Mac Baren Symphony

This is a review of a reasonably fresh tin. Upon opening, the aroma is of good burley with a light casing. I am a burley lover and this really appealed to me. The moisture level and cut were perfect for lighting. At this point, one might believe that the smoke is going to be great. It wasn't. The smoke begins with a Virginia taste that is not too unpleasant, but remains unremarkable throughout the bowl. The burley tobacco, of which Mac Baren is so proud, never really comes forward. The tobacco attempts to be all things and, therefore, becomes none. There is not enough Virginia to please the Virginia smokers and there is not enough burley to please smokers like me. The smoke is not bad, but for the price of tins now-a-days, a little more should be expected. The flavor does not change throughout the bowl. The ash is a bit clumpy, but acceptable. It only bites when pushed. The nicotine level is moderate, but not until you're almost finished with the bowl. This tobacco seems to smoke the same in many different size pipes. And, the aroma is not bad for a burley based smoke. In my opinion, the casing does little more than to heat up the smoke unnecessarily. The smoke might be improved if the casing were left off. In truth, some may appreciate the "balance," I did not.

First impressions: My 1 oz bulk order came a bit on the dry side. Really struggling to get past the bite and enjoy the flavor. Smells great on the light and I get some sweet cocoa and nutty notes. Regrettably I also get a crazy amount of BITE and a weird spicy thing going on all along the edge of my tongue. Not having fun. I've smoked a good amount of OTC blends recently and they were much, much, much more well behaved (in this same pipe) then lady Symphony. I don't know if it's a mouth chemistry issue or what but ... Thumbs down.

The first time I had this blend was many years ago and I hated it. I then bought a tin that was 30 years old and thought I would do a comparison . The first tin I tried I hated because I got a lot of tongue bite. The 30 year old ton can still be pushed to bite but was definitely better. Will I ever order more of this - no. If you are able to get your hands on an old tin it might be worth a try.

I used to like this, maybe 12 years ago, but either the blend or I have changed. Burley, honey, and cardboard. Can burn hot and the taste is as elusive as a bobcat.

The first time I tried it I kinda liked it but bowl after bowl (through the half of the tin) this tobacco became flat and boring. That's it. Flat and boring.

An ok blend but a bit too neutral. Now and then I could taste a bit of honey and some tobacco. Not really complex and sometimes it tasted a little bit "vinegary."