Mac Baren Original Flake

A good friend generously gifted me a few of these flakes.

Pretty and neat medium brown flake with flecks of lighter and darker spread throughout. The moisture content was perfect, no drying time needed. Smelled of lightly sweet tobacco, earth, and a bit of nuttiness.

Was easy to rub out or just load a flake directly into the bowl. Takes just the two standard lights to get it rolling. It remained lit with minimal tamping.

This tobacco produces large volumes of smoke. The flavor is VA forward, which is just the right amount of sweetness with balanced flavors of toast and hints of sour. The Burley/Kentucky adds some depth and character that are quite pleasing mixed with the Virginia's. I got some spice, but nothing harsh, some earth, a little bit of wood, and some nuttiness. There is the typical strength/flavor or the Kentucky, which isn't overpowering in this blend and I appreciate that. The nuttiness really comes out after the 3/4 point of the bowl. If you sip this smoke you will get more of the sweet and nutty. If you puff harder you will get more of the spice, wood, smokey and it can be just a bit harsh when pushed. However, the smoke was enjoyable with a fairly consistent flavor from top to bottom...down to a nice white ash.

Very pleasant indeed!

This flake tobacco is within the British family ie. St Bruno, Condor, Players, etc. I find this dark flake enjoyable and of the "family", the least flavored and exceptionally mild.

As has been stated, this is no longer made by Ogden's of Liverpool. Who makes it, I don't know. It has changed somewhat over the years, as I smoked this back in the 1960's, 70's & early 80'S. By that I mean, its not as defined as I remember it to be.

It is not walnut flavored, however, the color of the flake may be similar to that of walnuts. I find the aroma pleasing to my senses, and there is a natural tobacco taste, even with the light floral scent. It can be an all-day smoke for me although I prefer a stronger flake or plug the majority of the time.

Fortunately, I have a friend who sends me this when I asked, and in my travels through Europe, I have found it easily at newsstands, grocery stores, and many tobacco shops. I find this to be a very good smoke and recommend it to anyone seeking a light British flake.

...a pipe is to be savored...

My one-ounce pack of original "Ogden's Walnut Plug - Sliced" was an internet find, a very old dehydrated pack from the original Ogden's days. This review is based on only a few pipefuls of the rehydrated tobacco, for that reason.

This has a strong, pungent, full flavor, rich with depth. I am not sure what the flavoring is, but walnut is close enough! I love a very small pipe of this flake, fully rubbed out, now and then. After a meal, to wake up the senses and pep up the blood-nicotine level.

If you can find something like the original sliced plug it will do the trick when you need full flavor and strength. Sharp and strong; that's the summary.

This too shall pass.

Another 'real' falke which is very satisfying - burns well in the open air, A great smoke while fishing for a lake trout.

This is one of my favourate tobaccos, and as I live in the UK I'm lucky enough to get my hands on it relatively easily. It rubs out and lights easily with a full bodied taste. As it smokes down the bowl it seems to me that the flavours do indeed develop into walnuty quality. If you enjoy the richer, more traditional tobaccos I would recomend giving this one a try.

It took me a while to try this one, as although I've seen it termed a " Supermarket shelf-tobacco", I've never managed to find it in our local supermarkets. I even had to wait for our local ( and good) specialist tobacconist to get some in when asked and put it to the test. It was recommended by some of the credible Names hereon too !

Quite a surprise I got as well. A solid respectable tobacco, moist from the packing, and smelling very appetising to boot.

Good rub.. actually goes to shag really quickly, and packs burns and lights easily.

It may never be my first choice, but at my number Five ? it's always going to be well worth an occasional go.

It's still bearing the "Ogdens of Liverpool" crest too. For me ? I'll smoke it in preference to St. Uno any day..... it made me sick as a youth and won't ever get the chance again.

This is a very pleasant smoke indeed, worth a try if you want to try an English Flake that's not so strongly scented.

It's actually very similar to St Bruno, similar flavour and aroma, but with far less of the aromatics added, and less nicotene. I'd recommend it to anyone who like St Bruno but found it too strong.

Lights easily, burns SLOOOOOOOOOWWWWW

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and cool, no bite, no drip, no gurgling or sticky goo in the heel of the bowl. The flavour is natural tobacco, a little nutty, a tad leathery but but no so much as St Bruno. Some natural tobacco sweetness, and the aroma is very much pure virginia tobacco, no real aromatic scent.

I enjoyed it very much, it's a nice baccy to have going while reading a book, or washing up. Not quite strong enough for gardening though, I'll have St Bruno for that.

-----—Update 2019 (original review 2009)----

Got another packet of this. Very nice. St Bruno sans soap? Perhaps, and with the strength dialled back just a smidgen. It's nice and sweet, the casings are very subtle, perhaps just a spot of treacle and sugar syrup. Nutty, sweet, slightly fruity dark flake. Sad to see that Walnut flake can no longer keep its Original name... But it's still "sweet as a nut" - good stuff.

As previously mentioned, this flake is almost a mirror image of St Bruno, excepting a different additive. Unlike others, I did not find this smoke bite-free, but it is wonderfully rich and stout and does not seem to lurk in my pipes with the same tenacity as its clerical brother. A pity it isn't available in North America, but then again, Walnut Flake may be responsible for a disturbing lack of interest in much else besides pipes on my part, were it so. Well worth a go if you can procur it.