Mac Baren Rum & Maple

I must confess - I purchased this blend simply because I have smoked it once some 25 years ago, when it was at that time quite rare in my part of the World. Then it was something different... But today it is good looking, nice smelling tobacco without any thrill in smoking. Pleasant memories turn into big disappointment.

I keep a couple of little "Bent Bobs" and "Cobs" and a can of Rum and Maple in my desk at work. It is light, fragrant and makes friends easy. I'm a young single guy that smokes a pipe. This is seen as rare and weird by the uninformed. However, Rum and Maple is a lady killer as far as pipes tobaccos go. Non-smokers and cig smokers like to be around and describe the aroma as like toasted marshmallows. Furthermore, I've gotten new pipers in my age group started with a ziplock of this stuff

In the comfort of my home, I'll have a Churchwarden full of something English from a tin, or a bulldog with something Flaked and Virginian. At work or in the car, it's Rum and Maple. When fishing or woodworking, it's Granger. Complex hobby, isn't it??? However, I can't be snobby, and buy what works.

It's not a complicated tobacco. However the casing isn't over the top and you get some good tobacco flavor. It's relatively dry and doesn't goop. It's become a "go to" for me in the past year.

I found it interesting that this was once advertised containing Syrian Latakia. I did my own little mising experiment, and a little smokiness beefs it up, althougfh it does just fine by itself.

A most agreeable surprise.

I paid all of $2 for a one-and-three-eigths-ounce packet of this old stand-by, and fully enjoyed it!

There is some large, bright leaf, and a somewhat darker, broken-cake, tan leaf. I also see something darker still, probably air-cured Kentucky burley.

The Kentucky gives this a bit of oomph down below, but mostly I taste something that reminds me of roasted peanuts. Our esteemed "Morleysson" would probably call it "the real taste of tobacco", by which I guess he means the taste of burley: buttery-smooth burley, in this case. I taste no rum or maple, just a gentle, plain-spoken, well-balanced American blend.

This is one of the best-kept secrets of the country store byways, and, unless you are totally bigoted against such products, you ought to try RUM & MAPLE. You won't regret it.

Smoking now:

This looks and smells like an old school burley aromatic. If your grandpa smoked a pipe this might have been in it. Moisture is fine. Comes in tan ribbons that smell like burley tobacco and sort of like rum and maple syrup.

The taste is mainly burley. I’m sensitive to burley so I’m going to have a negative bias towards this. Has that old time codger feel that I associate burley blends with. Does have a nice molasses, woody, earthy, nutty flavor that is sweet with mild hints of maple on the retrohale. The rum is the dominant top flavor and it’s enjoyable. I definitely noticed the rum. I did enjoy it however I wouldn’t go back to it.

All and all it’s not bad. I smoked this very slow because this would bite me. Very front porch during the fall sort of vibe from the blend. If you like burley aromatics then I would very much recommend.

A wonderful blend. Among all the reviews, the flavouring is noted to not be overwhelming at all. I myself only get the maple part of it in the pouch note as well as the taste, yet the room note is a healthy mix of both the rum and maple.

Packs easily, burns a tad bit hot (for the beginner I was at the time) and stays lit fairly well. All these elements are highly uplifted when blended with other tobaccos, something I highly suggest when it comes to this blend. It goes well with a surprising amount of other tobaccos.

They used to sell this, and a few other drug store blends at the local grocery store when I was in my early 20's. It was very lightly flavored, and had a pretty strong tongue bite, if not sipped very slowly.

The tobacco was alright beneath the toppings, but nothing to write home about.

This is a not-too-overly-cased aromatic that allows the tobacco flavoring to shine. For the price, I don't know if you can get a better aromatic that's so widely available in Europe. Does have a bit of natural sourness to it, maybe it's the rum? Maybe the tobacco? I can taste the Maple for sure and it has a pleasing aroma to the masses. I wish we could get this one here.. not sure why we get so many other Planta offerings but not this one which is in my opinion their best? Burns well but can burn hot if you puff way too hard. I would buy it again but I'm not going to fly to Germany to get it!

The maple is the predominant flavor here; the rum is very subtle. A very enjoyable aromatic. Lights and burns well right out of the pouch. I would buy it again.

this is basically a burley tobacco--if you are a consumer of English or Vapers blends, and compare everything to those tobaccos, don't bother with R & M--you may as well stop reading--

if there is any aroma of rum at all it is very light--i find no real maple aroma--whatever casing that is used is very light--just a slightly sweet taste upon lighting up--the tobacco is pretty dry in the tub--about one quarter way down the bowl, the burley really begins to shine--

it packs well and burns right to the bottom of the bowl--NO GOOP--

it has a robust burley taste--those who grew into adulthood smoking the codger blends will most likely enjoy it--this is not a blend with a large assembly of flavors waiting to be discovered--what you taste is what you get--it is an easy blend to enjoy regularly, if not all day long--easy to smoke; no fuss keeping it lit--

if you are a burley man, try it; you'll like it--