Rattray - Marlin Flake pipe tobacco reviews

Review

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Reviewed By:	Date:	Strength:	Flavoring:	Taste:	Room Note:	Recommendation:
Showing reviews 1 through 20 of 157 reviews of this tobacco NEXT >
Phantom55	04/08/2013	Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable
I have been smoking the Rattray blends since the early seventies. They have for sure changed, but this is still a very nice smoke. I dry it about 45 min. and have no trouble lighting it or keeping it lit. I consider it medium in body and strength. Almost borders on being too sweet to me. It has an added flavored sweetener that tastes like caramel to me, but others think it is something else. The other two of the "big three" are less sweet, and I prefer them, but this one isn't bad either.
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RonPiper	04/06/2013	Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable
This is one fine tobacco that I have consistently smoked and enjoyed over the past years. I enjoy prepping this blend using my "sweetleaf" tobacco grinder. The flakes are just as described by previous reviewers. Dark, rich, molasses and figs. A little thicker than most flakes I tried it rubs out well using my grinder. I feel I'm getting the most out of this tobacco using this method. I'll grind out a nice little bit for future bowls and keep it in a little sealed container to have on hand ready to go. My pipe of choice for Marlin Flake is my Preben Holm Deluxe. Upon lighting you get a subtle sweetness with the strength of a Virginia. The perique hides in the background barely noticeable. This is a good thing if your new to vaper's. It will introduce you to perique without overwhelming you. Nothing else to say but a very nice flavorful smoke with a good nic content. This is number one in my rotation. I do find this blend increasingly hard to find. I can find Old Gowrie and Hal O' The Wynd all day but had trouble finding Marlin Flake. Found some on jrcigars.com and bought a few tins to keep in my cellar. Four stars all day. Makin' my wife rich one bowl at a time...
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macpuffer	03/08/2013	Medium	None detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable
No need to discuss this blend in any detail.....it has all been said before. I love the taste...elusive sweetness that comes and goes as the smoke progresses...wonderful tobacco.
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sirchud68	01/27/2013	Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant
Wow, good stuff. As soon as I opened the tin I got this stewed fruit, cane syrup, apricot with touch of chocolate aroma that really knocked me out. I was in such a rush to try that I didn't let it dry enough and blundered my first bowl. Patience, I tell myself, this flake isn't going anywhere. Did I mention how cool the flakes come? Two long strips roll together. Presentation is a big part of my smoking hobby and I love the way this blend is offered to us. The only other blend I've tried that reminds me of Marlin Flake is Mac Barens HH Matured Virginia. Although I really seem to like younger, brighter virginias(a la' Mac Barens Virginia no. 1, Golden Slice, Luxury Navy Flake) Marlin Flake is a very good smoke that I would recommend to anyone.
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JimInks	01/04/2013	Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant
A great blend. The black cavendish gently adds a nice, gentle sweetness that contrasts well with the perique and Virginia. The chocolate note is very slight and I'd just about swear there's a hint of Kentucky. The natural Virginia sweetness is not strong; just enough to enjoy. The perique is not strong; just enough to add a light spice note. There aren't many mixtures where the components work as well together as this one does. Cool and slow burning, it never bites, and leaves a pleasant after taste. And it gets even better with age.
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TallPuffO'Burley	01/02/2013	Medium to Strong	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Tolerable
I feel like I am writing the same review for every Rattray product as I have not come across one I don't like. I never realized this contained Perique or cavendish for that fact until I read these reviews. The description on the bottom of the tin merely points to a all Va blend. So for some time that is what I thought I was smoking. To start, the tin presentation is beautiful. When you open the tin, large flakes are folded over each other like a hay bale or something to that effect. The smell off the tin was like a great VA. The taste is smooth and sweet (not like an aromatic, but more like a sweet VA). The nicotine is pretty strong for this genre. I think if I only smoked Rattray products I would be a happy piper as I have yet to find one I dislike. This one is right near the top, but different enough from the others I enjoy to pick a favorite.
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TW	09/07/2012	Medium	None detected	Medium	Tolerable to Strong
This is a very well balanced, high quality tobacco. There's just enough Perique to make things interesting (more than OG or HOTW), with enough Cavendish "de-bite" the Virginia without swamping it with steamy sweetness and generally smooth out the blend. It starts very mild, almost tasteless (especially if too wet), but gradually builds through the pipe, gathering strength and depth as it goes - OG and HOTW tend to be quite monochrome, but not Marlin Flake. The smoke is smooth, and it burns slowly and steadily, with little tendency to bite or need constant relights. At no point could you call this a "full" tasting tobacco, but I find that as a gentle, easy to smoke and enjoy first pipe of the day in particular it excels. Out of the three Rattray VAs I'm inclined to regard this as my favourite. What it lacks in strength against the others, it makes up for in complexity and subtlety. Highly recommended.
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scottyspipesebay	07/15/2012	Mild to Medium	Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable
Marlin Flake. The raw note is chocolate, maple, raisin and even Honduras mahogany. (I used to work in a wood-shop, gents). Such good sweet tobacco. What a revelation. Upon opening the can, I get big Virgina, and a lot of the same raw note of Perique as in Escudo. Second light was even similar to Escudo. It has a fairly quick drying time: about 20 mins. It stuffs well; burns slowly and evenly, and the palate and nose are Virgina and the Perique is nice and light without being over done. It seems just right. The strength is nice with a fare nic kick, but not overly strong. I didn't pick up the black cav., and I used to be a big smoker of Dunhill's B C. This would no doubt be great with your morning coffee. I tend to smoke more toward the evening, but good tobacco also goes well with good ICED coffee, too. I like it, so far. However, some blends take me awhile to become accustomed to. One author said that Dunhill Royal Yacht can be an acquired taste. This may be the case, here. Update: The more I smoke this, the more I am beginning to understand it. That probably sounds like I'm trying too hard. But, if I didn't think it was worth it, I would not bother. It is enticing, somehow. It keeps me coming back. This an allusive lady beckoning exploration. I really like it now, but I'm going to leave it alone...for now. Update: Ooooooh baby. Yes, very good with black iced coffee. Give it a shot, folks. Great combo!
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BingCrosby	05/24/2012	Medium	None detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable
After completing the, so called, 'virginia trinity' i found marlin flake to be the most difficult to rate.. It is a great smoke and a fine presentation and Rattray's has yet to dissapoint me. A very fine virginia with a much more noticeable perique character than i was expecting. this would indeed be one of my favorite va/pers were it not for the cavendish which, at the risk of sounding nit-picky, actually brings this one down a notch.. having said that, i see what this blend is going for.. it is going for a smooth rich quality, and it indeed succeeds in this.. but while the cavendish does tone down and smooth out the smoke, it also detracts a little from the complexity of the virginia. the perique is a nice addition and it saves the day for me.. but in my opinion what could have been a great va/per, turns out to be simply a good one.
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Ted Bratton	04/15/2012	Medium	None detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant
Extremely similar to old gowrie. Both are very sweet and dried fruit-y. This one has a noticeable black cavendish flavor.
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William H. Hardy	03/27/2012	Medium	None detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable
When I first tried Marlin Flake, I was a little disappointed. I had bought it, on a whim, mainly because I thought that the tin presentation was so cool. At that time, I had been smoking a lot of Dunhill Standard Mixture, Presbyterian Mixture, and Balkan Sasieni; Light, Medium, and full Englishes. After I had tried MF a few times, I put it up and finished the aforementioned tins of tobacco. After those were finished, I went back to the MF and was determined to finish the MF tin before opening another. That's been one of my problems. I always open more tins than I should at one time. Maybe I like variety. Maybe I'm impatient. Most likely, it's the latter. Anyway, I was smoking virtually nothing but MF for about three days and something happened. I started loving it! I had finally "got it," I suppose. I began noticing some of the flavors that others mentioned and I scornfully laughed at before. This stuff is great, but it takes patience and repetition. Like the first time you taste a thick, dark beer. Your first impression is that it's overly bitter. If you drink it slowly and thoughtfully, it becomes much more than that. If you love VAs or VaPers, I would be surprised if you didn't love Marlin Flake, too. Just don't smoke it immediately following strong English tobaccos and expect an epiphany.
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elelion	12/12/2011	Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable
This review is based on the first bowl of a newly-opened tin, assuming not aged. Some may say it is a little over moitured of this blend, but for me it is just fine. I fold it into my freehand bent with 19-mm inner diameter bowl, and it lights quite easily. It required no relight throughout the bowl. That is the part I like for flakes if you fold it while packing. The very first sip upon the first light reminded me of SG full virginia flake, but the hint passed away just 2 seconds after. Marlin Flake is less sweet in taste than Ashton Black Parrot (that I rate 4 star), but is much thicker (more densely) than the latter. The bowl temperature also seemed a little higher. I tried to find some complexity in this blend but the texture did not change so much throughout the bowl. For that reason I rate this blend a 3-star. ---Updated on 13th Dec. 2011--- Today I tried Marlin Flake in a larger bowl: cavicchi canadian with which I usually smoke Orlik Golden Sliced, and this blend turned out to be exactly what I dream of: some hint of light barbecue. I must say this is a magic performed by the blend and the pipe on my pallete. It's like enjoying a well roasted beaf with just enough butter. Upgrading to 4-star.
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ErichPryde	10/16/2011	Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable
Marlin Flake was the second "Va" tobacco I tried when expanding away from only aros several years ago. Now that I'm a bit more of an experienced smoker, it still manages to hold a soft spot in my heart. I love the presentation in the 100g tin- Long, lovely flakes that you can do what you will with- rub out, stuff, whatever you like. Some dry time from a fresh tin is an absolute must- This can bite when not dried properly. Normally that would lose this tobacco some points but once tried it behaves beautifully, smokes wonderfully, tastes amazing, and smells pleasant. 2 years ago I may not have detected the black cavendish. I do now, and I appreciate what it adds to this blend. The perique adds just the right amount of pepper and spice. And the virginias... spectacularly done!
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(ln(-1)/i)pe	10/11/2011	Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable
A sweet and subtle blend with a hint of bready sourness. Similar in taste (although not presentation) to Orlik's Bull's eye. For this style of tobacco I can't fault it.
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J.G.	09/24/2011	Mild to Medium	None detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable
This tobacco is a sweet Virginia, with a blossoming of flavors, and light to medium intensity. From what I can tell, Rattrays Marlin Flake is a straight Virginia tobacco. Hence, it is sweet. If you don’t like sweet tobaccos, you may not like this. If you do enjoy sweet tobaccos, you will probably like this. And if you are smoking aromatics, this can convert you to smoking pure, natural tobacco. It is pressed into long flakes (that look like strips of beef jerky). It is easy to break off a piece and rub it out before placing in the pipe. There is a some moisture. When I smoked it straight from the tin, there was sometimes a little “gurgling” in the pipe, and I sometimes needed to relight it. It smokes evenly, with no tongue bite (unless it is rushed), leaving a fine white ash. The flavor experience is blossoming. With the charring light, the smoke starts with an array of bright, sweet tobacco flavors. Midway down the bowl, the tobacco becomes seasoned by the smoke, and the flavor becomes more moderate. By the bottom of the bowl (especially in a bigger bowl), the smoke is still sweet but it has a darker and more robust flavor. The experience is comparable to tasting bright pale honey, then medium yellow honey, then a richer amber honey. In a bigger bowl, the flavor can mature into something comparable to a buckwheat honey. It is reasonably priced. In September 2011, I bought a tin of 100 grams (about 4 ounces) from marscigars (online) for $18 plus postage. This was an engrossing and enjoyable smoke: both for the sweetness, and for the experience of tasting the tobacco as the smoke continuously seasoned it.
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Mr. Big	08/21/2011	Mild to Medium	None detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant
I just tried Old Gowrie next to Marlin Flake and I like MF better. MF is what I would call a true VaPer , very much in the style of McC's "St James Woods". It has that little spice, I'm reluctant to use that term, "SPICE", since I've heard it used when the tobacco is bitey or steamy, MF can be a little bitey if it is not sipped. MF has more flavor and strength than Old Gowrie which I find the Perique component is almost none existent. In addition I find MF more complex and develops a greater flavor & is creamy as you smoke it. Old Gowrie is closer to a Straight Virginia in the Danish style ( MacB's #1, only milder and not complex). I think if I had my choice I would smoke St James Woods over MF as I think it is smoother, but both are very good tobaccos. Updated 10/8/11 I've found that drying has really made this a real nice tobacco. Burns well, taste develops thur the whole bowl and just has that spice tingle that makes it interesting. I've just smoked two bowls doing mindless yard work and the tobacco has been perfect, no bite stays lit and has great flavor. Light in "N" and smokes great from a cob. 3 1/2 stars
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Capt	08/12/2011	Medium	None detected	Medium	Pleasant
This is once again, a jar I have had cellared since 8/02. This is my first blend from Rattray's. Comprised of a great mix of dark and bright leaf, it has a sweet but sour fermented aroma that I thoroughly enjoy. This packs and lights fairly well. It can bite if puffed too hard. I give this a solid 3 stars, and look forward to venturing into more Rattray's blend. Good morning smoke. Just like Laurel flake, this also paired well with a Grand Marnier.
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meerkat	07/25/2011	Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Tolerable
I recently tried three of the Virginia blends (Marlin Flake, Hal O' The Wynd and Old Gowrie) from Rattray as they tend to get lumped together and I wanted to know what seperated them. I would say MF is the least strong of the three. Although I'd still say it was at the medium end of mild to medium, just a step behind OG and a couple behind Hal. Taste wise, it's a Virginia/Cavendish led blend with slight hints of perique. Slightly toasty, slightly tangy, slightly sweet. Steamier in mouthfeel (the Cavendish) and less pronounced but tangier in taste than the other two. Can bite a bit too readily for my liking but nothing very serious. Good, but not bold enough to bring me back very often.
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ASKJDOG	07/13/2011	Medium	Mild	Medium	Pleasant
A great smoke.. My current favorite, but maybe thats because I can't seem to get hold of Peterson's University Flake at my local store these days. As a novice smoker I didn't care much for Virginias, but now I like them, as long as they are not too sweet. This is a full flavorful smoke, has a really nice tin note, and I love the large folded flake I discovered in the 50g tin.
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hennessy3336	06/30/2011	Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable
GOOD STUFF HINT OF DARKFIRED GRAPE FLAVOUR 3mm LITTLE BITE 9mm MILD
Showing reviews 1 through 20 of 157 reviews of this tobacco NEXT >