Mac Baren Dark Twist Roll Cake

A third of the coins have the spicy, woody, earthy, mildly floral, nutty, dryly sour dark fired Kentucky, and some don't. Depending on how you rub out the coins or stack them, you can get a variety of flavors as you go down the bowl, or from bowl to bowl if you want that to happen. At times, I've stacked the coins so that every other coin has the Kentucky in it. Other times, I've rubbed it out and codger filled the bowl. Btw, this is the same kind of light and mostly dark, tart and tangy citrusy, tangy dark fruity, earthy, woody, lightly grassy, bready and honey-ish Virginias that I've noticed in some other MacBaren blends like Scottish Mixture, though DTRC blend is fuller in taste and less sweeter, and has a different flavor profile. The light maple topping doesn't tone down the varietals much at all. The strength is a couple of steps short of medium, while the taste is medium. The nic-hit is a couple of slots past the center of mild to medium. Won't bite, but fast puffing will get you a little tongue tingle. Sports a few rough edges. Burns cool, clean and a little slow, and requires some relights. Leaves little moisture in the bowl. The pleasant after taste does linger as does the slightly stronger room note. Needs to be sipped a little. I really recommend smoking this in a pipe with a wide bowl for the full experience of what this unique mixture is all about. Can be an all day smoke.

-JimInks

This is an aromatic, but a deep, dark and tasty one that employs plenty of fire cured Kentucky. No candy taste, but certainly a sweetened up Virginia that will be delightful if you smoke it slowly. I loved the presentation. The spun discs were fun to rub out and pack. It burned clean and dry to the bottom and left a friendly aftertaste on the palate.

The coins are the size of Three Nuns and not a larger one like Escudo or LBF. As the desciption says about 1/3 of the coins have a dark center presumably composed of cavendish and DFK. The cavendish may contribute to the sweet or the spice, but there is no vanilla in the tin note or the taste. The solid coins would appear to be yellow and red Virginia.

Smoked, this is a delightful, slightly heavy, sweet and spicy blend. The sweet may have a little honey flavor in there, but it has a fairly natural tobacco flavor. I tried smoking this as folded coins and rubbed out, and had equal sucess both ways. The folded coin may have had the edge in that you would get a blast of sweet/spicy/smoking when the coal would hit a dark center.

This was an easy smoke to keep at a smoulder, and this was the best way to get the most flavor. I got best results in a pot with a wide bowl. This one is easy to recommend. It is really a 3.5. It does not quite rise to the "everyone should try," but it is close.

Other reviewers have said it all, in fifty and more articles.

I have just concluded a 100grms tin of DT, smoking it as my everyday tobacco - like I do with other Va or VaB or VaPer flakes (read McB's Navy Flake, or Marlin Flake or Capstan, just to name few). It simply works fine for that.

DT is a mild to medium smoke, just a tad sweet and spicy (yes, I do think there's some Perique hidden in the famous "Modern Cavendish"), not so complex and very user friendly because of the shape of the discs, which I used to smoke as it is with no problems.

As for this last pipeful - a Parker medium black sandblasted chimney - no tongue bite at all and this is very noticeable for a McB.

I reconfirm DT just follows Navy Flake in the list of McB's worth to smoke on regular basis, and deserves the same three stars.

This is a tobacco that I remember back in the late 60s (im old) when i first started smoking pipes. It is still much the same...at least as far as I can remember. It is a classic medallion cut, a semi aromatic, but most of the flavor is really the quality leaves -- but the maple/brown sugar taste is certainly there throughout. It smokes cool and clean. And actually has a nice just a notch below medium nic hit. It is a great everyday smoke and one I smoke a good deal actually. Its not an elite five star sort of blend...but its a very very good mass produced smoke. Im a bit surprised at many negative reviews. I will say you have to smoke slow...like all the best macbaren blends. Macbaren is to pipe tobacco what Macanudo is to cigars. Or omega is to lux watches. But there is a place for this, and Im glad its still around.

Red Virginia twisted with some "specially spiced" black Cav. The whole thing looks very pretty in the 3½ ounce shoe-polish tin. The twist slices are like nickel-sized Three Nuns roundelets, not like half-dollar Escudo. As always with Baren, the presentation is unimpeachable.

Mac Baren is a bit like Jane Austen: their range runs the gamut from A to B, but within it, they are high artists. I personally have no interest in Cavendish-and-Burley milketoast, yet their Virginia use can be interesting. For one thing, it will teach you to smoke slowly! Also, this brand can be useful to know if you get stuck in Fly-over Land: Mac is the only quality baccy you're likely to encounter in mall-type territory.

I can't tell you anything about the "special" spicing: I wish they had used plain, lovely Périque; the Cav does tickle the tender old glotis after a bit, and together with the sweet Virginia works itself up to a fine, darkish climax?well, café-au-lait, anyway: pretty intense for Mac Baren! But for this, you must get the pipe smoldering slowly and steadily; over-puff this baby, and it will SKIN your kisser. (I am thinking in French, you understand.)

So this is probably the best Mac Baren I have ever tried, an interesting morning apéritif for the Classic smoker, and a self-recommending treat for the aromatic fancier.

Mac Baren Dark Twist is a beautifully made roll cake that delights the eye. On the tongue, it is mild and sweet with just a hint of Virginia snap. Unless I rub it out thoroughly, I find it hard to keep this tobacco lit, but otherwise it is an easy smoker, one that you could easily smoke all morning.

NB: If you do smoke this tobacco all morning, as I have the last few mornings, you may find your tongue rather scorched by lunchtime. No matter how easily and slowly I smoke this stuff, if I smoke more than one bowl, I always wind up regretting it. For that reason, this tobacco, despite its many fine features, will never be more than occasional indulgence for me. I also find Dark Twist's mildness becomes a bit monotonous in repeated doses. All that said, this is my favorite Mac Baren Virginia, and not a bad one, at least one bowl at a time.

This is a rather spicy and very tasty tobacco. Very distinctive smell and taste.

However what I found really interesting about this tobacco is, how you load it into the pipe, makes a huge difference on whether you will like or hate this tobacco.

First bowl I loaded is like every bowl else. I got the rolls in my hand, rubbed it just a little, and loaded the pipe in three phases. That is how I usually do. And the result...The tobacco got so hot while puffing smoking became a torture and I could not finish the bowl...

Second time, I loaded it like this : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0XHYPso7TXs without rubbing the tobacco at all. Then it became a delight.

The best MB and one of the best tobaccos I have ever smoked. Not a flavor bomb, but a subtle, intoxicating smoke... molasses sweetness balancing citrus virginias.... and the room note is perfectly pleasant.

As with all Mac, you must dry it and smoke slow.

I've been smoking the pipe for more than 40 years and I'm always on the lookout for tobaccos from yesteryear. DTRC is one of those tobaccos which reminds me of the nice, strong baccy I used to smoke while I was a youngster. Sweet with a tad of spice, easy to light and keep going, strong enough to satisfy completely. I do agree it's not an all day smoke 'cause it can rub up your tongue the wrong way. Not because it's a MacBite but due to it's strong, full body taste. I've got 5kg of DTRC in the cellar and keep on adding monthly. Don't ever want to be without it