Mac Baren HH Acadian Perique

Have been a pipe smoker on and off for about 40 years, and recently started again after several years lay-off. I decided to buy a few cob pipes and try out some American themed tobaccos. Perique was previously only known to me in the Escudo version, and I'm into stuff from Louisiana, so decided to give this a go due to its"Acadian" nametag. I certainly get the perique taste in this mixture, but find the oriental addition to be a bit overwhelming. I've never been a follower of cavendish tobaccos, and couldn't determine it in this mixture. I am getting an aftertaste akin to Balkan Sobranie from this offering, which is literally thousands of miles away from what I expected. I was once an avid smoker of Balkan Sobranie with the Yenidje leaf additive, but changed to Peterson Irish Flake as a staple, due to complaints of the lingering room note of the Sobranie. I personally find this mixture to smoke a bit on the dry side. It smells very oriental in the tin, lights up easily and smokes to fine ash, and I love the fact that there are no sugary additives. However, I won't be buying another tin as it doesn't tick many of the boxes I am looking for.

Edited:- Rather than throw the stuff away I decided to try smoking this in a newish Stanwell brushed briar, and the difference was quite significant. The tobacco had more taste and everything seemed better about it. I don't know why MacBaren chose to add Latakia to this mixture, but I suppose they know what they are doing. I have changed my rating to "Somewhat recommended" as it is nice in this day of sugary sweet "smoked a bowl in 10 minutes" stuff to get the chance to enjoy tobacco in a more natural form.

This is one I don't usually go to. But that doesn't mean it's not worth smoking. The aroma is dark fired Kentucky upfront with grassy VA in the background. The initial taste is earthy and very subtly sweet. Kind of a raw nutty sweetness that comes through from the Kentucky. I detect a little bit of chocolate on the palate every now and then but not throughout the entire bowl, after the initial sweetness and fleeting at that. By this point the Kentucky completely takes over and only gives way to the grassy Virginia every now then. There is a slight spice note from start to finish but this is another secondary component to this blend. Traditionally, I like a little more of the stewed fruit flavors I get from other Va/pers but if your looking for lots of low notes and a grainy Smokey flavor from your smoke, this might be for you. Worth a try.

I bought this one bc I like macbaren most of the time and I thought it sounded interesting. I really hope it doesn't bite like the Scottish mixture I like so much.

It looks like a nice ribbon in the tin. Golds, Browns and some blacks in some different cuts. Smells ketchupy to me initially. After letting it sit open about five mins it smelled different. Not so much ketchup, but raisins and smokey, dark goodness. It's also pretty dry for a tobacco of any kind right out of the tin. The traditional English leaning of this new line are showing well.

It burned nice and cool for me, first try. Smokey spicy and sweet. And I didn't get the macbite I normally would, even when puffing away at this. It's delicious as well, very well balanced flavor. Nice perique content too, noticeable, but not overpowering. The dark fired aspects shine through pretty nicely as well. Even bordering on a cigar like quality sometimes. Not really getting anything from the orientals or the burley in this one though. They play a good supporting role at worst. This is my first bowl of this so I may need some time to get to know it a little better.

I like this blend already. I've been smoking c&d Orion's arrow lately, and this is right in the same wheelhouse. I would recommend this one, but it may be a bit much for some folks if they don't normally smoke fuller blends.

All is well with Jiminks' and Perique's reviews (just to name a couple whose reviews have been found of great help).

But, regarding myself, the complexity of HHAP is not necessarily a plus. I mean: too many ingredients, nothing shines for real. This is my limit. On the other hand I may see pipsters smoking this as their homebase blend.

Nothing wrong, the quality is very very good. But this is missing to hit me, for the reason above, however I'm generally a MacB aficionado...

If I were the blender, I would cut the Original Cavendish off, and make things easier.

Rich, complex blend, very good tobaccos. Tanginess and spice predominate, with some nutty burley in the background. No-nonsense, straightforward. Medium to strong in strength and taste, very little topping noted. Strength builds through the bowl, finishes with fine ash and clean bowl. 3 stars.

Top notch tobacco. Not my favorite but very well done. The complexity of the blend is understated in the taste of the smoke, it does not seem that every strain of tobacco alive is in the tin, It smokes with an even, consistent, untarnished flavor from top to bottom which speaks to the quality of the blending. *****

For me it is a bit bitter, but it is mellow and smooth desptie its strength. A good cup of black coffee or bourbon would complement this blend nicely.

A former cigar smoker should love this blend. But an aromatic man would hate it. Definitely worth a try if you like a slightly bitter and unbeguiled taste of all the tobacco world has to offer inside of one bowl.

Happy smoking

Spicy and almost toasty, the perfect morning smoke in a cob with coffee. Tastes a bit sour, but in a good way. Smells a bit sour in the tin, like body odour, but I can live with that. Not sure if ageing played a significant role or not, my tin was dated 03-10 I opened it in 03-12.

I can't believe this stuff is so cheap. I will be stocking up.

I Purchased a tin of this along with 7 other blends a while back, and out of all of them I love this blend more than any of the others (save the first tin of night cap I had But I got a sinus infection and sorta stopped smoking it).

It lights well, even in my friends man cave that has a fan on high at all times. This is the only tobacco I can say lit in that room.

The smoke is somewhat different every time. One smoke I will get alot of perique, on another I may get primarily balkans or burly.

The important thing is it never dissapoints me, well not when it is in my mcarthur bent cob anyway 😉

The added length cools the smoke, and something about the pipe make the flavor seem purer. I'd love to try it in a clay churchwarden 😀

My batch was just the right humidity. It has an almost sour armpit smell in the tin, a smell that sends a chill up my spine whenever I smell it. Another person wrote a review that said this blend needs a certain niche to survive, well I belive I am part of that niche.

If you want a tobaco that has flavor to the smoke, no tounge bite, and doesn't have much room note, this is definatly a tin to try out. I HIGHLY RECCOMEND buying a mcarthur bent however, it is only about 12$. In a shorter stem pipe it will not taste as good.

Next time I get paid I will be buying several tins of it.

A well put together blend and I am impressed with MacBaren on this one. In fact, on several of the "newer" tobaccos from this company I have been pleasantly surprised.

This blend is worth a try but be gentle in puffing...sip this as it will be most kind to you!

Highly recommended!

...A pipe is to be savored...