Mac Baren Roll Cake

This is one of the blends with which I have some history. Rating this on the conservative side of mild along with: "very pleasant room note", I recommend this tabacco in particular to be smoked in a large bowl with the air gap fill method.

Most recently I opened a 3 month old jarred stash of Roll Cake, and smoked it in a brand new Ardor Sherlock Holmes VIII. Knowing this tabacco is mild; that Mac-Baren tends to not over-case a tabacco blend, I felt it to be a good choice for breaking in the new pipe. Prior to this I had used much smaller standard pipes, typically a LaRocca Dublin, finding not only 'RollCake', but also its close relative 'ClubBlend' to smoke wet with excessive tongue bite.

Using the Sherlock, the smoke was quite nice, toasty flavor, no tongue bite, and the room note was similar to a cherry or berry pie baking in an oven, with a tiny glint of toated marshmellow (probably the sugars peekng through). Goodly rubbed, rolled into a tight ball slightly larger than the pipes chamber and stuffed into the pipe allowing a 3/8 inch clearance to the top of the bowl, I found this to be a very agreeable smoke, no surprises, no dissappointments. Exactly what I was looking for on this particular evening.

In addition and aside from this recent experience, a few months ago, I re-opened a 2 year old tin of 'RollCake'. Smoking the Dublin at that time, I can testify that this tabacco ages very well. The flavors marry with amplification of fruity-ness on the palate. Very very nice.

Nicotine is very mild, taste meets expectation for the tabacco's used, and is a very well balanced blend. I recommend this blend, when one is looking for a mild smoke.

Smoke it with a leisurely pace and it will be both reliable & mild.

I did not enjoy this RCake at first opening, but let it dry a couple of months in its unsealed can. Roll Cake does not have a dramtic Virginia flavour that Marlin Flake provides, and for the life of me I can't find any of the Syrian Latakia listed on the tin. There is a peppery scent/taste like the tang you smell around planed cedar. The best part for me is the fresh and fermented aftertaste that feels like you've had a mild shot of slivovitz, or some other spirit on your tongue. I'm not a grand champion of the Macbaren line, believe me. I'd take Sail as my all-day-smoke over this. But RC is satisfying as an after dinner relaxer.

I do not object to Cavendish and so enjoy Roll Cake but for me the whole MacBaren family smokes hot. Not to say that I don?t enjoy the flavors of this blend. The tin note is fruity; I detect fig, raisin, and perhaps even a touch of date. The rolls are easily stacked for smoking in this manner but require a bit of maintenance, not at all disappointing though. Rubbed out is the way I go with this blend more often than not. I enjoy this blend most often in a meerschaum as they tend to smoke cooler for me, the natural pores cool off and absorb more of the moisture caused by combustion. Of many of the blends that I smoke this is one of the blends that my girlfriend finds the room note to be the most tolerable, as she doesn?t share my enthusiasm for this gentle art. Drafted slowly this blend will provide quite a pleasant smoking experience, and I recommend this blend and smoke it once or twice a week. Warm regards, [email protected] Update of this blend: I have not purchased another tin of Rollcake simply because there are so many blends out there that do not burn as wet. MacBaren blends just smoke far too hot for my tastes, perhaps it is their choice of case or topping. I would smoke it if offered (very slowly), but will not purchase another tin unless it is aged for a great time. Which is too bad because this is a deliciously spun blend.

Update Wednesday March 1, 2006 I am smoking the 20 to 30 year old version of this blend- Royal Twist- that was a gift from a very nice gentleman.

It is absolutly superb. I cannot recall ever being so in love with a bowl of tobacco. Age has mellowed and subdued the fiery beast that I remember, appearance wise it just plain looks old, very dark and leathery in the tin with an amazingly light spicy aroma, the tobacco was practically dark brown and black.

Taste is sweet and light, and the body is dark and rich- but very very mellow. This is truly a fantastic experience.

Most tobaccos I've smoked tend to lose their sweetness as the bowl progresses, Roll Cake is the opposite. At first the Burley was the main flavour I noticed then from about 1 third of the way through the The Virginias tend to make their presence known. This tobacco starts as a pretty unremarkable blend then spools up into a very tasty and satisfying tobacco. It's in the same "coin" shape a Dark Twist and the topping seems pretty similar as well. The burley in the blend takes the Virginia sweetness found in Dark Twist down a notch though. The tobacco burns well, if only a tough on the hot side. This is one of my regulars that I smoke perhaps 3 or 4 times a week. Well reccomended.