Mac Baren HH Burley Flake
(3.63)
A burley dominated flake containing tobaccos from 3 continents. Besides burley, this flake also contains ripe Virginia tobaccos and a small portion of dark fired Kentucky.
Details
| Brand | Mac Baren |
| Blended By | Per Jensen |
| Manufactured By | Mac Baren |
| Blend Type | Burley Based |
| Contents | Burley, Kentucky, Virginia |
| Flavoring | |
| Cut | Flake |
| Packaging | 50 grams tin, 100 grams tin, one pound box |
| Country | Denmark |
| Production | Currently available |
Profile
Strength
Medium
Extremely Mild -> Overwhelming
Flavoring
None Detected
None Detected -> Extra Strong
Room Note
Pleasant to Tolerable
Unnoticeable -> Overwhelming
Taste
Medium
Extremely Mild (Flat) -> Overwhelming
Average Rating
|
3.63 / 4
|
Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 18 Reviews
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 18, 2018 | Mild to Medium | None Detected | Mild to Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
This is quite a departure from what I have come to expect from Mac Baren with their burley based HH series blends. When smoking this, don’t expect the bigger presence of Old Dark Fired or the spiciness & enormous low notes of Bold Kentucky. This one is designed to be a mild, yet flavorful all day kind of smoke, and in HH Burley Flake I think Mac Baren has created exactly that.
The tin note is unassuming; it’s dry and earthy in a vegetal kind of way, with a hair of sweetness coming from the Virginias along with a faint trace of hard wood smoke from the dark fired Kentucky. The flakes are evenly cut and perfectly pressed. The moisture content is spot on and any method of preparation could be applied here. Whether rubbed out, cubed or folded and stuffed, I found that Burley Flake burns easily and smokes slow and cool regardless.
When lit there’s a subtle sweetness that comes forth which quickly gives way to the woodsy, nutty, earthy mineral notes of the burleys. As the bowl progresses there are a few subtleties and the overall flavor develops into a balanced and moderately complex smoke that’s mild to medium in flavor and strength. The most unique aspect of HH Burley Flake is a light, yet pervasive cigar-like note that comes into focus at times, especially on the finish. I say “cigar-like” because it’s not a dead ringer for cigar, but rather something in the ballpark. I have never noticed this particular aroma or flavor attribute in either of the other HH burley blends, so I am going to assume that it’s coming from the Indonesian grown burley which adds a certain something that’s quite foreign to my senses. The uniqueness of this flavor alone makes HH Burley Flake an intriguing tobacco to smoke.
Overall this is an exceptionally smooth, high quality milder burley blend with a sweeter tone and absolutely no harshness or bitterness. It's an honest & unpretentious product. For now I am rating this as recommended. But I have a feeling that I might really grow to appreciate this flake even more down the road.
The tin note is unassuming; it’s dry and earthy in a vegetal kind of way, with a hair of sweetness coming from the Virginias along with a faint trace of hard wood smoke from the dark fired Kentucky. The flakes are evenly cut and perfectly pressed. The moisture content is spot on and any method of preparation could be applied here. Whether rubbed out, cubed or folded and stuffed, I found that Burley Flake burns easily and smokes slow and cool regardless.
When lit there’s a subtle sweetness that comes forth which quickly gives way to the woodsy, nutty, earthy mineral notes of the burleys. As the bowl progresses there are a few subtleties and the overall flavor develops into a balanced and moderately complex smoke that’s mild to medium in flavor and strength. The most unique aspect of HH Burley Flake is a light, yet pervasive cigar-like note that comes into focus at times, especially on the finish. I say “cigar-like” because it’s not a dead ringer for cigar, but rather something in the ballpark. I have never noticed this particular aroma or flavor attribute in either of the other HH burley blends, so I am going to assume that it’s coming from the Indonesian grown burley which adds a certain something that’s quite foreign to my senses. The uniqueness of this flavor alone makes HH Burley Flake an intriguing tobacco to smoke.
Overall this is an exceptionally smooth, high quality milder burley blend with a sweeter tone and absolutely no harshness or bitterness. It's an honest & unpretentious product. For now I am rating this as recommended. But I have a feeling that I might really grow to appreciate this flake even more down the road.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Nov 02, 2018 | Medium | None Detected | Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
Mostly darker flakes with a bit of light mottling and a rich, slightly pungent and deep burley tobacco scent. I've come to love Mac Baren as a company. Not only do they produce quality blends, but they also present their life's work to show their pride. Mac B always gets an A for presentation and that speaks volumes to me about the care that went into the blend and the care they have for their customers.
I always tout drying flakes for best results. You simply have to reduce the moisture content so it doesn't subdue the flavor of the tobacco. Not so this one. I smoked the first bowl at tin moisture and I was as disappointed as I knew I'd be. My next step was to dry a bowl to crispy. VERY much a mistake! This one preferred a moderate drying time so that the flakes were still pliable and felt moist. Even then it produced a dryer smoke than I preferred, with a bit more of the burley bitterness than I liked. I kept thinking that if they had included a hair more Virginia to tame that bitterness, I would prefer it, but it's a burley blend - what did I expect? The Kentucky was evident most of the time and it reminded me of a toned down Old Dark Fired. But where that one had some sweetness to round it out, this one tasted pure burley. As I'm sure was the point! It does compare favorably with Solani's Aged Burley Flake in some ways but it lacks the creaminess ( a weird way to describe burley but when comparing the blends, it's all I can think of!) of the Wessex Burley Flake and the old Edgworth Slices. Those two are rounder and more complex. This is a very worthy blend and I'd be shocked if it didn't generate tons of fans. So while I'm smoking Wessex instead, I'll not look down my nose at anyone puffing contentedly on this, a very good representation in its genre.
I always tout drying flakes for best results. You simply have to reduce the moisture content so it doesn't subdue the flavor of the tobacco. Not so this one. I smoked the first bowl at tin moisture and I was as disappointed as I knew I'd be. My next step was to dry a bowl to crispy. VERY much a mistake! This one preferred a moderate drying time so that the flakes were still pliable and felt moist. Even then it produced a dryer smoke than I preferred, with a bit more of the burley bitterness than I liked. I kept thinking that if they had included a hair more Virginia to tame that bitterness, I would prefer it, but it's a burley blend - what did I expect? The Kentucky was evident most of the time and it reminded me of a toned down Old Dark Fired. But where that one had some sweetness to round it out, this one tasted pure burley. As I'm sure was the point! It does compare favorably with Solani's Aged Burley Flake in some ways but it lacks the creaminess ( a weird way to describe burley but when comparing the blends, it's all I can think of!) of the Wessex Burley Flake and the old Edgworth Slices. Those two are rounder and more complex. This is a very worthy blend and I'd be shocked if it didn't generate tons of fans. So while I'm smoking Wessex instead, I'll not look down my nose at anyone puffing contentedly on this, a very good representation in its genre.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 18, 2018 | Strong | None Detected | Medium to Full | Strong |
This is every bit as good and flavorful as the Solani Burley Flake. I really loved sipping this one! When a burley is good, it's nutty. This blend is both nutty and relatively smooth. It lit well, after a single char, down to the bottom. I folded it into my bowl rather than breaking it up. I feel flakes should almost always be smoked folded and not broken up—flakes are flakes for a reason. This was another Chicago Pipe Show sampling (I got five full flakes), and, I suppose it was worth the price, even in spite of some of the other blends that were part of the sampler. My only downside is the strength, but, hey, what do you expect? It's a burley!
Keep on Pipin'!
Keep on Pipin'!
PurchasedFrom:
Chicago Pipe Show
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 16, 2020 | Mild to Medium | None Detected | Mild | Pleasant to Tolerable |
This is a very nice burley flake indeed. The tin note is of semi-sweet cocoa with an earthy/woody aroma. Mixed in is some brown sugar with a hit of smoke and very subtly tanginess, probably from the Virginians.
The flakes were all uniform in size and color. I broke up all the flakes up at once and then jarred them all up. The moisture level was spot on. This is a very smooth light bodied smoke and will not overwhelm your senses. No bite or harsh spots to be found.
I get mostly the earthy cocoa notes and some Kentucky once in a while. The Virginia flavors are hard to pick out for me although I know its there from the tin note. I like Solani Aged Burley Flake better as I find this offering to be less sweet more earthy and not as deep as ABF. If you can't get ABF this is a fine replacement.
The flakes were all uniform in size and color. I broke up all the flakes up at once and then jarred them all up. The moisture level was spot on. This is a very smooth light bodied smoke and will not overwhelm your senses. No bite or harsh spots to be found.
I get mostly the earthy cocoa notes and some Kentucky once in a while. The Virginia flavors are hard to pick out for me although I know its there from the tin note. I like Solani Aged Burley Flake better as I find this offering to be less sweet more earthy and not as deep as ABF. If you can't get ABF this is a fine replacement.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 06, 2018 | Medium | Extremely Mild | Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
Dried out a bit and packed in the the traditional flake folding method, these hearty flakes are easy to work with. Upon first light and throughout the first quarter bowl the sharpness of the burley is offset by the sweetness of the Virginias in the blend in a somewhat off-color sort of way highlighting a slightly perfumed and musky steamed fruit nuance. As the bowl progresses more of the grassy aspects of the Virginia harmonize with the nutty barnyard qualities of the burly and earthy cocoa nuance is brought to the foreground after which the flavors remain relatively consistent as the tobacco burns to a off-white ash leaving a little moisture behind. Leaves a somewhat pleasant aftertaste and has a decent room note. Strength is medium, a nice change of pace for the burley lover.
Age When Smoked:
Fresh
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 17, 2019 | Mild | None Detected | Mild to Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
All hail Mac Baren, king of the perfectly cut and packaged flakes! Seriously does anyone make a more perfect looking and enticing flake than Mac B? This is a strong second place to Aged Burley Flake by Solani. At times it is first... depending on my mood. The big difference for me, and this is odd coming from Mac B, is that HHBF is "purer" flake for me. There is not topping I can detect and the flavors all come from the tobacco's. I really like how the DFK and VA's support the Burley ( I know DFK is a Burley but it is a condiment here). This is a great representation, for me, of how Burley has the cocoa, nutty and woody qualities but none of the flavor here comes from an additive. The flavors are subtle and crisp. The VA provides an underpinning of sweetness that enhance the Burely flaovrs and the DFK adds a slight tang/sour earthiness that I really like. The smoke is cool and dry, even from a relatively moist, folded and stuffed flake with no drying time. It burns slow and leaves a great, clean and bright aftertaste. I do not get any nuance but it is a great smoke from top to bottom. I only put this second most of the time because, well, I guess I like toppings on my Burley just a pinch more...most of the time. This is also a great Burley for the nicotine wimps out there (like me). Not much of a kick and no bite (unlike most Mac B blends).
Pipe Used:
Briar’s and cob’s
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Feb 27, 2023 | Medium | Mild | Full | Pleasant |
20230313 edit: I may have been reaching during that last review. It is excellent, but as an autopilot smoke it's mostly coming across as an uncomplicated burley blend. A lot going on up front, but it settles down quickly. Almost through a full flake on an empty stomach over the course of maybe 2 hours, and I'm finally feeling a decent nicotine buzz. This would probably be a decent option for an all day smoke, with a mild to moderate nicotine hit. I think i have to take away a star because it's lost some points as an autopilot smoke, just not as interesting as some other options.
Spiced, floral, grassy, dark fruit, perfume, must. Mildly sweet, nutty. I almost get a rose geranium in here somewhere. Exceptional. If this has no flavoring, I'd be shocked. There's a depth of florality which i have trouble believing comes from the tobacco alone, but maybe it does. The nicotine won't kick you in the face, but it is present. Giving this less than 4 stars would be criminal.
Spiced, floral, grassy, dark fruit, perfume, must. Mildly sweet, nutty. I almost get a rose geranium in here somewhere. Exceptional. If this has no flavoring, I'd be shocked. There's a depth of florality which i have trouble believing comes from the tobacco alone, but maybe it does. The nicotine won't kick you in the face, but it is present. Giving this less than 4 stars would be criminal.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 21, 2022 | Medium | None Detected | Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
Tin date Nov 2019 has note of bitter nut, plum, and mild hay. Tobacco flakes are a reddish-brown with a little black and tan. Moisture is good to go. No drying needed. Burns slow with a few relights. The strength is medium and nic is medium. No flavoring detected. Taste is medium and mostly consistent, with notes of bitter nuts, dry earth, very woody, molasses, spice bread, tangy citrus, moderately spicy, mild sweet dark fruit, mild sweet grass, floral, a lemon peel background note, and a peppery retro. Burleys is leading over Virginias most of the time, Kentucky supporting. Room note is pleasant to tolerable, and aftertaste is outstanding.
Pipe Used:
Wally Frank Limited White Bar Sandblast 128
PurchasedFrom:
Cup O' Joes
Age When Smoked:
3 years
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Oct 14, 2022 | Medium to Strong | Very Mild | Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
Many burley-based blends are sweetened by the Virginias and/or the sugar topping, so to soften the potential harshness of the main leaf (think of Golden Blend or Navy Flake from the same vendor). Not this; here the Virginias are lurking in the background, while the topping is declared absent (though it appears obvious a little bit of chocolate, that can't come entirely from the leaf). So what you get is a straight burley taste with a bit of chocolate; the burley is first choice, good tasting and with almost no harshness, but if you like me prefer a little more sweetness, this blend isn't the top. Anyway a good tobacco, that I can easily recommend...
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 03, 2022 | Medium to Strong | None Detected | Mild to Medium | Tolerable |
Beautiful natural chocolate smell right off the tin and consistent flavour throughout the bowl. Great wide flake presentation along with the always high quality of MB leaf.
Age When Smoked:
New
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