Tobaccos Mac Baren - Amphora Mellow Blend

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	albfneto (184)	2012-05-16		Mild to Medium	Medium	Medium	Tolerable

I enjoy this, sweet, balsamic, pleasable Mellow and fruity scent and taste, slow burning. Made with high quality Tobaccos. Orininally prepared by Douwe Egberts Royal Factories, Nederlands, now are branded by Imperial Tobacco Group. See this.

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	ELF (40)	2011-01-09		Extremely Mild	Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

I'm a Die-Hard Virginia FAN;and 99%of what I fill my Pipe with,comes in a 'Tin'.Amphora Mellow Blend+St.Bruno Flake are probably the only 2pouch blends I buy.Mellow Mixture is a Quite nice Tobacco(Amphora's 2nd Product);This mixture has been around 4many years. I find it Similiar2-McC's,Captain Cool. It's relatively Inexpensive,I buy 1pouch Usually around Christmas Time(I smoke a lot More When I'm In2 the Nog+Rum) I find it smokes best Packed Loose,in a Large Cob. (3 out of 4)

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Sasquatch (90)	2007-08-25		Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

Hmm.... Navy Flake Menthol? I dunno, but I don't mind this stuff.

"Mellow" is kind of an odd name for this. Amphora Original is pretty mellow, really, and possibly more mellow than this. A fairly bright leaf, with a light, easy tobacco flavour. Undercurrents are indeed balsam and mint, which as noted previously, can be transendentally enjoyable (or abysmal, I suppose, if you don't like it). These flavor notes come and go, with a typically dutch spicey/dry tobacco base.

If you hate the stand-by dutch tobaccos Amphora or Sail, probably this won't do much for you. If, on the other hand, you just can't think of what to smoke while waxing your cross-country skis, then this might just be the thing.

Quality is high, smokes well leaving only ash and a few unburned bits (kind of typical of the cut, I find, which is more like a broken rubbed flake than a true ribbon imho).

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Bassplayer33 (1)	2018-10-10		Mild	Mild	Mild	Unnoticeable

Mellow, but no weak. Dry and cool, easy to smoke. Taste clean tobacco, no syrup sh*t. Balsamic and full, great to long session. Just diffrent then other Amphora

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	AppleJack (8)	2015-07-11		Very Mild	Extremely Mild	Extremely Mild (Flat)	Pleasant to Tolerable

It lights easily and smokes much cooler than expected, which is nice. But when it comes to flavour I can't say that I really see the point. I mean, there's barely anything there and if you like the taste of pipe tobacco you'd be much better served smoking pretty much anything else. If your a fan of a light and gentle smoke it might be for you, but even then I think you'll be a bit disappointed.

It's not an unpleasant taste, it's just almost entirely nonexistant. I guess that means it won't ghost at least.

Pipe Used: Meerschaum, MM Cob, Aztec Briar

Age When Smoked: New

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Derek LaRose (7)	2019-08-04		Very Mild	Mild	Mild to Medium	Tolerable to Strong

My take on this blend, is that it has perfect moisture content in pouch, it smokes better when rubbed out. As far as tastes, its smooth but I’m not a fan of the toppings. The mint is very apparent while smoking, the balsam comes in as more of an after taste. The mint also makes for a menthol cigarette like aroma.. not repulsive, just not my thing. It might be worth a try if your looking for something “woodsy” tasting however, here in Canada I can think of better things to spend $20 on.

Pipe Used: Cobs

Age When Smoked: Fresh

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	CornCob (94)	2014-06-15		Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

If you are a Canadian pipe smoker this should be a familiar sight, for the most part amphora, Sail and Captain Black are our only OTC options unless we order from stateside online retailers or drive to an over priced specialty shop. The mint in mellow blend is more detectable in the bowl than in the pouch and is not overpowering. Good dose of lady N and easy to smoke, similar to sail yellow in many respects. Not the best offering by Amphora but definitely smokable. Here in the great white North a pouch of this stuff will run you $26 bucks so experimenting can be a costly affair, this one is worth a try.

Pipe Used: progress oomh Paul

Age When Smoked: new

Similar Blends: Sail yellow.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	rafalgdansk87 (12)	2018-04-01		Mild	Extremely Mild	Mild	Tolerable

This is the worst tobacco i have ever smoked. It smells like cigarette. I didn't find any aromatic notes, no mint, no sweetness, only unpleasant bitter taste on the tongue.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	ynrozturk (62)	2018-03-16		Mild	Mild	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

Well, while not exactly my cup of tea, it's not as horrible as some other reviewers on here would lead you to believe.

The pouch note is interesting. Slightly minty and toasty. The tobacco itself is an attractive broken flake. Packing and lighting isn't a problem. It burns pretty cool and even all the way down to the bowl with little maintenance.

However though, that tongue bite. What is it with Mac Baren blends and tongue bite? This tobacco has a certain harshness to it, and while it's not a deal breaker, smoking it on its own without having a cup of tea or coffee besides it can wear out your tongue rather quickly.

The flavor is pretty decent, nothing spectacular. I get some of the mint, and I think it is balanced well. It's not sweet or too spicy, but its just right in my opinion.

That said, I've never been a huge fan of any Amphora that I've tried, but it's good to keep around when you're looking for something different to smoke. In my case, that would be Va/Per's and English blends.

Worth a try. Just don't expect a masterpiece.

Update: So I let this take a seat for a few weeks because I was smoking something else, and when I came back to it it just smelled and tasted like soap. What kind of devilry... dumping the rest. Life is too short, no need to make it any shorter.

Pipe Used: Various

Age When Smoked: No idea

Purchased From: Local tobacconist

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	KahveDelisi (73)	2017-10-28		Very Mild	Medium	Mild	Pleasant

Being the bastard child of mint and balsam, Amphora Mellow Blend truly deserves every single low rating and negative review it gets. If you must insist on inhaling this vile weed, try and rub it on your chest rather than put it in your pipe. It could be a remedy for cold but ain't no tobacco gold.

Similar Blends: Wrigley's spearmint.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2011-07-12		Very Mild	Mild	Mild	Tolerable

Similar to their original offering with a bit of balsam; not mint, not menthol, no pine trees, but balsam of all things. It has more flavour than original (which makes me question their naming convention), but whether you enjoy that extra? ...I suspect you wont.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2010-07-23		Mild	Mild to Medium	Mild	Pleasant

The aroma is kind of funny. Partially rubbed flakes.

The taste is kind of bland.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2007-08-24		Mild to Medium	Mild	Medium	Pleasant

This was my weirdest experience with Amphora.

I will keep it short: beurk. This mint/balsam thing, stay away from it!

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2006-02-11		Medium to Strong	Medium to Strong	Medium to Full	Very Pleasant

February 2006.

Over the year's,I have tried three pouches of this wretched blend,and each time I think why do I bother??

Well I do know why I bother,when anybody else smoke's this blend,it smell's 'Really Good'

It light's very easily and stay's lit for age's,for the first three to four bowl's it's great.Infact,even wonderful at time's. Then,when it come's to that fifth bowl,it positively reek's,with a true taste of rank mint,from hell's garden it self!!! Then I start sneezing and my sinus's burn,my eye's water,my throat hurt's,and then my ear's even burn,like a red hot poker is stuck in both of them. Ouch!!

It leave's my pipe's goopy,and has taken awhile to get rid of that horrible,and dreadful flavour after that fifth bowl.

"Mellow,it is not" Get the picture?

It's a definite 'No Go' anymore,Ever Again!!!!

If your a dare-devil,try it at your own peril!!

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JaWiBr (557)	2023-05-08		Mild	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Package note of dark fruit, spices and vegetation. Tobacco is a thin ready rub of brown, dark brown and tan. Moisture content is great. Burns fast with few relights. The strength is mild and nic is mild. Flavoring is mild, with notes of mint and balm. Mint was mild from start to finish, Balm faded in and out mid-way, both were never stronger than a background flavor. Taste is mild to medium and mostly consistent, with notes of peaty herbal-sour vegetation, mild mint, wood, toast, dry dirt, mildly savory, molasses, nutty, mildly spicy, floral, lemon grass, bitter orange peel, tangy dark fruit, a sweet hay and spices background note, and a mildly peppery almost smooth retro. Burley is leading with Kentucky, Oriental/Turkish, Virginia and Flavoring supporting. Room note is pleasant to tolerable, and aftertaste is good.

Pipe Used: 2016 Northern Briars Premier Rox Cut #4 Prince

Age When Smoked: 5 years

Similar Blends: Douwe Egberts - Amphora Extra Mild Cavendish, Douwe Egberts - Amphora Mild Aroma , Douwe Egberts - Amphora Mild Aromatic.

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	North State (72)	2022-10-17		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Reading the decription and the other reviews here caused me to pinch myself. Mint? Balsam? Seriously? Did I smoke the same tobacco, or have they changed the recipe in the meantime? The MacBaren website says nothing about those casings. I hate mint with tobacco, so I'm pretty sure it wouldn't go unnoticed (unless maybe as one of several strong toppings). Not to mention something as obvious as balsam. The pouch does look almost exactly like here, though (without the word "blend")

Well, I can only honestly review what I know I smoked, so:

Yet another great title in the Amphora line. A nicely mellow mix of virginias and orients, with just the right amount of burley to give it a little bit more depth; I think a slightly more burley-heavy version of this is what Amphora Burley should have been like. Good pouch note of honest tobacco, nice strong ribbons let you rub & pack your pipe exactly as you like it, and it burns evenly and consistently, producing a full and wholesome smoke that is totally enjoyable as a daily.

Highly recommended, and will be buying again as soon as I get the chance. Maybe then I'll get the mint & balsam version?

Pipe Used: Various

Age When Smoked: Fresh from pouch

Purchased From: Kiosk/tobacco shop in Poland

Nobody has rated this review yet.