Robert McConnell Scottish Flake

I was blown away, in a bad way by the heady and foul tin aroma that is best liken to intense musty body oder. No joke! I never smelled something so obtrusively demonic in character as this bouquet from the tin which permeated the air like a cannister of Zyklon B. I can only guess maybe its' the havana leaf in conjunction with the maturing process. All this experience with out even lighting up yet. Smoke wise it is much more subdued, mellow, slightly naturally sweet and round but the echo of that rank stench is too distracting. I can also liken "that smell" to cumin largly used in mexican cooking. If you are as perceptive as I am, people who eat such cooking tend to smell like such cooking, amplified by exsertion and poor hygine. If it was'nt for biblical brimstone being the preferred olfactory torment for the damned this would be a great second choice.

I had previously tried Scottish Cake and loved it and having gotten seriously into flakes I had been wanting to try this for some time. I then had an opportunity to buy some aged tins of various blends and amongst them was a 4 year old tin of Scottish Flake. So this review is based on an aged tin rather than a fresher one.

On opening the tin I found the wax paper stained quite a dark brown colour. The tobacco itself is mostly dark but I have found some slightly lighter colours in there too. This is consistent with ageing. The tin aroma is similar to Marlin Flake which is a favourite of mine so this was a good sign. I was unable to get any of the flakes to seperate whole. It is quite moist for an aged tin. I broke off some good sized lumps and gave a little rub and found it broke up very easily into quite small pieces with little effort.

Lighting took some time with my Old Boy and I had to relight twice after tamping. The immediate flavour is reminiscent of Marlin but is spicier. I find the sweetness develops further during the bowl but demands a slow technique to reveal it's joys. The flavour is subtle and for me would not work too well as an outdoor smoke but is superb as a reading or working smoke or as a plain do nothing but enjoy the smoke slowly.

The flavour is of sweet red VA. I do not detect whatever Turkish is supposed to be in this. Burley is present and serves well to add a creaminess but does no more than that. I do not taste any nuttiness or ashiness. Just a wonderful creamy VA sweetness.

Kohlhase, Kopp & Co know how to make great flakes.

Although I have indicated I smoke this on occasion I would highly recommend it to anyone who likes sweet VA flakes like Marlin, Hal o the Wynd, Old Gowrie, Escudo, G&H Brown Flake, etc.

I plan on trying the fresher stuff but even if I find it different it would be worth laying some down for the years ahead.

The small pocket-size tin is just one of the things I like about Scottish Flake. These classic dark VA flakes do, as others have noted, break up very easily. Packing is no problem. There is a light sweetness in the flavor, but according to the A.I.T.S. Tobacco Index there is no flavoring added. Could be just the pressing of the red VA's and the natural sugar content. I detect no Orientals or Latakia, but there is a suggestive smokey flavor reminiscent of campfires and charcoal grill tastes. There's also a flavor that's sort of like walnuts (at least to me) but it's very delicate and subtle. This tobacco reminds me of an "Old World" kind of smoke. It lights and burns well. The flavor gets richer as you smoke and the VA "tang" is present nearly all the way down the bowl. When relighting I noticed a slight bitter taste but it disappeared as the burn got going again. I did notice a slight throat dryness near the very end of the bowl, but it was not at all bothersome and a couple sips of ice tea took care of it. I like the "musty" VA smell in the tin, and the smell in the room was inoffensive. I found the moisture content to be just about right, and I had little problems when smoking making just one swab with a pipe cleaner. All in all I really like this tobacco. The tin makes it easy to carry, it rubs out with little effort, it wasn't harsh or overly sharp, it has, IMHO, a good, honest natural VA tobacco flavor, and though, as some of you have noted, there are other bulk blends that are as good (or better)and perhaps less expensive (agreed), I feel this tobacco has a good quality-to-value ratio. Having obtained some tins, from a dear departed friends cellar, that are aged to the point that the wax paper inside is covered with black/brown age-blotches adds a little "mystique" as well. Works for me.