Tobaccos Hearth & Home - Marble Kake (Signature Series)

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2013-05-14		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Another sample given to me but this one was an ounce. If an ounce is not enough to "get" a tobacco, Russ Ouelette should be thankful, because before I "get" this one, I'm going to order several pounds.

To start with, I guess I'm not a "knowledgable" virginia fan, because I don't get the comparison to Hamborger Veermaster. While this one has a smidge of the sweet citrus of HV, it goes beyond that. Marble Kake is much deeper, broader and more complex. Rubbing it out was fairly simple. I'm going to experiment more with this one when I get more to experiment with, but fully rubbed out worked very well. The flavor was deep. Rather than HV, this did remind me of another blend I'd smoked in the past but I couldn't recall which. So I cheated and read some of the other reviews. Mr Big nailed it with C&D "Briar Fox". But that one didn't hit me as hard as this one. Marble Kake is a mellow-spirited, faintly sweet and rich tasting VA that improves down the bowl. It can tolerate a bit heavier puffing cadence and never loses its cool. No heavy nicotine here, this is something that could be smoked all day long and never become tiresome or monochrome.

I've smoked a lot of Russ' blends. Some I didn't care for, some I liked and even a couple that I thought were 4 star blends. But this is the first one that so distinguished itself that I thought "Man, if I had to, I could give up every other blend in this genre". This is that good. If you're a virginia lover, this is a must try. Just let me get my order in first! :)

27 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JimInks (3025)	2014-03-01		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

An extremely light dark fruit tanginess, wood and earth from the red Virginia works well with the others, which offer a mellow citrusy sweetness and a tame light citrus note. They also provide a slight grass essence or two that contrasts well with the inherent earthiness, wood, dark fruit and slight floral note of the brown Virginia. The Kake in the tin is more like thick strips of a pure mild to medium Virginia blend with no topping. The strips break apart with ease, allowing for a very smooth and even moderately paced burn with virtually no moisture at the finish. Needs an average number of relights. Has a pleasant after taste. It's not a complex blend, and the nic-hit is mild. Won't bite, and has few rough edges. Can be a starter blend for those trying out straight Virginias. The experienced smoker might feel it lacks some depth compared to stronger Va. offerings, but may also welcome a lighter change of pace. I imagine this blend will age exceptionally well when cellared.

-JimInks

26 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	manno (50)	2014-03-03		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I enjoy cereal and buy numerous and different types and blends every time I'm shopping and the ubiquitous "cereal" is on the list. I've had countless boxes and bags in my cupboard over the years (you see, I'm sure, where this is going) containing clusters, different fruits, honey, nuts, seeds, presentations of oats, bran, wheat, multi-grains and the like. With all that, sometimes I just want a big bowl of Corn Flakes. To me, Marble Kake = the Corn Flakes of my tobacco array. Pease tonight? Nah. Dunhills are a good idea? Not in the mood. Sam's flakes of one great sort or another? Too much work. Escudo, Presbyterian, a Peterson, Black House, Davidoff Flake Medallions, other medallions, MacBaren Old Dark Fired? Just had some, too much, too little, who knows? Hard to decide. But I really want to smoke. Maybe I'll think it over with some Marble Kake. I forgot how easy it is to break this stuff. Tin note is so simple and pleasing -- pure VA hay/citrus/baked bread. Hell, almost smells like Corn Flakes. Wow, it lights as nicely as the last (100) bowls I've had of this uncomplicated bit of VA "try it you'll like it" tobacco. No thanks, I don't feel like pepper or fruit or BBQ sauce or smoke on my cereal. These Corn Flakes are really hitting the spot. Maybe when I'm done, if I'm still peckish, I'll have something with a few more flavor profiles. Coffee coated muesli? Or, hey -- I'm the maker of my own destiny -- maybe I'll just have some more of those Corn Flakes. They're leaving such a rich and rewarding taste (not too sweet, not too lemony and not too spicy) I'll probably have room for another bowl. Why not? Recommended to all those who like Corn Flakes and don't believe that simplicity well executed cannot peacefully co-exist with complex sophistication and satisfaction.

Pipe Used: billiars and bent dublins

Age When Smoked: 18 months

Purchased From: pipesandcigars

Similar Blends: apart from presentation, the taste is similar to a number of lighter straight VAs.

18 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pipestud (1829)	2011-08-11		Mild	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

Russ Ouellette is continually proving himself to be remarkably talented as a master blender of fine tobaccos. Marble Kake is another fine example of his work. One of very few true Krumble Kake Virginias on the market today, Marble Cake will satisfy those who like a deeper flavor from their Virginia leaf without the added nicotine strength. A little on the airy side in that department, but the flavor of sweet taste with true depth really comes through with this one.

13 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	fr_tom (393)	2015-01-27		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

The Marble Kake I have been smoking was jarred for two years. That has to have some impact on the taste and smoking experience, so it seems appropriate to mention. It came a little drier than I like Virginias and I humidified it a little. I have been smoking it rubbed out.

This is a very good Virginia blend with no topping that I can discern. It is slightly sweet and sometimes has tart or citrus notes. It was an easy smoke and the sweet became more prominent as I smoked through a bowl. I like this a lot, and recommend it.

It is not a bomb, and it is not especially complex. It is good though, and if you like Virginias, I predict this one will suit you.

9 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	TallPuffO'Burley (632)	2015-11-04		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

I received a good sample of this from a friend of mine. It was good and reminded me a lot of Best brown Flake by Sam Gawith in the way it tastes, but not in form, cut or performance.

I love BBF and I did love the taste of this, but the cut of this one has me holding this one at three stars. It is too tasty to get two stars. Here was my problems with it. Normally, I love a kake. A simple squeeze at a portion of the cake, usually leads to a crumbling of easy packing pieces. This one is different. The pieces are in more of a fish food flake cut and come off as shards that need to be pulled apart.

This also makes packing the bowl somewhat odd and it usually takes about a third of the bowl before it is burning good. At least this is my experience, YMMV.

As for taste. It is wonderful. It is grassy sweet with a good bit of earthy body to it. It is sweet, but doesn't leave you wanting a bowl of something else. A really tasty Virginia, but it is so close in taste to SG BBF, that I will likely stick with the latter for my own rotation.

Similar Blends: Sam Gawith Best Brown Flake.

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	StevieB (2076)	2019-10-13		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

Hearth & Home - Marble Kake (Signature Series).

Every pipe smoker knows that 'wow' feeling that pops up every now and then. When a blend makes you practically cataleptic with it's brilliance! Well, that is the situation, for me, with this. I haven't smoked 'Veermaster for years so can't draw a juxtaposition, or compare the two.

Mine was supplied in a bulk pouch from Tobaccopipes.com. I suspect this may have adjusted the presentation of the blend compared to the tinned version! I see many different sizes and cuts of kake, from small broken ribbons right up to some large flat slithers. The bigger pieces are an even split between dark and bright Virginias. The level of hydration's perfect, but again, the loose pouch may have 'interfered' and it might be different in the tin!

The smoke has lots of Virginia complexity. The brighter, fresher, grassy flavours come through more at the start of a bowl. The smoke takes on more of a tart, fruity, tang after the first quarter; from here on the red Va's are the driving force for Mable Kake. The burn and mechanics are faultless: even, steady, slow, cool and free from 'bite.

Nicotine: just below medium. Room-note: quite potent for a Virginia, but nice.

Marble Kake? This is what pipe smoking's about! Highly recommended:

Four stars.

Pipe Used: Neerup

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Tobaccopipes.com

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2005-07-30		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

This interesting bulk offering from Pipes & Cigars' Hearth and Home Series is certainly noteworthy if for nothing else than the nifty form factor. My 4oz sample arrived as two large flat square slabs of tobacco resembling aspenite particle board more than anything else.

The pouch aroma is slightly sweet with a clove-like spicy note and some grassy tones.

It is easy to tear chunks from a slab and they break up into spongy pieces of leaf. The texture is more akin to pressed leaf rather hard flakes. The description of bright and red virginias seems appropriate and there seems to be about an equal proportion of each present. Once broken up its consistency is very much similar to a ribbon cut, although it breaks up into approximately 13mm diameter flakes with many smaller constituents of varying sizes. It is a simple matter to carve slices from the soft cake with a razor blade in any case, and the bowl I am currently smoking was prepared in this manner and is exhibiting excellent flavor characteristics.

Moisture content was close to optimal for this sample, unlike some other pressed tobaccos, this one is not so tightly compacted that it traps excessive moisture. No doubt this tobacco would be a good candidate for some aging experiments and considering the plug format's inherent resistance to oxidation this blend could likely easily withstand many years of aging.

The broken up cake packs easily and lights well. According to my wife, "Its smells like burning wood or something. Its smells ok." She hates cigarette smoke, tolerates cigars, and loves the smell of pipes and especially latakia, so thats where she stands.

I find the taste to be good but somewhat mild; however, I am used to smoking those unsmokable virginias which tend to leave one's tongue sizzling for hours, so mild to me might be pretty strong for you. The flavor in this blend seems to stick in the middle range of virginia flavor without much for high notes but some bass notes. A citrusy aspect is missing, there is a subtle sweetness initially but it gradually fades into a deeper flavor. The blend does not impart an overly zingy glow to your mouth like many virginias, although the effect is present. Instead the flavor develops into somewhat of a tangy and possibly leathery or woody flavor, and delicious slightly bitter hints occasionally peek through. I guess that nutty describes the overall combination of flavors somewhat in a natural tobacco kind of way.

I would say that this reminds me something of Montgomery in its flavor profile, although its definately completely different from any other straight virginia that I have ever smoked this far. I like the flavors, and they present a tobacco taste that I have long sought but not found prior to this.

For a virginia, this is not a very bitey tobacco. Some of my favorite virginias are flavor and nicotine bombs which can leave one's mouth a chemical wasteland unless smoked with extreme caution. With virginias you often trade flavor against bite, but this particular blend still provides significant flavor while keeping bite to a minimum. In this respect, this is a virginia that can be a go-to smoke or possibly an all day smoke, which is an excellent quality for a bulk tobacco blend.

This is definately a solid bulk virginia bordering on greatness. I have upgraded it to four stars after smoking it for a week and getting used to it. I plan on getting more of this... lots more.

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	TwelveAMnTX (28)	2016-07-17		Mild	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

I have been trying a few Virginia tobaccos & flakes lately. I got a tin of H&H Marble Kake in a Virginia Step Ladder Sampler. I was confused when I opened the tin, it looked like a 1/4" thick crosscut flake. After enjoying a few bowls, I decided to buy some bulk on my next order & received a chunk of kake. I tried a bowl before jarring it & decided either way you slice it, this tobacco is an awesome smoke!

The tobacco is a little dry compared to other flakes I've tried. This to me is a good thing, you can rub it out straight from the tin without dry time. It breaks up into small flakes & chunks which burn quite nicely. I packed it a little too full 1st couple times & had it expand making an interesting start to the smoke.

The tin note is grassy/hay-like with a slight tang to it from the red virginia. The taste is a nice mild sweetness with that deeper bit of flavor that you smell in the tin note. It's not real tangy, but just enough to add a little something more in the taste department. It's a good smooth all day smoke that's not real heavy on the nicotine & no lingering aftertaste.

Pipe Used: Rossi 8320 & MM cobs

Age When Smoked: fresh to couple months

Purchased From: pipesandcigars.com

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	mnadz (69)	2015-01-25		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

So my taste has so far been notorious for finding straight Virginias mild and not worth my time. Due to hearing many others swear by them, I continue to try some here and there with little satisfaction. Once in a blue moon, I find one...and this was one. What a pleasure to smoke this tobacco. The flavor was great and it smoke straight through with no issues apor tongue bite (and I puff like a train). Good job Hearth and Home! Will order more and mark as favorite.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	King Weed (228)	2016-10-31		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

To quote the late seventies band The Adverts, I found this tobacco blend to be a "heads down no nonsense mindless boogie". Now, I'm not using the term mindless in a negative way, as I found this blend to be so straight forward in its smoking qualities as to be effortless to accept. It is what it is and doesn't pretend to be something that its not - no flavorings, no burley, no perique, no Cavendish (black or otherwise) and no latakia. You either like this type of pure tobacco pleasure, or you don't. MK is about as definitional a Virginia smoke as you can buy. As an English smoker, it isn't something that I will smoke straight very often. I used it in micro blending and it's purity and strength moved all of my English micro blends toward dead center whether light, medium or heavy varieties; i.e., it made them very straight forward and ordinary. I don't take this as a negative, just something I have to accept. This is a bedrock blend of high quality and shows you how pipe tobacco blending started out in the past - about 200 years ago. Three stars for valor.

Pipe Used: Ashton LX Brindle half bent stovepipe billiard

Age When Smoked: 1 yr old

Purchased From: pipes and cigars

Similar Blends: any unflavored mildly processed straight Virginia mixture you've smoked.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	musicman (131)	2014-01-24		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I have made the statement in other reviews that I do not really get the hearth and home Virginia blends. They are quality products but they never really peaked my interest much.

Marble Kake is the best one of the bunch I have had so far. This nice krumble kake is a mixture of mottled browns and has a beautiful Virginia aroma.

Keep in mind the sample I smoked for this review was aged about 6 years so your mileage may vary. This blend had a nice deep fig and raisin taste that any good middle of the road Virginia should have. It was very rich and definitely resonated with me as a Virginia lover.

Definitely recommended.

Age When Smoked: Purchased 2008

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	serif365 (21)	2012-11-19		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

This tobacco was my first pipe experience with straight Virginias. I particulary enjoy "working" the kake slices, cutting them into little chunks and then rolling them out. I gravity feed and lightly pack a Missouri Meerschaum General I reserved for smoking straight Virginia tobacco and it seems this was an excellent choice combination. The smoke is ample and the flavor is enticing, developing from very faint in the beginning to moderate in the middle to great in the end. I experienced no bite with Marble Kake but I do suggest smoking this blend in a pipe that has an easy draw. I smoked one bowl in a vintage MM cob with a small bore cane stem and after working very hard to keep the smoke flowing and the bowl burning my tongue was slightly raw from the effort. :) I started out with a 2 oz sample and I've since ordered more to cellar. I recommend this tobacco.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	graygeek (10)	2012-09-29		Mild	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Stopped by P&C the other day to find something different from the usual ARO that I smoke. Really wanted to try a Va, and this is what they recommended. Brought home a sample. After reading the reviews, I wasn't quite sure what I had gotten myself into. What a great surprise!! This is wonderful! For a VA, this has some very nice sweetness, and good aroma. It's a bit of a challenge to rub out, but your rewarded with a tobacco, that lights well, and stays lit. If others experience bite, I never found it. It was gentle on the tongue, and easy on the nose. First part of the bowl is light and grassy, but as you smoke down the bowl, the flavors get sweeter and more complex, but always mild. As you get to the bottom of the bowl, it keeps you wanting more.

Being an ARO smoker, this is a really nice change of pace. This could be a very nice everyday smoke, for VA lovers or new pipe smokers.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	SteelCowboy (685)	2011-09-15		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I wasn't too sure if this tobacco would be my thing as straight Virginia's are not always at the top of my list so I just received a sample. This review would be based on that rather than the normal full tin I try to smoke before any review. With that in mind all I can say is WOW this is a good Virginia tobacco! My Kake was a broken into smaller pieces. When rubbed out the moisture leval is perfect. This tobacco appears in the pouch as mostly light pieces and the scent was a bit winey. I put "none detected" in the flavor box, but there was a slight stickiness that could be simply from the pressing of the tobacco. I'm not sure. I tend to be a bit of a "puffer" so I need a Virginia that is forgiving and Marble Kake is such a blend as it did not bite me, even when pushed a little. Marble Kake is sweet and when sipped, really sweet! (Not in a cased way). The sweetness remains throughout the bowl even though it grows more complex throughout. Many Virginia's are nuanced and subtle, Marble Kake is much more bold IMHO. I can only imagine what a couple of years in the cellar will bring to the blend. I'll be picking up a pound to find out! Highly Recommended!

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	quantumboy (130)	2009-05-31		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This blend just seems rather flat to me. To give it the benefit of the doubt I jarred it for about four months and tried it again. Still uninspiring. I'm an English smoker who likes a good, rich Virginia, so it has to be something special to make it into my rotation. This one is just too plain, little complexity, with an ordinary tobacco flavor, lacking the sweet and rich sipping qualities of something like Blackwoods or FVF. It burned just fine in a meer, thoroughly rubbed out and lightly packed. I'm totally willing to give it a few more months, and it might make a fine blender, so I'll give it two stars.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2006-01-26		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

Recently, pipesandcigars.com tobaccos have been getting lots of ?press? on the ASP Forum and Newsgroup. Mostly people have been talking about Russ Ouellette's efforts. A friend sent me a sampling of several of the blends I'm most curious about and Marble Cake was among them.

Appearance: A nice selection of Red Virginia, and Bright Virginia in a dense crumble cake. Very nice mottling of colors from yellows and tans to red and browns.

Aroma: This mixture has a deep sweet aroma very enticing. Immediately one smells a deep hay-like quality, freshly mown hay, slowly drying in the summer sun. Deep, sharp and earthy. Carmel tones and nuts are evident, there is a slight sweet 'n sour tone and a smattering of mustiness.

This tobacco is nearly perfect in moisture breaking several pieces of the cake off I crumble thenI employed the ?once like a baby, once like a lady, finally like a gentleman? method of layered packing.

For this review I've chosen an Armellini Freehand dedicated to Virginia mixtures.

Lighting is very easy, and with a friendly ?lighting tamp? I was well on my way each time. As expected, the initial flavor very spicy, hay-like tones and smells and flavors of Autumn are abundant. Combustion is very self maintaining as promised, this very nearly smokes itself every time.

Mid Bowl: Approaching mid-bowl, the fullness tends to build in strength slowly along predictable lines. The Red Virginia begins to develop more of the deep fruity sweetness adding to the grassy qualities of the Bright. Unfortunately, this blend seems to get rather steamy and hot for me each time.

Home Stretch: As end of the bowl approaches, the expected complexity is just not there for me. This blend continues to be steamy and hot, tending toward tongue bite rather easily. The final third has matured nicely but the lack of complexity and steam just become a defining issue each time I've smoked it. I have plenty of fine well behaved Virginia mixtures in my cellar already and this one sadly won't make the cut.

Supplemental Notes: Marble Cake is probably a decent quality mixture, just not one I will be purchasing. Rating for those interested in numbers ** stars

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Tomcat (213)	2019-10-06		Very Mild	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Unnoticeable

The presentation is one soft plug and rubbed out it looks like cereal flakes of raw leaves of tobacco. My 4 oz bag came a little on the dry side but the humidity in my neck of the woods is rehydrating it in the jar . This is a very natural tobacco with barely any casing and needs to be sipped slowly or it could bite . I like to light this type , tamp down and come back to it a couple hours later as the flavor simmers . It gets better down the bowl . It runs the gamut of Virginia flavors . Grassy and hay then citrus and some baked bread and a wee bit of brown sugar . I get a little honey , maybe from the casing ? Another taste I cannot put my finger on . I like it a lot for a straight natural Virginia! I am going to light a bowl tonight, tamp down and then smoke this in the morning. Gets better with every bowl ! A little apricot also . I really think it tastes like maybe maple syrup ? 4 stars ...............................................................................................................Edit 11/8/19 - After smoking about 4 oz of this i am finding that my ph or whatever doesn’t agree with it (tongue bite ) . I read a lot of other reviews and it seems most smokers say the opposite. I love the damn taste of this though . I starting mixing this now and it goes nicely with some latakia and no bite now . I will experiment as i have some left . May buy more as a Virginia base tobacco for mixing ? Still deserves 4 stars

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	ATW (110)	2018-09-15		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

My 1 oz sample is at the perfect moisture. The bag smells mildly sweet with a little raisin and a slight bread note. It crumbles and packs well. Thru the 1st and 2nd third I get a deep and creamy semi sweet flavor. Very similar to McClellands 5100. The last third is what is different for me. The flavor changes to something very similar to a C&D blend. Almost like Oak Alley but sharp and it gets rough. Not necessarily a bad thing but I believe some aging will improve this blend very well. Burns surprisingly cool and dry down to a gray ash.

Next I loaded a bowl but left it in a solid chunk. Sprinkled some loose bits on top to help fire it off. This is much better in my opinion. It has a nice creamy sweetness but starts getting a very pronounced Virginia spiciness. Burns cool and down to a gray ash.

It does hold true. Depending on how you prep it will determine the flavors. Very nice blend.

Update 6/11/19 I purchased half a pound and aged it for 8 months before running out of my second 2 oz sample. The jar aroma is like levi garret or red man chew now. I didn't realize before of how chunky the tobacco cut is. It's an almost ideal blend to repress, age and cut into flakes. Also didn't realize how moist it was too. But despite the moisture, I doesn't require any drying time. It burn pretty evenly all the way down. Flavor wise I haven't noticed a change between being aged or fresh. Still has that spicy sweet creaminess. Nothing like any other Virginia I've had from Hearth and Home. All the rest seem to crap out half way through the bowl. Still a highly recommended blend in my book.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Knightsmoker (217)	2017-05-22		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

I get a lot of the bright VA's out front, some citrus, and notes of grass and hay. Perhaps this is why the notes compare it to Dan's HV? The comparison really end there, for me, however. There is also a lesser dark fruit note from the red VA's that is tangy and there is also a sweet spicy note which (I think) comes from the reds as well. There is also a slight earthiness as well but this is far in the background for me. It does not have the depth or complexity that I really look for in VA's but it was a very nice change of pace. It will bite if pushed so slow and steady is the key to this blend.

Age When Smoked: 6 months

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	point9 (114)	2015-10-03		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

In the tin it's presented as pieces of broken kake instead of one big cube crumble kake. Very easy to rub them out and pack lightly. Bright and deep sweet virginia flavors floats out in the first puff and it may get a little hot if fast puffs. Not as complicated as some of Russ' Vapers, but really easy to fall in love with. I will give it 3 1/2 stars if I could.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	idbowman (26)	2014-12-23		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

Generally speaking, this is a very nice tobacco and will resonate well with the smoker looking for a reliable Virginia; it might lack some of the depth of some of the fuller VAs, but as light, airy blends go this really is a good one.

I had this in bulk, and it came not in a single cake but broken into very thick strips - in other words, its as if someone sliced top-to-bottom through the cake so that each layer was present in each strip (as opposed to, say, lateral slices cut one layer at a time). The presentation in an actual tin might be different. The aroma was a nice, citrusy tang that was somewhat sweet in a very natural way.

The smoke itself was fairly straightforward. Despite the layering of the cake, there wasn't much layering of flavors; this is not necessarily a bad thing, as the tradeoff is a consistent and predictable smoke, bowl after bowl. It is a tangy, sweet VA as one would expect, but I found a bit of spiciness in there as well. Not so much so that I'd suspect some perique to be hiding in there, but enough from the underlying VA to really highlight the sweetness. Very, very satisfying in that regard.

Rubbed out, it takes on the appearance of a chunky confetti, so I've found that gravity filling, followed by a VERY light tamp, then topping of the bowl resulted in the best burn. To that end, it takes the flame very well and requires very little in the way of maintenance - very few relights, does not overheat, and doesn't generate a lot of moisture. Very much a "set it and forget it" sort of blend.

The nicotine is medium - not a monster nic hit, but enough that it's noticeable. Personally, I have an above average (but not exceptional) tolerance for nicotine, so I can handle several bowls without feeling like I've overdone it, but for most the nic level is enough that MK probably won't be a bowl after bowl after bowl, all-day sort of blend.

In then end, I'd call it 3.5 stars. Definitely good enough for a re-order, keep on hand, and smoke regularly, but juuuuust short of being one of those "day dreaming about smoking while sitting at my desk at work" blends.

Pipe Used: Briars, Cobs, Meers

Age When Smoked: 2 years

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	codyp (65)	2014-01-27		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Tolerable

One of the few Hearth & Homes blends I would recommend. It may be because of the moist cake it comes in that keeps it from biting, or the simplicity of the straight virginia.

It kept cool and had a good body. I wish they would stick to these simple blends because it seems the tobacco is quality.

I would recommend this blend, however there is a learning curve with all cake/plug tobaccos.

Pipe Used: Peterson System (Bent)

Purchased From: Pipes & Cigars

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	arfenhouse (6)	2013-11-29		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild	Pleasant

This is a good example of what I would call a 'standard VA' blend.

Slightly sweet, light hay, and light lemon. It's very mild and would make a good introduction into straight VAs. It's smooth, unoffensive, but lacks a 'wow factor'. Burns well and has a quick drying time. I prefer it in a narrower bowl as a wider bowl mutes the flavors too much.

Very pleasant room note which I enjoyed more than the flavor of the smoke.

2.75/4 stars. Would recommend if you;re looking for a mild VA.

Pipe Used: Peterson B42, Savinelli Duca Carlo Bent Billiard

Age When Smoked: 2mo

Purchased From: P&C

Similar Blends: Dunhill Royal Yacht.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Mr. Big (321)	2012-02-16		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

Well I've never smoked Hamborger Veermaster but I have smoked C&D's Briar Fox and this blend has similarities. To me, Briar Fox, is an airy, fairly smooth stoved Virginia. Marble Kake is not, that is, not smooth and maybe should have been stoved. It has the ability to remove all feeling in my tongue ( I am a puffer). It is naturally sweet, low in "N" and not a heavy smoke but rather a non complex blend. I will cellar this and see if it mellows but I don't think this is one I need to buy again.

I just read some of the other reviews and was surprised to see others finding it similar to Briar Fox, and here I thought I was so informative!

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Knitpicker (4)	2011-08-04		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I haven't smoked a terribly wide variety of pure Virginia blends, but I can say that this has miles over McClelland's 2010. It's smooth, requires little to no drying, stays lit well, packs easily weather worked or not, has less bite, a sweeter flavor, and did I mention how smooth it is? I realize that palate may not be as cultured as others posting here, but if you're in the market for a good Virginia blend, give this a try, it may surprise you!

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	BrSpiritus (18)	2011-03-11		Mild	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

It took me a couple times to finally get into this tobacco but after trying it in my Savinelli churchwarden which is my dedicated Va pipe, oooo boy this stuff is tasty. Though I wouldn't go so far as to compare it to SG FVF, it is what it is... a nice golden VA that is properly aged and very smokeable right out of the bag. This is one I would like to try aging to see how the flavour changes over time.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	MDP (39)	2011-03-08		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

Marble Kake belongs with blends like Orlik Golden Sliced, Dunhill Flake, and the many other mild-medium flakes of brighter Virginias pressed on the Continent. Fragrant and not noticeably flavored, MK delivers solid Virginia flavors on the sweeter and grassy side of the spectrum of that well-known leaf.

I have the best results trickling large pieces into a wide bowl with shallow chamber, such as a pot. Sprinkle in some well-rubbed pieces to fill in the gaps and to ease the lighting ritual. Kept on the dry side, MK will smolder gently and provide creamy, caramel notes delivered on swirls of smoke.

If you need more complexity, Russ offers blends with more types of Virginias and condimental leaf. MK is an utterly relaxing blend and won't hurt my tongue unless I get careless.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2010-10-22		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

A great tobacco I wasn't much on the presentation or the ammount of work it took to rub out. The tobacco is quality tobacco if your looking for a good Virgina this is a great option I had been smoking SG BBF but with the degree of dificulty in getting it I needed a go to for an all day smoke this one is that one not by any means BBF but a good substitute worthy of a try

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	strongirish (249)	2010-06-07		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Like most of Russ's blends, and I think i have smoked them all now, when you get them from the blender, they are a little green. One must let these blends sit awhile and let them meld. if you do, you are rewarded with some very tasty blends. This one is not different. It comes in broekn large cakes, looking much oke the range cubes I fed my cattle when I lived on a ranch. They do crumble easy but rub our hard. The tobacco appearance is a mix of light and dark irregular cut and it has a soft look and hand touch to it. I like most of my flakes dried out a lot, but this one can easily be dried out too much resulting in a very hot smoke. Dried out just right, where it is springy but not sticky, it results in a very tasty smoke without tongue bite and it smokes down the pipe at a nice even slow pace. The ash is a black and grey mottle and it smokes dry leaving a fine ash at the bottom of the pipe. It has a somewhat nutty, sweet taste to it, not the hay like, tart, citrusy taste a lot of VA's taste like. The room note is pleasant but not distinctive. It is not heavy in the air and room. It does satisfy but it is not overly heavy in the "N" factor. It is rather one dimentional but it is full bodied and a jot to smoke. I like this blend, no, it's not the best Va blend I have smoked but for the price it could be an all day smoke for many. I do recommend trying it.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Smokey45 (16)	2010-04-03		Medium	None Detected	Extremely Mild (Flat)	Tolerable

This tobacco came with several other tobaccos from pipesandcigars.com in a grouping from Hearth & Home called "Steve B's VA Elite." These tobaccos are collectively just not my cup of tea....or bowl of tobacco, as it were.

I found this tobacco, like the others in the collection, to be harsh, irritating to the throat, burns way too hot, and lacking in any kind of real flavor. As I have noted in my review of AJ's VaPer, these might be good tobaccos for the ex-cigarette smoker. But to me, they do not embody the cool, smooth, flavorful smoking experience that one thinks of when thinking of pipe smoking.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2010-01-10		Mild	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

i was not nearly as impressed with this as i'd hoped. that said, it's a lovely, straightforward and remarkably friendly smoke. a good introduction to the pleasures of Virginia for those tiring of syrup. without the tempermental behaviors of many Va's. i find i favor the richer flavors of red and stoved Va's. i may return to this occasionally for it's simplicity alone. mown hay and spring breezes come to mind. but for me, old red, and anniversary kake rule the roost.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	WmZiggy (81)	2009-09-01		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

Ok, for those who can't figure it out, simply drop Marble Kake in a blender and hit it once or twice. It is a krumble kake, and not a soft one. So what? We are men and can handle it! And it is worth the wait, although I usual smoke it in loosely rubbed chunks. This is a very nice Virginia flake. Rather than a pressed ribbon, it is pressed shredded leaf of a Red, Bright variety. Slow smoking, it stays lit easily. It does not bite, smokes cool and has a depth and complexity not found in Russ Ouellette's other krumble kakes. It has a sweet and spicy edge.

One of my "go to" tobaccos.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2007-07-30		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I find this tobacco with a wonderful flavor. I would smoke a great deal more of it save for the fact that it burns much too hot for me.

In addition, the effort required to cut the cakes of tobacco just isn't worth the time and energy.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2007-05-12		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

I enjoy this mostly alone, sometimes as a blender as I've found it interferes very little with other Virginia tobaccos I smoke. It reminds me of Cornell and Diehl's pressed brick tobaccos such as Briar Fox as mentioned below, though this is nowhere near the depth of flavor of a Night Train. It's a great Virginia blend though, especially about halfway through the bowl where some of the mellow nuttiness/grassiness really comes through. Otherwise it's not incredibly deep in flavor but generally has that wispiness of natural Virginia hay/grass/nut sheets of vanishing taste mentioned below. It is a very neutral tobacco, one that loads and smokes well, that tastes good, and is a great buy.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2007-01-06		Mild	None Detected	Mild	Pleasant

Do you enjoy an honest-to-goodness, old fashioned American virginia smoke? No casings, no flavorings, no goop; just a subtle dry hay and grass flavor with hints of natural sweetness? Welcome, this is Marble Kake. I would recommend this tobac to experienced pipe smokers since the myriad of tantalizing sweet aromas are fleeting. However, the foundation and bass notes are solid. Puff gently and ponder; do not hurry, and you'll be transported back to an old stone hearth in colonial Virgina.

Only two tobaccos invoke these images to me...C&D Briar Fox and HH Marble Kake.

aj

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2006-11-23		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

The first Russ Ouellette blend to be loaded into one of my pipes is Marble Kake. It won't be the last. This pipe-weed is beautiful to behold, resembling, as others have said, a brownie. So much so that one is tempted to eat it. The aroma is mown hay. It was a delight to rub MK out, and an easy load. Once charred, the burn was even to the bottom.

The smoker is greeted with much natural sweetness, and almost no tang. I detect no citrus or floral notes. While there is not much complexity, there is also no lack of depth. The nuances of American VA are present to be savored. If you're not familar with such nuance, it is possible to find MK on the bland side of things. Delicious all the way through, improving toward the end of the bowl, with thick smoke, and nary a bite. This is one of the most bite-free VAs I've had the pleasure of smoking, and what a welcome change that is. In short, I've made a new friend.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2006-08-09		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

If you hate American virginias, don't try or review this. But if you love the sweet, piquant taste of VA in a rich pressed form, this is the stuff to try. I swiped a few bars at Russ Ouellette's table at the Chicago P & T, and I'm glad I did. I don't care much for the 10 to Midnight, prefering the more powerful, aggressive C & D Pirate Kake of that genre. This reminds me of C & D's Blockade Runner, though this is richer, more flavorful and not nippy to the throat or tongue. It breaks off like chewy nougat, rubs out beautifully and packs well in the pipe. Unlike most krumble kakes, it remains firm and does not break up into a dusty powder. I love the texture as well as the mottled brown and gold colors. Very fine stuff from a very good blender and tobacco shop.

Three and a half of five stars ------------------- august update 2006

Smoke this stuff quickly and be sure to ask for the tinned version, as I'm hoping that will retain more moisture than bulk. After this stuff turns to wormwood, it's impossibly dry and you can't pack anything less than large chunks in your bowl. Also it starts to burn terribly hot and loses all its delightfully nutty flavors. I'll not get this in bulk again, and hopefully it will be more moist and spongy the next time.

Two of five stars

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2006-05-21		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

Gives new meaning to the term "flake." Very dense little bars rub out into dusty little flakes somewhat like uncooked oatmeal. Burns a little hot, though certainly not outside of the range characteristic of this type of VA blend. Damned nice flavor, though---a lingering sweet, natural 'earthiness.' It works just fine in my all-purpose VA flake pipe, and lighting, etc, are easy.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2006-05-01		Mild	None Detected	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

Purchased a 1 lb bag because of the price and reviews but was disappointed. Came in very dry cake slabs that did not break up easily even with a hammer! They should rename this Granite Kake. Tobacco nuggets were hard to light, keep lit and taste was average at best and bitter at times while burning fairly hot...oh well, back to my favorite Va...Veermaster.

Peterson bent brandy

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	huffnpuff (53)	2006-04-19		Mild	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

PROS: It is a crumble cake, nice red and bright tobacs,good and sweet. packs nicely lights alright, good price, smokes to a nice ash.ahhhhhh=).

CONS:had to wait a week for this beauty,should of tryed sooner.

This is my first crumble cake and I love the stuff ,After breaking apart the needed tobac for my pipe it just payed off well,the aroma in my smoke gave of a nutty-hay like bliss. After the first bowl it got a little milder and then poof I was done.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	dualkarnain (75)	2006-03-28		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is a bit sweeter than Veermaster, which isn't a bad thing.

I was a bit lazy in the rubbing and loaded a few small chunks into my bowl. It was difficult to light and keep lit at first.

The taste is wonderful - a great virginia blend with an excellent interplay between VA flavors.

Recommendation: made.

Images granted: of being under dire obligations by the Sicilian mob to play a game of snooker for the life of a certain individual. Knowing I am terrible at the game, I still experience grand elation with the hidden knowledge that this bastard of contention was unduly flirtatious with my mistress some weeks previous.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	NEWMAN (305)	2006-03-27		Mild	None Detected	Mild	Pleasant

This blend is in the form of ~ 4"x1/2"x1/2" slabs that were compressed so hard, that I found it difficult to break or strip. It was also on the dry side so the prep work to load a bowl was not worth the effort. How can they call it a crumble cake when you have to cut it? Uneven loading/packing resulted in hot spots or multiple relights but this could have been from my technique. Although the taste was enjoyable on those occasions where I obtained an even burn, the strength was less than my normal choices that usually include Perique.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2006-01-17		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant

I'm two for three on RO blends. Marble Kake is another masterpiece from Russ. Other reviewers have covered MK at length. Just let me add that, in addition to being very good, it is also not prone to bite. This is my first exposure to a krumble kake preparation and I must say that I like it. It holds moisture longer in a travel pouch and also provides multiple smoking options. Good stuff!

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2005-12-21		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

12-21-2005 I have been doing a side-by-side comparison between Marble Kake and Louisiana Red, also by Pipes and Cigars. My fondness for Marble Kake is growing. I have had no tongue bite. It lights and burns well. And the taste is very nice. To my taste, it is the better of the two above. A very well behaved and thoroughly enjoyable tobacco.

Marbel Kake is is my first experience with a crumble cake. It looks for all the world like particle board, or an organic nutrition bar one would find at a health food store. My four ounce "cake" glistened with a lovely sheen (natural oils?).

The cake breaks up into pieces that easily fill the bowl. The moisture is on the money. I really like the taste, a nice, full, smooth taste of good Virginia tobaccos. I took a little extra time to get this blend burning well, and I think I needed one relight. I will buy this tobacco again.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pagercat (40)	2005-12-04		Extremely Mild	None Detected	Extremely Mild (Flat)	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is another "Home and Hearth" blend from Russ Ouellette of pipesandcigars.com. Described as a crumble cake of Virginias, both bright and red.

The appearance is a beautiful rectangular bar of moist dark brown to light leaves. It almost looks like a freshly-baked brownie. The scent is subtly sweet and intriguing. The bits break off easily and it is moist enough to be able to cut into perfectly square pieces.

Upon the initial light I am greeting with a sweet and tangy flavor of a good Virginia. I do not detect any casing, just pure tobacco. After the first third of the bowl, the smoke seems to become hot and difficult to keep lit. The flavor seems to transform to steam instead of smoke. The only way to get any flavor is to get a big cloud of smoke going and then even that only makes it harsh. Further down the bowl I occasionally get a very slight cinnamon-like sweetness but it seems few and far between. The rest of the bowl seems to be flavorless and that I am just "going through the motions" of smoking.

To summarize, this blend seems to lack any flavor or satisfaction. It takes more effort to smoke this than it is worth. I smoked two ounces of this in various pipes. I smoked it in virgin cob and briars as well as well-established pipes that have smoked Virginias...all of which returned the same results. Perhaps it is my body chemistry, my sense of smell/taste or perhaps I am just missing something but this is not something I will be ordering again.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Mr. Dottle (162)	2005-11-23		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

This is another fine blend from Russ at P&C. For me, MK delivered a ?toasty-roasty? mild and mellow taste/flavor with a subdued sweetness that was pure delight. I did not find it overly complex but it does weave a subtle tapestry between the red and bright VAs, i.e., nicely balanced. Its burning qualities are excellent and relights few. I am rapidly becoming a big fan of P&C blends. They are not to be missed!

A cigarette is to be smoked. A cigar is to be enjoyed. A pipe is to be savored.

I rate this tobacco 9.6 out of 10.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Spike (296)	2005-08-25		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

A Viginia blend in a pressed format. It does resemble partical board. My sample came a little on the moist side. No problem though as it fired right up after a little attention and smoked smoothly all the way down. Handle with care however, it seems to crumble very readily. It wouldn't take much to end up too dry and broken into small particles from being hauled around in a pouch. A very tasty Virginia without much bite but plenty of flavor. One note of negativity is the aroma. It smells pretty good while smoking, but the after odor on the clothes reminds me of stale cigarette smoke. Well recommended.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2005-08-21		Medium	None Detected	Extra Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

I received my sample of Marble Kake through a tobacco trade with pipemaker Lannes Johnson (thanks, Lannes!). It arrived rubbed out and very dry, and this is the way I smoked it. Marble Kake is an attractive tobacco in the pouch, with equal parts bright and red Virginia leaf. I used two pipes for the test, a fully bent Peterson and a 1/4 bent Stanwell. My tastes in tobacco normally run first and foremost to burley blends, but I also enjoy other types, too. MK loaded easily in both pipes and was lit with two charring lights. It's burn qualities were better than average, as was its' relighting rate.

The real treat comes when you begin puffing on this delightfully complex blend. The flavor starts off with a rich sweetness from the red leaf, then progresses to a zesty tang from the bright Virginias. As the smoke progresses, these two tastes intertwine in a wonderful tribute to the blender's art. Towards the bottom of the bowl, the tangy notes take over and the smoke finishes with a peppery tingle on your palatte. The tobacco burns down to a medium ash with no dottle.

The last treat with MK is its' very reasonable price. There are many high priced bulk blend Virginias that cannot compare to MK, in fact there are a lot of tinned blends not nearly this good. And the folks at Pipes and Cigars give fast, first-rate service.

I am revising my rating system because I've decided taste should always be the most important factor in the selection of any tobacco. My top taste rating is now 20 points, and I'm giving 18 to MK. Lighting and burn rate score 8 out of 10, and price is a perfect 10 of 10. That makes a total of 36 points out of a possible 40. Marble Kake is a big four star blend and a permanent addition to my tobacco cabinet.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Young Piper (304)	2005-07-29		Mild	None Detected	Very Full	Pleasant

I ordered a 4 oz sample from Russ to try and when it arrived i was very pleased to find two large red and golden yellow bricks of tobacco. The pouch aroma is very light and airy and the tobacco feels only slightly moist, perfect moisture level for me. This blend is easy to pack being a crumble cake, and if you leave the little shreds of tobacco out to dry for a few minutes the burn is exceptional and leaves no dottle. The flavor is that of a very sweet and light virginia blend and does not produce dense smoke but definatley keeps my interest. This is a morning smoke when anything else would be overwhelming and should be smoked before other heavier blends IMO. The price is very satisfactory and i just love the little bricks it comes as. A great smoke for sure.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2005-07-11		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Marble Kake has a toasty bottom and lot's of VA tastyness. Very akin to Hamborger Veermaster, with the Red VA giving this Krumble cake plenty of positive merits all its own. Smooth, toasty, nutty and full of flavor. Being that it is a true kruble Kake it affords the option of preparing as desired. This is a 4 star VA blend!

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JaWiBr (453)	2023-01-28		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

Tin note of tangy sweet, vinegary, and spices. Tobacco Krumble Kake is brown with smaller amounts dark brown and light brown. Moisture content is ok, some may want to dry it out a bit. Kake breaks apart and rubs out easily. Burns slow with a few extra relights. The strength is mild to medium and nic is mild. No flavoring detected. Taste is medium and consistent, with notes of spices, bread, wood, leather, floral, spicy, mildly sweet, stewed dark fruit, lemon grass, mildly sour, hay, acidic, earth, mildly zesty dry, mildly bitter, savory, a tar and tangy citrus background note, and a peppery retro. Room note is pleasant, and aftertaste is great.

Pipe Used: 1992 Ashton Sovereign XX Billard

Age When Smoked: 5 years

Purchased From: pipesandcigars.com

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2012-03-23		Mild	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is a simple, good blend of straight Virginias. It has the typical Virginia flavors of hay mixed with something citrusy and it leaves a pleasant taste in the mouth. I still think Rolando's Own is the best Virginia blend Russ makes; but this is good. It is easy to pack and provides a cool smoke. I don't think I'll be buying it again, but it is still a good tobacco, especially if you're a new pipe smoker and want to know what Virginia tobacco is like.

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2011-03-29		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

This is my first review in about 5 years, because Marble Kake is that good. I used to smoke Dunhill Flake quite a lot, but alas, it fell by the wayside. MK compares very well to it, and is much less expensive, and when I buy it, I am supporting an American company, which makes me feel good too. This is a light VA blend, so it can burn, but if you are a VA lover, the taste more than makes up for it. Nothing here but good clean Virginia tobacco taste with medium body. I think it is quite a lot better than Hamborger Veermaster.

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2009-01-02		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Good, bulk priced cake tobacco. Difficult to break up, but once broken and dried a little it smokes down the the bottom. No bite.

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2008-06-07		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

Another good offering from Russ, and the fine people at P&C.

This Kake resembles weathered particle board. Nice and dry. Pinch off the needed amount to fill you favorite pipe. Lightly rub out....this stuff falls apart into a light flaky mixture of bright, and red Va. tobacco. Easy pack, light, and burn. Mildly semi sweet taste. This blend has much competition, but with form, and price it holds it's own with more expensive Virginias. May not be "THE BEST" but is not far behind. Rate *

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2006-04-01		Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I'm currently having a promising romance with Marble Kake. I have to admit, I thought the first couple of bowls were pretty bland, but something kept my interest. I had never smoked a crumble cake before. As my experience in preparation increased, so did my satisfaction with this blend. Every bowl seems to yield some new flavor or nuance. The burn is exceptional, and I don't think you could make this blend bite your tongue if you tried.

The flavor is slightly sweet and pretty earthy, but rather toned down compared to other blends, like Louisiana Red. It really could be an all-day blend if that's what you are looking for; it requires little attention once it's rubbed out and is priced right. All in all, a wonderful Virginia blend that's smooth, not too sweet, and burns wonderfully once you get the hang of preparing it. Highly recommended!

Nobody has rated this review yet.