays nicely with the toppings. This is very well blended. There is also definitely a high percentage of cavendish. It is a very smooth smoke, and also lighter than I anticipated. I am enjoying buckingham with an IPA but coffee would be a better pairing. It is a very clean and cool burning tobacco. Overall Buckingham is a very enjoyable blend. It’s topings dominates the flavor profile but they work well with ge tobacco and the blend is not too thickly cased. Worth trying out for Aromatic fans.
6 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| canvas (337) | |
Mild to Medium | Medium | Mild to Medium | Pleasant |
I often prefer "higher end" import aromatics, and having never tried a Rattray product, I was quite excited to dig in. It's very possible I am just drinking an imported beer, but from a European perspective - it's just Blatz. Nonetheless, the can cracking unleashed a powerful mouth watering rush of spicy perfume. The vanilla and cinnamon are no doubt at work, but combine with the Cavendish into what could pass for cologne.
I love the look of the tall tin, yet it gets awkward to pull from towards the bottom. The tobacco itself is moist and full of stubborn dense chunks you may want to rub out before packing, unless you are going for a cube cut effect. Lights and smolders well, producing a mild strength and a taste I can't pin down. It isn't sweet, earthy, somewhat sharp at times, yet not what I found yummy. It was closer to what I imagine cologne would be like if smoked.
The flavor never found a mark, so I wouldn't buy this mix again, yet I am eager to try their other offerings. If this is in fact a European Blatz, it felt like quality is there and will likely appeal to a smoker out there.
Purchased From: smokingpipes.com
5 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stinkypipe (155) | |
Medium | Medium | Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
Oddly enough this is the first Rattray blend I have ever tried. I usually try all new aromatics with a Peterson Plip pipe as it seems to enhance the flavor of aromatics and focus my taste buds. Upon opening the tin I got some nice aroma. Mostly fruity and floral aroma not much in the way of nuts. Tobacco was pretty damp so I let it dry out just a bit. (Frankly I should have probably let it dry out longer). The light up was fair as due to moisture it did require working with the flame a bit. First flavor were fruity notes mixed with some nutty flavor. Very interesting taste I have never experienced in this combination before. As the bowl continued to burn the fruity flavor got stronger and nutty taste went away. One thing I noticed was I kept wanting to relight as hardly any smoke was being produced but it remained producing good flavor. At this point I thought well this is just a fruity blend when all of a sudden her comes the nutty flavor. These flavors continued to mix around throughout the smoke. Just a very interesting smoke indeed. Near the end the nutty flavor increased for the last of the bowl. Now this is just the first bowl so I hope once dried out a bit the flavors will be enhanced. I have never smoked a Rattray blend before but if there as good as this one I will certainly be trying them out. The room note is not that noticeable and most interesting is the nice fruity taste that remains in your mouth after finishing the smoke. Frankly this is the most interesting aromatic I have ever had the pleasure of smoking. I give it four stars for sure.
Pipe Used: Peterson Plip
Age When Smoked: Fresh with an hour of dry time
5 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Captain Casual (21) | |
Mild to Medium | Medium | Mild to Medium | Pleasant |
A neat aromatic, on the lighter side of things. Of the tobaccoes in this blend, the Black Cavendish is the most noticable one, considering it goes hand in hand with the vanilla-hickory-cinnamon topping.
The Burley is noticable as well, providing a nutty, slightly woody quality that also goes well with the flavouring. The virginia mostly stays in the background, with only some rare, grassy, earthy hints peeking through.
It burns as clean as it gets for an aromatic, and it behaves well. Doesn't get too hot, doesn't need many relights.
The one downside with this blend is that i feel it's just a bit too generic. It lacks a bit of character, in my eyes.
All in all, this blend is solid throughout, nothing more, nothing less. I think it's alright, and this is more of a 2.5 Star review than a two.
Pipe Used: Various briars
Purchased From: Cigarworld.de
3 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| raybrown55 (46) | |
Mild | Medium | Medium | Very Pleasant |
I bought this instead of Bagpiper's Dream, because of the unavailability of the latter, but I'm very glad I did. Buckingham is one of the best aromatics I've ever had (and I've tried many in 35 years of pipe smoking), all the flavors, from the tobaccos and from the topping, merge wonderfully to generate a creamy heavenly taste. Buckingham has nothing in common with cheap aromatics in which the topping aromas are in your face, it is very well refined, almost aristocratic… Higly recommended
Purchased From: Tabaccheria Guzzi, Gorgonzola (MI)
3 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
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| Pipesolitude (23) | |
Mild to Medium | Medium to Strong | Medium | Very Pleasant |
I have not smoked aromatics since I first started with pipe smoking some years back. I wanted to try it again and Buckingham cought my interest. But I had almost forgot why I started to smoke non aromatics. And now I was reminded again: the hot smoke, constant risk of tounge bite and not being fully satisfied by the taste. I think that whatever taste that is produced by adding aromatic flavouring is superficial, nothing near to the fullness you get from an english.
In relative terms, however, Buckingham might be a nice aro. But even if I can taste what I presume is described as "hickory nut" - but cinnamon and vanilla? must I conclude that my palate is not sophisticated enough, or are not these descriptive terms simply an expression for wishful thinking, wanting tobacco to taste like something that it is not? -, I must say that I nevertheless find the taste to be a quite typical and generic aromatic kind of taste. And it only took a few bowls for me to realize how much more I prefer an english tobacco. But I don't want to be unfair, I will try to judge this tobacco according to its genre. I will give it 3 stars, because in relative terms I think it is a nice choice. And yes, the room note is wonderful. Perhaps this ended up to be a general verdict on aromatics, but I am still curious to see if I can find an aro that satisfies me. Unforturnately, Buckingham is not it, and it might take a while before I decide to spend money on another aromatic blend.
3 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Burn-A-Briar (7) | |
Medium | Medium to Strong | Medium | Very Pleasant |
When I first got into smoking a pipe (in the days when Kohlhase & Kopp blended the Peterson tobacco line), I started trying many aromatic tobaccos in an attempt to train my taste buds to pick out the subtleties of pipe smoke. Peterson's Gold Blend was the first tobacco I discovered where I found myself wanting to buy more.
The tin note was much like Sherlock Holmes (a sweet, raisin-like aroma) but with a background note of vanilla. Once in the pipe, this tobacco smoked smoothly and produced a sweet tasting flavour that didn't overpower the nuances of the natural tobaccos. Further down the bowl the smoke became more robust and the quality of the leaves used to make the blend came into their own. Overall this was a lovely tobacco and became my go-to aromatic blend.
However, Gold Blend changed somewhat and it wasn't until I discovered Buckingham - which drew my attention as it contained vanilla, cinnamon and hickory nut flavourings (as did Gold Blend) - that I realised that the Peterson tobaccos had changed blenders. After trying Buckingham, I can confirm it is indeed the same tobacco that Gold Blend once was and it has replaced the (new) Peterson version as my go-to aromatic pipe tobacco.
Pipe Used: Peterson Aran 03
Age When Smoked: New
Purchased From: www.mysmokingshop.co.uk
Similar Blends: Peterson - Gold Blend.
3 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Richard Jhonson (13) | |
Medium | Medium | Medium | Tolerable |
This seems to be an aromatic that doesn't push itself as an aromatic. The flavors are there but muted and dry to the point that dedicated English fans might like this one.. It's not a weak or wet American style aromatic.. The burley and VA character are full and honest. There is true tobacco taste and strength here, and NO BITE. A simple and effective run at at flavored smoke without masking the HIGH quality tobacco that Rattray always uses. You'll get your money's worth here folks,, dry, medium strength, balanced.....
3 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Meerschaumer (8) | |
Medium | Medium | Medium | Very Pleasant |
A very sweet, fruit-flavoured blend which is a soft, mouth-watering delight on the tongue and will certainly make you new friends with its appetising caramel/vanilla aroma. As soon as I took the first sip on my just-lit pipe, I knew this had to be a German confection by Planta or Kohlhase & Kopp. When I searched for information about it here on this site the secret was revealed; it is indeed a K&K blend.
Pipe Used: African block meerschaum full bent, unfltered.
Age When Smoked: Fresh
Purchased From: Local tobacconists
3 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CatGat (4) | |
Medium | Mild to Medium | Medium | Very Pleasant |
I smoked a 50 g tin about 6 years ago. Given this blend has not changed since then, the notes I wrote back then should still apply.
"Upon opening the tin, it smells a bit wooden and nutty. The tobacco itself is mixture cut, mostly brown for burley with some bright streaks of virginia.
Easy to light even when fresh from the tin. Taste is mostly nutty, with a bit of vanilla. About mid-bowl, a bit of cinnamon came into play. Overall, the flavours are soft and subtle throughout the bowl. Without taking over completely, they rather stay in the background to enhance the flavours of the tobaccos used.
This is not an aromatic that goes brick-to-head with some synthetic fruit flavour or try to pretend that it is actually a cake, fruit salad or anything else but tobacco."
Pipe Used: Cheap "basket" pipe
Age When Smoked: Smoked fresh
1 person found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jonno51 (11) | |
Mild to Medium | Mild to Medium | Mild to Medium | Pleasant |
It looks like a 'normal' tobacco mixture, rather than an aromatic. An attractive combination of ribbon, chopped leaf and cubes which I found encouraging.
Tin note - pleasant but not outstanding. I got fruit/vanilla and tobacco but no cinnamon or alcohol notes. There was also a fragrance I could not identify, I assume this is hickory nut.
Moisture level - absolutely perfect and ready to smoke without drying, which for an aromatic was a very pleasant surprise.
A char light, a true light, and that was it until the end of the bowl, apart from some tamping. It is quite a dry smoke, with a good balance between the tobaccos and the toppings. I got a vanilla, and nutty/floral taste but absolutely no hint of cinnamon. I did occasionally and faintly taste Baileys Irish Cream, which might have been the alcohol topping at work. I enjoyed the second half of the bowl more than the first as the fruit notes became subdued and the tobaccos asserted themselves.
It never bit and provided a pleasurable and relaxing smoke without ever threatening anything special. Nonetheless, it is the only aromatic that I have smoked so far which I would consider buying again. On a summers day, outdoors, in non smoking company, I think it would go down well.
Recommended for smokers on their way out of the morass of heavy aromatics, for those who want approval from non smokers and for those smokers of mild standard blends.
I cannot see this interesting those who favour stronger tasting tobaccos, nor those who like a noticeable nic hit. They would be barking up the wrong tree here.
Pipe Used: Blakemar Briar, bent apple
Age When Smoked: Tin arrived this morning
Purchased From: My Smoking Shop, Preston, England
Similar Blends: None known to me, but my experience of aromatics is very limited..
1 person found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DrT999 (318) | |
Mild to Medium | Medium | Medium | Very Pleasant |
A pleasant, moderately aromatic clean burning mixture -- the flavorings take the top billing but don't completely hide the Burleys, and the VAs show through now and again. There is quite the mixture of flavors here, but the top two are vanilla and the nut. The cinnamon and bourbon really just gave the blend a bit of sharpness rather than any distinct flavor of either for me.
Pipe Used: briars, cobs, and meers
Age When Smoked: 2 months after purchase
Purchased From: Smoking Pipes
1 person found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
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| Rodricus (29) | |
Mild | Strong | Medium | Very Pleasant |
This aromatic blend is nice and elegant. Includes very black cavendish as very pale virginias. Eventhough this has nothing to do with the "classic" Rattray's blends, it is a very high quality tobacco mixture. It is a mild and, yes, very fragant recipe, but with the right amount of nicotine. If you want a reference, I think the original Black Diamond was very similar, although this is a little more humid mixture. For the aromatic lovers this is a very interesting proposal. You might want to use an "aromatic" pipe with this, as I think a later detected the scent on a later smoke - for me this is not a scandal.
Age When Smoked: 1 year
Purchased From: Cupojoes
Similar Blends: Black Diamond.
1 person found this review helpful.
600 Perdue Ave
Richmond, VA 23224