Mac Baren Vanilla Cream Flake

This is what an aoromatic tobacco should taste like! The vanilla sent is completely intoxicating right from the tin. However it’s not carried over into the smoking experience. The Virginia’s are smooth and slightly sweet with just a perfect hint of vanilla in the actual smoke. I truly believe the the key to smoking this is drying it out. Look at every positive review....they all dried it out longer than their usual drying time. You’re almost guaranteed an excellent smoking experience if you do. This is one of the most tobacco foward aros I’ve tried, and it quickly made its way into my rotation. Especially in the dog days of summer; it’s just what I’ve been looking for. Great with morning coffee or a mid-day unsweet tea

Tin note offers sweet and slightly grassy Virginias with an essence of Vanilla. This is not drenched in Vanilla flavoring. It is a VA based flake with enough vanilla sweetness to satisfy those looking for the flavor profile. The flakes look and burn just like all the other MacBaren flakes out there. Easy to rub or just as good folded and stuffed. A little drying helps, but not crucial. Burns a bit on the slower side. No bite, and no goop. If you're looking for a decent vanilla flavored tobacco where you can still enjoy the flavor of the tobacco, this hits the mark pretty well. Not something I'll keep on hand, but will definitely pick up a tin every now. Smokes best in briar, cob, morta, and meer, in that order.

A delightful blend indeed.

I loaded up a bowl earlier today after not having smoked it for several months and what a joy.

The taste was as remembered - mild and without novelty (something I detest) and I was quite content. But the smoke was quite exceptional! I had forgotten how well it fills a space with it's creamy notes.

Burns cool, and doesn't bite. Perfect for between meals and with blue skies overhead.

This is a decent aromatic vanilla Flake with Virginia/Cavendish, the vanilla flavor is deep and full, the Virginia used here is good quality, the smoke is sweet, full bodied and consistent, not as creamy as the loose cut version.

This tobacco improve dramatically with time, I recently opened a 2 years old tin of this, the smoke was Mellow, very cool, deep and tasty, so far much better than the fresh opened tin I am smoking now. This blend is actually my favorite Vanilla flake tobacco.

When I picked out a can of MacBaren Vanilla Cream Flake, the owner of the tobacco shop was excited to tell me how happy she was to have it in stock. She's had requests for it & had been unable to get it for a while. After trying it, I'm excited that she's been able to stock it. The tobacco is a nicely packed flake wrapped in gold colored foil. The can hisses when the seal is broken & re-closes well. The flakes of tobacco resemble MacBaren Navy Flake but darker. The flakes feel dense & slightly sticky. The aroma is sweet, fruity & the vanilla is rich rather than perfumed like some other aromatics I've tried. I don't get any chocolate hints from this as I've heard others say. That's fine, as I can't stand the smell of burnt chocolate. I found that the MacBaren flake rolling method is better for this tobacco rather than rubbing it out. The rubbed out tobacco seems to burn quite a bit hotter than if rolled. A small amount rubbed & placed on the roll helps to get the bundle burning. Error on the side of a smaller roll as forcing a too large bundle into the pipe will not smoke well. The initial taste is a smooth vanilla, almost like liquor. As the tobacco heats up there is more of a toffee aroma & taste. This continues thru the smoke. I get the impression of homemade milk caramel, Werther's candies and Heath toffee as the flavor takes off. There is a nice sweet, slightly toastyness to the aroma. The flavor goes well with strong, black coffee. I've had no problem with bite when smoking the tobacco rolled as opposed to rubbed. The tobacco smokes down to dry ash & I haven't had a problem with wetness during the smoke. The comments from the crowd are all very positive on the aroma. More than the occasional "nice pipe smell", people stop mid-sentence to remark on how good it smells. This is more like a dessert when compared to Navy Flake but it is a regular item for me. In rotation with Navy Flake, Navy Flake makes a slightly better "All Day Smoke" but the Vanilla Cream is a real treat. This is cut above the stand-by aromatics on the shelf. Edited to remove ? marks

Edited 11/22/2011: Still a good choice but I'm reducing it to "3" stars based on the fact that I've grown to prefer some other aromatics that aren't as sweet.

This tobacco can be awful or wonderful. I have had bowls that were hot, flat, and unpleasant. I have also had bowls that were extremely smooth and flavourful. I have gone through two tins of this flake, and have yet to determine a proper packing method.

When it is good, it is very good, but when it is bad it is horrid.

I'm not into aromatics but I do love the Mac Baren Vanilla Cream Loose Cut. It has a great taste and odor with a real tobacco flavor without feeling like you're smoking a bowl of cake icing. Since I like the loose cut so much I decided to try the flake version.

The flake is basically vanilla Navy Flake. Similar look and feel. This is much more mildly flavored than the loose cut and it seems to have a slower-burning quality. This is a nice change of pace for anyone who enjoys Navy Flake.

I never rub out flakes. I like to cut, bend, pack and light. This tobacco responds well too this method but it does require more relights than Loose Cut.

Since this is only available in Germany (or via an international e-store) and can be a bit expensive I don't think this is worth the trouble for using as an everyday smoke. If you like Navy Flake and would like a bit of a change then this might be for you.

Such beautiful flakes, not that dense, really good tin presentation. A mix of yellow and dark tones. It requires some relights if you don´t dry it out a bit. Cool and comfortable smoke. The tobacco flavor is so good, tastes as a really good tobacco. The vanilla fans will find here one of the best options in the market. The fold and stuff method gave me more than 1hour of good smoke with just a flake. It last more than when rubbed out. IMO this is not the kind of aromatic that can satisfy the ones who really crave for strong aromatics, for me just hit my sweet tooth spot. I´d consider this one as a light aromatic. Won´t consider it as my best aromatic but i´d consider as one of the best tobaccos i´ve smoked. It can be a everyday smoke for the one who not crave for nicotine. 3 solid stars. Go for it dude.

First impressions: This blend grew on me as I went through the bowl. I usually like more complex blends, but this one is simple and has a very pleasant and consistent taste throughout the bowl. It also stayed consistent through all different temperature changes. The vanilla added to this mix is just about perfect. It's there, but it doesn't even aim to take center stage. I only had to relight it a few times, maybe twice, before I hit the very end of the bowl. There was no dampness in the bowl at all. The nicotine in this blend didn't start to affect me until I was almost done with the bowl. The aftertaste is pleasant and not overwhelming. Nuttiness and vanilla.

I gave this blend 3 stars because it's an enjoyable smoke and I am happy to have it in my cellar, but I don't yet know that I will replace it once I am done with this jar. I have only just cracked it and it grew on me through my first bowl, so that opinion is subject to change.