Another Take on Marlin Flake

Let me start this off by saying that if you haven't read rothnh's excellent review of Marlin Flake, you should do yourself a favor and check it out right here.
The flake presentation is beautiful and this stuff is QUITE moist out of the tin, I had to measure out a bowl and dry it for a good few hours if left in the open air for it to finally be manageable. In terms of flavor, Marlin Flake is a strange beast. The Virginia leaf in this blend is of very high quality and gives the blend a great golden wheat/honey sweetness type of flavor, but the Cavendish in the blend mellows things out a bit, and Im guessing the percent of Cavendish in this blend is higher than most Virginias, and one you get the bowl going and that initial sweetness dissipates, this blend gets very mellow, almost a little too mellow for my liking. The Virginia flavor kind of slips in and out of the bowl. I can usually taste it most when Im relighting, a wonderful combination of honey, raisins, and an almost maple type sweetness. I could be wrong on this, and Im just speculating here, but given the amount of Cavendish and the aroma and feel of this blend, I would almost suspect that it is topped with something, something sweet and maybe slightly acidic. The blend does burn very well if dried properly, and what really surprised me was how smooth this blend was, no rough edge or harshness to be found. In the end, I think Marlin Flake almost appeals to a niche market. Is not quite as bold and sweet as I like most of my Virginias to be, but its presentation and components may not appeal to hardcore aromatic smokers. That being said, if you are an aromatic smoker looking to venture out into more "straight" tobaccos, Marlin Flake is the perfect transition. Definitely one of the more unique smokes I've tried in three years of piping, and its not something Id smoke every day, but it is a nice treat that is easy burning with unique flavor.

I definitely agree there is something "toasty" about it, maybe not coconut, I was almost thinking like toasted Walnuts. Glad to see Im not the only one that feels this way about MF.

except for the "aromatic" part, in that I don't feel MF is an aromatic, but I can see how it could "work," as you state, for someone who smokes aromatics, MF could be a crossover of sorts

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I dont really feel that Marlin Flake is a full on aromatic, far from it in fact, but its just more aromatic than Im used to a Virginia blend being and it kind of took me off guard. If I had to categorize it to someone, it would almost be a Virginia/aromatic crossover, just like you stated above. I was expecting something similar in flavor profile to Hamborger Veermaster or F&T Special Brown Flake. This is nothing like either of those, but a very good smoke in its own right.

An update: Ive been smoking this stuff exclusively for the last two days, and the more I smoke it the more I like it. If I had to describe this tobacco in one word it would be "pleasant". Pleasant can aroma, pleasant presentation, pleasant burning qualities and pleasant flavor and aroma. This stuff needs to be dried more than most and I rub it out a little more fine than most flakes, but this stuff is kind of an acquired taste that I can see myself getting a strong craving for from time to time. Also of note, a cup of strong black coffee with this blend is heaven on Earth. Really great stuff.