Mac Baren Burley London Blend
(3.04)
A very distinct tobacco. Made from white burley, well matured in wooden casks and pressed in broken flake form. A real smoking pleasure.
Notes: Introduced in 1965 and consists mainly of carefully selected burley tobaccos. Just a little Virginia has been added to give the blend a natural sweetness. You will notice the slight natural chocolate note, which is found in all good burley tobacco. The very special top flavor in combination with the tobaccos gives you a very distinct smoking pleasure.
Discontinued 2014. Re-released in 2020 and 2021 as limited editions.
Details
Profile
Strength
Mild to Medium
Extremely Mild -> Overwhelming
Flavoring
Mild
None Detected -> Extra Strong
Room Note
Pleasant
Unnoticeable -> Overwhelming
Taste
Medium
Extremely Mild (Flat) -> Overwhelming
Average Rating
|
3.04 / 4
|
Reviews
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Displaying 11 - 20 of 57 Reviews
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 26, 2010 | Mild to Medium | Very Mild | Mild to Medium | Tolerable to Strong |
MacBaren does a number of blends well, and BLB is one of their best. Unfortunately, I missed trying it for many years. We live in a great age for pipe tobacco enthusiasts given Websites like this which compile reviews. There are many good ones here which describe this tobac well and which put me onto BLB. I have looked a long time for a Burley blend as good as this one. MacBaren blends are often criticized for "all tasting alike", a reference to the MacBaren Cavendish used in many of their blends imparting a unique taste. Not so here. As I noted there are many good reviews below that "hit the nail on the head".
BLB is a great smoke - nutty, with a subtle sweetness. It burns well to a white ash without getting bitter as so many Burley blends do. It is very well balanced top to bottom without any bite. It did heat up my briar from time to time, probably due to my packing it too tight at first.
Top shelf!
BLB is a great smoke - nutty, with a subtle sweetness. It burns well to a white ash without getting bitter as so many Burley blends do. It is very well balanced top to bottom without any bite. It did heat up my briar from time to time, probably due to my packing it too tight at first.
Top shelf!
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 11, 2020 | Mild to Medium | Strong | Mild | Pleasant to Tolerable |
To start, I am not a great connoisseur of pipe tobacco. I do know what a good tobacco is like, and have a nice little cellar. I noticed this Burley on Smoking Pipes, ordered three tins, and decided to get another the next day. All I saw was a little dust, and the delivery trucks leaving the store. All gone. It seems others like this blend also. When I first opened a tin, some sort of life form came out, and started beating me with a Chocolate Bar, then right behind that, it thru a little Vanilla flavoring at me. Horrible little creature! My survival reaction was to set the thing on fire, with a Corn Cob. To my surprise, the beating stoped, and all that was left was a pleasant Burley experience. What an adventure. I would buy more if it was available.
Pipe Used:
MM Cob
PurchasedFrom:
IM NOT TELLING
Age When Smoked:
New
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Apr 23, 2014 | Medium | None Detected | Medium | Pleasant |
Flavorfull and simple Burley smoke (i can't detect the virginias) , great for the times when you just want to pack your Briar (or Cob) to enjoy a honest smoke! Very Good !!
Pipe Used:
Askwith Chubby Billiard , Radice Chubby Billiard
PurchasedFrom:
4noggins
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Feb 21, 2004 | Mild to Medium | Extremely Mild | Medium | Very Pleasant |
Wow! Sweet, nutty, buttery, and smooth as silk. I'm sure there are a lot of smokers who don't think they are burley fans because they haven't smoked a really premium burley. Just like there are a lot of people who think they don't like scotch but have only tried the cheaper blends.
This tobacco is the sort of stuff that almost anyone ought to enjoy. Wonderful smoke. Four stars all the way.
This tobacco is the sort of stuff that almost anyone ought to enjoy. Wonderful smoke. Four stars all the way.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Jan 21, 2002 | Mild to Medium | Mild | Mild to Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
This Burley blend from Mac Baren could well be a nice change of pace for many used to Virginias and Orientals. It would also be a nice step up for the drug store weed smoker.
Tin Appearace/Aroma: A ready rubbed, slightly coarse, tobacco. There is a definate casing here, but it is subtle. The aroma is somewhat fruity, with a tang to it.
Burn: This one can bite you so be carefull. An aggressive puffer will have a numb tongue for a week. I tried this in a number of pipe combos. Believe it or not, it turned out best in a Missouri Meerschaum Country Gentleman. I know I know, a corncob pipe, how hokey. But I often carry those pipes about on outdoor work and walks. For some reason the tongue bite as remarkably reduced in the cob. It may be due to the extra absorbancy of the pipe and the fact that that particular design has a large surface area.
Taste: If smoking right, this is a tastey tobacco. Underneath the nutty burley there is a sweet-tart note that just makes we want to eat this stuff.
Overall: I know that many so called connoisseurs of fine tobaccos look upon the humble burley as merely packing for their precious Virginias and Latakias. I am myself a Virginia man. In that snobbishness though, we are many of us missing a treat.
Tin Appearace/Aroma: A ready rubbed, slightly coarse, tobacco. There is a definate casing here, but it is subtle. The aroma is somewhat fruity, with a tang to it.
Burn: This one can bite you so be carefull. An aggressive puffer will have a numb tongue for a week. I tried this in a number of pipe combos. Believe it or not, it turned out best in a Missouri Meerschaum Country Gentleman. I know I know, a corncob pipe, how hokey. But I often carry those pipes about on outdoor work and walks. For some reason the tongue bite as remarkably reduced in the cob. It may be due to the extra absorbancy of the pipe and the fact that that particular design has a large surface area.
Taste: If smoking right, this is a tastey tobacco. Underneath the nutty burley there is a sweet-tart note that just makes we want to eat this stuff.
Overall: I know that many so called connoisseurs of fine tobaccos look upon the humble burley as merely packing for their precious Virginias and Latakias. I am myself a Virginia man. In that snobbishness though, we are many of us missing a treat.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 24, 2021 | Medium | Mild | Mild to Medium | Pleasant |
Mac Baren - Burley London Blend.
It's more of a well broken flake than a ribbon. I don't mean chunky and needing further rubbing, but the ''ribbons'' have a coarse build. The nose from the opened tin is a little chocolatey, but not too heavy. Moisture? Perfect.
In the smoke, divine smoke, the chocolate is a definite appurtenance, but not too much; don't expect a Bob's Chocolate Flake style flavouring. The chocolate works wonders atop of the dry, slightly sharp, somewhat fresh-tasting white Burley. A bowl burns without an issue, creating a mid-temperature smoke, all without a bite, just necessitating the occasional tamp but no relights unless totally neglected.
Nicotine: medium. Room-note: nice.
Burley London Blend? When I saw the reissue I bought a few tins and I'm so glad I did. It's fantastic. Four stars:
Highly recommended.
It's more of a well broken flake than a ribbon. I don't mean chunky and needing further rubbing, but the ''ribbons'' have a coarse build. The nose from the opened tin is a little chocolatey, but not too heavy. Moisture? Perfect.
In the smoke, divine smoke, the chocolate is a definite appurtenance, but not too much; don't expect a Bob's Chocolate Flake style flavouring. The chocolate works wonders atop of the dry, slightly sharp, somewhat fresh-tasting white Burley. A bowl burns without an issue, creating a mid-temperature smoke, all without a bite, just necessitating the occasional tamp but no relights unless totally neglected.
Nicotine: medium. Room-note: nice.
Burley London Blend? When I saw the reissue I bought a few tins and I'm so glad I did. It's fantastic. Four stars:
Highly recommended.
Pipe Used:
Rattray's Cave
PurchasedFrom:
Smokingpipes.com
Age When Smoked:
Six months
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Jul 12, 2013 | Mild | Very Mild | Mild | Very Pleasant |
For a good Burley look no further than a tin of this. Soft,satisfying, lightly sweet and chocolate-ish. From first light to the heel it's good.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Apr 04, 2011 | Medium | Mild to Medium | Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
Very nice burley blend.I have found that it helps to rub it out a little bit before smoking. Doesn't need much drying. Good,even smoke, I agree with the 'nutty' description.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Dec 24, 2010 | Medium | Mild | Mild to Medium | Very Pleasant |
A top burly blend, a top MAC b. A must try barley blend. Its a classic.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Dec 24, 2010 | Mild to Medium | Mild | Medium to Full | Tolerable |
This Tobacco has been in my rotation for awhile now, I love it almost as much as Mac B Navy Flake. Just an excellent burley tobacco flavor with a sweet chocolate note. Starts out mild but becomes more full an better as you get down the bowl. Not a real biter like some Mac B's. The nice thing is the wife doesn't mind it like she does Navy Flake, and it doesn't seem to stay on my breath as long. If you like Burley you'll love this one.
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