Mac Baren Amphora Full Aroma

This aromatic is too flat. Hints of raspberry are minimalistic and tobacco flavours are hidden behind the dryness of the smoke. When I am in mood for it, I can enjoy it. But it is very rarely. I would rather recommend the Amphora Rich.

It is another regular tobacco blend, it is not surprising at all nothing remarkeble, no flavor deteced at all to me it is like poor english one with not srtong acceptable and just acceptable room note

This is the tobacco that piqued my interest in pipes. Many moons ago, my first boss on my first summer job smoked this all day long. It would be decades before I got around to actually trying it. While not the same as I remember, this is still decent. Sort of an orange-chocolate-cherry concoction that smells great.

I purchased a 50g pouch of Amphora Red back in September, 2002 while my ship was at a port visit in Victora, B.C. It was a treat since Amphora is not available in the U.S.

When I first opened the pouch, I was greeted by an overwhelming, straight-up tobacco scent. I didn't pick up on orientals, or the aromatics (vanilla, fruit, or otherwise). The tobacco was slightly rubbed out and packed nicely.

When I lit the first bowl, I wasn't impressed. This blend tasted sort of bland but smelled strong. Again, I couldn't pick up any aromatics at all, so I was a bit perplexed by that.

I had two more bowls in the following two weeks and was ready to say "Not my cup of tea, won't try it again". But, I tossed the pouch in my tobacco cellar and forgot about it, until today, four months later, when I was going through my tobacco stash and deciding what I was going to fire up with.

I said to myself "hey, what the heck, let's give it another whirl". The tobacco didn't seem to be any drier that before, but the distinctive "tobacco" odor I had mentioned was considerably more mellow now. I packed my Stanwell and lit. I found I was able to sort out the vanilla and fruit aromatics and was quite pleased. The tobacco was mild, had no bite, and the aroma was just as pleasant, with a hint of what I thought was possibly raisin. Overall, I now have to say that I will keep this one around.

It was highly recommended as great aromatic of old days, so I decide to try it. I visited my favourite brick and mortar shop and got it together with Amphora Special Reserve No. 2 (which I highly recommend). When opened tobacco is wet and need to be dried. First smell is more tobacco than some full aroma. On lighting it (after drying) if I need to point out some interesting note it would be floral. Otherwise it was flat and not really interesting smoke. I know that lots of people love it and are not agreeing with me but for me this was disappointing. Maybe my expectations were too high due to other opinions and also due to name but it's as it is. Not everyone can have same view and experience. From something with this name you expect full aroma...

It is a pleasant aromatic blend, even though I would prefer a lighter aromatic from Amphora (Amphora original blend) in terms of flavoring/toppings. This one perhaps not an all-day smoke, but recommended to give it a try and can be part of the regular or semi-rotation for those that smoke aromatic blends often. It would come as a 2-star blend for me based on my re-review of this tobacco, though for aromatic lovers this might get a higher rating.

When I first opened the pouch, an old familiar smell hammered my nostrils. I didn’t notice any of the promised floral or fruit blossom notes, certainly no vanilla as indicated on the package (btw the faint gold print on the maroon background is impossible to read except in the brightest light). For weeks I tried to figure out what the smell was. About a month later, it clicked. Cocoa Krispies cereal. Over the coarse of the next year, the original pouch aroma transformed into what was promised. This is an example of near perfect dryness. The broken flake and ribbon mixture seems more scented than heavily cased. The smoker gets mild tobacco flavor and bystanders get a pleasant sidestream. Fairly simple and inoffensive. I had a few bowls that turned acrid and dirty tasting in the last 1/3. I probably wouldn’t buy this again unless in a pinch.

Recently my evaluation towards Amphora blends has changed a lot. I smoked this blend when I just started smoking. Hated it and gave away the rest of the pouch. After 3 years I am smoking it again in a better pipe and greater experience of pipe smoking. Now I can feel the back aromas dancing towards the bowl, cacao is very pleasant and dominant. Burns nicely even though it seems a bit humid when I pack my bowl. I could manage to smoke entire bowl without lighting it again. Floral topping is noticeable when I smoked half bowl. It's very interesting. Medium in nicotine. Not something extraordinary, but still gives a good after taste. I didn't want to brush my teeth to maintain the aftertaste.

Not so happy with it... After many years, I'm now giving a new try to all available Amphora tobaccos. And I am having many surprises. I gave 4 star to Rich, 3 to Black Cavendish and an so on... But just 2 to this. For just a main reason: I'm really not a Cavendish enthusiast. I mean, I can smoke it, and sometimes it can make me happy, but just so and so... For this tobacco, I was trying to understand what was wrong, and now I'm fairly sure: too much Cavendish here...it overhelms my beloved Burley and Virginia... I perceive it just like the Black Cavendish Reserve, just less elegant, just something more rude... Anyway, still a good cheap tobacco, more and more better if compared even with some more important names. And really no bite at all, and this is nice. It's just...too much Cavendish for my taste.