Mac Baren Amphora Original Blend

I'm smoking my first bowl of Amphora Original as I write this post. Like many, I've waited for this to come back to the USA for years. Last I smoked it was in the late 80s I believe. Not as flavorful as the Full Aroma but enjoyable none the less (see my review for Full Aroma). I ordered two packs each from 4noggins and they arrived this afternoon. I was at a basketball game at West Point and knowing the parcel with the baccy would be arriving today, I couldn't wait to get home and start puffing away. Mildly chocolate in taste , with a mild to medium nic hit. Smokes relatively cool and without bite. What remains coming back into the room after putting the pipe down for a few minutes is a delicious smell of chocolate cake baking. Never cigarette like at all which is a huge plus too. Very enjoyable! 4 stars.

A pipe smoking session is a very delicate time. Know then, that it is the year 2021. The known pipe universe is ruled according to Danelaw under Emperor Mac Baren. In this time, the most precious substance in the Universe is the spice melange. Composed mainly of burleys along with virginias and orientals, the spice enhances life. The spice expands tastiness. The spice is vital to productivity. The Amphora Guild and its member smokers, who the spice has mutated for the last five decades or so, retrohale the Original spice gas, which gives them the ability to fold time. That is, to enjoy tobacco at a delightfully slow pace.

The spice is also known as Amphora Original and it has been my loyal companion for many years now. Smoking a pipe has become synonymous with having a bowl of Amphora Original. If smoking weren't outlawed in most places (unfortunately, the spice does not grant one the ability to fold the law), I could smoke this anytime, anyplace - not only figuratively, but literally as well. The very first time I bought this, I assumed this was going to be a cheap, second-rate pipe tobacco. Yet, I couldn't have been more wrong. Fresh and unsmoked, the spice melange smells like cocoa, dark chocolate and raisins in its lovely brown pouch. As a rubbed out flake it can be a little rough around the edges so I occasionally find myself rubbing it out a little further. I then load up my pipe and prepare for a journey of some 90 minutes of burley-induced pleasure.

The cool, dry, slow and even burn of this tobacco offers a variety of subtle and natural tobacco flavors. There is the slightly bittersweet flavor of dark chocolate or cocoa which tends to stand out midway. It also has some drier, woodier, hazelnut-like qualities I greatly appreciate. Though by no means sweet, it is creamy and smooth as butter. And yet every now and then, it reveals its spicy character - a flavor reminding me of black pepper, the original spice melange.

A delight for anyone who appreciates the delicate sweetness and earthiness of burley along with virginias and orientals, it is readily available where I live at an affordable price. It's neither too mild nor too strong but supplies just the right amount of lady nicotine a man needs. It isn't so high-maintenance as to require your constant attention yet when you do give it your attention, you will be rewarded. Whether sipped or puffed, the spice never bites, although sipping is recommended if you want to pick up more flavors. Another reason I love this tobacco for is its rather full body, the smoke being almost edible though without being overwhelming.

Like bread and butter, this is my staple tobacco. For maximum potency, I recommend pairing it with strong black coffee. It leaves no moisture, just a nice layer of white ash at the bottom. Though it is unlikely tho ghost your pipes, it may come to possess your taste buds. In case you hadn't guessed it, this is my all day smoke. I would recommend any pipe smoker to contemplate the spice melange and consider joining the Amphora Guild.

Fear of tongue bite is the mind-killer. The Amphora Original must flow!

I really like this blend. It has a nice cocoa flavor that compliments the natural air cured burley.The dark fired Kentucky burley adds a nice spice element as well. To me the other tobaccos take a back seat to these two but the Turkish does add a little something to the mix. I'm an all day smoker and this could easily be a all day smoke. It has no bite and smokes cool for me. The only real drawback is the price. $4.23 an ounce!!! Why??? No way that it will ever be a regular smoke for me. There are too many good burley blends out there in bulk that provide the same experience. Put this on the market in bulk at a reasonal price and you have a real winner.

Back in the late 90s when I was still new in the hobby or pastime however one would say, I was trying different and new blends. Come to think of it, I guess I am still trying new and different blends. Anyway, back to the story. There was Hilands at the mall, a pipe and cigar store in Vista owned by a retired SgtMaj USMC, and of course drug stores. There was not the vast internet shopping that we have today, sounding old. Ha. I tried blends like Captain Black, Dutch Masters Whiskey, buy one get one free and probably a few others. I bought this one and also the Full Aroma. It was night and I went out to the pool at the apartment complex where I lived, sat in a chair alone and smoked this. Why I still remember this I do not know, maybe it was the peace and solitude that I enjoyed that night. Maybe for once everything just melded together. It was good and like a fleeting romance I moved on. Sometime in the future it disappeared from the US market until a few years ago when I noticed it back in catalogs and online. Then it was like nine dollars a pouch and a little too pricey for me at the time. I got this one, Full Aroma, and the Black Cav on sale. Upon opening, I noticed that this is hermetically sealed unlike a few pouches which are taped and that is about it. It has a very faint coco smell and I mean faint. I have been smoking this for the past two days and really enjoy it. I would not even classify this as an aromatic. This is a good quality smooth burley in my opinion. Will I buy again, more than likely no but not because of any negative qualities of the blend more due to too much inventory. Yes, I am a pouch hopper, hopping from one blend to the next. When this pouch is emptied, I will check out the other two. It was nice to smoke something where it all began so to speak. The reviewer oldcodger has some interesting history about Amphora. This also has some classy packaging.

I bought this on a whim, I'm plesantly surprised how good it is for a packet aromatic.

You get a lot of bang for your buck. A simple burley heavy tobacco with a lightly applied sweetish chocolate topping. The topping compliments the toasty, nutty burly very nicely. It burns well, requires little attention to keep lit, never seems to bite. All in all it's going into my regular rotation.

Delightful. Good tobacco flavor as the top dressings are add with a light hand. The Burley is the main player providing the chocolate, nutty flavor with the other tobaccos in the background. I can't detect the vanilla others have mentioned but I do think its there just doing it's part to make this one of the most mellow blends I've ever smoked. If I had to pick one word to describe Amphora Original I guess mellow would be it. Highly recommended.

Let me say that I a big fan of Burley tobacco. This tobacco is right up my alley and has all the qualities one looks for in a good Burley blend. The taste is sort of many Black and Burley blends I have tried without the usual vanilla topping. The Virginia and Oriental tobaccos are present, but they play a minor role. There is a sweetness that one can certainly taste and, yes, it does seem like chocolate. Well, dark chocolate, anyway. Do not be mislead into thinking this is some kind of milk chocolate confection. Also, do not think that the aroma is that of simmering cocoa; it is not. I would describe the taste as being more sweet than nutty, but the aroma is that of a typical Burley smoke. The pouch reveals an almost broken flake kind of feel and the pouch aroma does, indeed, smell like it tastes. Some careful packing in a larger pipe seems to yield the best results. It does not take to a light very well, but What Mac Barren product really does? And, it seems to impart a little more moisture to the bowl than one might first think. The smoke is thick, but not over-whelming. And, yes, like most Mac Barren offerings, if you puff to vigorously you will get bitten. Treat it as you would an aromatic and the taste and smoke are just great. The nicotine is higher than your typical Mac Barren blend and the ash is fine and falls out of the pipe. There is no after-taste. It does not ghost your pipe unless your next bowl is a heavy English or dessert aromatic. Overall, this is a very fine all-day smoke. There is enough complexity to keep you interested and there is enough simple Burley goodness to keep you satisfied. When the bowl is done, you want another one right away. If I could grab a pouch of this at my local convenience store or dgrug store, this would be sure go-to for me.

This is a good solid blend, I find it to be a little sweet, nutty and faintly chocolatey. I wasn't a big fan of this the first time I smoked it, for some reason I found it harsh, maybe it was the pipe or just my mouth chemistry at the time. I came back to it about 2 months later though and really enjoyed it, now I reach for it as much as I do anything else. The pouch aroma is nice and tobacco forward and it seems to have a nice room note as well. I really like how the flavorings are all sublimated and I can taste the quality tobaccos up front. It burns nice and cool with no bite and very few relights once you get it going. The cut is kind of a coarse or a thick ribbon cut, but it packs easily enough. This is usually my morning smoke, as I enjoy Amphora with a cup of coffee and I smoke it almost exclusively in my briar pipes (for some reason I think it just tastes better that way). This comes a little moist in the pouch, so I like to open the pouch and let dry overnight. I would estimate the strength to be medium, just a couple ticks above mild.

I smoked this for years and am still looking for a replacement. If anyone ever finds one, please, please contact me as I would love to try it. This is an almost natural tobacco and a mix of Burley and Virginias in a thin cavendish cut that stays lit easily and can be smoked all day long. It has a great room note that noone, I mean noone ever complained about. It has a sweet nutty taste and a good n hit. Unfortunately they no longer import into the US! Don't you hate it when your all day blend cannot be had anymore? Cakes the bowl well and burns down to a powdery grey ash.

Great stuff!