Mac Baren St. Bruno Flake
(3.29)
St. Bruno Flake is a distinctive blend of smooth Virginia and smoky dark fired Kentucky — pressed and sliced into thin flakes that are easy to prepare and enjoy. It's topped with subtle floral and fruity notes for a unique aromatic experience.
Notes: Made by MacBaren since 2006, the company has owned the blend since 2015.
Details
Profile
Strength
Medium to Strong
Extremely Mild -> Overwhelming
Flavoring
Mild
None Detected -> Extra Strong
Room Note
Pleasant
Unnoticeable -> Overwhelming
Taste
Medium to Full
Extremely Mild (Flat) -> Overwhelming
Average Rating
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3.29 / 4
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Reviews
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Displaying 41 - 50 of 174 Reviews
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Jun 22, 2007 | Overwhelming | None Detected | Overwhelming | Pleasant |
St-Bruno Flake was my first very, extremely bad experience in pipe smoking...I still remember how bad and dizzy I felt once I hit the mid-bowl, and that was it between me and St-Bruno!
The ready -rubbed red VA, on the other hand, was a different story.
The flakes are very dark, and the aroma was discreet, but I could already feel the strenght of the tobacco before lighting up. It smelled of natural, strong tobacco.
Of course, you need to rub out the slices before smoking; the flakes were somehow on the moist side...
Upon lighting, it was strong, but still okay; a good taste, and the room note was very discreet. As I was getting closer and closer to the mid-bowl, things got worse and worse; a very strong taste started kicking in at an exponential rate! If it was the nicotine, then boy it was like smoking a full pack of smokes at once!!! Then, it transferred to my stomach all of a sudden; I felt sick!
Of course, I didn't throw up, but I would have gotten there if I would have insisted another 5 minutes...So I stopped smoking, emptied my pipe, cleaned the pipe as well as I could to rid it of that nasty, disgustingly strong tobacco and thought of whom I hated enough to the point that I could give him the reminder to get him sick. As I couldn't hate anyone that much, I just threw the devilish thing in the garbage.
St-Bruno: NEVER AGAIN!!! NOT RECOMMENDED
The ready -rubbed red VA, on the other hand, was a different story.
The flakes are very dark, and the aroma was discreet, but I could already feel the strenght of the tobacco before lighting up. It smelled of natural, strong tobacco.
Of course, you need to rub out the slices before smoking; the flakes were somehow on the moist side...
Upon lighting, it was strong, but still okay; a good taste, and the room note was very discreet. As I was getting closer and closer to the mid-bowl, things got worse and worse; a very strong taste started kicking in at an exponential rate! If it was the nicotine, then boy it was like smoking a full pack of smokes at once!!! Then, it transferred to my stomach all of a sudden; I felt sick!
Of course, I didn't throw up, but I would have gotten there if I would have insisted another 5 minutes...So I stopped smoking, emptied my pipe, cleaned the pipe as well as I could to rid it of that nasty, disgustingly strong tobacco and thought of whom I hated enough to the point that I could give him the reminder to get him sick. As I couldn't hate anyone that much, I just threw the devilish thing in the garbage.
St-Bruno: NEVER AGAIN!!! NOT RECOMMENDED
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 31, 2002 | Strong | Medium to Strong | Very Full | Tolerable to Strong |
Appearance: Very dark, almost black flake.
Aroma: I guess this is what is meant by soapy aroma. I can?t tell if this is an additive, or the result of fermentation. Whichever it is, it went too far for me. Reminds me of Vitalis hair tonic. Anyone out there old enough to remember that?
Packing: needed to be rubbed out for any size pipe, or it would not light.
Lighting: Took flame reluctantly, needed several charring lights.
Initial flavor: Very intense. Some Virginia taste, but swamped by the processing.
Mid-bowl: Hard to keep lit, and the flavor is too intense for me.
Finish: Hard for me to get through a bowl of this product (I can?t really refer to it as tobacco), leaves a residual aroma and flavor in the pipe.
Summary: This can be used sparingly to beef up a wimpy virginia. A few strands on top of the bowl impart a good deal of taste to an otherwise mild tobacco. Other than that, I can?t recommend it..
Aroma: I guess this is what is meant by soapy aroma. I can?t tell if this is an additive, or the result of fermentation. Whichever it is, it went too far for me. Reminds me of Vitalis hair tonic. Anyone out there old enough to remember that?
Packing: needed to be rubbed out for any size pipe, or it would not light.
Lighting: Took flame reluctantly, needed several charring lights.
Initial flavor: Very intense. Some Virginia taste, but swamped by the processing.
Mid-bowl: Hard to keep lit, and the flavor is too intense for me.
Finish: Hard for me to get through a bowl of this product (I can?t really refer to it as tobacco), leaves a residual aroma and flavor in the pipe.
Summary: This can be used sparingly to beef up a wimpy virginia. A few strands on top of the bowl impart a good deal of taste to an otherwise mild tobacco. Other than that, I can?t recommend it..
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Jan 15, 2002 | Overwhelming | Mild to Medium | Overwhelming | Pleasant to Tolerable |
Smelled great in the tin. Ended up physically ill from the strength and chucking the remainder.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 03, 2022 | Medium | Very Mild | Medium to Full | Tolerable |
A classic but strange blend. Semi-aromatic but also very natural-tasting. Nice presentation of narrow flakes that ask for some drying before loading. Very unique, characteristic taste.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Oct 28, 2021 | Medium to Strong | Mild | Medium to Full | Tolerable to Strong |
now this stuff ain't to bad if you like dark fired tobacco, and a bit of Lakeland essence.
when I first opened it o was a bit disappointed, but that wS because I was expecting a lighter flake like Dunhill or orlik. instead I saw flakes very much comparable to Peterson Irish flake w a slight hint of Lakeland essence.
the taste was very much like IF topped w Lakeland essence. it's not a complex but what it has in flavor ot does well. and I wouldn't call this an aromatic because the flavor isn't that noticeable in room note or flavor.
although I did enjoy it I won't be revisiting it soon as there many many other tobaccos I'd like to try
when I first opened it o was a bit disappointed, but that wS because I was expecting a lighter flake like Dunhill or orlik. instead I saw flakes very much comparable to Peterson Irish flake w a slight hint of Lakeland essence.
the taste was very much like IF topped w Lakeland essence. it's not a complex but what it has in flavor ot does well. and I wouldn't call this an aromatic because the flavor isn't that noticeable in room note or flavor.
although I did enjoy it I won't be revisiting it soon as there many many other tobaccos I'd like to try
Pipe Used:
billiard, Dublin, falcon
Age When Smoked:
fresh
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 29, 2021 | Medium to Strong | Medium | Medium | Very Pleasant |
Appena acquistato dietro consiglio di Bollito Pipe (se siete di Torino sapete di che parlo): cercavo un tabacco economico, non troppo forte, da tutti i giorni, in busta. Detti i miei gusti (Virginia o a base Virginia) mi è stato, appunto, consigliato. E mi piace! Virginioso, con una punta di Kentucky e una punta di saponato. Molto equilibrato, vario nella fumata, amichevole, facile: esattamente ciò che stavo cercando :). Ha un ciiiicinin di aceto...credo per conservarlo e credo che evaporerà a breve. I flake sono molto sottili, direi che 1 flake può essere la carica corretta per una pipa media.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Apr 16, 2020 | Medium | Mild | Medium | Pleasant |
I' m reviewing a tin that I opened a few months ago. While the topping was stronger at the beginning, now it toned down a bit. Classic "old school" British taste tobacco meant to be smoked at any time of the day. I must admit that I prefer it in colder weather.
To me, the Kentucky enhanced by the floral topping drives the show, the smoke is creamy and mellow and has no harsh spots. Woody with some earthiness and dark fruit for the most part, I also get some Virginia hay sometimes. Some vanilla like sweetness is present, probably from the tonquin. A no fuss slow burning tobacco that leaves you satisfied.
Virginia lover
To me, the Kentucky enhanced by the floral topping drives the show, the smoke is creamy and mellow and has no harsh spots. Woody with some earthiness and dark fruit for the most part, I also get some Virginia hay sometimes. Some vanilla like sweetness is present, probably from the tonquin. A no fuss slow burning tobacco that leaves you satisfied.
Virginia lover
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 20, 2019 | Mild to Medium | Medium | Medium | Pleasant |
2/3 of the way through my 1st tin and I am not sure about this blend. If I had to summarize this in a word it would be "interesting". I dont' know why but I was expecting a VA Flake not an aromatic. This is an aromatic to the bone. That said it isn't one that will ruin a pipe with ghosts of cough medicine, cherries and bad vanilla. This is light, floral, citrusy and maybe soapy could be used...but it is light and ever present. I have a hard time tasting any familiar tobacco flavors. If I were to figure out a way to smoke a funeral home, this is what it would taste like. I get flowers, rose some lemony citrus notes mixed with smoke. Note I say smoke, not grass or hay or wood, smoke. I do get some woody notes past the half way point but to be honest every bowl made me think of when I was a kid and we wanted to "smoke like adults" but had no cigarettes so we would try to smoke leaves and other weird stuff like tea.
Now I know if you made it this far in the review you will likely think this is an awful experience. Oddly enough, it isn't. I find myself enjoying it trying to figure out what the hell I am smoking and the light flavors are pleasant in a weird way. I can see why there are fans of this tobacco. Not a regular in my rotation but I may buy a tin here and there for the warmer months. It does have a nice room note so it is is wife friendly.
Now I know if you made it this far in the review you will likely think this is an awful experience. Oddly enough, it isn't. I find myself enjoying it trying to figure out what the hell I am smoking and the light flavors are pleasant in a weird way. I can see why there are fans of this tobacco. Not a regular in my rotation but I may buy a tin here and there for the warmer months. It does have a nice room note so it is is wife friendly.
Pipe Used:
Briar’s and cob’s
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 26, 2018 | Strong | Medium | Medium to Full | Tolerable to Strong |
I used to puff on St. Bruno Flake many years ago (in the 80's); I was just getting warmed up to it before it suddenly disappeared from the American market. I remember being really disappointed by that.
A few years ago, while in Europe I picked up a pack of St. Bruno Ready Rubbed (RR); this tobacco reminded me of the Flake, but now, now that I've smoked the Flake again, I've discovered my memory of it wasn't as sharp as I once thought.
Indeed, St. Bruno Flake is almost an entirely different animal than the RR. The Flake, though it shares some of RR's taste profile, is much more nuanced, subtle, smoother, not as packed with as much in your face flavor—and, that's a good thing. St. Bruno Flake is a much more interesting blend than the Ready Rubbed. The vinegar additive, presumably used both for flavor and preservation, is present in the taste, but only mildly, and, what taste you do get from the vinegar weaves itself in well with the other flavors present in the blend.
In short, I love sipping this one and am truly grateful this blend is back in the US (in a tin!). St. Bruno Flake is a classic!
Keep on pipin'
A few years ago, while in Europe I picked up a pack of St. Bruno Ready Rubbed (RR); this tobacco reminded me of the Flake, but now, now that I've smoked the Flake again, I've discovered my memory of it wasn't as sharp as I once thought.
Indeed, St. Bruno Flake is almost an entirely different animal than the RR. The Flake, though it shares some of RR's taste profile, is much more nuanced, subtle, smoother, not as packed with as much in your face flavor—and, that's a good thing. St. Bruno Flake is a much more interesting blend than the Ready Rubbed. The vinegar additive, presumably used both for flavor and preservation, is present in the taste, but only mildly, and, what taste you do get from the vinegar weaves itself in well with the other flavors present in the blend.
In short, I love sipping this one and am truly grateful this blend is back in the US (in a tin!). St. Bruno Flake is a classic!
Keep on pipin'
Pipe Used:
My new Lee Van Cleef replica Turkish Meerschaum!!!
PurchasedFrom:
Ye Old Pipe Shop, Phoenix, AZ
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 29, 2017 | Very Mild | None Detected | Extremely Mild (Flat) | Unnoticeable |
Long awaited smoke. Wasn't worth the wait. So far I've only smoked one bowl of this out of a cob, so my opinion may change. If it does, I'll update this review.
I found it flatter than Kansas. No noticeable flavor at all. Therefore no enjoyment. Maybe I got a bad batch.
Burnt well after some drying time. Room note was ok.
I found it flatter than Kansas. No noticeable flavor at all. Therefore no enjoyment. Maybe I got a bad batch.
Burnt well after some drying time. Room note was ok.
Pipe Used:
MM Cob
PurchasedFrom:
Gifted
Age When Smoked:
Fresh
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