TOM July 07 Rattray's Marlin Flake

[kheffelf]

Just getting this one ready, I know I have a tin of this stuff thanks to Greg. Like stated before this is the place to put your reviews for the TOM of July. Thanks for participating.

[IHT]

yup, i almost popped my tin tonight, was thinking about that already...

[DubintheDam]

Don't make me pop my tin of Merlin Flake, that is an order, "I am saving it", "I have just popped a tin of Solani 799". if any of you start doing awesome reviews on Merlin Flake, I will have to pop mine too. Can't you all just pretend it's crap, and then, like in two months, do a great review on it, and then I can pop my tin ("WHICH DUBINTHEDAM IS SAVING FOR A SPECIAL OCCASSION") ! Then you all won't have screwed up the BIG PLAN.....OK....get it....please!

"I willl noot opepen tin........muusst try haarder--------

[IHT]

dub, we attempt to have a poll every couple months for the "tobacco of the month" that we all will try to review. just so happens that July is Marlin Flake month. you don't have to participate if you don't want to. a few months back it was Christmas Cheer, i didn't open any of my tins that month either...

but i can't wait to open up mine.

[DubintheDam]

just having a laugh, but with a bit of a point also, it's going to be hard NOT to pop the tin, time will tell. Looking forward to the review though.

[DubintheDam]

Its july and my tin is still unpopped. I await first review from some splendid ape with eagerness.

[IHT]

just got home around 1:30am this morning... got my mail from the PO, and there was a box from bonggoy (our trade), and in it is a tin of Marlin Flake... it's sitting next to me, and i'm about to open it so i can have a bowl later (since NOBODY else is doing this).

just popped the top, it looks great, small hints of raisins (as usual for a rattray VA)....
can't wait.

[IHT]

Place & Date = deck, 11Jul07
Tobacco = Rattray's Marline Flake
Type = flake
Cut Width = thick
Cut Length = long
Ingredients = "Flue Cured Virginia"

Evaluated Aspects scale of 0-4:
Appearance (package): 4 - the package looked like a standard yellow rattrays 100g tin - which is great, cuz you know you're in for a treat...
Appearance (tobacco): 4 - the flake is just 1 gigantic flake rolled and stuffed into a 100g tin/tub. was very dark with just a few strips of bright tobac mixed in - perfect thickness a well. like a giant "fruit roll-up" stuffed in a tin - roll it out and cut how much you want.
Condition (humidity level): 3 - i just popped the tin, so a little moist. i let it sit, rubbed out, under a fan - high humidity this time of year in KC, it would never dry out in the house unless it had a fan blowing on it.
Smell: 4
Packing (easy to difficult): 4 - easy, you can fully rub it out, roll & stuff, rub/roll/stuff, whatever.
Lighting (easy to difficult): 3 - only because it was still moist from initially opening the tin. had to re-light a couple times, could be from me talking too much to my neighbor as well.
Taste (beginning): 3 - lightly tangy VAs, and what seemed like a backdrop of light burley to give it a smokey flavor, but it's not on the ingredients list.
Aroma (beginning): 4 - it has to be terrific.
Taste (halfway): 3 - no bite, no harshness, just lite/tangy VAs with a hint of smokeyness in the background. not nearly as "sweet" as SG FVF, and different from other Rattrays i've had. very good stuff if you're in the mood for a light VA.
Aroma (halfway): 4
Taste (end): 3 - same as above.
Aroma (end): 4 - same as above.
Consistency of taste: 4 - right on, dude.
Consistency of aroma: 4
Combustion: 4 - once going, it stays going, like all Rattrays i have had.
Humidity during smoke: 4 - although i just opened it, i smoked the entire large bowl while with a neighbor and then BBQ-ing. when the ash was dumped out, minimal moisture in the bottom of the bowl. didn't gurgle either.
Tongue irritations: 4 - none.
Throat irritation: 4 - ??? none.
Stomach irritation: 4 - ??? again, never heard of this.
Satisfaction of smoke: 4 - could be because all i've had the past week is Dunhill deluxe navy rolls, but this hit the spot. i may have to have another bowl tonight.
After-taste: 3 - solid.
Smell to others (around you): 4 - i can only assume, it's a pipe, and it's VAs, gotta smell nice, unless they're a nazi.
quality-price rapport: 4 - top notch in quality, made by Kohlhase & Kopp, and very easy on the wallet if bought online.

Impressionistic Evaluation (choose one):
__this is one of the best... blah, blah, blah.... (8 pts)
_X_i wouldn't mind paying for it... blah, blah, blah.... (6 pts)
__only if someone gave me a tin, etc (4 pts)
__i don't like it, but can understand other may (2 pts)
__one of the worst tobacs i've ever smoked (0 pts)

TOTAL SCORE OUT OF 100: 92!! (but check my math)

my own BS comments freeform style: different from Old Gowrie and Hal O' the Wynd, but still total quality tobacco from K&K (who makes these blends for Rattray). freshly opened tin, no bite, no harshness, not overly moist/dry, just needed a little bit o' drying time. flavor is hard to describe over an hour later, didn't have this review in my mind at the time, was talking about work... it did remind me a bit of having some burley in the background, both in flavor and tin aroma, with that lite smokeyness. not bad at all.
i know it scored a 92, but some of those points are from BS ratings that don't need to be on the scale... yes, very good tobacco, quality stuff, you won't get nose burn, tongue bite (unless you puff like crazy), and the flavor is good, but i've still got a hung jury on if it's that good of a flavor. i would buy more tins of this, yes.

[IHT]

i had some more in my new (to me) Pipa Croci "ballsack" pipe on the way to work today. for some reason, maybe because i was dreading going into work, it tasted a bit bitter, with some bite... not the same smooth tobac i had the night prior.

only smoked half that bowl in the morn'. after work i knocked out the remaining ash, tamped, fired da biatch back up on the drive home. was nice and smooth and very similar to last nights episode...
could just be the difference in pipes right now. the leonardo da vinci is well broken in and one of my best smokers.

[IHT]

i think mine is still a little too moist, but it still smokes well.
those that don't like really tangy and nearly tongue irritating VAs may not want to smoke a young tin of this. makes me wonder what a few years of age would do to this stuff.

i may have to take a photo of how it's presented in the 100g tins. reminds me of a fruit roll-up. just 1 loooong flake, beautiful flake at that. get out yer scissors, cut off a few chunks, fold/stuff, or rub and pack.

nice flavor, seems like it has some burley adding to the 'smokey' flavor/aroma... not as sweet as i remember HoTW or OG though.

[kheffelf]

I have smoked two bowls of this stuff now. It is very moist out of the tin, I didn't let it dry out before smoking but the other problem I had with it was lighting it at the beginning, after I got it going it was great. I got a very Tangy VA taste the whole way through. It didn't have any bite to it and stayed dry in the bowl for being pretty wet when I packed it. I enjoy the tobacco not sure if I would buy it again or not. I do think this stuff would benefit with a little more aging.

[Alpedhuez55]

Well, I think I get the Pipe Forum Purple Heart for this review. I sliced my thumb up a bit opening the tin. But the tin scent remined my a little of the 2002 Christmas Cheer. It had that fruity raisin kind of scent, but more an undertone than the strong scent of the Cheer.

I was pretty impressed by this. Like IHT said, it was pretty much a giant Fruit Roll Up. I have smoked two bowls so far and enjoyed both very much. It was a little moist and I did not give it any chance to dry out. But I was not penalized for it. There was no bite or gurgling. The tin note was nice. The flavor was slightly sweet and slightly tangy. The second bowl I had a little trouble keeping lit, but the first one was fine.

All in all, I like this blend a lot. I will buy some more tins for sure. I think some age in these would help a bit. I will grab a few more at some point and put them away for a bit.

[IHT]

i've been smoking it about every other day now. once it gets going, it gets going (duh).
plenty of nice VA flavor, plenty of smoke, easy to pack/light, etc.

i like it enough to buy more. matter of fact, i almost bought more from a B&M down in KC where i got some more butane and corona flints... decided i'd rather buy online and save 50%. <--- if they ever want to know WHY ppl don't buy from them anymore, they should lower their prices 20%. in store pricing is assinine. why pay double? even if you get hit with an $8 shipping charge, it's still cheaper to buy 1 single tin online than in a local shop.
make it a little more fiscally sensible for ppl to even want to buy at the B&M, and they will.

[IHT]

only a little more than 24 hrs to get your review in...
y'know, the 10+ that voted on this chit that are too to type up a quick review.

's = BOK-BOK!!

[IHT]

alrighty, you lame-o's.
way to chip in and help the cause.

i smoked another large bowl last night, with barely being able to light the tobacco with cheapy hotel matches, it still took off and didn't stop until the bottom of the bowl.
great stuff.