Mac Baren Capstan Gold Navy Cut

With a slow smoking I really enjoy my smoking experience with this blend. When I pack it into my Stanwell 163 sand, it is really easy to pack, burn slowly and with consistent taste and flavour. I really enjoy this blend from 1st light until I finish the whole bowl.

My tin was marked as made in Denmark by MacBaren in 3/13 and this is one of their more enjoyable flakes even though it hadn't aged much. As usual, the flakes are nicely prepared and ~ 3" long. The moisture content is ideal and makes the flakes pliable for my fold and pack method. It burns cool and dry and the sweet VAs come thru. If you like VA flakes, give it a try.

Upon opening the tin, I get the classic smell for a Danish flake, figs and honey. The tobacco burns slowly and to a white ash from the tin. The taste is sweet with fig tones. A perfect all day flake that delivers a consistent flavor that might be boring for some but not for me. This is exactly what I want in a Danish style Virginia flake.

Update: the new Mac Baren version is not as tasty and the topping is applied differently for my taste buds. It's still a good Virginia flake, just not as good.

Virginia Lover

Amazing tin. Very beautiful and perfectly allocated flakes inside the tin. Visually winsomeness. I tried it in various ways (ground, whole flake, brocken flake, etc.). At first it struck me, probably influenced by its "historical" name. It is quite heavy, with a honey-like, stable flavor throughout the bowl. I wouldn't agree with the “subtle flavor” indicated by the manufacturer. It was hard to light in every way that I smoked it. It also needs to be left open to dry. Maybe in its earlier years this Virginia tasted better. Neutral flavor in the room and it causes no cough. I have another tin and I most certainly do not feel ashamed, anymore, of the reason that after 20 years of pipe smoking I had not tried it.

1-I agree with many reviewers: this tobacco is not spectacular. But... For that very reason, it's a great tobacco if you need something very simple sometimes: pure Virgina. 2-Another way I use it: I mix this tobacco (2/3) with "Pure Latakia" by Robert McConnell (1/3). For me, its' a wonderful balance as I love Latakia being present in a mixture. Give it a try 🙂

The high quality leaf shows itself with its wonderfull smell in the tin. The flakes have a medium moisture degree. So you may dry them at your own choice. This will change the smoke in a nice way.

I smoke this tobacco without rubbing the flakes. In this way it offers a long lasting smoke. If you are looking for a strong Virginia flake this may not satisfy your needs. The mild to medium nicotine dosage and cool, fresh smoking makes this tobacco ideal for summer days.

The flavor is a true tobacco, sweety taste. Highly recommended..

Simple sweet consistent honey hay citrus...just a treat

Tin note : Tin note is very faint... though if i try to smell closely, There are hints of citrus and grass. Very little pineapple.

Cut : Thin, Neatly cut flakes. Very nice presentation. easy to rub out and pack. Really straightforward to work with.

Mechanics : stays lit relatively well.

Flavour Profile : More grassy and hay notes compared to the ready rubbed. There is citrus and lemon notes but not as much as the ready rubbed. Jim Inks stated they are the same blend. It could probably be the aging of tobacco at work. Perhaps this tobacco is quite young. Not much of a complex blend. Easy all day smoke on a hot day.

Tongue Bite : Upon opening the tin, there was some bite. Rarely bites now. Advise to keep the tin open or perhaps let it rest in a mason jar for a week.

Will I buy this again : glad I got 5 tins on offer and hope it last me for quite some time. Will go for the ready rubbed version next time.

My thoughts is it might need more age. Might try to keep a tin or two to age for atleast 5 years before coming back to review this blend.

3.5 stars

The differences between this and Capstan Blue are quite illustrative of the differences between the several types of Virginias in general. Many of the base notes are the same. I get the same flavors of wheat, oats and hay. The grape flavor of Capstan Blue is replace here with a citrus note: orange peel and lemon zest. It’s all very tasty, to be sure, but the threat of tongue bite is a good bit more present.
It’s a little more fussy. I referred to Capstan Blue as one of the more user-friendly straight Virginias out there; this isn’t quite so accommodating. There’s quite a bit of spice here, and the flavors take a little more to tease out.
They are good, though. Oats, grass, a drop of honey, a touch of perfume.
Definitely a tobacco to be sipped.
Flavor is on the mild side of medium, but strength is mild.

If I had to choose between Blue or Gold, I’d go for Blue. I don’t mean to damn it with faint praise, however. This is quite pleasant if you’re able to give it the proper attention that it wants.