Tobaccos Rattray - Marlin Flake (British Collection)

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Beer (345)	2008-12-13		Medium to Strong	Extremely Mild	Very Full	Tolerable to Strong

Well, as a Latakia lover I never thought that I might like a sweet tobacco, so I tried this Virginia blend just out of sheer curiosity for how this kind of stuff would taste... Any time in the past when I decided this kind of experiments I always was sorely disappointed: any aromatic, no matter its quality, would find me bored. To me, smoke must have the taste of smoke, and I always returned to English blends. The problem was not in my dislike of sweet tobaccos, but in my choice of aromatics to find that sweetness: Marlin Flake taught me that a tobacco can be, at the same time, deliciously sweet, absolutely not cased, and completely satisfying to my taste buds. Upon opening the attractive parchment colored 100g can, I was shocked by its form: until then I had read of flake tobacco, but never seen it. The wide strips, soft to the touch and almost rubbery, give a pleasant sensation. The tin aroma is incredibly sweet: dried figs and raisins, strudel-cake. Wow! This stuff can almost be chewed (I tried!)... At my first bowl I was uncertain on how to pack this... I just shredded some bits from the flakes, and stuck them without much fuss in the largest pipe I own (a bent Savinelli, which I then found to be a brand of pipes which perfectly brings out the taste of Va Flakes). As a consequence, lighting was a bit of a hell: many bursts from the lighter, and some retamping. Ultimately, the tobacco took well to the flame: it never required relighting (following bowls required no more than one). The coarse cut of the unrubbed flakes provided me with one of the most satisfyingly slow smokes I have ever experienced. This is a tobacco that burns extremely slow and cool (it's hard to feel too much heat on the outside wall of the pipe!), but also very regularly. My first bowl was enjoyable, but not as much as later ones: I was overwhelmed by the titanic sweetness, which reminded me of Sauternes (a sweet and "sappy" French white wine) and honey! I almost got nauseated! Then I began to get used to it, and now I still rank it as a robust and very sweet Virginia, but perfectly tolerable... and immensely pleasurable. The subtle fruity (no casing here, just a wonderful natural fruitiness due to the sweetnes of Virginia) nuances are a delight, and the flavor stays consistent until the bottom of the bowl with grassy and fermented hints here and there... so much that I often find myself with ashes in my mouth without prior warning signals! Room note is sweet and grassy, but very perceivable and nasty to the nostrils of a non-smoker. Care must be taken not to smoke too fast, unless you want to completely destroy the flavour. Some significant wetness can occur during a smoke (also because a bowl of this lasts me over an hour), but a pipe cleaner inserted in the stem will bring out again its magnificent qualities. At the end of the smoke I usually find some noticeable wetness (a bit sticky and smelly) at the bottom of the bowl and in the shank. If you want it to burn a bit faster and smokier, you can unrub this tobacco fairly easy: I usually do so to smoke it in my smaller pipes. I guess I'll keep experimenting other matured Virginia flakes after this successful experience, and this one will always remain as a landmark against which I'll measure all similar products, such are its qualities. It's a tobacco that I would recommend to all aromatic fans who are willing to give it a try and pass to natural tobaccos, and to all Latakia lovers like me who want to have a pleasant surprise with something completely different! See also the almost equally good (but different) Ashton's Old London Pebble Cut for comparison.

2008 Edit: After almost seven years from this review, I am smoking a tin that I have been cellaring for 4 years, and had become puffy and swollen... Wow, this still is one of my top five Virginias! Ripe, sweet, nutty, rich, mouthwatering... With more experience on my hands, I have to say that it lights and burns perfectly (just crumble the flakes a little bit), and the moisture I had written about in my old review was just a matter of bad smoking technique and crappy pipe (yes, that Savinelli was not that great after all...). I really love this tobacco (enjoying it in a Ruby Bark Dunhill with a very open draw right now), and I just hope they haven't tampered too much with its recipe in recent years... I guess I'll have to buy a fresh tin to check it out...

72 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JimInks (3047)	2013-01-04		Medium	Very Mild	Medium	Pleasant

The tangy, dark fruit sweet Virginia also sports a fair amount of earth and wood as the main component. The stoved Virginia offers a sugary fermented ripe dark fruitiness, earth and wood as a supporting player. The lighter Virginia is a minor player, and provides light tart and tangy citrus, grass and a bit of bread as a secondary star. The unsweetened black cavendish gently adds a smooth brown sugar sweetness that continually underscores the experience. The perique mostly lurks in the background, offering more raisins, plums and figs than it does spice, the latter aspect is not always very noticeable. There's a slight licorice note, and some sugar from a topping. They mildly sublimate the tobaccos. The strength and taste levels are medium. The nic-hit is a little past the mild mark. Well balanced, the flavor never weakens, and you'll notice most every nuance in every puff to one degree or another. It will require some relights, and the number will depend on how you prepare the flake. Burns cool, clean and very smooth with a mostly consistent flavor from top to bottom. It won’t bite, and has no harsh moments. Leaves a minimal amount of moisture in the bowl. Has a pleasant, lightly lingering after taste. It also improves better with age, becoming a lightly mellower and more rounded experience as the sweetness sports a little more of a fermented quality. Three and a half stars.

-JimInks

67 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pipestud (1829)	2002-08-15		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

After reading so many favorable reviews regarding Marlin Flake, I had to try it for myself. I have smoked many Rattray tobaccos over the years, and I found it curious that I had never tried Marlin Flake. Well, I'm glad I finally did!

Upon opening the tin, I immediately detected that unmistakable tangy Virginia smell. But since the flakes were a bit too moist for my tastes, I quickly rubbed them out and then let the tobacco sit in the open air for about an hour. The airing out reduced the tangy odor considerably.

Because once rubbed, the strands are very short. So, I didn't need to give the tobacco a whirl in my blender (which I usually do to make packing more uniform to produce a much cooler and easier to manage smoke). I loaded up in my P&T mag Cooke POY - one of my favorite smokers - and lit up. The flavor was subdued with no bite at all, and the tobacco stayed lit extremely well. I found the flavor to be fairly one dimensional at first although the taste perked up a lot during the last half of the smoke. A pure tobacco taste with a nice kick of nicotine! I found the flavor to be similar to Dunhill's Royal Yacht without the casing. It also reminded me of a more refined version of Orlik's Golden Slices.

This is a very nice blend, and I will purchase more for smoking and cellaring. And yes, although this is a straight Virginia, it is indeed a blend. I have read some other reviews where the reviewer mistakenly indicated a blend meant different tobacco types such as the combination of Burley, Virginia and Latakia leaf. Actually, a straight Virginia can be a blend if it contains differing types of the same leaf. Marlin Flake contains several types of Virginia, and is therefore a "blend." And a darn good one!

67 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Eulenburg (193)	2002-05-26		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Very Pleasant

The solidly-made, medium-brown flakes are heaped into the delightfully old-fashioned, parchment-coloured RATTRAY tin; they give off an irresistible, mouth-watering smell that tells the whole story. I cram an unrubbed strip into a typical, military-bit, 2/4 bent Dutch billiard by Messrs Peterson, and fire away!

What joy. No dificulty in lighting up at all. Big flavour from the beginning. Delightfully heart-filling white smoke, lots of it. No excessive heat or need to nurse?I have seldom smoked a better-behaved flake.

The smooth-burning stateliness of this tobacco is stunning. I am able to develop a steady-puffing lilt that is just a balm to my cardiovascular well-being! Reading Bob Massey's entertaining book Dreadnought as the sun streams in through the living-room's windows, relaxation is total: this is what smoking is supposed to be like.

I love the flavour: big as in a matured flake but not cloying or bloated. It has something of the best kind of sweet potato pie, without that slightly dusty, salty, sandy note of some gray-flavoured flakes (Limerick); less monotonous that S. Gawith's Full, less predictable and stereotyped than Tordenskjold; comparable perhaps to Royal Vintage Dark Stoved, except that the flavour here, while just as big, is less, well, stoved: more lively, less muddy. There is a fascinating bittersweet fantasy to this tobacco that I love: ideal for Spring cogitations, as Nature renews itself, and we only hope for the same.

As well-behaved as Wessex' Brigade but considerably more interesting and distinct, I give this flake the Highest Recommendation.

52 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Old Nate (17)	2014-08-27		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

I think this is what God smokes. This might be my number one blend! Beautiful Virginia tang and the perique settles into a nice plummy fruity spice that I can't get enough of every time I smoke this Rattray masterpiece! MF has a solid natural sweetness that delivers on every smoke, and my smoking cadence whether aggressive or slow leaves me with no bite, just the presence of quality tobacco on the tip of my taste buds. I would like to thank 'Beer' and 'DK' for pushing me over the top to go ahead and purchase this baccy, when I had just made an order only weeks prior. It was worth it, and you better bet it is going in both the cellar and the rotation. I was somewhat hesitant to go ahead with MF because of my experience with Hal O' the Wynd, which is rather dull, flat, and obtrusive on my flavor profile. MF delivers with a clean zesty flavor from first match to bottom of the bowl. It's not a very heavy smoke, I would call it medium in body, but there is some nicotine there, so I like to go slow, and enjoy every puff. As the bowl progresses I notice a little more rounded flavor and the sweet tang, while still very present, allows room for creamy puffs of a more natural Virginia base, with overtones of fig, bready, maybe even yeasty somewhat reminiscent of a bright Belgium beer that has similar nuances of flavor. All the way to the bottom of the bowl there is an interchange of sweet Virginia tang and rounded fruit notes as I mentioned above. Maybe it's not fair that I'm smoking a bowl of it as I write this review, because every time I lite up with this flake, I'm blown away!

I once read that this tobacco isn't quite complex enough, but I disagree, it just needs to be savored. And if it is too monochromatic for anyone, I would argue that this is the best there is. It's wonderful, it's sweet, it's satisfying, and the after taste is also quite lovely--slightly grassy, yet chewy sweet. I want more!!!

Update: 8-17-16 I still rate this tobacco highly, but it doesn't always deliver that pitch perfect smoke where it is all you can do to slow down and savor each sip. I may have gotten accustomed to the flavor of MF so I now only smoke it as a treat instead of using it in my regular rotation. Still very good, just a little hit or miss on great.

Pipe Used: Cob and Briar

Age When Smoked: Fresh and 2 years

Purchased From: Smoking Pipes

Similar Blends: St. James Woods but more fruity and not quite as dark..

28 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	PhillyB (70)	2014-09-26		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is one of if not THE best VaPer flakes I've ever had. The tin note is a quite strong sour citrus, with a very slight savory hint to it. Very good. I like the rolled up flake that it is presented as because it gives you more control over how much you get. It comes a little more moist than I would usually care for in a flake but for this one that is not a problem. The flavors are almost exactly the same as PS Luxury Navy Flake, a sweet citrus evenly balanced with savory and slightly tangy Perique. It does have molasses taste to it as well that is not present in the PS, making it just a little more interesting. I would totally recommend this blend to any Va or VaPer lover.

Pipe Used: Peterson 308 system

Purchased From: pipesandcigars.com

Similar Blends: Peter Stokkebye Luxury Navy Flake.

23 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2017-04-18		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

I wonder how this tobacco is considered to be without added flavours by so many people. It clearly has a strong casing and added flavours. It's by no means a bad or low quality blend, but obviously should not be called a straight Virginia/Perique.

1000 mg of Marlin Flake contain (amongst others):

Casing: Sugar (inverted) - 120,92 mg

Casing: Sugar cane brown - 14,57 mg

Casing: Sugar cane yellow - 9,71 mg

Casing: Licorice Comet Blok - 6 mg

Flavouring: Undefined - 28,44 mg

Source: German Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture https://service.bmel.de/tabakerzeugnisse/index2.php?detail_id=104656

19 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2004-10-13		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

Rattray?s Marlin Flake is a semi-stoved Virginia flake that is blended by Kohlhase, Kopp and Co. of Hamburg, Germany.

The tin aroma of Marlin Flake is wonderfully pleasing. This aroma is full and smells of sweet ripened figs with chocolate/molasses undertones. Marlin Flake is composed of Virginias of varying grades. The flakes are primarily dark in color but are completely striated throughout with red/brown and golden/orange shades.

The cut of Marlin Flake is a very long (sometimes as long as 8 inches!) flake with a medium width and thickness. The long handsome flakes are coiled neatly around one another inside the 50 gram tin. This Virginia flake tobacco is velvety soft and rubs out easily without any tearing. Marlin Flake can be rubbed out to a ribbon consistency if desired. Marlin Flake is a more dense tobacco and this facet of the flake should be taken into consideration upon packing. The initial moisture content is quite high but curiously enough does not tend to affect the burning or bite characteristics of this blend in any negative manner.

Marlin Flake lights easily enough for a Virginia flake and it possesses an even, medium-slow burn. Marlin Flake does not leave any moisture in the bottom of the bowl. The room note is quite light and is not unlike other flue-cured Virginias.

The taste of Marlin Flake is sweet and uniform throughout without much complexity and lacks any hints of dark spiciness that are present in blends such as Butera?s Royal Vintage Dark Stoved flake. Even though Marlin Flake is quite sweet and rich, it is in no way overbearing or boring. Remarkably, Marlin Flake has very little if any bite even as the burn nears the bottom of the bowl. This is a true accomplishment for a Virginia flake blend, since these blends are notorious for their hot smoke. Marlin Flake is perhaps the coolest smoking Virginia flake on the market. No real drying is needed since Marlin Flake smokes reasonably cool from the start. The smoke produced is medium-thin.

Marlin Flake, although not as complex as some premium Virginia flakes, possesses a wonderful taste, burn, and tin aroma. These characteristics make Marlin Flake one of the premier Virginia flakes on the market today.

16 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Greekpipesmoker (201)	2017-02-08		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

The discription in the 50g tin says <for gentlmen only>wich is very tempting!when you open the tin you smell dark fruits,figs and citruses.rubs very easy and it doesn't need more than a half hour of drying out.lights easy and some re lights are needed.while burning the flavours are very pleasant between dark sweet fruits citruses and spices in the backround.also a pepper note is detected.burns slow and peacefull though it bites a bit.the nicotine level is low to medium.the room note is pleasant to others.burns out perfect with some moisture at the end of the bowl.to me it is not a typical VI/PER but something very unique that any gentleman should try!

Age When Smoked: Rubed and left it dry for 1/2 hour.

14 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Duke (41)	2011-05-18		Mild to Medium	Mild	Medium	Pleasant

For some time I smoked a great deal of Brown Clunee, another Rattray tobacco and considered it my daily blend. If any criticism could be dispensed on this blend I would mention a syrupy feel to the smoke. Needing a break of my daily tobacco I opened a tin of Hal O' The Wynd. Good luck befell me with HOTW. It had many of the components of Brown Clunee without that nagging syrupy nuance. Well, my bulk tobacco purchases changed to HOTW. In the meantime, I had opened a tin of Marlin Flake on a lark because I once found it vaguely interesting. The Cavendish in Marlin Flake reminds me of a Virginian black Cavendish akin to McClelland #2035. What I realized is that I don't care much for those very black Virginian syrupy Cavendish's. Ugh, they're such a burden to smoke and exude that syrupy note. And then I realized that is what I found boring in Brown Clunee, the amount of that Cavendish was now noticeable and annoying to me. Don't get me wrong, Marlin Flake is a fine tobacco, its construction meticulous, it's just not for me. What I'm driving at is this, if you like Marlin Flake you just might find Brown Clunee as intriguing, because it has some of the Cavendish of Marlin Flake, including other great Rattray foundation tobaccos . They are all Rattray blends. Whereas, I like Brown Clunee, but love Hal O' The Wynd, a Marlin Flake devotee may find favor in Brown Clunee.

14 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	StanleyEsoterica (3)	2014-07-01		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

If everyone should have a perfect blend, then this is mine. Marlin Flake is so amazing that every time I smoke it makes me feel puzzled why I stored so many other tobaccos. It's packed easily. Just need cut it properly long and fold it, the burning is also good, maybe it is a little wet, but when this stuff lighted, it burns well. It tastes like the plum candy, slightly tart and delicious. Not too full, but balance everywhere. The strength is medium at most IMO. About the smell, when I open the tin, I feel Rattray is crazy, they are not producing tobacco but food. It's too sweet that you could know that by smelling! I never chew it, but I believe this could be eaten and not bad. Maybe the room note is not as good as that, but because my wife says nothing when she is beside, it should be pleasant. In a word, I can smoke it all day. Highly recommended.

Pipe Used: Corn , stanwell

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com

Similar Blends: Old gowrie， Hal O'the wynd.

13 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Noorrmm (192)	2002-01-28		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Appearance: A mostly dark brown and red flake, each flake being over 6 inches in length and folded in a stack to fit into a cylindrical can. There is a considerable moisture content, typical of Rattray blends both new and historical.

Aroma: Oh, boy. The first impression is dark chocolate with raisins and figs (not too dry). I haven?t smelled anything like it since Sobranie Flake went off the market. I was unable to detect any difference between this and Hal O? the Wynd.

Packing: Owing to the size of the flakes, it was easier to pack into medium and larger bowls. Smaller bowls need a bit more care in rubbing out.

Lighting: Best left to dry a bit before smoking, or lighting may be difficult. Once it?s aired out, it lights and burns well.

Initial flavor: Just a rich, sweet, full Va. Flavor with many nuances. The smoke is dense, and there is a decided strength of flavor to it, although I don?t feel a high nicotine content.

Mid-bowl: There is a good range of medium and low notes to the blend, very little in the way of higher range. The blend continues to delight the palate, and remains cool to the tongue. Even a few strong puffs occasionally doesn?t result in any bite. One of the best tasting Virginias I?ve tried in years, very similar to Hal O? the Wynd.

Finish: Smokes dry, cool and gentle right to the end. If I remember to rub out the first pinch a bit, it will burn down to clean ash.

Summary: Maybe too strong for a first experience with Va, especially for a new pipe smoker. Having made that disclaimer, I will recommend to any smoker who loves Virginias, particularly the darker matured varieties.

13 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	guitar2mw (92)	2015-12-17		Medium	Medium	Medium to Full	Pleasant

This is a luxurious smoke, gentlemen. I received a tin of this from a friend of mine who works for JR Cigars, and I must say that it hits the spot if you're in the mood for something sweet. The tin note smells of sweet dark fruits: prunes, raisins, dates, and figs come to mind. There is a light grassy aroma as well, which will carry through ever-so-lightly to the smoke.

This broken flake was dry enough to light upon opening a fresh tin. It took flame readily, and burned evenly throughout the bowl. I usually don't have to relight this one at all. The smoke is creamy and plentiful. As for flavor, it is absolutely delicious! The dark VA's come into play here providing sweetness and body to the smoke, while the Perique adds a darker, spicier touch. It had a moderate nicotine hit, which I was not really expecting (but enjoyed). This blend keeps my attention from the beginning of the bowl to the end, and I find myself craving the flavor, especially in the mornings. If you want a great VaPer, go for this blend. It is well worth the price.

Pipe Used: Peterson, Dr. Grabow Westbrook

Age When Smoked: 1 year

Purchased From: JR Cigars, Burlington, NC

11 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Nicotiana_rustica (23)	2014-10-07		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

A member of Rattrays 'virginia trinity'. I found marlin flake to be a great smoke and a fine presentation of Rattray's. A very nice virginia with a much more noticeable perique character than i was expecting. A blend of rich quality, with a nice perique hint. Overall a nice smoke.

10 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Jacinto Cupboard (209)	2014-10-02		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

A dark brown tobacco with prominent golden flecks. Very long flakes rolled and stuffed into the tin. Ideal for cutting just the right amount for a particular pipe. The flakes themselves are loose and stringy and quite dry. Ideal moisture level imo.

The tin note is of dried fruits and chocolate and brown sugar.

This tobacco burns a treat from the first light right down to fine white ash. Lasts an age in the bowl. It has a straight tobacco flavour and is of a neutral Virginia character. I can't pick the Perique, if it is there at all. Old fashioned no nonsense tobacco. An all day, every day smoke for me.

10 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Gentleman Zombie (729)	2013-10-18		Medium	Mild	Medium	Pleasant

Didn't care for the Cavendish. Gave it an odd flavor I couldn't get past.

9 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Perique (163)	2013-09-18		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant

For me, this blend was love at first smoke. From presentation to tin note to flavor to room note, this is a fantastic tobacco.

Presentation is one, long, loosely pressed flake rolled up in the classic Rattray cylindrical tin. Tin notes of stewed fruit, raw sugar, fresh-baled green hay. A good 45-60 minute dry time serves this blend well, after which it takes a light and burns clean and dry.

That stewed fruit, deep, rich sweetness translates directly through to the flavor. Don't let black Cavendish in the description scare you away: The interplay of the constituent tobaccos here is superb. This flake smokes sweet without ever being cloying, with a delicious harmony of subtle sugar and deeper stewed-fruity, plummy, peppery, Perique goodness. And the Virginias here are superb.

An extraordinary blend. Highly recommended.

9 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2009-03-29		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Tolerable

A rolled belt of long dark brown flake streaked, veined, and flecked with brown and tan. Exceedingly moist in the tin, this sliced belt offers a rich, sweet bouquet of brown sugar, wood, and fresh earth with a slightly piquant top note reminiscent of stewed figs.

Pressed and stoved, according to its present manufacturer, Kohlhase & Kopp, Marlin flake is a ?dark flake comprised of dark Virginia, jet black Cavendish, and a whisper of Perique? (= dunkle Flake setzt sich zusammen aus Dark Virginia, tiefschwarzem Cavendish und einem Hauch Perique). In terms of presentation, the overall effect is that of a somewhat oily, dark stoved and pressed Virginia flake cut into a supple belt which requires both careful preparation and substantial drying time. In this, Marlin Flake stands out only as a typical representative of the genre.

Properly prepared, Marlin Flake packs and burns well, offering a range of sweet and earthly flavors and appears to possess enough complexity to maintain ones attention as the bowl progresses. While quite subdued, the Perique is noticeable now and again as is the slightly creamy body lent to the smoke by the Cavendish. As to be expected, however, it is the sugar-sauced and stoved Virginias which take center stage. Medium to heavy bodied with a sweet, rich, and occasionally bright finish, this is a flake which takes itself seriously. Quick to reward gentle puffing, it can bite if abused.

Despite the obviously heavy hand with the humectants and, unconfirmed but likely use of the preservative cocktails typical among the big European blending houses (e.g., potassium sorbate, sodium benzoate, etc.), it should age well.

Overall, like many Kohlhase & Kopp offerings Marlin Flake is what it is. While devotees of the genre might find it worthy of some attention, to this reviewer ? who prefers his VAPERS, flake or otherwise, and their ilk unstoved and less processed ? the whole effect is rather uninspiring. On top of this, given the size of the tin, in this case a 100g. tumbler, the presentation is bit disconcerting ? why waste all that space just for the sake of uniform packaging in the line to which this particular preparation belongs? 100 grams of such a densely pressed flake does not take up much space at all. I suspect the 50g. tin presents a similar conundrum, although like the rest of K&K?s Rattray?s ?British Line? Marlin Flake is, however, readily available in bulk. I for one, however, will not be cellaring quantities anytime soon.

9 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	StevieB (2081)	2017-05-05		Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Rattray - Marlin Flake.

Note: I first smoked this years ago, reviewed it, and decided to re-write it as I didn't think much to the review.

A tin contains neat looking, wide, quite dark, nicely hydrated flakes. The aroma from the unlit blend is slightly sharp, and a little musty. I never had to dry this blend any to smoke it.

Lighting Marlin is as easy a task as I'd want, and it gives a medium temperature smoke. The flavour's a game of two halves: on one side you have the Virginia/Perique. These two work well together: grassy, and very fruity. And then we have the black Cavendish: this smooth's the smoke and stops any sharpness from becoming too much. I get a splendid burn, and no tongue bite.

The room-note's pleasant, and the nicotine's medium.

A good smoke.

Highly recommended.

Pipe Used: Various

Age When Smoked: New for this

Purchased From: My Smoking Shop

8 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	oldcodger (74)	2015-07-09		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant

Rattray Marlin Flake is a unique tobacco which will prove pleasing to most pipe smokers. Probably more will deem it good than those who will elevate it to the must have category.

The flakes are six inches long, very thin (16th of an inch), and can be crammed in a pipe with no difficulty. Those who may have found other flakes difficult to deal with will be pleasantly surprised with this one. Just stuff it in; it works without trying to figure if you should rub it out. The flakes are medium brown with a few lighter streaks. The tin smell is citrus Virginia, the rancid note of perique being just apparent. A little cavendish joins the bright and stoved Virginias in the blend.

As with many tinned tobaccos, this one is a bit too moist upon first opening. Break the seal and wait for three days before smoking. Do this and you will find the mixture lights easily and stays lit without difficulty. The taste has the slightly sweet citrus note of Virginia, a bit of peppery tang, and a hint of brown sugar. Although this is not a burley blend, I detect a hint of the chocolate note which is more usual for the air cured varieties. There seems to be just a whiff of alcohol casing or top note (rum? whiskey?) which subtly influences the taste without calling attention to itself.

The room note is a pleasant, natural tobacco smell which does not have the sweetness which causes others to praise the aroma, nor does it have the dark overtones which often elicit complaint. Both the taste and room note of Marlin Flake register as medium. The flakes burn slowly (a big bowl can easily render an hour smoke) to a dry ash of an unusual tan hue.

For my own smoking satisfaction, Marlin Flake earns four stars. I have given it only the three star rating, however, as I think a number of smoker categories will find it an OK plus smoke, but not a really outstanding one. The medium but not vivid smoking flavor may prove too subtle for neophyte pipe smokers. Those who dote of latakia will find this a bit insipid. Those who prefer Virginia/perique blends may deem the perique in this offering as a bit meager, Those who prefer aromatics will miss the sweetness in taste and aroma that those tobaccos offer. I suspect that very, very few will find Marlin Flake an unpleasant experience, but those who (like me) find it wonderful stuff may well constitute a minority. On my last can, I had just bought a cheap no name rusticated billiard basket pipe ($32, name buffed off, some defects apparent where stem hit bottom of bowl). I had puffed several bowls of Carter Hall for break-in and then used this pipe exclusively for the whole can. It worked wonderfully! I'll use it for my next can of Marlin Flake, and in the meantime reserve this good smoking cheapie for Va/pers.

8 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	A Scot in Argentina (19)	2014-11-01		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Tolerable

It's been said all before by more knowledgeable people than me. So I'll just add this...if you like a full on tobacco experience then get some of this stuff.

You won't regret it....it's excellent!!

Purchased From: Tabaqueria Maris, Buenos Aires.

8 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	tobaccolover (3)	2014-04-03		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

I usually wait to reach half of the tin or so before expressing any judgement on a tobacco, but in this case I will make an exception. I just bought a tin of this blend and I think it's quite close to perfection. Upon opening the tin, the smell is quite grassy and close to figs, like many virginias, with a vinegary tinge to it. The taste is that of a straight virginia, quite close to Hal O' the Wynd but not so edgy and less vinegary, made more gentle by the detectable aroma of Cavendish. At half of the bowl the sweetness of the VA plus the sweetness of the CA becomes stronger, and the result is that of a wonderfully rounded and pleasant virginia. It resembles a little the Black Parrot, which I love, but less nutty and less rich in depth. I think that the Black Parrott is one of the best Vas I ever smoked, but it is more "meditative" and I enjoy its taste at full only by puffing really slow and indoor, while the Marlin Flake can be enjoyed also outdoor, having a fuller body. No tongue bite at all, it smokes dry and leaves a clean palate. I must confess that I liked this bowl so much that at a certain point I was puffing too fast, but even at that point the taste was only a little bit spoiled. It is not, as I once read, one of those tobaccos that will change your view of life. It is an honest straight Virginia, still a gentle one. Very enjoyable, not so complex but not even boring, at all, and it's an all-day smoke.

Pipe Used: Brebbia chiocciola

Similar Blends: Hal O' The Wynd, Ashton Black Parrot.

8 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	thesmoggypipester (77)	2013-12-06		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Hello there guys todays offering is marlin flake.
Well i had hopes for this tobacco but for me it is ok but nothing to shout to the rooftops about.
Out of the tin is one big flake rolled up.
Its almost american aromatic style sticky but rubs out fairly simply.
Aromas from the tin a pungent yeasty sourish smell with a hint of sweetness.
Packing is easy enough but i would recommend some drying.
It is a decent tobacco but i just dont seem to get along well with it the tins aronas transfer nicely through to smoking but every now and then i get this sour taste and a tingly tongue sensation that isnt very nice which means quite a bit of resting.
I suppose this could be down to my body chemistry as the tobacco it is made from is good qaulity.
When i dont get that overly sour tingly taste and sensation there is some nice raw tobacco flavours that i could see others enjoying.
If i didnt get that taste and sensation i would really enjoy this blend its said sensation and taste that take the edge off it for me and its a shame.
I will finish the tin as i dont bin tobacco unless it is truely attrocious but once the tin is finished i wont be pining for more.
All in all an ok tobacco but me personally nothing to write home about.
But try it for yourself as your oppinion may differ.
Thank you for reading

Pipe Used: bent falcon with plymouth bowl

Age When Smoked: 9 months

Similar Blends: Orliks bullseye (composition only).

8 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Tantric (321)	2002-07-16		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

A wonderful flake which I find very close in taste and quality to Dunhill?s Light Flake. Spicy and tangy, it allows for a long lasting, medium strength and rich smoke. Presentation in the 100 g. tin is very peculiar: beautiful hues of reddish and dark brown tobacco, coiled inside in long strands. The aroma is fresh and zesty, perhaps not as unambiguous as Dunhill?s LF, but quite along those lines.

When packed, after careful rubbing out, one has to be wary of not clogging the bowl. If done properly, it is easy to light. Upon lightening, the naturally sweet scent of Virginia tobacco engulfs not only the palate, but the senses as a whole. A delicate spicy interplay ensues, creating a number of layers in which the basic Virginia flavour spreads out in different phases. It is not a cool burning tobacco, and if carried away by the desirer to quickly explore its different notes, tongue bite will happen next. If smoked slowly, it is absolute pleasure.

Sit down, relax, and open Dickens? Pickwick Papers.

8 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Bruck (27)	2014-10-28		Medium to Strong	Very Mild	Medium	Pleasant

This is the flake that got me hooked on flakes. Smooth, strong, just the right amount of sweetness. VA flavor is dominant, smoothed out by the Cavendish, and the Perique adds a pleasant little kick in the drawers.

Pipe Used: Cob

Age When Smoked: 2 months

Purchased From: Retail

Similar Blends: Mac Baren Virginia #1.

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Rodricus (29)	2013-09-19		Very Strong	Mild	Very Full	Very Strong

This is an extaordinary virginia flake by Rattray, and probably the best of its batch. Considering several wonderful blends, this is quiet a compliment.

The tin offers a full and complex aroma. The tingy smell is quite strong, and almost rancid for the first seconds. After some air gets in the tin the stinkinness is gone. It is very close to the Erinmore Flake, but with more hard leathery notes.

This blend is called "ready rubbed" but is more a broken flake, as very bid fragments of flakes are presented. One must make a good effor to separate all the tobbaco. Of course this pieces can be fitted on the bowl in a more compact way, if one is to smoke on a windy afternoon or so.

The taste of the virginia es powerfl in this blend. It is absolutely delicious. Perique is not mentioned but might have a subtle hint. You can perceive the taste of pure tobacco with great notes of wood and a citric finish. The smoke evolves as tobacco is consumed, in a very positive way. The acid notes are replaced with more sweety and oily flavor.

This is a great blend. I´ve tried several Rattays before but even as many are very good (Accountant´s, 7 reserve, Hal O´the wynd), this is the best.

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	TallPuffO'Burley (633)	2013-01-02		Medium to Strong	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Tolerable

I feel like I am writing the same review for every Rattray product as I have not come across one I don't like. I never realized this contained Perique or cavendish for that fact until I read these reviews. The description on the bottom of the tin merely points to a all Va blend. So for some time that is what I thought I was smoking.

To start, the tin presentation is beautiful. When you open the tin, large flakes are folded over each other like a hay bale or something to that effect. The smell off the tin was like a great VA. The taste is smooth and sweet (not like an aromatic, but more like a sweet VA). The nicotine is pretty strong for this genre. I think if I only smoked Rattray products I would be a happy piper as I have yet to find one I dislike. This one is right near the top, but different enough from the others I enjoy to pick a favorite.

8/1/13 I recently finished a second tin of this and it was much more fresh than the other I smoked. I am not sure how old the other one was, but guessing where I got it from I would say 5 to 6 years. I think the age made the virginias much sweeter as my second tin was not as great as that first one. I also purchased a tin of HOW and a large bulk order of OG and I find MF to be a little inferior to those. So while I still recommend it, my enthusiasm has been curbed a little.

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	zulujerk (146)	2006-03-12		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

I've been holding off on buying a Rattray blend, hoping that JR's would get a couple of the more popular incarnations within a reasonable timeframe. Good luck!

So I broke down and bought Marlin Flake at the local B&M, with the understanding that it would be of "darker" and "greater strength" than the typical Virginia. Yes, I know that is supposed to represent a comparison to Old Gowrie..well, now I do.

Opening this thing out of the tin affords a wonderful aroma, with a single dark reddish flake, beautifully folded into one gorgeous block. Not since Escudo's have I experienced a more attractive presentation just out of the tin.

Like many have stated, this is a moderate strength blend, with a sugary taste. The ripened flavor comes without throwing blatant signs regarding the addition of an articial sweetening agent. Some have suggested such, and I will gladly state my ignorance on the matter. However Rattray's manages to create Marlin Flake, it works exceptionally well--with an almost molasses undertone.

Upon smoking, I barely rubbed out the flake, with a medium-level packing. This thing smoked straight to the bottom without even the need for a single tampering, an incidence that I rarely come across. Because of the high degree of sugar, I'd suggest a more prudent means of puffing. If you get anxious on this smoke, you'll probably burn a tongue in short time. I didn't get that, however, and I do tend to run though a bowl much faster than others.

In my opinion, this Virginia offering comes second only to McClelland's 2010, which I find slightly less sweet, with a modestly greater jump in nicotine..and a more economical pricetag.

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	moniker (220)	2017-10-07		Mild to Medium	Mild	Medium	Pleasant

These days, Marlin Flake is four long, moist, rough flakes rolled up, not close to filling the tall, 100g tin. Initial tin note is sweet black bread, with very faint, dark chocolate and molasses. I prefer MF dried in the sun for a few minutes, and I pack it loose. It lights and burns down OK like this, with the biggest advantage of drying it being it can be smoked very slowly and gently without it going out. Right away there are clouds of fragrant smoke that both smell and taste of toasted, sweet brown bread, and the tin notes come through, as well. MF is dark and rich, with the varietals well melded, brown sugar sweet and tasting like fruit leather. I suppose the VAs are mostly selected, fermented, air cured browns, and there might also be some lightly stoved red. The Cavendish is dark and deep, and it’s very sweet. At 1/4 or so the Perique comes up, mostly sweet plums and prunes, but also some zesty, exotic, bakery spices, including coriander and a little white pepper, riding just “above” the main notes on the flavor spectrum. The tastes include iron from the molasses. Strength is more mild than medium. Tastes are medium. Room note is pleasant. Aftertaste is best-of-the-smoke.

All in all, Marlin Flake manages to be good and satisfying with little effort on my part, and that’s fine with me. Compared to its stable mates, Old Gowrie and Hal o’ the Wynd, MF is the smoothest, deepest, darkest and sweetest of the lot, and it lacks their KY altogether. All are top quality, 4 star blends, IMO.

Pipe Used: #4 briar cutty preferred

Age When Smoked: fresh and jar aged

Purchased From: 4noggins

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	steppx (186)	2017-01-11		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

I love this tobacco. Its my favorite of Rattray's blends, with Old Gowrie tied with Hal o the Wynd for 2nd place. OG might have a tiny edge. Im partial to the unsweetened (see update below) cavendish taste (and in a sense this is not unlike McClellands Navy Cavendish)...except this has Perique. Not a huge amount of perique, but enough. Its a more earthy perique, a bit like gawith uses in st james flake. Its a subtle taste and its best to smoke it slow. Comes in long ribbons of flake (a bit like Reiners long golden flake). But in the reiner (and dan tobaccos Tordenskjold Virginia Slices) the perique is brighter and a bit spicy. This is earthier and a bit more pungent. But this is predominated by cavendish taste.....making it different from a lot of Vapers. I love that taste so I give it 4 stars. Some prefer a pure vaper with just virginia....straight up. I like that, too. But my personal taste runs to this. The nic hit here is between mild and medium. Closer to medium. Not quite as strong as hal of the wynd. It smokes very slow....good to rub it out a bit. Consistently cool. Rattray is still a fine maker of pipe tobacco.

update: reading a lot of reviews here that suggest this is heavily cased or that the cavendish is sweetened etc. Im pretty sure there is a mild casing...much like there is for Solani silver flake or astley's 144....or a few others (most all of K&K have some casing). But its a comparatively light casing. Gawith tobaccos....sam's flake for instance....has a tonquin casing. Its mild, but it is present. And this leads to a big debate worth having I think. How many totally uncased tobacco blends are there? Precious few. Honestly, very very very few. So the question is, should things like Gawith Hoggarth's Cut Bosun Plug for example be considered an aromatic? Technically yes. But then youd have to be clear that such aromatics bear no resemblance to Capt Black or Amphora or other drug store blends. Now i admit that the flavoring in St Brunos flake ...as another example, is too much for me. Its not too much in Marlin Flake. In fact its barely noticable to me. But i know its there. Reinders Long Golden Flake has an orange flavoring. It does bother me a bit after a while. It that an aromatic? Few people would say it is. So i dont know. I do know and admit that rattray's old Perth blends were different and as far as I can remember not cased at all. So K&K have altered the recipe a bit. It remains however, for me anyway, a very fine tasting tobacco blend and one in which the pure tobacco taste predominates.

Purchased From: 4noggins

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2009-11-30		Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

In the family of MF, Hal O The Wynd, Old Gowrie and Brown Clunee, I found the taste of this to be much like Brown Clunee and hardly at all like HOTW and OG. In both this and BC, I got a mild soapy flavor that stayed with me for the first 2/3 of the bowl. It wasn't as objectionable in this as it was in BC, but it was enough to let me know that I would not be buying this again. But is it ever a beautiful looking tobacco with its rolling swirls of dark flake!

Interestingly, smoking from a 16 year old tin of Marlin Flake accentuated the soapy flavor rather than subduing it. I found that exceedingly odd. This is one tobacco that does not mellow with age, or at least it did not in my case.

Hal O' The Wynd is in my steady rotation and I smoke a bit of Old Gowrie from time to time. Marlin Flake and Brown Clunee are cut from a different cloth, to my taste, and I found the dryer sheet taste offputting enough that I'll pass on further exploration of those two. YMMV.

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2008-08-30		Mild	None Detected	Mild	Pleasant

Something in this blend has changed, and for the worse. I have smoked several 100 gram tins of this over the past few years. I have been smoking a tin now that has aged well over a year in the unopened tin. Each successive tin of this tobacco has been less and less exciting. This tobacco was delicious in its own dark way when Rattray's was producing this, but the new German concoction leaves much to be desired. I have smoked this fresh out of the tin, and after drying it out a bit, and I am not sure which is worse. This baccy is lacking in flavor and depth, and becomes astringent as you work your way down the bowl. I have smoked this in a Ser Jacopo, a Ferndown, a Caminetto, a Larsen, a Design Berlin, all to no avail. My present tin has just found its way into the backyard recycling bin! This tobacco has lost its way, its recipe has strayed far from the original, and I do not recommend this. There are many far better flakes available today, the majority of which are more reasonably priced than this one. Experiment elsewhere, and you will be more greatly rewarded.

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	The Scruffy Piper (2)	2020-11-15		Medium	Mild	Full	Pleasant

An excellent smoke! I recently asked for a recommendation for a VaPer fan from my tobacconist and that's what I got; now I doubt it's ever gonna leave my rotation! I've been smoking it straight from the tin (yes, I'm quite impatient, I know) but I'm sure it's gonna age well so I'm also cellaring a lot of it.

The tin note is incredibly sweet and fruity. The fermented sugars give a strong impression of dried figs, much like Solani's virginia flake (633), but I think that Marlin flake is somewhat more strongly fermented. I also got hints of dried plum, yum!

The flakes are quite thin and long, and somewhat darker than Solani's. Quite easy to take apart, and are rather on the moist side. Personally I often pack my pipe and let it rest for half to one hour before lighting it up, so the moisture didn't end up causing me any trouble at all.

About the smoke itself, I'd say it's the sweetest smoke I've ever had. More importantly, the sweet taste stays even throughout the entire smoke. In addition to the sweetness, I get also hints of citrus, and a touch of bread. Needs very few relights, and burns quite consistently throughout the entire smoke. Haven't had any tongue bite so far, even though I often get off cadence.

I'm usually not good at identifying toppings (unless they are very present, like vanilla or cherry), but I have the impression that this tobacco is somewhat cased; the sweetness that comes with it goes beyond what I get from any other straight Virginia/Perique blend I've tried. Could be sugar cane or licorice, I can't say for sure.

Pipe Used: Vintage Raoul Amiel prince briar pipe

Age When Smoked: Straight from the tin

Purchased From: La Tête d'Or (Brussels, https://www.latetedor.com/shop/french/)

Similar Blends: Solani - 633: Virginia Flake with Perique.

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Gr8tefuldawg (87)	2020-05-04		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Rattray- Marlin Flake

Upon opening this blend I was met with a a beatiful figgy plum smell, with some grassy/hay scents, presentation for this blend is beautiful flakes are stack and cut perfect rectangular gum strip density. I let this dry for a good 30 minutes prior to smoking and broke two flakes apart and loaded them into my Rossi 320.

This was a fantastic Sunday afternoon smoke, the spicy sweet Perique and hay of the darkened Virginia’s far surpassed anything I’ve enjoyed to this point, I can honestly say that I understand why Rattray blends are held in high regards as this blend knocks the va/per definition to another level.

The cavendish is there, and I’m not sure if it’s there for body or if it may have some topping, regardless it doesn’t, hinder anything. This is a blend Va/per lovers should rejoice in and attempt to get ahold of down the road.

Added to the rotation and cellar for down the road.

Pipe Used: Rossi 320

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: Tobaccopipes.com

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	toddsmith7378 (41)	2018-04-10		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

With McClelland gone, I was a little neurotic to find other Virginia's I'd be able to smoke so as to keep my 40th anniversary and red cake stashes around a bit longer.

Boy, am I glad I found Rattray's Marlin Flake. I didn't think I'd ever find something better than McClelland, but this one really does it for me. It's spicy full Virginia dark flake that is a little more smoothed out and consistent than even my favorite 40th Anniversary. It has a subtle sweet nuance to it probably from whatever minimal Cavendish is applied. Neither the perique nor the cavendish do anything but completely enhance a very Virginia forward taste in the vein of 40th though. It's deep and something I quickly stashed up on. Now, I can just smoke my 40th anniversary on special occasions and I really won't miss it too much when its gone, knowing I have plenty of this in my cellar and still available for purchase from Rattray!

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Cold Comfort (14)	2017-09-06		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant

As one of Rattray's 'Big 3' Marlin Flake is a fine tobacco blend. The tin note is earthy and rich, with just a hint of tangy perigue hiding in the background, almost daring you to light a bowl.

The flakes are very well presented, soft and easy to rub out, or folded and stuffed. I find it behaves rather nicely rubbed out and let dry for about 20-30 minutes.

The virginias are rich and creamy, yummy bready notes with grassy highlights sneaking in. The perique shows up mid-bowl, and really brings it all together with some excellent spicey goodness. The cavendish provides a nice cushy bed for everything else to roll around on.

This blend clearly has a casing, I get brown sugar/licorice undertones, but this never gets in the way.

Highly recommended!

Pipe Used: Peterson, Vauen, Stanwell

Age When Smoked: 1yr

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	J. Ward (71)	2017-02-01		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Tangy plum sweetness is brought about by the interplay of the red virginias and perique. One can also detect a bit of earth and bread as mentioned in Jim's expert review. The telltale brown sugar sweetness of the cavendish smooths out this extraordinary blend. This flake comes quite moist, so a little drying time will be necessary. Won't bite and burns clean all the way down to a fine speckled gray ash with no relights. This is the embodiment of a fine pipe tobacco. You'll definitely want to cellar this one, gents.

Pipe Used: Old England Virgin Briar

Age When Smoked: Less than a year

Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	balkan_boy (49)	2015-08-07		Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This blend is a classic example how VA/Per shouldn't taste like. Peter Stokebye Bulls Eye Flake is another one, but unlike this, Bulls Eye is bearable. Black Cavendish just ruins everything good in a Virginia/Perique blend. Ok, this is if we review it in VA/Per context, and all the bad things that can be said, are true. Now, let's look at it not in the VA/Per context. Actually it's pretty enjoyable. If we compare it to other Rattray blends, it's in the solid top 3. Good quality smoke, especially for the summer. I've been smoking only this for about a month and I almost got used to it. I have another 100 grams of this Marlin crap, and I'll give it a go until it disappears completely. Maybe when I'm done with it I'll get to like it. I don't know for sure, but I'm half way there. In the beginning, I expected more and it disappointed me badly. I decided to give it a chance and stick with it until I get to like it. There was improvement after all, and now I almost enjoy it.

Pipe Used: wide variety

Age When Smoked: 4 years

Purchased From: gift from a friend

Similar Blends: Peter Stokebye Bullseye Flake.

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	pecheur (19)	2014-10-11		Mild	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

My 50g tin consisted of just two large flakes folded and squashed together. The tin note had just the faintest hint of pepper and smokeness hiding behind a dominant raisin smell, lovely. For me it needs some dry time or it turns into a damp sticky mess in the bowl.

When dried it lights easily after a charring light and burns slowly. Whilst it doesn't bite it needs sipping to get the most of the flavour, alot of which can be found on the snork. The tin note comes through into the smoking perfectly, it has a deep stewed fruit / plummy / raisinish sweet taste.

Pipe Used: Stanwell Billiard

Age When Smoked: Couple of months

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	DEN-C1956 (35)	2014-09-29		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Very Pleasant

i just bought a 50g tin of this pipe tobacco..and its quite nice..im not a flake person..but i thought go for it!..i rubbed it out and im very pleased with it..smokes nice....nice and easy..no bite and thats a good thing.its just a pleasent aroma and easy to relax with..and that for me is what pipe smoking is all about..enjoy!

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Bonneville (52)	2014-05-08		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Very Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Damn this stuff is delicious. It's pricey but worth every penny. It's a full and delicious Virginia flake that I only smoke when I can sit and savor it with absolutely no distractions. Like all Virginias it has a delicious tangy/grassy sweetness. But unlike some whose sweetness is that of honey or crisp fruit, this one is a rich dark molasses sweetness. Absolutely mouth watering if you ask me.

It is for the Virginia lover who knows how to treat the tobacco properly. Don't try and smoke it too quickly or it will slap you back for trying to move in on her too fast. Take your time and you will be richly rewarded.

It's easily in my top 5 and I smoke it almost every day.

Pipe Used: Rattray's Craggy Root

Age When Smoked: 1 year

Purchased From: Beehive Cigars, Salt Lake City, UT

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	LiterarySmoker (143)	2021-08-04		Medium	Mild	Medium	Pleasant

Those who have seen my reviews for a while know that I'm a lush when it comes to VaPer blends. I kept hearing about this blend for a long time and it was always sold out online but I finally got my hands on a tin. It is pretty plain, but all of the Rattray's tins are very plain.

When I opened my tin I found a fairly thick cut flake the color is quite attractive with a combination of blacks and light browns. The smell is very bready, sweet, dark fruity, and slightly BBQ. A nice and inviting smell. It came at a decent moisture and I didn't really dry mine out. But I will say that smoking it on the drier side yields a delicious smoke. I've tried filling my pipe the night before and it's worked well. It does take a light fairly well.

When I light my pipe I am hit with a delicate and wonderful smoke. The Virginias end up front: sweet, fruity, and bready. The Cavendish Is toasty and applied lightly. The perique adds some spice and some plum notes. There is a very light and barely noticeable topping of anise and it pairs well with everything else. The slower I smoke, the more rewarding this blend gets.

The taste of this blend is a very balanced medium. The strength is likewise a medium. There isn't enough Perique in this blend to pump up the vitamin N. The room note is very pleasant. For me this isn't an all day blend. It's more of a nice smoke to relax with when I have nowhere to be. The key to this smoke is not to rush. I know that's true of pipe smoking in general, but if you rush this it looses all it's flavor. I hear this is a good one to age, and I might buy a tin with that in mind.

Pipe Used: Rattrays Marlin

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	RonR (85)	2020-11-06		Mild	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

3rdguy

Just finished a full tin but I have to say it was 10 1/2 years old. Nothing tangy with this aged tobacco but plenty of sweet sweet tobacco with a toasted marshmallow taste up front. Reminds me a bit of Rattray’s Dark Fragrant. Black flakes that lit easily and burned down to a nice white ash.

I have plenty in the cellar and hope it all will end up similar once aged. A great smoke.

Pipe Used: Cobs

Age When Smoked: 03/2010

Purchased From: Pipestid

Similar Blends: Rattray’s Dark Fragrant.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	HabaneroHardy (403)	2019-09-03		Mild	Mild	Mild to Medium	Unnoticeable

Thought I would give this one a whirl at ‘the club’. Nice sweet VA aroma with medium-dark flakes 1”x 2”. This was in a round 50g tin packaged with square flakes. One of my pet peeves. What? Square tins no longer popular or is it just easier to package them all in the same cheap generic gold colored round tins with some cheesy paper label? Pause. This was surprisingly pretty moist in the tin and I did something I rarely do. I rubbed this out and let it dry a little bit. Most of the time I fold and stuff but due to the moisture content I thought it might be a bear to keep lit. I had one bowl of this yesterday and decided this Labor Day morning to have some of this with my morning coffee. Starts out sweet and about a third way down I believe I detected some of the perique kicking in but hard to say. I have read some of the other reviews and to me the Perique is really lame in this one if even existent. I thought about trying some of this in a cob instead of my Meerschaum but was too lazy. Besides I am trying to get my favorite Meer some color to it which it has but not enough. Mild, pleasant with virtually no bite but just a little to smooth for me. You could very easily make this one an all-day smoke. I always wonder about the name of some of these blends and I think of the fish Marlin but maybe someone’s last name? I gave some to a fellow club member and he liked it so much he bought their last tin. I told him he could have more of mine but I guess he wanted a tin for his own. Hey, I actually made a sale!

Pipe Used: Meerschaum

Age When Smoked: New

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Wilhelm Joharsányi (33)	2017-10-17		Medium to Strong	Very Mild	Medium to Full	Tolerable

I highly enjoyed Old Gowrie and decided to give Marlin Flake a chance; just exchange the Kentucky for Cavendish and you’ll get another wonderful blend? Perhaps? Let’s find out.

Upon opening the tin, the first thing I noticed was a distinct honey and molasses aroma, mixed with fresh hay and tangy citrus overtones. Nice smell, nothing remarkable compared to other VaPers.

There is some moisture, had to rub it and let it dry out for 20-30 minutes. Marlin Flake is a very sweet VaPer, almost like smoking an aromatic. The first thing I noticed was the taste of darkened sweet- bread, mixed with raisins and a slight citrus aftertaste. The Virginia and Cavendish are the most evident, with a slight Perique spice. However, the brown sugar taste of the Black Cavendish makes this blend a bit too sweet for me and it makes me want to brush my teeth after. Boy, this one is going to stain my teeth even worse now!

A high quality, premium smoke no doubt. However, in a world of so many great VaPer’s (Old Gowrie included), I don’t see myself buying another tin and adding it to my rotation. Still a great blend though, just that I like other VaPer blends a lot better. Could be a nice after dinner smoke, especially if you want something very sweet and skip dessert.

Similar Blends: Dunhill - Royal Yacht.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	gahdzila (61)	2017-03-20		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Marlin Flake gave me quite a surprise when I first popped the 3.5 ounce tin. I expected a similar ready rubbed ribbony broken flake as Hal o the Wynd and Old Gowrie...instead, in that big ole soda can sized tin were exactly four long and wide intact flakes, neatly folded over each other. I get a pleasant somewhat fruity tin note. My kids usually like to give me their impressions of tin note when I open a new one, but they weren't being very cooperative tonight - my son said, "I dunno, it just smells like all your other pipe stuff." LOL.

Tonight, I arbitrarily chose the Lorenzo churchwarden for the review. I rubbed the flake out until it was about the consistency of HotW and OG, and gave it 20 minutes on the paper plate to dry a bit.

Initial flavors are mild Virginia. Perique comes into play soon after. Supposedly, there's some black cavendish in here, but I don't really get it. The Virginia is pleasant enough. The perique seems disproportionate. I like perique, and I don't mind a hefty dose of it.....but I prefer a blend to have something else to carry it, some structure and backbone. To me, too much perique in a blend that is too light and fluffy is like dousing marshmallows with habañero sauce. My tongue and mouth are slightly uncomfortable smoking this blend....I've experienced this before with one or two other blends, so I'm sure this is just me, and not the fault of the baccy itself.

It took several matches to get it started, but once lit, it burned great straight to the bottom of the bowl.

Not my cup of tea. This is only my third bowl, so I may give it a couple more tries, but I'm thinking I won't be able to finish the tin.

UPDATE: I'm revisiting MF approximately one year later. And I'm wondering now if I was somehow brain damaged the last time I smoked it LOL. I really don't think my perceptions of the flavors would change this much in this period of time, but something is different. Maybe my pipe was heavily ghosted with perique (I kinda doubt this - I don't recall precisely, but I ordinarily give a blend a few chances in a few different pipes before typing up a review). Maybe a year of age has improved it (I doubt this too, as the change is so drastic). I think the most likely scenario is that there was some additive, flavoring, or humectant that didn't agree with me...something that has evaporated off after a year in a mason jar. Something that caused that spicy/peppery sensation that I thought was heavy perique. MF seems to me to now to be mostly a straight Virginia flake containing only the barest whisper of perique. I still don't notice cavendish per se. Still not my cup of tea....but only because of my preferences, not through any fault of the tobacco on its own. I still think there's better stuff out there in this genre, but MF isn't so bad after all.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	simenonfan (2)	2016-08-28		Mild	None Detected	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

Six months ago I added pipe smoking to my daily habit of smoking one small sized Cuban cigar. I still consider myself a beginner. This is my second review. After reading lots of reviews, viewing lots of Youtube instructions and a lot of trial and error, I now deal with this tobacco without worrying too much about the sophistications of the fine pipe smoking culture. It comes as a sort of flat wet bobbin of long filaments. Having it opened one or two months ago, maybe the bobbin has dried out a little on the outside. Well, I pick up some of the outer filaments, rub them a bit, break the long fibers in smaller pieces and pack them tightly in the tiny bowl of a light 20-cm-no-filter-briar-pipe. Maybe lighting takes me more time than a connaisseur would need. Maybe I’ve to relight or tamp it several times. Maybe I puff it too fast; when the bowl gets too hot, I grab the pipe by the stem. However, it doesn’t punish me for the untender treatment. It’s 15 - 20 minutes of splendid tobacco taste and smell (obviously pure tobacco).

Pipe Used: 20 cm tiny bowl no name briar pipe

Purchased From: local tobacconist

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	L'Italiano (233)	2015-03-25		Medium	Medium	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

First of all in my opinion there is no perique in this mixture and even if there is a hint it is uninfluential. The taste is of Virginia and above all Black Cavendish. If we want to classify in a correct way this blend we have to admit that this is an aromatic mixture. But it is not a natural aromatic mixture: it is without any doubt a flavored blend. There is casing and there is top dressing and you can continuously perceive the flavoring on your tongue and nose. I don’t know if it is a natural flavoring or a chemical (artificial) flavoring. Anyway the result is awful and in my opinion this mixture is unsmokable. If you are looking for something natural this is not for you. In my personal system rating (from 1 to 10) my score is 1 and only a star.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	NobbyR (79)	2015-03-24		Medium	Very Mild	Medium	Tolerable

This dark brown flake, mottled with Black Cavendish, comes in extra long slices that can be on the moist side in a fresh tin. It smells deliciously of brown bread with an underlying sweetness. In spite of the mild flavoring, this tobacco might still be enjoyed by fans of English blends.

I usually tear off a strip of tobacco about twice as long as the the chamber of the bowl is deep and use the fold and stuff method for filling my pipe. Alternatively, you might rub it out. It can be a little difficult to put the charring light evenly to the tobacco. Afterwards I level out the ashes before the true light.

Upon lighting there's a sublime peppery tangyness with a slight fruity acididy from the Perique which is mellowed by a distinct sweetness. There are notes of raisins or dried figs as well as slightly nutty flavors, whereas you can only adumbrate the whisky and port wine topping and some grassy notes from the Virginias. It burns down evenly and slowly leaving some coarse, dry, grey ash, all this time being mild on your tongue.

The room note is spicy with hints of sweetness.

Pipe Used: Rattray's 110th Anniversary

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: Peter Heinrichs

Similar Blends: Rattray's Old Gowrie.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pseudo Nim (129)	2009-07-29		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I thought I'd reviewed this about a year ago when I first tried it, never mind, I was impressed when I first tried Marlin Flake, I'm still impressed now as I sit here with a pipe gently smoldering, you know I can't for the life of me think why I haven't been smoking this to death for the last twelve months or so, but I haven't, for some reason or another it fell out of rotation and the tin I thought I had stashed away turned out to be Old Gowrie. A telephone call and 48 hours later, I'm ready.

A dark folded ribbon of flake is extracted from the tin, partialy rubbed out, this is left to dry on newspaper for 24 hours, the aroma of the tobacco is rich and complex, I would have said an aged Virginia and been hoplessly wrong. It is it seems, a Cavendish, Perique, Virginia Flake, and beautifully done.

Loads and lights easily with a single match and already, the tobacco warns me not to puff to hard as a bite will be the reward, the taste is rich and sweet, without being too sweet and cloying, red wine and raisins come to mind. It has been noted that this is similar to Dunhill Flake, I cannot resist, and light a pipe Of Dunhill Flake for a side by side comparisson. I agree entirely. However, I always remember DF having a Buttered Bread like flavour, am i getting gentle hints from both ? Is DF immitating Marlin Flake ? or is Marlin Flake immitating DF ? Either way, both are superb, an excellent all day smoke.

I have one tin open and two in reserve, time to buy some more. I'm not going without this one again. Four well earned stars.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2008-02-14		Medium	None Detected	Full	Very Pleasant

Yet another update, my last, I promise. I'm not one to change my mind often. Wait a minute, maybe I am. Anyway, I don't like too many updates but, K&K just updated their website, and for what it's worth, I quote....

RATTRAY?S - BRITISH LINE MARLIN FLAKE Dieser dunkle Flake setzt sich zusammen aus Dark Virginia, tiefschwarzem Cavendish und einem Hauch Perique.

The words in question need no translation but here's one anyway:

This dark flake is made up of Dark Virginia, deep black Cavendish and a breath of Perique.

I have a tin of Marlin Flake on order, just because I really don't remember tasting any Perique in there, and I know I never tasted vanilla. We'll see. I hope I don't come off snooty by posting this, as I have never once, in all my life, actually snooted. By the way, I enjoy Mo's reviews quite a bit, and in no way intend to offend. Anyone. Unless they want to be. (Offended, that is). Happy smoke. p.s. Don't even ask about Hal O' the Wynd. (Kentucky and perique, too. Actually, almost all the Rattray pure Virginias aren't).

Another update,- regarding blend content. I did some research at one of my favorite German language tobacco sites, daft.de .There's a wealth of information on all things tobacco there. One thing you won't find there, I don't think, is this importer's descriptive. http://www.daft.de/downloads/oesterreichischer_tabak.pdf I add this only to try to be informative, I'm not endorsing anyone here... But there's that ingredient list again..VA/CAV/PER. aye aye aye.

--Update-- I'm removing a star, because the cans I've bought recently were sharp (the tobacco inside, not the cans themselves) and bitey. It seems the K and K has indeed filled some of the old 'blended in Perth' cans with their concoction, and it just isn't the same. As for the stickers on the can stating the blend includes things unvirginia, go figure. . . Still leaving it 3 stars for what it was, and may someday again be.(insert weepy violin music) ----------------------------------- Earlier. . . . .

I live in Austria, where this is both hard to find, and not the biggest seller. So, I've had both the 'blended for' and the 'blended by Charles Rattray at Perth' versions. I like them both equally and actually have found more variation from can to can as apposed to blender and country.

That said, I have to say my tongue and nose have always been a little supicious about the ingredients of this blend. 'Straight virginia'? they ask. hmmm maybe some dark stoved to boot. Well, the last 100 gram can I bought had a little surprise on the bottom. A sticker, in German.. It listed this as Marlin Flake, a Virginia with both, get this-- Black Cav. and Perique. I laughed. Then I went back and bought another tin and there was the same sticker on the bottom, go figure.

Anyway, I think this is best when mixed 50-50 with Black Mallory. Mix it one bowl at a time. I tried premixing about 50 grams and it turned into a bitter mess.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2005-04-23		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

12/20/04 - Marlin Flake (new tin)

Tin: Marlin Flake arrives in the tin as a bundle of impressive 6" long flakes of mottled reddish-brown and black strands. A whiff reveals dark fruit notes over a core of good, strong natural tobacco. The moisture level in my tin was high, even for a Rattray's blend. Give this one some airing time.

Pack: I rub out all my flakes when I smoke indoors, and this one does so easily, breaking down into short strands that make loading easy. The strands are dense, so I find myself tending towards a looser pack.

Lighting/Burning: For such a dense flake, the tobacco lights relatively easily. An extra pass with the lighter at the outset is helpful just to make sure, but there isn't any need for extraordinary effort, which is nice. MF burns evenly down the bowl, but is an easy one to smoke hot. This is a flake that absolutely requires good technique.

Flavor: From a freshly-opened tin, MF is dominated by the sweetness of the red VA's, so much so that it's distracting. I believe that this is the source of the occasional comments that that MF is "syrupy". Fortunately, this sweetness dissipates after the tin has been opened for just a few days, making the core flavors of this flake - big, rich, slightly spicy low Virginia notes - that much more apparent. The flavor is fairly consistent across the bowl, gaining just a bit of strength at the bottom, but there's a lot to appreciate in MF's basic flavors. Tongue bite is definitely a possibility, though. I feel like I'm always just on the edge of smoking too fast with this flake.

Pipe/Technique: This is one of the rare flakes that I find really likes a slightly larger bowl, probably because of the benefit that the extra air provides to slow combustion. I've settled into Group 4 sized bowls as my favorite for this, sometimes breaking into Group 5 territory - though MF burns well and tastes good in even bigger pipes, I find the flavor to be strong enough as is. Regardless of the pipe, good smoking technique is essential here - this is the only blend I smoke where breath-smoking or some other kind of forced slow-smoking routine is absolutely necessary to avoid bite. And, as mentioned above, open the tin a few days early and let the flakes dry before rubbing-out.

Overall: In the arena of strong, straight VA's, this is a top contender. The core flavors of Marlin Flake are simply fantastic - rich, strong, natural VA at its best. It reminds me of Hal `O The Wynd, which I used to smoke almost exclusively but have not returned to for a couple of years. I look forward to opening a tin of Hal for comparison to MF sometime soon. My only reservation about Marlin Flake is the propensity to bite - I prefer blends that are a bit less precarious to smoke, and MF definitely requires my full attention. For that reason, I'm going to stop short of giving this a "favorite" rating just yet, but I look forward to seeing if the tins in my cellar mellow any with age. 3/4

Update 4/23/05 - It hasn't been long enough to break another tin of MF out of the cellar, but I did get a chance to smoke a tin of (unaged) HOTW recently. While there is a certain similarity in flavor between these tobaccos, I very much disagree with people that consider them "nearly identical". The sweetness in HOTW is much more subdued than in MF. Perhaps for that same reason, I find HOTW much easier to smoke. Maybe with more aging, the two will become more similar. Only time will tell... But for the moment, I find Hal to be much more to my liking.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	cm1648 (108)	2020-07-15		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

The use of darker, sweet, Virginias is evident compared to the bright and red Virginas used in Old Gowrie and Hal O The Wynd. Because of that, it delivers a fruitier base, cooled and supplemented by the cavendish, and just slightly spiced by the Perique.

The Perique is there but like Stonehenge Flake, it almost doesnt deserve to be labled a "VaPer". And that it isnt a shot against it. The nic content is maybe a tad above mild. Even as a nic wimp, I can have back-to-back bowls with littel to no side affects. An absolutely enjoyable blend that Ill definitely keep around. It is tied, if not surpasses, my enjoyment of Old Gowrie. It probably depends on the day. 8.5/10.

Age When Smoked: 3 months

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Rock&RollPiper (5)	2020-04-29		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I must admit that Rattray's Marlin Flake was the tobacco that hooked me on pipe smoking. So I may have a soft spot for it in my heart. Aros simply did not appeal to me, and only very light, selective ones do to this day. My first tin whiff of MF was a revelation. Figs, dried fruit, grassy hay to my untrained nose. Upon lighting, the full-bodied sweetness and hay/bread notes of the Virginias were simply delightful. I recall roughly pulling the flakes apart, but not entirely rubbing out, and this is still my preferred method to this day to bring out the most flavor in MF. MF can be a little finicky from bowl to bowl, perhaps depending on the pipe used, but more likely the pack, dry time, and smoking cadence. However, the occasional less-than-stellar bowl does nothing to curb my impression. The after-taste is delicious, prompting the desire for more. MF was also my initial introduction to Perique. While not overbearing at all, it is used to perfection in this blend IMO, providing subtle nose tingle on the retro as well as likely contributing some fruit/sweet notes as well. I highly recommend to Virginia flake lovers, but also to English smokers who desire an occasional change of pace.

Pipe Used: Various briars

Age When Smoked: Less than one year aged

Purchased From: Local tobacconist

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pfeifenkopp (25)	2019-08-25		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

When I bought this tobacco only 100 grams tins were available, but I was really curious about trying this tobacco so I bought it anyway. After opening the 100 grams tin, I found two long flakes and a small one which is sufficient to stuff two pipes. The tin note is sweet and spicy at the same time. I can smell hay, pepper, citrus and dark dried fruits. After lighting up, the tobacco tastes sweet and I can taste some dried dark fruits. This sweetness might be a mix from the Black Cavendish and the Virginia. The latter adds as well a grassy, earthy and malty taste. The Perique spices the flake up by adding pepper and raisins. The peppery tastes gets stronger the further I smoke. I’m very glad that they had only the 100 grams tin in the shop when I bought it, because the smaller one would be smoked way too fast. This is definitely an all-day smoke.

Age When Smoked: Fresh

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2019-04-20		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Tolerable

NOTE: This review is based on a tin that was six years old with the beige colored label under my old handle & also the most recent offering. When a 2005 version was purchased back in 2011, it immediately became one of my favorites, so, I read some good reviews on Marlin Flake from Rattray and gave it a try one warm autumn day, It possessed that typical musty, fermented aroma, dark flake strips clumped thereover, waiting patiently to serve an accomodating smoker, Like wee bacon slices packed within that precious and desirous, little round tin, anxious to be transformed into disappearing ghostly clouds of the hereafter, OK... I'll begin.

It burns & bites as much as Haddo's "Undelight." I dried a few grams over my computer vent, before stoking ol' Pete, consigned to VA/Per blends, After a relight I exhaled that VA/Per so sweet, Initially a wee bite on me tongue, but a bit later made its retreat, And mellowed out to render elation... a milder, subdued, nirvanic sensation, A change in character as it slowly morphed, facilitating contentment coming forth, beyond that realm so reminiscent, Obviously, quality leaf to some, so, enjoy another bowl, so numb you may become,

It had a satisfactory Vitamin N content, and offered up a fairly pleasant scent, willfully submitting to this revelation it became a mainstay in my regular rotation. Greedily garnishing the remnants of that lovely, little round tin tucked away therein my modest cellar bin. Sadly, there's a small congregation who woefully submit their resounding condemnation, Although rating one star is totally unfair and seems in extreme of critical observation for this 15 year tin just beyond compare, Overall, I'm very pleased with Marlin Flake, and Old Gowrie and his pal, Hal cellared for future intake, For a Cav/VA/Per blend, it's really good stuff, that will take the edge off when you're feeling a little rough,

As some may be aware, Perique has a Chameleon like effect & in Marlin Flake right straight away I could detect that this blend had the peppery type affect, Depending on how it's mixed & what it's mixed with & how much is used, sometimes a fruity type flavor might tend to taste infused, Whatever the case, it's always a solid condiment & lends itself to be a fine compliment, Nowadays in all pipe blends I must confess, Acadian is mostly used as St. James nearly ran out of business, And there was simply not enough to meet the demand of blenders of the leaf using Perique to prevent a taste too bland, One thing I'll never understand & I'm not a discriminating young fellow & needless to say it wasn't my choice to change from the colored beige so mellow to that blinding, taxi cab yellow... they could have put a sign on top... the TAXI noun, with black & white checkered squares all around, so one would know to signal for a stop,

Also, I must contend that much of the sweetness of flavor that once had been, seemed at the same time to have followed that trend, I've coughed up my two cents in this ongoing debate to impart my thoughts on this very fine flake, I might downgrade to three stars at a later date but for now, a solid four stars I deem it should rate! The mixture in the newer tins with the yellow labels feels a bit more sticky as it's being rubbed out & seems to have a little more bite & a little less sweetness. Fortunately, however, at about mid bowl the harshness and/or the peppery taste seems to subside somewhat. I think Rattray should alter this mix to tone the pepper down considerably & bring a little more VA & Cavendish sweetness back into the blend.

Anyway, I just feel this mixture was altered about the same time the label color changed. I know it's still a popular blend but I think it was much better way back then... around 15 years it's been. I'm going to alter this stuff a tad but will have to experiment a bit on that approach. My first trial will be to add a little more red Virginia in hopes of going back in time, as it were.

Addendum: I added & mixed about one third of Brunello Flake to this blend & toned it down considerably. It didn't bite so bad afterwards, smoked normally, tasted excellent, no more harshness/bite & not as much pepper from the perique. There's no need to have to age a tin of tobacco for three to five years & then have to be careful & only sip it to keep from getting bit. You buy a tin, it should be ready to smoke right then without all the nonsense involved... something akin to Solani's 660: Silver Flake. Now, that's a quality blend right out of the tin... only requires a little drying time.

Four stars for the older versions of MF & I honestly feel that for the reasons explained above, MF in these times only merits three stars tops until Rattray gets it right again... something has gone awry that should be dealt with by Kohlhase & Kopp. I know they could do better if they tried.

Pipe Used: Peterson Deluxe 9S/Cavicchi (C) Dublin

Age When Smoked: 15 to 1 year old tins.

Purchased From: Pipes & Cigars, Smoking Pipes

Similar Blends: Any other VA/Per w/too much Perique &/or whatever. Bites almost as much as Haddo's Delight. The "Highly Recommended" rating is for the older stuff which was outstanding but today's version, "to me," is rather harsh & more sticky...

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Briar Piper (89)	2018-12-05		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Tolerable

About as close to the best perique experience as you can get. Has a molasses element (mostly in the nose) to the dark virginias playing on the cavendish, which in turn mutes the pepper out of the perique, leaving a gentle fermented fruit note which weaves in and out of the virginia.

Why more blenders don't get perique this right is a colossal mystery.

The best thing about the flavors in this blend is that they taste natural, though there is a very light licorice, not anise, topping which smooths this flake to perfection. Some very light sugar is detectable in the background which adds to the aroma more than anything, likely what gives the slight molasses note.

Definitely a 4 star blend, and one of the best flakes money can buy.

Pipe Used: Dedicated no name poker with open draw

Age When Smoked: 5 years

Purchased From: Tinderbox

Similar Blends: Davidoff flake medallions.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	KahveDelisi (73)	2017-12-02		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant

Licorice sweetness combined with molasses scent, hard to differentiate these two from each other. Smoked too fast, then the taste is sharp, grassy, and lively. Pace yourself; you'll start noticing fermented fruits. Imagine all kinds of dried fruits (raisins, figs, prunes, apricots, mulberries) thrown into that licorice molasses mixture mentioned above pressed into these sweet & sour fruit paste sheets called Marlin Flake. And probably its distinctive scent/flavor profile leed the majority of smokers here to describe it like sheets of natural fruit candy rather than pipe tobacco. However, it is pipe tobacco and one of those best!

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	mar1895 (5)	2016-03-30		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

"Look", he says, "lifes greatest joy - must be contentness to a man." This, in free translation, thinks County School Teacher Lämpel leaning back in his easy chair, taking a puff from his churchwarden in Wilhelm Buschs "Max & Moritz" (1865) forth play. Max and Moritz have substituted Teacher Lämpels favorite tobacco - which I am convinced was a Va/Pe Flake much like Marlin Flake - for gun powder, yielding desastrous results.

The story can be found here - in german, but with lovely pictures.

http://germanstories.vcu.edu/mm/mm4.html

But on to the tobacco:

Just opening a fresh can of Marlin Flake to me is one of lifes simple pleasures. The tin note of figs, vinegar and tobacco is nothing short of invigorating. The coils I cut into length of about 2,5 inches and store in a seperate tin (round 50 g) lined with baking paper for smoking. This I refill from the main tin as needed. The practice takes full care of any excessive moistness and obliviates a need for nuke-dryinging this treasure.

The tobacco flakes stored in this fashion rub out nicely and fill the pipe with ease. A tall standup poker can give me up to 2 hours smoking pleasure with out any buzz and fuss.

Reccommended. Much to be prefered to Gunpowder, says Teacher Lämpel.

Pipe Used: Many

Age When Smoked: new

Purchased From: cigarworld.de

Similar Blends: None. It stands alone..

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Jorge Soler (203)	2015-09-29		Mild	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

There is nothing special about the tin note; it just smells like vinegar. This is coil tobacco, which is a nice feature that pleases me. The flakes seem to be easy to crumble and pack in your pipe. The moist content is ridiculously high, so be advised. I cannot detect any toppings, and the cavendish tobacco content, which seems to be steamed pressed but not cased, adds character and body to this mixture. As for the perique content, it seems to be more and more apparent the more you progress with your bowl. I guess the sweetness of the cavendish is more or less subdued by this. The virginia's mostly in the background adding a base for this tug of war in between the perique and the cavendish to happen. I am not overtly impressed by this tobacco, but I don't see any faults in it either. This is all based on my first impressions though, so my opinion might change in the near future as most pipe tobacco tends to get better and better after you open the tin and time passes by.

Edit1: After going through most of my 100 grams tin, I'd say this is quite a remarkable tobacco. The balance in between the cavendish and virginia tobaccos has been achieved quite well, whereas the kentucky leaf adds a little bit of a punch to it. The problem with this tobacco is you need to air the amount you want to smoke the night before + it demands to be smoked at a very low pace. I am changing this to 4 stars now.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	3000DK (7)	2015-07-13		Medium to Strong	Medium to Strong	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

I have smoked Rattray's Tobaccos for quite a number of years now. My favourite being Old Gowrie, but occasionally also adding a tin of Marlin Flake to the rotation. So far, I have regarded Marlin Flake to be a very nice alternative to Old Gowrie - to my tastebuds they seemed similar, but of course MF had the addition of the Cavendish, it is somewhat fuller in taste and room note. Always pleasant. BUT, I recently bought a tin of MF from Germany, which I have done so many times before. What a disappointment !!!! What went wrong here? Did I get a bad tin? Marlin Flake in that tin seems to be heavily flavoured with some sort of alcohol (whiskey, cognac??) The flakes are significantly darker than usual. And overall, I find it quite unsmokable - not the delicious Marlin Flake I've grown used to. They even changed the label. Although the label now seems more informative with regards to contents, strenght etc., I really liked the old label better. It even says: 'For Gentlemen Only' - I will not bother with that, and will buy it regardless. But, if this tin is an indication of what Marlin Flake will be in the future, I will certainly look at alternatives. Thus Marlin Flake will join the army of many tobaccos, that have changed for the worse.

Pipe Used: Various

Age When Smoked: New - max. 3 months

Purchased From: pipe-shop.net (Germany)

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	SteelCowboy (685)	2013-10-11		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

For me, trying to decide which of the “Big Three” Virginia blends from Rattray, Marlin Flake, Hal O' the Wind and Old Gowrie is a bit like trying to say which one of your children you love the most. After smoking each for about five years and yet I am still struggling to determine my favorite of the bunch. I enjoy all of them. Marlin Flake seems to have the least amount of spice of the three and maybe it is just in my mind, but when very slowly sipped I do get a hint of the Black Cavendish. In my book, MF is the gentle one of the bunch, exhibiting a wonderful profile when very slowly sipped. Puff MF a little too hard and the subtle flavors are quickly lost. MF is sweet, a bit complex and a worthy Virginia forward blend. I tend to find it a little less sweet (when aged) than Old Gowrie and I tend to reach for the “big brother” of the bunch, Hal O' the Wind, the most often because of the bolder flavors and rougher edges that HOTW possesses. I prefer all of them aged as opposed to new. That is about the best I can do. I have not smoked anything other than the K&K versions, but after messing around with these three for the past several years, I guess it is safe to say that MF, while good, is my least favorite of the three. However, I will always have a few tins of MF on hand. Clear as mud??

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	BingCrosby (162)	2012-05-24		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

After completing the, so called, 'virginia trinity' i found marlin flake to be the most difficult to rate.. It is a great smoke and a fine presentation and Rattray's has yet to dissapoint me. A very fine virginia with a much more noticeable perique character than i was expecting. this would indeed be one of my favorite va/pers were it not for the cavendish which, at the risk of sounding nit-picky, actually brings this one down a notch.. having said that, i see what this blend is going for.. it is going for a smooth rich quality, and it indeed succeeds in this.. but while the cavendish does tone down and smooth out the smoke, it also detracts a little from the complexity of the virginia. the perique is a nice addition and it saves the day for me.. but in my opinion what could have been a great va/per, turns out to be simply a good one.

Update April 2018.. Not surprisingly this really improves with age.. everything melds together. Worth cellaring for 5+ years

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	UncleGar (110)	2004-12-01		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Some people had the fortune of finding this early. It took me 31 years. This will be my last virginia and may it forever be made.

The poetic extolling and high hailing in the above reviews may seem excessive, but only to those who haven't tried it. I'm at at odd loss for words, and I can't type my joy at having found this wonderful stuff.

Update 1/11 I must have been having a good day that day. I still love it, yet cycle among latakia-, oriental-, burley- rich blends with VA and return to this as my home base. How some smoke the same thing 365 days a year is a mystery.

Mostly, I want to complain about the lack of accuracy of the component listings at the top. They need to be accurate for this site to be useful. They used to be accurate. What happened? My tin states "Full Dark Virginia Flake". It is. No perique, no cavendish. And yes, it is wonderful.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Charmander (6)	2004-03-15		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Very Full	Very Pleasant

I've just finished about 6 months of smoking Marlin Flake almost exclusively. I'm listening to the Faure Requiem (Cambridge Singers/ John Rutter Conducting) right now and I'm wondering if GOD Himself might smoke Marlin Flake on occasion. This is so absouletly fine. It is beyond words for me. Enjoy! Thank you Kohlhase & Kopp & Co. You are so right - This is pipe smoking!! May GOD richly bless you this Christmas!!

Ahhh!!!!

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pounder 5000 (178)	2003-03-11		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Very Pleasant

A word of explanation- This was my first foray into straight virginias! Although I have tried several since, MF is certainly in a category of its own. This tobacco is so rich! Never have I experienced a better tin aroma than this. The smell was reminiscent of everything comforting in the world- fresh bread, figs, and old hay to name a few. The taste was fairly one dimensional until the last part of the bowl when it got some spice to it. This is not a bad thing! Since I normally smoke english blends, It was a refreshing change to be able to concentrate on the simple, rich taste of tobacco. The only downfall to this smoke was my own lack of experience with VA tobaccos, i.e. the unbelievable tongue burn I experienced when I quit concentrating on my puffing technique and went straight after that great flavor! I have learned much since then but still prefer my beloved english blends. Regardless I would recommend to any VA lover.

##UPDATE## I am updating this review approxiametly 4 months after opening my first tin. It has since become one of my favorite tobaccos, enough that it has led me to try other straight virginia flakes. I simply had to take some time to learn how to smoke it. I think it helps that I let the tin dry out a bit as well. I give it 2 thumbs up!!!!!

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Antonius Blok (192)	2021-05-08		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I liked this tobacco from the first pipe I smoked. Although in fact I started to like it before, since I opened the tin, because the presentation and the aroma of the very long flake, rolled and frayed, seem extraordinary to me, with a sweet aroma of stewed fruits that makes you want to eat it. The tobacco comes slightly damp, but good enough to load immediately without the need for many re-ignitions and at the same time allowing it to keep well in its container. The perique feels very little so I use this mix within my rotation as if it were a virginia straight. It does not bite, unless it is smoked too hastily. Highly recommended.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	DeathMetal.org (231)	2021-04-30		Mild	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Summary: a sweet Virginia flake with minor contributions from Perique, Cavendish, and a sugary topping.

The question facing any reviewer is ultimately, "Would you buy this again?" This is what your readers need to know, and it is why reviewers who receive free stuff often praise all of it; for them, the question of scarce resources never enters the picture. When you open the tin of "Marlin Flake," a faint fig-like smell drifts up, and on first light you get the flavor of marshmallows from the sugar topping rapidly transitioning to a steady, sweet Virginia smoke. This is a good flake, but the Perique and Cavendish play a minor role, somewhat overshadowed by the amaretto and licorice toppings which with some sugar and PG make this an even sweeter but slow and gently burning blend. To me, it tastes more like "Sir Walter Raleigh" than a straight Virginia flake, and has the similar OTC appeal. You can load this in a pipe, light it, and wander around for a few hours with a thin stream of flavorful smoke at all times. However, to be fair, I prefer the less-sweetened and more varied internal flavor of Hal O' The Wynd, even if it unfortunately does not come in flake form.

Similar Blends: Robert McConnell - Scottish Cake, Peterson - Elizabethan Mixture, Blatter & Blatter - Escudo, Orlik Tobacco Company A/S - Golden Sliced (Red Tin).

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	hrhf (38)	2021-04-15		Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

For me, it was love at first puff when it comes to Marlin Flake. It’s just my version of the ideal taste and strength for an all-day, every day (or until I get bored) blend.

The tin note smells exactly like I think pipe tobacco should smell. The flakes are long, delicate and maybe a tad too moist.

The flakes rub out easily, and we’re left with strands of chestnut brown and near-black.

Once lit, Marlin smokes slow and cool. You’ll forgive me for not offering tasting notes at this point. I just don’t have that nuanced a palate. I will say it’s more savory than sweet, and the overall flavor will be familiar to those who have had Hal o the Wynd, Brown Clunee and, I suspect, Old Gowrie. I haven’t sampled that last one yet, although it’s on deck.

The taste is complex enough to be engaging when you want it to be, but not so much so that you can’t enjoy it while reading or puttering.

Confession: I only smoked Marlin Flake for the first time early yesterday. But I’ve smoked it enough to have already ordered five more 1.75 oz tins, which will put my stash at a little under a pound.

A bit premature on my part, you say? Maybe, but I’ve sampled quite a few blends this calendar year, and none have wowed me quite like Marlin.

This is my new number one, so naturally it gets four stars.

Pipe Used: Various

Age When Smoked: New stock

Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com

Similar Blends: Other Rattray’s Virginia blends, but this one stands out.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pryhosm (248)	2020-05-18		Mild	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

Sweet, light grassy tin note. I will say out of the gate that I do not agree with the categorization as a VA/Per. The Perique is very lightly applied and I would say the addition of black Cavendish removes it from that category entirely. My definition. Flavor is sweet but not too sweet. Slightly grassy, earthy and bready. Not super complex, but there are layers of flavor, light brown sugar gives way to bread, then changes to earthy. The Perique is only noticed in the nose tingle on the retrohale. The stoved VA also give a bit of spice as the bowl crosses the 1/3 mark. Leaves a pleasant aftertaste, not long lasting but pleasant nonetheless. Finally, this stuff comes wet and takes a while to dry out. I found this best in Meerschaum's and Cob's.

Pipe Used: Briar's, meerschaum and cobs

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	neuron_md (37)	2020-04-28		Very Mild	None Detected	Extremely Mild (Flat)	Tolerable to Strong

I'm afraid I'll be among the very few who do not like this tobacco.

It is obviously of high quality. It burns cool and smooth and does not bite. It has a rich tin note and nice room aroma when smoked.

But my flavor preferences lean towards the strong and full-flavored blends, and I found this too sweet and light -- even flavorless -- for my tastes. I wish I could detect the rich flavors other reviewers speak of. Or perhaps I just have a bad tin; the tin I opened is 14 years old.

Now, in contrast, I thoroughly enjoy its sibling, Old Gowrie. That tobacco is among my favorites. As is Orlik Golden Sliced. They belong in the same genre, but these latter blends have a stronger and tastier flavor profile for me.

YMMV

Pipe Used: different briars

Age When Smoked: 14 years

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Aurorasofautumn (38)	2020-04-23		Medium	Mild to Medium	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

I had high expectations - and they were not fulfilled.

The taste is full but not "filling", so this is a good thing to be said about this tobacco. In accordance with our fellow user's "L'Italiano" experience, I have neither detected the perique in this blend and would consider it on the aromatic rather than the natural side of the spectrum. Our German friends tell us that Marlin Flake contains 28mg of flavouring and 121 mg of added sugar per 1000 mg of tobacco (!). https://service.bmel.de/tabakerzeugnisse/index2.php?detail_id=104655&site_key=153&stichw_suche=marlin+flake&zeilenzahl_zaehler=2 Still, not all tobaccos that contain flavouring need be necessarily bad and Marlin Flake isn't unsmokable by far. The taste is OK but does not knock me off my feet. My major problem with this tobacco is the sweetness, which many describe as certainly present but not cloying. Well - I thought it was rather cloying - and it certainly diminished my pleasure.

2 out of 4 stars

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Steerpike (156)	2020-04-06		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Oooh this one really is rather good! A real treat for anyone who likes unscented dark flakes. This dark Virginia, Cavendish and Perique blend is lightly cased with a smidgen of brown sugar and liquorice which accentuates the sweetness without interfering with the tobacco flavour, and the result is quite luxurious.

Presentation is very good, the flakes are very neatly cut and stacked, and are a very dark brown with just a few lighter strands.Tin aroma is of stewed fruit, prunes, raisin sweetness, and malt extract. This bodes well for what is to come! The moisture content is acceptable straight out of the tin, but as with many flakes, this one seems to benefit from a brief airing on a sheet of paper after rubbing it out.

It needs just a little coaxing to get a nice even light, and initially the flavour is dry, like hay and toast. Pretty soon it develops a pleasant sweetness, like malt and dried fruit, with a yeasty, freshly baked bread character. Further on, a creamy buttery character appears, and the effect is somewhat like toasted, buttered malt loaf: delicious!

It's actually quite similar to Charatans Black Flake, and I'm thinking it might be worth getting a tin of each at some point, to compare side by side. I think the Perique is even more subtle here, there's barely a hint of spice, but it must support some of the dried fruity flavours in this blend.

It's not a very strong tobacco, but it satisfies. It burns cool and smooth with little risk of tongue bite. A little wet dottle will be left, and pipe cleaners come out fairly clean.

I heartily recommend this tobacco, it's splendid stuff and I will certainly be buying more of it.

Pipe Used: Northern Briars Liverpool

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Mysmokingshop

Similar Blends: Charatan Black Flake.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	who broke my clay pipe? (70)	2020-03-23		Medium	Mild	Medium	Pleasant

50g Round Tin

Virginia-Cavendish-Perique are the ingredients, and these 3 degrees come through in the taste in combined equal measure.

Citrusy lemony virginias combine with the berryesque perique to produce a kind of sweet and sour baked apple and sultanas taste ala stewed fruit. The cavendish offers a toasted pastry factor ala strudel as mentioned by another reviewer. I also detect a faint maple syrup topping which may be part of the cavendish.. The only thing missing is a dollop of custard.

It is to me a kind of dessert smoke , it borders on aromatic yet is a strait tobacco at the same time. I use a medium-large solid meer conical chamber bowl on a Falcon -Bantam small bent stem. This is my safe cavendish pipe.

This sample i have left in a jar is from 2013. I haven't touched it enough between then and now to notice any ageing. I expect it has rounded out, but that might be more to do with finding a better sympathetic pipe that suits cavendish blends better in the mean time that is doing most of the rounding.

Although cavendish isnt my favourite leaf for quite a few years-( it just doesnt agree with me too often)-, this isnt a bad smoke and performs in such a way that I wish other cavendish aromatic blends would of done.

Even though I am not a fan of cavendish, I have seriously enjoyed other blends in the past that contain it like Petersons Irish Oak, of which this Marlin Flake is similar in character where cavendish is there but I don't notice it because it is doing something to bring out the best in the other ingredients, like it does also in Old Dublin.

I do wonder if the perique within has a neutralising effect on bite. This hasn't bitten me at all or tried to. If I have to compare this then to Irish Oak I would say that Irish Oak definately & noticably ages and matures more than Marlin. Irish oak also has a lot of black pepper to go with the sour plum, but Marlin remains pepperless and true to its original form (good form mind). Irish oak is cigarette like where Marlin tastes like an all pipe tobacco and is sweeter than Irish Oak. I prefer Irish Oak but these days I would probably buy neither because I prefer meaty,cigarish stuff like ropes, dark plugs, plus I really like Gold Block still.

The room note is actually quite nice and might be a crowd pleaser .

Burns to a crisp salt and pepper dry grey ash, no gunk, burns ok, no bite, stays lit, no glycerol detected. Sunday pudding 3 stars*

Pipe Used: Falcon Bantam,Dr Plumb Peacemaker,Super-Twist

Age When Smoked: 7 years.

Purchased From: Independant newsagent tobacconist down south

Similar Blends: Peterson Irish Oak , GOLD BLOCK.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Cherry picker 1779 (52)	2020-03-11		Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Dark flakes presented nicely and a bit moist. There is a good natural flavor here with a touch of added top note. I like the slightly sweet smoky Virginia flavor and strength seems a notch below medium. With only 10 minutes or so of dry time this blend used more than half a new box of matches to get down to the bottom of a big size bowl. My tongue was fried for the night and half of today. This one has the flavor to be great but the smoking isn’t easy. You need to go slow to enjoy the flavor here but it’s impossible as you need to keep puffing to keep it lit. Even after breaking it up pretty good. it gets acrid when puffed too fast/ hot . A small bowl really does seem to work best. In a small bowl I could let 3 stars pass I would give this 3 stars for flavor anyway but the hassle of the relights and the bite here I’d give it two stars. It’s somewhat recommended ..... maybe I’ll be able to give it another star if I can figure out how to make it behave better. I really want to... it burns really slow and even a small bowl can give you a 60 minute smoke. She’s got a lot going for her I’d say. Heck, I’ll give it 3 stars ....

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Davedmn (17)	2019-08-13		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

Everyone(well nearly everyone)seems to praise this blend. But being a newby I was a little concerned that it might be a little too much for me.

Well I could not have been more wrong. It is superb. It rubs out easily to a sort of crumble cake like texture. Takes the flame well. I only had one 're light once I got it going. Sweet and spicy smoke with a smooth taste. No tongue bite at all.

The tin smelled of dry fruit and perhaps a little alcohol. Though I don't believe it has any.

Try it. You will love it.

Pipe Used: Several

Age When Smoked: At purchase

Purchased From: Cuban cigar club Newcastle upon Tyne UK

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	John_B (35)	2018-10-06		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Very Pleasant

I have never been a huge fan of VaPer blends and had mixed results with some of the pre-eminent offerings like Dunhill Navy Rolls. I just couldn't get it to smoke consistently and whilst I don't hate it, I just couldn't warm to the flavour or lack thereof. It didn't do what it said on the tin ! With this in mind and being a flake smoker, I decided to add a tin of Marlin Flake to my latest order from GQ. Always good to try something new, right ? I am so glad that I did as it has been on my to try list for a while and I can honestly say that it has surpassed my expectations in all aspects. Tin aroma is sublime and the Perique is obvious in its plummy slightly musky scent along with fruity Red Virginias and sweet Cavendish. My first bowl was an instant hit straight from the tin and rubbed out with no effort into perfect loose tobacco with moisture exactly to my liking. It lit very easily after a char light and burned very cool with no bite at all. Flavour wise it didn't disappoint either, with perfect balance between the constituent tobaccos. Zesty citrus fruit notes from the Virginias and a plummy fruit taste from the Perique with a well controlled slight zing of spicyness. As the bowl progressed the flavours deepened with no nasty surprises along the way, just a highly satisfying smoke that is rarely experienced first go around with a new blend. I was sorely tempted to write a review there and then but common sense prevailed and I decided to wait a while and get deeper into the tin before doing so. Subsequent bowls just reinforced my first impression of this delicious blend and I have no hesitation in saying that it is among the best smokes that I have ever had. I will be ordering more very soon and it is just perfect for an all day smoke. Very smooth and contemplative with a perfect balance of strength flavour and nicotine. An instant favorite !

UPDATE. I have spent a week smoking this blend exclusively and could easily live with it as an all day smoke. The trouble is that it leaves me wanting more and I foresee a large purchase of it in due course. I am equally intrigued by the prospect of trying other Kohlhase & Kopp manufactured blends espescially the Solani Flakes 633 and 660.

Pipe Used: Falcon

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: GQ Tobaccos

Similar Blends: Solani 633.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	mariusK (33)	2018-07-23		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

After my shot at Cabbie's mixture I have decided to go for another Perique blend as I was slightly disappointed with Cabbie's overwhelming Virginia flavours. Since Marlin Flake is sold, well... in flakes, I have decided not to rub it out and packed my pipe in the old "fold and stuff" style. It worked like a charm.

The first half of the bowl was spicy, peppery, even slightly stinging. Mid bowl the blend mellowed and down to the bottom, it was simply delightful. I am not sophisticated enough to describe all the flavours, but I think it will be fair enough to say that the taste was very balanced, with neither the Virginias nor the Perique dominating. There was no acidity, no citrus(y) flavour, not too much "pepperiness", just a well rounded, sweet but full-bodied and very pleasant smoke that left me utterly satisfied.

I would recommend Marlin Flake to people who prefer English/Balkan blends and who do not quite like fruity flavours in their tobacco. This should be a welcome change - you may not get Latakia, but the smoke will be full and tasty, just like a good English blend.

Marlin Flake is now on my list of blends that I want to smoke whenever I feel like I want a change from my usual English or Balkan tobaccos. An excellent blend.

Pipe Used: old Barling, Mastro de Paja Ciocco

Age When Smoked: new

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	gladi8tor96 (143)	2018-03-05		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

Rattray's VA blends are quickly becoming some of my favorites. The three I've had the pleasure to smoke, HoTW, OG, and now this MF are smooth as a baby's butt. They are all similar but different enough to keep it interesting.

Upon opening the tin I'm greeted with a familiar scent of figs, raisins, some slight fruitiness mixed with hay, grass, and some earth. Delightful. I love the flakes sliced up with dark brown, black, light brown, and a bit of yellow ribbons all pressed together. Easy to rub out or just stuff in your pipe. I prefer to have this one rubbed out and allow for just a bit of dry time (30m-1h). Lights easy and will take a few relights to keep it going with some light tamping.

The smoke is soft and flavorful. To me this is somewhere between HoTW (my favorite VA tobacco of all time) and OG. There aren't as many bread, toast and tangy flavors as HoTW, but those flavors are present with the dark fruit sweetness. It's not as spicy and strong as OG, in my opinion, but there is some spice with hints of grass and earth. It's an enjoyable smoke that is better sipped than puffed on hard. It can get some acrid flavors if pushed too hard, but I didn't notice any biting. An enjoyable flavorful journey. I do enjoy it more than OG and just a notch below HoTW. Great stuff!!

Pipe Used: Cob, Briar Billard

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com

Similar Blends: Rattray - Hal O' the Wynd (British Collection), Rattray - Old Gowrie (British Collection).

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	tschenyinkoh (51)	2018-02-13		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

Well, the taste is very like replacing Virginia in the Dunhill Luxury Navy roll or Escudo with deeply fermented dark Virginia and replace their lots of spicy Perique with just a touch of Perique. Surprisingly, I actually don't taste the Black Cavendish. Rattray always know how to use the Black Cavendish properly。

For me, I prefer the Virginia side ViPer like Marlin Flake or Beacon rather than strong Perique side VaPer like Escudo.

One of the best VaPer in the world.

The only complaint is the flake is so long nearly six inches maybe a little hard to dismember.

Pipe Used: churchwarden

Age When Smoked: new

Purchased From: 100g tins from smokingpipes

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Nathaniel (38)	2015-10-29		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

Tin note on a moderately-aged sample is mild grapes and dry grass. Not very strong. Taste off the charring light is similarly weak- motor oil, and a slight oakiness. She settles down quite nicely to a flavor of toasting wood, some spice, and very faint cereals. Flavor through the nose is all spicy cedar. A little more time and I'm getting more cereal, a little burnt grain. Pleasant. The wood doesn't go away, it harmonizes nicely with the grain. The perique doesn't really make itself obvious to me, which I like. It's there on the snork- a hot sensation in the nose and head, but if I don't retrohale, it's not there. Fine by me. In the mouth, it's a steady stream of sweet cereal-- reminiscent of wet cardboard. You know that smell- it tastes like that. It doesn't sound good but it is.

This smoke, I should add, is from the tail end of a year or so-old tin. The fresh leaf, if I recall, was far sweeter. Almost a champagne sweetness. I think I prefer the younger stuff. Far more distinctive. Not terribly complex, but quite unique. The light aging on this stuff was not fortuitous. Just dull.

I like this stuff fresh. Aged, it's not that big a deal.

Pipe Used: James Davis bent brandy, Neerup pot

Age When Smoked: 1-2 years

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	RyinMD (27)	2015-09-10		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

As Frances was preparing to retire and close The Smoke Shop in Annapolis, I asked him to give me a referral for one of the Rattray's blends. Marlin Flake is what he suggested, so I bought a tin and put it aside. When I finally opened it, I got the whiff of distinct Virginia Perique flake. The tobacco was dark and in a long ribbon wrapped around itself in the tin.

I always pack looser at the bottom of the bowl and tighter at the top for a good smoke. With flakes, I leave the bottom part not as rubbed out too. I wasn't sure I liked it at first, but the more I smoked it the more I liked it. Marlin Flake isn't as strong as I would have thought given its tin aroma. It smoked nicely with sweetness and spice all the way down. No bite. This blend is going into my rotation, and it will bring fond memories every time I light a bowl.

Pipe Used: Comoy

Age When Smoked: One month after purchase

Purchased From: The Smoke Shop in Annapolis, MD

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	TEO (33)	2015-04-07		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

I regret to say that this is a blend that leaves me a little unsatisfied considering what I've heard and read about it. Some reasons why I give it only 2 stars:

this flake is wonderful in flavour just out of the tin, packed with citric, winery smell and a more than subtle scent of chocolate, figs and rum. Wonderfully preserved after 5 years in my glass jar has retained full aroma and rounded the accents.

I find the Virginias to show similar sweetness as Samuel Gawith FVF, but a little too acid and a little harsh in the first half. It reminds me of Capstan Blue too, but it's less fruity and thinner in body.

Nonetheless It is almost perfect in its steady burning and a good long-burning experience BUT it doesn't evolve nor show that kind of spicyness I'd expect from perique.

Good for rubbing or fold and stuff, just caring for a little drying.

I dont know if I'd buy it again, because of the alternatives in flavor shapes and prices. Anyway a good blend indeed with a more than decent kick of nicotine.

Age When Smoked: 5

Similar Blends: Old gowrie, capstan blue.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Mr. Big (321)	2011-08-21		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

I just tried Old Gowrie next to Marlin Flake and I like MF better. MF is what I would call a true VaPer , very much in the style of McC's "St James Woods". It has that little spice. MF can be a little bitey if it is not dried and sipped. MF has more flavor and strength than Old Gowrie which I find the Perique component is almost none existent. In addition, I find MF more complex and develops a greater flavor & is creamy as you smoke it. Old Gowrie is closer to a Straight Virginia in the Danish style. I think if I had my choice I would smoke St James Woods over MF as I think it is smoother, but both are very good tobaccos.

Updated 10/8/11 I've found that drying has really made this a real nice tobacco. Burns well, taste develops thur the whole bowl and it just has that spice tingle that makes it interesting. I've smoked two bowls doing mindless yard work and the tobacco has been perfect, no bite stays lit and has great flavor. Light in "N" and smokes great from a cob. 3 1/2 stars

Pipe Used: cob

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Tom Servo (58)	2011-03-29		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

The Virginia is sweet and strong when you pop the top. Bran muffins, prunes, fruitcake, cured hay, oatmeal, molasses, a background note of tart, freshly cut rye. I've tried but can't smell anything but perfectly blended, pressed and aged Virginia. There may be some difference between the tin photo and description at the top of these pages and what is being sold now. The tin I have says it‘s “Made in Germany“. Not Denmark as the description here says. Also my tin doesn‘t mention Perique or Cavendish, the description simply says, “Full Dark Virginia Flake“. If these other tobaccos are in there, then the blenders have wisely kept the ratio way down. The German version smells delicious, even caught whiffs of chocolate. I love aged Virginia, and Rattray hasn't disappointed me yet.

I like the long flakes, just reach in and pinch off perfect pack-able pieces, I don't need to pull out a whole flake - stop playing with it and shove it in.

Lighting up brings warm cookies, pancakes, sweet grains, delicious chewy Virginia. Like Hal O' The Wynd this one is complex, but the flavors are more married, quieter, more subtle. The tobacco blend is older here and the Virginia is oilier and juicier. More nicotine, a little more tartness, cool comparatively - but it will still bite if hurried.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JohnnyMcPiperson (119)	2011-01-28		Medium to Strong	Mild	Medium to Full	Tolerable

This is a good stout VA tobacco. I've only had a few samples here and there so my thoughts and impressions may be limited on this one. I do know that I've enjoyed it every time. A good sipping blend will for sure bite if you aren't watching your smoking pace. I really like this one, it reminds me of some of the G&H VA blends, dunno if it's topped or not, but a very decent VA smoke. I really want to compare it to Hal O' The Wynd with a decent amount of both at some point. Hope to have a bit more to say about this one when I get around to trying it again, but even without that, I would still recommend it as a great blend, it's also a favorite of a good friend of mine, so we have his word to go on as well and not just mine!

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Susanna Hoffs (74)	2010-05-02		Medium	Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Gorgeous....absolutely gorgeous!

Tin aroma reminds me of a dark rich Christmas pudding with a very faint hint of liquorice. Some of this translates into the smoke as well. Lovely crumbly dark brown leathery flakes ooze quality.

Smokes very well, though needs drying time as it's quite moist from the tin. Very flavourful blend that is now possibly vying for most favourite VA of mine alongside FVF..

Only HOTW has disappointed me out of the 'Cream Tin Three' (HOTW,OG,MF)..

That said I do like HOTW, just not as much as MF and OG..

Wonderful stuff...

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	mo (81)	2009-03-03		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

I have decided to re-write my reviews.

Marlin Flake is underrated and its a shame. I do not know why because like Old Gowrie and my beloved HOTW this is right up there and i ALWAYS have a tin open.

Like all Rattray blends, this comes with lots of moisture in the tin. It needs to be aired out to get the best of this delicious blend. Drying it out will also eliminate the tongue bite.

A few months ago, i ordered around half a kilo of bulk HOTW and they sent me the wrong blend. Instead i got that amount of Marlin Flake, i did not complain because this stuff is just as good.

This has a particular musty taste that HOTW and Old Gowire does not and that sets it apart from the other two. Some reviewers compare it to Sweet Potatoe Pie and i can see what they mean. What ever it is, this blend is delicious and it has the same VitN content as HOTW does.

Like HOTW and Old Gowrie, once dried out, you get that mouth filling Virginia sweetness and great aftertaste that is just plain fantastic.

Mo, South Africa

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2008-02-14		Very Mild	None Detected	Extremely Mild (Flat)	Pleasant

I had high hopes of this. I have smoked Old Gowrie and enjoyed it, if finding it a little too mild for me. I was disappointed, to say the least.

The tin presentation is very promising. Lovely rough flakes with that earthy hay/grass/peat note that Rattray's are so good at. A bit too moist, but a rough rub produces a good pack. Lighting was a little tricky but it burns well once it's going.

But the smoking experience for me was completely lacking. Hot and sharp, no discernible flavour - certainly none of that mature Virginia I was expecting. Also low nicotine, though I understand this is supposed to be a bit stronger than OG. Not horrible, but lacking, bland and tasteless. The absence of taste, body and strength also had me tugging at it to get something out of it, leading to too much heat and bite.

Not one I shall be buying again. One star.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Lochinvar (78)	2006-09-13		Medium	Medium	Medium to Full	Pleasant

Rattray has never let me down, at least not their original offerings. Just as Black Mallory is the pinnacle of their English/Scottish line, Marlin flake is the Everest of their Virginia line. I opened and finished my first tin of this last weekend on a trip up the Blue Ridge Parkway, and wished I had brought more by the end of the trip. It is a full, rich, and grand tobacco. The flavor is wonderfull and unique to Rattray. McClelland (though I love them) taste like a Heinz product, and those insipid Gawith offerings taste like watery floral soaps. These are fresh, vibrant flavors. Fresh hay, honeysuckle, chestnut and toffee come through on my palate. It is a full tobacco as Virginias go, but not so full you couldnt enjoy a couple of bowls in a row. To me the flavor and style of the Rattray Virginia line has a cranky Victorian elegance to it, and is not found in other save maybe in Astley's or Fribourg & Treyer. Huzzah!

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2004-01-19		Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Sight: The typical Rattray round tin reveals dark, rich tobacco. Great aroma from the tin.

Touch: Still a little moist for direct smoking. This tobacco is best when thoroughly rubbed out.

Taste: Yet another great VA from Rattray. How it attains such a sweetness without compromising/interfering with its natural origins is unknown to me. Personally, this tobacco might easily be a tad "too sweet" for my every day smoke. I think that this tobacco could provide the allure to VAs for individuals who like flavored tobacco. But, as with other VAs, this should be initially approached somewhat delicately.

Smell: The wife didn't actually give me a review of this tobacco. I find it comparable to other Rattray VAs, but perhaps slightly more pungent.

Conclusions: MF is a great tobacco blend. It only fails to be "one of my favorites" simply because I find it falling in between two of my definitive favorites from Rattray (OG and HTW). My olfactory ruminations usually lead me towards one of my two "poles" (not the right word, but I think readers understand) in the VAs from Rattray, rather than selecting the one that is more centered.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2003-04-25		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Full	Pleasant

Rattray's series of VA flakes (broken or whole) all strike me as variations on a theme, from Old Gowrie at the mild end of the spectrum to Hal O' the Wynd at the strong end. I find Old Gowrie and Brown Clunee pleasant, but so mild as to be unsatisfying, while Hal O' the Wynd is undeniably robust, but so strong it actually stings my mouth. Marlin combines the best qualities of all these smokes and exceeds them all -- it has OG's smoothness, BC's warmth, and Hal's rich flavor. Like the Momma Bear's porridge, it's just right.

Marlin Flake has an almost legendary reputation among pipesters, and it's easy to see why. Robust yet refined, loaded with flavor yet never overwhelming, this is simply one of the great Virginia Flakes, a classic that can hold its own (and in the opinion of many, surpass) such standard-bearers as McClelland Blackwoods, Gawith Full Virginia, and Dunhill Light VA.

Marlin in bulk has a somewhat different form than the canned variety. In the can Marlin is composed of longish 6-inch flakes, but the bulk bags contain folded-over stacked flakes measuring over 20 (!) inches, requiring some serious chopping, unless you like rubbed-out ribbons nearly two feet long! Tastes the same as the canned stuff, though.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	NEWMAN (305)	2002-11-25		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

From the old-fashioned tin label, to the professionally prepared flakes thru the last puff, a fantastic smoke and example of why great tobaccos endure. The medium to darker brown flakes are ~ 1/16" thick but so long that they are folded over and inserted into the tin. The moisture content is high and typical of Rattray, but does not result in a wet smoke. This blend also seems to maintain its moisture after the tin is opened better than many other ~ VA flakes. I don't rub out the flakes but they are pliable and pack easily. Since the room aroma is OK'd by my family, this blend gives me true enjoyment indoors in a smooth, rich VA flake with a great taste and aftertaste. Burns evenly, coolly, without any bite and is one of my top choices for a long, relaxing smoke after dinner. A must try for any straight VA flake lover.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2002-11-25		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I could smoke Marlin Flake all day but would worry about having enough for tomorrow. A fanastic Virginia. It's one of my top 5. Everything is right with this blend. Stands bold and full but is consistantly smooth in flavor. It seems more tangy then sweet to me with a spicey tone to it. The flavor or flavors stays stationary 95% thru the smoke but at the same time seems to want to breakout into different tributaries. One gets hints of different stages but it never leaves it's original introduction. Marlin Flake teases you all the way down and then upon completion, one reloads to savour it all over again.

The tin aroma starts pretty much the same way. Tangy at first but after several weeks I can smell a straight tobacco (old tobacco barn in the fall). A wonderful pure and true tobacco smell. One inwhich draws and seduces that tobacco lover in me. ................................................A Real Winner.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2002-07-16		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Tolerable

One of the richest flakes around, deep dark and with a wonderful texture. A real pleasure to load and smoke. But can be a bit syrupy tasting , being virginia based I found it lacking in some way , perhaps some of the other colours in tobaccos rainbow are whats needed. None the less a fine flake.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	TheOtter (70)	2023-05-15		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

The dark Virginias give this flake a woody earthy character that is slightly accented by the figgy spice of the perique, which also adds a hint of grassiness. This is a mild and uncomplicated Virginia blend, yet compromised of high quality tobaccos. There is very little tongue bite straight out of the tin, but it can use a little drying after rubbing out the flake. This is a blend that can equally be treasured or used as an all day blend.

3.5/4 - Very enjoyable but I prefer a little more complexity to my Virginias.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	PipeDragon (44)	2023-04-02		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Medium	Pleasant

Marlin Flake is famous for its presentation in the form of long strips of flakes, though in my particular can they came quite torn apart, appearing more like a broken flake. Very moist and pretty sticky, so I think there might be some humectant or casing added here.

Pretty easy to rub out, but requiring quite a long drying time. Most reviewers mentioned 20-30 minutes, but I've found that's not nearly enough. If I do so, it will not burn properly, it will require a lot of relights, burn hot, leave the bowl almost soaking wet and become pretty harsh. I've found that the best result comes after 90 minutes of drying time, which is far more than I would normally do with a flake. To put it into perspective, not even Gawith flakes require this much drying time for me.

Once at the proper moisture, then it's an enjoyable VaPer. It carries that Dark Virginia taste that seems pretty typical for Rattray's: mature, fermented, fruity, cereal, yeasty, a little toasty, somewhat earthy and sweet. In fact, that sweetness seems a bit pumped up, leading me to believe that there might be some sort of sugar casing added to this, though the Black Cavendish might also be responsible for that. The Perique stays in the background and provides a hint of raisins and figs, with a bit of pepper if doing a retro.

Not a bad VaPer, though it has a bit more sweetness than I usually prefer in a Virginia. I would still reach for Old Gowrie over this, but it's still a good VaPer on its own merit. Plus, that very long drying time can be quite a nuisance. All in all, it's good and warrants a recommendation, especially for one who has a sweet tooth or an affinity for sweet Virginias.

Pipe Used: Various

Age When Smoked: 15 months

Purchased From: Tobacco store

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JaWiBr (560)	2023-02-04		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

Tin note of sugared Rasins and dark fruit. Tobacco is a reddish dark brown and black marbled Flake with specks of tan. Moisture content is good, some want to dry it out a bit. rubs out and cubes nicely. Burns slow with few relights. The strength is medium and nic is mild to medium. No flavoring detected. Taste is medium and very consistent, with notes of mildly sweet tart plums, Rasin/fig, toasted bread, woody, spice, floral, sweet grass/hay, rich earth, mild lemon, mildly acidic, mild orange peel/zest, a tangy savory dark fruit background note, and a peppery retro. Virginia is leading with Black Cavendish and Perique supporting. Room note is pleasant, and aftertaste is great.

Pipe Used: Peterson Bard Rusticated 221 Fishtail

Age When Smoked: 2 years

Purchased From: smokingpipes.com

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Knightsmoker (218)	2023-01-09		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Rattray's Marlin Flake has a tin note of deep dark fruits, hints of earth and wood, and a little spice. The smoke is red VA forward with its dark fruit notes and earthy, woodsy character. There is also a little citrus and hay, which suggests some bright VA has been used as well. The black Cav. provides its typical brown sugar note, and to be honest, this is where the blend lost a star for me. I much prefer Hal O' the Wynd over this as a VA/Per+ (in the case of Hal the + is Dark Fired KY but still in the same category for me). The Perique is very faint; I do get the raisin, plum, and fig notes but only the barest hint of spice. There is also an unmistakable licorice note from a topping as well. The body is mild to med. with the nic hit at just enough to be noticeable, mid-point of mild, but not enough to fix a nic craving, so it was more of an in-between big bowls smoke for me. The taste is solidly at the med. mark. Has a short but pleasant aftertaste. It did not bite or burn hot but did require more than the average number of relights for me. Recommended at 3 stars.

Age When Smoked: 6 months

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Stah (152)	2022-10-23		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild	Pleasant

Appearance: the 50-gram tin had no production date, but as far as I know it was fresh, meaning it was released in 2022. The blend is an almost uniform flake of very fine cut. The dark brown flake, a shade of custard rye bread with sparse light streaks contained so much propylene glycol that half an hour of drying did not yield any results. So I decided to break it up and fill the pipe like a mixture. But even having broken it, I was forced to dry the mixture for another quarter of an hour. As I cracked the flake, I felt my hands become a little sticky. As I licked my fingers, I felt a sweet and sour taste. Apparently, the tobacco had been lightly topped with some kind of syrup or just water-diluted sugar.

Flavour: bright and dense. Nevertheless, it is possible to decompose it. A note of rye bread, roasted barley malt, a noticeable note of prunes, some sweet dark raisins, a bit of dusty dry earth, a drop of buckwheat honey. If you take a long sniff, you can also smell a woody note, but it dissolves into a rye-malt aroma. However, I did not feel the spicy notes of perique, which leads me to believe that there is very little of it in the blend.

Taste: This is where the tobacco misses the mark, probably. Its taste is muted and quiet, woven from different notes into one. You wouldn't call it complex or interesting. Notes of rye and wheat flour bread and woody notes with some sweetness slightly prevail, there are some prunes, just a bit of citrus sourness, but that is all. The impression is that the cavendish drowns out the perique notes, which are already minimal in this blend. By the middle of the pipe, the individual flavor notes blend so much that it becomes very difficult to tell them apart. The tobacco smokes gently from the start, but is quite demanding on the smoking rate, immediately losing taste, turning into a smoldering log. The blend burns slowly and evenly into a light gray dusty ash, leaving some moisture in the pipe. I smoked 3 grams of flake in about 75 minutes without paying too much attention to the smoking rate or using an extra lighter. And I can't say that I felt any effects in the form of a nicotine hit, from which I conclude that the strength of the mixture is somewhat below average. The aftertaste is woody, with a slight acidity, not persistent.

The smoke is loose, has a light woody-fruity aroma, almost indistinguishable in the room.

What's the result? Well, this is probably the first tobacco that I feel hard to write about the pros and cons of. This is a quality, ‘perfectly constructed’ blend that doesn't contain a single flaw, while being devoid of, at the same time, taste traits. Remembering that the flavor was quite bright, I expected the same from the taste. But in the taste, the tobacco was devoid of personality. Although, perhaps that's where its individuality manifested itself? The taste that can be described as "the taste of a good mild tobacco" - sometimes that is enough. Although, in my opinion, a virginia-perique blend shouldn't be like that.

Pipe Used: Peterson 69, 106, B42

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: Smuggled from Europe

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	doc pipes (110)	2022-09-12		Medium	Very Mild	Medium	Pleasant

I was really pleased with this one. I don’t often pick up much sweetness in pipe smoke. MF tasted incredibly sweet to me if that says anything. The flake is composed or reds, blondes, and several chunky black stripes of BC. The tin aroma smells of sweet prune and plum. Over several weeks and exposure to oxygen a black tea aroma emerges.

The flakes come packed a bit wet, and I suspect, as other reviewers have, that there is some type of humectant or casing added. MF performed best after 20 minutes or so of drying time. The bowl smells of freshly made rye toast after the char light goes out. The smoke is smooth and sweet. It is toasty, figgy, and redolent of raisins and dried fruit. Sweet baking spices lurk in the background. This is one rare tobacco that tastes very similar to the way it smells. The room note is pleasant, sweet and generically “pipey.” I mean this in the best way, it is a room note I was thrilled to be enrobed in. 3.5 stars.

Pipe Used: Numerous briars

Age When Smoked: Jan 21. Tin dated A/M/A/U

Purchased From: SP

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Ahmad Othman (51)	2022-08-20		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

I really tried to like this one. From the favourable reviews to the reputation of Rattray’s tobacco. I finished a whole tin before writing this review. But still I cannot like it. Mechanically speaking, it comes in long flakes. Almost a tape. But they’re easy to break apart. The flakes are moist, no, wet, this is s blend that requires monumental drying. If you want to dry it as a flake it will take hours, so folding is not an option with it. It will be a relighting nightmare. Rubbing is better, it takes almost an hour to be dry enough and it rubs moderately easy. It requires a few relights throughout the smoke and it expands when lit so don’t pack too tight. The tin note is dark fruity and reminds me of dried figs. And the taste of it matches this. It has dark fruity taste with a bit of sweetness to it, almost like a straight dark virginia, I couldn’t get much of anything else. It isn’t a bad taste when you direct it away from your tongue but I found that if I smoke with the mouthpiece towards my tongue it leaves this tingly sensation so I am wondering if that’s was an added casing. It leaves a nice after taste though, again of dried fruit and the room note matches. It isn’t bad but I cannot recommend it and I won’t be buying more. Unless I am out of tobacco and it is the only one a available.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Israel12 (2)	2022-04-09		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

I think Jim inks reviewed it so I'm just going to say it's like a black tuxedo of a pipe tobacco minimum words minimum words minimum

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Lord Guyrox (24)	2022-01-06		Medium	Mild	Medium	Very Pleasant

What has surprised me most about MF is how, even after more than 8 years of aging, the tobacco bites. Of course, there is a fair quantity of humectant (PG no doubt) as the flakes feel on the dry side under the fingers but remain in a ball when the rubbed out tobacco is pinched between my fingers. Despite the aging, despite the flakes having nicely darkened, despite a wonderful fig, raisin, hay and spicy tin aroma which reflects in the smoke, I cannot give a high rating because of how it bites.

Pipe Used: Various Dunhill

Age When Smoked: 8 years

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Tomcat (221)	2021-04-18		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Medium	Unnoticeable

Rattray Marlin Flake- I was a little bit worried about the cavendish in this one but after smoking Red Rapparee I figured Rattray’s cavendish was safe . This blend actually smokes like a straight Virginia for me . Sweet dark tangy and citrus fruits lead the way . A little grassy with some toasty raison bread.molasses and licorice . . Comes close to being too sweet but not so . A liitle bit of plum also . Great summer smoke . Reminds me of Royal Yacht with less strength and topping . I will probably buy some more for the warmer weather . I like OG but Marlin flake a little better . 3

Pipe Used: Briars

Age When Smoked: 2 years

Similar Blends: . Dunhill 3 yr matured Virginia . A milder Royal Yacht..

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	LoutreMJ (14)	2021-04-15		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Full	Pleasant

Le Marlin Flake est le premier Virginia Périque que j'ai pu goûter, et c'est probablement un tabac sur lequel je reviendrai plusieurs fois dans le futur. La boîte a une odeur de vin, de figue, de fruit rond et mature, d'herbe légèrement macérée. J'ai mis un long moment avant de déterminer les goûts de la fumée, qui se rapproche beaucoup de l'odeur de boîte. Pour le moment, je n'ai fumé ce tabac que dans une seule pipe, ma Muxiang Churchwarden, et qu'en regardant la série Outlander. Je réessayerai dans un autre contexte grâce au petit stock que je me suis fait.

Pipe Used: Muxiang Churchwarden

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: Echange entre bouffardeux

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	WorkingClassChap (197)	2021-03-12		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Smoking now:

Found a lone 100g tin at a BnM store with a thick coating of dust on it, its plastic top yellowing, with a brown and pealing up price sticker on it. It’s been there for a few years. Has the older bright yellow label.

The tin note is a strong dark fruit, fig, plum aroma with an equally strong tangy pungent citrus sour odor of Virginia. It’s divine.

Came in one continuous long flake rolled up into a 100g coil. Remember hubba bubba gum? It’s like that. Tobacco broke apart and stuffed easily into my corn cob.

The taste. For me this is a VaPer dream. It is splendid. Dark fermented bready Virginia with a tangy somewhat sour taste, with enough perique to make a noticeable dark fruit flavor with very mild spice. The Virginias are not grassy or hay like but tart and sour with lots of fig notes. This might be because of tve age. The cavendish tones this down and smooths it out further adding a natural sweetness. A very enjoyable easy smoking blend. Absolutely no mouth tingle, no bite, no bad after taste, no harshness. Retrohale is nice and flavorful. Flavor gets better as the bowl is smoked. Nic is is medium.

If you are new to VaPers or want to try a mellow one that won’t bite and can find a tin of this, I wouldn’t hesitate to buy it. If you are a seasoned flake smoker I highly recommend getting a tin and aging this.

If you like tart lemony Virginias this one is for you.

Pipe Used: Corn cob

Age When Smoked: Few years

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	BrokenRecord (124)	2020-12-01		Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

A pleasant but mundane Va/per

The Virginia tobaccos are on the earthy and tangy side of the flavor spectrum, though they are quite mellow. Together with the cavendish, they provide a natural sweet foundation to the flake. The perique is only slightly noticeable.

*This review is based on a small sample and limited life experience.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	AC (19)	2020-07-27		Mild to Medium	Medium to Strong	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

I was anxious to try this well-known and praised flake. It was a bit of a challenge to find it, but I finally did. The moisture level is very adequate, past the medium point. As such, it may be better to let it dry for a bit. It was easy to light up, and it did not require relighting much thorughout the bowl. Well behaved in many aspects. I thought it was weaker than I had expected, as some have suggested this being an older brother to Old Gowrie, which I enjoy once in a while. Yet, it is not, at least for me. The real problem I have with this flake is the ever so pervasive topping that some many tobaccos have. I cannot stand them, at all. True, that leaves me with fewer choices than most pipe smokers, but that is just the way my taste and body chemistry works. I do not tolerate these obvious flavourings, perhaps, only is there are really at the "extremelyh mild" level (such as in the case of Old Gowrie). The moral of the story is that I did not enjoy Marlin Flake at all. All I tasted was this "mediciny" falvouring/topping burning my tonge with noticeable good tobacco underneath, which for me, it is not enough of a profile to be part of my rotation.

Pipe Used: Parker Super Ruset

Age When Smoked: fresh

Purchased From: www.thestorytellerspipe.com

Similar Blends: Probalby many with similar profile and toppings..

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Sangagor (80)	2019-12-25		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Tolerable

For me very similar to Old Gowrie. I prefer pure virginias rather than Vapers. But need to say it was good deeming and I enjoy it. Sometimes you can feel something paper on tongue and it interrupts you. Yes, this was annoying, but in general, MF can be considered as one of better stuff out there.

Pipe Used: Stanislaw

Age When Smoked: new

Purchased From: etrafika.cz

Similar Blends: Old Gowrie.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	DrT999 (318)	2019-10-21		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Basically a pleasant enough, standard 'brown flake,' diluted a tad by the Cavendish and with a hint of raisin from the 'pinch' of Perique. In the 100g can, the flake comes as a roll, but is still easy to work. A nice intro to the genre, but nothing to get overly excited about, I'd say a B-.

Pipe Used: cobs, meers, and briars

Age When Smoked: 5 months

Purchased From: 4 noggins

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pipers' Domain (16)	2019-08-13		Mild	Mild to Medium	Medium to Full	Pleasant

Having been motivated by a friend from YTPC, I thought I should give it a try. Very mild to medium blend, with a very discrete cavendish/virginia ratio, that even a hardcore non aro fan would give it a try. The perique part is barely noticeable, almost in equal parts with the cavendish content. Yeasty and nutty blend, somewhat honey-ish, very well balanced.

Pipe Used: briar, corn cobs.

Age When Smoked: fresh from the tin

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Lingo (39)	2019-04-29		Mild	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

One of my favourites. The tin smell is unique, I could stay there for hours. The flake structure is very broken, which helps for an easy packing (but keep it loose anyway). As for Old Gowrie, whose Marlin is the smaller and younger brother, the additions (cavendish? Perique?) are minimal and hardly detectable, because the excellent Virginia leads the dance. It is sweet, but not mellow. Figs and raisins over all, less citrus and zest than other straight VAs. Smoke is creamy and consistent. Lots of tins in my cellar, it gets softer and smoother after three years.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	dbl-bbl (45)	2019-02-08		Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Rattray's Marlin Flake... opening the sealed canister I'm greeted with an appealing zesty fragrance thats very much like Hal of the Wynd ... reminiscent of dried hay, plums & raisins. This tobac is a VaPer that's not heavy on the Perique (which I prefer). I like smoking this blend for the clean natural tobacco flavor it imparts upon my palate. It's has the same baked bread aroma as produced from HOWT (that I thoroughly enjoy) yet I detect more zest from HOTW. All said, it's a very good smoke and confess that I prefer HOWT just a smidgeon over MF. This review is based upon a fresh-from-the-tin smoking experience. I'll give this some "jar time" and see if this changes my impression down the road. I’m confident it will mellow out & the flavors will meld beautifully given some “cellar time”.

Pipe Used: Briars

Age When Smoked: Fresh from the tin

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Theocharis (38)	2019-01-08		Medium	Very Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I bought it having high hopes.I ended disappointed. The flakes need some drying time. The taste is not bad, but monochromatic and bland. For me, it is difficult to smoke a whole bowl of this one. It is a boring smoke. After 15 minutes, I want to put the pipe down. Cannot recommend it.

Pipe Used: Briar

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Rustedrailsmokes (293)	2018-09-23		Mild	Mild	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

2021-06-18 Update

Pulled the 2018 jar out of the cellar box recently and decided it was time to give it a whirl again. Compared to 2018, the flakes were darker. The moisture content was still quite high and for my liking the flakes require drying before smoking. Easy to pack a few pieces of the flake. Harder to light even dried a little, but once it gets going it burns well, leaving a little more than average moisture.

The beginning of the smoke has lots of sweet high notes.. with the perique just peeking through. As the bowl continues, my tongue picks up the peppery perique at just the right level. The sweetness is still there also but more subdued. I also get a faint hint of licorice or anise in the last 3rd of bowl or so.

The nic level to me is medium as I can feel it, but its not so strong that I can't smoke back-to-back bowls during the day. The wife doesn't love the roomnote.. but she doesn't hate it either so it is on the "ok to smoke inside list" for now.

Pipe Used: various

Age When Smoked: Unknown

Purchased From: gift

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Not so old geezer (2)	2018-09-06		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

I’ve been wanting to try some Rattray’s for a while now. Got some today. I have become used to strongish, darker blends: HHODF, Condor, FVF, 965 etc and from the praise this and its sister blends recieve, I expected it to be strong, “challenging” and very complex. It is not. But I don’t mind at all. The one word that kept going through my mind when smoking this blend was “Creamy.” This is a touch tamer than I am used to, but the quality shines through. No, it doesn’t have that Lakeland oomph, doesn’t have the smoky, unctious bite of a strong Latakia, it doesn’t have the citrus-peel extract of a young Union Square. It is like a vintage Les Paul through an AC30. Elegant, considered, rich. The moisture level in the tin was pretty much perfect. I tore a bowl-length off a strip, broke that into thin “mini-flakes” which I laid out to dry for 20 minutes, then picked up a bunch of them like twigs and stuffed them into my pipe lenghtwise. Then I cut them to size with scissors and rubbed the off-cuts very finely, to use as “kindling” on the top of the stack. I also shook the bowl a few times, to allow the rubbed pieces to settle between the flakes. This method worked well.

Pipe Used: Savinelli Lucite

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Pipe Shop

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Sim40 (8)	2018-07-01		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

The tobacco that made me appreciate Virginias. It was in the middle of a tin of Marlin flake that I had a kind of revelation. I used to not be interested in unflavored tobaccos without latakia. Now I definitely am. Although I have yet to find one that beats Marlin Flake. What I like about it is a delicate flavour that reminds me of cookies. The Perique is noticable but not in the foreground.

Similar Blends: Peter Heinrichs — Peter Heinrichs Chateau Henri No. 13.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Johnny M (6)	2018-04-28		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

A little wet if you open the tin. The tin note is grassy and earthy. Packs easily in the pipe. Tastes very citrusy. Very good and easy smoke. Not too complex at all. I like it

Pipe Used: Briar

Age When Smoked: fresh from the tin

Purchased From: local tobacco supplier

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Gaius Baltar (25)	2017-08-23		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

Umm, the truth is that I am not able to detect as many things as the experts do. With the can open I notice a deep herbaceous aroma along with a hint of vinegary. The flakes are very beautiful, medium brown and the humidity is fine. I rub it and direct it to the bowl. It lights well and burns regularly ending with a gray ash, requires some re-ignition at the end. The commented sweetness, umm, is not so much. The cavendish is noted, but the perique is very intense, omnipresent, virginia is always in the background harmonizing the mixture and the sweetness of the cavendish comes and goes, bringing something bitter and dark at the end. He smokes dry and fresh, he has not bit my tongue and has allowed me to smoke faster than other flakes. Okay, it's good but I have not been able to appreciate the excellence that the experts say.

Pipe Used: Missouri Meerschaum

Age When Smoked: Fresh, new tin.

Purchased From: Duaso tobacco shop from Barcelona

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	KrzysD (24)	2016-10-30		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

An enjoyable smoke, it has a mild sweet spicy flavor. It needs some drying when freshly opened. I liked it best when it was corsley rubbed.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	The Sunday Evening Pipe Smoker (54)	2016-10-14		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

This is one of those tobaccos that I had expected great things from, but its turned out to be a big disappointment for me.

I've tried it fresh out of the tin and also letting it age, but I'm finding the same result.

The room note is the first pipe tobacco I've had where it reminds me of cigarettes -- immediate turn off for me.

Flavour wise there is some Virginia sweetness, but there is too much perique for my liking and it gives me a "bitey" sensation on the tongue that I am not fond of (one reviewer here also called it a "tingly" sensation); whatever you want to call that sensation, it's not good. That mixed with grassy Virginias just doesn't seem to be something I respond to terribly positiviely.

The best thing about this blend for me is the tin note, which is has a nice malty-sweetness to it. However, this doesn't translate over into the flavour.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	pinko (52)	2016-07-07		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant

In AD 3978, when Charlton Heston discovers the remains of the Statue of Liberty on the Planet of the Apes, he'll also find my tin of Marlin Flake kept at optimal smoking moisture by enough humectant to render it nearly fireproof.

It's good tobacco underneath all that propylene glycol, and in the rare moments that it's burning right Marlin Flake is an excellent step up in flavor from Old Gowrie. But I have had this 100gm tin open for 6 months and it still burns like garbage through all the goop. Not in a jar, mind you ... it's just hanging out in the Rattray tin as spongy and pliable as your B&M's favorite PG-slick cherry aro after 6 months in a leaky ziplock.

At least Hal and Old Gowrie are still smokeable, I'll leave the Marlin Flake for after the apocalypse.

Age When Smoked: 6 months

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2016-06-17		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

Virginias are combined with a bit of Perique and black cavendish pressed, then sliced. This has a truly traditional Virginia flavor that has been a favorite among Virginia enthusiasts for decades. Anyone who enjoys the natural sweetness of flue-cured tobaccos has to experience Marlin Flake

Pipe Used: Trio stanwell

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Mesh (51)	2016-04-09		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Tolerable

Excellent. An old favourite. A beautiful tin aroma that makes your mouth water. A very smooth smoking experience, on the sweet side and with a background of Perique pepper. The Cavendish is apparent both visually and on the palate, but there's no bite from it if you take your time. I rip, fold and stuff, which gives me a cool, slow-burning, hour-long smoke in a medium-sized bowl. Less tangy than Hal of the Wynd and quite a bit more flavourful and full-bodied than Old Gowrie.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Corvus (36)	2015-12-21		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Mild	Tolerable

When I ordered this I was expecting a VaPer, and an old and established one at that from Scotland. I have learned considerably since then. So then, where is the Perique? It's completely absent in my tin. The other 1 and 2 star reviews often cite this lack, while some say it is incredibly overpowering. Taste ratings are similarly variable; some suggest it is rich, full, deep, others lacking and thin. Looking at scoring is instructive for this tobacco. While it continues to rate high the frequency of poor reviews increases year by year. In the early 2000s it was consistently 4 star rated, almost for years at a stretch with a rare contrarian deigning to give it a mere 3. Those days are over.

A VaPer with no discernible Perique is a poor tobacco in my opinion, and at best misleading. More accurately this is a black Cavendish and Virginia blend. Admittedly, I don't really understand such a mix. A hallmark of the quality Virginia experience is the development of sweetness. Why then would one mask this with a heavily cased cavendish? When I first opened the tin I thought I had gotten an aromatic and it wasn't far from it. Sickly syrupy sweetness and wet. I've since let it mellow and dry a little and while the most shocking tendencies are gone I wouldn't call it good. I find it fairly weak, rather bland, and the straight Virginias are nearly hidden. Burnt sugars are the main note, but a little taste of bread dough was present near the bottom of the bowl. I rated flavoring as medium; l don't know if it is topped but the cavendish is certainly cased and that dominates the smoke. It also smokes quite steamy.

I sometimes wonder about QC concerns when my experience is different than the majority. I don't think that is the case with this- I think it is what it is and that is a product of evolution or rather devolution to something that no longer matches company descriptions, mixture notes, or older pipers' fond memories. The physical quality of the base tobacco seems pretty good but the blend as a whole, considering things like marriage of flavors and smoking satisfaction is poor. My 1 star review is based purely on the criteria in the pop up box next to the drop down field: would you recommend it? The answer, sadly, is no, not at all. I don't find it offensive per se or unfit for consumption, but there is simply nothing to recommend, especially at its price point and reputation.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Wawalsh (8)	2015-08-02		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Wow, this is great tobacco! I have been on a Vaper kick this summer and I love this tobacco. I vacuum sealed some from a pound I purchased and it melted together causing a brick to form. Great stuff, I just ordered another pound of this tobacco.

Pipe Used: Every pipe I own.

Age When Smoked: 3 years

Purchased From: Smoking pipe.com

Similar Blends: I don't know..

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Coosa (2)	2015-05-16		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

My first tobacco with Perique and also my first flake. The taste is a little bit sour like the dark bread which surprised me for the first time. Then I gave it second try and now, when expected, the flavor totally got me.

Age When Smoked: 9 months

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Sybariten (61)	2015-04-29		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

There is a highly present note of a sweet caramel, and some of hay and roasted nuts. The smoke is rich and creamy, smooth and flavourful.

This is an easy smoke rich in taste, low on bite and an absolute joy to smoke. The taste takes me back to childhood memories of playing in the summer, and that is never a bad thing in my book.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	bence (34)	2014-11-26		Medium	None Detected	Full	Pleasant

Very full and complex taste based on the sweet side of the virginias. Always a pleasure to smoke this one. My actual vaper favorite. Highly recommended!

Pipe Used: Falcon, Jeppesen, Peterson, MMCorncob

Age When Smoked: new

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Kunsan (76)	2014-11-01		Medium to Strong	Strong	Full	Tolerable to Strong

I'm a relatively new pipe smoker, so please bear that in mind. When I smoke my pipe I'm looking for a period of relaxation and contentment - a enjoyable experience. This pipe tobacco doesn't give me that. For newer smokers not aware of different pipe tobaccos, please be warned that this Marlin Flake contains a lot of Perique tobacco which has a peppery, spicy flavor. Smoking Marlin Flake is rather like trying to smoke a pepper pot - lots of hot, spicy, fiery and peppery smoke. I don't like it at all - to me, it's like going through a slow drawn out torture - so much spice that my tongue becomes hot (not tongue bite - spice bite) and there's an astringency that can be felt in inner cheeks.

I feel the name of this tobacco is misleading. It should be called Rattray's Hot Spicy Peppery Tobacco - Marlin's Flake doesn't describe it and nowhere on the tin is there any warning of its peppery flavor.

Admittedly underneath the peppery top note there's some deep good virginia flavor and sweetness, and obviously some high quality stuff has gone into this blend. The problem (for me) is that the peppery stuff overpowers the good stuff. By the end of a bowl my mouth is feeling hot, spicey and toasted, and that's not what I want from my smoking experience.

I'm aware that there are many pipe smokers who love this peppery Perique tobacco, and for them this might be a 'go to' smoke. It's certainly very high quality. But for me there's too much spice.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Bluesmoke (75)	2014-03-31		Medium	None Detected	Very Full	Pleasant

This blend comes in a nice tin adorned with an antique looking yellow label. Upon opening the pop top I was greeted with a sweet, slightly sour smelling, long folded flake, smelled wonderful. Moisture content was a little damp, but this actually worked quite well and I needed no drying time. Now I will say getting this lit took quite a few false lights, but once the chamber was glowing and slightly ashy things went very well. I have had dryer flakes take just as long or longer so no big deal; its the nature of this tobacco and not the moisture content IMO. The flavor was divine and the aroma was superb. I tracked notes of brown sugar, hay, toasted nuts, sweet sourdough and a nice natural smokiness. The perique added a slight strength, but not in heat, this burned very cooly after getting it going. The Black Cav, mellowed this out nicely and made the traditional hay taste/aroma more subdued and pleasant. The BC also added some body which was very appealing. This has been a regular of mine for quite some time and will continue to be so. HOTW and OG are quite good as well but for me OG is too mild, while HOTW is a little too strong in a somewhat harsh manner and can be monogustative; the Marlin does strengthen and change as the bowl proceeds downward. 4 Stars. GBWY

Pipe Used: Sav. 1/4 Bent Rusticated Pot

Age When Smoked: 44

Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com

Similar Blends: Hal O' the Wynd, Old Gowrie.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	p120d16y (22)	2014-01-23		Extremely Mild	Mild	Very Mild	Pleasant

I've just received approximately a half ounce sample from a member on PSF from 2003. I've given it a run in three different sized briar pipes, and here is my verdict.

This is a well aged sample, that being said it doesn't seem like an aged Virginia blend. I like the flavor I'm getting from the second half of the bowl down to the heel, but at charring light and the first 10 minutes in, not too much flavor. It feels as if the blend doesn't have too much backbone to it. I'm primarily a VaPer smoker, but this tastes like an extremely mellow tangy Virginia. To me, it isn't a bad blend of tobaccos at all, it's just not standing out or anything yelling at me to keep in the cellar. I'd say worth a try, but it probably won't end up being something you can smoke daily, or might not even want to smoke it regularly.

Pipe Used: small,medium, large billiards

Age When Smoked: 2003

Purchased From: Sample from someone

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Philosopher (27)	2014-01-02		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Mild	Tolerable

The best thing about this tobacco is the amazing fruit aroma that you get on opening the tin. The smoke itself didn't live up to the promise of the aroma, though it was still pretty decent. It had a tendency to get a little hot, though that may be down to me. A respectable tobacco, but not one that I'd rave about.

Age When Smoked: new

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Joeray (61)	2013-12-30		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is an awesome blend. The tin note is very good, i can smell a mature virginia on it. Easy rub and easy to pack into the bowl and the taste is very great. Is more better from other Virginia - Perique blend that i ussually smokes. The perique taste is good, little bit spicy on nassal exhile but is perfect, with a little bit fruity or somekind of citrus aroma. The sweetness from the virginia is very pleasant, if i smoke it slowly with a cup coffee the smoke is pleasant and mellow. The relight taste is still good, i dont loose any joy when i relight it. There is no bad taste, still sweet with a tin fruity/citrus like taste. And sure will this blend will be my favorite blend.

Similar Blends: McClelland Bulk No. 2015.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Peppino (74)	2013-10-02		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

This is beautiful out of the tin, a big roll of flake. It has a hay type fragrance in the tin. It lights like most flakes, needing a bit of patient helps, Once going you get a nice Virginia flavor but it burns a bit hot four the 1at quarter to half of the bowl. ..........then hits a groove to the end. It purrs like a kitten and the flavors open and the heat id I smoked it in a 4k Bulldag Castello, next time I will smoke in a Ascorti Billiard and see if there is any change in the smoke. If there is anything different I will let you know! Happy Puffing! PS: Marlin Flake would be a great outdoor smoke...IMO

Update: Right off the bat the tobacco took the match quicker. I may have rubbed it out more but it didn't look like it, as someone else mentioned I get a kind of a twinge of Perique as well it's not heavy it's very light. Anyway I thought it might be of interest, in this pipe the Flake burns mush easier and with less work. The tobacco seem cooler from the start so I would say smoke it in a Billiard 1st. As some of the negatives in the 1st smoke don't exist on this go around. The tobacco all around has improved, you can puff harder with no heat stating. But sipping brings out all the flavor of this wonderful tobacco, I have changed my rating from 3 to 4 as the flavor continues to develop like a fine wine, you don't want it to end. I'm at that magical place where your in the sweet spot of the bowl this is great. I waited 35+ yrs to try it and that's not going to happen again! My cellar is going to start to shrink, as of today! Happy Puffing!

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	sirchud68 (60)	2013-01-27		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant

Wow, good stuff. As soon as I opened the tin I got this stewed fruit, cane syrup, apricot with touch of chocolate aroma that really knocked me out. I was in such a rush to try that I didn't let it dry enough and blundered my first bowl. Patience, I tell myself, this flake isn't going anywhere. Did I mention how cool the flakes come? Two long strips roll together. Presentation is a big part of my smoking hobby and I love the way this blend is offered to us. The only other blend I've tried that reminds me of Marlin Flake is Mac Barens HH Matured Virginia. Although I really seem to like younger, brighter virginias(a la' Mac Barens Virginia no. 1, Golden Slice, Luxury Navy Flake) Marlin Flake is a very good smoke that I would recommend to anyone.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	TW (38)	2012-09-07		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable to Strong

This is a very well balanced, high quality tobacco. There's just enough Perique to make things interesting (more than OG or HOTW), with enough Cavendish "de-bite" the Virginia without swamping it with steamy sweetness and generally smooth out the blend.

It starts very mild, almost tasteless (especially if too wet), but gradually builds through the pipe, gathering strength and depth as it goes - OG and HOTW tend to be quite monochrome, but not Marlin Flake. The smoke is smooth, and it burns slowly and steadily, with little tendency to bite or need constant relights.

At no point could you call this a "full" tasting tobacco, but I find that as a gentle, easy to smoke and enjoy first pipe of the day in particular it excels. Out of the three Rattray VAs I'm inclined to regard this as my favourite. What it lacks in strength against the others, it makes up for in complexity and subtlety.

Highly recommended.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	scottyspipesebay (25)	2012-07-15		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Marlin Flake. The raw note is chocolate, maple, raisin and even Honduras mahogany. (I used to work in a wood-shop, gents). Such good sweet tobacco. What a revelation. Upon opening the can, I get big Virgina, and a lot of the same raw note of Perique as in Escudo. Second light was even similar to Escudo. It has a fairly quick drying time: about 20 mins. It stuffs well; burns slowly and evenly, and the palate and nose are Virgina and the Perique is nice and light without being over done. It seems just right. The strength is nice with a fare nic kick, but not overly strong. I didn't pick up the black cav., and I used to be a big smoker of Dunhill's B C. This would no doubt be great with your morning coffee. I tend to smoke more toward the evening, but good tobacco also goes well with good ICED coffee, too.

I like it, so far. However, some blends take me awhile to become accustomed to. One author said that Dunhill Royal Yacht can be an acquired taste. This may be the case, here.

Update: The more I smoke this, the more I am beginning to understand it. That probably sounds like I'm trying too hard. But, if I didn't think it was worth it, I would not bother. It is enticing, somehow. It keeps me coming back. This an allusive lady beckoning exploration.

Well, it's been a week short of a year now. I cellared a big tin of it and am smoking a bowl. My opinion hasn't changed. A little aging helped bring out some sweetness. So, I'd recommend this good old style: especially if you're a fan of say, Escudo, or Perique.

Lastly, I also blended in 1/3 of Lane 1Q. After cellaring for half a year, I opened it and rubber them out together, then cellared for another half year, which turned out wonderfully so I'll do it again, but cellar it much longer.

Pipe Used: Small bowl Stanwell Canadian

Age When Smoked: One year cellared

Purchased From: JRC

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	William H. Hardy (95)	2012-03-27		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

When I first tried Marlin Flake, I was a little disappointed. I had bought it, on a whim, mainly because I thought that the tin presentation was so cool. At that time, I had been smoking a lot of Dunhill Standard Mixture, Presbyterian Mixture, and Balkan Sasieni; Light, Medium, and full Englishes. After I had tried MF a few times, I put it up and finished the aforementioned tins of tobacco. After those were finished, I went back to the MF and was determined to finish the MF tin before opening another. That's been one of my problems. I always open more tins than I should at one time. Maybe I like variety. Maybe I'm impatient. Most likely, it's the latter. Anyway, I was smoking virtually nothing but MF for about three days and something happened. I started loving it! I had finally "got it," I suppose. I began noticing some of the flavors that others mentioned and I scornfully laughed at before. This stuff is great, but it takes patience and repetition. Like the first time you taste a thick, dark beer. Your first impression is that it's overly bitter. If you drink it slowly and thoughtfully, it becomes much more than that. If you love VAs or VaPers, I would be surprised if you didn't love Marlin Flake, too. Just don't smoke it immediately following strong English tobaccos and expect an epiphany.

UPDATE 5/9/2016 - I just haven't re-ordered this stuff in a while. I think that my tastes are leaning towards things that are a bit more heavy. Still a great blend, but I think that I may take it down a notch.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	elelion (25)	2011-12-12		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

This review is based on the first bowl of a newly-opened tin, assuming not aged.

Some may say it is a little over moitured of this blend, but for me it is just fine. I fold it into my freehand bent with 19-mm inner diameter bowl, and it lights quite easily. It required no relight throughout the bowl. That is the part I like for flakes if you fold it while packing.

The very first sip upon the first light reminded me of SG full virginia flake, but the hint passed away just 2 seconds after. Marlin Flake is less sweet in taste than Ashton Black Parrot (that I rate 4 star), but is much thicker (more densely) than the latter. The bowl temperature also seemed a little higher.

I tried to find some complexity in this blend but the texture did not change so much throughout the bowl. For that reason I rate this blend a 3-star.

---Updated on 13th Dec. 2011---

Today I tried Marlin Flake in a larger bowl: cavicchi canadian with which I usually smoke Orlik Golden Sliced, and this blend turned out to be exactly what I dream of: some hint of light barbecue. I must say this is a magic performed by the blend and the pipe on my pallete. It's like enjoying a well roasted beaf with just enough butter. Upgrading to 4-star.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	J.G. (7)	2011-09-24		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This tobacco is a sweet Virginia, with a blossoming of flavors, and light to medium intensity.

From what I can tell, Rattrays Marlin Flake is a straight Virginia tobacco. Hence, it is sweet. If you don't like sweet tobaccos, you may not like this. If you do enjoy sweet tobaccos, you will probably like this. And if you are smoking aromatics, this can convert you to smoking pure, natural tobacco.

It is pressed into long flakes (that look like strips of beef jerky). It is easy to break off a piece and rub it out before placing in the pipe. There is a some moisture. When I smoked it straight from the tin, there was sometimes a little “gurgling” in the pipe, and I sometimes needed to relight it. It smokes evenly, with no tongue bite (unless it is rushed), leaving a fine white ash.

The flavor experience is blossoming. With the charring light, the smoke starts with an array of bright, sweet tobacco flavors. Midway down the bowl, the tobacco becomes seasoned by the smoke, and the flavor becomes more moderate. By the bottom of the bowl (especially in a bigger bowl), the smoke is still sweet but it has a darker and more robust flavor. The experience is comparable to tasting bright pale honey, then medium yellow honey, then a richer amber honey. In a bigger bowl, the flavor can mature into something comparable to a buckwheat honey.

It is reasonably priced. In September 2011, I bought a tin of 100 grams (about 4 ounces) from marscigars (online) for $18 plus postage.

This was an engrossing and enjoyable smoke: both for the sweetness, and for the experience of tasting the tobacco as the smoke continuously seasoned it.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Capt (339)	2011-08-12		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

This is once again, a jar I have had cellared since 8/02.

This is my first blend from Rattray's. Comprised of a great mix of dark and bright leaf, it has a sweet but sour fermented aroma that I thoroughly enjoy. This packs and lights fairly well. It can bite if puffed too hard. I give this a solid 3 stars, and look forward to venturing into more Rattray's blend. Good morning smoke.

Just like Laurel flake, this also paired well with a Grand Marnier.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	meerkat (64)	2011-07-25		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

I recently tried three of the Virginia blends (Marlin Flake, Hal O' The Wynd and Old Gowrie) from Rattray as they tend to get lumped together and I wanted to know what seperated them.

I would say MF is the least strong of the three. Although I'd still say it was at the medium end of mild to medium, just a step behind OG and a couple behind Hal.

Taste wise, it's a Virginia/Cavendish led blend with slight hints of perique. Slightly toasty, slightly tangy, slightly sweet. Steamier in mouthfeel (the Cavendish) and less pronounced but tangier in taste than the other two.

Can bite a bit too readily for my liking but nothing very serious.

Good, but not bold enough to bring me back very often.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2011-03-19		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

MF...WOW A wonderful smoke. The flake out of a 100g tin was glorious, long folded flake. I just cut off enough for a fold/bend (after about an hour or so of air-time) and stuffed into an Ardor Fantasy Bent Dublin, a relight here or there, but once going MF delivered GREAT flavors/slow sip'in style...pushed up a little on her and she warned me to back-off, but if you listen to her she gives you back great fruit-like flavors with some spice through the nose...this one I will keep in the rotation with a few 100g tins for the cellar...should get even better with some age....

Update 7/2011: key to this flake is "dry-time" almost as much as other MC blends, at least 2-12hrs and this stuff ROCKS everytime...just have to find the Sweet spot on dry time...others like Dunhill flake and Peterson UF only need 15-30minutes (much longer and try go dull) others like MF, MC blends, etc need at least 2hrs (I just take of enough for day or two and it is golden sweet dreams of flavor and no bite.....slow down and enjoy flavors...no bacci esp. straight Virginians or Vapers will take to intense puff'in but will rather return a Crack'in bite u won't forget :-) it is all about the sugars and overhea'in them) but get them to correct temp and it is pure heaven....takes time and experience but after awhile you will get it...took me 6-months to learn it...plan on spending the rest of my days daydream'in while sip'in sweet Vs

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	maigret fan (76)	2011-02-19		Medium	Medium to Strong	Medium to Full	Pleasant

I got the 50g tin. The tobacco is dark and the aroma already satisfactory, with something which smells like caramel but not in the way of some aromatic tobaccos. I have smoked the Martin's flake for some years - one or two tins a year - among other flakes. This one is never disappointing, the aroma developping well during the smoke. I did not noticed the bites on the tongue mentioned in other reviews. One of the good among the very interesting Ratray line!

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Denevei (58)	2011-01-08		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

As tobaccos go, the flakes of Marlin Flake are beautiful. The packing is a bit hard to handle, but once removed and you begin to rub the flakes out, you are treated to a wonderful appearance and aroma. In color, the tobacco is fairly uniform, with flecks of black and spots of gold in a predominantly golden-brown. The aroma is really Virginia, sweet with a slightly acrid undertone. Marlin Flake ships wet, though. My advice would be to dry the flake a bit before rubbing out. I allowed it to dry fairly well, yet even in my Ashton Quaint, a dry smoker, I noticed a bit of gurgle. Once rubbed out (and I like to rub my flakes pretty fine), this tobacco packs quite easily. On the charring light I knew I was in for a Virginia treat. The initial taste is mild to medium, fairly one-dimensional, and nicely sweet. Further into the bowl the tobacco develops a nice, sort of acrid undertone typical of Rattray's Virginias, and which I find to be quite pleasant. I was also quite pleased with the aroma I detected while smoking. Each time I smoked the blend, I was a bit disappointed by the very end of the bowl. Though the flavor was still there, it became a bit more acrid and slightly bitter. That said, however, the aftertaste of the blend is wonderful. Some tobaccos make me want to run to the Biotene but Marlin Flake leaves a taste in the mouth that is worth savoring for a while. I'm becoming a fan of Rattray's Virginia blends. This tobacco and Brown Clunee are two examples of why.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2010-12-19		Medium	Mild	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Upon opening a tin, I sensed a slight chocolaty, apple cider-like aroma. MF is definitely cased because it has black Cavendish, which has from the onset, been processed by a sweet casing of some sort... plain sugar water initially & sometimes a little Rum to tame the harshness. It also has the Perique which compliments the overall flavor. If it isn't an English blend, most others are classified as an aromatic but this type lacks the PG humectant presence of thoroughly aromatic blends. Total, perfumed, PG cased aromatics to me were always a bit wimpy in the "N" department & most seemed to bite & smoked a little hot & harsh.

The flakes are a combination of dark VA...probably red, maybe Burley Cavendish & the Louisiana Perique which is pressed/processed & fermented in used Bourbon casks. A thoroughly enjoyable smoke if you prefer this type of blend. Marlin Flake is one of my favorites, ranking in my top ten rotation & I always have an open tin at the ready. One of the best blends of this genre, IMO!

My review was based on a 50g tin with the light brown label and one with the newer yellow label. I edited this review because I noticed that the contents of the newer tins must have a sweeter topping added as it left a slight, sticky residue on my fingers after rubbing it out. I didn't notice this so much with the six year old tin. The latter or newer version in the yellow cans must be dried out to a crispy state to keep from producing excessive H2O & will also provide a better burn rate. It is a good candidate for building cake in your bowl. It isn't so great during the charring light & the first few puffs but then it begins to become milder with a sweetness as the flavors meld. I like to fire it up, take a few puffs, then set it down and let it cool for at least 10 to 15 minutes before I get back to it. Many blends turn out much better using this DGT method as it helps take some bite out.

Initially MF presented a slight bite, which is typical of a primarily Virginia/Perique blend but will subside completely after a little burns off & is further tamed down by the processed Cavendish infusion. It is best served up in a deeper bowl to obtain the maximum flavor but is scrumptious in any size pipe. Another great offering from Rattray... loved this blend on the first encounter. Four stars without reservation.

Pipe Used: Peterson Deluxe 11S

Age When Smoked: One six years old & one fresh tin.

Purchased From: 4Noggins

Similar Blends: Would have to give that more thought... it's been years since I've smoked pipe tobacco but Howl O' The Wynd seemed similar..

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	doc'spipe (242)	2010-11-23		Medium	Mild	Medium	Pleasant

I haven't smoked a Rattray's blend since my experience with Rattray's Black Virginia many years ago. That one never seemed to dry out sufficiently for smoking and was quite a tasteless experience for me. Not so with Marlin Flake. My sample was from a 50gm tin. Upon opening the tin, it was packed as a folded belt of Virginia Flake tobacco. Its appearance and tin aroma was identical to Wessex Campaign Dark Flake. I detected a molasses-like presence. If it wasn't for the tin lid under each tin, I couldn't tell them apart from one another by appearance and aroma alone. Its moisture content was just right for smoking. A piece broken off and stuffed in my pipe took to the match with ease and required one re-light after the initial two. It smoked superbly - never hot, without bite and moisture. It tasted just like CDF as well with the addition of the Perique adding its distintive - yet not over the top - presence to the mix. As I found Reiner's LGF a spicier version of Orlik's Golden Slice, I find Marlin Flake a spicier version of Wessex CDF. This theme and variation adds to the variety of fine flakes that are available for smoking. Just for the record, I prefer Marlin Flake over Long Golden Flake as the Perique is not quite as forward and there is a bit more natural (not cased like Reiner's) sweetness with MF. Aging this one brings out the nice Virginia sweetness. As I am not a huge fan of Perique in most blends, with MF, it was just right for me.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	donmartinthree (22)	2010-11-11		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant

I went to my tobacconist to see what Va/Per I wanted to try after having had dunhill's navy rolls and this was recommended to me.

for some reason I wish I'd just gotten germain's brown or something instead of insisting on a Va/Per, because I'm somewhat disappointed.

it smells great from the tin, it looks great and it feels great in my hands and so I was expecting it to smoke accordingly. it's REALLY moist, so my first mistake was to smoke it out of the tin. the next time I air-dried it for about an hour. it still doesn't really give me what I expected. I guess I should've taken hal o the wynd instead. I was expecting deep, rich, somewhat spicy virginia, not candy-sweet-like. it's still not a bad tobacco, it's just not what I wanted to spend 18 euros on. I'm also missing that perique tang and spice.

I'd probably not buy this again, I'd get one of the other 'holy trinity' tobaccos or another tin of the delicious navy rolls. or maybe st. james flake. whatever.

I'll still smoke this tin, and I also have some of it in mason jars, so maybe it'll be better in a year or two.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	DrDyson (148)	2010-10-20		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

Marlin Flake is a first-rate tobacco: it even looks like what a tobacco should look like! If there's a casing, I don't know what it is: I certainly can't detect any. This seems to be to be a pure natural tobacco with a wonderfully clean yet complex Va/Per flavour.

MF is a tobacco to be smoked at leisure; you won't enjoy it if you rush it or if you're too distracted to concentrate on the nuances of flavour. It has a deep, distinctive taste with lots of shades and subtleties that play in and out as your bowlful progresses. Dry it a bit (it comes a little moist in the tin), fold and stuff, and take it slowly: it will reward you with a cool and satisfying smoke that retains its quality all the way down. In nicotine terms it's strongish, but not unbearably strong. SWMBO and the others don't mind the room note, either – and that's a big plus point. I find that smoking it in a big billiard bowl allows the tobacco time to settle down and give of its best.

I think I prefer Old Gowrie to MF. There isn't all that much difference, as far as I can tell; but OG has just that little extra touch of Perique. MF is a quite outstanding flake tobacco, however, if you like your tobacco uncased and as nature intended. The only negative is that it's relatively expensive. Worth it, though: highly recommended.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	RMBittner (66)	2010-10-18		Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Rich and medium-bodied, this is a loooong Virginia flake that is certainly worth keeping in the regular line-up. (The contents of my tin were so different from what Serad described in "Trial by Fire" that I can only guess the blend has changed dramatically in the last few years.) Although it doesn't deliver quite the same level of sweetness that Hal o' the Wynd does, it also doesn't require the measured, careful smoking that HotW does.

NOTE: If perique is actually present in this flake, it is in such microscopic amounts that it's virtually undetectable; I'm extremely sensitive to perique (and not in a good way), but I couldn't determine whether it was here or not. Also, any cavendish present in the flake was handled with a very light hand. I'm not saying that perique and cavendish aren't here; I'm just saying that they are used (if at all) in such small quantities that they manage to enrich the Virginias without ever calling attention to themselves.

This is a truly rewarding smoke.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2009-09-30		Medium to Strong	Extremely Mild	Full	Pleasant

I read some good reviews on Marlin Flake from Rattray, And gave it a try one warm autumn day. It posessed that typical, musty, vinegary aroma, Dark flake strips clumped thereover, Waiting patiently to serve an accomodating smoker. Like wee bacon slices packed within, That precious and desirous, little round tin, Anxious to be transformed into dissapearing, Ghostly clouds of the hereafter, let us begin.

I dried a few grams over my computer vent, Before stoking ol' Pete, consigned to VA blends. After a relight I exhaled some, Of that Virginia smoke so sweet. Initially, a wee bite on me tongue, But a bit later made its retreat, And mellowed out to render elation, A milder, subdued, nirvanic sensation. A change in character as it morphed suddenly, Facilitating contentment and tranquility. Obviously, quality leaf to some, Another bowl full, you can't have just one.

It had a satisfactory Vitamin N content, And offered up a suprisingly, pleasant scent. Willfully submitting to this revelation, It becomes a mainstay in my regular rotation, Greedily garnishing the remnants of, That lovely, little round tin, Tucked away therein my modest, Cardboard box, cellar bin. Sadly, there is a small congregation, Who woefully submit their resounding condemnation. Although rating one star seems totally unfair, And seems in extreme of critical observation, For this fine leaf almost beyond compare.

Overall, I'm very pleased with Marlin Flake, And Old Gowrie and his pal, Hal, cellared for future intake. For a straight Virginia blend, it's really good stuff, That will take the edge off Billy Goat's gruff. I've coughed up two cents for this ongoing debate, To impart my thoughts on this very fine flake. I might downgrade to three stars at a later date, But for now, a solid four stars, I deem it should rate!

Note: My rating was based on a 50 gram tin that probably had at least a year of shelf time. It was much sweeter and a more pleasureable smoke than the 100 gram tin I am smoking from now. I would only rate the 100 gram tin of Marlin Flake three *s. I hope more aging will transform this VA blend into something more akin to my first sampling and justify my purchase of the 4, 100 gram tins that I've recently cellared. This blend smokes better in a tall, narrow bowl.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2009-08-08		Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild	Tolerable

Another excellent VaPer preparation from Rattrays. Mild to medium sweet...accentuated by keeping it in flake form when smoked. Full flavor and somewhat malty. The perique is far less noticeable than in Old Gowrie.

Highly recommended.

A companion infusion: a myriad of libations...ranging from hot chocolate to your favorite single malt...just enjoy.

UPDATE 06/03/2010: After enjoying many other VA, VaPer and VaBurley-American blends lately, I now find my cellared Marlin Flake tins to be a little flat in taste...I'm finding that I'm not a fan of added Black Cavendish in blends...it's boring. Lowering my rating accordingly.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2009-08-03		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant

If I would write these notes a couple of years ago, I would give the 4 stars without hesitating. After almost 2 years, I bought a tin of 100 gr, remembering those nice moments of smoking this blend. I am sorry to say that this latest experience was totally different in a bad way. My preferences had been changed? Or the blend? I tried with several pipes, different grades of airing the tobacco.. Not even the lovely presence of perique could't help me with the situation. Nothing have satisfied me like those good days. I remember this blend with a very tasty virginia, perique's richness and cool, long lasting smoke. This time a sour and highly sweetened blend tired and bored me. I think it also received some flavoring. Is it possible that the blend have received somehow a different kind or quantity of cavendish? Or it is just me? I have no idea.

I'll give it a try some more years later again. Maybe then I will edit this review. For now, just 2 stars with a dissapointment.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	orka (66)	2009-06-29		Medium	Mild	Medium	Pleasant

As I am always on the look-out for good flakes, the turn eventually came to Marlin Flake. The first bowlfuls puzzled me somewhat, because I did experience the flatness other reviews mentions, so I had to experiment with different pipes in order to get a feel for it. Rattray's seem to be terribly picky with the pipe you use, how you pack it, dry it and smoke it. When conditions are met, however, this is a good and tasty tobacco. It is rich and nuanced (though not quite as satisfying as HotW) bitter-sweet and a little nutty. Red wine/port has been mentioned in describing the taste, and I suppose that's pretty accurate.

It has a decent nicotine hit, which for me makes it a good companion to the morning coffee. When smoked outdoors it seems to open up a little also, all for the better, which makes this a likely candidate for further outdoor activities.

All in all this is a nice tobacco. Good, but not outstanding.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2009-06-13		Mild	Very Mild	Medium	Tolerable

Although Hal O' the Wynd is excellent, I prefer the taste of Marlin Flake. Certainly, both are top quality tobaccos.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	eamonclever (48)	2009-06-10		Medium	Extremely Mild	Full	Pleasant

This is one of my favourite tobaccos, which I used to smoke on a daily basis. This means one large pipe or two smaller pipes a day. I have to say I love all the VA mixtures quite a lot but I make weekly changes with some hard stuff like english mixtures (Squadron Leader)on occasion. When it comes to ripe sweetness of leaf, overall high quality tobacco,pleasure and excitement - MF is one out of my top ten. I smoke it in bowls of every variety, MF is easy to smoke in every bowl, I don´t rub it i fold and stuff it anbd sometimes I give it a rest in the bowl, within the smoking experience. Just 30 minutes and relight. This is a good way to detect the quality of the virginia leaf and MF passes every time. The rumor following the change of the blender is just a story of economy not of taste and quality. I therefore can´t detect any tongue bite or ingredients of bad quality considered here as an example for bad blending. This has nothing to do with taste, this points out a lack of smoking technique. Flake tobacco needs a good amount of experience and feeling. So this tobacco is definitely no weed for the beginner.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	tavancleave (11)	2009-05-21		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant

Marlin Flake has become my go to smoke over the past year or so. The flavor is sweet, but still maintains the smokey quality that I prefer. Also the room-note seems to agree with my girlfriend--she finds it tolerable and does not complain!! I find that it works best for me in the late evening because it is a very relaxing blend. This high quality leaf burns slowly and does not bite the tongue. When smoked slowly Marlin Flake is memorable and rewarding in many ways.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	ian0077 (7)	2009-03-27		Medium	Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is a wonderful tobacco Marlin Flake. Just straight out of the tin very nice indeed.

For a change this tobacco lends itself to a little perique. If you have no perique try this. Sprinkle just a little freshly milled black pepper during filling your pipe and hey presto, what a beatiful smoke.

This is a top rate tobacco.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	haredawg (47)	2009-03-08		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Pleasant

Marlin flakes doesn?t really need another rave review, but I?m not about to give it a bad one. I was on the Pulversbriars website looking to buy a pipe and Marty?s description of one pipe, I think it was Castello of some sort, was that his complaints about the pipe were like defining Marilyn Monroe by her mole. With that in mind my critique of Marlins flake, an easy four star rating for me to give, is that it?s very similar to three or four other rattray blends, all of which I gave four stars or intended too and haven?t reviewed. I think in a blind taste test I?d have a hard time telling you which was Hal Of The Wynd, Old Gowrie, Marlin Flake or that other one that slips my mind. If I guessed right I?d pound my chest and declare I be made king, but it?d be a lucky guess. Given my druthers they?d be four different exceptional blends, distinct and appetizing, instead of the one basic incredible blend with marginal and subtle differences. Rattrays just has a way with Virginian tobaccos. I think the difference with each one in any of their categories is the cut. Marlin flake is shaggy (I was expecting a flake) partially rubbed out mahogany/honey colored weed, it works well for me either rubbed all the way out or balled like a rolled flake and lovingly shoved in. It does come a bit moist both in bulk and the 100 gm tin (I haven?t had the fifty gram tin, I?m going to assume it?s moist) so it needs some drying first, but I can?t imagine anyone who likes a Virginian tobacco not falling in love with this. I?d compare it to something else, but it has no peers except for it?s almost identical twins, HOTW and Old Gowrie and that other one I can?t remember. For that matter It?s the same base flavor as Highland Targe.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pipe4ever (204)	2009-01-14		Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

This is sweet Virginia Flake with sweet Cavendish, good quality tobacco with imbalanced sweetness, next to Old Gowrie but much sweeter and not as good as Hal O' the Wynd

If I have to buy 3 tins of Virginia from Rattray, I would choose 3 tins of Hal O' the Wynd

Marline Flake and Old Gowrie I really don?t care about.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Sylvian (28)	2008-08-04		Medium to Strong	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Dark Virginia, Black Cavendish and a pinch of Perique - that's what the manufacturer says about the ingredients, and the result is very impressive. The tin aroma was really one of a kind, and like mentioned by some reviewers, Marlin Flake smells almost edible.

Without any significant difference in nicotine content from Old Gowrie or Hal O'The Wynd, this delicious flake is richer and fuller in taste that OG. The added Cavendish gives it the heady note reminiscent of rich and sweet red wine.

Four stars for the top quality, but one star away for too little tobacco in the tin. Doctor, is that the yellow color of the tin that makes me so greedy?

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2008-07-16		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

This review is based on the tinned version from 2000, and the bulk from 2004. It does benefit from aging, thorough air time and full rub out.

Gold Standard Virginia Flake. For some reason the word "crusty" comes to mind...as in San Francisco sourdough bread with some unsalted butter and a drizzle of honey.

As they say in wine circles: "Right Bodacious".

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Dubinthedam (133)	2008-04-13		Strong	Mild to Medium	Full	Tolerable

I like the presentation in the tin, one giant flake, I love it's spiciness, needs some drying, it tastes as if there is some perique in the blend, but I don't think so. Dark, sweet, figs, rich, musty, spicey...with a nice gentle sourness there too...a great VA.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Xeneize (275)	2007-08-10		Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Strong

Little I can add to praise this blend. Like others have said, this is better off left out to dry for a while before consuming. If you do this, it's hard to find a more pleasant experience. MF delights me from the first to the last puff with an increasing strength that keeps my palate awake. To me, this is the main difference compared to Old Gowrie, which stays pretty much the same from top to bottom.

Most people find HoTW stronger than Marlin Flake, but I only find it sharper. To me, the strength rank is: 1) MF; 2) HoTW; 3) OG.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	puro66 (73)	2007-05-16		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

I've been smoking pipes for over twenty years but alas never tasted the famed Rattrays when they were made in Perth. So my experience has only been in the post-Perth age. Marlin Flake was a fairly regular go to tobacco for me in the 1990's. I always enjoyed it in my rotation. Around 2000 I moved away from it, no particular reason, I just did. Last year I decided to revisit it and picked up a 50gr. tin. The first bowl left me feeling well it's ok but...

By the second and third bowl I began to rediscover an old friend. Has it changed ever so slightly over the years, probably. But I'm now three tins later and happy with my renewed relationship.

This blend has been heavily reviewed and some seem irritated that it has received so many accolades. Perhaps it gets high marks for some very simple reasons. It's a tasty virginia with no bite, easy to pack and always reliable. New and old pipe smokers alike can enjoy it!

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Skando (203)	2007-03-23		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

MF got so many reviews, I will cut it the shortest possible. This can I'm going to finish is marked "blended by", but sure it's of the K&K production. MF is a medium flake in all senses. The kind of tobacco I usually bring with me in the working hours. It comes very wet, and just after the three or more months I got it opened it's not still dry enough. It's a pity that I realize just now when only a few bowlful do remain in the can, that MF gives the best when dried. I do agree with the guy who says that there may be a touch o Perique. I'm not very convinced of it's renowned qualities, so only two stars for the moment. But I want like this tobacco, so I'm going to buy another 100grms can which I'll let sleep unsealed for six months at least.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Spike (296)	2006-12-13		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This tin has been in my tobacco storage unit (closet) for a year and a half. It was first opened about 4 months ago and was a bit damp to be a good smoker. At this time I would rate M.F. a solid three and one-half stars. Still a bit sharp on the tongue and palate to rate a full four stars. Excellent flavor though I still prefer Old Gowrie (Rattray's) for a smoother smoking experience.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	SopwithCamel (255)	2006-12-04		Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

When I first tried this, I was a bit disappointed. Perhaps the anticipation was just too much.

I let it sit sealed in the tin to dry for about a week. POW! What a difference! It was just too moist. I loaded a clay cutty and marveled. It indeed has something of a sweet potato flavor, and hints of port. The caramelized sugar in the blend as it burns is scrumptious, and occasionally a nice toasty flavor comes through.

Really delicious with a mild, black coffee, or a full bodied tea.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Moe (46)	2006-11-30		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

I wanted to like this blend, I mean I really wanted to. Many a piper both online and off have sang the praises of this tobacco to me, so I had the right attitude when I was packin that first bowl. But alas I will be the one to say it..... The King has no pants! This tobacco can blister your tongue.

UPDATED

Im upgrading Marlins status, because I have found that with 6 months age, It really gets much smoother.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2006-09-14		Mild to Medium	Mild	Full	Very Pleasant

Ah....Marlin Flake, a joy to the eye, the nose, the hand and the palate!!! The flakes are incredibly cool, they're about a foot long each and two and a half to three inches wide, rolled inside the tin. Contrary to Old Gowrie, this is a " Full Dark Virginia Flake" loaded with dark brown leaf, a decent amount of black leaf - dark stoved? and some shades of gold. The aroma is a strong mixture of figs married with the trustworthy smell of well matured Virginias, not the rather grassy smell of less matured Virginias. I had my nose stuck in the tin for a long, long time, just freakin out on that smell!

I smoke this blend with my freehand from Blatter& Blatter and a Meerschaum, both medium sized. When smoked, it has a just right tiny sweet taste combined with the well balanced taste of matured Virginias. None overules the other, they remain hand in hand all along. If broken properly, the blend smokes extremely well, doesn't need special attention to keep it going. This baby smokes dry all the way down, becomes pleasantly stronger as you go, but not too much. Just right in my own taste. But Marlin Flake smokes way better once it dried out for a couple weeks.

This tobacco is not only great to smoke,it's an absolute pleasure to the eye! I had so much fun admiring the long flakes, playing with them before I decided to start breaking them down. While I was sipping a single malt, gentlemen. My god, Paradise of the pipe smoker!!! This is heaven on earth...

This is an incredible tobacco, in looks and taste, and a nice change from the Virginia/Périque blends that I usually smoke. I can't say it resembles Old Gowrie, which I found too mild and grassy in aroma and taste. This one is a couple steps above. All I can say is try it out, you cannot be disapointed! I very highly recommend it.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2006-07-28		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

Toffee, cereal, cookie notes. Hints of spices, dried fruits, nuts and earth/peat. Try this with Talisker 10.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2006-06-26		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I can't believe this is just straight Virginy. It seems more complex. It does need a bit of a drying out, but does stay lit. It comes across as a basic English at first, but never becomes bitter or chalky. This is also my first taste of sliced flake. It must have a high Nic. content, as my "system" pipe got a bit brown and soupy, but only within the stem, not in the bowl.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	tcphll (1)	2006-06-18		Mild	Mild	Mild	Pleasant

I'm somewhat new to virginias, being more used to English blends. I am very pleased with this tobacco. Very smooth and somewhat sweet without being cloying. Definetely recomended.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	OleFattGuy (27)	2006-05-31		Medium to Strong	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Tolerable

The presentation just knocks me out! In the round 50g shoe polish tin the cover paper has brown stains which I have never seen in any tobacco before. when I peel it off I notice that the can is not filled but instead in the middle lies a looong stripe of the greatest tobacco I have seen in ages. I get confused when i lift it up to try and find the end because it starts to crumble in the folds. Not wanting to rub it out beforehand I slip the band of tobacco back into the can and get a pair of scissors instead. I cut of an inch and a half and when i see the nice cut surface I decide to cube-cut the strip. I move the scissors fractions of an inch for each cut to get the tiny cubes, and then I start the pipe stuffing with some of the longer strands that peeled of in the foldings. Upon lighting the pipe I understand what the buzz is about. The pure Virginia taste is wonderfully complex and sweet and in a sudden rush of understanding I reach clarity as to what that wonderful taste that I loved so much in Red Rapparee really is! It's THIS wonderful Virginia! Highly, highly recommended to any pipe smoker as an education in what Va flakes should be about!

Had to make an update. I still enjoy this tobacco more than any other VA flake, but I got scolded by the missus yesterday due to the room note. So much I nearly lost my indoor smoking permit. Now, I don't really know if there were some other underlying issues here, but still, the "wife factor" went down a few notches...

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2006-04-28		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

After drying this stuff out for about 20 minutes this weed is sure pleasure. It took me a few tries to figure out how to rub this stuff out but when I did I couldn't have been more pleased. Another excellent Virginia from Rattray.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Philo Beddoe (221)	2006-02-26		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Simply a wonderful stoved Virginia flake. You should try this at least once, just to see how good pipe smoking can really be. This is the reason for the existence of briar!

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Bugenhagen (9)	2006-01-26		Medium to Strong	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant

Back in the 80s I went through a Rattray obsession. At any given time I had tins of every mixture they made and loved most of them. But none of the tobacconists I lived near ever carried Marlin Flake, so I never heard of it until relatively recently.

One of my favorite mixtures is Old Gowrie, and so when I read that Marlin Flake was a related mixture, I thought I'd give it a try.

The first thing I was surprised about was the length of the flakes - about a foot long, rolled up in the tin. I took them out and cut them into about 3 inch lengths, which is just enough to fill the pipe I use to smoke it

I rub my flakes out well before loading my pipe, and I must say that MF rubs out very nicely. The tin aroma is delightful; dark and sweet. This carries well into the actual smoking.

After rubbing it out, I usually let it sit for 5 minutes or so to dry out a bit. This helps in lighting and keeping it lit throughout the smoke.

At first light, there is a barely perceptible hint of flavoring. Maybe it's just the sweetness of the mixture, but I think there is a slight topping. This fades once the pipe is well lit.

Dark sweetness and clean mildness are the characteristics of the smoke throughout. MF is strong, but subtly so. I find that I can smoke this throughout the day with great satisfaction, and not get overwhelmed or bored by it.

Since I've been smoking it I have largely eschewed the other blends that I usually smoke, and do not miss them. There is no harshness or acridity here, just deep, mellow enjoyment.

This may turn out to be my all time favorite.

Bugenhagen

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pipepundit (168)	2005-12-27		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

When the mist is rolling down the hills ones thoughts turn to cooked virginias like Stonehaven, Marlin Flake and Full Virginia Flake. Though, to be entirely honest, it is not only the mist that provokes such thoughts.

More than a decade and a half ago the assistant at the Davidoff shop in Geneva - where I had gone to pick up some Old Gowrie - recommended Marlin Flake to me. I have reason to be grateful to him as it has become a regular companion. If FVF is the double bass struggling to sing against its own weight, and Stonehaven the viola singing with effortless warmth, Marlin Flake is the 'cello in between - expressive, deep and contemplative.

On the whole I would rate Stonehaven the highest in the genre, but Marlin Flake is a close second. Wonderful stuff, worth every penny.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	stoic066 (7)	2005-03-23		Medium	None Detected	Full	Pleasant

This is my first review. This bland has been reviewed extensivelly but I will try to add some of my observations. I purchased can of MF about two years ago on one of my trips to Tennesee ( cannot remember which store). Upon openning the smell was of Virginia, with plum, good red wine maybe Pinot Noir. This is one of the tobaccos that you want to taste by chewing. My 100 gm. can contained roll of dark brown tobacco with lighter brown and reddish strands. It was almost one and a half foot long. It was slightly moist so I let it air for about 45 min. It rubbed out easily. Packing was not a problem but it took me several trials to light it up ( always the case with my flakes ), but once it stayed lit I did not have to relight it until about 3/4 into the bowl. It is one of the easiest flake one the tongue that I have smoked. The taste is very even until the end and it burns fairly cool. The ash was briliant white ( I was told that white ash color is due to high content of calcium in the soil tobacco plant grows on ). My previous favorite flake was Astley's Royal Tudor but this one is better. It will become my every day flake of choice. Highly recommended!

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Ranger (79)	2005-01-24		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

My first review. Might as well start with one of the best. One of my favorite Virginias. Aroma, texture and taste that takes a whipping from no other tobacco. Packs and lights well; equally good relaxing indoors with an ale or outdoors after a long hike by a fire. This is the leaf I return to after sampling other Virginias while searching for the same elusive taste and experience as Marlin Flake. A naturally tasty, chewy, rewarding smoke. Ahhh... "Another ale barkeep," as I pack another bowl. Edit 29MAR 2020: I just opened a 100g tin from 2004. Amazing! The flavors and smoothness are unmatched in any cellared tobacco I ever opened. But, what is so unusual to me after having smoked at least 3 previous 100g tins, the tobacco is not the coarse cut that I have had previously. It is all one long flat flake, about 2 inches wide, loosely folded in a zig zag into the tin, nearly a foot long, like taffy or something. I have never seen this before in a tobacco. Hope my other cellared tin is like this one.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2004-08-15		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

ALERT!: FELLOW TOBACCO REVIEW MEMBERS!

THIS IS NOT A REVIEW. TONIGHT I RECEIVED AN EMAIL FROM AN EMAIL ADDRESS CLAIMING TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH TOBACCO REVIEWS. THE EMAIL CONTAINED THE NETSKY VIRUS. MY VIRUS SCAN CAUGHT IT IN TIME AND A SCAN OF MY ENTIRE HARDDRIVE IS ALMOST COMPLETE.

BUT BEWARE OF ANY EMAILS WITH ATTACHMENTS CLAIMING TO BE FROM ANY TOBACCO CLUB/WEBSITE/DISCUSSION GROUP ETC.

PRISON CHAPLAIN

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	mainspring (27)	2004-08-14		Medium	None Detected	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

What a great tobacco this is! It has everything that a "classic" should have. Most important, at least for me, it's a "fun" smoke. A beautiful flake tobacco, one can smoke as is or rub it out to his or her individual desires. I prefer to rub it out. I am one of those oddballs that likes the ritual of pipe smoking (more involvement with preparation than many people like) such as rubbing out a flake tobacco. This adds to my enjoyment of pipe smoking. The flavor is wonderful but not what I would call complex. At times I find myself wanting a bit more flavor. That's why we have different pipes for different blends though. I have 4 briars dedicated to this tobak. In my opinion - one of the great classic tobaccos of all time! Very Highly Recommended!

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Jaybee (77)	2004-07-29		Medium	Medium	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

All of the above praises are well deserved for this high quality product. My "I smoke this on occasion" rating is due to the fact that I regard this as a "contemplative" smoke. I enjoy this most late at night, when the family has gone to bed, when there's nothing on television, when I don't feel like reading and all that are left are my thoughts, my pipe and Marlin Flake.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Jakob Kiilerich (120)	2004-06-16		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Marlin Flake beats them all! This is the best VA flake i've ever tried.

It's pure VA, no topping added, but nonetheless Rattray's hit the jackpot in some mysterious way. The above reviewers said it all.

If I was stuck alone on a desert island, this one would be the tobacco I could smoke for the rest of my life and never get tired of.

Yes, I admit that MF gives you a quite monochromatic smoke, but it is so good that you wouldn't want it to change through the entire bowl.

I was lucky once, to get hold of a 5 year old tin. The experience here, was twice as good as with a fresh one. Buy 20-30 tins and hide them in your cellar for future holy experiences.

Jakob Kiilerich, Denmark

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2004-06-08		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Marlin Flake. April 2004. I received a sample from a friend,so I've had the pleasure of smoking five bowls.Two were in a small canadian & three in a large bent pipe. I cant wait to get my hands on more LOTS MORE!! This has to be one of the tastiest near perfect naturally sweet virginias I have ever had the pleasure of smoking. I rubbed the flakes out well in two trials with great results.Then,I just twisted or folded the flakes in the next two pipefuls. Any method resulted in easy lighing and a superb sweet smoke. No bitterness or sour notes here and burns to a very nice clean grey white ash. If you love or like virginias then you owe it to yourself to try this.'Pure Bliss' 10 out of 10.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Mr. Dottle (162)	2004-05-10		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I do not have the time to describe the attributes of this tobacco in detail as others do. However, as I do wish to contribute some feedback, I will simply rate this tobacco on a scale of 1 ?10, including tenths.

I rate this tobacco 9.9 out of 10. I am a fan of the Rattray baccys.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	RCUSElder (244)	2004-01-17		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

What the HAY? Yes folks, the tin aroma upon opening smelled like the fortified hay I used to feed the cows in ol'granpa's farm in Mexico. I was a little cautious but at least the flakes were beautifully folded in the tin and the moisture was perfect. I tried three different ways of packing (stuffing the flakes, stuffing with top third rubbed out, and completely rubbed-out). I preferred the flavor nuances in the stuffed procedure best(p.s.this blend is not sensitive to pipe size). Lighting was 2-3 lights (normal). Initial flavor it delicious Virginia with just a light tang. Mid-bowl: Flavor mellows with a hint of oatishness and subtle sweetness. Bottom third: Mellow, sweet, and rich Virginia. This is what all Virginia blends should aspire to.I have to say that this is the best VA blend I have ever smoked. Tongue-bite can be provoked, but you don't need to draw hard to get flavor. Strength is not too strong and I find some days I can smoke 3-4 bowls with nary a bite. I don't know what else to add but to say: "go get some tins now!" The only draw backs to this blend are that I can't enjoy my other VA blends anymore, they just leave me wanting what MF has to offer and this blend is a little pricey. Rating: 5 out of 5 points

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Gae (46)	2003-10-16		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

16th-Sep-2003. Everything about Marlin Flake,I love so I won't go on forever.Easy to light and stay's lit with ease. Offers a very nice flavour and doesn't bite the tongue. Stayed dry to the last puff offering a very nice flavour without being boring. I agree with the positives in the previous reviews. Most enjoyable and earned 4 Stars.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2003-09-03		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Pleasant

If one knew nothing of the heirarchy of tobacco brands other than the prices commanded by older tins, one could justifiably conclude that Rattray is a hallowed name in this field. In terms of collectability, Rattray's is right at the head of the pack, for good reason, and Marlin Flake may well be the best blend in their portfolio.

I have little to add to the comprehensive opinions already presented here, other than to say that MF inevitably draws more comparisons than any other flake. And why not? It seemingly incorporates the best features of a dozen of the very best flakes. It's well behaved, bite free, gorgeous to look at, and lush. As rich and satisfying as Stonehaven or FVF without the bloat, as easy as Hamborger Veermaster or Astleys, as complex and nuanced as any, it has long been my go-to flake.

As for the relative merits of the different iterations of Rattray itself- blended by Charles Rattray, blended for Charles Rattray, blended in Charles Rattray- I'll leave that for another day, as comparing different eras in any field is a dicey proposition, at best.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2003-04-10		Strong	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

This was my first try at the Rattray range and I was pleasantly surprised. This was not the case though when I received the can and read that it was made in Germany! My idea of Germany is that all tobacco goes through a lolly shop, and chemical store before being sold to the public. I was pleasantly surprised though when I opened the tin and found a fold of thin, squashed tobacco. It was dark and alluring. I was stunned by two things firstly the lack of that vinegary smell like the dark star- which I don't mind but this is better. Anyway the other thing that is great is that there was NO tongue bite. I packed my large, sandblast peterson without doing anything to the leaf. then right near the top I added some finely crushed grains for a good char light. The bowl lasted me 1 and a half hours with a couple of relights. I am not really a straight Virginia fan- prefering English and sometimes fuller Balkans like the PCCA full balkan reserve syrian! BUT this is going to be a fairly regular alternative for me. I think I might even crush a bit into some english blends for interest. I sat out on my deck and as the sun set on the best part of the planet- Tasmania Australia- I listened to the possums screeching to one another and felt the gentle breeze of night falling, creeping up on me. The smoke rose gently, soothingly and I thought, what a way to relax.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2003-02-28		Medium	None Detected	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

One of the friendliest Virginia flakes, I have encountered. The tin aroma reminds me of dark chocolate with a slightly sour note. It's very tasty and smooth, but also very mild, which is a potential 'danger' for smokers like me, who tend to smoke rather hot. I force myself not too puff too fast or hard, and it works out well. The taste is a little darker and maybe sweeter than that of Hal O'The Wynd, which it shares its basic taste with. And the room aroma is not as agressive. When I first tried it, I couldn't really say, if I liked it or not, but after smoking this exclusively in one pipe for a few months, I started to appreciate all its nuances. And I do believe, it should only be smoked in pipes devoted to Virginia tobaccos with a matching taste (Hal O'The Wynd, Best Brown Flake, ...). I usually smoke it in a medium-sized pipe and do not rub it out, but either fold it a couple of times or roll it into a cylinder. However, this is only recommended, if the tobacco had a little time to lose some its moisture. If you are a VA lover (like me), you already know this tobacco, if you aren't, I highly recommend it.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2003-01-14		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

THis is a refined flake, very pleasant & relaxing to smoke on account of it's trouble-free nature. In the tin It smells (to me) like some dark honey with woodsy undertones - very nice, I find thats also how it tastes. An outstanding VA right up there with usual Mcclelland circulation.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2002-08-03		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

What a well-behaved tasty tobacco. Light/medium but never boring. Lots of complex flavours and one of the most pleasing aromas in the mouth of any tobacco I have smoked. Tasty, fruity, nutty. Did I mention it was tasty? An extremely pleasant room note as well. Even my cat seems to like it!! Buy some & discover a real treat. A+

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2002-08-02		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Strong and spicy. Just a wonderful Virginia blend. This is one of my favorites. Comes in a semi flake form and packs easily enough. Lights and burns well and the flavor and smoke is heavenly. 4-4.5 stars.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2001-04-02		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

Marlin Flake was the first virginia flake I ever tried -which is analagous to haveing a Partagas Lusitania as a first cigar. It was enjoyable but I had no frame of reference to really grasp how special and unique this tobacco is. It comes in a beautiful dark stringy flake form and rubs out very easily, though I prefer to smoke it unrubbed or very loosely rubbed. The tin aroma is as unique and distinguished as it's taste and it's room aroma. All around this is one interesting tobacco. It's not exactly complex, though there are many nuances to be enjoyed including an almost fermented taste which seems to counteract the natural sweetness of the virginia. It starts off mild enough, but quickly gains some strength. There is a distinct bottom to this tobacco, and it continues throughout the bowl leaving a wonderful aftertaste. This is not a boring tobacco. It is very distinct and stands out amongst a sea of virgninias. This is a wonderful virginia flake. I highly recommend it.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2001-03-12		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is a beautiful tobacco that comes in long flakes that are folded and inserted into the can. It rubs out fairly easily though it's quite dense, and the flavor is pure heaven with notes of honey and spice. Underneath that is a dark bass note of burnt oak and caramel - this tobacco goes equally well with bourbon whiskey, Cabernet Sauvignon, Earl Grey and Classic Coke, standing up well to their full flavors.

It burns cooly and well, and has an interesting characteristic: the ash has an odd yellow-gold color that never stops fascinating me. I've been told by Steve Books that this could be from a certain variety of Carolina tobacco which contains an oil that leaves a golden residue.

A great smoke in the dark matured Virginia vein!

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Oscarbgn (1)	2023-02-11		Mild to Medium	Medium	Medium	Very Pleasant

Este tabaco es muy especial para mi. Es mi tabaco de cabecera, lo fumo todos los dias. Me atrajo mucho que tiene una dulzura natural no excesiva. Sabor amaderado y frutal. No deja en la boca un sabor amargo. Lo uso apenas lo saco de la lata, fuma parejo del principio al fin. Te eleva, te relaja pero no aburre. Que nunca se termine. Cuatro estrellas.

Pipe Used: Chacom coffrest

Age When Smoked: new

Purchased From: muchos lados

Similar Blends: Es unico, distinto!.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	b7q (54)	2023-01-07		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

From all the reviews, you should know how difficult this mixture is to procure,

I used a Cigar Cutter to cut the flakes into pellets, put them in a bowl(about 3/5),Tap the bottom of the bowl and light it.Gently rotate them with a Tamper to make a carbon cake (It's not pushing down hard),It is necessary to repair the sticking part of the bucket wall frequently.easily accomplish tasks that most people find difficult to accomplish (including FVF and St. James Flake),

Black Cavendish,enriched with its sexy flesh, is soft and sweet, good smoke!

Pipe Used: Meerschaum&Briar

Age When Smoked: 10

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	DarkFired (3)	2022-09-27		Mild	Mild to Medium	Medium	Pleasant

Short version: slow-sipped it’s pretty marvelous. Doesn’t reach the heights of similar FVF, but does present a worthy alternative.

Long version: I’m pretty sure my favorite tobacco of all time is full Virginia flake, and this Rattrays offering has a lot in common with it. The mix (which FVF isn’t) is subtle yet well done. Subtlety of French cooking style.

But it does do better in some ways: it’s easier to rub, pack, smoke, and it stays lit. It’s a way less fussy smoke. It never really fully reaches the heights that FVF can and does, but it’s a super representation of it — if for some reason you can’t get it, or must have some mixture, this is a worthy alternative.

I will enjoy this can — probably not buy anymore while Gawith cans are still entering the country — but will definitely enjoy it.

Recommendable.

Pipe Used: Dunhill 59

Age When Smoked: New

Similar Blends: Full Virginia flake, cabbies mixture.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pip'n'Piper (54)	2022-07-09		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Full	Pleasant

Fantastic tin note of fresh dough, dates, raisins, brown sugar and/or honey. Bit like a fig newton. The virginias are terrific. I get more of the doughy bread flavours than the grass and citrus, but the latter are still prominent on the palate. Raisin and date notes with extremely mild, almost unnoticeable, pepper from the perique. A sweet brown sugar/honey from the cavendish. Light chocolate note in the background. The flavours are hardly subtle, you can taste all of them in near every puff. So sweet and savoury, it's difficult to smoke slow when it's this decadent. I'd say the bread, raisins, honey are the major themes; hay, earth and wood are a step behind; just noticeable are chocolate, pepper and citrus. Smooth and revealing retrohale. Tasty beyond compare. The flakes are quite moist, comparable to the moisture level of Bold Kentucky. Needs more drying than BK though, or it is hard to keep lit and will burn hot; not sure if it's casing or what. Aside from the moisture content, this is one delicious tobacco. 4 stars. Highly recommend, particularly to those that enjoy sweet black cav in their va-pers, you'll think you died and went... uh, somewhere better than this floating rock. So good it's in the rotation, when I can find it. Cheers, folks.

Pipe Used: Stanwell 140&244

Age When Smoked: Fresh

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	kcpipedpiper (9)	2022-05-24		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

This is a very enjoyable blend. My kind of virginias. My kind of VaPer. Certainly a lovely overall experience.

Opening the tin. Long flakes. A lot of dark virginias as described. The cavendish is plenty visible. The perique sprinkled lightly. Not many flakes like this in appearance. Stonehaven is similar in length only. A little on the damp side. Needed to dry out quit a while.

Tin note is pleasent. Mostly virginias by scent. Sweet...sour. Faint spice. Inviting.

The smoke is smooth. Thick clouds. You can really get this rolling once lit if you puff hard(why you would want to?). Nice dense smoke. Up front dark fruits and hay flavor. Almost floral if chewed. And if continually chewed almost a sugar cookie hidden in the back ground...really wonderful. Dont get me wrong...clearly no topping/flavoring though. Just very sweet, delicious virginias. The perique is present but not quit as much as say Escudo(i do love thee). Definitely present in the retro for sure. Can feel a smooth, sometime pleasently sharp bite at the back of the nasal cavity. I usually get a good sneeze in at the beginning of this smoke after my initial retrohales. Zero tongue bite. At any point. Worth the buy and celar if you choose to.

Not much to say about room note. As expected.

I highly recommend this tobacco. Its a gem in the Rattray lineup as are many of their blends(dark fragrant, red rapparee to name 2).

Pipe Used: Savinelli 2014 Collection

Age When Smoked: 2 years

Purchased From: www.smokingpipes.com

Similar Blends: Escudo navy deluxe..

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	O. D. Jones (25)	2021-06-24		Very Mild	Mild	Extremely Mild (Flat)	Unnoticeable

I've tried this folded, I've tried this cubed, I've tried this rubbed out somewhat and I've tried this rubbed out quite a bit, right out of the tin or dried out for a while... and I get absolutely nothing except warm air...certainly seems to be quality tobacco, it's beautifully presented, and has an interesting tin note of tobacco and juicy fruit gum...but, nothing. I don't even detect the Cavendish in this. Everybody's tastes are different and it does seem to be a genuinely quality tobacco, but it is one that does nothing for me. Giving it two stars because, in its own way, it's utter lack of any discernible notes is remarkable. Marlin Flake is certainly inoffensive, and it may be something that strikes somebody else's palate as just right for their pipe. In my big Nording, it would gurgle sporadically through the smoke. Didn't really get much nicotine out of it either, and the room note was equally bland.

Pipe Used: Nording and Peterson, Bruyere Superiore

Age When Smoked: freshly opened tin

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	WillBrown (137)	2021-01-21		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

I was really looking forward to this one. Unfortunately, not much good came out of this for me. I do not like the tobacco combos in this—I thought I would, but something went awry. Perhaps it was the overly sweet VA's combined with the Cavendish, I'm not sure. The perique didn't improve it, either. The snork wasn't too bad, but the sweetness couldn't be eliminated, too overpowering. Sadly, a bad taste formed in my mouth, both while smoking it, and after. Very displeasing. Just for the mildly interesting snork I'll give this one a grudging 2 stars.

Keep on pipin'

Purchased From: Edward's Pipe Shop, Denver, CO

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2019-03-02		Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Tolerable to Strong

NOTE: This review is based on a tin that was six years old with the beige colored label under my old handle when it was purchased back in 2011 & used to be one of my favorites. I read some good reviews on Marlin Flake from Rattray and gave it a try one warm autumn day, It possessed that typical musty, fermented aroma, dark flake strips clumped thereover, waiting patiently to serve an accomodating smoker, Like wee bacon slices packed within that precious and desirous, little round tin, anxious to be transformed into disappearing ghostly clouds of the hereafter, let us begin...

It burns & bites as much as Haddo's "Undelight." I dried a few grams over my computer vent, before stoking ol' Pete, consigned to VA/Per blends, After a relight I exhaled that VA/Per so sweet, Initially a wee bite on me tongue, but a bit later made its retreat, And mellowed out to render elation... a milder, subdued, nirvanic sensation, A change in character as it slowly morphed, facilitating contentment coming forth, beyond that realm so reminiscent, Obviously, quality leaf to some, so, enjoy another bowl, so numb you may become,

It had a satisfactory Vitamin N content, and offered up a fairly pleasant scent, willfully submitting to this revelation it became a mainstay in my regular rotation, Greedily garnishing the remnants of that lovely, little round tin tucked away therein my modest tobacco cellar bin, Sadly, there's a small congregation who woefully submit their resounding condemnation, Although rating one star is totally unfair and seems in extreme of critical observation for this fine leaf just beyond compare, Overall, I'm very pleased with Marlin Flake, and Old Gowrie and his pal, Hal cellared for future intake, For a Cav/VA/Per blend, it's really good stuff, that will take the edge off when you're feeling a little rough,

As some may be aware, Perique has a Chameleon like effect & in Marlin Flake right straight away I could detect that this blend had the peppery type affect, Depending on how it's mixed & what it's mixed with & how much is used, sometimes a fruity type flavor might tend to taste infused, Whatever the case, it's always a solid compliment & lends itself to be a fine condiment, Nowadays in all pipe blends I must confess, Acadian is always used as St. James nearly ran out of business, And there was simply not enough to meet the demand of blenders of the leaf using Perique to prevent a taste too bland, One thing I'll never understand & I'm not a discriminating young fellow & needless to say it wasn't my choice to change from the colored beige so mellow to that blinding, taxi cab yellow... they could have put on top, the TAXI noun, with black & white checkered squares all around, so one would know to signal for a stop,

Also, I must contend that much of the sweetness of flavor that once had been, seemed at the same time to have followed that trend, I've coughed up my two cents in this ongoing debate to impart my thoughts on this very fine flake, I might downgrade to three stars at a later date but for now, a solid four stars I deem it should rate! The mixture in the newer tins with the yellow labels feels a bit more sticky as it's being rubbed out & seems to have a little more bite & a little less sweetness. Fortunately, however, at about mid bowl the harshness and/or the peppery taste seems to subside somewhat. I think Rattray should alter this mix to tone the pepper down considerably & bring a little more VA & Cavendish sweetness back into the blend.

Anyway, I just feel this mixture was altered about the same time the label color changed. I know it's still a popular blend but I think it was much better way back then... around 15 years it's been. I'm going to alter this stuff a tad but will have to experiment a bit on that approach. My first trial will be to add a little more red Virginia in hopes of going back in time, as it were.

Addendum: I added & mixed about one third of Brunello Flake to this blend & toned it down considerably. It didn't bite so bad afterwards, smoked normally, tasted excellent, no more harshness/bite & not as much pepper from the perique. There's no need to have to age a tin of tobacco for three to five years & then have to be careful & only sip it to keep from getting bit. You buy a tin, it should be ready to smoke right then without all the nonsense involved... something akin to Solani's 660 Silver Flake. Now, that's a quality blend right out of the tin... only requires a little drying time.

Four stars for the older versions of MF & I honestly feel that for the reasons explained above, MF in these times only merits three stars tops until Rattray gets it right again... something has gone awry that should be dealt with by Kohlhase & Kopp. I know they could do better if they tried.

Pipe Used: Peterson Deluxe 9S/Cavicchi (C) Dublin

Age When Smoked: One 15 year old & one a year of age

Purchased From: Pipes & Cigars

Similar Blends: Haddo's Delight & other bite-like blends....

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2018-12-16		Medium	Very Mild	Medium to Full	Tolerable

NOTE: This review is based on a tin that was six years old with the beige colored label under my old handle when it was purchased back in 2011 .

I read some good reviews on Marlin Flake from Rattray and gave it a try one warm autumn day,

It possessed that typical musty, fermented aroma, dark flake strips clumped thereover, waiting patiently to serve an accomodating smoker,

Like wee bacon slices packed within that precious and desirous, little round tin, anxious to be transformed into disappearing ghostly clouds of the hereafter, let us begin,

I dried a few grams over my computer vent, before stoking ol' Pete, consigned to VA/Per blends, After a relight I exhaled that VA/Per so sweet, Initially a wee bite on me tongue, but a bit later made its retreat,

And mellowed out to render elation... a milder, subdued, nirvanic sensation, A change in character as it slowly morphed, facilitating contentment coming forth, beyond that realm so reminiscent, Obviously, quality leaf to some, so, enjoy another bowl, so numb you may become,

It had a satisfactory Vitamin N content, and offered up a fairly pleasant scent, willfully submitting to this revelation it became a mainstay in my regular rotation,

Greedily garnishing the remnants of that lovely, little round tin tucked away therein my modest tobacco cellar bin,

Sadly, there's a small congregation who woefully submit their resounding condemnation, Although rating one star is totally unfair and seems in extreme of critical observation for this fine leaf just beyond compare,

Overall, I'm very pleased with Marlin Flake, and Old Gowrie and his pal, Hal cellared for future intake, For a Cav/VA/Per blend, it's really good stuff, that will take the edge off when you're feeling a little rough,

As some may be aware, Perique has a Chameleon like effect & in Marlin Flake right straight away I could detect that this blend had the peppery type affect, Depending on how it's mixed & what it's mixed with & how much is used, sometimes a fruity type flavor might tend to taste infused,

Whatever the case, it's always a solid compliment & lends itself to be a fine condiment, Nowadays in all pipe blends I must confess, Acadian is always used as St. James nearly ran out of business, And there was simply not enough to meet the demand of blenders of the leaf using Perique to prevent a taste too bland,

One thing I'll never understand & I'm not a discriminating young fellow & needless to say it wasn't my choice to change from the colored beige so mellow to that blinding, taxi cab yellow... they could have put on top, the TAXI noun, with black & white checkered squares all around, so one would know to signal for a stop,

Also, I must contend that much of the sweetness of flavor that once had been, seemed at the same time to have followed that trend,

I've coughed up my two cents in this ongoing debate to impart my thoughts on this very fine flake, I might downgrade to three stars at a later date but for now, a solid four stars I deem it should rate!

The mixture in the newer tins with the yellow labels feels a bit more sticky as it's being rubbed out & seems to have a little more bite & a little less sweetness. Fortunately, however, at about mid bowl the harshness and/or the peppery taste seems to subside somewhat. I think Rattray should alter this mix to tone the pepper down considerably & bring a little more VA & Cavendish sweetness back into the blend. Anyway, I just feel this mixture was altered about the same time the label color changed. I know it's still a popular blend but I think it was much better way back then... around 15 years it's been. I'm going to alter this stuff a tad but will have to experiment a bit on that approach. My first trial will be to add a little more red Virginia in hopes of going back in time, as it were.

Addendum: I added & mixed about one third of Brunello Flake to this blend & toned it down considerably. It didn't bite so bad afterwards, smoked normally, tasted excellent, no more harshness/bite & not as much pepper from the perique. There's no need to have to age a tin of tobacco for three to five years & then have to be careful & only sip it to keep from getting bit. You buy a tin, it should be ready to smoke right then without all the nonsense involved... something akin to Solani's 660 Silver Flake. Now, that's a quality blend right out of the tin... only requires a little drying time. Four stars for the older versions of MF & I honestly feel that for the reasons explained above, MF in these times only merits three stars tops until Rattray gets it right again... something has gone awry that should be dealt with by Kohlhase & Kopp. I know they could do better if they tried.

Pipe Used: Peterson Deluxe 9S/Cavicchi (C) Dublin

Age When Smoked: One 15 year old & one a year of age

Purchased From: Pipes & Cigars

Similar Blends: Haddo's Delight...

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	ATW (110)	2015-12-16		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

This is a re review of a tin I purchased in 2015. Initially I was drawn to this blend due to its baked goods-like aroma and the coffee/cocoa flavor that complimented the Virginia well. After I came down to the last 2 flakes, I tossed them. This blend for me is only good fresh. All of the qualities dissipated after the first week, leaving me with nothing but hot air. It was good a first but it died fast.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2015-11-11		Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Sweet and round flavours, perique is noticeable. Because these flakes are way to moist, I rubbed them out and put the tobacco for a short blitz in a food processor. After a couple of days the tobacco was dry enough to be enjoyed without biting. Will buy again.

Pipe Used: Peterson Ashford, Stanwell de Luxe 75

Purchased From: local shop

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2013-08-11		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Yes sir, real great flake enjoy it very much will be buying more.

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2013-04-08		Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I have been smoking the Rattray blends since the early seventies. They have for sure changed, but this is still a very nice smoke. I dry it about 45 min. and have no trouble lighting it or keeping it lit. I consider it medium in body and strength. Almost borders on being too sweet to me. It has an added flavored sweetener that tastes like caramel to me, but others think it is something else. The other two of the "big three" are less sweet, and I prefer them, but this one isn't bad either.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2013-04-06		Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is one fine tobacco that I have consistently smoked and enjoyed over the past years. I enjoy prepping this blend using my "sweetleaf" tobacco grinder. The flakes are just as described by previous reviewers. Dark, rich, molasses and figs. A little thicker than most flakes I tried it rubs out well using my grinder. I feel I'm getting the most out of this tobacco using this method. I'll grind out a nice little bit for future bowls and keep it in a little sealed container to have on hand ready to go. My pipe of choice for Marlin Flake is my Preben Holm Deluxe. Upon lighting you get a subtle sweetness with the strength of a Virginia. The perique hides in the background barely noticeable. This is a good thing if your new to vaper's. It will introduce you to perique without overwhelming you. Nothing else to say but a very nice flavorful smoke with a good nic content. This is number one in my rotation. I do find this blend increasingly hard to find. I can find Old Gowrie and Hal O' The Wynd all day but had trouble finding Marlin Flake. Found some on jrcigars.com and bought a few tins to keep in my cellar. Four stars all day.

Makin' my wife rich one bowl at a time...

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2013-03-08		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

No need to discuss this blend in any detail.....it has all been said before. I love the taste...elusive sweetness that comes and goes as the smoke progresses...wonderful tobacco.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2012-04-15		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

Extremely similar to old gowrie. Both are very sweet and dried fruit-y. This one has a noticeable black cavendish flavor.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2011-12-12		Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Not much more can be said about this blend. Classic. Old world style tobacco. Genuine.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2011-10-16		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Marlin Flake was the second "Va" tobacco I tried when expanding away from only aros several years ago. Now that I'm a bit more of an experienced smoker, it still manages to hold a soft spot in my heart.

I love the presentation in the 100g tin- Long, lovely flakes that you can do what you will with- rub out, stuff, whatever you like. Some dry time from a fresh tin is an absolute must- This can bite when not dried properly. Normally that would lose this tobacco some points but once tried it behaves beautifully, smokes wonderfully, tastes amazing, and smells pleasant.

2 years ago I may not have detected the black cavendish. I do now, and I appreciate what it adds to this blend.

The perique adds just the right amount of pepper and spice.

And the virginias... spectacularly done!

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