Mac Baren HH Old Dark Fired

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.