Mac Baren Navy Flake

Although a true and expertly manufactured and packaged flake, this one is burley based which is a change from my normal VA flakes. I also don't sense any rum topping that is common to many of the 'navy' flakes that I've tried. This blend is much milder that most VA 'navy flakes. It's probably my favorite MacBaren blend and I can smoke it all day without any bite. I don't rub it out but am still able to obtain an even pack and burn rate in various sized bowls. Perfect moisture content right from the tin that results if few relights. No overpowering casing but a uniform, sweet taste from start to finish. The aroma is liked by others so I often pick this blend when in company. Give it a try.

NOTE: This review is from 2005.

Hello from Music City USA everyone, and welcome to my first review here.

About 8 months into being a pipe smoker, I found myself getting weary of the usual shop-labeled Lane aromatics that well intentioned people guided me to as a newbie. Tobaccos that seemed rich and satisfying to me when I started out now seemed rather tasteless and bland. I knew what I liked (burley, Virginia, cavendish) and what I didn't (latakia, perique, Orientals). So, with the help of the Internet and a great many friends, I undertook to find some tobaccos of higher complexity and quality that would build upon the preferences and aversions I had developed. I discovered MacBaren tobaccos offered a plethora of tinned burley/VA/cavendish combinations and started sampling and comparing. While none of them sucked, Navy Flake definitely rose to the occasion in my search for a new daily standard.

For starters, and of major importance, Navy Flake is widely popular and readily available in most any worthy B&M or online retailer. The tobacco's presentation is very elegant and pleasing; nice, colorful flakes tinned face-up in a little gold foil envelope in an understated tin. The tin aroma is moderately sweet, but still 100% tobacco-ey, and my schnozz was unable to detect a casing of any kind. I pack the bowl looser than normal to avoid too many relights and/or too much puffing to keep lit. It lights up nicely on the first or second try, but be warned: THIS TOBACCO WILL BLISTER YOU if you do not take your time with it.

If I had to guess, I'd say Navy Flake is about 50% burley, 25% each VA and cavendish. This means that the very fine but typically unsophisticated, straight-ahead burley flavor is augmented by the 'oomph' of the added VA and complimented by the sweetness of the cavendish. This is perfect for me, as I simply love straight burleys, but not so much straight VAs or straight cavendish. This is 'burley with benefits' so to speak.....enough VA and cavendish for both to make a statement, but the burley definitely takes the lead here. Flavorful but not overpowering, it remains consistent from the top of the bowl to the bottom and leaves a dry, white-gray ash and little if any dottle. No goop left in the bowl, and no danger of leaving anything unpleasant in a pipe you may want to smoke something else in.

I smoke at least two 100g tins of this a month --- it is definitely my all day, everyday go-to tobacco, one that I've learned well enough that I use it to try out any new pipe acquisitions, and it's the tobacco that I reach for most often, when I'm in the mood for a relaxing, comfortable smoke with no surprises, just pure pleasure and contentment. Highly recommended!!!!

This tobacco was bought out of sheer curiosity as I have been smoking Marlin Flake of late and was keen to try another flake with a noticeable presence of Black Cavendish and the sweetness it brings, with a moderating effect on the tendency of Virginias to smoke hot. To be honest, there are some similarities here. The flakes are well cut and easy to rub out with a gorgeous aroma of honey and fruit and at perfect moisture. I am a little sad that in the UK we no longer get this and other Mac Baren offerings in a proper tin and wasted no time in moving it from the pouch into a screw top tin. I packed the second bowl a little looser than the first I smoked and I was rewarded with it lighting straight away with no need for repeated tamping. It burned very sedately for the type of tobacco and showed absolutely no tendency to bite or get hot in any way. The flavour was of natural tobacco with a good deal of very pleasant sweetness from the Virginia and Cavendish and it exuded an aroma of honey in the very fragrant room note and also in the taste. Strength is on the medium side and there is some nicotine towards the end of the bowl, but not an excessive amount. Flavour was nicely maintained all the way down with almost complete combustion to a fine powdery ash. The big surprise, and a pleasant one at that, was the amazingly good aftertaste and beard/moustache note. Whilst it is a good deal lighter than some smokes, I found it to offer a lot of honest enjoyment and it is very easy to smoke as an all day blend and one that I will be ordering again very soon. Just thinking about it makes me want to fill up and light, which is the greatest complement I can pay it. I want more !

Update....

Having smoked Navy Flake almost exclusively for a week, I found it to be my new absolute #1 favorite blend and was very sad to finish the pack. I tried to hold off ordering more so that I could smoke some other stuff in my modest cellar, but in the end I just couldn't resist placing an order for 3 more 50g pouches. This really IS a tobacco that I can't do without.

The tin note is absolutely intoxicating. Notes of fig, plum, honey and a mild maple? scent seem to blend nicely together. nice uniform flakes lay side by side in the tin which seems heavy for its size. Perfect moisture content right after cracking the tin, but I prefer to smoke these on the dry side, to the point they break and not bend when flexed. The flakes rub out with ease, and pack very well in the pipe. I also prefer to pack this blend tighter than normal, that allow for less relights and I don't have to puff as hard as I try to avoid tongue bite.

Initial lighting goes without a hitch. Not much of the casing transfers to the smoke, but you do get the sweetness of the Va and Cavendish. Nicotine level is fairly low, but I wasn't expecting it to be anything but. Of all the MacBaren blends I have smoked, this one bites the least, but it still bites. Room note is very pleasant, the wife even commented that she enjoyed it. Leaves a cool, clean and refreshing mouth feel.

If you haven't tried this Navy Flake, you probably should!

This is my first blend dubbed "Navy" flake.. and from the history of tobacco, I imagined something rough and strong like the winds and waves braved by the navies when this kind of tobacco was made for the sailors. And the conservative, white & red tin art confirmed my speculation, and as I started opening the golden wrapper of Mac Baren, my surprise started. It is nothing as I imagined. The first thing that hit me was the beautiful, fruity aroma that welcomed me. Tropical, warm and gay. I tried to detect what aroma is that, but failed. Then the flakes themselves are of a lovely light brown colour with strands of gold as if it's a lazy sunset on the beach. In typical Mac Baren fashion, the flakes are hot pressed, which marries the flavours and makes the flakes as fragile as a little baby. They are easy to break and rub out. easy to pack and a bit tricky to light. But once you do, you're off to the races. The first draw confirms the aroma with a taste, a lovely taste that hit me with a childhood memory. And right then I recalled what aroma is that. It is licorice. And despite everyone saying it's fruit and rum. But I could detect neither, It is licorice all along. Lovely, consistent and easy to smoke all day. It burns down cool and well. And leaves a bit of white ash and some moisture in the bowl. I suspect that some drying time will remedy this, but I had no issue with it. Definitely an excellent VaBur with some sweet Cavendish. Highly recommended

The first thing that you smell when opening a tin of NF is honey. Lots of it. Along with some fruity and rum notes. So if you don't particularly like the taste or smell of honey - beware. The flakes are very accurate shape. The tobacco in the flake is mostly light colored with some darker pieces. The tobacco seems to be dried out too much but that's deceptive. I think it has just the right amount of moisture so that you do not have to puff very hard to keep it lit and get tongue bite.

You can either fold the flake or rub it out. There will be some difference in the taste but not too much. When I go outside to smoke the pipe I usually fold the flake in the form of the letter Z and stuff it in the pipe. It smokes a bit cooler to prevent pipe burn out. When indoors I usually rub the flake out.

Lights and stays lit very easy. Very few relights needed. You need to sip this tobacco, because if smoking this too fast you definitely will get a tongue bite.

Primarily there is a taste of honey in the tobacco also grassy and lemony notes are present. Honey taste gets a bit weaker after you get past the third of the bowl. After two thirds of the bowl the nicotine level gets quite noticeable. I find this tobacco to be very tasty. Easily my favorite Mac Baren blend. It has a nice lasting aftertaste after the smoke.

The room note is noticeable but not unpleasant at all. I would go as far as to say that it is rather pleasant.

The tobacco smokes down to fine dry grey ash. I would recommend this to any pipe smoker as an all day smoke. I keep this in my rotation.

This mixture is heavily flavored, with honey and many other ingredients. There is casing and there is top dressing. When you open the tin you can perceive the honey. You have to smoke it very slowly if you want a decent puff. Otherwise the taste (the flavoring in your mouth) is very bad. Overall it is a mediocre mixture, not bad but of poor quality. I don’t think I’ll buy it again. In my personal rating (from 1 to 10) my score is 5 and two stars.

I really like this blend. I received a healthy portion of it in our PSF secret santa exchange. Probably a good 4 ounces. It is a lighter bodied VaBur with plenty of nuttiness and sweetness as is described by the contents listing. This could easily be an all day smoke.

I won't put this up to the four star range as there are other vaburs that are more along the line of mind blowing IMO such as Irish Flake, stonehaven or Dockworker. I think I would even put Mac Baren's own ODF and possibly BLB above this one, but it is good for what it is. I think the aforementioned blends have a bit more body than this and that is probably where my preference runs in this genre.

I wonder why mostly reviewer at here only gave 2 star rating to this good blend, according to my sef i will certainly give 4 star rating for this blend. First open the tin i can smell a good aroma of virginia and burley with a little bit hint from honey or rum. The flake sight is so good and beautiful, orange golden virginia mixed with dark brown untill black of burley, so soft so you can rub it easily. I dont found any trouble to pack it slightly into my pipe, the flake is good pressed and the moist is enought so when i rub it, the tobacco still in good shape. When i light it, i really enjoy the smell and taste of good va and burley, is so smooth and pleasant. Its not hard to keep the light, the tobacco's moist is very good so it burn well almost without gurgling. The smoke is great so i have almost 50 minutes joy with this blend at my LHS Purex straight apple pipe, Just a suggestion ; this blend is very good if enjoyed on straight pipe, i can directly taste the pleasant sweet and mellow of this tobacco.

Sure, i will buy it again and will keep some for aging.