Mac Baren Plumcake

Plum Cake had been on my "to-try" list as I really enjoy Rum and have been working my through some Navy Flakes and Mixtures.

I received a small bag of Plum Cake in my TinSociety box as one of the "Aromatics". Like others have mentioned this is NOT one of the "over-the-top" aromatics (which I do enjoy from time to time).

my sample was quite dry by the time I tried it, so I'm not sure what the normal moisture level is from a new tin. I loaded up one of my Canadians and sipped based on the warnings of tongue bite.

I got the taste of a good English with some good smokiness from the Syrian Latakia complimented with a nice Rum topnote. I could see this joining Pembroke and Bagpipers Dream in my "Boozy" rotation easily.

It smoked without a relight and no trouble at all. No goop at the end. A winner

I finally got off the fence and bought some PC, and I'm in no way disappointed. I was glad to see this one classified as an English rather than an aromatic. The topping is easily noticeable, but it's used so sparingly this couldn't possibly be an aromatic. Strangely, I don't really get the rum, but I definitely get the delicious, roundly fruity plum. This must be the most unique topped blend I have had since trying Stanwell Kir & Apple.

What I find most interesting is how well this particular flavoring works with the component tobacco, and also imparts a nice fruity flavor without any of that cloying sweetness. In fact, I find that what little sweetness is there is imparted mostly by the virginias. The burleys are not as noticeable but provide some alkaline body to the blend that staves off bitiness. And it does wanna bite when pushed hard. Sipped, however, smooth as mother's butter. The latakia is just barely there, lending it's usual smokey character that pairs superbly with the plum.

This stuff is a natural hit for me. And I wonder now why I waited so long to try? PC will join my Mac Baren HH flakes in permanent rotation. I can imagine this will be a refreshing summertime smoke. Nicely done again MB!

One of my favorites from MacBaren. I don't get any bite from this, or any of their blends for that matter, but if you're a girly man, maybe you should steer clear. If you enjoy light/medium English mixtures, or if you're an experienced English smoker who wants a change of pace, give this a go, especially with a dram.

It's lightly sweet, and the core tobaccos shine through, although the proportion of Latakia is condimental -- more of a tease, actually. It delivers a pleasant dose of nicotine, which is a bonus.

This is a great crossover blend with enough complexity to please the experienced piper. Lots of bright leaf in this.

The topping is what you find in most European blends to ensure consistency across tobacco batches, but perhaps a touch more forward leaning.

I am really enjoying MacBaren's blends in this stage of my tobacco journey. My only regret is not trying them sooner. Their HH products are fantastic, their American aromatics are top shelf, and their Danish blends are delicious. Don't heed the negative reviews. Try and judge for yourself, if you know how to smoke a pipe properly. If you're a noobie and can't handle it, try vaping instead. I can't imagine a pipe smoker who wouldn't like this.

GREAT tin note. Some complex flavors throughout the smoke. A bit of bite if not taken slowly, as others have noted. But, worth the "effort". I use filtered pipes for this and several other MB tobaccos. Definitely one of the most satisfying blends I have tried. Kind of an "in-between" blend that has some Latakia, some Virginias, and a definite top-note of rum. A semi-aromatic for English or Balkan lovers, but also an English Blend for aromatic smokers.

A favorite, for sure. I keep this in my rotation. Never disappoints.

Smoking this after about 5 years tucked away in a sealed mason jar. I do not taste any sweetness or flavorings. The latakia comes through but not overpowering. I find it smokes cool and much better when smoked slowly, even to the end, and the room note is very pleasant as noted by others.

Just finished a tin of Plumcake. This tobacco is an aromatic with a touch of Latakia added. Upon opening the tin I am greeted with the aroma which reminds me very much of blueberries. Various grades of brown leaf - from very light to black - in the tin. The cut is your standard ribbon cut with a few broken flakes present.

The tobacco is a bit too moist to smoke fresh out of the tin. I let it dry for half an hour before packing it in the pipe. Packing is very easy as one can expect from this style of cut. Lights easily and keeps going without too much relights.

There is a bit of sweetness from Virginias and Burleys and a little bit of smokiness in the taste which I guess is from Latakia. You have to smoke this blend very slowly, just taking slow sips, otherwise the taste is pretty harsh and you will burn your tongue. I tried smoking it with and without filter and in different pipes. The best smoking experience I get is when I'm smoking it in Peterson pipe with P-lip stem. The smoke is cooler, more flavorful and doesn't burn the tongue. The casing is very subtle, so it doesn't obstruct natural tobacco flavor.

Smokes down to nice grey ash. I would say that the room note is rather pleasant. Would not recommend this tobacco for a novice pipe smoker without experience. Not because it is too strong but because it must be smoked very carefully.

Plum cake is a tobacco that I always return to. As the weather cools I begin my fall ritual for this awesome smoke. I like to take 5 tins from my stash and transfer them to jar. I leave them open until I can smell up the entire room. Then and only then I know it it ready. I close the jar up and in a week it becomes the perfect smoke. I pack lightly and give it room to breath. The first pinch is the hardest to resist packing. Once full it lights so easy. I smoke very slowly and enjoy the smell and taste. I would never speed the process here. Save fast puffing for the younger smokers. Lol.

Plumcake was something I was scared to even try. The dreaded bite from this blend kept it hidden in my cellar until just a couple weeks ago. I finally summoned the courage to give it a shot, and was pleasantly surprised by the blend. Tin note, room note, taste, all amazing. Even my wife signed off on the room note. The bite is there however. Plumcake is a blend you must be ever mindful of or it can quickly bite you in the butt. My tongue has made it through a few bowls in great shape thanks to letting the tobacco dry out a bit and mindful puffing. Pairs with: Family Vacations, fishing trips, autumn mornings

Plumcake is not a typical aromatic at all.

This is one of my favorite MacBaren blends. When you open up the tin, you are hit with that smell of plum, rum and then the smell of some spicy latakia underneath. Very interesting smell. The plum and rum flavors don't overpower so much as compliment the virginia and burley combination. It's a completely different kind of tobacco than I've ever smoked, not quite aromatic, not quite an English blend.

The flavor when it is smoked its more latakia and less rum. The rum, to me, adds more to the room note and not to the overall taste. Mind you, there is a rum flavor. The first 1/3 to half of the bowl was like that, a good steady English. Slightly sweet Virginia and spicy Cavendish, however mellowed by the present Burley. The aromatic comes out about half way through the bowl.

Many people consider this an aromatic, but with the latakia, it taste more like an English with some rum added (which works well together) than an overly cased rum aromatic. Definitely worth trying if you love aromatics, rum, English or latakia.

Overall I'd have to say this is a great smoke for someone looking for a very light aromatic.