Mac Baren Amphora Original Blend
(2.81)
A well-rounded blend, emphasizing the chocolate flavor of burley tobacco.
Centuries of tobacco craftsmanship go into Amphora Original blend to bring out the rich chocolately undertones of the finest burley tobaccos, balanced with Orientals, Kentucky, and Virginia leaf. The result is a smooth textured and easy burning blend of rare distinction.
Notes: Made by MacBaren since 2006, the company owns the blend as of 2015.
Details
Profile
Strength
Mild to Medium
Extremely Mild -> Overwhelming
Flavoring
Mild
None Detected -> Extra Strong
Room Note
Pleasant
Unnoticeable -> Overwhelming
Taste
Mild to Medium
Extremely Mild (Flat) -> Overwhelming
Average Rating
|
2.81 / 4
|
Reviews
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Displaying 21 - 30 of 47 Reviews
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 30, 2017 | Mild to Medium | Extremely Mild | Medium | Pleasant |
Amphora Original Blend is a perfectly good tobacco when smoked for what it is. And what is that? A casual utility blend, not a gourmet offering.
This was originally produced in the Netherlands by Douwe Egberts, the brown package then denoted as Regular. It was part of a family of Amphoras, including (but not limited to) the red full aromatic (actually somewhere between mild and medium), the blue (light aromatic with a hint of mint), and the green (medium aromatic with a hazelnut taste). In the late 1990's the brand was acquired by Imperial Tobacco. and according to many the quality went down. I have no idea if this was true, for Imperial would not distribute to the United States. After some years the manufacture was farmed out to MacBaren, and then in 2015 MacBaren actually acquired the Amphora line. Once more the brown "Regular" was available in the US, but it was now characterized as "Original Blend." MacBaren produces good tobacco.
In the pouch you discover a mixture with a somewhat stringy ribbon cut. The sniffing test reveals nothing outstanding, but then it is not unpleasant either.It lights OK, but the ribbons are large enough to require an occasional relight in the puffing. The tobaccos are burley, dark fired Kentucky, cavendish (not black cavendish), oriental and Virginia.
The taste is pleasant, although not exciting. The burley and Kentucky dominate, enhanced with a bit of cocoa flavoring--a taste that melds well with burley. The cavendish and Virginia lurk in the background, but provide a bit of sweetness. The oriental is just barely evident. What you have is a very nice medium smoke with a taste that is perfectly fine for casual smoking but a bit too insipid for those pipe times when full attention is directed to the smoke.
The room note is pleasant, more of a natural tobacco than an aromatic smell (for Amphora Original Blend is a semi-aromatic, not an aromatic blend).The nicotine strength just hits medium. I smoke it in my burley blend pipes. I am not particularly bite prone. This blend has never bitten me, but hold in mind that I am not sensitive along that line.
When you are doing something else, but choose to also puff a pipe, Amphora Original Blend fills the bill. When your full attention is directed to the smoking, however, it comes across as very ordinary. Use this as a utility tobacco.
This was originally produced in the Netherlands by Douwe Egberts, the brown package then denoted as Regular. It was part of a family of Amphoras, including (but not limited to) the red full aromatic (actually somewhere between mild and medium), the blue (light aromatic with a hint of mint), and the green (medium aromatic with a hazelnut taste). In the late 1990's the brand was acquired by Imperial Tobacco. and according to many the quality went down. I have no idea if this was true, for Imperial would not distribute to the United States. After some years the manufacture was farmed out to MacBaren, and then in 2015 MacBaren actually acquired the Amphora line. Once more the brown "Regular" was available in the US, but it was now characterized as "Original Blend." MacBaren produces good tobacco.
In the pouch you discover a mixture with a somewhat stringy ribbon cut. The sniffing test reveals nothing outstanding, but then it is not unpleasant either.It lights OK, but the ribbons are large enough to require an occasional relight in the puffing. The tobaccos are burley, dark fired Kentucky, cavendish (not black cavendish), oriental and Virginia.
The taste is pleasant, although not exciting. The burley and Kentucky dominate, enhanced with a bit of cocoa flavoring--a taste that melds well with burley. The cavendish and Virginia lurk in the background, but provide a bit of sweetness. The oriental is just barely evident. What you have is a very nice medium smoke with a taste that is perfectly fine for casual smoking but a bit too insipid for those pipe times when full attention is directed to the smoke.
The room note is pleasant, more of a natural tobacco than an aromatic smell (for Amphora Original Blend is a semi-aromatic, not an aromatic blend).The nicotine strength just hits medium. I smoke it in my burley blend pipes. I am not particularly bite prone. This blend has never bitten me, but hold in mind that I am not sensitive along that line.
When you are doing something else, but choose to also puff a pipe, Amphora Original Blend fills the bill. When your full attention is directed to the smoking, however, it comes across as very ordinary. Use this as a utility tobacco.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Dec 18, 2012 | Mild to Medium | Mild | Medium | Pleasant |
This blend is a great all-day smoke. It is just nutty and chocolatey enough to give a kick to your bowl. The room note is great, I appreciate the sweetness of the last half-bowl. It's a tobacco I like to share with a non-smoker friend for his firsts time because here in Quebec it's the only convenient store tobacco that offers a good burley blend. (the other available tobaccos are Sail, Tycoon, Captain Black and Borkum Riff) all of these have poor reviews and I'm not interested in trying those.
The pouch: great nut/chocolate sent. 1st half: Good, plain burley. 2nd half: The flavoring reveals itself. great aroma, great room note. Ending: I have never thrown the last fourth of the bowl like I usually do.
Pros: great flavouring Cons: occasional bite tongue, the flavouring could be overwhelming for English smokers. Creates quite a lot of humidity, keep a peap-cleaner near you, especially in cold weather.
The pouch: great nut/chocolate sent. 1st half: Good, plain burley. 2nd half: The flavoring reveals itself. great aroma, great room note. Ending: I have never thrown the last fourth of the bowl like I usually do.
Pros: great flavouring Cons: occasional bite tongue, the flavouring could be overwhelming for English smokers. Creates quite a lot of humidity, keep a peap-cleaner near you, especially in cold weather.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 16, 2020 | Mild | Extremely Mild | Mild | Pleasant |
I was recently given a pouch of Amphora Original. I hadn’t tried this since it was made by Douie Egbert company, and that was quite a long time ago. Gone was the Fiber One looking pieces of the blend, but the taste and flavor seemed to be there. In fact, it was really, really good. The Burley has the soft, round, chocolate side, while the Virginia and Turkish soften the nicotine to make the whole, feel like your favorite quilt. A good tasting pipe of tobacco, that really satisfies. So good to see this one back again.
Pipe Used:
My old Comoy.
Age When Smoked:
New.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 06, 2019 | Mild | Mild | Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
Well this is annoying. I did a review of Original Blend a year ago, and now I can't seem to find it, so I'm doing what any good reviewer does, buy some more! As with the other Amphora pouches, you get the golden ticket treatment (by which I mean the bag has a smart looking gold lining) plus a wad of some seriously unbroken meaty ribbon bits. The pouch gives off a nice natural sweetness, though not as chocolatey as the pouch I had prior. It was feeling more like a Virginia forward blend with an earthy smell.
The flavors do surface once lit. The smoke is velvety, possibly chocolate, though certainly not an overly topped sweet-a-thon. The kind of thing you can smoke in succession without tiring of it. Nicotine and intensity is on the milder side. The Amphora cut is what I liked the most, it is sturdy and smolders without much moisture.
I often look at pouched tobaccos as cheap, but this was one that changed my opinion.
The flavors do surface once lit. The smoke is velvety, possibly chocolate, though certainly not an overly topped sweet-a-thon. The kind of thing you can smoke in succession without tiring of it. Nicotine and intensity is on the milder side. The Amphora cut is what I liked the most, it is sturdy and smolders without much moisture.
I often look at pouched tobaccos as cheap, but this was one that changed my opinion.
PurchasedFrom:
pipesandcigars.com
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 06, 2018 | Mild to Medium | Mild | Mild to Medium | Pleasant |
Upon opening the pouch, I’m greeted with a pleasant, mild cocoa aroma. The tobacco is moist, but does not need time to dry. This ribbon cut is a mixture of light brown, dark brown and light/dark brown tobaccos.
I taste chocolate, but it is not overpowering. At times, I sense leather. It’s savory rather than sweet, and can be lightly spicy. It’s pleasant, mellow and almost medium in body. It smokes cool and never harsh. It goes well with black coffee, and works best for me as a pre-breakfast pipe.
This is a good blend for the aromatic smoker that wants to explore non-aromatics, and still retain the flavour.
I taste chocolate, but it is not overpowering. At times, I sense leather. It’s savory rather than sweet, and can be lightly spicy. It’s pleasant, mellow and almost medium in body. It smokes cool and never harsh. It goes well with black coffee, and works best for me as a pre-breakfast pipe.
This is a good blend for the aromatic smoker that wants to explore non-aromatics, and still retain the flavour.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 01, 2018 | Mild to Medium | Mild | Mild to Medium | Tolerable |
I was quite surprised by this tobacco, I expected a typical Danish aromatic that would be way too sweet and roast my tongue. In fact, Amphora is a very pleasant smoke, producing no tongue bite and the chocolate casing was rather mild. I taste Burley predominantly, with the chocolate casing much lighter than I had expected, reminds me of the taste of baking chocolate, not very sweet at all, more of a chocolate aftertaste than an in your face aromatic. I will be buying more.
Pipe Used:
Various briars
PurchasedFrom:
Local grocery store
Age When Smoked:
Fresh
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Oct 02, 2017 | Mild to Medium | Extremely Mild | Mild to Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
I smoked this stuff originally when Nixon was still president. I loved it back when. After all the iterations I was a little nervous about trying it again. I like the chunky ribbon cut and the smell in the pouch of raisins and figs. Once going it needs few relights. The flavor is good burley tobacco and a hint of cocoa, just a hint. It's a simple smoke with the tobacco flavors coming through. Its a good out of doors smoke. No aftertaste. I'll keep some around for sitting out on the patio in nice weather. Recommended.
Pipe Used:
Large bowl freehand
Age When Smoked:
New
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Aug 19, 2009 | Mild to Medium | Very Mild | Mild to Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
I picked up a pouch of this on holiday in Italy recently -- it doesn't seem to be available here in the UK. It's a pleasant tobacco, milder than, say, St Bruno; burns slowly; doesn't seem to bite; has nice nutty flavour with just a hint of topping. A relaxing smoke.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Mar 02, 2009 | Mild to Medium | Medium | Medium | Very Pleasant |
Pleasantly surprised with this one (called Original Blend here) given to me by a newbie who didn't much care for it. Very nice gentle casing on this one, fruity and floral. But quite subtle with a good natural baccy taste. Only a hint of chemical taste. The burley is well used in the blend, popping up now and then. Less bite than a MacB, even cheaper here in Holland than MacB (it is a Dutch baccy, although I suspect made in Denmark these days). One of the more natural tasting packets I've had for a while.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 08, 2004 | Medium | Extremely Mild | Medium | Tolerable |
I havent had it in awhile though I remember it to be a straight burley flavor that had a touch of spice that I loved.It burned dry which was nice .Alittle nutty and at the time available.I miss this blend. Though Skandinavik regular is similar it's not the same . Skandinavik will leave a pipe stinky. I dont remember this blend having any cavendish . I remember it to be a ready rubbed burley that I smoked in the 80's and into the 90's a bit . People say virginia and cavendish with regards to this blend and it confuses me . Maybe there is va and cavendish in it ..... but it tasted like a straight ahead burley to me ......... and thats a damn good thing . It must have changed since the 80's cause this was no way a ribbon cut when I smoked it and it was void of any added flavoring
Pipe Used:
Mediun sized chambered pipes
PurchasedFrom:
OTC
Age When Smoked:
Fresh from the pouch
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