Mac Baren HH Pure Virginia

don't puff straight Virgina often but it's good for a break from my usuals. this is a good one to try if you haven't. good price for a decent quality tin. I find it to start really good and get harsh at the end. many better flakes out there. I prefer Newminster 400 over all the rest. taste is subjective. this one i keep on hand because of the tin size. flu and air cured pressed tobacco.

If I didn’t read that this was a straight Virginia, I’d swear this had a little Burley in it. The taste is dark, and earthy, and gets bolder the further you get into it. The red Virginias add a little grass, and sweetness, but I think they are a little over powered by the dark Virginias. The mechanics are great. Takes a light, and stays lit no problem. The retrohale was on the medium to strong side. If you’re into darker less sweet Virginias, or like burley blends, give it a shot. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.

Very simple first impression: This is a fresh tin (Dec 2020). Tin note is tangy slightly apricot/apple but mainly pure 'wholemeal buttered toast' tobacco smells.

I folded and stuffed this into a bent Dublin (conical bowl).

The flakes are the usual impeccable cut from Mac Baren, Fairly dark and reminiscent of some English flakes (Gawith/Hoggarth). Spots and streaks of lighter Va, but mainly brown. Moisture is 'goldilocks' out of the tin.

I had trouble keeping it lit, but once I got past the halfway point (where it was more rubbed) it stopped being an issue. Possibly could be resolved by a little drying time.

Flavours: An extremely savoury, plain and simple flake.

Bready, earthy Virginias are forward, quite peppery and a bit nutty. Not remotely grassy or sweet in this bowl. More sour than sweet.

No detectable honey casing which I usually find with the MB Virginias (in Rollcakes or other blends).

Just very, very plain tobacco flavours. Some vague hints of malty sweetness, but just whiffs, very faint. It got a slight browned-butter note toward the end.

Very little bite so far. It gets a little hot when windy, where the stoved (almost burley) tastes come out. Very dry voluminous smoke, unusual for a pure Va.

Strength is middling, fairly light. It has a bit of oomph though. When folded it's a long smoke as it burns very slowly.

All that said it's 'good' tobacco. I suspect (as many have written already) that it's going to age well. I'll revisit this in a few months (or more likely years). For my taste - a little plain when fresh.

If you want something simple that you don't have to think about, this would be perfect.

I'm giving this 3 stars for now.

I'll jar it and try it aged for which I have fairly high hopes on improvement. But I suspect it'll take quite a while to really develop.

Not what I'd call a very interesting smoke, but that can be nice occasionally, some people might like it as an 'all day' smoke.

A polite way of saying that it was a little dull.

Mac Baren and the H&H series is the top of their line and this one is no exception. The beautifuly presented Virginia stacks are laid out inside a foil wrapper. I prefer to rub my flakes out but the choice is yours. The moisture level was close to where I like it so drying time was not needed. The leaf is top shelf with wisps of grassy hay, and citrus. It lights easy, leaves little to no moisture when done. The strength is a bit under medium and there is no topping what so ever. Push it and it could bite. Age will do this well and I will be buying more for the cellar. This is a good smoke for all you straight Virginia lovers

Thanks Mac Baren!

Lager

Presentation: As with all the HH MacBaren blends, the standard is a neatly, even and uniform flake with the gold wrapper. I love opening any Macbaren tin, I can always count on quality. Shades of brown, tan, mocha and yellow are layered in a fine flake. Rubs apart effortlessly and one can assume that a fold n' stuff method would also guarantee a nice smoke. I find that this blend among others comes slightly moist and could benefit for a short 10-15 minute dry time for ease of keeping lit.

Palette: Where as one might suspect this being a pure bright leaf blend, it is a melange of reds, browns and a little bright. The tin aroma is fantastic and offers a sweet hay and grass aroma along with the bread like reds. A touch of honey initially and caramel if you leave your nose in long enough. The blend is sweet but not as sweet as a pure bright. The red Virginia is nice and soft but pop in with some tickling spice every now and then. The brights are a good compliment and keep the tone from reaching too deep.

Performance: Smokes effortlessly and doesn't require many relights. I only experienced one relight with one whole flake. Leaves barely a drop of moisture in the heel and produces a semi-fine ash. Mild nicotine hit and a nice side stream note.

Conclusion: While I normally tend to prefer pure bright VA blends, this is a great bridge between red VA and bright VA. Would be perfect for a discerning smoker who is trying to figure out of they like brights or red's more. It offers best of both worlds and is a good benchmark for a quality VA blend. Not an all day flake but perhaps one or two throughout.

I got this in a 50g pouch and even had aluminium foil sealed,it's very dry. when smoking got a lot moisture. compare with other pure Virginia flake this not impress me at all, just like average Virginia out there.

Definitely my favourite in the HH line. Baren HH Pure Virginia is a high quality all virginian tobacco with a rather unconventional virginia taste profile. Straight out of the tin, I originally found the flavor to be OK but nothing to write home about and it possessed none of the sweetness promised on the tin description. However, after a month or two in a jar, boy does this stuff come to life - becoming darker and more flavourful, with a combination of bright and low notes and just the right amount of sweetness.

I believe HH Pure Virginia will age superbly and I have set aside several tins to enjoy down track. Excellent stuff!

I was recently gifted with a couple of tins of this with 3 years age and I am smoking my 1st ever bowl of it as I type. Wonderful very rich tin note of sweet grass & hay. Wave after wave of sweet smoking Virginia that takes to the match well straight out of the tin, with absolutely no bite. Even if puffed on hardily. It'll take me some bowls to figure out how much depth & complexity this has. I'm looking forward to enjoying a bowl during my evening happy hour one day soon. This very well could definitely be a keeper.

HH Pure Virginia: A very tangy and tart red-Virginia flake

The flake seems to be made up mostly of red Virginias as it is the tangiest and tartest straight Virginia flake that I have ever tried. My tin has four years of age on it, so all of the tobacco has darkened—making it hard to ascertain the other components. There is quite a bit of earthiness and a subtle sweetness. Any grassiness or bright notes from the other Virginia varietals have faded. The smoke has some body to it, similar to F&T Vintage Flake. However, HH Pure Virginia is more straight forward in its flavor profile. The tobacco also has a texture similar to C&D Small Batch Carolina Red Flake.

The flavor profile of the tobacco improves with a month in the jar.

If I try a more recent tin, I will update my review.