| Cheapo brand John Aylesbury puts out a Curly? A must-try for me as a stout curly cut fan. The tin also looked somewhat familiar. My trusty tobacconist confirmed my suspicion even before opening the tin: this blend is made by Mac Baren. Now, while I know that many other reviewers here talk about "the famous MacBite," I have never experienced that--possibly because I am a filter smoker, or maybe because I puff slowly. Also, since most Mac Baren blends are heavy in VA, having a pipe cleaner handy to clear out the inevitable condensation before it makes its way into the mouth might be a good idea. But back to the subject matter.
The presentation of the tobacco in the tin is the final proof; 100 % MacB. The tin note hints at a honey topping; not a bad one and rather more cautiously applied than in Mac Baren Mixture. The individual slices have a dark core of Cavendish spun in what looks like mostly VA.
Stuffing is the same as with all other MacB curlies, as are the caveats (stuff loosely, puff gently). Rather mild, but fully sweet in taste.
Not what I would be smoking every day; too similar to more affordable products, but by no means bad. For curly fans and aromatics smokers, I would recommend to at least try. If you like Mac Baren Mixture and would like to expand your experience in the direction of something with less topping, this would be the correct direction.
Addition, 2012-07-20: The room note left behind by this blend is very gentle and seems to be acceptable to many non-smokers; sort of a malty-sweetish perfume. So, good notes for crowd compatibility, but not enough for me to up my rating.
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