Mac Baren Plumcake
(2.88)
A mixture of fully ripe Virginia tobaccos, sliced, cask mellowed burley tobaccos, dark spicy cavendish and just a touch of latakia. To give Plumcake an elegant aroma, the blend has been flavoured with aged Jamaica rum.
NEW TIN DESCRIPTION: Plumcake brings the thoughts back to old times, when the sailors onboard the sailing ships filled their pipe with good, satisfying tobacco and having the scent of tar and saltwater all around them. Bright Virginia tobaccos mixed with burley, a little original Mac Baren cavendish and just a touch of [Cyprian] latakia. On top of this masterly made blend original Jamaica Rum has been added to fulfill the impression. This blend is full bodied and rich, giving you the taste nuances of natural sweetness added with a slight taste of smoke, latakia and the distinctive aroma of sailor rum.
Notes: Introduced in 1957.
As of 01/30/2019, according to Per Georg Jensen of Mac Baren it has "Latakia from Cyprus, it is many years since the Latakia from Syria were used.".
Details
| Brand | Mac Baren |
| Blended By | Harald Halberg |
| Manufactured By | Mac Baren |
| Blend Type | Aromatic |
| Contents | Black Cavendish, Burley, Latakia, Virginia |
| Flavoring | Rum |
| Cut | Ribbon |
| Packaging | 100 grams tin, 50 grams pouch, 16 ounce bag |
| Country | Denmark |
| Production | Currently available |
Profile
Strength
Mild to Medium
Extremely Mild -> Overwhelming
Flavoring
Mild to Medium
None Detected -> Extra Strong
Room Note
Pleasant
Unnoticeable -> Overwhelming
Taste
Medium
Extremely Mild (Flat) -> Overwhelming
Average Rating
|
2.88 / 4
|
Reviews
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Displaying 51 - 60 of 297 Reviews
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Dec 29, 2008 | Medium | Medium | Medium | Pleasant |
This tobacco is a very pleasant surprise to me. I have tried several of Mac Baren?s offerings and I hadn?t previously found anything I particularly liked, with the exception of Dark Twist Roll Cake . I don?t typically smoke aromatics, though certain SG and G&H Lakeland scented varieties score high points with me. I smoke Haddo?s Delight by GL Pease, Luxury Twist Flake by Peter Stokkebye and Benjamin Hartwell?s Evening Stroll, Plumcake will add another to my line up.
Appearance: This blend has a beautiful presentation, being comprised predominately red and golden Virginias, and with darker spiced dark Cavendish. Nearly uniform in cut this tobacco is a fine ribbon variety
Tin aroma: This is a complex mixture of matured Virginias and spiced Cavendish and Rum. There are deep molasses tones a slight sour tang one expects in Virginias some slight spicy tones and a deeper fig-like aroma. There is a slightly nutty quality as well. I detect a sweetness and I?m often tempted to take a small bit and chew it, it smells that good!
This tobacco is nearly perfect in moisture straight out of the tin. Lighting is usually a one match affair, and generally stays lit throughout the entire bowl, unless I let the pipe go out. As expected, the initial flavor is very spicy and sweet though not overly so on either count. There are distinctly citrus notes of the Virginias and a deep harmonious flavor of well mannered Cavendish. The ?spice? quickly yields it?s dominance to a nice throaty Virginia/Cavendish with hints of dark Rum medley which continues to build throughout the bowl.
Mid Bowl: Approaching mid-bowl, the fullness tends to build and the flavors mix and match very nicely. While this blend is not very complex, it is however plenty interesting in character. There are subtle changes here and there as each component asserts dominance from time to time. The ?spice? is always ?just there? the Virginias and Cavendish engage in a friendly competition and the Rum just continues to drone on and on. While not particularly strong in nicotine, there is plenty of flavor and body to this mixture.
Home Stretch: As end of the bowl approaches, the strength of this mixture has built to a fine mélange of flavors and fullness. Though many other reviews mentioned tongue-bite, I have not experienced any. This is a very well behaved tobacco of fine quality. Knowing that it is mainly Virginias is all the information I need to know how to smoke it. I tend to ?sip it? slowly and thereby enjoy the deepening flavors without any trouble with heat or sourness that can result from over-puffing a Virginia mixture.
The ONLY drawback is that something about this blend tends to plaster my palate. I often reserve it for late in the evening; because I?m rarely able to ?cleanse my palate? enough to really taste anything else.
This tobacco blend has earned a place in my occasional rotation, mainly for holidays and when non-smokers are about.
Supplemental Notes: My personal recommendation is that several pipes be reserved for this mixture as the spice tends to ?color? the bowl rather rapidly and might not mix well with other mixtures. Rating for those interested in numbers ***
Appearance: This blend has a beautiful presentation, being comprised predominately red and golden Virginias, and with darker spiced dark Cavendish. Nearly uniform in cut this tobacco is a fine ribbon variety
Tin aroma: This is a complex mixture of matured Virginias and spiced Cavendish and Rum. There are deep molasses tones a slight sour tang one expects in Virginias some slight spicy tones and a deeper fig-like aroma. There is a slightly nutty quality as well. I detect a sweetness and I?m often tempted to take a small bit and chew it, it smells that good!
This tobacco is nearly perfect in moisture straight out of the tin. Lighting is usually a one match affair, and generally stays lit throughout the entire bowl, unless I let the pipe go out. As expected, the initial flavor is very spicy and sweet though not overly so on either count. There are distinctly citrus notes of the Virginias and a deep harmonious flavor of well mannered Cavendish. The ?spice? quickly yields it?s dominance to a nice throaty Virginia/Cavendish with hints of dark Rum medley which continues to build throughout the bowl.
Mid Bowl: Approaching mid-bowl, the fullness tends to build and the flavors mix and match very nicely. While this blend is not very complex, it is however plenty interesting in character. There are subtle changes here and there as each component asserts dominance from time to time. The ?spice? is always ?just there? the Virginias and Cavendish engage in a friendly competition and the Rum just continues to drone on and on. While not particularly strong in nicotine, there is plenty of flavor and body to this mixture.
Home Stretch: As end of the bowl approaches, the strength of this mixture has built to a fine mélange of flavors and fullness. Though many other reviews mentioned tongue-bite, I have not experienced any. This is a very well behaved tobacco of fine quality. Knowing that it is mainly Virginias is all the information I need to know how to smoke it. I tend to ?sip it? slowly and thereby enjoy the deepening flavors without any trouble with heat or sourness that can result from over-puffing a Virginia mixture.
The ONLY drawback is that something about this blend tends to plaster my palate. I often reserve it for late in the evening; because I?m rarely able to ?cleanse my palate? enough to really taste anything else.
This tobacco blend has earned a place in my occasional rotation, mainly for holidays and when non-smokers are about.
Supplemental Notes: My personal recommendation is that several pipes be reserved for this mixture as the spice tends to ?color? the bowl rather rapidly and might not mix well with other mixtures. Rating for those interested in numbers ***
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Dec 09, 2008 | Medium | Mild | Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
I'll start by saying that this blend is number 1 in my rotation. As a fan of mainly aromatics, this is a blend that can be enjoyed by English smokers as well. The flavor is always perfect, with a light fruit and smoky taste. The fruit is somewhat of a dried plum flavor, but it does not, and i repeat, DOES NOT overtake the remarkable flavor. I have read some posts on this site of horrible tongue bite with this one, but if you puff slowly and savor it, it will always deliver. I cant understand why anyone would want to rush this! This is quality, and perfect blending at its finest. It reminds me of every reason i started pipe smoking! Pick up a tin of this, if you enjoy a nice flavorful aromatic, but also enjoy a little spice and pepper, thats not to rough on the palate. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 02, 2006 | Extremely Mild | Mild | Extremely Mild (Flat) | Pleasant |
Q: What's good for tongue bite?
A: A bowl of Mac Baren Plumcake!
And if latakia wasn't mentioned in the description above I'd have never guessed it was in this torcher.
This is one of those Mac B flame-thrower blends. Boy, it sounds good and even smells good in the tin. Even with the "plug/stop" method of taking a wad of tobacco out of the tin and jamming it into the bowl of a small pipe doesn't keep this from producing copious amounts of steam.
To each his own, I suppose. Variety makes the world go 'round.
A: A bowl of Mac Baren Plumcake!
And if latakia wasn't mentioned in the description above I'd have never guessed it was in this torcher.
This is one of those Mac B flame-thrower blends. Boy, it sounds good and even smells good in the tin. Even with the "plug/stop" method of taking a wad of tobacco out of the tin and jamming it into the bowl of a small pipe doesn't keep this from producing copious amounts of steam.
To each his own, I suppose. Variety makes the world go 'round.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Dec 08, 2003 | Medium to Strong | Mild | Medium | Tolerable to Strong |
This is one of my staple tobaccos. It is easily packed, and bruns dry and cool. THis is a great tobacco for those wishing to depart from heavily cased blends. This is a Navy blend meaning that it does have a touch of rum in it. I think this helps quite a bit with the room note. It burns to a fine white ash, and is one of my favorites for a new pipe, as it helps build a quick but hard cake. This is a sweet tobacco, and does great with aging. I have had several tins for over a year, and the sweetness, and honey-like characteristics become even more noticeable after time. This is also a relatively easy blend to find in most tobacco shops. I highly recomend this to all.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 18, 2022 | Medium | Mild to Medium | Mild to Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
I live by a working shipyard in New England, so I liked the tin description of this blend bringing "memories of the old days when sailors on their sailing ships stuffed a pipe with a good tobacco and enjoyed the smell of nicotine and salt water." For me, it brings to mind the image of a tarry sailor. It tastes like burnt plumb and tar, which, while not at all sweet, is a pleasant smoke. Especially when I am on a fishing trawler in Gloucester Harbour. Not a traditional aromatic by any means, but a good smoke for a day at sea.
Pipe Used:
Vermont Freehand Billiard
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 10, 2022 | Medium | Mild | Medium | Pleasant |
I put this English bled on my go too list of tobaccos because 1. the available, 2. Overall quality of the tobacco and 3. the subtlety of the Latakia. It’s not a Latakia bomb , but it’s there as a condiment…..I’ve read many reviews that refer to MacBaren products as “MacBurn” and this is one of the coolest smoking tobaccos that I’ve smoked. It burns really well with few relights required, leaving no moisture in the bowl. Definitely an all day smoke for intermediate to seasoned smokers and I remember liking this as a beginner, so I think other beginners would agree. This is an unpretentious blend with no gimmicks. The rum topping is mild so as not to cause palate fatigue which I get from other aromatics that put overplayed doses of rum, vanilla, chocolate, bourbon or what have you in the mix. I like the taste of tobacco and that’s what ya get with Plum Cake….. I got hold of some Limited Edition, MacBaren Crumble Cake and sprinkled some on top of the Plum Cake and came up with a very good Balkan blend. This is a very good base to blend other tobacco with as the availability of some blends are very limited these days. One of the things I like about MacBaren products ( I don’t like all of their blends) is the amount of their different styles and MacBaren seems to be more readily available where I live. So, don’t shy away from a certain blender because of a few bad reviews .
PurchasedFrom:
Carolina Tobacco Emporium in Manchester Ct
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 28, 2022 | Medium to Strong | Extremely Mild | Medium to Full | Tolerable to Strong |
an old standard blend. Being a former sailor, it has a place in my heart. this blend has been around a long time. First there is no plum in plum tobacco. there is some rum to give it that taste. a very good solid blend best enjoyed packed a little loose and sipped on. the tobaccos all marry well with each other given some time in the tin. I always have two tins on hand and let sit for a year before cracking open. might take a seasoned smoker to really enjoy this blend. hit it hard and it can hit back. this blend has been around and enjoyed around the world for a long time. a true classic worth trying. I may have 60 different tins and five different one pond jars to enjoy of various blend. i am partial to Balkan/English blends but have a variety cause variety is the spice of life. this one will always be close to me, both figurative and literally.
PurchasedFrom:
tobacco pipes and smoking pipes
Age When Smoked:
over a year
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 06, 2022 | Medium | Very Mild | Medium | Tolerable |
I find this tobacco bewildering. It is not an aromatic and not a latakia mixture either. It is tasty, with layers of flavors developing throughout the bowl. I've smoked it occasionally over the years, oftentimes in summer cool evenings and during autumn. You need to go your way up the pipe smoking steep learning curve months or perhaps years to judge it fairly as it is actually a very good tobacco. Burns relatively slow to white ash and leaves a pleasant after taste on the palate.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 13, 2022 | Medium | Very Mild | Mild | Pleasant |
MacBarren’s Plum Cake is a very mild plum flavor with just a whisper of Latakia. The plum flavor is so mild that I really only catch it on the retro-hale, and the whisper of Latakia makes it special. As a matter of fact it’s somewhat similar to Esoterica’s And So To Bed.
The plum is not as sweet or bold as say a vanilla or a cherry flavored tobacco. I would consider Plum Cake more of a contemplative tobacco rather than a dessert tobacco.
There’s not a lot of plum flavored tobaccos out there that I’m aware of. For me Esoterica's And So To Bed seems to be the only one that comes to mind with regard to a similar kind of flavor. If I were to compare Plum Cake with And So to Bed I would have to say that the tin note for Plum Cake is very pleasant whereas And So To Bed has a somewhat rancid tin note. In favor of And so To Bed, I would say the smoking experience is a tad bit smoother than Plum Cake. However, the differences are minimal and almost insignificant. The similarities out weigh the differences.
If you like And So To Bed, and you get a yen for it, I would say Plum Cake just might scratch that itch.
The plum is not as sweet or bold as say a vanilla or a cherry flavored tobacco. I would consider Plum Cake more of a contemplative tobacco rather than a dessert tobacco.
There’s not a lot of plum flavored tobaccos out there that I’m aware of. For me Esoterica's And So To Bed seems to be the only one that comes to mind with regard to a similar kind of flavor. If I were to compare Plum Cake with And So to Bed I would have to say that the tin note for Plum Cake is very pleasant whereas And So To Bed has a somewhat rancid tin note. In favor of And so To Bed, I would say the smoking experience is a tad bit smoother than Plum Cake. However, the differences are minimal and almost insignificant. The similarities out weigh the differences.
If you like And So To Bed, and you get a yen for it, I would say Plum Cake just might scratch that itch.
Age When Smoked:
Fresh
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 27, 2021 | Medium | Mild to Medium | Medium | Tolerable |
Summary: a light English, this low-Latakia blend shows off its Virginia base with a rich earthy flavor.
Aleister Crowley used to soak his Latakia and Perique in rum because this takes away some of the extremes of powerful leaf. Mac Baren describes "Plumcake" as a "Navy Blend," and this holds true in its composition: comprised essentially of Virginias, cooled down by Burley and softened by Mac Baren's famous "natural Cavendish" which is steamed tobacco without added sugars, with some flavor from the rum-soaked Latakia providing more of an earthy, smoky undertone than the burning herbal incense effect of heavy doses. This produces an easy-burning, mild blend in which the Virginias can show off their natural flavor without burning too hot or biting, tamed by the Latakia and broadened by the Burley. You stick this stuff in the pipe, where it is damp enough to cling together and need no compression, then light it and you will have a very pleasant flavor not unlike toasted sourdought bread: a slight smokiness to the outside, then a sweet core, with a slightly sour and nutty grain flavor around it. It burns down completely and, at the heavier end of medium strength, can keep your interest as an experienced smoker without wearing you down over the course of the day. I am glad this comes in 100g tins but I don't think they'll last much longer than the usual 50g ones do.
Aleister Crowley used to soak his Latakia and Perique in rum because this takes away some of the extremes of powerful leaf. Mac Baren describes "Plumcake" as a "Navy Blend," and this holds true in its composition: comprised essentially of Virginias, cooled down by Burley and softened by Mac Baren's famous "natural Cavendish" which is steamed tobacco without added sugars, with some flavor from the rum-soaked Latakia providing more of an earthy, smoky undertone than the burning herbal incense effect of heavy doses. This produces an easy-burning, mild blend in which the Virginias can show off their natural flavor without burning too hot or biting, tamed by the Latakia and broadened by the Burley. You stick this stuff in the pipe, where it is damp enough to cling together and need no compression, then light it and you will have a very pleasant flavor not unlike toasted sourdought bread: a slight smokiness to the outside, then a sweet core, with a slightly sour and nutty grain flavor around it. It burns down completely and, at the heavier end of medium strength, can keep your interest as an experienced smoker without wearing you down over the course of the day. I am glad this comes in 100g tins but I don't think they'll last much longer than the usual 50g ones do.
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