Tobaccos Mac Baren - Golden Extra

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JimInks (3047)	2013-01-20		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

The burleys offer earth, wood, nuts with light sharp notes, molasses and a lightly more obvious chocolate as the lead component. The Virginia provides a bit of grass, tart and tangy citrus, and light bread and sugar as a secondary player. It acts mainly as a cooling base to contrast and smooth out the burleys. The mild honey comes from the Virginia. The chocolate and sugar toppings tone down the tobaccos just a little. The strength is mild, and the taste is a couple of steps past that mark. Has very little nicotine. It needs to be puffed moderately to avoid a slight warmness to the tongue, but it won't bite. Has a few minute rough edges. Burns fairly cool and clean at a reasonable pace with a very consistent flavor. Leaves virtually no moisture in the bowl. Requires an average number of relights. An uncomplicated all day smoke that does the job you require with a short lived, pleasant after taste and room note. Three and a half stars.

-JimInks

50 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	ruffinogold (112)	2009-08-22		Medium	Very Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant

This is a great blend ! It's a toasty Burley flavor . Many a Burley is woody [ and I like those ] or nutty [ and I like those too ] .. But MB GE ends where many Burley blends either start or are at mid way or so . Its a straight on burley flavor that is milder than most with the added honey /water combo that MB adds to most all their blends , which equates to a little sweetness but not an aromatic in any way . It's a burley that anyone can smoke . The quality of leaf is excellent . It's a breeze to light and keep lit [ I twist it once in my palm is all ] and is a ready rub type broken flake . The room note screams pipe and is pleasant and it wont bite unless you are a spaz . It doesnt get bitter .... ever . As far as Burley blends go , it's top quality all day everyday blend . It's my Go To for a good while now ... I'd give it 5 stars if I could

42 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	fr_tom (393)	2013-12-03		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

The Golden Extra tastes like a basic burley with a little Virginia in it for character, and it is slightly sweet. It tastes to me like this is the Virginia in the flavor profile and not a topping. I can still taste the burley, and I liked this blend. If Carter Hall hits a single note well, Golden Extra hits two, so it is not THAT complex. It is a good, basic smoke in the same camp as Old Companion. It was a slow, cool smoke for me with no tendency to burn hot. It was easy to keep lit.

Edit 9/18/14: When I finished this, I bought a pound of it. This is a solid "all-day" smoke that satisfies and has a great rtoom note.

33 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2009-08-21		Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

This is called "Golden Blend" if you buy the tinned product and "Golden Extra" if you buy it in bulk, which I did, and which is why my review is here instead of under Golden Blend. It used to be named Golden Extra in the tin. I'm also reviewing Symphony, which is what it's named in bulk but it's Harmony in the tin... currently. It used to be Symphony in the tin. What's next - a bulk version of Roll Cake named Royal Twist???? Who understands this stuff? Not me!

Anyway, about this tobacco... this is a fairly dry tasting straight burley that smokes cool and is extremely monodimensional. I taste just a bit of the typical Mac Baren sweetness and a surprising lack of nuttiness to the burley. I find it interesting that Mac Baren has such a reputation for blending tobaccos that produce tongue bite. I couldn't get this one to bite unless I puffed furiously... and I should note here that I smoke all tobaccos with varying degrees of puffing speed to see how they behave in all situations. Even a fairly fast puffer should be able to smoke this one without peril. However, smoked very fast, it will bite and it will also give off a bit of a soapy flavor as the tobacco cells burst too quickly. But who smokes like a Hoover, anyway?

To keep my ratings consistent, I gave this a "somewhat recommended" because I personally found it too bland to smoke on even a semi-regular basis. But I also found it a very genial and cool smoke with a nice breadth of earthiness and something that could be smoked all day by someone who just wants a good honest tobacco taste with a touch of sweetness. I think Mac Baren did a good job with this one. If you like straight burley, increase my rating to at least "recommended" because I think you'll like it!

17 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pipestud (1829)	2017-01-25		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Golden Extra is one of those long-standing blends that has not only staying power, but a unique flavor presentation that stirs the palate. Nice specially cask fermented Burley with some Virginia woven in, the leaf is then pressed and married before breaking up into flakes. I don't believe there is any added flavoring in this one, just the deep, rich cask Burley presenting itself in a sort of dark chocolate sort of way. Really good stuff!

16 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	StevieB (2081)	2017-04-30		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

Mac Baren-Golden Extra. Fantastic!

I fail to see how any true piper couldn't feel enchanted by the natural aroma from this. It smells like a blend of consummate class. Natural and untainted.

My pouch contains mostly broken flakes (I bought a pouch not a tin). Big enough to still require rubbing or can still be sort of folded.

From the pouch it's smokable but if given a few days once the seal's been broken it becomes perfect. Either way, I adore the smoke!

I get no nuances of underlying flavours. What I do get is a superb smoke that's pretty heavy with Burley. The Burley accounts for most of the flavour. I only get a very slight Virginia taste. It's a Burley lovers delight!!

The nicotine seems fairly present. It's not over the top but it stills airs towards strong though!

The burn is good; I started a bowl whilst writing this and haven't had to re-light it once!

This is a superb blend. Brilliant. Four stars.

Pipe Used: Various

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Spain

15 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Armac (10)	2014-03-09		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Mild	Pleasant

I'm predominently a Burley smoker or Burley-Virginia, and have been for over 20 years. This tobacco is billed as Virginia/Burley but it's predominently Burley. It satisfies every description of true Burley tobacco. I suspect the Virginia component is less than ten percent and simply adds a bit of sweetness that compliments the blend. And unlike some of the MB blends, there is little to no bite. Once you smoke a third of the way down the bowl, it's deeper and richer then one would expect from the description. Some have described it as bland but if you're a Burley smoker, I think you'll find this a pleasant and enjoyable smoke. There's no need to go into a lengthy description of smoking and other qualities - there's plenty of that here. Highly recommended.

Pipe Used: Pre Lane Charatan Pot

Age When Smoked: 1+ year

Purchased From: Smokingpipes

15 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Gentleman Zombie (729)	2015-05-04		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

This is a really nice smoke. Starts with a nice taste of Burley. Nutty with a little earth. As the bowl progresses the Golden Virginias make themselves known and continue in strength until a balance with the Burley is achieved. At that point the flavor is heavenly. The Virginias are sweet with a touch of citrus and hay. A really fine smoke that gives you plenty of both components.

Mild to medium in body and flavor. Burns perfectly. No bite.

Pipe Used: MM Country Gentleman, Diplomat Apple, Mark Twain

Age When Smoked: fresh bulk

Purchased From: smokingpipes.com

14 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Singularis (18)	2019-08-09		Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

A pleasant new surprise to me. I took advantage of a sale on Mac Baren bulk and got five 1-2 oz. samples. (I'll eventually review all of them.) Golden Extra was the first I tried.

For starters, I'm not as crazy about Burley-heavy blends as I am about Virginia and English/Balkan blends, but I thought I'd try this first among the Mac Baren selection. I did not regret that first smoke, not one bit!

Something about this blend strikes me as very well-balanced: perfect moisture content (straight out of the bag, fresh from delivery), stayed lit beautifully, never smoked too hot (still getting the hang of a more deliberate cadence), consistent flavor all the way to the bottom. What more can you ask from your pipe tobacco?

I'll also note that the casing additives are applied quite conservatively: I was never bowled over by chocolate or vanilla. Something about this -- it's probably the quality or amount of Burley, plus the high quality Virginia -- that reminded me a bit of John Marr. Enjoyed that tin very much, but sorry C&D, Golden Extra was more approachable and repeatable.

Highly recommended if you like Burley even just a little bit, or if you want to try a solid, approachable Burley blend.

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Similar Blends: Cornell & Diehl - John Marr (Melville At Sea).

10 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	TabacFanatic (6)	2015-04-21		Medium	Very Mild	Medium	Very Pleasant

I believe in a balanced diet. To get my minimum daily requirement of burley, I smoke Mac Baren Golden Extra.

But there are lots of burleys out there ... why Golden Extra? That's easy. Because it reminds me of an old sentimental favorite: Amphora Regular Cavendish, in the brown packet.

Golden Extra is the most refined burley I've ever smoked: mild and soft with absolutely no trace of harshness. In fact, Golden Extra is SO refined that it took me close to half a tin before all those exquisite subtle flavors and aromas began to emerge. I kept at it because GE was a satisfying smoke from the get go.

The room note blows me away: the natural wholesome fragrance of burley pipe tobacco with its faint suggestion of roasted hazelnuts, chocolate, and cocoa powder.

Golden Extra is a slow burning, coarse cut tobacco. I would suggest NOT rubbing it out. The chunky broken flake pieces burn beautifully right out of the tin. Two initial lights are sufficient, in my experience, to get it to smolder effortlessly and fragrantly all the way to the bottom.

Pipe Used: Cavicchi Author

Age When Smoked: fresh

Purchased From: everywhere

Similar Blends: Imperial Tobacco Group, PLC - Amphora Brown Regular.

9 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	DrumsAndBeer (217)	2015-04-19		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

A very good all day burley mixture. Golden Extra is smooth and flavorful with absolutely no bitterness. It's not as hearty or as strong as other burleys that I have been indulging in lately, but it's surely more refined and much less rough & tumble. The flavor is earthy with a subtle honey & citrus note coming from the bright Virginia which adds just enough to give this tobacco a special touch and a sweet aroma. Perfect for a warm day and it smokes fantastic in a briar or cob.

Pipe Used: Briar and Cob

9 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	DeathMetal.org (231)	2019-12-07		Medium	Very Mild	Medium	Pleasant

Summary: a mild, all-day blend with light flavor that is both nutty and sweet.

The main players here seem to be white Burley, perhaps my favorite variety of leaf, and bright Virginia which gives this a slight agave-style forefront sweetness. Mac Baren shows its usual ingenuity in toning down the acidity of the Virginias, allowing them to meld fluidly with the white Burley, to which they add small amounts of dark Burley and dark fired Kentucky Burley, widening the profile and giving it notes of smoke, molasses, and chocolate. On top of this, a topping with some sugar, vanilla, and small amounts of cocoa guides the flavor, but is very light although I still get the "cotton candy" flavor of sugar and P.G. The smoke from this blend rolls off the tongue, and it has a mild flavor like "Carter Hall" or "Prince Albert," but toned down so that the natural leaf flavor emerges. The leaf mixture is pressed into flakes and partially rubbed out, making for a nice dense final heap which burns slowly and cool. While the centerpiece is the white Burley, a perpetually popular ingredient for its sweet toasty flavor, the condimental leaf gives it body and depth. You can smoke this all day and never have the same puff twice, but get that nice consistent warm-sweet-nutty flavor in every mouthful.

Similar Blends: John Middleton, Inc - Carter Hall, Scandinavian Tobacco Group (STG) - Sir Walter Raleigh, Peter Stokkebye - Cube Cut.

8 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	HCraven (11)	2013-12-06		Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

I finally satisfied my curiosity about this tobacco after hearing Ruffinogold sing it's praises both here and on one of the forums, and I'm glad I did. Despite 20+ years of pipe smoking, I hadn't yet really "got" Burley, though I'd only dabbled with it up to this point. I've tried some OTC blends like Carter Hall and Prince Albert, and sampled a few of C&D's offerings, and while I liked them ok, they never really compelled me to smoke them in quantity.

Golden Extra (sold as Golden Blend in the Eastern Hemisphere, according to Mac Baren) has finally hooked me on the simple pleasure of Burley's mild but honest tobacco flavor, and is buttery and nutty with an occasional hint of sweetness, provided, I believe, by the small amount of Virginia that is added. It's really the perfect all-day, anytime smoke, in my estimation, and I've already consumed a considerable quantity even given my moderate habit. It comes in a broken flake form similar to another of my standby blends, Rattray's Hal O' The Wynd, and it packs and lights easily straight from the tin, no drying time necessary. Relights are minimal to non-existent, and I regularly smoke this to ash in one go. The flavor is deep enough to reward you for slow, attentive puffing, but it is mild enough to smoke all day, and easy enough to smoke that you can clench your pipe and go about your business, giving it only an occasional tamp to keep it going. Being a Burley based tobacco, I find that this burns substantially faster than Virginias or English-style blends, though I haven't found it to burn hot or bite, even when carelessly over-puffed.

Mac Baren Golden Extra probably won't knock your socks off or make you throw the rest of your tobacco into the fire, but it provides a tasty and satisfying smoke without challenging your palate, your patience, or your budget. In bulk, it is priced competitively with most of the major OTC tubs, and in my estimation it provides a superior smoke, free of extraneous flavorings that mask bland tobacco and the PG goop that goes with them.

Four stars as both a solid Burley and an all-day smoke. I will keep a pound of this on hand in the future.

Pipe Used: Missouri Meerschaum Corn Cob

Age When Smoked: 2 1/2 years

Purchased From: Riegel's Pipe Shop, Fort Wayne, IN

8 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	doc'spipe (242)	2009-08-10		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Pleasant

According to Mac Baren, this is the same as their Golden Blend. Golden Blend is the European name and Golden Extra is the name for USA distribution. My reviews for each are the same:

I have re-introduced myself to Golden Blend (my tins read Golden Extra) after a lapse of many years. This review is of the tinned version (stamped Oct 2008) and freshly opened. The tin note is a tad sweeter than Mac's London Burley Blend which is a favorite of mine. Moisture level right for me, packed and lit easily. There was no problem keeping this one lit. I would say that it is similar to Mac's London, but differs in that it is not as full-bodied as Burley London Blend. There is no typical honey casing as with many of Mac's offerings. What I detect is the very mild presence of chocolate, and bittersweet. If any honey is present, I can not detect it. Although the tin description lists it, I do not detect the inclusion of any Virginia in Golden Blend. Slow smoking reveals a mildly sweet tasting Burley. It is more astringent/sour than BLB but not bitter or harsh on the throat.

Before lighting my pipe, I like to suck through the stem to taste the tobacco and rate its flavoring. As stated, this one had a very decided chocolate taste before lighting. After lighting, the chocolate presence took a back seat, but not in a bad way. The solid tobacco taste was the front runner. There was no bite whatsoever. Sometimes the Mac's produce a slight sting to the tongue, but not with this one. I puffed on it fairly aggressively to test this out. I eventually settled to a more paced smoke which was very enjoyable from start to finish. Golden Blend is a pleasant smoke. Although I find BLB fuller tasting as a Burley, Golden Blend is a nice change of pace for when I want a lighter Burley with a touch more sweetness. Truly, a superior smoke.

ADDENDUM 7-28-10: I just want to mention that I have been smoking this and Mac's Burley London Blend for nearly 35 years now. They may be similar, but they are not the same as one reviewer suggests.

8 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	CnS Pipes (40)	2018-05-06		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

MB Golden Extra is a burley lovers delight when it comes to a high quality pipe tobacco blend, I view on the lines of being the Opus X of burley for pipe smokers because there is alot of wonderful burley mixtures out there but this one takes the cake hands down. Golden Extra allows you to taste and appreciate the burley at its finest point with just a touch of golden Virginia to round it out, its funny because that is mostly the other way around. The aged burley gives you a robust natural taste that is so smooth and the nutty sweet tones in the smoke bring out that velvet effect that is mild to medium and honey and chocolate that is produced from the 100% natural state of the burley itself. I cannot detect the Virginia most of time but sometimes I will get that citrus bright effect in the taste but this stuff burns ultra smooth and taste wonderful. When I smoke the stuff it does not bite me at all so I don't have that problem and the nicotine level is moderate so its good for a all day smoke bit kinda pricey for that kind of smoking at least for me, I smoke this as a treat. The room note is tolerable because its not a aromatic so its gonna smell like pipe tobacco in its natural form and I'm sure its alittle stinky. If your a burley lover then this stuff will float your boat amd if your not or don't know its pretty dang good and you should give it a go. I highly recommend this pipe tobacco blend and Mac Baren has done a fine job with this one. Thanks for reading my review and God bless all you fellow pipe smokers and God bless America, remember to stand up for your right to smoke and support your American tobacco growers because they need it badly.

Pipe Used: Peterson CnS Pipes Tinderbox

Age When Smoked: 39

Purchased From: pipesandcigars.com

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Nicotiana_rustica (23)	2015-12-20		Mild to Medium	Mild	Medium	Pleasant

I have been smoking Golden Blend- Golden extra for many years! Moisture level is perfect for me, packed and lit easily. There was no problem keeping this one lit. There is no typical honey casing as with many of Mac's offerings. What I detect is the very mild presence of chocolate, and bittersweet. Slow smoking reveals a mildly sweet tasting Burley.

Golden Extra (sold as Golden Blend in EU) is perfect in a small corn cob (pride, legend, filtered with white elephant or Denicotea 6mm filter). It provides simple, almost mono dimensional pleasure of Burley's mild but honest tobacco flavor, and is buttery and nutty with an occasional hint of sweetness. It's really the perfect all-day, anytime smoke.

Relights are minimal to non-existent, and I regularly smoke this to ash in one go. The flavor is deep enough to reward you for slow, attentive puffing, but it is mild (mild to medium) enough to smoke all day! Being a Burley based tobacco, I find that this burns substantially faster than Virginias or English-style blends.

My favourite blend from MacBaren line! Its a straight on burley flavor that is milder than most with the added chocolate/cocoa topping. It's a Burley that anyone can smoke . The quality of leaf is excellent. The room note is indeed pleasant. An classic all day smoker!

As far as Burley blends go , it's top quality! An all day- everyday blend . 5 STARS !!!

Pipe Used: missouri meerschaum corn cob: legend, pride

Age When Smoked: fresh

Purchased From: https://www.pipe-shop.net

Similar Blends: THE SAME (IDENTICAL) TO MB GOLDEN BLEND.

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	bklynpipe (13)	2015-12-17		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Mild	Pleasant

The superb Burley and Virginia in this blend will exceed your highest expectations. I took a chance and bought the one-pound bag from JR. Opening the bag released a pleasant but light burley aroma, and studying it further revealed the sweet Virginia MacBaren is famous for. The cut is large and partially rubbed out. The match initially provided an easy going Burley blend, but the re-light shows this to be a true blue-blood. The Burley becomes toasty, and the Virginia chimes in with a light sweetness, burning to a handsome white ash. This is wonderful stuff and highly recommended.

Pipe Used: Gepetto 205, MM "Morgan".

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: JR Cigars

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	B&D Pipes (9)	2020-04-14		Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Mac Baren Golden Blend/Extra Review

I was born thirty years after the release of Golden Blend (Extra here in the states). Being a pipe smoker for only just shy of three years I have been fortunate enough to have collected over three hundred different prepared tobaccos. If I was forced to guess in my short time being a pipe smoking, I have been able to try around five hundred different blends. Due to such variety I have never set myself in a specific rotation. I found it unnecessary and a bit silly. I would simply choose what I wanted at that that particular point and time or something I haven’t smoked in a while if I was feeling a bit indecisive. I never understood the reasoning behind smoking the same old stuff when you can always mix things up.

Starting out I was an English smoker. I know most people start as aromatic smokers. I personally never had a taste for them, although I can admit they are nice every now and then to break up the monotony of Latakia forward blends. After trying my hand at blending, disaster struck. I burnt out my palate. I simply couldn’t enjoy Latakia as much as I used to. I am thankful for this partly because I was able create something that I can be proud of. An English blend that I named 2B. But I am really thankful because it forced me into the realm of Virginias . . . and eventually to Burleys.

Fast forward a year or so and my Tobacco Acquisition Disorder caused me to randomly order a tin of Mac Baren’s Golden Extra. The very first time I opened the tin I smelled a bit of vinegar, bread, and a very mild sweetness. My first smoke of the tobacco was in my favorite Kirsten. A first-generation M with a modified valve to accept o-rings, a slightly bent stem with a broken ramrod from a second-generation C, a “Get Bent” adapter made by Doug Bisbee, as well as a Briar bowl made by Mike Brissett. I will never forget that day. It was the day that I genuinely fell in love with a tobacco.

When you smoke Golden Extra you are greeted with that almost herbal note (for lack of a better way to describe it) of the Burley tobaccos. The Virginias are always in the back seat throwing a little sugar on top of the Burley as well as adding some hay and citrus. Every now and then you will get a touch of chocolate from the Burley and/or possible toppings. It is a very straightforward blend unless you have mastered your smoking cadence. If so, then she opens up like a willing virgin on Prom night and will give you the most sublime of smoking pleasures. The Burleys will then offer a bit of nuttiness, earth, and a touch of wood. The Virginias will give a bit bread and grass and possibly even some honey. When you taste those notes from this blend . . . you know you have reached smoking bliss.

As I have previously mentioned, I never once understood the reasoning behind a blend rotation. But I would absolutely scoff at those old men that would come in to my local tobacconist and buy a pound of 1Q, BCA, or Vanilla Custard. I would watch them and wonder what type of simple life they must live that they only smoke the same blend over and over and over again. I now understand that I was a fool and that their wisdom is in their simplicity. I have purchased a couple more tins and three pounds of bulk Golden Extra and told my local tobacconist to keep it stocked. For the past six months I have smoked Golden Extra every single day. I simply cannot stop myself.

Earlier I used an analogy of a virgin on prom night so I will continue that mildly sexist trend with comparing tobaccos to women in general: Sure. It’s nice to get ahold of the most beautiful girl in your area and take her out every once in a while. But she is expensive and not readily available (like some of the blends that we all know and love). But there is that more modest girl around the corner that is always there for you and will never let you down. Rarely bites you and always comforts you when you need her. That girl for me is Golden Extra. And I think I am ready to settle down and enjoy the rest of my life with her.

Thank you Mac Baren for making this fine tobacco. It has not only brought me endless hours of comfort and enjoyment, but also taught me a life lesson or two along the way!

~ Barry

Pipe Used: Multiple

Age When Smoked: Fresh to 6 months (Tin and Bulk)

Purchased From: Pipes & Cigars, Local B&M

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	J. Ward (71)	2016-11-09		Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Mac Baren Golden Extra is just such an extraordinarily smooth and pleasant blend. This well melded combination of Virginia and Burley is not complex, and it's not meant to be. Nutty, slightly honey sweet, notes of chocolate, great tobacco taste- just delicious. You can load this in a cob or a briar, but the cob is my personal preference for this all day blend. No bite to be found, smoke at a moderate cadence for best effect. One last suggestion: buy it by the pound! 3.5 stars.

Pipe Used: Briar and MM Cob

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: smokingpipes.com

Similar Blends: Missouri Meerschaum - Missouri Pride.

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2016-04-02		Mild	Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

On the face of it, this is a not particularly exciting, workhorse of a blend. It's the same blend, year in, year out, decade after decade. Just a boring, excellent, moderately priced tobacco.

Top quality burley, just a hint of sweetness, presented ready to smoke: this is one of the great ones. There are times when I start thinking about paring down the number of pipes and tobaccos I have; it's usually when I'm smoking this or it's slightly sweeter sibling Symphony.

The added bonus to smoking this? It has an aroma that gets repeated compliments.

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Perique (163)	2013-01-25		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

An excellent choice for burley lovers. Presentation is broken flake, tightly pressed into a round tin. Tin note is classic VaBur hay. Mild cocoa on the palate, as expected. Virginias in the background but serve as a little speed bump against the tendency of many (myself included) to speed-smoke a nice, light burley. After the charring light, smoke this one slow, as you would a VA, to really get at the subtle sweetness. It will require self control beacuse it's so damn good. Really nice cocoa notes here with the addition of Virginia sweetness in the background. This is a very well done blend.

Note: the slower you sip this, the more you will taste the light cocoa flavors. It will be difficult, as the blend is so delicious you'll want to puff it. But try to sip it and you'll really get the natural and unflavored sweet milk chocolate notes of the excellent burley in this blend.

A great, every day smoke. Excellent value in a 100g tin. I especially like this in a large bowled cob such as an MM Country Gent - cobs do so well with those cocoa burley flavors. The addition of Virginias into this blend give the suggestion of hot chocolate. Four stars and among the best in its class.

Similar Blends: Mac Baren - Burley London Blend.

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	TallPuffO'Burley (633)	2017-10-16		Medium	Very Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is a great example of a burley that can easily be an all day smoke. Very smooth lightly sweet and will not bite. The nuttiness and sweetness you would expect is here and it has a very nice, pipey, sidestream.

The flavoring noted in the above caption is of cocoa/chocolate. I don't think this has a topping of these flavors. If there is a topping I would guess that it is one of honey or something sugary such as that. I don't like chocolate toppings, but I do enjoy the natural chocolate like taste that comes off a robust burley. Golden Extra is more about the latter than the former.

While this has a decent amount of nicotine, it is not a nic bomb like many other burley blends. I would put the strength at medium on this one. Overall, I like it and find it to be a solid three star burley blend, but would still prefer to smoke some Uhle burleys to this, but this would definitely fill the niche in the rotation. Good stuff.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Bud_Harold (24)	2017-08-30		Mild	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

As noted by the reviews, this blend is obviously polarizing in that folks either love it or dislike it. I personally enjoy the crap out of it. Great aroma in the tin, smokes clean, flavorful, easy to pack, good price, and an amazing room note. What's not to like!? Excellent Burley blend!

I get mostly a chocolate milk powder (Nestle Quik) flavor from this, with a sprinkle of hazelnut on the back end. Maybe a hint of fruit too.

Pipe Used: Various

Age When Smoked: 1yr

Purchased From: Smoking Pipes

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Tomcat (223)	2020-08-03		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Unnoticeable

I wish I had bought a pd of this instead of sampling 6 or so different burley blends ! GE is a fairly sweet , nutty earthy , toasty , cocoa and honey flavored burley with a little bright Virginias to add to sweetness and round it out nicely . Old school Mac Baren burley with no bite . If you like Burley it is worth a go . Bought in bulk and it had great hydration. 3 1/2 stars .

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	doc pipes (110)	2020-05-18		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

MacBaren golden extra is a reasonable option for those in the market for burley. I am neither enthusiastic about it, nor do I have any real serious gripes about it. GE is a fairly dark brown partially rubbed out flake tightly pressed into the tin. There are a few obvious bright VA ribbons that course through the flake. Drying time is a necessity. I will typically leave it out for 20+ minutes after rubbing my selected portion out to ribbon consistency. The tin aroma is sweet and identical to Burley London Blend. The first few char lights and the sidestream that waft off are delicious, and the only semblance of cocoa that I appreciate during the smoke. After the true light from top to bottom, it’s all white burley, earthy, sour, rich tobacco. It has the classic MacBaren bite if pushed. I compared GE side by side with another open tin of BLB dated November 2011. They are identical regarding appearance, smell, color, cut, leaf ratio, flake size, general taste and body when smoked, and odor left in the room. I could not tell these apart blind, though I’m sure others out there have indeed conquered this particular challenge. If one reads the descriptions on the tins, it would suggest that possibly the only difference is the time the food grade additives are applied. It would seem that GE uses burley that is cased and then pressed with VA into the flakes which are further topped? BLB makes no mention of a cased burley, but does admit the chocolate top note, a “special top note.” I almost exclusively use this tobacco to break in new pipes. It burns cool, neutral, and does as fine a job as any in developing a cake until I decide what particular genre of tobacco I’d like to dedicate/enjoy in said new pipe. If you want a gentle introduction into the world of burley tobacco, there are plenty of worse choices. It is mild, inoffensive, and consistent. Also tends to burn wet, even if it is near crispy dry. I dunno, I’ll presume this is my fault and I will own this one. It’s ok.

Pipe Used: Innumerable

Age When Smoked: Tin dated feb 2015

Purchased From: Iwan ries

Similar Blends: Burley London blend.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	ATW (110)	2020-01-04		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Very Pleasant

My sample is from bulk. The bag aroma is sweet and very similar to Virginia no 1. This is a very consistent blend. From start to finish it has that nice burley quality that you get from Mac Baren. The sweetness shows for most of the bowl. It's a sweet nutty cocoa and almost floral quality but as you go down the bowl further the burley amps up to a cigar like earthiness but more refined. It burns very cool and clean with no tonque bite or harshness.

This compares to HH Burley Flake but without the addition of dark fried Kentucky. Very smooth and elegant with no sacrifice in body and flavor. Just as Cornell and Diehl make great American style burley blends, Mac Baren make excellent Danish style Burley blends. Highly recommend.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Peterson314 (43)	2019-11-22		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

First take:

To me, this tastes like a mild burley with some milder Virginia. Maybe golden burley with a little Virginia extra.

I get a little grassiness in the finish at the back end of my tongue from the Virginia. Mostly, I thought this was a very pleasant easy smoking blend that couldn't be overpowered by puffing incessantly. Get it too cool, and it almost disappears. Definitely a blend that shines with big, full clouds of smoke.

The aftertaste is a little bit of hay and a teeny touch of campfire, making this a great blend to pair with a crisp fall evening.

2022-12-09 Update - 3 Years:

Recently, I've been making a concerted effort to pick the jars in the back of my cellar, and I tried Golden Extra again today. I gotta say this was more enjoyable than I remembered, but I have to conclude that this is still a pretty forgettable smoke.

It takes a bit of work to get it right. In order to find the Chocolate, I've got to get a lot of very cool smoke. If I just have one small ember going, I'm not going to find the Extra. If the bowl gets even a little hot, that Extra is gone as well. But when I get a good puff, it's very good. You know you hit it when you get a nice chocolate overtone to an otherwise flavorful smoke. It's hard to chase, though.

I don't believe that 3 years in the jar did that much for this blend. I think it's good to smoke new, and it's slightly better to smoke aged, but definitely not one you need to pack away to unlock.

Overall, the taste is mild, the chocolate is milder, and when it works, it's great. But most of the time the chocolate gets blown out. It's a decent Va/Bur in its own right. However, I am not going to re-up when I empty this jar. Happy to have tried it, though.

Pipe Used: Peterson 314 System

Age When Smoked: 2 Months & 3 Years

Purchased From: smokingpipes.com

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Hobo Piper (8)	2018-09-09		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

This is a really tasty burley. One of my favorites taste wise. It has a bit of molasses and honey oats taste. Sort of an edgeworth slice ultra lite. Unfortunately it gets a little snippy with me on the tongue possibly due to the virginias. I am however, a bit of a heavy puffer and and oftentimes have to remind myself to slow my roll. I always keep a bit of this one around though. It goes great with coffee and is just sweet enough for a dessert smoke for me not to say it is an aromatic for it is not. This one is scored mild to medium all the way around and a very solid 3 star smoke. I smoke golden extra in my faithful knock around pipes as I save my finer pipes for finer tobaccos.

Pipe Used: Knock around pipes

Age When Smoked: 0-5 years

Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com

Similar Blends: Edgeworth, Sir Walter Raleigh, Granger.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Grayskwerl (8)	2018-06-30		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Pleasant

On the initial light, I was beginning to think the other reviewers here were nuts. I wasn't getting much burley, but a lot of Virginia (perhap's I'm sensitive or something). Persevering, the burley did show up, but for me, in a more earthy note than a chocolate note. I wasn't sure if I was really liking it, but I think I was focusing too much on what I thought it should be, rather than on what it actually is. And it is a solid, very pleasant smoke. I feel it could get aggressive if pushed, but you would have to really try. It is sweet, earthy, a tiny bit spicy, and tasty. Good solid tobacco flavor. I'm on the fence about the aroma so far. (Not bad, but not fantastic either). I think this is one that will grow even more pleasant with more familiarity. I'm looking forward to that.

Pipe Used: cob, briar

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	3pipeproblem (28)	2018-04-28		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I can't believe this only has 63 reviews to date ! This is a real classic and a must for Burley lovers. This inherits the mantle of excellence that the legendary London Blend had, and is a milder version of that with perhaps a bit more VA added.

Burns well, tastes great, pure tobacco flavor, high quality leaf. Simply can't beat the price. I need to lay in a pound...these are times to make a pipe smoker anxious about the future.

If I couldn't get any other Burley than this it'd be no big deal : solid 4 stars.

Pipe Used: Briars, corncob

Age When Smoked: Fresh out of tin

Purchased From: Pipes and Cigars

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	DenizBeck (323)	2017-08-30		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Medium	Pleasant

Different than I expected it to be, yet pretty damn delicious and worthy to be a classic still in production! I was expecting it to be much sweeter, yet I'm pleasantly surprised this one comes quite natural for what I was expecting.

I like to compare this to Solani's Aged Burley Flake, as this is like his "tad sweeter, more nutty toned brother". Whilst ABF is dark, rich cocoa, like chocolate with 80% or more cocoa in it, with excellent, tobacco-y aged white Burley, Golden Blend is more on the nutty side. With slight honey sweetness, but really not much. GB is milk-chocolaty at best. I don't get too much chocolate from it, more rich tobacco-y Burley taste reminiscent of nuts, dark bread and pleasant, moderate spice. The Virginias are really just flattening edges on this one, I can't really detect them much, guess they give the honey-ish sweetness in the back. Typically for Burley heavy blends the flavor profile doesn't offer to much diversification, but the few taste-dimensions it offers are from excellent aroma and highest quality.

It really compares very well to ABF, and will definetly accompany ABF in my tobacco bar, as my two go-to Burleys. Even tho ABF is rather dark, and GB more bright toned in taste, they not only "live in the same alley"....they "live in the same house", using this fitting metaphor.

Not too mild, even tho I got told this to be very mild. Mild+, close to medium for me. The Burley has some power, but it's very suitabel for beginners/smokers who prefer a mild smoke and as a first bowl in the morning. Very solid smoke and a good introduction into the wonderful world of burleys - albeit this being one of the sweeter kind (or as I call it: European Burley (not referring to where it is grown, but that it is noticeably sweetened over here)) of Burley.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Arkie (129)	2015-04-01		Extremely Mild	None Detected	Extremely Mild (Flat)	Unnoticeable

This stuff tastes like Symphony (or Harmony as it is called in Europe) which is to say it has no flavor or fragrance. It's like drawing warm air through a pipe.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	brashboy (84)	2014-10-23		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Very Pleasant

Gawd, I started with Golden Extra as my first good tinned tobacco back when I got my first adult job (selling newspaper advertising for the St. Pete Times). It knocked me out then and continues to do so. Disclaimer: I am a Mac Baren man, in the sense that I love a lot of their tobaccos, but I smoke damn near everything. Good tobacco flavor but I agree could use more nicotine, tin note is nutty hay, aroma is amazing - back when I first smoked this in the early 70s you could smoke in the office, and the ladies would actually ask me to smoke this for the room aroma. True story.Kind of miss those days...

I'm not a tobacco wussy, either. I can smoke MB HH Old Dark Fired Ready Rubbed all day long; same with D&R Picayune Pride of New Orleans and SG's Brown Rope blends.

GE is a baccy you can smoke all day, very refined. I let it dry out 15-20 min. before rubbing it out a bit and lighting up. Burns very well, no bite for me (but don't push it hard) and the taste gets deeper and richer, deeper into the bowl. I would rate this 3.3 - 3.6 if I could. The 3.1 overall rating is too low. This blend, like any other, will not be everyone's cup of tea, but if you like a good Burley or VaBer (this is more of a BurVa) you should try Golden Extra.

NOTE: many compare this to the now-discontinued Burley London Blend, but they have different personalities. I really prefer the taste and aroma of GE, but this is a purely personal thing.

Age When Smoked: New, 6-mo. aged

Similar Blends: MB Burley London Blend, H&H Old Companion.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Tantric (321)	2013-03-31		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

After a long, dry spell without pipe tobaco (due to the stupidity of Mexican government regulations), I got hold of this one in a recent trip to Cartagena de Indias. Very much surprised by the quality, craftmanship and balance of GE.

Similar to London Club, but with the added touch of matured Virginia leaf, this is truly a classy and a classic smoke. Smooth, flavoursome, dense, with an excellent room note. I much prefer it to Mixture because it has a more defined tobacco structure. It does not pretend to be fancy.

Who ever designed this blend knew perfectly well what he/she was doing. A no-nonsense smoke for any time of the day, with a very traditional Burley aroma, inviting, not entirely sweet and not at all flat (something I do get from other Burley blends).

If found, try it. This is very good stuff. Should deserve better publicity and marketing.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	BingCrosby (162)	2011-02-17		Medium	Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I was lucky enough to find a well aged tin of this fine burley/virginia blend.. I'm not sure of the exact age but based on the rusty weathered nature of the tin I would guess it had at least 5 years on it.. Not being much of a Macbaren or burley smoker I was slightly hesitant.. but how often do you get the chance to experience something with age on it without the need to wait patiently - so I jumped at the chance.. The tin popped easily but was a little tricky to get open since it was slightly fused together.. The smell that was released from the tin was amazing.. very sweet fermented bliss.. almost too sweet but overwhelming in a pleasant way.. The same sweetness came accross in the smoke along with an old musty flavor that was curiously intoxicating.. this is a light blend but aged it seems almost heavy.. a little chocolate comes through but deffinately a natural tasting smoke.. It does bite a lot when you first open it.. but after some drying it mellows.. beautiful smoke.. I prefer straight virginias but this is a case of age making the difference.. I would say 4 stars with age.. maybe 2 or 3 otherwise in my opinion.. but a gorgeous old tobacco.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	pipe_organist (14)	2009-10-27		Mild	Extremely Mild	Mild	Pleasant

This blend is an old friend from my undergraduate days at Oberlin College, in the days when we could smoke in our dorm rooms, and the local "drug store" carried some amazingly high-quality blends, including this one, Mac Baren Scottish Mixture and the black and white label tins of Balkan Sobranie, all of which I smoked.

This is another nice, mild blend that can be smoked casually and often with no fear of bite or harshness. It is packed tightly in the tin and presents that quintessential "Mac Baren" tin aroma of figs, raisins and pastry. While I remember pulling it out of the tin and packing it "as is" when I smoked it back in the day, I now rub it out really well, despite the "ready rubbed" legend on the label.

It takes to the flame nicely and once the second flame is applied, it stays lit and burns slowly and evenly. This tobacco wants to be sipped slowly and will bite back if smoked agressively. A large-bowl pipe that's carefully and firmly packed will provide a long, slow and pleasant smoke with subtle flavors that don't get too strong or complex, but stay mild and even from start to finish.

I have fond memories of this 'baccy, and will keep it in my rotation for a good long time.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	musicman (131)	2020-11-07		Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Pleasant

This is another hide and seek blend for me.

A hide and seek blend is a tobacco that every once in a while presents these fantastic flavors, that are really enjoyable, but it seems to come and go. Then I have to spend time slowing down and focusing to find it again. If that great, full round sweetened burley taste was consistent the whole time? This would be a four star tobacco for me.

I have a love hate relationship with burley. For me, burley is all or nothing. I am mostly a Vaper lover, and about 90% of the time, I know if I will like a Virginia blend, just from reading the tin. This is not the case for me when it comes to burley blends. Sometimes I love em, sometimes they are pretty flat for me. This makes trying burley blends exciting, but sometimes leading to disappointment.

This is a nice blend. It is like the gentrified version of Carter Hall (which is a favorite of mine). The taste characteristics between this blend and Carter Hall, are slightly similar. This tobacco is slightly fuller and richer than than CH, but it is also a bit more temperamental. Smoke it slowly and with concentration, and it produces great flavors. Take your eye of the ball however, and it can be a little harsh and lose its pizzazz. Carter Hall requires less supervision.

This comes in a broken flake. The tin note is fantastic. Sweet and Bready. It rubs out easily and behaves well in the pipe. It is good stuff. The topping is a background compliment, not a in your face flavor.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Cherry picker 1779 (52)	2020-08-06		Mild	Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

This is a nice pleasant tobacco. Easy to enjoy, not complex, smooth and burns with ease even when fresh out of a new tin or bag. Tin note is not natural tobacco. Anyone that says that ( way too many here) must be smoking something else in their pipes. I can’t pinpoint the top note but it’s on many blends, particularly the same top note as orlik dark strong Kentucky and backwoods natural blend. 3 different blends, 3 different qualities, 1 similar top note. The top note is very clear and present and it masks to natural tobacco in tin note and it also takes over most of the tobacco when smoking it. This makes it hard to distinguish the natural tobacco flavors. That being said it’s still a nice top note. The room note is nice, and the side stream smell is great. Low nicotine, mild smoke, with a medium flavor. Zero complexity. I consider it a putter around blend to not focus on. The flavor is consistent from start to finish. I’m very happy with this blend however I’m Very unhappy with reviewers trying to claim this may not be topped and that they can taste the natural burley and Also the Virginia. It’s not possible. You taste the top note with a quality tobacco smokiness underneath.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	cakeanddottle (105)	2020-01-04		Mild	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

I give Golden Extra 2 stars, but only because Burley London Blend, Amphora Original and Amphora Burley are 3 star, and I don't find Golden Extra as good as those three. For that matter you could proceed straight to 4 star HH Burley Flake.

Comparison to stablemates aside, it's a good smoke. It needs a relaxed pace or the tobacco can zing your tongue a little. It's smooth, mild and sweet Burley, with Virginia to add some high notes. It is totally devoid of rough or sour notes. Problem is, for Burley smokers who smoked prior to 2014, you're always going to compare this to BLB, and it just isn't as good as BLB. I will never understand why Mac Baren kept this and delisted BLB. It just doesn't make sense.

26June2021 updating to reflect that after getting my hands on some Burley London Blend I can smoke both and compare. The memory of BLB does not live up to the experience of Golden Extra. Turns out Mac Baren was right all along. Both good tobaccos, but GE gets the nod from me. Always willing to admit when I was wrong, one star added.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	usafvol1 (16)	2017-01-30		Mild	Extremely Mild	Extremely Mild (Flat)	Pleasant

It's just OK for me. Nothing stands out. Perfect moisture, lights and burns well. Doesn't really bite, although it teased my tongue like it wanted to. I don't get chocolate at all. MAYBE a teeny bit nutty, and sometimes peppery. Not grassy. Room notes are mild, but not really aromatic, more of just a lack of anything strong. They kind of remind of old school Camel cigarettes, non-filter. I guess this would be ok to smoke all day to pass the time, but the stuff is way too expensive to use that way.

Pipe Used: Peterson system, Viking 301

Age When Smoked: Fresh to 1 month.

Purchased From: P&C

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	steppx (186)	2017-01-20		Mild	Mild	Mild	Very Pleasant

Whelp.... this is what it is. I will say I do keep a tin or two around because its maybe the best room note in all of pipedom. I smoke at xmas when guests are around. Nobody complains because it smells terrific. That said, its a pretty mild blend. Its very pleasant though and as burly blends go....of this sort...its top notch. There is a nic hit...but mild. Some burly....drugstore blends or the old Pipeworks & Wilke stuff has virtually no nicotine. This has some, but its mild. It does taste nice, smokes clean, too. Nothing to dislike, just not a memorable smoke. Two and half.

Purchased From: 4noggins

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	oldcodger (74)	2016-07-25		Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

MacBaren Golden Extra is a pipe tobacco which pleases burleyphiles but has a somewhat limited allure for the rest of the pipe smoking contingent. (Golden Extra is the marketing name in the US; in the rest of the world it is Golden Blend; reviews on this board under either rubric are for the same tobacco.)

A medium brown broken flake, Golden Extra is easy to pack and light and does not present a challenge in keeping the light. Most will find a little drying time helpful upon first opening the tin. The tin sniff presents the same slightly fermented smell characteristic of MacBaren products.

The taste is clearly burley although this does have a little Virginia in it. The nutty chocolate flavor of good burley has a boost from added chocolate flavoring in my judgment. As with other MacBaren products there is the omnipresent taste of maple sugar giving it a honeyed characteristic. It is not quite so sweet as its sibling Symphony/Harmony (which has some cavendish) but a bit more than its now discontinued stablemate Burley London Blend.

A tobacco predominantly composed of burley offers a pretty stout nicotine kick, and Golden Mixture is more than medium in this regard, but a little short of being a nicotine bomb. The room note is pleasant if undistinguished, not notably different from such offerings as Prince Albert and Sir Walter Raleigh.

Although MacBaren is one of the world's best selling pipe tobacco makers it elicits quite a lot of complaints concerning tongue bite. Golden Extra avoids this complaint, at least it will for a majority of pipe smokers, as it has only a smidgen of Virginia, and when packed loosely it burns slowly in a manner that tends to protect sensitive tongues. It burns dry to a light grey ash and leaves no goop in the pipe.

If memory serves me correctly, Golden Extra has a taste not unlike the long gone and lamented Edgeworth Sliced. But as with Edgeworth Sliced the kudos come mostly from smokers who really like burley. Those who prefer latakia/oriental, aromatic, or Virginia smokes will find Golden Extra too monochromatic. For me (and I smoke burley blends about a quarter of the time), this is on the border between three and four stars. I suspect most others who appreciate burley will rate it as highly. But for those who who grumble "meh" over burley, the appeal is far less.

Don't worry about the pipes you use. This tobacco does not ghost, and I find it appealing in briar, cob, and meerschaum.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Jacinto Cupboard (209)	2015-11-23		Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

To add to the confusion regarding the nomenclature of this tobacco, I bought mine as bulk under the Sutliff name from SmokingPipes.com. I assume it is the same tobacco, if not then the mods can do their thing.

This is a mid brown broken flake, very broken as I received it. The bag note reveals some fairly heady topping/casing in play. Notes include vanilla, caramel and anisette. There are nutty aromas I assume to be natural to the burley, but I wouldn't bet my left nut on it.

My purchase came quite dry, and it takes and holds a light fairly well. It is a sweet and nutty smoke. I would consider it a borderline aromatic in the same way Royal Yacht is. This tobacco is lighter in all regards in comparison to RY.

Its an inexpensive but unremarkable, flavoured, VaBur.

Pipe Used: Lepeltier

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	mightysmurf8201 (28)	2015-03-25		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Full	Very Pleasant

Classic burley, chocolaty aroma out of the tin. Partially rubbed flake. Moisture level good out of the tin. Soft and pliable makes it easy to pack without having to further rub it out, which is nice. Very easy to light for this cut of tobacco. Burns nicely. Classic burley flavor all the way through, getting just a bit more robust as it's smoked. Nicotine content is just barely enough to let you know it's there. Easily an all day smoke. Seems to smoke a bit better in a larger sized bowl. Every time I finish a bowl, I just want to pack another and light up. Very enjoyable with plenty of burley flavor. I couldn't get it to bite even if I wanted to. This blend is what other blends like half&half wish they could be.

Pipe Used: Briar

Age When Smoked: 2 yrs

Purchased From: Random B&M

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	fmjiii (18)	2014-11-16		Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Mac Baren Golden Extra (or golden blend) is a fine burley tobacco blended with aged ready rubbed burley. I like burley blends i.e., London Burley Blend but this one doesn't have a lot of flavor. It can be smoked all day. It is subtle and not overpowering. I particularly like the straightforward tobacco taste of this smoke and I detect just a lite sweetness as an undertone flavoring. I do not pick up the chocolate taste others have experienced. If you're looking for a good, quality, affordable burley that's about medium all the way through (strength, taste, flavor), this is it.

Pipe Used: Various briars

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	MrPiper (31)	2014-02-28		Medium	Medium	Medium	Pleasant

Golden Extra is a delight for the smoker and the audience. Nicely dry from the tin and easy to pack, light and smoke to the bottom of the bowl. A little bit of bite if smoked too intensely, fast and hot. Slow down and the reward is a nice tobacco flavor. I keep a couple of tins on hand and whenever it comes up in the rotation, I look forward to it like a visit with an old friend. Think of this as the smell of your grandfather's pipe tobacco when you were a child.

Pipe Used: various

Age When Smoked: Fresh tin

Purchased From: various

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2013-06-27		Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

Get your over-alls, straw hat, cane pole and head down to the fishin' hole on the John Deere! If you want to taste straight forward burley ..... no casing nothing added (except a little virginia) then this is the tobacco. For me, The best burley I've ever smoked. Quality leaf! Smooth, good body, tasty and the sweetness that is all tobacco. Gents ..... this is real tobacco! If you like burley ..... I highly recommend you give this a try. This is an excellent smoke. This tobacco smoked in a cob .... whew! If you like virginias .... you will love this! This tobacco is one of my favorites. I smoke a lot of different tobaccos ..... English, virginias, aromatics .... etc. But if I need a "straight-up" tobacco fix ...... this is my "go to" smoke. Mac Baren has my attention. If you are a burley lover ..... do not pass this one up! Very highly recommended!!!!!

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Buster Bluth (56)	2013-02-08		Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

I consider this a passport to Burley Heaven. I smoke in a Mark Tinsky Rhodesian devoted to it. The primary note is cocoa to me. I feel the nutty flavor intermittently. There is a sweetness under the surface likely due to a little Va in the mix. If OTC burleys like Carter Hall are one dimensional, I find Golden Extra to be 2 dimensional. There is a thicker and more flavorful feel on the tongue. It is hearty to me. Does best for me gently coaxed in a bigger bowl.

In my opinion, this tobacco needs some time and air to perform right. I find that the case with all MacBarens. I've ordered bulk online which I found better behaved. In the case of the more readily available tins, I open and let it air overnight. I then transfer to jar and wait a few weeks. Golden Extra mellows even more with some age, and the tendency to burn hot when fresh seems to go away. This is extra work, but worth it. I am currently on a jar I stuffed a year ago, and find it perfect.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2011-08-13		Mild	Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

Update 06-21-2018 In a galaxy far away and in another time, the only blend I purchased from MacBaren was the London Burley blend, and It was some kinda good. Since MacBaren discontinued the Burley, I’ve been enjoying the second best blend they make, Ol Golden extra. I bought a tin of this last week at Tinder Box, and it cost me twenty dollars. I remember when Walgreens sold these MacBaren tins for three dollars a piece. Walgreens used to sell some really good pipe tobacco back in the day. Golden Extra is a broken cake of burley and Virginia blended with a touch of sweetness. Packs nicely, lights well and my favorite thing about it...it doesn’t bite like a lot of MacBaren blends. A very well rounded, smooth, mild tobacco with a nice little nicotine lift. Smells delicious in the tin and in the room.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Sir Walter Smiley (24)	2010-05-24		Mild	Mild	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

This tobacco, as with most Mac Baren tobaccos, bites my tongue. It is a chemical reaction that I just can't get past. I have tried different methods of packing, different pipes, extreme slow smoking: always the same, ouch. It is too bad for this tobacco has a fine flavor of sweetened burley and is always priced nicely at the tobacco shops. A 100 gram tin is usually about the same price as most other brands 50 gram tins. Try this tobacco if you like burley blends with a slight sweetness and see if your chemistry is suitable for Mac Baren tobaccos. Mine is not.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	ELF (40)	2010-05-08		Very Mild	Extremely Mild	Very Mild	Pleasant

Golden Extra is a very forgiving blend.Not afraid to fill any of my Pipes,with GldnXtra.Most of my pipes are assigned to 1or2 Tobaccos.G-Xtra smokes well in any Pipe,and doesn't leave Funky Flavors behind. Good Natural Tobacco ! :-)

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pipefitter (51)	2022-06-02		Mild to Medium	Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

As with all of MacBaren flake that I’ve tried, this is a recommend with 3 stars instead of the 4 I give most of their flake. It’s a well balanced all day smoke that can get hot if you’re not careful. I like it when I’m on my tractor mowing the couple of bucolic acres of mine. This tobacco is part of my regular rotation and I try to keep a spare tin as I keep my stash in Mason jars. This isn’t a complex smoke, but a good pipe tobacco doesn’t have to be . This is a solid 3+……..a working man’s pipe tobacco.

Pipe Used: Cobb

Age When Smoked: 8/21

Purchased From: Sergei’s in East Lyme Ct.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JimPM (155)	2022-04-20		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I’ve stated this in the past, and I’ll say it again now, there is something extraordinary about the choice of varietals that Mac Baren tenders within their blends. Perhaps an appropriate descriptor is “elevated” and just maybe Golden Extra serves the archetypic example of that belief. As a rather simple recipe of choice Burley and a golden Virginian strain that are skillfully cased and lightly flavored with a delicate cocoa/chocolate topping, the blend delivers a classic combination in savor. Clearly the natural and delectable nuances of the constituent tobaccos are the premier feature with its consumption.

Principally, whether from the tin or in bulk, the mellow smoking Golden Extra presents an impressive display of culturing. Thin deeply fermented strands of meticulously rubbed flake show an imaginative mask of veritable striping. Mainly, a deep brown/ebon hue permeates the prime of the mass as charming inflections of gold brilliancy provide mottling accent. Ultimately these finely pressed layers of tobacco exhibit an achieved marbling and dense graining only attainable through a considerable degree of optimum fusion. With this overall refined visage, Golden Extra’s presentation speaks volumes to the quality of its preparation.

In congruence with the noted physical attractiveness, a lovely balanced fragrance emanates from the collection of tobaccos. Despite the blend’s general simplicity, the olfactory senses are enlivened by an inviting scent of sweet-tart air that projects forward with inherent magnetism. Specifically, a rounded essence of seasoned grass, aged raisins/plums complementing the sweeter aroma of Burley nutty-wood affluence form the principal forward registration. This captivating effect is completed with a tinge of subtle sourness, passive notes of sugary chocolate, and a lower bready quintessence making the trailing personation exceptionally alluring.

Postured with an ideal moisture level, Golden Extra lends itself to an immediate application of bowl preparation. Given the loose composure of the rubbed fragments, the tobacco nicely slips into the chamber filling the internal geometry with minimal effort. The resulting effect is a densely packed wadding that burns decidedly slow and consistent making for an extended session of piping enjoyment.

Unquestionably Golden Extra lasts considerably longer than comparable blend types. Judging this mechanical attribute, in my opinion, it is indicative of superiority in processed mass and the blended tempering of the Burley. There are occasions where I have been known to take a recess mid-bowl only returning later to savor the remaining tobacco. What a prize!

One further observation of importance regarding the blend’s mechanical properties, which is the temperature. The mix can get a little warmer if the pace of draw is too quick. This causes not necessarily a bite but more of a mild tingling on the mid-tongue but nothing too invasive. However, with a moderate and sensible cadence this factor is largely minimized. Obviously, this preparation was designed to be leisurely appreciated.

All that being stated, the hallmark and most critical feature of the blend is its incredible taste profile. One could label it cultivated or selectively matured, but there is something magical about Mac Baren’s Burley flavor. Being a Burley-based mixture naturally these tobaccos are aptly showcased, however, the bundling of the Virginia’s influence merits recognition.

Essentially the Virginia pervades amid the rear perimeter of the taste band providing a cordial, sweetened complement thus softening an unthrottled boldness of Burley. Given the enhanced absorption properties of Burley, nonetheless, the integration of the Virginian impression is boosted within the meld of the two streams. They genuinely combine to form considerable depth in arriving at a seamless and tasteful amalgamation.

In themselves the strains of Burley are reminiscent of the mellowed undertones one finds in HH Burley Flake, or should that be the other way around given the chronology of the two blends? Primarily, Mac Baren tends to deploy common patent Burley sources within the breadth of its finished product assortment, so this is no shocker. I can only surmise that the strains originated from multiple global feedstocks as that is the Mac Baren norm. In this case perhaps African, Indonesian, Kentucky, or others, purely speculative.

Along those lines, the registration picks up comparable classic Mac Baren notes. Golden Extra is predominantly nutty yet a bit woodier in complexion than HH series product. This toasted brown sugary nuttiness models an almond-like persona, as rich molasses accenting, that gentle coveted sourness, dark plums notes and some natural cocoa from the White Burley enfold its spirited flavoring. With the retro hale additional nuance is created by a modest spicy earthen zest, truly delectable. Honestly speaking the concentration, ripe vitality, and expansive color of Golden Extra Burley flavor defines its worth within the genre.

Building out the remaining taste notes, the initial Virginia thrust comes in with some pandering tarty sweetgrass characteristics and progresses to more of robust aged flavor by mid-bowl. Once again, the strain’s contribution is secondary in nature. Additionally, colorful notes of toasty bread are projected in highlighted glory. As to the cocoa/chocolate topping, it is very subtle at best although distinguishable in modest term. Essentially it plays out beautifully to bring more soul and softness to the native varietals.

Finally, as smoked Golden Extra produces a creamy thick cloud of exquisite blue-gray vapor. The standard quality of its emergence is smoothly textured and abundantly smoky. An intimation of sweet nuttiness, softer tart grass, and docile wood project from a suspended presence. In general, the fragrant expressiveness of this blend is markedly tolerable and pleasant to the immediate room occupants. What I love the most about Golden Extra’s nose is that it carries that classic “pipey” aroma that I find so enthralling.

Reflecting on my thumbnail definition of a classic, hopefully my ramblings support the claim that Golden Extra demonstrates the filtering milestone characteristics of quality, longevity, and influence. I can honestly state that smoking a bowl of this mixture is a peaceful and entrancing endeavor. For myself, this a tobacco that I can truly lose myself in the moment. For longest time Golden Extra has brought extended gratification and pure smoking pleasure to my passion’s happiness. A classic exists to be esteemed by all for its intrinsic and perpetual value. I do hope my words of appreciation and re-discovery find their way into your pipe so that you will come to perceive the truth concerning Golden Extra.

Hanna Subjective Rating: 3.4 Objective Scoring (detailing standard genre attributes, mechanicals, and cost): 123/144 @ 85%

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Poodlejuice (51)	2021-08-22		Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

After indulging in a fair amount of Scottish mixture, I decided to explore the other Mac Baren broken flakes to see what I was missing. Between Mixture, Symphony, Golden extra, and VA #1, mixture is (in my opinion) still vastly superior, however I do have to commend all of these blends for their smokability. They are all solid, relatively well behaved, mild, and affordable smokes.

Golden extra is a nicely done, well cased, Danish style, burley forward blend. To my tastes it's very, very similar to symphony. I taste plenty of woody, chocolatey, nuttyness, and a little bit of bread and hay. The sweet topping melds nicely with the tobacco and makes for some mild complexity that holds throughout the bowl. A bit of a chocolate meets hay/citrus kind of deal. Mild to medium, burns flawlessly, bites very little (especially for a MacBaren blend) and has little nicotine, but enough to satisfy if smoked in a larger bowl.

Overall this is my second favorite behind Mixture (as far as the "broken flake bulks" go). A solid all day blend with a nice sweetness and just enough complexity to get you interested. Flawless performance and easy to smoke. Could make a good driving smoke, or a nice break between heavier nicotine, or Latakia heavy blends.

Pipe Used: Cobs, billiards

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Similar Blends: Symphony, Scottish mixture, Ps41 cube cut burley.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	HabaneroHardy (403)	2021-07-15		Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Unnoticeable

Back in February, a friend of ours at the pipe club brought this in that he had bought in bulk and did not care for. I was given a good 3 oz of this blend and might have smoked a bowl then but really do not remember. I came across it the other day and decided to smoke it tonight in a few corn cobs as all good Burleys should. Upon opening the jar, a nice chocolate/cacao smell greeted me and as others have said this was easy to pack in the pipe. I never bother with drying, personally I think it is useless but that is just my opinion on the matter. Maybe that is a topic I will Google in the future. This smokes nice and I have a tough time describing tobaccos in reviews but I know Burley when I smoke it and this was definitely Burley. A good smooth all day blend but I chose to use filters in my cobs as Mac Baren blends tend to bite me and I noticed if I started puffing fast there was a tendency to go in that direction. Been around since 1954 and has stood the test of time. I would not really even consider this an aromatic as the casing or topping was not very heavy and complimented the tobacco.

Pipe Used: Corn Cobs

Purchased From: Gift

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	D.K. (58)	2021-05-13		Extremely Mild	None Detected	Extremely Mild (Flat)	Unnoticeable

Bag note is pretty good. Almost a honey wheat bread odor in a hay loft to me. Certainly attractive. Initial light was good, considering the coarseness of this cut. Although it was delivered quite dry. Flavor? Milder than almost anything I've ever smoked. Maybe the bottom of a tin of Velvet, where it's dried out? Over the course of several bowls, I can get only occasional hints of anything. Just a mild honey flavor, and a sugar sensation on my lips. I can feel myself increasing pace "looking for something", which is a certain recipe for tongue burn. I did notice a tickle or dry spot on the very back of the roof of my mouth smoking this one. Simply put, there is just nothing there on this one. Room note is I quote: "its ok, kinda plain". To me this is sub-OTC brands that you know.

Edit: While trying to find a way to knock down the pound of this that I purchased (doh!), I found that 50/50 with PA, is a pleasing smoke. Its not making PA better so much as making it "different" enough to catch your attention. Its a good blend to use this up in.

Purchased From: JRs

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pip (80)	2020-09-22		Mild	Mild	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

Golden extra is a very nice burley for casual puffing. Good quality leaf with a slight cocoa topping. The burleys are slightly nutty and earthy can you get some Virginia grass but, not so much tang. the tobaccos are presented in a nice broken flake that doesn't need any drying time at all. It's smooth and consistent from top to bottom and I experienced no harsh spots. Not as complex as HH Burley flake or as rich as ABF but it holds its own.

Age When Smoked: Fresh

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Kokinhenik (93)	2020-05-06		Mild	Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

First impression: Classic Burley flavor, nutty and earthy. The Virginia is way in the back but its sweetening impact, enhanced by the chocolate flavoring, greatly mutes the burley's more tangy sour notes. Coffee and espresso notes develope midbowl. A few minor harsh spots here and there. In general though very smooth and simple in its burley earthiness. Just sweet enough to be an all day smoke. A little monochromatic in its simple flavor profile. Would blend well. Doesn't seem prone to bite.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	gahdzila (61)	2017-11-16		Mild	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

A stringy broken flake, with a slightly sticky texture, though moisture level is perfect for smoking as shipped. It has a mild, slightly sweet tin (bag) note.

Lights easily, burns easily, smokes easily. The flavor is straightforward and uncomplicated, mild burley with a touch of grassy virginia, and a sweet topping that reminds me of honey. The topping is obvious, but not cloying. Nicotine is very mild.

The first bowl or two I smoked gave me an uncomfortable tongue bite, but that seems to have lessened the more I smoke it.

Not a new favorite, but it's growing on me, and I anticipate buying more in the future.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Dottie Warden (22)	2017-01-13		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Medium	Pleasant

My everyday Burley

Perfect for people new to pipe smoking and Burley lovers alike. This underrated and often overlooked blend epitomizes the Burley experience. Steeped in tradition, you won´t find any faults with this one.

Golden Extra comes as a broken flake that can be easily rubbed out or packed directly into the pipe. The leaf is a consistently mixed near straight Burley highlighted by sparse gold flecks of Virginia evenly distributed throughout. The tin aroma is toasty with a subtle touch of honey sweetness.

Once lit, smoking requires little attention if any and stays consistent bowl after bowl. The topping, though evident, serves only to enhance the natural tobacco flavor. An uncomplicated yet satisfying smoke, it offers the same good taste from start to finish and manages to call you back for more time and time again. It made a Burley lover out of me from the first bowl and has since become my “go to” Burley blend.

Widely available and reasonably priced, a tin or two of this offering by MacBaren should always be kept on hand. Up-date: 2021-03-13 Ages extremely well. Still loving this comfort smoke after all these years. Still recommended!

Pipe Used: Peterson Sterling Silver 80s, Killarney 261

Age When Smoked: 1 year (approximately)

Purchased From: Smokers Haven, 5102 60th St, Lubbock TX 79414

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Young Piper (304)	2015-09-24		Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

I was lucky enough to find a dusty tin at my local Las Vegas B&M from 2009. When i popped the tin, the dark Chocolate and ripe Virginia whooshed out at me, what a delightful aroma! Chunky thick broken flakes in varying browns. I have heard age does nothing for Burley Blends but i guess the small amount of Virginia in GE has gotten milder and blended with the Burley to create a delicious smoke. This really is a mild blend in the same vein as Prince Albert or Granger so there is no fear of Nicotine overwhelment. The room note is old time pipey i am told and non offensive. A truly fine smoke and one of if not the best of MacBaren! 4 stars!

Age When Smoked: Six Years - 2009

Purchased From: Tobacco Leaf , Henderson NV

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Der Pfeifenraucher (71)	2015-08-25		Medium	Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Well golden extra, this is it. I'm a burley guy and I was hoping you were the "the one" that I could devote my life to and grow old together with but It isn't to be. It's not you golden extra, it's me. I was expecting something more, something with more depth, more character, more joie de vivre if you will allow the term. You are a good reliable smoke for sure and you should be proud of that. Your light burley nuttiness with a hint of sweetness, and you never bite. Alas, after slumming with the cheap pouches at the gas stations I found myself yearning for more darkness, more depth of flavor, and more of something I can't yet describe. Oh God, golden extra, I scarcely can admit it but I've been cheating on you with Prince Albert. I'm in love with 2 tobaccos but I'm only willing to give my pipe to one, and you, with your pedigree and subtle sweetness just can't thrill me like the prince. It's awful and I'm very ashamed but this is the end golden extra. Goodbye, and remember you are an amazing tin of tobacco and you will find the right pipe someday, but that pipe isn't mine, sweet love, so fare thee well, golden extra, and never forget those times we had in the truck cruising the dirt roads. I know I never will.

Pipe Used: mostly crusty old cob.

Age When Smoked: new to 4 months

Purchased From: pandcdotcom

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Geronimo Von Klaus (76)	2014-12-05		Mild to Medium	Mild	Medium	Pleasant

Nice, smooth and soft burley-forward blend.

Not as sweet as I was expecting. There is a touch of casing here, but most of what I got was a mellow and soft smoke.

Dried it for a while, really nice and rich tin note.

Got a bit richer as it went down the bowl, will give this a few more goes and maybe keep it as a nice change of pace.

Very good.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	ArmedOctopus (20)	2014-03-22		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

This is a good blend....a solid blend. Perhaps not groundbreaking or an everyday smoke for most folks, but a general all-around nice smoke.

The tin note doesnt do anything for me. I'm not quite sure why. But I've learned not to judge a tobacco by the tin note, and that's a good thing (for more than just this blend).

The virginia comes through nicely and blends well with the burley. It seemed to have a hint of spice that was not unpleasant which is saying something from someone who does not care for perique. Not that there is perique in this blend...there isnt. But it has a spiciness nonetheless. It becomes particularly noted when blown through the nasal passages.

The room note is pleasant but I wont be finding my wife asking me to smoke it inside anytime son. It takes on an almost perfumy aroma....almost, but not quite.

I break my tobacco tastes into simple categories: hate it, would smoke again but not buy it, like it and would purchase, and must keep on hand. This blend is just slightly north of would definitely smoke again but perhaps not purchase again. I would easily smoke the whole tin and enjoy it, but when your wallet is limited, you might not find yourself handing this one to the cashier. But it is SO CLOSE to that range, I have to recommend it for others. I could see many loving this blend, but it just doesnt reach those heights with my tastes.

As a side note, the moisture content is perfect. I have come to expect that from MacBaren blends. No airing out needed for their tins. Load 'em and smoke 'em.

Similar Blends: Macbaren Symphony.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Mudguts (14)	2014-01-02		Medium	Medium	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

This aromatic tobacco is slightly pre-rubbed, but does require a bit more rubbing out. It is on the dry side, burning hot and fast and leaving a dry bowl with no dottle. There is no real body to this aromatic tobacco and it is somewhat one-dimensional, but the sweetness of the pouch does translate to the smoke. It is simple and unpretentious, providing a nice sweet honey-cocoa respite from the busier and more complex blends out there. My taste buds keep asking for a malt-like backing to provide some depth and give balance to this blend, but alas, no, so that shoe never hits the ground. There can be a bit of a sweet-chemical flavor from the casing and pure tobacco taste never really makes it to the forefront. For packing, you need to keep the bowl somewhat loose and tamping to a minimum. Pull carefully and with rests to avoid overheating your pipe. Also, careful smoking will reward you with no bite. Once you get the pace down and play by its rules, it is a very easy tobacco to smoke and an enjoyable classic all-dayer. Retrohale is pleasant and sidestream offers up a wonderfully aromatic aroma. No detectable nicotine. Post smoke can leave you with that sweet chemical-like aftertaste. Despite the negatives, it is still a blend I would buy again for its honest simplicity, all-day usefulness, easy burn, and Danish-sweetness.

Pipe Used: corn cob, Edwards billiard

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	cturnitsa (9)	2013-03-28		Mild	Mild	Mild	Pleasant

A good friend shared some of his that has been aged a NUMBER of years, and it is an extremely mild, and enjoyable, smoke. I took it nice and slow to avoid Mac-bite, and it paid off. A nice touch of the nuttiness that others have commented on, but I found no chocolate. Extremely nice in a 30 year old kaywoodie straight billiard I inherited from my pipe mentor from the mid-80s.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Kilmarnock Piper (251)	2012-12-06		Mild	Mild	Mild	Pleasant

Review is of a tin that is most likely 30 years old; I have not had a more recent version to compare it to. Burley changes less than Virginia in a decades-long timespan, and though I really don't know without a new sample how much this has changed, change or not, I like it. Others have compared it to a lighter Burley London, another tobacco I have had only in a well-aged version, and I could agree with that. It is a fine, slightly sweet and pleasant smoke.

I have recently had the chance to try several Mac Barens from the 80s, and though the aged roll cakes are my favorites, this is great for a long, slow smoke on its own, and I sometimes mix it with my classic roll cakes to conserve them. It is burley, but light burley, and at least at this age is never harsh or biting. There is certainly some topping here, evident in the tin, but 30 years tones this down to the point where all one gets is a touch of sweetness in the lit pipe itself.

Very good burner, with very little problems as to overheating, uneven burning, or waste. With three tins in reserve, I should have plenty more time to continue to evaluate it, that is if I can get to it along with everything else I have to smoke!

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	grumpyoldprofessor (11)	2012-10-16		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

There are times when only a good clean, simple burley blend will do and this one fits the bill. Easy to pack, easy to light and easy to keep lit. I find the taste to be similar to Prince Albert, but more earthy and about twice as "full." Definitely a high quialty tobacco from Mac Baren. It's not as flavorful as Burley London Blend, but that's not a bad thing. Sometimes simplicity wins the day. If you're looking for a good, quailty, affordable burley that's about medium all the way through (strength,taste,flavor), this is it.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2012-04-30		Extremely Mild	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

If you like Virginias give this a try. I bought this as a gift for my friend who was an aromatic smoker. I figured since he liked Connecticut wrapper cigars, he might like this. It smells of natural fruit rolls or dried plum. Flavor is grassy, hay, dried plum, and lemon zest. It is fairly nice, but it leaves a taste I am not fond of when finished. He liked it enough to dedicate a pipe to it.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	ecce_ego (24)	2012-04-13		Medium	Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Well, I was surprised when I opened the tin, because I was not aware that this baccy came in such long 'flakes'. After that I was quite taken with the smell- very sweet and rich, like dark chocolate. Seemed the perfect moisture content out of the tin, but gurgled heavily about halfway through. After learning how to load this in my bowl, I found it smoked quite cool and mellow, and tastes like your normal everyday tobacco, with a sweet tone that gets sweeter if you take your time and keep it cool. Not bad at all.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2012-03-30		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

This is very very similar to london burley blend. The only difference I can tell, is that its sweeter and lighter. I found rubbing the broken flakes brings out the taste significantly, in a corn cob it's great.

This goes well in the morning before work, rather low in nicotine, but not too low. Classic burley taste, but sweeter rather than nuttier.

A good solid 'standard' smoke, nothing amazing, but it's one of those ones you could have as a 'your' smoke, all day every day, like an old person.

I won't be buying more of this, so far burley london blend is winning the mac barenathon.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Darth Vader (110)	2011-11-24		Medium	Mild	Medium	Pleasant

Nice easy smoke that is very good value for money (i paid $9 for 100gram tin from 4noggins). I get no bite at all from this and while it has a burley taste, its a fairly mild smoke. Very easy all day smoke. Probably the only negative is i find it has a slightly earthy/anty (think those little black ants on picnics) taste to it. But this is only very mild and doesnt really interfere with enjoyment.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	juvat (36)	2011-10-14		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

This blend is just wonderful. Its a straight burley with a touch of virgina. The tin smells like chocolate and the smoke itself has that wonderful sweet cocoa, nutty flavor. Very mild and smooth. It is one-dimensional, but then again, isnt that the point with a blend like this? Its a flake tobacco thats been partially rubbed out. I honestly cannot say enough good things about this blend, it's just that good. If you love burley, you HAVE to try this. It's wonderful!

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	sirchud68 (60)	2011-08-13		Mild	Extremely Mild	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

I'm not a huge burly smoker but I have acess to plenty of different MB blends, Golden Extra being one of them. To me, out of the pouch, this stuff does smell quite a bit like Hersheys cocoa powder. Taste like a mild burly. Been sitting on a couple of ounces for a year or so but am not sure how well burlys age. Worth a try if you come across some.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	TK Pipe (101)	2011-07-23		Mild	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

McB Golden Extra … Let me start off by saying I'm not a McBaren fan, for reasons I don't chose to go into here. But burley is one of my weaknesses, and Golden Extra is a burley, so I could not resist trying at least one tin. Add to that the ever increasing cost of OTC burley blends, this stuff is even more inviting.

My sample was a 100g tin, (not plastic) filled with attractive broken flakes. What's worth the mention because most of my favorite burleys are not flakes. I prefer flakes, as they provide (IMO) a longer/cooler smoke, especially outdoors,which is important to me. As for taste, GE has its own worthwhile character, nothing fancy, but gives me what I expect from a fine burley, with zero tongue bite and clouds cool mild smoke. At the very least, I can see this weed being my “stuff & puff” go too tobacco, for many of my daily routines. So if you enjoy OTC type tobaccos, and have not tried GE, for whatever reason, rest easy, this is a good one.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2011-01-24		Mild to Medium	Medium	Medium	Tolerable

Brazil nut and honey comes through clearly in this tobacco.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Xeneize (275)	2010-08-17		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Medium	Tolerable

Similar to Burley London Blend, just a bit sweeter. A solid burley blend.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2010-07-28		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This looks, at first, exactly the same as London Burley blend!

Same cut, same leaf, same tin aroma.

But the taste is different. I think there are some VAs in there...Which makes things interesting.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Novangelus (8)	2010-07-20		Medium	Mild	Medium	Pleasant

This is my first venture into Burley blends, other than PA, which I did not particularly like. However, I like this tobacco. It can be smoked all day. It is subtle and not overpowering. I particularly like the straightforward tobacco taste of this smoke and I detect just a lite sweetness as an undertone flavoring. I do pick up the chocolate taste others have experienced, howbeit ever so vague in the background.

Unlike some other reviewers, I do not experience the tongue bite. However, my tobacco was drier than many blends I have smoked.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	kidwithgun (10)	2010-03-05		Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

this was my first stray away from aromatics, i picked up a tin at my local "tobacco town" just up the road. i asked the guy working there for a good burley for someone kinda just starting out and he recommended this one.

it packed very well and lit very well and i somehow got away with not having to relight a single time all the way to the end.

i took other reviewers' advice and smoked it patiently and i was very much pleased with how cool and evenly it smoked all the way to the bottom of the bowl.

i've yet to develop a good taste for burley, like i said this is my first attempt at getting away from aromatics, but i really enjoyed the "lightly sweetened" flavor, every hit was at first a bit spicy, but tasty like a cinnamon sort of spice (doesn't taste like cinnamon) rather than a pepper sort of spice, and later as i exhaled there was a very sweet chocolatey flavor after taste.

i have to say i really enjoyed this tobacco.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pipe4ever (204)	2010-01-20		Mild	Mild	Mild	Pleasant

Mac Baren Golden Extra (or golden blend) is a fine burley tobacco blended with aged ready rubbed burley and very slightly cased with honey-like aroma, the flavor is a mild chocolaty and mild smoke, it will reveal its wonderful "chocolaty" flavor only after smoking 10-15 bowl of it, exclusively and in one run. this blend is soft on the palate with no tongue bit whatsoever.

This is an all day smoke especially for summer time, however, I would recommend the tin container rather than the bulk one, which has less flavor and aroma.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2009-08-13		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

If this is the same as Golden Blend, then the web master can move this.

Here's the thing: it is good, but it bites all over the palette if you smoke it hard. Otherwise, if you can slow yourself down, it is an enjoyable - plain and simple blend. There is a nicely embedded darkness - like a dark unsweetened chocolate - that can be appreciated if you look for it. It seems to come on mid-bowel. It is said to be air dried; the nicotine content seems appropriately low for the process. This is a plus if you don't like getting buzzed. I like getting buzzed, though.

Also:

1) Because it does not knock you over the head, {except for the occasional big bad bite on an aggressive light) there is a tendency to want to smoke it fast to get more out of it. As above, this is a huge mistake. Let it come to you, and you will be rewarded.

2) It doesn't cost as much as some of the other touted Burleys. $7.50 for 4 ounces is not a show stopper.

3) the more I smoke it, the more it reminds me of smoking a cigarette! I have to consciously tell myself not to inhale as in yesteryear. That is where I place it, actually: cigarette= like. This is not at all demeaning. There were some strong cigarettes [particularly European] that I used to enjoy for taste without inhaling.

4) This requires a pipe that is not contaminated by previously strongly flavored smokes. I look forward to trying this blend in a sweetened pipe in a month or so.

In conclusion, this can definitely be a part of my growing tobacco gallery. It is good for me as the opening act, or as an intermission between more exciting offerings. That is a good thing. If it is your all day smoke, then I mean no disrespect Just know that people have different chemistries.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	thebriarbear (5)	2023-05-17		Medium	Mild	Medium	Pleasant

I'll throw all of my cards on the table - Golden Extra is my favorite burley-forward blend, and this is coming from a VA smoker. Let me explain.

This blend of dark burley and bright VA is the Danish take on a "codger" style mixture. There's a bit of chocolate topping, though very natural tasting and blends right in with the profile of the dark burleys that it's almost indistinguishable. The bright VA's are there, but mainly in a honey, grassy sweetness that most Danish style VA flakes possess. They couple beautifully with the burley and weave in and out on top of the burley's cocoa, wood, and earthiness. There's none of the "nuttiness" most people attribute to white burley (think Haunted Bookshop, or Carter Hall, or Pegasus), and that suits my palate, so no harm no foul.

Golden Extra is pretty simple stuff, however, if you really take it slow, the last third of the bowl turns into magic: honey-sweetened cocoa with some woody depth of flavor. But, smoke it fairly quick and the last third simply will be woody.

I will say I've also smoked through a tin that was 5 years old before opening. The VA's had fermented and gave off that funky, almost boozy quality, and though balanced in the pipe, alot of the cocoa disappears with age, and ironically, I prefer it fresher (within two years).

The perfect burley blend for a VA smoker like me.

Pipe Used: Briar, Cobs

Age When Smoked: 1-5 years

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	CKC (15)	2023-03-23		Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

I like this a lot, simple, nutty - light chocolate notes, everything I like about burley. I will tend to go for Solani ABF or MB HH Burley Flake when in a burley mood but enjoy Golden Extra for its accessibility. Great all-day smoke, affordable, and easy to add to blends that need a little tobacco flavor...

Pipe Used: various cobbs/briars

Age When Smoked: once received

Purchased From: Estervals

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Gr8tefuldawg (87)	2022-10-18		Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This tin dated April 2021 was opened last night after a surprise night shift. I packed my MM General and off we went.

This blend needs just a little bit of drying time, and should be sipped slower than usual, as the Mac Baren bite did arrive on occasion.

Bready, and hay virginias, with a touch of woody and chocolatey burley, just a hint of sweetness.

Bought this during one of the Mac Baren sales and can say that a few tins of this will do you just fine, this isn't a super complex blend but it does its job and well.

Pipe Used: MM General

Age When Smoked: April 2021

Purchased From: tobaccopipes.com

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Nathaniel (38)	2022-05-26		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild	Tolerable

A nicely-aged tin, 2015, gives off aromas of teriyaki sauce (I was surprised how sour this tin note was), a little grass, a little cardboard. I load a Wally Frank stubby pot and the flame takes readily. Hmm. Very mild.

Smoke output is decent. There’s smoke in my mouth, but not much flavor. A little woodiness, a little sweet grain, a little cardboard, all reticent, none taking center stage. The cardboard reminds me of Robert McConnell’s Scottish Cake, and so does the mild flavor. I don’t get any of the sour notes of the tin aroma in the smoking. There is a small bitter taste, typical of some of the burleys I’ve smoked, but it’s okay. Not a major player, but yet not contributing to any complexity. It’s just there. No changes as you go down the bowl.

I don’t get much of a nicotine hit either. Burns a little hot. And that’s mostly it. No flavor development or increase on the retrohale. The woodsiness and cereal are pleasant, to be sure. They just need to be amped up four or five notches to be satisfying.

Overall, I’m afraid this is just “meh”. Do burleys tend to age badly? Sometimes you get something like a Peterson’s Irish Flake, strong and potent and flavorful, and sometimes you get this: just something to smoke. Underwhelming.

Pipe Used: Wally Frank stubby pot

Age When Smoked: 7 years

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	PaulMcCoy (78)	2021-11-15		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

I came across a three year old tin of this at my local spot. Impulse bought it because I’m a burly fan. Glad I did. This stuff is super satisfying. The Virginia’s work perfectly with the burleys, and they both work perfectly with me. Double thumbs up

Pipe Used: Morgan Bones Fat Frog

Age When Smoked: 3 years

Purchased From: Local B&M

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2010-01-25		Medium	Very Mild	Mild	Pleasant

I haven't smoked much of this blend, but am not terribly impressed.

I like burley blends, and this one doesn't have a lot of flavor. I'm not sure what they did with the leaf, but it almost seems to have had the flavor removed, if such a thing is possible. I prefer Prince Albert, Carter Hall, and pretty much any of the C&D burley blends to this.

It doesn't bite, or at least I can't report the classic MacBaren blowtorch phenomenon, and it is well behaved in the pipe, smokes dry and relatively cool.

I will smoke another bowl or two just to confirm my opinion, but at the moment, this is a candidate for the give away pile...

UPDATE Jan 31 2010 I'm confirming my earlier review, and basically, I just don't see the point of smoking this tobacco. It does have a slight bite, and essentially zero flavor. When most of the flavor I get in the smoke is the tobacco I last smoked in the pipe -- note I said most! -- then why bother?

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