Marlin Flake vs Old Gowrie vs HOTW

[thomasmartin]

Could someone describe the differences between these thre Rattray blends to me. Which one shall I try first?

 

[carytobacco]

Part of it will depend on how you like your tobacco prepped/packed. Marlin Flake is a flake (obviously). Old Gowrie, broken flake. HOTW, ready rubbed.
Personally, in terms of taste, I would rank them:
1) Old Gowrie

2) Marlin Flake

3) HOTW

 

[andrew]

I've tried Marlin flake and Ol Gowrie, they're totally different so I would expect HOTW to be as well. Ol Gowrie is more grassy and hay like with sweetness, I love it, where Marlin Flake is darker, more rich, and a bit stronger, but Ol Gowrie has more nicotine imo. Ol Gowrie I find has a good amount of Nic so I wouldn't start my day with it. I would recommend OG if you're asking for one.

 

[jackswilling]

I have only tried Old Gowrie which I love. Here is what Pipestud said on Tobacco Review in his Old Gowrie review:
"If you want a distinctly rich, yet mellow Virginia taste with no bite, Old Gowrie is a great choice for an all day smoke. If I may compare OG to other Rattray's Virginia offerings; it is not at all tangy or bitey like Marlin Flake, not quite as strong as Hal O The Wynd, and not as one dimensional as Brown Clunee. A delightful and a stand alone Virginia -- I must get a dozen or so tins of this stuff for my cellar!"

 

[newbroom]

I personally did not find Marlin flake to be tangy or bitey. Can't speak to the others, but Marlin Flake is one of the very finest flakes and blends I've smoked.

 

[delkhouri]

There is a natural Perique tang to Marlin flake but it is not as Perique forward as some blends. It is a rather pleasant tang. I also found that Marlin can bite if it is too moist or you smoke it too fast. That being said, it has a lot of flavor that I personally love. While I like both, MF is a bit richer/fuller/sweeter/more flavorful than OG. Marlin Flake is a top 5 tobacco for me.

 

[owen]

Old gowrie I found a bit too simple after Marlin Flake. Much more of an easy puff but notvreally one to savour.

 

[thomasmartin]

Is there really black cavendish in Marlin Flake as is stated on tobaccoreviews.com?

 

[styler]

I've recently been testing out all 3 and they are all quality tobaccos depending on what you are looking for. I'm not an advanced reviewer of tobaccos but for me, Marlin Flake wins. As other have said, the flavour is richer and you get a very balanced dose of perique.

 

[ember]

I have not tried anything on your list but Marlin Flake and I have to say it was very good . Had a nice consistent sweet taste. I had not bite with it either

Higly recommend it

 

[lochinvar]

My suggestion is to try Old Gowrie first, then Marlin Flake, and Hal o' th' Wynd last. To me, Old Gowrie is more subdued, dark and grassy, mellow and sweet (but not too sweet), while Marlin Flake is dark, tangy, a lot less grassy, and sweeter. As yet, HOTW and I have never really hit it off the way I have with the other two. To me, it's sweeter than MF, but also tangy to the point of being sharp to the palate, and burns hotter than the others. It has been a few years since I popped a tin of HOTW, perhaps it's time to revisit.

 

[newfie]

Seems HOTW stands a distant 3rd of the 3.
Just curious if anyone cellars all 3 in quantity?

 

[thomasmartin]

I bought a tin of MF and had a wonderful smoke of it. I smoke English blends mainly and have limited experience with VA blends but if it can get any better than this my English blends will have a hard time.

 

[Perique]

Good comments.
I would classify Marlin as (naturally) sweet, HotW as strong, and OG somewhere in the middle.
My favorite of the three is by far Marlin Flake. A fantastic, stewed fruit VaPer with some natural cavendish to round out the taste. It's among my favorite of all blends.

 

[seacaptain]

Yep, I just tried Marlin Flake recently, it immediately became one of my favorites.