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Review

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Reviewed By:	Date:	Strength:	Flavoring:	Taste:	Room Note:	Recommendation:
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bighitter	05/12/2007	Medium	None detected	Medium	Tolerable
I enjoy this mostly alone, sometimes as a blender as I've found it interferes very little with other Virginia tobaccos I smoke. It reminds me of Cornell and Diehl's pressed brick tobaccos such as Briar Fox as mentioned below, though this is nowhere near the depth of flavor of a Night Train. It's a great Virginia blend though, especially about halfway through the bowl where some of the mellow nuttiness/grassiness really comes through. Otherwise it's not incredibly deep in flavor but generally has that wispiness of natural Virginia hay/grass/nut sheets of vanishing taste mentioned below. It is a very neutral tobacco, one that loads and smokes well, that tastes good, and is a great buy.
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ajaj	01/06/2007	Mild	None detected	Mild	Pleasant
Do you enjoy an honest-to-goodness, old fashioned American virginia smoke? No casings, no flavorings, no goop; just a subtle dry hay and grass flavor with hints of natural sweetness? Welcome, this is Marble Kake. I would recommend this tobac to experienced pipe smokers since the myriad of tantalizing sweet aromas are fleeting. However, the foundation and bass notes are solid. Puff gently and ponder; do not hurry, and you'll be transported back to an old stone hearth in colonial Virgina. Only two tobaccos invoke these images to me...C&D Briar Fox and HH Marble Kake. aj
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lensman	11/23/2006	Mild to Medium	None detected	Medium	Tolerable
The first Russ Ouellette blend to be loaded into one of my pipes is Marble Kake. It won't be the last. This pipe-weed is beautiful to behold, resembling, as others have said, a brownie. So much so that one is tempted to eat it. The aroma is mown hay. It was a delight to rub MK out, and an easy load. Once charred, the burn was even to the bottom. The smoker is greeted with much natural sweetness, and almost no tang. I detect no citrus or floral notes. While there is not much complexity, there is also no lack of depth. The nuances of American VA are present to be savored. If you're not familar with such nuance, it is possible to find MK on the bland side of things. Delicious all the way through, improving toward the end of the bowl, with thick smoke, and nary a bite. This is one of the most bite-free VAs I've had the pleasure of smoking, and what a welcome change that is. In short, I've made a new friend.
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emmbee	08/09/2006	Mild to Medium	None detected	Medium	Pleasant
If you hate American virginias, don't try or review this. But if you love the sweet, piquant taste of VA in a rich pressed form, this is the stuff to try. I swiped a few bars at Russ Ouellette's table at the Chicago P & T, and I'm glad I did. I don't care much for the 10 to Midnight, prefering the more powerful, aggressive C & D Pirate Kake of that genre. This reminds me of C & D's Blockade Runner, though this is richer, more flavorful and not nippy to the throat or tongue. It breaks off like chewy nougat, rubs out beautifully and packs well in the pipe. Unlike most krumble kakes, it remains firm and does not break up into a dusty powder. I love the texture as well as the mottled brown and gold colors. Very fine stuff from a very good blender and tobacco shop. Three and a half of five stars ------------------- august update 2006 Smoke this stuff quickly and be sure to ask for the tinned version, as I'm hoping that will retain more moisture than bulk. After this stuff turns to wormwood, it's impossibly dry and you can't pack anything less than large chunks in your bowl. Also it starts to burn terribly hot and loses all its delightfully nutty flavors. I'll not get this in bulk again, and hopefully it will be more moist and spongy the next time. Two of five stars
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jackhackett	05/21/2006	Medium	None detected	Medium	Tolerable
Gives new meaning to the term "flake." Very dense little bars rub out into dusty little flakes somewhat like uncooked oatmeal. Burns a little hot, though certainly not outside of the range characteristic of this type of VA blend. Damned nice flavor, though---a lingering sweet, natural 'earthiness.' It works just fine in my all-purpose VA flake pipe, and lighting, etc, are easy.
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raadman	05/01/2006	Mild	None detected	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable
Purchased a 1 lb bag because of the price and reviews but was disappointed. Came in very dry cake slabs that did not break up easily even with a hammer! They should rename this Granite Kake. Tobacco nuggets were hard to light, keep lit and taste was average at best and bitter at times while burning fairly hot...oh well, back to my favorite Va...Veermaster. Peterson bent brandy
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huffnpuff	04/19/2006	Mild	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable
PROS: It is a crumble cake, nice red and bright tobacs,good and sweet. packs nicely lights alright, good price, smokes to a nice ash.ahhhhhh=). CONS:had to wait a week for this beauty,should of tryed sooner. This is my first crumble cake and I love the stuff ,After breaking apart the needed tobac for my pipe it just payed off well,the aroma in my smoke gave of a nutty-hay like bliss. After the first bowl it got a little milder and then poof I was done.
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Darwin	04/01/2006	Medium	None detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable
I'm currently having a promising romance with Marble Kake. I have to admit, I thought the first couple of bowls were pretty bland, but something kept my interest. I had never smoked a crumble cake before. As my experience in preparation increased, so did my satisfaction with this blend. Every bowl seems to yield some new flavor or nuance. The burn is exceptional, and I don't think you could make this blend bite your tongue if you tried. The flavor is slightly sweet and pretty earthy, but rather toned down compared to other blends, like Louisiana Red. It really could be an all-day blend if that's what you are looking for; it requires little attention once it's rubbed out and is priced right. All in all, a wonderful Virginia blend that's smooth, not too sweet, and burns wonderfully once you get the hang of preparing it. Highly recommended!
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dualkarnain	03/28/2006	Mild to Medium	None detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable
This is a bit sweeter than Veermaster, which isn't a bad thing. I was a bit lazy in the rubbing and loaded a few small chunks into my bowl. It was difficult to light and keep lit at first. The taste is wonderful - a great virginia blend with an excellent interplay between VA flavors. Recommendation: made. Images granted: of being under dire obligations by the Sicilian mob to play a game of snooker for the life of a certain individual. Knowing I am terrible at the game, I still experience grand elation with the hidden knowledge that this bastard of contention was unduly flirtatious with my mistress some weeks previous.
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NEWMAN	03/27/2006	Mild	None detected	Mild	Pleasant
This blend is in the form of ~ 4"x1/2"x1/2" slabs that were compressed so hard, that I found it difficult to break or strip. It was also on the dry side so the prep work to load a bowl was not worth the effort. How can they call it a crumble cake when you have to cut it? Uneven loading/packing resulted in hot spots or multiple relights but this could have been from my technique. Although the taste was enjoyable on those occasions where I obtained an even burn, the strength was less than my normal choices that usually include Perique.
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kilted1	01/26/2006	Mild to Medium	None detected	Mild to Medium	Tolerable
Recently, pipesandcigars.com tobaccos have been getting lots of ?press? on the ASP Forum and Newsgroup. Mostly people have been talking about Russ Oullette's efforts. A fried sent me a sampling of several of the blends I'm most curious about and Marble Cake was among them. Appearance: A nice selection of Red Virginia, and Bright Virginia in a dense crumble cake. Very nice mottling of colors from yellows and tans to red and browns. Aroma: This mixture has a deep sweet aroma very enticing. Immediately one smells a deep hay-like quality, freshly mown hay, slowly drying in the summer sun. Deep, sharp and earthy. Carmel tones and nuts are evident, there is a slight sweet 'n sour tone and a smattering of mustiness. This tobacco is nearly perfect in moisture breaking several pieces of the cake off I crumble thenI employed the ?once like a baby, once like a lady, finally like a gentleman? method of layered packing. For this review I've chosen an Armellini Freehand dedicated to Virginia mixtures. Lighting is very easy, and with a friendly ?lighting tamp? I was well on my way each time. As expected, the initial flavor very spicy, hay-like tones and smells and flavors of Autumn are abundant. Combustion is very self maintaining as promised, this very nearly smokes itself every time. Mid Bowl: Approaching mid-bowl, the fullness tends to build in strength slowly along predictable lines. The Red Virginia begins to develop more of the deep fruity sweetness adding to the grassy qualities of the Bright. Unfortunately, this blend seems to get rather steamy and hot for me each time. Home Stretch: As end of the bowl approaches, the expected complexity is just not there for me. This blend continues to be steamy and hot, tending toward tongue bite rather easily. The final third has matured nicely but the lack of complexity and steam just become a defining issue each time I've smoked it. I have plenty of fine well behaved Virginia mixtures in my cellar already and this one sadly won't make the cut. Supplemental Notes: Marble Cake is probably a decent quality mixture, just not one I will be purchasing. Rating for those interested in numbers ** stars
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Elric	01/17/2006	Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant
I'm two for three on RO blends. Marble Kake is another masterpiece from Russ. Other reviewers have covered MK at length. Just let me add that, in addition to being very good, it is also not prone to bite. This is my first exposure to a krumble kake preparation and I must say that I like it. It holds moisture longer in a travel pouch and also provides multiple smoking options. Good stuff!
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prison chaplain	12/21/2005	Mild to Medium	None detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant
12-21-2005 I have been doing a side-by-side comparison between Marble Kake and Louisiana Red, also by Pipes and Cigars. My fondness for Marble Kake is growing. I have had no tongue bite. It lights and burns well. And the taste is very nice. To my taste, it is the better of the two above. A very well behaved and thoroughly enjoyable tobacco. Marbel Kake is is my first experience with a crumble cake. It looks for all the world like particle board, or an organic nutrition bar one would find at a health food store. My four ounce "cake" glistened with a lovely sheen (natural oils?). The cake breaks up into pieces that easily fill the bowl. The moisture is on the money. I really like the taste, a nice, full, smooth taste of good Virginia tobaccos. I took a little extra time to get this blend burning well, and I think I needed one relight. I will buy this tobacco again.
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Jimmy Muraco	12/04/2005	Extremely Mild	None detected	Extremely Mild (Flat)	Pleasant to Tolerable
This is another "Home and Hearth" blend from Russ Ouellette of pipesandcigars.com. Described as a crumble cake of Virginias, both bright and red. The appearance is a beautiful rectangular bar of moist dark brown to light leaves. It almost looks like a freshly-baked brownie. The scent is subtly sweet and intriguing. The bits break off easily and it is moist enough to be able to cut into perfectly square pieces. Upon the initial light I am greeting with a sweet and tangy flavor of a good Virginia. I do not detect any casing, just pure tobacco. After the first third of the bowl, the smoke seems to become hot and difficult to keep lit. The flavor seems to transform to steam instead of smoke. The only way to get any flavor is to get a big cloud of smoke going and then even that only makes it harsh. Further down the bowl I occasionally get a very slight cinnamon-like sweetness but it seems few and far between. The rest of the bowl seems to be flavorless and that I am just "going through the motions" of smoking. To summarize, this blend seems to lack any flavor or satisfaction. It takes more effort to smoke this than it is worth. I smoked two ounces of this in various pipes. I smoked it in virgin cob and briars as well as well-established pipes that have smoked Virginias...all of which returned the same results. Perhaps it is my body chemistry, my sense of smell/taste or perhaps I am just missing something but this is not something I will be ordering again.
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Mr. Dottle	11/23/2005	Mild to Medium	None detected	Medium	Tolerable
This is another fine blend from Russ at P&C. For me, MK delivered a ?toasty-roasty? mild and mellow taste/flavor with a subdued sweetness that was pure delight. I did not find it overly complex but it does weave a subtle tapestry between the red and bright VAs, i.e., nicely balanced. Its burning qualities are excellent and relights few. I am rapidly becoming a big fan of P&C blends. They are not to be missed! A cigarette is to be smoked. A cigar is to be enjoyed. A pipe is to be savored. I rate this tobacco 9.6 out of 10.
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Taste Buds	10/21/2005	Mild to Medium	None detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant
There are a lot of excellent Virginia blends out there. This one is not in the top 100, at least in my opinion. There is a sharpness to this blend that I didn't like. It also burned very quickly and a little hot. It definitely is not a Hamborger Veermaster to which it is compared.
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Spike	08/25/2005	Medium	None detected	Medium	Tolerable
A Viginia blend in a pressed format. It does resemble partical board. My sample came a little on the moist side. No problem though as it fired right up after a little attention and smoked smoothly all the way down. Handle with care however, it seems to crumble very readily. It wouldn't take much to end up too dry and broken into small particles from being hauled around in a pouch. A very tasty Virginia without much bite but plenty of flavor. One note of negativity is the aroma. It smells pretty good while smoking, but the after odor on the clothes reminds me of stale cigarette smoke. Well recommended.
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smokey	08/21/2005	Medium	None detected	Extra Full	Pleasant to Tolerable
I received my sample of Marble Kake through a tobacco trade with pipemaker Lannes Johnson (thanks, Lannes!). It arrived rubbed out and very dry, and this is the way I smoked it. Marble Kake is an attractive tobacco in the pouch, with equal parts bright and red Virginia leaf. I used two pipes for the test, a fully bent Peterson and a 1/4 bent Stanwell. My tastes in tobacco normally run first and foremost to burley blends, but I also enjoy other types, too. MK loaded easily in both pipes and was lit with two charring lights. It's burn qualities were better than average, as was its' relighting rate. The real treat comes when you begin puffing on this delightfully complex blend. The flavor starts off with a rich sweetness from the red leaf, then progresses to a zesty tang from the bright Virginias. As the smoke progresses, these two tastes intertwine in a wonderful tribute to the blender's art. Towards the bottom of the bowl, the tangy notes take over and the smoke finishes with a peppery tingle on your palatte. The tobacco burns down to a medium ash with no dottle. The last treat with MK is its' very reasonable price. There are many high priced bulk blend Virginias that cannot compare to MK, in fact there are a lot of tinned blends not nearly this good. And the folks at Pipes and Cigars give fast, first-rate service. I am revising my rating system because I've decided taste should always be the most important factor in the selection of any tobacco. My top taste rating is now 20 points, and I'm giving 18 to MK. Lighting and burn rate score 8 out of 10, and price is a perfect 10 of 10. That makes a total of 36 points out of a possible 40. Marble Kake is a big four star blend and a permanent addition to my tobacco cabinet.
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Dougster	07/30/2005	Mild to Medium	None detected	Medium	Pleasant
This interesting bulk offering from Pipes & Cigars' Hearth and Home Series is certainly noteworthy if for nothing else than the nifty form factor. My 4oz sample arrived as two large flat square slabs of tobacco resembling aspenite particle board more than anything else. The pouch aroma is slightly sweet with a clove-like spicy note and some grassy tones. It is easy to tear chunks from a slab and they break up into spongy pieces of leaf. The texture is more akin to pressed leaf rather hard flakes. The description of bright and red virginias seems appropriate and there seems to be about an equal proportion of each present. Once broken up its consistency is very much similar to a ribbon cut, although it breaks up into approximately 13mm diameter flakes with many smaller constituents of varying sizes. It is a simple matter to carve slices from the soft cake with a razor blade in any case, and the bowl I am currently smoking was prepared in this manner and is exhibiting excellent flavor characteristics. Moisture content was close to optimal for this sample, unlike some other pressed tobaccos, this one is not so tightly compacted that it traps excessive moisture. No doubt this tobacco would be a good candidate for some aging experiments and considering the plug format's inherent resistance to oxidation this blend could likely easily withstand many years of aging. The broken up cake packs easily and lights well. According to my wife, "Its smells like burning wood or something. Its smells ok." She hates cigarette smoke, tolerates cigars, and loves the smell of pipes and especially latakia, so thats where she stands. I find the taste to be good but somewhat mild; however, I am used to smoking those unsmokable virginias which tend to leave one's tongue sizzling for hours, so mild to me might be pretty strong for you. The flavor in this blend seems to stick in the middle range of virginia flavor without much for high notes but some bass notes. A citrusy aspect is missing, there is a subtle sweetness initially but it gradually fades into a deeper flavor. The blend does not impart an overly zingy glow to your mouth like many virginias, although the effect is present. Instead the flavor develops into somewhat of a tangy and possibly leathery or woody flavor, and delicious slightly bitter hints occasionally peek through. I guess that nutty describes the overall combination of flavors somewhat in a natural tobacco kind of way. I would say that this reminds me something of Montgomery in its flavor profile, although its definately completely different from any other straight virginia that I have ever smoked this far. I like the flavors, and they present a tobacco taste that I have long sought but not found prior to this. For a virginia, this is not a very bitey tobacco. Some of my favorite virginias are flavor and nicotine bombs which can leave one's mouth a chemical wasteland unless smoked with extreme caution. With virginias you often trade flavor against bite, but this particular blend still provides significant flavor while keeping bite to a minimum. In this respect, this is a virginia that can be a go-to smoke or possibly an all day smoke, which is an excellent quality for a bulk tobacco blend. This is definately a solid bulk virginia bordering on greatness. I have upgraded it to four stars after smoking it for a week and getting used to it. I plan on getting more of this... lots more.
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Young Piper	07/29/2005	Mild	None detected	Very Full	Pleasant
I ordered a 4 oz sample from Russ to try and when it arrived i was very pleased to find two large red and golden yellow bricks of tobacco. The pouch aroma is very light and airy and the tobacco feels only slightly moist, perfect moisture level for me. This blend is easy to pack being a crumble cake, and if you leave the little shreds of tobacco out to dry for a few minutes the burn is exceptional and leaves no dottle. The flavor is that of a very sweet and light virginia blend and does not produce dense smoke but definatley keeps my interest. This is a morning smoke when anything else would be overwhelming and should be smoked before other heavier blends IMO. The price is very satisfactory and i just love the little bricks it comes as. A great smoke for sure.
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