Mac Baren 7 Seas Royal Blend

(2.54)
An aromatic blend of black and golden tobaccos. A soft and exceptionally mellow smoke. Delightful, aromatic taste. A true pleasure journey.

Details

Brand Mac Baren
Blended By Mac Baren
Manufactured By Mac Baren
Blend Type Aromatic
Contents Black Cavendish, Burley, Virginia
Flavoring Other / Misc
Cut Ribbon
Packaging 100 grams tin weight, 100 grams pouch weight, bulk
Country Denmark
Production Currently available

Profile

Strength
Mild
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Extremely Mild -> Overwhelming
Flavoring
Mild to Medium
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
None Detected -> Extra Strong
Room Note
Very Pleasant
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Unnoticeable -> Overwhelming
Taste
Mild
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Extremely Mild (Flat) -> Overwhelming

Average Rating

2.54 / 4
18

32

30

16

Reviews

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Displaying 1 - 11 of 96 Reviews
Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Nov 20, 2015 Mild Mild to Medium Medium Very Pleasant
An decent, light aromatic tobacco. I get semi-sweet amaretto, vanilla, and macadamia nut taste mixed with a woodsy, natural tobacco flavour. About 2/3 through the bowl, that woodsy, natural tobacco flavour starts to come through more prominently. Room note is exactly the same as taste- amaretto, vanilla, and macadamia nuts- and by far Royal has the best room note out of all the Seven Seas blends. No artificial taste and very little bite. But as with most aromatics, it should be properly dried before smoking (~30 seconds in the microwave is the quickest and most convenient way).

** Minus two stars because this blend really isn't an all-day smoke. Even after proper drying, it still starts to burn my tongue after 3 or 4 bowls. Amphora Black Cavendish Special Reserve is a much better alternative. It doesn't bite like Royal does because it contains much less propylene glycol. Why must most MacBaren tobaccos bite so much? Hey MacBaren, lay off the PG! **

Proper dryness and air flow is the secret to getting the most out of this tobacco (and most aromatics). Here's a step-by-step guide on how I recommend smoking it:

1. Properly dry it out. Upon first opening a new pouch, the tobacco will be quite moist. It should be dried some before smoking. I dump the full pouch out on a large plate and spread it thin. I then microwave it on high setting for ~30 seconds. After that, I remove the plate from the microwave and let it air cool for about 45 minutes (more humid conditions will require a longer drying time). Then back into the pouch it goes. This drying out process only needs to be done once for each newly-opened pouch.

2. Gravity fill your pipe just below the top of the bowl. (I recommend unfiltered half-bent pipes for a cooler and more flavourful smoke). When I say gravity fill, I mean dumping the tobacco into the pipe. No packing or pushing. None. Zero. Now after the first gravity fill, lightly tamp the tobacco using only the weight of the tamper. Now gravity fill again a second time to just below the top of the bowl. By filling the pipe this way, you will get maximum air flow. The tobacco will burn better, and the smoke will be cooler and more flavorful.

3. Light the bowl. It will require two or three charring lights. After the second or third charring light, lightly tamp the tobacco down only using the weight of the tamper. Don't push it. Now light it again and it should stay lit for quite a while. I find that matches work best for the charring lights.

4. Dump ash as needed, but don't push down hard with the tamper. Only use tamper weight.

5. Stir it. Near the bottom of the bowl, you may need to stir the tobacco up a bit to burn the last of it.
Pipe Used: Half-Bent Briar (unfiltered)
1 person found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Dec 06, 2013 Mild Mild Mild Pleasant
This blend falls victim, as many aromatics do, to being reviewed against type. In this case Mac Baren was going for something very specific with the 7 Seas blends, and it makes no sense to review these in a vacuum and ignore that fact. Comparing this, for example, to the HH Line is like comparing a fruit smoothie and a steak as if they were the same thing. In this case the 7 Seas blends are reflections of very traditional american style aromatics. Within that context I think that they are very good (perhaps the best currently offered) reflections of that style of pipe tobacco. A significant caveat is that Mac Baren uses a base of virginia for these blends instead of burley. I personally like the result, as I find that they retain the American style and flavor, but offer a more well-rounded smoking experience with a little more depth of flavor and sweetness. Of course, they still use burley as well, so that flavor component is retained.

A major difference in my estimation is that flavor and quality of the cavendish. The cavendish found in american blends is often awful, with a strange odor and strong flavor that funks pipes and leaves an aftertaste. Mac Baren has a very fine cavendish which leaves no aftertaste, has softer, purer tobacco flavor, and has better smoking characteristics in that it burns and lights readily.

With respect to the burn characteristics of this blend, I find it is a nice smoke. It packs and lights easily, and stays lit without much effort. Of course, like most blends everything works better when it is not dripping wet. While I think the humidity is good out of the tin, I prefer to dry it out a little. I am surprised at the comments describing this as hot or harsh. It is neither, and if that is what you are experiencing it is most likely due to your technique, and not the tobacco. Sometimes mouth chemistry can be an issue as well, but as a baseline all of the 7 Seas blends are very mild in terms of tongue bite.

This is a mild blend, and Mac Baren describes it as such. The flavor is described as having vanilla and honey. I would agree that it is a very mild smoke, both in tobacco and aromatic flavor. This is pretty typical of American style aromatics, especially those which are not laden with artificial flavors and humectants.

You could describe this as a four star blend in the sense that it accomplishes exactly what Mac Baren intended for it, which is a very mild American style aromatic smoke. I give it two stars because it lacks any wow factor which makes it exceptional, but that should not be interpreted as a strike against the blend. I believe it to be superior in quality, for example, in every sense, to the Boswell aromatics which receive an unwarranted level of esteem, where they as a small tobacco shop merely buy and mix a bulk tobacco product and spritz it with flavors. The virginia used in the 7 Seas blends is unique, for example, and not something that Boswell could ever achieve or offer. There are some interesting videos online where you can watch and hear about the care that Mac Baren took into making this product in an American style.

If you are looking for a mild aromatic smoke that smells nice and will not offend, this is a nice choice. The quality of the leaf and final product is far superior to drugstore blends, and this is reflected in the experience. FYI I give the 7 Seas Regular 3 stars as I feel that it has a richer flavor while still being a cool, mild smoke. Nothing wrong with the Royal, though, and if you are looking to try some aromatics in this style I would include it in your tasting flight.
Pipe Used: Kai Nielsen Billiard
Age When Smoked: 1.5 years
31 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Feb 26, 2016 Mild Mild to Medium Mild to Medium Very Pleasant
The Virginia provides rather tart and tangy citrus and mild grassiness with a little honey as it forms the base for the other components. The burley is nutty, earthy, woody, molasses sweet with a drop or two of cocoa, and well compliments the Virginia as a supporting player. The lightly sweet black cavendish offers a very mellow brown sugar that underscores the experience. I’m not sure about the topping, but it’s mildly fruity with a little caramel, maple and sugar. Has a mild nic-hit. The strength is mild, and the taste is half way between mild and medium. The moisture level out of a freshly opened tin is perfect. Burns cool and clean at a moderate pace with a creamy smooth well balanced, very consistent flavor from start to finish. Has no dull or harsh spots, and it won’t bite. Leaves virtually no moisture in the bowl. Has a lightly lingering, very pleasant after taste and room note. An easy going all day smoke that doesn’t wear out its welcome to those who don’t want a highly charged aromatic.

-JimInks
28 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Dec 29, 2017 Mild Mild Mild Very Pleasant
7 Seas Royal Vs. Captain Black Royal really people!!! Not hardly there not even compatible to say at the least, this is night and day and for good reason, its Mac Baren with there hands in this one, a wonderful aromatic indeed and stands alone. What a great taste the topping is unique in every sense a fruity hint and slight and I mean slight dash of vanilla that seems to have a alcohol presents but settles in the Cavendish so well it blows my mind how smooth and sweet this blend is. When I smoke it I will really ponder on how complex this really is and how it changes as you smoke down the bowl its never boring. I love how it picks up a fire cured tobacco taste near the middle end of it and that keeps me coming back for more. Mac Baren always makes a great aromatic and there technique to it is highly respected by me for being a big pipe tobacco producer quality is not lost. For the beginner this a great blend to start with and for the years long pipe smoker a great blend to throw into rotation never getting boring. This blend is very smooth its not light but smooth and do be careful because it does steam but just letting it dry out for awhile will take care of that one. It is not a goopy mess unless your a human locomotive puffy on the pipe like you have a deadline to make, that's how most of these cry babies burn there tounges. I would recommend this wonderful aromatic to anyone and will satisfy even the most picky unless your trendy, the way some of these guys talk about good pipe tobacco blends makes me imagine that they shove a Opus X in there pipe every morning lol!!! But really do give this a try you will be very pleased, I know I am keep up the good work Denmark.

Taste Description In Detail: Upon lighting I get a hint of figs and raisins with vanilla slightly in the background, the modern cavendish only made by Mac Baren gives a sweet taste that is smooth and allows the Virginia tobacco to be pronounced and the burley gives off a almost neutral nutty taste that rounds this blend out but does not dominate it, as you smoke on you will notice a chocolate as I notice because it shines through but will round itself off with the natural tobacco taste that deepens as you smoke it down the bowl and will build a robust body but maintain its taste all the way through giving off a nice roomnoteand moderate nicotine level. Mac Baren has been the masters of topping fruit oils and vanilla with hints of liquor throughout some of there aromatics and 7 Seas Royal is one of those blends. Mac Baren also uses all natural flavors for there toppings so no artificially made fake junk is used which is always nice to know and they stick to the strict laws the EU guidelines of additives they can use allowing the pipe smoker to be at ease with Mac Baren products.
Pipe Used: Corn Cob and Fe.ro Peterson
PurchasedFrom: Smokingpipes.com
Age When Smoked: 39
15 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Nov 15, 2015 Very Mild Medium Very Mild Very Pleasant
OK,4 stars,, Well done MB... This is simply a classic aromatic, the likes of which have, no doubt, caught the attention of many through the years and eventually leading them to become pipe smokers. There is some true VA taste in the background with a moderate aromatic flavoring, Not sure what it is, but it doesn't really matter to me, I just like it. The cavendish is the Dominant force here but along with the VA does provide mild tobacco taste to solidify the blend. This is a "Back to Basics" classic aromatic. A great example of an industry revisiting its roots while using quality tobacco.
12 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Mar 24, 2015 Extremely Mild Mild Very Mild Very Pleasant
The back cavendish was steamed pretty well because it is light and lends no body, just the unique flavoring that was sweet and maybe a little on the Vanilla side? The Burley and Virginia barely come through and are extremely light in taste. Needs to be puffed slowly. I tried to puf too fast in order to gather in more flavor and the tongue got nipped a bit.

Pipestud
9 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
May 08, 2014 Mild Mild Mild Pleasant
This is the 2nd tobacco I tried since I began pipe smoking. Upon opening the tin, I could finally see and smell the difference between tobaccos, having only ever seen or tasted cigarettes. It smells sweet, with hints of raisins or dates. It's moist - could use a little drying out. Can get bitey and bitter. Smoking, the flavour isn't too bad, mild, but nothing too spectacular. I will come back to this in a few months while I make my journey around the world of pipe tobacco.

-- update -- very nice easy going aromatic. Enjoyed it a lot more after becoming a little more exposed to pipe smoking and different tobaccos!
Pipe Used: Missouri meerschaum pride
PurchasedFrom: Pipes and cigars online
Age When Smoked: New
7 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Mar 25, 2014 Mild Mild to Medium Mild Pleasant
Mac Baren - 7 Seas Royal.

Re-reviewed 18/03/2018.

Mid size ribbons containing a little less black Cavendish than Virginia and Burley. It has an aromatic aroma, albeit, not too strong. Moisture's good.

The smoke seems to be more of a 'sprightly' aromatic, rather than a sticky, heavy, one. Honey and citrus fruit form the leading aromatic flavour, with just a touch of vanilla. The tobacco flavour also leans toward the lighter side of aromatics. The black Cavendish doesn't hog the smoke with its sticky character, instead the Virginia leads with sharpness and the Burley occupies second place. It burns well, and is of a medium temperature.

Nicotine: mild. Room-note: pleasant.

7 Seas Royal? An 'ok' smoke but not a great smoke. Somewhat recommended:

Two stars.
Pipe Used: Various
PurchasedFrom: Various
Age When Smoked: New
7 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Mar 30, 2018 Mild Very Strong Mild to Medium Very Pleasant
I love this tobacco. Quite similiar to Captain Black but burns better, cooler and aroma is also stronger, full of sweet caramel, rum and vanilla notes. If you like aromatic tobaccos, I strongly reccomend to try 7 Seas.
Pipe Used: Chacom Bent
6 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Jul 23, 2015 Mild Medium Mild to Medium Very Pleasant
After reading the mostly negative reviews of this tobacco, I feel compelled to add my opinion. By way of background, I've been a pipe smoker since 1969 and smoke aromatics almost exclusively. But rather than repeat what others have said, I'll just say that my take on Mac Baren's 7 Seas Royal blend is exactly as that expressed by Griffonwing. This is a wonderful smoke in every regard and one my favourite tobaccos.
Pipe Used: Savinelli, Brebbia, Ser Jacopo, Vauen
PurchasedFrom: Iwan Ries & Co.
Age When Smoked: 64
6 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Apr 19, 2014 Mild Mild Mild Very Pleasant
A nice over the counter aromatic pipe tobacco. The proper pace needs to be found in order to enjoy. When smoked too fast it gives a tongue bite, acidic, taste. A very nice room note.
6 people found this review helpful.
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