In the pipe it burns slow and lazily, bringing sweet virginia clouds of joy. It has a rounded taste that is balanced, not vinegary virginia that I detect in some. I believe this blend is aged before it ever sees the tin.

If one were to take my pipe tobacco but allow me to keep just one tin, it would be this one I'd chose to keep.

****maboman hit it right on the horse's head when he said that this blend reminded him of sweetfeed.

There is a definite bittersweet chocolate aroma and flavor. If like dark, dark chocolate, then you'll love this.

A great change of pace from Latakia. Will be buying more.

I will not chime in on the perique debate but VAPER or not this stuff is good. The tin aroma is absolutely delicious however it does not translate into the smoke (I hate it when that happens). The mild fruit like top note in the tin reminds me of real cherries, sweet and tangy at the same time. I just love that smell. So far I have managed to get none of it up my nose but I am working real hard at it.

This blend does remind me (now) of a couple of Rattray?s offerings that I have tried as of late. Those being HOTW And Marlin Flake specifically. I don?t know if anyone else has noticed this but they are very similar in smell, taste, appearance and behavior. I assume K&P has something if not everything to do with this? Or maybe its time to bring out the denatured alcohol and erase some pipe history. I am not giving this 4 stars only because it has nothing that makes it stand out but I have gone through several tins over the last five years so I obviously like it and will order more. This blend ages very nicely as well. It makes for a great winter weather smoke and if you like straight forward viginia with a little citrus over the top give it try.

I bought this as it is so highly considered by 'experienced' smokers. Then I thought 'what the hell are they on about'. Halfway true the tin I am beginning to see. For me it has improved over the months the tin has been opened. Presently I smoke it in my University Flake pipe, when I am not in the mood for that flake, and, I sometimes mix it with J.Fox's Dorisco to ease the bitterness (in my latakia pipe). The aroma has grown a bit more chocolatey as it has aged, but that cut grass, summer hay flavour is still there, and, that I don't quite get. Good tobacco, good quality, interesting, different, more for the experience smoker though.

I got the tin the other day and I immediately cracked it open and took a whiff. Mmmm, it smelled like the sour fruitiness of the Virginias and the peppery spice of the Perique. I think that I read somewhere that this might have a small amount of burley mixed in there for good measure. It is a course cut flake and I rubbed it out a little more to help with drying. The appearance is kind of a red, and light and dark browns (mostly dark brown). I let it air out and dry for about 15-20 minutes and then loaded it up into my Peterson Bent Bulldog.

Right off of the bat this was a great tasting blend. Lighting was extremely easy with only one false light. As the bowl progressed, the flavor got fuller and fuller and leveled out at about a medium to full in taste and strength. The Virginias provide the sweetness throughout and while there is a decent amount of Perique in this blend it never overpowers the taste. It?s always there in the background and weaves itself in and out through the Virginias. It has a great, lively flavor that never goes flat. Also, I never had any kind of tongue bite even though I?m sure I got it going hot a few times. The Virginias never go sour either.

The smoke aroma comes off as sweet and fruity and for some reason it smells a bit chocolaty to me. Not sure why that is or if it?s another scent that I just can?t identify but it is close to chocolaty.

Now, I know that I?m going to cause a stir by saying this but I enjoyed this more than Escudo. And the tin of Escudo that I?ve been smoking from is 4 years old. Escudo seemed to have a lot of ups and downs throughout smoking it whereas this blend is steady throughout. It burns slow and it didn?t require a lot of relights from me. With that said, this is just me and my opinion. I know that Escudo has a huge following and I?m one of them but I?m ranking this one above Escudo. Not far above.

Here are the standings so far:

1) McConnell ? Scottish Cake 2) Escudo 3) Treasures of Ireland ? Limerick 4) Dorchester 5) Luxury Bullseye Flake 6) Kajun Kake

I really enjoy Va/Pers and this is now firmly at the top of the list...I'm glad I ordered 2 tins!

Like I've said, this is pretty unique and I couldn't compare it to any particular blend, although I think that two parts of Hal O' the Wynd and one part of Ashton Type 4 mixed together and left to rest for a couple of months should come very close.

This is an enjoyable and not overly complex smoke. It doesn't leap out at you or try anything fancy. But then, that's how things should be: relaxing and an aid to thought, not a barrage of noise and lights - like some vulgar Tate Modern installation.

It is a well-balanced tobacco with the perique weaving between the virginia, and the casing, rather than being forced to the back. Something which does happen with many others when young. Now, the casing itself, I must admit that I've been arguing with myself whether there is one there. There is a touch of what seems to be like rusty oranges and rum creeping in just before the middle of the bowl. It could be there, it could be a olfactory memory, or maybe my recent foray into neat perique. Probably the latter.

I'm not sure why this one gets so many rave reviews but agree with several others here who find this a solid but unexciting smoke.

A bit wet in the tin, but it smokes well, slow and usually dry.

Nothing particularly striking, but a solid, well-behaved all-day smoke.

Scottish Cake is an "old timey" feeling tobacco, but not quite along the lines of the Gawith & Hogarth. In strength and character it is more like some of the Germain blends, including those made for Esoterica. But, it has a much livelier flavor than any of the offerings from this aforementioned fine company. This is a pretty straightforward, simply VA/Per blend. Nothing fancy, just good flavor and moderate nicotine strength.

In the tin, it smells delicious; sweet, tangy tobacco goodness. It lights relatively easy, and stays lit all the way to the bottom of the bowl, at which point you are going to empty out a little bit of fine white ash. The flavor is slightly sweet, slightly tangy, with a noticable perique tartness lingering in the background. What impressed me about this blend is that it is so well crafted that the flavors marry perfectly for me. All the way through the bowl, the flavors maintained their integrity without one or the other fading or dominating.

I believe the only other va/per blend I could really compare this to is Escudo. But, where the perique in Escudo can leap out at you, surprising you sometimes, in Scottish Cake it behaves very well, and stays just where it's supposed to. The virginia is nice full bodied, and it doesn't really seem to develop an acrid or ashy taste. This is a tobacco that, if you really like it, you don't have to worry about dedicating a pipe to it, as the flavors are straightforward rather than subtle. It's virginia and perique.

Scottish Cake, though not a standout tobacco in comparison with some other blends I smoke, is a very solid choice for an "anytime" smoke. I don't think I would smoke it all the time, but I could definitely smoke it anytime.

Scottish Cake had a unique taste that only somewhat appreciated. I see where this is a big hit with most of the reviewers here but I am scratching my dome over why. It did not match up with my body chemistry at all and left my palate feeling somewhat violated.

A positive note; even though the leaf was a bit moist when I smoked my half bowl, it stayed lit well.

Good smooth smoke with no bite, same as GP. Decent nicotine kick. However, being a fan of aromatics, I found it a little boring towards the end of the bowl hence my three star rating.

If you're a virginia smoker this may be an excellent all dayer for you. Similarly if you like this give Glen Piper a try.

Recommended.