Mac Baren Black Ambrosia

I think, perhaps, that the name is inappropriate. It's a beautiful tobacco blend but the name leads you to think your about to experience something 'out of this world'.

Not so.

I laboured through half my tin trying to find it's 'sweet spot' but failed. Dumped the rest in my 'god only knows' canister and consumed it that way. I can see where it might grab some puffers by the stem so I can only suggest buying a tin and make a decision as to whether or not to buy a second one.

I found the Black Ambrosia to be a terrible blend,upon opening the tin I experienced a sweet smell, so I immediately packed a bowl of it.My experience was a concoction of tobacco garbage.The tobacco tasted as if it was scraped out of an ashtray and then added a sweet topping to it.Being the possible consequence of buying aromatics and the methods of drying the tobacco,I let it dry some..sad so say I don't know why this blend is still in the market.

This is a wonderful smoke that has a uniquely bold taste. I say bold with hesitation because it is a delightful taste without being overwhelming. A wonderful mix of sweetness, yet not wimpy. Burns well and does not bite. This is not entirely aromatic as the burley is blended with the Virginias very well. Casing has a slight burnt, salty, moca taste but again, by no means a negative. Flavor consistently remains unchanged throughout the bowl and IMO is a great ?all around smoke?. Room note is pleasant but lingers. I will definitely order more of this to keep around for a change.

Upon opening the tin, the aroma is pleasant. But the smell should not be so heavily judged, as pipe tobacco is to be smoked....not snorted or huffed! I really like this blend as I am not a huge fan of strong English blends or strong latakias. This blend is how I like my coffee to taste. Just the right amount of cream, sweetness and flavor without being bitter.

As a regular smoker of both Mac Baren Golden Ambrosia and Mixture I had to give this one a try. However, as others have said it's pretty nondescript - the flavour never really develops unfortunately.

The appearance in the pouch is identical to McLintocks Black Cherry sans the cherry.

It's a bit moist so takes a bit of time to get lit. Little bite, but then I smoke this in a 9mm filter pipe. Attractive room note so probably good for smoking in company.

It's one of those "why bother" blends. The exciting taste that Mac Baren states you will be thrilled by never really comes.

Not exactly my favorite but it is nice and light for those who do not want a heavy tobacco.

If you smoke to please others, you will be loved. If you smoke Ambrosia to please yourself, you will become your own worst enemy.

I recently rehydrated what I'd guesstimate to be about a 10 year old tin of this blend.

Blah......this is about as bland and tasteless a tobacco as you'd ever try to smoke.

A very weak entry from the Mac Baren stable. No wonder the tin layed around unfinished.

I'm awarding it an extra half star because it's the first time a Mac Baren aromatic didn't bite me. Will miracles never cease?

* 1/2

A typical MacBaren Experience for me (Golden Ambrosia and Mixture are in a different league). Nothing to write home about. (Why, then, write here is a mystery yet to be answered).

I will finish the pouch and not bother with it again... Nothing particularly objectionable; simultaneously nothing special.

MacBarens? Black Ambrosia is certainly black, but is nothing like a Cavendish. The cut makes it easy to light, and it burns well. Beyond that, I wonder, ?Why bother?? I do not find the tobacco offensive, but I do not find either taste or aroma to be particularly pleasant. I suspect that people who might enjoy Black Ambrosia can be happy with other products that are not so expensive.

2 stars because of the good tobaccos used, but the extreme flavouring puts me off. I've smoked some bowls and then left the pouch somewhere around home; it popped up from a drawer months later and, believe it or not, it was still as fresh as when I first opened the pouch. Incredible!

The Mac Baren company produces quality tobaccos and some of them, like Plumcake, are among my favorite tobaccos. However, unfortunately Black Ambrosia will not be among them.

I generally prefer very lightly flavored aromatics, or tobaccos with no casing at all. BA is just the opposite -- I could hardly detect the tobacco flavor from under the sickly sweet aftertaste. The taste is hard for me to pin down -- the MB website says its a mocha flavour, but it doesn't seem that way to me. It's actually more like a caramel flavor or something along those lines.

Like most MB tobaccos, it's slightly too moist in the pouch, so at first it won't burn well and starts gargling. I haven't investigated any methods that might potentially cure this problem and I doubt that I will.

Black Ambrosia is not necessary a bad tobacco, it's just not to my taste. If you have a sweet tooth and enjoy heavily flavored aromatics, give this one a try.

A while ago when I was trying mac baren blends I ran across this and was eager to try it. The casing on this is overwhelming in the tin and while smoked. The only thing I liked about this is the smell of it, but not in a good tobacco kind of way. This was so goopy that it stuck to my fingers when I packed the pipe. I gave it to a friend who liked goopy aromatic blends and while he did not think it was great, he did not hate it either. I don't recomend this because there are much better aromatics on the market.

Sticky sweet. Dripping in wet sticky flavouring. If you want an aromatic that smells like a candy factory, and doesn't taste like tobacco choose this black candy.

This is one scrumptious smelling tobacco upon opening the tin. I can only discribe it as a dark burley virginian blend cased in mead. Mead :an alcoholic liquor made of fermented honey and water,often with spices,fruit,malt,etc. added.[WEBSTERS] The fruit component in this blend reminds me of fermented pineapple juice. If this tobacco tasted 1/4 as good as it smelled it would be in my regular aromatic rotation,but it just doesn't. Warm "winey" hot air is the prevailing flavor. I'm still of the opinion that even the heaviest of aromatics should have tobacco taste at least as a bottom note. Otherwise, whats the point?

Along with Amphora Black Cavendish Special Reserve and Gawith Hoggarth Kentucky Nougat I bought this tobacco for the change of pace from my usual strong non-flavoured mixtures and also to educate myself on what the Cavendish variety of tobacco (which I smoke very rarely and which I have had not-so-positive previous experience with) is all about. I liked this Black Ambrosia blend. It's very light Nicotine-wise but it's full of yummy dessert flavours. Also, by its very nature Cavendish conveys a substantial mouthfeel even to a very low-Nicotine blend, which I like too.

Upon opening the pouch I smelled some tasty and exotic but outwardly artificial casings which for a moment reminded me of the horrors of Borkum Riff Black Cavendish. Lighting the pipe quite apprehensively, I was relieved to note that the high-octane chemical soak (pleasant, but too intensive) didn't transfer to the smoke, the taste of which was pretty different from the pouch aroma. The tobacco came out sweetish and fragrant, with no overpowering or extreme notes. Overall it's been a very pleasant smoking experience. Black Ambrosia is way better than Amphora Black Cavendish as it's made exclusively of high-quality Virginia leaf, while in Amphora a very similar casing is applied to a variety of tobaccos, particularly low-quality Orientals and Kentuckies, which acquire a rough edge towards the end of the bowl. Here, the flavour is consistent throughout the smoke and when at the middle point the sweet flavours step aside you're still left with nice and well-behaved abundant Virginia smoke with no sharp flavours or acrid notes.

Take care to smoke your pouch up ASAP upon opening it. It looses its idyosyncratic flavours in just 10 days, even repacked to a tightly-closed mason jar. Although it gets noticeably blander in no time (I've never seen blends that would loose their character so rapidly), it still remains good and retains much of its magic.

To me, Black Ambrosia isn't an everyday smoke for sure but it seems to be an excellent rare treat to return to time to time, even though the just mentioned volatility of its flavours doesn't help in storing the blend for a prolonged time. Recommended.

I ordered this on a whim - a fascination with the name. What I found was a solid Black Cavendish tobacco. Sweet, tangy, fruity, but smooth smoke. A little hard to keep lit, but it did not seem too moist in the can, Burns a little quick and to a fine ash. The pouch and room note were quite pleasant.

When I was buying my first pipe I asked tobacconist what beginners tobacco does he recommend to me and it was Mac Baren Original Choise and Black Ambrosia. first few bowls of BA seemed to me a little harsh on my tongue and interestingly flavored.I did get a lot of tongue bite but it was due to my lack of smoking technique.Later when I learned to employ the breath method tounge bites stopped and I could experience the true tobacco as it is for me and this is my opinion. This is mild citrusy flavored tobacco with bland taste but still a little harsh on tongue like some chemical reaction.It is ok to try but nothing special for me.Would not buy it again.

It burns good, aroma is correct, but anyway it's nothing special. In my opinion this tobacco is quite boring. Good choice if someone don't like full, sweet aromas. For me it's flat. There are many better aromatic tobaccos from Mac Baren.

It's an interesting blend. Good, but mild. I like it, and it leaves a subtle after taste. I'd give it three stars, but I find it a bit to gentle for my taste. But I would definitely recommend it, especially to beginners. Personally I wouldn't have this one for a daily smoke, but it's definitely good for every now and then.