Mac Baren 7 Seas Black Blend

My very frist tobacco review.

At pouch opening: very pleasant smell of amaretto, warm cake and slight vanilla. I would also say slightly cherry.

At touch: a little too wet, nice ribbon cut.

Loading and lighting: easy to load the ribbon cut after some drying, and easy to light and keep burning.

Smoking: nice, sweet and mild, no tongue bit, no artificial taste. Leaves a little moist in the briar. EDIT: it leaves a sticky mess in the bowl after smoking and on my tamper which will need a good cleaning.

Room note: sweet and pleasant

The after taste is very pleasant, not too persitent.

I liked to load it twice in a few hours and I find it's a good choice as an all day smoke.

well macbaren is my safety net and i put faith in what the produce (good quality for a reasonable price tag). this tobacco is jet black cavendish that i just couldnt point finger to the flavoring added (although told by Mr. Per Jensen personally) that it is vanilla and amaretto which i never tasted before, i couldnt pin point the flavor. perhaps others might appreciate it better however it deserve the 3 stars for its cavendish sweetness and burn quality , it can be firmly placed on the mild side. the tobacco aroma is acceptable especially if smoked out door (as it wont get as stale as inside a closed room)

This is a very good aromatic. One of the two newest in the 7 Seas line, it came out last fall (2011). It's a Virginia blend toasted into a nice dark Cavendish. As with most Mac Baren blends you might want to give it a bit of drying time before you fill your pipe and light up. It smokes wonderfully though, smooth and even all the way down to the bottom of the bowl. The top dressing or casing is pretty unique and complex. I noted caramel, coco, and licorice flavour to the smoke. As complex as the casing seems to be it's a great all day smoke, because regardless of what combination of flavours it really is the blend tastes wonderful.

This blend reminds me a lot of Lane's BCA, not quite as goopy, but very, very close in taste. So, as I like BCA enough to give it three stars, I must do the same for this blend. Honestly, after suffering through Mac Baren's 7 Seas Royal Blend (which I've already reviewed, sort of) this Black Cavendish does much to retrieve Mac Baren's reputation. This is a good, tasty BC. Like I've stated elsewhere, I like my Black Cavendishe's to have both taste and smoothness, this blend fits that bill. So, three stars for me.

I may upset some folks with this one, so my apologies if I do.

I had a friend in college that was a vegan. I liked to pick on her a little bit about. You know, the young, dumb, I am big man give me meat attitude. Please know I have nothing against vegans, in fact I admire their dedication. If I was a vegan I am sure I would be way less fat and live much longer. Anyway, what does this have to do with pipe tobacco? Well, heres the thing. She was always trying to get me to try her vegan foods, telling me how amazing they were. Everything from muffins and cookies to chicken nuggets. The truth was, by her saying " these are so good!", what she was really saying was "These are so good.......for being vegan".

That is where I am with this tobacco. It is so good.....for being a goopy aromatic. Inside it's own bailiwick, this is a great tobacco. Compared to my preferred Vapers?.........

This is a super dark, super chunky, super heavily cased blend. Tin note is just gorgeous. Obviously Mac Barens attempt at BCA. I don't think there is any cherry here (that is in 7 seas red) but something about the tin note kept bringing me back to cherry.

I put this out to dry overnight, and it gave me a quite enjoyable smoke.....for a goopy aromatic. If you smoke this right out of the tin, you are in for a bad time. Given time to air out? It burns surprisingly well, and left very little sludge in the heel. Tongue bite is not bad at all (I am convinced drying time helps immensely with this, even if due to the fact I don't have to relight every two minutes and puff like a freight train to get it lit and keep it rolling). Room note is heavenly. Definitely a crowd pleaser.

Over all, this is an excellent entry into this stable of this style of tobacco. If you are a heavy aromatic lover, you are going to love this. For me? This will make a great change of pace, or be a company impresser, but not what I will reach for personally when I am looking for a perfect bowl of tobacco.

Apologies for the longwinded review, but this blend means a lot to me.

This was the first blend where I finally "got it." I started smoking a pipe in college but never really stuck with it because I didn't know what I was doing and therefore had a pipe always going out with a burnt up mouth.

Years would pass. I held onto my pipes for that off chance I'd smoke it on a camping trip, but I'd go through moments telling myself to sell them off. Eventually I bought a house and thought a good way to celebrate would be to sit on the back porch and burn some Mac Baren Mixture flake on a summer's evening. Hey, this is actually pretty nice! I forgot how pleasant this could be. Maybe I'll head to the tobacconist and pick up something new.

Since first trying the pipe, I've always been chasing that smell of when my dad would fire up a bowl of Argosy Black once in a blue moon. That first day I bought a pipe, I went from jar to jar smelling to see if I could find that comforting aroma but didn't find it. Each time I bought a new blend I'd be searching for that smell. It wasn't until some 10 years after that first time - when I bought the house - that I found that smell. It was inside a jar filled to the brim with 7 Seas Black.

The blend is chunky and can be a little troublesome to pack, but it smokes easy no matter what. I can usually get it going after 3-5 matches with no relights. It's easy to puff on, doesn't get too hot and never bites. The smoke is thick and satisfying with a pleasantly sweet licorice/anise flavor but is not overpowering. The room note is warming and nostalgic for those around you.

In summary, this blend was the first that I had that was easy to smoke and full of flavor. It helped me understand and appreciate the hobby better. Despite that, I only give it three stars as there's one downside: it's a pretty wet blend and the bottom of your pipe will be a sticky mess so good luck getting a full bowl's worth of enjoyment. It's still one of my favorites, though.

Come sail away, ye crusty dogs and sissy-pants lubbers! Lock the golden ear hoops, fasten them tartan bonnets, and for heaven’s sake lash those fancy boy kerchiefs tightly about, ye ill-mannered scallywags! We ride out the rolling swell aboard the sloop Mac Baren. Make merry the halyard and steady the capstan (oops that’s a Virginia) our charter takes us into the abyss of the 7 Seas Black, a dainty coarse cut bounty dark as midnight upon the rocking crests. Yarrr!

Now that Roger has been made jolly, entering the port, a smoking cob full of Mac Baren 7 Seas Black a steely 100% Black Cavendish wonder buried within a treasure chest of flavorful additives. A palate’s share for the looting featuring Italian Amaretto, chocolate, spicy licorice, vanilla, and a few other hidden jewels, make this blend a lonely mate’s seafaring sweetheart.

The tobacco itself is highly pliable yet pouch-ready dry for immediate enjoyment. Carrying a somewhat cultured essence, 7 Seas Black musters a general feeling spicy refined sweetness. Central to its aroma is an inviting fruity liqueur eased with a congealed bitterness. Prominent accenting perfumes motion forward in the form of soft cocoa/vanilla, dark coffee, placid licorice, a bit of soiled nuttiness and very remote native sour tart grass. A very gracious presentation by comparative aromatic standards.

Objectively this mixture has a smooth tooth and well-manicured overall taste profile. Mild with respect to intensity yet rich in delighting presence. Principally the additive flavorings dominant the registration for the entirety of the smoke. Nothing overbearing or ruttishly tacky by any means, but rather polished and balanced with consistent precision; impressive to say the least.

Drink up me hearties, as the leading Amaretto note endows the classic taste of a fine matured liqueur. Namely, a cordial-like presentation of sweet creamy fruitiness and dulled alcohol spice emanates. Nuances of gentle buttery almond, peachy-apricot, and passive cherry finish the leading characterization. Further amorous embellishment is favored by the bittersweet spice of licorice, medium-roast coffee, diluted chocolate/vanilla, and some basic sugar. On the bottom, one can anchor traces of native Cavendish in doting tones of earthy tart and tangy wood/grass. Ahoy!

As tobacco burns, this one is comfortably cool, silky, and level in its consumption. Ample clouds of prosperous blue smoke are emitted offering an amiable sweeter spice that catches the fancy. Tis certain Blackbeard would have yo-ho’d this one with his bottle of rum. No bite or chemical poisoning nonsense is experienced making 7 Seas Black a noteworthy aromatic indulgence. So, follow the bowsprit and climb aboard the poop deck if ye favor a hardy roost on a lively and charming aromatic excursion. 3.3 Pipes

In a word, excellent! MacBaren cavendish has few if any rivals. A brown sugar sweetness that is not so overwhelming that it steal from the other components. A melange of flavors going on here make for a flavorful experience. Can you taste the tobaccos as well? Yes indeed, grassy, nutty and citrus notes only serve to enhance this selection. Not a power bomb of Nicotine, but enough to keep you interested. Mild to medium blend that burns well through the process. Little dottle and not a goopy mess in your bowl! Great aromatic from MacBaren.

Finally a winner from the 7 Seas line! After trying and being disappointed by Gold, Regular, and Royal, 7 Seas Black finally gave me what I was looking for. Smooth smoke, mild, but pleasing flavor, and a satisfying bowl.