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 61 - 70 of 174 Reviews
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 03, 2020 | Medium | Mild | Medium | Pleasant |
A true classic British hot pressed flake and the choice of generations of smokers. Available for well over 100 years and full of flavour and tradition. The subject of this review was bought about 2 years ago and jarred so it has a little age on it, with some nice bloom and crystals appearing. It is ostensibly a lakeland style, but the topping is very lightly applied so is not dominant. I had smoked Bruno many years ago when made by Ogdens and it had been richer and more refined than the MacBaren iteration, but some time in a jar has sorted that out and it now smokes damned near the same. That is a sure sign that the Ogdens production was warehoused and allowed to age. The jar note is rich and leathery, with the Kentucky fairly obvious in its smokyness and there is some fruit and bread from the Virginia as well. One and a bit flakes rubbed out and put straight in my Jambo Meerschaum Reject required no drying time and lit with a minimum of fuss. Quite a lot of flavour in the initial light with leathery tones and dark fruit. There is quite a complexity to the taste, but it is all melded together well by hot pressing and burns cool with a lack of bite. It gets richer as you progress but doesn't morph into other flavours and that is how I like it. Consistent is good in my book. A slow burn needing few relights make this an ideal smoke to fire up whilst out and about. It burns down to the proverbial fine white ash and leaves a little dottle but more drying would probably help to avoid that. Be warned, it will leave a subtle ghost, so best smoked in a Meer or Cob or dedicated briar if you really like it. All in all a good solid smoke with plenty of Nicotine without being overpowering. Pleasant nutty after taste and a traditional Masculine tobacco room note. I prefer it's close cousin Original (Walnut) flake as it is basically the same blend without the floral lakeland thing but it has a place for me as an occasional treat and a change of pace. Benefits greatly from jarring.
I have revised the final score on this the quintessential English stoved flake. The more you smoke it, the more it gets under your skin. Its reputation as the best selling British OTC is well deserved. I may not smoke it for a month, and then suddenly I crave it and smoke it for a week solid.
I have revised the final score on this the quintessential English stoved flake. The more you smoke it, the more it gets under your skin. Its reputation as the best selling British OTC is well deserved. I may not smoke it for a month, and then suddenly I crave it and smoke it for a week solid.
Pipe Used:
Meerschaum Reject
PurchasedFrom:
Tesco
Age When Smoked:
2 years in a jar
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Nov 24, 2019 | Medium | Mild | Medium | Pleasant |
Not much else to say here except, St Bruno probably won't impress you if you are used to flavour bomb tobaccos or complex mixes like latakia English, perique, dark Kentucky or sweet aromatics.
What it will provide you with is an easy going subtly flavoured smoke, just a touch of muscle and an aroma that won't offend anyone. I have to say I was disappointed when I first tried it, but the floral scent haunted me(and my pipe) and called me back for more. I can't say I'm hooked as it's still a bit bland for me, but enjoyable nonetheless and can provide a full day of smoking as it's easy on the tongue and the palate.
What it will provide you with is an easy going subtly flavoured smoke, just a touch of muscle and an aroma that won't offend anyone. I have to say I was disappointed when I first tried it, but the floral scent haunted me(and my pipe) and called me back for more. I can't say I'm hooked as it's still a bit bland for me, but enjoyable nonetheless and can provide a full day of smoking as it's easy on the tongue and the palate.
Pipe Used:
Briar and cob
PurchasedFrom:
Schneiderwind, Aachen Germany
Age When Smoked:
Fresh
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 24, 2019 | Medium | Mild to Medium | Medium to Full | Pleasant |
St Bruno - a well known tobacco, that every smoker has to come across sooner or later and that's been smoked worldwide since I don't know when.
The rather small flakes come sealed in a small plastic pan wrapped in a pouch to preserve the nice moisture level. TBH, I never rubbed this one out in about 3 years of smoking it as it has perfect condition for a tobacco to smoke straight away. Packs well with folding and takes flames pretty nice then burns well and steady without tongue bite even if smoked a bit faster. Bruno leaves not much condensate (for an aromatic) and only light grey ashes in the bowl.
With the first lighting one will notice that this is a very characterful yet smooth blend of good quality leafs. Sweet and smoky natural tobacco tastes build the body that's beautifully rounded up by a floral almost soapy topping just enough to be noticed and not too much to overcome the main contents. Taste doesn't differ much during the smoke only it gets a bit more spicy from time to time then an almond like sweetness comes back just to keep a nice pleasant aftertaste. Nasal there are many different fruity and floral scents which will stay until the last toke. Citrus is clearly detectable and I think this is coming from the VA.
St. Bruno is a must have in my shelves and clearly one of my favorite flakes. Room note is pleasant and pricing is good for what you get.
The rather small flakes come sealed in a small plastic pan wrapped in a pouch to preserve the nice moisture level. TBH, I never rubbed this one out in about 3 years of smoking it as it has perfect condition for a tobacco to smoke straight away. Packs well with folding and takes flames pretty nice then burns well and steady without tongue bite even if smoked a bit faster. Bruno leaves not much condensate (for an aromatic) and only light grey ashes in the bowl.
With the first lighting one will notice that this is a very characterful yet smooth blend of good quality leafs. Sweet and smoky natural tobacco tastes build the body that's beautifully rounded up by a floral almost soapy topping just enough to be noticed and not too much to overcome the main contents. Taste doesn't differ much during the smoke only it gets a bit more spicy from time to time then an almond like sweetness comes back just to keep a nice pleasant aftertaste. Nasal there are many different fruity and floral scents which will stay until the last toke. Citrus is clearly detectable and I think this is coming from the VA.
St. Bruno is a must have in my shelves and clearly one of my favorite flakes. Room note is pleasant and pricing is good for what you get.
Pipe Used:
Various briars
PurchasedFrom:
Local dealer
Age When Smoked:
Fresh and stored about 7 months
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Feb 26, 2018 | Medium to Strong | Extremely Mild | Full | Pleasant |
I have to say... this is/was an otc? Well that counter is my pipe... this is the real deal.. beautiful notes of chocolate and coffee along with the natural tonal hue that is Virginia tobacco.... yeah.. I don't want to sound like a guy who writes tin descriptions when I'm a common wage slave.. but this #@$ is good. Open wide and enjoy
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Jun 19, 2017 | Medium | Mild to Medium | Medium to Full | Pleasant |
After a lovely Father's Day dinner, I opened this new tin of St. Bruno. I had wanted to try this classic British working man's tobacco for a long time, but couldn't get it here in the States. Happily, we Yanks now have it available to us. It's a bit pricey--$14.45 from pipesandcigars.com. Upon opening the tin I could smell the vinegar which is used as a preservative. (While others said they couldn't taste the vinegar when smoking, I got a little hint of it early on in the bowl, though I didn't mind it.) The tin aroma also had some light floral and citrus notes, as well as a grassiness from the Virginia. The flakes were a little moist--next time I'm going to give them some trying time (about ten minutes under a desk lamp). They rubbed out easily (I have always had terrible luck with packing flakes that haven't been rubbed out, though I know it can be done), and I packed my big 4 panel St. Croix with two and a half flakes worth. Despite the slight moisture the tobacco lit well and burned well--a little too well about 1/2 of the way down and I had to start sipping lightly. The flavor is very delightful--like I said, a little vinegary for a few puffs, but then grassy and citrusy and a pleasant bitterness like a beer with a good amount of hops. There were some woody hints from the darker Kentucky in the blend, but the grassinesss of the Virginia dominated. There was just a hint of pleasant sweetness which lasted about a third of the way down. The last third was a bit harsh and soapy, though bearable, and I smoked right down to the bottom. It definitely was not wet--just a wee bit of juice in the stem. It left no tongue bite and I drank seltzer afterwards with no pain. Over all it was a fine smoking experience and I definitely recommend it. One of the reasons I wanted to try it is that this is the tobacco that is smoked by Alf Garnett, the main character of the old British sitcom "Til Death Do Us Part" on which our own "All in the Family" was based. Archie smoked cigars, but Alf smoked St. Bruno!
Pipe Used:
La Croix panel briar
PurchasedFrom:
pipesandcigars.com
Age When Smoked:
New Tin
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 13, 2017 | Medium | Mild | Medium to Full | Tolerable |
I opened the pouch to find a small plastic box covered with a foil. Not a very posh presentation but the brown/black flakes contained in the box in two rows are packed very tidily, are extremely thin and look very appetizing. They are so thin and contain just the right moisture that you just have to fold, pack and light.
From the first whiff I was greeted by a dark, yeasty and sweet molasses-tasting tobacco. Having read the many reviews mentioning a floral aroma I was expecting something like the Lakeland aromas of Kendal Cream or Ennerdale Flake but I found St. Bruno very dissimilar to either of them. If I had to name floral aromas for St. Bruno, I would say dried rose petals, violets and even geranium. I would not call its aroma soapy though and the main aroma for me is something molasses-like together with licorice probably.
The amount of casing perceived is mild, so I would not call St. Bruno an aromatic tobacco; scented is a more appropriate term given the fact the taste of the tobacco is not completely obscured by the scenting. Strength-wise it is medium, with neither lack nor excess of nicotine for an all day smoke. It smokes slow, burns cool, evenly and dry and taste is consistent throughout the bowl.
It’s a very enjoyable tobacco of very good quality surprisingly so for a so-called OTC blend. If you haven’t tried before it is highly recommended as it deserves at least a try. Then one can like it or not, but it surely is a very good quality and no-fuss tobacco.
I think I prefer St. Bruno to Orlik’s Dark Strong Kentucky, but J.F. Germain’s Rich Dark Flake is more impressive, if a little fussier.
From the first whiff I was greeted by a dark, yeasty and sweet molasses-tasting tobacco. Having read the many reviews mentioning a floral aroma I was expecting something like the Lakeland aromas of Kendal Cream or Ennerdale Flake but I found St. Bruno very dissimilar to either of them. If I had to name floral aromas for St. Bruno, I would say dried rose petals, violets and even geranium. I would not call its aroma soapy though and the main aroma for me is something molasses-like together with licorice probably.
The amount of casing perceived is mild, so I would not call St. Bruno an aromatic tobacco; scented is a more appropriate term given the fact the taste of the tobacco is not completely obscured by the scenting. Strength-wise it is medium, with neither lack nor excess of nicotine for an all day smoke. It smokes slow, burns cool, evenly and dry and taste is consistent throughout the bowl.
It’s a very enjoyable tobacco of very good quality surprisingly so for a so-called OTC blend. If you haven’t tried before it is highly recommended as it deserves at least a try. Then one can like it or not, but it surely is a very good quality and no-fuss tobacco.
I think I prefer St. Bruno to Orlik’s Dark Strong Kentucky, but J.F. Germain’s Rich Dark Flake is more impressive, if a little fussier.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Dec 18, 2016 | Mild | None Detected | Mild | Pleasant |
I enjoyed this smoke as being smooth and satisfying, with some fig flavor. I have had a number of blends in this genre, while it can be recommended, there are other choices that can entice and satisfy.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Dec 03, 2016 | Medium | Medium | Medium | Pleasant |
Perhaps because I live in a country where this is available at the local supermarket - I don't get the hype.
The flakes are thin and a little moist, I like to dry the flakes for a few minutes before smoking. It lights and burns easily and leaves the pipe dry.
It has a topping that reminds me of stewed fruit, I don't really notice the florals. I find the fruit topping does cover the flavour of the tobaccos some what although you can pick up on the dark virginias. The fruit topping burns off around half way though the bowl and at this point I end up smoking a blend that reminds me a little of sweet tea, I can pick up on the tonquin along with the kentucky although are both present in the background. Medium flavour and strength, not a particular exciting blend and it certainly doesn't grap your attention but I suppose thats why it's regarded as an all day smoke.
The flakes are thin and a little moist, I like to dry the flakes for a few minutes before smoking. It lights and burns easily and leaves the pipe dry.
It has a topping that reminds me of stewed fruit, I don't really notice the florals. I find the fruit topping does cover the flavour of the tobaccos some what although you can pick up on the dark virginias. The fruit topping burns off around half way though the bowl and at this point I end up smoking a blend that reminds me a little of sweet tea, I can pick up on the tonquin along with the kentucky although are both present in the background. Medium flavour and strength, not a particular exciting blend and it certainly doesn't grap your attention but I suppose thats why it's regarded as an all day smoke.
Pipe Used:
Quite a few
PurchasedFrom:
Tesco
Age When Smoked:
Fresh
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Jan 04, 2016 | Strong | Strong | Full | Pleasant |
For me St Bruno is perhaps the best of the Over the Counter brands to be found in shops and supermarkets across the UK. The flake variety is somewhat rarer, but is luckily carried by my local Tesco (which now appears to have dropped Mellow Virginia, hmm).
St Bruno flake provides a rich, creamy, delicious smoke which is almost impossible to describe - the flakes are like dark meat; the experience of rubbing them out is one of near-regret and if this smoker was not on a very limited budget, he would be happy to fold the flakes into the pipe. The tobacco is rather gracious - it gives off a white smoke and sequences a not unpleasant room note. The taste is sublime; indescribable. The best I can do is say that when you take this smoke into your body it is like taking a weather system to heart. It is like a low fog on the brain, so easy to lose your time and your senses over it.
The Ready Rubbed is not disimilar - not quite so nice, but still haunting. Both are highly recommended by me.
St Bruno flake provides a rich, creamy, delicious smoke which is almost impossible to describe - the flakes are like dark meat; the experience of rubbing them out is one of near-regret and if this smoker was not on a very limited budget, he would be happy to fold the flakes into the pipe. The tobacco is rather gracious - it gives off a white smoke and sequences a not unpleasant room note. The taste is sublime; indescribable. The best I can do is say that when you take this smoke into your body it is like taking a weather system to heart. It is like a low fog on the brain, so easy to lose your time and your senses over it.
The Ready Rubbed is not disimilar - not quite so nice, but still haunting. Both are highly recommended by me.
Pipe Used:
Dunhill Bruyere
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Jul 10, 2015 | Medium to Strong | Medium to Strong | Medium | Tolerable |
I can't for the life of me understand why this is classed as an ''Aromatic'' on this site when it comes nothing close to being one....same goes for Condor as well.
St Bruno is what my father used to smoke back in the 1960's...I know because it was me as a small boy who used to rub the flakes out on a sheet of newspaper for him and put it in his tobacco jar. I seem to recall the flakes being darker compared to today but could well be mistaken.
I like the size and thickness of the flakes...they are thin but it makes rubbing them out easy and one nicely fills my Falcon pipe bowl. It's a good honest virginia tobacco smoke and typically British. Not as flavoursome as Condor which I much prefer but a good over the counter substitute to have now and again. Just wish it were as easily available here as it is in the UK.
St Bruno is what my father used to smoke back in the 1960's...I know because it was me as a small boy who used to rub the flakes out on a sheet of newspaper for him and put it in his tobacco jar. I seem to recall the flakes being darker compared to today but could well be mistaken.
I like the size and thickness of the flakes...they are thin but it makes rubbing them out easy and one nicely fills my Falcon pipe bowl. It's a good honest virginia tobacco smoke and typically British. Not as flavoursome as Condor which I much prefer but a good over the counter substitute to have now and again. Just wish it were as easily available here as it is in the UK.
Pipe Used:
Falcon
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