Robert McConnell Scottish Cake

Why did i wait to try Scottish Cake? Opening the tin one is greeted with the aroma of aged virginia and an underlying scent of what i believe are cherries. Lovely brown and red hues of tobacco chunks line the tin just begging to be packed. I stuffed this in a tall billiard without any drying and was amazed at how sweet the first third of the bowl was. The second and third part of the bowl was much richer with lots of subtle nuances that can be enjoyed by blowing the smoke out through the nose ending in very fine gray ash. I agree this is too light a smoke for outdoor activities which i found out while walking the dog early this morning. I enjoyed this cake most while surfing the net and reading a book to concentrate on all the flavors.

I originally tried this blend about ten years ago. At the time, taken as I was by English style mixtures and not very familiar with straight Vas., I found it rather dull and mild. A change of taste over the years has allowed me to appreciate the subtler Virginia flavours, and I must say I now find this blend a very nice and intriguing change of pace. Blended with the same care and quality that Kohlhase, Kopp & Co seem to put in their Rattray?s and Astley?s renderings, Scottish Cake is a very smooth smoke, slightly tangy, providing a simple and direct tobacco flavour. IMO the Kentucky here is barely noticeable, but it does seem to give a certain roundness to the overall flavour.

I don?t think this tobacco is cased or topped (at least I could not detect any particular flavour other than natural tobacco leaf). It comes in a broken flake form, a medium to light shade of brown, very easy to further rub out if you wish so. It packs easily and it has excellent burning characteristics.

Though I do enjoy it and smoke it gladly, there is really nothing remarkable or extraordinary about SC to make it an outstanding Virginia. Lets say that it is not a tobacco you would miss terribly if it went off the market, but if you have it in hand, well, it is a very good quality smoke, somewhat muted, yet very civil and traditional. If your thing is straight Virginias give it a try.

Second Robert McConnell I test, and as the 1st one, it was a nice surprise. I thought it will be sweeter because of the name, but it was very pleasant to smoke. The kentucky and perique are there increasing the strength of the blend, and obtaining a well-balanced tobacco. It burns very well and produces a nice and pleasant long smoke.

Tin notes of figs, grass and a sweet vanilla like smell. The broken flakes are an orangish brown and slightly moist, drying not necessary. Some chunks may need further rubbing out, but mostly no prep needed. Burns slow with few relights. The strength is medium and nic is mild. No flavoring detected despite tin note. The taste is medium and somewhat inconsistent. I taste notes of sweet bread, Rasin, wood, grass, slightly floral and a little pepper on the retro. Virginias leads with Kentuckey providing backup, The perique seems to linger in the background. Room note is pleasant to tolerable and has a good after taste.

I'm only an occasional VaPer smoker, but I have to say this is probably my favorite that I've smoked. I think it's the additon of the Kentuckies that sets it apart. They're not overpowering but add that additional complexity that I just don't find in other blends. Can be an all day smoke that veterans and novices alike can enjoy.

Nice presentation. Very mild tin note. Burns nicely. Without a doubt this is a quality blend. But it s somehow lacking in taste. You can definitely taste the virginia and the kentucky too. But the overall experience is a weak one. I give it two stars, because I find it a bit boring and not as strong as I would like for this kind of blend. Nevertheless, an all day smoke.

This is a good blend, one that those that love VA/per/Ky blends should try. The VA's have notes of hay and citrus and the reb VA has notes of dark fruit and a subtle note of toasted grain. The perique comes and goes with notes of plum and raisins and a faint pepper note. The KY has a mild woodsy note with a little spice and earth (which I think comes from the KY but could be from the VA's) here and there and adds some depth to the overall blend but is far from forward. There is a very mild topping that seems more like a sweeter than anything else. Overall, a good blend that missed greatness but still very recommended. It will not bite even if pushed and would be a great blend for someone with just a little pipe experience to get into the VA/per/KY blends. I personally prefer Rattray's Howl o' the wynd (at the 6 month to 2 yr. mark) over this one, however.

I pretty much agree with JimInks on this one; there is a touch of sweetness for a topping/casing (molasses?), and the Kentucky is pretty well hidden, but probably makes the blend a tad more interesting. The Perique is slightly more noticeable but not peppery, and the VAs form most of the bend's structure and taste. This tin at least was just right in terms of moisture, and the broken flakes pack nicely and burn fairly slow. Fans of light to moderate VaPers should give it a try. Most others probably won't be too impressed.

I am usually very suspicious with any tobacco being made in Denmark, whether English or not, but this might be the exception that proves the rule. The tin note is sort of vinegary with an undertone of hay, which is something that reminds me of many Gawith Hoggarth blends. I have let my tobacco out of the tin for 24 hours before packing my pipe as the moist content seems to be quite high. This tobacco has a broken flake appearance, packs easily in your bowl, and does not seem to require many relights. If you are for Kentucky/Burley blends paired with Virginia tobaccos, you might as well find this particular one interesting because of its Perique content. The Kentucky content will become more and more apparent the more you smoke, but the Virginia is always there providing this sweet undertone to it. Quite in contradiction with what you would have expected from a tobacco with this characteristics, the strength/taste of this tobacco is rather mild, so I recommend it as a morning blend. I cannot detect any tongue bite and its subdued sweetness keeps me wondering every now and then. Also, it does not seem to burn hot in your bowl, which is a bonus. And I think it is important to mention this tobacco is really good value for money as well. Selling at ϵ11 for a 100 grams tin, you definitely get more bang for your bucks, so if you are looking for good quality tobacco without breaking the piggy-bank, you should probably give this one a go. Based on my initial impressions, this tobacco is going to get 3 stars, but I might upgrade to 4 stars later on if I think it is worth it. For now, it is doing really well, but let's see how I get on with it in the long term.