Robert McConnell Scottish Cake

(3.27)
Scottish Cake - this ready rubbed flake is a great favorite for young and old. Dark brown in its color the seasoned pieces may directly be tampered into the pipe or even lightly rubbed become to a Honeydew. Produced from a mixture of Eastern Carolina, Kentucky and Middle Belt, that are pressed for several weeks. A very popular tobacco and very slow in its burning.
Notes: From the Kohlhase & Kopp website: "Hand rubbed flake of dark Virginia and Kentucky with a pinch of perique."

Details

Brand Robert McConnell
Blended By Kohlhase, Kopp und Co. KG
Manufactured By  
Blend Type Virginia/Burley
Contents Kentucky, Perique, Virginia
Flavoring
Cut Broken 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 to Tolerable
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Unnoticeable -> Overwhelming
Taste
Medium
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Extremely Mild (Flat) -> Overwhelming

Average Rating

3.27 / 4
51

57

15

1

Reviews

Please login to post a review.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 124 Reviews
Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Feb 07, 2014 Medium None Detected Medium Tolerable
Presentation is lovely medium and dark brown, thin-sliced, broken flakes. An amazing tin note of fig and raisin over a foundation of sweet, bready Virginias.  There's not a hay note here as much as a strong aroma of molassed sweet feed - a very distinct and very delicious smell, with the bready Virginia aromas sprinkled over the top of the molasses foundation. This is among my favorite tin notes of any tobacco blend. The VAs here remind me of Royal Yacht: a freshly baked white loaf with some subtle sugar. Delicious. I get little to no Kentucky tang in the tin note, but the molasses element may be a function of the Kentucky.

The broken flakes were a bit moist and sticky (in that natural tobacco way, rather than drug store, PG-laden stickiness) despite having spent just over a year in my tobacco cabinet.  I prefer my tobacco on the dryer side so I set a bowl's worth aside to dry for about an hour. 

The charring light brought an initial flavor of stewed fruit - a more subtle version of what I get from Marlin Flake. So the Perique used here begins as more on the fruity side rather than the peppery side of the flavor spectrum.  But the overall Perique presence is very mild; it was definitely used as a condiment in this blend rather than a leading actor. 

The Virginias here are very smooth, and not as quite as sugary as the tin note would suggest. While I couldn't initially smell the Kentucky, I can definitely taste it. There is a subtle Kentucky tang that interplays fantastically with the Virginias. Again, the Kentucky here is more of a supporting act - not quite as overt as those of, say, GL Pease's Cumberland. 

By mid-bowl, this blend really shines. All of the flavors merge so harmoniously: sweet Virginias, tangy Kentucky, plummy Perique. Despite being tinned on the wet side, after some dry time and by mid-bowl, Scottish Cake delivers thick clouds of creamy smoke with absolutely no bite. Unlike many sipper's blends, Scottish Cake is very forgiving of heavy puffers. I should add that despite the initially moist tobacco, after some dry time this blend burned straight through after a charring and then true light, with only one re-light required.

Interestingly, in the final third of the bowl there are some peppery notes from the Perique. This is one of those rare blends that showcases both sides of the Perique flavor spectrum: stewed fruit at the onset and a hint of spice towards the close. But as much as the Kentucky and Perique add to this blend, the real stars in my opinion are the Virginias. You just can't make a great VaPer or VaBurPer blend without smooth, kind Virginias. 

Overall, this is a very smooth and harmonious blend with the constituent tobaccos each playing their part flawlessly. Those diehard VaPer aficionados should be aware, however, that this is a relatively mild Perique blend. And that's ok: not every VaPer needs to be a "Perique bomb". This is simply a superb blend showcasing what a talented blender is capable of: balance, flavor, subtlety, and creamy deliciousness. 

47 people found this review helpful.
Please login to upvote this review.
Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Oct 19, 2014 Mild to Medium Very Mild Mild to Medium Pleasant to Tolerable
The red and dark Virginias have a lot of tangy dark fruit, sugar, earth, wood, bread, a little tart and tangy citrus, light grass, a few floral notes, and pinches of spice and vinegar. They are the lead components by a small margin. The earthy, woody perique offers more stewed fruit (lots of plum,and some raisins, prune and figs) than pepper as a supporting player. The pepper shows up later rather than sooner. The dark fired Kentucky provides smoke, wood, earth, floralness, herbs, nuts, light molasses, slight spice, and almost competes with the perique for attention. There's a mild sugary (rum?) topping that helps melds the components together as well as sublimating a little of the complexity that could have been here. The nic-hit is a step below the medium mark. The strength is medium, while the taste is a slot past that threshold. Won't bite or get harsh, but sports a few very small rough edges. Burns cool and clean with a little inconsistency, though the floral sweet and savory, spicy flavor has some depth and richness. Leaves a little moisture in the bowl, and requires some relights. The pleasant after taste is short lived. The room note is a tad stronger. Not an all day smoke, but it is repeatable. Three and a half stars out of four.

-JimInks
32 people found this review helpful.
Please login to upvote this review.
Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
May 26, 2014 Medium to Strong None Detected Medium to Full Pleasant to Tolerable
Robert McConnel - Scottish Cake.

The blend arrives only a little too moist and if you like your blend fully rubbed S.C. only needs a tiny amount of work to complete it.

It lights easily and gives an impeccable smoke: hay-like Virginia and spicy Perique. The Kentucky lends a mild touch, but it isn't a blend like some with Kentucky where you get a BLAST of fire cured flavour. The burn's steady and cool.

Nicotine: medium to strong. Room-note: pleasant to tolerable.

Four stars!
Pipe Used: Mr Brog
PurchasedFrom: Smoke King
Age When Smoked: New
31 people found this review helpful.
Please login to upvote this review.
Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Nov 26, 2013 Medium to Strong Mild to Medium Medium Pleasant
I do enjoy a good Va/Per, and this is one, with a little kentucky added. Upon opening the tin, I was greeted with a sweet raisin aroma and a sticky ready rubbed mush of tobacco. If there is one thing that knocks this one down a notch, it is the obvious saucing(frosting?) of this cake with some sugary/sweet topping. The tobacco fresh out of my tin was downright sticky gooey and smoking it fresh was not very pleasant. The fresh bowl burns a bit hot and the flavor is a bit sharp. It needs to breathe for a couple hours or so. I set it out on a plate and gave it a toss from time to time until I felt the stickiness had aired out/dried. Now we are getting somewhere. It does burn cool but not particularly slow. Little bite. Good flavor, enough to keep me interested. The first third is a bit over sweet, that sugary topping coming through in the first part of the bowl, with some perique spicyness. Once through that, the natural virginia sweetness shines and there is a taste of the Kentucky hiding in the background along with the perique spice. The Kentucky does come through in the nic hit, which is decent. This would be better without the over-saucing but it is still good. Good enough to buy a bunch? Jury is still out...

Update: Having smoked through a fair amount if this, the jury is in! Placed a large order when it came in stock. This is a great tobacco for me. Molasses sweetness mixed with perique spiciness and the kentucky gives it the kick I like. I dry it for about 6-8 hours out of the tin, then it is good to go.

Update: I have a bunch of jars of different tobaccos open, and every time I have a jar of the cake open, it is gone before I know it. Without a doubt my personal favorite, my desert island tobacco, all day every day.
Pipe Used: Comoy's Blue Riband, Linkman's Dr. Grabow Zulu
Age When Smoked: 6 months
23 people found this review helpful.
Please login to upvote this review.
Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Apr 06, 2007 Mild to Medium None Detected Mild to Medium Pleasant
I received my tin of Scottish Cake already opened and the leaf was still sopping wet. I took out a wad, dried it a bit and loaded up. For the next bowl I think I'll let the leaf get darn near crispy before trying it. Maybe that will improve the flavor. This tobacco is also a "tweener." It arrived somewhat between a broken flake and a ribbon cut. I rubbed it out fully before drying, loading and lighting.

Scottish Cake had a unique taste that only somewhat appreciated. I see where this is a big hit with most of the reviewers here but I am scratching my dome over why. It did not match up with my body chemistry at all and left my palate feeling somewhat violated.

A positive note; even though the leaf was a bit moist when I smoked my half bowl, it stayed lit well.
22 people found this review helpful.
Please login to upvote this review.
Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Feb 27, 2015 Mild to Medium Extremely Mild Medium Pleasant
I really like this one. The Virginias are fruity and sweet with an occasional wine-like note. I wouldn't say the Perique is light, more light to medium and providing ample spice and figgy notes. The DFK is light providing only a hint of it's flavor and some depth. Very, very nice. A little more aging might make those wine-like notes a bit more pronounced.

Mild to medium in body. Medium in flavor. Needs to be rubbed out a little and some drying time. Great, relaxing smoke.
Pipe Used: MM General, MM Country Gentleman, MM Mark Twain
PurchasedFrom: pipesandcigars.com
Age When Smoked: 8 months
13 people found this review helpful.
Please login to upvote this review.
Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Apr 05, 2016 Medium Very Mild Medium Pleasant to Tolerable
I have been smoking Scottish Cake for years and in the tin it smells sweet and full. The somewhat thick sliced plug provides deep flavor, with the Perique suppling the raisin and plum notes. The Kentucky adds some body and strength, but it is far from forward. I can’t help but compare this to Hal O’ the Wynd, a favorite of mine, as they both contain Virginia, Perique and Kentucky. But Scottish Cake contains a topping that, while pleasant, has me reaching for HOTW much more often for better tobacco flavor. SC burns cool, even when pushed, but the manually added sweetness keeps it from being an everyday smoke for me. Flavor wise, it’s pretty straightforward, only deepening in flavor and sweetness as the bowl progresses. There are more bass notes than high notes to the Virginias. There is a bit of a caramel note too (not to be confused with the candy). I do find that the Perique gains a small amount of pepper in the later stages of the bowl. Aging this blend only serves to deepen the sweet flavor which isn’t a bad thing! I have one remaining tin that was made by McConnell (verses K&K) that if I remember I will update the difference here. All in all, SC is a decent and enjoyable blend, but often leaves me wanting more tobacco flavor.
11 people found this review helpful.
Please login to upvote this review.
Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Nov 29, 2014 Medium Extremely Mild Medium to Full Pleasant
Wow, Was I fooled and pleasantly surprised with this blend. I thought I had ordered RM's Oriental and never realized I had the wrong blend until I was halfway done with the tin. This blend was so good , I never realized my mistake nor was I trying to look for "What's Wrong" with this blend, it was all good.

Upon looking at the components ( Va., Kentucky and Perique ) I would have expected a bit of heat/spice, but this is dark, smooth and sweet. This Perique just stays in the background. It reminds me of Mac Barens HH Old Dark Fired, but the Kentucky stays more in the background than does the Burley of the Mac Baren's. Perhaps it's closer to Reiner's 71 "Long Golden Flake", but I think this is tastier. I'll throw one more out there ( it's been a few years ) , Solani 660 Silver flake.

If you like dark sweet Virginias with NO bite and never bitter, you got to try this ( the Perique & Kentucky just come along for the ride providing some "N" and base) . I could be moving this to my "Favorites"

Agree with reviewer "Deleted Account (574)" , in that this is a great change from Latakia

Pipe Used: maple , cob
Age When Smoked: 2 months open
9 people found this review helpful.
Please login to upvote this review.
Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Nov 05, 2012 Mild to Medium Extremely Mild Medium Pleasant to Tolerable
Rummaging the cellar last night and looking for something to add to my rotation, this orange labeled tin caught my eye. Hmmm, a Va/Per with Kentucky. I can't remember when I bought this (or the other tin of the same there, for that matter), so it's probably at least a couple-three years old, maybe older. What the hell, I grabbed it and popped the tin.

The tin aroma is of rich tobacco and a gentle, molasses-like sweetness. Described as ready rubbed, the ribbons are a mixture of light, medium and dark brown; a bit moist, so I dried a bowlful for 20 minutes. It packed easily without further rubbing. The char and light went very well. There's more than a pinch of red virginias (virginia forward) and a good amount of white burleys in this, which is fine by me; the perique, as stated on the tin, is "a pinch" -- just enough. The processing of the tobaccos leaves for this cake has produced and amazing result, since the cake appears to have been left to rest after pressing, absorbing the remaining juices; this results in the "broken cake" in this tin having that same remarkable sweetness from the tin aroma present throughout the smoke. I sipped it slowly -- no bite at all. A little bit of spice (the perique) and nuttiness (from the burleys).

I wouldn't say this blend is complex, but consistently even and well balanced throughout. It smokes evenly leaving dry white ash in my R.C. Sands egg -- no dottle.

If you're a Va/Per fan, this is a must try. Highly recommended.
9 people found this review helpful.
Please login to upvote this review.
Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Mar 20, 2014 Medium None Detected Medium to Full Pleasant
McConnell Scottish Cake is one of my favorites. I absolutely adore the stuff. To me, it's perfectly balanced and so tasty. A base of slightly sweet Virginia like warm, freshly baked bread, with just enough Perique to give sharp contrast and definition without paralyzing your tongue, and then the Kentucky comes in from another angle to provide depth and bring it all together. A fantastic smoke.

I find myself smoking Scottish Cake much more often now that I'm becoming less interested in smoking Latakia blends all the time.

Smells great in the tin. Reminds me of fruitcake. The room note is nice too. I actually get compliments on it occasionally, which is somewhat unusual for a non-aromatic.

I dry it out some and then rub it in my fingers to break it up a little, because I tend to pack lightly and smoke in sips. My pipe is nearly always right on the verge of going out. This makes some tobacco frustrating to keep lit, but Scottish Cake burns well for me.

If it's a Perique blast you're looking for, you won't find it in Scottish Cake. It's in there, you can taste it and feel the tingle on the tongue, but it's in no way overwhelming.
PurchasedFrom: smokingpipes.com
8 people found this review helpful.
Please login to upvote this review.

target="_blank"