Robert McConnell Scottish Cake

I'm reviewing this tobacco again with my 2nd tin of this tobacco....five years later.

Presentation in the tin is quite a nice crumbled cake. Reminds me of the look of Hal'o'The Wynd. Smells figgy, earthy, dried fruit sweetness and a bit of hay. Its a bit wet in the tin, but that doesn't seem to detract from packing it, lighting it, etc...

Packs well into any of the several pipes I've smoked it in. Lights well with just one match. This blend seems to require some light tamping from time to time, but behaves quite well.

The smoke is also reminiscent of HoTW, but just by a little. It gives a nice amount of smoke with flavors of bread, earth, and the typical virginia hayishness. This smoke is only slightly sweet and I would even say it has a 'salty' flavor to it. Sometimes hints of cigar and spice come to visit the palate. It's an enjoyable smoke, but not as smooth (a bit more harsh) as HoTW and not as sweet. It's flavors are not overpowering and are quite pleasant to enjoy. It's a smoke that doesn't require a lot of contemplation and gives quite a kick. There is something about the flavor profile, specifically the finish, that is off-putting to me. I have a hard time putting my finger on it. There is an unpleasant sour note on the aftertaste that just strikes me wrong, otherwise I would rate this tobacco much higher.

This is my second Va/per experience after having tried escudo.. so my knowledge on how this rates by comparison to other tobaccos may be somewhat limited.. But I will give my thoughts as sometimes a beginner's mind can be helpful.. My first reaction is to how marvelous this tobacco smells in the tin.. very fruity - kind of plum like.. not at all what i was expecting. Very moist.. this is a tobacco that really tempts you even before being smoked.. the texture is very coarse as it would be when you break down a flake in your hand.. I like it - very easy to handle and load into your pipe.. I pack it with my own variation on the frank method.. I prefer not to tamp too much - but this tobacco burns so well that not much relighting and tamping seem to be required.. my first reaction is that there are more flavors going on in this than in escudo (don't get me wrong i love the earthiness of escudo) - i think you pick up more on the virginias and kentucky than the perique at first.. i am also getting a slight fruitiness.. after a few more puffs a richer choclatey flavor is emerging.. now i am getting more earthiness.. the rest of the smoke is just pure pleastness.. I like this a lot - a nice mellow yet satisfying flavor.. I would highly recommend to other beginner s..

Revisiting nearly 10 years later (wow time flies).. this is still a favorite. The Kentucky and perique are mild. Every thing is so well married. It comes on soft but always leaves a big impression. I crave it.

When I first cracked the seal on the tin I was reminded of opening a bag of sweet feed...any horse people know the smell. Not overwhelming and it was gone fast. I set a bowlfull out to breathe for about 20 minutes or so, as the tin states it is ready rubbed, and packed very easily and burned very slowly, my bowl lasted a good 1 and a half hours with a few minutes here and there to cool and then a relight.

I really enjoy Va/Pers and this is now firmly at the top of the list...I'm glad I ordered 2 tins!

One of my all time favorites. This is awesome leaf.

I have no idea what took me so long to finally get around to writing a review on this stuff. Sometimes, I feel that there is nothing particular of note that I can add to other reviews that will be helpful. Then again, sometimes I like simply to put in my two cents worth.

Scottish Cake is an "old timey" feeling tobacco, but not quite along the lines of the Gawith & Hogarth. In strength and character it is more like some of the Germain blends, including those made for Esoterica. But, it has a much livelier flavor than any of the offerings from this aforementioned fine company. This is a pretty straightforward, simply VA/Per blend. Nothing fancy, just good flavor and moderate nicotine strength.

In the tin, it smells delicious; sweet, tangy tobacco goodness. It lights relatively easy, and stays lit all the way to the bottom of the bowl, at which point you are going to empty out a little bit of fine white ash. The flavor is slightly sweet, slightly tangy, with a noticable perique tartness lingering in the background. What impressed me about this blend is that it is so well crafted that the flavors marry perfectly for me. All the way through the bowl, the flavors maintained their integrity without one or the other fading or dominating.

I believe the only other va/per blend I could really compare this to is Escudo. But, where the perique in Escudo can leap out at you, surprising you sometimes, in Scottish Cake it behaves very well, and stays just where it's supposed to. The virginia is nice full bodied, and it doesn't really seem to develop an acrid or ashy taste. This is a tobacco that, if you really like it, you don't have to worry about dedicating a pipe to it, as the flavors are straightforward rather than subtle. It's virginia and perique.

Scottish Cake, though not a standout tobacco in comparison with some other blends I smoke, is a very solid choice for an "anytime" smoke. I don't think I would smoke it all the time, but I could definitely smoke it anytime.

McConnell Scottish Cake.

A welcoming mild aroma is detected when open the tin/jar: lightly earthy/grassy, such as you are in the grassy park after a rainfall, a mildly dark fruit note and raisin. For some bowls, I may leave the tobacco to sit in the air for 20-25 minutes, occasionally may let it in the air for 10 minutes only and smoke it slightly on the wet side, but this time will use a pipe with pretty thick walls that prevents any tendency for the bowl to get hot. Great VaPer with a detectable amount of Kentucky. The Virginias are of high quality and lead, but I felt the perique coming second providing some level of spicy experience which I noticed from early stages of the bowl. The Kentucky is relatively on the background providing additional smokiness and woodiness to the blend (occasionally, Kentucky and perique are experienced to be at the same level). It smokes so well, moderately slow and overall cool as long as you sit back and relax while puffing. Pay attention: you may be addicted to Scottish cake 🙂

3rdGuy

I really enjoyed this one. This is a Dark Virginia blend with a lesser amount of Kentucky and Perique to give it some interest and boldness. It is a bit of a solid smoke, plenty of flavor and it could be a bit on the strong side for those not used to a fuller flavor smoke. I however love it. Highly recommended and I cellared deep on this one.

As far as Virginia/Perique blends go, this is the benchmark. Smooth, sweet and with the right amount of Perique. Difficult to come by as it doesn't release often and sells quickly, so get yourself some when you can.

It happens with some tobaccos that it takes me longer than with others to make their review, because after smoking a pipe it suggests me one rating and the next one suggests another. With this one, exactly that has happened to me. Now, almost finished the 100 gr. Tin, I think the time has come to start writing ...

A va / per in the European style, and by this I mean that the nuances of the perique are more fruity than vinegary, but take this comment as a generalization. Virginias predominate with a slight addition of perique and what seems like a pinch of Kentucky. It's tasty, burns well, and doesn't sting your tongue at all. It should be smoked slowly so that it does not show its bitter side and has a more satisfactory smoking experience. To give you an idea, the Kentucky ingredient is applied here even more lightly than in Solani's Silver Flake. His presence is as subtle as it can be in HU Tobacco's Aus dem Krater. The perique is a bit more remarkable.

All in all I would say it is a good quality tobacco and I will finally rate it three stars, but I understand the reviewers who give it four.