Mac Baren Vanilla Cream Flake

I'm a long time aromatic smoker. Some years ago I smoked a tin of this and kind of liked it, but didn't really make a note of it. Several months ago I thought about it and purchased a couple of tins. Although I still like aromatics the best, I no longer favor the heavily cased burleys that I used to. For a man who is not fond of latakia and still likes vanilla this is a nice choice The appearance is a nice mottled yellow and black, pleasing to the eye. I'm not sure of the portions, but a generous amount of Virginia is used. The tin note is superb. If you youtube this tobacco for reviews you'll find a funny one of a guy opening the tin smelling the tobacco, and then popping it in his mouth and chewing it up appreciatively. Clearly he had cleverly subsituted a bit of beef jerky beforehand but it was funny and this tobacco really does smell good enough to eat. Whatever vanilla blend they use is top drawer. I prefer the the fold and stuff method for packing, but sometimes use the fill and tamp x3. Either way it is to me a little work getting it going, but once it ignites I can usually get about an hour to an hour and 10 minutes per flake, perfect for my one hour commute to work. As good as it smells you can almost be dissapointed that the flavor of the smoke is not as evident, muted. Almost. I find it to be a nice relaxing smoke. Enough vanilla flavor to satisfy my sweet tooth, but with plenty of good acrid actual tobacco flavor. No gurgle, no wet dottle. burns down good leaving the bottom of your pipe damp but not wet. Its like another reviewer said. You don't really give this much thought. It dosen't have the wow factor. Just a good smoke you dont pay any attention to Then one day you suddenly realize, you've been reaching for this tin almost every day at least once and you are horrifyingly out and you miss it while waiting for a new order to be delivered. It does not bite but it can be a little sharpish on the tongue if you are careless. Pretty high quality tobacco. I think this one was done just right. A good companion like a good dog. Not intrusive just a pleasing hour that lets you focus on other things other than the tobacco. Perfect

This is a wonderful aromatic flake, perhaps the best vanilla tobacco that I have ever tried (this far, as always!). It comes in a nifty little tin with very neatly packed bright VA flakes nestled inside. The moisture content is pretty good right out of the tin, but the smoking quality improves with a little more drying outside of the tin. The tin aroma is fantastic, and smells of rich natural vanilla. The room note while smoking is the same, and equally pleasant.

This has the look of a VA flake that could just destroy your mouth. Thankfully, in this case looks are deceiving, and it is in fact a cool, comfortable smoke when dealt appropriately, meaning no freight train puffing. It rubs out nicely, lights readily, and burns evenly down to the bottom of the bowl. The flavor is rich VA and cavendish with a hint of vanilla. The VA's in this flake seem different than the typical Mac Baren VA, which can lend itself to tongue bite when smoked improperly due to the retained sugars. In the same vein, while this flake smells sweet and wonderful in the tin, it does not taste overly sweet when smoked. This enhances the ability to enjoy the natural vanilla flavor. Some reviewers have noted a "chemical" flavor, and some have gone so far as state that natural vanilla is not used. Numerous retail sources, however, identify the vanilla used as a natural flavoring. While there is nothing wrong with stating what you subjectively taste (I for one taste nothing remotely resembling a chemical flavor, but taste is subjective) it is not correct to state that a blend has or does not have something when you are factually wrong, or simply do not know what you are talking about (how many silly comments have been made about tonquin by reviewers who did not know that such a thing even existed?). love it or hate it, all sources point to the use (and explicitly state) of natural vanilla.

I for one love it and think everything really comes together with this flake. This is a must have for everyone. I think you could even put a pinch of latakia in there, if you are one of those types who cannot live without that flavor, and it would taste delicious. I am going to go smoke a bowl right now!

Mac Baren - Vanilla Cream Flake/Classic Flake.

I absolutely adore this, it's been a regular addition to my rotation for years. I reviewed this quite some time back but wanted to re-do it as I didn't like the way it read.

If, like me, you smoke your flake rubbed you won't find a flake that's any easier to prepare than this. The moisture's good and the aroma from it's delectable...... I could just sniff it all day!

The smoke: if you like vanilla aromatics but haven't tried this you're doing yourself a massive injustice. The moment VCF's ignited I'm in utopia! There's no arguing that the vanilla's the main flavouring, yet there's also a slight sweetness behind it. The black Cavendish doesn't clog up the smoke and cause it to be sticky, the Virginia helps prevent this. Personally I think the tobaccos collaborate to form a kind of mild doughy flavour, without the Virginia running away with sharpness/freshness. Every bowl I've had of VCF has burned impeccably, at a cool temperature, without a bite to be had from the smoke.

Nicotine: mild. Room-note: great.

If there's any fault with this I can't find it! Highly recommended:

Four stars.

In my search for an "out and about" blend that people enjoy the smell of, this has basically won the crown. Not only is it pleasant to everybody around you, it's also very enjoyable to the smoker, a double win many aromatic blends struggle with.

In the tin of both flake and loose cut, there's a slight smell of fermented tobaccos on top of the basic cream / fruit / vanilla smell that's not present in the bulk variety. This adds slightly more depth and intrigue to the smoke, and as such I slightly prefer tin to bulk. The difference between flake and loose cut is essentially in form only. Smoked as a stuffed and folded flake seems to encourage a cooler / slower burn, but the flavor / aroma is identical. Due to the similarity of this in flake form and loose cut tin, and the price premium for the flake, I lean towards the loose cut tin as the better buy.

The aroma is nothing but agreeable. Smells excellent, the slight fruit essence being a little more noticeable than any vanilla. I'm not quite sure where the "cream" comes from, but it's fantastic and makes for a smooth mellow smoke. And despite being topped, I definitely taste tobacco as the prime ingredient. The tobacco flavor is mostly Virginia and burley, although the Black Cavendish does add it's expected note. I don't detect the spice of the natural brown Cavendish that MacBaren uses, but the sweetness and toasted marshmallow effect in some of the Roll Cake blends is mildly present.

I have yet to get bitten by this despite plenty of sugar content, but I bet a novice could over-pack and over-draw it into biting. Burns and behaves mostly like a straight Virginia flake, some moisture but not syrupy goop.

All in all, this is the benchmark by which I measure aromatics, the best aromatic experience I've had to date.

Heavenly room note, great tobacco taste , not overly sweet and cheap. This flake is great when you want to please others around you while still enjoying a great smoke!!!!

Now this is an aromatic I can live with. My tobacco of choice is MacBarens Navy Flake, but this Vanilla Flake, may....have edged it out. It's a similar blend of Virginia's and Cavendish, but the expert "touch", of the Vanilla casing, is both subtle, and sublime. Upon opening the tin, it's no doubt....vanilla. But, when smoked, the taste of vanilla, and slight sweetness, adds to, not detracts from, the Virginia and Cavendish tobacco's. For those tobacco smokers, like me, who prefer the natural taste of quality, cured tobacco's like Navy Flake, Virginia Flake, etc., you may want to give this MacBaren aromatic a try.

I’m about 6 or 7 flakes in. This blend is new to me. I was hoping it to be a “new favorite” of mine and it does not disappoint. As usual - JimInks’ review nails the description and I won’t try to recapitulate that here. I have come to enjoy flake tobacco for many reasons - and this aromatic preserves the flavor in a flake, letting you dry it without losing the top note. Still - even without much drying - the flavor is there and good - this is an extremely NON fussy aromatic and an excellent example of a delicate bright Virginia.

I’ve enjoyed how it works in my savinelli 315 KS. The slower you smoke this - the better it is. The strength is not your typical mild. It has been “variable” for me - and oddly so - much like how full virgiana flake can surprise you - sometimes less mild than others. The flakes themselves are extremely delicate. If you expect something all bendy and durable like Erinmore flake you will be disappointed. This is more like a crumble cake where the flakes are more of a “suggestion” than a true flake. I have come to embrace this rather than resist it and store these in a jar I have to remember to keep sideways to maintain the faint whisp of cohesion that prevents total collapse.

There is SO much detail and nuance in this blend. It is subtle - very much worth it. Not to be rushed - best enjoyed when there is nothing much pressing on your mind.

Received this as a gift from a friend. Opening the humidor I was greeted by a creamy Vanilla Aroma that had a very pleasant background of very light honey and grass. The Rich Vanilla was in the front but did not drown out the other aromas. The aroma blended well together. Even with the tobacco seeming to be dry enough I rubbed out the flake into small pieces and put onto paper towel for a half hour. It filled the bowl easily. This lit very easily and burned at a steady medium rate that was cool, offered no bite even when pushed and had only two re-lights even though it was sipped slowly. Left no moisture in the bowl. The smoke was creamy and thick and lingered a long time in the air, The room note is very, very pleasant. This can be an all day smoke. The flavor stayed the same through the whole bowl and burned into a dark gray ash.

Upon lighting I was met by a creamy Vanilla taste that was delicious. This not a chemical vanilla that is sicky sweet but real vanilla that is perfect in strength and does not drown out the tobacco or the other flavors which consist of light honey, a touch of grass with a light tart taste that balances and plays nice with the natural light sweetness and the other flavors. There is a touch of citrus also. The flavors know their place and play delightfully together making this a pleasant and very enjoyable smoke. Its not complicated, its not a change the flavor by the sip, it is just a rock solid, great tasting wonderful tobacco that isnt complicated, doesnt pretend to be. It is for enjoying, relishing, capturing your attention only when you realize how good this is and then go back to what you were doing. This leaves a wonderful lightly sweet, real vanilla and slightly tart aftertaste in the mouth and the same after it is finished.

This is not like many aromatics, sticky sweet and goopy. It doesnt drown out the tobacco or other flavors. It is not only a everyday smoke but one for special occasions. This is a favorite also, to be used for special occasions. I found it very relaxing to smoke and relished every sip. Life is good and smoking this makes the day that much better. A 4star out of 4 stars rating. This would be a great after dinner smoke or for a special occasion.

This aromatic has solid VA character folks. A light sweet grassy tanginess that fans of VA tobaccos love. Just the right amount of vanilla to make it a vanilla fans favorite as well. The VAs dominate, as they should here. Moisture level is just right out of the tin, rub out or leave as a flake and stuff it in, either way this is an easy, no-fuss smoke. Simple, flavorful and true to it's name and a great example of high quality VAs. Thanks Mac Baren,,, another winner ,,,,, 4-stars ****