Rattray Marlin Flake

First of all in my opinion there is no perique in this mixture and even if there is a hint it is uninfluential. The taste is of Virginia and above all Black Cavendish. If we want to classify in a correct way this blend we have to admit that this is an aromatic mixture. But it is not a natural aromatic mixture: it is without any doubt a flavored blend. There is casing and there is top dressing and you can continuously perceive the flavoring on your tongue and nose. I don’t know if it is a natural flavoring or a chemical (artificial) flavoring. Anyway the result is awful and in my opinion this mixture is unsmokable. If you are looking for something natural this is not for you. In my personal system rating (from 1 to 10) my score is 1 and only a star.

Summary: a sweet Virginia flake with minor contributions from Perique, Cavendish, and a sugary topping.

The question facing any reviewer is ultimately, "Would you buy this again?" This is what your readers need to know, and it is why reviewers who receive free stuff often praise all of it; for them, the question of scarce resources never enters the picture. When you open the tin of "Marlin Flake," a faint fig-like smell drifts up, and on first light you get the flavor of marshmallows from the sugar topping rapidly transitioning to a steady, sweet Virginia smoke. This is a good flake, but the Perique and Cavendish play a minor role, somewhat overshadowed by the amaretto and licorice toppings which with some sugar and PG make this an even sweeter but slow and gently burning blend. To me, it tastes more like "Sir Walter Raleigh" than a straight Virginia flake, and has the similar OTC appeal. You can load this in a pipe, light it, and wander around for a few hours with a thin stream of flavorful smoke at all times. However, to be fair, I prefer the less-sweetened and more varied internal flavor of *Hal O' The Wynd*, even if it unfortunately does not come in flake form.

I had high hopes of this. I have smoked Old Gowrie and enjoyed it, if finding it a little too mild for me. I was disappointed, to say the least.

The tin presentation is very promising. Lovely rough flakes with that earthy hay/grass/peat note that Rattray's are so good at. A bit too moist, but a rough rub produces a good pack. Lighting was a little tricky but it burns well once it's going.

But the smoking experience for me was completely lacking. Hot and sharp, no discernible flavour - certainly none of that mature Virginia I was expecting. Also low nicotine, though I understand this is supposed to be a bit stronger than OG. Not horrible, but lacking, bland and tasteless. The absence of taste, body and strength also had me tugging at it to get something out of it, leading to too much heat and bite.

Not one I shall be buying again. One star.

I was anxious to try this well-known and praised flake. It was a bit of a challenge to find it, but I finally did. The moisture level is very adequate, past the medium point. As such, it may be better to let it dry for a bit. It was easy to light up, and it did not require relighting much thorughout the bowl. Well behaved in many aspects. I thought it was weaker than I had expected, as some have suggested this being an older brother to Old Gowrie, which I enjoy once in a while. Yet, it is not, at least for me. The real problem I have with this flake is the ever so pervasive topping that some many tobaccos have. I cannot stand them, at all. True, that leaves me with fewer choices than most pipe smokers, but that is just the way my taste and body chemistry works. I do not tolerate these obvious flavourings, perhaps, only is there are really at the "extremelyh mild" level (such as in the case of Old Gowrie). The moral of the story is that I did not enjoy Marlin Flake at all. All I tasted was this "mediciny" falvouring/topping burning my tonge with noticeable good tobacco underneath, which for me, it is not enough of a profile to be part of my rotation.

I'm afraid I'll be among the very few who do not like this tobacco.

It is obviously of high quality. It burns cool and smooth and does not bite. It has a rich tin note and nice room aroma when smoked.

But my flavor preferences lean towards the strong and full-flavored blends, and I found this too sweet and light -- even flavorless -- for my tastes. I wish I could detect the rich flavors other reviewers speak of. Or perhaps I just have a bad tin; the tin I opened is 14 years old.

Now, in contrast, I thoroughly enjoy its sibling, Old Gowrie. That tobacco is among my favorites. As is Orlik Golden Sliced. They belong in the same genre, but these latter blends have a stronger and tastier flavor profile for me.

YMMV

I bought it having high hopes.I ended disappointed. The flakes need some drying time. The taste is not bad, but monochromatic and bland. For me, it is difficult to smoke a whole bowl of this one. It is a boring smoke. After 15 minutes, I want to put the pipe down. Cannot recommend it.

This is one of those tobaccos that I had expected great things from, but its turned out to be a big disappointment for me.

I've tried it fresh out of the tin and also letting it age, but I'm finding the same result.

The room note is the first pipe tobacco I've had where it reminds me of cigarettes -- immediate turn off for me.

Flavour wise there is some Virginia sweetness, but there is too much perique for my liking and it gives me a "bitey" sensation on the tongue that I am not fond of (one reviewer here also called it a "tingly" sensation); whatever you want to call that sensation, it's not good. That mixed with grassy Virginias just doesn't seem to be something I respond to terribly positiviely.

The best thing about this blend for me is the tin note, which is has a nice malty-sweetness to it. However, this doesn't translate over into the flavour.

When I ordered this I was expecting a VaPer, and an old and established one at that from Scotland. I have learned considerably since then. So then, where is the Perique? It's completely absent in my tin. The other 1 and 2 star reviews often cite this lack, while some say it is incredibly overpowering. Taste ratings are similarly variable; some suggest it is rich, full, deep, others lacking and thin. Looking at scoring is instructive for this tobacco. While it continues to rate high the frequency of poor reviews increases year by year. In the early 2000s it was consistently 4 star rated, almost for years at a stretch with a rare contrarian deigning to give it a mere 3. Those days are over.

A VaPer with no discernible Perique is a poor tobacco in my opinion, and at best misleading. More accurately this is a black Cavendish and Virginia blend. Admittedly, I don't really understand such a mix. A hallmark of the quality Virginia experience is the development of sweetness. Why then would one mask this with a heavily cased cavendish? When I first opened the tin I thought I had gotten an aromatic and it wasn't far from it. Sickly syrupy sweetness and wet. I've since let it mellow and dry a little and while the most shocking tendencies are gone I wouldn't call it good. I find it fairly weak, rather bland, and the straight Virginias are nearly hidden. Burnt sugars are the main note, but a little taste of bread dough was present near the bottom of the bowl. I rated flavoring as medium; l don't know if it is topped but the cavendish is certainly cased and that dominates the smoke. It also smokes quite steamy.

I sometimes wonder about QC concerns when my experience is different than the majority. I don't think that is the case with this- I think it is what it is and that is a product of evolution or rather devolution to something that no longer matches company descriptions, mixture notes, or older pipers' fond memories. The physical quality of the base tobacco seems pretty good but the blend as a whole, considering things like marriage of flavors and smoking satisfaction is poor. My 1 star review is based purely on the criteria in the pop up box next to the drop down field: would you recommend it? The answer, sadly, is no, not at all. I don't find it offensive per se or unfit for consumption, but there is simply nothing to recommend, especially at its price point and reputation.

This is a re review of a tin I purchased in 2015. Initially I was drawn to this blend due to its baked goods-like aroma and the coffee/cocoa flavor that complimented the Virginia well. After I came down to the last 2 flakes, I tossed them. This blend for me is only good fresh. All of the qualities dissipated after the first week, leaving me with nothing but hot air. It was good a first but it died fast.