Mac Baren Original Flake

This is based on only three bowls of Walnut Flake. The flakes are dark brown with a small number of light tan specs interspersed into the flake. There is a bit of the Lakeland style scent in the pouch that leans toward the soapy side, but it is not at all overpowering. It is moist is definitely needs some dry time. In the pipe, my best results were accomplished by a fairly light pack of small pieces with some rubbed out on top. This flake is very smooth and offers no bite, even when pushed, although I wouldn’t recommend it unless you’re sitting down as it has a healthy dose of nicotine. I am guessing that the smoothness is a result of steaming the tobacco, but that is strictly a guess. The flavor of this blend is quite deep although not complex. I find it richer and fuller than Ogden’s St Bruno. It is earthy, lightly sweet and doesn’t offer the sharpness (for lack of a better term) that I sometimes associate with dark fired. There is some added flavoring that I would liken to dark brown sugar. I think that this would be a great blend to cellar and I found myself wishing that I had.

This was my first time trying an Ogden's blend, so it was a little surprising to see the odd little tinfoil covered tray inside the pouch. A pretty good compromise to real tins, I suppose. I'm thinking that if left sealed these pouches should last longer than a normal pouch would. Inside are two rows of 10x2 neatly cut, dark/brown flakes.

Pouch aroma strikes me as a quite stout stoved VA, and I also think there's some fruity alcohol based topping of some sort here present here (possibly cherry), but I don't mind, because it's actually quite nice. After airing the tobacco a little bit I did what I always do with pouch tobacco and promptly moved it over into a jar.

Moisture seems quite good as is and packing it is nearly effortless - I find I get the best results when resisting the temptation of using two flakes (about one and a half flakes is plenty to fill a larger pipe, even though it seems to be too little at first).

During charring it is a little sharp, but it settles down quickly enough to a nice and easygoing smolder. Predominately sweet VA to me with burley solidly set in the background at first. Towards the 2/3 point of the bowl there is a slight tangy spice element coming through that could very well be the KY making itself known, and it is also here that I find a little nuttiness and toast coming through as well.

As 3/3 approaches it seems to have settled more on the burley side of things. I wouldn't really call it full bodied, to me the burley may be dulling it down a little bit too much in that regard, as I think it removes the intensity and clearly pronounced flavours I associate with "full" blends - but I suppose that depends on how you feel about burley and the "toast" that comes with it. Personally I wouldn't have minded a dash more of KY to help expand the body aspect of the blend.

But overall this is a well behaved and pretty consistent tasting flake in the medium range - perhaps tilting towards strong as far as nicotine goes. Nothing unmanageable, but there's a good chance you'll feel it when the dottle is near, particularly if you're sensitive. To me this falls in the 2-star range (albeit in the upper range of the 2). I can see why this blend has a loyal following, but for me the burley seems to take up too much of the stage - but if that's what you're looking for, then this is probably a 3-star blend and the current 3.0 average seems fair to me.

Rather close to St-Bruno RR, but less strong. Again, the strength in nicotine overrules the actual taste of the tobacco. If you enjoy St-bruno then I believe you will enjoy this offering as well. For British OTC, I will stick with the excellent Condor RR and Long Cut.

A very difficult tobacco for me to describe; the flavor is dark, slightly but pleasantly bitter. I get no sweetness at all; certainly not even a hint of Lakeland florals. A few times, I got a bit of toasted walnut or walnut oil towards the end, but that could be the power of suggestion. Overall, a satisfying smoke, but in a smaller bowl! Since I know there are many tobaccos out there I would rate a 4, the question arises would I rebuy this particular tobacco, assuming my tastes don't change much more. In this case, the answer is not too often.

50g pouch with foil sealed carton inside.

Pouch aroma;black berry,boot polish,peculiar soapy domestic cleaning product,the magic teadybears floral forest,witches brew medicine,pot pouri incense..

It smells heady in the carton and mysterious,then it became mild as the package atmosphere dissipated.

Appearance;two rows of stacked flakes,dark brown,some light streaks of which some have a blue stain fade,,looks slightly like a sliced revor plug but with more of a robust St BRUNO hand feel consistancy.Quite moist.

I don't mess about and cut both stacks in half with tin snips and transfer to a kilner jar to preserve the essence.

I take about a flakes worth and fill a falcon pipe with a rustic dover bowl,twisted and rubbed out a bit to fluff it up.The flakes are quite crumbly and so loading with the grain of the flake pointing downwards towards the heel is difficult, so i just pile it in roughly.

Lighting;using matches it expands a bit and needs tamping to keep it down,,3 matches later and its going.

Medium light smoke,yet darkish and bodied at the same time,i realise that this is an easy smoke.Only when lit do i get the walnuts,bitter sweet toasted walnuts in their burn't or slightly charred husks,a well done date and wallnut cake edge minus the dates(wallnut cake then)probably an accidental nuance of the natural tobacco rather than an applied essence,it implies a wallnut factor if you use your imagination.

Certainly has charecter and evokes a strange atmosphere where i feel i am playing from the dark end of the chessboard,rosewood peices,its woody.

Being used to potent stuff it doesn't make much of a bombastic impression at this point;it seems quiet but thoughtful, with a wry pleased, private smile, as if it knows something i don't know. The aromatic flavour is strange and in my mind i am transported to an enchanted forest of undergrowth and wild berries,maybe poisonous to eat,or maybe magic?. A super green leafy canopy obove, with branches swaying with the breeze and strobing with the sun rays obove. Rough twisted tree roots abound,and creepers,ladybirds,dead twigs,mounds of green fresh moist grass with daisies,dandylions,dragon flies,some dwarfs,birds tweeting natures song. (I know this sounds stupid and irrelevant,but sometimes if i cannot describe an aroma sufficiently,i can only convey the landscapes i am sort of transported to,and might i add ;this escapism is the reason i smoke pipes,and no i am not a Tolkien romantic fantacist either BTW, although i read the books once.)

The first half of the bowl doesn't blow me away this time, but i appreciate its woody, spring woodland, utopian aroma. Quite a cool one,i decide to puff instead of sip to see what its made of and i get more interested(the visuals start).

Midway i suddenly get some good woodsy, barky soap, which then fades back to a consistant wallnut again.Nearing the bottom i start to taste that mystery,spicy,perfumish berry note,which evokes an indigo colour in my mind.

Nearest tobacco comparisons would be Revor plug,St Bruno flake,condor ready rubbed,but this has a persona of its own..

I cannot remember if i bought this online or at Sainsbury's now(i have bought about 50 different baccies lately).

Yes i would buy this again,i don't know if it will be an everyday smoke with me,it has the capability of being an alldayer but i generally go with harder hitters(kendal ropes,condor etc). But having visited the strange scenery that this evokes in my mind while smoking i know i will revisit once in a while.

The room note is quite mild,burns right down to a roughish dark mottled ash,and doesn't leave much moisture in the moisture trap so its a dry smoker.

An easy,tasty smoke,a teddybears picknick.Its alegorically chewing gum as opposed to a melt in the mouth affair;think of licorice root.It works best when puffed,i may try it folded and stuffed in a narrower gauge bowl later which might make it burn hotter because as it is, its quite a cool smoke.

UPDATE A FEW DAYS LATER:

Having it jarred and since leaving the pouch,a certain amount of the initially strange aromatic properties have faded:The taste is more rounded and less peaky.Expanding on what i have already noted i can say it is a lumpier textured smoke, but not rough,more "agricultural" is a good adjective for this light rustic smoke.

Starts off mild but tasteful,midbowl i start getting real toasted wallnuts again(probably burley producing this) and the berries return nearer the bottom.

Part of me wants to taste the topping as it tasted on the first trial,but i feel for the longterm that the baccy should be the decider of overal quality and not the topping,and so i will say that since the initial topping has dissipated somewhat,it has become a baccy that i will less tire of because i think that topping would become fatiguing if this baccy was smoked exclusively,as such it has transfigured into a more viable alldayer contender.

Definately worth three stars***

This is a 'proper' old english dark flake. Sadly the Ogdens in Liverpool factory no longer produces any tobacco, and I believe this is now made like the other Ogden's blends outside the UK (and has been for many years, no matter what the misleading packaging says). But it is still the 'real deal', alongside St Bruno and Player's Digger (that is still available if you know where to look!).

Less floral than St Bruno, and less sweet too (a bit like the difference between a milk and dark chocolate). I originally thought the name came from the colour, but there is definately a nutty taste there, particularly in the last half of a bowl.

If you only like american style aromatics then you won't like this, but if you like classic english blends where the tatse of natural tobacco is to the fore then you should love it. It may not be from a trendy 'artisan' producer, but it is a quality product nevertheless.

I seldom read tobacco reviews on any blend before I've written my own in order to stay as unbiased as possible. But the reviews on this one remind me that tastes differ and more so, our interpretations of strength? This one full??? Or strong??? They were hard to miss so I read further. Hmmm... well, MY interpretation follows.

Comes in a pouch with the tobacco inside a sealed plastic tray. Pretty cool. Pop the seal, take what tobacco you need and reseal the pouch. The tobacco is a nice deep brown with a mild aroma of Lakeland essence, nothing too heavy. The flavor is mild as well to my tastebuds, with a muted fruitiness that is quite pleasant. I found the nicotine level on the lower side. Everything about this tobacco screams "mild". Comparisons to St Bruno are prevalent but St Bruno has a much more noticeable burst of flavor at lightup that lasts the entire bowl. This is much more subdued. Where St Bruno is a classic, this one is "merely" good. I can't say the flavor is walnut per se, but I can't say it isn't. Whatever it is, it's mild and pleasant - nothing to write home about, but still quite nice and mellow. Not very spicy or complex, this one could definitely be an all day smoke, as it won't overpower the smoker with flavor or nicotine. Definitely recommended, but not destined for my cellar.

Walnut Flake is a strong, mildly scented tobacco. Though the scenting is mild it is tenacious. Not only does it become a durable resident in the pipe, affecting many subsequent smokes, it also affects the palate and, on the day, you taste any other tobacco through the imprint of Walnut Flake. You either like the scenting, or not.

The flakes come dry and crumble easily. They burn very well and slowly, but very cool, leaving a very fine, dry ash. Inspite of these virtues the over-all experience is of a somewhat coarse, unrefined smoke. I have smoked this blend after seven and a half years. Those years seem not to have made any difference to the tobacco.

A little dissapointed in this one, instead of tobacco, all I got was soap and berries, all be it somewhat mildly, but enough for me to not want to try it again after only one pipe full and discard the rest. This may ring some bells, but not mine