Mac Baren Golden Ambrosia
(2.67)
Golden Ambrosia is made from an almost equal mix of golden brown Burley tobaccos and the Modern Cavendish made from ripe Virginia tobaccos.
The tobaccos are pressed together and then stored for numerous days in which the tobaccos marry into a uniform taste. Then the tobacco is cut into big slices and partly rubbed up, so Golden Ambrosia contains larger pieces of pressed tobacco. You can choose to fill your pipe like it is or you can rub it up a little more. In any case the pressed tobacco secures a slow and cool burn. The taste is light fruit notes in perfect combination with the sweet Cavendish and the more bold Burley taste.
Notes: Introduced in 1985.
Details
Profile
Strength
Medium
Extremely Mild -> Overwhelming
Flavoring
Mild
None Detected -> Extra Strong
Room Note
Pleasant to Tolerable
Unnoticeable -> Overwhelming
Taste
Medium
Extremely Mild (Flat) -> Overwhelming
Average Rating
|
2.67 / 4
|
Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 Reviews
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 09, 2009 | Medium | Mild to Medium | Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
In the past months I have learned to appreciate many Mac Baren tobaccos, and some have entered in my regular rotation. So, it's weird that I am not particularly enjoying what is considered one of their finest achievements.
My impressions are based on a 100g tin: some people complain that the pouch version is often on the dry side, but the tin verson does a much better job in preserving the moisture and aroma of the tobacco. I would even dare to say that my tin could actually improved after a few days due to a slight drying of the content.
The tin aroma (and also the taste of the smoke) has something familiar to me. It's a similar smell to the one that I have experienced with other flavored Virginias/Burleys: it has the same earthy fruitiness of Dunhill's Three Years matured Virginia (though less sweet), and it also reminds me a bit of Peterson's University Flake, Erinmore Flake, or St. Bruno. Luckily, Golden Ambrosia will prove to be actually better, to my taste, than each of these tobaccos (not that Erinmore Flake or St. Bruno are bad tobaccos: simply they are a bit overwhelming in flavoring and nicotine content for my personal taste). If I had to say what the flavoring is... well, it's hard to tell, but to me it smells like bergamot, like an intense Earl Grey tea. Sure, one can detect other fruits too (berries?) and a hint of vanila.
My tin was not particularly "golden" in color. The tobacco was more on a brown reddish tone, with a good appearence consisting of broken flakes partially rubbed out. Definitely a coarser cut than other aromatic mixtures, and the tobacco seems of high quality. No cavendish, as far as my eyes can tell.
At the test of fire, it burns fine like most Mac Barens do. Quite slow, thanks to the cut, and producing little moisture. No tonguebite at all. The smoke is thick, very rich, and (surprisingly for a Mac Baren) with a stout body and intensity. Even nicotine content seems higher than other tobaccos from this brand, although this certainly isn't a heavy smoke. Anyway, it's exactly the opposite of Black Ambrosia's light and breezy character: here you can distinctly feel the raw tobaccos used. The taste is intense, and the flavoring does quite well to enhance the tobacco (nice mature Virginia sweetness, earthy Burley)... if you like this kind of flavoring. Personally I am not crazy about this kind of taste: mind you, it's not bad, or nauseating, or irritating. It simply doesn't make me want to have another bowl of it soon. A minor complaint is that there is a slight fermented/astringent taste in the second half of the bowl, with some of the same "dirty" feeling that I got with the Dunhill Three Years Matured or the Peterson University Flake. Nothing really bad, anyway.
So, I won't rush to buy another tin, but if you are looking for an aromatic with a fruity/citrusy flavoring and still having an intense toabccos backbone... give it a try!
My impressions are based on a 100g tin: some people complain that the pouch version is often on the dry side, but the tin verson does a much better job in preserving the moisture and aroma of the tobacco. I would even dare to say that my tin could actually improved after a few days due to a slight drying of the content.
The tin aroma (and also the taste of the smoke) has something familiar to me. It's a similar smell to the one that I have experienced with other flavored Virginias/Burleys: it has the same earthy fruitiness of Dunhill's Three Years matured Virginia (though less sweet), and it also reminds me a bit of Peterson's University Flake, Erinmore Flake, or St. Bruno. Luckily, Golden Ambrosia will prove to be actually better, to my taste, than each of these tobaccos (not that Erinmore Flake or St. Bruno are bad tobaccos: simply they are a bit overwhelming in flavoring and nicotine content for my personal taste). If I had to say what the flavoring is... well, it's hard to tell, but to me it smells like bergamot, like an intense Earl Grey tea. Sure, one can detect other fruits too (berries?) and a hint of vanila.
My tin was not particularly "golden" in color. The tobacco was more on a brown reddish tone, with a good appearence consisting of broken flakes partially rubbed out. Definitely a coarser cut than other aromatic mixtures, and the tobacco seems of high quality. No cavendish, as far as my eyes can tell.
At the test of fire, it burns fine like most Mac Barens do. Quite slow, thanks to the cut, and producing little moisture. No tonguebite at all. The smoke is thick, very rich, and (surprisingly for a Mac Baren) with a stout body and intensity. Even nicotine content seems higher than other tobaccos from this brand, although this certainly isn't a heavy smoke. Anyway, it's exactly the opposite of Black Ambrosia's light and breezy character: here you can distinctly feel the raw tobaccos used. The taste is intense, and the flavoring does quite well to enhance the tobacco (nice mature Virginia sweetness, earthy Burley)... if you like this kind of flavoring. Personally I am not crazy about this kind of taste: mind you, it's not bad, or nauseating, or irritating. It simply doesn't make me want to have another bowl of it soon. A minor complaint is that there is a slight fermented/astringent taste in the second half of the bowl, with some of the same "dirty" feeling that I got with the Dunhill Three Years Matured or the Peterson University Flake. Nothing really bad, anyway.
So, I won't rush to buy another tin, but if you are looking for an aromatic with a fruity/citrusy flavoring and still having an intense toabccos backbone... give it a try!
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Oct 26, 2014 | Medium | Strong | Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
MacBaren tobaccos were the ones I remembered smoking from my first relatively brief foray into pipe smoking back in 2005, (thats if I exclude the real true first foray back in around 1982 when at the age of 9, my grandad gave me a puff on his pipe - no doubt after relentless pestering from me. Lots of people say they have the best grandad in the world but they couldn't because I did - best grandad ever!!!!) Anyway, back to MacBaren, this blend was my No. 1 favorite back in 2005 with Vanilla Cream a close second. So i sought it out in 2013 when I restarted pipe smoking and struggled to source a pack and was eventually pleased to be able to order some in from overseas. It duly arrived, and on opening, the aromatic smell was great, as remembered, but the tobacco was very dry - not as remembered. The smoke was hot yet kept going out, and very harsh with bite but not with any of the lovely pouch aromas coming through. I think my pack was maybe old and the tobacco stale and this may partially account for lack of enjoyment i got from the smoke. Or maybe I have just been spoilt with superior blends since restarting in 2013. Either way, it is rather like going back to the school reunion to find the girl you always fancied has turned out fat and ugly - bit of a disappointment and a shame to tarnish warm memories, but no big deal - move on.
Pipe Used:
Vesz Bent Billiard
PurchasedFrom:
JN Barber, UK
Age When Smoked:
Newly opened pouch
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Jul 02, 2010 | Mild | Mild to Medium | Medium | Tolerable |
I have to say that I am not a great fan of MacBaren, it has indeed a certain constant style and taste, but it seems to me it resembles cigarettes too much, so I recommend it to those that want to quit cigarettes for pipe smoking, or smoking both things. Quality tobacco no doubt, but not for me.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Jun 29, 2010 | Mild | Mild | Mild | Pleasant to Tolerable |
This blend is a bit similar to Mac Baren "Burley London Blend", the difference here is that they added some golden Cavendish with some fruity topping, the smoke is mild, the taste is semi sweet and fruity. however I find BLB tastes much better
Straight to the point, Mac Baren has created one of the finest blends on the planet, which is "Scottish Mixture".
Straight to the point, Mac Baren has created one of the finest blends on the planet, which is "Scottish Mixture".
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Apr 29, 2009 | Mild | Medium | Mild to Medium | Pleasant |
I find this a rather mediocre blend, with a pleasant pouch aroma and intriguing sensory feeling of the actual tobacco cut itself.
No grand surprises, little tongue bite. At times one receives during smoking hints of creaminess and other vanillic scents. Certainly decent as an aromatic, though I cannot see myself pursuing it again.
No grand surprises, little tongue bite. At times one receives during smoking hints of creaminess and other vanillic scents. Certainly decent as an aromatic, though I cannot see myself pursuing it again.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Mar 17, 2007 | Mild | Mild | Very Mild | Pleasant to Tolerable |
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.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Sep 26, 2007 | Mild to Medium | Medium | Extremely Mild (Flat) | Pleasant to Tolerable |
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.
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.
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