Mac Baren Aromatic Choice

With this tobacco, I had one of those moments I think every pipe smoker has from time to time. At last! I've found it! The tobacco I've been waiting for! Perhaps this blend will be dismissed by veterans, for it is not very strong and seems to be cased liberally. However, when I return home after a day of teaching english to, on average, about ninety small Taiwanese children, all I want is a sweet, rich pipe that doesn't ask very much. One can gravity feed, stuff, or mash this tobacco into the bowl and puff like a locomotive, but all is well. I've made this my reward tobacco, something to look forward to. Highly recommended, especially to novices such as myself

Reading all the reviews of this blend has confused me - not that I need any help.

All I know is that this tastes like tobacco in a muted sort of way and can be smoked hard and fast with little distress to the tongue.

If you enjoy light aromatics that are more on the Burley side of the tracks, then I can certainly recommend this Mac Baren's offering.

Mac Baren - Aromatic Choice.

The mixture itself gives off quite a potent/sweet smell of which makes the added flavours very conspicuous. This one does seem a little too moist, albeit not soaking wet; it just requires a short amount of time to let a bowlful reach the correct level of dryness. A good point I quickly ascertain is that the different constituents appear to be quite a fair selection, the most prevalent is the Cavendish but not overly so as there is a decent quantity of Virginia and Burley.

After a short airing period, only a few hours, it takes to the flame excellently and gives an enjoyable smoke. With the aromatic side the amalgamation is a pleasant one, not a harsh one but a mild sweetness with an almost "nutty" quality to it. Any added alcohol (to me) remains very light, noticeable but you have to look for it! The final positive (more subjective) is I get no tongue bite from start to finish.

Nicotine: mild to medium. Room-note: pleasant.

Three stars.

I'm usually nice about blends I personally don't like, and give opinions based on a rounded fact.

But this blend was just foul. Sorry, but that's all.

I guess say it's because of the tongue bite and chemical taste.

I will say on good thing, it does smell good, and in a tobacco way. Not too much of a chemical smell.

One of the blandest blends I've ever smoked. I bought this hoping it would be sweet with a nice aromatic note, but it turned out smelling of cigarettes (Kent in particular) in the pouch and rather bland when smoked. I searched for the nutty character of most Mb blends but was quite disappointed. It lacks character and delicacy but might appeal to those looking for a milder aromatic without heavy casing. Not my type.

Not as bad as over the counter aromatic blends. but... its close. Nice aroma but no flavor to speak of. Just tastes like hot air. Burns wet and leaves the pipe sticky. Nice aroma but no tobacco flavor. Not even any flavor from the casing. Just hot steam like smoke.

They say you can judge a man by his enemies. I?ve used this technique successfully several times on this list to select tobaccos. Why oh why do nicotine addicts try ?mild? blends at all? Yes, this is mild because it is SUPPOSED to be. I?ve smoked cigars and pipes for 30+ years and find nothing wrong with this blend. It delivers as promised and then some.

It starts sweet and aromatic, but not excessively so, progresses to more complex, yet mild flavors of hardwood nuts, and finishes with long anticipated stoved virginia sweet/sour notes. If anything, it needs a bass note of something to stretch the spectrum. It never turns acrid or bitter.

Like the first reviewer, I use this as a reward for evenings when I need to sleep later. A wonderful relaxing smoke it is, and I love the sweetness, be it virginias or casing; it matters not. It would not be an all-day smoke, though; the taste would stop being special.

This was my first MacBaren and remains my favorite. Yes, they all can bite, but I find that to be a matter of technique and experience more than anything. The package claims it to be easy to smoke, and I agree. It seems oblivious to careless packing or lighting or whether you use a cob or Savinelli briar. Because of this, I?d recommend it also to those new to the pipe. Neophytes should also be cautioned to dedicate a pipe to flavored blends such as this so as not to risk carryover when they try english or balkan blends as another ?veteran? reviewer discovered. In fact, I devote a specific pipe to this blend so as not to introduce foreign flavors, welcomed elsewhere, to this one.

I suppose the packaging is a bit full of itself, but no more so than many others with pretentious names and allusions to the leisure class of yachts, clubs and royalty. At least it sets itself apart from other pouches, as well it should. I wish it came in 100g tins.

I?d recommend this to any smoker who can appreciate an upscale mild aromatic and especially to those who don?t need a hit of nicotine to get by.

Update 1/05 Yikes! What IS this now? It went way over the top and I couldn't finish half a bowl. Did they unplug the flavor sprayer? Old package fine, new one gross. Something is rotten in Denmark. Really: my waning old stock is still great. Goodbye old friend...

For such a mild tobacco, packed with so much vanilla and sweetness, this provides quite a heavy (but not unpleasant) tobacco-fragrance room note. Other than that I can’t say there was anything remarkable about this but straight out of the pack it burns very well to a pure white ash but leaves quite a wet bowl. Packs and lights well requiring a few infrequent relights. Inoffensive, pleasant flavour overall with no bite to be found, but unlikely to return to this in the near future.

This is the worst MB blend I hae ever tasted. It tastes like the toacco had been replaced by shredded pieces of the same cardboard they use to produce the pack. Sorry Mac Bare, but this one is realy terrible.

Sorry folks but this is clearly the worst Mac Baren I have tried and had to ditch it after the first couple of puffs. As you open the pouch, its almost reminiscent of opening a packet of tea. I have personally nothing against tea, but if this is an 'Aromatic Choice' they certainly could have done a better job. The tobacco quality is just fine as with all Mac Barens but the casing leaves much to be desired. The room note is not too bad but it not all about the room note is it? If one would be stranded on a desert island, it would be better if one had to drink or chew it rather than smoke it! Apologies to Mac Baren, I really wanted to like it but I just can't.