Rattray Wallace Flake
(3.00)
We would describe 'Wallace Flake' as the Holy Grail among the flakes. Try these extraordinary creation, and you will know why we stick out our neck that far. Virginia tobaccos, whose color ranges from golden to chocolate brown, were combined with sun-dried India and finally refined with a very fine plum aroma.
Notes: After K&K lost the Peterson range to Mac Baren, they did not want to waste their recipes. They tweaked them a little and simply renamed the old Peterson line to be re-released under the Rattray's label: Malcolm Flake being Erinmore Flake; Sterling Flake being Irish Flake; and Wallace Flake being University Flake.
Details
| Brand | Rattray |
| Series | Flake Collection |
| Blended By | Kohlhase & Kopp |
| Manufactured By | Kohlhase & Kopp |
| Blend Type | Virginia/Burley |
| Contents | Burley, Virginia |
| Flavoring | Plum |
| Cut | Flake |
| Packaging | 50 grams tin |
| Country | Germany |
| Production | Currently available |
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
|
3.00 / 4
|
Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 Reviews
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 16, 2017 | Medium | Mild | Medium to Full | Pleasant to Tolerable |
This was a weird one for me. First of all, Rattray (along with Solani) are responsible for some of my most beloved flakes ever, those being Marlin Flake and 633, respectively. And having enjoyed University Flake in the past, I was very curious about this blend.
Tin note - very nice. Pretty much exactly like University Flake, which I just had a tin of a few weeks ago. Even the color, cut and thickness of the flakes are pretty much identical. So far so good.
Oddly enough, the first half of my tin was horrible. It was just completely tasteless and boring. All I would get was a terrible ashy taste. Thinking that it could be my pipe, I put it in rotation. It went through Petersons, Nordings, cobs and a meerschaum. Always that same ashy taste.
Being pretty disappointed and discouraged, I took the remaining flakes and put them into a jar for a week and forgot about it, and went back to my Solani blends.
Just one week of waiting completely changed this blend in such an incredible way I don't even have words for it. It was now bursting with flavor, and the plum taste was very, very nice - right down to the end of the bowl. I rub out my flakes completely (the fold and stuff method just doesn't do it for me anymore) so it packs with no problem, and lights with no problem. Tamp once or twice and you'll reach the bottom of your bowl no problem.
It doesn't come wet out of the tin or anything - mine was just perfect - but after you open it up, just let it rest for a week or so. Don't smoke any of it fresh. Just open it and forget about it for a while.
Even though I hated it at first because I had never had a Rattray's blend act up on me like this before, but now I give it a solid three stars. Much better than University Flake. More Virginia than Burley, more flavor, more topping, and just tastier.
Update : The second tin of this I dived into was absolutely terrible, even after following my own advice written above. There is some serious inconsistency and quality control issues with this blend I believe, and it's not just from tin to tin, it's from flake to flake. Now I think that letting it wait for a week has nothing to do with it - in a tin there are good flakes and bad flakes, and the second tin for me was nothing but bad flakes. It was a chore to smoke through it all. I will not be buying this again. Life is too short to have to deal with such inconsistencies.
Tin note - very nice. Pretty much exactly like University Flake, which I just had a tin of a few weeks ago. Even the color, cut and thickness of the flakes are pretty much identical. So far so good.
Oddly enough, the first half of my tin was horrible. It was just completely tasteless and boring. All I would get was a terrible ashy taste. Thinking that it could be my pipe, I put it in rotation. It went through Petersons, Nordings, cobs and a meerschaum. Always that same ashy taste.
Being pretty disappointed and discouraged, I took the remaining flakes and put them into a jar for a week and forgot about it, and went back to my Solani blends.
Just one week of waiting completely changed this blend in such an incredible way I don't even have words for it. It was now bursting with flavor, and the plum taste was very, very nice - right down to the end of the bowl. I rub out my flakes completely (the fold and stuff method just doesn't do it for me anymore) so it packs with no problem, and lights with no problem. Tamp once or twice and you'll reach the bottom of your bowl no problem.
It doesn't come wet out of the tin or anything - mine was just perfect - but after you open it up, just let it rest for a week or so. Don't smoke any of it fresh. Just open it and forget about it for a while.
Even though I hated it at first because I had never had a Rattray's blend act up on me like this before, but now I give it a solid three stars. Much better than University Flake. More Virginia than Burley, more flavor, more topping, and just tastier.
Update : The second tin of this I dived into was absolutely terrible, even after following my own advice written above. There is some serious inconsistency and quality control issues with this blend I believe, and it's not just from tin to tin, it's from flake to flake. Now I think that letting it wait for a week has nothing to do with it - in a tin there are good flakes and bad flakes, and the second tin for me was nothing but bad flakes. It was a chore to smoke through it all. I will not be buying this again. Life is too short to have to deal with such inconsistencies.
Pipe Used:
Various
PurchasedFrom:
Local tobacconist
Age When Smoked:
New
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 22, 2016 | Medium | Extra Strong | Overwhelming | Unnoticeable |
University Flake is a copy of the original University Flake.
Wallace Flake is a copy of University Flake.
So it's a copy of a copy. And Wallace was a Scotsman.
You make up your own mind.
Wallace Flake is a copy of University Flake.
So it's a copy of a copy. And Wallace was a Scotsman.
You make up your own mind.
Pipe Used:
Stanwell billard.
PurchasedFrom:
The Danish Pipe Shop (nice chaps).
Age When Smoked:
Fresh from the shop.
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