Mac Baren Golden Ambrosia

As with my review for Rattray Sweet Fragrant I think this is one belongs to the few aromatics I tried and I really liked! I have to admit that I could go with that stuff all day long. It has a very enjoyable sugar/sweet taste that goes perfectly with some coffee! Although a broken flake it packs well and it has very good burning properties. I believe its good for breaking in new pipes too and I am sure it could win any pipe smoker experienced or not! Finally, it is not as sweet as Black Ambrosia and If you are like me and you like Virginia, Burley or Virginia/Burley blends with light toping and aroma go and buy the 100g. tin now!

I'm not sure if my pouch was open or something, but my package was way too dry and the tobacco was almost tasteless, still you couls still taste the fruity tones, i want to see if thistobacco is really this boring or my batch was too dry. So far I found it only OK.

I bought this years ago during a Holiday in Ibiza and Formentera... and forgot it in my cabinet.

The tobacco is dry but still pliable. The colour is some medium brown with some lighter and darker specs. The cut is unmistakably a ready rubbed.

I guess time has worked (very nicely, for me...) to mild the flavouring in some way. What I got is some fruity (would say: mainly peaches and pineapple) pouch note. That is detected in the flavour too, but in the far distance. Tobacco flavour, primarily of Burley, is the main player.

Smoked in Castello's with large bore, it offers a very pleasant and mellow smoking experience, and an unexpected rate of strenght. I've experienced no bite and no insanely hot pipe.

I would see myself choosing this when on the sweet tooth, if only were available in my Country,

Recommended.

I came across three little 5 gram sample packs of Golden Ambrosia, just enough for 3 medium-sized bowls. It states on the package that it is a light aromatic pipe tobacco and that it is... moderately light and pleasantly aromatic. It has a delightful flavoring in proper proportion to the normal tobacco flavor; the flavoring agents allow some natural tobacco flavor to shine through. It just gets better as you get deeper into the bowl. It smokes cool and stays lit fairly easily. Close inspection of the tobacco reveals high quality leaf, no stems, veins or midribs.

I always liked this blend because everything about it is nice and uncomplicated.

Its readily available, cheap in price, has a nice tin aroma, packs easy, burns bite free with no care needed, tastes great and leaves a nice room note everyone seems to like.

The tin aroma is nice and smells like some undefined, sweet alcoholic but you also can make out all the tobaccos used which is always a good thing with aromatics.

I always found that Golden Ambrosias flavouring tastes like sherry and only very delicately accompanies the taste that the used tobaccos deliver. The flavour lasts down through the bowl but gets less and less after the first third, whereas the tobaccos come more and more to the front. So, overall there is a nice progression going on but not that complex that it would require all your attention. And that's a good thing. Because this is a good property for a true all day smoke. And together with its hassle free burning properties it fills that job profile perfectly.

Aftertaste is nice and sweet to the tongue.

I clearly and with a clean conscience can recommend this blend to anyone that is into only slightly flavoured blends or just feels like trying something new. I *especially* recommend this to the beginner, the flavouring does not kill the tobaccos used and in that it is a very good reference for tobaccos of its kind. All in all you can't really go wrong with this blend and it only barely misses the four star mark - just a tinsy bit more and it would be a clear four star blend.

i oppened the pouch i smoked five bowls in a new pipe ( not in the same day) and after 4 months i read the reviews and I packed the same pipe which I have not used since then.I smoke this tobacco in a small bowl and I pack the pipe loosely as many reviewers recomend with macbaren tobaccos. it burns hot but bear in mind that the pipe is new.It might needs respect and devotion. it enjoys my nose and the aroma reminds me that of sandalwood, it is sweet but not too much and it slightly (very very slighlty) reminds me the scotish mixture and the vanilla cream maybe it is a macbaren thing! This is a mild aromatic smoke with some natural attitudes. It really calms me this bakie maybe because I slow down my pace when im smoking it. 30 minutes later i crave for some nicoteen but i will go to sleep maybe the quantity of the tobacco was litle (new pipe, small bowl. I wll put it in my rewarding calmy smokes!!! Upgrading my review on 06/Aug/08 i give one more star...I like so much this taste, every single puff. This one suits every hour of the day, but since the taste is very light it should be better to devote one or two pipes in order to really appreciate it and taste it

I've smoked quite a few pouches of this one through the years, and now most recently I bought a tin. I really want to like this tobacco, but I just can't, at least not for more than 30 minutes at a time. It gets quite boring after a while.

The tin aroma is really good, you almost want to eat the tobacco. Something raisiny with white wine somewhere in there. Room note is quite nice also, but leaves a stingy sensation in the nose.

Tastewise it is somewhat similar to that fruity stuff. It's quite mellow, due to the extensive use of cavendish. But as mentioned it doesn't last very long and goes from that to something usually too harsh to enjoy properly.

Tongue burning isn't an issue with this one, but it just gets too flat. Mac Baren has so many other great blends, unfortunately this isn't one of them, at least not in my book.

I suspect this tin will live on in my tobacco cabinet for quite a few years, but I keep it around for sentimental values, the pouch variant was the very first pipe tobacco I tried.

I rate this 2/4.

Mac Baren's answer to McConnell's Glen Piper (or vice versa). Very similar in appearance, smell and taste but I think this has the edge in being a slightly tastier smoke. Will bite if smoked hard.

Same as Glen Piper it is a bit boring after a while but good as a reliable quality smoke. As it is very light and neutral in flavour (for an aromatic anyway) it is probably good for breaking in a new pipe if you are an aromatic fan - that's probably what I'll be using the remainder of my pouch for.

As a moist, sticky tobacco this requires a few matches to get lit but does stay lit. Provides a nice long slow burning smoke. Better smoked in a larger bowl. Like other MacBaren tobaccos I smoke I find it does leave some gunk in your pipe.

(Update 2, 2007/03/30)

I am almost throught the third pouch and I tried some additional rubbing. It works perfectly. The result is very enjoyable. I am returning the star!!!

(UPDATE 1, 2007/03/15)

Just through the second 50g pouch. I am not as excited any more. Perhaps the pouch was not fresh? It burns hotter than before - it made one my "low end" pipes blister. Also, the taste is not as refined as I remembered it.

Actually, after a series of indifferent smokes, the last few are good to great again. Could it be that this is because the last pinches from the pouch are more rubbed?

It still is better than most of the other aromatics I have tried so I will experiment more with this, with one more pouch, rubbing it a bit more by myself.

Nevertheless, until I make up my mind, I am taking away a star!

(ORIGINAL)

My experiences with Mac Baren Blends have never been bad - but they have never been superb either.

However, Golden Ambrosia is very nice. I will keep it in my rotation - primarily as an afternoon blend.

This is half way between non-aromatic and aromatic. The pouch aroma is nice but not strong. The room note is pleasant and mostly discrete.

It does not scorch my tongue and it burns cool. My wife does not dislike it.

A comparable blend might be BREBIA No 4. Golden Ambrosia is better balanced however (stronger with less imposing room note).