Mac Baren St. Bruno Ready Rubbed
(3.03)
Blend of Virginia and Kentucky. Slow burning and cool with a pleasant aroma.
Notes: Made by MacBaren since 2006, the company owns the blend as of 2015.
Details
Profile
Strength
Medium to Strong
Extremely Mild -> Overwhelming
Flavoring
Mild
None Detected -> Extra Strong
Room Note
Pleasant to Tolerable
Unnoticeable -> Overwhelming
Taste
Medium
Extremely Mild (Flat) -> Overwhelming
Average Rating
|
3.03 / 4
|
Reviews
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Displaying 51 - 60 of 142 Reviews
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 19, 2021 | Medium to Strong | Medium | Medium to Full | Pleasant |
I had a unique experience with St Bruno, chiefly that it was my first purchase of pipe tobacco 6 months ago and I almost quit there and then. It smelt of my worst memories of cheap rolling tobacco. It was full of stems. It didn’t taste of anything but peaty earth and it had no nicotine to mention. I couldn’t even give it away due to it being OTC here in the U.K.
6 months later I’ve smoked upwards of 20 tobaccos and consider myself relatively experienced. I’m a huge fan of G&H Lakeland blends and I could never understand St Bruno’s reputation as a classic Lakeland. I couldn’t take it any longer so I threw out the old pouch and ordered a 25g pouch to see if I was mistaken.
Boy was I mistaken.
The only explanation I can offer is that my first batch must have been on that supermarket shelf for 100 years. This new pouch smelt divine. Sweet virginias and the heavenly mix of rose geranium and tonquin. Reminded me greatly of my Bosun Cut Plug with the casing turned down and the tobacco amplified. Vague vinegary essence from a possible preservative and a little sinister Condor essence too, both delivering a satisfying tingle on the sinuses. No abundance of stem and very visible broken flake. Interesting.
The taste was exceptional. I frequently mix Condor and Bosun to reach this flavour profile, but the blend gets busy. This is it - minus the busy. It’s the perfect balance of Kentucky, bright Virginia sweetness and complimented by that winey mix of Lakeland and tonquin essences.
It smokes a little damp and a little hot, providing a sort of aggressive smoke which threatens to bite yet never will - reminds you you’re smoking. The nicotine hit is present and a tad over medium.
Unlike a artisan flake, this leaves little to no dottle despite its dampness. Like Condor you can tell this has been perfected for centuries and will burn to a fine ash.
In conclusion it is every bit the smoke it is claimed to be and immediately crowned itself my desert island tobacco. It may be a little too aromatic for those who like clean smokes, but for everyone else it truly is a hall of famer.
God forbid you get the same batch I got first time around, but persist!
6 months later I’ve smoked upwards of 20 tobaccos and consider myself relatively experienced. I’m a huge fan of G&H Lakeland blends and I could never understand St Bruno’s reputation as a classic Lakeland. I couldn’t take it any longer so I threw out the old pouch and ordered a 25g pouch to see if I was mistaken.
Boy was I mistaken.
The only explanation I can offer is that my first batch must have been on that supermarket shelf for 100 years. This new pouch smelt divine. Sweet virginias and the heavenly mix of rose geranium and tonquin. Reminded me greatly of my Bosun Cut Plug with the casing turned down and the tobacco amplified. Vague vinegary essence from a possible preservative and a little sinister Condor essence too, both delivering a satisfying tingle on the sinuses. No abundance of stem and very visible broken flake. Interesting.
The taste was exceptional. I frequently mix Condor and Bosun to reach this flavour profile, but the blend gets busy. This is it - minus the busy. It’s the perfect balance of Kentucky, bright Virginia sweetness and complimented by that winey mix of Lakeland and tonquin essences.
It smokes a little damp and a little hot, providing a sort of aggressive smoke which threatens to bite yet never will - reminds you you’re smoking. The nicotine hit is present and a tad over medium.
Unlike a artisan flake, this leaves little to no dottle despite its dampness. Like Condor you can tell this has been perfected for centuries and will burn to a fine ash.
In conclusion it is every bit the smoke it is claimed to be and immediately crowned itself my desert island tobacco. It may be a little too aromatic for those who like clean smokes, but for everyone else it truly is a hall of famer.
God forbid you get the same batch I got first time around, but persist!
Pipe Used:
Falcon
PurchasedFrom:
OTC
Age When Smoked:
10 minutes
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 17, 2020 | Medium | Mild | Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
St Bruno’s is all about the sweet bright Virginia leaf and its combination with a mild topping of rose geranium. The addition of a tad bit of dark fired adds a pleasant dimension to the smoke without overpowering the Virginia leaf. Overall, it is a nice diversion from the straight Virginia flakes in my normal rotation.
*This review is based on a small sample and limited life experience.
*This review is based on a small sample and limited life experience.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Nov 11, 2020 | Medium to Strong | Medium | Medium to Full | Pleasant |
This is one of the better supermarket tobacco. It does have a definite vinegar smell this is quite unpleasant. The smoke is nice and heavy with a good fruity flavour and nice amount of vitamin N. Love the smashed up flakes. At around £16.50 there seems to be no real saving to smoking a pipe nowadays as there once was. They whittle down the otc's..then bump the prices up . Be nice to get a tin instead of a pouch too. But hey ho
Pipe Used:
Gasparini billiard
PurchasedFrom:
Sainsbury's
Age When Smoked:
New
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 07, 2019 | Medium | Very Mild | Medium | Tolerable |
St. Bruno is a perfect all day blend. The smoke gives notes of wood and earth, slightly smoky, nutty, and sweet hay. The floral note is very light and unobtrusive. The ready rubbed cut makes it easy to pack and light, and no relighting is necessary. I’ve smoked this blend in briars, but it really shines in a cob. Pleasant sweetness, medium nic, medium flavor, yet mild enough to smoke all day. Highly recommended.
Pipe Used:
Cobs and briars
Age When Smoked:
Fresh
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Jun 02, 2018 | Medium to Strong | Medium to Strong | Medium to Full | Very Pleasant |
Here was a surprise. What I thought I had bought was St, Bruno's flake, but on closer inspection and (obviously) on pouch opening I discovered this was ready rubbed.
I wasn't disappointed, either. It's a great blend, and only a tobacco strand away from the mighty flake. Indeed, I found bits of what looked like flake in here. I also found some bits of what looked like a thin strip of wood (yes, really). It happens sometimes even in the best and most expensive blends (Davidoff's you dogs take note) you can get a lump or a stick in with the mixture.
In ye olde days, of course, you'd have sent this back to the manufacturer and received a chest of tobacco and a grovelling letter of apology. Alas, not any more.
There are only subtle differences between this and it's flake brother (sister?). One is that the flavour, that deep malty taste and aroma isn't quite as profound here as the flake and the taste tends to tail off towards the end of the bowl. Apart from that this is, as I said, a great blend, a little more convenient than the flake (especially if you are banished outside). A consistent and satisfying smoke for a Saturday night when there's only crap on the TV.
St. Bruno remains the best OTC blend that you can still get from UK shops (in my area anyway) and even those are disappearing like a extinct animal from those nasty little metal-doored cabinets they hide their tobacco away in these days. Even good ol' Morrisons big supermarket doesn't sell ANY pipe tobacco at all now.
So, if you see this or the flake just grab it and cellar it if you must. I have a nasty feeling the death bell is being rung on OTC's UK.
I wasn't disappointed, either. It's a great blend, and only a tobacco strand away from the mighty flake. Indeed, I found bits of what looked like flake in here. I also found some bits of what looked like a thin strip of wood (yes, really). It happens sometimes even in the best and most expensive blends (Davidoff's you dogs take note) you can get a lump or a stick in with the mixture.
In ye olde days, of course, you'd have sent this back to the manufacturer and received a chest of tobacco and a grovelling letter of apology. Alas, not any more.
There are only subtle differences between this and it's flake brother (sister?). One is that the flavour, that deep malty taste and aroma isn't quite as profound here as the flake and the taste tends to tail off towards the end of the bowl. Apart from that this is, as I said, a great blend, a little more convenient than the flake (especially if you are banished outside). A consistent and satisfying smoke for a Saturday night when there's only crap on the TV.
St. Bruno remains the best OTC blend that you can still get from UK shops (in my area anyway) and even those are disappearing like a extinct animal from those nasty little metal-doored cabinets they hide their tobacco away in these days. Even good ol' Morrisons big supermarket doesn't sell ANY pipe tobacco at all now.
So, if you see this or the flake just grab it and cellar it if you must. I have a nasty feeling the death bell is being rung on OTC's UK.
Pipe Used:
All of them briars and meerschaum
PurchasedFrom:
Spar shop, Upton, Worcestershire
Age When Smoked:
New
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Dec 16, 2017 | Strong | Mild | Medium to Full | Tolerable |
I might be out to lunch; but St Bruno RR seems to have a different casing than the Flake does. It's more floral and comes as being less generously applied as where the Flake is more citrus/sweet and more discernable to the nose and taste. Also, it seems like the RR version packs more nicotine than the Flake does. Not that much but enough to make it clearly noticeable. In any case I confess I have a preference for the Flake.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 09, 2017 | Medium | Mild | Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
I love the ready rubbed and tin both. The RR is more convenient though and not that different from the tinned version. I like to take St. Bruno with me when I travel because it's dependable, I get a good smoke every time. It is slightly floral, but not in the same way that most Lakeland type blends are. One of the things I love about this tobacco, is how well balanced it is. There is no flavor that overpowers another and I pretty much taste them all equally. It is nutty, earthy, creamy, slightly floral and a little sweet. British tobacco's all tend to be more hearty, meaty and earthy, this is no exception. The RR is ready to smoke right out of the pouch and I find the moisture content to be about right. This is a go-to smoke for me.
Pipe Used:
Various
PurchasedFrom:
PipesandCigars.com
Age When Smoked:
Recently purchased
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Feb 13, 2016 | Strong | Mild | Medium | Tolerable to Strong |
2 months pipe smoker here. Tried various "nice" brands before. Mostly GH and SG flakes. Found pipe smoking very nice. Got to order my tobacco online as there is no decent shops around. Recently found myself unable to order online in time, so went to local asda shop and picked up a packet of St Bruno. After reading previous reviews I was expecting something quite reasonable. People been comparing it to Ennerdale and thats one of my favorities. Got a packet and it smells same as blue drum rolling tobacco. (remember that from my rollie days) Smoking - just a big nicotine hit and a foul smell in the mouth. Plus some sore spots in my mouth too. Not nice at all. Picked up my jacket next day after a evening with a pipe (i smoke on a patio outside) and it stank of old ashtray full of cigarette butts. With everything I tried before its never been like that. Maybe i haven’t tried a truly horrible stuff before.
I like to have a bit of nicotine hit with my morning coffee and pipe, but come on, it supposed to be a pleasure, not a disgusting time.
I thought may be something wrong with my falcon pipe, my smell sense or something, went to the big city today and purchased a tin of MacBaren vanilla flake, loaded up the pipe, fired up, very nice as expected.
remaining St bruno will stay in an emergency jar to be touched only when nothing else is available....
I like to have a bit of nicotine hit with my morning coffee and pipe, but come on, it supposed to be a pleasure, not a disgusting time.
I thought may be something wrong with my falcon pipe, my smell sense or something, went to the big city today and purchased a tin of MacBaren vanilla flake, loaded up the pipe, fired up, very nice as expected.
remaining St bruno will stay in an emergency jar to be touched only when nothing else is available....
Pipe Used:
Falcon
PurchasedFrom:
over the counter ASDA
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Apr 20, 2014 | Medium to Strong | Very Strong | Medium to Full | Pleasant |
When i think of the characteristics of an English tobacco i think of St.Bruno, that's really all i can say on the subject. Like Captain Black is to America, St.Bruno is to the English in my mind. An English institution.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Jan 11, 2012 | Medium | Mild to Medium | Medium | Tolerable |
Bought some on the line of thinking 'if all else fails, at least I can grab some of this stuff from practically any newsagents'. Was a bit scared, worried that it would taste and smell like dung. Or roadkill. Packed a bowl of my wee Dr Plumb Lightweight. Got her fired up easily enough. Sat and chugged away for 15 minutes. While I wouldn't smoke this all the time however it certainly gets a 'Somewhat Recommended' because 'if all else fails....'.
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