Rattray Stirling Flake

Note - this is essentially the same review as the one for Peterson Irish Flake, except for a new passage in the taste section. Thus there are now two taste paragraphs; the one titled "new taste" is the part added on behalf of this smoke. Otherwise everything I stated regarding I.F. is valid here as well.

Conclusion: Nothing spectacular, but a good smoke. One dimensional and semi-strong it is something I most likely won't reorder.

New Taste: The scent of the tobacco in the tin surprised me, rather fruity and light. I ventured in to this having tried Peterson's Irish Flake and knowing that these two are basically the same recipe, but where Irish flake smelled of anis there is now something almost tropical. Strange start. But! Put to the flame there is none of that.

Taste: Mostly it is plain bread and nuts provided by the burley. Otherwise it is mainly pepper. A plain smoke that offers no complexity. It is also a bit dry to smoke and makes me want to drink something while smoking. Pairs well with coffee.

Mechanics: Burns clean, needs some drying and some relights may be necessary but it is really nothing untypical of flakes. Strength is at medium to strong, body medium. A dry smoke that doesn't bite if the tobacco is properly dried, it comes a bit moist in the tin. And the flake looks beautiful.

Superb tobacco: it starts quite strong, with nutty and cocoa taste, thanks to Virginia and high-quality Burley; then, it turns to something smoky and leather-like (in my opinion, well dry - sometimes, I drink half glass of cold water to taste better the smoky flavour); finally, it gains a full body, very deep, pleasantly bitter. It's a very refined choice.

Promising small dark slabs of flake, with tin notes of fig and barbecue. On the moist side, it needs a fair bit of drying.

In the pipe it burns well, mostly dark smokiness (not a Latakia smokiness), wisps of meaty notes, and tinges of the steamed oiliness of Black Twist/Black XX. The smoke hangs about, a lingering ambience of cooked meat/barbecue. As it burns down, the final third of the bowl becomes flat and a tad ashy.

Overall, good quality but misses the mark for me. I'll take SG Lakeland Dark instead.

Very similar to Petersons Irish Flake but not quite as good as the Irish Flak, for it lacks the sweetness though it is a worthy substitute. The Sterling is much darker than the aforementioned and on opening smells slightly different, though that said not far off. The smoke is very strong in the nicotine hit, the room note is also strong. I know a few on here have said that it's identical to the Irish flake but in my smoking opinion it is not. But what it is, is a very satisfying cool smoke that burns slowly and leaves one very contented, though I still prefer the Irish slices. Buy some, because if you like strong cool smoking tobaccos this delivers both in equal measure, you'll like this. Me, I like it, but I prefer the Irish Slices. Though to my personal smoking tastes, it's another tobacco that is more satisfying than any of the Lakelands. With that said if you like Reevor Plug and can't do the hassle of cutting up the plug, this is a good first reserve.

3rdguy

Just finished a tin and it took me 6 months. Based on research this was supposed to be very similar to Irish Flake so I was expecting a somewhat similar flake. Not at all alike in my pipes. Strength was not even close to Irish Flake, nor was the great nutty taste. This was supposed to be Irish Flake with some small changes and unfortunately they did not gain anything IMO. I ended up using it as a mixer.

Irish Flake is cheaper and much better IMO.

I started this 'hobby' aged 60 having never smoked. I started because my partner smokes cigarettes and I decided that I would try to put her off by smoking her out! I found the whole business of pipe smoking so pleasant i have continued! I have smoked several tobaccos since, mostly from recommendations from this brilliant site. I have just started smoking flake and on recommendation from here i ordered some SF and it arrived today. I have folded and lit up and I have had a great experience with this. I lovd the burn and the flavour and I like the reasonable hit of nicotine.

It it a lovely steady burner and remains its solid comforting smoke all the way down. It has no bite and it is quite a grown up smoke. It is creamy and leaves a great after taste that is slightly sweet and a little bit fruity.

I love early morning and nightcap but this is very different in a reassuring way. It takes a while to finish a bowl and I have tried not to rush as the hit is real and needs a bit of respect.

Thank you to all who review as it helps to guide the process of discovering new tobaccos.

Woof! This stuff is great!!!

This one will take you to bed, Vitamin N and flavor! .

A stronger brother to Wallace flake (Which is awesome) without the Plum

Considering the amount of positive reviews on this tobacco, I might have had a bad batch. It arrived too dry for my liking, and even after some slight moisturising, the overall flavour did not change. Though full of flavour of “real tobacco”, mine also had a musty and almost mouldy taste.

It had, however, acquired a good mouthfeel and a full body, given a lucky lighting.

Having read the reviews on this website and from a few sellers I was expecting something that would be overpowering. I was pleasantly surprised that this flake has very subtle flavours that you pick out at different stages of the bowl. There is a malty sweet full tobacco taste throughout but then the subtle smokey flavours come through. Very nice smoke. I would recommmend to the latter stage of beginning the hobby as a starting point where you are just starting to experiment and use flake and plug tobaccos. That is the level that I am at and it was nice.

There are certain tobaccos like black bogie twist that is a little too overwhelming and hard to manage at my stage but this certainly isn’t one of them.