Peretti Scottish Flake

(3.07)
A blend of mature Virginias are cured with red wine, pressed in a cake, and steam treated. The result is a jet black cake which delivers load of thick rich smoke.

Details

Brand Peretti
Series Flake
Blended By  
Manufactured By  
Blend Type Aromatic
Contents Virginia
Flavoring Alcohol / Liquor
Cut Flake
Packaging Bulk
Country United States
Production No longer in production

Profile

Strength
Medium
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Extremely Mild -> Overwhelming
Flavoring
Mild
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
None Detected -> Extra Strong
Room Note
Pleasant to Tolerable
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Unnoticeable -> Overwhelming
Taste
Medium
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Extremely Mild (Flat) -> Overwhelming

Average Rating

3.07 / 4
5

5

4

0

Reviews

Please login to post a review.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 14 Reviews
Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Dec 05, 2013 Mild to Medium Medium Medium to Full Pleasant to Tolerable
With the persistent vinegary taste, I thought I was smoking a McClelland blend. I suspect they provided the tobacco. The red wine doesn't offset the vinegar, and doesn't add anything besides some sweetness. The fermented tangy dark fruity, earthy, woody, bready, lightly floral, spicy and sugary Virginias almost play second fiddle to the topping. The strength is medium, while the taste is a couple of steps past that mark. The nic-hit is a slot behind the strength level. Won't bite or get harsh. Has a few rough edges. The tobacco needs to be dried some, and rubbed out a little. Even still, it requires many relights, and will leaves moisture in the bowl. Burns cool and clean with a very consistent flavor from top to bottom. Has an okay, lingering after taste and room note. Can be an all day smoke.

-JimInks
9 people found this review helpful.
Please login to upvote this review.
Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Nov 26, 2006 Medium Mild to Medium Medium to Full Very Pleasant
The time came, I don't remember when, wherein an entire generation of pipe smokers rediscovered the wonders of the Virginia flake. Since then, any serious pipe man must be able to prove himself by holding his own with a full Virginia at least some of the time least he be labeled a mere dabbler. Various companies, Jonny-Come-Lateleys most of them, have managed to give so many of the venerated old blending houses a run for their money by virtue of producing some truly wonderful flakes. With so many great examples of this style of tobacco coming from not only the historic establishments, but the new wave of quality blending operations as well, a smoker can, indeed, take up the better part of a lifetime seeking after the perfect and ultimate Virginia flake. At least this is what I thought. I tell you truly that the search is now over.

Peretti's Scottish Flake is simply the best Virginia flake that the world has ever known. I expected far from the classic Virginia taste, what with its being soaked in red wine prior to stoving. This process, however, managed to unlock all of the flavor potential of good Virginia leaf. The pressing and stoving brought it to an apex of perfection. The combination of flavors which flitted surprisingly in and out during the smoke made me sit almost in shocked silence, wondering to what I would next be treated. It would usually start with a sweet, barbecue like tang that would give over to a toasted, biscuit-like essence. Throughout, such flavors as blackberry and butterscotch and Islay Malt and a host of all other good things in this world would come through before melting softly away so that another delight might hold sway; simply a marvel.

Yes, yes. As has been mentioned already, this is an extremely thick flake, the thickest cut I have ever seen. This may seem daunting to some. Simply take the time to rub it completely out such as I always did, and all the pleasures of the pipe will be unlocked for you.
8 people found this review helpful.
Please login to upvote this review.
Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
May 10, 2015 Medium Very Mild Medium Pleasant to Tolerable
Based on a 1 oz sample. Deep black and fairly thick but very pliable broken flakes with a bag aroma of rich Virginia and a bit extra tang. Not as wet or as thick as McClellands Dark Star and required no extra prep in smoking - just rub out, load and light... although it was slow to take the match but once it did, I didn't relight very often. As with most Virginia flakes, drier is better.

Probably a McClellands-sourced flake and a kissing cousing to the Dark Star mentioned above as well as Butera's Dark Stoved (to which I thought it more closely resembled) but it tasted different. Perhaps it was the red wine casing that brought out a shade extra tang as well as a deep sourness that provided additional depth. The casing didn't remind me specifically of red wine, taste-wise, but the sour aspect I mentioned. It was an excellent contrast to the Butera's creamed coffee aspect and the dark fruit taste of that one was lightened a bit here. More black cherry and perhaps even apricot here as opposed to plums in the Butera. I smoke a fair bit of the Butera but that incredible sourness here was compelling. This is definitely something I want to cellar, as it sneaks into the four star category. Probably the best Peretti Virginia blend I've smoked.
5 people found this review helpful.
Please login to upvote this review.
Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Nov 07, 2011 Medium to Strong Mild Full Tolerable to Strong
Well, This was the VA Flake tobacco I ever tried. I first bought it about 15 years ago. It's one of my all time favorites. I love many other VA flakes too but I always come back to this one. I have 2 pipes that I've reserved only for this tobacco. It's very distinctive. However it is very much like Butera's Dark Stoved. I think that Scottish Flake to me does have a very aged, stoved, fermented flavor. There is some sweetness there too but to me it's mostly a wonderful woody taste that I really love. Please try some next time your in Boston at Peretti's. They make it there "in house" from what I understand. I always have some and smoke it more than any other tobacco. "thumbs up from me" Note: personally I like to rub out my flakes and this one more than others. I mostly smoke outdoors and this tobacco really holds it's flavor outside. It's so thick that it takes a bit to get it lit but for me once it's lit, it stays lit.
4 people found this review helpful.
Please login to upvote this review.
Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
May 05, 2004 Medium Mild Medium Pleasant to Tolerable
This is a flake that I picked up on a whim when visiting my tobacconist in Bean Town. It is a fairly moist pliable flake that is easily packed into one of my larger bowl pipes, (in this case a Sav-EX).

The red wine definitely mellows out the aged Virginia, with a subtle sweetness the length of the bowl. This is a rich, smooth experience. One that I could look forward to at the end of the day. IMHO, this is not an all-day smoke.

It did need several false lights to get it going. Then just an ocassional tamp the run of the bowl. It burns a coarse white ash.

Overall, a very nice smoke.
4 people found this review helpful.
Please login to upvote this review.
Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Jan 04, 2005 Medium to Strong Medium to Strong Medium to Full Pleasant
My favorite smoke is a Virginia based tobacco with Perique, but when I saw the representation on this particular blend that it "delivers a load of thick, rich smoke," well, I just had to try it. I was not disappointed. A little wary at first upon noticing that it is cured in red wine as I do not like any flavorings in my tobacco, i.e. if I want red wine I will drink red wine; if I want maple flavoring I will use maple syrup on pancakes or ice cream; when I want tobacco I smoke tobacco. The red wine is barely noticeable in both the aroma of the can and in the taste of the smoke. I agree with the previous reviewer that it seems to have merely mellowed the Virginia. The aroma from the tin is somewhat sweet and indeed very rich. The tobacco is in very large flakes and IMHO needs much rubbing. Even then, much of the flakiness remains. Packing can be somewhat of a chore due to the large nature of the flakes. A large bowl is strongly recommended. Lighting is another chore in itself. It takes me at least three lights to get this stuff going. But once it gets going there is only one word to describe this smoke- smooth. This is the smoothest tobacco I have ever smoked. Mellow is another word that comes to mind. Very little sweetness of the wine comes through in the smoke, which, to me, is a good thing. The wine seems to have done its job of mellowing the smoke and no more. This is a very rich tasting smoke and needs to be smoked slowly and savored. Frequent puffing ruins the fine subtle qualities of this mixture. I agree that this is not an all day smoke, and it can be somewhat frustrating to keep it lit. The ash produced is very coarse, even with frequent lighting and tamping. I definitely so not recommend this smoke while driving. It frequently goes out and is almost impossible to finish it to the bottom of the bowl. This stuff needs to be nurtured. Overall a fine smoke when sitting in the easy chair relaxed and patience is plentiful.
3 people found this review helpful.
Please login to upvote this review.
Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Aug 19, 2012 Medium Mild Medium Tolerable
I don't get this one.

Unsmoked, Scottish Flake smells sweet and promising but in disappointing fashion the red wine topping brings nothing new to the party. I was left scratching my head wondering what the fine folks at Peretti intended while creating this flake. Whatever it was, it's not for me. Even well dried out the flakes were stubborn as hell to deal with, difficult to keep lit, and appear to be pressed together with a hundred-thousand pounds of pressure. Once I actually happened to get a bowl of PSF going it was a decent enough smoke, but not at all worth the effort in preparation. Reminds me a bit of McClelland's 2035.
2 people found this review helpful.
Please login to upvote this review.
Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Jun 25, 2018 Medium Mild to Medium Medium Pleasant
Now for something completely different. No longer available since their “supplier no longer makes one of the components”. Leads me to think McClelland was their producer. Hmmm. Dark brown to black thick flakes that are best rubbed out as much as you can.After lighting, billowing clouds of rich, slightly tangy but more creamy, savory smoke fills the air. Stews of creamy Virginia meet stews of canning grapes and become a very nice taste. Christmas boiled puddings come to mind in aroma and flavor. This is really good. Different, but good, and was, to me, the best thing McClelland ever made....for L.J. Peretti. ; )
Pipe Used: Castello Sea rock
PurchasedFrom: L.J. Peretti, Boston
Age When Smoked: 2 years.
1 person found this review helpful.
Please login to upvote this review.
Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Dec 14, 2015 Strong Strong Very Full Tolerable to Strong
Dark as oil. The red wine smell is clear from the bag. But, it has such a rich smell of tobacco as well. I'm new to pipe smoking (2y) and haven't smoked VAs too much, but this didn't taste anything like the bright grassy VAs I've had. This was straight dark rich smokey wine. And it was good. It was very hard to keep lit. I rubbed out the flakes (crumbled) and let it dry for 45m.
Pipe Used: Cob
PurchasedFrom: Peretti
Age When Smoked: Fresh
1 person found this review helpful.
Please login to upvote this review.
Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Aug 18, 2011 Mild to Medium Medium to Strong Medium Tolerable
I found this blend disappointing compared to the other Peretti flakes which I found to be outstanding. It is indeed black and thick. It looks like it was cased in motor oil which isn't necessarily a bad thing.

Episode One: It certainly was interesting and the intial smell in the jar at the tobacco shop was intriguing. I smoked about half the bag and found it was tolerable, but the casing really seemed to get in the way of the virginias. I couldn't help but think it was a good flake that wasn't done any favors by the red wine topping/casing.

Episode two: I cellared the remainder of the bag in an air tight container for six months. Frankly, the blend was even less enjoyable after six months. The casing predominated and the taste was sour or bitter and it overwhelmed the virginias. At that point it seemed like a good flake ruined by the topping/casing.

Worth a try for flake smokers.
1 person found this review helpful.
Please login to upvote this review.

target="_blank"