Tobaccos Mac Baren - HH Old Dark Fired

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JimInks (3047)	2013-08-26		Medium to Strong	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

It's a little closer to medium than strong in regard to strength and taste, and that observation depends on how used to strong tobaccos is the smoker. The main component is the earthy, woody, floral, spicy, fairly dry, herbal, mildly tart and tangy sour, nutty dark fired Kentucky. Earthy, nutty, woody burleys, and earthy, woody, tangy dark fruity, tart and tangy citrus sweet Virginias work are secondary stars. You will notice every aspect in virtually every puff. The natural sweetness of the varietals are enhanced by being steam pressed, and there's a mild vinegar and barbecue hit from the binder. The harmonious complexity of the flavor works to its advantage in terms of its effect on your taste buds. There may be some flakes that are more complex, but not by a whole lot, and this gives you plenty enough as it is. Won’t bite, and has a few rough edges. Burns clean, a little slow, and is tinned at the perfect moisture level with a medium nic-hit that gets a little stronger as you smoke along. The taste is very consistent from start to finish, and little moisture is left in the bowl. Requires some relights. I recommend a slow puffing cadence for best effect. Has a pleasant, lingering campfire after taste, and stronger room note. Not an all day smoke.

There are stronger tobaccos. This is not too strong to knock you off your feet, but certainly not weak.

-JimInks

157 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	moniker (220)	2013-11-13		Medium to Strong	Mild	Medium to Full	Tolerable

In view of recent changes to this website, here is the full review of HH Old Dark Fired that I ought to have done in the first place:

IMO, this blend is an all-time classic. Tin note is deep, dark chocolate over fermented raisins and exotic spices, over the rich, fermented dark-fired leaf, and if you keep sniffing you may detect the sharp-ish cigar notes also mentioned by some other reviewers. The beautiful, large flakes are well presented and easy to work with, and they can be smoked right out of the tin. Rubbed out, ODF can be smoked as a medium/full no-brainer, easy burning, with blissful clouds of spicy, rich, chocolate/raisin smoke. These days I usually cut some "using" flakes to length based on a nominal chamber depth and I dry a piece out some before I roll, spindle and loosely stuff it vertically into a pipe. This technique results in a stronger, more cigar-like smoke that also burns down to a fine gray ash, just like a cigar. The chocolate and raisins are still present in spades, but the spices and the whole tobacco aspect of the smoke are stronger and sharper, including all the dark-fired nuances you could want, under the circumstances. Aftertaste is pretty much aftermath, persistent and delicious to this tobacco lover. Strength just nudges over my idea of medium, with a lot of taste for this level of nicotine.

If you have not yet tried this, and if you can handle real, full tobacco, I strongly recommend you try ODF, if you can find it. I don't smoke it often, but I always find it satisfying when I do smoke it.

Update: Not to "temper" the review, rather simply to add, like most "highly processed" pipe tobaccos, the additives in ODF tend to delineate with time spent in a jar. In this case, the result is the apparent mild scent and very muted taste of said additives, along with a very slightly acrid quality toward the end of a bowl. And, no surprise, the constituent tobaccos also become more melded and more mellow. Not really a problem for me; just saying. Of course, one way to "handle" this is to enjoy it straight away.

Pipe Used: various briars

Age When Smoked: "fresh" to almost 2 years from jars

Purchased From: 4noggins

Similar Blends: ODF & Sillem's Commodore Flake put me in mind one of the other, despite their obvious differences. GLP's Key Largo is another one; different, but also has "that something". Also compares/contrasts to Solani 660 Silver Flake and Gawith, Hoggarth's Brown Irish X..

74 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2012-10-15		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Based on a 1 oz sample I got from a pipe forum pal. After I finished the sample, I ordered 10 more tins. I doubt that will last very long. This is one excellent tobacco, a wonderful example of what a skillful blender can do when they keep the honey and sugar in their respective containers and put out a natural tobacco. This is far from the prototypical Mac Barens that offends some smokers with its bite, lack of flavor and character, and sappy sweetness (the 3 biggest complaints I've heard... and I can't say they are unreasonable complaints in most cases).

I have smoked a fair bit of G&H Dark Flake and Peterson's Irish Flake. I prefer this one, and not by a small margin. Mac Barens managed to get most of the strength and earthy "presence" into a flake that doesn't overwhelm the nuances inherent in the leaf. They melded the two together exquisitely. This is earthy, dark and incredibly deep - and it is strong as well - but it's not so overpowering that even someone that shies away from nicotine couldn't enjoy in a small bowl. It's tasty and refined and luxurious. Probably the best dark flake I've ever smoked and my early leader for Best Tobacco of 2012. The best Christmas present I could receive would be to find this available in bulk! If you like strong tobaccos but find them to be occasional smokes due to their brutality, get yourself some of this. Mac Barens kept the best parts of strong dark flakes and made a blend that most anyone would find smokable. Well done, Mac Barens! Blending genius, pure and simple.

UPDATE 6/5/13

This now comes in 1 pound boxes (bulk). Merry Christmas to ME! I just bought two boxes. I've smoked hundreds of tobaccos and this is now in my Top 5 of currently produced blends. Simply excellent!

62 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	DrumsAndBeer (217)	2013-11-13		Medium to Strong	Very Mild	Medium to Full	Tolerable

When first lit, Old Dark Fired delivers a flavor that is quite soft and very enjoyable. The beginning of the bowl is reminiscent of a smooth earthy cigar, one with just a touch of spice to it. I love to smoke this in my little Peterson Tankard. The concentration of earthy dark chocolate like flavors mixed with the dark-fire spice is absolutely wonderful. Old Dark Fired has a warm primary tone with deep molasses like flavors and a lingering midrange honey like essence that is similar to the tin note.

Now that I am half way through my second tin, I have found that for me it is imperative to fold and stuff this flake. Getting it going and keeping it lit is a bit more of a process but the payoff in flavor is nothing short of amazing. When rubbed out, Old Dark Fired can take a serious turn to the bitter side of the flavor spectrum. But when folded, it burns remarkably cool and maintains its round semi-sweet bitter chocolate like flavor for most of the bowl.

As expected, middle to end bowl flavors develop nicely & even though they become more bold and spicy, never am I overwhelmed when smoking this beautiful flake. If anything the intense bittersweet smokiness that ultimately develops seems to just welcome me in & I feel right at home with its strength.

I can't say enough good things about this flake. It's just plain stellar. It's by far and away the best thing I have ever had from Mac Baren and I will always keep a tin on hand.

59 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pipestud (1829)	2015-04-27		Medium	Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant

A very nice and bold tobacco. The steaming of the leaf certainly took away any tendency for there to be a bite to the leaf and the earthy flavor of the dark fired Burley leaf was stout and palate fulfilling. The Virginia was in the background and slightly sweetened the overall presentation. The taste was certainly on the high side of medium and I am sure the decades old Burley employed is what makes this one very noticeable in the strength department. Personally, I think this is one of Mac Baren's finest offerings!

Pipestud

52 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	DoomDealer (9)	2014-07-07		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

First of all, let me say I'm an inexperienced pipe smoker, so my review(s) won't be as in-depth or sophisticated as those by more experienced smokers. I enjoy my pipes immensely, as well as discovering new tobaccos, and I intend to wean myself off cigarettes once and for all in the not too distant future.

MacBaren's HH Old Dark Fired is a tobacco I wanted to try for some time, having read all the raving reviews and having heard lots of good things about it. So when I ordered my Churchwarden I ordered a tin of this as well. I'm normally a bit sceptical about reviews (I read them but I like to make up my own mind) but in this case they were absolutely spot on.

I don't know a lot about tobaccos (or blends) - Virginia, Latakia, Perique and what-not. For me there are only two important aspects when it comes to tobacco: a) I want top-notch quality (with the prices especially in the UK I'm not gonna spend my hard earned cash on anything other than top-notch quality tobacco) and b) whether or not I like it. Everything else is secondary.

I've tried a few tobaccos over the years, but nothing could have prepared me for this. When I lit my pipe with this in it I was floored! I'd never quite experienced anything like it! On opening the tin I was already quite impressed: neatly arranged flakes and a beautifully deep, heavy and rich aroma; a hint of chocolate and fruit to my nose. This has got to be one of the best tobaccos out there at the moment and this is coming from somebody who, in essence, has only tried out a fraction of the tobaccos on offer. Why? Because I fail to see how anybody could feel that this tobacco leaves anything to be desired! In fact, I daresay even the most ardent aro smoker would be more than happy with this most of the time. If you haven't tried it yet then I'd strongly suggest you get a tin as quickly as possible. You owe it to yourself to try this!

I've so far only tried it rubbed out (works for me), after having let the tin dry out a bit over night, despite the moisture being pretty much perfect. For some strange reason it doesn't seem to like my Churchwardens (gets quite hot and there's a lot of gurgling going on, but that could easily be just me), but in my battered, 25 year old Ermanno Elite it was perfect (same way of packing and smoking): cool with an intense, complex and rich aroma; absolutely no TB whatsoever (and I know a thing or two about TB having smoked mainly aro's), no wet mess at the bottom of the bowl and the nic kick is perfect.

Having tried HHODF was like a lightbulb moment for me and I've since banished my aromatics to the back of the cupboard. This is unbelievably good stuff! I could quite happily smoke only this for the rest of my life and never look at another tobacco ever again. I'll be buying much much more of this. Absolutely glorious!

UPDATE: After three tins of this, I still maintain that this is absolutely fabulous stuff and fully stand behind my review! My tobacconist was gonna discontinue this stuff (apparently nobody buys it), but I managed to persuade him to keep it in stock. Phew. I have thrown out all my aro's because I realised what rubbish I had been smoking up to that point, and I can only recommend everybody else doing the same.

Pipe Used: Aldo Morelli, Ermanno Elite, Peterson Churchwarden

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Smoke-king

36 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	StevieB (2081)	2014-02-24		Strong	None Detected	Full	Tolerable

Mac Baren - HH Old Dark Fired.

Matching the name the flakes are dark in colour, are of an average thickness, and out of all the tins I've had never has one arrive 'soaked'; sometimes a bit moist, but not drenched. The aroma seems fairly stereotypical for the ingredients.

Bold is the word for the flavour. The cured Burley/Kentucky outweighs the Virginia, causing a full smoky/fiery flavour. The Virginia's easily subordinate, comparatively. Having smoked this blend for years I'm yet to get a bite from it!

Nicotine: strong. Room-note: not the best!

A stout blend that deserves four stars:

Highly recommended.

Pipe Used: Most I own ;)

Age When Smoked: Various

Purchased From: Various

27 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Gentleman Zombie (729)	2015-03-03		Medium	Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

I've been smoking the ready rubbed version for about a year and a half and liked it so much I just neglected to try the flake. Evidently, 8 months ago I had decided to try it, bought a tin, and promptly forgot about it. Found it last week and have been hitting it pretty hard since. The MM Mark Twain is the perfect size for rolling and stuffing two flakes into so I've been using that pipe exclusively. It's a very firm pack, but always leaves a good draw. The flavor here, as opposed to the ready rubbed is a little sweeter and purer. The same wonderful brown sugar notes are there, but they seem cleaner. The natural tobacco notes are a bit more evident as well. It's a much longer smoke, about an hour and fifteen minutes compared to forty-five or fifty. I would expect that because I don't use two full flakes if I rub it out. This is just a fantastic tobacco regardless of how you smoke it. I love it stuffed or rubbed. The slightly better flavors smoking it rolled or folded and stuffed are a plus in it's favor. The ability to buy it in bulk is a plus in favor of the ready rubbed. They're both great and I'll keep both in my stash.

Body is medium. Flavor is medium to full. Needs a little drying time. When I plan to smoke it rolled and stuffed I do so then leave the pipe out with the stem removed for about eight hours. Burns perfectly after that. In my humble opinion, this is one of the best smokes on the planet.

EDIT: Just read DK's comment about the flake now being available in bulk. I wasn't aware of that. Checked the prices and saw that a pound of flakes is only $3 more than a pound of ready rubbed. I'm going with just the flakes from now on. FURTHER EDIT: The flakes can be found at the same price as the ready rubbed. $43 a pound at both pipesandcigars.com and also cigarsinternational.com. smokingpipes.com has it at $46, which is where I first looked.

Pipe Used: MM Mark Twain

Age When Smoked: 8 months

Purchased From: smokingpipes.com

24 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	fr_tom (393)	2013-06-04		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I picked up a tin of this at the tobacconist yesterday, and I have really enjoyed it. It is a good, nutty, earthy burley with some Virginia overtones. It is deep and full - just a little of the Virginia tart and sweet. It delivers on the tobacco taste. I did not detect any added flavor, but I don't have the most delicate palate. It has a good consistent flavor and smokes very clean to the bottom of the bowl. If you would like to try a really good medium-strong pressed burley blend, this is highly recommended.

Edit: I am now three tins deep into the ODF experience, and my evaluation has not changed. I have been rubbing it out. This is excellent tobacco at an affordable price. If this blend sounds remotely appealing, you owe it to yourself to give it a try.

22 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	samcoffeeman (33)	2013-11-07		Strong	None Detected	Full	Tolerable

I'm almost finished my first tin of this. I've smoked similar tobaccos like Jackknife plug and Stonehaven. This blows those two well-regarded tobaccos away. The flavor profile is excellent. It is rich, smooth and complex, hints of smokiness and spice with some sweetness. The smoke is never overwhelming despite its full flavor. It doesn't bite. I like the nic kick it gives, which is an eye-opener. I'm about to buy large quantities of this stuff, it is that good. Mac Baren hit a home run, and usually I'm not too fond of their offerings.

21 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Darby (15)	2014-04-01		Medium	None Detected	Full	Tolerable

MacBaren HH Old Darkfired (Burley/Va Flake)

When I first shopped for this blend, I was gently forewarned it was for experienced smokers, and after enjoying most of a 100g tin, I’m inclined to partially agree, mostly on account of its burning qualities, which can require some initial trial and error for people unaccustomed to dense slightly moist flakes ... more on that at the end of the review. For now, I’ll cover the basics, for the benefit of newcomers to this unctuous offering.

First off, props to Mac Baren for their use of compact, high quality tins that are properly sized for the contents provided, and properly vintage dated.

To begin - HH ODF is a firm, slightly moist, and robustly kilned dark flake, comprised of Burley and Flue-cured Virginias. The burleys bring body and a rich nuttiness to the table, and the naturally sweet and slightly citrusy virginias (already flue-cured before being pressed and kilned into the dense dark cake these flakes are cut from) add some deeply caramelized and slightly tangy nuances to the mix. The resulting tin note is most simply described as a symphony that (for me) evokes hints of KC Masterpiece BBQ Sauce, a touch of Belgian dark candi sugar (used by Trappists to color/flavor lush offerings like “Chimay Blue” nut brown ale), and a slightly smokey/spicy hint of Chipotle chili pepper. This is a rich, naturally pungent and toothsome flake, and clearly shows old fashioned quality craftsmanship.

The obligatory charring lights bring forth the dark, sweet, nutty and slightly saucy tin aromas, along with a subtle tang evoking faint hints of tamarind and caramelized orange peel. The flavor gets briefly confused as the majority of the bowl slowly kilns and gets ready to release its goodness, but as the first third winds down and the mid-bowl comes online, the flavors settle down, mellow a bit, and everything begins firing on all cylinders. In short order, a rich maltiness appears, accompanied by gentle hints of milk fudge and toffee, riding atop a soft milky/peppery sting that almost evokes perique, and with slow steady sipping those flavors carry all the way to the end of the dottle. My tin featured a faint hint of youthful edginess that will doubtless fade with some extended aging, but it's barely worth mentioning, and par for the course for bold vintage tobaccos like this one.

Bottom line: this is a rich, solid, dark flake that can be enjoyed straight, and also used to add oomph and complexity to lighter VaPrs beset by anemic cores of unflavored cavendish. This dual use makes HH ODF a great addition to any tobacco larder.

Recommended (3.5 of 4 stars, which gets rounded down to 3).

Suggested pairings: For beers, dry Irish or dryish imperial stout, trappist brown ale, dopplebock, or eisbock (ex: Samiclaus). For wine, Cream sherry. For bourbon, dark lush offerings like Baker’s 107 or Pappy VanWinkle 18. For scotch, Macallan 18. For brandy, a nice dark Armagnac. For rum, Gosling Dark Seal.

UPDATE (Apr 2014): Solani - 656: Aged Burley Flake has bumped HH ODF off my favorites list, and is my currently reigning favorite burley-based blend. I've since rounded ODF downward from 3.5 to 3 stars, instead of up to 4. Also, I've discovered that the tins for this product are no longer fully airtight once opened, so if you consume this slowly I recommend repackaging in glass.

------------------------------- Packing tips:

It took a little trial and error to find the best method to enjoy this tobacco. Mac Baren put out a YouTube video advocating the two-flake “half-fold and stuff” method, but for me it seems to give a slightly uneven pack and some excess 'channeling'. A closely related method method is the “Z-fold plug”, whereby you stack two flakes, fold lengthwise (across grain) in thirds in a z-pattern, then roll it gently crosswise (with the grain) to form a shorter cylindrical plug. That method worked slightly better for me, but still resulted in some channeling and some extra re-tampling/re-lighting. Everyone has their favorite method for flakes, but for this tobacco, the following seems to work best for me: leave two flakes out to dry for 15-30 mins, then use a chef knife to cross-cut them into quarters, then rub them out into short ribbons (some of which will naturally crumble into smaller fragments). Sprinkle into your bowl, compact lightly (this tobacco expands during smoking, so pack with restraint), then top off and repeat until the pipe is just over ¾ full. Two charring lights (with several small puffs apiece), a gentle tamp, followed by true lighting, and you’re good to go.

Pipe Used: Dr Grabow Freehand Briar (Group 4)

Age When Smoked: Aug 2013 (100g tin)

Purchased From: PipesandCigars.com

Similar Blends: Solani - 656: Aged Burley Flake.

20 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	hedgehog (8)	2014-11-13		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Short version: a towering, noble, austere triumph,

Presentation: perfect, finely brindled and squared-off flakes. If a Saville Row bespoke suit could be converted into a flake tobacco, that flake tobacco would be Old Dark Fired.

Pack and Light: I may be a control-freak about my burn, but I prefer to rub this flake out myself so that I can ensure a perfectly even pack. The flake requires very little drying time right out of the (admittedly recently produced) tin. Two charring lights and we're airborne for the rest of the bowl.

The first third reveals the astringent depth of the Very Old Virginias that star in this blend, a sort of balsamic like complexity without the sweetness, or maybe something like the tang of salt-pickled lemons. In short order, however, the dark fired burleys join ranks with the Virginias, and the smoke begins its long smooth march from bright to dark, building both in complexity and strength without ever losing composure.

In the second part of the bowl, a deep, mocha creaminess combines with something raisiny, and the combination is almost heartbreaking in its classical, unflashy symmetry of high and low, sweet and bitter, rich and bright.

The finale arrives when the smoke shifts to a woodier, more cedary dryness, and the burley presides over the striking of the set.

A serious and uncompromising tobacco, demanding and rewarding undivided attention. One of the best.

Pipe Used: Medium, U-shaped bowls, esp. billiards.

Age When Smoked: 1 year

Purchased From: smokingpipes.com

Similar Blends: Gawith FVF.

19 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Granny Smith (29)	2014-11-03		Medium to Strong	Mild to Medium	Medium to Full	Very Pleasant

This is the kind of tabacco I love - slow burning and smooth with an aftertaste of dark chocolate. I don't rub out the flakes but rather fold them into the pipe, which I think gives a fuller flavour than rubbing the tobacco out. There are several blends that I always keep on hand and this will become one of them. The nicotine hit is considerable which is something I love - not for me those weak tobaccos, but give me a full bodied smoke and I'm in my element. And Old Dark Fired is one such tobacco. This is likely my all time favourite and as been for sometime. Of course I'm always trying new blends, looking for that perfect pipe tobacco but Old Dark Fired comes pretty close to what I consider perfect. I've just ordered two more 100g tins so that should tell you something.

Sitting outside on a nice evening with a glass of Merlot and a pipe full of old dark fired is a pleasure comparable to sharing a bed with Colin Firth. Full bodied and satisfying with a smouldering darkness that seduces the tongue. There is a distinct chocolately aftertaste but that's only half the story because I've never found chocolate that tastes this good.

Pipe Used: Falcon limited edition white tip

Age When Smoked: fresh

Purchased From: Black Swann

Similar Blends: pure pleasure.

16 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	oldcodger (74)	2015-01-19		Medium to Strong	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant

HH Old Dark Fired is the finest burley flake I know, and that is saying a lot for there are some outstanding competitors, Solani Aged Burley Flake and Peterson University Flake in particular.

This is fired burley that has been steam pressed to a dark brown with just a few light brown flecks. There is enough Virginia to round out and sweeten the taste.

MacBaren manufactures an exquisite flake. I find this to smoke best with the flakes jammed in the pipe with a little rubbed out as tinder to start the light. (This is also available in a rubbed out form, and I find that version wimpier.)

MacBaren buys and stockpiles tobaccos of very high quality, and even their cheaper blends are highly processed, some might argue over processed. I certainly would not maintain that this offering is overly processed. For my money, MacBaren has done this just right.

The taste is full, but not overwhelming. There is complexity here. Every puff does not seem the same as you work through the pipe-full. Bite is not likely if a proper puffing cadence is utilized. (With some MacBaren mixtures you have to be exceedingly careful; not so with this one.) The taste is nutty with chocolate overtones. It all burns down to a dry light grey ash.

The room note has a pleasant natural tobacco aroma, but is much more neutral than the taste the smoker enjoys. The nicotine level is fairly high.

I have smoked this in all kinds of pipes, from meerschaums, cobs, and briar cheapies to my Dunhills. All of the pipes that I have tried with this smoked wonderfully well.

There are some smokers who eschew burley, and they will not care for this. Those sensitive to high nicotine levels will also find this a tough go. For everyone else I give an unreserved thumbs up.

15 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Mr. Big (321)	2014-10-11		Medium to Strong	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant

Come on, who are they trying to fool, this tobacco is too high class, too tasty, too wonderful to be Mac Baren's ! When you open the tin you see perfectly sliced flakes of dark brown tobacco and a scent of apricots and raisins, good enough to eat. I took one flake out , gave it a quick rub and decided it was too damp to smoke , all I could stand waiting was 5 minutes before I had to pop it in the micro wave for 7 seconds, it was then at perfect humidity. The light and burn was perfect.

Ah, how to describe the taste? Did I mention that I'm NOT a Burley fan, but coincidently about 3 weeks ago ,on a lark, I ordered an oz. of Sutliff's Edgeworth Ready Rub Match, just to bring back some memories from 40 years ago. It was OK, but this blend takes ERR to a whole new level. The distinct ERR molasses taste is there, but only lightly in the background, a well cured dark Virginia took the center stage. Layered on top of this is a distinct touch of Perique ( I realize that Perique is not listed) . This gives a raisin taste, a bit of spice, and a wonderful incense scent when allowed to drift up the nose. . I don't get the cigar notes that some of our reviewers have described as I get with Solani's 656 Aged Burley Flake, but rather more chocolate raisin flavors. Powerful "N", you bet, it should come with a warning "don't operate power tools while smoking this". Oh , no bite !

If I was to try to blend this, I would start with 80% SG"s St. James Flake and add 20% Edgeworths Ready Rub. Best Kentucky/Burley experience in a long time, but this is more of a " creamy Vaper" to me.

SIX WEEKS LATER- I've had this in the cellar only covered ( sometimes I seal tins with a hot glue gun). The tobacco is now perfect for smoking, the flakes are still pliable but on the dry side. Using a Missouri Maple, I lightly folded and stuffed a few flakes and this tobacco was magnificent. It still retained a sweet dark molasses flavor but the Perique spice and raisin FLAVOR has faded, but not the incense SCENT. Allow the smoke drift up the nose ( reminds me of a new Book). Also, allow time to savor this one, at a slow sip, and don't miss out on the scent (becomes lost using the DGT). Still a 4 star and I have to revaluate my dislike for Burley.

Pipe Used: cob/ Maple

Age When Smoked: 1 month/ 3 months

Similar Blends: 80% St. James Flake & 20% Edgeworth Ready Rub, also, a stronger Robert McConnel Scottish cake.

15 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Sinister Topiary (84)	2015-04-21		Medium	None Detected	Mild	Tolerable

This is my first foray into finding a replacement for my beloved Bracken Flake (RIP), because some misanthropic villain at Samuel Gawith decided to lessen the quality of my life by removing my favorite nectar from their inventory. Well, now the grieving is over. I accept the reality with reluctance and have entered the stage of acceptance. It's now time to move on. And so begins my hopeless journey to try to discover something that pretends to fill the void.

When I came across this flake the description sounded very promising, especially when I discovered that many of my favorite reviewers here think very highly of this one. So I plopped down $85 for a tin at my local Brick & Mortar. My first bowl was very promising. But as I worked my way through the tin I liked it less and less.

Clearly this is a nice, quality flake, beautifully constructed. And I discovered that a larger bowl helps bring out the flavor more. But though I stuck with it and tried to like it (at $85 a tin in Canada you can bet I'm going to try to like it!), it took me almost the entire 100 grams to realize that this is not a flake for me. I found it a difficult flake to work with, for one thing. (Darby, though, had good advice for how to fold the flake that worked for me.) And I could never get the moisture level right either.

But then I realized it's not a question of the moisture level. Dry or moist, it's the flavor of this that underwhelms me. Too much burley.

I think I've discovered something through this flake. Though many of my favorite flakes have ample amounts of Kentucky, I am not a fan of unadorned Burley. Each bowl, especially after the charring light, began with an enticing sweet, spicy & woody nuance. But that nuance never fulfilled its promise: the flavor quickly became monochrome and rather tasteless as I progressed through the bowl. Each bowl ended up tasting rather bland, like mildly sweet particle board with a hint of earthy darkness. The Burley in this blend is too prominent, overwhelming the virginias, which leaves me with a smoke that's too "open" and not very interesting. I see why Pipesmoking101 considers this a flat smoke.

I think I have an idea of what everybody else appreciates about it. But for me, it wasn't satisfying, and what flavor I got from it didn't exactly float my boat. Clearly a flake for those who love burley more than I do, I suppose. I think what ODF proves is that my favorite Kentucky-laden flakes need to take a trip through Kendal for me to enjoy them.

13 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	SteelCowboy (685)	2012-12-22		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

My comments on Old Dark Fired are based on far less than I would usually smoke before forming an opinion. But I was gifted it a nice size sample and it is one of those rare tobaccos that was full of enjoyment right from the very first puff. I almost always receive an ample amount of tongue bite from Mac Baren blends, but not with ODF. I allowed the flakes to fully dry to the point that they crumbled, but were still just moist enough to prevent them from turning to dust. The nicotine hit for most of the bowl is a bit less heavy on the throttle than similar offerings in this genre from Gawtih Hoggarth and Sam Gawith. But it isn't weak either and the flavor is full and delicious. As others have pointed out, it is earthy and to my taste, slightly sweet. While I do taste the similarity to GH and SG blends, I don't quite find the similar flavor in Old Dark Fired to Peterson's Irish Flake, but it could just be my taste buds. I have only smoked about a half dozen bowls of this, but find it to my liking in a medium size bowl, such as a group four. The burn is clean and dry. ODF will find a spot in my cellar. Highly Recommended!

13 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	OhioTony76 (59)	2017-03-20		Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Fresh out of the tin I enjoyed this more. After a few weeks in a jar it lost something. The pungent tin note from the day I opened it is almost totally gone. I was expecting a bolder, spicier flavor from this blend. The flakes look great. They rub out amazing, but oddly they don't burn well. They smoke slow with thin smoke output. I found myself over puffing and over lighting this blend trying to locate more taste. I finally realized it's not there to be had.

Pipe Used: Briar and cobs

Age When Smoked: 3 weeks

Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com

Similar Blends: Peterson's Irish Flake.

11 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Mr. Motoyoshi (68)	2016-05-06		Medium	Extremely Mild	Full	Tolerable to Strong

It's hard to write this review without any bias because this is one of my favorite tobaccos...from one of my least favorite blenders.

I think most agree that MB's flake presentation is second to none; this being no exception. Perfectly cut thin strips of dark leaf with very few flecks of light colored tobacco. The tin smells of something sweet, spicy, smokey all rolled into one. The moisture level out of the tin may be a bit high for some, but not too much drying time is needed. I actually prefer this tobacco a little on the moist side for optimal flavor. No DGT for this one.

Tastes good rubbed out but I prefer to fold and stuff. Another reason I like this more than the ready rubbed. When smoking a flake of this, the flavors tend to seem to come out more and have a broader range. I always find the Kentucky kicks the first 1/4 of the bowl but slowly loses its potency making way for the other profiles. The VAs are sweet and work very well with the smoke and spice. Steaming these leaves has truly made it easy on the tongue (unlike other blends from this company). There is a subtle sweetness that I detect and I know they use minimal casings; just enough to bind the leaves. But in no way does it inhibit the flavors in the smoke.

In my experience, Kentucky can sometimes have a tendency to dry out the smoke. I find the Kentucky in Three Nuns to be over bearing and drown out the sweetness of the VAS. ODF on the other hand has a juicy quenching flavor. Think of a BBQ pork shoulder in a slow cooker. Being that it's sweet enough on its own, I tend to not enjoy this in a cob. I enjoy this in my briars the most.

Vitamin N for this doesn't seem to bother me but I have heard many say it was too much for them. Room note is nothing to rave about but that hasn't stopped me in the past. If you liked Savineli Doblone d'Oro, you should try this. And vice versa. I've enjoyed this so much I've already bought a couple of the pound boxes and have several tins in the cellar. I hope this never goes out of production.

Pipe Used: Mortas, cobs, briars and meers

Age When Smoked: From fresh to 3 years of age

Similar Blends: Savinelli - Doblone d'Oro.

11 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	cobacco (52)	2014-08-02		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

5 Stars! Damn this stuff is good! I love burley and ODF is an excellent flake to put alongside Irish Flake and Gawith Louisiana Flake. I am amazed that a simple steam process can produce such a unique and flavorful smoke. I received a rusty one year old tin from pipesandcigars THANK YOU! I've been taking these wonderfully aged flakes right out of the tin, folding up and stuffing without drying. After a slightly persnickety relight you get a wonderful sweet nutty flavor and it's a good long smoke for a burley blend. $13 bucks is a bargain for this 3.5 ounce tin. You'll get about two dozen small bowls of high quality smoking. ODF is easy on the palate, so you could smoke it hard, but it heats up, so you have to go easy, especially on the last half of the bowl. Flavor is good to the bottom of the bowl. Leaves the pipe clean and dry. Goes great with amber beer.

Pipe Used: MM DIPLOMAT COB

Age When Smoked: 1 Year

Purchased From: pipesandcigars

11 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	J. Ward (71)	2018-04-09		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

Old Dark Fired is a full and tasty blend. Nutty, earthy, molasses sweet burley, aided by deep Kentucky with notes of smoked wood and earth, and a bit of spice that builds just prior mid-bowl which is more noticeable on the retrohale. The virginia lends a welcome grassy/hay sweetness to the blend and melds seemlessly with the other components. This blend benefits beautifully from age, becoming slightly sweeter. It comes a bit moist, so drying time is recommended. Nicotine is a notch or two above medium. 4 stars. Highly recommended.

Pipe Used: Big Ben Jockey 102

Age When Smoked: 1 Year

Purchased From: smokingpipes.com

10 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pseudo Nim (129)	2015-11-16		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Very Pleasant

Had you asked me about Mac Baren before I tried this, I would have said I don't like Mac Baren tobaccos. I still don't like them, but this one was love at first light, it's just good quality tobacco taste all the way through, from first light all the way to the end, just a smidgen over medium in strength, could even be an all day smoke as it gets closer to winter. This is another one I make sure I have a small stockpile of.

1 August 2019

Just wanted to update room note :-

One of the few tobacco's I smoke that meets with both wife and dog approval !!!

Pipe Used: Good in all pipes I've used

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: My smoking shop

Similar Blends: FVF with hobnail boots on.

10 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2013-07-02		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Tolerable

This is a full flake in the finest tradition which puts FVF in its place. The tin-note is heavenly with that almost offensive fermented power that one instinctively knows signals a bold smoke. The first-light suggests wonderful things and then there is the taste some of us have been searching for for a long, long time. This is a quality rendition of "real tobacco", with ever-increasing taste, not a hint of bite and clouds of full, unctious smoke. I personally find that it rises in strength to an almost overwhelming degree then, afer a rest, returns to normal as the moisture evaporates to make the final third far more enjoyable than I had anticipated. I feel it is a testament to the blender's art that the the nicotine content is about as reasonable as one could expect for such an up-front offering- I was a bit shaky but not overhwelmed. It is a little stronger than I am comfortable with as a broken flake but rubbed out it is more or less perfect. No gurgling, no casing (that I can detect), no ashy dissapointment at the end. There is much more going on than in Peterson's Irish Flake, which tastes black and un-nuanced in comparison- think Condor Long Cut with an added nutty-citrus note and absolutely no perfume. I plan to dial it down a touch with 10% Union Square to add yet more expansiveness to the taste, but this is a work in progress. McBaren have for some time now, had a reputation as a "beginner's brand"- this is certainly not the case for HHODF. It is the real deal. All you pipist who have to have IF or CLC to find a satisfying pipe take note; there is a new sherrif in town.

Addendum: I have subsequently mixed HHODF with GLP's Union Square, approx 50/50 ratio and rubbed out to approx a broken flake consistency then allowed to marinate for a couple of days in a large jar with enough air in it to allow both tobaccos to breath. This mixture is quite possibly the best tobacco I have ever tasted in my life. Due to the differing strengths and palates of the two blends, the HHODF is dialled down to about 70% but the piquant, citric Va from US does not overwhelm, serving instead to make the ODF serve as a basenote to a complex smoke- think rasperry coulis on top of a bitter dark chocolate sauce, with the perfect lemon sponge in the middle. These tobaccos were made for each other. Truly exceptional.

10 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Beer (345)	2014-06-01		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable to Strong

Well, never been a fan of the HH series (which is weird, since I love some of Mac Baren's classic blends), and I had no big expectations for this one since I don't love dark fired burley too much.

This is a stout and very traditional flake, something a bit like Orlik Dark Fired Kentucky in taste, but less extreme.

A well done tobacco: nice rubbery flakes, good presentation, easy to pack and smoke, and it packs a good flavour punch. What's not to like then? Well, something's got to do with my personal taste: I prefer my flakes on the sweet and sour side, not on the "earthy and cigar-like" one. While I can enjoy some burley in my blends, I don't like it to be so dominant. Of course if you like earthy, cigar-like, woody notes, you'll probably love this one. What I can objectively say, though, is that the flavour evolution is quite lacking: like this taste profile or not, you will get it from beginning to end with almost no variation (apart from some increased bitterness in case of wet/hurried smoking). And this is my main gripe with the HH series: all these blends seem a bit too monolithic for me, with none of the subtle interplay of the coin cut or flake blends that MacBaren offers.

Nicotine is slightly heavy, but nothing particularly troublesome.

A decent tobacco, then, if you like the style. But again, I think you might find some more complex blends of this kind out there.

Pipe Used: Dunhill, Le Nuvole, Castello, Asthon

Age When Smoked: a few months

Purchased From: Danpipes

9 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	B&D Pipes (9)	2020-05-09		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

HH Old Dark Fired - Part 2 of 6 - MacBaren HH Flake Reviews

In honor of the just released MacBaren HH Rustica Flake (that I received three tins of yesterday) I will be reviewing the five previous HH Flakes leading up to a final review of that new release. I feel all tobacco requires a “Cool Down” period after you open the tin. A minimum of a month so the prior five HH Flakes will give me enough time to get Rustica ready for my liking. With that said: here is Part 2 of 6 . . . of my MacBaren HH Flake Series Reviews.

During my short journey enjoying the pipe tobacco hobby, I have had the privilege of smoking many different blends. My best guess would be around 500 and around 300 currently accessible. With such variety it can be difficult to focus on a certain tobacco at times. It is called “The Paradox of Choice” or what I like to refer to it as: “First World Problems”. Admittedly being a creature of excess, I welcome it. But I am also all too aware of the inherent biases that come with such variety. Namely my fondness of some of the very first tobaccos I have ever tried.

MacBaren’s HH Old Dark Fired was the 25th pipe tobacco that I have had the pleasure of smoking. It was also the very first tobacco I have tried with Dark Fired Kentucky. Yes, I keep record of the tobaccos I have tried. See for yourself under opened: https://sites.google.com/site/bndpipe/inventory It came to me highly recommended by pretty much everyone at my local tobacconist. But I didn’t purchase my first tin until watching a review of one of the most respected as well as missed YTPC members . . . John Harden aka Matches860. You can see his original review here:

Matches did his review of HH Old Dark Fired with his famous: “Friday Savinelli” (a Savinelli Roma Lucite 673 KS) at a place he called Fisher Meadows. As he watched joggers and fishermen, he went on to describe this tobacco. He claimed to be introduced to ODF by someone sending him a few flakes in a plastic bag. Then eventually someone else sent him a full tin and other tins followed without him ever requesting them. He showed the flakes off and said that they make his mouth water just by looking at it. I honestly couldn’t agree more with John. The very first time I opened a tin of HH Old Dark Fired . . . my mouth did water. It wasn’t the sight of the flakes that caused this, though. It was the smell.

The tin note of Old Dark Fired can only be described in a word as: “SAVORY”. You get smokiness, sweetness, mild vinegar, BBQ and/or ketchup in your nose as you smell the tin. Smelling this tobacco makes me want to eat it. I always prepare this tobacco like I do all MacBaren Flakes. With the fold and stuff method. When you first light HH ODF you will be overwhelmed (in a good way) with the Dark Fired Kentucky. It is herbal, woodsy, sour, earthy, and spicy. The smokiness does translate into your smoke, but not as much as smelling it from the tin note. The Virginias and Burleys both play supporting roles in this tobacco, but are noticed equally. Nutty and earthy Burleys along side sweet and citrusy Virginias holding up the Dark Fired Kentucky throughout your bowl. Upon retro haling you will notice a touch more spice. This tobacco is simply wonderful from start to finish.

Returning to John’s review he claimed that it was probably his first introduction to fire cured tobacco. He stated that he can always tell that if a tin doesn’t last two weeks, then it means he really likes it. Apparently he went through the first tin in a few days. I have purchased eleven tins of HH Old Dark Fired in three years. I have some flakes that are three years old, one year old, six months, and fresh. For this review I tried them all and can honestly say that not much has changed. Almost indistinguishable from each other except that the older it gets, the slightly milder it becomes. Per really outdid himself with this tobacco. It is an exceptional flake that holds up very well as it ages and is perfectly smokable when it’s fresh (still needs that “Cool Down” period imho).

At the end of John’s review, he stated that when he was on Facebook and he sees someone that says they are smoking ODF, he can almost predict what else they’re going to be smoking. People that have his same taste. He went on to mention some of those blends and said there were quite a few that escape his memory because he’s kind of vegged out sitting there and then he giggles. You can see very plainly that he enjoyed HH Old Dark Fired very much. So, in Matches memory I think I will follow suit and smoke another bowl of HH ODF and veg out myself.

~ Barry

Pipe Used: Multiple

Age When Smoked: Fresh to 3 Years Old

Purchased From: Pipes & Cigars, Local B&M, SmokingPipes, TobaccoPipes, TheStoryTellersPipe

8 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	aadelma (67)	2017-04-02		Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

A very gentle introduction to Kentucky tobacco. I find the Va dominates the smoke. The quality of the tobacco and flakes is very good, and I got a little more flavor when I rubbed them out as opposed to folded. Very little bite, a MacBaren first for me. Unfortunately, I found the flavor somewhat lacking and lost interest in the smoke half way through every bowl. I much prefer other Kentucky blends (Irish Flake), and in comparison can only somewhat recommend this one.

Age When Smoked: 1 year

8 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	DenizBeck (323)	2017-03-31		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Tolerable to Strong

Having smoked and LOVED the "Bold Kentucky" first - this somehow seems like a "little-brother-version" of the Bold Kentucky by Mac Baren. Still this blend has it's own taste, that only reminds of Bold Kentucky. In the Shop I got told, they would be almost identical - which I absolutely can't agree on!

So here's my review, which is also kinda a comparison of the Bold Kentucky & Old Dark Fired:

Tin-Note: Once you pop the tin open, you get greeted by a acidic-sour, a bit vinegar-ish smell and a rich earthy note. Very rich and smell-wise the Old Dark Fired (ODF) has much more "oomph" in the tin note, than the Bold Kentucky (BK). The Bold Kentucky is deep earthy in smell, while this is more sour and a bit sweet and acidic in smell. Highly enjoyable , but the BK tin note is better to me.

The flakes appereance is almost the same to the BK flake slices. A deep brown flake, with slightly more bright spots (which are the Virignas) than the Bold Kentucky. Very well crafted and appetizing.

The flakes condition at first is a bit moist, so I rub it out when the tin is fresh opened. After 2-3 days storage in the tin the flakes have the perfect condition for smoking it with the "fold & stuff"-method.

Taste: The lighting is just as easy as enjoying this blend. At first I thought this was a bit flat. I guess my palate was expecting something more "Bold Kentucky-ish". Which this totally isn't to me. They are the same "style" or "type" of tobacco, but with very different taste.

Bold Kentucky has this deep earthy, almost aetheric oil and a nice woody taste,whilst OLD DARK FIRED is much more mellow and soft in taste.

The taste is earthy, but also has this vinegar-ish and floral note to it. Very natural, very rich and creamy. I get some dried-fruit-like taste, too. Slightly nutty, but really just a whiff to me. It's like a 50%-Version of the earthy, woodsy Bold Kentucky taste, with some sour- and sweetness to it and a little of what id call "floral taste".

Old Dark Fired (to me) is a All-Day and Every-Day-Smoke, whilst BK is more something after a good meal, or a nightcap. But Old Dark Fired is very digestible and can also be smoked on a empty stomach - which I wouldnt advise anyone to do with the Bold Kentucky!

All in all this is somehow a "tuned-down" version of Bold Kentucky, but not exactly. Mac Baren´s Old Dark Fired has it's own and unique taste, and should more be called Bold Kentuckys COUSIN instead of his "little brother. They share a few things - yet this is a different (tasting) blend.

4/4 Stars to me - no doubt! I couldnt say if its better or worse than Bold Kentucky - they are both excellent, tasty and natural tobaccos. Old Dark Fired can be enjoyed all day, every day. Me, as a Kentucky and Burley Fan(atic) I smoke this daily at the moment. It matches (almost) all situations and is never too strong.

Chapeau to Mac Baren and especially Henrik Halber for creating these two Blends. (+ a lot of other delicious blends from the HH-Line)

EDIT: After 1 1/2 months of storage in the original tin the tobacco naturally lost some of it's moisture. BUT ALSO some of it's vinegar-ish smell and taste (which I appreciate) and becomes more like Bold Kentucky - tastewise! The strenght is lower than BK, but the taste becomes much more woodsy, smoky, less vinegar-ish, less sour. I like it that way even better!

Pipe Used: Clays, Cobs, Briars

Similar Blends: Mac Baren - HH Bold Kentucky.

8 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Earl Grey (34)	2016-01-09		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

I could really smell the Kentucky when I opened the tin. I did the fold and stuff method to pack my pipe and fired it up. I was greeted by a dark, earthy, woodsy kind of smoke. A single flake burned for a long time. This is a great wintertime one for me. It's definitely not lacking in vitamin N either. Not an everyday smoke for me, but one I treasure and like to savor and puff on slowly. This one doesn't bite me in the least either. One I definitely like to keep around.

Pipe Used: Danish Briar

Age When Smoked: Fresh out of tin.

Purchased From: pipesadcigars.com

Similar Blends: Peterson Irish Flake.

8 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JustinCarcerated (99)	2015-04-11		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

It seems serendipitous if not an honor that I post the 100th review of what it truly an outstanding toby, HH Old Dark Fired. My journey into pipe smoking has been immensely benefitted by this site- and the postulates of wiser Sages than myself, which is what led me to try this tobacco,... I would not have considered it two years ago,

I state this to as Burley-forward blends are not my cup of tea, and this blend seems as such to me, in description as well as taste.

But oh how this blend has it all: Richly designed packaging complete with gold embossed foil, 1/2 width flakes of equal proportions - fruity in their freshness, perfectly cut for folding and stuffing even small bowls.

And the flavor!!! The burley has a chocolate-like smoothness, which marries so well with the Virginias that the combination achieves a smoothness and sweetness that is quite uncanny to me- and absolutely no bite, none whatsoever. It smokes cool, becomes more complex as the bowls progress, and shines for me in a smaller Meer, burning slow and lasting quite long even with me mimicking Thomas the Train.

I cannot recommend this enough. It doesn't strike me as super strong in the Vitamin N department, but then again I am well seasoned. Other than that aspect, I'd recommend it to every enthusiast who wishes to partake in what separates the wheat from the chaff, curds from the whey....

Simply fantastic! !!

Pipe Used: Meer and Briars

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Pipes&Cigars.com

8 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Lit a Kia (69)	2014-01-03		Strong	None Detected	Full	Tolerable

Tin note is dark, earthy loam, mushrooms and cocoa. Plenty of leather too. This is a burly tobacco, pardon the pun. Very flavorful, complex, solid dose of vitamin N if that's what your in to. Highly recommended.

Not for everybody. If you're a new pipe smoker or graduating from aromatics, ask someone for a flake or two to sample. Or you might want to start with Solani Aged Burley as a kinder, gentler introduction to this genre.

Similar Blends: Pease New World Triple Play.

8 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	nkulk8r (90)	2018-12-27		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

Um – okay, so . . .

This is a masterpiece tobacco.

After having read all of the reviews for Mac Baren’s HH Old Dark Fired, I bought two pounds of the stuff straight-away. There really was no need to sample it. Upon receiving said supply of ODF, I found that my gut feeling/instincts/intuition (and the reviews) were more than just a little correct: Old Dark Fired really is a truly outstanding creation from Per Jensen.

There are currently four Mac Baren tobaccos in my cellar assortment, and ODF is now one of them (Latakia Flake, Vintage Syrian and Acadian Perique are the other three). I have never tried, nor do I own a Mac Baren tobacco product that I did not/do not like (and not many people can say the same).

I think I read somewhere (or maybe I just dreamed it) that somebody said we were living in “the golden age of pipe tobaccos.” Whether somebody really said that (or I just dreamed it) I believe that to be a true statement. I bought 2-pounds of Old Dark Fired tobacco for 13¢ per gram. (Now let us all practice a moment of mindfulness and thoughtfully reflect upon that fact for just a minute, shall we)?

By the pound, Old Dark Fired arrives in beautifully uniformed 4.5” x 1” flakes.

People have been reviewing/writing about ODF for years, so I’m rather late to the party, and there really isn’t much I can add that hasn’t already been said about ODF. “Well-balanced”, “harmony”, “harmonious” and “harmonized” are among the most reiterated and appropriate words used to describe ODF, and I wholeheartedly agree with those assessments. I also found that ODF best behaves, smokes the coolest, and is enjoyed the most when folded (using Per Jensen’s preferred U-fold method).

I don’t like comparing tobaccos (actually, I hate comparing tobaccos -- it just goes against the grain). I really don’t find all that much similarity between Old Dark Fired and Irish Flake, for example. Both contain Burley, Kentucky and Virginias, but that’s really where the similarity ends. The tin notes are not the same (in my opinion, not even close, really). IF is a decidedly stronger blend, with a much fuller taste and a higher nicotine content than ODF. That is not to say I like Irish Flake better than I do Old Dark Fired -- or the other way around, for that matter – I’m just saying that they are two Burley-based tobaccos which (again, in my humble opinion) are not all that similar. I LOVE Old Dark Fired, and I also LOVE Irish Flake. But if I want to go for a rodeo ride and get my teeth kicked-in by a Burley blend, I’m reaching for Irish Flake. ODF is a kinder, gentler VaBur than any other I have tried -- certainly the most refined and elegantly blended VaBur I have come across. For this review, I just finished a folded flake of Old Dark Fired, stuffed into a Tom Eltang rusticated poker (for breakfast, on an empty stomach mind you) with just some cold brew coffee and creamer as a chaser (so, what does that tell you)?

And so with all of that, I am going to add yet another 4-star rating to the already 70%-plus super-majority of 4-star ratings for Mac Baren’s Old Dark Fired, a truly remarkable blend for the ages.

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Britannia (10)	2014-08-02		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Strong

Virginia/Burley flake you say, well this is right up my alley, light 'em up. I smoked exactly two tins of this, so I think I can give an honest review. I have to admit that I came with the preconception that this, being a Mac Baren blend, would bite at some point. It didn't, no matter how hard I pushed this, at times puffing like a freight train, I could not get this to come close to biting. However, working through the two tins, the blend never developed a unique character or depth that I felt it was capable of. Don't get me wrong, I think this is a fine blend, and a great introduction to VA/BUR's in general, but I think this will really shine when aged for a time to build some character. I plan on purchasing a couple of tins and revisit this at a later date to see what father time has accomplished.

Smoked in a variety of pipes, but for this review I smoked ODK in a Radice Rind Bulldog. There is a subtle sweetness coupled with spicy/sour notes as you work your way through the smoke. The mouth feel is creamy at times and the dark fired never overwhelms the palate. Burns down to a fine ash with little dottle left in the bowl. The smoke is firmly in the middle of medium strength for me and was quite satisfying.

Pipe Used: Radice Rind Bulldog

Age When Smoked: 6 months

Purchased From: John Haynes Tobacconist

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2013-07-16		Mild	None Detected	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

Many have been talking about this tobacco and how strong it is and full bodied and it just didn't ring my bell at all. It was wonderful to find a MB blend that didn't scorch my tongue, but where is the flavor? It had a mild aroma, but where's the taste? Additionally, this is supposed to be loaded with Vit. N....really? Could not find that either. I do smoke some stout natural VA blends with Latakia and Turkish/Orientals, so maybe I'm already saturated with nicotine and resistant to milder flavors. I don't really think so though, good try MB, just didn't work for me.

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	CR (30)	2020-10-24		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Very Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

I was sat on my couch rubbing out a few flakes of this when it first arrived, when my two-year-old happened to toddle past. Her eyes lit up, her mouth dropped open, and she said “Eat? Bite, papa?” No, no - of course not! But it really does smell like good meat in the tin, like a rich and savory barbecue, and it smokes just the same. For a tobacco that has practically no casing whatever, it is surprising how many positive reactions it garners from non-smokers. And that only scratches the surface of its appeal.

There is enough Virginia here to sweeten it up and make it accessible for any time of the day, but that heavy taste of Kentucky leather and oil will still linger long on the sinuses and palate, and the nicotine is extremely satisfying without being nauseating. This is perhaps the smoothest and tastiest treatment of DFK I have ever encountered. Sit it down, fire it up tomorrow, it will only get better.

Pipe Used: All of them

Age When Smoked: New/ 6 months

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	LiterarySmoker (143)	2020-06-14		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

I am above all a strong complex tobacco fan. I bought some HH ODF to try after leaving behind Aromatics and focusing on the wonderful world of Virginia, Kentucky, and Burly blends.

This is hands down a quality blend.

When opening the tin, the tin note is a strong complex bouquet of dark ripe fruits, barbeque, and some grassy Virginia in the background. No casing noted, but there is a subtle vinegar note that is nonexistent when smoked. 1 year in a jar and the dark fruits really come to the forefront.

This tobacco comes in those perfect MacBaren flakes, and I found them at a perfect dryness to smoke right out of the tin. They fold and stuff easily, which is my preferred method, but rubbing it out is also an enjoyable experience. The tobacco takes a little while to light, but once it's lit there is not problem keeping it lit. It requires the average amount of relights for me.

Taste. Creamy, a little spice, dark fruits again, slightly sweet and a little floral, with a hint of grassyness from the Virginia at the very back. Rich and full, yet subtly smooth. The smoke when lighting is a gorgeous white smoke, and this continues throughout the bowl. The nicotine in this blend is medium to strong for me, if I haven't eaten I feel it, but typically I don't.

This is an all around good smoke for me, and qualifies for an all day smoke. The HH line has never done me wrong yet and this one is something everyone should try.

Pipe Used: Kaywoodie Birkshire Large Panel

Age When Smoked: 1 year

Purchased From: Mi Casa Cigar Bar

Similar Blends: HH Bold Kenticky.

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Tomcat (224)	2020-05-31		Medium to Strong	Very Mild	Medium to Full	Unnoticeable

The tasty Kentucky has a vinegar tart ,fruity raison wine like flavor . Herbal and floral . The lesser notes i get are cocoa and nutty .. A little spice . I get a similar maple flavor like Dark Roll Cake . A lot more complex than i would have expected. Some hay and grass from the Virginias are right there at the same time . A lot more interesting than a regular burley type blend . I like this more with each bowl . Kudos to Per Jenson as I like all his blends so far . Thank you to Mac Baren for dating the tins . It tastes and burns better with a little dry time . Good nic-hit . A winner for sure !

Age When Smoked: 17 months

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Greekpipesmoker (201)	2018-11-06		Medium to Strong	Very Mild	Full	Strong

From what i 've noticed from my experience the HH line refers to experienced smokers because of the complexity the blends have to offer..once the tin opens a deep vinegar,bbq sause and dark fruits smell comes out.the dark flakes have some bright spots with perfect moisture.the flakes are somewhat compact due to the steaming process so i recommend a second rubing to make the lighting easier with fewer relights needed.while smoking you instantly realize the complexity of this blend.the main falvours come from the burleys wich are earthy,nutty and sharp.virginias are citrusy,fruity and sweet.the dark fired kentucky are very spicy,smokey with lots of vinegar notes wich i suppose are enhanced from a similar topping.the flavours are married in a very balanced way from the beginning till the end offering a natural result with strong flavours and lots of complexity.even if rubbed very thin it burns slow to perfect ash and cool with some moisture being created at the filter.the nicotine level is just a bit above medium but not strong.the aftertaste is spicy and sharp with no chance of tongue bite.room note is strong and no pleasant to others.in my opinion it is not an all day smoke even for an experienced smoker.my advice is to dedicate a small bowl and enjoy it after a nice dinner with a nice smoked whiskey.

Age When Smoked: 1 year cellared

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Jack The Bear (3)	2017-10-05		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable to Strong

I cannot agree with the high rating given this blend by many as I have smoked it in a few nice briars and while it is a nice burning tobacco when properly rubbed and aired, I would gladly trade away the remaining 60 grams for a bit of ordinary Virginia flake. This tobacco has a decidedly intriguing sweet & sour tin aroma I associate with pressed tobacco lightly fermenting but I must say I was mislead by this as smoking same produces a taste that I find unvarying and somewhat sour. The smoke linger reminds me of the smell that assaults one's nose when walking through a recently extinguished forest fire - a distinctive pungency I've always found unpleasant. While I know that Mac Baren tries to provide good blends, I feel this is not one of their better efforts. Continuing on that line, I would suggest any piper considering HH Old Dark Fired should try to mooch a bowl from a friend - or buy just 50 grams rather than the 100 gram tin I purchased in a weak moment. The remnants I have are now stored until such a time I can fully consider what leaf I shall add to improve its taste and room note.

Pipe Used: Comoy Canadian, Comoy Billiard

Age When Smoked: 10 months

Purchased From: Kitchener, Canada

Similar Blends: Nothing I can readily think of is quite like this blend..

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2013-05-13		Medium to Strong	Strong	Very Full	Pleasant

This is a review for a tin with a manufacturing date of “Nov 2012”. First, I am a non-apologetic burleyphile and was curious to try a blend incorporating the dark-fired variety. The tobacco smells like vinegary raisins with a very faint wood smoke aroma (reminded me of Jack Daniel's) that disappears after the first 10 seconds of opening the tin. A cayenne pepper tingle takes over your mouth and nose at first light. Although this blend is not supposed to contain perique, it wouldn't be the first time a blender keeps some ingredients undisclosed…. This “perique-like-peppery-wanna-sneeze” sensation disappears after a while letting loose the strong Virginia flavor. The Virginias dominate throughout the first half of the bowl. So much so that I was starting to think that someone at MacBaren screwed up and put some Acadian Perique in the wrong tin… Then, towards the end of the bowl (just when the nicotine kicks in), appears an earthy clove flavor which I presume is the dark-fired. Unfortunately, just as this spicy aroma makes its appearance, so does an ammonia aftertaste on the exhales. To be fair, ODF is made with good quality tobaccos but “where´s the burley?”. The blend is called ODF so why aren´t the burley´s up front instead of being used as spice??? I guess I was hoping for a Bur/Va instead of a Va/Bur. I also love the cigarish room note (Insert comment using the word “wife” HERE).

As a side note, after seeing the YouTube video on the making of ODF and the fact that Mac Baren´s HH series is, in part, dependent on its limited stash of vintage dark-fired burleys (it may even have less than its Syrian Latakia!) one is left wondering that perhaps the dark-fired leaves are being “stretched” and the blends are slowly being diluted. It would be interesting to compare early tins with these latest ones. I will now buy and smoke some pure dark-fired burley and verify if it´s my palate or perhaps the Virginias are too overpowering for moi.

UPDATE: I just smoked another folded flake in a cob and WOW, burley city! So what gives with this stuff??? My only explanation for such a turnaround in flavor is that, perhaps, the pressed cakes were not as homogenized as one would wish and my first flakes were Virginia-rich. So mea culpa for being such a conspiracy theorist. Will definitely be getting more if the following flakes tastes like this one. Will overlook the ammonia hoping it's a natural byproduct of the leaves. 4 stars **

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Wilhelm Joharsányi (33)	2017-10-08		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

Presentation: A very nice presentation: sharp-looking tin design, with the blend neatly packaged in an attractive glossy, golden wrapping paper. It has a very premium, luxurious feel to it.

Upon opening, my first breath of the tin was a very rich, earthly, ‘darkened sweet hay from a Danish barnyard’ (if that makes any sense, hey I’m doing my best here) type of aroma. I can also smell a slight fig, dried fruit aroma. As odd of a description that is, Old Dark is probably the best smelling blend so far, even my girlfriend liked it and she complains about almost everything.

Taste: Perfect to smoke the second you open the tin, lacks any real moisture (which is odd because I hear it is very moist out of the tim). My biggest surprise was how mild the taste was, especially with a name like “Old Dark Fired”. With blends such as St. James Flake, Old Gowrie or Dunhill Navy Rolls, the taste was distinct and immediate. However, with Old Dark Fried, I wasn’t sure what I smoking until 15 minutes in, where I noticed a very slight nut-like taste, mild cigar taste, maybe a hint of chocolate added in. I also sensed a slight fig and dried fruit after-taste, with some smokey, wood type flavor. The taste actually gets a bit milder later on, which was a shame. The taste is not very complex at all, but at the end of the day, it is an enjoyable, relaxing smoke.

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Italo Svevo (26)	2017-09-15		Medium	Very Mild	Mild	Tolerable

Honestly, I can't understand all the hype about this ODF. I mean ok, the tin is nice. The smell from the tin is nice, smokey, vinegary, barbecue whatever. The flakes look nice. But the smoke? It's very flat. It's boring. And the only way to make it burn is to grind it, everything else is a waste of time and lighter. I think that this is a good back-up tobacco for Black Cavendish-based or English Mixtures, in fact it adds some body to the taste, rounds the smoke up. Yet on its own it's not worth the time or the money, IMHO. Not bad, sure, but disappointing compared to my expectations.

By the way - As the producers declare on their website, there is no Kentucky in this blend, only dark fired Burleys and Virginia.

Purchased From: Local tobacconist in Germany

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	J.R. Patton (106)	2016-06-05		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Pleasant

Top five for me. Actually top 2, and I've neglected reviewing for so long simply because I'm incapable of doing this blend justice with any words I know. I'm a simple man, and I like my tobacco the same.

Open the tin or jar anywhere in the house, and you'll know it at the other end of the house. The distinct, delectable smokiness is strong with this one. To me it resembles really smoky BBQ sauce. I've never had the ready rubbed, but I find that rubbing out the flakes destroys a lot of what I love about ODF. Although it does light off a little easier that way. Apparently, like good BBQ, low and slow is the way to go for flavor. So I fold and stuff, after giving the flake a wee bit of dry time, then give it a couple of charring lights. It burns long and cool with minimal relights this way, and the richness of flavor is astounding to say the least. You have to try ODF to get the flavor profile...I think any description just falls short. All the richness of Irish Flake complemented by quality red Virginia. Maybe a mixture of IF and McClelland Blackwoods would give you a fair comparison. I personally enjoy the room note, and so does my wife, which is a bigger deal than what it sounds when the temp outside is nearing 100 and I just have to get my ODF fix.

Seriously fantastic tobacco. ODF and brother Bold Kentucky caused a restructuring of my rotation. Simply put, once I discovered the two, all my others sat collecting dust while these two disappeared at alarming rates. But now I have an ODF/BK day to look forward to 3-4 days a month. And those days I just seem to jump out of bed a little earlier, feel a little brighter, and spend a lot more time with the pipe. Thank you Mac Baren.

Pipe Used: MM country gentleman, MM mark twain

Age When Smoked: Fresh to 1 year

Purchased From: Pipesandcigars.com, smokingpipes.com

Similar Blends: MB Bold Kentucky , Peterson Irish Flake.

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	pecheur (19)	2015-05-19		Strong	None Detected	Full	Tolerable

Mixed bag this tobacco, the pipe being very influential on the smoke.

In some pipes I get a sweet virginia start that fades as the bowl progresses into a deep woody smokey earthy flavour of the dark-fired burley. In some pipes I just get the deep woody smokey earthy flavour of the dark-fired burley. And in some pipes the sweet virginia weaves in and out of the dark-fired burley flavour all the way through the bowl.

I can see why people love this flake as it's easy to prepare, doesn't bite, smokes dry and it has alot of flavour. Personally I'm not keen on the very dominant dark fired burley flavour.

Purchased From: mysmokingshop.com

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	ScienceSmoker (60)	2022-01-15		Medium to Strong	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Tolerable

I've had the remainder of this tin of Mac Baren's HH Old Dark Fired in a jar for the past ~1 year or so. I haven't had much of it lately, so I'm approaching it fairly fresh. Opening the jar, the "tin note" is much more mild than I remember, especially for such a robust blend. This is probably because there are only a few flakes left. The flakes are more firm than most, and I generally rub them out before smoking. The jar scent is much sweeter than I remember as well. When I first opened the tin, before jarring it, I remember there was a strong BBQ scent. Now, I smell mostly faint chocolate/cocoa. After rubbing out a bowl's worth, the BBQ scent is more apparent, along with a sort of robust dark sweetness, if that makes sense. It's a bold scent.

First few puffs... it's very complex. Definitely robust in flavor. There's some sharper cigar flavors, and some nuttiness... along with a bit of vinegar. Also there's a lightly sweet dark chocolate flavor, a dried fruit sweetness, and a pepper/spice flavor. The BBQ flavor is not as pronounced as the scent may lead you to believe, but it's there. It's a rich tobacco flavor overall. This blend simply does not bite, no matter how you smoke it. And the strength, nicotine-wise, is a bit more than medium.

Bottom line: I wanted to rate this 3 stars, simply because I've rated so many blend's 4 stars already... but this is just so good. It's the best MacBaren blend I've had. It's rich, robust, and very satisfying. Definitely a 4 star blend.

Pipe Used: my mid-sized E. Wilke

Age When Smoked: ~1 year

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Zarathustra (11)	2020-08-29		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Strong

There is a lot going on here. Almost like a fine earthy cigar dipped in molasses, honey and chocolate. A little slowto get going but once it does this stuff is truly exquisite

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	MangoLegs (72)	2020-06-24		Strong	None Detected	Very Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Fabulous tin note. Unfortunately, it's one of those square tins that dry out rather quickly, so unless you plan on smoking the entire thing within a few weeks, transfer to a jar.

Lovely taste, although it is strong tobacco, so I tend to take frequent breaks during the bowl.

Age When Smoked: Fresh from a new tin

Purchased From: SmokingPipes

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Cleonides (21)	2020-02-22		Medium to Strong	Extremely Mild	Full	Pleasant

A virginia/kentucky blend with, as Mac Baren says, only a minimal casing. The tin smells of barbecue smoke, a little plum sweetness, vinegar, and some of that standard Mac Baren essence as well which I assume is from the casing. Not much, if any, of the casing, or any added flavoring, comes through in the smoke. Full flavored and medium nicotine.

The virginias are a little bready and earthy, and the kentucky is of course smoky, nutty, and a little spicy. The spice fades as you go through the bowl until everything is very smooth. The two components are perfectly balanced for me.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Dr. Dunhill 23 (39)	2020-01-14		Medium to Strong	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Lighting up HH Old Dark Fired is like a locomotive: It starts out slow and relatively mild and as it continues to to build up steam it gets stronger and more complex until the end when it is giving you all it has to offer. The dark smokey, leathery DFK burley is balanced (almost) by the sweet grassy Virginias. There is a little something else in this blend that makes me wonder if there is an added flavor to it.. It might be a strain of tobacco that I am not too familiar with but it's pleasant. No bite but lots of smoke available if you don't sip it which will make you react if you are a retrohaler.

This is a tasty smoke that is not necessarily repeatable but a definite favorite to this piper.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	RonR (85)	2020-01-05		Mild	None Detected	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

I love Burley and this would be a nice starting point for newcomers. Rather light on the traditional burley taste and nicotine. Burns easy when dried a bit and available in bulk. I still have several tins from 2012 in the cellar. The entire HH line are good tobaccos.

Now for me I have smoked several tins over the years and it just does not have enough taste or nic hit to keep my interest. What is there is good, just not enough of it. I wish it were not so light in the loafers in what it offers me overall. Bold Kentucky is the step up IMO. Bold Kentucky is what I reach for and cellar.

Pipe Used: briars, cobs, meers.

Age When Smoked: 2012 to current production.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Cherry picker 1779 (52)	2019-12-02		Medium	None Detected	Full	Strong

A wonderful flake tobacco! Full and satisfying taste. medium strength. Strong pungent room note.

ODF is for when you hadn’t just finished your 16oz ribeye and heaving mashed potatoes yet. In this case you would reach for that HH Bold Kentucky. That will satisfy your needs.

ODF IMHO is the little brother here. He’s not as big and bad as his big strong brother, but they definitely have the same father and the same genes, and he is still can show he’s pretty tough.

This smoke is really nice and natural. Smoky, and spicy, with a subtle sweetness. The flakes are a bit moist, I’d dry it for 20 or 30 minutes, but it will smoke straight out of the tin with a lot more relighting. It’s a fine tobacco indeed. To me, the nicotine is not so heavy but it’s there and probably just hits about the medium mark. I like heavy nic blends like bold Kentucky, Irish flake , old joe and 5 brothers. This one may be the best tasting over those blends , so if you need your nicotine kick , get a big bowl out and it will satisfy you along with the heavy pepper smoke flavor. It’s almost a perfect blend, but for me I wish it had just one, maybe even two dashes of added nicotine, but I will say , it’s nice for those times you want a decent punch but a sort of whimp of a nic hit.

It’s a long smoke, especially when you fold and stuff. I like the smell it leaves in my mustache. It’s a manly tobacco. A little bit of a rough edge , in a good way. It doesn’t really bite. It’s probably one of the Kentucky flakes that you could smoke several times a day. It grows to a very deep spicy Smokey flavor in the last third and almost has a chocolate nutty flavor that is really delicious. It’s definitely one of my favorite blends. Quality leaf and a satisfying fullness. Retro hale is superb! I could see this being well paired with a stout, a port , a dark beer, a whiskey, a bourbon or a scotch. Even some wine would probably pair up well.

Boy am I glad I got this one. I love bold Kentucky but the nicotine is very strong so I can’t usually smoke it in a big bowl like I want to without setting the pipe down for a break. That’s where ODF is PERFECT! FOUR SOLID STARS

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	SmokingHawk (54)	2019-11-06		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Tolerable

Ah... Tin note very Leathery Earthy and Masculine. There's a faint sweet note tucked under golden foil neatly cut dark brown with some golden spots flakes. Perfectly moistered and ready to smoke. I took one and half flakes folded it and gently loosen with fingers and filled the Pipe. I choose Vaun smooth finished pot style Pipe which smokes very good. Right from the first charing light it gives very earthy smoky as if you're sitting near a campfire. Smoke is thick and taste is very mouthfull. Although the taste remains earthy nutty through out the bowl but I can get the taste of very dark chocolate far in the background. I'm surprised it's Mac Baren and it doesn't Bite! even if pushed hard but you got to be careful as this stuff is hard in Nick hit department you tend to get dizzy if puffed constantly. This Masterpiece is for occasions when you're all by yourself in the late evening alone in the back porch with the clear night sky cool breeze passes your face mixed with the HH Dark Fired distinct aroma smoke. Highly recommended for a intermediates to experienced Pipe smoker.

Pipe Used: Vaun smooth finished pot style Pipe

Age When Smoked: Tin 1 year old

Purchased From: TobaccoPipes.com

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	SiChange (45)	2018-02-05		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

A splendid flake that is not duplicated in its taste in my experience. On the palate toasty, slightly sweet, slightly sour (but less than the tin note might suggest), with pleasing spice. A placid, contemplative smoke that I want to come back to often.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	canvas (337)	2017-12-04		Medium to Strong	Extremely Mild	Full	Tolerable to Strong

Came in a nice tin with very workable flakes. The flakes were thin enough to break apart nicely and they maintained their density once packed for a very long lasting smoke.

Having never tried this before, I was expecting the "hay" taste I associate with a virginia, but was unsure how the "Dark Fired" element would affect things. The initial aroma was light and didn't have any smoky or caramel smell I would've predicted from something "Dark Fired", nor did it smell like a Virginia barn, so I suppose I really had no idea what was coming.

It was a very deep smoke that caught me off guard with nicotine and a straight-to-the gut punch that gave me a bit of a buzz by the end and at times stung my nose. It was too heavy for my usual craving, but I did appreciate a very mild sweetness likely brought upon by the firing technique used.

This was the sort of smoke I could imagine a hands-on working man tackling.

Purchased From: pipesandcigars.com

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	MaxAndPipe (2)	2017-08-02		Strong	None Detected	Very Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

So, I was fortunate enough to stumble across a very select bunch of tins at the most inconspicuous place one would expect to find quality tobacco. The 3.5oz tins were being sold for 12.75(USD), and they had 3 years worth of dust on them (not literally). I bought one tin, smoked a single flake in my most fitting pipe. Then bought the other two tins, which benefitted from a few more moths of aging the next day. The flakes I had purchased developed a network of crystalline plume within the flake, very very exciting to a new smoker.

My first experience with Old Dark Fired is one to behold. I sat on the back porch, finishing up The Lord of the Rings (Tolkien peaked my interest in the hobby) and little did I know In my pipe was deep and rich treasure that will not soon be forgotten. The flavor is somewhat monochromatic throughout the bowl, but do not read that as boring. Dark, dried fig, raisin, and roasted nut all swirl and fill the mouth with thick, rich and satisfying smoke, and somehow a sweetness that is rather outstanding among other tobaccos. There is a great deal to be said about this blend and it is somewhat a regular in my rotation, though I'm slow to deplete my stock of my aged supply. Upon sitting my book down and standing myself up, I experienced an almost hallucinogenic sensation that permeated and stilled the deepest reaches of my mind's waters. That was pretty neat for a young man, a year later, I would say this is the most satisfying smoke one can get their hands on, and if you can resist smoking, age does the blend wonders! Thanks for reading and Bless you!

-Max

Pipe Used: Savinelli 404 Porto Cervo, Jobey 3 Freehand

Age When Smoked: 3-4 years old

Purchased From: Local Tobacconist

Similar Blends: Irish Flake.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Sybariten (61)	2017-03-01		Medium	None Detected	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

To me, this is a perfect blend. Simply exquisite. That is the short version and really all you need to know. If your interest is peaked, more on this in the rows below.

I am so happy as I am writing this, for I have once again struck gold in the land of tobacco. I have tried plenty of pipe tobacco and cigars through the years and even though I appreciate it when I find a good tobacco, I rarely stand amazed. This time I am. This is rich, smooth, not too strong in nicotine and not too weak, bold and sophisticated. An explosion of flavour. I had heard of the accolades dedicated to this blend and as such the bar was set very high. I had heard comparisons to Peterson Irish flake, a tobacco I find wanting in nuance - and this is everything Peterson lacked. Buy this, try this, treat yourself to a joyride. Trust me.

Taste: Deep yet refreshing. First note a bit tart, like a sip of a lightly roasted coffee or a red wine. The flavours interchange, hints of grass and nuts fool around with raisins, chocolate and leather. Consistently sweet throughout the smoke, almost like a lightly sweetened espresso. Sporadically I taste a faint hint of what reminds me of marzipan. Incredibly rewarding for the seeking smokers, but, I dare say that there surely is something here for the straight shooting smoker as well - it does not require a detective to unveil it's treasures. Towards the end of the bowl the character intensifies yet remains savory and refreshing at the same time, which is quite an accomplishment.

Mechanics: Wonderful flakes; narrow, thin and uniform. Slightly moist but can be smoked straight from the tin. Medium nicotine content. Can burn a bit hot if rushed but it has never produced any bite.

Pipe Used: Briar and cob.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	marosi (70)	2016-11-14		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Wow this is good.

If you like rich tobacco flavor, then this just has to be on your must try list. It is fantastic. To my taste it is like Gawith's full VA flake with the addition of dark fired kentucky, The result is phenomenal and highly enjoyable.

The flakes in the tin are a deep, dark brown, and the tin note is tangy and spicy. You can smell those virginias, but the dark fired kentucky is present and adds a smoky, earthy odor which translates to the smoke as well.

I like to rub my flakes out, and this does so easily and dries in a few minutes to the perfect smoking humidity. Rubbed out it packs easily, and lights after a few false chars. The flavor is rich and smoky (if smoke can be smoky) from the kentucky, and is consistently sweet and heavy in a good way down the bowl. This is a true medium strength tobacco, and the nicotine is sufficient to be enjoyable without ever becoming overwhelming unless you are smoking a very large bowl. If you are sensitive to nicotine this might not be one to fill up your Savinelli Autograph with. It burns cool and slow if puffed with respect, and flavor is of a very nice VA flake with the kentucky as a condiment. This is a virginia in the english tradition, pressed and steamed, and there is not a hint of grassiness, which I personally do not care for in more than very small amounts. DFK is spicy, but not in the same way as perique, and is a wonderful compliment to the compex va flavors produced here.

I think this is best enjoyed in small to medium sized bowls, like many slow burning flakes. This burns slowly enough that a modest sized bowl will last in excess of thirty minutes, and the taste and strength are such that this can be enjoyed without overtaxing the palate if smoked in that fashion.

While all of the HH mixtures are wonderful, this has a special quality that makes it an instant classic. The simplicity of the mixture, coupled with the rich, rewarding result due to the steam pressing and aging, make this a very traditional and timeless style of smoke. This never becomes oppressive or overly heavy when smoked in a vintage sized bowl, and makes a very enjoyable after dinner smoke. A masterpiece.

* I want to add a note to speak to the canard that this flake is "not for beginners." I think this is misguided and may scare newer smokers off who may in fact find much to enjoy here. This most likely comes from the fact that pipes in general are much larger than they were 30-50 years ago or more. This is an old style flake and should be enjoyed by newer smokers first in a small bowl. I have GBD Conquests from the 60's (one of the largest sizes offered by them at that time) that would barely be considered medium size by today's standards. Less seasoned smokers, or those more sensitive to nicotine, will have a very enjoyable experience with this if they smoke it in as small a pipe as they can find. It will still last plenty long, and offers many characteristics that any "beginner" would find enjoyable. It is easy to keep lit once you get it going, it burns slow and cool without the need to work at keeping it lit, and it offers a lot of natural tobacco flavor that does not bite. Keep it small and you will enjoy these qualities without being overwhelmed.

Pipe Used: Ser Jacopo smooth bent dublin

Age When Smoked: 4 years

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	DeathMetal.org (231)	2016-08-29		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Strong

For those who appreciate flakes with dark fired leaf, MacBaren's "HH Old Dark Fired" presents a unique treat: a sweet, yet flavorful and dark, flake which delivers consistent flavor to the bottom of the bowl. Unlike the ready rubbed version of this blend, the flakes are moist and fragrant, and as a result flavors other than the smoky dark-fired work like a chord along with that august note. In this version, the Virginias come forth and complement the dark fired, creating a flavor more like molasses or barbecue than the straight smoky version in the rubbed out. The first light brings a sweet taste, then the tangy smoked dark fired, and then the two fuse. While I was not hugely won over by the ready-rubbed version, this flake fits in with some of the best English and Irish flakes for a consistent but textured smoke.

Thanks to PipesMagazine.com forum member "JeffF" for this sample.

Similar Blends: Peterson - Irish Flake, Rattray - Stirling Flake (Flake Collection).

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	steppx (186)	2016-08-02		Medium to Strong	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

this is simply one of the classic flakes on the market. If you ask any experienced pipester, this is in their rotation (most usually). And with good reason. Its a perfectly balanced blend with a nic hit at the high end of medium. It burns coooooool. Start to finish. Wont bite. And its flavor is surprisingly deep. Not exactly complex, but there are layers at work, but its rich and full tasting. The burley has a real nutty edge to it and there is likely a very mild and barely detectible casing. But the primary taste is tobacco. I love the stuff and always buy another tin when i am running low. It works better dried out a bit. A genuine classic.

Purchased From: 4noggins

Similar Blends: Solani silver flake, Peterson perfect plug (sort of)..

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Haddock (6)	2016-06-20		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

First the tin, i love the small mac baren tins with flake. The look of the tin is a bit old school, as the HH line is, two lions with the logo.

The smell from the tin is amazing, i get more Kentucky than Virginia. The flakes is dark and i think the Virginias is the same as Dunhill RY. The taste is a pure tobacco taste, and i love it. Coming from Denmark where Mac Baren also is coming from, i have tried most of their tobaccos, i do smoke aromatics almost every day but not the ones from Mac Baren they are just bad. I was beginning to think what they should do to up their products and then HH line came.. wow.

I cant recommend this blend enough.

Pipe Used: Meerschaum pipe

Age When Smoked: New tin

Purchased From: Danish pipe shop

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Ian K (30)	2015-10-22		Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Pleasant

Wonderful, plum / Xmas pudding note in a tin of small medium cut flakes just the right size for a small to medium Dublin bowl.

Another tobacco that didn't set me on fire at first but 3 months in the jar was well rewarded with a wonderful mature plum / raisin / brandyish burley tasting smoke that had me rushing to the tobacconist to buy another couple of tins for cellaring.

The dark flake packs and burns perfectly with a cool burn and great taste to the bottom of the bowl which comes all too soon (must buy a bigger pipe for this one). Up there with the top 3 for me and sort of leading me away from the Latakians for the moment which have been very much my go to's for some time!

In short...buy some, open the tin try it and then jar for a couple of months and try again...you will reap the rewards as I did.

Pipe Used: Petersons Fermoy, Royal Danish

Age When Smoked: +3 months

Purchased From: GQ tobaccos, Edinburgh pipe shop

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Klause (2)	2015-02-23		Medium to Strong	Extremely Mild	Full	Very Pleasant

These flakes are beautifully presented in typical MacBaren style - they are a beautiful dark colour like Irish Flake, but seem to be a thinner cut and break apart more easily.

The aroma is a fresh rich earthy densness that just invites you to breath in deeply, hold, and very slowly exhale, before hurrying back for more. This is a quality tobacco, oozing class, but not afraid to rumble if the company requires it.

First bowl I did a fold and stuff in a beautiful Danish acorn, fairly loosely packed (as is my preference). Charring light produced a good quantity of smoke of a fairly solid consistency, full of flavour - a good tobacco honesty, with a healthy dollop of what I think was a virginia sweetness. Let it go out. Sit for a bit and admire the pipe, letting the tobacco rest.

True light and good, dense smoke, with huge amounts of flavour, deep tones, with what I can only describe as a fizzy sweetness coming through. A few draws in and it's out!!! Turns out it's a bit of a devil to keep lit. May be my packing, my smoking technique, the moistness of the flake, or a combo of all three. But, I never fight it, and don't care about having to relight.

The flavour seemed to be fairly consistent all the way down - a beautiful solidity that I can't quite put my finger on, with the sweet virginia singing gently along in accompaniment, maybe a little more softly towards the end.

A beautiful, smooth, strong smoke - immensely satisfying. Absolutely no bite or harshness, even when pushed a little. In fact, it was so good I loaded up immediately and set-to again.

Second bowl was rubbed out fully. It took light very easily, still needed a few relights, but fewer. Again, maybe packing, moistness or method. Reckon it was a bit moist, and I do pack light. I also like my tobaccos to get barely smoldering - gives me more flavour - so I tend to relight a few times anyway.

Fully rubbed out produces a sweeter smoke - but not vastly sweeter. The deep tones are still very much there, just the virginia is a little more forward. Just as smooth, just as gentle as the folded flake. This is completely at odds with the impression the flake gives when removing it from its packaging - it looks strong (it is), rough (nope), harsh (never), ready for anything (I think it is, y'know). This is a smoke you could use all day. Perpetration method produces enough of a difference to suit varying moods.

I think I have really fallen for this tobacco. I like dark, strong tobaccos, but have been getting into light, bright VA's lately. This has definitely drawn me back to the dark side - Irish flake didn't quite manage this and it's a beautiful tobacco - a good glass of mature, full bodied port after a heavy meal - ODF is the Christmas Ale you wish your local brewery made available all year round.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	TallPuffO'Burley (633)	2014-08-27		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Fantastic burley blend here. I picked up a tin of this on my way to Florida when a fortuitous potty stop brought be within striking distance of a Strauss tobacconists shop. My wife had to let me go in. I purchased a tin of this based on all the good things I had heard about it, but perhaps the most influential part was that many forum friends said it was like Irish Flake. I got this response when asking for a less expensive alternative to IF.

Well other than being in flake form and containing similar leaves, I would say it is not too similar to Irish Flake, but it is very good in its own right. I still like Irish Flake better and am coming to the conclusion it cannot be cheaply replaced. But enough about that. This a review of ODF.

I have tried Burley London Blend and liked it, but I like this one much better. This is a deeper earthier blend. It gives off a chocolatey nutty taste, but not in the cheap topped aromatic sense. It is a very natural tobacco taste. The amount of body in this blend is perfect to my tastes; whereas, I find BLB a little light in that department. This is likely the dark fired Kentucky.

The use of the DFK is great. It doesn't choke you with spice or gum up your mouth requiring a jug of water to get down a group 4 bowl. It can be enjoyed in a contemplative setting on the porch or while doing the busy putzing stuff many of us do with a pipe hanging out of our mouths.

In summary, I will repurchase this often. While it doesn't supplant Irish Flake it is welcome in the rotation and worthy of four stars. I encourage everyone to try it and fill a big jar of it.

Pipe Used: best out of my Ascorti King Size Calabash

Purchased From: Strauss Tobacconists

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	DrDyson (148)	2014-04-17		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is a very nice offering from a manufacturer whose tobaccos I usually don't much care for: substantial, earthy, slow-burning, tasty and satisfying, and completely without any kind of gimmicky topping. It's far superior to MacBaren's Virginia and Navy Flakes: tobaccos that always seem to me to lack 'body'. The neatly arranged flakes in a handy tin is a plus point also. I'm inclined to describe HH Old Dark Fired as a sort of younger brother of Peterson's Irish Flake: same "traditional" characteristics, but not quite so in-your-face. When I first tried it, I wasn't all that impressed; I guess I came to it expecting to be a bit underwhelmed. Then, rather to my surprise, its subtleties began to make themselves felt more and more, and I came to like it a lot. Incidentally, unlike so many MacBaren offerings, ODF will not bite you unless you positively ask it to. This is definitely one of those tobaccos that grows on you with experience. I don't expect to smoke it all the time, but it will find a regular place in my rotation.

Contrary to what some other reviewers have said, I would recommend rubbing it out rather than the fold-and-stuff method. It's smokable straight out of the tin, though - unlike so many dark flakes.

Edit - 5th December 2017: it seems that MacBaren have discontinued their tins, at least in the UK: HH Old Dark Fired now comes in a plastic pouch (with scary pictures on). This is a pity: it takes away a bit of 'class' from the tobacco, and it makes storage and ageing difficult. I don't notice any compensating reduction in price. On the contrary, in fact.

Pipe Used: Masta Zulu; Peterson billiard

Age When Smoked: New, straight from the tin

Purchased From: Durham Pipe and Tobacco Shop

Similar Blends: Peterson's Irish Flake, but not so powerful; Ogden's Walnut Flake..

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	SmokeDawg (82)	2014-03-13		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Pleasant

To date, this is finest blend of Virginia and Burley I have ever smoked and I couldn't imagine a future Virginia Burley blend improving upon this beauty. The Virginia and Burleys are so well blended they work in PERFECT HARMONY side by side like the rails of a train track transporting the piper to destination Tobacco-topia. You get the warm cocoa buttery Burley and sweet flu cure Va at the same time throughout the whole smoke and not in rotation like other blends.

This is a marvel and as well as a triumph for Mac Baren. This get a 5 out of 4 stars. Walk off home run…. turn out the lights… Highly Recommended.

Pipe Used: Comoy straight grain.

Age When Smoked: fresh from tin.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	manno (50)	2013-04-20		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

Update of 2014-12-07: Sitting with my laptop in front of me smoking a bowl of this and feel compelled to say that this is simply GREAT tobacco. Rich, tasty and unobtrusive yet with a very strong and confident personality. Incredibly satisfying and tastefully rich. Damn it's good stuff. So glad I went totally OCD on my orders a few years ago.

I've had a few tins of ODF and it is a consistent and excellent product. Well cured, well blended, well cut and, well, very enjoyable. Packs and burns with ease and to my most important criterion, totally satisfying. I love the taste that seems to swirl around in my mouth between sips and puffs, and the fabulous aftertaste (if that word can be used to connote an asset and not a liability). This tobacco is why I have smoked a pipe for so long now. ODF, and feel free to laugh, makes you feel like a man (and not in the "I just set the record for consuming a gallon of habenero sauce in 6 minutes and now I'm going to puke" kind of way. Along with a few other HH offerings (Mature Virginia comes to mind) MacBaren has come in from the cold and raised the bar. Good for them (and us).

Pipe Used: I'm a straight billiard guy

Age When Smoked: 2-3 years

Similar Blends: Nothing comes close.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2012-11-01		Mild	None Detected	Mild	Pleasant

when i saw dark fired i thought of orlik dark fired kentucky. i should have though of toilette paper. opening the tin, there was no aroma what so ever. reviewers complain of the mcclelland virginia "ketchup" smell, not realizing that virginia's ferment and that is the "smell". this tobacco was a zero. no aroma, no taste, zero. i threw the tin in the trash. and i do think mac make some great tobaccos.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	doc'spipe (242)	2012-05-18		Medium to Strong	Very Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant

Mac Baren has hit one out of the park with HH Old Dark Fired. I recently received two 100gm tins from Iwan Ries. The tin note is pure tobacco and very similar to Irish Flake and Highland Sliced as the flakes are earthy in their smell. They are very dark and tightly pressed as with IrF and HS (tightly pressed flakes is new for a Mac Baren flake) and similar in size to Ir F. They are stacked into three neat rows. They are cut a tad thinned than IrF which makes for easier packing.

The flakes were at a good moisture consistency for packing and lighting. In a blind smoke, I would never ever guess this was from Mac Baren. This is one fine smoke. IrF and HS are two of my favorite tobaccos ever and now I have a third in the same genre. HH ODF has a very rich, natural flavor profile with solid, pure tobacco taste. It exhibits a nice spiciness while smoking. Unlike the spiciness of Perique, there is no pepper notes at all, which is a good thing for me as I don't care for Perique. I don't think there is any casing, and if there is, I can not detect it. It has a healthy dose of nicotine that takes an immediate front row seat. By the way, this offering is a smoother smoke as it doesn't seem to have the harshness I sometimes experience with a bowl of IrF.

I have quite a bit of IrF and HS but I can see myself reaching for this new offering from Mac Baren when I want a rich, pure tobacco smoke. It is simply fantastic in my book. If you like IrF and/or HS, you will not be disappointed at all. I enjoy other Mac Baren tobaccos, but this one is way ahead of the pack and is a major player in the pantheon of fine smoking tobaccos. My hat goes off to the blenders at Mac Barens for introducing such a winner. 10 stars across the board!!

UPDATE 6-9-12: Close to finishing the first of two tins, I will have to ration this as I read on the Mac Baren's website that due to the overwhelming positive response to this new HH blend, Mac can't keep up with demand. They say it is not a question of increasing production, but ODF needs a long time to store. The end result is they don't expect any more supply at the earliest until 2013!

UPDATE 3-6-15: I've been smoking this from a tin that's just going on one year old. It's dried out sufficiently to pose no problems with lighting, staying lit, or other issues that moisture brings to the pipe. The tin note and pre-draw taste through the stem is that of a freshly opened box of yummy raisins - very delicious. As much as I enjoyed this when it was first released, it is just superb with some age and drying on it.

Pipe Used: Various Peterson's and Stanwells

Age When Smoked: Fresh from tin

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Blackhorse (96)	2012-05-15		Strong	None Detected	Full	Tolerable to Strong

It just seemed that the whole quote from Per Jensen should be included:

According to Per Jensen, Mac Baren Product Manager, the steam press makes it so that the "tobaccos marry faster and in a completely different way than what we normally produce. In short, they alter the taste. This blend is a heavy/strong tobacco with a lot of vitamin N."

__________________________

My turn...

I ordered a tin as soon as I heard about this one, as I'm a fan of Dark Fired Kentucky. Everything I had read and heard sounded right on the money for my tastes. Was I disappointed? Not in the least. I took 4 of the small thin flakes out of the tin to dry them. Interestingly they REALLY dried. When I rubbed them out the flake 'fractured' into smallish thin brittle shards. Oh great! I thought. Well, I tried them anyway...and even though they were totally dried out they smoked really, really well. Then I mixed some fresh rubbed with the dried, about 50/50...and it also did really, really well...same burn, same flavors.

So...what did it taste like? It was deep and full and had that 'dark fired Kentucky' character. It wasn't sweet, but it wasn't bitter. To me, the dark fired essence was moderate...and didn't overwhelm the fullness of the Burley or the VA background. In other words there was a good balance and I would suggest this as a blend that might be enjoyed by those who appreciate any one of the components...as a change of pace from their usual fare.

The initial claims as to its strength I found to be a bit overstated...it's nowhere near the Gawith ropes, twists, etc. P's Irish Flake is stronger. But this is definetely above medium...on a 10 scale maybe a 6.5 or 7. On the scale they use here, that makes it "strong".

Though not one to make comparrisons very often, the best way I can describe this one is that it's like..."Gawaith Dark Flake Lite"...a bit lighter in flavor, in N and in overall impact. This doesn't make it any less of a blend, as that 'less-ness' allows its flavor profile to be more round, which I would call and asset. All in all it's absolutely excellent! Quite an achievement for MacBaren in my humble opinion. And lastly, as the tin is 3.5 oz. (100 gm) you get a decent handfull of the stuff, for which I'm very glad.

Very highly recommended.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Deckard Cain (39)	2022-06-22		Strong	None Detected	Very Full	Tolerable

Authentic, old timey, for the mature crowd. I imagine there were Mississippi riverboat captains that kept the pipe full of this. I love tobaccos that harken back to yesterday year. I love tobacco remind me of America. I love tobacco's with a full rich taste and lack complexity, they just get down to business.

Well, old dark fired fills the bill. This is a Virginia and Burley heavyweight. And the Burley tastes the way you want it to, not like haunted bookshop...blech! (Smoke enough crap and it starts to taste pretty good)

Sweet, smoky, fruity, spicy, with a constantly good tobacco flavor. Also, enough nicotine to keep a snuff user satisfied. I can't think of any occasion that this tobacco would be a bad choice for. This has been a go-to of mine for years. It delivers. Sometimes I know I want to smoke a pipe but I can't make up my mind what to put in it. Old dark fired is often my choice. Almost too good to smoke while working on a project. But I do it all the time, and feel like I really have it made.

Pipe Used: Cob

Age When Smoked: New, new and old

Purchased From: Pipes and cigars

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	HabaneroHardy (403)	2022-03-14		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Unnoticeable

Because I have plenty of Bold Kentucky, I never bothered to buy this one but was able to sample a nice size bowl at our pipe club meeting. I smoked it in a Cob no less and this batch was dated Jan 2016. 6 years of age on this baby. I can’t really remember exactly what Bold Kentucky tastes like but this seems to me to be a little milder and maybe somewhat weaker in the nicotine department. A good smoke but since I also have Rustica, I see no need in buying another somewhat clone.

Age When Smoked: 6 years

Purchased From: Sample from friend

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pip'n'Piper (54)	2022-03-09		Medium to Strong	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Im a little late to the party with the HH line, call it a case of post mac-bite aversion, but I had heard and read many good things, particularly about Old Dark Fired, so I gave it a try. To start, the tin note is among the best of any tobacco Ive come across... maybe the best. Aromas of vinegar, ketchup, black pepper, hickory, a touch of smoked paprika. It's like ripe meat smothered in barbacue sauce that's been slow roasted on charcoal briquettes with a healthy side of ketchup. As mouthwatering as Chazz's mom's meatloaf. The flakes are moist, firm and leathery; they handle and pack well. I like to rub these ones out, rather than fold, and would recommend a quick drying of 10 minutes or so. Now, I am ashamed to admit, but I was once a cigarette smoker and, as a result, must confess to being a fast puffer, and with this toby I really have to force myself to sip slowly in order to bring out the flavours. If I smoke my usual quick cadence the flavours dilute and the delicious tin note gets lost behind the heat, almost to the point of being bland. When smoked patiently the flavour is more pronounced, yet I still wish it was more potent! The nicotine isn't the strongest Ive smoked, but it's no wimp and has potential to sneak up on you. To much relief, there was no bite whatsoever. A very good tobacco. I liked it alot. 3-3.5 as the flavour could be stronger. I would certainly recommend and will be perusing the rest of the HH blends.

*Edit - I'm upgrading to 4stars, because it is just that tasty. I took the advice of several other reviewers here, a wide bowl and open draw helps to get the fullest flavour out of this one. Thanks to all those that suggested it! Highly recommend. Cheers.

Pipe Used: Cobs

Age When Smoked: Fresh

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Jason N (5)	2022-03-09		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

Imagine you are wearing a comfortable flannel shirt that you had on the night before at an outdoor bonfire and you walk into a small, artisanal bakery where they're making fresh raisin bread. That's what it smells like when you open a tin of this gem. Can't speak highly enough about it. Smokes easily even if you puff like a proverbial steam engine. I've only smoked it rubbed out with a quick dry time of 5 mins or less but will experiment with smoking as a full flake. Great, great stuff!

Pipe Used: Savinelli Bent Billiard

Age When Smoked: Out of a new tin

Purchased From: Smoking Pipes

Similar Blends: Escudo Navy Deluxe.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JimPM (155)	2021-12-11		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

Not as racy as the Kendal Kentucky, HH Old Dark Fired brings a more graceful mix of finely pressed Burley, Kentucky, and Virginia.

The pouch greets you with a thrill of earthy wood BBQ spice folded with tenderly sweet-grassy tart tones; strong but not brutish. This is a very attractive looking blend if I must say. Ebon-brown strips of rich cultured tobacco. And the taste, wow! Superbly balanced and deliciously amalgamated as one would expect from Mac B. ODF offers a full base tethered in a buttery toasted nuttiness and spiced deep wood.

The Virginia wraps around the overall bottom registration a sweet tangy charm. Smokey and very herby this one. Reminds me of the essence of basil and thyme combined. Mellow and highly enjoyable. This stuff is fine with a capital “F”

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Poodlejuice (51)	2021-06-08		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

These flakes come a little moist and smell like bbq. More precisely they smell like lays bbq chips/crisps. A short dry time is needed for my tastes (30mins). Ive rubbed out and folded and there seems to be a little more earthyness and longer burn if folded, at the expense of more relights.

Sweet smokey bbq, tomatos and ketchup, a bit of brown sugar & molasses, oak & misquite, a bit of mole like chocolate/pepper notes in the background & a rich earth develops towards the bottom of the bowl. Sweet & Savory notes abound. This is like smoking a pork butt, but in your pipe. Delicious. When I smoke this one my SO says that I smell good, but kind of like bacon. And she's a vegetarian. That's not important though...

What is important is that you consider putting some ODF in your rotation. It's strong, savory, and smokes slow and cool. Much like a good brisket. Strength-wise it's on the strong side, but I recommend a big bowl if you handle it. The build up at the end is worth it. Doesn't bite much at all, in fact probably the tamest flake of the HH line. This is by far my favorite Mac Baren blend. Might be in my top 5 tobaccos ever depending on the day.

Pipe Used: Pots, Billiards, cobs

Age When Smoked: Fresh & 1-2 years

Similar Blends: Amphora Kentucky.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	crosscountry (23)	2021-02-03		Medium to Strong	Medium	Medium to Full	Tolerable

Well, with all of the many fans of this tobacco, I had to try it. My impression when opening the tin is "WOW BBQ". To me, it really smells of east coast bbq sauce - like something someone would put on pulled pork. It's the dominant flavor in the tin, the smoke, and the room.

Compared to some flakes that I've tried, mostly Virginias, I found this one to be too brittle, making it hard to pack. It was so brittle that you could almost pick your teeth like a toothpick. I never got it to burn through well and threw away many second halves of bowls.

Personally, I found the flavor stronger than I wanted to smoke alone, and I preferred mixing with other, uniform flavor tobaccos. At first I tried it 1:3 with a mild Burley like Prince Albert - making ODF a condiment rather than the main attraction. That was quite enjoyable.

Then, I remembered a pouch of Smoker Friendly Classic Black that was going to waste, and I mixed them. Home run! That was awesome. It had the smokey bbq flavor without being overbearing, and it had the sweetness of a mild aromatic. I loved this combination.

Update October 2021: I bought another tin and put that in a jar with two bags of black cavendish. Can't wait to open it. One difference was that this tin was properly humid, definitely not brittle. I think the first tin was overly dry for some bad reason.

Pipe Used: various

Age When Smoked: new in tin

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Graquet (6)	2020-12-16		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

This is by far the most solid blend I've smoked. The rich smoky almost sweet bbq smell you get right of the tin is a delight ! Once lit, though, you are with a rich, not strong – but definitely not soft – very well balanced taste. Here and there, the smokiness of the kentucky (?) takes the front but the burley is the core of the blend. I suppose it is that good because of the genuine quality of the baccos it contains. Sold at the very right moisture level and burns cool from top to bottom. It is one of my regular smokes and to me, the nic hit is just like any other blend, so don't fear the burley.

Pipe Used: birar

Age When Smoked: usually out of the tin

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	renwardhoop (177)	2020-09-03		Medium	Mild	Medium to Full	Unnoticeable

Nice tin. Shame it's square. I hate square tins.

Once opened with the usual crowbar and thus allowing the contents to dry in this late summer heat, you will discover very dark coloured,soldier-straight little bars of dark brown tobacco flakes that gives off a subtle, but slightly sweet, tangy, aroma of quality tobacco.

The flake breaks up easily into slimmer strips (the way I like to do it) which you can then break down for loading. The first draw offers a grassy, malty, a little nutty, yet with intriguing, enticing little nuances yet to be discovered. I found I was getting hazelnuts and something alcoholic after the first few bowls. Whisky perhaps ? There is a fleeting latakia-like or maybe perique in here, but this dies away to become virtually undetectable several bowls in.

Good though this is, I found it a bit of a plod halfway through the tin, and think it would be better as part of a rotation, rather than an all day tobacco otherwise it can get a little bit bland. Certainly, several years ago when I was in that aromatic phase, I would have discarded this as yet another tastless, characterless, virginia-based blend. But then I didn't know any better.

Pipe Used: Briars

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Dan Pipe, Germany

Similar Blends: Virginia mixtures like old Dunhill's TYM, Erinmore flake, or even Players Blenders Highland RR.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Amarelo (25)	2020-08-12		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

Nice unique Barbecue sauce aroma and taste with smoky flavours from start to finish. So much barbecue-esque that you can even taste the tomato paste and the vinegar, awesome really. I can feel some cigar like feeling here and there too. I ended up amused by the way this Vi-Bur's robust flavours put more in line with more dense mixtures like a english or a cigar leaf added blend. I do think too that this must be a nice adding to make some deep harmonization including a specific meal and beverage based in it's almost "food" like flavours.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Danhod (2)	2020-08-01		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

I've smoked this on and off for a few years, nicely presented cleanly cut flakes which mostly remain intact when jarred. Lovely deep and bold, sweet bbq-sauce tin aroma. When lit, the notes others have described can be found if you pay attention to the blend though I don't find it very complex.

This was one of the first tins I smoked, and absolutely loved it. What's strange, the last few years it doesn't have the same impact it once had on me. It is certainly a blend that you need to smoke slow and cool, fresh out of the tin to fully enjoy. A bit of drying I believe helps. I have noticed after jarring, the bold flavour tends to dissapate, so I would recommend to smoke the bowl within a few months at most post-jarring. It becomes a more mellow smoke over time though I think it loses the character that makes this blend great.

Pipe Used: Briars and Cobs

Age When Smoked: Fresh and Jarred 3+ Years

Purchased From: JJ Hollingsworth and Sons Birmingham (tinned)

Similar Blends: Mac Baren Bold Kentucky.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	ultrahenry (7)	2020-07-16		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Freshly open the tin, a fruity, earthy, and a bit of plum fragrance jumped out and dissipated into your nose. Very smooth smoking trip with heavenly meety, sweety, earthy texture on my tongue. Can be an all day smoke when you want something tasty.

Pipe Used: Falcon, peterson

Age When Smoked: 1 week

Purchased From: Smokingpipes

Similar Blends: Three nuns.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Karam (59)	2020-04-26		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is the first tricky one for me because I got mixed signals, expectations and actual experience, I'll elaborate.

First my expectations reading reviews and fora were built up for this blend to be dark, smoky and strong.

The tin note is also perplexing: opening the tin gave me a strong and delicious smell of ketchup and barbecue, actual barbecue, not grilling, which means low and slow smoking of meat over many hours, think beef brisket, burnt ends and pulled pork shoulder. However once I unfolded the golden paper envelope the flakes were in that smell was replaced with that of pressed Virginia, nothing of the smells I associate with burley.

The presentation of the flakes is excellent: dark, neat, fairly chunky flake at a tad above perfect moisture, so needs a short drying time before firing up.

The taste, right off the bat, was wood. Oak wood in fact, freshly cut oak wood - not seasoned, dry and ready for the fireplace. It is a homely and very pleasant smell, associated in my mind with all sorts of pleasant experiences. This is the most "woodsy" tobacco I ever had, and should instantly demonstrate the difference between dark fired Kentucky and Latakia to less experienced people like me. Latakia is the smell of the fireplace (after the fire has died), while this is the smell of oak chips.

The taste is also perplexing because some puffs are incredible and others are a tad bland. The predominant taste is that of oak wood, with the occasional whiff of spice, and a hint of sweetness and sourness. The barbecue and ketchup also show up, but rarely. I didn't find it very full tasting, even when everything clicked together, I'd say for my taste it is more mild and pleasant than a bomb of any sort, but its smell and taste linger. Same can be said about nicotine, but I'm generally very tolerant to nicotine from pipe tobacco.

As I was writing this review I hadn't decided on the rating, I swung from 4 stars to 2 stars all the time from:

- "this is really great, complex, pleasant and mild enough to smoke all the time" to - "this is a bit bland, something's missing here, will enjoy it but won't miss it much" to - "hey as I am writing this review I recall all the great nuances this has to offer" to -"but then again quite a few puffs didn't really give me much" to - "can't fault it due to any expectation I built up before trying" to -"why/how on earth does this blend swing so much from great to bland?"

I'll go with middle of the road: 3 stars, that's my rating for tobaccos I like, but don't love (4 stars) or outright dislike but finish (2 stars), and nowhere near tobaccos I consider only good for giving away or dumping in the compost bin (1 star). It is a high quality product, if you're looking for strong tobacco you won't find it here, it is very pleasant and at times complex, but not always.

Edited June 2020 to 4 stars, this made me a dedicated DFK fan, it is really great.

Purchased From: Estervals pipe house

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pfeifenkopp (25)	2019-10-03		Strong	None Detected	Full	Tolerable to Strong

This was the first Mac Baren tobacco I’ve smoked which really convinced me. The tin note is smoky, woody and a distinct chocolate smell. After lighting up, it’s like having a campfire in your pipe. After a few puffs, I can recognize several flavors the tobacco offers. I can taste wood and smoke as well as nuts and very dark chocolate in the background. Almost all the time there is a dry earthy flavor. The Virginia tobacco is more in the background and adds sweet citrus notes and from time to time a bit hay. Overall, this tobacco is quite spicy and bold. It goes perfectly well with a smokey Islay wisky.

My faith in Mac Baren was restored by this tobacco and I will try more from the HH series.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Novaki (41)	2019-08-21		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Strong

Interesting and meaty smoke. Bold and full-bodied. Woodsy, sweet, tangy with a touch of hay and dark fruit. At the top of the bowl is a salty (some say vinegary) taste. Some say this is the casing. I don't find it unpleasant and enjoy it. It reminds me faintly of maybe a bite of a sharp cheddar that awakens the senses before lulling them back into pipe smoking bliss.

The first time I tried this blend I was pretty new to pipe smoking and couldn't fully appreciate this tobacco. I could hardly pack it, let alone enjoy it without getting nicotine poisoning. Now I'm used to packing flakes and nicotine doesn't really bother me like it once did. I will say that this might be a difficult one for newbies for this reason. When I first encountered ODF, I remember it being extremely harsh and unpleasant to smoke. I don't know if it's the age or my technique or both, but when I returned to it after a year of age it was much softer on the pallet while still retaining its flavor.

The color is very nice, with dark fired burly taking up the bulk and the Virginia marbling throughout. I've found that this is one of the coolest smoking blends I own. As others have stated, the flavors are married rather well here and make for a more balanced but compelling and engaging smoking experience. From what I understand, this is due to the dark-fired and Virginia being steam pressed together. In theory, this allows the flavors to blend more evenly than a regular press would and based on my experience, I'd say it works well.

I couldn't be happier with this blend, especially after some aging. A real treat. Glad I kept it sitting around and didn't gift it away.

Pipe Used: Cobs

Age When Smoked: 1 year

Purchased From: P&C

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Falliver (42)	2019-06-21		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Much like its brother HH Bold Kentucky, the tin aroma is of the most pleasant dark red wines. The flakes are neatly presented within the tin, and obsidian dark in colour. The moisture works well both for rubbing and cube-cutting.

It packs and lights well, and also preserves the aroma to the palate. Mellow burley nuttiness and woodiness, and dark fruit Virginia-sweetness are perfectly balanced in the smoke, that also delivers a slight spiciness lingering on the tongue, that’s not present in HHBK. They are both fairly similar to each other, though the Bold Kentucky might have a slightly bigger flavour profile and tin aroma, they are both perfect in their own way.

=UPDATE=

Upon opening, letting it age with a moisturiser for a couple of weeks will bring out a meaty aroma and taste, like that of cured meats and beef jerky. Truly unique!

Pipe Used: Stanwell Royal Danish 83

Age When Smoked: From the tin

Similar Blends: Mac Baren - HH Bold Kentucky.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Voyaging (80)	2019-03-01		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

My tin was a 100g purchased from a shop in New York City, USA. It had over a year of age on the tin.

The presentation was beautiful with plume all over. That was the first time I had encountered plume, and it let me know this blend ages well due to a balanced Virginia content. The flakes have the signature gold foil, which I love. They are uniform and neatly cut, and rub out easily. It's mostly a dark brown and black tobacco. Not much light tobacco there.

The tin note smells of vinegar, smoked meat, wood smoke, dried fruit.

The moisture was okay out of the tin. It could use some drying to create better combustion, but still smokable straight away.

I generally rub out flakes. The beginning of the bowl is tangy and sweet, raisin notes, and as you go down there is a woodiness, nuttiness, wood smoke. There are notes of cocoa, molasses, that kind of meld with that nuttiness. Occasionally there is a pastry-like sweetness that comes back. There was also a cheese note and an anise note I picked up on from time-to-time.

I have smoked this under all seasonal weather conditions.

The strength was medium. I would only really get a nicotine hit if I smoked too fast. I would like to note that I never smoke on an empty stomach.

The price is at market if purchased online. I purchased mine at a brick and mortar, so it was much higher for my 100g tin.

I recommend this for those who like Virginia Burley blends, and those who like Virginia dark-fired blends, or those who like full-flavored pipe tobacco blends.

The only negative thing I could say about it that it could have a little less moisture.

I would buy this again, but I would buy a 50g tin instead, because it's not a blend I would want to smoke often.

Highly recommended for its quality, consistency, uniqueness. It's just a great blend.

Pipe Used: Pot,lovat,

Age When Smoked: Over one year

Purchased From: Local shop

Similar Blends: Mac Baren - HH Bold Kentucky, Peterson - Irish Flake.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2019-01-03		Medium to Strong	Extremely Mild	Full	Tolerable

I bought a one ounce pouch of this from P & C back around 2013 just to give it a try. It is a dark fairly strong flake tobacco similar to HH Bold Kentucky only not quite as strong. It had an earth aroma to it with a slight sweetness & maybe a mild spice. Anyway it had a slight vinegar smell to it and I aired it out for a day. I sealed it back up in its zip-lock bag after taking out enough to rub out & dry to stoke my pipe.

It readily took to the flame & produced some thick, creamy smoke & didn't taste harsh & smoked mildly for a strong blend & I remember liking it really well & will most likely buy a tin or two when I finish off my tins of HH Bold Kentucky. This blend leans more toward the stronger side of the medium to strong selection. I liked it fine but preferred the stronger HH Bold Kentucky blend over this one.

Pipe Used: Medico Filter Size 3

Age When Smoked: Fresh Pouch

Purchased From: Pipes & Cigars

Similar Blends: HH Bold Kentucky, Irish Flake, Solani Silver Flake #660.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Dr.James (39)	2017-12-20		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

MacBaren Old Dark Fired is a refined example of how a Kentucky/Burley blend should be expressed. The Kentuckys and Burleys are rich with many layers of wood, earth and nuts, slightly sweetened by the steaming process, turbinado and maple notes are present and harmonized nicely by the Virgina’s subtle dark fruitiness and tanginess. Easy to pack and keep lit, this robust blend is medium to full in body and strength but won’t bite the tongue. Has a sharp spicy note upon lighting that mellows out as the bowl develops. Three and a half stars, four for the Burley enthusiast.

Age When Smoked: 1 year

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Layuz F. (1)	2017-10-08		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

"Well balanced" - Perfect descripton. The marrying in this blend is just fantastic.

Pleasant tin note presenting deep sweet smoky earthiness and sourness. You can smell that there's more VAs than burleys, but still the dark fired kentucky is the star. Dark brown flakes perfectly cutted. A little moister than the ideal for me but no drying required. Packs and rubs easily.

Smokes nicely both fold and stuff and rubbed. Burns cool and leaves little moisture at the end of the bowl. Requires a few relights.

The aroma and taste are similar to the tin note but stronger. Not much changes in the aroma, only that it intensifies through the bowl. Absolutely no bite. Doesn't get harsh, even at the end. Medium nicotine. Not an all day smoke.

This blend is simply wonderful. The combination of the VAs with Kentucky is fantastic. The proportion is perfect. When you smoke, you can taste and smell that there's minimum case. Pure, deep, sweet and smoky earthiness through the whole bowl. More of a straight smoke. Delightful for dark fired kentucky lovers.

Pipe Used: Briar, cob

Age When Smoked: 1 year aged

Purchased From: Friend

Similar Blends: Bold Kentucky, Irish flake, Stirling flake.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2017-09-16		Medium to Strong	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Tolerable

A stout and dark tobacco, delivering a very earthy and spicy smoke combined with some sweetness in the background, ODF is sure to please the Kentucky aficionado. Often compared to Peterson irish Flake it does have similarities but mostly has its own personality as it's more on the earthy side than sweet. The nicotine content rings my bell every time. Having been released about 5 years ago, ODF has already achieved a cult status and has numerous, faithful followers; which is well deserved! It might be a good idea to let it breathe out the first couple of days to let the vinegar evaporate some before starting to smoke it.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pipesolitude (23)	2017-06-17		Strong	None Detected	Full	Pleasant

The flavour profile of ODF is a bit unusual. Not so easy to describe. But perhaps "sweet and sour" is somewhat fitting. The sour taste is there at the basis, with a kind of dark peppary vinegar tone. The sweet flavour comes and goes, and I would describe it as a subtle mix of vinegar and honey, or something similar; an unusual taste anyway. Occasionally I also get an earthy tone, like a dark and moist earth cellar, which is nice.

The second half of the bowl has been a bit unreliable for me. Sometimes it develops into a completely different smoking experience, with the sweetness dissappearing, smoke turning harsch, monochromatic and owerwhelmingly strong both in taste and streangth. At times it has got totally foul and unsmokable, but other times it has developed much better.

I might have to update this review after having experimented a bit more with this tobacco, if I learn how to domesticate the second half of the bowl into a more reliable smoke. Because when it behaves well, it deserves more than 2 stars, despite the fact that this particular taste profile is not my individual preference.

Age When Smoked: 1 year

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	cakeanddottle (105)	2017-04-09		Medium to Strong	Extremely Mild	Full	Tolerable

Once or twice I've gotten four star smokes out of this blend. The average experience for me though is a two star tobacco. It's good, it just doesn't do enough to make me not want similar offerings from GH and SG.

This is a mostly savory VaKy with some sour notes. It's robust but not quite stiff like the dark flakes and ropes from the above mentioned. Needs a little drying time out of the tin, smokes pretty clean in the bowl. The only really amazing thing about this tobacco is that MacBaren made it. I will leave this one to you guys and stick with Jackknife Plug.

update 21Jan2020 my opinion of this, but not my score, has improved. I am more prone to smoke tobacco like this as I get older. I have grown fond of ODF, but again I do not like it as much as GH and SG tobacco along similar lines.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	roadkill0000 (23)	2017-04-05		Very Strong	None Detected	Extra Full	Strong

this review is just to keep track for myself mainly, less intended as a serious in depth review. Just to keep an eye of what ive tried and what I like, with quick notes about it. alot of these notes are from memory, and I will update the review as I continue smoking them.

This is a great blend, that you need to be in the mood for to smoke. Very dark, very flavorful, bold, intense, reminds me of sitting over a campfire while heating up some jerky. Big plumes of smoke, thick, but not ashey in taste. just dark with lots of flavor. I get a buzz if I smoke this sometimes, its strong. The best time to smoke it is when your in a warm and fuzzy feeling, and you need something strong to warm you up, and relax you. this is going as a favorite for me, but not as a go to and not as something i need to have on me at all times. Just something to keep around when the mood strikes, which is fairly often.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	The Sunday Evening Pipe Smoker (54)	2017-03-04		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

Tin note: Spicy first and foremost, followed by a bit of woodsy. Smelling this reminds me somewhat of the experience of smelling Chai tea in its dry bagged state. It is that kind of spicy note that I am thinking of. Quite pleasant.

Needs a bit of drying time.

Flavour: Definitely what I'd expect for a burley based blend in terms of flavour, throat feel and the "nic-kick", and it is paired with a noticeable Virginia sweetness. This is a robust, full bodied blend that is in the league of Nightcap, etc. I did find the lower half of the bowl was more bitter/sour, however that might also be because I had to re-light from a wooden match at that point. Personally, I still find I prefer Brown Sugar Flake insofar as a burley based blend goes, but I feel like I need a few more tries at ODF to really give it its due. Still, I found it an interesting blend and I can understand the appeal it has.

Room note: Falls into the same profile as say Nightcap, Royal Yacht, Brown Sugar Flake, etc. i.e. not a crowd-pleaser necessarily, but not terrible either.

UPDATE 06/2017:

Having given this blend more time to try, I have to update a few things I've said.

There are certain cliche descriptions out there. One of them is that this or that blend tastes of "dark stewed fruit" -- I've often read that about a blend and wondered what they were talking about. I couldn't taste it. Well this one I think truly qualifies for that description and its highly pleasant. This is a blend that has real character and wonderful flavour that is especially suited to warm summer evenings.

Now about that "throat feel" I described. It is there, but what shifted this blend radically for me was pairing it with a cup of coffee. That has absolutely eliminated that throat feel while leaving all the flavours and because of that, this has actually become a favourite, go-to blend.

I'm going to be buying a few 100g tins to start cellaring some of this stuff and ODF is now going to go in my regular rotation. What a treat it's become for me. I'm going to move from 3 to 4 stars.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	cigarcohiba (36)	2016-09-05		Medium	Medium	Medium	Pleasant

An "ok" tobacco. It definitely gives off the Burley flavor and parallel to that the Virginia. Not sure if the HH Old Dark Fired needs an experienced pipe smoker to extract the qualities it claims to posses.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	William H. Hardy (95)	2016-05-09		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Tolerable to Strong

This is a pretty darn good burley flake. I can't say anything bad about it, actually. It's stout, full-flavored, and has a good nic hit. It's not as strong as some of the other tobaccos that I smoke, but it's definitely not a lightweight. It never gave me the "nic hics." It's usually enjoyable and I never actually noticed any "burley throat" from it. All that being said, however, it's just not one of my favorites.

I usually fold-and-stuff most flakes, but this was one that seemed to behave a bit better when it was rubbed out a bit. I'm actually quite happy that Mac Baren has ventured into more full-flavored types of tobaccos. I actually hadn't had a lot of luck with Mac Baren in the past. Plumcake was just okay, Vintage Syrian was kind of boring, and I hated Virginia #1. Not the flavor of Virginia #1, just the fact that I could never smoke it without it frying my tongue.

I hated to give this three stars, but I just don't think that I'll ever buy it again. It was good and I enjoyed it, but I just don't think it'll make the re-order list. I would give this a solid 3 stars and maybe a bit more. Even if there was a 5-star rating scale on here (which I think would be more accurate for my purposes) I would still give it a 3-star review, I think. There are just others along the same vein that I prefer. It's definitely worth trying and may be your "holy grail."

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Jorge Soler (203)	2015-04-16		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant

This tobacco is a nice combination of Virginia and Burley tobaccos (VaBur). The tin note is rather pronounced and has a nice vinegary/ketchup tone to it. The flakes are well presented and consistent in both length and thickness. They are really dark in colour with visible gold spots in it. The moist content is rather high, so the flakes will benefit from some drying time. The Burley qualities of this tobacco is quite apparent and has a slight floral note to it. It does not seem to smoke hot in your bowl and I cannot detect any tongue-bite. The taste of this tobacco seems to develop well and will evolve from medium to full as you progress more and more with your smoke. The flue cured Burley tobacco seems to add an earthy dimension to it and I am not finding the virginias overtly sweet. I cannot find any faults or loose ends in this tobacco, but I am not overexcited with it. I would certainly recommend this tobacco to all Virginia lovers, but I am not sure whether the newbies will enjoy it because of its complexity.

Edit: The burley leaf in this blend, which is barely noticeable, will act as a buffer in between your palate and the virginia tobacco it contains enhancing its properties. I am positive all virginia lovers will love it (it feels like smoking a straight virginia on steroids).

Pipe Used: Meerschaum

Age When Smoked: ?

Purchased From: John Howlingsworth

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Noodle (6)	2014-06-30		Strong	None Detected	Full	Unnoticeable

Much has been said already about this, so I will keep it short and sweet If you like simple good old fashioned flakes with no silly added flavours then buy this. Are you new to burly and Virginia blends but put off buy the often mentioned nicotine levels buy this It's fantastic smokes well however you fold stuff or rub it May I suggest you go the whole hog and smoke it from a cob it works just about perfectly with them

Edit time as I've smoked this more and more ive smoked less of the usual walnut, irish flake. It really is quite a pleasant unassuming smoke which just gets better and better

Pipe Used: Jambo meer, mm spool, duncan indeluxe

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Bates tobacconist, St. Helens

Similar Blends: University flake Irish flake.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Jacinto Cupboard (209)	2014-05-20		Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

A mid to dark brown flake with prominent flecks of gold. The flake is dry. It rubs out to a sort of Scotch ribbon and burns well in this state.

The predominant tin aroma is dried fruits.

The dark fired leaf here is quite muted. Only occasionally are cigar notes encountered and the flavour to my nose is muddy. I don't get much from the Virginias at all except some sweetness. Despite the dryness of the flake this burns with some steam produced. There is ammonia here that can be intrusive. Putting some age on this tobacco seems like a good idea.

Comes at a good price point but is not in the same league as its rivals. A weak 3.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	lvpipe (13)	2014-02-14		Medium to Strong	Medium to Strong	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

The best MacB tobacco imo although I really like HH Arcadia Perique. ODF is smooth, flavorful, easy on the tongue. Preparation is easy enough that I have not tried the RR version. ODF reminds me of Peterson's Irish Flake, not quite as strong in flavor or nicotine but it is softer on my palate. For the lovers of steamed and pressed tobaccos this predominantly Burley Flake is a must try. Just so you know where I am coming from my top 5 tobaccos are SG FVF, SG SJF, Penzance, G&H Sweet Rum Twist and MCB ODF. I have many that are close contenders in this race, this is as near as I can narrow it down. Other Burley favorites are C&D BF #1,2&3, OJK, GLP JackKnife Plug and G&H Kendall Kentucky. The reason I mention my favorites is because when I read reviews I like to know what the reviewers like as it helps me decide whether their taste are similar to mine or not.

Similar Blends: Peterson's Irish Flake.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Ducksbreath (125)	2014-01-13		Strong	None Detected	Extra Full	Pleasant

Update: One of the top ten tobaccos of all time. That it is still available today, and in bulk, is a gift from the pipe gods.

Update: I find I don't smoke much of this excellent flake. When I'm in the mood for this type of thing, I reach for my stateside stash of Condor instead and put it in one of my 3 Condor-lakeland pipes. Or, if I want something lighter in the same vein, I reach for University Flake/Wallace Flake.

When I smoke HH Old Dark fired, I find I just miss the interplay of casings with the strong, smooth, dark leaves.

I really think MB should come out with an aromatic version !. They do this for other countries (Maltan Ready Rubbed, Mick McQuaid, etc.) with strong underlying tobaccos, right ?

I think, to a degree, Mac Baren has thrown the baby out with the bathwater with the H&H line. Some of the H&H line leaves me a little underwhelmed. I can't smoke the old light bitey stuff anymore (Symphony) but I really do like the subtle flavorings of Symphony, Golden Extra, Navy Flake, Plumcake, they all have wonderful aromas and casings, I just can't take the heat. So...howabout a Full Strength Plumcake type of thing ?

The hype is right. Mac Baren hit a home run, as this is best of the really dark flakes I've had (I'm not including flakes containing Latakia).

What makes it so ? Taste with tremendous depth and some natural sweetness, without any harshness, monotony, or back of the throat roughness. It is smooooooth. Yes it has a good dose of N, but not as much as the deep, Guinness Stout like flavor would indicate. Not as powerful as some Lakeland type tobaccos, although it tastes as strong.

So...the approach is not really different than from any other good Mac Baren blend, putting taste and nuance above all else. It's just, in this case, the body has gone from Mild to FULL and the casing is gone. Interestingly, the room note is very pleasing to my wife.

Pipe Used: Nording Handmade

Similar Blends: Aged Burley Flake, Dark Flake, etc..

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	fredkao (11)	2013-12-08		Medium	None Detected	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

I have only 1 Mac Barren, this one. I will say, it's not for new pipe smoker like me. It's a too much good tobacco to be trully appreciated so I keep it in a jar at that time but I'm sure, after a few bowl, it's a wonderfull tobacco.

update: Well, I ordered a lot more. I will jar some. It's just a so beautifull tobacco. The strenght is medium in the first1/3 then increase. The chocolate note is present as other mentioned it. Taste is sweet and creamy. I'm not an expert so the only think I can say: "it's very complex and you are never bored with it". It can be smoked at any pace it won't bite. Don't need to relight either. It's one of my favorite along with GH flakes. You can go for it with banded eyes.

Pipe Used: French pipe from St Claude

Age When Smoked: new

Purchased From: Smoking Pipes

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	bigsmokingwolf (2)	2013-06-06		Medium to Strong	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Mac Baren Old Dark Fired Flake

A dark brown flake with some light marbling that is cut with great precision, the tin note is earthy, slightly Smokey and meaty.

To start this off right, I slightly rubbed this flake out into my tobacco tray and allowed it to sit in the open air for 30 minutes before loading my pipe.

After loading this slightly rubbed and aired-out flake in my briar poker, I began the char light, and after two char lights its going fine. It has a dark nutty flavor like that of a roasted brazil nut with just a slight sweet Virginia taste and aroma sneaking in the back door, the retro hale brings a spicy fermented pepper note to the party, what a treat!

As I work my way down the bowl, this tobacco gets better and better leaving me wanting more. To me the burley takes the lead here and never completely wavers to the Virginia, however the Virginia stays in tack with just the right amount of sweetness. It burns cool. No wet mess at the end in my pipe. I have many Mac Baren blends in my cellar, this blend to me, ranks right up there with HH Matured Virginia and HH Vintage Syrian.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Roy Odhner (9)	2013-03-03		Strong	None Detected	Very Full	Strong

If you like the full, rich flavor of Peterson Irish Flake but find the Vitamin N content just too dang strong for your candy azz (like I do), then this just might be the blend for you.

Upon opening the tin, you nose will be greeted by the smell of sweet BBQ sauce... much like when you open a tin of McClelland tobacco. I find that the flakes need to be dried for about 15 minutes or so. The fold and stuff method doesn't really work for me, so I just fully rib them out and then fill the pipe. The initial light-up is a bit tricky, as is keeping the stuff lighted. The room note? Well, you might not have to outrun any angry mobs, bit it's not gonna win any popularity contests either.

So, what's the pay-off? Bold, full, manly, VaBur flavor, bay-bee! I love MacB blends, but this is not your typical MacB flavor profile. It's got some resemblance to their wonderful Navy Flake, but the HMS MacB is running at full ramming speed with this blend. The only thing that I've smoked that comes close to this is Pete Irish Flake, but that's way stronger than this stuff. (So if you've not tried IF, then let this be a warning to you). This is a full, rich, and bold VaBur blend. However, it is not so bold that you need to smoke it in a small bowl. Quite the contrary - go with a bigger bowl so you can experience the full measure of this truly brilliant blend.

Do I like it, and would I recommend it? Yezzir.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	b7q (54)	2022-08-28		Medium to Strong	Very Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is an absolutely great classics, in addition to the differences of power, like other friends will endorse the mixed taste, so deep, need friends to solve the problem of strength can change through a pipe, bend or air chamber pipe will reduce the strength of feeling, I also try it with the Navy Flake or perique blend , Life is a toss, and so is a pipe

Pipe Used: Briar

Purchased From: TobaccoPipes.com SmokingPipes.com Cup O'Joes.4noggins.com

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Stevek720 (8)	2022-02-12		Strong	None Detected	Full	Strong

ATTENTION ALL APPRECIATORS A STRONG NIC HIT: THIS IS A BARN BURNER. ODF is a powerful blend in every way. It is a celebration of robust burley, rounded out with juuuuust enough virginia leaf to keep it grounded. It has tremendous flavor and the aroma is excellent. I’d recommend smoking it outside as it does have a pretty pungent room note that I can only imagine would not be pleasing to non-pipe-smokers. This blend also packs a pretty good punch of nicotine and is definitely satisfying when you are craving some vitamin N. Presentation is nice as well and easy enough to rub out and pack. Overall, excellent choice if you like burley and are looking for a robust smoke and don’t mind some nicotine.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	darktater (2)	2022-01-04		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

Simply outstanding. I don't possess a 'sophisticated' palate, but this is a wonderful smoke. For me, a bowl of ODF, with a glass of bourbon, is the perfect nightcap to a day. Rich, smokey, BBQ'y <sp> flavor, a perfect amount of vitamin 'N', all combine to wrap up the day. Rich flavor, full of nuance, simply satisfying. If you haven't tried ODF, get a tin. I truly doubt that you will be disappointed. I am just finishing up the first tin, with another in the wings. A full # purchase is definitely in the near future.

Pipe Used: briars, cobs

Age When Smoked: 1-2 months

Purchased From: SmokingPipes.com

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	cm1648 (108)	2021-12-03		Medium to Strong	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Prep: Whether you prefer to rub out the flakes or not, they do need some dry time.

It lives up to its reputation. ODF delivers a earthy, woody, spicy, mildly tart and tangy sour flavor throughout the bowl. The dark fruit sweetness of the Virginas come along throughout the blend as well, yet in more of a secondary position. If you didnt know better, you would assume there was a slight addition of Latakia due to the smokiness that comes along. If you are sensitive to nicotine, be wary. I may be myself as even after dinner, the effect of the smoke is quite noticeable. It is a fairly dry smoke. Certainly not an all day smoke and unless you are tolerant of nicotine, its not repeatable.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	MandoPiper (2)	2021-08-08		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Unnoticeable

The best of the best for a real pipe smoking experience, it’s that simple,can’t say enough!! My favorite for last smoke of the day!! A must try for real tobacco enthusiasts !!

Pipe Used: Savinelli churchwaden

Age When Smoked: 2 years

Purchased From: Local

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Stah (153)	2021-06-03		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

The tin contains 100 grams of evenly sliced dark chocolate brown flake with occasional flecks of lighter shade Virginia. Judging by the excise, the year of production is 2019.

The flavor is complex and intricate. There's a little bit of grass, a little bit of musk and leather, a slight sweetness of baked fruit, and if you rub a strip of flake in your fingers and sniff it, you get traces of white wine and smoked fish aroma from somewhere. Oddly enough, it all plays together in a beautiful and complex bouquet - there are no unnecessary notes.

The flake is quite thinly sliced, with strips about 1 millimeter thick. The entire slicing is very even and extremely neat. Flake is dense, without excessive moisture.

Knowing in advance that the tobacco is quite strong, I carefully kneaded a couple of plates and stuffed a small bent with them. The tobacco turned out to be slightly above average strength, but nothing I couldn't handle. Soft walnuts, a bit of sweetness like the occasional ginger cookie crumb in my mouth, some white pepper and nutmeg, and some other nuances that I couldn't recognize - the taste is as complex and harmonious as the smell. Even the fact that I'm not a fan of burley-based blends didn't embarrass me once - everything is in its place here. It tastes a bit like the Dark Twist, which I still love, but it has no cavendish. Plus, it's softer and a little more complex. The tobacco doesn't bite, smokes very slowly and coolly, sometimes it tends to go out - maybe I should have taken a bigger pipe. This tobacco absolutely must be smoked in a pipe without a filter to experience the entire bouquet of flavor. It leaves no moisture, although the ash is a bit much.

The smoke has a more earthy smell, which has all the same nutty and spicy notes. I have absolutely no dislike for it. The smell dissipates fairly quickly.

One word? Perfect, I now have a good Mac Baren back in my collection - dense, strong enough, with a complex flavor and aroma.

Pipe Used: Peterson 05, Mark Twain

Age When Smoked: 2019

Purchased From: Online

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Stevetheidahopiper (6)	2021-05-14		Medium to Strong	Medium to Strong	Full	Extra Strong

A very popular blend from what I can tell... and I'm not sure why. The tin note smells of BBQ sauce which, in itself is not bad, but certainly not what I was expecting. The flavors are pure tobacco, and thats a good thing... usually. In this case, it has a bit of a burnt flavor that otherwise feels a bit "off", for lack of a better word. I feel this blend is good, in its own right, but not deserving of the accolades it often receives. Would I buy another tin? At this point, nope.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	WorkingClassChap (197)	2021-04-27		Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Very Strong

Smoking now:

So I’m new to dark fired kentucky and this is my first. I got this tin on a recommendation from ol mutton chops and it’s been on my shelf for almost a year. I decided now is the time to give some DFK a try and what better than HH Old Dark Fire.

The fresh tin note is of beef jerky. Like if I was blind folded and smelled this I would say beef jerky. After a week of sitting in the tin and having been exposed to air the tin note takes on more of a mellow aroma that reminds me of an old barn. Wood, hay, a little smoke from a wood burning stove, and some tangy sweet bbq sauce. It’s quite nice. I rubbed this out and let some dry for 20 minutes and some dry out much longer. I feel it benefits from more dry time.

Lights ok, and with some drying it stays lit pretty well. The taste is.... umami. It’s a meaty, campfire, woody, tangy sun dried tomato, spicy kind of taste with molasses. However it should be noted that this is not as strong of a flavor as I thought. I get mostly a sweet molasses hard wood smoky flavor that’s smooth and easy to smoke. Is this a sweet blend? Maybe? There is a dark molasses quality to it that makes it sweeter than I thought but not in a cased or topped aromatic way. That’s what ODF is like. The taste is fuller than most and the room note I imagine is pretty offensive. I feel like a lumber jack smoking this. It smokes slow and I have not smoked down to the bottom of a bowl yet thanks to the nic hit. The dottle seemed slightly wet but I bet you can smoke this down with out an issue. You’ll feel the vitamin N it’s past medium for me. Enough for you to feel it if you’re not accustomed to it. Has a pretty good after taste that isn’t over whelming.

Definitely not an all day smoke but a good one.

4 stars. HOWEVER I can’t smoke this without it biting me. So I never finished my tin and have the other one I had away.

Pipe Used: Cob

Age When Smoked: 1 year

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Kokinhenik (93)	2020-07-26		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Very nice nic hit. Pretty strong blend. The DFK is out front with nutty and earthy floral notes. Also a little pepper and tang here and there. The Virginia and Burley seem to play an equal supporting role with bready, sweet, nutty notes.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	robsm2013 (9)	2019-11-15		Medium to Strong	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Beautiful - if you like Irish flake you'll love this! It's like IF but I find it a little smoother and..... Just a slightly bit more rounded out.

Notes of coffee, it's nutty and woodsy, with a slight sweetness to it, and you can definitely pick up the Kentucky and meaty smokiness from that - it's complex and very nice.

Pipe Used: Savinelli 626

Age When Smoked: 10 years

Purchased From: 4 noggins

Similar Blends: Irish flake.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	craig61a (22)	2019-10-25		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Very Pleasant

Rich, full mouthfeel. Burns well. Pretty much been covered by other posters here. I love this stuff and buy a few pounds every time it goes on sale.

Pipe Used: Briar

Age When Smoked: Fresh to 15 YO

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Smoking_Strider (21)	2019-09-08		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

As someone who is typically not a big fan of burley blends or blends to claim to be "earthy" (as they tend to have an overwhelming floral taste IMO) this blend actually has the right to say that. Strong and delicious meaty tin note. Very earthy (in a good way) and even sweet. Doesn't burn too hot and surprisingly packed and lit very well, for a flake that is. Rehydrates pleasantly, woops... Something I'm glad I came back to.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Curious George (15)	2019-08-26		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

I tried preparing a few different ways and found that I preferred to give this a little dry time and rub out lightly. It is smokable straight from the tin, but required too many relights for my liking that way. The jar note was a strong gift of vinegar and smoked meat, but when smoked I got more chocolate and raisan with a touch of spice. The sweetness was subtle, natural, and about perfect for those who like non-aromatics. When retrohaling I picked up more of the spice. The smoke clouds weren't overwhleming, instead just noticable but smooth. This was a sipper for me, not because of the heat (there was none), but that method drew out the flavors best for me. Burns to a dry ash and should leave all but the most hardcore nicotine lovers satisfied. I will keep this stocked as a "special occasion" smoke, definitly not an all day blend.

Pipe Used: Savinelli 915

Age When Smoked: 2 weeks

Purchased From: P&C

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	BingCrosby (162)	2019-08-16		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is what I would consider refined.. it is a gentle 'Kentucky ' blend/flake.. you get to know the subtle nuances of the Kentucky even more so because it is in a very lovely ornamental frame of Virginia.. almost like an unflavored version of orlik dark strong or d'oblone doro minus the perique.. it is certainly not irish flake or 1792.. very gentle.. subtle spice and leather.. the Virginia is sweet hay/citrus.. kind of a ditsy blond flirting with the dark side.. in the most elegant way.. I think just about anyone would love this.. whether a burley or virginia man/woman.. approachable but interesting.. also.. it may be cliché..but the quality of the dark fired here! It has texture..

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2019-04-20		Medium to Strong	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

I bought a one ounce pouch of this from P & C back around 2013 just to give it a try. It is a dark fairly strong flake tobacco similar to HH Bold Kentucky only not quite as strong. It had an earth aroma to it with a slight sweetness & maybe a mild spice. Anyway it had a slight vinegar smell to it and I aired it out for a day. I sealed it back up in its zip-lock bag after taking out enough to rub out & dry to stoke my pipe.

It readily took to the flame & produced some thick, creamy smoke & didn't taste harsh & smoked mildly for a strong blend & I remember liking it really well & will most likely buy a tin or two when I finish off my tins of HH Bold Kentucky. This blend leans more toward the stronger side of the medium to strong selection. I liked it fine but preferred the stronger HH Bold Kentucky blend over this one.

Pipe Used: Medico Filter Size 3

Age When Smoked: Fresh Pouch

Purchased From: Pipes & Cigars

Similar Blends: HH Bold Kentucky, Irish Flake, Solani Silver Flake: 660...

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	kwstas234 (7)	2019-04-16		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Tolerable

very tasty smoke and a bit spicy mostly experienced by retro-hailing! not my all day smoke maybe not even every day but so enjoyable every now and then maybe at quite nights outside. seems a little tricky... while burning low i could not stop smoking it in every breath i take but for me at least that means many relights. I can't agree with people saying that it's ready to smoke it as from my 100g tin it was very wet and gives a lot of moisture during smoking. i had to leave a couple of flakes open for 2 hours(i usually open the new tin in a jar and take a couple of flakes in an old pouch) or so and then another 40 mins rubbed so as not to get troubled by moisture.

Pipe Used: briar, oak, olive

Age When Smoked: new

Purchased From: http://www.schneiderwind.de/

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Len (12)	2019-02-22		Medium to Strong	Very Mild	Medium to Full	Unnoticeable

Very similar in looks and taste as St. Bruno flake except St Bruno is slightly aromatic. It's a good smoke, medium strength, full taste. I prefer St. Bruno over this but it's still good.

Pipe Used: Mr. Balandi.

Age When Smoked: Unknown

Purchased From: Smoke King

Similar Blends: St. Bruno.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Lager (53)	2018-12-16		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Old dark fired is another one of the H&H series that is without a doubt some of Mac Barens best offerings. The other being Bold Kentucky. I have smoked this fresh from the tin and had some stashed from 2012. The only difference between the newly opened tin and aged is the Virginia has mellowed somewhat. I am rarely a Burley fan but the process they use here takes any bitterness away but still gives good body and strength. The sweet Virgnias tingle and tantalize, and it is a good quality Virginia at that. This is just one fine offering and I highly recommend it. Smoke in peace.

Lager

Pipe Used: Savs, petes

Age When Smoked: New and 6 yrs

Purchased From: Pipes and cigars

Similar Blends: Best brown flake.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Tucane (31)	2018-12-07		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

This is a beautyful flake with a great tin note, toasted wood with a hint of cinnamon and dark chokolate. MacBaren HH tobaccos have a unique scent profile that I can't seem find the right words for. Translates well into smoke aswell.

I really enjoyed it from the first puff, not as strong as I expected having smoked lots of Jackknife Plug... but different and strong enough to satisfy my cravings. Tastewise it's quite full in flavour with the Dark Fired Kentucky Burley taking the lead. Virginias are discernible and add to the higher notes while being a solid foundation to rest on. I will most likely end up liking this even more than I currently do, only time will tell.

As of now, recommended!

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Rustedrailsmokes (293)	2018-09-13		Medium	None Detected	Full	Very Strong

Revised (May 2020): I've found myself reaching for this more and more and it has a place in my steady rotation. I'm increasing to four stars.

------

Finally got around to trying ODF. I've been working through some Va/Burs recently as the summer turns to fall.

Tin Presentation is great. Nice even flakes filling the tin. Smell in the tin is like some others have said, BBQ/grill and a little smoky.

I folded up a flake without drying and sprinkled the top with some "chards" to help in lighting. A charring light, let it rest a few minutes, tamp, and one light to get through the medium sized bowl.

The N is fairly strong in this one to me, so I think a small/medium pipe size is right.

Taste.. burley forward with teases of the Virginias hiding in there. The flavors compliment each other and I don't get bored with this one like I have with some of the other ones.

I'm jarring up the rest of the tin and will update the review if my impressions change going forward.

One of the few recent ones that my wife made a comment about the room note on.. can't win them all :)

Pipe Used: various

Age When Smoked: One Year

Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Whaley (4)	2018-07-22		Medium to Strong	Medium	Medium to Full	Tolerable

To me this is between medium to strong in strength. It has a great smoky taste with hints of tangy, vinegar like taste that I absolutely love and always looking forward can hardly ever find. This is a solid must try blend.

Age When Smoked: Out of the tin

Purchased From: Pipes and cigars and smoking pipes

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	CherchezLaghost (52)	2017-07-11		Medium	Very Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant

This is one of my standbys. A truly high quality smoke in all respects, i always have some on hand. I prefer this in a medium sized pipe, not because of strength, but because the flavor seems spicier and more intense. It seems in larger bowls to get a bit murky. Deep, rich earthy flavor. Slightly sweet chocolate and cacao notes throughout. If you like Irish flake, this is its more natural flavored, smoother, calmer, more refined step brother. Nicotine is medium. Burn is excellent, whether rubbed or stuffed. I most often choose to stuff as i find it so be a bit sweeter and more chocolatey in this preparation, but i rub out from time to time for variety. Wonderful in all respects. Available in bulk ready rubbed, which is not my first choice, but a great bargain. Also can be purchased as a 1 lb box of flakes. I have opted for the box several times, and each time i open it, i feel like a kid at Christmas.

Pipe Used: Cobs, meerschaums, briar

Age When Smoked: New to 1 year

Purchased From: PipesandCigars.com

Similar Blends: GH Dark Birdseye.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Napping Puppy (25)	2017-05-29		Strong	Mild to Medium	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

HH Old Dark Fired deserves four stars not only for its matchless balance between taste supremacy and nicotine punch, but also for the really hard work Mac Baren staff exerted in preparing this blend. Accordingly, for the price, this is a win/win deal for the pipe smoker. A true masterpiece. Very highly recommended.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	gahdzila (61)	2017-03-20		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Strong

Old Dark Fired is presented as dark brown, neat and clean symmetrical flakes, with sharp corners. I like clean looking flakes like this. Somewhat moist, but not overly wet. I've cube cut it a couple of times, but it seems to burn better when fully rubbed out. I didn't try fold-and-stuff....the flakes are somewhat thick, dense, and "soft" (that is, they bend easily and don't "splinter" much when folded); and in my experience, flakes like this don't fold and stuff well. I don't fold and stuff very often anyway.

The flavor in the bowl is rich tobacco. There's a spice component that is reminiscent of a spicy cigar. I am also a cigar smoker - ODF doesn't taste cigar-ish to me, but it wouldn't surprise me if a piper who doesn't smoke cigars described ODF as cigar-ish. Hints of...leather, maybe? There's a bit of tang to the flavor that is vaguely citrusy. The Virginias sing sweetness and meld nicely with the dark fired Kentucky. Spice subsides and sweetness comes into play more towards the bottom of the bowl. PLUMES of smoke with this one, and it has a rich, thick, meaty mouthfeel. This stuff is absolutely fantastic.

This review is of the tinned flake. I have also tried the ready rubbed version, and the bulk flake. The ready rubbed was surprisingly moist, and required a lot of drying time, but otherwise seemed identical. The bulk flake seemed a bit drier than the tinned flake, and is what I usually buy now. I buy this stuff by the pound and always have some on hand.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	ElMog (36)	2016-08-16		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

My favorite burley blend so far. And one of my favorites. Some find the tin note off-putting, i personally adore it. It has that natural tobacco smell (dates, raisins) combined with some pungent, peperry smoke. I usually rub out the flakes, and smoke this in a small bowl briar.

On first light, i am never wowed by this baccy, and the more i try to focus on this one, the less i like it. BUT, when i smoke it while doing something else and not trying too hard, it is incredibly pleasant, i get wafts of smoky flavor, which as the bowl progresses merge with sweet undertones, reminiscent of maple. It is this smoky/sweet combination that i like, a bit like cooking red peppers, where the heat reveals the sweetness combined with some bitterness.

I do not feel that Old Dark Fired evolves that much throughout the bowl, but it keeps surprising me by constantly alternating between nutty, earthy, dark, smoky and sweet flavors, taking the spotlight one by one while a pure tobacco taste, rich and creamy, binds it all together.

For some reason, i always appreciate it more outside in cool weather, while indoors it loses some of its appeal.

Some say this is a strong blend, i cannot comment on this since i always smoke it in a small bowl, but even when puffing hard, i never got a big Nic hit.

Pipe Used: Savinelli Primo Fumo straight billiard

Purchased From: 4noggins

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Capt (339)	2016-03-15		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Where Bold Kentucky had a burnt rubber sort of tin note, ODF is quite different. Tin note of ODF is of briny green olives, and a slight sour smell of fermented Virginias. Same procedure to dry out as BK, rub out and let sit for a while, or microwave for 6-8 seconds, depending on your helping size. Packing can be a bit sticky, but not to difficult.

Initial lighting seems easier than BK, and this tobacco expands quite a bit in the chamber. This is another terrific Dark Fired blend from Mac Baren. Much more sweetness and balance, but this also has unadulterated tobacco flavoring. Earthy, smoky and very flavorful. Stays lit throughout most of the bowl. Burns dry and even down to the bottom. I'd have no problem adding this to the list of recommended Dark Fired Tobaccos!

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Little Steven (76)	2016-03-05		Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Unnoticeable

This is Massey Ferguson axle grease mixed with vinager. At least, that's what it tasted like to me. Don't get me wrong, it's a damn fine baccy. It's well thought out and well put together. Lots of stars. This is just not for me.

An update a few months later

A few tins of this jumped off the shelf at me last week. I tipped one on to newspaper (The Sunday Times - it might be that what made the difference). I let the flakes sit there for an hour and then lit up.

It's still axle grease and vinegar but now a sturdy sweetness was present throughout, almost down to the dottle.

And it was milder than I recall.

A good robust smoke!

14th August 2018.. I revisited Old Dark Fired again recently. Gawith Hoggarth does this type of blend better. Mac B is a tad flat and mediocre compared to, as an example, Coniston Cut Plug. I'm a GW fan boy - they've got the edge.

Pipe Used: Stanwell billard.

Age When Smoked: Fresh from the shop.

Purchased From: The Danish Pipe Shop (nice chaps).

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Esskie (6)	2016-02-26		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Strong

On opening this up I was taken right back in time to when I was a boy watching my grandfather ready his old straight Falcon for smoking. The full on aroma of xmas cake, figs & raisins wafting out of the pouch reminded me of one of his brands, however I can't remember what it was unfortunately.

Beautiful dark flakes that somehow 'look' as they smell: deep & rich... the single flake I took out to fill my small bowled cob rubbed in my palm easily into

I think the N must be "adequate" with this one as I found myself satisfied after the small bowl I had.

I read in other reviews that aging/jarring this tobacco for a time is really a worthwhile exercise so I'll make sure I do just that to experience what ODF has to offer after some time.

On the whole I like this tobacco, a pleasant change to the Latakia blends I've been exploring, enough to make sure it has a permanent place in my 'cellar' (or tobacco cupboard at least! ;-) ) While moisture isn't really a problem with this tobacco, I'll leave a couple of bowls worth out to dry for a time in order to compare it to the "fresh out the tin" state I've been smoking it in.

If you haven't tried this tobacco yet then don't waste another minute, get at least a tin ordered...2oz incase you don't like it but I can't see that being the case to be honest

Pipe Used: MM Cob, Dr Plumb Meerschaum lined

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: GQ Tobacco

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	cajun (11)	2015-09-08		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Unnoticeable

This is an almost perfect smoke for the experienced pipe smoker. I just grabbed a piece of flake and stuffed it into the pipe. One light and it was up and burning. You can smoke it fast or slow without much fuss, although furtive puffs can get you a bit near the Virginia tongue bite we all dread. The omission of latakia or other so-called "orientals" is a bonus, as not everybody appreciates that dry lingering aftertaste those tobaccos tend to leave. We Brits tend to prefer the moisture in flake tobaccos, and this one just about ticks all the boxes. Our home produced efforts are often laced with syrupy sugary toppings, and although Macbaren does use maple syrup in its blending process, there is nothing much sweet in this flake except the tobacco taste.

Pipe Used: Stanwell brushed and Missouri Meerschaum various

Age When Smoked: straight from tin

Purchased From: Pipe shop, Edinburgh

Similar Blends: Peterson Irish Flake, although noticeably less strong in all respects..

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	erkantural (10)	2015-04-25		Strong	None Detected	Full	Tolerable

HH ODF is strong; full bodied flake tobacco. I don't get affected easily by nicotine but this one makes me a little lightheaded from time to time. I find it stronger in vitamin N than Dunhill's Nightcap and SG's rope tobaccos.

It needs some dry time if you want to smoke it folded and stuffed. However, if you want it directly out of tin, I suggest cube cut gravity fill. I've also tried it fully rubbed out but I found that the nuances in smoke fade away by doing so.

Upon tin opening you get the fermented tobacco smell which is buttery and like a good old Anatolian cheese. It gives a shiver to senses.

Smoke characteristic is unique, due to the hot steam press. Burley is the king in this bouqet. And Virginia gives the natural sweet taste but it stays a little behind the curtain occasionally.

It burns controlled until the very end if packed not too dense. I've found it better in big chamber pipes, while cube cutted. Fold and stuff suits best for narrow and deep pipes using half of a flake.

Hot beverages like tea or coffee accompany very well to this marvelous blend.

By the way no tongue bite in my experiences at all.

Purchased From: 4noggins.com

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pipesmoking101 (63)	2015-03-28		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Today is sad day for me, as it is time for me to do something that I have not done for many, many a year. Unfortunately it is time for me to deliver a 1-star rating on a tobacco, and it is with a sad heart that it is this tobacco to which I must deliver it. Upon opening a tin which had been received already opened, but resealed a year or two earlier, I got a tin note of - - - nothing. Not even a tobacco smell. Unaccustomed to such an experience, I lifted the flakes out. I have recently been smoking large bulk flakes, and these seemed quite pathetic really, by comparison. Small, weedy, thin little things, seemed too small to really satisfy, but undeterred, I soldiered on. Loading up various pipes, with flake prepared in a range of ways, from folded & stuffed to fully rubbed, I got - - - nothing. No taste whatsoever, it was like smoking hot air. After about 15 flakes of this nonsense, I ended up blending it with some XX Black Rope I had lying about, and that at last gave it some oomph, but, honestly, I wouldn't even bother touching again, even as filler. It brought nothing to the table, bar a reasonably good burn rate (even that veered into 'hot' territory too often for my liking), and a room note that was, like the tobacco, almost absent. Like the smoke, the room note was thin, weedy & weak, pleasurable to non-smokers only by its' apparent absence. In all my years of tobacco reviews I have only ever pulled out the one-star card once before, and that was for the aberration that is 'Clan', but in this case, I cannot hold off any longer, for me, MacBarens ODF is a distinctly One-Star tobacco (although it's still not as bad as Clan).

The only caveat that I would add is that my sample may have been somewhat dry, although sadly, my manual inspection of the flakes in no way indicated that this was the situation. It may just be that I cannot establish the nuances within this tobacco that make it such a pleasurable experience for others on this site.

===UPDATE 2015-12-14===

Since writing my original review of this, I have received more ODF which was much fresher & I will promote this tobacco to 3 stars. It is a pleasant smoking sweetish Virginia with a nice dose of sour spiciness in the background (I assume from the Kentucky, or perhaps just the combination of the two types of tobacco). I also get a pleasant nuttiness from this one, like hazelnuts. I smoke it folded & stuffed with a bit rubbed out on top to get it going. Burns well once lit. Light enough to be enjoyed an time of the day, but not so mild as to be insipid. Recommended for all those who like flakes of this style. The room-note is somewhat stronger, but not overpowering. but that is not the most important thing to me. The flakes are well-presented out of the tin & a uniform cut. My fist review was obviously based on flakes that were too dried out, as what I have now is like a different tobacco. Very nice, decent tobacco. Not a star tobacco, but still good.

Pipe Used: Everyman, Old England Zulu, Peterson Baby Calabash

Age When Smoked: 1.5 years

Purchased From: mysmokingshop.com

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Cumarinophil (108)	2015-03-04		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

MB HH Old Dark Fired is dark, ripe and satisfying. Despite the full, spicy taste with subtle, but present natural sweetness, it doesn’t sting or bite you at all. I could feel the tad above medium nicotine content about half way down the bowl in a comfortable way.

Earthy notes of the dark fired Kentucky are well balanced in the mix of Virginia characteristics. Smell and taste complement each other so nicely, that I don’t want the smoke to escape into the air. I should find a tiny room and lock myself in while smoking this. The bad thing about this tobacco is, that it might make fellow pipe smokers turn on each other, in a battle for the tins available… . Enjoy!

Pipe Used: Various with and without filter

Age When Smoked: fresh

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Adrian B. (29)	2015-01-26		Strong	None Detected	Full	Tolerable to Strong

I bought a tin of this a while back and just cracked it today, I've been looking forward to it for a while. I've read nothing but glowing reviews of ODF, one guy's complete review was "It's a gift from God" so to be honest I was prepared to be disappointed; nothing is that good.

Well, it's damn good. The glowing reviews are well deserved, the flavor is amazing and even my uneducated palate can pick out the subtleties. The burley is predominate of course and the taste is bold and wonderful, but it doesn't overpower the Virginias. The only slightly negative thing I can say about it, and this will not be a factor for everybody, is that the nic is pretty strong. I have a relatively low tolerance and have to smoke this gem in a small bowl and, sadly, I don't think it would be an all day smoke for me. Every day, but not all day. I give it 3 stars for sissies like me, but if you can take the Vitamin N hit, it's 4 stars all the way.

Pipe Used: MM Cob

Age When Smoked: Tin fresh

Purchased From: local B&M

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	garydobbs (20)	2014-11-02		Medium to Strong	Mild to Medium	Full	Very Pleasant

I heard JD on the excellent Country Squire Radio Show going on about this blend, and I promptly ordered a tin. WOW! Thank you JD -Relaxing with a bowl of Old Dark Fired is a pleasure. There is a poetry to the smoke that teased my muse, hinted at exotic places and forbidden pleasures with the intesity of its tastes...when I first lit the bowl I was seated on a park bench in drab Tonypandy but almost immeditaley I was transported to a woodland teaming with wildlife, day became night and nubile maidens danced for my enjoyment. OK sorry - in other words this is a bloody excellent tobacco. It leaves a velvety chocolately aftertaste and for its strength smokes incredibly mild.

Pipe Used: Big Ben

Age When Smoked: fresh

Purchased From: smoking shop.com

Similar Blends: A night with a sexy Amazonian babe.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	brashboy (84)	2014-10-24		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Pleasant

I just reviewed Mac Baren ODF ready rubbed. I recently had the pleasure of being able to A/B both ODF and ODF-RR; I mean, about 100 gr. of each. I call it the Great Pipegasm. Which do I like better? Truthfully, it depends on which I'm smoking at the time; that's the one I like better, lol. I do like a flake better than ready rubbed in general, but MB's ready rubbeds are easy to smoke.

Great burn if you know how to fold flake, lights easily, no bite and gets better the longer she burns. Fine white ash at the end. Did I mention that this baby has a serious nic hit? Not overwhelming, but you will damn sure know you're smoking tobacco. I found moniker's detailed 2013 review of this blend to be very close to my experience.

There seem to be a few folks who don't like Mac Baren, but I'm not one of them. As far as I'm concerned, both ODFs proclaim that Mac Baren can make a tobacco as good as any in the world.

If you haven't tried the two ODF's and you like Burley or a good Va-Bur, you owe it to yourself to order these. Preferably both, but either will do. God, do I envy you.

Similar Blends: Mac Baren Old Dark Fired Ready Rubbed.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	PhillyB (70)	2014-08-30		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

This blend far surpassed my expectations. The smell from the sample that I got was very different from any other straight Virginia I've ever had. Most of the characteristics you would expect from a Virginia were there (sweet, citrus) but is accompanied by a dark, smoky, very savory note. One of the thin flakes fills my little Pony Express perfectly. Both fold-and-stuff and rubbing out methods work just fine. The taste is definitely of Virginias but has a smoother and darker flavor than others. From such dark and strong flavors I would have expected a monster vitamin-N kick, but in the small bowl I barely got anything. Mind you, anything more than 1 flake of this might be a little too much for my liking. I got this as a 5 flake sampler and am likely to buy myself a tin!

Pipe Used: Missouri Meerschaum Pony Express

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Smokeybear86 (14)	2014-08-01		Mild to Medium	Mild	Full	Tolerable to Strong

Tin Note: If you ever been to a good Italian restaurant then your no stranger to the fresh bread and sweet oil vinegar you get before your meal. Well this blend to me smelt just like that. I love that as an appetizer I am not entirely sure its what I like my tobacco to smell like.

Initial Light: I had no problems getting the pipe lit and to my surprise I was hit immediately with a wonderful flavor resembling the sweet grass taste of a sugar cane. I was shocked that a tobacco that smelt like vinegar would end up tasting like sugar cane amazing.

Mid-Smoke: Although the smoke isn't thick and creamy, at this point the flavor is just taking over and shows no signs of stopping. The sweetness from the Virginia pops up over the earthy tone of the burley, Leaving a full satisfying smoke packed with just the right amount of sweetness and boldness. However I had a hard time keeping the pipe lit and had to relight twice.

Bottom of the Bowl: The smoke is much creamier now and the Virginia is out to play full throttle. It popped out a lot more and now leaves a sweet after taste in your mouth after every puff out. The smoke is much more filling and flavorful.

Room Note: My wife popped out to show me something and this point I think I had a little to much of the Whiskey cause I don't remember what she said. But I did ask her about the room note nodding with a boyish smile, she said 1 out of 4 but forget that I like this blend to much so i made it a 2 out of 4 Marriage is about compromise after all.

Dottle: Nice Ashy finish plain and simple.

Smoking Duration: Crap, I totally forgot to record this (how much did i drink?) It was a small bowl so I'd say it was a good 30min.

Overall: This blend was an odd one for me because it made my "test sheet" fail in some ways. It appears that my senses are in conflict with this blend. My nose does not like it but my taste-buds are in love and crave it. However, I will age and cellar this blend even if the record shows an arguable in flavor though agreeable in smell score.

Pipe Used: Peterson After Dinner Calabash Pipe

Age When Smoked: 1 year

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Chris66 (11)	2014-05-15		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

Like smoking a bit of Gandhi's flip flop ! Perhaps I just don't like flake tobacco, but dear God they can't all be this bad. Not for me.

Pipe Used: Peterson

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: SmokeKing.com

Similar Blends: A bit of twig pulled from between a tramps toes..

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Derfargin (2)	2014-04-16		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

Was anxious to try this one due to all the great reviews, and now that I've got a few bowls behind me, I'm very glad to have picked some of this up. I've already put an order in for a few more tins. The tin note, is like standing over a grill while grilling on a summer day. BBQ, and smokey, a very savory smell.

After reading lots of the reviews, most have said the fold and stuff method seems to work well for this, and I agree. It smoked much cooler with the fold and stuff method opposed to rubbing it out. Wow, as I sit here typing, I'm thinking about my evening smoke. My first experience with MacBaren was VA #1, and then Navy Flake. The jury is still out on VA #1, and the Navy Flake I've had hit or miss experiences with it. ODF, is really a hell of a smoke, and will most certainly giving it a spot in the Ol' Rotation.

Now that's it warming up, I'm looking forward to spending the warmer months with my pipes and ODF close by.

Pipe Used: MM Maple Diplomat, Briar Oom Paul

Age When Smoked: Fresh out of tin

Purchased From: Harry's Smoke Shop, Philadelphia, PA

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	puro66 (73)	2014-02-05		Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

Rich, full and satisfying. I could stop right there and say no more but I won't. MacBaren has not been a blender that I am fond of and I've tried more of their blends than I care to remember. HHODF is about as far from a normal MacBaren blend as you can get, in a blind taste test I would never have put them down as a possible blender of this beautiful chocolate brown flake. It is indeed rich with all natural tobacco flavors of bold strength. Yes the nicotine level is full and ordinarily I avoid those type of blends because simply put I neither crave nor desire nicotine, spinning head and an evening at the vomitorium are not my preferred evening pleasures. That said I could not resist buying this to see if MacBaren had truly put a "different" style of tobacco out. The answer is yes they did. I smoke it slowly because of the nicotine and will only occassionally have a bowl because of Lady N but it is certainly a tobacco of high caliber and if you are in search of a full all natural tobacco give this a try, you'll probably fall in love.

This gets 3 stars from me but the overall quality scores 4.

Pipe Used: Ferndown Bulldog

Age When Smoked: a few months

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	piedpipester (19)	2014-01-24		Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

With the exception of a while that I was lured away from pipes by the charms of Padrone, i've been smoking a pipe since 1974, and believe it or not, this is my first Mcbaren blend. Short and sweet, this is one of the best flakes i've smoked. Intense flavor, yet I had no nicotine overload (but it is there in the right amount for me) I can taste both burly and virginia which leave a clean aftertaste. An excellent after dinner smoke, and highly recomended!

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2013-12-14		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Very Pleasant

No need to add anything to the numerous reviews......this is just a wonderful tobacco.....totally sublime. The taste is just wonderful..this is a classic and I will be buying more soon.

Pipe Used: Falcon with meer bowl

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Robert graham in glasgow Scotland

Similar Blends: Condor without the perfume.....but much better quality base tobacco..

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	7formy1911 (37)	2013-07-03		Medium to Strong	Very Mild	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

I don't like flakes and I don't like MacBaren's other offerings. Having said that HH Old Dark Fired has completely changed my mind on both fronts. This is a fantastic flake that has full flavor a decent nicotine hit and satisfies my craving for a lightly flavored flake in my rotation.

I've pretty much concluded after some experimentation that I prefer this flake folded and stuffed into a wide gauge bowl that is fairly shallow. About 7/8" in diameter and 1" to 1.25" deep. It seems like the initial folding and stuffing may leave a lot of room in the bowl but once it expands after lighting you're glad to have the extra space.

The initial light brings out a flavor comparable to Peterson's Irish Flake but certainly not identical. IF seemed to have a more plumb type of flavor and ODF is more towards the smokey beef jerky side of flavors. Much more savory than sweet. The nicotine is certainly bearable and not on the level of Irish Flake but definitely a notch below.

There is a slight tang in the first 1/3 of the bowl but the flavors seem to become more dark as the bowl progresses and leaves you with a wonderful interplay between the Virginia and dark fired. This flake is quite complex and worth a contemplative sit if you just want to explore the flavors. Among the flavors I find a gentle salinity like you might find in English blends, a tangy and slightly sweet flavor along with darker fruits at times as well as a faint smokiness from the dark fired. These flavors seems to switch off and weave in and out of the smoke. Very interesting but never overbearing. I find that this flake doesn't have any issues with relights and I don't find any off flavors or bitterness from having it sit for a bit or even over night.

This is a masterfully done flake and has me rethinking my bias towards MacBaren. I have not been terribly impressed with past offerings but I will certainly await anything new from them that may interest me and my tastes which tend towards some combination of burley, Virginia, perique, and dark fired. GL Pease Cumberland and C&D Old Joe Krantz are two such blends that are permanent fixtures in my cellar. HH ODF will certainly find a place in there as well.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Smoking Sam (20)	2013-05-26		Medium to Strong	Medium	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

I FINALLY managed to snag four ounces bulk or Mac Baren's ready rubbed HH Old Dark Fired. It was well worth the wait.

The tobacco arrived moist and fresh in a Ziplock baggie. The smell alone was worth the price of admission.

Housekeeping. Smoked in a full bend R1 Ser Jacopo Rhodesian pipe.

This blend packed ridiculously easily, lit well, stayed cool, and burned effortlessly. A profusion of blue smoke. Puffed fast or slow, makes no difference - it doesn't bite.

Full, rich flavor. Every so often, I got this sharp taste of lemon, a flavor which literally bursts onto the pallete. Delicious! I am pairing this tobacco with an Arnold Palmer lemonade and sweet tea mixture, and the lemony notes are a perfect compliment. Pleasant aftertaste. This bowl smoked down to a fine ash, which simply fell out of the bowl and left my pipe bowl absolutely clean. Zero dottle. Zero goop. This stuff is excellent.

The tobacco is a great change of pace from full English mixtures and straight Virginia blends. The flavor profile is wonderful. I have not been a fan of Mac Baren blends previously due to the tongue bite, but this is by far the best blend of theirs that I have tried. I am very pleased with my purchase, and I will be filling my pipe with this often. Definitely a four star effort. HIGHLY recommended!

== UPDATE, 6/15/2013 ==

I smoked a bowl today, and noticed that the nicotine kick intensified at the bottom of the bowl. I had to set the pipe down.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	MDP (39)	2012-10-28		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

100 grams of two neat stacks of perfectly formed, sliced flakes fill the rectangular tin. The flakes are wrapped by gold foil paper, but nothing can envelope the rich, earthy, and even meaty aroma that rises, weighted, from the freshly opened tin.

The flakes are of a consistency that affords the smoker typical pipe packing methods for the whole or rubbed-up flake. Still, a few moments out of tin rarely injures and oft improves the the smoking quality of most tobaccos. ODF will light and burn delightfully with a bit less moisture than present out of the tin. My preferred preparation is folding flakes lengthwise into thirds and making short sections by the pinch, rubbing up the sections, and then trickle, tap, trickle tap loading them into a group 2 or 3 bowl. ODF also does very well just rubbing up a whole flake into long ribbons.

ODF is clean-tasting, lacking the "soot and dirt" aftertaste I find prevalent in Petersen's Perfect Plug. ODF is also very, very smooth by any comparison, but particularly for a flake loaded with nicotine laden burley. PPP is quite harsh in the latter regard. There is also real tobacco flavor in ODF, not much from casing and no top note detected. The tobacco flavor is steady throughout the smoke, varying subtly between the sweeter Virginias and smokey, loamy dark fired leaf. The flavor emphasis definitely tilted toward the darker leaf. At times, there is a musty note that reminds me when I was a small boy playing in the far reaches of grandpa's closet at his home near the ocean. He lived far enough from the shore to miss the salt air, but close enough to gather in the damp. There is that note of the sea on some puffs.

Nothing bland about ODF, and one does not get the sense that Mac Baren intended to show how strong a tobacco can be. ODF is strong, but nothing in the neighborhood of Irish Flake, Dark Flake, 1792, or death by rope tobaccos. ODF is by my impression, stronger than Pease's Jack Knife Plug and not quite as interesting. On the flavor emphasis, JKP and ODF are opposite sides of the same coin. JKP veering more in flavor throughout a bowl, and the flavor supplied more from the Virginia leaf. I say they are of the same coin in that they are extraordinarily similar and certainly belong to the same genre of tobaccos by leaf content and flavors present.

Mac Baren surprised Britain's man o' war fleet of stout, dark tobaccos with an irony analogous to an English buccaneer swinging from a Viking longship and in the attempt capturing many British loyalists with the introduction of Old Dark Fired.

The irony is that a famed Dane factory known for oft bland, aromatic, nicotine- challenged, offerings is now more royalist than the Queen (of England) in producing a steamed and pressed flake of Virginia and dark fired burleys full of power akin to those manufactured in the UK, past and present.

Whether an irony or surprise to any, some, or most, a new vessel has raised the waterline for all the boats in the harbor of manly smokes. Old Dark Flake has certainly accomplished this in a non-aromatic and handsome presentation.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Wawalsh (8)	2012-10-10		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

I was an avid pipe smoker for years giving it up after my favorite tobacco was no longer made. I came back once I realized the plethora of tobaccos available online. Instead of smoking only one tobacco, I now find myself having the pleasure of choosing a tobacco according to my mood. With these days turning cooler, I opened a tin of this tobacco and am thoroughly delighted with it. Extremely cool smoking and flavorful. The aroma of the tobacco burning from the bowl is very deep and fantastic. This is my go to tobacco at the moment. I would highly recommend this tobacco for the experienced smoker.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Bluenoser (34)	2012-09-07		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

Old Dark Fired is an exquisite example of the very finest in dark flake manufacturing. I can only imagine the excitement at the MacBaren factory when they finally rolled out their first sheet for sampling. The interplay and melding here between the Burly and Virginia leaves is quite remarkable. The smoke is semi-sweet, dark ,rich, very prune-like with the depth of resoundingly masculine character yet equally refined and eloquent. It's being compared to Irish Flake and G&H's Dark Flake and I do indeed find it very similar to the later just with less nicotine. As others have stated however, this is by no means a slight to the strength of ODF, it has plenty of kick and I find it similar to Solani's Aged Burly Flake in the heft department. MacBaren has a sure winner on their hands and I would even go out on a strong limb to suggest ODF could very well become the new tobacco of 2012 that sets the standard for all others in its' genre. Highly Recommended!

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2012-09-04		Strong	None Detected	Medium	Strong

I dont understand the idea of this product. Worst one in HH series. Seems like Samuel Gawith XX Black Rope. But softer. Dont spend your money on this.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Quiggifur (99)	2023-02-22		Strong	None Detected	Full	Pleasant

20230314 edit: meer again, coming off very grassy, without any hint of beef jerky. Very good, just not a personal favorite.

20230307 edit: Out of a tiny cob, I am actually getting beef jerky, but still not really any smokiness. Wouldn't say the Virginia was very prominent in this smoke, did come across more DFK-esque. Very mild, pleasant, just lacking character.

Jar note more reminiscent of Virginia than DFK. Right off the bat in the smoke I get grass, hay maybe. No fruit to speak of. Much more balanced between the DFK and Virginia than say the HH Bold Kentucky, I'd say the VA is coming out on top. I had expected some element of smoke/campfire, but I'm getting zero. Not disappointed though. Mildly sweet. It's not what I was hoping for at all, but it's very good.

A ways into the bowl, I think I'm getting the faintest smoky/campfire notes, but the Virginia aspects are still shining brightest. I see people mentioning beef jerky a lot, and that truly confuses me; I don't get that at all. Could maybe see notes of leather at times, especially further into the bowl.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pie Eyed Piper (22)	2023-01-21		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

A dark looking, dark tasting tobacco. I smoked mine slightly rubbed out. Burn quality is excellent, I let it air for 10 minutes. At first light the Virginia is dominant, dark and naturally sweet. The Kentucky moves in and out idancing with the flue cured Virginia. Not a complex blend, but steady and full on. The strength is medium/ full. It doesn't taste like it's nicotine heavy but it will sneak up on you. I can smoke a big bowl of Mac Barens Navy flake but couldn't finish a bowl of this. Used a Peterson 107 , I'll opt for a smaller pipe next time. Sweet and smokey is the basic profile, not really much more to explain. I don't taste no chocolate, molasses, bbq sauce or any flavoring. Just natural sweet Virginia with smokey, savory Kentucky. A very good tasting blend, good after a meal. Not my cup of tea however as I prefer sweeter blends with mild top flavor. I'm typically a Mixture man and Navy flake guy, this is just a tad over the top for my taste. I will say it is tasty and balanced. The VA to Kentucky ratio seems to be 50- 50 in the smoke. Smokes cool and dry. The room note isn't as heavy as I expected. I was expecting a more cigar like aroma that hangs but to my surprise it was subtle . Unlike Irish flake which hangs and summons complaints from my wife and daughter, lol. If you like deep tasting, natural tobacco that has a kick but doesn't have an overpowering room note this may be your cup of tea.

Pipe Used: Peterson 107

Age When Smoked: 6 months

Purchased From: Smoking Pipes

Similar Blends: Peterson University Flake, St Bruno minus the top flavor.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	SpiralOut (16)	2022-12-27		Mild	None Detected	Mild	Very Pleasant

Aged since 2012

Notes are married and very hard to distinguish, but a rich and rather mild perfume of sweet flavors pour from the smoke. Silky smooth to the point I have to make myself slow down. Definitely deserves very small sips and massaging. -Spiral Out

Pipe Used: Molina squat tomato

Age When Smoked: 2012

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Dave A (23)	2022-12-10		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

There are many reviews of this tobacco for a reason. It is simply superb. This may be my all-time favorite smoke. Even the packaging with the gold foil makes it seem special. The flakes are dark and moist and smell great when you open the tin. I would recommend some dry time unless you don't mind multiple relights. I have folded and stuffed and rubbed out but don't notice a lot of difference in taste. Even with the relights there is no tongue bite. The flavor of the smoke is earthy, nutty and savory with a slight sweetness in the background. It is not a nicotine bomb but if you mostly smoke lighter tobacco you will definitely notice it. I would be hard pressed to call this an all day smoke, it is potent. But it also has the potential to be one of the best smokes you have ever experienced. It certainly was for me and will always be in my rotation.

Pipe Used: MM Emerald

Age When Smoked: 4 months

Purchased From: Smoking Pipes

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JaWiBr (563)	2022-11-20		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Package note of pungent barbecue, wood, and tart fruit. The dark brown tobacco flakes are easily rubbed out, moisture content necessitates a little drying. Burns slow with a few more than normal of relights. The strength is medium and nic is mild. No flavoring detected. Taste is medium and consistent, with complex notes of tangy sweet, very woody, smoked herbs, tart sour/mild vinegary, moderately spicy, dry earth, mild floral, lemon grass, roasted nuts, and a peppery retro. Dark Fired Kentuckey Burleys are leading with flue cured Virginias supporting. Room note is pleasant to tolerable, and aftertaste is outstanding.

Pipe Used: Wally Frank Limited White Bar Sandblast 128

Age When Smoked: 5 years

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	tobaksrøg (54)	2022-09-03		Strong	None Detected	Full	Strong

Quite possible the ultimate kentucky blend! Everything about it is sublime. You know what to expect from a MB blend and its rating here reflects that. Will be buying again and again.

Age When Smoked: New

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	musicman (131)	2022-07-30		Medium to Strong	Mild	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

This is quite a stout blend. Not turn you green and make you puke stout, but it has a strong taste, a strong room note, and a good boost of vitamin N. Boy oh boy is it good though.

This one is very dark in the tin. There is definitely some sort of topping here (almost all blends do have some sort of topping) but it is hard from the tin note to discern what is just deep dark steamed tobacco and what is not.

This is a little damp, and it will benefit from some air time. I usually give it about an hour. This does not pack as easily as a ribbon once rubbed out, but it is manageable.

The taste is just great. I think it would take an experienced pipe smoker to really appreciate all that is going on here. A brand new enjoyer of scotch may be slightly overwhelmed by one of my favorite scotches, Laphroaig quarter cask. It is just a little to much for the untrained palette. Same thing here, what is really deep and lush may come off as coarse and strong to the inexperienced pallete.

This is a really heady and fragrant blend. Not fragrant in a soapy topping kind a way, but fragrant in a dark steamed tobacco kind of way. The dark Kentucky could almost fool me as perique if I wasn't paying attention. It has that zingy nose tickle to it.

This is a great example of the versatility of Burley. Early on in my pipe smoking career I only associated burley with the great American OTC pouch blends, Sir Walter, Velvet, Carter Hall, Granger, etc. It was a long time (thanks to Solani aged burley flake) that I realized burley could taste a number of different ways. This is a good example of that point. The Virginias definitely take a back seat here.

I really like this blend because it holds up to coffee. I love coffee, and I love pipes, but sometimes I feel one may overpower the other and I don't get a good clear picture of either one. I feel the same way about scotch and cigars. I love them both, but don't enjoy them together because I feel the combination overpowers the ability to detect subtleties in each other. This blend however, holds its own with coffee. A great combination.

While this is not the biggest nicotine puncher I have ever experienced, it is there, so if you are a little sensitive to Lady N, tread carefully, a small pipe may be the best bet.

Pipe Used: Peterson Supreme

Age When Smoked: 2020 Tin Date

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pipefitter (51)	2022-06-23		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

In the world of flake tobacco, this one is a must smoke as the robust Burley and Kentucky paired with an exceptional mature Virginia gives this smoker all that he’d ever want in a pipe tobacco. I suppose there’s something in MacBaren’s process that brings out the sweetness of all of the participants to come up with a very well balanced, not too sweet ( slightly on the dry side, as opposed to sweet) mixture. This tobacco never gets hot or bites, burns slowly, needs some relights, which is where this mixture sings it’s best. A fine evening smoke to wind down with……I have to make a confession here, which would be that I love to take a piece of MacBaren Navy flake , which is on the sweet side and fold it into a length of Old Dark Fired which dials down the sweetness of the navy to a slightly dryer, and dials up a more robust flavor. This flake is a 4 plus in my book, but I love all of MacBaren’s H and H line tobaccos.

Purchased From: Carolina Tobacco Emporium in Manchester Ct

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	GeoffS (29)	2022-06-06		Strong	Extremely Mild	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Love this blend. It's a delicious, smoky BBQ sauce. That's it. Slight spice, sweetness, and smoky goodness. Towards the end of the bowl I wonder if it's a bit too one-dimensional... and then I just decide to shut up and enjoy the nic hit and BBQ.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	L'Italiano (233)	2022-05-30		Strong	Extremely Mild	Full	Tolerable to Strong

This is a top natural mixture. Realy high quality. I do not perceive any topping, maybe a little bit of sugar and chocolate. In my opinion there is no Burley in this blend, but only Virginia and Kentucky. Opening the tin, the scent is difficult to define. Notes of chocolate, leather, Virginia and earth are perceived. While smoking, the taste is really natural: low in sugar, earthy, with some notes of Virginia. Soft, smooth, but dry. Something you could call “tobacco taste”. The blend is perfectly balanced, neither bitter nor sweet, with little evolution, but never boring. Near the end of the bowl the taste is slightly smoky with wood, spices, and pepper notes and a recognizable cigar note. Slightly bitter, but pleasant, savory. High strength and high nicotine content. An excellent natural smoke, robust and full bodied. In my personal rating system (from 1 to 10) my score is 9 and three and a half stars (not four because of the little evolution).

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pacific Captain (17)	2021-11-28		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Tolerable

What an absolute home run. Dark, Smokey, tobacco forward with a nice nutty sweetness, it’s everything you want in a big burley tobacco. Just delicious. I love the medium strong nicotine level, but I like vitamin N. The flakes are beautiful and it’s only top notch leaf. I cube cut and codger scoop it, this is my way with this blend and it sings. Get a tin or 3 of this as soon as you can.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Jevverrett (107)	2021-10-22		Medium to Strong	Extremely Mild	Full	Tolerable

I got this one when it came out, mostly because it promised strength and bold flavor. I’m really enjoying the HH line, as it hasn’t bit my tongue yet.

A dark musty flake smelling strongly of dark fired Kentucky. Little flecks of blonde here and there. Good sized flake folds and stuffs easily with 1 1/2 flakes for most of my pipes I used.

My attempts at the fold and stuff didn’t produce satisfactory results for me , so I rubbed it out. This worked well. I found I liked it best rubbed out nearly completely.

It burns well, and smokes beautifully. The flavor is indeed bold and a bit spicy. Mostly a nutty, woody flavor, with a hint of sweetness from the Virginia. Seems to be a bit more of a mature Virginia to me, which I prefer. Has a nice smokey campfire kind of a vibe to it. Also noticed a bit of a vinegar/barbecue note to it. I don’t think it’s a topping or flavor necessarily, but it does lend something to the taste. The nicotine level is pretty good for my liking, maybe be a bit strong for some.

Overall, I think it’s great. Paired well with a citrusy IPA beer, and also black coffee. May be a bit offensive to the wife, unless she likes campfires lol. Well done.

Pipe Used: Various briars and cobs

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: Smokingpipes

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	KingDuncan83 (25)	2021-09-27		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

I am not going to add much that hasnt already been said about this much beloved pipe tobacco by me and others. This is one of my desert island smokes i would be content with.

Pipe Used: various

Age When Smoked: new to 2 years

Purchased From: B&M and Smoking Pipes

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	LoutreMJ (14)	2021-04-28		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Tolerable to Strong

Ce Old Dark Fired est une incroyable expérience ! Dans la boîte, une forte senteur de barbecue, de bois fumé, qu'on retrouve assez bien au fumage. Les flakes sont impeccables. Pas un tabac ultra fort, mais définitivement pas un gentil petit tabac tout mignon, il a une certaine force. Les sensations de bois, de terre sont très agréables, et je crois sentir une très très légère ombre de sucre du virginia. Pas un tabac de débutant, un tout petit peu d'expérience est appréciable pour appréhender ce tabac dans toute sa subtilité (ce qui fait que je vais attendre un peu avant de reprendre une boîte, de 100g cette fois !) L'odeur qu'il laisse dans la pièce est assez forte, et agréable pour moi, mais quelqu'un qui ne fume pas et surtout pas la pipe va immédiatement détecter cette odeur, et ne sera pas indifférent à la room note (en bien comme en mal).

Pipe Used: Muxiang

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: Deutschland

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Bowler Hat Piper (24)	2021-04-27		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Full, deep and earthy. Behaves really well in the bowl. Really good with a strong coffee. Kind of scratches the same itch as J.F Germain's RDF.

Pipe Used: Various

Age When Smoked: Various

Purchased From: My Smoking Shop

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Fawzi (5)	2021-03-18		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

Well, I’m writing this while I’m smoking a bowl of ODF. It’s really creative how Mac Baren could approach English blends, without adding Latakia (I consider myself as Latakia smoker). It’s delicious blend, specially in larg bowl, it’s nice to have long smoke with it. It smokes cool, doesn’t require a lot of relighting. It has a nice leathery hints, and spicy. By aging it, it becomes deeper, but still simple.

Pipe Used: Savinelli

Age When Smoked: 18 months

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	J-P (11)	2021-03-09		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is a 'manly stuff for manly men' kind of tobacco. Maybe a bit less manly than 'Bold Kentucky' but still, it's fairly full in body. Less so maybe than Peterson's 'Irish Flake'.

In terms of 'similar' tobacco. I read someone say this is "somewhere between Irish Flake and University Flake" and that strikes me as accurate. I was looking for a tobacco to replace Germain's Rich Dark Flake (which I can only very rarely get) and this fits the bill quite nicely.

I've been smoking it on and off for a month or so, but recently found myself with 'the bug' for it. So I now have a few pounds of it in jars. For what it is, it's very affordable.

The flakes are a little moist to the touch (out of the tin) and are small, dense, and perfectly cut little rectangles (thin too at around 2mm). Very neatly presented in the tin (three stacks of flakes in a 100g tin) and enclosed in a thick gold wrapper.

If you buy the 1lb brick it comes in a longer flake which I have to trim to fit mason jars.

The flakes are dark and chocolate coloured with occasional streaks with the odd light Virginia.

The tin note is interesting. Not notably sweet at all, but definitely meaty. A ketchup or BBQ sauce 'condiment' smell. The kind you dip your chicken nuggets in. If there's any sweetness it's more of a chutney-like tang.

I really don't get any fruitcake prunes or raisins that others mention. But it's possible this is due to my sample being very fresh.

I fold and stuff this into a conical bowled pipe. It's not challenging to light or keep lit and is generally well-behaved.

The smoke has a thick creamy body and is medium to strong in terms of flavour and nicotine. Not for new smokers maybe and definitely not for people who want a sweet smoke.

I do get slight floral hints on the smoke but it's mainly good old burning wood notes with a very occasional cacao or nutty hint. Earthy, smoky and woody, with a little bit of beany molasses.

Further down the bowl it starts with pepper spice and intensifies with some cigar-like notes.

This pairs perfectly with a strong coffee and as thus, makes an enjoyable morning smoke.

As others have mentioned, it suits outside smoking as the room note is quite heavy and I find it does linger.

All in all, very good stuff! Not an all-day smoke for me, but definitely a nice regular treat.

Pipe Used: Blatter & Blatter Canadian

Age When Smoked: Brand new

Purchased From: 4noggins

Similar Blends: Peterson's 'Irish Flake', 'University Flake' or 'Rich Dark Flake' from J.F Germain's..

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	marvin184 (10)	2020-05-07		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable to Strong

Don't get me wrong, this is a great tobacco. Even from the standpoint of a non Burley fan. The aroma reminds me of dried fruits (raisins), sherry whiskey and leather. Kentucky is dominant as far as smell and taste

The flakes have moisture above average so keep that in mind. Maybe leave them dry for at least 20 minutes when they are fresh.

The taste is strong, with a leathery, fruity character if that makes any sense. As you smoke down the bowl a nutty flavor arises. Beware of tongue bite and moisture level for this tobacco, no offence to Mac Baren (Mac Bite for some) but if you are impatient smoking this, you 'll ruin the overall experience.

3 stars only because i am not a Burley lover. This tobacco has a lot of Kentucky and the above review makes it obvious

Pipe Used: Briar

Age When Smoked: fresh

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Monopod (26)	2019-10-08		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Extremely Mild (Flat)	Overwhelming

Aaaaaargh, What happened to the lovely tin ? The lovely flakes with such an aroma when opened ? I bought this with such high hopes after reading other reviews..... I got a plastic pouch, inside was a plastic tray with a foil cover, and inside that were a collection of un-aromatic flakes with a smell of ? can't describe it . This is a processed Supermarket grade of "pseudo tobacco", akin to Condor, St. Bruno, Walnut etc. Stick with the Specialist Tobacconists, and avoid this continentally manufactured stuff that masquerades as a Four-Star ( ??) smoke. I'll quit smoking sooner than smoke this ____ again.

Pipe Used: All

Age When Smoked: From packaging

Purchased From: Brucciani. Carlisle UK.

Similar Blends: Condor.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	cam91 (23)	2019-09-28		Strong	Very Mild	Medium	Tolerable to Strong

Yes, this is pretty good. This is the only dark fired dominant tobacco I have tried, so I'll try and give an unbiased opinion. The tin note has a winey, figgy, sweet and sour taste that transitions really well to the smoke. At times I wonder if this it topped with a whiskey, but like I said, this is the only dark fired Kentucky blend I have tried. Not much complexity here, but what it does it does well. Reminds me a little of Red Man soaked in red wine. I like it. Makes me wanna explore the world of dark fired Kentucky a little more. Has a bit of a punch in the nicotine department. Recommended

[Edit] Alright, this stuff is really really good. The more I smoke it the more I pick up on the smokey, stout kentucky. I thought I would never be able to smoke burley again after my last bout of tongue bite. But this stuff is pretty gentle on the tongue. Very earthy. A tad smokey. The nicotine is about Goldilocks. An all day smoke for this piper here. Highly recommended.

[Edit again] This stuff can cause tongue bite when pushed excessively for several days in a row (about 8 bowls a day for me)

Pipe Used: Briars

Purchased From: Tobacco Lane

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	43Bulldog (5)	2019-07-03		Medium to Strong	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

Light Nutty smooth kentucky creamy earth with bit of hay. It took me a long time to figure this one but glad I didnt give up. Like Doblone d' Oro without the ping from the Perique. I found it tastes better being aired out for few hours before breaking it down. Its a pain in the # to prepare, dont smoke this if you are busy because you need to sip it... for this reason not an all day smoke.

Pipe Used: Morgan Bones belge

Age When Smoked: 1 yr

Purchased From: 4 Noggins

Similar Blends: Doblone d' Oro.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Dr. Cleverpants (5)	2019-03-23		Medium to Strong	Mild	Medium	Pleasant

If you're a beer drinker, here's an analogy for you. I mostly smoke aromatics, or Balken blends, if those were all your favorite beers that you drank, then the HH is that bottle of really high-end bourbon you'd have up in the cabinet, and when the mood strikes, you bust it out and enjoy nice stiff drink. Neat. I don't smoke this every day, but I am definitely going to keep some on hand. It drys out a bit after opening the tin, you may want to keep it in a ziplock bag or airtight jar.

Pipe Used: MM

Age When Smoked: Fresh

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	DeejayP999 (6)	2019-02-02		Medium	None Detected	Full	Tolerable to Strong

A tin note of BBQ sauce and smoked meat that comes across in the smoke.

Deep, rich, dark, earthy with cigar like notes. Smoking this is like listening to a Morgan Freeman narrative: At once comforting and familiar.

Possibly a bit monotone but none the worse for that. Not for the inexperienced but a solid four star tobacco.

Age When Smoked: New

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	kito (5)	2018-02-26		Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium to Full	Pleasant

this tobacco burns very hot. even i sip it very slow. taste little sour sweet and a little grassy, which enjoyable. it burns fast & tongue burning dry. will not be in my pleasurable list.

Pipe Used: corn cob

Purchased From: tobac 101 (sg)

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	MarkTheLad (46)	2017-07-17		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Tolerable

This is a go-to tobacco for me, I reach for this more than any other blend in my cabinet to smoke. It's earthy, nutty, smoky, spicy, slightly sweet and perfectly balanced. This is almost my favorite tobacco right now, it's definitely in my top 5. The strength is probably just a tick below medium for me. I can discern very little, if any difference between this and the flake, so I prefer this, as it is more convenient and does not require any drying time. It burns easily and requires very few relights and the taste seems to be consistent from start to finish, which I like.

Pipe Used: Various

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Knightsmoker (218)	2017-03-06		Medium to Strong	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

This blend seems similar to Orlik's Dark Strong KY and PH's blend of the same name. They are different enough to be sure but the similarities make them very comparable in my mind. Not so close that I could not tell them apart in a blind test. In this blend there seems to be slightly more dark fruit sweetness in the VA's, a slight nuttiness and earthiness in the KY with a subtle spice note. I do get a little vinegar and some molasses that must be from a casing. I would say of the three blends noted here this is the best with Orlik coming in second. However, when I think of what a VA/KY blend can bring to the table these all fall short. Solani 660, just about any offering from G&H that is listed as unscented in this category would be preferred for me. Still a good quality smoke that is well worth trying if you really enjoy these blends.

Age When Smoked: 2 yrs.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	BriarWoody (33)	2017-02-05		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

The flakes are beautifully executed and the tin note is deliciously smoky, tangy and woody. You need to rub this out and let it dry a bit.

In the bowl, it's very composed and linear, with Virginias in the background and the Kentucky/Burley at the core, delivering a nutty, woody and balanced smoke that is consistent top to bottom. Nicotine is medium. Could be an all day smoke for the experienced piper.

I enjoy this much more than many others in this category that are either overly sweet (Orlik's Dark Strong Kentucky) or ponderously strong (G&H Dark Bird's Eye).

Pipe Used: Nording Freehand

Age When Smoked: Fresh Tin

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Buster Bluth (56)	2017-01-21		Medium	Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

ODF has become one of my top 5 these past few months. Have smoked tins from freshly purchased to 2 years old. To this smoker, the tin note is slightly off putting as it has that tobacco intensity similar to Copenhagen dip.

Comes a little wet, like to let flakes air for 1/2 our for so on a plate or paper towel. I prefer to partially rub out rather than fold and stuff the flakes - this seems to unlock the flavors.

The flavors I get with this tobacco range from chocolate, plum, and a woody earthiness, to hints of anise, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Burn quality is great, with a dense meaty smoke.

Wouldn't consider this a specialist tobacco, nor dissuade the newcomer from trying. The Nicotine content is med-strong and believe an ex-cig smoker or someone transitioning would find this satisfying.

There is a smoothness to this tobacco, I find stuff like GLP Jackknife plug and Stonehaven lack. It is MacBaren's best offering.

Pipe Used: Falcon

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: Various

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	pylet2000 (33)	2016-09-17		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Let me preface this with saying I can't get enough of Old Dark Fired. My first experience with Old Dark Fired was in the ready rubbed version, and that made me do a double take that it was a MacBaren. I've since tried several other of the MB HH blends / flakes, and they have all been absolute hits for me.

I did a review of ODF ready rubbed and others have made great notes about this wonderful blend here, so I'll just comment on the differences between flake and ready rubbed. To me, this one is twice as nice in the ready rubbed for a few reasons...

The flakes do burn slow and cool, and are the most perfect tobacco flakes that have ever been cut, size-wise. Each flake is eerily identical, to tolerances that might make a machinist blush. This is great for duplicating a packing routine once you figure out how many flakes work best for a given pipe. To me though, this is where the advantages for the flakes ends.

Ready rubbed is significantly cheaper. In fact, it's quite the bargain for such an excellent tobacco. It burns a little quicker than the flake, but not hot and bite potential is really no different, which is to say very minimal for both. The flavor of the ready rubbed is much more "bloomed". The smoky / earthy qualities of the Kentucky are fully present, the Virginias are sweeter, the moisture is easier to manage, and any vinegar notes present in the tin have already fumed off. ODF flake has about half the vinegar note of the cousin to this, HH Bold Kentucky. But I find that the stabilized ready rubbed variant without the processing tin notes of vinegar just works much better for this blend. I found the flakes, any way I prepped them, to feel a little choked up or muted on the flavor. The amazing Kentucky was less forthright, the Virginia sweetness that surprised me based on the tin / bag smell isn't quite as pleasant, and the cigar bitter character is twice as strong when choosing the flake. For some this may be just the ticket. To my tastes, ODF is already a big flavor, no need to exaggerate it. Plenty must think different since Bold Kentucky is just that, ODF on steroids, and is very well received. But I digress.

If there were elements of this flake that were promising but you found it all a bit too "in your face", ready rubbed is worth a shot. Even with my quibbles of flake vs ready rubbed, this is still 4 star tobacco.

Pipe Used: Many

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Mawnan Smiff (28)	2016-08-03		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

This is my second Mac Baren blend, the other being Seven Seas Regular. That to me was a take it or leave it baccy and I'm afraid to report that Old Dark Fired is another such blend though it is more take it than leave it.

The very dark flakes were very neatly ordered in the tin, the aroma was of a slight tangyness with hints of leather. I tipped out the contents onto my copper tray to rub them out. Moist and slightly sticky they rubbed out rather well though the actual cut of the baccy is rather coarse. Perhaps not one for a small bowl I thought.

I packed my McQuade bent bulldog and attempted to light up. Several char lights later I was finally up and running with huge clouds of grey smoke billowing from the bowl. It took quite a while afore I could get any flavour out of this and what flavour I did get seemed to be very subdued. The first third of the bowl didn't really do anything for me, just pretty nondescript flavours of tobacco with the occasional nutty woodyness poking through.

Come mid bowl and things picked up slightly. In between many relights I detected earthy/nutty flavours when gently sipped along with a little peppery spice and leatheriness.

Nicotine content was apparent but not enough to blow ones socks off. The strength also picked up towards the end.

That was all a couple of days ago. I am now smoking it in a larger bowled Peterson after it has had about three hours air drying and that has improved matters in the flavour department. I now also taste bitter chocolate and demerara sugar and am pleasantly reminded of that fine Yorkshire ale 'Old Peculier'. Not so many relights required now it has aired properly.

Quite a long burner that leaves a clump of dottle in the bowl, this is a bit of a hit and miss blend to me. Yes it is flavoursome but only really come mid bowl and it does require a fair bit of attention when not aired sufficiently. Will I buy this again? Quite likely I will but not in the immediate future, perhaps a Christmas treat to myself.

Pipe Used: McQuade bulldog & Peterson bent pot.

Age When Smoked: Fresh.

Purchased From: Mysmokingshop.com

Similar Blends: A much diluted version of Condor..

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	WmZiggy (81)	2016-05-01		Medium	Medium	Medium	Pleasant

I will just add to the chorus of fine reviews here. MacB has "hit one out of the park" with ODF. Just a lovely smoke in all ways. If you like flakes and Burley you will like this. The Virginia adds a very subtle sweetness where earthy flavors and dark fruits dominate. I too would not label this 'strong'. Smokes 'medium' to my taster.

Update December 30, 2020:

Smoked a bowl of ODF now 4 yesrs aged. Dryer, so no excess moisture. What a beautiful smoking flake. Delicious!! 5 stars in my opinion. If you love Burley/Virginia buy it and lay it down. Wonderful with Jack Daniels.

Pipe Used: Dunhill squat bulldog Cumberland

Age When Smoked: Just purchased in April

Purchased From: Iwan Ries

Similar Blends: Edgeworth flake.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	GabrielCRT (115)	2016-04-15		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is a rich and flavorful flake from Mac Baren. Not as strong as Bold Kentucky but a little more complex. The Kentucky leaf is nutty, earthy, and woodsy. The Virginia(s?) is sweet with fruit, raisin, and bready notes. There is a consistent but mild tanginess throughout the bowl possible from a vinegar casing. Great in cobs, briars, and meerschaum. This blend ages well but is perfectly ready fresh.

Age When Smoked: 2012-2016

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Appalachian Chef (52)	2016-04-08		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Very Full	Tolerable

A classic for sure. Full bodied and full of flavor. This is not a smoke for beginners. Beautiful flake cut with a ton of rich and heady smoke. It's staying in my rotation and cellar for years to come!

Pipe Used: Moonshine XXX El Capitan

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: Smoking Pipes

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Wes.B.Greer (2)	2016-01-31		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

(I dont review on here much, but this is worth the time to put into typing) Mmmm. Mmmmh! "Old Tastey Flake" as I have now dubbed this Tobacco is an amazingly deep and earthy experience. I purchased my 3.5 oz tin from Edwards Pipe Tobacco and couldn't be more pleased. This tin had been brought back unopened after a previous customer had returned his lot due to one tin being a little dark around the wax seal ring. I opened this tin and saw the same darkening around the edge but after unfolding the wax paper, the Tobacco was in perfect condition. Moist to perfection and perfectly cut to fit neatly into the tin.

The tin note was rasins and figs with hints of molasses and semisweet chocolate. Rubbing this out only confirmed the excellent condition of the flakes, jist the right amount of moisture and rolling it between my fingers broke it up into a nice ball that was easily packed into my Falcon Bowl.

On first light I realized I had packed it too tightly and had to ruffle up the bowl to get a good draw. (Flakes always take some time to figure out since one is never like the other). After getting it lit, the initial smoke was light and airy, but throughout the bowl the smoke thickens up. If packed well, this will be a long and enjoyable smoke.

The finished product was a light gray ash and some serious moisture in the bottom of the bowl. Since I smoke a Falcon, that wasn't much concern since they're easy to clean. Overall, I may head back to Edwards and grab another tin since I like this so much. If your a burley fan, do yourself a favor, at the very least, pick up a small tin of this stuff. It'll make you smile.

Pipe Used: Falcon Hunter

Age When Smoked: 1-2 months

Purchased From: Edwards Pipe & Tobacco

Similar Blends: Solani Aged Burley Flake.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	noquarter (23)	2016-01-29		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

To begin with, I really like Irish Flake which led me to try ODF. I would still prefer the IF but this tobacco is also very good on its own. This could be the IF without the additional flavoring. Good clean burn with a nice flavor profile all throughout the bowl especially on a conical chamber.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Llewellyn (9)	2016-01-18		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

Rich, toasty, malty and earthy. This is my favourite afternoon smoke. No tongue bite and easy to keep lit if rubbed out well. Excellent choice for an afternoon of reading.

Pipe Used: Peterson House, Castello Chimney

Age When Smoked: 6 months

Purchased From: Walper Tobacco, Waterloo

Similar Blends: Esoterica Stonehaven, Germains Brown Flake.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2015-11-12		Strong	None Detected	Full	Tolerable

Tin date is October 2012 - The flakes are drier than my usual English ones, but still perfect for smoking. At this age, the Burley is silky smooth and the VA underneath is sweeter. It is so, so good.

Coming from straight VAs and aromatics, I usually smoke 1/2 to 3/4 a flake, there's a lot of nicotine in this much Burley.

Age When Smoked: 3 years

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	ArmedOctopus (20)	2015-09-16		Medium to Strong	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Tolerable

I would be hard pressed to add more to what has already been said. This is a very good quality tobacco. Dark and rich both in the tin and in the pipe. Very pleasant and enjoyable. A bit stronger in the nicotine department than most pipe tobaccos, but not cigar knock-you-on-your-butt strong by any means. I would say the flavor is pushing the stronger side of things. I also have to say that, to me, the flavor is pretty one-dimensional....which isn't necessarily a bad thing at all. Sometimes you just want to enjoy a simple smoke and sometimes you just want to enjoy a good flake. This hits on all cylinders in both departments. Nothing exceptional. But solidly good.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Houndstooth (34)	2015-08-25		Strong	Very Mild	Full	Pleasant

I will not spend much time on this as it will be wasted; plenty have been here before me and have done admirable jobs.

The long and short of it is that Old Dark Fired is splendid stuff; maybe the best flake I've ever smoked. It's easy to see how quickly one could get spoiled smoking it. It's so good that I plan to break it out only on special occasions- what I'll be smoking instead is P Stokkebye's Luxury Bullseye Flake.

If you can afford to smoke Old Dark Fired all the time, it's not super-expensive. But you probably won't enjoy much else after getting spoiled on it except maybe for Latakia blends, if you enjoy them.

I smoke ODF in smaller bowled pipes because squandering any Old Dark Fired would be a crime.

Pipe Used: Bent Bob's sitter, small cobs

Age When Smoked: August 2013

Purchased From: Pipes & Cigars

Similar Blends: Peterson's Flake.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	PuffPuffKeep (8)	2015-06-30		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

I'm getting raisins, leather and a mild apple cider vinegar from the tin. Tobacco smokes with tones of nuts, leather and wood with a sweet finish. Leather mellows. Smoke goes creamy with nuts and wood remaining sweet. Leather's gone, the wood is fading, still nutty but now with a feint citrus in the background. Strength lingers one notch above medium. A good tobacco.

Age When Smoked: 2 years

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	NobbyR (79)	2015-06-17		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

This accurately cut and stacked flake is an interesting blend, because it consists solely of Dark Fired Kentucky Burley and Virginia grades. The slices are dark brown with only a few lighter sprinkles. Moisture is perfect.

The tin note is full bodied and spicy as well as tarry with hints of apricot an aniseed.

The flakes are ideally suited for the fold and stuff method. For this kind of cut, lighting is quite easy: a single charring light, some leveling out the ashes and a single true light will usually suffice.

The Dark Fired Kentucky gives this blend a tart, peppery, earthy taste reminding me of the smell of burning autumn leaves. Underneath that, there's a tangy sweetness that reminds me of dark chocolate, raisins or pumpernickel. This is a strong smoke, albeit not as high on nicotine as Nightcap, for example. It burns down easily leaving some greying ash.

The room note is earthy and smoky.

Pipe Used: Poul Winsløw Giant

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: Esterval's Pipe House

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	WillBrown (137)	2015-06-10		Extremely Strong	Extremely Mild	Overwhelming	Overwhelming

Sadly, the following review is based on a compromised tin. I suppose this was bound to happen after 75 some tobaccos, so, take this review as is. I surmise the tin was compromised at the place I had purchased it from (an online baccy shop, of which I cannot name because I bought it about 2 years ago; in other words, I can't remember the name of the shop but, I can say, since I mostly only purchase from 3 shops online, it was one of them). The seal was broken on the tin, and some moisture got inside, both rusting the rim of the tin and discoloring the gold foil wrapper. The tobacco actually had some MOLD inside! (not Pflaume, or Pflume, real mold). I found an undisturbed flake in the middle of the cut stacks of flake, and, after mustering a little bit of courage, I smoked it.

I never thought I'd smoke a baccy stronger than Manil's Semois, but this flake was even stronger than that. Now, was this a result of the tin being compromised or not, I cannot say. The tobacco tasted like, well, metal, rusty metal, yet, I could tell, somewhat, that this once was a good burley, but, overall the taste was really foul. A truly bad smoking experience.

I hesitated to review this tin, but, I take them as they come, and tell it like it is. The really sad part of this really poor experience, is that I'll probably never buy this baccy again—and, it's not Mac Baren's fault, surely.

Keep on Piping! (I trust)

Pipe Used: Boswell

Purchased From: Can't remember

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Jose Ruiz (7)	2015-03-25		Medium to Strong	Medium to Strong	Medium	Very Strong

Spring has sprung finally ,ok well as far as the calendar is concerned and warmer weather's is a coming .We can start to actually go outside out of hibernation and enjoy our pipes and relax more outdoors. Todays review will be on Mac Barens' HH Old Dark Fired:

Pipe Used: Eric Berk Freehand, briar slight bent

Tin Size: 100g.

Tin Note: Peppery spicy notes, slight aroma of black licorice

Cut: Hot cured pressed flake

Tobacco: Virginia, Burley

Taste: Peppery, full body with a nice natural sweetness from the Virginia

Strength: Medium/Full

Aroma : Very strong full bodied pillowing smoke, peppery aroma

Notes: This tobacco had very nice uniformed cuts, rich dark chocolate brown flakes, out of the tin it was a bit moist and it can use some dry time before packing for a way better smoke. The room note is a very rich strong complex aroma. I don't recommend smoking it inside unless you enjoy a very strong smell. It's not a bad smell by any means but it is as full bodied as you would come to expect just by looking at it. Therefore, other people may not like it. I packed it using the bend and fold method and rubbing it out. I find it had more complexity with bend and fold as compared to rubbing the tobacco out. The pipe didn't need many relights after the false light. I noticed a nice nuttiness from the burley which added a nice dimension to it as well as the natural sweetness and herbal grassy notes from the Virginia. While doing this review I also paired it with a nice cup of hot coffee/cream/sugar and it went very well together. I suggest you smoke this blend nice and slow for the best results and pack it lightly, tamp it as you need to. I recommend this one. I am confident it will get way better with some age on it. So go get yourself a tin already.

Keep on puffin !!!!!!

Rate: 3.0-3.5 out of 5

The Wife's Review:

My husband lit Old Dark Fire up and the first thing I noticed was the peppery smell. It tickled my nose like fresh ground black pepper; not hot but spicy. After I got past the peppery effect I noticed a clean crisp woodsmoke note, like burning aged oak or cedar. My hubby is right though, unless you like a fire-pit in the middle of the living room, it would be best smoked outside on a cool summer night, with a breeze to soften the tangy bite that gains harshness as it fills the room. I would probably actually like this one during the summer months, outside. It definitely is not a blend I would recommend for winter or even early spring. Or anywhere enclosed!

Pipe Used: Eric Berk Freehand,Briar slight bend

Age When Smoked: new

Purchased From: Sutliff

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	pipedrum22 (15)	2015-03-12		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Tolerable

If you are looking for a solid, full flavored Virginia/Burley flake, then look no further than this Mac Baren blend. Typically, I am not a fan of stronger flakes, but this is definitely an exception. I would recommend allowing a flake to dry out for a few minutes before smoking, but other than that it burns well and smokes cool. The nuttiness and sweetness of this VaBur leaves the smoker with a sense of complete satisfaction when they reach the bottom of the bowl. The nicotine level is high as expected, but it is not overwhelming by any means. On the rare occasion that I reach for a strong flake, this is the one I choose

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2015-03-08		Strong	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Tolerable

This is a great flake very similar to, but that has nothing to envy to Peterson's Irish Flake. As it aged some, I can make out the sugar crystals starting to form on the flakes. Spicy and a tad, but just barely, sweet, it's an outstanding tobacco that burns nicely and evenly when rubbed out, that packs some really good Vitamin N and leaves me wanting more when I'm done my pipeful. This will become a favorite for the evenings. It's very close to Irish Flake in taste but it has an extra sweetness IF does not have. Mac Baren are seriously impressing me with this one, HH Acadian Perique and the most recent offerings such as Modern Virginia and HH Latakia Flake. I am an enormous fan of this manufacturer, now, along with Orlik and their Dunhill recreations; GL Pease; and C & D. If you like dark, strong, BUs combined with dark VAs, ODF is a must try. I like Irish Flake a lot, but love ODF.

Pipe Used: Invicta; Luciano; meerschaum

Age When Smoked: 2 Y 10 M

Similar Blends: Irish Flake from Peterson..

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2015-02-05		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Tolerable to Strong

This is one deliciously perplexing tobacco. Smelling this baccy reveals a false impression. It has a strong Virginian smell and a quite meak Burley one.

So, is there not much Burley in here? This time folks, only trust the flake of leaves ignited inside your smoking temple.

The marriage of the flue cured and fire cured leaf is one of the most successful I've smoked yet.

The burleys are so earthy, so round, with a herbal, autumnal and almost peppery hint perfectly harmonious with the tangy, sweet and jammy virginias. Also, it delivers a nice dose of Vitamin N. a 5* blend!

Pipe Used: Pierre Morel Short

Age When Smoked: 2 years

Purchased From: Smokingpipes

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	LannarkGent (145)	2014-12-28		Strong	Extremely Mild	Full	Strong

This a good strong full flavored blend. There seems to be some kind of plum note in there . With lots of vitamin N, this hits me a lot harder than Dunhill Night Cap. This blend is not for everyone, but fine for those who like a no nonsense smoke. EDIT: I jarered up 2 ponds of this April of 2015. I opened a jar today and smoked one flake The aging on this tobacco is fantastic. The smokabilty is fabulous as one flake has burned for over an hour and 20 minutes with one light, and still going.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	DrT999 (318)	2014-11-03		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

A nice straightforward dark fired, a good intro to the category for those that haven't tried one. The flakes are easy to fold and fairly easy to light. Not an 'oh, wow' blends by any means, but certainly a reliable smoke. Since I know there are many tobaccos out there I would rate a 4, the question arises would I rebuy this particular tobacco, assuming my tastes don't change much more. In this case, the answer is not too often.

Pipe Used: various meers, cobs, and briars

Age When Smoked: 14 months

Purchased From: pipes & cigars

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Darth Vader (110)	2014-11-01		Medium to Strong	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant

Wow. Smoky campfire. Kind of like 1792 without the touquin flavour. Very nice stuff and stronger than most other McB's. Buying it by the pound at present.

Pipe Used: Briar

Age When Smoked: >1y

Purchased From: 4Noggins

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Mville (9)	2014-10-28		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

This was my first time trying a dark fired kentucky, and one of my first flakes. I think its a really great tobacco, with great flavor, and a great change from my usual english blends. will keep this on hand.

Pipe Used: Briar

Age When Smoked: 2 years

Purchased From: P&C

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	ddmholst (23)	2014-08-13		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

What a lovely smoke. Claims to be full and bold and maybe it is to some but for me it's more medium. Nicotine content seems in the middle of the scale. I'm not great at associating tobacco with too many other flavors but I get some chocolate and nuts? I can't really say too much about this other than it is really good and delicious. There is a slight difference with taste and burn when fully rubbed or smoked in flake form. I would highly reccomend this. I find I can enjoy this anytime of day but usually ends up being a morning smoke.

Age When Smoked: 1.5 years

Purchased From: Pipesandcigars.com

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Coda (33)	2014-07-27		Medium	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Much has been written about this blend. ODF is probably the most popular blend Mac Baren currently makes. This is a great blend. I can't really think of anything to say that hasn't been said before. This blend is popular for a reason. Incidentally, I have found that ODF reminds me of Condor Long Cut, minus the floral component...

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Christrom (34)	2014-07-08		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Tolerable

If I ever get sentenced to death I will smoke this and stare at my captors. It is dark, rich, bitter, peppery and has attitude. cigar tones aplenty. Just sublime. Sauron would smoke this stuff.

Purchased From: smoke king

Similar Blends: Conniston cut plug.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	CharatansMake (18)	2014-06-09		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

EXCELLENT!! The taste of this tobacco is deep, full and earthy. Highly recommended and one of my favorites. For sure I will always have some tins of this great herb in my depot.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	stevie (3)	2014-01-17		Medium	Medium to Strong	Full	Tolerable

just discovered this flake, its wonderful very mature fruity flavour gets better the further down the smoke and no bite whatsoever any pipe smoker looking to change from ready rubbed this is the one ,a bit like university flake but much smoother and a lot tastier a good four stars this one, thanks macbarren

Pipe Used: peterson 301 premier rustic

Age When Smoked: new

Purchased From: lieth pipe shop

Similar Blends: Peterson university flake..

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	CTS (138)	2014-01-04		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

Deep, rich, complex flavor develops from the initial light. Burns easy and smooth. Excellent spice note, particularly on the retrohale. Processing/blending of the tobacco is excellent. Pure tobacco that sings in the bowl. Rewarding experience all the way. 4 stars.

Pipe Used: Karl Erik, Nording Freehand

Age When Smoked: NOV-2012

Purchased From: Corona Smoke Shop, Battle Creek, MI

Similar Blends: HHODF points out the harshness of FVF.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	TheWoodwose (22)	2013-09-01		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Very Pleasant

"Yum" is the first word that comes to mind.

I have only smoked two bowls of the stuff so far but I am really enjoying it. I am not very experienced with flakes (the only other one I have tried is Erinmore Flake) so I am still working on learning how to prepare it to my liking but man is it good!

The tin note smells very savory, almost like bacon. The flavor is exactly what I was hoping for, savory and smoky. It makes for a good long smoke and the room note is very pleasant. It is definitely not the strongest tobacco or the most flavorful I have had but -- what it has -- is all good.

Very highly recommended.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	ap (57)	2013-07-27		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

Great stout flake with very little sweetness from the Vas and a lot of smokiness from the Dark Fired Burley. Cool smoking and decent nicotine , a winner!

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2013-05-18		Medium	None Detected	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

MMMMMM.....MacBaren. Another high quality offering from MacBaren. Best smoked in long, slow puffs, to appreciate the nutty flavor of the high quality Burley tobacco. Similar in nic level to MacB's Navy Flake (still my favorite), as it gives me the hiccup's, indicative of a good nic hit......enjoy.

1 person found this review helpful.