Mac Baren Amphora Special Reserve No.8

(3.25)
Amphora Special Reserve No. 8 is a composition of three types of tobacco: Virginia, burley and modern cavendish. Mild tobacco aroma of exotic fruit.

Details

Brand Mac Baren
Blended By Per Jensen
Manufactured By Mac Baren
Blend Type Aromatic
Contents Black Cavendish, Burley, Virginia
Flavoring Fruit / Citrus
Cut Ribbon
Packaging
Country Denmark
Production Currently available

Profile

Strength
Mild to Medium
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Extremely Mild -> Overwhelming
Flavoring
Medium
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
None Detected -> Extra Strong
Room Note
Very Pleasant
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Unnoticeable -> Overwhelming
Taste
Mild to Medium
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Extremely Mild (Flat) -> Overwhelming

Average Rating

3.25 / 4
3

4

1

0

Reviews

Please login to post a review.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 Reviews
Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Mar 07, 2017 Mild to Medium Medium Mild to Medium Very Pleasant
The base of the blend is the grassy, tangy citrusy Virginia, which is processed in the cavendish style, and also offers a few drops of honey. The nutty, earthy, woody, molasses sweet burley plays a support role. The unsweetened black cavendish provides some brown sugar as a secondary player. The exotic fruit toppings are hard to define, but I notice mango, strawberries, blackberries, pineapple, and kiwi along with something sour. I also detect a pervasive mild floral note. The toppings mostly sublimate the tobaccos. The taste level is just shy of medium, while the strength level in mild to medium. The nic-hit is mild. Won’t bite or get harsh. Burns cool and clean at a moderate pace with a rather smooth, lightly tart and sour/sweetness, though the topping does lose just a tad of its potency in the last quarter of the experience. Leaves little moisture in the bowl, and requires an average number of relights. Has a very pleasant, slightly lingering after taste and room note. Not quite an all day smoke, mainly due to the floral quality of one of the toppings, though it’s certainly a repeatable one.

-JimInks
6 people found this review helpful.
Please login to upvote this review.
Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Jul 17, 2019 Mild Strong Full Very Pleasant
It's definitely my favourite aromatic at this point and I doubt I will ever ditch it.

Special Reserve no.8 has an outstanding smell both out of the pack and when being smoked. It's sweet, full of different fruity aromas, as well as honey, nuts, that all come together nicely. The taste reminds me of raisins and grapes, althought there is an interesting, seductive soury note towards the end, which only adds to the amazing experience. The moisture level has never disappointed me with Special Reserve and the tobacco packs nicely and snugly. It also burns well.

Fully recommended, no doubt about it.
Pipe Used: B&B 212
PurchasedFrom: Smoke; Wroclaw, Poland
Age When Smoked: New
5 people found this review helpful.
Please login to upvote this review.
Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Jun 03, 2021 Very Mild Extremely Mild Mild to Medium Very Pleasant
I am absolute rookie pipe smoker as I have just started off... Please don't be too harsh on me if I do the review incorrectly...

I have decided to ditch the cigarettes for health (not inhaling, just puffing) and financial reasons (yes I know there is a capital outlay initially, but after that much for affordable than cigarettes)...

Anyway here is my review:

We have a lovely tobacconist in my town and the young man behind the counter is very helpful and knows what he is selling. I bought a few tobaccos and went home to start enjoying my smoking experience. One of the pouches was Amphora Special Reserve No. 8.

I filled my pipe and lit the bowl and started puffing. My first impression was a mild and smooth smoke. (I enjoyed this tobacco with a Jack Daniels on ice)... There was no tongue burn and the taste was not overpowering, although satisfying... I can't exactly explain the flavour but it was almost like a mixture of slight fruity maybe caramel flavour... This would be a wonderful Sunday afternoon or a "now and then" choice..
Pipe Used: Angelo
PurchasedFrom: Tobacco City Klerksdorp
Age When Smoked: New
3 people found this review helpful.
Please login to upvote this review.
Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Jul 01, 2019 Mild to Medium Medium Medium Very Pleasant
Fairly palatable aromatic from the Amphora range. Not as sickly as some I have had the misfortune to try, but not the best either.

The pouch aroma offers a fruity, yet not overly floral scent, and is giving me the fragrance of apples or pears. This seems to be the predominant theme here and I would liken it to Larson's more fruity blends like or Stanwell's Green and Indigo. I have to say this is rather pleasant and best taken in a larger bowl and dipped into occasionally ; this doesn't strike me as an all day aromatic.

The flavours persist throughout the smoke, with the occasional nod from the virginias. It doesn't seem to leave a nasty aftertaste although I wouldn't use this is your briars unless you want the inevitable ghost, but then that is so for most aromatics.

I didn't buy this, it was part of a Spanish lot gifted to me by my son, who knew I liked aromatics. If I saw it in a British tobacconist I wouldn't pick it out of choice.

There was also a 'No 2 Reserve' in the packs he gave me, which I have yet to sample ; it will be interesting to compare the two.
Pipe Used: Meerschaums and Meerschaum-lined only
PurchasedFrom: Gifted from Spain
Age When Smoked: New (but slightly aged)
3 people found this review helpful.
Please login to upvote this review.
Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Oct 14, 2021 Mild Medium Medium Pleasant
From cheap tobaccos is probably the best choice. For beginners, the most ideal option. Without unnecessary flavors, very light but creates an amazing fruit atmosphere. last week took a chance taking it from the store shelf and did not regret. But not recommended for long-term smoking because it leaves an ash-like taste after 30 minutes of smoking.
Pipe Used: Hand made wooden
2 people found this review helpful.
Please login to upvote this review.
Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
May 15, 2017 Medium Medium Mild to Medium Pleasant to Tolerable
This is a pretty good aromatic. The topping is well applied and perhaps, overshadows the underlying leaf a little too much, but does not overwhelm the palate. It smokes pretty dry and cool leaving no biting or tongue issues. The flavor of the topping is instantly recognizable as fruit and there is maybe a touch of vanilla.

An odd thing about this one was the tin note, or bag note since I received a sample, did not smell good at all to my nose before lighting. In fact, I thought it kind of smelled rank. But when I lit it up, I really enjoyed it and found that that was when the fruitiness really came out. As for room note, I don't think I was in the company of anyone when I smoked this sample, so I have no unbiased opinion on this. I like to think it was divine as that was how the sidestream smelled to me.

It is a good aro, but probably won't rise to the level of one of my favorites. Three aromatic stars.
2 people found this review helpful.
Please login to upvote this review.
Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Mar 10, 2020 Mild to Medium Medium to Strong Medium to Full Pleasant
Very upfront, very simple and absolutely delicious.

This blend overpowers any leaf with the strong casing it is given. It does not give the negative taste of chemical aromatics, yet resembles some of the industrial esters we all know. The pouch note is sweet with strong fruity notes. This also translates well on the palette and the dominant fruit flavourings seem to be green apple and grape.

I smoked a bowl halfway, left it overnight and took it up in the morning only to discover the casing clung to the leaf.

Definitely not an all day aromatic and is, as the name suggests, reserved for special occasions.
PurchasedFrom: Tobaccoworx
Age When Smoked: New
1 person found this review helpful.
Please login to upvote this review.
Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Aug 08, 2023 Mild Very Mild Very Mild Very Pleasant
Special Reserve no.8 es sin dudas incondicional para el que empieza en el mundo de la pipa y gusta de los aromaticos. con la humedad justa se presenta en su puch, con un color increible y con aromas frutales en donde se destacan las manzanas acidas verdes, pasas de uvas y hasta melaza o miel. De fumada agradable con una explosion de frutas en boca, de fumada pausada, no muerde. Recomendable por donde se lo mire. Precio - Calidad aceptable. Otro logro mas de Mac Baren.-
Pipe Used: International Seletion by Charatan
PurchasedFrom: Exquisitos Placeres - Estanco
Age When Smoked: 2
0 people found this review helpful.
Please login to upvote this review.

target="_blank"