Mac Baren HH Burley Flake

Over the last week, I was very much anticipating the receipt of a recent 1lb order of HH Burley flake. Three days ago, the figurative Wells Fargo wagon finally turned the corner on my Long Island street, and I walked out consciously restrained to meet it, hands clasped behind me. It wouldn't do to skip at my age, would it? Then the routine - I tried to seem calm as I was handed first the light bill, then the AT&T bill, yes and then cable, before a few brochures and other odds and ends, and finally a large - and heavy - envelope. This is the one for which I was waiting! Fast forward 1 hour, and I was so impressed from the nice smoke I had enjoyed, I knew I wanted to get some thoughts down when I had time. Stay with me for a moment or two and I will tell you what I liked...

Parcel securely in my paws, I was surprised at how compact and densely packed the box was. Tearing away the shipping envelope revealed a thick paper Mac Baren box, and inside it, a large rectangular clear Ziploc with a foil paper bundle within. Unfurling, opening, and uncasing revealed several rows of flake - a very nice presentation.

Digging a bit, I pulled out three very long flakes that were also quite wide and substantially thick, and dropped them into a jar I had handy for two reasons: 1. Peeling them away from the slab would help to get a bit of air around them, even if the jar was sealed, and 2. Planning ahead - it was a bit of a production to get into the box, then open the Ziploc, then unfold a few layers of foil paper – all this just to get a single flake (or really half-flake) serving, before reversing the process to re-seal the bundle. I say half-flake, because I estimate at first glance that for an average-sized pipe, a single large flake would easily fill two bowls.

I used a “fold, 4 light rubs, and screw in” method to pack this into a wide Ed Burak Connoisseur billiard. In the “fold” step, the flakes were actually snapping, so the tobacco was a good bit drier than I first thought - ready to smoke straight away. All the better. A charring light actually had things lit reasonably well, but for evenness, I followed up with second true light and we were going strong. This flake contains Burley, and matured and red VA, and Dark Fired KY, and I would say the components present themselves in that order. The earthy burley brings a dry roundness, sweetened by the VA poking through, which to me is less tangy than I sometimes expect from red VA, but more of a darker sweetness. Sweetness may also be contributed by the darker shadow of KY – it is not significantly spicy IMO. DF is a condiment here and not the main attraction. This is not HH Old Dark Fired or even HH Bold Kentucky, but a lighter Burley flake, peppered with a light hand of KY. Taken together, the three components blend to give a medium strength obviously Burley flake, with some subtle sweet chocolate molasses notes as the bowl progresses. I thought the bowl was quite consistently lovely from start to finish. Nicotine was light at the start but moderate to medium and readily noticeable in the middle and last thirds.

Mechanically, this burned to a fine white ash, without any fuss whatsoever. The combination of what turned out to be a perfect moisture content, and some luck in my filling treatment, made for a worry-free low maintenance, and for me, a very enjoyable and slightly unique smoke that I highly recommend.

I think English smokers that typically look past Burley should give this a try - just for the experience of what a fine Burley flake can do. My father comes to mind – he pretty much exclusively goes in for the standard triad of VA and Orientals and heavy helpings of Latakia, and I am excited to hit him with this one when we are next together to see if perhaps the brow furrows, the eyes cross, or -as I predict- the gray moustache twitches before gradually upturning in recognition and appreciation of this fine flake. A Maverick and Goose high-five may be too optimistic, but I don't want to rule it out prematurely... Very nice! Four stars!

I wanted to get to this blend to try it for a long time. I finally got a nice 100 g. tin as part of my winter stash. Upon opening the tin, you'll see the gold paper flaps, and within layers of beautiful dark flakes. Very nice presentation. The tin note is earthy and a little nutty, as would be expected of a burley blend. There is Virginia in this as well as some Dark Fired Kentucky. I cannot really detect either of these in the tin note, but my nose for tin/pouch/baggie notes has never been that good. You may be able to separate these better than I can. The flakes have just about the right moisture content for me, but others might find a few minutes drying time is in order. I always use the fold and stuff method and the flakes load and pack easily. A char-light, tamp, re-light, and it's off to the races. I could immediately taste burley and the Dark Fired. Lots of nuttiness and something rather dark in flavor, which I find hard to describe. Maybe a bit like bbq sauce and beef. Must be the DFK. Nice, mellow, full-bodied smoke. Wonderful mouth feel. Very creamy. The Virginia becomes more evident as the bowl progresses. It provides that little bit of sweetness which gives this blend very good balance, but the Virginia is very much in the back seat. This blend is never harsh. In fact, it is surprisingly mild. Surprisingly, the nicotine seems moderate to me, and I have a medium nicotine tolerance. I could really smoke this all day long, if I wanted to. This blend requires few relights and is very well-behaved. I use the sipping method to smoke this one. Go easy with it, and it will provide lots of burley flavor. I experienced no bite whatsoever. I've smoked this in a MM Country Gentleman corn cob, a Nording, and my small, thin-walled meerschaum. Very good in all of them, but it really shines in the cob for me. Excellent blend and I recommend it highly to everyone. Even if you aren't crazy about burleys, give this one a try. Well done Mac Baren!

After my not so good experience with 3 of the HH blends over the years, this one has completely restored my faith.

For starters, I love how Mac Baren hasn't changed over their square tins. I hope they never will. The tin aroma is like raisins. My tin is a touch on the dry side but it's perfect for this blend. I have smoked it using the fold a stuff method and rubbed out. With the fold and stuff method, it is very consistent from start to finish. It is a nice and soft burley flavor with hints of cocoa, brown sugar, and cream. With it rubbed out, it is still very consistent with more of a light black pepper spice coming in from time to time. Has a decent nicotine hit. I have tried my best to hot box this stuff. It will not bite or get hot at all. And the flavor does not change if you set it down for a while. When you come back to it, it picks up right where it left off. Burns very cool and clean with absolutely no tongue bite.

This is an absolutely wonderful Flake. I have been searching for a smooth and consistent blend for an all day smoke and this for me is it. 1 pound boxes will be ordered for sure.

Update 10-17-2021

I'm dropping my rating down to 3 stars. While my first Only took me 5 or 6 days to go thru, my second tin is taking me 3 years to get almost thru. For the most part, it's become dull.

As a new Pipe smoker, I tried 39 kinds of grass in one month, and I couldn't experience the rich taste like the old Pipe smoker, but my eyes lit up when I tried it for the first time! The roasted woody aroma, nutty aroma, a hint of sweetness I could taste, it was very delicious! I can smoke 4 buckets a day without being bored, and a box of 1.75OZ is definitely not enough! I'll get another 2 pounds, current favorite!

Love the presentation of the HH line. The flakes rub out easily. Folding, and stuffing worked like a charm. It’s nutty, earthy, woody, and everything you’d expect in a good burley blend. The Kentucky, and Virginia’s play well in the background. Great all day smoke.

Have a cigar... that is what I get.. but in a nice way. The burley is pleasant and present on opening the tin, as is the Virginia. I was pleasantly surprised the Virginia faded to the back once lit.

The flake itself is moist, yet dry enough to stuff into the pipe without waiting. it will take me a few lights to make it to the bottom. On the journey there, I am presented a very nice tasting Burley with a sweetness coming through. At moments I get the cigar like flavor, with sugars & spices pleasing to the taste. A very enjoyable burley flake for me.

If there is anything to complain about, for me, it would be the tin. Those squares just don't like to seal again. Get your mason jar ready.

Took a chance and purchased the 16oz box. This is how much I trust in the HH line. Nice and mellow cocoa and earth smell. Pretty moist and needs a little dry time. 30mins-1hr seems enough.

Lightly sweetened Cocoa, lots of wood, bread, earth, a little smokiness, and a nice bit of floral-ey spice that reminds me a lot of oriental leaf, but alas, there is none. It must be the Kentucky I'm guessing. There's almost has a bit of a nutmeg-ish baking spice quality I can't put my finger on. Relatively mild at first but builds to a solid medium body, with nice rich, sweet, savory, smokey wood notes and a rich chocolate that's almost creamy. Will bite a bit if provoked, but not egregiously. Burns just a tad hot, but nice and slow. Mild to medium nicotine content.

I imagine even some of the biggest burley-phobes would likely find something to enjoy in this blend. Its surprisingly smooth and we'll rounded, and very unlike most burley blends out there (although I should mention I haven't had any of the classic burley flakes such as Wessex or Solani) it's much more inviting that the standard C&D/OTC offerings. A go-to solid all day blend.

There are a couple burley flakes worth their salt: Solani's Aged Burley flake is probably the most sought after, also Wessex Burley Slice. This eclipses them both. (Yes, I think this is better than ABF. Sue me.)

The flavor is rich, nuanced, and balanced. Read Jim for the litany, I'll only add that there is a crisp starchiness (a word we should use more often for burley) that you find in good burleys, which is softer than the more acrid quality of say a Haunted Bookshop. Another thing - like all the HH flakes, this one is mechanically perfect: perfect moisture, easy burn, behaves really well no matter how you prep and pack it.

Finally, a top-tier burley flake that is both excellent and readily available. What joy.

P.S. The general easiness of the blend makes it an excellent crossover for Virginia people.

absolutely fantastic burley flake without too much smeetness, but a lot of dark chocolate and nuttyness - need a bit drying out of the tin but is truely amazing. never burns to hot, absolutely great!