Mac Baren HH Rustica

Rustica is one of the most exciting and unusual blends to come out in the already eclectic world of pipe tobacco.. This is a testament to Per Jensen and the entire staff at Mac Baren.. Keeping things interesting during these times of uncertainty.. While I don't intend to add to the hype of the strength of this blend , I will say it really surprised and snuck up on me.. I smoked HH Bold Kentucky several times and it never made me ill from nicotine.. Rustica got me a couple times.. it hit me in the pit of my stomach and for awhile I did shy away from returning to it.. the reason, I eventually figured out, was that the deceptive smooth character of the smoke tempted me to puff it at an aggressive pace.. it does not feel as strong as it is.. and it is quite flavorful without being hard to smoke (other than the nic load).. I would compare it to a cigar that has you feeling so content and relaxed that you accidentally neglect to take stock on your level of nicotine intoxication.. you certainly can pay the price! Maybe keep some sugar close by.. but enough of strength talk.. The main draw of this blend is the unique flavor.. It is an odd combination of sour, sweet, floral, and earth and beyond that something that I am not able to put into words.. maybe this is the rustica strain.. because I have nothing to compare it to I struggle.. maybe vegetal, herbal, or woody but that seems somehow insufficient.. it is almost a pleasant kind of sour that balances so well against the virgina/burley backdrop.. It does not fatigue the palette nor does it seem to bite.. I understand why some have compared it to lakeland but even that does not seem to fully do it justice.. it is so different from gawith dark flake or 1792 and yet those are the only blends that even come close to the profile.. it is much more of an alien blend.. a new species.. I would highly recommend it.. Small bowls are suggested with good reason. The aroma while smoking this is absolutely sensational.. probably not so much to the bystander.

This one is interesting. I loved the idea of bringing back Rustica (The original tobacco) to the limelight. When you read early accounts of North American tobacco and how harsh it was, this is what they were talking about. The stuff of legend...

I decided to give it a try after reading the early reviews as something different. I've approached it as that not something trying to become my all day smoke or even a star in the rotation.

Love the packaging/presentation. It was full to the top of nice looking stacking flakes. The tin note to me was leathery and some notes I couldn't define. The flakes were a little moist, but leaving one out for an hour, I was able to easily load one of my small "tasting" Canadians.

Took a little bit to get going, but after that it burned really well. The flavor to me is on the dark end with lots of peppery and leathery notes. It's consistent through the bowl. Retrohaling got straight black pepper to my smell/taste.

I'm a nicotine lightweight usually and the small bowls to me are the perfect size as I don't really think I'd enjoy or be able to handle a large bowl of this at one sitting.

I'm glad I got some while it was available as it is an enjoyable experiment. Not something I'd smoke often, but perfect when I really want a change of pace in the evening AFTER A MEAL.

Miscela di Nicotiana Rustica e Nicotiana Tabacum; il primo è un tabacco molto carico di nicotina e sempre evitato nel fumo.

Qui la Mac Baren ha unito Nicotiana Rustica con un Dark Virginia. La stessa ditta afferma che hanno usato tre parti di virginia e una di Rustica tutte poi mescolate con del Burley per dare una maggior rotondità al prodotto.

Questo lo ebbi da un amico che andava in Germania, provato con titubanza prima e con rispetto dopo mi sono ricreduto. E’ un fumare particolare.

Un fumo che ti fa avvicinare al Lato Oscuro.

Che aromi a crudo? Erba, vegetazione, ma anche note dolci, zuccherine insieme al legno.

Va utilizzata una pipa piccola, assolutamente. Il tabacco è forte, ripeto ed è saggio piccole fumate non essere investiti dalla carica nicotinica.

Accendiamo dolcemente, i puff saranno lievi, leggeri, ma è una trappola e nessuno ci caschi se no la botta nicotinica non perdona.

Alla bocca saremo avvolti da spezie, da erbe, agrumi e persino da torba in un florilegio di emozioni che inebriano.

Si inebria, ammalia e ti conduce nel Lato Oscuro del Tabacco, quello in cui si è sedotti come se le note erbacce fossero di altri tipi di “erba” e la spezia diventi Assenzio. Può persino ritrovarsi del sentore di pane tostato, ohibò!

Può persino bruciare alla gola.

Per chi è destinato? per un fumatore abile, che sappia sempre essere “turgido”.

Consigliato ebbene si. Bisogna sempre sappi uscire dalla zona di comfort.

Voto? 5/5; un prodotto così va lodato.

Addendum è finalmente importato e lo riproverò statene certi.

Here it goes, I'm halfway through a 100g tin so I believe I have a fair idea of what this tobacco is like, given I never had a blend with N. rustica before.

First of all, huge kudos to Per Jensen and MacBaren for doing this, along with everyone involved in it's development, I understand it was not an easy task to bring a "wild" tobacco to the mass market, but it's been successful! It takes a robust operation like MacBaren to pull it off right.

Presentation is impeccable, like all of the HH line, three neat stacks of chewing gum-wide dark, nearly black flakes, all perfectly even. Smell is slight BBQ, vinegar, and herbs. I'll come back to the herbs...

I've tried cube cutting, folding and stuffing, and rubbing out, leaning to rubbing out with this one as I find folding and stuffing especially (my preferred treatment of flakes) to be tricky to keep lit, even after drying. Initial flavour is soft, vinegary and woody, the first nasal exhale is eyewatering, yes there is a lot of nicotine here! A lot more than Old Dark Fired, a little more than Gawith brown ropes, a lot more than Gawith black ropes, a little more than 1792 Flake, and a bit LESS than Motzek Dark Twist.

It's hard to tell if it's spicy or it's just the nicotine burning the nose, I lean towards it being the nic as the taste overall is not particularly spicy.

The taste is consistent, I don't find it particularly "full", it feels a bit soft to me, more towards a bright tobacco than a dark one, despite the flakes themselves being nearly black. There is floral and herbal tastes, and bitterness like, an Earl Grey tea steeped for too long. Bitter herbs in fact, or grapefruit. That's where the blend started going sour for me, I don't like bitter tastes, even when talking beers unless it's Guinness, I prefer a porter or a Bavarian Weissbier. HH Rustica gives me a lot of bitter herbs, like an Asian shop without the spice. Pity is once the bitterness showed up I couldn't get it out of my head, it was here to stay, and make me want to finish the tin, but not get another.

Overall, a bold and successful experiment, showing there's still life and desire for innovation in pipe smoking, but for me there are both stronger and tastier strong blends I'll go to before reaching to Rustica again.

At first opening the tin it smelled like Bold Kentucky but with a little bit of something else, kind of like a flower, not like perfume or dish soap, but something else. It's hard to describe as it doesn't remind me of anything similar, not a bad one though. this reminds me of a cigar actually. It kinda smokes like the Bold. Not as high in nicotine as I had hoped though, but it does have some kick. Don't let "Rustica" scare you away from something good, as there are definitely stronger blends out there, like I believe 1792 to be. It's definitely not your typical blend, but definitely worth trying if you can get your hands on it as it is a limited production. Hopefully they will make more in the future. Can't wait to try it again in a year.

If you’re looking for a “satisfying” smoke, this is what you want. Strong in strength, strong in flavor. You won’t be disappointed.

Bought in bulk, the bag note smells like a mix of HH Old Dark Fired and Peterson Irish Flake. Definitely not a bad start. You get a barbecue-y aroma mixed with a spiciness and subtle dark fruit.

Upon light, you get a spicy, bittersweet, aromatically woody, earthy, slightly floral flavor underscored by a sweet tang and slight smokiness. That continues pretty much throughout the bowl. The Virginias pick up every now and then, adding a tart, dark fruit taste. A leathery, cigar-like note pops up occasionally as well. It is full flavored. It tastes kinda like if HH Old Dark Fired had a more consistent flavor and didn’t start tasting like bitter hot air halfway through. I don’t know what nicotiana rustica tastes like by itself, so I can’t say what notes it adds, but I assume it’s responsible for that cigar-like aromatic woodiness/floral note and leather. If you like strong Kentucky blends you’ll like this. Nicotine wise, it’s strong, but it isn’t so strong that it would be off-putting. I’d put it on par with Haunted Bookshop or Irish Flake as far as nicotine goes. The room note is quite pleasant for me, though I can see how others wouldn’t like it. Coming back to the room after smoking this, there was a spicy, slightly floral note in the air, much like a fresh jalapeño or serrano has.

I love this blend. I wasn’t sure how I’d like it when I bought it, but now I’m ready to stock up on it. I’m a big fan of Peterson Irish Flake, and this fills a similar role. Like I said, it has that barbecue-y note that HH ODF has, but has the consistency of Irish Flake, and the added cigar-like aromatic notes that I assume come from the rustica. It’s excellent. Definitely not an all day everyday smoke, but it is definitely something I’ll be smoking when I want something full and strong.

This is the absolute benchmark for nicotine strength. I smoke plenty of nicotine heavy blends but be warned this is powerful stuff — don't underestimate it. The tin note is rich and earthy, and so is the smoke. Nicotiana rustica was aptly given this botanical name, the latin directly relates to the english word rustic, which accurately describes the flavour. I'd characterize this (and I mean this in a good way) like grabbing some mossy plants from the rainforest and lighting them up. There is something very appealing about smoking something so loamy. This is the original tobacco smoked by natives, and then brought to Europe, all before the cultivation of our familiar Nicotiana tabacum. So, I'd recommend giving this a smoke to walk down the historical memory lane of the origins of our hobby — 4/4.

Mac Baren HH Rustica Flake is a true gem! As a passionate pipe tobacco enthusiast, I recently got my hands on this blend, and boy, was it a delightful experience. The moment I opened the tin, I was greeted with an earthy aroma that immediately piqued my curiosity.

Lighting up my pipe, I was treated to a rich and robust flavor that kept me hooked throughout the smoke. The blend's strength was just right for me, providing a satisfying kick without overwhelming my senses. What impressed me the most was how the taste evolved as I progressed through the bowl, offering a delightful complexity that kept me engaged.

HH Rustica gave me a sense of history and tradition, taking me back to the roots of tobacco in the Americas. The limited edition aspect added a touch of exclusivity to the whole experience, making it even more special.

In a nutshell, Mac Baren HH Rustica Flake is a must-try for any pipe smoker who appreciates a blend with character and depth. I give it a solid 4 stars and highly recommend it for those looking to embark on a personal journey through the world of pipe smoking.

Mac Baren - HH Rustica - Limited Edition 2023

When something is relegated to legend status do to no longer being made and being excellent we all tend to be sad and wishing it would be brought back. Well mine and many others wish has come true. Rustica is back and it’s excellent but it’s only back in the limited form of 5500 tins and I’ve got one of those! Is it the same Rustica we fell in love with years ago, sure seems to be to me but it’s fresh and I honestly find Rustica starts out very good but becomes excellent with age so maybe a tin for now and as many as suits you for later.

When I opened the tin I was greeted with the Mac Baren gold wrap holding a very beautiful batch of about 30ish thin dark pressed flakes of delicious rich tobacco flavor. They are thin and a bit moist so I dried mine a bit but your mileage may vary. It’s easy to fold and stuff or rub out these thin flakes but I chose to cross cut into small cubes with sharp shears. The result is easy to load in a bowl and light it up. Might take a few extra lights along the way especially if you choose not to dry it a bit. You get a wonderful mix of earth, spice, wood, sweetness, herb a touch of citrus and a peaty leathery taste with a very full mouthfeel. It’s bold and solid with maybe a few rough edges but very few and a sort of tea bitterness note at times. Rustica is a very unique leaf as it seems to have properties of many different tobacco’s such as orientals and burleys and Virgina so nailing down exactly what part of the rich broad nuanced smoke that Rustica plays in this blend isn’t easy.

There is flue cured Virginia in the blend that I am sure are responsible for some dark fruit, bread, grass, mild citrus and sugar. The burleys add a lot of nuttiness, some molasses and brown sugar, earthy and a lot of smoke and add to the mouth feel I find satisfying. Overall you get a very full robust blend that won’t bite and burns cool somewhat creamy mildly sweet well balanced flavor. A fair bit of complexity comes through if it is smoked cool and slow with some slight spice mixed in. The flavor level is full to very full and the nicotine is definitely up there and is the strongest in the Mac Baren line so I suggest a smallish bowl and after a meal or you might feel it’s effects. Room note is tough for me as I smoke alone but it’s not bad but does linger a bit more like a cigar does…considering that this blend has some cigar flavor it’s no surprise. The after taste is pleasant.

A very solid four out of four stars! For a newbie I would go a bit easy until you know how it suits you but there is no need to fear this blend, it will reward you finding your pace and tolerance I assure you. For someone who has some experience with robust blends it could be an every day after dinner treat for sure. A legend sometimes becomes bigger than reality over time, not this one, it’s just as big and wonderful ass it always was!

Dave da Dragon