02/13/2011 Update: I can't believe I only gave it three stars orginally. This baccy has "legs" and along with Dark Twist has become my favorite MacBaren blend. Time in the jar just makes it better.

The casing is also an important ingredient in this blend. In the pouch (lovely, a foil-like bag wrapped in corrugated cardboard, excellent for good tobacco conservation), we found a tropical fruit aroma. When smoked, however, the flavor of the casing mutates into a more elegant taste, which can be described as caramel with a fruity nuance. Even though is quite flavored, there is a very refined and genuine tobacco taste in this smoke. I have found that the intensity of the straight tobacco taste increases when it is smoked in a small bowl pipe, nevertheless is always very sweet.

Both the tobaccos and the casing are of high quality. It is also very easy to smoke, and doesn’t produce tongue bite when is properly smoked (much better if packed loosely). The room note is great, and it can be appreciated by almost anyone. If you are looking for an aromatic blend with some authentic tobacco character, this may be your choice.

First few bowls weren't that great. Once it aired out a bit, it improved, and now I quite like it. Well, I won't exactly be scrambling for it once it's finished, but it's nice. Easy to pack, light and smoke. Doesn't bite the tongue, provided that you smoke with a filter pipe.

The room note is very nice - I get vanilla, figs and almonds. Quite low on the nicotine, but that's not such a bad thing when you think about it. Can't be smoking latakia bombs all day now, can we?

For the price, a good quality smoke.

I totally agree with that, because the new generation starts smoking cigarettes and then (sometimes) make the transition to pipe (maybe not completely), so this aromatic-cigarette like blend would be very appealing.

Mac Baren tobaccos seem to be a love hate brand. Can't say I love this, but I do enjoy it.

This time around they damn near got it right! Original Choice smells fantastic out the tin or pouch (the pouch invention itself is innovative stuff indeed), and it actually almost taste like it smells. Thats good credit right there, 'cause they seldom do.

Easy to light and smoke, but I do miss a little more nicotine and a little more strength to it overall.

Keywords: Toffee, figs and almonds. This is sweet but actually quite good.

I don't think I've ever come across an aromatic THAT aromatic upon opening the pouch! An extremely sweet sugary smell, that makes me think of both fruit and candy. But surely the sweet cavendish is obvious too - some tobacco detected never-the-less.

The cut and blend looks almost exactly like that of Porter House Double Mixture, so naturally I was very exited to put this in my favorite aroma-pipe, hoping of some reminiscence..

Well, that comparison fell flat right away. So when it presumably contains, looks and feels alot like that of Porter House, but smells tenfold the sweetness, it must be a case of heavy flavouring. And right on - when smoked, 50% of the aroma detected was non-existant in the taste of it.

It is by all means a decent tobacco, and I would recommend it to all aromaniacs. One can compare it to those of 'My Own Blend' - but with a decent taste, and most importantly in that comparison, it doesn't pack 'gravy' by the gallon!

120 grams smoked

Flavours detected: Vanilla, Raisin, Almond...rice pudding?

To even out the sweetness, I'd recommend a hot cop of black espresso to go with it.

pros: good taste,good aftertaste,burns cool and dry,low tar,good room note

cons: low nicotine

As the day dawns with a whiff of a quality blend of sweet virgina from North Carolina augmented by Burley from Tennessee, one can immediately qualify it as a typical Mac Baren blend - smooth, flavorful and delightfully mild.

Our friends who normally prefer to dabble in latakias, orientals and perique may not necessarily associate themselves with this one, but the lovers of virginas and burleys may find this quite irresistible.

The corrugated look of the packaging is incredibly avant garde will turn heads before you even get an opportunity to light it.

As a matter of fact, I have noticed on several occasions that it remains a topic of discussion and fascination.

Hats off to Mac Baren to have chosen such a packaging gimmick, that adequately retains its natural moisture and flavors.

A lot of black cavendish among bright virg. and burley. No artificial aromas and toppings to kill the tobacco taste, if we ignore the natural sweetener which only enhances the fine natural aroma.

It smokes fine, tastes sweet enough, mild, but still is a serious smoke with some body. An all day smoke for any occasion. The room note is very nice, fruity almond like.

It suits all, from beginners to ones moving from aromatics to a more natural english or oriental blends.

It's neutrality will not appeal to heavy latakia smokers nor sweet cherry-vanilla-aromatics lovers. However it has it's place in a spectrum of tobacco and in a way it makes an important link in a chain of many blends.

I recommend it to all that start with smoking pipes, to all that want a day off from the heavy english mixtures, and to all aromatics lovers willing to try something more natural.

But the flavory changed my mind. Looking closer and it is not hard to find some sugar cristals sticked on the leaves. I first thought that I may be cheated with some kind of drug-store products. Afterh checking on tobaccoreviews.com, and I think maybe it IS the charactor of the tobacco. I did not through it away. I transfered it to a used tea tin. I ordered some Corn Cob pipes to smoke this tobacco. Each time I feel happier looking at the tin with less and less remainder inside.