Mac Baren Roll Cake

"Whole Virginia leaves that are specially selected are used as wrapper for all our spun tobaccos. The main tobaccos in Roll Cake is Virginia and the original MacBaren Cavendish. Just a touch of Burley and Syrian Latakia make the Roll Cake a unique smoking pleasure. Like all our spun tobaccos only a little top flavour has been added. These tobaccos are the closest you get to the natural tobacco taste." -Roll Cake tin description.

Upon opening the tin, I was greeted with the now familiar, somewhat comforting aroma of slightly fermented fruit. The 3/4 inch, out of round discs are a two toned melange of caramel and brown. It just looks right; it smells right; and the tobacco 'feels' right. The moisture content was perfect; just slightly on the dry side of what I would call 'tacky'. This reminded me of Stockton, but with a deeper color to the spun tobacco, and a richer aroma.

Loading my pipe was simply a matter of scooping out some of the little discs, rubbing them out a little, and stuffing them into my pipe. I follow a rule that, it seems, someone on this site once laid out; MacBaren-pack carelessly, smoke carefully. First light was accomplished instantly, and the char began quick enough that I probably could have used a single match, had I not been using the butane. A gentle tamp, a quick relight, and I was on my way.

My first impression of this tobacco was that it was remarkably similar to Sail Natural (or perhaps vice-versa?) in its spiciness and fullness of flavor. It didn't have quite the dark notes of Sail, but it bore such a striking resemblence. However, where Sail is dark and brooding in character, Roll Cake is sweeter in disposition. The spiciness is just enough to be interesting, not fiery in the least. Puffy too agressively did bring the heat of the pipe up a bit, but still did not produce the much heralded MacBaren burn. This really does smoke remarkably pleasant. Half way through a large Oom Paul, I did notice a case of dry mouth developing, but nothing I couldn't handle.

The flavors I picked up were more of a natural va. and, of course, the cavendish. Lurking in the background of this tobacco is the same aromatic charactaristic found in Navy Flake. The room note is not at all oppressive, very wife friendly. The va. isn't quite grassy, nor is it oatey or malty. It is a simple va. component that makes up this twist, and it really just doesn't delve too much into the complex higher notes that Orlik Golden Slices does. As for the Syrian Latakia, I could not once detect it. However, there was a linger note of the exotic throughout, and the dry mouth; so I suspect that it really is in there, though only in enough quantity to add depth to the flavors.

This tobacco finished all the way down to the bottom of a large Oom Paul with only a couple relights toward the bottom, mainly due to my inattentiveness. All that was left when I was done were a few blackened chars of tobacco, and fluffy gray ash. And it finished up nice and dry. I have to say, if this is what MacBaren is capable of, I do not know why more people don't jump on their bandwagon.

I have learned that there is a technique to enjoying any MacBaren tobaccos. They need to be regarded as one would regard a wily animal; with the understanding that you need to always mainain control. Roll Cake is a little different in character than most of the MacBarens; it is a little more forgiving than Stockton and Navy Flake. Odd, too, that; since it is likely a blend of the two. If Stockton is too plain, and Navy Flake is too aromatic for you, then try Roll Cake.