Mac Baren Golden Blend

Definately not a bad smoke, but at the same time this one just didn't do much for me. It burns very nicely and doesn't bite. The flavor isn't bad, but it is very one dimensional. That isn't always a bad thing, however I personally got bored with it. The room note is pleasant during and after the smoke but it is one of those blends where is isn't so nice the next day. Like I said, not bad but just didn't do it for me, worth a try though.

I am very much a burley lover so when I received this tin I could not wait to dig in and try a bowl. I packed it lightly into a large pot that I just smoke burleys in. The tobacco smelled sweet and natural upon opening the tin. It is ready rubbed and looks liked it was a slice upon manufactuer and then rubbed out. Reminded me of what Amphora Brown used to look like and feel. It lit very well on first light and I settled in with it as it's a slow burning tobacco and was very mild and tasty. I never had to light it again and it vurned down to a grey and white ash. It had the flavor a a nutty burley but no harshness or bite at all. Very enjoyable and burned all the way to the bottom without changing it's charactor. Only when I got almost to the bottom did it get stronger but was never harsh. I like this alot and will smoke all ot with pleasure and I do see buying more of this.

I received two ounces of this from my favorite online 'baccy dealer and thought it would be a good stop in my search for a decent burley. It had a solid tobacco smell in the pouch with a hint of honey sweetness. It was very inviting to my senses and I couldn't wait to load up a straight apple and get a match to it.

As soon as I put match to tobacco my tongue was struck like a cobra waiting for me in the elephant grass on safari. I can't recall having ever been bitten so hard! I'm usually a virigina and VAPER smoker and haven't had any problems with tobaccos that traditionally bite if puffed too hard like Hal 'O the Wynd. I use the Frank method for packing my pipe and never puff too hard. A slow, gentle draw now and then keeps every other tobacco I've ever tried from biting. I don't know if it's the casing, the humidity (the tobacco felt on the dry side actually) or the humectant.

In any case this is a tobacco I cannot recommend. No burley should bite this hard. Heck, I can't even think of a virginia that has ever bitten this hard. If by some strange miracle the bite goes away then I will revise my review. Even with the bite I could tell there was some flavor there along with a sweet grassiness usually associated with virginias. It's just hard to taste it when your taste buds are scorched.

This tabac has a really great taste similar IMHO to Old Gowrie, I cant recommend this because my conscience wont allow it. It burns so hot that it has blistered one of my pipes, it burns hot even with careful puffing and goes off all on its own. Too bad tho, it tastes really good and the price is right, just goes to show that you cant buy a Mercedes with bmw money.20/09/2007 Update and upgrade. Please refer to my review on Golden Blend

I just recently obtained a sealed 7 ounce tin of this blend on Ebay that is around 30 years old. I was excited, thinking maybe, just maybe, the older incarnation, with age, will be much better than the current. It smelled absolutely wonderful upon opening the tin, a nice grassy aroma. Sugar crystals on the tobacco from aging made me hold out hope. I then packed a vintage Kaywoodie Prime Grain Billiard, and lit up. Boy, what a disappointment!! The old incarnation, like the present, bites like a rabid dog, and no matter how gently I puffed, the tobacco heated up the bowl to the point that I had to hold it by the shank! Great flavor and room note, but the roof of my mouth and my tongue need skin grafts!! It is a shame, but they don't jokingly call it MacBlowtorch for nothing! On the upside, I only paid $10 for the tin, and it is a nice looking tin! Maybe I will put it on display with some other vintage tins I have.

Okay, I hate doing this, but I have to come back and rewrite my review. After letting this tobacco set for about a week, until the funny topnote has nearly disappeared from the tin, it is smokable. I am beginning to believe that either the humectorant or the topping that MacBaren uses is what causes the notorious blowtorch tongue. And, once aired off, the tobacco produces much less bite.

The first few times I tried to smoke this, I just couldn't pick up any flavor due to the overwhelming taste of the topping, and the tongue bite. Underneath the topping it tasted rather carboard-ish rather than nutty or chocolatey. Now I can definitely pick up a nice chocolate note, and a mellow sweetness running underneath the burley flavor. It still lacked the "creamy" feel to the palate that I'm accustomed to with burleys.

I am still suspicious of this tobacco, as it did tend to want to take off and burn all on its own. So it had to be very carefully nursed along. Smoking it required a lot of work, but there was a reward at the end. I'm just not yet sure if the monochromatic flavor is worth the extra effort one has to put forth with this blend. Were it but less work, or more taste, I think it would rate two and a half to three stars. As it is, two stars for burley smokers (if you love virginias, just go ahead and forget about this stuff).

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Flat and flavorless; bites really bad really easily; absolutely no "note of chocolate" as good burleys are supposed to have. I think I will change my handle to 'I hate MacBaren'.

Golden [extra] blend is one of the best burley blends on the planet!Again,you guys that smoke heavy latakia stuff won't like this.For the rest of us who like burley .... wow !

Much better than the Virginia No.1, probably due to the burley in the blend. I tried this in a sampler format, and while it's more of the same honey/heathery MacBaren, it's a bit toastier & cooler. Rubbed out into long strands, it packs & behaves well. Again, so far, at least, Mixture Scottish Blend is MacBaren's representative work of art, though I hear Dark Twist is a worthy contender. The rest of their offerings, including Golden Extra smells & tastes too much like everything else they make: honey, toasty caramel & hints of chocolate. It's strange that McClelland & Cornell & Diehl have their characteristic signatures, yet each of their blends has measurable variety & contrast. Such is not the case with MacBaren, which is all basically the same thing amped up or down a notch or two.

Two of five stars

-Hot, tongue bite (well surprise, surprise) -Too mild for me, lacking flavor and aroma is insipid. -Good price for amt. of baccy. -Packs well and burns ok but only after 12 hours of drying time...and not enough volume of smoke...its more like steam since it burns so hot.

If you like a light aromatic which will test your patience re: pacing yourself and is a step up from many of the drug store fodder....give this a try...otherwise not for me.

My last MB foray will be the Burley London blend....should be here soon..I'll let you all know what I think.