Rattray Marlin Flake
(3.31)
Marlin Flake combines dark Virginias, black cavendish as well as a pinch of perique.
Notes: A companion to Old Gowrie. A shade darker, different aroma, but otherwise a tobacco in the same tradition.
Details
| Brand | Rattray |
| Series | British Collection |
| Blended By | Kohlhase & Kopp |
| Manufactured By | Kohlhase & Kopp |
| Blend Type | Virginia/Perique |
| Contents | Black Cavendish, Perique, Virginia |
| Flavoring | |
| Cut | Flake |
| Packaging | 50 grams tin, 100 grams tin |
| Country | Germany |
| Production | Currently available |
Profile
Strength
Medium
Extremely Mild -> Overwhelming
Flavoring
None Detected
None Detected -> Extra Strong
Room Note
Pleasant
Unnoticeable -> Overwhelming
Taste
Medium
Extremely Mild (Flat) -> Overwhelming
Average Rating
|
3.31 / 4
|
Reviews
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Displaying 31 - 40 of 153 Reviews
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 29, 2009 | Medium | None Detected | Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
I thought I'd reviewed this about a year ago when I first tried it, never mind, I was impressed when I first tried Marlin Flake, I'm still impressed now as I sit here with a pipe gently smoldering, you know I can't for the life of me think why I haven't been smoking this to death for the last twelve months or so, but I haven't, for some reason or another it fell out of rotation and the tin I thought I had stashed away turned out to be Old Gowrie. A telephone call and 48 hours later, I'm ready.
A dark folded ribbon of flake is extracted from the tin, partialy rubbed out, this is left to dry on newspaper for 24 hours, the aroma of the tobacco is rich and complex, I would have said an aged Virginia and been hoplessly wrong. It is it seems, a Cavendish, Perique, Virginia Flake, and beautifully done.
Loads and lights easily with a single match and already, the tobacco warns me not to puff to hard as a bite will be the reward, the taste is rich and sweet, without being too sweet and cloying, red wine and raisins come to mind. It has been noted that this is similar to Dunhill Flake, I cannot resist, and light a pipe Of Dunhill Flake for a side by side comparisson. I agree entirely. However, I always remember DF having a Buttered Bread like flavour, am i getting gentle hints from both ? Is DF immitating Marlin Flake ? or is Marlin Flake immitating DF ? Either way, both are superb, an excellent all day smoke.
I have one tin open and two in reserve, time to buy some more. I'm not going without this one again. Four well earned stars.
A dark folded ribbon of flake is extracted from the tin, partialy rubbed out, this is left to dry on newspaper for 24 hours, the aroma of the tobacco is rich and complex, I would have said an aged Virginia and been hoplessly wrong. It is it seems, a Cavendish, Perique, Virginia Flake, and beautifully done.
Loads and lights easily with a single match and already, the tobacco warns me not to puff to hard as a bite will be the reward, the taste is rich and sweet, without being too sweet and cloying, red wine and raisins come to mind. It has been noted that this is similar to Dunhill Flake, I cannot resist, and light a pipe Of Dunhill Flake for a side by side comparisson. I agree entirely. However, I always remember DF having a Buttered Bread like flavour, am i getting gentle hints from both ? Is DF immitating Marlin Flake ? or is Marlin Flake immitating DF ? Either way, both are superb, an excellent all day smoke.
I have one tin open and two in reserve, time to buy some more. I'm not going without this one again. Four well earned stars.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 06, 2020 | Mild | None Detected | Medium | Tolerable |
3rdguy
Just finished a full tin but I have to say it was 10 1/2 years old. Nothing tangy with this aged tobacco but plenty of sweet sweet tobacco with a toasted marshmallow taste up front. Reminds me a bit of Rattray’s Dark Fragrant. Black flakes that lit easily and burned down to a nice white ash.
I have plenty in the cellar and hope it all will end up similar once aged. A great smoke.
Just finished a full tin but I have to say it was 10 1/2 years old. Nothing tangy with this aged tobacco but plenty of sweet sweet tobacco with a toasted marshmallow taste up front. Reminds me a bit of Rattray’s Dark Fragrant. Black flakes that lit easily and burned down to a nice white ash.
I have plenty in the cellar and hope it all will end up similar once aged. A great smoke.
Pipe Used:
Cobs
PurchasedFrom:
Pipestid
Age When Smoked:
03/2010
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 29, 2020 | Medium to Strong | None Detected | Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
I must admit that Rattray's Marlin Flake was the tobacco that hooked me on pipe smoking. So I may have a soft spot for it in my heart. Aros simply did not appeal to me, and only very light, selective ones do to this day. My first tin whiff of MF was a revelation. Figs, dried fruit, grassy hay to my untrained nose. Upon lighting, the full-bodied sweetness and hay/bread notes of the Virginias were simply delightful. I recall roughly pulling the flakes apart, but not entirely rubbing out, and this is still my preferred method to this day to bring out the most flavor in MF. MF can be a little finicky from bowl to bowl, perhaps depending on the pipe used, but more likely the pack, dry time, and smoking cadence. However, the occasional less-than-stellar bowl does nothing to curb my impression. The after-taste is delicious, prompting the desire for more. MF was also my initial introduction to Perique. While not overbearing at all, it is used to perfection in this blend IMO, providing subtle nose tingle on the retro as well as likely contributing some fruit/sweet notes as well. I highly recommend to Virginia flake lovers, but also to English smokers who desire an occasional change of pace.
Pipe Used:
Various briars
PurchasedFrom:
Local tobacconist
Age When Smoked:
Less than one year aged
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Dec 05, 2018 | Medium | Extremely Mild | Medium to Full | Tolerable |
About as close to the best perique experience as you can get. Has a molasses element (mostly in the nose) to the dark virginias playing on the cavendish, which in turn mutes the pepper out of the perique, leaving a gentle fermented fruit note which weaves in and out of the virginia.
Why more blenders don't get perique this right is a colossal mystery.
The best thing about the flavors in this blend is that they taste natural, though there is a very light licorice, not anise, topping which smooths this flake to perfection. Some very light sugar is detectable in the background which adds to the aroma more than anything, likely what gives the slight molasses note.
Definitely a 4 star blend, and one of the best flakes money can buy.
Why more blenders don't get perique this right is a colossal mystery.
The best thing about the flavors in this blend is that they taste natural, though there is a very light licorice, not anise, topping which smooths this flake to perfection. Some very light sugar is detectable in the background which adds to the aroma more than anything, likely what gives the slight molasses note.
Definitely a 4 star blend, and one of the best flakes money can buy.
Pipe Used:
Dedicated no name poker with open draw
PurchasedFrom:
Tinderbox
Age When Smoked:
5 years
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 02, 2017 | Mild to Medium | Extremely Mild | Medium | Pleasant |
Licorice sweetness combined with molasses scent, hard to differentiate these two from each other. Smoked too fast, then the taste is sharp, grassy, and lively. Pace yourself; you'll start noticing fermented fruits. Imagine all kinds of dried fruits (raisins, figs, prunes, apricots, mulberries) thrown into that licorice molasses mixture mentioned above pressed into these sweet & sour fruit paste sheets called Marlin Flake. And probably its distinctive scent/flavor profile leed the majority of smokers here to describe it like sheets of natural fruit candy rather than pipe tobacco. However, it is pipe tobacco and one of those best!
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Mar 30, 2016 | Medium to Strong | None Detected | Full | Pleasant to Tolerable |
"Look", he says, "lifes greatest joy - must be contentness to a man." This, in free translation, thinks County School Teacher Lämpel leaning back in his easy chair, taking a puff from his churchwarden in Wilhelm Buschs "Max & Moritz" (1865) forth play. Max and Moritz have substituted Teacher Lämpels favorite tobacco - which I am convinced was a Va/Pe Flake much like Marlin Flake - for gun powder, yielding desastrous results.
The story can be found here - in german, but with lovely pictures.
http://germanstories.vcu.edu/mm/mm4.html
But on to the tobacco:
Just opening a fresh can of Marlin Flake to me is one of lifes simple pleasures. The tin note of figs, vinegar and tobacco is nothing short of invigorating. The coils I cut into length of about 2,5 inches and store in a seperate tin (round 50 g) lined with baking paper for smoking. This I refill from the main tin as needed. The practice takes full care of any excessive moistness and obliviates a need for nuke-dryinging this treasure.
The tobacco flakes stored in this fashion rub out nicely and fill the pipe with ease. A tall standup poker can give me up to 2 hours smoking pleasure with out any buzz and fuss.
Reccommended. Much to be prefered to Gunpowder, says Teacher Lämpel.
The story can be found here - in german, but with lovely pictures.
http://germanstories.vcu.edu/mm/mm4.html
But on to the tobacco:
Just opening a fresh can of Marlin Flake to me is one of lifes simple pleasures. The tin note of figs, vinegar and tobacco is nothing short of invigorating. The coils I cut into length of about 2,5 inches and store in a seperate tin (round 50 g) lined with baking paper for smoking. This I refill from the main tin as needed. The practice takes full care of any excessive moistness and obliviates a need for nuke-dryinging this treasure.
The tobacco flakes stored in this fashion rub out nicely and fill the pipe with ease. A tall standup poker can give me up to 2 hours smoking pleasure with out any buzz and fuss.
Reccommended. Much to be prefered to Gunpowder, says Teacher Lämpel.
Pipe Used:
Many
PurchasedFrom:
cigarworld.de
Age When Smoked:
new
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 29, 2015 | Mild | None Detected | Mild to Medium | Pleasant |
There is nothing special about the tin note; it just smells like vinegar. This is coil tobacco, which is a nice feature that pleases me. The flakes seem to be easy to crumble and pack in your pipe. The moist content is ridiculously high, so be advised. I cannot detect any toppings, and the cavendish tobacco content, which seems to be steamed pressed but not cased, adds character and body to this mixture. As for the perique content, it seems to be more and more apparent the more you progress with your bowl. I guess the sweetness of the cavendish is more or less subdued by this. The virginia's mostly in the background adding a base for this tug of war in between the perique and the cavendish to happen. I am not overtly impressed by this tobacco, but I don't see any faults in it either. This is all based on my first impressions though, so my opinion might change in the near future as most pipe tobacco tends to get better and better after you open the tin and time passes by.
Edit1: After going through most of my 100 grams tin, I'd say this is quite a remarkable tobacco. The balance in between the cavendish and virginia tobaccos has been achieved quite well, whereas the kentucky leaf adds a little bit of a punch to it. The problem with this tobacco is you need to air the amount you want to smoke the night before + it demands to be smoked at a very low pace. I am changing this to 4 stars now.
Edit1: After going through most of my 100 grams tin, I'd say this is quite a remarkable tobacco. The balance in between the cavendish and virginia tobaccos has been achieved quite well, whereas the kentucky leaf adds a little bit of a punch to it. The problem with this tobacco is you need to air the amount you want to smoke the night before + it demands to be smoked at a very low pace. I am changing this to 4 stars now.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Dec 01, 2004 | Medium | None Detected | Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
Some people had the fortune of finding this early. It took me 31 years. This will be my last virginia and may it forever be made.
The poetic extolling and high hailing in the above reviews may seem excessive, but only to those who haven't tried it. I'm at at odd loss for words, and I can't type my joy at having found this wonderful stuff.
Update 1/11 I must have been having a good day that day. I still love it, yet cycle among latakia-, oriental-, burley- rich blends with VA and return to this as my home base. How some smoke the same thing 365 days a year is a mystery.
Mostly, I want to complain about the lack of accuracy of the component listings at the top. They need to be accurate for this site to be useful. They used to be accurate. What happened? My tin states "Full Dark Virginia Flake". It is. No perique, no cavendish. And yes, it is wonderful.
The poetic extolling and high hailing in the above reviews may seem excessive, but only to those who haven't tried it. I'm at at odd loss for words, and I can't type my joy at having found this wonderful stuff.
Update 1/11 I must have been having a good day that day. I still love it, yet cycle among latakia-, oriental-, burley- rich blends with VA and return to this as my home base. How some smoke the same thing 365 days a year is a mystery.
Mostly, I want to complain about the lack of accuracy of the component listings at the top. They need to be accurate for this site to be useful. They used to be accurate. What happened? My tin states "Full Dark Virginia Flake". It is. No perique, no cavendish. And yes, it is wonderful.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Mar 15, 2004 | Medium to Strong | None Detected | Very Full | Very Pleasant |
I've just finished about 6 months of smoking Marlin Flake almost exclusively. I'm listening to the Faure Requiem (Cambridge Singers/ John Rutter Conducting) right now and I'm wondering if GOD Himself might smoke Marlin Flake on occasion. This is so absouletly fine. It is beyond words for me. Enjoy! Thank you Kohlhase & Kopp & Co. You are so right - This is pipe smoking!! May GOD richly bless you this Christmas!!
Ahhh!!!!
Ahhh!!!!
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Mar 11, 2003 | Medium to Strong | None Detected | Full | Very Pleasant |
A word of explanation- This was my first foray into straight virginias! Although I have tried several since, MF is certainly in a category of its own. This tobacco is so rich! Never have I experienced a better tin aroma than this. The smell was reminiscent of everything comforting in the world- fresh bread, figs, and old hay to name a few. The taste was fairly one dimensional until the last part of the bowl when it got some spice to it. This is not a bad thing! Since I normally smoke english blends, It was a refreshing change to be able to concentrate on the simple, rich taste of tobacco. The only downfall to this smoke was my own lack of experience with VA tobaccos, i.e. the unbelievable tongue burn I experienced when I quit concentrating on my puffing technique and went straight after that great flavor! I have learned much since then but still prefer my beloved english blends. Regardless I would recommend to any VA lover.
##UPDATE## I am updating this review approxiametly 4 months after opening my first tin. It has since become one of my favorite tobaccos, enough that it has led me to try other straight virginia flakes. I simply had to take some time to learn how to smoke it. I think it helps that I let the tin dry out a bit as well. I give it 2 thumbs up!!!!!
##UPDATE## I am updating this review approxiametly 4 months after opening my first tin. It has since become one of my favorite tobaccos, enough that it has led me to try other straight virginia flakes. I simply had to take some time to learn how to smoke it. I think it helps that I let the tin dry out a bit as well. I give it 2 thumbs up!!!!!
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