Mac Baren HH Old Dark Fired

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.

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

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.

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.

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).

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.

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

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.

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.