Stirling Flake == Irish Flake?

[--dante--]

Irish Flake used to be one of my staple tobaccos back around '05 to '15 or so. I stopped smoking pipes for a long time and have in the past year happily gotten back into it. I tried the Irish Flake of today, and it seemed "off". I don't have the most sophisticated palate for pipe tobaccos, but I smoked enough Irish Flake back then that I know it's definitely not quite it.

I looked into it, and found some postings stating that Irish Flake today is a bit different, at least in proportions of ingredients,
and that Rattray's Stirling Flake is in fact the original recipe for Irish Flake (of course they had to use a different name).

I decided to try it. My tin came in, and I must say I believe Stirling Flake _is_ the older Irish Flake I was so enamored with. Can anyone here confirm or refute that? Even if it's not the old recipe, I can certainly say it's going to be my new "Irish Flake".

 

[chilllucky]

I was told by a reputable source (tobacconist at Iwan Ries) that it is and it isn't. Stirling flake is made by one of the many houses that at one time or another produced blends for Peterson. When they lost the contract (or gave it up, I don't know how it ended) they developed Stirling flake and I think Wallace flake also to be just different enough from the Peterson recipes that there wouldn't be any trouble.

 

[--dante--]

I was told by a reputable source (tobacconist at Iwan Ries) that it is and it isn't. Stirling flake is made by one of the many houses that at one time or another produced blends for Peterson. When they lost the contract (or gave it up, I don't know how it ended) they developed Stirling flake and I think Wallace flake also to be just different enough from the Peterson recipes that there wouldn't be any trouble.

Interesting. So do you know if Stirling Flake was already being produced contemporary to Irish Flake? Stirling Flake is now a Rattray's branded offering so we have a bit of a rabbit hole of course. Such is the current state of tobacco offerings as everything is consolidating into a few producers/distributors.

It seems to me that perhaps they (Rattray) continued the original Irish Flake and the "Peterson" recipe is different. Regardless, I believe the current Rattray is as close as you could come to the original, despite the branding.

.

 

[chilllucky]

What I gleaned from the clerk was that they were not made at the same time, but that Wallace and Stirling flakes were introduced after Rattray's stopped making University and Irish flakes for Peterson.

 

[Sobrbiker]

Click here:

Rattray’s and Peterson :: Pipe Tobacco Discussion

I read somewhere that Rattrays and Peterson are clones? Peterson CC and Rattrays rower bridge for example is the same recipe! Anyone’s how knows?

pipesmagazine.com

 

[Terry Lennox]

K&K in Germany used to make the Peterson blends but the contract moved over to STG in Denmark and K&K developed the Rattray's flakes to be replacements. So they should be quite similar to the old flakes you remember.

 

[--dante--]

Click here:

Rattray’s and Peterson :: Pipe Tobacco Discussion

I read somewhere that Rattrays and Peterson are clones? Peterson CC and Rattrays rower bridge for example is the same recipe! Anyone’s how knows?

pipesmagazine.com

Well now I have to get Wallace Flake too! Thanks

 

[kcghost]

I wouldn't worry about it too much. Things like this occasionally happen and most are just a coincidence.

 

[LongIslandPiper]

I was told by a reputable source (tobacconist at Iwan Ries) that it is and it isn't. Stirling flake is made by one of the many houses that at one time or another produced blends for Peterson. When they lost the contract (or gave it up, I don't know how it ended) they developed Stirling flake and I think Wallace flake also to be just different enough from the Peterson recipes that there wouldn't be any trouble.

I concur with this and have heard the same from another tobacco distributor