Mac Baren Amphora Mellow Blend

The aroma is kind of funny. Partially rubbed flakes.

The taste is kind of bland.

This was my weirdest experience with Amphora.

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

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!!

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.

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?