Mac Baren Vanilla Cream Loose Cut

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!

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.

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!

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.

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.

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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.

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.

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

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.

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!