Mac Baren Amphora Burley Blend

To avoid that proverbial "nutty-woody-earthy" mantra you read in each and every burley blend review (my past reviews are no exception) I better compare Amphora Burley to the blends most similar to it.

It's better than Solani Aged Burley Flake. Yes, it's better. One would laugh at me (especially taking into account the difference in price) but it is better. It possesses all the virtues of ABF - plus flavour, aroma and reasonable strength, all of which ABF sorely lacks in my opinion.

All in all, it's on par with C&D Burley Flake #1. Well, flavourwise, C&D is better. But #1 is packed with such a respectable dose of Nicotine, it demands a degree of dedication when you smoke it. You can't just be doing something AND ocassionally smoking #1. You need to dedicate your time and efforts specifically to The Thorough And Enjoyable Act Of Smoking The Respected Cornell And Diehl Burley Flake Number One, and then, if you are lucky and/or experienced enough, you may try to do some extra things along.

With Amphora Burley Blend, you just smoke a good Burley without concentrating much on its' lacks or excesses.

I wonder why TobaccoReviews ought to have two entries for this blend. Unltil they are merged, I post this review in both.

Also I wonder why this blend costs so little (please don't tell McBaren I said that). Its quality far exceeds its price tag.

Earthy, walnut-like woody nuttiness at first 2/3 of the bowl followed with a pinch of Cayenne + black pepper mix through final 1/3.

Lovely blend with moderate strength. Smoother compared to similar American Burley blends.

I'm a big fan of Amphora Original as I think anyone who like MacBaren BLB or Golden Extra would be. So when I saw this newish Amphora Burley I wanted it straightaway.

This is interesting. This tobacco would never have been released under the Amphora name outside of the MacBaren stewardship of the brand. It strikes me as unadulterated Burley and Kentucky, and the Kentucky is applied with a light enough hand so as not to overwhelm the blend. Honestly the one tobacco that you could talk about this with in the same breath is Watch City Slices. WCS is one of my very favorites. I feel that one is sweeter, and shows its American roots by making one think codger Burley to an extent. This Amphora Burley is in the same vein, but strikes me as a more upscale European take on the idea. It is less sweet and more savory. The Burley here is milder, so even the light hand of Kentucky does more to the presentation. I am going to stick with the Golden Extra with added Kentucky comparison, because that is the most accurate thing I could say to you to give an idea how you'll find this tobacco.

It's really, really good. Only a 3 star for me as I have so many beloved Burleys in the rotation. I won't go buy pounds of this, but when I empty my 16oz jar I am going right out and buying 3 more pouches to fill it up again. Very good Burley and I think anyone who truly loves Burley will agree.

I tried the new Amphora Virginia blend a few months ago, and I was pretty impressed with it. As a Virginia lover, I found it to be a very solid blend, though not the best VA out there. With this in mind, when Amphora came out with their burley blend, I had to try it. I also like many burley and burley-forward blends. Amphora Burley comes in a 50 gram pouch as a chunky, broken flake. Moisture content was just about right. Appearance was a medium-dark brown and fairly uniform overall. It was easy to load and was not difficult to light. A few re-lights were required, but not really a problem for me. Produced plenty of smoke. I was told the room note was rather pleasant. I tried this in a couple of briars, a MM Country Gentleman, and a meerschaum. Good in all of them! In my judgement, there is plenty of flavor in this blend. The burley clearly stands out, of course. There was the expected nutty, slightly chocolatey notes, and overall just a good, moderately hearty tobacco flavor. I could detect no obvious topping. The Virginia stays pretty far in the background. A bit of sweetness, but no hay, grass or citrus for me here. This blend is fairly similar to OTC blends like Prince Albert, Carter Hall, etc., but I think the Kentucky plays a subtle but vital role in this blend. It lends some spiciness that the typical OTCs don't have. But I still think it falls into the OTC “yer gramp's smoke” genre. Overall, this blend is not up there with Mac Baren's HH Burley, or Solani or Wessex flakes. But it is on the mild side of medium in strength and taste. Not too much nicotine (at least for me). It is well-balanced, flavorful, and could be an all-day smoke. Reasonable price, too. Recommended.

To me this tastes like St Bruno ready rubbed (now also produced by Mac Baren) but without the Lakeland dressing. I'm not a big burley fan myself these days, but someone who is would most probably like this. The tobacco itself seems of a good quality and it's pretty good value for money.

I am not a regular Burley smoker, but this is a blend that even I can enjoy. The Kentucky is lightly applied and the Virginia adds smoothness. The added flavorings, cocoa, licorice etc., add additional flavors, but do not sublimate the excellent tobacco flavor. Chunky cut, I rub it out. Amphora Burley smokes cool and dry from beginning to end. This is tin quality in a pouch. It's not a sweet smoke, but there is enough natural sweetness to satisfy my tastes. This is a quality Burley blend that's medium in strength and very delicious. I expect this exceptional blend to become a favorite of Burley lovers worldwide. This blend is so delicious and lacks the sharpness I used to associate with burley blends. I will definitely be buying more. It requires a few relights, but well worth the effort. Burns to ash and leaves a very pleasant taste on the tongue.

Nutty and oily smell of fresh tobacco is changed to heavy smoke with no tongue bite and creamy pleasant taste. Nicotine hit is somewhere between mild and medium. Need only few relights. Very pleasant smoke and could be easily all day smoke.

To avoid that proverbial "nutty-woody-earthy" mantra you read in each and every burley blend review (my past reviews are no exception) I better compare Amphora Burley to the blends most similar to it.

It's better than Solani Aged Burley Flake. Yes, it's better. One would laugh at me (especially taking into account the difference in price) but it is better. It possesses all the virtues of ABF - plus flavour, aroma and reasonable strength, all of which ABF sorely lacks in my opinion.

All in all, it's on par with C&D Burley Flake #1. Well, flavourwise, C&D is better. But #1 is packed with such a respectable dose of Nicotine, it demands a degree of dedication when you smoke it. You can't just be doing something AND ocassionally smoking #1. You need to dedicate your time and efforts specifically to The Thorough And Enjoyable Act Of Smoking The Respected Cornell And Diehl Burley Flake Number One, and then, if you are lucky and/or experienced enough, you may try to do some extra things along.

With Amphora Burley Blend, you just smoke a good Burley without concentrating much on its' lacks or excesses.

I wonder why TobaccoReviews ought to have two entries for this blend. Unltil they are merged, I post this review in both.

Also I wonder why this blend costs so little (please don't tell McBaren I said that). Its quality far exceeds its price tag.

Another home run for Mac Baren, or possibly a solid double.

This comes as a broken medium dark flake, like classic MB blends--Burley London, Symphony (except this is darker).

But this has no excess heat and no bite. It's a smooth customer, smooth as butter.

Every now and then I can taste a wisp of dark fired, or a brief tang of VA (very brief). Although it is not complex, or very deep. Mainly, very smooth, earthy (but not nutty) burley goodness.

It has two problems 1) It only comes in a pouch and 2) It is not ODF, and doesn't try to be.