Mac Baren Amphora Full Aroma

Cheap in price, but not in quality.

Nice cut - broken flakes, little bit damp but smokeable right out of the pouch.

Mild in flavors and strength, light-bodied smoke that is easy on the palate. Despite being mild it is pretty interesting and not that simple - sweet and fruity, slightly woodsy and smoky, little nutty and doughy - it is a bit of everything. Very light but sometimes a little harsh, can smoke hot but is still pretty manageable.

Not your typical gooey and overly-flavored aromatic.This blend still allows to enjoy the flavor of the tobaccos and complements it with some non-offensive toppings, which I believe to be some fruity syrups.

Overall - not overwhelming, pretty pleasant and safe tobacco with an attractive price.

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.

Good tobacco. Not spectacular, but one of the best easily accessible blends. Very pleasant floral-chocolate aroma and room note. It is mild to medium nicotine-wise. Be sure to dry it a little bit before smoking it.

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.

Is it only me who miss a Danish category? To me, this is not a full-on aromatic but a pleasant blend in the Danish tradition with a pleasant casing. Nice packaging, the tobacco was more of a broken flake or ready-rubbed than ribbon cut in my pouch. The pouch aroma has that wonderful bready toasty note so typical of Mac Baren; how do they do it? Packs and lights easily but requires a little bit of attention to keep going. Flaviour is a clean Virginia/Burley with a pleasant flavouring that is har to pin down. Don't really feel any of the flavours listed above. If I would criticise something, it's that the licorice sweetener is perhaps a bit too dominant. OK for me since I like licorice, but something to keep in mind. It's a fairly mild and pleasant smoke. Definitely a pleasant "all day" tobacco, albeit nothing very special. Surprisingly consistent throughout the smoke for this category of tobacco, and never gets ashy. Room note is sweet, one of those that could perhaps be passed off as incense. All in all a surprisingly pleasant straight-forward Danish. Will certainly buy again!

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.

This is one cheap tobacco. As in, it lacks a certain quality that I look for. It says full aroma, but I can hardly call it an aromatic. Yes I admit it reeks of a certain smell of chocolate etc. but it is not pleasant at all. The taste is sour, peppery and not in a good way. If this was the only pipe tobacco remaining in the world, I would not consider smoking it...

Not recommended. Smoke grass instead.

It's cheap, and the price matches it's taste. It happened to be one of my firsts, and I don't regret it. For a beginner it might be good for start, but overall it's overrated

Smoke this if you like cigarettes. I felt like an air freshner smoking this blend: everyone seemed to be enjoying it but me. Bland taste and hot hot smoke. And the tongue bite...I don't know how so many people rated this above 2 stars. For me, it was like Captain Black Regular without the sweetness.