Mac Baren Cube
(2.14)
For nearly a quarter of a decade, Henrik Halberg, master blender and 4th generation owner of Mac Baren Tobacco, has been selecting the five tobaccos used to craft this outstanding blend. The Blend consists of both pressed tobacco and loose cut varieties that make filling your pipe easy and ensure a cool, slow burn. Enjoy the elements experienced from the finest craftsmanship available in fine pipe tobacco. Puzzle your senses with its deep, sweet and fruity taste. Each time will be better than the last. Mac Baren Cube is THE smoking experience for the true connoisseur.
Notes: Introduced in 2004.
Details
| Brand | Mac Baren |
| Blended By | Henrik Halberg |
| Manufactured By | Mac Baren |
| Blend Type | Aromatic |
| Contents | Black Cavendish, Burley, Cavendish, Kentucky, Virginia |
| Flavoring | Fruit / Citrus |
| Cut | Ribbon |
| Packaging | pouch weight |
| Country | Denmark |
| Production | No longer in production |
Profile
Strength
Mild
Extremely Mild -> Overwhelming
Flavoring
Strong
None Detected -> Extra Strong
Room Note
Pleasant
Unnoticeable -> Overwhelming
Taste
Medium
Extremely Mild (Flat) -> Overwhelming
Average Rating
|
2.14 / 4
|
Reviews
Please login to post a review.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 35 Reviews
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 09, 2014 | Medium | Very Strong | Extra Full | Pleasant |
Mac Baren Cube.
This seems to get a lot of poor responses so it intrigued me to find out for myself if all of the negativeness was justified! I have to admit that upon opening it I found the initial aroma to be amazing, there is a wonderful full bodied tobacco smell boosted with a lovely fruity/citrus touch as well. The appearance of the tobacco is a little "messy", there are many different sizes, shapes, cuts and colours, some even like small pieces of roll cake. Mine is on the moist side also so I think some extra airing time would benefit this one. Once lit I find it a little perplexing, not particularly "foul", but the taste is messy. It seems to me to be a very busy tobacco that they have tried far to hard to make appeal to the connoisseurs! There are so many flavours of tobaccos, fruit and citrus with the latter being the loudest in the mix: imagine smoking a fruit salad! Another negative point for me is that it bites like a rabid dog! A plus point is that the vitamin N is quite a good level, not making me light headed but not being too faint.
I feel that if they had added a little less to this it would actually be a pleasant blend, alas they have gone totally mental with the amounts and that does indeed justify all the negative responses!
This seems to get a lot of poor responses so it intrigued me to find out for myself if all of the negativeness was justified! I have to admit that upon opening it I found the initial aroma to be amazing, there is a wonderful full bodied tobacco smell boosted with a lovely fruity/citrus touch as well. The appearance of the tobacco is a little "messy", there are many different sizes, shapes, cuts and colours, some even like small pieces of roll cake. Mine is on the moist side also so I think some extra airing time would benefit this one. Once lit I find it a little perplexing, not particularly "foul", but the taste is messy. It seems to me to be a very busy tobacco that they have tried far to hard to make appeal to the connoisseurs! There are so many flavours of tobaccos, fruit and citrus with the latter being the loudest in the mix: imagine smoking a fruit salad! Another negative point for me is that it bites like a rabid dog! A plus point is that the vitamin N is quite a good level, not making me light headed but not being too faint.
I feel that if they had added a little less to this it would actually be a pleasant blend, alas they have gone totally mental with the amounts and that does indeed justify all the negative responses!
Pipe Used:
Altinok Lee Van Cleef
PurchasedFrom:
Smoke King
Age When Smoked:
New
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 16, 2007 | Extremely Mild | Very Strong | Extremely Mild (Flat) | Pleasant |
Unfortunately not my cup of tea at all.
I had begun a reassessment of Mac Baren tobaccos partly because many of them are now readily available in my country, and partly because I believe that if smoked slowly and leisurely, many Macs are actually pretty good (Vintage Syrian, Mixture, Navy Flake and Virginia Nº 1, for example).
After trying and, more frequently than not, enjoying Original Choice, I thought I'd give Cube a try. Oh my! Big mistake. In my view, this tobacco is exceedingly moist (more so than most other Macs), exceedingly perfumed, and, flavor wise, exceedingly sweet, to a nauseating point.
Unlike Original Choice or Mixture Modern, which are also rather sweet and very aromatic, I couldn't grasp any tobacco flavor beneath the heavy casing of Cube. No Virginias, no Burleys, no Cavendish. Just a very strong vanilla-on fruit-on caramel-on honey concoction. It is so mild that even when I did smoke it very slowly, that infamous tongue-biting Mac Baren trend (which I thought was, at least for my palate, a thing of the past) immediately became present, and in a very aggressive mood.
Flavor wise, Cube kind of reminds me of Larsen's Selected Blend Nº 50. But whereas Larsen's has a refined yet manly denouement, Cube is--again, in my view--utterly infantile. Plain sweet, no tobacco, no structure. Not again.
Addendum, 22 june 09:
Subjectivity is inevitable, be it in physics or in tobacco reviewing. I was given as a gift a 50 gm. silver pouch of Cube. I had vowed not to try this smoking entity again. My previous experience with this blend came from the big plastic canister in which Mac Baren is now marketing some of its products. My original impression was highly negative.
This time it was not so much a matter of objectivity over subjectivity, but one of relative curiosity. Would it be different? Would my impressions modify? Well, keeping in line with relativity, yes and no.
These are my observations, which I hope will be helpful to someone out there.
1. Is Cube blended from quality leaf? Like all Mac Barens, Im sure it is. Their site states this is a blend of Virginias, Burleys and cavendished Virginias, in varying proportions, personally selected by the companys owner and master blender, from different regions worldwide. I may not like all of MBs offering, but so far I have yet to find a blend that is note developed from top grade leaf.
2. Is it cased with artificial flavors, sauces, and essences? Again, and this is no exaggeration: it is heavily cased (this is the type of casing I usually refer to as overwhelming). It says so in MBs site as well. A cornucopia of fruit flavors and essences, Caribbean sugar, chocolate sauces and other sweet flavoring agents have been generously applied (in my view, an understatement) in order to create a unique taste and aroma.
To be fair, I compared Cube not only to tobaccos of a similar kind, but also to similar tobaccos from the SAME brand. Cubes artificial aromas are far stronger, pungent, and sweeter than: (a) Original Choice; (b) Black Ambrosia (compared to Cube, its almost a non-scented blend); (c) Golden Ambrosia (slightly similar, but to my palate far more refined and elegant), and (d) Original Choice Aromatic. In terms of flavor, Cube and OCA are very similar, but to my 30-year old-smoking palate Cube seems to be in steroids.
The only other MB I find as heavily cased is Vanilla Cream Loose Cut. However, VCLCs strong casing DOES dissipate if left to air overnight (whilst keeping the most delectable vanilla flavor), and it never occludes the natural taste of tobacco.
3. A side note is in order: so far theres really nothing unique about the leaf components: virtually all MBs are a blend of Virginias, Burley and Cavendished leaf. As to the flavor/casing, Ive tasted a very similar (if not identical) composition in at least three other Danish brands: Petersen & Sorensens Danish Mixture; Ashtons Type 5, and Larsens Selected Blend Nº 50. In my view, Cube and P & S are identical. Both, by the way, will leave a strong, enduring flavor in your pipe and palate for days.
4. Does it have artificial humectants? Very much so. I removed the contents from the pouch and left it to air and dry well over eight hours. It was still very moist and pungent (if you press it in the palm of your hand, it will immediately sponge back). When Ive done the same with other MBs, such as Original Choice, Virginia Nº1 or Mixture, they all become crisp and their aromas somewhat muted and restrained. Its not then a question of the leafs natural oils or resins. Again, the same happens with P & Ss Danish Mixture.
5. Does it bite? In my 30 years or so of pipe smoking, Ive come to realize that in many cases biting is the result of an erroneous packing technique, and a fast and humid puffing cadence. But due to mildness and high sugar content, many tobaccos can generate that hot-burning-biting sensation no matter how carefully you pack and smoke them. Mixture 79 is an example, and so is MBs Virginia Nº1. That is something the company itself acknowledges, and as part of their marketing strategy for Original Choice or Black Ambrosia, they highlight the fact that theyve managed to develop a mild blend that does not smart on the tongue.
Now, back to Cube: unlike my first experience, this time it didnt bite immediately. But if youre not careful enough, by mid bowl that hot-biting sensation will make itself pretty evident. So be warned. If you want to alleviate bite with this one smoke it very slowly and carefully, and let it air as much as you can.
6. Does it taste of tobacco? Not to me. Im sorry, but I dont get any tobacco flavor at all from this one. There are many aromatic blends in which the natural tobacco taste is not absorbed or abducted by the artificial flavorings (Royal Yacht, Blue Note, Captain Black or, so they tell me, Silems Black). The casing and humectants in Cube are so strong and pervasive that, as far as my palate is concerned, all tobacco reference is lost. So I stand by my utterly infantile contention: more than a pipe tobacco, to me its the equivalent of an adults candy bar.
7. Would I recommend this blend? Theres no better judgment than your own personal experience with a blend. If you are a predominantly aromatic smoker, and dont mind heavily cased and very sweet blends, this could very well be manà . However, I would never recommend this blend to anyone who is not an aromatic smoker, or to anyone who doesnt mind an aromatic every now and then (which is my case). To each his own. As for me, and this time its for real, never again.
I had begun a reassessment of Mac Baren tobaccos partly because many of them are now readily available in my country, and partly because I believe that if smoked slowly and leisurely, many Macs are actually pretty good (Vintage Syrian, Mixture, Navy Flake and Virginia Nº 1, for example).
After trying and, more frequently than not, enjoying Original Choice, I thought I'd give Cube a try. Oh my! Big mistake. In my view, this tobacco is exceedingly moist (more so than most other Macs), exceedingly perfumed, and, flavor wise, exceedingly sweet, to a nauseating point.
Unlike Original Choice or Mixture Modern, which are also rather sweet and very aromatic, I couldn't grasp any tobacco flavor beneath the heavy casing of Cube. No Virginias, no Burleys, no Cavendish. Just a very strong vanilla-on fruit-on caramel-on honey concoction. It is so mild that even when I did smoke it very slowly, that infamous tongue-biting Mac Baren trend (which I thought was, at least for my palate, a thing of the past) immediately became present, and in a very aggressive mood.
Flavor wise, Cube kind of reminds me of Larsen's Selected Blend Nº 50. But whereas Larsen's has a refined yet manly denouement, Cube is--again, in my view--utterly infantile. Plain sweet, no tobacco, no structure. Not again.
Addendum, 22 june 09:
Subjectivity is inevitable, be it in physics or in tobacco reviewing. I was given as a gift a 50 gm. silver pouch of Cube. I had vowed not to try this smoking entity again. My previous experience with this blend came from the big plastic canister in which Mac Baren is now marketing some of its products. My original impression was highly negative.
This time it was not so much a matter of objectivity over subjectivity, but one of relative curiosity. Would it be different? Would my impressions modify? Well, keeping in line with relativity, yes and no.
These are my observations, which I hope will be helpful to someone out there.
1. Is Cube blended from quality leaf? Like all Mac Barens, Im sure it is. Their site states this is a blend of Virginias, Burleys and cavendished Virginias, in varying proportions, personally selected by the companys owner and master blender, from different regions worldwide. I may not like all of MBs offering, but so far I have yet to find a blend that is note developed from top grade leaf.
2. Is it cased with artificial flavors, sauces, and essences? Again, and this is no exaggeration: it is heavily cased (this is the type of casing I usually refer to as overwhelming). It says so in MBs site as well. A cornucopia of fruit flavors and essences, Caribbean sugar, chocolate sauces and other sweet flavoring agents have been generously applied (in my view, an understatement) in order to create a unique taste and aroma.
To be fair, I compared Cube not only to tobaccos of a similar kind, but also to similar tobaccos from the SAME brand. Cubes artificial aromas are far stronger, pungent, and sweeter than: (a) Original Choice; (b) Black Ambrosia (compared to Cube, its almost a non-scented blend); (c) Golden Ambrosia (slightly similar, but to my palate far more refined and elegant), and (d) Original Choice Aromatic. In terms of flavor, Cube and OCA are very similar, but to my 30-year old-smoking palate Cube seems to be in steroids.
The only other MB I find as heavily cased is Vanilla Cream Loose Cut. However, VCLCs strong casing DOES dissipate if left to air overnight (whilst keeping the most delectable vanilla flavor), and it never occludes the natural taste of tobacco.
3. A side note is in order: so far theres really nothing unique about the leaf components: virtually all MBs are a blend of Virginias, Burley and Cavendished leaf. As to the flavor/casing, Ive tasted a very similar (if not identical) composition in at least three other Danish brands: Petersen & Sorensens Danish Mixture; Ashtons Type 5, and Larsens Selected Blend Nº 50. In my view, Cube and P & S are identical. Both, by the way, will leave a strong, enduring flavor in your pipe and palate for days.
4. Does it have artificial humectants? Very much so. I removed the contents from the pouch and left it to air and dry well over eight hours. It was still very moist and pungent (if you press it in the palm of your hand, it will immediately sponge back). When Ive done the same with other MBs, such as Original Choice, Virginia Nº1 or Mixture, they all become crisp and their aromas somewhat muted and restrained. Its not then a question of the leafs natural oils or resins. Again, the same happens with P & Ss Danish Mixture.
5. Does it bite? In my 30 years or so of pipe smoking, Ive come to realize that in many cases biting is the result of an erroneous packing technique, and a fast and humid puffing cadence. But due to mildness and high sugar content, many tobaccos can generate that hot-burning-biting sensation no matter how carefully you pack and smoke them. Mixture 79 is an example, and so is MBs Virginia Nº1. That is something the company itself acknowledges, and as part of their marketing strategy for Original Choice or Black Ambrosia, they highlight the fact that theyve managed to develop a mild blend that does not smart on the tongue.
Now, back to Cube: unlike my first experience, this time it didnt bite immediately. But if youre not careful enough, by mid bowl that hot-biting sensation will make itself pretty evident. So be warned. If you want to alleviate bite with this one smoke it very slowly and carefully, and let it air as much as you can.
6. Does it taste of tobacco? Not to me. Im sorry, but I dont get any tobacco flavor at all from this one. There are many aromatic blends in which the natural tobacco taste is not absorbed or abducted by the artificial flavorings (Royal Yacht, Blue Note, Captain Black or, so they tell me, Silems Black). The casing and humectants in Cube are so strong and pervasive that, as far as my palate is concerned, all tobacco reference is lost. So I stand by my utterly infantile contention: more than a pipe tobacco, to me its the equivalent of an adults candy bar.
7. Would I recommend this blend? Theres no better judgment than your own personal experience with a blend. If you are a predominantly aromatic smoker, and dont mind heavily cased and very sweet blends, this could very well be manà . However, I would never recommend this blend to anyone who is not an aromatic smoker, or to anyone who doesnt mind an aromatic every now and then (which is my case). To each his own. As for me, and this time its for real, never again.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Aug 25, 2009 | Medium | Strong | Full | Pleasant |
I have had a full pound of this stuff in my cellar (closet) for over a year opened, hoping it would get better. It has not. The other day I left the closet door open by mistake and the cats got into it, spreading it all over the place. I guess they thought it was catnip. I sure hope they enjoyed it because I certainly never did.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 27, 2011 | Mild | Strong | Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
I agree entirely with PokerSmoker and Meerkat. The chief weakness of this stuff is easy to identify. It's blindingly horrible: gimmicky, over the top, hot as hell and comprehensively weird. Blecccch! To my mind, it beggars belief that anyone would smoke this for pleasure. This is a Lenten tobacco: smoke it if you want to meditate on all your sins and punish yourself for them.
To try to be a little more objective: the sweet, fruity casing is far, far too heavy. Yes, of course aromatics are supposed to be aromatic, but Cube is so aromatic that it hardly tastes like tobacco at all. Some people love it, I guess; but, to my mind, it's ghastly.
"For nearly a quarter of a decade, Henrik Halberg ... has been selecting the ... tobaccos used to craft this outstanding blend." So that's two and a half years, then.
With all respect to aromatic lovers, I can never understand why blenders feel it so necessary to introduce peculiar flavours into natural tobacco. In this case, "peculiar" is the understatement of the decade (or at least a quarter of it). "Objectionable" comes a little nearer to conveying what this rubbish tastes like. Smoke it, and death will lose its sting. It will also leave a very tenacious ghost. Decidedly not recommended.
To try to be a little more objective: the sweet, fruity casing is far, far too heavy. Yes, of course aromatics are supposed to be aromatic, but Cube is so aromatic that it hardly tastes like tobacco at all. Some people love it, I guess; but, to my mind, it's ghastly.
"For nearly a quarter of a decade, Henrik Halberg ... has been selecting the ... tobaccos used to craft this outstanding blend." So that's two and a half years, then.
With all respect to aromatic lovers, I can never understand why blenders feel it so necessary to introduce peculiar flavours into natural tobacco. In this case, "peculiar" is the understatement of the decade (or at least a quarter of it). "Objectionable" comes a little nearer to conveying what this rubbish tastes like. Smoke it, and death will lose its sting. It will also leave a very tenacious ghost. Decidedly not recommended.
Pipe Used:
Falcon
Age When Smoked:
New
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Oct 24, 2008 | Mild | Strong | Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
This tobac is a perfect example of how subjective a persons tastes in tobacco can be.
Vanilla, caramel, toffee, popcorn, gummy bears....I must be in a candy store judging by the taste this blend imparted on other reviewers buds. I have not smoked aromatics for more than 40 years so I thought I'd give it a try. Its' sweetness was just too overpowering for me.I also tasted this blend for days.
Not a total loss!! The 100g box holds paper clips real good!!!!
Vanilla, caramel, toffee, popcorn, gummy bears....I must be in a candy store judging by the taste this blend imparted on other reviewers buds. I have not smoked aromatics for more than 40 years so I thought I'd give it a try. Its' sweetness was just too overpowering for me.I also tasted this blend for days.
Not a total loss!! The 100g box holds paper clips real good!!!!
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Sep 06, 2008 | Mild | Very Strong | Full | Pleasant to Tolerable |
I just don't know about this stuff.....
The first time I tried it I couldn't finish the bowl. God, it has a lot of flavoring added! I never was much for cherry/berry flavoring to begin with, but this was overload.
2nd time I finished the bowl but didn't really enjoy it - just tolerated it. I really try to like the tobaccos I buy. I figure Henrik put effort into creating this mixture so I should do my best to give it a shot.
3rd time a charm? No. Hey, I do get it......lots of different tobacco flavors coming at you.... get you to think about the eclectic mix......but alas, I don't like it. I really wish I could.
I will give it another try and see what happens
To be continued
The first time I tried it I couldn't finish the bowl. God, it has a lot of flavoring added! I never was much for cherry/berry flavoring to begin with, but this was overload.
2nd time I finished the bowl but didn't really enjoy it - just tolerated it. I really try to like the tobaccos I buy. I figure Henrik put effort into creating this mixture so I should do my best to give it a shot.
3rd time a charm? No. Hey, I do get it......lots of different tobacco flavors coming at you.... get you to think about the eclectic mix......but alas, I don't like it. I really wish I could.
I will give it another try and see what happens
To be continued
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 19, 2020 | Mild to Medium | Extra Strong | Overwhelming | Pleasant |
Una vera schifezza. Tutta la serie Cube è una vera schifezza. Non saprei come altro definirli: dolcissimi, nauseanti, non sanno nemmeno di tabacco e sembra di fumare dei Big Babol. Per carità statene alla larga a meno che non vi piacciano i panettoni tipo Skandinavik. Dio mio che schifo.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Feb 10, 2016 | Extremely Mild | Strong | Overwhelming | Pleasant |
This one is just not for me. It burns down way too quickly. It has a propensity to bite the tongue. The taste is bordering on overpowering for me. I couldn't even finish off the 40g pouch before giving this the heave ho. Thankfully I didn't purchase the large, economy sized version. The only plus for me is that you might get some compliments on the room note. But why suffer the many negatives for one slight positive? Unless you are totally into tongue biting aromatics, then this blend is not worth recommending.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 05, 2014 | Mild | Medium | Mild | Tolerable to Strong |
Nope Nope Nope.
I don't even want to review this, but will.
I love some cube cuts, but this doesn't do it well at all. The taste was almost good until it burnt your tongue to a crisp.
For a natural Burely it still had a bad chemical taste. Just bad.
I don't even want to review this, but will.
I love some cube cuts, but this doesn't do it well at all. The taste was almost good until it burnt your tongue to a crisp.
For a natural Burely it still had a bad chemical taste. Just bad.
Pipe Used:
AKB Freehand Meerschaum, Nording Poker
PurchasedFrom:
Smoking Pipes
Age When Smoked:
New
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 15, 2014 | Mild to Medium | Strong | Mild to Medium | Tolerable |
okay... The fact Mac Baren calls this blend a connoisseurs choice is insane! Its an overly cased, hot burning, tongue biting poorly done, attempt at a cube cut blend. I love a good cube cut burley but Mac Baren managed to mess that up. Overly cased with a foul bitter sting. Not worth smoking. Better suited for kindling.
target="_blank"
