Mac Baren Amphora Virginia

Being a bit dissapointed from other Amphora blends i hesitaded a little but some great reviews and being a virginia flake lover made me purchase a pack of 50 gram.once the seal breaks a nice aroma of sweet grasses and tea notes comes out.the broken flakes are very similar to the HH line flakes so some rubbing is needed.if not rubbed the lighting is really tricky and several relights are needed through smoking.the blend moisture is proper.while smoking the flavours combine very well each other and feel very natural.lots of grass notes,some citruses,tea notes,lots of dark fruits and some earthy notes are popping out from the beginning till the end.smooth and sharp tastes co exist giving some complexity to your tongue with no tongue bite.burns slow and cool to perfect ash with some moisture being created at the end of the bowl.the room note is pleasant and the after taste pleasant too.an all day smoke with no harsh spots that any virginia lover should like.despite all these something is missing for me.i know some of you may critisism me but i believe this blend is incomplete without some perique.with this addition i believe the blend will launch it's flavours and can be a 4 star blend that a lot should love.

This is a good straight Virginia. A pleasant surprise. Not entirely natural, because there is a little bit of flavoring in it. Anyway the taste is Virginia, pure Virginia. Brown in color it is robust enough, with a high nicotine content and it needs to be smoked slowly, without warming up. For Virginia' lovers. In my personal rating system (from 1 to 10) my score is 8 and three stars.

The tin note carries a mild aroma of sweet and citrus, mostly orange.

Straightforward smoking notes of citrus, grass, a bit of tang. It reminds me of orange candies. Pretty sweet and juicy. I even get a whiff of smokiness within the first third of the bowl, especially in the retrohale. Additionally, some sourness really picks up towards the end of the first third of the bowl again, reminding me of these citrus candies that I loved as a child.

The dominant notes tell me that this is composed of mainly bright Virginia leaves with just a small amount of Red Virginia. I don't think that the dark color comes from the natural leaf, but from the heat press process which mellows and balance the leaves.

Whatever casing was used, it really highlights the citrus note and while most blends lose their additional casing or topping at a certain point in the smoke, Amphora Virginia keeps it throughout the bowl.

While the moisture level is ready to smoke from the get go, I prefer to let my tobacco dry for a bit. One reason is that fresh from the pouch it can be just a little difficult to light and keep lit. However, giving it a bit of a drying time keeps it mostly lit without the loss of flavor. Still needs couple of relights throughout the bowl.

Similarly, I prefer to completely rub out the tobacco, just to make it easier to deal with. Once it's in the condition that I like, it's an uninterrupted smoke from beginning to end.

Haven't gotten any tongue bite however, I think that an inexperienced smoker who will puff too harshly will get their tongue bitten. But using this throughout the day in different scenarios, it stood very well with my tongue.

Another benefit of this blend is that it smokes very slow, even after being rubbed out and dried, which sometimes feels like smoking double amount for the price of one. And if you count the affordability of it, this is an absolute winner.

Mild-medium in body, picks up to medium strength. Not a complex blend - this is a straightforward all day sweet smoke, very well balanced and great-tasting.

The closest blend I can compare this with is another amazing and affordable Virginia - Orlik Golden Sliced. I can't choose a favorite here yet, but the point is that Amphora is, without a doubt, at the top level with Orlik and others.

Factoring all the elements into consideration, this is an easy winner blend for Virginia lovers. Easy all-day smoke for anyone who's looking for one. I know that I'm going to get a lot more of this going forward.

Very good all around basic virginia blend. Moisture out of the pouch was perfect for me. If you like your tobacco on the dry side this will only require a couple minuets of dry time. The broken flake format is well done. Can be packed as is for smoking in a wide bowel and rubs out very easily. Takes easily to the flame and does not get to hot or bite. Covers the range of most virginia flavors. Slight notes of citrus and hay, lots of bready sweetness and every now and then a hint of red virginia flavor. There may be a touch of added sweetness to this but it is very slight. Not the most complex but far from boring or one note. Great all day smoke for a virginia fan. I will definitely be buying more to see how it ages.

It has notes of grass, hay, bread, and wood. I like it in a filtered cob. The filter seems to mellow it out perfectly. It also provides the bonus of a drier smoke. Highly recommend it primarily based on what you're getting for the price.

Normally I don't expect much from pouch tobacco, and my uninformed first impression of Amphora was that it seemed a little "cheap," but I was honestly blown away by the quality of this Virginia.

This tobacco comes in thick strips of some sort, some of which are so long that they can be tricky to pack. It's also a bit wet, which is to be expected from a pouch, so dry it out before smoking it. Otherwise, it doesn't bite too hard. Its flavor is robust and complex -- honey, caramel, wood, and sweet earthy hay dominate the palate. Occasionally, a slight floral note would creep in.

For the price it's hard not to recommend this variety. It's sweet but not simple -- there's a surprising amount of complexity in Virginia leaf. Definitely give this a try.

Nice dark broken flake that comes at a great humidity level. Ready to smoke out the pouch, but I find a quick dry improves flavor quite a bit.

As far as Virginias go this is on the darker, more "earthier" side of the spectrum. I get a bit of spice, bread, almonds, & woodyness. As the bowl burns the wood notes intensify. Overall there's nothing about this blend that really amazes me. Almost to the bottom of my pouch and the most redeemable smokes I've had from it were blending it 50/50 with Amphora Kentucky. Maybe it's just not the VA for me. Burns well though. Will bite if provoked, but not nearly as bad as most Mac Baren flakes. Not much nicotine either.

I do have 2 more pouches and will eventually smoke them and report back if anything changes. If anything doesn't I will likely mix them with some brighter Virginias and/or dark fired and call it a day.

I bought this at the local pipe and tobacco store where we use to have our club meetings before COVID a few weeks ago. Upon opening the pouch, I was surprised that it was a dark broken flake. I was expecting a light-colored ribbon cut. The usual nice sweet Virginia tin note. One thing I like to do while smoking my pipe is to read the reviews about the particular tobacco. Not sure if this means anything but I noticed that the photo on the site the packaging says Virginia and paraphrasing from 3 continents. My package says Virginia blend which makes me wonder if any dark fired was added. I am no expert but this blend reminds me of some of the Red Virginia blends I have smoked in the past. I have smoked this in cobs and briars and find this to be an excellent blend. Don’t let the packaging fool you.

From the yellow pouch ,I thought this would be a bright blend . It is a darker brown broken flake with hardly any casing . None of the citrus fruity heavily sugared casings or toppings here . It is a full flavored bready grassy toasty brown Virginia. A bit of a nic-hit also .I like it and would like to compare it to bbf of fvf but they are aging and too soaking wet to try yet . This comes with perfect moisture from the pouch . Very well done ! I would add a little tangy and a little spice . Will be ordering several more pouches to my next order .