Mac Baren Roll Cake

(2.72)
A deluxe roll cake tobacco blended from spun, ripe Virginia, burley tobaccos and cavendish. A unique composition. Mild to medium strength.
Notes: Introduced in 1990. Formerly called Royal Twist.

Details

Brand Mac Baren
Blended By Mac Baren
Manufactured By Mac Baren
Blend Type Virginia/Burley
Contents Burley, Cavendish, Virginia
Flavoring
Cut Curly Cut
Packaging 50 grams tin
Country Denmark
Production Currently available

Profile

Strength
Mild to Medium
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Extremely Mild -> Overwhelming
Flavoring
Very Mild
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
None Detected -> Extra Strong
Room Note
Pleasant
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Unnoticeable -> Overwhelming
Taste
Mild to Medium
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Extremely Mild (Flat) -> Overwhelming

Average Rating

2.72 / 4
12

35

21

6

Reviews

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Displaying 1 - 10 of 74 Reviews
Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Nov 06, 2013 Medium Very Mild Medium Pleasant to Tolerable
One of the spicier MacBaren products on the market, with a very light honey topping. The spice comes from a generous helping of fire-cured black cavendish which imparts a very slight vanilla flavor, too, though the latter aspect is not noticeable in every puff, and when you do taste it, it's as soft as a lover's whisper. The tart and tangy citrus, bread, sugar, grass, vegetation, light floralness, honey, and spice comes from from the gold Virginia. It acts more as a base for the black cavendish to play off. The burleys are minor players here, but they add a very mild earthy, woody, nutty sweet tone. This blend has some of the creaminess noted in MacBaren's Scottish Mixture with a lot more spice, and a bit less complexity. The strength, nic-hit and taste levels are medium. Won’t bite or get harsh, but it does have some roughness. Burns clean, fairly cool and a tad slow with a very consistent sweet and spicy flavor that translates to the pleasantly lingering after taste. The room note is a slot stronger. Leaves little moisture in the bowl, and requires some relights. Can be an all day smoke. Three and a half stars. I consider this to be a real sipping blend due to the spice content, so puff moderately.

-JimInks
40 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Aug 26, 2014 Medium Medium Medium Pleasant to Tolerable
Roll Cake presents as tiny, delicate, loose coins with a range of colors from specks of blonde to thicker, darker browns - visualize a 50% scaled down version of Luxury Bullseye Flake. Tin notes of hay, fig, date, molasses, and dark chocolate.

The charring light brings a nice, sweet cocoa to the forefront. But it's quickly swept away by the more dominant molasses flavor. By mid bowl the molasses shares center stage with stewed fruit flavors of fig and date with the dark chocolate and lighter Burley cocoa notes present, but further in the background. By the final third that consistent molasses note persists. Overall, the blend is consistent throughout the smoke, and a treat for lovers of this flavor profile.

A note on tongue bite: As with many Mac Baren blends, this one can burn hot if not smoked carefully. With a consistent cadence and gentle sips, this blend produces gorgeous molassed flavors with notes of stewed fruit and chocolate. But pushing this blend is punishment on the tongue, and I would not recommend it for a newer smoker. Tobacco blends that require this much care are easily dismissed given the wide range of wonderful blends available today. However, that would be a mistake. In the case of Roll Cake, the flavors are so delicious that it's worth the patience and practice needed to smoke this blend successfully. In my humble opinion, this is a tasty blend that's worth the care needed derive the flavor.

In short, do not fear the Roll Cake. But approach it with caution. The patient smoker will be well rewarded.
Pipe Used: briars and cobs
Age When Smoked: 3.5 years
23 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Feb 06, 2014 Mild to Medium None Detected Medium Pleasant
Mac Baren - Roll cake.

The rolls themselves are of fine construction and a good moisture level to fill with. They are similar to the Dark Twist Rolls in aroma as well.

The initial light is very easy and stays lit nicely too. The smoke has a leading Virginia flavour, but the Cavendish is easily detectable in it also. I get a little bite from it but the flavor more than compensates for that.

Nicotine: mild to medium. Room-note: pleasant.

Four stars.
Pipe Used: Falcon
PurchasedFrom: Smoke King
Age When Smoked: New
14 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Jul 22, 2014 Mild Very Mild Medium to Full Pleasant to Tolerable
Apparently, Roll Cake has been re-engineered to remove perique, much like Three Nuns. My tin's bottom reads "A blend of twisted Virginia, Cavendish and perique tobaccos." A pity, since they used it in a delicious proportion that didn't irritate my mouth.

I've smoked several tins of RC, unlike far too many reviewers here. This blend requires more tries than most to get the pipe and technique down. I gave up on my first tin for several years, dismissing it as a biter. Either the years mellowed it or the large Comoy I use tamed it, but I now find it to be a very rich, spicy and sweet blend when smoked slowly. Admittedly, the tins I've finished are now nine years old, but I advise those who judge (and post) after one bowl to keep trying. It ages well.

I'll try a new tin to confirm the above ingredient statement as well as my assessment of the blend presently sold.
Pipe Used: large Comoy's bent billiard
PurchasedFrom: JR Cigars
Age When Smoked: 5-9 years
12 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
May 23, 2013 Mild Mild Mild Pleasant to Tolerable
Based on a one ounce sample from a friend. The discs were intact and in some bowls I loaded them as discs and in others, I rubbed them out. Didn't seem to matter. I hadn't smoked any of this since the early 1990's when I picked up a tin with the name "Royal Twist". I don't recall what my thoughts were back then, and I probably won't remember smoking this ounce 20 years from now. As with Club Blend, this mix sizzled my tongue before I even lighted it. All I had to do to get bit was to place the loaded, unlit pipe in my mouth and wait 3 seconds. Unlike with Club Blend, I decided to light the pipe and see what happened. Eventually the sizzle settled down. Some weird smoker/tobacco interface disconnect. I soldiered on.

As with a lot of Mac Baren's blends, the flavor was a mixture of dumbed down hot air and tasteless sweetness, kind of like adding sugar to water. Very bland. The pastry-sweetness of some of the Mac B blends was subdued a bit, but it was still very annoying. The sweetness was not natural tasting, as with a lemon virginia, but was "cavendish-y" for lack of a better word... very contrived instead of natural. But it was simple sugar - the sweetness had no backbone. I tried smoking this in a crispy state, as in so doing, I was able to get Stockton to an enjoyable level. Not so here. This tasted like "Scottish Mixture Light" - syrupy, and with a definite lack of true tobacco taste. If I had to choose between this and the Velvet pouch I just finished, I'd take Velvet everytime. This isn't a bad tobacco, and I can see where it would have it fans. But to me, it highlights all the things I find problematic with most Mac Baren blends. If you like the typical Danish style or Mac B's Dark Twist and Mixture, you'll probably like this one. If not, it's probably best to avoid.
9 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Mar 09, 2014 Medium Medium Medium to Full Pleasant
Once again MB makes good on another white label tin. Roll Cake is another example of cheerful disposition meets old fashion home cooking. I found this blend smooth and full bodied with a smokier/cherry-like flavor. A nice rediscovery and well worth the price. The spice element is quite noticeable, but a slower draw on one's pipe can tame that. Letting this blend, like several MB blends, air out for a short while will give it a toastier character and a fine round finish with far less bite. This isn't one of those blends that will knock your socks off. It's meant for sipping. That in itself is refreshing. Did I mention a fine room note. You can't get enough of that old world pipe smell, which MacBaren pulls off quite well time and time again. If your new to pipe smoking this is a great start. And the whole coin thing, pretty niffty trick. Enjoy!
7 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Apr 03, 2011 Mild Extremely Mild Mild Pleasant to Tolerable
This one surprised me a little. I was expecting more strength and richness, given the tin description. I have smoked it many times, but am recently going through all of my Mac Baren blends again after having an epiphany about how to approach them. HIstorically I smoked them shortly after rubbing them out. They are very moist in the tin, and bit the hell out of me most of the time. I have now learned that if you let them dry out A LOT, you get a much improved, and less painful, smoking experience. The bowl I am presently smoking of this was rubbed out and let to sit for at least three hours. It is dry to the touch. You will be surprised how much moisture is still in the tobacco, even after that degree of drying. The result is a much cooler smoke which burns more readily, and more of the tobacco flavor with more depth. In the past I was not a big fan of these Mac Baren blends. Now I am finding a lot to enjoy about them, and look forward to working through more of them with fresh eyes, so to speak.

Now to the surprise. My tin of this says that, in addition to the virginias, cavendish, and a little burley, this has a touch of Syrian latakia. I taste none, and none is noted on the Mac Baren website. I would also point out that no perique is noted on either my tin or the website as a constituent of this blend. I detect none, it is not spicy in the least, and I believe that this is simply an error to be found on the blend description above. So the first surprise was expecting a little of that smoky latakia background, and finding none ( if I really try, I think I can detect something, but I wonder if I am just trying to convince myself). It may be that there is some small amount of latakia in the mix, but it is so lightly used as to be almost non-existent.

The second surprise was how mild this blend is in every sense, except for bite. Mac Baren describes this as medium in strength. It is not. I can find no appreciable nicotine. As discussed more herein, I am smoking a pretty good size bowl of this, and really and finding nothing in the way of strength. With respect to the flavor, it is again mild, and really just a sweet virginia type of mouthful with every puff. That is not really a bad thing, but as this is rated medium by MB, and that is was I was expecting, I was let down.

I will say that the second half of the bowl is much tastier than the first. While the overall flavor remains the same, it develops into a richer and more well rounded and fuller version of that sweet flavor, which is very enjoyable.

I find this to burn a little hotter with more bite than Club Blend, which has a similar flavor. Bite really is not a fair description. Smoking it slowly and with care, as I am, provides an experience which, while not "cool", does not bite. It is clear that if this was smoked with a higher moisture content, and with more force, it would feel like a thresher across your tongue. I am smoking it presently in a wide and deep bowled Neerup, and I think it would benefit from the more narrow tobacco chamber found in one of my Ashtons, for example. I am going to give that a try, and update with my impressions.

I was torn with respect to the star rating. If you are looking for a very tasty, albeit mild, sweet virginia smoke, than this is a solid three star blend. If you are looking for a richer, fuller smoke as MB represents it to be, than I think they missed the mark a little. I can say that I am truly enjoying this now that it has gotten going. It definitely has the MB "roll" flavor going on, which you just have to try in order to be able to relate to. The quality is very fine, and I think many suffer and do not give these blends a second look because they are both cased lightly with sugar, and very moist, which in my experience creates the tongue bite so many complain of. It is a different animal when you get rid of that moisture. So 2 stars for now, but we will see what magic one of my Ashtons can work on this slice of cake.
7 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Jun 22, 2002 Mild to Medium Mild Mild to Medium Pleasant
I have just finished smoking nearly half a tin of this tobacco (6/22/02), not all in one day of course, but it was tasty enough to deserve a half dozen or so bowlfuls.

The Virginia and Cavendish tobaccos make their subtle presence known throughout each bowl in gentle measures. Typical of Mac Baren's discs, the tobacco was easily rubbed out.
7 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Sep 01, 2011 Very Mild Very Mild Very Mild Pleasant
All Mac Baren doubters should invest in a tin to really see how their (admittedly, not always unfounded) prejudice holds up. Of all Mac Baren's offerings I've come across, this is the one I enjoy the most.

I do detect some perique'ish components in the tin note. It is probably something in the cavendish process giving it that sweet 'n sour/spice note. There's a sweet, sugary intensity to the note and latakia is, as far as I can gather, present in the tin note, but not to any great extent.

For a Mac Baren, it is in the expensive league, but as a premium blend among others, it fares well. And worth it, I might add. In the usual Mac Baren way, the tins are filled to the rim, so you're getting your pennies worth - the moisture content, which is a bit high, has been frowned upon by my predecessors, but that is the least of my headaches. I've had Mac Baren blends hold up for years in perfect smoking condition in simple Tupperware containers. How can that be anything other than good? Perfect for those of us that simply can't stick to anything less than 20 opened tins at any given time. I do find it smokes better when aired out a little, and I'm never in such a hurry that I don't have time to let it rest in the pipe before lighting up; an hour or so is just about right for me.

Taste is predominately that of smooth and creamy burley, and the "periqueish" cavendish make its way through in the taste if sipped very gently. There is a faint note of latakia spice and smokiness melding in and out also - but hard core latakiaphiles probably do not need bother on the premise of the latakia. Like many Mac Baren's, you're not doing yourself any favours if you smoke only a few bowls and then give up. I symphatize to some degree with the "Weak, and insipid...warm tasteless air" remarks, but my sympathy only goes as far as saying: Do it again and do it right. It takes a little getting to know and pacing is key. Although Roll Cake is very forgiving when smoked, if you're not getting any taste, you're smoking too fast. With the right tempo the flavour is very pleasant - almost like a mild and sweet va/per with just a dash of burley; and like with va/per type blends, the side stream is an especially pleasant aspect.

Roomnote is quite unobtrusive, and pleasant to a smoker - you'll possibly get away with it amongst non-smokers or better halves (but don't take my word for it).

In conclusion, although Roll Cake in general can be considered an absolute top quality blend, it just lacks that intensity in flavour and nicotine punch that I crave. It's typical for Mac Baren in that it's a tiny bit too cumbersome to smoke and enjoy effortlessly. Every Mac Baren that I have smoked have all been needing some degree of coaxing in order to lure out those elusive flavours that hide in there somewhere, and unfortunately Roll Cake is no exception. But even so, I can definately recommend it, because once you hit its sweet spot, you'll be glad you stuck with it.

For what it's worth: when I smoke this I like to take 4-5 coins and roll them up until they start to resemble a plug, and stuff lightly, then add a couple of whole coins on top to create a seal - and finally, I take another coin and rub it up properly and sprinkle on top to facilitate lighting. There are many other ways to smoke it, but I find the above method works best for me and delivers the most flavour.

I smoke Roll Cake in a (to Mac Baren spun cuts) dedicated Vauen White Dot, which is filtered, but usually smoked with an adapter. The production code on the back of the tin is 08102991, which translates to october 26 2010.
5 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Jan 24, 2002 Medium None Detected Full Pleasant
This tobacco smokes hot for me no matter what I do . It has a wonderful aroma and the flavor is very nice for the first while , but I just can't enjoy it for the heat . I've given up on it for now but will return to it at a later date . Will update this if needed .
4 people found this review helpful.
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