Hearth & Home Marble Kake

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

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

Marble Kake has a toasty bottom and lot's of VA tastyness. Very akin to Hamborger Veermaster, with the Red VA giving this Krumble cake plenty of positive merits all its own. Smooth, toasty, nutty and full of flavor. Being that it is a true kruble Kake it affords the option of preparing as desired. This is a 4 star VA blend!

This is my first review in about 5 years, because Marble Kake is that good. I used to smoke Dunhill Flake quite a lot, but alas, it fell by the wayside. MK compares very well to it, and is much less expensive, and when I buy it, I am supporting an American company, which makes me feel good too. This is a light VA blend, so it can burn, but if you are a VA lover, the taste more than makes up for it. Nothing here but good clean Virginia tobacco taste with medium body. I think it is quite a lot better than Hamborger Veermaster.

Good, bulk priced cake tobacco. Difficult to break up, but once broken and dried a little it smokes down the the bottom. No bite.