Mac Baren Stockton

Virginia is evident upon opening the tin, and when first lighting. Some added sweetness and toastyness from the dark center. There is a nice toasted marshmallow taste and note along with the bready Virginia. There is also a cool sweetness in the background that I can't quite identify where it's coming from, but it adds some complexity to the blend.

Overall a pleasant smoking experience and highly recommended.

Prep: Despite the form, the moisture of the coins are near perfect, maybe a bit on the wet side.

Notes: Smores over a campfire. Have you ever experienced it? Because that it taste and smell of this wonderful blend.

The Virginias bring sweet grass, fruity notes. The dark-fired cavendish not only delivers the characteristics of kentucky (bbq-y, earthy, spice) but also an extra sweetness that is reminiscent of marshmallows with a slight maple flavor.

I hope MacBaren returns this blend to the U.S. A top 5 for me. 9.5/10

https://youtu.be/Xtq7Ruu0GzE

Summary: a curly cut of mixed Virginias and dark fired Kentucky Burley that benefits from mediating Kentucky Cavendish

To avoid the "Mac Baren bite," which is caused by their maple sugar flavorings burning hot when the bowl is lighted, you pile up some curly cut curlicues in a stack, then press them into the bowl; my big pipe takes seven in two layers, three on top and four on bottom. Then apply the flame, drawing into the stem of the pipe with short puffs, but not bringing the hot, steamy smoke into your mouth. Do this for a half minute until the maple sugar melts and becomes less incendiary, and you will enjoy the rich taste of a blend which like "HH Bold Kentucky" marries dark fired Kentucky Burley to a blend of bright and brown Virginias, producing a rich flavor with a sweet core. In "Stockton," however, a unique Mac Baren Cavendish made from more dark fired Kentucky Burley produces a counterpart to the brown Virginia flavor, thickening it and making more of a smooth transition from the Virginia sweetness to austere, formal flavor of the dark fired leaf (Mac Baren excels in such gradients, starting with their famous "Mixture"). The result, if I am honest, tastes like a Tootsie Pop or an Oreo cookie: a rich and dark bold roasted outer flavor with sweetness to follow, meaning that you get a blend which like the best of them avoids beating you over the head with its food flavors, keeping instead the tobacco at the forefront, and resembling some of the UK or German blends that use dark fired Kentucky Burley to give shape to what would otherwise be aimless Virginia sweetness. I hope this becomes a regular on the US market.

I have tried this a few times over the lsst 30+ years and found it bitey, somewhat due to the tobacco and somewhat due to my impatient puffing. I had one tin of this from 13 years ago that I finally decided to open and in a word it is sublime! No bite even when pushed and very smooth. It's funny how ones tastes change over time. Tobacco you loved now is just so-so and tobacco you thought was merely okay is now quite good. Obviously the long ageing had a significant effect on this. Sadly it is no longer available. My lone tin of Club Blend, also aged 13 years was similarly fantastic, but the Stockton is spicier and to me, preferred. Failing the foresight to age these blends, I think drying the tobacco a bit would, as others have done, be helpful. Now for my 13 year old tin of Dark Twist . . .

I used different ways of packing this curly cut every time I smoked it after reading several articles about ways of packing this cut; about 8 re-lights were needed. The taste is rather earthy and a little bit sweet. I found it to be a very cool smoke and really enjoyed smoking up the 100g tin.

I believe I would have to echo Topdogue's sentiments. Stockton seems to be severely underrated, and that's really a shame. I bought a tin in my attempt to find something that would smoke well in some giant Preben Holms I have, and the little coins looked the perfect size to just drop into the pipe bowl.

I don't know what type of cavendish is used for the center of the twist that these little coins are cut from, but it adds a slightly different dimension to what would otherwise be your standard high quality va. Stockton is good, and like all MacBaren blends I've enjoyed so far, exhibits bite only if coaxed to do so.

I can definitely see myself picking up some more of this in the future, though I do wish it were a bit cheaper. Meanwhile, I would remind Topdogue that we are no longer colonies. We may still behave like a bunch of looney boondoggers, but we are not colonists.

This is a tobacco of the highest quality.On opening the attractive looking dark green tin one is aquaintted with a lovely mid and dark brown tobacco in the form of small discs If smoked slowly Stocton does not give any tongue bite I find it one of those blends that smokes better as you go doun the bowl A top notch va This tobacco does not seem to be as popular as either Rollcake,or Dark Twist but I find it better by far.One of my favourites

I had a feeling I would like this blend, so I jumped in hard buying 3 100 g tins 9 years ago and in the cellar they sat. A couple of months ago I decided it was time to try this blend out. Having finished the first half of the 100g tin, I can say I am very happy I bought three tins of this.

This is a wonderful VaBur blend and one that could enchant even those normally averse to DFK. I admit that I have been growing less and less into DFK as it is too heavy and too smoky at times. The Dark firing seems to cover up a lot of the inherent nutty sweetness that lies within the natural burley. The cavendish treatment of the DFK in Stockton mellows it out substantially.

Like almost every DFK blend I have smoked there is a bit of Molasses which I am convinced all of this leaf is cased in. It is light like the leaf itself and the Virginia carries it well adding sugar along the way. The virginia is not as prominent and doesn't need to be, the taste is perfect to my palate.

This is a Mac Baren product and the quality and presentation are as expected, top of the line. I have yet to come across a Mac Baren Product that was anything less. Some do bite quite easily, I found Stockton to be more forgiving than most.

I have nothing bad to say about this blend and as an added bonus it is sliced up into coins (Ok Birdseyes, Potato/potahdo). Coins are just plain fun. Four stars all the way.

Mac Baren’s Stockton seems to be popular amongst those who have reviewed it, and I suppose it would be more popular if it were more widely distributed. It presents in its large, round tin as a compacted mosh of “coins”, which is to say, round slices cut from a rope of twisted tobacco leaves, sticky rather than wet. In this case, the varietals range from gold and light red-brown on the outside of the coins to the dark brown centers, reflecting, I suppose, flue cured llemon and air cured orange VAs and KY that is said to include KY Cavendish, which is an unusual offering. Initial tin note is pecan pie with earthy tobacco and maple condiments. It looks and smells like the topping is maple, sugar, and treacle, with a trace of vanilla, heavy application. After a good deal of messing around with this tobacco, I settled on gently rubbing it out and re-blending it, then stuffing it loosely into a #5 KY briar. It burns better, with less stirring when treated this way, and it also works better a week after the tin is popped. It tastes better if it’s kept cool. Combusting scents and tastes well reflect the tin note. Stockton is very sweet, also sour, and there are bitters, as well. It’s an easy smoke, pretty much a no-brainer for me, to the point where I found it hard to take mental notes as I smoked it. No matter how I’ve prepared it, I wind up stirring it at the end, and I always wind up with some black dottle. Strength is medium, with not much in the way of nicotine. Tastes are medium. Room note is pleasant. Aftertaste is a trailing off of the best of a fine, satisfying smoke.

Not going to fault a blend because it’s sweet and simple, and Stockon does offer some muted, smoky KY notes beyond the nuts. Though it might not sound like much, my tin won’t last very long at this rate, which says all that needs to be said. 4 stars.