The moisture content of the slices was just right for me. The flakes felt solid with just the right amount of moisture. I checked out the Mac Baren website and read the notes on loading this tobacco (just in case they had some tips). I went with their recommendation for folding length-wise and then folding again. I loaded this into a Peterson’s Kapet with standard bit. I accidently packed the first bowl too tightly and was immediately hit with tongue bite. About ½ way through the bowl I was about to give up and then realized what was happening. I used my trusty pipe tool spike and loosened without putting out my bowl – what an immediate difference! The rest of the bowl was excellent. The taste and smell was difficult to describe – good but I could not put my finger on how to describe it. I decided that this is a good trait. Most likely the best way to describe a pipe tobacco to another smoker is to say: “here, try a bowl”! Even though I could not describe the taste, I knew I liked this tobacco by the bottom of the first bowl. After the second bowl I am convinced. Hard to say much about the room note as I smoke in my workshop and there is generally no one there to ask. MB has this tobacco listed as a 3 on their strength scale, but it does not seem as strong as Burley London Blend to me. Both smoke and taste are even throughout the bowl, and leaves only an even, light ash. The scent from this tobacco did not permeate my clothes as strongly as the Burley does. The slight sweet taste and smell is a welcome addition to the burley taste/smell.

I smoked both bowls about 1/4 of the way down and then lightly tamped and re-lit. I was able to smoke the rest of the bowl without a re-light. I enjoyed this smoke and intend to keep this in my regular rotation. I recommend this tobacco highly. I would not smoke this one as a morning smoke with coffee and would not smoke it all day, but do like it for a change from my standard.

Popped the tin to find a very nice gold wrapping that contained VERY bright coloured and quite dry flakes. Smell from the tin immeadiately reminded me of Gold Block...

If I'm honest I found it smoked and tasted like MB's Vanilla Cream, apart from you had a honey aroma instead of a vanilla one..

I think people who don't smoke Gold Block anymore (in case someone finds out that they do!) smoke this as a 'screen' to hide their shame of liking GB!! Which wasn't really that bad anyway..

Wasn't overly unpleasant.. Just typically Macbaren.

I prefer my flakes folded and stuffed, which assures a slower burn. Navy Flake is perfectly dry right from the tin and lights easily. Once lit, it continues to burn with minimal effort. I cant get this tobacco to bite even when I try. Take a nose whiff from the bowl and be amazed at the aroma - like baking cookies!

The flavor is nutty and quite sweet and little bit like figs. However you never forget that this is high quality leaf. There is a light rum taste, which I normally don't like in blends, but here it is tamed and interesting. The flavors are pretty consistent all the way through the bowl but get more "toasty" as you near the end. Wonderfully smooth and rich. Navy Flake is one of those tobaccos that I can always count on to give me a great smoke.

The flakes are also beautiful. Thin and with the perfect moisture level, it's the easiest to light and keep lit flake tobacco I've tried. In fact, thanks to its combustibility, Navy Flake is not much of a Navy Flake at all. I've smoked this mixture at sea and unless you put a cap to your pipe, you better get a big bowled pipe or you'll be smoking at deck for twenty minutes. Your pipe won't suffer thou, because no matter how fast it burns, it does it really cool.

I can no longer say all Mac Baren's bite beyond any pleasure they can provide. Navy Flake has entered my permanent rotation of tobaccos and it's there to stay.

This blend has the signature tin aroma of fruitiness like raisins or plums (and a hint of chocolate).

I prefer to smoke flakes like this fully-rubbed out, and that's how I've been smoking these. The flakes are firm and semi-brittle, and rub out nicely. They pack well this way, with easy lighting and an even burn throughout the bowl.

The flavors are mild and slightly sweet, but lack the honey and biscuit flavors found in Mixture Flake. It's still a nice, mild smoke that delivers a decent amount of nicotine without bringing weakness to the knees.

I certainly will finish this tin, although I'm undecided about restocking it, and I'm more inclined to favor Mixture Flake over it. Nevertheless, it's a good, high-quality 'baccy from McB, and I recommend it.

Little nuances in blends and smoking techniques that bring about varying results always interest me. I don't own any Peterson system pipes but perhaps I should! I liked this tobacco best when the smoke was directed at the roof of my mouth. I happened on this when the pipe I was smoking got too heavy for my jaw and I let it relax a bit. I tried the same thing with other tobaccos but so far none of them have shown as much variation in flavor with that than this one. Very interesting!

I tend to roll up the flake the long way and kinda stuff it in the bowl, which seems to burn pretty well all the way through.

The moisture content is not excessive, so it stays lit fairly easily.

This is a pleasing all day kind of smoke. Very enjoyable.

It takes some care to get lit. At least 2 charring lights, but on the third light it burns very evenly. You'll need to empty the ash a couple of times during the bowl as it is extremely fine and will therefore smother your burn, forcing you to relight. So far, by tending the ash carefully, the best I've done is a single relight about three quarters of the way into the bowl.

The taste is full, smoky, sweet, and very satisfying. You must smoke carefully as it, like all MacBaren blends I've tried so far, will bite you if you're too eager. The distinct taste of MacBaren's cavendish is noticeable throughout. The rum casing is most noticeable at the match, but quickly fades to meld flawlessly with the natural sweetness of the tobacco.

This blend is not what I like in the morning, not at all. But it's absolutely perfect in the evening, especially with a glass of whiskey. I've got a pipe dedicated only to this blend, until I find a better navy flake. To be clear: I love this stuff; but I am hoping that I'll find something a bit better. Perhaps one less prone to bite me, since I so enjoy it that I tend to suckle a bit greedily.

But before you get exited, be warned that the first quarter to a third of the bowl is a bit bland unless it's dried out. After that, you are in pipe tobacco heaven.

It's short on the nicotine, at least to me, as compared with their roll tobaccos. Nicotine is very light but tends to vary on drying time between mild and medium.

On opening the tin, you get a chocolaty (from the burly) and spice aroma, along with what smells like honey, brown or maple sugar.

The flakes are lightly damp to the touch (which all tobaccos need to be to age properly) but need to be dried out for a few minutes prior to smoking for the best results.

I find that this tobacco burns a bit hot as is from the tin, so I lay the flakes out for about ten minutes on a sheet of paper, then roll them up and tear them into pinches which I stuff into the bowl. This ensures no bite, but if you are sensitive to the high sugar content in the smoke, just use a pipe with a tighter draw to remedy it.

The taste starts out like a graham cracker, and slowly develops in a spicy/sweet/sour taste with quite a bit going on. I almost want to say this has honey in it, but I'm not sure due to the scent, which is a bit overpowering and brought a complaint as being foul. I rate it as strong but it might as well be rated as very strong indoors. This isn't a roll tobacco and needs to be smoked outside, in the garage, or on the porch.

Definitely a winner.

*Update*

12/25/09 Merry Christmas!

The scent of this tobacco burning, along with everything else about it, drastically improves with age. I stored mine away in mason jars and it just keeps getting better and better. It is starting to develop a rich aroma reminiscent of clover blossoms, which to my nose, is simply fantastic! I based the room note on the negative exclamations of my maid, but having now smoked it around several others, it has been complimented on as much as club blend has - in fact, it has surpassed it in a way, as having been adopted by two neighbors due to the aroma and taste, who usually stick to cigarettes - more than any aromatic I've ever smoked. I'm going to buy a good Ser Jacopo to dedicate this to next weekend.

Needs a bit attention on packing and airing, so I wouldn't recommend for beginners. Lights well and it isn't difficult to keep it lit. Till the end of the bowl it satisfies your strength and sourness needings. But nothing special..

Upon opening the tin, there was the Mac Baren honey sweetness that I have been enjoying for well over 30 years now. Placing my nose in the tin, I detected a very mild grassy/sour (but in a good way) smell. I can't put my finger on it, but it was nice. It needed no drying and the flake actually broke apart as I tried to get it out of the tin. Not in a dry way as it was quite fresh. My suspicion is that there was very little glue/adhesive used to bind flakes together in this production batch. In spite of this, preparing the flake and packing my pipe - a deep chambered spot carved Oom Paul - was relatively easy as the tobacco basically crumbled apart into strands. Navy Flake lights and burns beautifully - slow, sure, no relights. I didn't experience any bite, even with testing it at fast puffing. It's a bit stout and gives an enjoyably spicy taste at the back of the throat and a nice tingle when exhaling through the nose. There were the ever-present aromatic whiffs of something spicy in the side stream smoke - very pleasant. The taste was something more than the usual, sweet honey topping that Mac Baren is noted for. The honey is there, but the overall taste is fuller and mildly sour. If it wasn't for the presence of this sour taste , I would give Navy Flake 4 stars. Although not a total turn-off, I can learn to tolerate the sour flavor since the other flavors make a bold enough statement to make up for it.

Many of the Mac Baren's blends have been faulted for being too similar in taste. For me, the differences, albeit subtle at times, are most definitely there. It has taken me a long time to appreciate those differences. I thoroughly enjoy comparing them and I suppose that is one of the main reasons I've been a big fan of Mac Baren blends for over 30 years. Mac Baren's blends their offerings as a master composer would take a theme through many of its variations in a symphony.

I am happy I decided to try Navy Flake again. Not something I would be inclined to put in weekly rotation, but it is a good, dependable smoke for when the muse strikes.

Upon opening, the tin aroma was full of honey and a touch of rum; not overwhelming, but I cannot resist the comparison: Mac Baren Mixture on steroids.

The slices are half the area of the tin and show an interesting pattern of bright and dark tobaccos. I make it mostly Burley, with enough VA and Cavendish in there to make it interesting. The moisture level on opening the tin was already well-suited to smoking, though some may find it too wet.

Too lazy to rub out the tobacco, I tend to fold a flake and drop it into the bowl. This works best with tall bowls, obviously; my first attempt was in a pan-shaped bowl, and the tobacco had too little room; it burned hot and uncomfortably and turned sour and tarry towards the end. Using tall bowls, this blend is really quite nice; once lit, it'll burn down quietly and comfortably without much maintenance, giving a beautiful Burley taste with the VA and Cavendish prancing around the backstage, the casing practically unnoticeable.

The room note is nice; nothing to write home about, but good, comfortable and agreeable. The VA is more noticeable in the room than in the taste.

Both smoke and taste are even throughout the bowl, and at the very end, there is nothing left but an even, light grey ash.

For those with some experience with medium-strength tobaccos but lacking knowledge of flakes, I think this would make a fine introduction. For me, it's not an all-day smoke, nor a single-shot highlight, but a good, solid tobacco that can be enjoyed in just about any situation.

-- update 11-29-2009: My latest tin of NF had the slices cut a little thinner than before, and obviously less glue applied; the flake crumbled much more readily. Also, the aroma was a little more fresh, as was the taste. If this is more than a production error, it is hightly welcome and will lead to an up-rating. I'll decide when I open my next tin.

-- update 01-11-2010: Another two tins smoked, and yes: the cut remains thin and the glue less prominent than before. Rating up to 4 stars. Wouldn't want to miss this blend in my rotation; it's reliably tasty and well-behaved.

Guess its under rated since as others said its a divisive blend, So far I love the stuff & can see it making it to my top 5

For now 3.5 stars, might bump up to 4 stars after I've smoked the rest of this tin.

Update: 29 May 2009 Bumping this up to 4 stars & now has a home in my daily rotation, a well balanced good all day blend - the pipe tobacco version of comfort food, good - basic - old reliable friend in your pipe.

* Bad ** Good *** Excellent **** Exceptional

*EDIT*

I was able to get another chance to try this again. I must say I had been doing it all wrong the first time. I smoked fast the tobacco was to wet etc etc. This time I was prepared, I let the tobacco dry out and forced myself to smoke slow. WOW a whole new flavor world. Sweet hay and dry country air come to mind and palet when I smoked it. I enjoyed every puff. I like Navy flake. I bought 8 oz and am letting it dry and its going to be #2 in the rotation.

maybe good to blend your own with. A dash of perique would be nice to flavour up the VAs or even a little more cavendish would bring out the nuttiness of the wasted burly, as i've already said good tobaccos badly put together. will smoke some more and revise if necessary.

Instead of using perique try adding some freshly milled black pepper to the bowl as you fill and you will be pleasantly suprised at the completely exotic smoke.

Happy piping to you all.

I smoke this frequently and have many pipes dedicated for it, wherever I go, I can always find one opened tin of Navy Flake, at home, in my car and in the office; also I keep few pounds of this in the cellar.

I have "worked" the second half of the second tin (a third is aging in my cellar) laying for months. The flakes were very dry... but absolutely no bite and no bitter back-flavour. I do reconfirm: the best of McB's. Will stack other tins.

ORIGINAL REVIEW:

For sure the best McBaren. I have tried several of their 100grms-tinned products available on the italian market, and this is the only one really deserving three full stars (cannot give four, that's for the excellence...). A perfect all-day smoke because it has very good quality tobacco flavour, just a bit sweet. Unlike other McB's it doesn't scorch your tongue, nor fatigues the palate. The cut and the humidity are perfect and make easy to fill your pipe just folding the flake. This way it will no way leave the pipe wet. I have not tried it rubbed out, nor I'll do since it stays so well lit and refreshing! Just finishing this tin through a small prince by Castello, I'm going to catch the couple of tins remaining at my nearest tobacconist, since it's not so easy to find. I would also give a new try to Dark Twist (I did the latest a year ago), maybe the only other McB to compete with NF. Forget Latakia Blend & Solent Mixture, and so many doubts to Plumcake, which is so different and weak in respect of the old version in 50grms pouch I smoked in the late 70's: that was an aromatic, what is this new one ???

After some thinking I decided to rate this 2/4, simply because I don't find myself smoking it very often. But I'm sure others disagree, and rightly so. It has a huge following, good price and easilly accessible to both newbies and oldtimers, but its rather one dimensional mildness and less-than-exciting nicotine content puts it in the 2 star section of my book.

As a whole, however, I believe the general rating of 3 that it has now is welldeserved.

I have a difficult time finding decent tinned tobaccos at any B&M that can be called "local." When I was passing through St. Louis, I stopped at a tobacconist, and they had some of this, so I eagerly snapped it up. Cracked open the tin: the aroma is very nice, very much "classic sweet tobacco smell." It's not an aromatic, and smells very natural, which is a plus, in my book.

The first time I tried it, the evening I opened it, I was *not* impressed. Horrid. Bit like a chihuahua with a grievance, and wouldn't stay lit worth a darn. I said "ah, back to the cellar for this stuff" and didn't touch it again for a few weeks. I tried it once more, and it was marginally better, but still nothing to write home about.

Fast forward a couple of months: I guess it had time to dry out some (though it doesn't feel dry, by any means, and in fact, I have to use the cleaner several times per smoke, but....) the taste was entirely different, and very, very nice. It's got a lovely, rich flavor, naturally sweet and nutty. The flavor (and aftertaste too) reminds me a lot of a freshly-cut lawn, with overtones of "hay barn." Thoroughly pleasant and enjoyable. And it doesn't bite very much, provided you don't go overboard.

I think the key to smoking this is to open the tin and then let it sit for a time ---I know this goes against the "received wisdom," and maybe a more experienced pipesmoker could make this stuff sing right out of the tin, but for me, patience has its reward.

Room note is unobjectionable, I doubt you'll have too many complaints. I've been smoking this in a Nording Churchwarden, and I'd suggest using a billiard or similar instead: the tobacco generates a lot of moisture, (which tells you Mac Baren has put some kind of hydrating agent in the casing) and this will need to be managed.

Bottom line: it's kind of fussy, but if you bear with it, you can get a superb smoke. Not recommended as a first foray into flakes.

Recommended.

The casing, if there is any, is very light. The taste is bold yet mellow. I find it smokes particularly well in my pair of Vauen POY 2001 pipes.

This dryer Navy Flake caused me to re-acquaint myself to another MacBaren, the Vintage Syrian, which also dried out quite a bit and it too was good. I guess MacBaren tobaccos, for me, need extra drying to prevent tongue irritation. So now I know how I must approach the MacBaren line.

It's got a bigger nicotine hit than I was expecting. The top half of the bowl has a prominent honey taste/smell. The second half of the bowl gets a bit acrid. Smoke it slow or the taste sours and bites. Smokes better in briar than a cob.

Verdict: it's not latakia. Nor does it have the special flare of Scottish Cake for when I want something that isn't latakia. Not bad but pretty boring. Won't buy this again.

I disagree with most of the reviews here. I found Navy Flake possess an unremarkable sweet aromatic and natural tobacco hybrid flavor. Moreover, this blend ALWAYS bites my tongue. Navy Flake is certainly not horrible; if it didn't bite my tongue I would give it two stars.

This is NOT an aromatic tobacco - not even close. I give it 2 stars, but those looking for a good "straight up" tobaccco could give it 4 stars easily, I can see why. It just wasn't my thing.

The strong, tangy, grassiness of a young VA dominates the taste with the burley and cavendish being barely noticeable, though it is good they were there. If they hadn't been, this would have gotten 1 star from me - a bit harsh and easily bitey if not babied with slow smoking and gentle treatment.

Not sure what "Navy" means but it certainly has no rum or liquor flavor of any kind.

If I were given a bowl of this as a blind taste test, I would have concluded it a young, grassy, full strength VA flake teetering on the bitey side.

Probably won't buy more, unless its all I can find in pipe tobacco. I've had worse.

2 stars.

The flakes come in a 100 gm tin, which cost $12.50 USD at the local B&M. They are light brown in color and come in tightly packed slices. I choose to fold my flake tobaccos as I feel that is how they are intended to be smoked.

I chose to use about a group 4 size Wilke billiard. That was a wise choice as this pipe smokes well with anything. The tobacco burned well and with no bite, which I found surprising. I very nice, mildly sweet tobacco flavor and aroma. It never caused a gurgle. This product has easily found it's way to me top 5 tobacco list.

It increases in strength somewhat at mid bowl, but never overpowering. An overall good smoke that one could puff on all day.

Highly recommended.

Very enjoyable and retains interest to the bottom of the bowl. I think this will now be my mainstay smoke (along with Planta Black Vanilla for a heavier, more aromatic experience).

Flakes neatly cut and stacked in the tin. Moist to the touch. A rich fig aroma coming from the tin. Good presentation. Flakes cut larger in the 100g tin than they are in the 50g one I bought previously.

Being a Mac Baren flake, I again use the packing method described on their website (as opposed to my current regular flake, Ogden's Walnut, which I rub out). This results in tight packing and a slow burn. So slow that it takes two sittings to finish a regular sized bowl!

A rich, nicotine heavy smoke. Recommended for after dinner. Certainly not an all day light smoke. Can burn hot if pushed but you wouldn't want to with this tobacco - it's too rich and strong IMO.

The fact that the flake is moist, and by folding and stuffing the flake tightly, it does tend to gunk up the pipe walls a bit - necessitating a thorough clean afterwards. Maybe a good tobacco for breaking in non aromatic pipes...

A quality tobacco no doubt, but a bit too strong and rich for my tastes (similar to my personal experience with Rattray's Old Gowrie). Give it a try.

But, although named "Navy Flake", I do not detect a whole lot of rum. Maybe just a little, with the MacBaren honey as well. The aromatic essence of this blend tails off at about the two-thirds mark, whereupon the natural burley and virginia ease in to the forefront.

Not overly aromatic, not too sweet, and not a bite in the bowl. Not for fans of English/Balkan blends unless you are looking for a sweet change-of-pace...if you are, then this is one to consider. If you are looking to "step up" to a more sophisticated aromatic that isn't just goopy candy, then this is one you can confidently select.

Mac-Baren?s take on how to fill your pipe with flake:

http://www.mac-baren.com/TopMenu/Expert-Knowledge/Flake-Tobacco/How-to-fill-a-pipe.aspx

The tin looks nice and on opening it, a nice fruity smell awaits you. The tobacco is nicely stacked in big thin flakes. The humidity level is good but drying it in the tin for a couple of days makes it smoke even better. I packed my pipe with the above technique topping it off nicely with a bit of rubbed out tobacco to ease the lightning process. Very few relights are needed.

The first bit of the bowl tastes very sweet, honey like with hints of fruit and gradually the fruitiness seems to disappear throughout the smoke bringing out some nutty tones. Not a complex smoke but enough to keep you interested. Overall to the end a very nice sweet and nutty aroma but different than any other burley I have tried.

I felt not tongue bite whatsoever, light on the nicotine and the room note is very pleasant. In short I feel this is a good afternoon smoke that?s worth every penny. It?ll be on my regular rotation.

With the weight of reviews already laid before you, I think you'll have no problem in guessing what the appearance and taste is like for this one - so I won't go into this any further.

It's rummy, burley centred and rather yummy, enough said.

SIDE NOTE:

Navy Flake mixes very (very) well with perique. If you want a smooth as silk smoke with an extra kick, then NF can easily cope with the addition of upto 25-30%. Only Rattray's offerings can cope with such a quantity, so this is a good alternative. Especially with the current problems with obtaining Rattrays in the UK at the moment.

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I agree with Skando's review, by and large. This is very pleasant stuff, and doing the folding the way they do on the Mac Baren website, you get a really nice smoke, and a long, satisfying one at that. Tin moisture is perfect.

If you can't abide Navy Flake, you should probably sell your pipes. Not that this blend is so incredibly fantastic, but it really is very solid and inoffensive in all ways. Good tasting, easy smoking. Possibly my desert island smoke, not because it is so special, but because it is so unpretentious.

Quality is always top notch with Mac B, and this stuff could teach some other flake manufacturers a thing or two. Beautifully presented, and just a real pleasure to smoke.

The scent of this flake is similar to many in the MB line...sweet...but appealing. After taking out a flake I rubbed it out slightly and packed it loosely in the bowl.

This lit well and stayed lit moderately well. I smoked this in a smallish bowl, bent Peterson system, and it worked very nicely.

The initial flavor is that of a semi fruity virginia with a familiar tang, but it soon mellows to a smokey, toastiness (burley)and the flavors compliment each other very well. As the bowl burns down the strength increases slightly and becomes more full. The volume of smoke is medium and nicotine content seems to be mild.

Room note was very pleasant, but I have yet to puff this one around my lady friend. She said that as long as I am no longer smoking cigarettes that anything I put in a pipe will be just fine by her....HA! I tried her out with some DH light flake and she complained...I think I was duped into quitting...eh its for the better.

Update 09/09: This flake has become very boring to me...it lacks depth that I use to find in it and it fails to satisfy my smoke-tooth. Very flat, the nutty sweet aroma is its only saving grace.

I guess the process of pressing the tobaccos helps to condense the natural sugars, oils and resins to the extent of making the flake version more palatable. The flake is beautifully presented, with a very nice aroma: sugary and warm. But the flavor isn?t that sweet. I guess the Virginias used in the flake are treated the same as Virginia Flake, but the added Burleys and Cavendish provide more richness and depth of flavor. I believe there might be a slight rum topping.

Unlike the mixture, Navy Flake has no tongue bite and it burns nicely. Someone has said this is a classic. I believe it is, even when the flavor is not that common or familiar as other flakes. Personally I enjoy Dunhill?s Light Flake, Stokkebye?s or Rattray?s Virginia flakes much more, but this one isn?t bad at all. A nice alternative to flake smoking. Recommended.

I keep reaching for this all the time.

Interesting Observation: I visiting Russia, staying in a biggish hotel room and I smoke with closed windows late at night. I do not ventilate all that much. The room has developped a noticeable but easily acceptable and quite pleasant note.

I like this stuff but I can easily do with one 50gr tin once in a blue moon, just for a change of pace, not the kind that I would smoke often.

The tobacco quality is very good, and the flakes are very pretty, but not liking to my tastes. I much prefer Samual Gawith flakes.

This blend has grown on me these past few months. Initially underwhelmed, I found myself starting to crave it. It's flavor and aroma are unique to me. Neither too sweet or too harsh. I have a long commute to work and enjoy smoking flakes in the car. The burning qualities of this flake keep it going, without having to relight it.

I felt I had smoked every popular tobacco except MacB's Navy Flake. Wanting to see what gave this stalwart of the briar brethren it's seemingly cult-like status, I bought a tin.

This stuff has to be smoked slowly, or you will be bitten and the smoke will taste synthetic. Done right, the flavor and aroma are fine, and worth the extra effort

The flakes handle and pack great. The moisture content is just right. Sip it slowly and you'll find the components intermingle extremely well. Otherwise, no reward.

I tried peterson's university flake, hoping it would be as good, also great but it is more expensive than Navy F and doesn't have the same level of fruitiness as Navy. This too me is the perfect balance between a real tobacco experience, with the sensual joy of a sweet mild aromatic included. This must have four stars. I now know why men went to sea in wooden crates.

TIP: Do check the Mac Barens website to see the history of and technique for smoking such flakes.

The tin is fifteen years old, and the flakes have darkened substantially, with only a few gold highlights. The aroma from the tin is muted and the flavouring reticent. In the pipe it is immensely satisfying: reasonable levels of nicotine, a steady burn rate ideal for handling my paper work, lovely tobacco taste, and a room note that makes visitors linger.

Mac Baren do not always get full credit for the quality of their products. Perhaps they have tried to cover too much ground with a limited palette. Navy Flake and Mixture Scottish Blend are gems of their kind and unreservedly recommended for a serious trial.

P.S.- In the movie "The Marathon Man" with Dustin Hoffman and Sir Lawrence Olivier towards the end when Doctor Zell's suitecase opens one can briefly glimpse a tin of Mac Baren Navy flake among others.

Recently, I have been smoking my way round some of the Gawith and Hogarth offerings, which are excellent, but thought it appropiate to check up on an old friend, all in an attempt to discover the perfect medium flake.

It is nicely presented, in a proper tin, but I now think it is sliced too thinly. I can't imagine that anyone would want to rub it out. I just separate the flake a little.

It smokes rather hotter than some flakes, but never burns the tongue. I still think it is pretty well perfect for every day smoking. However, Glengarry and Bright CR flakes, probably edge it fractionally.

It is unfortunate that none of the McClelland's offerings are available in the UK, as I am sure many are excellent.

I am surprised; a MacBaren tobacco that didn't set my tongue on fire. I just had to give MacBaren one more try. Their tins look so cool, and would be perfect for keeping nuts and screws in once empty.

Honestly, the flakes were very easy to seperate, and a nice brown color with lighter speckles intermixed. The aroma was very pleasant, smelling mainly of good virginia tobacco. I will say that I didn't dare rub it out one bit; I just folded up a flake and stuffed it in a smallish sized pipe. On first light I detected this tobacco's desire to bite, I could tell it really wanted to. But, after getting the char and having the pipe going good, it settled down to a managable tingle.

The taste was really good, but rather on the mild side. If you like a full flavored virginia, this probably won't do. But it does have nice flavor, and is worth the extra care you have to take to prevent tongue bite. As long as I took just tiny draws, I was able to enjoy the smoke with no bite. But be careful, as one good hard pull will produce a scorched tongue. But the quality of the tobacco is worth this extra care. So, as long as you don't smoke your pipe like you're trying to suck water through a brick, this is a good smoke. Not up to my level of taste expectations, but still good.

If you want a tasty traditional Navy blend, try the McClelland Navy Cavendish, a dark brown Virginia with dark rum, a great winter outdoor smoke!

The tin aroma is pleasant with a flowery tinge of sweetness (not as flowery as Orlik's Golden Sliced...but much sweeter) and as stated by other reviewers this is beautiful to look at and is very compact for 50 grams of tobacco. With care of cutting this and rubbing the smoking is tolerable. With that said, not being a huge fan of burley (except in strait cube cut) this smokes alright with the Virginia element rising to bite, however, I think it is more of the slight top casing that bites. I can see this being excellent in a corn cob on a cold morning/evening.

Not being a big fan of burley, I may try this blend again just for its curious tin aroma and presentation. However, I am in no hurry to buy any tobacco so it may be a while.

The components are burley and Virginia, and supposedly a cavendish. The topping is restrained and smells honey-like in the tin. During the smoke everything comes together and nothing seems too much or too little. In fact, it's difficult to taste any one component, just a synergy of excellent tobaccos. This is a credit to the blender and the process used to create Navy Flake. I'm generally not a huge fan of the Danish style of tobacco processing, so this is high praise indeed.

Appearance: This blend has a beautiful presentation, being comprised of precisely sliced flakes of pressed cake. Though predominately red and golden Virginias, and Burley there are darker bands and bits that are nearly white.

Tin aroma: This is a mixture of matured Virginias, Burley and Cavendish. There are deep molasses tones a slight sour tang one expects in Virginias some slight spicy tones and a deeper fig-like aroma. There is a slightly nutty quality as well; rather quickly and slightly over-powering there is the artificial honey/whiskey topping/casing agent. Together, it is a fairly nice smelling combination, though not something that I'd say I have a strong preference for. The tin aroma also tells me to proceed with caution as with many other Mac Baren offering, this could be tongue bite in a tin.

This tobacco is nearly perfect in moisture straight out of the tin. I normally simply roll two flakes fold them over and insert them into the bowl, trimming off any excess. Lighting is usually a one match affair, and generally stays lit throughout the entire bowl, unless I let the pipe go out. As expected, the initial flavor is very tangy VA and sweet though not overly so on either count. There are distinctly citrus notes of the Virginias and a deep harmonious flavor of well mannered Burley. The topping/casing agent quickly yields it?s dominance to a nice throaty Virginia/Burley duet which continues to build throughout the bowl the Cavendish seems only to 'fill in the gaps'. The topping/casing never completely leaves, adding a sweetness and a slightly generic and artificial taste to an otherwise natural presentation.

Mid Bowl: Approaching mid-bowl, the fullness tends to build and while this blend is not very complex, it is however plenty interesting in character. There are subtle changes here and there as each component asserts dominance from time to time. The topping/casing is always ?just there? the Virginias and Burley engage in a friendly competition. While not particularly strong in nicotine, there is plenty of flavor and body to this mixture. The tobaccos used in this mixture are of obvious quality, why then MacBaren chose such an odd topping/casing agent is beyond me. This would have been mighty fine indeed were it topped/soaked in Rum.

Home Stretch: As end of the bowl approaches, the strength of this mixture has built to a fine mélange of flavors and fullness. The pervasive sweetness and artificial taste is somewhat annoying, and the temptation toward tongue bite does not help. It has so much going for it, that what little I hold against it is probably not enough to bother most smokers. If there weren't many other tobaccos that I prefer greatly, I might smoke this on a regular basis.

Supplemental Notes: I would recommend this to seasoned Virginia smokers for a change of pace smoke. If you are looking for a true Navy Flake, look elsewhere, this isn't one. Rating for those interested in numbers **1/2

About 8 months into being a pipe smoker, I found myself getting weary of the usual shop-labeled Lane aromatics that well intentioned people guided me to as a newbie. Tobaccos that seemed rich and satisfying to me when I started out now seemed rather tasteless and bland. I knew what I liked (burley, Virginia, cavendish) and what I didn't (latakia, perique, Orientals). So, with the help of the Internet and a great many friends, I undertook to find some tobaccos of higher complexity and quality that would build upon the preferences and aversions I had developed. I discovered MacBaren tobaccos offered a plethora of tinned burley/VA/cavendish combinations and started sampling and comparing. While none of them sucked, Navy Flake definitely rose to the occasion in my search for a new daily standard.

For starters, and of major importance, Navy Flake is widely popular and readily available in most any worthy B&M or online retailer. The tobacco's presentation is very elegant and pleasing; nice, colorful flakes tinned face-up in a little gold foil envelope in an understated tin. The tin aroma is moderately sweet, but still 100% tobacco-ey, and my schnozz was unable to detect a casing of any kind. The flakes rub out into long, stringy threads that often result in the need to stuff the tobacco into your bowl, and THIS is where a handy trick comes in: to avoid the MacBaren curse of hot-burning tongue-biters, I first of all rip the flakes in half, width-wise, and give them a spin in a one-speed food processor, which results in easier loading, packing and better distribution of the different tobaccos. Then, I pack the bowl looser than normal to avoid too many relights and/or too much puffing to keep lit. It lights up nicely on the first or second try, but be warned: THIS TOBACCO WILL BLISTER YOU if you do not take your time with it.

If I had to guess, I'd say Navy Flake is about 50% burley, 25% each VA and cavendish. This means that the very fine but typically unsophisticated, straight-ahead burley flavor is augmented by the 'oomph' of the added VA and complimented by the sweetness of the cavendish. This is perfect for me, as I simply love straight burleys, but not so much straight VAs or straight cavendish. This is 'burley with benefits' so to speak.....enough VA and cavendish for both to make a statement, but the burley definitely takes the lead here. Flavorful but not overpowering, it remains consistent from the top of the bowl to the bottom and leaves a dry, white-gray ash and little if any dottle. No goop left in the bowl, and no danger of leaving anything unpleasant in a pipe you may want to smoke something else in.

I smoke at least two 100g tins of this a month --- it is definitely my all day, everyday go-to tobacco, one that I've learned well enough that I use it to try out any new pipe acquisitions, and it's the tobacco that I reach for most often, when I'm in the mood for a relaxing, comfortable smoke with no surprises, just pure pleasure and contentment. Highly recommended!!!!

The pros: Smoking flakes is a lot of fun. Fold them, tear them, break them, rub them out and then smoke them. Then try another way next time. Navy Flake is mild with a nice aroma, and it doesn't take much attention.

The con: The honey-sweet casing on this one is a little cloying, and it often overpowers the tobacco flavor. I don't enjoy the flavor of straight honey, and this tobacco often presents that very thing.

I won't say no to a (very) occasional bowl of this, but in the Mac Baren line, Burley London Blend is a much better companion for me.

I much prefer a bowl of Prince Albert for a plain Burley, and C&D's Morley's Best and Easy Times for Burley-heavy blends.

*update* For some reason my taste seems to be changing all the time. Perhaps because I am a pipesmoker for only 2 years. I smoke this tobacco more than before. Most times in a Bora from BigBen. Perhaps I get used to it but I do not have the tonguebite any more. This tobacco without the tongue-bite is delicous. IMO MacBaren has 2 very good blends, thisone and London Burley Blend.

The tidy tin, efficiently and precisely filled and the embossed gold foil wrapper makes for my favorite of all packaging. Normally I overlook this kind of thing, but it's hard and unfair not to appreciate it.

I love the aroma: maybe burleys are what a beloved person from my childhood smoked. This is my benchmark of what a pipe should smell like. I probably inhale far too much of it, deeply sniffing as it drifts out of my mouth.

I like mild tobaccos. Nicotine tends to numb my tongue, leaving only harsh flavors and ammoniacal (pee) aftertastes. No problem here, despite a 3 out of 4 rating on the tin, and despite my nasal recycling. Bite is a function of technique for me; I like to smoke very slowly when I got a good one. MBs respond well to this. The moisture level of the tin allows me to do that without drying, a big plus.

A virginia blend analogous to this is Old Belt Ready Rubbed, another favorite of mine for many of the same reasons.

My only complaint with NF is a mild perique-type mouth reaction I get, otherwise it would be my standard sweet smoke. Oh, the hell with it... I'm refilling anyway.

There are so many good qualities to this burley-dominated tobacco: it has perfect lighting and burn characterstics when only partially rubbed out, which is the way I tend to prepare my flakes; its body is rich and full with great smoke volume, almost like a cigar; and the honey note was very pronounced and pleasant for me after the first half of the bowl (which, coincidentally, is when the Virginias became more pronounced). At the end of the day, though, it remains a burly blend which, like other burley blends, is too light-tasting and one-dimensional for me.

I was thrown off by the "Navy Flake" nomenclature: I expected a straight Virginia with plenty of spice as would befit an MB blend (like Roll Cake). I did like the presentation of the flakes and, especially, the wonderful little square tin, so I'll keep it around and try it again in a year or so on that basis alone.

Upong smoking, it reminds me of a mild Cuban cigar which means it has a nice "full body" of aroma than the normal aromatics. Lovely and firm, though not an exciting room note..

Great anytime of day!

Upon opening the tin, you are greeted with a wonderful aroma which is a bit sweeter than the tobacco itself. The flakes themselves are large and I usually only smoke 1/2 of one during a typical lunchbreak. They rub out easily enough for those so inclined.

Navy Flake packs and lights very easily once rubbed out. The initial taste is pure tobacco bliss. The burley is top shelf and co-mingles well with the Virginia's. If there is a topping here, it isn't noticeable in the taste. It does, however, seem to make an appearance in the very pleasurable room note.

The tobacco smokes cool throughout the bowl with no evidence of tongue bite; an effect for which Mac Baren has acquired some notoriety. There was also no hint of bitterness common to some Burley blends, even toward the bottom of the bowl.

Navy Flake is now firmly ensconced in my smoking rotation. The fact that it established itself there quicker than any other tobacco is a testament to it's skillful blending. Kudos to Mac Baren!

I think it is beautiful to behold, particularly the gorgeous embossed foil surrounding the perfect flakes.

But after four tins over the past year or so, I just hate it. It is hot, flavorless, and an express ticket to Tonguebite City. I have tried it in almost every pipe I have, rubbed out and not, smoked as slow as possible, and it is just awful.

A huge disappointment. I *want* to like it. It looks great, is obviously of high quality, and so many smokers like it -- it must have something going for it, but....

I've given my other tins to a good home.

The flakes are nicely variegated in shades of light to dark. I prefer mine rubbed out completely, which was easily done. The tin aroma was mildly sweet. Another reviewer described it as being like honey. Sounds good to me, I?ll go along with that.

The flavor was quite pleasant, and there was no suggestion of bite, nor was there any unpleasant after-taste as I frequently find with burley blends.

Navy Flake was a happy experience for me. I enjoyed it from the easy rubbing out of the flake to the way it burned evenly and cool right to the bottom of the bowl. Even the finish was pleasant, and left me wanting more. Subtly sweet, all natural. I could probably smoke it all day long. The room note is nice, with an almost aromatic quality to it. I don?t think there is actually an aromatic topping, I believe that the taste comes from the combining of the natural flavors of the Burley & Va. leaf and the Cavendish process.

Of course the ageing makes a remarkable difference, but I'm sure that Mac Baren have changed their recipe along the way..

**New Tin** This is a nice sweet honey-like burley flake. Gentle on the palate, ok nic-punch and will never get harsh. A very friendly Burley/VA/quite cased flake.

**Old fantastic tin** OMG! This is a supernatural enhancement of the above. Everything in this version is a 1000 times more present; the softness, the aroma, the casing. (which no longer tastes unnatural) Ok, the nic-level is of course the same. Ahh shucks this is hard to describe...

BUY AGED TOBACCO!!!

Jakob Kiilerich, Denmark

This tobacco definitely smells very nice upon opening the tin. It has a honey-like note to it and somewhat reminds me of the smell of the plug chewing tobaccos I tried years ago. The taste of the tobacco is definitely on the sweeter side. However, it does have a bit of a bite to it at first that slowly subsides over the first few minutes of being smoked. Be careful, though - it very easily leads to burning your tongue if you're not very careful.

It isn't really a bad tobacco, and the packaging allows one to carry a good supply without taking up much space, but it isn't really my favorite. I smoke this when I want something a little sweeter but still has an actual tobacco taste to it.

Update: After trying several other tinned tobaccos, I feel I need to move this down my list. I'm finding I'm liking it less now, and I still can't get over the tongue burn from it (when straight VA tobacco doesn't even do this to me). There's just something about it that I'm finding that I don't particularly like in the taste as well... it may be whatever flavoring that is used.

Fast forward 20+ years. As I took up the pipe again after several years as a cigar smoker, I once again tried NF for old time's sake and again I found it lacked flavor, but at least it was mildly sweet, which was nice.

Well, after trying a myriad of pipe tobaccos, I have come to the conclusion that burley- at least as an entree- does not have much appeal for me. That said, NF is clearly a quality product, looks nice, has a good tin aroma, and the virginias come through a bit near the end of the bowl. And it does burn nicely, especially for a flake.

I will probably keep my surviving sample and try it out again in a few years. Some day I may become a burley fan. I feel like I am missing out on something...

Oh, yeah. What makes this a "Navy" flake anyway?

In the tin, Mac Baren's Navy Flake is a nicely blended, light burley/cavendish/Virginia flake. It is sweetened with a topping/casing that smells strongly of honey. The flakes are about 3/4 x 2 1/2" and are stacked side-by-side in a convenient little rectangular pocket-tin. The tobacco is pressed in layers of light-brown burley, darker burley cavendish, and what appears to be small quantities of bright VA.

The flakes rub out easily to any consistency. I find that this blend smokes better fully rubbed. Attempts at the roll-and-stuff method have left a wet puddle in the heel, presumably from the casing. Fully rubbed, it smokes dry and cool all the way down.

Despite the fact that the honey flavoring is quite evident in the tin and side-stream smoke aromas, this packs quite a bit of good tobacco taste. The burley is of good quality, and provides nutty toastiness without getting bitter or ashy. The cavendish and Virginia add sweetness and tang, which along with the casing provide a nice melange of flavor - light enough to smoke all day, but substantial enough to be satisfying.

I would recommend MacB Navy Flake to anyone looking to step up from bulk burley aromatics. This is one of the few tobaccos from this blender that I purchase regularly.

First of all it comes in a great little tin, perfect for travelling light with a good supply of tobacco. Pop it open, and ur greeted with a pleasant sweet tobacco smell and the glimmer of gold-leaf wrap. Lift the paper to discover beautifully veined, perfectly cut slices of tobacco. So far, this is a true treat for the eyes and nose!

Gingerly remove a slice and rub to your favourite consistency. Dance the flame over, and smell a wonderful burley tobacco. Those first few draws will reveal a little perique-like tickle in the throat along with a very typical MacBaren's sweetness (subtle, but present). I found it took a charring light well. Lightly knock down the char and re-light...you are off!

By the half-way mark, I found the tickle in the throat mellowed slightly. This stayed well-behaved all the way through. Marvellous body, great smell, burned evenly...I'm luvin this!

By the end, I'm sold. There is a cigar-like quality to this tobacco (don't let my reference to "sweetness" make u think this is an aromatic. It's sweet like the old Jamaican cigars...)

This is a winner visually, for the nose, and taste-wise. I will be ordering more soon...

It burns clean and dry, requires few (if any) relights, and is flavorful enough to be an all-day smoke.

If it was available in bulk - it would be perfect. Highly recommended!

Tin aroma is sweet and I'll accept the honey aroma from the previous reviews. ...This little tin is really neat and handy. ...The tobacco is layed in there all nice and neat. ...I am really impressed with the quality of MacBaren's tobaccos and their rectangular shaped little tins. ...Their marketing people are on the right track.

A dominate Burley blend that really weds with the Va & the Cav (especially the Va); in such a way that one senses smoking 3 tobaccos in 1. ...Or 1 tobacco in 3. Very well done MacBaren.

The smell is typical of the honeyed sweetening found in Dutch/Danish style aromatics, though nothing has been overdone. The flakes crumble easily into the broken-flake consistency of so many aromatic tobaccos. This composition burns cleanly and easily, without overheating, in my Peterson's Kildare dublin.

The taste is pure unadulterated burley. Quality burley, of course; smooth and mildly herbal; nothing sour or obnoxious. A refreshing, clean-palate taste: a treat, I should think, for the burley lover.

Light woody/nutty flavor, pleasant subtle aroma. This is good smoked straight but it also can be a great blending tobacco. My recipe for "Stumpy's Blend" (named after one of my cats) is one navy flake, one disc of Mac Baren Rollcake and a sprinkle of St. James Parish Perique. It's a good burning smoke with a splash of spice.

MacBaren hit a home run with this one for me. It is a bit too strong to enjoy all day and night, but as a quiet respite from a long day, you will find this tasty blend to be the ticket for a nice long evening of enjoyment.

The overriding factor of the blend is that is has more burley than virginia in the taste. So, if you are not fond of burley tobaccos, don't join the Navy!

This is a really nice burley blend, consisting of burley, some virginia, and some cavendish. There is a bit of a honey sweetener with maybe a little peach, but it's not enough of a presence for me classify this one as an aromatic -- my rating of the flavoring as "mild" is more a reflection of the honey being used as a sweetener than the peach flavoring. It is noticeably sweeter than, say, Butera Kingfisher (another very nice burley blend).

The tobacco as delivered is a bit too damp, and so is more prone to tongue bite than one would expect from a burley flake. I tend to dry out the tins a day or so before smoking.

This is a true flake, as distinguished from the flake-like krumble kake cut used by Butera Kingfisher (one of my other favorite burley blends). Because of this, it tends to prefer smaller-bowled pipes like virginia flakes do. I smoke it in a little Barbi bamboo-shanked prince that holds exactly one flake. I fold the flake in half, then in half again, and just shove it in. The crumbled ends of the flake light easily, and it burns all the way to the bottom without a problem.

The flavor isn't too complex, but nonetheless possesses loads of burley's bright, cheerful woodsey-nutty flavor, which the honey complements beautifully. The peach isn't really noticeable in the taste unless you concentrate, but does become more pronounced in the room aroma, which is consequently quite nice.

All around a very nicely done blend.

This is a very sweet Virginia. I enjoy the taste, and feel that it gets stronger as the bowl winds down.

Room aroma is also well liked by others, and is often mistaken for an aromatic.