Mac Baren Black Ambrosia
(2.25)
Ambrosia is just savoring the word elevates your expectations, because ambrosia was the food of the gods and goddesses in Greek mythology. In 1983 when our tobacco masters first tasted the new, mild cavendish that they had developed, ambrosia was the only proper word to use to describe the taste experience. They had been experimenting with a variety of raw tobaccos for a long time before they finally came up with the right blend. Virginia tobaccos from the third world were selected, each with its own unique qualities. Each one was an excellent tobacco in its own right, but only when they were blended together into a mild cavendish did the pipe smoker experience something out of the ordinary. A rounded taste composed of the finest taste nuances, the natural sweetness supported by a completely new Mac Baren taste. This cavendish was truly something extraordinary, and from its completion in 1983 right up to today it has been used in numerous new Mac Baren blends. The rounded, slightly sweetish cavendish is widely known as: Modern Mac Baren Cavendish.
As the name suggests, Black Ambrosia contains a very high proportion of Modern Mac Baren Cavendish, with only a little loose cut light Virginia added. This blend consists solely of Virginia tobaccos, which is rather rare as the majority of blends contain a little burley tobacco. But not Black Ambrosia, which is made of 100% Virginia tobacco and yet the taste is still exquisite. As the last person to add to the taste, the tobacco master has been no less genial. Of course, the precise composition of the tobacco is a secret, but here is a hint: to complete the Modern Mac Baren Cavendish, the tobacco master has carefully added a blend of different fruit oils, and topping the finished blend is a touch of [?}. Taste it for yourself and discover what an extraordinary taste experience it offers. With a little prudence, Black Ambrosia could almost be described as: food for the soul and the tobacco lover.
Details
Profile
Strength
Mild
Extremely Mild -> Overwhelming
Flavoring
Medium
None Detected -> Extra Strong
Room Note
Pleasant
Unnoticeable -> Overwhelming
Taste
Mild
Extremely Mild (Flat) -> Overwhelming
Average Rating
|
2.25 / 4
|
Reviews
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Displaying 21 - 30 of 34 Reviews
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 20, 2011 | Mild | Medium | Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
Gave this blend a retry last week. Rehydrated it and had three or four bowls. Even though it was rehydrated it was still pretty good. The citrus flavour came out well still and it didn't give any tongue bite. Love the all Virginia blend. The Cavendish from VA mixed with a bit of loose cut light VA. Good anytime blend.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 02, 2011 | Mild to Medium | Mild to Medium | Mild | Pleasant |
Black Ambrosia is a stoved Virginia to which Bright or Lemon Virginia leaf has been added for contrast. It is a ribbon cut of varying lengths and top dressed in what smells like licorice and vanilla. The moisture content is perfect and, say what you will about Mac Barens, they create a nice presentation in and out of the tin, providing high quality leaf in a good quantity at a reasonable price. Now this tobacco reminds me of Rattrey's Dark Fragrant without the spice of Perique. The top dressings on both play a small to insignificant role in the taste department. This is a stoved or toasted Virginia doing what stoved Virginia leaf does – it provides a mild, subtly sweet and not overly complex smoke. There are some nice nut-like flavors that develop. However, this tobacco must be sipped to be enjoyed. I find too that if it becomes hot, loosening the tobacco in the bowl with a pick brings the temp down and improves the flavor profile. Like Rattrey's Dark Fragrant, MB's Black Ambrosia is not in the same category as the black aromatic tobaccos found in drug stores. This tobacco will not foul your pipe with goop, or leave your taste buds burned out with heat or candy. Like Rattrey's this is a unique presentation of VA leaf that above all else has been toasted, bringing all the unique flavors that that imparts. This tobacco will have a place in my rotation just as a variety of VA flakes do.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 03, 2011 | Mild | Medium | Mild | Pleasant |
I gotta' tell you, I have not been a big fan of Mac Baren blends, generally speaking. I can tolerate the "Symphony" blend, which I smoke once in awhile, and the only reason I bought a tin of "Black Ambrosia" was because the retailer had a sale going on Mac Baren tobaccos; and because I like aromatics, I decided to give this one a try.
The tobacco was a bit dry coming out of the tin but not terribly so. The tobacco itself looked wonderful in the tin, a nice mixture of black to blonde ribbons, and the aroma was decent but not what I would call ambrosial. To my nose anyway, all European blended tobaccos have an aroma that sets them apart from American blends--sort of a grassy, musty, hay-like smell. I have a number of Canadian relatives (and yes, I realize that Canada is not in Europe) who smoke Canadian cigarettes and I get that same sort of odor from their cigarette smoke. Ummm, not really that pleasant.
At any rate, packing the pipe was easy and, probably because the tobacco was a bit dry in the tin, it was very easy to light and keep lit throughout the smoke. As for taste, this blend is nearly tasteless; so if you don't want to experience a mouthful of heavy tobacco taste, this is a good blend for you. The room note is nice (and there's that hay-like smell of Virginia tobacco again.) With Mac Baren blends, you usually need to be careful of tongue bite but the Black Ambrosia had none and I think that had to do with the fact that the baccy was somewhat dry and didn't take a lot of huffing and puffing to keep it lit. So if you want to avoid t/b, you may want to dry this blend out a bit if it isn't already.
Not a memorable smoke by any means but not too bad for Mac Barens and it may give me the courage to try some of their other offerings.
The tobacco was a bit dry coming out of the tin but not terribly so. The tobacco itself looked wonderful in the tin, a nice mixture of black to blonde ribbons, and the aroma was decent but not what I would call ambrosial. To my nose anyway, all European blended tobaccos have an aroma that sets them apart from American blends--sort of a grassy, musty, hay-like smell. I have a number of Canadian relatives (and yes, I realize that Canada is not in Europe) who smoke Canadian cigarettes and I get that same sort of odor from their cigarette smoke. Ummm, not really that pleasant.
At any rate, packing the pipe was easy and, probably because the tobacco was a bit dry in the tin, it was very easy to light and keep lit throughout the smoke. As for taste, this blend is nearly tasteless; so if you don't want to experience a mouthful of heavy tobacco taste, this is a good blend for you. The room note is nice (and there's that hay-like smell of Virginia tobacco again.) With Mac Baren blends, you usually need to be careful of tongue bite but the Black Ambrosia had none and I think that had to do with the fact that the baccy was somewhat dry and didn't take a lot of huffing and puffing to keep it lit. So if you want to avoid t/b, you may want to dry this blend out a bit if it isn't already.
Not a memorable smoke by any means but not too bad for Mac Barens and it may give me the courage to try some of their other offerings.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Dec 24, 2010 | Mild | Medium | Mild to Medium | Pleasant |
Very good for a new pipe smoker. It has a very nice and sweet fruit/citrus topping. Burns well, packs right, lights good, no tounge bite, etc. Good stuff, expericned pipes smokers will find it boring so yea. Overall i recommned it its not bad im a big fan of mac baren blends no matter what.
Update: not to crazy about it i tryed it yesterday and really wasnt impressed it tasted kinda bland i dont why last time it was good. Still if your new to pipes give it a try.
Update: not to crazy about it i tryed it yesterday and really wasnt impressed it tasted kinda bland i dont why last time it was good. Still if your new to pipes give it a try.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Jun 29, 2009 | Mild | Medium | Mild | Pleasant |
I do not normally smoke aromatic tobacco, but my wife likes this one, calling the aroma out as "it smells like dessert." My first tin was too fresh and I did not dry it enough before using. My second tin has been dried enough so that the tobacco is just the right level of moisture that it does not gurgle while smoking. I would not use this as an all day tobacco, but as an after dinner smoke with a glass of Scotch and water to sip it suits me just fine...
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Apr 08, 2009 | Mild to Medium | Medium | Medium | Tolerable to Strong |
The initial flavour of purple grapes vanishes quickly and - for me - one is left with a very bland tobacco indeed.
Again, not worthy of the vulgar comments made with regard to MacBaren products - viz. "Burns like a furnace" ... "Bites" ... or any other such subjective and melodramatic nonsense. As with any fine tobacco, if it "burns" the problem lies with the person doing the smoking - NOT with the tobacco.
youtube.com/user/MrPLivingstone
Again, not worthy of the vulgar comments made with regard to MacBaren products - viz. "Burns like a furnace" ... "Bites" ... or any other such subjective and melodramatic nonsense. As with any fine tobacco, if it "burns" the problem lies with the person doing the smoking - NOT with the tobacco.
youtube.com/user/MrPLivingstone
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| May 13, 2007 | Mild | Medium to Strong | Mild | Pleasant |
Well, this is my first review. I am relatively new to pipe smoking and this is one of the first blends that I bought. I hvae been smoking it on a regular basis now for a year and I think I have finally just begun to really enjoy it. BA reminds me of chocolate covered berries with maybe a little nuttiness inthe mix every once in a while. I have really come to enjoy this tobacco, but, as with all MB blends, you must take the time to learn how to smoke them where they are enjoyable, and this one takes a while, for me at least. Overall, i think this can be an enjoyable blend for the aromatic lover like myself. I would def pick up a puch and try it at least once. Some seem to hate it and others seem to really like it, it is by no means my favorite, but it is good.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Nov 07, 2006 | Medium to Strong | Medium to Strong | Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
I bought a tin of Black Ambrosia just to try a Mac Baren blend. I kind of like this one; doesn't bite as bad as I was afraid it would. I like the sweet taste, which is kind of like cotton candy, as is the room note. There is a complex undertone in there that I can't quite figure out, though, a perfum-y smell.
Room note is BEAUTIFUL, for a bit. However, on settling out and oxidizing, it's not all that great, but at least it's pretty mild.
I like this one. I wouldn't want it full time, but it's a nice switchup.
Room note is BEAUTIFUL, for a bit. However, on settling out and oxidizing, it's not all that great, but at least it's pretty mild.
I like this one. I wouldn't want it full time, but it's a nice switchup.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Jul 26, 2005 | Mild | Medium to Strong | Mild to Medium | Very Pleasant |
OK, I hate to admit I actually liked this highly sweet, highly cased offering from MacB. In order of favorites to less favorites; my spectrum starts with a passion for Balkans, matured Virginias, unflavored crossover blends, lightly topped aromatics. I still scratch my head wondering how black ambrosia slips into my small bracket (10% of my pipe tobacco diet) of pleasureable sweet aromatics.
Plus: pastry like tin aroma, highly complimented room note is the same, taste is sweet & pastry like - exactly like tin aroma, strength & flavor are balanced
Delta: absence of real tobacco taste, too sweet for a subtle aromatic lover
Plus: pastry like tin aroma, highly complimented room note is the same, taste is sweet & pastry like - exactly like tin aroma, strength & flavor are balanced
Delta: absence of real tobacco taste, too sweet for a subtle aromatic lover
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Jun 11, 2005 | Very Mild | Medium | Mild | Very Pleasant |
BA is a nice aromatic that burns cool. The toasted burley is obviously the dominant leaf in this blend, but, there is no tobacco taste to be enjoyed here. If a sweet tasting aromatic that smells great is your bag, this is a good choice. If you like straight tobacco taste then avoid this one. It flavor and burn qualities earn it 3 solid stars.
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