Mac Baren Amphora Full Aroma

The price is too low for the complexity of the blend. Honestly, I don't think being OTC or not determines the quality of Pipe Tobacco. I think you can't know if a product is good or bad unless you try it. i like Amphora Full Aroma as much as Virginia No. 1. compared to No. 1, there is no tongue bite, which is great. Floral, chocolatey, nutty, grassy, earthy, bitter with a quality from Tobacco... I think it's close to the "Aromatic Blend" made by G.L. Pease, which aims to be a "non-aromatic blend". Delicious!

I had waited some time until after I had finished Amphora Original to smoke this one. Along with the original this is one I smoked back in the late nineties. I will not even pretend to remember what it was like so long ago other than the fact I liked it. I was fairly a newbie back then. Some time after, not sure when but it disappeared from the market. I may be completely off base but I believe it had to do with import tobacco tax increases but who knows for sure. I really do like the packaging, looks classy and upon opening was greeted with a wonderful scented pouch note of fruit and floral fragrances. I will leave it to the experts to dissect the individual casing/toppings on this one. It smokes cool, clean with a mild aromatic taste. Due to its mildness, the full aroma obviously must be the room note or so I read somewhere. I had purchased an Amphora-Holland Bulldog X-tra-722 pipe from an antique store up in Ramona, CA for the princely price of ten dollars and sanitized it, (Everclear Salt Bath), cleaned it up though actually this one was in really great condition. Needless to say, this is my Amphora smoking blend pipe. I really like this and yes, the extra star may be nostalgia but if you like Dutch Cav Aros give this one a try. It does not taste overly flavored. When this is gone, I will go to the Black Cav and see what that is like and who knows I may buy one of each of all the others also.

God in heaven, I wish this tobacco was available in the states! This was the single pipe tobacco that kept me loyal to the pipe as a beginner, and I stuck with it religiously until one could not get it anymore. I would always shift to "premium" blends, and tins, but I could never stay away! Loved this stuff! If anyone could help me acquire this again, OR give me an EXCELLENT COPYCAT of Amphora Full, please contact me! Thanks!

Not that too promising smell when opening the package, moisture is okay, cut and look is also ok. Lights up nicely, burns evenly trough the bowl, and has a very pleasant mild sweetness without the feel of any artificial aroma. It also has a very nice vanilla flavor that kicks in smoothly every now and then from the background. No bite of course at all. The best I smoked so far of the relatively cheap ones, highly recommended.

What a find! I have a strong suspicion that I met Amphora already in my earlier pipe smoking days, but can't say for sure - maybe a friend smoked it. Anyway, this is a very good mix of quality tobaccoes and spices from Macbaren; the taste is well rounded and completely wholesome, with just a tiny hint of plums and dates, which I like. Large and somewhat hard ribbons and strands, a minor gripe is that the cut is fairly coarse and "unclean", that is, an average pouch will have quite a few stems and knots in it so some rubbing and shredding by hand is usually necessary when filling the bowl; for this reason it's not the easiest one to burn either, so expect some relights. Still, it's an all day smoke that is full and wholesome and just that tiny bit fruity without being overpowering in any sense.

By far my favourite supermarket brand in Finland at the moment.

EDIT: Had to change the rating of this - one of the first tobaccoes that I reviewed - to 4 as I noticed that otherwise it's way too easy in a 4-point system never to give anything a 4 in search of that one Holy Grail of Pipe Tobaccoes. Amphora Full is a staple for me and fully deserves a strong recommendation.

Nice smooth outdoor smoke. Slightly smoky, with a very light fruity top note compliments the Virginia sweetness with a hint of nutty flavor from the sparingly used Burley. The orientals add some spiciness and rounded flavor. Delish.

An excellent European aromatic tobacco. This is not your typical sickly-sweet, goopy, hot-burning, and flavourless American-style aromatic. It's quite dry right out of the pouch with very little propylene glycol, and it burns slowly and coolly down to a grey ash. Due to this dryness, it easily stays lit with very few relights. A very flavourful smoke consisting of cocoa, vanilla, floral, citrus, and a nutty natural tobacco taste. You won't find much sweetness here, but you will find a surprising amount of complexity. Aftertaste is also very good. I regularly smoke Dunhill English blends, and the strength of this tobacco was a pleasant surprise. I would rate nicotine strength somewhere between My Mixture 965 and Nightcap. Room note is also wonderful. You will get many compliments while smoking this.

It's easy on the tongue and is my everyday, all-day smoke. This is by far one of my most favourite blends. I never tire of it. You really can't go wrong with this tobacco. It tastes great, burns slowly and coolly, has a wonderful room note, and it is affordable. Plus it's readily available worldwide. It easily compares in quality and taste to more expensive European aromatics such as Peterson. There's good reason why it's been around for 60+ years. Get some now.

I'll agree with the one reviewer who claims no one does the Cavendish process like the Dutch. I smoked so much of this in the eighties and early nineties and loved it alot. I like all the Amphora offerings with the English being my least favorite, followed by the Virginia. The Virginia leaf is aged well and the Burley is pretty neutral as it seems to absorb the flavorings well. All the added flavorings are done very well and only enhance the blend and help the true tobacco flavor come through. As far as Orientals go I cannot detect them but I'm sure they are there. It comes quite wet in the pouch so drying time for me was needed, if not you may get some gurgling. I really wish this was available in bulk, but such is life. Absolutely one of my favorites! Enjoy!

Lager

I am not old enough to remember this tobacco from the old days. It was around in the 90's, but I did not smoke it. When I got serious about pipe smoking, it was gone. However, I do remember the aroma from one of my college professors. I can recall standing outside on break and smelling this particular tobacco. So, my evaluation will be based on an aroma brought to mind from over 20 years ago. When you open the pouch, there is a sweet smell of natural tobacco with a kind of fruit topping that is very lightly applied. It showed up a little dry so I had hydrate it. It must be packed with care as the ribbons are kind of rough cut. It takes a light pretty well. Although, I did have re-light a couple of times. This stuff is definitely suited for a larger bowl. The flavor is sweet, but in an earthy kind of way. The taste is mild and the smoke was pretty full. The flavor stays the same throughout the bowl and there is a nice undertone of dark tobacco that is there to be enjoyed. Now, the aroma is not what I remember in that is a little more smoky than sweet. The wife will tolerate it in the house, however. This is truly a great smoke and well worth the money. The ash is fine and jumps out of the bowl with a knock. The pipe is left dry and not ghosted. I did run a pipe cleaner through the stem a couple of times and I felt the need to tamp a few times. Overall, this is a great tobacco even thought the aroma was not an exact replica of what I remember. I would still buy it again and wish they sold it in 12 oz tins.