Mac Baren Burley London Blend

This review is from a tin dated March 2011. Upon opening the tin I noticed that the tobacco was already a tad on the dry side, but really with just the right amount of moisture for smoking. The tin note of this ready rubbed flake was a very strong apricot scent, and fermented. After rubbing out some of the tobacco, I packed and lit. The smoke was mostly the typical burley nuttiness with a hint of fruit. There's also a hint of hay and earthiness, while I found the cocoa to be almost imperceptible and far in the background. While this is a very decent and enjoyable burley smoke, I cannot say it's my favorite. I can only wonder if this blend might have been better from a fresh tin or with slightly less age on it, considering burley isn't one to age as favorably as other leafs. It's good, but doesn't quite knock my socks off, therefore, 3 solid stars.

This burley blend comes packed as broken tumbled flakes that are predominately brown with a few bright strands. When I first opened the tin, it smelled strongly of stewed fruit. Over time after being open, this gave way to sweet chocolate. The taste is pretty much plain burley with only a faint sense of the sugar/maple casing and chocolate top note. This one just got nixed from the Macbaren production list; get it now if you are interested.

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 !!

This is a good Burley/VA mix. The topping is very mild and is felt more than tasted. I like Burley's and this one is good. It is toasty, nutty at times it reminds me of cashews! A nice touch of cocoa here and there but in this case I think most of it comes from the high quality Burley rather then the topping. This was a bulk buy and well worth the money. Only 3 stars as it lacks the I gotta have more element but it is a very enjoyable smoke. For those who really like Burley it is worth a try.

I enjoy Kentucky Club and Carter Hall, so when I purchased this I expected a top shelf burley flavor with more body than CH and KC. When I opened the tin all I could smell was Virginia, now I like Va., but not when I am expecting Burley. Once lit it tasted weird, like a cigar or cigarette was broken up and put into my pipe. It never got better for me, also the wife said it smelled like burning plastic, not good for marital relations.

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 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.

They say the first step to fixing a problem is recognizing you have a problem. My name is Chris, and I am a pipe tobacco impulse buyer.

This is not a tobacco style I would seek out. This is not a tobacco style I normally gravitate to, but whats that you say? Re release? In a retro looking tin? It was in the cart before I realized it.

I did not have any experience with the original of this blend. To be honest, I am not sure how I missed it. I like burley blends, I really do. The thing is, they are not the most exciting blends for me out there. When I'm fishing? Hells yeah, CH or granger in a corncob is where it is at, but I rarely get excited about smoking a burley blend.

I liked this one. The retro style tin design was very cool, and 13 bucks for 100g? What a steal. I smoked this blend in a plethora of pipes and it acted the same regardless of the vessel.

Upon opening the tin it has an amazing smell. Just like Swiss Miss hot chocolate powder. Literally mouth watering. A medium to dark ribbon type cut. Lots of tobacco packed in the tin, a good bargain. This has a wonderful burley taste. It was hard for me at times to differentiate what was chocolate topping taste and what was a natural gift from the tobacco.

Smoked well and was a tobacco that chugged along regardless of how much attention I gave it. I would say it was one of the better burley blends I have had. An excellent blend with coffee.

I would get more of this to cellar in a heartbeat, but I am not convinced burley blends benefit as much from a deep sleep as others do. If you like burley blends, you should really give this a try.

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.