Mac Baren Burley London Blend

After an enjoyable experience with Mac Baren's Navy Flake, I just had to try BLB. My local tobacconist had two 100gm tins on the shelf, I bought both. I was not dissapointed, rather quite pleased. This is a partially rubbed out flake with an incredible tin aroma, I like to rub it out just a wee bit more, pack and light. I never knew burley could be done so well. An easy smoke with a pleasant taste and an even burn. I've been smoking this almost constantly since opening the first tin, and this along with Navy Flake has moved into me top 5 regular smokes. Praise to Mac Baren, a fine blend. Recommended to all.

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Cheers!

What can I say that every other reviewer has not said already?

I normally prefer blends that provide a big Latakia taste. GLP Odyssey, C&D Pirate Kake and Dunhill Nightcap are in my regular rotation.

I never thought I'd enjoy a Danish-style tobacco, but this tobacco is a wonderful change of pace for me and I find it very refreshing.

Highly recommended, especially for the restless English/Balkan smoker that wants something a little different.

(If you like Edgeworth Sliced or GLP Cumberland, you'll probably like this one.)

If you are mildly interested in trying burley and cant decide on what brand to smoke,start here.This tobacco is my exception to the rule with regard to most Mc Baren blends.This is first class and a wonderful change up from Virginian tobacco.The taste and aroma reminds me of opening a freshly baked yeast roll with just a hint of a vanilla-like note.That is not really a great desription but as close as I can come to recreating my expirience.At any rate ,this is a rich tasty smoke.If you like burley you will probably love this.If you have never tried it or had an unpleasant expirience before,you will likely find this agreeable to your palate. O.K all you burley lovers... all together now -Burley Burley Burley!

For anyone interested in Burley this is a great tobacco. I'm mainly a Virginia smoker but this will figure prominently in my rotation now that I've discovered it. The flakes are only partially rubbed out but it seems like it smokes well as is. If it isn't broken don't fix it. The tobacco's got a great nutty flavour that's all Burley but behind it is a bit of sweetness that as a Virginia smoker I find endearing. The nicotine level of this tobacco is quite low when you compare it to other Burleys like University Flake which I find I have to smoke in a small bowl or suffer the consequences. I can load up my giant Soren freehand with this stuff and smoke it for hours. Like other Burleys this tobacco burns cool, dry and only needs minimal tamping to keep it burning all the way to the bottom of the bowl. I'd reccomend this tobacco to any pie smoker either new or toughened to leather by long exposure to Latakia. A very good tobacco.

This is one of my favorite MacBaren's blends. It consists of 100% ready rubbed Burley with just a hint of topping. The casing is so light as to be barely perceptible, which suits me just fine. The Burleys produce a very cool nutty smoke. When I tire of the heavy English blends I usually reach for a tin of London Blend which I manage to always keep on hand. Not to be missed for the true Burley fan.

Allow me to open this discussion by stating that I pulled the old “bait and switch” upon myself due to several received requests for comments on the premiered blend. Officially I intended to present a scheduled review of a different Burley tobacco for this calendar week, but the winds of change seem to have pushed me in a different direction. As a result, here for present consideration is the three-year triumphant return of Mac Baren’s celebrated Burley London Blend, a fabled tobacco of recent release just for all you eager Burley fanatics.

Keep in mind one qualifying fact here. Namely, having a production date of November of 2023, the physical tobacco assessed in this exercise is still relatively green in acquired maturity. Some will argue the Burley does not improve with aging, but I do think otherwise. Therefore, it ideally needs time to set to evolve its purposeful character. Nevertheless, what now follows are the specifics that were discovered over a series of forced trial sessions. And with that, I am confident that you will emerge with a true appreciation of its standard distinctions.

Introduced in 1965 and then officially discontinued in 2014, this acclaimed blend has borne witness to a couple of special releases ex post facto. The rationale behind Mac Baren’s positioning is undeniably open to debate, but if nothing else it does continue to evoke the bated enthusiasm of many a piper. I am thinking that the chosen naming convention referencing a golden-brown Burley aptly reflects the blend’s simply sophisticated nature. With a thoughtful balance of the counterpoising properties unique to Burley and Virginia, Mac Baren’s creation achieves a quality of elegance, as like the city of honor, in awarding the piper with a mellow, yet robust medium bodied profile.

From the inception of pressed flakes, London Blend comes in a classic three-ounce tin of golden-brown variants of ready-rubbed fragments. The generous volume of moist chocolate infused tobacco fills the rim edge of the cannister with thickset strands that reflect an unrestrained pattern of lavish striping and improved darkening. Clearly given the visual evidence that is displayed, this tobacco has foregone the betterment wrought by the throes of advanced processing. To the touch London Blend feels decidedly supple and accommodating yet most determined in weightiness of mass. All together every graphic bestowed signifies that an excitably rich smoking excursion is destined to unfold.

On a slightly humorous note, the classical looking tin holding this tobacco proved to be a tad obstinate, which had me convinced that perhaps London Blend preferred not to be smoked. On the positive side, this challenge dispelled any concerns about spoilage relating to a compromised seal. With frenzied determination and the smart application of a knife blade’s leverage, I managed to jimmy free this obsessed chamber. Instantly my senses were rewarded by an exquisite fragrance that was hiding within.

A deep decadent chocolate, one much like the nose found on a fresh can of Hershey’s cocoa reveals the initial encounter. As this confectioned delight advances a comforting breath of general creamy sugars interpose themselves splendidly. It is then that the refrain of expertly stewed Burly nutwood comes to the facing. And as that cultured aroma further settles, some colorful undertones find favor in a darker fruitiness, mostly raisin that is, contained tart, and mild anise. Overriding this delectable air, the boldness of progressed native seasoning defines itself with both a warm earthy quality and an amped up spicy airiness which elicits an image of distilled spirits.

First and foremost, let me acknowledge the question of the day. What seems to be the burning curiosity on the part of many in particular is, how does London Blend compare to Mac Baren’s HH Burley Flake. Generally I try to shy away from commenting in the spirit of that context, but since it seems to be a compelling point of interest, I will briefly engage that thread. In their freely rubbed states, the two tobaccos appear to be virtually identical, which may indicate the proper use of similar components. Yet, what you really want to know about is the taste, correct?

On that imperative, let me just sum the point up in declaring that London Blend appears to be sweeter and more densely darker in tone than the HH counterpart. I do find however, that the Virginias overall tend to pop more brightly within the HH registration, and it does exhibit a farther degree of complex “herbaceousness” in general complexion, especially with the inclusion of the Kentucky complement. Still, the separate tobaccos bring two completely different taste profiles honestly, while each has been equally crafted in their respectable presentation of the Burley theme. Okay enough said on that particular matter.

The CliffsNotes version of this commentary would divulge that the primary thrust of flavor emanating from this tobacco is grandly provided by the choice Burley strains captured within its well-prepared recipe. London Blend is not necessarily to be labeled as a complex offering, yet it does earn brilliant gradings on all other critical Flavor attributes. Namely, the smoking reveals an experience that demonstrates unwavering consistency, skillfully balanced roundness, and an inspiring depth of charisma.

Furthermore, the expertly achieved tiering of flavor streams honors the finest traditions of a quality matrixed Burley. Although the accenting is largely contained to the principal features of the Burley leaves, the registration is selectively tailored in polished native sweetness. And in regard to the imperatives of the scripted genre, if I have not made this point clear already, London Blend engenders a classiness that stands as comparable to the peers of the recognized luxury order. Quite simply, this alternative is one that I sense that any discriminating Burley leaf enthusiasts would surely enjoy.

Respecting that acknowledged Burley wondrousness, through a seasoned, musty combination of White and Dark varietals London Blend personifies its earthy character with a rustic meld of smoky dilled timber and a deeper toasty pecan. Marginally the flavorsomeness touches upon the minerals and spicing ambience one can find in a milder Broadleaf wrapper. Additionally, the usual registration promotes a feature of native accenting that pulls in a marriage of eased zestful spice bundled with a sorghum-like nuance. Within that highlighting, this prime remarking seems to be embellished with tones of progressed caramel and delightful nutty molasses.

As the natural recourse resulting from the dissipation of the coating, a moving exchange comprising bits of clove, mild sourness, and a loamy herbal affluence surface to fill the sphere with grandeur. For all purposes, the mentioned herby coloring seems to most favor common tarragon in that it is rather vegetal in makeup with a glint of bittersweet anise underneath. What is more, there is a heightened degree of tannins in circulation. This may be attributable to the native properties of the Burley itself as it combines with the chocolate additive thus bringing a little dryness to the texture of flavor. Overall I score the featural Burley at 95% to the objective leaf standards.

At the start of the bowl the applied cocoa/chocolate coating does endow a notable magnitude with its remarking of deep dark bittersweet richness. Still, its potential independence seems to be well harnessed in a quite pleasant melding with the blend’s prevalent molasses nuance. On what I deem to be a positive note, the enormity of this chocolate element eases as the bowl progressed to about the halfway mark. At that point, the guiding flavor morphs into a savory rendition of solid Burley that is just lightly graced by a tinge of reduced chocolate. And with that, the overall attractiveness of the blend’s native character improves with significance.

As to the light, sweet natured Virginia, the component brings an optimum degree of trailing accents within the rear middle band. Chiefly that which records are the additions of tart wood, spicy flora, citrusy orange tang, a bit of raisin fruitiness and some complementing notes of reduced frilling grass and meagered bread. All in all, however, this Virginian presence is tethered in choice from the intentional design effects elected by Mac Baren. Subsequent its relishing contribution enables a nicely balancing garnishment to the expanded heavier Burley fronting.

For a certifiable Burley, the immense clouds of smoke that are produced affect a spent aroma that is arguably pleasing. Do not get me wrong, unquestionably, the earthy essence of confident Burley definitely engulfs the immediate quarters and then some. Yet by way of suggestible character, this scent endows a well-mannered modeling of that classic “pipey” sour-sweetness that many find so alluring. Distinguished impressions of smoky darkened wood and deeply charred herbal seasonings form the weighty bottom as a sugared chase of passive chocolatey molasses trims the upper decking. Moreover, the residual fumes that seem to linger with certainty tend to evolve with a more pronounced sulfuric finish which is a memorable parting shot of assertion.

On the whole London Blend demonstrates worthy and consistent mechanical smoking properties. The tobacco does need to aerate for a short spell in order to circumvent some of the experienced moistness from the tin. With that, Mac Baren’s creation achieves commendable performance. One additional caveat however, and that is if you choose to push the smoking too aggressively you will definitely encounter some concerns with accelerated burn and the amassing of residual heat. And on a last point, the nicotine is authenticated as mid-high in felt effects.

In short, London Blend affords a relaxing experience of mellow absorbing Burley. As it progressed, the tobacco’s taste proved to grow exceedingly robust, which resulted in the perceived body assuming an enlarged savory fullness. In particular, the darker complexion of woodiness scaled up while the metered sweetness held constant which only served to amplify this change. Overall the blend factored as exceptionally satiating, so I found providence in undertaking a more leisured and rested smoking pattern. Finally, I do suspect that as this blend matures the creaminess of its standard texture will evolve with heightened luster.

London Blend, a simply refined Burley all said, clearly the natural result of profound thinking, Does it best exemplify the essence of the timeless grade of tobacco traditionally enjoyed by innumerable Londoners, quite possibly so. There is only one way to tell, of course, drop it into your Charatan and smoke it my friends.

Objective Scoring: (basis: flavor, standard genre/leaf attributes & mechanicals): 140/157 ? 3.0 WAVG
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Subjective Rating: (factored for likeability & cost): 3.7 Pipes.