Mac Baren Three Nuns

I'm amazed I haven't done this one on TR. 4 stars for the Three Nuns you buy today in the shops and smoke today in your pipe...as for the the Three Nuns of yesteryear....tell it to my Grandfather who lies in a grave in Glendalough Co.Wicklow...he might be interested!

There is a reason so many tobacco blends exist on the market. Not everyone gets the same experience. I was excited to smoke this tobacco because of its legacy, and regardless of its newer blend, enough positive reviews to try. This was another Backwoods for me. Alot of reviews I vehemently disagree with. This tobacco was tasteless (except for an aftertaste that reminded me of my cigarette days), did not burn well, and smelled horrible. My wife, who does enjoy the room note of most of my english blends, asked me not to smoke this around her. To explain my taste, I usually enjoy english blends with heavy amounts of Latakia, or aromatics that taste like aromatics. Only recently have I found some straight Virginias that I enjoy (Marble Kake for one). So I am not object to various blends...but this was HORRIBLE. My recommendation is to find someone in these reviews that has similar taste as you, and see what they say. Don't go by the volume of positive reviews.

I find many of the Danish made Virginia blends have their pH too alkaline and it's the same case here; tongue bite this one does not agree with me.

After smoking even a few puffs it leaves an awfully dry acrid cigarette taste in my throat . . . I despise cigarettes ! ! They have nothing to do with smoking and everything to do with addiction plus they taste awful and smell worse.

I cannot recommend it and no more purchases shall be made . . . sorry sister's you do great charitable work but this, this is the inquisition.

I really wanted to like this blend. Kentucky - check, Virginia - check, should be right up my alley. Nope. Based on all the positive reviews maybe I got a bad tin, I'm more inclined to believe it just didn't agree with my body chemistry. I smoked this in a number of briar's and used a cob for this review. I know this new incarnation is blended by Mac Baren and in due diligence their blends really disagree with my palette so take that for what it's worth. This is one of the few blends I will relegate to the circular cellar.

Beginning:

Right off the bat I get an intense acrid taste, no indication of Kentucky that I can detect. What I do taste is an intense sour perique like pepper. No Virginia tanginess anywhere to be found. There is also a distinct burnt rubber smell when exhaling through the nose.

Middle: Overpowering acrid taste moves to the background, blend settles down to a boring smoke with no depth no body. Most of the smoke is like puffing hot air. My throat was really getting irritated by the middle of the bowl.

Finish: Acrid tastes moves forward again and remains for the rest of the smoke. I had the worst sour after taste on the pipe finish, took a while for my tongue to get back to normal.

Nice gentle nod to the toasty roasty side of things... Mac Baren did a good one here... has an old fashioned simplicity about it, and yet has enough going on to be slightly complex if you really dig into it... subtle sweetness and spice... a little nuttiness from the burly... yet mostly Virginia with subtle hints of spice and sweetness. I'm normally more apt to go for a straight Virginia or a va/per but this satisfies me. It's not as dark and strong as Irish flake and yet it points gently that way.

The wee rolls are the best thing about this tobacco. They look beautiful in the tin. There is very little sweetness which is very noticable from the first puff and a slightly sour flavour develops as you smoke down the bowl as well as the pepperiness increasing. Its unusual and takes a bit of getting used to, but, i'm liking it more and more as time goes by.

Nicotine is reasonable. Give this one time as i was not greatly impressed at first but it does grow on you. Different.

Very hard to find here

I am looking under Imperial, Mac Baren and thought at least on Bells.

Its onother stuff now at under original Bells.

But about one point i am happy.

in the recent formulation its a too good stuff. One reason therfore are the good african and brazil tobaccos

Thats not the case by most other oldies

One pont is the same as by the old perique-stuff:

frech stuff in summer aged stuff always recommanded

edit:

Its not Orlik -> its Mac Baren. You could it taste on the very good Kentucky used. The best Kentucky availible are the Mac Baren

Well, what can I say... This is some rotten stuff, and it's a crying shame really.

I had some of this about 7 years ago. I honestly cannot recall if it was the curly/coin cut back then, but it was a lot better than the current incarnation that I ordered, smoked and immediately binned yesterday was.

The stuff I had back in 2005 was from a 25gm packet and consisted of a much darker leaf than that of today's mixture, which is a very bright looking springy ribbon cut. Back then it smoked like St Bruno without the soap, and with a hint of musty spice.

What I tried yesterday was awful. In the packet it smelt promising, sweet raisins and figs. It came at a dryish consistency which packed and took to the flame very well. Unfortunately that's where the positives end.

In short Three Nuns 2012 in a 50gm plastic packet smokes like a cigarette. The smoke is very voluminous, but not in the nice thick/silky way pipe smoke should be. It's more like the consistency of cigarette smoke, and behaves in exactly the same way.

It's true that there is little to no bite, and it doesn't burn that hot. But neither does a cigarette. I had bought this from the memory of what I had smoked in 2005. Whilst that may too have been ready rubbed, it was certainly nicer and darker than the god awful stuff it is now.

I can only assume that there have been even more changes to this once hallowed blend since it was changed from curly/coin cut (whenever that was).

Don't waste your money.....

I miss this blend .My uncle who just passed [ lived to 92 ]smoked this forever .I've smoked it and loved it and wish I could get it again . Damn .