Rattary's Marlin Flake

[-R.]

Can anyone say for certain is Marlin Flake has perique in it or not? I've seen it described as being pure Virginia to a VaPer to a Va/Cav/Per blend.

Either way, if future bowls hold up to the first that I had last night, I think I might have to stock up.

 

[Kapnismologist]

According to its current manufacturer (K&K), Marlin Flake is:

Dieser dunkle Flake setzt sich zusammen aus Dark Virginia, tiefschwarzem Cavendish und einem Hauch Perique.

(translation: this dark flake is comprised of dark Virginia, rich black Cavendish and a touch of Perique).

For this, and the manufacturer descriptions the entire Rattray's line, see here:

http://www.kohlhase-tobacco.com/site/index.php?id=158

If you have trouble with German, just plug the URL into Google Translate and you'll get a good approximation.

Enjoy.

 

[PipePuffer]

Funny thing, I just had my first bowl of the stuff this evening. I couldn't detect the perique personally, but it could be because of the tongue bite this tobacco gave me on first light.... Otherwise I really liked the flavor.

 

[-R.]

I couldn't detect the perique either, though taking a sniff at the tin right now I can smell the fig note that I've come to associate with blends containing perique.

Can't say that I experienced any tongue bite, but I was being very, very gentle with it after having been socked in the gut by Solani 633 the other night. (Note to self: Smoke new tobaccos very, very slowly and eat something beforehand.)

 

[Smokntaz]

I don't get any perique and it's becoming a fast favorite of mine!

 

[fishnrust]

According to its current manufacturer (K&K), Marlin Flake is:

Dieser dunkle Flake setzt sich zusammen aus Dark Virginia, tiefschwarzem Cavendish und einem Hauch Perique.

(translation: this dark flake is comprised of dark Virginia, rich black Cavendish and a touch of Perique).

For this, and the manufacturer descriptions the entire Rattray's line, see here:

http://www.kohlhase-tobacco.com/site/index.php?id=158

If you have trouble with German, just plug the URL into Google Translate and you'll get a good approximation.

Enjoy.

Thanks for the link, Kap. Odd, they blend several of the Wessex Brigade series, but they were not listed. Oh well.

I had to travel from Vegas to Orange County yesterday. I pack four of my viginia pipe but forgot to put the tobacco in the case. It was a long drive. When I arrive in OC, I immediately starting calling around looking for a quality tobacco shop. The first "cigar" shop I called said he carried Top's & Drum. The second cigar shop said he had captain black. I said quality people, but I am sure they had a fine collection of zigzags and glass pipes.....

Finally found a tinderbox who has one tin of Marlin Flake. Whew! Just finished my 2nd bowl and I like it!

 

[Mr_Houston]

Yes, it does. However, it is such a small amount that it is unrecognizable to most as perique. Its just part of the flavoring

 

[innovador]

Same here. I couldnt detect the perique either. Anyway, the quality of the Virginia tobacco make it one of my favorite smokes.

 

[Rusty]

Odd, they blend several of the Wessex Brigade series, but they were not listed.

This is an interesting comment. I think it's true that KK makes the Wessex brand tobaccos. And this highlights a side of the industry of which we often have little awareness. It's the business of brands & trademarks, distributor rights etc.

Kohlhase & Kopp is a manufacturer but they are also a German distributor. And it's the distributor that we're seeing on their website. And the hint is the presence of Sam Gawith in the list of pipe tobaccos. They distribute them all in Germany only. And the Wessex tobaccos are not among them hence they're missing on the list. They manufacture Wessex tobaccos for somebody else.

The Wessex brand tobaccos were, for a long time, Alan Schwartz' of XYZ Direct before he sold it recently along with the rest of the biz to Arango another American distributor. While XYZ owned the Wessex brand tobaccos they did not license K&K to distribute them in Germany.

When Orlik was only 50% STG they had a separate existence and an interesting website. The Danish side of Orlik's site reflected their Danish distributor biz so we saw Dunhill's and other brands that are not owned by Orlik in addition to their own. The English side of the website was their manufacturing biz and in particular for the brands they owned and sold to distributors in other countries. Of course they (and now STG) is a specialist offering tobacco manufacturing services to other companies. But that biz was mentioned in their press releases.

K&K chooses not to show the manufacturing biz on their website because there is no English site whose audience would be the distributors in other countries that would buy the brands that K&K manufacturers and owns.

And the other side of this is the frustration it causes pipe smokers across the pond. Brands that have only a US distribution are not available in shops in Europe and the UK even though they may be manufactured across the pond.

 

[Harlock999]

Odd, they blend several of the Wessex Brigade series, but they were not listed.

This is an interesting comment. I think it's true that KK makes the Wessex brand tobaccos. And this highlights a side of the industry of which we often have little awareness. It's the business of brands & trademarks, distributor rights etc.

Kohlhase & Kopp is a manufacturer but they are also a German distributor. And it's the distributor that we're seeing on their website. And the hint is the presence of Sam Gawith in the list of pipe tobaccos. They distribute them all in Germany only. And the Wessex tobaccos are not among them hence they're missing on the list. They manufacture Wessex tobaccos for somebody else.

The Wessex brand tobaccos were, for a long time, Alan Schwartz' of XYZ Direct before he sold it recently along with the rest of the biz to Arango another American distributor. While XYZ owned the Wessex brand tobaccos they did not license K&K to distribute them in Germany.

When Orlik was only 50% STG they had a separate existence and an interesting website. The Danish side of Orlik's site reflected their Danish distributor biz so we saw Dunhill's and other brands that are not owned by Orlik in addition to their own. The English side of the website was their manufacturing biz and in particular for the brands they owned and sold to distributors in other countries. Of course they (and now STG) is a specialist offering tobacco manufacturing services to other companies. But that biz was mentioned in their press releases.

K&K chooses not to show the manufacturing biz on their website because there is no English site whose audience would be the distributors in other countries that would buy the brands that K&K manufacturers and owns.

And the other side of this is the frustration it causes pipe smokers across the pond. Brands that have only a US distribution are not available in shops in Europe and the UK even though they may be manufactured across the pond.

I just can't keep track.

 

[onabullit]

I got a tin of Marlin from 2003 waiting to be cracked. I'll let you know how it ages once it hits the 10 year mark.

 

[PipePuffer]

I have smoked several more bowls of Marlin Flake and I really enjoy it (the tongue bite is not a problem anymore). The tin I am smoking from is about 7 years old I believe and this baccy seems to age pretty well.

 

[Natch]

I got a tin of Marlin from 2003 waiting to be cracked. I'll let you know how it ages once it hits the 10 year mark.

It will be worth the wait! I jarred up several pounds of Marlin Flake and Old Gowire in 1999, just before the "end of the world", and managed to not touch them until the fall of 2009. Now I've still got over a pound of each with over 11 years on them and the Marlin Flake is just fantastic. Oddly enough, the OG got much better, but the MF went through a reincarnation into the tastiest, smoothest Va blend I think I've ever smoked. Under 5 years, I prefer OG, but past that, I think the MF really takes the lead.

Natch

 

[scottbtdmb]

I got a tin of Marlin from 2003 waiting to be cracked. I'll let you know how it ages once it hits the 10 year mark.

It will be worth the wait! I jarred up several pounds of Marlin Flake and Old Gowire in 1999, just before the "end of the world", and managed to not touch them until the fall of 2009. Now I've still got over a pound of each with over 11 years on them and the Marlin Flake is just fantastic. Oddly enough, the OG got much better, but the MF went through a reincarnation into the tastiest, smoothest Va blend I think I've ever smoked. Under 5 years, I prefer OG, but past that, I think the MF really takes the lead.

Natch

Yeah didn't you trade a bunch of 1999 OG & MF to some schmuck on here? Haha, I still haven't touched either, but I find myself daydreaming about how good they will be every time I sit in my smoking room.

 

[sand18f]

We'll I've smoked a significant amount of MF and would have never guessed that it contained perique. :shock:
The Marlin Flake, HoW and OG that was blended "by" Rattray's are in my personal top five. Of course the K&K editions will do in a pinch.
Do you guy's / ya'll approve of the bulk issues?

Thanks

Bill