Mac Baren HH Burley Flake

Mac Baren's HH lineup lives up to its reputation. This flake is a perfect representative of the nuances of burley, which many pipe smokers -- including myself -- have unfairly decided is "boring." If the prospect of smoking burley makes you roll your eyes, then I recommend trying this blend out -- you might change your mind, at least a little bit.

The burley itself is very forward, and it's backed up by a small amount of Virginia and Kentucky dark-fired to give it some body. On smoking I tasted notes of cocoa, nuts, light roast coffee, a "fresh" sort of vegetal tone, sweet and earthy hay, and a bit of a woodsy flavor from the Kentucky. The flavor was mild but complex. It pairs perfectly with a quality black tea and a little bit of milk, but maybe won't stand up to sugar.

The flakes are easy to fold, rub, and pack. I decided to roll mine up into plugs -- cut flakes are surprisingly fun and satisfying to use. On top of that, it lights very well and burns very slowly, giving you plenty of time to savor the flavor without interruption. No matter how hard I smoked it never bit my tongue, which is highly unusual for burley and a testament to this blend's quality. Burley can pack quite a lit of nicotine, but this variety is actually fairly weak. If you have weak nicotine tolerance and easily become dizzy,, then this flake might not bother you. On the other hand, if you like burley due to its strength, then you might be left unsatisfied.

That being said, it is still burley. If you absolutely hate the stuff then this flake will not radically change your opinion. But, if you're on the fence, then give this a try. You might open up your palate just as it did for me. If you love burley then this is a total shoe-in. I recommend trying this out.

My previous experience from burley flakes were positive so i anticipated this blend.once the tin opens a sweet citus and vinegar smell comes out.the dark brown flakes are a bit moist,very manageable either to rub or to fold as they are.some drying time is needed for an easier lighting with fewer relights.while smoking you instantly realize that burleys have the lead.lots of sweet molasses,dried fruits,cocoa,sugar notes and spices come out.virginias offer lots of fruity and grass notes making the experience smoother.kentuckys are mostly sour with strong vinegar notes making the whole flavour one sided most of the time.generally i think kentuckys could be a little toned down.burns cool and at slow speed to perfect ash with some moisture left at the end of the bowl and a lot at the filter.the room note is heavy with no tongue bite though some harsh spots are detected is puffed fast.nicotine level is almost medium.i would prefer some more nicotine from these deep flavours.generally i likes this flake but i have tried better ones.recommended.

Excellent burley-forward blend with a tanginess that unfortunately doesn't agree with my body-chemistry. This acidic, slightly sharp tanginess (probably from the Virginias) is very evident in the first third of the bowl but later diminishes and gives room to the darker, nuttier body of the burley and kentucky in a relatively gradual transition. Given that it's not a straight burley, there's more complexity here than to Solani Aged Burley Flake. The Kentucky adds an every present albeit subtle spiciness.

The blend is skillfully crafted, the flavor profile is interesting and pleasant, with fruity notes, raisins, cocoa shining through in addition to everything stated. However, I find the Virginias distracting. At times I wish the Virginias weren't added. However, I trust that Per Jensen knew what he was doing.

Like stated, this blend is masterfully crafted. But it just doesn't agree with me. Maybe if someone smoked the first third of a bowl for me and took the burden of the tanginess upon themselves. But by that time a feeling that reminds me of heartburn has already set in for me.

It's often compared to Solani Aged Burley Flake but I find that misleading. There's very little resemblance in flavor between the two. Solani as a straight burley is more mellow with a more evident "body". HH is brighter and more complex. For me the Solani is the clear winner. But each palate is different.

I’m used to my burleys consisting of SWR, H&H, Haunted Bookshop, and the occasional Granger. These are all very much codger blends (save for HB, which is codger-adjacent).

I recently acquired a tin of HH Burley Flake, tried it, didn’t like it much, and threw it in a jar to think about some other time. Today is another time.

It had been sitting in my cellar for about four months. When I opened the jar up, I got notes of dried fruit, sweet tobacco, and something else I can’t quite put my finger on.

I shrugged, I folded a flake up and stuffed it in my pipe. I got in my car and left for work. The pipe (and stuffed tobacco) sat in my car while I worked until lunchtime.

It lit up like a dream and needed no babysitting, no relights, just a light tamp from time to time.

It tasted close to my classic codger blends, but there was something else there from the Virginia (the sweetness I had detected, maybe?) and the DFK gave it a smokiness that complemented the nutty notes of the burley beautifully.

It wasn’t quite a codger, but it wasn’t not a codger either. It’s like an elevated take on the codger blend. An homage, even. Like someone wanted to show us what those blends could be if taken to the next level.

Well, I will not put more descriptions - there is plenty of good ones here. I like it, but I prefer (just a little more) C&D Burley Flake #3 and Solani ABF. Strong taste of good Burley, and much Nicotine. The point is: may sons said "is smell like marijuana" (!?!), and I wonder how they could indentify it... Well, one of them study Medicine, and the other was in a Military Academy for 3 years, so it get a little more calm. Or not... 3.5/4 stars

Opening the tin, the flakes are neatly presented and delivers a tin aroma that you would expect from a burley-heavy tobacco blend: sweet and chocolaty.

It is of perfect working-moisture right from the tin, but I found the tobacco to deliver a much too hot smoke to be thoroughly enjoyed - even with a slightly longer stem than my regulars. Somehow, a bent pipe worked better for this blend. Storing it it a day or two with with a moisturiser help cool the smoke down, and for me to focus on the flavours of the blend. This helped bring of the creamy almondy marzipaniness I have come to enjoy from burley, and play down the spicy sweetness of the Virginia, and the musty tanginess of the Kentucky.

The flavour is consistent throughout the smoke, and the ashes are pale gray, and easily removed from a tap to the bowl, upside down. I still find it, however, to smoke a little too hot for my liking. It is easy work with, wether cube cutting or rubbing, and due to the low nicotine hit, you can much easier focus on the flavours, if you can look through its hotness. All in all, a good smoke, but it is not perfect.

A basic burley with a little Virginy and Kentucky. The amount of dark fired Kentucky is very small, but just enough to make the whole thing work. The Virginia and dark fired work like salty and sweet. The Burley out front with the chocolate, earthy. A quality Burley done right with no edginess. Smooth, silky, and delicious. A very satisfying smoke.