Mac Baren HH Old Dark Fired

I'm not sure I was ready for this one. I purchased an ounce from bulk at a local shop and stuffed a bowl right when I got home... Wow. Very strong full smoky flavor. Almost like a cigar but smoother. Not exactly what I was looking for but it was indeed quite good. This is one I will only smoke from time to time, but I will certainly enjoy it again when I do. I consider this one of those need-to-try pipe tobaccos, at the very least it will give you a better gauge of other blends.

Kentucky is bitter and harsh, making some of the smoke unpleasant, sometimes even tasteless, but in some ovens the kentucky becomes weaker and gives way to the sweetness of the virginias.

I avoided every thing from mac baren for a long time do the ever so famous MacToungebite. I love this blend!!!! Smokey. Stout. Sweet. What a wonderful flavor bomb from first light, but, smells stronger than it tastes. Right off the bat you are met with a sweetness in your charing light. Think.....burnt ends from a chunk of meat. You can smell and taste the sweetness immediately. Stays pretty mellow till about almost half way, then the magic happens. It becomes a lot more robust. A musty, bitter note starts coming through, which is really good!! The bitterness reminds me of the skin on a walnut. The sweetness fades away, and youll start to notice a nic hit. Packs a noticeable wallop, puff slow...and youll live. Burns to a fine white ash. I recommend at least 30mintues or more to dry the flake out. Its pretty wet straight out of the tin.

My first venture into the dark fired Kentucky blends. Not my favorite, but I can still appreciate what it has to offer.

Tin Note: Interesting and/or Complex - There's a lot going on here and it is potent right out of the tin. The BBQ-like sweet and sour smell is apparent.

Pack/Light: Extra Attempts - As with other flake tobaccos I've tried, I have a hard time lighting it and keeping it lit. I'm too impatient to let it sit for very long, so it ends up going into the bowl still a bit moist. Not many relights, but enough for me to notice.

Taste: Compliments to the Chef - The flavors are really nice and I got a kind of BBQ sunflower seed taste from it with some woody spice mixed in. I enjoyed it well enough.

Mouth Feel: Almost Chewable - The rich and robust flavors of the smoke really fill the mouth and leave a lingering taste. The aftertaste made me think of seasoned leather. Quite nice.

Room Note: No Complaints - I didn't notice too much. The wife didn't seem to mind, but wouldn't prefer it to a candle, so I guess it's okay.

Overall: Good, but not Great - I'm not particularly impressed by it given the price, but I can see why some folks really like it. If you like the Kentucky flavor, you'll probably thoroughly enjoy this. I will give it some time and it may grow on me, but for now I'm not quite ready to call it a top choice.

Leading aroma of fresh tobacco comes from kentucky with smoothness of other components. Tobacco is smoky, sweet and with a bit of nuttiness. Presentation is gorgeous. Small thin flakes are prepared for easy packing. sweetness is support taste. I can feel mainly tangy nuttiness an peppery. Need fair amount of relights, but when you leave it half an hour in the air before packing, it is best. This tobacco is not real my cup of tea. It is too strong too spicy and too heavy. I would never buy it again. But for somebody could be 4star smoke.

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)

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.

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.

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.