Rattray Marlin Flake

Appearance: the 50-gram tin had no production date, but as far as I know it was fresh, meaning it was released in 2022. The blend is an almost uniform flake of very fine cut. The dark brown flake, a shade of custard rye bread with sparse light streaks contained so much propylene glycol that half an hour of drying did not yield any results. So I decided to break it up and fill the pipe like a mixture. But even having broken it, I was forced to dry the mixture for another quarter of an hour. As I cracked the flake, I felt my hands become a little sticky. As I licked my fingers, I felt a sweet and sour taste. Apparently, the tobacco had been lightly topped with some kind of syrup or just water-diluted sugar.

Flavour: bright and dense. Nevertheless, it is possible to decompose it. A note of rye bread, roasted barley malt, a noticeable note of prunes, some sweet dark raisins, a bit of dusty dry earth, a drop of buckwheat honey. If you take a long sniff, you can also smell a woody note, but it dissolves into a rye-malt aroma. However, I did not feel the spicy notes of perique, which leads me to believe that there is very little of it in the blend.

Taste: This is where the tobacco misses the mark, probably. Its taste is muted and quiet, woven from different notes into one. You wouldn't call it complex or interesting. Notes of rye and wheat flour bread and woody notes with some sweetness slightly prevail, there are some prunes, just a bit of citrus sourness, but that is all. The impression is that the cavendish drowns out the perique notes, which are already minimal in this blend. By the middle of the pipe, the individual flavor notes blend so much that it becomes very difficult to tell them apart. The tobacco smokes gently from the start, but is quite demanding on the smoking rate, immediately losing taste, turning into a smoldering log. The blend burns slowly and evenly into a light gray dusty ash, leaving some moisture in the pipe. I smoked 3 grams of flake in about 75 minutes without paying too much attention to the smoking rate or using an extra lighter. And I can't say that I felt any effects in the form of a nicotine hit, from which I conclude that the strength of the mixture is somewhat below average. The aftertaste is woody, with a slight acidity, not persistent.

The smoke is loose, has a light woody-fruity aroma, almost indistinguishable in the room.

What's the result? Well, this is probably the first tobacco that I feel hard to write about the pros and cons of. This is a quality, ‘perfectly constructed’ blend that doesn't contain a single flaw, while being devoid of, at the same time, taste traits. Remembering that the flavor was quite bright, I expected the same from the taste. But in the taste, the tobacco was devoid of personality. Although, perhaps that's where its individuality manifested itself? The taste that can be described as "the taste of a good mild tobacco" - sometimes that is enough. Although, in my opinion, a virginia-perique blend shouldn't be like that.

I was really pleased with this one. I don’t often pick up much sweetness in pipe smoke. MF tasted incredibly sweet to me if that says anything. The flake is composed or reds, blondes, and several chunky black stripes of BC. The tin aroma smells of sweet prune and plum. Over several weeks and exposure to oxygen a black tea aroma emerges.

The flakes come packed a bit wet, and I suspect, as other reviewers have, that there is some type of humectant or casing added. MF performed best after 20 minutes or so of drying time. The bowl smells of freshly made rye toast after the char light goes out. The smoke is smooth and sweet. It is toasty, figgy, and redolent of raisins and dried fruit. Sweet baking spices lurk in the background. This is one rare tobacco that tastes very similar to the way it smells. The room note is pleasant, sweet and generically “pipey.” I mean this in the best way, it is a room note I was thrilled to be enrobed in. 3.5 stars.

Rattray Marlin Flake- I was a little bit worried about the cavendish in this one but after smoking Red Rapparee I figured Rattray’s cavendish was safe . This blend actually smokes like a straight Virginia for me . Sweet dark tangy and citrus fruits lead the way . A little grassy with some toasty raison bread.molasses and licorice . . Comes close to being too sweet but not so . A liitle bit of plum also . Great summer smoke . Reminds me of Royal Yacht with less strength and topping . I will probably buy some more for the warmer weather . I like OG but Marlin flake a little better . 3

A pleasant but mundane Va/per

The Virginia tobaccos are on the earthy and tangy side of the flavor spectrum, though they are quite mellow. Together with the cavendish, they provide a natural sweet foundation to the flake. The perique is only slightly noticeable.

*This review is based on a small sample and limited life experience.

Sweet, light grassy tin note. I will say out of the gate that I do not agree with the categorization as a VA/Per. The Perique is very lightly applied and I would say the addition of black Cavendish removes it from that category entirely. My definition. Flavor is sweet but not too sweet. Slightly grassy, earthy and bready. Not super complex, but there are layers of flavor, light brown sugar gives way to bread, then changes to earthy. The Perique is only noticed in the nose tingle on the retrohale. The stoved VA also give a bit of spice as the bowl crosses the 1/3 mark. Leaves a pleasant aftertaste, not long lasting but pleasant nonetheless. Finally, this stuff comes wet and takes a while to dry out. I found this best in Meerschaum's and Cob's.

For me very similar to Old Gowrie. I prefer pure virginias rather than Vapers. But need to say it was good deeming and I enjoy it. Sometimes you can feel something paper on tongue and it interrupts you. Yes, this was annoying, but in general, MF can be considered as one of better stuff out there.

Rattray's Marlin Flake... opening the sealed canister I'm greeted with an appealing zesty fragrance thats very much like Hal of the Wynd ... reminiscent of dried hay, plums & raisins. This tobac is a VaPer that's not heavy on the Perique (which I prefer). I like smoking this blend for the clean natural tobacco flavor it imparts upon my palate. It's has the same baked bread aroma as produced from HOWT (that I thoroughly enjoy) yet I detect more zest from HOTW. All said, it's a very good smoke and confess that I prefer HOWT just a smidgeon over MF. This review is based upon a fresh-from-the-tin smoking experience. I'll give this some "jar time" and see if this changes my impression down the road. I’m confident it will mellow out & the flavors will meld beautifully given some “cellar time”.

Umm, the truth is that I am not able to detect as many things as the experts do. With the can open I notice a deep herbaceous aroma along with a hint of vinegary. The flakes are very beautiful, medium brown and the humidity is fine. I rub it and direct it to the bowl. It lights well and burns regularly ending with a gray ash, requires some re-ignition at the end. The commented sweetness, umm, is not so much. The cavendish is noted, but the perique is very intense, omnipresent, virginia is always in the background harmonizing the mixture and the sweetness of the cavendish comes and goes, bringing something bitter and dark at the end. He smokes dry and fresh, he has not bit my tongue and has allowed me to smoke faster than other flakes. Okay, it's good but I have not been able to appreciate the excellence that the experts say.

An enjoyable smoke, it has a mild sweet spicy flavor. It needs some drying when freshly opened. I liked it best when it was corsley rubbed.