Mac Baren Three Nuns

I have never had the original Three Nuns, so I have no basis for comparison, however I can tell you this is a superb tobacco that has a lot going for it. Would it be better if it actually had Perique in it? Probably... but it is still very good. Upon opening the tin, I was greeted with the smell of delicious, spicy Dark Fired Kentucky and stewed fruit. The tobacco was a little wet so I removed 4 coins to dry for about an hour. I then rubbed out 2 coins and left the other 2 coins whole. Then I stacked the 2 whole coins in the bottom of my pipe and sprinkled in the rubbed out coins on top and packed it all lightly. It smoked pretty well, with only 4 relights. The topping or casing or whatever, is expertly applied so that the delicious spicy, smoky and creamy DFK is allowed to shine. I enjoyed the first smoke so much that upon finishing it, I reloaded another pipe and smoked another bowl and it was just as delicious as the first. I put away a tin of this for about a year and it mellowed a little bit and got a little sweeter and a little more smooth. This blend is my new favorite and definitely worth your time. I like to smoke it slow and easy for more flavor, enjoy!

Tried Three Nuns (TN) a couple of years ago and it wasn't especially memorable. Now, in looking for a change from the various Balkan, English and "Scottish" blends that are my regular smokes, I tried the rendition of Three Nuns that is in a round tin labeled on back as "Made in Denmark by Mac Baren Tobacco and dated Mar 2013. It has been so good, such a great, consistent smoke that I smoke a bowl of Three Nuns in the afternoon as a set up for the evening bowl of HH Vintage Syrian or Balkan Sasieni (or other full English blend). Tin note is deep, aged and mature tobaccos with some cocoa hints. Not sweet. Not bright or hay-like. But like the old tobacco barn after my Dad had taken his Burley out to the auction (WNC in the1950s). I've been smoking those Nuns in Meerschaums and maybe that is part of the reason I'm finding TN to be Highly Recommended. I pack a few of the more complete coins by folding and stuffing in first and then completing the packing with the more broken up or rubbed out pieces. Moisture on this 2 year old tin was just right when first opened and has dried out some over the 3 weeks it took for me to finish it. Has anyone else tried adding a little moisture to your tobacco by using your breath into the bowl as you pack? Works for me; be careful not to over do it. TN burns evenly and it is easy to go slow. The flavors and aromas are great. I don't find them dull at all. Of course it is your opinion that will matter. If J.R.R. smoked a better tobacco than this he was most fortunate.

This is definitely a vintage blend, one of the Hall of Fame of pipe tobaccos. Origin: 19th century, J & F Bell, Glasgow, Scotland, which later founded the famous “Imperial Tobacco Group” together with six other tobacco companies in 1901 (now “Imperial Brands PLC”, Bristol, UK). TREE NUNS was produced until 1980 and was available until the late 80s. THREE NUNS is now blended and manufactured by MacBaren, and still sold under the old, original brand of BELL’S. I am sure there is a story or an explanation behind the weird name of this blend, since nuns do not normally smoke pipe-tobacco.

Loose spun curly cut discs in the size of small coins. Surprisingly, the moisture in tin is quite low and the tobacco therefore rather dry, but still ok to smoke right out of the tin to start with. Later you may keep it under a little moisture. Nice for a change, since pipe smokers nowadays usually struggle with too high moisture in tin and wet tobacco. Stuffing and lighting is easy. Occasionally hot but steady burning. Very skilfully selected Virginias; most is dark and robust. They release aromas of bread, yeast and a scrumptious natural tobacco flavour. The Dark Fired Kentucky donates tasteful spice, wood and earth flavours to the blend, no camp-fire smokiness, though.

In earlier times, I guess before 1980, THREE NUNS always contained Perique. What a nuisance that Perique has been taken out now! I am sure a touch of Perique would fit in perfectly. I may try to add some myself one day. Nevertheless, even without Perique, THREE NUNS is a fantastic and tasteful mixture, even if it must be fairly different from the original. The sweetness is on my limit. Slightly less would make it more vintage like. And there is this pleasant, hidden, kind of outmoded, dark, soury touch, typical to so many real vintage blends. I love this. Over all THREE NUNS is an outstanding blend with great character and taste that I highly recommend to all Virginia, Va/Per, Va/Ky and Va/Bur smokers.

Three Nuns is a tobacco for those who enjoy tobacco, pure, no fuzz. I absolutely like the current version. It is still very satisfying and goes well with almost anything, from coffee to rum, bourbon or whisky. If you didn’t have TN jet but you are familiar with MB Roll Cakes: Imagine you go from Club Blend over Dark Twist to Stockton with the blends becoming less sweet and more and more spicy, … TN would be the final implication.

Gets smoother when you let it breathe and then sit for a couple of weeks.

This blend came a tiny bit moist in the tin, though over the 2 weeks it was in the original tin, it dried considerably, though not to unsmokable.

Good flavor, got lots of sweet Va, with bass notes from the DFK. The coins were easy to load though after the first few bowls it became mostly a form of ready rubbed.

Lit fairly easy, burned clean with nice white ash, all the way through on my Churchwarden. Not as great in the cobs... Taste was solid, consistent and good. The only flavor issue I had was clearly my pipe was a little funky.

A good blend I would recommend, and I wouldn't mind keeping on hand.

For those who are seeking a remake of the original, I can't help you there not having smoked it. To those of you who knock it because its not a remake, give it a try. It's a decent blend in its own right.

This is one that gets better and better as you puff!!!

Appearance is a spun coin of mixed brown. It does well in pipes of all sizes for me. You defiantly need to sit down and relax when you smoke it or you will miss the complexity of taste. It has a very subtle sweet cooked/buttery fruit finish. No bite at all.

It definitely has that classic sweet Virginia and if you sip it slowly it is quite mild on the tongue. The Burley in this is a perfect condiment, giving it that great buttery smoothness, but is not overwhelming in the slightest. I am going to cellar few tins of this, as it is truly a winner. Definitely the best Va/Burley I have smoked to date.

Three nuns is a perfect example of what a Va/Pr blend should be. sweet, spicy, and complex. This blend comes in loose medallions perfect for stacking into a pipe for a nice long relaxing smoke. Three Nuns smoke cool and smooth. As for flavor, this blend is delightful. Perfect for a sunny afternoon. When people describe perique as plums and pepper it is because of this blend. The perfect example. Plums and pepper is the defining flavor of this blend. The viginias add a dark sweet base to this blend. Perfectly balance, tastes fantastic, smells like plums, i can see why three nuns is such an iconic blend. Definitely a tobacco i will keep on my shelf.

Keep in mind that I was the proud owner of a 20 year old tin of Three Nuns, until I smoked it all during the last week after reviving it in a humidor for a month. I have read about the change in ownership and possible change in blend, and I hope the talk isn't true. I don't want to wait another 20 years for another Great Tin.

This is Christmas pudding in a pipe. It is very raisiny and very mellow. This is a "Hall of Fame" tobacco. It is slow burning like a yule log, as contrasted against Carter Hall, which is like burning dried bamboo in a chiminea.

Wow, this seems to be a love/hate blend and I think it's due to the different generations of this blend and pouch verses tin. This review is based on two tins, both from Denmark and both with the small coins. One tin, round, a new one just purchased weeks ago, and the other tin, square, with some age on it. The tobacco looked the same although the raisin like scent stronger as expected in the older tin. With all that said, I can see why the absence of perique makes this a different blend . Unlike comparing the same recipe of a blend from one blender to the next. (think Murray's Dunhill verses Orlik Dunhill) Tobaccos change over time, but the complete removal of the perique from the blend makes it a different blend so IMHO if should be called by a different name.

However, the name issue aside, this is really a good tasting tobacco and I love it, even with what seems to be a little manually added sweetness. "Three Nuns" quickly dries and I prefer it fully rubbed out and sipped in a small bowl. It's very good out of the tin, but the Virginia's age wonderfully and on that basis, it's Highly Recommended!