Mac Baren Amphora Black Cavendish Special Reserve

Did not like this blend at all. While it has fine tin and room notes, the taste is acrid and utterly unpleasant. No "amber tones" or "spicy bouquet" mentioned in the description are present. The slow burn is there, but what's the use if one does not find the taste enjoyable?

This is a very nice aromatic tobacco. Surprisingly, for being a cavendish blend, it comes fairly dry in the pouch, but still requires some drying time before smoking. Topping aroma and flavor when smoking is black licorice/plum. A sweet and a bit spicy smoke. This tobacco actually tastes like the pouch note when smoking. It burns well and has very little bite. Room note is wonderful. Nicotine level is a decent mild/medium . I subtracted one star due to the fact that personally I'm not too crazy about black licorice. Amphora Black Cavendish Special Reserve is everything that MacBaren Seven Seas Royal should have been, because even though Royal has the same flavors, it simply has too much propylene glycol (PG) and bites quite badly.

First off I'm not an aromatic fellow with only two dedicated briars in the stable.

The pluses: economical and fairly easy to find, packs and combusts well, mildly sweet and easy going, room note is pleasant so I've been told (don't really care), surprisingly it has some natural tobacco flavours and presence in the mouth with a bit of finish mildly complex, moderate Nic noticeable but not over the top, works well both indoors and in the woods too.

The minuses: borderline pH alkalinity it does bite a bit, slight bitterness not a good bitter either akin to over steeped tea, ashtray and bad cigarette aftertaste on the tongue and back of the throat.

Not recommended, bites with a lousy aftertaste. I'll be giving the rest away to a briar friend who likes aromatics otherwise it'll be jarred for many years and eventually dumped. Personally I'd rather pack Sir Walter Raleigh Aromatic, Lane BCA, Boswells Piper's Pleasure, or Hearth and Home Trout Stream.

The most intense aromatizants are liquorice (first of all) and pepper (just second), but there are also something sweety, like liquor and ripe fruits. For me, the aromatizants are too strong, and I can find only a very mild similarity with the tobacco's taste (this mixture is something like a pleasant 'parfum': recommended if you like flavored mixtures, but not so if you like natural tobaccos - however, try it, if you want).

**Update 25 Dec 2016** The same pouches I purchased last spring had some time to mellow down. The harshness is now gone and the Black Cavendish, which remain my favorite because of its unique spiciness, combines extremely well with the Virginias and golden Cavendish to deliver an awesome smoke every time. I am doubtful there are any Orientals and Kentucky, but it's not because I seemed to not identify them that they are not there. I think MB has faithfully reproduced this old favourite of mine and will definitively rebuy. This, as a matter of fact, will remain the only pouched tobacco I will get on a regular basis. All I can say is, if you love Black Cavendish, Amphora Black Cavendish is to die for. I am upgrading to 4 stars! ***Original review*** Despite my terrible experience with the Original Blend, I still decided to give Black Cavendish a try, as I had already placed an order for it before trying the Original. After all, I have very fond memories of this Black Cavendish which has always remained my favorite among the Amphora line. When I opened the pouch, I was taken back 20 years in time. I did not notice any major differences in aroma and composition, except that the aroma is less spicy than it was and a bit more on the sweet side. There's still a lot of Black Cavendish in a smaller cut with long streaks of Golden tobacco. Easy to pack, very easy to light up, the tobacco burns extremely well, delivering a spicier taste than sweet, but which does not deliver a lot of tobacco taste throught it. Mild to medium on the nicotine range, I find it can become a bit harsh at times throughout the pipeful. Progressively, the taste becomes rather on the neutral side starting at the last third. It does smoke dry all the way down and does not leave any goop. It does not bite either. After 5 or 6 pipefuls, I am not sure what to think of it yet. I will let the other pouvhes sit for a while and revisit at a later time. For now, I am not convinced I would buy it again and hesitate to recommend it. 2.5 stars.

When you open the packet you can feel smell of liquorice, raisin and spices, it's very pleasant. Also the color which is very dark with some bright filament. You can feel the liquorice also in your mouth when you smoke it, taste is very smooth.

I believe Douwe Egberts does not manufacture this tobacco? And I do not think it is still available. Black Cavendish is one of a kind, delicious mixture. It has a beautiful chocolate and licorice aroma that is not heavy to the nose. When smoked, it tastes more on the spicy than the sweet side, but the room note, I was told, is sweet and, simply, out of this world. If BC was still available, I would purchase it regularly!

I love the Amphora Original Blend and this blend is a very tastey offering in its own right.

Having read the earlier contributions from reviewers on this site, I pick up a sense of disappointment from people seemingly unable to to source this wonderful Tobacco. To cut a very long research story short I buy this on line from http://www.imparato.it/shop/index.php? target=categories&category_id=153 The owner is called Carlo and he is very helpful indeed. I've been buying Amphora Black Cavendish from this Northern Italian on line Tobacconist quite happily for some time now and I highly recommend both the Tobacco and the supplier. It's just a shame we have to go to so much trouble to get it. Please take note Imperial Tobacco!