Tobaccos Mac Baren - Vanilla Cream Loose Cut

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JimInks (3046)	2013-10-08		Mild	Medium	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

A creamy vanilla smoke that burns at a moderate pace, and isn't so sweet that it overpowers the smoker. I get a little honey and very light fruit taste that adds a very mild balance to the mix. The brown sugary black cavendish is a little more than a condiment. The grassy, tart and tangy citrusy, sugary, bready, bright and gold Virginias are the base of the blend. They also provide light tangy darker fruit, earth, wood along with slight honey, floral, spice notes. The nutty, earthy, woody burleys are secondary players. It's a mild all day smoke with not much complexity as by intentional design. Has little nicotine. The strength is mild. The taste level almost reaches the center of mild to medium. Burns cool and clean with a very consistent flavor from top to bottom. Leaves little dampness at the finish. Requires a tad more than an average number of relights. No chance of bite or harshness. Has a very pleasant room note, and lightly lingering after taste. Can be an all day smoke. People will like to be around you when you smoke it, so expect to be social when you're out and about in public.

-JimInks

62 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	StevieB (2080)	2014-05-01		Mild	Medium	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

Mac Baren - Vanilla Cream Loose Cut.

A brilliant vanilla blend.

The note from the tin has more vanilla than the flake version, the breaking of it releases more! It's a touch moist but as it's a fairly heavy aro' that's to be expected.

Like vanilla? Smoke this: there's just enough vanilla to sweeten the smoke without overpowering the tobaccos; unless retro-haled. The hay from the Virginia tames the black Cavendish and reduces any stickiness. The burn's exemplary, going even, steady, and bite-free.

Nicotine: mild. Room-note: lovely.

Vanilla Cream Loose Cut? Four stars:

Highly recommended.

Pipe Used: Comoys Elegance

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Smoke King

43 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	marosi (70)	2016-10-29		Very Mild	Medium	Medium	Very Pleasant

I always like to look at the negative reviews when I am ready to review a tobacco to see what experiences other people had. Many times, and there is no exception here, the qualities that people complain about are due to a lack of smoking experience and/or ignorance. I in no way mean to sound like an elitist, but many, many people simply do not know how to smoke a pipe, and especially virginias. I have been there, so let me tell you how to do it so that you can stop suffering and start enjoying more blends.

The two main complaints about this tobacco are that (1) it is very mild in flavor; and (2) that it produces tongue bite. With respect to the first issue, yes, this is a medium to mild tasting aromatic. Everyone tastes things differently, so some people may not be able to pick up on the subtleties of flavor that this blend offers, but the flavor, albeit medium to mild, is there.

Most likely they are experiencing a poor flavor experience because of the second complaint, which is the tongue bite. Let me state with absolute certainty that if you are smoking this blend at the correct humidity, and not puffing overly hard, that there is no tongue bite. Zero. Both puffing to keep it lit, and tongue bite, happen because people smoke their tobaccos, especially virginias, too moist. DRY IT OUT. DRY IT OUT. DRY IT OUT!!!!! This particular tobacco is not especially moist out of the tin, but I still let it sit spread out in an old milkglass bowl for 30 minutes or more. IF IT STILL FEELS MOIST TO YOUR TOUCH, IT IS FAR, FAR TOO MOIST TO SMOKE!!! I promise that if you let this dry out to the touch before you pack your pipe, you will (1) have no issues keeping it lit once you establish a good char from the false light, and (2) will not experience tongue bite, both because you have removed the excess moisture, and because you no longer have to puff like a madman to keep your overly wet tobacco lit. This is also an excellent test of what your tobacco has been coated with, because cheap blends coated in excess PG will never dry out (at least not within a reasonable period of time, less than an hour).

You do not have to take my word for it, put me to the test. If you have been bit by this tobacco, or any mixture, smoking in your regular way, spread a bowls worth out on a plate or bowl and let it sit for 2 or three times longer than you think is necessary, at least 20 minutes. When you go to smoke it you will find that even though the tobacco feels very dry (a sign of a quality blend not saturated with PG) the ribbons will still have plenty of spring and will not just crumble, meaning that they still have plenty of moisture for smoking purposes. Then literally, put it in your pipe and smoke it! Don't over-pack it, and don't make the packing process too complicated. Just put a pinch in, tap the side of your pipe a few times, and repeat until your within 1/8 inch or so of the top of the bowl. It will take a few false lights to get it going, but once you do you will find that the it burns readily, stays light without heavy puffing, and the bite is gone.

Maybe I am a dummy but it took me years to figure this out. Of course, some blends are going to take far less time to dry out. Any good non-aromatic blend should be ready to go in no more than 5 or ten minutes. And some blends do have a tendency to bite (but this is not one of them). Sometimes it is the condition of the leaf used, such as very sugary virginias, and sometimes there is a casing, such as any high sugar topping, that is going to create some additional bite potential. Regardless, by doing this I assure you that you will have reduced the propensity for tongue bite from whatever you are smoking by 75% or more, with a similar increase in smoking pleasure. If it dries to the point where it crumbles into dust when you rub it between your fingers, you have gone too far. Let my years of trial and error, and ignorance, be to your benefit!

Ok, with that said, on to the real review. This is a lovely mixture of virginias, burley, and the Mac Baren Cavendish, which in my estimation is one of the best available. The tin aroma is wonderful, as many have noted, and smells of vanilla and perhaps a little fruit. It is easy to pack and burns very nicely if you do not pack your pipe too firmly.

When properly dried it takes a flame readily after a few false chars. The vanilla flavor, while never overly strong, is most present in the first half or so of the pipe. This makes sense as it is most likely being stoved/evaporated off as you smoke and draw the heat and smoke down through the unlit tobacco. The blend has a medium-mild flavor profile, and if one can offer a critical note it would be that the blend lacks a little backbone due to the absence of more substantial leaf or any condiment leaf like perique, latakia, or orientals. With that said it is true to type and offers a smooth, creamy, consistent smoke from top to bottom of your bowl. The tobacco flavor and strength (not that this is in any way a strong blend) increase somewhat as you move down the bowl.

Overall I prefer the flake to the loose cut. It seems to have that extra richness which this is missing. Not that this is bad, but the flake is better. This is a solid three star light aromatic, and is a very enjoyable vanilla smoke. For a little more flavor and tobacco richness move to the flake. For ease of use and multiple bowls throughout the day this is fine. This is also very pleasant with a cup of coffee.

Pipe Used: Savinelli Autograph, Kai Nielsen Pot

Age When Smoked: new, less than a week old tin

Similar Blends: CAO Belle Vanilla (this is better), Mac Baren Vanilla Flake.

41 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	IndianPiper (3)	2014-02-23		Mild	Mild to Medium	Medium	Pleasant

In my first few attempts I was unsuccessful in getting to really understand and enjoy this tobacco. That could be because I am still a beginner. So I thought I will give it one last try and bought a tin. I don't know if it was my packing or the pipe or th fact that tin might have been aged a bit but I really got a burst of flavor without the dreaded MacBITE. Initially it was hard to keep this lit but after quarter of a bowl later and loosening the tobacco a bit in the bowl (packed according to 3 step method), I got the creaminess and the vanilla-fruity flavor. But the smoke was still a bit hot and wet. Halfway down the bowl and after resting the pipe for a few minutes I got the sweet and cool smoke that I was looking for. It lasted all the way till the end of the bowl. After trying a lot of other aros my search is finally over. The high quality of the baccy and the non-chemical casing/flavor are the key features of this tobacco.

Pipe Used: Cob

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Woodlands fine cigars and Briar Shoppe Houston

21 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pipestud (1829)	2003-05-18		Very Mild	Mild	Mild	Very Pleasant

Mac Baren's Vanilla Cream has everything I don't like in a tobacco. It is mild; the nicotine content is low; it has a Vanilla casing; and because it is a Mac Baren's blend, it has to burn hot and bite, right?

I won't purchase another tin and I will not finish this one (it'll be a gift for the tobacco bar at my next pipe club meeting). But, I did not hate the stuff.

My personal thought is that if you are a regular aromatic fancier, then this may become your all-time favorite. It knocks the socks off any vanilla blend I can think of. And I've smoked a bunch of 'em over the years.

20 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	RMBittner (66)	2007-02-27		Mild	Mild	Mild	Pleasant

I found this one to be pleasant enough but with a slight tendency to burn hot. Not surprising, given the the presence of vanilla; in fact, it's remarkable that this doesn't smoke even hotter.

I favor non-aromatics, but I do like to keep one aromatic open at all times (versus 5 non-aromatics). Given some of the glowing reviews for this, I thought it might work for me. It didn't, really. But it might be more appealing if you love aromatics and are willing to patiently attend to the temperature in the bowl (and on your tongue).

On a side note, I tried a couple of bowlfuls of Dunhill's A21000 (a shag-cut vanilla aromatic) around the same time I was sampling this. Frankly, the A21000 yielded a richer, more appealing flavor, even though it burned even hotter. I guess there's always some kind of a trade-off when it comes to aromatics.(g)

19 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Corvus (36)	2016-02-21		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

This is the finest example of an aromatic I've had the pleasure to smoke. Specifically, it excels in two areas where most aromatics utterly fail. First, the flavoring is superb, an exceedingly rich and deep vanilla, somewhat boozy, that is similar to what is often referred to as French vanilla. This is backed up by a cream component that is like a rich custard providing the perfect vehicle to express the vanilla. Second, the blend itself is dominated by various Virginias of the highest quality that contribute to the fine tobacco taste of this blend. Why can't other aromatics follow this template of quality?

As always Mac Baren rules the tobacco world in presentation in terms of the stately tin design and the leaf itself. Lemon and orange Va, a little bit of broken flake, and black Cavendish are present in a nice medley. The tin note is nice but low key vanilla. The match light is pure vanilla followed by deep cream. While these flavors are very rich they aren't very powerful and as such the base tobaccos can shine through. The vanilla subsides steadily through the bowl. The fine Va is present throughout and supported by the very good Cavendish, a mild and tasteful form of this tobacco. Strength is a tad over mild and gains towards the end as does the Cavendish. This smokes very well. While obviously flavored it is done really well and I can't tell if it is cased or simply dressed as the humidity levels are very good.

If you like vanilla this is a smoke that you'll enjoy. Very well done and avoids the pitfalls of most other aromatics.

18 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	CTS (138)	2014-04-11		Mild	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

"...an outstanding blend with superior flavor, unique aroma and distinctive taste experience." per the tin. I would describe this as a tasty, well-balanced, vanilla flavored blend, with a base of good Virginia tobaccos. No bite, clean burning. As you progress through a bowl, the vanilla yields a bit to the very good VAs. Highly recommended for vanilla aromatic fans who can also enjoy a very good VA delivery.

Pipe Used: Nording Freehand

Age When Smoked: Tin dated SEPT 2013

Purchased From: CI

18 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	fr_tom (393)	2014-07-18		Mild	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

This is a tasty blend that smells of vanilla and a little honey in the tin. It appears to be about 1/5 black cavendish. I found it to be slightly moist for my liking but have smoked it as it came from the tin will no ill effects. I tended to use charring light/tamp and relight with this blend, and I think that was a function of the moisture.

When first lit, there is a good bit of vanilla and I can taste the black cavbendish. This settles down quickly, and the smoke is mildly aromatic with a solid golden Virgina foundation. It smoked cool for me, and the Virginia became increasingly dominant as the bowl progressed. The smoke does have a creamy, smooth quality to it that I think is more than the power of suggestion.

I get hints of fruit as well as the vanilla in the flavor. The room note is pleasant. This is a solid 3 on the rating scale. It is probably a 4 if you are looking for a vanilla blend that is subtle and smooth.

14 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	mrchewson (4)	2014-05-04		Very Mild	None Detected	Extremely Mild (Flat)	Very Pleasant

I'm a big fan of vanilla and Mac baren golden brown , so I thought I would try this, first off the smell when opening the pouch was amazing, possibly the best selling pipe tobacco in my opinion, I was really looking forward to lighting up a bowl, when I finally got a moment to try it that's when the disappointment set in, the smell is still there so great when you have people round, but the taste was to me not appealing at all, no real hint of vanilla and neither a tobacco taste either, it did have a tendency to bite and smoke hot. I managed half a pouch in the coming month but gave it away in the end, as it took away what pipe smoking is all about for me... Good taste and relaxation. This blend was not good for neither, but on a positive the unburned smell was a1

Pipe Used: Meerschaum

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Online

12 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Mr. Motoyoshi (68)	2015-02-24		Mild	Mild	Very Mild	Very Pleasant

This blend was lost on me. There cut is very consistent with most MacBaren loose cuts; bits of broken flake and mostly ribbon strands.

Smells wonderful out of the pouch, although not that much like Vanilla. More like a blueberry nutrigrain bar.

There's nothing to complain bout the packing or burning, not very goopy at all. The tongue bite factor is minor but it's there. The problem is that I get nothing flavor wise from this tobacco. The smoke coming out of my mouth smells amazing and it almost fools you into thinking that the tobacco tastes good. But it doesn't. It tastes like smooth air. Even on a retrohale it doesn't offer much.

Simply can't enjoy this blend and with the tongue bite factor as well, I don't think I would smoke a free sample of this.

10 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Raines (52)	2014-02-13		Medium	Medium to Strong	Medium to Full	Strong

I didn't smoke a all pouch because i've been given a sample by a friend. So it's not a review of a long time smoke. The taste and smel are very good. The room note has been very appreciated. The only negative point is the dryness of the mouth by the end of the bowl, wich is normal for an aromatic tobacco. I recommend this tobacco for those who are searching a not strong and nice taste tobacco. Not necessarily for beginners.

Pipe Used: Butz-Choquin Formula 1601

Similar Blends: Borkum Riff - Vanilla Cavendish.

10 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	MR.Carter (1)	2014-09-01		Medium	Medium	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This in my opinion is a very superior blend of tobaccos with a first rate vanilla flavoring that does not have in any way a artificial or chemical taste. upon opening the tin you are greeted with a somewhat sugary vanilla fragrance. the tobacco in appearance is a very nice golden Virginia with square plug cuts of press Virginia and a splattering of Black Cavendish. I have realized that after trying several different aromatic blends that to create a successful one you must start with high quality tobacco this blend in my opinion does contain this. the smoke is of a medium density not too thick not too thin the vanilla flavor is first rate and is not elusive as with some McClelland aromatic blends I have come across. It is as similar to anything I have yet encountered to as eating something that is flavored with true vanilla essence. This blend though having a high quantity of Virginia does have very little to no bite. I highly recommend this blend to anyone who is partial to very high quality aromatic or is a lover of true vanilla flavor.

Pipe Used: Brigham Voyager straight Rhodesian

Age When Smoked: fresh out of the tin

Purchased From: pipes and cigars.com

9 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Dottie Warden (22)	2014-08-21		Mild	Medium to Strong	Medium to Full	Very Pleasant

When reading any review about aros, keep in mind most people either like them or dislike them. As primarily a non-aro smoker, but a person that tries to keep an open mind, I find this product remarkable. This is the product that did what Captain Black Regular failed to do: convert me into a part-time aromatic smoker. First glance at the tobacco as you open the pouch tells you this stuff is for real. I've noticed many aro smokers fill the pipe right out of the pouch with no dry time, but rarely do I put overly moist tobacco in my pipe, and if I do I usually regret having done it. So with 10 minutes dry time this easy to work with tobacco lights easily and smokes well for an aro. Both the flavor of the tobacco and the casing come through very balanced. If it tends to burn too hot for you, just slow down the pace, enjoy the smoking experience and allow for plenty of relights. Although I won't be smoking this product as regularly as my non-aro favorites, it has definitely earned a place in my "go to" line up for whenever I'm in the mood for ann aro.

9 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2012-01-08		Mild	Mild to Medium	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

Another tobacco I picked up for a blind taste test, obviously from someone who did not know I had smoked as much of the Vanilla Cream Flake as I could stand (not much) and found it extremely boring and mildly foul. This one I guessed correctly, even though it was the loose cut. Same antiseptic artificial vanilla taste, same bland hot air, same lack of true tobacco taste.

I do like the fact that it burns cleanly and without goop. I just wish it had a more natural vanilla flavor, and more of it. If an aromatic isn't going to taste like tobacco with a mild flavoring, then let it have some flavor of some kind, for pete's sake! But like a lot of Mac Baren blends, this one is all about the aroma at the expense of taste. I know they can make flavorful blends because I've had some. This one, in my opinion, isn't one of them. Recommended for...er...ah...um... the people that already like it, I guess!

8 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Peppino (74)	2011-04-03		Mild to Medium	Medium	Medium	Very Pleasant

I have no idea how old this sample is but it was sealed in a Mac Barens factory pouch. Any how it starts out sweet with a nice aroma, by the mid point it really develops a nice flavor w/out the MB bite you hear so much about. Smokes dry and clean with very little moisture. The flavor lightens up at the bottom of the bowl but still holds it's richness from the VA to the end. Anyone looking for a quality aromatic VA (the casing is light) or is just a VA fan needs to give this a shot! Smokes best in a larger bowl!

8 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	CnS Pipes (40)	2018-04-28		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Mac Baren Vanilla Cream (loose cut)

First off I need to start this off saying that I am ok with English blends, there not my front runner tobaccos but I do enjoy them on occasion, the next thing is I do not understand why one gives a review on a aromatic when they start off by saying "I don't like aromatics but" and then gives a typical bogus review, why this happens? I do not have a clue and can throw off a new smoker badly BUT I do love aromatics so this review is sound and honest. One must understand Mac Baren tobacco blends in that the design mix is never to top in a way that puts the flavoring as the front runner so when it says vanilla cream it means premium tobaccos with a hint of vanilla and cream to compliment the blend not this is a vanilla bomb and is sweet like candy. I have read many reviews where guys are super bummed but because this is not what they thought and another situation I read is the dreaded tounge bite (ouch)!!! This danish pipe tobacco blend is 100% Virginia tobaccos and Cavendish in a non processed way so it will burn hot if smoked hot, in order to enjoy this blend you must smoke it like a gentleman and it will behave leaving you with a awesome taste and white clean ash at the end. Mac Baren is quality not quantity so one must enjoy the tobaccos and savor it to the last end of the bowl, the reward is a smooth natural taste of Virginia with a slightly sweet Cavendish that has the slightest hint of vanilla and the liquors used gives the impression of the ever so slight cream taste that's it. If your looking for something that is on the moist sweet side of things with a heavy topping of vanilla that covers up the taste of tobacco then this would not be your cup of tea. Mac Baren is excellent at what they blend and how they process there tobaccos and adhere to a strict European no toxic additives you gotta realize the laws Denmark must follow so the product you will get is pretty natural and the tastes you will get in there blends are up to that standard resulting in a fine pipe tobaccos. The 7seas line is the closest they come to a full aromatic blended to be more on the American line of things but still with the danish touch. Mac Baren has always strived to deliver high quality pure tobacco taste and lines of pipe tobacco blends to deliver just that and there aromatics are know different. The lightly sweet but tangy goodness of the Virginia's is what draws me to this blend and I love the fact that the vanilla is in the background and just enough to let you know its there, it burns clean and the nicotine level is moderate, it has a nice room note and will not offend others. When I first started smoking Mac Baren products I used to get so flustered that it burnt the heck out of my mouth and the bite was awful but over the years I learned to smoke it correctly and now I absolutely enjoy Mac Baren for all it is and especially this blend. This pipe tobacco is not for the novice pipe smoker unless you can keep your pipe cool and I enjoy ALL types of pipe tobaccos so either you like something or you don't, I'm not a pipe yuppy and focus on chemicals and the OTC goop factor trip or what's popular and what s drug store trash WHATEVER to all that junk, I'm a pipe smoker that smokes tobacco and enjoys it in all is wonderful forms. I recommend this blend because its good.

Pipe Used: Peterson

Age When Smoked: 39

Purchased From: smokingpipes.com

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Dalarchone (3)	2017-08-16		Mild	Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

This is a great tobacco. Great for those who just about to start the superior pleasure of pipe smoking, and you will want to return to this blend here and there out of various reasons. This is like a good dessert after a meal - sometimes this is exactly what you want, not too much depth, just relax. Although this can be an all day tobacco, I would recommend thinking about this one, again, like a dessert. It can be too much I think if you do not smoke anything else. Burns good, I rarely relight, cool smoke, won't bite (however, you do not want to smoke it way too dry!), very pleasant room note!

Pipe Used: Meerschaum

Age When Smoked: Freshly bought

Purchased From: Bunös élvezetek kicsiny boltja, Pécs, Hungary

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Burney (13)	2016-03-02		Mild	Mild to Medium	Medium to Full	Very Pleasant

This is an unbelievably nice, sweet, mellow, everyday smoke, tasting somewhat of vanilla ice cream . For somebody who does not smoke aromatic tobacco all the time, this makes for a lovely change of pace.

In fact, I am so impressed with the stuff, that I bought myself a kilogram. I have tried many aromatics over the years, and this is one I really enjoy. I will say this, brilliantly done Mac Baren.

Most aromatics have a nasty chemical taste, this unequivocally does not. I would swear in a court of law, some how Mac Baren succeeded in making a flammable vanilla ice cream that does not lose its taste.

I could go on and on and on, but I won't. Buy a pouch and taste for yourself.

Warning, smoke slowly. If you don't, it will bite your tongue off.

Pipe Used: Shortened clay churchwarden, big bent Angelo.

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Local brick and mortar

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Skando (203)	2007-02-20		Mild	Mild to Medium	Mild	Pleasant

I have never been an aromatic smoker. Nor I am a fan of english mixtures, nowadays. Who can truly say that Nightcap or 965, and Black Mallory or Accountant's, are still the marvellous mixtures of the 80's... I have recently experienced that I like some vanilla topping, through the smoke of Dan's TOI Galway, then Borkum Riff's Admiral Flake and then SG's Perfection, the latter being and a scented english mix. Then I gave a try to Mc'B's VCLC, and this is an OTC tobacco, which I usually tend to avoid. The pouch gently smells vanilla, but this partially reflects to the aroma of the smoke, and even less to the flavour. It's the same old story of the aromatics... VCLC is quite a bland smoke, the body empty, it touches both the tongue and the palate even smoking slowly (but the pouch was quite dry) After the fifth bowl I got bored and decided to experiment ... adding 1/3 of Latakia (Latakia Zypern by Torben Dansk on this occasion), put in jar and let sleep a couple of days, no humidor. The result is not bad at all! A mild, sweet and smokey poor parent of Perfection (Turkish-less of course). One star for VCLC itself, three for this easy vanilla scented english mix!

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	UncleGar (110)	2005-05-31		Mild	Strong	Medium to Full	Pleasant

Several reviews already give enough information to the potential buyer to enable an intelligent choice. Basically, this is a sweet aromatic. If your preferences run the range from balkans to latakia enhanced balkans, you shouldn't even be reading this.

I suppose MB knows what it is spraying on this tobacco, but I take issue with the name. When I think vanilla, I think Captain Black or anything in 85% of the "custom blended" jars of Lane/Consolidated bulks at a Tinder Box. Just as Erinmore Flake's topping isn't pineapple, Vanilla Creme's topping just doesn't taste like vanilla to me. It's fruitier than a drag race in San Francisco during gay pride week! Vanilla may also be there, but only in a supporting role. This is very much more like Amphora or Skandanavik Red with an extra side of essences. Vanilla? No. I just don't taste it.

Do I dislike it? Not at all. There is a time for this, just not very often. I prefer Amphora; this one just goes over the top. I often cut it with ho-hum virginias like Gawith's BBF to dilute.

It isn't a generic black cavendish; it is a quality Virginia blend. It is definitely dessert. If you think you'll like it, you probably will, but dedicate a pipe to it.

Update 3/11: Ok, open it and come back in half a decade or so. Unlike virtually all other aromatics I ever met, time actually improved it, possibly by evaporating off the excess topping. At this point, it's at least a three star. I'm leaving it as a two because nobody will want to bother. But really: it's really really good now. It's finally vanilla and Virginia.

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2004-10-25		Mild to Medium	Medium	Medium	Very Pleasant

Definitely one of the best vanilla aromatics in existance. Unlike blends such as RLP-6, this blend allows you to actually taste the tobacco while not sacrificing the flavoring and visa versa.

All aromatic smokers should try this blend. It's a big step up from what you normally find at the tobacconist shop.

But watch out! It can bite if smoked too fast.

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	kraakjes (3)	2017-09-25		Mild	Medium to Strong	Medium to Full	Pleasant

Mi oh MY, is this a good Tobacco, the vanilla is pure nature...no chemicals at all. This is a whole day smoke. At the top of my agenda.

Johan

Pipe Used: Home made

Age When Smoked: ?

Purchased From: Dan Pipe

Similar Blends: Stanwell Sungold.

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Aro Lover (13)	2015-11-18		Mild	Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild (Flat)	Pleasant

Having been smoking pipes and a variety of English and aromatic tobaccos for over 6 years now, I'm not exactly a newbie. Unfortunately Vanilla Cream Loose Cut isn't a very pleasurable smoke. MacBaren claims 'Vanilla Cream', but where is the vanilla taste? It's a very light cream flavor when smoking, with practically no vanilla taste. Almost like smoking hot air. Room note is decent, but not great. Seems to fade fast and leaves behind a slight cigarettish smell. And oh my it's a harsh tobacco. This stuff slowly roasts my mouth... regardless of drying time, packing technique, or smoking cadence. I cannot tolerate smoking this more than one bowl per day. This is a really disappointing tobacco, considering how wonderful their Seven Seas line is. Not recommended- not even for veteran smokers. Go with Mac Baren's smooth and tasty Seven Seas line instead.

Pipe Used: Bent briar (unfiltered)

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Tantric (321)	2008-06-30		Mild to Medium	Medium to Strong	Mild	Very Pleasant

NB: If you can?t stand aromatic blends, this one is definitely off limits. If, on the other hand, you don?t mind an aromatic every once in a while, this might suit you. Finally, if you are an aromatic die-hard, this one is a must. In any case, don?t be put off by the rather pungent vanilla essence exuding from this tobacco (noticeable even with the pouch sealed and wrapped up). Give it some time. You?ll be surprised.

I must admit I was fairly alarmed when I first got a pouch of VLC as a gift from a former student. Initial reaction: does this guy hold a grudge or something? As I walked away, suspiciously sniffing the pouch, my second reaction was: Oh my! This smells (nay, stinks) exactly like one of those Middletone?s chemical vanilla concoctions (at best, one might also compare it to Peterson?s De Luxe mixture).

Throwing all caution to the wind I decided to open the pouch, but not being the daredevil youngster I once used to be, I thought it safer to leave it open for a couple of hours before I approached it with any serious intentions. Well, to be honest, I was pleasantly surprised both by the cut and the aroma.

This is top-grade MacBaren craftsmanship at its best. Nothing to do with Middletone?s factory-cut. The jet-black Cavendish strands (Burley?s? Though there is no mention of this leaf in the tobacco description), thick Virginia plug chunks, and golden and medium brown Virginia ribbon look wonderful, solid, and inviting. After being open for an hour or so, the excessive aroma had dissipated, allowing the blend?s natural mildness and sweetness to emerge (in fact, the typical MacBaren Virginia honey-on-toast aroma was very much in evidence). The vanilla casing was there all right, but not in a cloying, enervating fashion.

Now, for the ultimate MacBaren challenge: would the legendary tongue-bite signature (described by some?Lustra for one?as napalm-on-the-tongue or, at the very least, an incendiary affair) be present in the smoking experience?

Well, good news in this department, too. No Osamas here. This is a fairly cool and surprisingly mild, slow burning melange. Rather than producing a military assault on the senses or taste buds, the flavour is pleasant, slightly sweet and almost elegant. It is a perfect blend to smoke in an open-air cafe (yes, Mexico City too has fallen prey to the fascist anti-tobacco movement, and smokers are now banned from doing so anywhere in indoor public gatherings), where more often than not innocent bystanders and fellow smokers will compliment you on the wonderful aroma.

Another plus: it doesn?t seem to leave any gunk or syrupy residue in the pipe, nor does the flavour cling to the inner stem or bowl. However, I wouldn?t use my Virginia or English only pipes to smoke this one. Virginia Lose Cut is a quality aromatic, with excellent burning characteristics. Yet, as I?m not a diehard aromatic fan, I cannot rate it more than three stars.

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Darth 69 (117)	2018-05-21		Mild	Medium	Mild	Pleasant

I eventually got around to this based on some reviews about how light the vanilla flavor was, not overpowering in looking for a slightly sweeter blend. Actually, this has more of a dark sweet fruity aroma with the vanilla in the back seat. This fruit-vanilla flavor style is familiar and can be found one way or another in other Euro manufactured blends so, it's not so unique. The flavor is a bit rough around the edges and slightly flat; The virginias need more sweet casing. There is a slight bitey tang to the virginias if you're particularly sensitive to them as I am. I'm a bit surprised that this turned out to be such a bomb. This isn't much of a vanilla tobacco but an European aromatic in lines with DTM Blue Note and Savinelli's Cavendish. Didn't care for it.

Similar Blends: Dan Tobacco Blue Note, Savinelli Cavendish.

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Leonidas (6)	2017-11-09		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium to Full	Pleasant

I do not consider myself an experienced pipe smoker. Even though i have been smoking pipe for 3 years, i often fall back to my cigarettes addiction only to stop and start smoking pipe again.

Mac Baren-Vanilla Cream Loose Cut is a well made vanilla flavored aromatic. It has such an attention to detail that its pretty surprising its a drug store tobacco you can find at a reasonable price. The flavoring is mild and by no means does it have an artificial taste to it. The vanilla is blended in nicely and there are occasions where i detect a nutty flavor. It is an extremely tasty tobacco. The taste stays with you till the last puffs.

It doesnt bite the tongue unless you go on fast puff mode, but i guess that is the case with almost every tobacco. The room note is really pleasant. The wife loves it, so much that she actually encourages me to smoke loose cut during the day instead of other aromatics.

Only drawback would be its uneven burn. Especially after the first half of the bowl, the re-lights are pretty constant. But then again it might be just me. Three years in pipe smoking might not be enought to teach me how to pack tobacco properly.

Enjoy Mac Baren Loose cut with a cup of coffee in the moring. Even though its an all day smoke, i find that the taste gives its best in the early hours of a cold morning, accompanied with a hot cup of your favorite coffee. I wouldnt recommend it with spirits. Its sweetness and vanilla flavor does not match well with any kind of alcoholic beverage.

Dr. Leonidas

Pipe Used: Capitol Bruyere

Age When Smoked: Fresh from the pouch

Purchased From: Tobacco Shop Thessaloniki

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2015-11-11		Mild	Medium	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

My wife asks "Is that the vanilla one?" every time I smoke something that smells good, she's convinced they're all Mac Baren Vanilla Cream. This is the reference for quality aromatics - consistent, high quality, flavorful and friendly.

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	ShadowFox (8)	2015-11-10		Mild	Mild	Mild	Pleasant

I've seen this one at my tobacconist and I thought I'd give it a try. I was convinced by it's lovely sweet vanilla smell when unlit. Tobacco has a good moisture and it burns really well and even. It has a very gentle creamy vanilla flavor, and at first I was almost a bit disappointed, because it seemed almost to mild, but I've grown to appreciate the subtle flavor and I love to combine it with a cup of good macchiato - with its creamy taste it combines really well. It's a good, sweet and creamy smoke, and I'd recommend it, if you're looking for something light that can be easily smoked throughout the day.

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	حسین (1)	2015-10-26		Mild	Medium	Medium	Pleasant

Vanilla cream is written on the tin. When I bought it I was looking for vanilla.I thought I am buying tobacco with essence of vanilla.when I opend the tin I found out It is not what I thouth. It was ceeam and vanilla mix.half and half I filled the pipe I saw the cream taste is stronger than vanilla but not disappointed.It was a nice shopping. The weekness is becarefull of its bit.

Similar Blends: Vanilla cream flake.

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	pipedrum22 (15)	2015-02-25		Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

This vanilla is a fantastic go to vanilla for the aro lover. It's a loose cut with some chunks of broken flake mixed in. It packs well, lights well, and burns well. Has a great vanilla flavor that is not too sweet, but not too dull either. The Virginias compliment the cavendish and vanilla topping very nicely and has a good spice when pulled through the nostrils. This is a blend that would be solid for the person who does not like strong aromatics and who enjoys Virginias.

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2012-01-04		Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

This is a great aromatic. The vanilla flavoring is apparent, but not over powering. Burns well and is not goopy at all. Needs just about 10-20 min of dry time and then is ready to go. Can bite a bit, but hey it is Mac Baren. If you like OTC/Bulk goop piles, or steamy stuff like 1Q, this will be a different experience for you. This still has a tobacco flavor and the vanilla casing is their to add to the tobacco flavor, not over shadow it.

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2008-04-03		Mild	Mild to Medium	Mild	Pleasant

This is a better than average, reasonably priced aromatic. It's mild, bite free, smokes cool and reasonably dry, for an aromatic.

However, it just doesn't have a whole lot of flavor. Not much tobacco flavor, not a whole lot of vanilla, either. It's not bad, it's just not that good, so I won't be buying more. If what you're looking for is a very mild, bite free vanilla blend that is a good step up from most goopy bulk blends, this is probably worth a try. While I've smoked much worse in this category, I've experienced better, too.

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2007-02-15		Very Mild	Strong	Mild	Pleasant

Generally indifferent, but at least something to write home about.

This is strange. I smell the cream!!! It is not like other vanilla flavoured stuff. At least is has some personality and presense. My wife likes vanilla blends - she is not overly enthusiastic about this one.

If you like intense aromatics then you might enjoy this. I have not made up mind as to whether I will buy another pouch.

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2005-03-24		Mild to Medium	Medium to Strong	Medium	Very Pleasant

Well, I am going to fall into the "love it group". I usually tend to enjoy full Virginia blends with perique but every once in a while I like a good aromatic. This lit well and I found that I was able to actually taste the tobacco that went into this blend. I was just expecting to taste nothing but Vanilla flavoring from what I had heard! Dont get me wrong there is a definate vanilla flavor to this and the room note is wonderful. (my wife basically hates every tobacco I smoke and she said this one smelled "good") I have smoked quite a bit of this at home now, I think I will take it to work today and see what happens! I like this and would have to say at least give it a try, you might be surprised!

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Hemlock (69)	2005-02-01		Medium	Medium	Medium to Full	Very Pleasant

I've had the pouch contents in a small 2 oz jar for about 5 months now. Now with just a few bowls left, I decided to review this blend. First of all, I must say I like MacBaren as a company. They have class and really characterize the pipe as a way of life (just see their website). I hope to get through a number of their blends over time. This is an honest to goodness aromatic blend. I have over a dozen blends in my rotation with both aromatics and english blends, and I have a place in my heart for both types. This blend is a satisfying, medium blend that smokes well, medium nicotine level, HPH 2.

Initially, the draw from the bowl is quite sweet distinct gentle sweetness surrounding the tongue, but adequately smokey with the virginia coming through. It is best after the first half of my medium Brigham bent bowl, as notes of sweet autumn woods come through-- a sure sign of a good virginia. I can find many distinct fruity, toasty, nutty notes in this smoke by this point. Yes, it can bite if drawn too fast, but hey, pipe smoking is an ART after all not for the sloppy and faint of heart, and frankly, I don't mind having to balance the pipe draws to get the subtle pleasures of a well made blend.

I really like when the bowl is tamped down well to form a coal- like texture with the ribbon and cut-plugs fusing to become one piece of charcoal in the bowl. The room aroma is brilliant, as the comments have advised (ironically, I was even told by some ladies it smelled of chocolate!), no lingering unpleasant smell. Even better is the outdoor aroma, when blended with cool fresh winter air. Sure to please all around you. I recommend a pouch of this to any aromatic smoker, just to keep in the rotation.

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Young Piper (304)	2004-09-01		Mild	Medium to Strong	Medium	Pleasant

Very tasty mix of teenie tiny flakes and black and yellow ribbons. High class presentation and a wonderful vanilla bean aroma. It will bite if provoked so it must be smoked slower. Throw a little burley in to cool things down and i'm in a dream. This would be a fav if it had a little more Vanilla flavor. I desire full on Aromatics. Good stuff though, i'll keep a tin around.

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Spike (296)	2004-08-25		Mild to Medium	Medium to Strong	Medium	Pleasant

This is a quality aromatic. The taste is like a good brandy based vanilla. Very rich and somewhat monochromatic like most aromatics. But with something a little better than most. A good tobacco for mixed company.

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Skygazer (6)	2022-06-20		Mild to Medium	Medium	Medium	Very Pleasant

Very enjoyable vanilla blend that doesn't forget what's this all about: good tobacco. Burns hot so needs a bit of discipline, but quite frankly I learned how to smoke a pipe with this tobacco because the taste was so good it gave me the motivation to really get into this hobby. Only issue: it can get boring after a while and it prompted me to try other blends. Always nice to come back to it though.

Might sound weird to some hardcore pipe smokers out there, but to me this tobacco shines with a filter. The vanilla flavour comes out a bit too harshly without one. I personally tried it with and without a 9mm balsa filter and enjoyed it much more with it.

Great tobacco to smoke in social settings since the room note is amazing. My house didn't even smell like smoke but more like baked vanilla cookies. Great, great, great.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Viscfab (36)	2019-06-03		Mild to Medium	Medium to Strong	Medium	Very Pleasant

The best aromatic pipe tobacco ever produced in my opinion, simply put. On my 25+ years of pipe endeavours I have yet to find a better aromatic than this blend. The aroma when you open the tin is fantastic. Not a simple monotone Vanilla topping but a complex aroma that melts vanilla, caramel and probably a bit of coconut? It is not too moist for an aromatic, the cut is a mixture of broken flakes and ribbon cuts. Packs well and lights easily providing a tasty aroma and wonderful flavor profile which is extremely similar to the tin note. French smoking and retrohaling at a slow pace will provide you moments of treu bliss if you like some sweeter moments on your pipe smoking experience. I can also taste the Virginias balancing the blend very well. Does never bite me and provides a good lasting satisfying smoke with a light to medium nic hit. The room note is the best possible I can think of. Love it. One of my top 5 blends. Mr Per Georg Jensen is really a masterblender of sorts!

Pipe Used: Several Vauen, Savinelli, Brebbia, Stanwell

Age When Smoked: less than 1 year

Purchased From: local importer

Similar Blends: Borkum Riff - Vanilla Cavendish.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	CraigInTheCorn (11)	2019-01-23		Mild	Mild to Medium	Medium	Pleasant

When I first started smoking a pipe several years ago, like most new smokers, I gravitated to aromatics. At the Chicago Pipe Show, I got samples of several Sutliff blends and fell in love with their Mountain Pass blend. I later discovered that their Vanilla Custard blend is very similar, if not exactly the same blend. It was out of stock, but one day, there it was... or so I thought. I ordered a full pound of not Sutliff Vanilla Custard, but Mac Baren Vanilla Cream. Oops. I didn’t like the Mac Baren by comparison. I found it flavorless and it sat it an apothecary jar for a few years.

Fast forward to the present and now I am primarily a VAPer smoker, but every once in a blue moon, I enjoy an aromatic. My smoking technique has improved dramatically in the meantime, smoking much slower and cooler. As a result, the “subtleties” of Mac Baren Vanilla Cream are now obvious. The pleasant, natural-tasting vanilla flavor is present thoughout the bowl, without being overwhelming. There’s still a bit of flavor from the tobacco sneaking through and without sticky sweetness. It’s kind of like a simple vanilla biscuit, enjoyable in its pure simplicity. I experienced a similar tranformation with Rattray’s Bagpiper’s Dream as my technique improved. I don’t believe these tobaccos improved with age. Rather, my technique improved with experience along with my ability to enjoy these fine aromatic tobaccos.

So, for new smokers, I would recommend the Sutliff Vanilla Custard. For experienced smokers, I suggest Mac Baren’s Vanilla Cream.

I don’t notice any tendency to bite, but expect a new smoker might encounter some puffing too hard in a vain attempt for more flavor. I smoke this blend moister than I would try with any straight Virginia or VAPer blend, but can’t say that it wouldn’t be improved with some drying. It packs easily and burns well with few relights. It could easily be an all-day smoke, if I ever did such a thing. I never plan ahead to smoke an aromatic — it’s alway sponaneous. Burns well, despite the moisture.

My rating of Highly Recommended is based upon an evaluation of what this tobacco tries to be, rather than my personal preference.

Pipe Used: Various

Age When Smoked: New to four years

Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Diyavol (8)	2017-12-02		Mild	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

I am not a fan of aromatics, but I liked this one. A little bit bitey though, but a fine tobacco for a good start for the day. Natural lovers would not enjoy it I guess, nevertheless it worths trying.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	SunriseBoy (21)	2017-02-24		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Tolerable to Strong

Having read the various reviews on this one I decided to give a try. The overall experience is very good. But I might just add it bites a bit if you don't pay attention. I like a lot of smoke and have to sip long and slow to keep it "smokin", so to speak. But it's a lovely tobacco. Thanks for all the considered reviews. Especially Jiminks (at least I think he's the one). It seems to me if a bomb went off next to him and he'd say, "Mmmm, the intitial smell of Amatol was a little over-powering but the Baronal and Barotol gave it an overall balance. There was grassiness and hay also. The tendency of the earthiness was unfortunate and did over-power the experience. Two stars". Thanks James. ----------------------------------------------------------------- 29.4.17 : After finishing the tin, I have to admit it started off well for me but have to correct my self and say that there is too much bite in this product, at least for me. It is a very well made blend, but it's too rough for this snowflake. The aroma is one of the very best I've ever had but won't be buying again. Though I will have a crack at the flake if I can find it.

Pipe Used: Corn Cob...what else!

Age When Smoked: Jan. '16.

Purchased From: Elfumador

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pipe4ever (204)	2009-01-09		Mild	Strong	Medium	Very Pleasant

This is the best Vanilla aromatic pipe tobacco ever created by mankind, it is wonderfully creamy and chocolaty, mild and consistent, with incredible aroma and an outstanding room note, very tasty and full bodied smoke, however a slow puffing is highly recommended since it may bite if smoked quickly.

MB Mixture, Va No1 and VC are my favorite blends.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2004-02-14		Mild	Very Strong	Medium to Full	Very Pleasant

They aren't kidding when they say Vanilla Cream. The Vanilla taste in this tobacco is certainly the strongest I have tried. It is also very, very good, applied over quality tobacco which is only just barely in the background due to the very strong casing.

A wonderful aroma in the tin as well as in the room. Packs easily and burns to a fine white ash.

This won't be a regular smoke for me because the Vanilla is too much out in front, but I'll give it three stars simply because it is nothing but quality.

Lovers of Vanilla Cavendish owe it to themselves to give this tobacco a try.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2003-10-31		Medium	Strong	Medium	Pleasant

First off, If you don't like vanilla aromatics stay away ;) If you do, you'll find this a very satisfying smoke. This is miles beyond your average drug store vanilla.

In the tin: heavenly smell, mostly vanilla but also some genuine sweet virginia.

In the pipe: This packs and lights easily yielding dense clouds of blue smoke. The flavor is predominantly vanilla but there is some plain tobacco flavor in the smooth, round mouthfuls of smoke. I find it burns a bit hot and thus advise slow smoking.

This is not a profound tobacco, but when you feel like having yourself a vanilla aromatic this has to be high on your list of choices.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2003-08-16		Mild	Medium	Mild	Pleasant

Vanilla Cream for me is a very relaxing smoke with an outstanding sweetness and pleasant aroma, one my even my wife likes.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2003-06-30		Mild to Medium	Medium to Strong	Medium	Very Pleasant

This is one of my favorite tobaccos. It packs, lights and burns well without getting too hot or biting the tongue and has a very noticeable, but not overwhelming vanilla taste.

The tobacco taste is one-dimensional, but very good and is not too obscured by the vanilla taste - toward the bottom of the bowl the vanilla taste wears off and you will just taste the tobacco. While this is far from being a "strong" tobacco, it definitely has some kick to it.

If you're looking for a classy vanilla aromatic I don't think you could do much better than this. If you're looking for a more complex smoke, or for a pure tobacco taste, look elsewhere.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2003-03-18		Mild to Medium	Medium to Strong	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Well, I have found my aromatic tobacco!!! This is a keeper. What more can I add, except to say that I don't know if I'd call it "vanilla". It tasted very much like Original Choice, to me...That's not a bad thing in the least, in fact this is how I expected OC to taste when I first smelled it.

This is a very well-behaved aromatic. The smell is terrific, it burns like a dream, the flavour stays all the way through. Not once did I have to run a pipe cleaner through to get rid of moisture!

This is a wonderful sweet smoke for armoatic lovers out there! Highly recommended!

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	MechanicPiper (3)	2022-04-12		Mild	Mild	Mild	Tolerable

Mac Baren's Vanilla Cream Loose Cut was a gift given to me by my sister when she went on a trip to germany. I got the 3.5oz tin and was one of the first pipe tobaccos I smoked some 4~6 years ago. When opening this tin you are presented with the wonderful vanilla aroma which makes you want to eat the tobacco but... don't let this fool you. I remembered it smoke very hot and lots of tongue bite when I first smoked (due to inexperience) and almost made me give up on pipe smoking. Now some years later I had the opportunity to try again and even after having some experience smoking, it still smokes hot and bites a little, you should definitely take your time and be really experienced to properly smoke this without the hot smoke and tongue bite.

The strength is mild and also the flavor and taste. Room note is excellent and has a really good vanilla smell.

I cannot recommend this blend due to lacking the vanilla flavor (even though the smell and room note are there). There is little taste, burns hot and MacBites.

Pipe Used: Bent Bazanelli Italy

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	rylandbrown (9)	2022-01-07		Mild	Medium to Strong	Medium to Full	Very Pleasant

I've been a pipe smoker for over 20 years, and this has been my favorite tobacco for the last five years. A unique vanilla flavored tobacco that isn't so topped or cased that I feel like I'm smoking syrup.

I buy it by the pound, have it dedicated to a Peterson B42, and it always comes at a great moisture level. If you like vanilla aromatics, this is about as good as it gets.

This isn't a complex blend, but sometimes I get a cinnamon or maple flavor.

A great place to start for those who might want to venture into aromatics without feeling like they are going to smoke a blend whose flavoring is going to mask bad tobacco. It's quality leaf, with a quality topping.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2016-03-19		Mild	Strong	Medium	Pleasant

I had difficulties with this blend the first few smokes. I guess it was depending on my expectations on a vanilla tobacco. This one is far from your standard OTC Vanilla cavendish. And that may have been the thing. After a few bowls I really got to it: this aroma is far more on the real vanilla (dried vanilla fruits) side than on the nowadays normal artificial vanillin aroma we are so used to. After this epiphany I more and more enjoyed this tobacco, I even bought expensive vanilla fruits from Madagaskar and made some deserts with it, just to come closer (again) to the real vanilla taste of my childhood.

Personally, I only like the tobacco when I smoke it with an active-charcole-filter. Without or even with a balsawood filter I cannot stand it.

And beware: this tobacco is after all a typical Mac Baren (thankfully without the honeyish "MB flavour", because they used their modern Cavendish). Therefore, also this one smokes very hot, gets very bitter and harsh quite easily, it even gets a charcole taste quite quickly and burns the tongue on a regular basis.

Nonetheless, I enjoy this tobacco, and it also goes well with a mild to medium roasted black coffee.

EDIT: I bought a second tin (as well as a tin of the flake), and this one is a bit older than the one I have reviewed here (that was quite fresh out of the factory). I have to say with this about 9 month old tin I find it much milder, mellower, less harsh, and even the slight spiciness is much more rounded and more in the background. So, I would recommend to let the closed tin age for 6 to 9 months, it seems to be worth it. Now I like to smoke it without a filter too, in fact, I prefer to smoke it without a filter now. I would give the blend now a 3.5 out of 4 stars.

EDIT: I was told that it is not called vanilla friut but vanilla beans.

Pipe Used: Different Briars mostly with filters

Age When Smoked: a few weeks out of the factory

Similar Blends: MB Vanilla Cream Flake.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Dubinthedam (133)	2008-04-13		Mild	Very Strong	Medium	Very Pleasant

It's vanilla, it's creamy, it still has some natural tobacco taste to it, it isn't too soapy, it doesn't bite too much...and you would be amazed at how many hardcore latakia and VA/perq fans both like and rate it.

So many aromatics have vanilla in them, why? Because it works well with the process of casing. MacB have just decided to let the vanilla do all the work, without too much suger or rum or God only knows what else. Even if you don't like vanilla (I hate custard!) it'll surprise you.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Danno (106)	2003-08-15		Mild	Strong	Medium	Pleasant

Vanilla Cream was a staple in my aromatic rotation for years. I hadn't smoked any for some time, so I purchased a pouch and dug out a Stanwell I had dedicated to this tabac. It's easy to see why so many(smokers and non)enjoy this blend. It is mild, low maintenance and smells like a candle party. It even tastes somewhat like tobacco, but that casing is more determined than a russian olympian...a good party smoke when no-one around you would care for EMP.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2001-10-17		Mild	Medium to Strong	Medium	Tolerable

MacBarren Vanilla Cream: not a big fan of heavily flavored tobacco, I tend to stick to blond and red virginias; especially not of something titled Vanilla Cream. But on lonely nights in Anchorage, when the bars have all escorted their last determined customers to the door, and the sidewalks have turned ice, I?ve found myself walking home holding my pipe in my coat pocket and looking for something new... I think MacBarren?s web-sight is very informative, and if one can?t fall asleep on those nights, then reading the brief synopsis for each of their blends might help. It is in this manner which I decided to order their Vanilla Cream lose cut. It is made in part of mature virginia, so that was good enough for me. The tin smell is sweet, creamy, beeswax candle like, and you have to pull it away from your nose. Indeed their is strips of virginia inside, and upon lighting the first two matches I caught hint of their familiar aroma. A light creamy vanilla fragrance follows. The nature of the flavor is nutty-creamy. The intensity of the flavor is light to medium, but more on the light side. The sweetness of the flavor is medium-strong. I don?t know much about flavored tobaccos, but compared to my early pipe smoking days with drug-store blends, this blend seems very sophisticated. The smell in the tin is honest to the smoke, only not as strong. The body of Vanilla Cream on my palate is very gentle, but nonetheless their is a biting quality to it. It caught me a bit by surprise. I?m use to a little bite from virginia, but I wasn?t expecting it from Vanilla Cream. It also seems to cling to your mouth a lot more, despite my obsessive compulsive tooth-brushing. Their is no doubt this Cream is a smooth blend. The balance between the body and flavor is like water and ice. The smoke is consistent, not very complex, but I like consistency in a blend, though it does get sour as you approach the dottle. ?You?re pretentious but not the tobacco,? my girl remarked. I was rudely blowing it in her face, but nonetheless she likes the aroma This blend is lose cut, but I hear there is a flake cut Vanilla Cream which might appeal to me better. However it seems to be sold only in Germany. It is a good idea to keep a separate set of pipes for this blend. I?m having a hell of a time getting the vanilla out of my Stanwell.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pipefitter (51)	2022-12-15		Mild	Medium	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

I generally stay away from tobacco with vanilla flavoring , but I kept seeing this one at a tobacconist shop I frequent and it just stuck in my mind so I went on the site to see what some of my trusted reviewers had to say about it. Well, there’s a guy that’s tested almost 3 thousand tobaccos on this site and he and I usually agree. So thanks Jimlnks for helping me make some purchases that I wouldn’t usually make. If he says it’s a 4 , then it probably is. He gave this one a 3 and I agree and it’s not like I smoke this kind of stuff that often, but this tobacco is a high quality Virginia with enough vanilla to make it interesting. I saw a few reviews that complain that this and other MacBaren blends are automatic scorchers and I don’t get it . I couldn’t get this stuff hot if I wanted to. If you’re a normal smoker, then this one doesn’t bite at all. Burns well and adds no moisture to the bowl. If they made this in a flake , I’d probably give it a 4 . Read the reviewers that have smoked hundreds or thousands of tobacco and leaves the hyperbole at just what it is………Because of it’s low nicotine hit and mild flavor, you can smoke it first thing in the AM and all day without any tongue bit of palate fatigue.

Age When Smoked: New tin

Purchased From: Sergei’s in East Lyme Ct

Similar Blends: Lane Limited 1-Q.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	GreybeardPiper (7)	2021-05-27		Extremely Mild	Extremely Mild	Mild	Pleasant

I'll admit - Mac Baren Vanilla Cream is my Everest. This was the first tobacco I ever purchased and smoked. This served as a high barrier to entry for me. I had read many great reviews and had seen it was top rated in some places, but I struggled to get anything but tongue bite and ash from it. It wasn't until I smoked Frog Morton's Cellar that I realized how great pipe smoking could be.

Fast forward a few years I now know what I'm doing and can get pleasant smokes from just about everything. It was time to return to vanilla cream.

Opening the tin, as everyone says, the aroma is out of this world. One of the best tin notes out there which sets expectations for the smoke fairly high. After properly drying and loading up I lit up for the first time in about 4 years. Surprisingly there was flavor there - barely. The taste is extraordinarily mild compared to other aromatics such as Boswell's Best. With full focus and great care, I was able to get to the heart of what the vanilla cream experience should be and to be honest, it's just alright. Having had some great vanilla alternatives, the effort to get the best from vanilla cream isn't worth it. Unless you're looking for room note only, I'd recommend looking for other vanilla aromatics. I'll likely give away the rest of the tin. And to come full circle this tobacco isn't bad, it just really isn't for everyone and not at all beginner friendly.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Ismail M Taher (5)	2019-03-07		Mild	Medium	Very Mild	Very Pleasant

Mac Baren's Vanilla cream loose cut.

This truly is a quality tobacco, and a superb aromatic. The blend comes in two forms, flake and ready rubbed. I'm going to briefly review the ready rubbed version now.

So, as I mentioned, the blend comes in a sort of coarse cut (or broken flake). You can definitely observe the brown virginia ribbons mixed in with black chunks of Cavendish.

The pouch note is extremely VANILLA, it's so potent with a touch of cream to it.

So, the blend packs fairly easy, needs a few lights to get going since it's on the moist side, but once lit it tends to stay lit with little hassle.

Now, the flavor. If you're expecting this to be a goopy and sickly sweet vanilla bomb, think again. The potent vanilla pouch note losely translates into flavor, which is a positive thing in my opinion.

As you puff on, you get that bready quality from the Virginia base in the blend, the sweetness from the Cavendish and the fairly mild and moderately sweet vanilla/cream topping to the smoke.

This is really interesting, since I mostly smoke "serious" and full bodied unflavored blends, this is actually a nice change of pace. And this is coming from someone who doesn't actually enjoy or like vanilla, at all. This blend's use of vanilla is so mild that I actually enjoyed it.

It's sweet, but not overly sweet. It tends to burn hot so puff slow to avoid tongue bite. It's fairly light bodied and mild tasting with little to no nicotine. If you're someone looking for a nice aromatic where you can actually taste the component tobaccos, give this is a try. It's quality leaf, and the topping is applied very carefully and without overdoing it.

The vanilla flavor is subtle and very high quality, the room note is obviously very pleasant.

Interestingly though, halfway through the bowl the vanilla topping seems to tone down very much, allowing the tobacco flavors to shine through. In my experience, smoking this blend slowly, and I mean REALLY slowly, has allowed me to pick up the nuances and complexities of this blend and experience zero tongue bite. I actually picked up some dried fruity kind of note when puffed extremely slow. This is definitely an interesting blend.

As a plus, this tobacco burns down to fine gray ash, no goopiness or any ghosting of the bowl.

All in all, very nice and light sweet and creamy smoke, I give it 3 out of 5. You should definitely give it a try.

Update: After some research, I made sure that this blend actually contains Burleys. Which isn't mentioned on tobacco reviews but is mentioned clearly on the macbarens website. That probably explains the slightly nutty, bold aspect that appears through the smoke and perhaps add a little body to it.

Pipe Used: ST dupont estate

Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Optimist (6)	2017-11-16		Mild	None Detected	Extremely Mild (Flat)	Unnoticeable

This was such a disappointment - a real nothing tobacco. I cannot taste the vanilla and can barely taste the tobacco itself. A shame - I saw the tin, read its listing in 'best aromatics' articles, found the name enticing, and was really excited to smoke it, particularly having read it tasted like vanilla ice cream. Unless something changes, with drying, it honestly does not. Will not be buying again and may tip this away, just to free up a mason jar.

Later: Have now smoked this a few days more and find it, if anything, even worse. It simply makes a nice smell and tastes of nothing. Please don't think you are going to get some amazing taste/complexity experience from this. I bought a small packet of this, and now it is going to get thrown.

Pipe Used: Stanwell Poker

Age When Smoked: Fresh from the packet

Purchased From: UK Tobacco

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Ahmad Othman (51)	2016-11-13		Mild to Medium	Medium	Medium	Very Pleasant

This is a really beautiful tobacco. One that's very foretelling of Mac Baren brand of blends. The note is quite elegant and regal with a light colour and the crest of HH in the top. Upon opening the tin, you're welcomed with a sunshine of light virginias, and a seeded earth black of Cavendish. The tin aroma is reminiscent of fresh bakery at a local patisserie. It is in excellent moisture content out of the tin and I recommend you smoke it as so without drying as it will take away a bit of the flavour and aroma. The tobacco cut is excellent, it's a mix of long ribbons and broken flakes, it backs well and can pack tightly without hindering the draw and it leaves a little bit of nice aroma on your finger tips. Also a dry draw test reveal the flavour profile in a teasing way. Upon first light the ribbons catch a nice kindle, but the flakes require a bit of attention.. But once lit, it stays so, and burns well to a perfect, white ashy bottom with a few to none relights. The body of it is quite medium and the aroma makes me inhale the smoke with my nose to get more of it. And the taste is pretty nice and never overpowering. It gives me hints of Vanilla and some creamy, pastry flavour as if it is a freshly made croissant baked with honey. I thoroughly enjoy it, despite my lesser tendency towards aromatics and I see this making my rotation.

Pipe Used: Peterson Dracula 999, Falcon Extra Bent

Age When Smoked: One year

Purchased From: Smoking Centre, Dubai

Similar Blends: Peterson - Sweet Killarney.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Hillbilly08 (38)	2016-04-30		Mild to Medium	Medium to Strong	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Something went wrong for me with this particular blend, and I cannot pinpoint the reason. It is a bit like examining what went wrong with a relationship where things sounded great and ticked a lot of points on the checklist, but did not pass the test of real life. So here it goes: I am a committed aromatic smoker (check), I like vanilla topping as opposed to say cocoa (check), I like Cavendish and Virginia blends (check). Yet the packet went to the bin after maybe five or so attempts to persevere.

What went wrong? After some time I decided that it was not the ribbon-cut tobacco, not the moisture, not the topping, not the slight bite common to MacBaren aromatics when pushed. The problem was that the combination of mild tobacco and heavy topping simply did not work well for me (despite me being an aro lover). I thought the topping itself was OK, but the tobacco fragrance simply disappeared underneath the vanilla cream. I immediately followed this experience with a new pouch of MB "Scottish Mixture", found it to be well-balanced, subtle, sophisticated and superior in every way, and decided not to return to MB Vanilla Cream. Lesson learned.

Pipe Used: no name billiard briar with 9mm filter

Age When Smoked: fresh out of packet

Purchased From: Kikusui Tobacco Shop, Ginza (Tokyo) - Japan

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Ubiquitous (7)	2015-11-22		Extremely Mild	Extremely Mild	Extremely Mild (Flat)	Very Pleasant

The aroma of the tobacco in the tin reminds me of one of those tree shaped vanilla scented car air fresheners. It comes across as being artificial to me. The taste isn't much better. I taste very little vanilla. Actually, I taste very little of anything... Some very light, bright Virginia. That's about it. Also, this blend has a very bad tendency to bite. I found myself puffing so slowly in order to avoid tongue bite that I had to relight it many times before finishing the bowl. At the mid-way point, it improves slightly. The Cavendish starts to show some sweetness. Still no vanilla, but there is still tongue bite. The room note is very light, but very pleasant. Light, sweet, floral vanilla. I didn't really enjoy this one... I've smoked three bowls of it so far. My tin shall remain unfinished for the time being. Hopefully some age will improve it. Not recommended.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Jose Ruiz (7)	2015-03-22		Mild to Medium	Medium	Mild to Medium	Very Strong

Welcome all, hope everyone's having a great day. For your viewing pleasure todays review will be on Mac Barens Vanilla Crème - loose cut.

Pipe used : MM Country Gentleman corn cob

Tobacco Blend: Virginia, Burley, Cavendish

Tin Note: The aroma of vanilla with a hint of nuttiness reminds me of crème brulee. very inviting

Strength: Medium/Medium light

Room Note: A nice vanilla aroma that was a bit off putting to some in the room .

Taste: Vanilla nuttiness, smooth mild/med .Nice nutty taste from the burley. nice sweetness from the Virginia and Cavendish.

Notes: Out of the tin it's ready to pack and light. Make sure to pack it lighter then normal for a better smoke and smoke it slow. Did get some gurgling but I find that normal for aromatics, just run a pipe cleaner thru the stem and your back in business. Stayed lit with a few tamps . I enjoyed the nutty notes from the burley to compliment the vanilla. The taste wasn't overly sweet, consistent thru out the smoke. Towards last 1/4 bowl was getting a bit harsh. Was a good smoke . I think you will enjoy this one.

Rate:3

The Wife's Review:

I love vanilla in cakes, cookies and other baked goods. That said, I never ever buy vanilla scented candles or potpourri or incense because it smells nasty. And quite frankly, this pipe smells like those. If I wanted to get smacked in the face with a vanilla incense stick, I'd go out and buy one and proceed with self-flagellation.. and now that you have that image seared in your brain.. good luck smoking this one without choking on the mental image of some middle-aged weirdo beating themselves with vanilla incense sticks. I would 100% prefer my husband to pass on this one unless I was out working an overnight shift like I sometimes do... Sorry honey, this one is a no-go in my book!

Pipe Used: torino briar slight bend

Age When Smoked: new

Purchased From: sutliff

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	SmokeDawg (82)	2014-12-21		Mild	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

Holy Smokes this is good.

If you would open my antique cabinet (AKA tobacco stash/cellar) you would see over 60 fine tobaccos offerings. Other than Cult's (Blood Red Moon) a cherry tobacco, Mac Baren's Vanilla Cream is the only tobacco I've loaded and got a pre-light whiff and thought, "This smells and looks the way we think a "Pipe Tobacco" should look and smell like." And by "Pipe Tobacco" I mean the stuff folks reference when they start their sentences, "My Grandfather use to smoke..." This is a great "Pipe Tobacco" and reminded me while I smoke pipes in the first place.

A high quality tobacco blend of bright and aged Va's with a tantilizing tasty Cavendish. This just isnt Vanilla, it's Vanilla CREAM. The cream really sets this apart from all other Vanilla blends. It looks and smells divine. Smokes great and is quite tasty. Not a cheap aromatic tobacco in any way. You get a loose cut for easy packing and a great smoke with an exceptional creamy vanilla fragrance. Smoke it up!

Pipe Used: Peterson silver edition 69

Age When Smoked: Aug 2014

Purchased From: Jr Cigars

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	MyPipeAndBook (9)	2013-03-14		Extremely Mild	None Detected	Extremely Mild (Flat)	Pleasant

I was totally disappointed with this blend from Mac Baren. I was searching for that 1 perfect Vanilla blend that actually has some flavor to it, and I was excited to open the tin of Mac Baren when it arrived! Although this blend looks great upon opening it, that's where the excitement ended. What a shame. No taste at all and very mild. Like smoking air. Another tin to add to the pile of useless tobacco's.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	machinebcon (50)	2012-04-03		Mild	Medium to Strong	Medium	Pleasant

For being a 'full aromatic' it is one of the better ones. There are some broken flakes in the mix, and the tobacco was optimally conditioned, a very little bit on the moist side. Typical for Mac Barens is the tendency to bite the tongue, this one is no exception. Flavour is a bit different from the tin aroma, I find it to resemble a custard rather than e.g. vanilla ice-cream. The room note is pleasant, but the smoke can ghost your pipe. I love to smoke it every now and then (around once-twice a week or whenever I can't make up my mind what to smoke) with a cup of coffee, and I will buy it (or its cousin, the Vanilla Flake) again and again. 3.5 of 5 stars, as being comparably inexpensive here in Asia (half the price of a Gawith or Davidoff)

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	dk-piper (25)	2009-08-25		Mild	Medium	Medium	Very Pleasant

This is a must try for aromatic fans! assuming you like the flavor of vanilla. i love it so much... i'm craving for more. One of the best room-notes an aromatic can deliver. it's sweet, it's vanilla topnotch! case closed. I'm going to buy me another pouch! right now! ;)

** Stars for Aromatic-Fans!

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	doc'spipe (242)	2009-02-16		Medium	Medium	Medium	Very Pleasant

Captain Spice (a Tinder Box black cavendish blend laced with vanilla) was the first tobacco I ever smoked over 30 years ago as I am partial to all things vanilla! Can't say it was always a pleasant experience in my quest for the perfect vanilla blend - too goopy, chemical taste and the like. As a result, I was never really satisfied with any of them.

For me, Mac Baren's Vanilla Loose Cut not only has the best vanilla smell in the pouch (I buy it in bulk), but it actually tastes like it smells and has a beautiful room note. A very nicely done blend with not only the best vanilla taste I have ever experienced, but solid tobacco flavor throughout. No moisture or goop at the end of the smoke either. I enjoy it best in a medium sized Meerschaum.

Even with sufficient drying time, you have to smoke this one slowly as it tends to burn hot and will nip at your tongue if pushed. I have about 4 ounces from a 16 ounce canister I purchased well over a year ago in a zip lock, and it's just as hot and nippy as ever if puffed too quickly. If you are looking for an aromatic that actually tastes like it smells in the pouch, forget about Captain Black White as this would be a good blend to try. It needs to be coddled as it is not for fast puffers. You must pack it loose and sip it like a fine brandy otherwise your tongue will be set aflame. Do this and you won't be disappointed.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Big Nick (74)	2008-11-20		Mild	Medium	Medium	Pleasant

The tin fragrance of this blend is fantistic. This is not your basic vanilla cavendish although there is cavendish in the blend. This is a very good Virginia blend with aromatic qualities. It will bite if pushed. But overall its very sweet and tasty. Not quite 4 star but better than 3.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Glorfindel (86)	2008-08-27		Mild to Medium	Medium to Strong	Medium	Very Pleasant

This is a well done Vanilla and a great price for what you get.

Bite? I don't experience it with the Mac Baren blends I've tried. Everyone's body chemistry is different and we all get bite occasionally with differing mixtures I suppose.

Though I must say, I smoke MacB exclusively in meers. I'm less and less a fan of the briar these days.

OK, for the review! The Vanilla top note is solid and lasting, the way I like it. Quality Cavendish mixed with about equal amounts of VA. A straight-up no-frills vanilla smoke.

Complexity? Nahhh, and I'm glad of it. I never want to say about a vanilla aromatic that... "it changes character mid bowl, then becomes nuanced toward the dottle" --- phfffft! Poppy-cock! That would be just plain ridiculous to my tastes anyway....

Do you want your steak to change flavor while you eat it?

Do you want your beer to mutate mid glass?

No and No, and neither should tobacco do these things.

This smoke is the same start to finish as it should be. It is a good quality tobacco, and you get 100g for the price of most 50g blends. That alone is worth 2 stars. But since I like this quality, unpretentious smoke, I'll give it 4 stars.

Vanilla lovers apply here!

Good Draw to You.

Ethan "Glorfindel" Dickey

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Philo Beddoe (221)	2006-03-08		Mild	Mild	Very Mild	Very Pleasant

I opened the tin and the smell was a good sign, subtle but very good. The room aroma was quite pleasant for all in the area. The taste was subtle, creamy tobacco with a nice vanilla note in the background. Good quality base tobacco and a light topping, should be tried by anyone remotely interested in aromatics, as this is quite tasty.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Hunter (54)	2003-04-03		Mild to Medium	Medium to Strong	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

Best-of-breed vanilla. While bordering on an almost candied aroma in the tin, to the match this blend is sweet without being sugary, tasty and aromatic from top to bottom.

Colorful, well-pedigreed tobaccos with just the perfect amount of topping make this an all-around delightfully pleasant smoke suitable for all-day. MacBaren put considerable time and effort into this blend and it has truly paid off. For aromatic and Cavendish lovers, this is a real treat.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2002-09-29		Mild	Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Mac Baren Vanilla Cream is one of my favorite Mac Baren tobaccos. Note, friends, IT DOESN'T BITE. Or not much, anyway. And, PEOPLE LIKE THE SMELL. Plus, it TASTES LIKE TOBACCO. Like Mac Baren Navy Flake, this is a blend you can smoke out of the man-cave, in the actual presence of other living people, and not have clock radios thrown at you. Both the flavour and the aroma are heavily vanilla with what I take to be just a hint of cinnamon lurking in the background. The effect is something like smelling or tasting pastry. Lucky for us, though, the casing does not dominate the blend and you can actually taste real tobacco as you smoke. My wife likes the aroma of this blend and will co-exist in the same room with it. Vanilla Cream is monochromatic and simple, but a huge step up over the typical aromatic in terms of taste, quality of cut, and burning characteristics. It's also a bit of a bargain. Recommended for a change of pace, for those who like aromatics, and for those who long to mingle with other homo sapiens.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Hawkeyeted (16)	2002-01-24		Mild to Medium	Medium	Medium	Pleasant

When first opening the tin, I found a very distinctive aroma of fruit and not vanilla. Slightly dry and packed very well. No stems to weed out. On the charring light, the room immediately lit up with a light vanilla aroma and the tobacco taste was fruity, similar to black currant or raisin.

Burns to a coarse gray ash, with almost no dottle in the heel.

Overall, a distinctive aromatic. A nice change of pace, but not my everyday weed.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	NEWMAN (305)	2001-09-06		Mild to Medium	Strong	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

To date, my second choice in a vanilla aromatic and @ a lower unit price than others. I normally smoke straight VA flakes so this was quite a change but enjoyable especially when in company where I received several compliments on the aroma. Easy to keep lit and burned cool without the bite that I often experience from other aromatics. If you enjoy a heavily cased smoke give this a try.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Vanislepiper (3)	2023-03-27		Mild	Mild to Medium	Mild	Very Pleasant

Great vanilla aromatic without overpowering the flavors of the tobacco. Cool dry smoke, easy to pack. Great room note that always seems to bring out complements from others around you. As a new smoker I found this blend to be a huge step away from more heavily flavored blends. I would say this blend broadened my horizons away from one trick ponies into more complex blends hunting for the notes described by more experienced reviewers.

Pipe Used: Brigham 322, 347, 036, cobs

Age When Smoked: Fresh tin

Purchased From: Local shop

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Valentino (8)	2022-11-07		Mild	Medium	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

Mac Baren CLASSIC (former Vanilla) Loose Cut is a nice and smooth blend. Its special hint is to be considered an aromatic "cake" without being it.

It has the basic MacBaren taste in the background, the Burley/Virginia combo that suits everything, with a very nice, far but present and balanced vanilla flavour in the background, that closes the door after each puff. The vanilla aroma is in the 10% of the taste, and in the 40% of the room note. Nutty and softly sweet Burley is the King.

This Blend looks similar to the more expensive ones that are naturally aromatic, so without chemical toppings bluffing on poor tobaccos, but with a solid and honest basic tobaccoes with the vanilla background as a plus, natural and not intrusive.

It burns fine, good for beginners as well, as I do.

PLEASE NOTE: I read about several pouches opened and very dry. Mine was like that and I was quite disappointed. After a decent research I found a natural solution: get a bormioli glassmade tin, put the tobacco inside, then put on it a slice of potato or apple, with their skin on, with the skin touching the tobacco. Seal the bormioli, put it in the shadow and wait for 2 days. It worked fine, I had back a more than decent humidity and flavour and I am enjoying it now.

PRO: tasty, flavoured, light, balanced and not chemical. Really good room note. Cheap and quite easy to find.

CONS: a lot of pouches are dry. It's considered a Vanilla aromatic but if you badly want a "vanilla cake" pipe tobacco, this is not for you. In the same price tier, the Black V should be more Vanilla oriented.

Will I buy it again? I am not sure, because it's very similar to the ParkLane7 and if I have to choose I get this last one, as the flake is more durable and the PL7 aroma has something more for me.

However: a nice and affordable tobacco that you can enjoy staying close to your non-smoker friends too.

enjoy!

Pipe Used: Billiard

Age When Smoked: 1

Purchased From: Italy

Similar Blends: Scandinavian Tobacco Group (STG) - Park Lane No.7 ;.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pip'n'Piper (54)	2022-06-04		Very Mild	Mild	Mild	Very Pleasant

One of the first I ever smoked and loved. Several tins later, it started to bite. Not just bite, but melt the skin off my mouth. Tongue, cheeks, lips, roof of mouth, under the tongue, the whole pallet. Now, everytime I smoke it I am scraping skin out of my mouth over throbbing cankers. I'm not sure what changed, maybe it was a couple bad tins, but clearly my mouth ph has reacted to it. Every bowl puts me on the injured reserve and I can't smoke anything for at least a week. As far as taste goes, it is delicious. A floral vanilla. Fruity notes. The virginias shine in the flavour, sweet and grassy. Maybe a few crumbs of toast. It's very nuanced for an aromatic. I've recieved more compliments on the room note than any other tobacco, and it ain't even close. I wish I could smoke it regularly, but I'm now too afraid to even look at the stuff. I'm left with the opinion it's a good flavoured tobacco with a deadly bite. 2 stars. For what it's worth, if you're a vanilla aromatic lover, like me, this leans far more toward floral and fruity than straight vanilla. It's difficult to recommend this one, but if it agrees with your mouth and you like an aromatic that has plenty to enjoy, for you and those around you, it is a solid choice. For me and my mouth, it's rigged russian roulette. Good luck, and God bless.

Pipe Used: Cobs, capri billiard, tommy pipe

Age When Smoked: All ages

Purchased From: Multiple sources

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Tristen (1)	2022-05-11		Mild	Medium	Medium	Very Pleasant

I bought this with low expectations but was pleasantly surprised. The casing is light. Taste mostly of Virginia with a slight hint of vanilla and fruit. It does burn a little hot so take your time.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	PipeDragon (44)	2022-01-09		Mild	Medium	Medium	Very Pleasant

I love aromatics and I really enjoy smoking a pure vanilla aromatic every now and then, so it was only a matter of time before this got into my radar.

Being bought in a pretty fresh pouch, the tobacco was pretty moist, but not soaking wet. I've applied to this the same technique that I use with every aromatic: unsealing the pouch/cracking the tin open and let the tobacco "breathe" for a few days or a week. The smell of the unlit tobacco is a true delight: sweet, perfumey vanilla and fruits, with a hint of sweet liqueur.

Mechanically, I have no problems with this one. Once at a decent moisture content, it's easy to work with. Takes the flame very easily, doesn't bite, smokes dry, cool and doesn't require many relights.

The smoking experience is highly enjoyable. A nice, creamy vanilla flavor that's not strong. And this has many qualities that sets it apart from other vanilla aromatics that I've smoked before (and I've smoked a lot of them over the years): the topping is not overly sweet, nor does it taste artificial. And, while the vanilla takes the center stage, it also shares the spotlight with the component tobaccos, which are allowed to have a go.

The grassy Virginias tone down the Black Cavendish, while the Burley balances out the sweetness. It's not sticky or gloopy and I've found the taste much smoother, creamier and more enjoyable if smoked with a filter. Also, the vanilla flavor is much more prominent in a retro. The taste is consistent from top to bottom, burning down to a fine, gray ash. The room note is a delight as well.

A top-class vanilla aromatic of the highest quality, well deserving of its reputation among aromatics in this genre. Highly recommended without a second thought.

Pipe Used: Peterson Sherlock Holmes Deerstalker

Age When Smoked: Few months

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	MrKovacs (6)	2021-07-27		Very Mild	Medium to Strong	Medium to Full	Very Pleasant

This is a true at-heart aromatic, but the best kind. Forget the aromatic goops that will mud up your pipe and have some shallow cheap vanilla flavor. This has the richest-creamiest vanilla flavor (think egg nog) I've ever tasted. Needs some drying time but burns well. Contains ribbon cut VA, broken flake (probably VA also) and Cavendish. Burns perfect, not too juicy but keep 2-3 pipe cleaners at hand for a larger bowl.

Pipe Used: Ehrlich bent apple

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: B&M

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Richpipe (1)	2021-07-06		Mild	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

Upon opening the tin, this tobacco emits a deliciously creamy, smooth vanilla aroma that excites the palette. Unfortunately for me, the taste when lit was missing out on that promised explosion of aroma but still not unpleasant with some smooth textures and a hint of creaminess. Where this delivers is in the retrohale - immediately all the vanilla and sweetness mixed with the light and dry tobacco notes come together and provide an excellent room note. Moisture out of the tin was comparable with other aromatics, and it burned well enough without too much fuss. A comfortable smoke without too much to think about.

Pipe Used: Stanwell Royal Danish

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: Royal Cigars & Pipes

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	UngarnPfeifer (3)	2021-02-17		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Smell:Strong vanilla smell with a lot of sweatness Taste:Very pleasant tobacco,nut and a little vanilla Strongness:Its not a strong blend i liked it. I would recommend it to anyone its a pretty well made blend.Its a must have.

Pipe Used: Szabó Pipe

Purchased From: Hungary,Tobacco Shop

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	AmielM (1)	2021-01-22		Very Mild	Strong	Medium	Very Pleasant

Extremely pleasant smoke. Most of the flavour is extracted while the ember is at it's coolest - as it should be - however, it is a little moist straight out of the pack and easy to scorch in an effort to keep it alight. It is therefore best that you dry it up a little before smoking in order to enjoy it fully. I usually push/pull the smoke through the pipe with the breath method to do so. The flavour is mild/medium and not overpowering. It isn't a one dimensional vanilla as you might expect. The cavendish adds another dimension of sweetness while still keeping the flavour on the creamy dessert side of things. The room note is probably the best thing about the tobacco in my opinion (not taking anything away from the taste). Retrohaling every so often does make the experience even more enjoyable.

Pipe Used: Falcon Coolway, Bent Billiard

Purchased From: Mojo Cairo, Florida Road, Durban, South Africa

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Ford Prefect (9)	2021-01-05		Mild	Medium	Medium	Very Pleasant

A fairly cool burning heavy vanilla aromatic in the full sense of the word. Taste is rich and satisfying but a bit too on the sweet side for me and has potential to bite a little if you forget yourself. I enjoyed a pouch of it but I think I'll be sticking to Alsbo - Sungold for straight Vanilla aromatic.

Pipe Used: Various with Balsa and Meerschaum filters

Age When Smoked: Fresh from the pouch

Purchased From: https://www.cgarsltd.co.uk/

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	dixcreek (184)	2020-12-24		Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

Mild, semi-sweet vanilla with a hint of honey and citrus. The vanilla is not overwhelming as in most blends in this category. The Black cavendish is the main player here with the Virginia adding a subtle note of hay. Burns and smokes relatively dry with a good number of relight due I think to the chunky cut. Like most Mac blends it should be sipped and not guzzled to avoid getting too hot. All in all a pleasant Vanilla blend well worth trying.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	musicman (131)	2020-11-07		Mild to Medium	Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

This is an aromatic blend for knowledgable pipe smokers. Not because it is strong, or hard to smoke, but because you can taste the tobacco.

Not all aromatics are created equal. Some use tobacco to present the topping, and some use the topping to help present the tobacco. This blend tastes like a nice tobacco with a mild vanilla note. That is the way it should be. It is not goopy, it does not leave the bottom of the bowl looking like a muddy pit. This is so well balanced, I feel I could get away with smoking it in one of my Virginia dedicated pipes. The tobacco comes first here, and it is nice.

The tobacco itself is interesting. This comes with a nice chunky cut of black cavendish, and some lighter tobaccos mixed in. It also has these huge chunky squares of cut flake, that need to be rubbed out.

The tin note is excellent, the room note is great too. It packs well, lights well, and smokes well, and one of the best attributes for me, it leaves the bottom of the bowl bone dry, which makes it easy to smoke right to the heel.

A very gentlemanly approach to the aromatic genre, and can be purchased in bulk at a great value. Good stuff.

Purchased From: Smoking Pipes

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Classical Pipe (3)	2020-09-30		Medium	Mild	Mild	Pleasant

If you like strongly cased and syrupy vanilla aromatics, this one is probably not for you. However, if you are looking for a subtle flavor which allows for the taste of the tobacco to come through, then look no further. The tobacco was at the perfect moisture level upon opening The tin and did not need to be dried out at all. Burned fairly cool with no tongue bite. Definitely worth a try.

Pipe Used: Peterson Killarney

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Tin

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	kevinNAL (3)	2020-09-27		Mild	Mild	Medium	Tolerable

short and simple: i fell in love with tobacco half way through the "char light" of the very first bowl, no clue why its not rated higher

Pipe Used: M pride corncob, Brigham voyageur

Age When Smoked: 4 years old

Purchased From: loyds smoke shop, bruce penninsula

Similar Blends: havent had anything close to it yet.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Antonius Blok (192)	2020-09-24		Mild	Mild to Medium	Mild	Very Pleasant

This popular Virginia and Black Cavendish compound tobacco with Danish-style vanilla flavoring. I have tried the version in pouch and not in tin. It is a very smooth tobacco, very creamy on the palate and its delicious aroma is not overpowering or cloying. It burns quite quickly and if it is not smoked carefully it will heat up the pipe and attack the tongue. It is one of those aromatics that I find a great room freshener, which is enjoyed by everyone around and somewhat less by those who smoke it (in my case). I don't think I will repeat.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	WorkingClassChap (197)	2020-08-17		Mild	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Smoking now:

Popped the tin and the Virgina is very apparent. This is not a sticky heavy cav aromatic. It’s the perfect consistency not overly wet. Lights perfectly. The Virgina is apparent in the taste as well. I nice grassy tang with notes of honey and a little vanilla. Not I would say an overly sweet taste but one you would enjoy if you want a nice tobacco taste and some Virginas and want to smoke it around others. The subtle taste of honey and vanilla is a nice touch. Defiantly one I’ll enjoy.

update 2-14-21

The pouch aroma of this is wonderful, vanilla, bread, honey, and peach or a tart citrus. A nice Danish Aromatic. I mean not a goopy mess. Natural Virginia tobacco flavors with a hint of sweet honey vanilla. There’s a bread taste to this, like sweet rolls, that I like so much. Burns at a moderate pace and leaves some moisture. A tad more relights than usual but some drying time will help with that. A little Virginia mount tingle but no bite and an overall pleasant aromatic.

Pipe Used: Corn cob

Age When Smoked: Tin

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Matel (6)	2020-08-12		Mild	Medium	Mild	Pleasant

Tin note.

Pleasant, sweet cheese cake's aroma. Slightly noticeable grassy Virginia.

Smoking.

Smokes rather cool but fast, spreading the vanilla/caramel smell all around. Does need a few relights, and gets pretty moist with time. The taste itself is definitely on the sweet and consistent side. It doesn't get any sweeter with time. If smoked cousiously, the smoke contains both the artificial flavouring and grassy, creamy Virginia.

I consider this a good "side-smoke" tobacco. There are no flavours hidden, they are all very well pronounced and perceptible. Retro-haled makes me hungry for a sweet snack - in this part similar to Amphora Rich Aroma. There's that taste of addictive artificial honey. I consider it at least tasty.

Room note.

Does not bother the environment a whole lot. If smoked too fast, produces a bit of cigaretty smell, which may be annoying, but still contains the vanilla "after-taste".

Final thoughts.

It won't be any good for an English blends fan, but is a very well thought out social smoke. Also if a smoker just wants to smoke (with no abnormal experiences), this tobacco is the one to be put in one's pipe. I like it, and will buy more, being a straight virginias fancier.

Also. Leaves a nice "clothes note", and after-taste.

Pipe Used: Denicotea Turnier, Good Companion

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Smoke Shop, Warsaw, Poland

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Con (5)	2020-07-19		Mild	Extremely Mild	Extremely Mild (Flat)	Unnoticeable

After first pufs aroma disappears . Very dissapointed after positive revews I read. Never again. Vanilla strong at the begining and then gone. Nothing , just bad chemical smoke

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	F4phantomdriver (8)	2020-01-20		Medium	Strong	Mild to Medium	Strong

My wife had bought this for me two years ago with a Peterson pipe for my birthday. I had just opened the tin a few hours ago and packed my Rossi Rubino bent pipe and let it sit for an hour, I lit it after supper for a desert smoke. I'm very disappointed!!! This does not taste or smell like vanilla to me. It was weird. Plus after I did the Char light I tamped and lit it again and it basically exploded in my face!!! Something popped in the bowl and hot firey pieces of tobacco went all over the floor and my shirt! I never experienced this before. When I first fired the bowl up I even smelled burning plastic! This stuff is garbage. I will stick with Captain Black Original and Lane BCA if I want vanilla flavor tobacco. I can NOT recommend this in good conscious to anyone.

Pipe Used: Rossi Rubino Bent

Age When Smoked: 2 years

Purchased From: Tobacco pipes.com

Similar Blends: Plutonium / uranium.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Effluvinator (60)	2019-11-05		Mild	Mild to Medium	Medium	Very Pleasant

Overall a very good vanilla Aromatic. Burns slowly, it can get a bit warm but no bite, and the flavor doesn't fade or change for the worse. Not much nicotine, but it is a very pleasant and easygoing smoke. It provides what is expected of a quality aromatic and has more tobacco taste than the usual black Cavendish aros.

Pipe Used: "The Pipe"

Age When Smoked: Fresh and aged

Purchased From: Smokingpipes

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	spbfox (3)	2019-08-03		Mild	Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Packaging: 100g tin. Comparing to packaging used for Dunhill blends, the tin does not close that tight, the top round paper does not cover full surface of tobacco and very thin. If you are planning to keep it in the original tin, you will have to moisturize it pretty frequently.

Packing: loose cut does not pack as good as ribbons, but manageable.

Smoking: I had some problems starting the pipe. Especially small pocket size one. Not a big deal for me though. Once started, burns well and clean. In a small pipe, can get hotter than desired if over-puffed, but can be easily controlled. In a bigger pipe burns cool and slow.

Taste: very pleasant and smooth. The taste sticks to every corner of your mouth. It literally envelopes it. I had an impression like I did eat a mouthful of a good quality sweet vanilla cream. It is not a complaint. It feels really good and leaves a decent and lasting aftertaste. However, to me, the taste is a little dull. Usually, when you have something with a sweet cream, there is also a little spicy or sour component (rum, berries or fruit) that adds an accent to the flat taste of the cream. In my opinion, this part is missing here. I tried to add a pinch of Peterson's Irish Whiskey to the bowl, and it did add what I was looking for together with some strength. Probably, just making tobacco taste a little stronger in this blend would benefit it.

Smell: The smell is not offending, but I put "Pleasant" into the review because the smoke is very sweet and may not be "Very pleasant" for some people. My wife, who hated my "gas attack" on her when I was smoking Dunhill's Early Morning Pipe, said she would prefer Dunhill's smell over Mac Baren's if it was not so strong.

Here are my three stars.

Pipe Used: Big Brigham 5*, Vichenzo of Italy #214

Age When Smoked: From fresh tin

Purchased From: Walper Tobacco Shop

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	canvas (337)	2019-07-02		Mild to Medium	Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Well it took me awhile, but I finally got around to buying the loose cut version of this Vanilla concoction (I was sent the flake by mistake years back). I don't recall all the nuance of the flake version, but I remembered enough to compare the two on some level.

The initial tin (or in my case bulk) aroma was the same; a natural Virginia sweetness with a light dusting of Vanilla additives. Nothing was sticky or overly topped, though I was reminded more of Fruity Pebbles than a scoop of creamy vanilla ice cream. This Vanilla does not rely on the Cavendish as a plate for toppings, giving it a more 'natural' finish. The cut was pretty rubbed out, and felt more like dense ribbon strands in a gold brown 50/50 mix of the two leaves.

To no surprise it tasted much the same once lit. Doable and sweet, but nothing I would go out my way for, preferring my Aromatics to be more convincing as the flavor they are emulating. The product certainly burned well and was easy to smoke.

I have since come around to enjoying flakes, so I was untrained and needlessly critical of my flake review, so ultimately, just go with whichever cut you prefer. This may be a good Aromatic for those who don't want to stray from a base Virginia, otherwise if you want a better (non-Cavendish) vanilla experience, go with some Dan's Sweet Honeydew.

Purchased From: pipesandcigars.com

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	manosfff (1)	2019-06-16		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

mellow sweet smoke . Burns OK and has a good room note.Overall I'd say it's an "OK" tobacco. Not bad, not good, much less great. The strength seems to be mild to medium.

Pipe Used: PIPEX 13

Age When Smoked: new

Purchased From: shop

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	pencils (58)	2019-03-25		Mild to Medium	Medium	Medium	Pleasant

This is a pleasant and straightforward aromatic vanilla; a dessert smoke that has sweet and uncomplicated value when engaged in other activities, and a flavourful hour when reading or simply sitting to relax. No goop or wetness in the bowl, and burns with almost no relights from beginning to end. Stands superior to mixtures such as Alsbo, while clearly in the same ball park. Not as much taste as the flake version, but not to its detriment. Quicker burn, obviously, but never bites.

As an occasional aromatic smoker, I appreciate the simplicity and no nonsense enjoyment that it gives me.

Recommended.

Pipe Used: Various - large bowls and small

Age When Smoked: New and aged a couple of years

Purchased From: Turmeau

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	dbThomas (5)	2019-02-03		Mild	Medium	Medium	Very Pleasant

That was one of my first tobaccos years ago. Even after I started smoking pipes again, it was my first choice.

Meanwhile I like to try out other ("higher quality") tobaccos. But when I'm not at home, I still prefer MacBaren Vanilla Cream for daily smoking.

I like the taste and the roomnote. The presence of vanilla is balanced and pleasant. However, you have to take care that the tobacco doesn't get too dry. Otherwise it burns hot and the pleasure disappears.

All in all, a good tobacco at a reasonable price.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Ernstlbert Hegersbacher (18)	2018-11-05		Mild	Strong	Very Full	Pleasant

my very first pipe tobacco!

a good choice for starters of the pipe smoking hobby.

if smoked to fast the mixture tends to burn very hot and bite your tongue combined with the development of that well known "old ashtray" taste.

unfortunately nearly all of the vanilla aroma seems to be gone halfway through the bowl

Pipe Used: Molina Barasso

Age When Smoked: fresh from the tin

Purchased From: Schwarzenbohler Otmar e.U.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	dr saeed (2)	2018-10-20		Very Mild	Mild	Mild	Pleasant

good taste, nice fpr amateur pipe users, and on of the oldest mc baren products... lovely for everyone around you! Itry this every 3 month for mouth resting!

Pipe Used: stanwell

Age When Smoked: 36

Purchased From: sweden

Similar Blends: Peterson - Peterson's Perfect Plug.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Harry_Callahan (14)	2018-10-06		Mild	Mild	Medium	Very Pleasant

a.k.a. Classic Loose Cut as already said for us in Europe. I got into pipe smoking because of the room note of Vanilla. So, many memories of a great teacher that smoked a bent pipe and tobacco with Vanilla notes. This product is definitely in my rotation. A little damp(don't over tamp), but no other negative points. For me it starts out with a strong Vanilla taste and fades out soon after were the cream comes out, some light spice is detected also. For me it is a 4 star since it seems to be well done, not a "chemical" mix

Pipe Used: Gasparini Swan

Age When Smoked: weeks

Purchased From: Tabaccheria Giordano Ivrea(TO) Italy

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pops Pipe (19)	2018-09-27		Mild	Mild to Medium	Mild	Very Pleasant

This is a true quality Danish vanilla. It's not goopy, smokes cool, has an awesome aroma and is tasty. It can sting the tongue if smoked too hard, easy draw prevents it however. I find it a bit thin but that's just my taste. All in all this is a good smoke and I keep some on hand when I want something a bit sweeter without it being cloying and over done.

Pipe Used: Various Savinelli and Peterson

Age When Smoked: 1 year

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Marns'ghol (4)	2018-06-04		Mild	Medium	Extremely Mild (Flat)	Pleasant

Truth be told maybe my expectations were too high for me to enjoy this aromatic, I enjoy the hell out of some other mac baren products which a few of them are vanilla too, and I love vanilla in general, But I despise this one, the taste is very flat the smell is mediocre at best, it burns too hot even in aromatic standards and have I mentioned not a sliver of after taste. I tried to enjoy this aromatic I really did, I tried different pipes even different methods for filling the bowl to just try to get the best of it, but even the best of it was only "tolerable" and not even pleasant . I see a lot of people liking it, but this one just wasn't for this guy.

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Online Vendor

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Greekpipesmoker (201)	2018-03-23		Mild to Medium	Medium	Medium	Pleasant

This affordable blend is one of the most common vanilla mixtures that can be found everywhere.once the seal breaks as obvious the vanilla aroma comes out.nice and sweet.the blend has right moisture packs and lights well with several relights needed.while burning the creamy vanilla flavour is dominant.sweet simple and natural flavour accompanied from some nuts wich are provided from the cavendish.the virginias are citrusy and grassy but tonned down from the cavendish.i would like the flavours more balanced between the 2 compoments.burns slow and hot to total ash with some moisture being created and no chance of tongue bite.the room note is pleasant and natural though the aftertaste is not so natural as expected.the nicotine level is low.generally this is an all day smoke that can be an entry to vanilla blends simple and typical smoke.

Age When Smoked: When opened

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2018-03-08		Medium	Medium	Medium	Very Pleasant

It really motivates me to write a note on this blend although it was a long time I was far from reviewing tobaccos. Its reason is simply would be said in three words, ALL IN ONE; quality of Cavendish when you have a creamy taste beside, less tongue bite, less relight, smooth burning, good room note, having no harsh Nicotine hit and also a good experience of well resting if you take a bowl before bed. The negatives are few but you may consider for example a little sore throat the next morning. The thing I want to emphasis is the amount of Nicotine which is not so weak not very knocking down. Don't forget to try it as an appetizer before supper.

Age When Smoked: old

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Luckyluke (11)	2017-08-29		Mild	Mild	Mild	Very Pleasant

At first i didn't get why this is as good as many claim it is, thought it was quite flat and tasteless and had to much bite..... but after drying a bit and different packing methods i noticed i really started to enjoy it. The vanilla is a very subtle vanilla but it is there when you sip your pipe not chug it (which i have a tendancy to do sometimes with mild tobaccos) the flavor was consistent with the whole smoke of the bowl. I actually like combining this tobacco with many different aros, it can be very diverse in blending possibilities, so do try pinching it into some other blends if you want a pleasant smoke.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	PipenFalzy (1)	2017-08-02		Mild	Mild	Mild	Pleasant

I enjoyed this tobacco. It burned well and had no relighting issues. The room note was pleasing as the smell of soft vanilla scent filled the air. I hear the flake version is even better but I haven't tried it yet. The tobacco has beautiful color to it as virginia and black cavendish are mixed together.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Berzerker (28)	2017-07-26		Mild	Medium to Strong	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

This is the best aromatic out there. However, I do like vanilla a lot, much much more than cherry, licorice, toffee, fruit, whisky or many of the other pipe tobacco flavorings out there. This obviously makes my assessment of this blend very subjective. It does NOT burn hot, nor is it acrid or bland at any stage throughout the smoke. Pack it lightly, let it air out a bit and puff with ease like you're supposed to when smoking a pipe and this blend it perfect. In fact one of the reasons I like it so much is because it gives me a consistent smoke every time. It's also ready rubbed so you don't need to muck around rubbing it out and it is priced very well. The leaf is of the highest quality and the vanilla taste is to die for. Very addictive and my favorite morning pipe with coffee. Absolutely worth trying and possibly as good if not better than Peterson's Deluxe Mixture which is also fine but has less vanilla and more walnut flavor profile. Highly recommended.

Similar Blends: Peterson's De Luxe Mixture.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	L'Italiano (233)	2017-06-19		Medium	Medium	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

One of the best commercial tobacco you can find in the market. If you like flavored mixtures, I think this could be an all-day smoke for you. Because it is good, tasty and it doesn’t cloy. And it has a medium but satisfying nicotine content. Truly fitting. In my personal system rating (from 1 to 10), my score is more than 7 and two and a half stars.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	pylet2000 (33)	2017-06-09		Mild	Medium to Strong	Medium to Full	Very Pleasant

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, 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 presentation and packaging is typical MacBaren, although the mix of ribbon, broken flake, and baby flake is interesting. Packs easily with a nice variety of density. The chunkier parts promote a slower, cooler burn.

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 generally 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.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	TallPuffO'Burley (633)	2017-05-15		Mild to Medium	Medium	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Now this is a quality vanilla aromatic. IMO Vanilla has to be the most common topping in the world of aromatic pipe tobacco, but often it is not done to my tastes.

In most cases it overwhelms the tobacco and in other cases it leaves some nasty aftertaste on my tongue, similar to the taste that diet soda leaves.

Mac Baren's Vanilla Cream suffers neither of these maladies. The topping is applied with a delicate touch that balances perfectly against the Burley/Virginia background allowing nutty sweetness to chime in with the vanilla flavoring. That Vanilla topping does ride through til the end of the bowl with pretty even consistency.

There is no terrible aftertaste, just that of good tobacco and vanilla. The blend also burns dry and cool. Probably the best vanilla aro that I have tasted. I have a tin of both this and the flake in my cellar, but am offering this review after trying a sample sent me by a friend. This probably gave me about five or six bowls, so it may be premature, but I am giving this one four stars. It is how an aromatic should be IMO.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Lazarus77 (91)	2017-05-06		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Pleasant

A nice creamy, vanilla flavoured mixture. Smokes easy, dry smoke, no tongue bite at all. Few relights needed, leaving a bit moisture at the end. Can be neutral all day smoke for aromatic lovers. Reccomended.

Pipe Used: Various

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: Local drug store

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Jul (2)	2017-04-14		Mild	Mild	Mild	Pleasant

I'm a new Slow Smoking lover and I'm trying this famous Mac Baren Blend for the firts time with my actual briar pipes. For the truth, I do not find it exceptional as most of reviewers describe it here. Yes, the Vanilla flavour is surely persistent, mainly in the room, but the draw, the smoke and sensation when slow smoking it is quite ordinary, without praise or blame. Of course, we are speaking about a fine tobacco manufactured by Mac Baren, but I think its blend is probably not at all happy.

Pipe Used: Savinelli, Peterson.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	J. Ward (70)	2016-12-15		Mild	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

Creamy vanilla smoke is just what you'll get from this classic Mac Baren aromatic blend. A very light touch of citrus from the Virginias can also be detected. What I didn't count on is just how hard I would struggle to avoid the dreaded Mac Baren McBite. This is a blend to be smoked with care, slowly sipped and not pushed. I carefully select all the tobaccos I purchase utilizing the invaluable experience of others documented here on TR.com, therefore I'm a bit surprised as to how so many dodge the bite and even mention this blend has none. I'd not debate, however, the fact that this is a quality blend. Smoke carefully and you will have a very pleasant experience, best paired with morning coffee. For my personal experience dodging the bite of this toothy yet creamy vanilla blend, I cannot rate higher than 2.5 stars. Worth trying.

Update April 4th, 2018 Gave this blend another go, and I'm really enjoying it. Grassy and citrus sweet virginias, smooth cavendish lends a bit of sugar, and creamy vanilla flavor make this blend a delight. I'm not experiencing any of the bite I had detected when I first tried this blend, though I do recommend a bit of caution. A moderate cadence is best, and I personally prefer a cob for this one. Great blend. 3.5 stars.

Pipe Used: MM Cob and briars

Age When Smoked: less than a year

Purchased From: smokingpipes.com

Similar Blends: Mac Baren - Vanilla Cream Flake.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	bangalbhuut (7)	2016-08-25		Extremely Mild	Very Strong	Extremely Mild (Flat)	Very Pleasant

i shall forever be grateful to vanilla cream for teaching me to puff right. not getting bit was so much of an achievement. people around would keep complimenting and i would nod gratefully. at the back of my mind i would be asking myself why i am smoking this. it smokes hot, has a lot of bite and no taste. but one tin of this without bite and you will be set to take on almost anything. i was.

Pipe Used: Design Berlin

Age When Smoked: new

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Royalbullet81 (3)	2016-05-31		Mild	Medium to Strong	Medium to Full	Pleasant

i am new to pipe smoking, so i lack in experience. But i can tell you this much about this one. if u like aromatics, and u like sweet Dublin vanilla. Then u simply have to try this one out. it dos have a Rich flavor. Files your mouth whit nice creamy vanilla flavor. So for u aromatic smoker out there, it will definitely be a shame not to try this one.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Nelsoncrx (10)	2016-04-08		Mild	Mild	Very Mild	Pleasant

As a new Pipe smoker, I still have much to evolve, but perhaps some other new pipe smokers around might find useful to know that this blend is really worth trying, it might be disappointing at first but it quickly grows on you. The tong bite is there, specially in the second half of the bowl but it can easily be avoided alternating with small pufs. After a few days the smoke gets much better and consistent, I guess that means that is better to let it dry a bite for a couple of days. The only thing I don´t like is the ashy taste after the second third of the bowl. I still haven´t managed to get rid of it, so I´ve just come to the conclussion that is better to simply dump the rest of the bowl. But yes, I will certainly come back to this blend.

Pipe Used: missouri meerschaum corn cob pipe

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Local Tobacco store

Similar Blends: Don´t have enough experience to compare..

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Nwpipesmker (27)	2016-03-20		Mild	Medium	Medium to Full	Very Pleasant

Bought a tin today and popped the seal oh what a beautiful aroma of vanilla. Right at the propped moisture content fresh from the tin. Packed my pipe and enjoyed a nice bowl of one of the best aromatics I have ever smoked definitely on my regular rotation.

Pipe Used: Missouri Meerschaum diplomat

Age When Smoked: Fresh out of the tin

Purchased From: B&M

Similar Blends: Not a single vanilla cavendish comes close..

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	georgariou33 (16)	2016-03-13		Mild to Medium	Mild	Medium	Pleasant

very pleasant..if you like vanilla ad this to your rotation...good balance... mac baren does a nice job on most of there blends and have something for all

Pipe Used: big ben and stanwell only

Age When Smoked: 70

Purchased From: pipes and cigars

Similar Blends: 000.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Cantrell (14)	2016-02-04		Mild	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

An Exceptional all day smoke, let it age properly (I like this a couple months out) comes fairly dry, but an hour extra brings out its very best behavior. It has few objections to being packed fairly tight, and smokes cool and stays lit if the smoker is relaxed. all being said this is a tobacco that will reward your patience with the perfect vanilla experience. An aromatic with class, I simply cannot see how anyone could bash on this little gem. Do yourself a favor and pick up a pound to cellar and simply forget about.

Pipe Used: MM Diplomat Cobb

Age When Smoked: 2 months

Purchased From: Smokingpipes

Similar Blends: what aromatic smokers think about in the tub ;).

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2016-01-16		Mild	Medium	Medium	Very Pleasant

It's the Virginias that do it. That's why I like Mac Baren's Vanilla Cream, it has some points of interest beyond the flavoring. Not that there is anything wrong with the flavor, it's delicious. The room note is wonderful. But the Virginia hangs around throughout and gives a dimension to the smoke that I would miss otherwise.

With so many featureless, indistinguishable blends made only out of American style Cavendish, or with too little flue cured to taste, I wonder how difficult it must be to make something like this. If it was easy, everyone would do it and Captain Black would be the aberration instead. I do find that most of my preferred aromatics have something besides American Cavendish though ... maybe I'm just a VA junkie.

Four stars, one of the best constructed aromatics I have found. No bite, it would smoke cool in a wind tunnel, and it stays consistent all the way down.

Pipe Used: basket pipe

Age When Smoked: maybe a year

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Sokkia (3)	2015-09-17		Mild	Mild	Very Mild	Pleasant

Smells wonderful out of the pouch, although not that much like Vanilla. i got nothing on the flavor and taste but the smell feel nice. maybe i buy this blend in a pouch packaging

Pipe Used: Ebony Bent (D Brand)

Age When Smoked: recently purchased

Purchased From: Kedai Serbaneka Lam Chuan Heng

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Sweet Leaf (8)	2015-08-01		Very Mild	Medium to Strong	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

Now this is one of my favorites. The Virginia's and the vanilla both come in at the same strength which is perfectly mild. This is one McBaren that will not give you tongue bite which most McBaren usually do to me.

Pipe Used: MM cob EA Carey

Purchased From: Smoking pipes

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	SmokeyM (11)	2015-05-09		Mild to Medium	Medium to Strong	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

This was the tobacco that started my pipe smoking adventures. Great smell in the tin, marvellous room note. For an aromatic highly recommended.

However, in my humble opinion it's best in rotation with non-aromatics. The taste of the tobaccoes used to me is not complex enough to keep being loved. However, in rotation it's a feast every time

Lights quiite difficult when fresh. Can be moist as well. Smoke slowly, don't be harsh on this sweety

Pipe Used: BigBen Crosly, Genot

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: Local tobacconist

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Strichetto (21)	2015-04-06		Mild	Mild to Medium	Mild	Very Pleasant

Bought in a pouch in Switzerland, at average price for common drugstore tobaccoes, it is quite cheap. Good vanilla flavour , at opening, and correct moisture.

Aroma: good and pleasant

Taste: not sickening, the usual problem of aro tobaccoes, and at least this has a bit of taste... not a great taste by sure (I'm surely not a fan of aromatics), but this is not one of the worst ones

Room note: very good, by me, but my home-judge says she doesn't like... sometimes I wonder why...

Burning: not too fast, nearly correct

Best briars: I usually use big pipes, for aro; and surely not my best EM dedicated briars

Surely not the worst available aro, quite pleasant and smokable even to the EM addicted, no more than one time in a year, of course...

Pipe Used: many...

Age When Smoked: new

Purchased From: Drugstore, Switzerland

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	BigNick (59)	2015-03-08		Mild	Mild	Mild	Very Pleasant

So I only smoked Vanilla Cream Flake and I find that these two blends have subtle differences that really change the flavor. First of all, the tin note is so stunning. It's is amazing! It packs very well right out of the tin, and takes to a flame with a modicum of ease. Now, apart from the cut, the flavor is the main difference between the flake and this version. Hidden underneath the already very subtle vanilla flavor is a fruity presence. It is very similar to Modern Virginia loose cut. I'm not sure if that is the "modern cavendish" at work, but it's noticeable in this blend and nonexistent in the flake. This very subtle fruity flavor actually works well with the vanilla. Taking the flavors with the light bodied, sweet and citrus like taste if the Virginias, a very mild, tasty blend reaches the palate. I've have found some drawbacks with this cut that I did not find with the flake. The loose cut really builds up cake, whereas the flake leaves a nice fine ash and some dottle. The loose cut, no...furthermore, the smell after the pipe has sat for a while is disgusting. It is simply horrible, so I clean the pipe after every smoke. I don't really the mind the fact that it builds cake fast, but the smell is what irritates me. Apart from that, it is a great tabac. All in all, I recommend.

Pipe Used: Andreas Bauer calabash meer, unknown pasha meer

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: David's Gifts and Tobaccos, Rancho Cucamonga, CA

Similar Blends: Mac Baren - Vanilla Flake, Mac Baren - Modern Virginia Loose Cut.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Kompis (1)	2015-02-18		Medium	Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Pleasant

My experience after a 50g Pouch

Wonderfull vanilla smell. Tobacco was loose and easy to pack. Steady burning for aromatic tobacco. Creamy smoke. Taste just a hint of vanilla .Room note was pleasant vanilla and tobacco. Halfway down the bowl taste and room note was he same .No tung bite

Easy and a pleasant experience.

Pipe Used: Peterson system

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: danishpipeshop.com (DK)

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	ChrisGR (4)	2015-01-29		Medium	Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

A decent vanillia flavored aromatic tobacco.

This is a very good, medium in strength and nicotine level offer from Mac Baren. The pouch smell is definately vanillia but not overpowering, you can clearly smell the Virginia and Black cavendish. I don't find the flavoring being heavy and in the same motif is the Nicotine level and the taste. Sometimes it irritates the back of my throat and especially when is dry, which also makes it lose part of its vanillia taste. I think that you have to sip in order to unlock its full potential, because if you puff a little bit faster it will bite you. The room note is somewhat between very and pleasant tending to the latter one.

Pipe Used: Pipex Briar

Age When Smoked: New in pouch

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	guitar2mw (92)	2014-11-25		Mild	Medium	Medium	Very Pleasant

As an avid aro smoker and a fan of Stanwell blends, I must say that I was pleasantly surprised with this one. I picked it up on a whim, and I had a bit of buyer's remorse afterward due to the fact that the Mac Baren blends that I have tried in the past were certainly nothing to write home about. After opening the tin, I was greeted with the aroma of a creamy, soft Vanilla. It wasn't a strong aroma like that of cheaper aromatics, but it was certainly sweet smelling. While removing it from the tin and placing it in a jar, I noticed the cut; it was a blend of broken flakes with loose cut Virginias and Cavendish. I found a couple of very large stems in the mix as well, which seem to me to be a common Mac Baren attribute with their blends. I packed a bowl in a Darnley Zulu 306 and applied flame. The initial light brought forth a very prominent vanilla flavor with subtle hints of honey and coconut. It reminded me of the coconut cakes my grandmother use to make all the time. The nuttiness burns off about mid-bowl and the sweet vanilla cream flavor stays around for the remainder of the bowl.

The great thing about this blend is that you can still taste the tobacco, but you get a healthy dose of the flavoring at the same time. To me, it is the same type of aromatic as Sir Walter Raleigh Aromatic. By that, I mean that you can still taste the tobaccos in the blend instead of being left with the feeling of smoking hot air. I enjoy this, and I have often wondered if I would ever experience it in any other tobacco other than SWRA and Stanwell blends. I've certainly made room for this in my rotation now, and will now consider Mac Baren blends whenever I am looking for new tobacco blends for the collection. I highly recommend this to anyone who wants a GREAT, high-quality, Danish-style aromatic with a vanilla flavor that you can not only smell, but taste as well!

Pipe Used: Dr. Grabow Savoy, Darnley Zulu

Age When Smoked: Fresh from tin

Purchased From: JR Cigars, Statesville, NC

Similar Blends: Stanwell Vanilla, Sir Walter Raleigh Aromatic.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Alastalo (1)	2014-09-24		Mild	Mild to Medium	Medium	Pleasant

This review is as much about my gradual progress in learning the art of pipe smoking as it is about the Mac Baren Vanilla Cream Loose Cut Tobacco.

When I first purchased a pouch of this tobacco, I felt like I had made a mistake. An overwhelmingly cloying vanilla aroma emanated from the pouch and the tobacco felt very wet. Initial tries did not have much taste and the tobacco was difficult to keep lit. So, I poured out of the pouch into a glass jar with a lever-sealable lid and forgot about it for about six months.

In the meantime, I occasionally smoked Squadron Leader and Amphora Full Aroma, although both were difficult to keep lit, and besides the Amphora bit me.

Out of curiosity, I decided to give the Vanilla Cream another go. The tobacco had become extremely dry in the jar, possibly because of a leaky rubber seal or who knows what. But the vanilla aroma had become very very pleasant, and as I packed the pipe, everything just worked: the pipe stayed lit, the tobacco tasted nice and left a very good sweetish aftertaste, everything was as it probably should be. Maybe the Vanilla Cream burns a bit hot at times, and perhaps there is just a hint of tongue bite if puffed hard, but I can always slow down. To conclude, this is good, thoroughly enjoyable stuff!

Pipe Used: Missouri Meerschaum Corn Cob

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Coda (33)	2014-07-27		Very Mild	Mild	Very Mild	Very Pleasant

This is an aromatic blend. In the tin, this blend smells delicious. However, in the pipe, while it still smells great, the taste is pretty mild, flavor-wise. Extremely mild, Mac Baren's Vanilla Creme is a very good aromatic...it's just not for me.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	artielon (6)	2014-07-01		Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

After smoking this exclusively for three days I´m quite happy with the blend and cut. A mild vanilla flavor and quite a cool and soft smoke. Works best in my Parker billiard with a fairly deep bowl. Can be packed quite densly and stays lit very well. Doesn´t go out even with just occasional puffing. Plugs up my Falcon Coolway filtered pipes and smoking becomes a continous effort with poor results. I recommed this for the right pipe.

Pipe Used: Parker Straight Billiard p87

Age When Smoked: Fresh to one week old

Purchased From: Stockmann´s, Helsinki

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	nekeke (19)	2014-05-27		Mild to Medium	Strong	Full	Tolerable

I usually like strong tobacco with little or no aroma. But this one I really like. I do not know why, I just do. In fact it is the only really aromatic tobacco that I smoke at least one bowl a day. The only bad thing I can say about this one is, it does not leave a clean ash. Not good for breaking in new pipes

Pipe Used: Many

Age When Smoked: New

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Piepensmöker (17)	2014-02-28		Very Mild	Medium	Very Mild	Pleasant

This is a very light aromatic of Black Cavendish and a few Virginia speckles with a vanilla/fruit aroma. A little drying is recommended, although it comes in good smoking condition. Because it is so light, I mixed it with rubbed out Irish Flake, which was too strong for me on it's own. It is easy to pack, burns well to the end, a little hot maybe, but controlable. Should be a good start for non smoking pipe beginners, but will be too light for the experienced smoker/former cigarette smoker. I have smoked worse, but also better.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	unfound (3)	2014-02-26		Mild	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

I bought this blend more for others than myself. I'm not a huge fan of strong flavors and this Mac Baren is not over powering. The vanilla is very subtle which makes it more enjoyable to me.

Like I said, I reach for this when I'm around others. Most of them really enjoy the smell, and refer to it as 'like incense'. I'll buy it again when I run out, but it will take a while.

Pipe Used: Churchwarden, Volcano, Rhodesian

Age When Smoked: 6 months

Purchased From: PipesandCigars.com

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	erkantural (10)	2014-02-12		Mild	Strong	Medium	Pleasant

Vanilla Cream Loose Cut deserves recommendation for an aromatic blend. Tin aroma is wonderful, room note is wonderful, actual taste is delightful.

It burns under control from top to bottom, easy to smoke. Satisfying tobacco blend which i am going to put in my rotation for a sweet morning.

EDIT: I took out some portion of this blend from the tin to dry a little bit, then i forgot it. Next day it was dry like sand. In any case I decided to give it a try and it was even better than before.

Pipe Used: briars and cobs

Age When Smoked: Fresh opened tin

Purchased From: Istanbul Ataturk Airport

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	LarsFiskaren (5)	2014-02-06		Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

The pouch smell is not too bad, a little bit of vanilla and raisins, and chocolate. It packs well, burns a bit too hot. The taste is not enough vanilla as i would like, it's a bit plain actually, but not bad either. It bites a bit, but that's what I expect from a MacBaren blend. Room note is pleasant. Not a great blend, not a bad blend either. Maybe good to start with, as it teaches you to slow down and smells nice for those around you.

Pipe Used: BigBen, Corncob

Age When Smoked: new

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	ArmedOctopus (20)	2013-10-29		Mild	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

I'm sure my adding to the list of recommendations won't hold much sway in the mind of anyone, but I am new to reviewing tobacco and wanted to get one under my belt. So enough with the blabbering....

Tin Note: Very pleasant smell in the tin. I would consider it to be a mild smell but given the fact that the taste is mild as well, it just makes sense that this would be the case.

Flavor: What I love about this blend is the balance between the tobacco flavor and the aromatic vanilla flavoring. It rides the fence very well, not shunning tobacco purists nor those who have a difficult time with virginias. The light and fruity flavor of the virgina comes through without being overly "hay" flavored. The vanilla comes through pretty consistently, but is more noticed as room note than flavor. For me, I had to think "vanilla" to notice it through the entire bowl. When I wasnt trying to find that flavor, I noticed predominantly the virginia. About halfway through the bowl, I noticed an almost peppery flavor at the back of my throat. Not unpleasant, but noticeable.

Tongue bite: I noticed no tongue bite, but I did bring it to the tongue bite threshold faily easily if I got carried away puffing. This is definitely meant to puff slowly.

Other: For me, this was unpleasant, pushed through the nose. Not to the point of "zinging" my sinuses, but not something I preferred to repeat. The aftertaste was the typical sour virgina flavor I have come to expect from virginia tobaccos. However, it didnt last too long.

Overall, this tobacco is a great staple to keep on hand. It isnt expensive, and again, keeps a great balance between tobacco and aromatic flavors. Recommended.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2013-09-09		Mild	Medium	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

This is the best Vanilla aromatic I have the pleasure to taste so far. No tongue bite at all, an even burn from beginning to the end, cool mellow smoke and, believe it or not, real Vanilla aroma (according to my wife own words).

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Tom Bombadill (121)	2013-09-02		Mild	Medium	Medium	Very Pleasant

I really enjoyed this aromatic although I predominantly smoke English blends. The quality of the tobacco is excellent. While it says "loose cut" on the tin, there are nice chunks of flake in the mix as well. When I first opened Vanilla Creme it smelled wonderfully of vanilla liquor, however, I knew this was a sign telling me I should let the tabacky breathe a bit. Whether I smoke a Peterson, or Dunhill, or MacBaren aromatic, I always let the tobacco air out for a while after I open the tin. The casings and flavoring can be over powering when the tin is first opened, and the soon to be burnt sugars of the Cavendish and casings/flavorings can lead to tongue bite if not allowed to dissipate. Per usual, I did not have any more problems with the allegedly legendary MacBaren Tongue bite than I have had with any other quality aromatic blend. As a matter of fact, it tasted like I was smoking nice Virginias with a whiff of vanilla.

Don't listen to the haters. This is a great vanilla aromatic. Especially when you factor in the price.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	scoho7 (6)	2013-08-13		Mild to Medium	Medium	Medium	Pleasant

I've been searching for a great vanilla and unfortunately this one is not it. The pouch smells absolutely delicious, full of vanilla, but the smell does not translate to taste. The room note is pleasurable and it burns decently, but the taste is less smooth than some other vanillas I've tried such as 'Sweet Vanilla Honeydew.' I'm glad I tried this one due to its popularity, but won't be buying it again for my vanilla.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Mesh (51)	2013-06-12		Mild	Medium	Medium	Pleasant

The only aromatic tobacco (outside the Lakeland blends) that I can say I genuinely enjoy. Has to be puffed very slowly to prevent bite and harshness, but otherwise a pleasant smoke.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2012-08-05		Mild	Medium	Mild	Very Pleasant

this is a very good aromatic smoke. the scent from the vanilla and the virginia tobacco is fantastic. Virginia tobaccos give it a nice sweet taste while the vanilla flavoring makes it nice a creamy. i do tend to get some bite from this. however most aromatics tend to do that to me. aside from the tongue bite this is an excellent tobacco. great for an afternoon relaxing indoors or outdoors. also good to smoke while driving. tends to stay lit well without much tamping and when you smoke vanilla tobacco in your car you'll never need another air freshener in your life!

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Scotty42 (6)	2012-07-31		Mild	Medium	Medium	Very Pleasant

My 2 FAVORITE blends are Trout Stream & Scotty's Butternut Burley but I was lookng for a nice Vanilla as that's the only "flavored" tobacco I like. I tried many but there was either not enough Vanilla flavor or it was a goopy mess!! I bought 2 tins of MVLC & I knew straight away I found my Vanilla. Great flavor, a very natural vanilla flavor & the room note is wonderfull. Yes it has A LITTLE bite but let me throw a few tips about this blend & this will be your Vanila too!!

1st....Take it out of the tin & put it in a air tight Ball jar. It has a lil fruityness to it out of the tin. (unless you like that?) 2nd....Spend $30 & get yourself a MISSOURI MEERSCHAUM FREEHAND CC PIPE. You should have 1 anyway!! 3rd....It's a large bowl. Pack it LIGHTLY to the top, light it & tamp it. & Finally....Sip this blend like a fine glass of bourbon.

NO BITE & A RELAXING SMOKE IT'LL BE YOUR VANILLA!!

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	kaywoodiecanuck (14)	2012-07-07		Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Mild	Very Pleasant

I buy this and smoke it quite regularly in 50g pouches. A touch damp, I leave the pouch open over night then smoke it. I really love the note in the pouch and room note. I get a touch bored with it by the end of a pouch. My only wish is the taste while smoking it was equal to the smell of it smoked (maybe be a case of being careful of what I wish for?) All in all a good tasty smoke, great for new smokers and old alike.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Dr.sadik (120)	2012-06-02		Mild to Medium	Medium to Strong	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

this is my go to aromatic, it can easily please me and my surroundings. the tobacco taste is present mildly (virginia and sweet cavendish) however the vanilla taste is more dominant. hold fire very nicely and burn to fine ash. i would say it is a must for aromatic lovers.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	BlacksmithTim (10)	2012-04-30		Mild	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

On opening the tin I was disappointed as I really did not detect any scent of vanilla. Upon smoking I discovered it was a smooth, and for a Mac Baren relatively cool smoke. I can't quite place what it smells like but I like the smell and this may become a regular.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	wolfdreamer (25)	2012-02-01		Mild	Mild	Mild	Very Pleasant

I was very excited to try this blend. The aroma I find is more of a cakey rum type than vanilla and so I think after trying several bowls that I'm going to age it and revisit. I don't think this is a superior 'vanilla' but it is sweet and cakey so others may enjoy it. I found it a bit heavy and as another reviewer put it it seemed artificial rather than a smooth natural flavor but am hoping with age it'll be way better. I would not buy again but rather try to find that perfect vanilla and move on to another brand or blending of vanilla...I know it's out there.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	MrPiper (31)	2012-01-27		Mild	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

Among vanilla aromatics, this one is really special. It's VERY sweet, but in a positive way. For those who cry "tongue bite," it's an aromatic by MacBaren. Slow down and enjoy. I don't get any bite just based on smoking technique. You may want to initially smoke this in a cobb pipe to see if it's for you. It leaves a pretty strong "ghost" in a briar pipe. I have one pipe dedicated exclusively to this tobacco for that reason. I occasionaly smoke another blend in that pipe and actually enjoy the ghost flavor of the vanilla. This is my "go to" when I want a sweet vanilla smoke or have guests around. The room note is A+++

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Taylor3006 (47)	2011-10-04		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

I am not a big fan of Mac Baren tobaccos but based on the reviews here and some recommendations of a friend, I gave this one a shot. Smells great in the can, not too strong at all. A bit on the moist side but lights and stays lit fairly well. It has that typical Mac Baren "flavor" but it is in the background. There is a wonderful vanilla flavor with a hint of creaminess. I was quite surprised by this so puffed away like mad. Got a bit of tongue bite because of this, seems as if all Mac Barens have to be sipped or smoked slowly. Very enjoyable, very relaxing smoke. I will keep this in my regular rotation! Great smoke for a beginner as well.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Fofo (81)	2011-09-27		Mild	Medium to Strong	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

Good for those that like Vanilla. The vanilla doesn't mask the tobacco but it is applied with a heavy hand.

I enjoyed it and will give it 4 solid start for being a quality aromatic, but it is not for me.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	tomspeed (23)	2011-09-03		Very Mild	Extremely Mild	Very Mild	Very Pleasant

Very sweet and tasty nice smell and fantastic room note I love it

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	ADz Pipes (7)	2011-08-08		Mild	Medium	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

One of the best vanilla cased blends I have tried - period! Not over cased, just as I would expect a vanilla taste tobacco to be, very easy smoking and I could easily smoke this all the time, (but that would be boring) A classy aromatic, if you want to get away from the sticky gooey dripping in gloop, aromatics yet still want the vanilla aroma and taste - this is it! Superb room note, the non smoking holier than thou annoying self righteous mutants.....will still love you!!

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	gunner525 (66)	2011-07-21		Mild	Medium	Medium	Very Pleasant

I picked up a tin of this about a week ago. I was hoping for the flake version, but as the B&M only had the loose cut I gave it a try. Ya can't pass up an extra 50 grams for only $2 more. It was a very good smoke. Took the lighting well and burned nice and evenly to a white ash. The vanilla flavoring was noticed from the original light all the way until the last puff. It wasn't overwhelming by any means. Just the perfect touch to give it a wonderful flavorful vanilla experience that was enjoyed by myself and those around me. If you're looking for a vanilla flavor or any flavor for that matter to please the Mrs. with this is the one.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Papa Koala (12)	2011-07-14		Mild	Mild	Mild	Very Pleasant

Very, very nice. Mrs Koala still prefers the room note from 'Plumcake' but this comes a close second. I like this when I'm not in the mood for something strong. It is not overbearing, I like the balanced taste of tobacco to vanilla and others don't object to the aroma, "win, win".

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2011-07-12		Mild to Medium	Medium	Medium	Pleasant

Probably the best 'vanilla' I've come across; it works well with the creaminess. There are some cut Virginia plugs in this mix; when I hit one I surely recognize it.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2011-06-29		Very Mild	Medium to Strong	Mild	Very Pleasant

This is a high-quality aromatic, particularly tasty and with delightful room note. Smoking slowly is critical, though even when I get a little impatient with it, it doesn't produce many off flavors.

The taste is not incredible, but the vanilla is not overpowering and the tobacco tastes like tobacco; but I don't expect to be satisfied by exceptional tobacco flavor with aromatics. Vanilla tastes and smells natural; there is little trace of "chemical" notes one gets with cheap aromatics. In any case, it's a good tasting blend and will not offend most bystanders at all.

This is really good stuff. Give it a try if you like aros.

[edit:]

Ok, a long time later, I've revisited this blend. It's still ok to smoke, and the room note is really wonderful. "Recommended" status stays, even though I think I've gotten less tolerant of aromatics in the meantime.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	ap (57)	2011-05-19		Mild	Medium	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

One of the best aros in my opinion, biteless, cool burning and with a decent flavour that is not overly sweet. Amazing room note as well so dont be afraid to smoke this around yor wife.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	DrT999 (318)	2011-04-29		Mild	Very Mild	Mild	Very Pleasant

Lovely tin and room aromas, but while there's lots of ('creamy') smoke, there's not a lot of taste. Still, what there is, is v pleasant and not overly sweet.

Since I know there are many tobaccos out there I would rate a 4, the question arises would I rebuy this particular tobacco, assuming my tastes don't change much more. In this case, the answer is no.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2011-04-07		Medium	Medium to Strong	Medium	Very Pleasant

Nice looking tobacco. Smells quite strong and sweet in the pack, and the moisture is normally just right. This tobacco is easy to pack, and is at its best if packed quite tightly.

It's an easy, low maintenance smoke, and the benefits are immediate. The flavouring is rather strong: one doesn't taste much tobacco, to the extent that it impossible to identify what tobacco is used in the blend. The spicy vanilla taste is dominant. I also taste black pepper. The taste is good, perhaps a little too sweet, but an excellent replacement for after-dinner sweets, with a cup of coffee. Aftertaste and room note are both pleasantly sweet.

This could be the best of the vanilla blends - it certainly is my favourite vanilla blend, and it has been since I tried it for the first time, back in 2000.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2011-03-20		Mild	Medium	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

I love vanilla ice cream. I love vanilla in my tea. I love vanilla yogurt. I put vanilla extract in my pancakes. And guess what? I love this tobacco. Hands down my fav. The taste is great, the aroma is wonderful. My wife loves the smell which is a touch down right there. The texture is perfect and it burns just right. Maybe too pedestrian for some I suppose, but this is my stuff. And as an oil painter, the empty tins are perfect for keeping the oil fresh between sessions.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2011-03-06		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This tobacco was a very nice blend. Out of the packet it was nice and moist, and had a wonderful vanilla aroma to it. It was nice and easy to pack my bowl, and I found it stayed alight very well compared to most other tobaccos, usually I have to re- light my pipe about 4-5 times, but with this tobacco I only had to relight twice. The smoke was very thick and creamy and although I couldn't taste the vanilla that much (I am a beginner to the pipe and find it hard to pick out flavours) in terms of the other tobaccos I've tried it had a nice taste to it and was smooth. Smoking nice and slowly produce good flavour, good aroma and stayed lit well, but puffing to hard and it will bite! Overall a very nice tobacco I would both recommend and would buy again.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2011-03-02		Medium to Strong	Medium	Medium to Full	Very Pleasant

Another update--- after sampling a several dozen more tobaccos, many virginias, aromatics and so forth- I have realized how much I truly love this blend. This has better virginia taste than what is being passed off as "escudo navy delux" nowadays!!! Has the best nicotine hit out of ANY vanilla tobacco PERIOD. Probably has the only true vanilla flavor as well. May be the only aromatic that benefits from age and is worth putting in a cellar.

Many people are calling blends 'crossovers' because they are a bit of both worlds when it comes to tobacco and aromatic flavor, but this old time favorite is a TRUE crossover blend! In my opinion Latakia is a CASED TOBACCO (DUN DHUUUN DUUUUUUUHHHNN!) just because it is cased with smoke doesn't mean that its not flavored, whereas Vanilla creme has a TRUE natural virginia taste to sing along with its casing.

This blend will always be a favorite and it deserves more credit than anyone gives it. If you aren't familiar with any Virginians be warned: get to know them slowly or they will bite you, just try to understand that it doesn't make them bad.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2011-02-03		Mild	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

This was my first Mac Baren. Here in Switzerland, it's available in 50g pouches it seems pretty much anywhere. Using the air pocket method and a loose pack, I found that it burns very well straight out of the pouch with no relighting all the way down.

Slowly sipping it or using the "breath method" gives a very nice, smooth, slightly sweet vanilla flavor. The smoke is rich and indeed creamy, like the name says. Smokes cool and dry with no bite, if you do it slowly. It's got a nice room note even when you're smoking it. Usually I can't smell the smoke too well when smoking, but this one I can detect if I'm smoking it slowly, and it's very nice.

I quite like this vanilla tobacco and am looking forward to finishing the rest of this pouch.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Denevei (58)	2011-01-08		Mild	Medium	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

This is the first Mac Baren tobacco I ever encountered. I go back and forth with it, sometimes liking it and sometimes not. Like most of their tobaccos, Vanilla Crème has a strong tin aroma, especially when freshly opened, of fermenting compost, but in this case it's vanilla fermenting compost. I've said before, though, that you sometimes have to ignore the tin aroma. The tobacco is a broken flake of heavily cased Virginia.

This is a good smoke when others are in the house. My impartial room note judge said that the fragrance is quite nice, kind of like having a vanilla candle burning in the room. Easily lit, the burn is smooth and fairly cool, especially for an aromatic; I suspect that this is due to the quality of the tobacco used. Once burning, the vanilla flavor is accompanied by a nice creaminess. Think of cream soda in a tobacco. There's nothing subtle about Vanilla Crème. I did find, though, that the flavor began to get a bit sour by the bottom of the bowl, and it doesn't DGT very well.

If you want a really good, high quality vanilla blend, go for either this or Sweet Vanilla Honeydew. I personally prefer SVH, but that could be because I smoked it first, and maybe because it has a bit more subtlety about it. Vanilla Crème is a good tobacco to smoke when others are around, especially if those others have a tendency to complain about "stinky" tobaccos.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2010-12-21		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium to Full	Very Pleasant

The one thing that I have noticed about Mac Baren blends is there are very subtle flavours in their tobacco blends. I can take 3 different pipes, fully cleaned, fill them up, and get 3 differing tastes from the same tobacco. It all depends on the cut of the briar, the tightness of the grain, and also on the lingering flavours of the previous tobacco.

That being said, this Vanilla Cream blend is my absolute favourite blend of tobacco. This is my every day smoke. Very smooth, full of flavour, and not over-powering. The highest quality Virginia-base tobaccos can be tasted under the light high-quality Cavendish. This is such a high quality tobacco, that I have devoted one of my Jacopo's specifically to this blend of tobacco.

The room note is most excellent, sweet and very aromatic. It is like tasting a dish of vanilla bean ice cream. But it is not over-powering. This is a very pleasant tobacco that you can smoke all day long.

I daresay that many of the reviewers who have given this a 1-2 star review are those who either are not keen on any type of flavored tobaccos, or who are smoking this tobacco in a cheap, low-grade pipe, or in a pipe whose cake is that of a different type. You need to have a fully clean and sterilized pipe of high quality in order to get the most of this blend.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2010-09-15		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Very Pleasant

as a returning pipe smoker...after a break of 20 years or so...on reading reviews of this this tobacco, I decided to try it out. In the past I liked aromatic tobacco, particularly those from Scandinavia, my favourite used to be Skandinavik aromatic (which I cannot get in Scotland now), so.... i decided to try this blend, on opening the pouch I found a very light vanilla smell, not to sweet but just right, the tobacco was not too moist. Packed up the pipe and lit up....I was totally amazed at how good this blend tasted. Lovely sweet taste right from the off, the taste did not diminish at all through the smoke....no hint of tounge bite at all..and the room note...one to die for....superb....the first tobacco I tried on taking up the pipe again was "7 seas" regular blend which was good but this blend just is in a different class. Certainly worth a try if you like Scandinavian aromatic tobacco.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2010-08-17		Mild	Medium to Strong	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

As my first real aromatic I had high hopes for this tobacco. I am not normally a fan of vanilla-flavored products, but this vanilla cream smells terrific!

The vanilla scent upon opening the 100g tin is very distinct, yet not overwhelming. The tobacco itself has exactly the correct amount of moist in it, and consists of a nice mix including some parts flake which containt the highest concentration of vanilla.

It lights very easy, and rarely requires a relight. Throughout the bowl it smokes very evenly and is hard to smoke too fast. This tobacco has absolutely no tendency to smoke wet and tongue bite-wise is the mildest tobacco I have smoked so far.

While rather mild, the taste is complicated enough to keep you interested, even after tens of bowls. The vanilla is easily found in the taste, and is very natural (I really dislike chemical vanilla taste).

A recommendation to all new pipe smokers and due to it's pleasant room note also recommended to smokers with housemates who dislike pipesmoke!

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2010-07-23		Very Mild	Medium	Medium	Very Pleasant

I consider this to be one of the best flavored tobaccos available. Too often the cherry/vanilla/anchovy is slathered on like fudge on a sundae, and you can't even breathe with it around, much less taste anything in the smoke.

This blend is better than that- its good tobacco, with good flavor, and a subtle (okay- medium subtle) addition of pleasant vanilla flavor. I also consider this an excellent "entry level" smoke. Its got enough tobacco flavor for new smokers to know what's going on, but not so much flavoring as to be overwhelming or to completely disguise the tobacco either. A much better choice than some of the drug store blends.

I find this smoke especially relaxing. The room note is completely adored by family and friends around me.

The can I got was a little over-moist, so I've found letting it dry a little makes for a better smoke.

I usually smoke 3 different bowls in a row: I start out with something mild, then step up to medium (a virginia or a Vanilla-flavored?), then end with something stronger (usually MB Mixture), once my palate is more involved. MB's Vanilla Cream is often the first thing I smoke to get started.

I really enjoy this blend.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Miyanovich (13)	2010-07-03		Mild	Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Pleasant

Based on some of the 4 star reviews, and based on the tin-note, I was dying for this to be a rocket ship experience.

It was not. My search for a legitimate and consistent aromatic continues.

I will stretch and give it a 2.5 out of 5 stars. Here is what I had to do to get Vanilla Cream to be a 2.5:

My best pipe. Loose pack. Minimal draw on lighting and relighting (no gulping during lights). Sipping and savoring during the smoke. Small bowl of it. Didn't smoke the last 10%.

I will now cellar it, and come back to it later. If I find an aromatic that is better, it will never be in my cellar again.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2010-04-15		Mild	Medium	Medium	Very Pleasant

This is my first ever tobacco review. After sampling some other aromatics, I can say that Mac Baren's Vanilla Cream is a very relaxing blend. There is some tongue bite but not always. Very nice aroma not overwhelming. Right balance. Room note is great. I will keep some around always from now on. I do not know if anyone else noticed this but the bowl smells like the most amazing cinnamons while and after smoking. Best regards, Ali

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	ynrozturk (62)	2010-02-17		Mild	Mild	Mild	Very Pleasant

I looked everywhere for this tobacco, and finally found it. I bought 3 tins and went to work.

Now this is how I like my tobacco. While the vanilla is present, it's not overwhelming, and the balance is just perfect. It's sweet without being sickly sweet or gunky. The smell out of the tin is awesome. It's easy to pack, easy to light, stays lit, and burns to a nice fine ash all the way down to the bottom of the bowl.

I don't get why Mac Baren is associated with tongue bite. Granted I've only tried this and Black Ambrosia from Mac Baren, but neither have bitten me, ever. Just take it slow and it's very rewarding. I smoke it in a small bowl and it seems to be perfect. It doesn't burn too hot, and there is no gurgle, either.

I think I could pretty much smoke this all day and not complain about it. The balance is perfect for me.

Update : I still enjoy this tobacco, and it's probably my favorite aromatic, though I primarily smoke Virginia flakes. However, I found 2 pouches of this the other day, so I bought them. Quite different from the tinned version. Way more black cavendish in the pouch, different cut, no broken flakes, and quite a bit less flavor. I was disappointed. Stick to the tin - that's good stuff.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2010-02-07		Mild	Mild	Mild	Very Pleasant

The tobacco is a combination of long ribbons and pressed flakes. Nice tin aroma, nice room note. I packed pretty loosely due to the pressed flakes. Took a few matches to get a good light going. Did not have big billowing clouds of smoke, more of a light wisp. The pipe never gurgled and was dry at the end. Most vanillas use a black cavendish as base, but this used some pressed flakes, so I give it thumbs up on style.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Susanna Hoffs (74)	2009-12-26		Mild	Mild	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

Was expecting a stronger vanilla aroma to be honest. Very mild smoke though can bite if puffed too quickly.

Dissapointing. Wanted more vanilla essence than I got..

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2009-11-24		Medium	Medium	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

I smoke everything from time to time and love strong latakia blends as much as good aromatics. There is a time for everything, I say.

I tried this from a newly purchased 100g tin and I have to say the vanilla aroma is wonderfull, the pleasure starts in the tin. After an easy lit (and no relit after a one and a half hour smoke) I was pleasantly welcomed with the delightfull creamy smoke of vanilla (so it's not just a clever name).

The beginning was a nice and mild smoke. after the first part I tamped it a bit firmer and got a fuller heavier taste with the same great vanilla taste. Absolutely a keeper.

The finish got me a bit by suprise as I was getting a firm nicotine afterburner (not big, but not the kind I'm used to with aromatics). It was great.

An absolute must have in the cabinet and easy to smoke around guests. Buy this and you'll derive a lot of pleasure from this.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Room Note Professor (44)	2009-08-16		Mild	Medium to Strong	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

An excellent tobacco to introduce smokers to the pleasures of "kind-hearted smoking". Non-smokers love the room note!

In my book, enlightened people find joy not only in their own pleasures but also in the pleasures of others. Vanilla Cream delivers on both fronts. I am somewhat amused by condescending "experts" who look down on aromatic tobaccos. The pipe's heavenly aromas helped me to break free from a 25-year addiction to cigarettes. I have nothing to prove. I know about stinky, selfish smoking. Trust me, it's overrated. Long live aromatics! May I never "outgrow" them!

The vanilla in Vanilla Cream is unlike any other vanilla I have smoked. The pouch aroma and room note are both quite strong and it has an almost minty freshness to it. Despite the strong casing, the Virginia tobacco taste still shines through when smoked. Yes, this is a very sweet aromatic, but you'll still know that you are smoking tobacco. Although my mouth chemistry is of such a nature that I am prone to being bitten (a chemical bite has little to do with overzealous puffing - I don't puff on my chili peppers and they bite too), this tobacco has never bitten me.

Highly recommended for smokers who enjoy sweet aromatics.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2009-07-24		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Very Pleasant

This is the best Vanilla blend I have tried, paired only by Borkum Riffs Special Mixture 8. I have been a regular smoker of this blend since its release in 1999. Did not get tired of it. The vanilla sauce developed for this blend is amazing. I would describe it as mix of caramel and cream. The tobacco needs to smoked slowly with no rush or it can get a bit hot. The taste is great if you puff with the attention it deserves and the room note is one of the best in pipe tobaccos. My wife also loves this. For a good aromatic smoke you cannot go wrong with this blend.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2009-07-13		Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Mild	Pleasant

MacBaren tobaccos seem to have a very charateristic sugar essence that appears in the blends that I have tried by them. It is very sweet. This blends sweetness is not what I would refer to as caramelized but, rather like that of refined cane sugar. The vanilla topping is high quality but not the least bit overpowering. It smokes very well and cool when "nipped" slowly. Aromatic essences dissapear at around the 60% mark to completion. Good smoke but a bit to sweet for everyday enjoyment. It is one of the better aromatics that I have tried though.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Bazsup (13)	2009-07-13		Mild	Medium	Mild	Pleasant

As an aromatic smoker, I looked forward to giving this a try as I have read many positive reviews. The tin aroma was terrific upon oppening. It was rich a sweet and seemed edible. The moisture content was fine. It took a light easily and never displayed a bite even with my abuse.

I have to admit however, through no fauly of MacBaren it just didn't taste as great as I'd hoped. As a matter of fact, the further I got through the tin the less interested I was. I don't know, maybe I am just attention deficit when it comes to tobaccos. I recommend it to vanilla lovers. I will smofe it again probably. I guess it was a seven or eight and I am still on the elusive search for the tobacco ten.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Meisterlowin (16)	2009-06-26		Medium	Medium to Strong	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

I've had a reasonable measure of success with other MacBaren blends and I wanted to turn to them for this aromatic offering.

I found the aroma in the tin to be very pleasant and what I hoped to be a harbinger of a good smoke. The tobacco was a little drier than I would have expected but not unusually so.

Although this blend is certainly not bad by any stretch of the imagination, I found it a bit disappointing especially considering the sentiment of the previous reviews. Even though I am a "slow" smoker, it still burned hotter than I would like and had a mild bite.

The plus side is that the room note is very nice and I found a little more body in the tobacco flavoring than I generally do with most aromatics. I don't know if I would rush to get another tin of this or not, but all in all a satisfactory smoke.

edit I'm not sure why, but this stuff routinely makes my head swim. I didn't think the nicotine content would be that strong, but for me, I have to really pace myself with this stuff or I'll fall out of my chair.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2009-03-06		Medium	Medium	Medium	Pleasant

The taste of this tobacco is very pleasant without being overpowering. The vanilla flavoring remains consistent to the bottom of the bowl and the smoke is very sweet. It lights well and smokes cool with relatively little bite for an aromatic. The taste is very close to the smell of the tobacco. I find it very satisfying. The room note is pleasant and will be appreciated by both smokers and non- smokers.

If you like aromatics, then this tobacco is a "go to". In my opinion it is one of the best tobaccos i have tried.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2009-02-06		Mild to Medium	Medium	Medium	Pleasant

Mac Baren's Vanilla Cream Loose Cut is a very nice aromatic that is still on the economic side. Opening the pouch reveals a very pleasant smelling tobacco that is on the course side when compared to some slightly more expensive tobaccos like Dunhill's or Peterson's and an occaisional stem might be found. The vanilla smell is very strong at first but this quickly tones down to a pleasant level

Because it is of a courser cut, a slight amount of rubbing or working through the fingers may be required to load and pack the bowl well.

The taste is very pleasant without being overpowering and retains enough of the original tobacco flavor to satisfy on that front also. The vanilla flavoring remains consistent to the bottom of the bowl and the smoke is sweet. It lights well and smokes cool with relatively little bite for an aromatic. That said, it has been my experience that if you don't take care to smoke this slowly you can get bit slightly. The room note is pleasant and will be appreciated by both smokers and non- smokers.

This is one of my "go to" tobaccos that I switch in when I want something on the sweeter side without being overpoweringly so. I also fill my carry-around pouch with it sometimes and it is a good all day tobacco. (Out of concern for others experience as well as my own, I only use aromatics for carry-around tobaccos and reserve the stronger smelling English blends I like as well for my den at home.)

------------------

Bottom Line: Sweet smoke; consistent vanilla; on the economical side and to me somehow seems to have a bit of a "rough" texture to the smoke that is not, however, unpleasant; highly recommended if you like aromatics and in particular vanilla

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	paulwfromtheden (14)	2009-01-04		Mild	Medium	Medium	Pleasant

A very pleasant aromatic. I didn't notice the tounge-bite that some reviewers have experienced, but I tend to smoke very slowly. I have been particularly impressed by he compliments that I have received from non-smokers on the aroma.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	SirShaggy (28)	2008-07-25		Mild	Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

I must agree with "Tantric" below me whole heartedly. I tried this due to reading his review. It was good, just a bit too much vanilla all at once. This is better than all OTC Drug Store blends by far. It is of quality tobacco and has a great room note that doesn't offend. Price can seem a bit steep depending on where you get it. This Vanilla Creme did not burn real wet like many aromatics. That is my biggest gripe on aromatics. It also was not sticky. When I opened the tin, I found it moist and easily smokable. I never throw anything out and as it seems, this mixed awesome with Lanes Very Chery Cavendish. It seemed to mellow both of them out immensely. This blend is good, I just like it more now that I mixed these. Don't be afraid to play around mixing tobaccos that "almost" work for you. You may come up with your daily smoke!

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Latakia (70)	2008-04-08		Mild	Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

If one likes an aromatic with vanilla taste, this is a nice one. I have rated it 3 stars for those who like this kind of blend. For me, it is a nice change of pace since I prefer more English/Oreitnal blends but occasionally, I like to have a break and try something radically different. I usually always smoke these aromatics out of a meerschum and this was no exception. Not only does it cool the smoke which tends to be a bit hot, it is a good ooportunity to add some color to the pipe. This did not burn as hot as many aromatics that I have tried. It had a wonderful room note and if one is on a diet and is not eating dessert, might want to consider this creamy smoke. For me, I will keep it around for an occasional smoke when I want a complete break from latakia.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	ringo (15)	2008-04-02		Very Mild	Medium to Strong	Medium	Pleasant

this one suits well to my early morning cup of black coffee. The only problem is the absence of nicotine but for the start of the day is not bad at all. Focusing now on its characteristics the vanilla aroma is combined with honey and earthy notes and the tobacco taste is also there yeah is something different with a unique personality contrary to other vanilla tobaccos. The taste is sweet but empty (vanilla honey is there, but no nicotine). In addition, it does not bite when using the carbon filter and I believe is a high quality aromatic. I will probably mix it with some latakia because I like after smoking not to grave for more?or to feel hungry ================= After the second packet I thing there is no honey flavour at all its plain vanilla with a creamy flavor. But also earthy notes with natural tobacco. i also see that something happens to my throat after smoking this it fells dry, anyway i might need time to adjust... I will also put another star because I started really appreciate this bacco, I really like the taste I have devoted one pipe to it and it will become one of my regular morning smoking. I have some plain latakia for blending but I ll rather not mix it since this is too aromatic for latakia blending

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	DakotaPeacePipe (33)	2008-02-07		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Pleasant

A danish, dutch, lets call it european style toasted cavendish with a pleasant vanilla flavor. The vanilla is not overwhelming by any means. For this reviewer all of these european toasted cavendish?s burn hot. With all the heat, this would never be an all day smoke but only an occasional experience

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	constantsmoker (65)	2007-11-16		Mild	Medium	Medium	Pleasant

For those of you put off by the flake varient of this tobacco, take heart! This is a thoroughly well-balanced and well-behaved aromatic blend possessing a fine, albeit light, vanilla aroma (room note), which can be a plus in the wife/girlfriend arena. May burn a bit hot at first, but take your time with this one or dry it out a bit if it seems too moist for you. A couple of steps above the average vanilla-cased aromatic, and worth the attention of aromatic tobacco afficonados.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	SmokeKing David (134)	2007-11-04		Mild to Medium	Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

A solid-enough aromatic, but the vanilla taste seems a bit off to me. It is unique, which is something I occasionally look for in a tobacco, but this one somehow misses the mark. I may experiment with it by mixing some of it with other vanilla blends. But I doubt I will buy another tin.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	YoungPuffer (5)	2007-06-03		Mild	Medium to Strong	Medium	Very Pleasant

Now this is what a good vanilla aromatic is supposed to taste like. Not overpowering, just perfect. I absolutley love this fine MB blend, they have really outdone themselves on this one. I always look forward to smoking this blend.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	PipePaladin (78)	2007-05-11		Mild	Medium	Full	Tolerable

Although I am not so fond of MacBaren aromatics I have to say that Vanilla Cream Loose cut is a very good aromatic. Packs and burns well, smells and tastes great and you don?t get this chemical taste like most aromatics do. Vanilla taste is in the background leaving a sugary, mouthfully taste to appear first. It is a very good treat with a nice cup of black coffee. Not for puffing all day though?

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2007-01-23		Mild	Medium	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

This is an interesting blend, but only so far, to me. I bought a tin of this for the rare occasions when I feel like an aromatic, yet long for something of higher quality than Middleton's Cherry. I do like black cav in some lighter blends, and Mac Baren usually does a nice job on their Virginia's. I was hoping that this would be one offering from them that would be relatively free from tongue bite, but it bites me pretty well every time I revisit it. The casing on this is reasonably light, too. The vanilla room note is light at best, and as aromatics go, it just misses the mark on too many fronts for me to give it 3 stars. Still, there's obvious quality to the leaf used, and if you want a primarily VA/Black Cav blend that only offers whispers of flavoring, this might be great to you.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2006-12-02		Mild	Mild	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

This tobacco looks very similar to MacBaren original mixture, only it has a fantastic vanilla aroma! You can really smell the vanilla while you are are smoking it also. However, it doesn't really taste like vanilla to me; it does have a sweet taste that is very pleasing....I just can't pinpoint the exact flavor. The tobacco does have some moisture in it, so you have to pack it lightly and keep the smoking cadence down or it will scorch your tongue. It burns pretty well and evenly/completely if packed lightly. This is a tasty tobacco with an excellent room note, but I will have to dock it one star for the potential to cause a 3-alarm tongue bite. Therefore, I would clasify it as 3-star tobacco.

12/2/2006.....update Just smoked a few more bowls and cannot get this tobacco to stop burning and gurgling. I will have to downgrade to 2-star.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	hoo-boy (26)	2006-11-05		Mild	Medium	Medium	Pleasant

Psst... Over here...The word on the street is you don't like aromatics right? well let me clue you in on one "Vanilla Cream... wait wait.. hear me out. To tell ya the truth I don't care for a lot of'em myself. Believe me, you owe it to yer self to try this. Its a colorful blend of loose cut tobaks mixed with cut plugs made from Virginias with modern cavendesh then blended with a real good vanilla flavor...Yummy!!! Did I mention its looks? With the yellows, black and reds Very attractive Not like a lot of Aromatic that looks like soggy coffee grounds. I know ya are reluctant But have I ever stired ya wrong. Trust me you will not be dissapointed and pleasenty surprised and that is before you light up. WELL... believe you me You will be even more pleased when ya do. A smoke that is not for wusseys but still pleasent and a real crowd pleaser with the aroma! So grab ya self a handfull and get back with me on yer thoughts!.... Pass it on!

hoo-boy

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Shadowfax (4)	2006-05-21		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Pleasant

Over the past year I have had numerous trials with Vanilla cream which were mostly unsuccessful. Yet the aroma of the tobacco is unbelievably delicious. So I kept thinking how could a tobacco like this not taste quite as it smells. My trials ended up mostly in vain and I did not get the taste I have long been desiring. Only today I believe I have succeeded. The key was the packing,the slow puffs and the pipe I dedicated for it. It all comes down to this in the end really; the technique in which one packs the pipe and the slow burning of the tobacco. It was a dream experience which I have thoroughly enjoyed. I only hope that I can continue to pack it that well again in the future to get a chance to go through this delicious experience again.

An update for Mr, rajabalak

Well Mr. rajabalak, based on your request I am really hoping to be helpful and ýexplain the technique I used for packing. Packing has many different schools and ýtrends I believe, there are also artists out there I am sure, and I am sorry to say I am ýstill not there yet, but I have had a break through with my recent experience with this ýtobacco Mac Baren Vanilla Cream noted here in the review above. First start by ýgrabbing as much tobacco between your two fingers and gently rest it upon the shaft ýof the pipe, then gently start pocking the exterior of the pipe to allow the tobacco to ýfall freely as it may inside, do not use the tamper yet. Then have another go repeating the ýsame step again, now you can use the tamper but gently without the slightest tightness ýhint, just enough to allow for more room for another go of the same initial step. Keep ýrepeating this until you are satisfied with the amount of tobacco you inserted and then ýmake one last tamp not very tight but tighter than the previous ones, tight enough that ýyou feel the top tobacco layer is kind of springy. Light the flare and don?t over burn ýyour mounted layer as if you are letting it take a deep breath just to relax the top layer. ýIf it dims relight it again but make sure you don?t get that first layer overly burnt. I ýhope this will be of some use to you and that it will be helpful with your trials. Don?t ýforget there are numerous other ways out there, just take your time and enjoy the ýdiscovery and hopefully you will then find that taste that you are hoping to get out of ýthis rich aromatic tobacco. ý

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	zulujerk (146)	2006-04-11		Mild	Medium to Strong	Mild	Pleasant

Update=======================================================

I've got to downgrade the Vanilla Cream a star. This tin is never gonna end.

===============================================================

Let me first say that I am not an aromatic smoker--I tend to gravitate towards Latakia heavy blends--but I do love trying as many new tobaccos as I can get my hands on.

I went ahead with this one on the strength of the reviews found here. I've been searching for a decent aromatic that could deliver a unique taste but that is both strong in punch and absent of any bite. This fills most of those requirements with near ideal satisfaction, other than my desire for a fairly heavy tobacco.

The presentation in the tin couldn't get any more appealing. I found a beautiful blend ranging from bright orange Virginias to black Cavendish tobaccos--both ribbon cut and a plentiful assortment of what seemed to be chopped flakes (I assume these are those cut plugs Mac Baren mentions in the description). The smell out of the tin was unbelievably warm and satisfying with the tobacco still managing to break through from the applied topping.

Some mentioned that the flavoring didn't quite have that Vanilla taste they were expecting, and I will say that is true, but--it's important to remember that cherry and grape gum also taste nothing like their natural counterparts. I find that most aromatics tend to display their flavor throughout the first half of the bowl, and rarely last until the end. In my opinion, Vanilla Cream falls into that line. I won't complain, however, because I prefer it that way, and some with more attuned senses will likely disagree.

Of the few aromatics that I've smoked, I found this to be the one most lacking in bite. If you've tried Blue Note and can't get through a bowl without a blistering tongue, I think you'll be much relieved to smoke this.

I wouldn't buy Vanilla Cream again simply because the tobacco just isn't full enough, but I would certainly recommend it to all aromatic smokers and to any non-aromatic smoker who finds it necessary to please innocent bystanders when the need arises.

Four out of Five.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	caddad (53)	2006-03-12		Mild to Medium	Strong	Mild	Very Pleasant

I purchased this some time ago and at first was very dissapointed. You see, I have a hard time smoking danish type blends as I think I smoke them too fast and they get too hot for my taste. Having returned to this upon comming accross the tin in my collection, and remembering how much my wife and daughters loved the room note and smell of the tobacco I tried again. Being cautious not to puff to hard and savour the tobacco properly I discovered I had a real jewl here after all. I'm sorry I didn't give more of a chance when i first purchased it. good choice when smoked with care.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2005-07-21		Mild	Strong	Mild	Pleasant

I tried this blend mainly because of the favorable review given by William Serad in "Trial by Fire". Mr. Serad often agrees with my tastes, but we parted ways on this one. As another reviewer mentioned, I didn't really think this tasted like vanilla. To me it was overly sweet and heavily cased. I prefer the flavor of something like Pipes and Pleasure's Black Treasure if I'm going to smoke a vanilla blend. It does have a pleasant room note and doesn't require excessive relights in spite of the casing. On the basis of those two attributes I'm giving it two stars.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2005-01-20		Mild	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

CREAM VANILLA LOOSE CUT.21-01-05. To a new comer to pipe smoking,or someone looking for a tobacco that offer's a pleasant room note,this will be fine. Or if,you enjoy vanilla blend's (go for it) "You'll love it" It was fairly easy to light,and the vanilla could be tasted consistantly to the half way mark of the bowl.Very smooth! Beyond the half way mark it was still rather consistant in it's smoothness,though the tobacco could now be really tasted without the vanilla running the show. It left a fairly whitish grey ash at bowl's end.Most likely the best vanilla blend I have tried so far! Personally I enjoyed the 6 bowl's I have now smoked as a change of pace,it wasn't to bad at all.But after 6 bowl's I was very pleased to get back to my balkan,english and virginia blend's. For a aromatic I give this 7 out of 10.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2003-04-16		Very Mild	Strong	Mild	Very Pleasant

This would be a great starter tobacco, it's not too strong and the people around you will love it's smell.

As a lover of English blends I found the casing to be overwhelming. Much more like eatng a candy than smoking, my wife and family loved it though and it's probably the only blend I was able to smoke were ever I wanted to.

Personally I found it weak in the nicotine category and it did bite me, not seriously, but enough bite that it was annoying.

This would be a huge step up though for someone starting on "drug store" brands and your family will like it too.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2003-03-04		Mild	Medium	Mild	Very Pleasant

A pleasing blend to have stuffed in the bowl when just using the pipe as a "chew toy".

First light, and first half to two thirds has wonderful vanilla nut flavoring and aroma that dissipates as it burns down the bowl. Bottom half to third has mostly a virginia taste and aroma (with lingering tobacco aftertaste).

Overall, a nice Saturday morning smoke.

It packed easily and didn't need a relight. Didn't need to "air" the tin before using.

I prefer heavy cavendish and latakia blends, so keep that in mind when looking at how I rated this blend. In fact, I'll probably add some latakia to what I have left.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JohnnyFlake (17)	2002-09-22		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

I like to smoke this blend in a large bowl Meershaum or Corn Cobb Pipe. This is mostly a loose cut ribbon type tobacco with some broken flake mixed in. It is medium brown and black in color. The aroma upon openning a tin, for me, is deliciously sweet but not too sweet, with a very distinct creamy vanilla odor and notes of a plesant nuttiness. This tobacco is just about the right moisture right out of the tin. It's not as moist as most Mac Baren tobaccos but it certainly is not dry. It packs easily, burns clean, on the cool side and offers lots of creamy, smooth smoke. During the first half of a bowl the flavor is plesantly sweet with a very dominant Vanilla-Nut (Hazel/Cashew) flavor. Now and then I pick up another flavor which seems more like Caramel than Vanilla. The sweetness of the Virginias are barely noticable but they are there which gives this fine aromatic some complexity. I like to smoke a little on the fast side but not too fast. As a result, I do on occasion get bitten but never, ever with this blend. During the last half of a bowl, the Vanilla flavoring seems to disappear and then the Cavendish and the Virginias begin to fight for dominance. The sweetness of the Virginias have the edge but in a subtle way. The aftertaste is mild and plesant but hangs on for awhile. On a 1/5 scale, I rate this blend a 3.5.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2001-12-22		Mild	Mild to Medium	Full	Very Pleasant

I've always fancied vanilla-flavoured tobaccos, so naturally I picked up a pouch of this one by MacBaren. This is one tobacco that certainly lives up to its name: the smell from the pouch is very creamy, and perhaps the best comparison of it is to a vanilla-scented candle. Light that candle, and you get a sense of what it smells like when burning. Lick it, and... well, you've got a serious problem if you're licking your candles and tobacco.

The tobacco is of contrasting colours with a mellow-yellow hue to it and is a mix of loose cut with small bits of plug. As far as taste goes, it isn't subtle: a sweet creamy vanilla taste will fill your mouth from first to last. As someone who likes to drink cream and enjoys snorting the bottle of vanilla in my cupboard, I really do enjoy this tobacco.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JymmiLee (1)	2 days ago		Mild	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Basic vanilla aromatic but very well executed, widely available and priced very fairly. When I want a good, relaxing smoke after hard day at work, this one is solid. Mine was, according to it's manufacturing date on a pouch, made in early 2022, and still was for me a wee bit damp. Half an hour of letting it breathe made it much better. Smells of delicious, not aggressive, vanilla, like a good bakery, and room note is much more reminiscent of a classy scented candle, rather than tobacco. If you puff on it, it can bite but for slow, relaxed smoke, just excellent. Nicotine hit is very mild, burns at a moderate pace and in larger bowl of my olive pipe doesn't need relights, burns to a fine, white ash and doesn't leave much moisture. I would not class it as an all day smoke, aromatics for me are reserved for evenings with good book and music or lazy weekends, but for aromatics enthusiast, this would be a very good choice. Also, beginner-friendly, because of strong value-quality ratio. Recommended.

Pipe Used: Olive handmade pipe, PBK briar, Italian briar

Age When Smoked: 1 year

Purchased From: local tobacconist

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pie Eyed Piper (22)	2023-01-15		Mild	Medium	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

This is the epitome of vanilla blends. Vanilla cream/fruit aroma . A smooth creamy smoke, excellent side streams and aroma. The taste is sweet vanilla with a fruit undertone, very pleasant. A well balanced blend with the Virginia being the main player. Smoke slowly to enjoy this to the max. Power puffing will dull the flavor and heat things up a bit. Smoked slow it's cool and savory. Taste and aroma of fine pastry, baked goods, vanilla, butter, fruit. You cannot go wrong with this blend. A quality Danish vanilla aromatic.

Pipe Used: Briar

Age When Smoked: New and up to 2 years old.

Purchased From: Smoking Pipes

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JimPM (153)	2022-09-02		Medium	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

From the great Mac Baren Company service brings a genteel assembly of ample Black Cavendish, variable Virginias, and a dusting of classic White Burley. All lavished in an adornment of refined vanilla and lusty cream.

This mild to medium flavored/moderately intense combination presents a bumpy hodgepodge of crude yellow/golden flakes, red and brown ribbon, and blackened bits of modestly dry tobaccos. To look at the tobaccos, witness bears a mass that is substantially errant (squiggly to be more precise). Rather than naturally clustering into a handsome neat plump wadding, this crew more resembles an effigy in disorderliness. The ensuing matting nonetheless projects just a succulent fragrance of fruited cake, raw sugar, honey and of course soft vanilla and dense cream. Lying low within this aroma hides some chirpy natural spice and a mild degree of innate tartness. Truly wonderful.

Upon repeated first lightings, my objective assessment is that top dressings project strongly initially and then relax in conformance to a well-mannered posture. In that transition they suffice to cast a perfected top-quilting to what is going on underneath. Unlike comparable vanilla-based aromatic concoctions, Mac Baren’s additives lack the typical air of brazen self-importance. Given the trueness of the coatings’ affluence does effortlessly shine, they tend to play well within the total taste experience in general. Mostly, their notation is neither too independent nor invasive to promote the cheapening separation effect. Rather, they unify cohesively with the native elements, giving Vanilla Cream a “non-polarized” feel and not that clumsy candied dance if you follow me?

In itself the vanilla-cream endows a non-disturbing sweet encounter of warm obliging delight. The vanilla poses with a buttery tonka-like twist while the cream injects additional sugary thickening. There seems to be a cakey undertone surfacing at that. When combining these nuances my impressions were leaning toward the taste of one those Keebler Vanilla Creme Wafer cookies, an old time favorite.

I suspect there is more to the recipe than what Mac Baren has officially divulged. In particular, there is no mistaking the abiding fruity accenting that is prevalent, as duly noted in the pouched nose. This juicy berry remarking tenders like that of the black or raspy variety. It moves forward in the flavor profile serving as tasteful highlight for the entire smoking session.

Additionally, Vanilla Cream seems to be decorated with some other clandestine influence, me thinks. I kept registering a quizzical cognac or brandy-like stream note steadily emphasizing the bottom finish of every drawl. Along this reference, I did feel a little spirited coarseness on the tongue and throat endemic of alcohol’s after effect. A secret fu-fu which may be aiding the amplification of the fruitiness and spice that seems to engender within the blends basic flavor perhaps? Mac Baren is known to sprinkle the spirits from time to time. Finally, the profile reveals a tad of dark karo/molasses and baked honey as a colorizing accent of aged sugary bliss.

Now on to the native components. Let me state that the movement of the native strains especially the Virginia and the Cavendish enables that blend with an interesting edge of modest density and animation. Specifically, the heavy assorted Virginian strains form the base line flavor manifesting notably and consistently. It brings a degree of tarty citrus, aged hay/wood, an herby-spiced fruit essence like a pomegranate, and a settled floral tone that envelops piney or dilled sharpness.

As to the Black Cavendish, within this Vanilla Cream mixture, it comes on with equal force contenting for recognition against the Virginia. As I previously state, the cavorting between the two strains make for an enliven experience. The natural remarking of the Cavendish is very prominent in the overall taste envelop. Filling the middle sphere while encroaching somewhat into the top and bottom the Cavendish contributes a bit of goodly sweeter spicy zing. It is also very grainy imparting a decent smoky tinge in the composite flavoring.

Primarily within this mix, the Burley encounter is essentially a drive-by smattering. This varietal tends to be inconspicuous making its presence known in a slighted and elusive manner. Chiefly floating in the remote background, the Burley fulfills a simple harmonizing embellishment. The character expression is bronzed, sugared, and nutty, at least that which you are able to catch. Sorry my peeps at The Brotherhood of the Burley, nothing more to report I am afraid.

Needless to inform you, but I nonetheless will, the room note of this particular Mac Baren entry is exquisitely pleasant if not categorically heavenly. I mean we are talking air freshener quality here. Just a lovely, sweet perfume of baked confectionary delight lightly enfolds itself into the immediate premises. Even my cat’s head was turning with curiosity on this one. Sweet clouds of delicate lighter bodied smoke cascade with essence of sugary waffled splendor. The native influence is kept at a low roar but irrefutably this one will be a definite crowd pleaser, no doubt in my mind.

On a lessor flattering note, there is a bit of quirkiness to Vanilla Cream in that it is extremely hard to keep lit. Somewhat of a bothersome quandary, I found it to be a real head scratcher actually. In brief time I soon discovered that the pipe was challenging to pack. The strands were rebelliously resistance to quietly sitting in the bowl and just behaving. As such, I found myself fidgeting excessively to get them to conform within the chamber. A smaller wad packed a little looser seemed to reel in some of that OCD waywardness of the burn, however. My only thought is that the blend is tempered with a tendency to entangle and mat inhibiting steady air flow.

Vanilla Cream has none of that conditional infamous Mac Baren bite. For myself I do not tend to get that with their products. Thank God because one of the finest creations bestowed upon piping is Mixture Scottish Blend the supposed original fiend of brutish tongue torment. The day I cannot smoke Mixture just be kind, take my briar and compassionately bludgeon me from my existence.

Harboring a low nicotine content, unmistakably mellow and reserved, Vanilla Cream presents the smoker with an easy, consistent all-day retreat. Short of the persistent mechanical issue noted, in sum, I liked it personally, but hey everyone’s palate is unique. Again, a comparatively progressed vanilla-based aromatic as a matter of measured review. So, if my ramblings have sparked your interest then give it a go to form your own impressions. That is all that matters in the end friends. 2.9 Pipes.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	WalrusMustachePiper (7)	2021-12-30		Mild	Medium	Medium	Very Pleasant

One of the finest Vanilla Aromatic you could find on the market , you get lots of cream almost egal part of vanilla and subtle fruit taste ( maybe blueberry ? )

Lots of reviewers have state that after the 1/4 of the bowl the aroma are gone ? i seriously have to question that and ask them do you light your pipe with a huge blowtorch? The aroma of the tobacco and the flavoring stay from top to bottom the same, even if i puff on a fairly high cadence.

Don't wait any longer if you love vanilla aromatic this is an absolute treat.

Pipe Used: Ropp Canadienne , Cutty Meerschaum

Age When Smoked: fresh

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	nach0 (35)	2021-10-07		Mild	Mild to Medium	Medium	Pleasant

This is that kind of blend which has the tobacco flavor as the main actor, for sure the artificial aromas are there mainly in the background. The smell once you opened the tin is divine. Good moisture, smokes very well but need be aware or can smoke hot, no need many relights, no bubbling at the end of the bowl. IMO one of the best aromatic i ever tried.

Pipe Used: many included briar and cob

Age When Smoked: straight from the tin

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	marvin184 (10)	2021-09-06		Mild	Mild to Medium	Medium	Pleasant

This is an everyday, easy smoke. Not very deep or complicated in flavor, just pure Virginia taste with a little vanilla here and there. Cavendish is barely noticeable at least for my taste. A great advantage of this tobacco is that it is widely available everywhere. It doesn't hurt a try, totally worth it

Pipe Used: Briar, Olive wood

Age When Smoked: Fresh

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Poodlejuice (51)	2021-05-25		Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Mild	Pleasant

My 3.5oz tin came pretty much bone dry, almost crunchy. It was fully sealed, not sure if this is normal. Nice tin note of natural vanilla and Virginia sweetness though. Seems promising.

Sweet hay, citrus, and complex, creamy, vanilla. I get some notes of honey & nutmeg as well. Not overwhelmingy sweet. Surprisingly complex flavorings, that aren't overdone or cloying, and you can actually taste the Virginias a bit, but the tobacco itself is a little on the flat side. Bites very easily if not monitored. Little to no nicotine.

I find I have to keep a closely monitored caedence to be able to smoke this stuff or the dreaded Mc-Bite rears its ugly head. I'm no stranger to fickle MacBaren blends, Scottish mixture (one of my favorites) is apparently one of the worst offenders, but I find Vanilla cream way tougher to tame.

Maybe I got a weird tin. Either way I'm not sure I'll be purchasing this again. I commend them for the quality of the flavorings but nothing else about this blend is exciting enough for me.

Pipe Used: Falcons, cobs, briars

Age When Smoked: 1yo tin

Purchased From: Smoking pipes

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	King Weed (228)	2021-05-08		Medium	Very Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I bought the remainder of a former pipe smoker's tobacco holdings in 2015 and in it were two quart Mason jars filled with Mac Baren Vanilla Cream Loose Cut labeled October 1979(sic). I say sic because the blend was introduced in October of 1999. I didn't smoke any of it then and placed it on my show tables from 2015 to 2019. No one showed the slightest interest in it. So, now it gets smoked for better or for worse; definitely for better. I found the tobacco nearly ready to smoke out of the jar and gave it a brief air out. It looked really good in the jar, had a well above average jar aroma and smoked like a dream right from the light up forward. A really well balanced Cavendish and Virginia mixture, it was a solid smoke all the way to the heel. As noted by reviewer marosi 2016-10-29, there are two complaints against this blend: its very weak and tongue bite. I never had any tongue bite in my bowls at any stage of smoking and I disagree with the epithet that it is very weak. I thought it smoked at the medium strength level throughout and would break through to a stronger streak on occasion. The part that was weak in my supply was the Vanilla flavoring and that didn't bother me a bit. Perhaps twenty two years of jar aging enhanced my supply and made it stouter; who knows. All I know is, the second jar is already in my private stash. While not exactly a four star blend, Vanilla Cream Loose Cut is a very solid three star blend and I recommend it to the smoker/reader. This is the second mixture in a row I have labeled as more of a three and 1/2 star blend.

Pipe Used: Ashton ELX Sovereign Billiard

Age When Smoked: twenty two years old

Purchased From: an Ebay seller

Similar Blends: This would be hard to say. The weakening of the Vanilla flavoring caused the purely tobacco flavors and aromas to be enhanced. Think of an above average Cavendish/Virginia mixture you enjoy and you're there...

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Mikaszcz (10)	2021-03-26		Very Mild	Mild	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

Vanille... Vanille... Vanille ... à fond ! Amateur de mélanges anglais ou autres tabacs purs virginia, passez vite votre chemin. Pour les amateurs inconditionnels d'aromatiques, c'est un excellent mélange, d'une sucrosité exquise et d'un arôme vanille (plutôt crème d'ailleurs) à se rouler par terre. Mais comme il faut un bémol, je dirais qu'il ne faut pas le fumer trop sec car il devient alors très âcre. J'ai dû réhumidifier immédiatement la dernière blague achetée (48 heures dans un pot sous 80% d'humidité - bien remué à 24 heures) tellement le tabac était sec (brins presque cassant), afin que le tabac retrouve sa saveur vanille et perde de cette dureté peu agréable à mon palais. Attention néanmoins à la réhydratation, car trop humide, il ne rendra pas plus la vanille et fera évidemment chauffer la pipe. Attention également à l'allumage: léger surtout et par petits passages de la flamme léchant le dessus du foyer, car à défaut l'âcreté sera alors au rendez-vous. C'est donc un tabac très capricieux (comme tout tabac ?). Néanmoins, quand ses marques lui sont trouvées, quel régal !

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Anakin1981 (11)	2021-03-16		Mild	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is one of the tobaccos that I wanted to like more but I didn't. It's OK but I wasn't thrilled with the experience. I love that vanilla and cream flavour that it gives but it isn't overly strong and it doesn't last for long.

It smokes very well and has a very light aroma plus it's one of the cheapest and easy to find tobaccos if you want to give it a try.

Pipe Used: Various

Age When Smoked: Fresh from the pouch

Purchased From: Tobacco store

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Yourmom (1)	2020-10-18		Very Mild	Strong	Overwhelming	Strong

I don’t know man...I want to say I tried to like this but it’s just so bad I never even got the chance. Barely made it through half a bowl then quit because it tasted like 20 year old Camel cigarettes.

Thought about jarring it up then changed my mind and gifted the rest to a guy I don’t like very much with a chuckle at my genius. Only to be foiled when I was over at his house and watched him try it for about 3 minutes and dump the jar into his azalea bushes.

Curses....

Pipe Used: Wouldn’t have mattered...

Age When Smoked: 49

Purchased From: Online

Similar Blends: A dirty ashtray.

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Karam (59)	2020-03-06		Mild	Medium to Strong	Medium	Very Pleasant

This is my first flavoured tobacco, and one that's easy to find and quite cheap too.

The pouch note was strong vanilla.

Smoking my first bowl was very nice until halfway through the bowl, I thought this could be an everyday tobacco for me, I could taste vanilla, and maybe some cream in a few puffs, but no real tobacco taste.

The issue is that midway through the bowl the taste became very chemical, plasticy, and stuck in my mouth for hours. Very unpleasant for my tastes.

What salvaged this blend for me was mixing it 1:1:1 with Wolfway's straight Burley and Virginia, this 30% dilution toned down the flavouring and added the tobacco taste I was looking for. Now I'd consider it still a strongly flavoured tobacco, but the dilution actually helped me enjoy it, I can still taste the vanilla and occasional cream but it is no long tasting like plastic, and it actually tastes like tobacco. Maybe this is unfair to the blend, but I'd give it two stars as it came from the pipe, and 4 stars after mixing, so rounding to 3 stars.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Italian_Piper (4)	2019-02-24		Very Mild	Mild	Mild	Pleasant

First off I am not a big fan of aros but I gave this one more than a single try. The vanilla topping is applied very carefully and doesn't over power you at any time. To be honest after half a bowl the flavor is gone and you taste the tobaccos in some kind of way! After reading some 4 stars reviews I don't understand why they rated so high?! In comparison to other vanilla topped baccy this one takes surely a lead but it is definitely not the holy grail of aros. This is a typical Mc Bite candidate like some other Mc Baren blends (not all, just a few) it behaves like a 5 year old who lost his matchbox car when you puff to hard on it to get more flavor out the bowl.

Pipe Used: Several

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: Local tobacconist

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	pipe4me (6)	2013-12-08		Very Mild	Extremely Mild	Extremely Mild (Flat)	Tolerable

I bought a pouch to try it.My First time in Mc Baren stuff and i dissapointed.The tobacco has an artificial aroma from the opening of the pouch till smoking.It was very dry,tongue bite during smoking and the flavor stops to exist after first burning.I couldn't smoke the whole bowl at all.Waste of time and money.Tottaly crap.

Pipe Used: briar pipe

Purchased From: Spata-Attiki,Greece

Nobody has rated this review yet.