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 1 - 10 of 12 Reviews
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Dec 23, 2007 | Medium | Mild to Medium | Medium to Full | Tolerable to Strong |
Known for having very low sugar content, burley leaves often contain no natural sugar. But this burley tobacco has a robust aroma, burns hot in the pipe and carries a slight hint of cocoa in its taste while sporting a slight honey front much like what Mac Baren is famous for but it does not have the sweet taste of Virginia tobaccos. Tends to bite and stings the tongue if not smoked slowly.
Personally, when I reach for this blend, I wish I would have packed Navy Flake or Golden Blend instead and look forward to the bottom of the bowl. I keep giving this blend another chance but have the same opinion each time I try it. This blend just is not sweet enough for me and just does not have the aroma, flavor, or room note that I desire. Tastes like a heavily smoked casing. But given the fact that this burley blend is partially smoke cured, one has to expect this.
I know this is totally a review site but though the following was interesting info. from the Bac Baren site:
Burley tobacco is harvested when the leaves lose their suppleness, so the leaves are green when the harvesting begins. The plants are harvested whole, and hung to dry in barns sheltered from sunlight. No warm air is used, but the amount of fresh air can be adjusted to achieve the perfect drying conditions. The normal drying method used for Burley tobaccos is called air-curing.
There are other methods of drying Burley tobacco, as used on the famous Kentucky tobacco. After air-curing, this Burley is then fire-cured. A fire giving off a thick smoke is built in the barn, and the aromatics in the smoke are absorbed by the leaves.
Personally, when I reach for this blend, I wish I would have packed Navy Flake or Golden Blend instead and look forward to the bottom of the bowl. I keep giving this blend another chance but have the same opinion each time I try it. This blend just is not sweet enough for me and just does not have the aroma, flavor, or room note that I desire. Tastes like a heavily smoked casing. But given the fact that this burley blend is partially smoke cured, one has to expect this.
I know this is totally a review site but though the following was interesting info. from the Bac Baren site:
Burley tobacco is harvested when the leaves lose their suppleness, so the leaves are green when the harvesting begins. The plants are harvested whole, and hung to dry in barns sheltered from sunlight. No warm air is used, but the amount of fresh air can be adjusted to achieve the perfect drying conditions. The normal drying method used for Burley tobaccos is called air-curing.
There are other methods of drying Burley tobacco, as used on the famous Kentucky tobacco. After air-curing, this Burley is then fire-cured. A fire giving off a thick smoke is built in the barn, and the aromatics in the smoke are absorbed by the leaves.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 18, 2011 | Mild to Medium | Mild to Medium | Medium to Full | Extra Strong |
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.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 12, 2014 | Mild | Extremely Mild | Medium | Pleasant |
Okay, I got this blend, and it was a haystack. I still smoked it, bit like crazy and didn't taste all good.
So I gave some time to moisten and give it a legit smoke. The taste was half decent. I decent burley nutty taste. It still bit like hell. Hard to enjoy when it burns so hot, even slow puffing.
I see how this blend could be good. Even after the nutty taste, there was a chemical after taste I couldn't seem to get rid of.
If your a beginner, looking for aromatics, try a sampler on any pipe tobacco website, and you should see some better cuts, and flavors. If you were at a local shop, and this is what you see I wouldn't discourage you, it's a good start, just not something I would keep.
So I gave some time to moisten and give it a legit smoke. The taste was half decent. I decent burley nutty taste. It still bit like hell. Hard to enjoy when it burns so hot, even slow puffing.
I see how this blend could be good. Even after the nutty taste, there was a chemical after taste I couldn't seem to get rid of.
If your a beginner, looking for aromatics, try a sampler on any pipe tobacco website, and you should see some better cuts, and flavors. If you were at a local shop, and this is what you see I wouldn't discourage you, it's a good start, just not something I would keep.
Pipe Used:
H.I.S Egg, Cob
PurchasedFrom:
Local Shop (J & R Fielding Co.)
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Feb 15, 2013 | Mild | Mild to Medium | Extremely Mild (Flat) | Pleasant |
Many tins in the MB line seem to taste similar to me, and they smoke in the same fashion as well. They taste bland...are HOT/Tongue-Biters...and smell like potpourri. I cannot recommend this product.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 11, 2012 | Mild | None Detected | Extremely Mild (Flat) | Pleasant to Tolerable |
With so many excellent blends out there, this blend does nothing for me. I went through 3 tins, and will never buy another. Flat, flat, flat.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Apr 26, 2012 | Mild | Mild to Medium | Extremely Mild (Flat) | Pleasant |
Objective: Sticky, pressed, light colored tobacco. Good amount of tobacco for the price.
Subjective: This tobacco is topped with a good amount sugar and tastes like soggy Wheaties and burned sugar. This stuff bites if not very careful, so diminshed must be the sip that it's truly not enjoyable. This characteristic seems constant with most MB blends. Will not go down this road again.
Subjective: This tobacco is topped with a good amount sugar and tastes like soggy Wheaties and burned sugar. This stuff bites if not very careful, so diminshed must be the sip that it's truly not enjoyable. This characteristic seems constant with most MB blends. Will not go down this road again.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Feb 02, 2010 | Mild to Medium | Mild | Medium | Tolerable |
This tobacco has a chocolate topping. Think bitter bakers chocolate, not sweet. The tin aroma is exquisite, one of the best by far. But as you compare it side by side to Prince Albert you will notice that PA has a much sweeter note.
That same bitter chocolate is evident in the smoke, to me it was a harshness bodering on bitter. I also found out why Mac Baren is known for biting.
PA over this, but neither on a regular basis. My bane could be your blessing. Not for me, perhaps for thee.
By the way, the tins are cheap and rust out after a while.
That same bitter chocolate is evident in the smoke, to me it was a harshness bodering on bitter. I also found out why Mac Baren is known for biting.
PA over this, but neither on a regular basis. My bane could be your blessing. Not for me, perhaps for thee.
By the way, the tins are cheap and rust out after a while.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Sep 03, 2006 | Mild | Very Mild | Mild | Pleasant |
I had to look hard to find this blend in my local area. Being a big fan of burleys, I really was looking forward to trying it. Perhaps I got a bad tin, or perhaps it just does not agree with me. At any rate, the stuff I tried did not come across as the same thing everyone else here is talking about.
In the tin, it was dry and coarse in texture. It was not ready rubbed, and no way could it be smoked "as is". The topping was a little rank with a rotten ketchup smell, which I had to air off for a couple days before I could even tolerate taste of it unlit in my pipe. I sampled this blend in pots, cobs, and pokers. It tasted and smoked pretty much the same regardless of how I rubbbed it or cut it, and regardless of pipe.
It wasn't too bad smoking it, except it did bite like hell occasionally. The nuttiness I expected didn't quite come through, and the sweetness was only occasionally present. It smoked nice and dry, and no bitterness was present. All in all, not bad but not great. For someone not crazy about burleys, and wanting a bland ordinary smoke, it would do. Orlik's Dark Kentucky is a much better burley/va blend for anyone really craving a strong burley. And, there are far too many inexpensive burley house blends at any number of tobacconists that would be just as good, good enough to not warrant dropping twelve or thirteen dollars on a tin of MacB's.
In the tin, it was dry and coarse in texture. It was not ready rubbed, and no way could it be smoked "as is". The topping was a little rank with a rotten ketchup smell, which I had to air off for a couple days before I could even tolerate taste of it unlit in my pipe. I sampled this blend in pots, cobs, and pokers. It tasted and smoked pretty much the same regardless of how I rubbbed it or cut it, and regardless of pipe.
It wasn't too bad smoking it, except it did bite like hell occasionally. The nuttiness I expected didn't quite come through, and the sweetness was only occasionally present. It smoked nice and dry, and no bitterness was present. All in all, not bad but not great. For someone not crazy about burleys, and wanting a bland ordinary smoke, it would do. Orlik's Dark Kentucky is a much better burley/va blend for anyone really craving a strong burley. And, there are far too many inexpensive burley house blends at any number of tobacconists that would be just as good, good enough to not warrant dropping twelve or thirteen dollars on a tin of MacB's.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Jun 27, 2005 | Medium | Mild | Mild | Pleasant |
i just got a tin of this. tried for a couple of bowls throughout the day. as a retired cigar smoker, the taste is strange. but my family loves the pleasant smell. don't know how to tell, but i really don't like it at all. will pass the tin to my neighbours for test. back to dunhill london as usual.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Jun 12, 2005 | Strong | Very Mild | Extremely Mild (Flat) | Tolerable |
On the recomendation of a number of folks on ASP I purchased a tin of this tobacco in the hopes of finding a replacement for the no longer manufactured Edgeworth Sliced. Alas, this tobacco simply doesn't do it for me to put it gently. I tried it in various pipes ranging in size from roughly a group 1 Dr.Grabow to a group 4 Dunhill Billiard. In every case the nicotine was potent enough to turn my stomach. The flavor IMHO was extremely flat and boring. I could go on, but what's the point.
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