Mac Baren HH Old Dark Fired

I read all the reviews on this and thought I'd like to try some. My local cigar shop had a couple of tins of various MacBaren blends, and I had bought them all, so they placed a very large order for tons of different pipe tobaccos. They previously only carried "drugstore" blends and the few tins of MacBaren HH series blends that I bought. Anyway, I am grateful they invested several hundred dollars for my benefit. I'll have to review their shop on another site...hehe.

Anyway, my initial impression of this tobacco was, well, not very good. I really wanted to like it but didn't necessarily look forward to smoking more. I'm sure glad I gave it another go. This stuff is amazing. For any other smokers out there like myself who are just starting out with pipe smoking, I am lerning that different tobaccos must be packed differently. The method that gave me such an amazing experience was cutting the flake into cubes. It may seem like a daunting process, but this blend is more of a special treat than anything else, so why not?! Smoke it slowly and the flavor will shine through. The nicotine level is also pretty high compared to the other blends I've smoked, which is not a bad thing at all. This will be worked into my rotation as an after meal smoke.

I hope others who initially don't like this give it a second try. I can't wait until tomorrow evening so I can smoke some more.

Rich, dark and flavorful. This blend reminds me of Bow-Legged bear in smell but thats where the similarities end. Has a very robust taste of burley but much stronger, tastier and more earthy. It smokes cool with thick, rich clouds of smoke. It also has an almost cigar like essence to it know and then...almost.

Bravo Mac Baren! I can find no faults with this blend.

NOTE CONCERNING THE 1 STAR REVIEWS: Everyone is entitled to their opinion. No argument there. But I can't help but wonder if some people see a blend that has nothing but 4 star reviews and decides to make a 1 star review just to spite it. Seriously...no smell? No taste? Really? REALLY? It's one thing to say "Its not my cup of tea" or "I just didnt care for it." But when you write a review saying things like "Whats the point?", "It has no smell/taste/aroma" and "I threw it in the trash" (sure you did), it just screams tobacco reviews troll and seriously calls in to question the validity of your review as well as your personal character.

I will simply state that this blend is quite extraordinary. The main flavor profile is that of several Lakeland tobaccos, G&H Dark Birdseye, Dark Flake Unscented as well as most G&H and SG ropes. Also similar to Peterson's Irish Flake. If you have read about this tobacco, none of this is news to you. The main difference for me is the faint coming and going flavor of a mild Danish Virginia. I do not care for straight Danish Virginias, but the fluttering effect here brings a wonderful sweet dimension to the smokey, dried meat aspects of this tobacco. it smokes remarkably cool, with a nice nicotine kick that is not overwhelming. It is not subtle, nor is it bruising and aggressive. This will certainly be a staple in my rotation. Hope this helps.

So my palate isn't so refined that I taste all the subtle nuances of any tobacco but there are plenty of talented reviewers who will and have given you that. What I will do is pretty much agree with the reviews I've seen.
It's a great tobacco!
The burley and kentucky seem dominant to me with smoky and nutty being the overall impression.
Bite is not an issue which defies the "MacBite" reputation.
Moisture was bang on not being too wet or dry.
Honestly I can't say anything bad about it.
It will be in my regular rotation.
Just buy some, fire it up and enjoy.

This is such a delightful blend. Eat a heavy meal of BBQ pulled pork… open a bag of Raisinet and pop a handful in your mouth… and that’s what you get. Sounds off.. but far from it. It’s bliss.
https://youtu.be/lX4njbD3LCA?feature=shared
Great stuff for sure.

Lovely tobacco this stuff - wafer thin slices of dark brown flake with a leathery, earthy aroma and a hint of smoke. It looks very much like St Bruno did before they started cutting the flakes in thicker slices and reduced both the strength and the topping, and I wonder if this flake is related...

It lights with ease, burns at a moderate pace without need for many relights and gives a reasonable dose of nicotine. No tongue bite, good rich earthy and leathery flavour with a hint of fire. Flavour gets richer still as the bowl is consumed, no topping detectable. Leaves a squidgen of dottle.

Warming, stout tobacco best enjoyed in the colder months.

MacBaren’s
HH Old Dark Fired

This is one of my favorite VaBur blends — it is rich and deeply flavored but smokes cool and easy. I would be hard pressed to say whether the dark-fired Kentucky (burley) is more prominent or whether the Virginias take center stage. Being steam pressed there is a serious and long term marriage going on here.

The KY is woods and earth and nutty. The Virginias bring fruit and some sweet citrus. There is this chewy mouthfeel which is really tasty.

No rough spots. No harshness. Stays lit with a bit of prior drying time. This is a classic blend and worthy of praise.

4 stars out of 4.

I like the look of the tin and the smell of the tobacco when the tin is opened. The flakes are lovely and break up nicely and packing a bowl is easy (I rub it rather than stuff it). No tongue bite, but no real flavour either. I think I over puff on this stuff in order to get something from it and also because it's hard to keep it lit. But whether it's the nature of the tobacco or a result of my over puffing, I find that by the end of a medium sized bowl, I actually feel a bit sick and a bit turned off by the tobacco. I wouldn't have thought there was a tobacco with too high a nicotine content for me (I smoked cigarettes for decades including Gauloises reds for twenty years) but this is too much. Today I actually thought that maybe it was just me and that maybe I was coming down with something I felt so gross after smoking a bowl, but I then had a bowl of Balkan Supreme (completely different thing, I realize) and it was great. So I guess ODF and I just don't get along. Not sure what I'm going to do with it now.

Very strong and smoky…more than any Latakia I’ve tried. Lots of nicotine, half of a small bowl made me dizzy! Smoke sitting down : ) Savory and flavorful for sure. I enjoy a bowl every now and then, not an every day smoke for me.