Mac Baren HH Old Dark Fired

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.