Robert McConnell Scottish Cake

I had very high hopes for this tin. So far it has been less than anticipated. I will update this review if the airing-out smooths this one out. (6/14/05)

It has been about 5 months since my initial review. I smoked a couple of bowls today without any other tobaccos and was very pleased. A very tasty medium Virginia ready rubbed flake. The tin suggests this is a Va./Per. I didn't taste any Perique though.

I like this blend very, very much. There seems to be some confusion as to the makeup of this blend. On this site burley is mentioned; elsewhere I see it described as a VA/Perique blend. The latter seems more accurate to me. Scottish Cake to my taste is a perky little blend that makes a wonderful second course to a burley or English first course. (But not to itself: two bowls in a row, as another reviewer stated, don't work so well.) It wakes up and refreshes the palate.

This is a tobacco made to taste through the nose. Though, as other reviewers have pointed out, the taste does not change much from beginning to end (it intensifies,) that is not a drawback for me. I am not looking for a drama in three acts. But Scottish Cake is pure and lovely like a sonnet. I will buy more to age. (The tin I am just finishing has significant aging, so that should be taken into account.)

Also, Scottish Cake leaves a pleasant understated aroma behind which is not likely to bother the missus. A very nice tobacco.

This is a nice, mild smoke. Upon the initial lighting of a VA blend, the stronger blends can be a bit harsh and ?knock me back? in my chair, others that are milder, like Scottish Cake, are much kinder. This is a pleasant, gentle, sweet smoke all the way to the bottom of the bowl. Highly recommended to the smoker who wants to try a Virginia blend for the first time.

Naturaly sweet high grade Red Virginias from the eastern belt of the Carolinas, which are laced with just a little, and I do mean a small ammount of Kentucky/Tennessee white burley. When making this wonderful pipe tobacco the maker must really press the juice out of the leaves and then let it sit in the juice while it hardens. This would account for the really sweet uniformity of the leaf all the way down the bowl. The cake is broken up, and packing it one may leave it chunky or fully rub it out. I prefer to fully rub it out. It lights well, and stays lit. The flavour is sweet red virginias with a subtle burley playing way back that makes this such a wonderful smoke. I'll purchase more of this to put away in the cellar, though it needs no aging.

I find myself once again compelled to review a tobacco that I happened to grab on a whim. The tobacconist mentioned that he liked this blend and so I gave it a go. I personally really like this tobacco. It's not a hugely complex tobacco, although I find it more so than dark star or 5115. Scottish cake has a nice, even burn, which leaves the pipe clean and dry. It is moist in the tin, but I find I really have to huff on it to get any mouth heat. Frankly, this tobacco is really nice in that it isn't a constantly changing melange of flavor. That is nice sometimes, but at othe times an even, well balanced smoke is just the thing. It is slightly sweet with real tobacco flavor and typical VA flavors, though on the deep side (rather than bright.)The flavor stays consistent all the way down. This will be a regular in my rotation.

McConnell
Scottish Cake

Blend notes: “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.”

From the Kohlhase & Kopp website: "Hand rubbed flake of dark Virginia and Kentucky with a pinch of perique.”

First, this is a delicious and consistently flavorful VaBur. It is a bit moist out of the tin but some rubbing and patience brings it to life.

What I don’t taste is any Dark-Fired Kentucky. Nor do I taste Perique. Since both are in the blend, what gives? On my palate these are condiments not major players.

What is showcased is a bready, floral, dark fruit combination of high quality Virginia tobaccos. The burley brings woody notes and that earthy, yummy note from good burley. There may a slight hint of sourness from the Perique. There is none of the deep smoky Kentucky.

This as good as HH Old Dark Fired or Pegasus. Better than Peterson’s Hyde Park. Scottish Cake is a consistently pleasant, mild to mild plus Virginia / Burley blend with a condiment level amount of Perique but an insufficient amount to be called a VaPer.

4 out of 4 stars.

Fruit Virginias , medium Perique spice and light and very pleasant Kentucky adding body and taste! A fine and cool burning smoke !!

AP

Tin note: dried fruit

Smokes well, no tongue bite, few relights. Tastes like dried fruit and bread at the beginning. Changes to sweet woods. Spicy (from the perique) - little bit too much but this is my first encounter with perique, so maybe it is not for me.

- The tin smell is like mild citrusy plummy and Raisins but citrus is a bit more dominant

- Moisture is above average but i notices if you let it dry it will burn too hot and fast

-The main problem is that after smoking all those nice aromas disappear and you barely detect any nice aroma which is disappointing

- It is generally an average blnd in every aspect

-It burns extremely hot like hell that might damage the pipe