Mac Baren Amphora Rich Aroma

Based on the amazing smell in the bag, I was expecting a more nutty flavour smoke. Not that the smoke was bad in anyway. It was quite enjoyable, mellowing after a few minutes into a nice deep well rounded smoke with the hints of hazelnut as described on the package. I was just expecting a punch in the face of nuttiness, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. It's definite worth a try.

Despite I prefer the Original Blend I really recommend this one, for newbee pipe smokers in particular. Smooth, fragrant, simple and round, classical adjective for a classical tobacco: straight in taste, not much "addicted" with aromatized crap, but in the same time appreciable for the natural sweet taste. Sure there's some hazelnut aroma, but it isn't the sweet icecream hazelnut taste, is instead a natural dried fruit hazelnut taste that enhance the kentucky presence. An all day tobacco type, perfect with any type of pipe. In the beginning need some control for the charge and the lighting, but it's part of the game, and this can be, maybe, another "training" reason for I recommend this tobacco to a fresh new pipe smoker.

Type: Natural aromatic burley mixture ; Contents: Burley, Kentucky, Oriental & Virginia ; Flavoring: Hazelnut (very mild taste) ; Cut: Ribbon / Flake ready rubbed ; Humidity: Pretty moist and slow burning; Lighting: I say normal and constant burning but need some practice in the first time ; Pipe recommended: All kind are fine, but obviously for a full burley mixture experience a large bowl is mandatory, better with a chubby type. For some strange reason the meerschaum experience is not good as I expected for burley mix.

This blend seemed to be a compromise between the red label full aroma and the brown label regular blends. As a result, it was sort of a "neither fish nor fowl" type of baccy. However, it was a satifisfying smoke and if it were still available in the U.S. I would stock up on it.

When I first read the reviews on this amphora aromatic, after buying a rainy- sunday last pouch left at the tobacconist I feared it maybe one of the dullest blends out for sale here in Italy, plus I am not an Amphora lover.

I have to say it's a very "mild" tobacco, from all possible points of view. Mild strength indeed, mild flavoring, some nutty-chocolatey scent and nothing more, vanishing taste. A simple, monotone burley blend.

Among blends we can taste out here, some Skandinavik mild aromatic blend along with Park lane Nr. 7 & basic burley blends seem way more interesting than this Amphora title. The Cavendish inside this reminds me of that weird flowery scent infused in Clan. And that doesn't please much.

Luckily, but quite obviously, this doesn't bite.

The cut, very easy to pack, it's the same ol' Amphora "mix" of big shags and ready rubbed, maybe some cubes.

I've tried this in little and medium bowls, even after some aging, but It doesn't show nothing particular and never evolves .

The picture of the pouch is not the right one.

The pouch is exactly the same as the red one, but dark green.

I did not enjoy this offering. There was a harshness to it and the casing was noy exactly an enjoyable smell...

Back in the D&E era, I smoked many pouches and bulk cans of this blend and it was my preference among their offered colors. However, that was before my exposure to true flakes as VAs and VApers that I presently prefer and also before Imperial took over and stopped sales in the USA. That really forced me to explore other options and broaden my experiments with other blends. Not a good enough tobacco to go thru the hassle and expense of obtaining from overseas.

Another blend licensed by Van Nelle of Holland.

A nice try but falls short of the red pouch Full Aroma. I can't put my finger on how to describe the aroma in the pouch but it does smell refreshing.

Predominantly partially rubbed-out burley with specs of what appears to be oriental, it is sufficiently moist in the pouch but barely so. Once removed from the pouch to a jar suffice it to say that a humi-disc would be in order.

Since this is long and coarse packing a bowl can be tricky. I first tried this as-is in a small bowl meer-lined Butz Choquin....big mistake! Though it lights easily and stays lit, burns a bit hot but to the bottom, the smoke quickly hits the tongue with a biting, acidic punch. This is better rubbed-out some more and packed in a larger bowl...preferably a pipe with filter which reduces that nasty bite somewhat.

I could not taste any hazelnut........until I took a sip of coffee, and aaaahhh....the hazelnut comes to the surface of the palate.

Rich Aroma fails to describe the room note which seems to me to be simply an aroma of tobacco smoke.....not annoying but certainly not what I would call a rich aroma.

After shredding a bowl-full of this by hand and loading my Brigham Algonquin Volcano, it was a better smoke, but certainly not an all-day one.

I have found that mixing this with Original blend 50/50 makes for an enjoyable relaxing, unhurried smoke.

I can only give this 2 stars. Beginners should avoid this. Go for the red pouch Full Aroma or the Original Blend. Skip this unless you plan to mix it with something to tame that burley. Personally, I'll keep the rest and do some experimentation with custom blending this stuff until I come up with something I could give more praise.......on its own, its not worth the $$$.

The first time in my life I tried Rich Aroma (the green one) was about five years ago, approximately right after the Amphora line went into the Imperial Tobacco Group.

It was not a nice experience... Amphora Green was so mild, bitey, and the distinctive hazelnut flavour just so faint that I could hardly notice. In short: hot air.

I don't know why I have been tempted to try it again, maybe simply the green pouch called me (and the brown, too...). But I have to say it's not as bad as I remembered.

It is a light brown Burley-based typical dutch cavendish; mild in strength, the aroma is monochromaticly nutty/sweet and just a bit salty, never cloying; gives it best in medium-large bores, the slowest draw will avoid it turns bitter or acidic or... dull.

Amphora Green is nothing to write home, but honest and well behaved. Something worth to smoke once in a while just as a temporary passage into the mild-aromatics.

The worse of Amphora blends for me. Dull. Had a strange slight menthol feel to it... Did not enjoy.