Mac Baren St. Bruno Flake

I recently purchased this from a supermarket when I was caught short of tobacco away from home. I had previously smoked a couple of pouches of the ready rubbed version, which I enjoyed, but had not tried the flake.

I really like this tobacco. The flavorings work so well with the Virginia and Kentucky, all of which are perceptible without dominating the smoke. I also like that it is strong enough to satisfy my need for Nicotine, yet not so strong that I have to pick my moment to smoke it. I do find it a bit moist straight out of the pouch, but not so moist that it needs drying out, just a couple of sweeps with a pipe cleaner will clear up any gurgle. If I have time I'll use the DGT and this stops any gurgle altogether, although I mostly just stuff and puff it.

I was recently smoking this outside my local watering hole and smokers and non-smokers alike commented on its great aroma and shoved their noses in the pouch with great delight when it was offered. I think this is a great blend if you want a smoke that really satisfies and doesn't create an exclusion zone around you when your friends get a whiff of it.

I will revisit this blend more often in future and will be sure to retry the ready rubbed.

Juna Gu said "It seems to me that references to soap travel on the Western winds from our good friends accross The Pond; their culture, being what it is, demands that they portray the English as namby pamby fairies of dubious sexual persuasion at every available opportunity. " ...... If this were true it would be only because of statements like this . That being said ... it tastes like soap .

I, too, felt overpowered by this blend. The descriptions above are fitting.

The aroma, however, always struck me as being similar to suntan lotion.

My old review is like the old St.Bruno: gone.

I hadn't had a chance to try the Mac Baren iteration of this blend until it became available in North America. I had heard rumblings of discontent, so I wasn't expecting much; I wasn't disappointed.

I'm certain this blend will find its fans, and I don't forsee the day when I'll say much bad about Mac Baren, it simply isn't the St.Bruno of yore. Fair enough I suppose; I'm not the grimpeur of yore, either.

Tin note: dark fruit, maybe a haunting of Lakeland essence. In the smoke: I definitely taste rose geranium, similar to Bosun, but tuned down. Grassy, floral Virginia, not appreciably sweet. If I didn't have experience with G&H offerings, I'd enjoy this a lot more. It's only lacking by comparison, really is quite pleasant. You may enjoy it more than other options, if you prefer a lighter application of rose geranium -- or you may find it overpowering if you hate Lakelands.

Easiest way to describe St. Bruno Flake is this:

Take a typically Latakia based, smokey English blend, mix in some Lane I Q with its cocoa notes and you have St. Bruno Flake.

Basically it's an English crossover and as these are my favourite, I enjoyed it. If you like something like FMC or Bengal Slices, you'll quite likely like this as well.

St. Bruno flake is a wonderful, stout blend, smooth and flavorful. I suppose this is another MB product, perfectly presented with ideal moisture and well formed flakes. It's a great smoke if you are coming off of cigarettes and you need a nicotine infusion. My only complaint is the price. The pouch seems the better deal, but it's not serviceable for extended periods, due to its lack of a vacuum seal. I threw a few pouches in a large canning jar. We'll see how it holds.

Great Stuff.

A very nice pipe tobacco, not too complex, but neither too easy to smoke... In the beginning, when you REALLY manage to light your pipe, gives il max of odours and taste, that is very pleasant. Burns slowly and cool, if you'e puffing quietly doesn't heat the cheecks of pipe's bowl and doesn't give any tonghue bite. Everything goes really well up to the 2/3 of the bowl, then tobacco goes out and needs some thousand firing and tamping! I tried in many ways to overcome this flaw (changed pipe, packed in many ways, let it dry for an hour...) Nothing to do! In good pipes, that smokes very well, the combinaton of St.Bruno and pipe, gave me an hour of best slow and plainful smoke, but befor the end, the same problem was always appeared. Anyway, nuances are wonderful, virginias work beautifully, a bowlful of it is like a concert! Love it!

St. Bruno flake is composed by dark-fire Kentucky and Virginia, of high quality in my personal vision. After the opening the moisture is not excessive and the tobacco is ready to be packed; we are surely in front of an aromatic, but a good one. The aromas are many and different, we can recognize red fruit like plums, hazelnuts and the smoked Kentucky. During the smoke sweetness and floral taste converse with a background spicy hints, the body and strenght are present but not excessive, well balanced with the flavour. The result is a fresh smoke on mouth, this is the particular of St. Bruno a simple, relaxing, unforgettable experience.