Rattray Marlin Flake (British Collection)

Marlin Flake is a Virginia, black Cavendish, and Perique blend in Rattray's British Collection line. It is cut into long slices, coiled, and tinned; the dark, mottled colors in the cross-section show the high Cavendish proportion. In the tin note, Cavendish's tangy sweetness comes forward in place of Virginia. The slices are brittle, but the first light and burn throughout the smoke are trouble-free; it leaves a clean gray ash. In the first half of the smoke, Cavendish sweetness dominates; past the midpoint Virginia becomes pronounced and Perique's black-pepper-like bitter edge kicks in. Being prone to moisture, it calls for slow smoking. Strength ranges between light and medium. The Rattray name draws on the Scottish pipe-tobacco tradition; the brand's tobaccos are produced today in Germany.