Mac Baren Golden Extra

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 !!!

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.

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

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.

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.