Mac Baren Virginia Flake
(2.58)
Manufactured from choice, fully ripe and matured Virginia tobaccos - mainly American. An elegant flavor with a full and pleasant mild taste has been added.
Notes: Introduced in 1979.
Details
Profile
Strength
Mild to Medium
Extremely Mild -> Overwhelming
Flavoring
Mild
None Detected -> Extra Strong
Room Note
Pleasant
Unnoticeable -> Overwhelming
Taste
Mild to Medium
Extremely Mild (Flat) -> Overwhelming
Average Rating
|
2.58 / 4
|
Reviews
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Displaying 21 - 27 of 27 Reviews
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 12, 2003 | Mild to Medium | Mild to Medium | Mild to Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
I decided to venture more into the MB line, and since I like virginia flakes, even some scented ones, I gave this a full tin go after looking at the other reviews, but with caution.
P&T magazine gave MB's Navy Flake a nod over this one, due to the extra flavoring here, but Navy Flake is also scented (but less so than VF). Indeed Navy Flake is more of an all day smoke, due to the just slightly sweet taste and coolness from the burley. But if you have a sweeter tooth, Virginia Flake has the advantage. Navy Flake, for all its goodness, is bland by comparison.
Virginia Flake does smoke somewhat cool if and only if you pack the unrubbed flake firmly. (You can sense its willing to be hot and bite if you rubbed it out fully or packed it too loose.) But smoked slowly it does not bite or get too hot.
It starts out quite sweet, with a nearly dense honey taste aided by the bright virginia sugariness. The sweetness lightens a bit duirng the bottom 2/3's of the smoke. I found it to be a somewhat wet smoke, using my pipe cleaner about three times. (I used a medium, straight Von Eryck pipe, but an early model that a cleaner would not run straight through, so a better pipe may help in the future. Still, tasty.) It's more of an occasional, small hit of the wet honey taste rather than a steady stream of aromatic stuff. I could still taste a slight tang from the bright virginias used, so the underlying tobacco is of high quality.
The taste was somewhat medium rich to me, and that's why I stuck with it. Other honeydew flakes used for comparison include G&H Glengarry (lighter, more natural, and smoother), Erinmore (richer, fuller), CAO's Vanilla flake (similar but cooler), and Solani's Virginia Flake (fuller and dryer) or Long Golden Flake (very cool, round, dry and tasty). I might try MB's Virginia Flake again, and in different style pipes, due to the interesting richness that develops.
Reservedly recommended to bright flake fanciers and light aromatic buffs who want to venture into flakes, but with cool heads.
P&T magazine gave MB's Navy Flake a nod over this one, due to the extra flavoring here, but Navy Flake is also scented (but less so than VF). Indeed Navy Flake is more of an all day smoke, due to the just slightly sweet taste and coolness from the burley. But if you have a sweeter tooth, Virginia Flake has the advantage. Navy Flake, for all its goodness, is bland by comparison.
Virginia Flake does smoke somewhat cool if and only if you pack the unrubbed flake firmly. (You can sense its willing to be hot and bite if you rubbed it out fully or packed it too loose.) But smoked slowly it does not bite or get too hot.
It starts out quite sweet, with a nearly dense honey taste aided by the bright virginia sugariness. The sweetness lightens a bit duirng the bottom 2/3's of the smoke. I found it to be a somewhat wet smoke, using my pipe cleaner about three times. (I used a medium, straight Von Eryck pipe, but an early model that a cleaner would not run straight through, so a better pipe may help in the future. Still, tasty.) It's more of an occasional, small hit of the wet honey taste rather than a steady stream of aromatic stuff. I could still taste a slight tang from the bright virginias used, so the underlying tobacco is of high quality.
The taste was somewhat medium rich to me, and that's why I stuck with it. Other honeydew flakes used for comparison include G&H Glengarry (lighter, more natural, and smoother), Erinmore (richer, fuller), CAO's Vanilla flake (similar but cooler), and Solani's Virginia Flake (fuller and dryer) or Long Golden Flake (very cool, round, dry and tasty). I might try MB's Virginia Flake again, and in different style pipes, due to the interesting richness that develops.
Reservedly recommended to bright flake fanciers and light aromatic buffs who want to venture into flakes, but with cool heads.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Jun 24, 2010 | Mild | Mild to Medium | Mild to Medium | Tolerable |
Looks and smells nice in tin, lights well, stays lit, so far so good. Tastes nice for first ten minutes or so, then transforms into Golden Virginia cigarette roll-up baccy. Yikes!
I'd give in one star, but out of respect for other reviews I'll add another. Some may like it, but I don't! I recommend Orlik Golden Sliced, and even more so Erinmore Flake for those who want something less like a cigarette. I haven't tried Sam Gawith FVF yet, but I hear that's better than this, too.
I'd give in one star, but out of respect for other reviews I'll add another. Some may like it, but I don't! I recommend Orlik Golden Sliced, and even more so Erinmore Flake for those who want something less like a cigarette. I haven't tried Sam Gawith FVF yet, but I hear that's better than this, too.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Jan 25, 2009 | Mild to Medium | Mild to Medium | Medium | Pleasant |
Virginia flake is very similar to Mac's #1, however i find the former to be a tastier and higher quality blend. Maybe pressing this into a flake form diminishes from it's true uniqueness that is exemplified by it's big brother (Virginia #1).
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Oct 27, 2007 | Very Mild | Very Mild | Medium | Unnoticeable |
Not good or bad, but I also don't care much for virginia blends, it is good for the occasional light smoke. Seems like it would be good on a hot day with a glass of lemonade.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Jul 30, 2007 | Mild | None Detected | Extremely Mild (Flat) | Tolerable |
As some of the other MacBaren Blends bring a lot of character to the table, Virginia Flake is more along the lines of the quiet uninvited guest, provided there is an open seat, there is no problem.
The tin I had opened must have been different than that of the other reviewers. I could detect no flavoring other than the licorice that MacBaren uses to process all of its tabacco's. I don't consider the licorice to be flavoring it's more along the lines of an inherent processing result.
To me this flake was the same as MacBaren's Dark Twist ( I have not yet submitted a review for Dark Twist).
Nothing unique to this blend, just a good smoke. Fresh, packs well, burns slow, mid-way through the licorice peaks through (It's my opinion to recognize tongue bite as the licorice flavor/processing used by MacBaren).
I'd smoke it again, and speak kindly of Virginia Flake to others.
The tin I had opened must have been different than that of the other reviewers. I could detect no flavoring other than the licorice that MacBaren uses to process all of its tabacco's. I don't consider the licorice to be flavoring it's more along the lines of an inherent processing result.
To me this flake was the same as MacBaren's Dark Twist ( I have not yet submitted a review for Dark Twist).
Nothing unique to this blend, just a good smoke. Fresh, packs well, burns slow, mid-way through the licorice peaks through (It's my opinion to recognize tongue bite as the licorice flavor/processing used by MacBaren).
I'd smoke it again, and speak kindly of Virginia Flake to others.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Feb 18, 2006 | Mild | Mild | Mild | Pleasant to Tolerable |
Mac Baren's Virginia Flake brought back times studying in my office in Slovakia. But that was then and this is now...
Start: Opening the tin reveals a nicely stack of sheet cakes of Virginia flake cut hidden under a golden wrapper. Smells as it should...Virginia-y...provokes a mouth watery sensation...not sure because it smells good or you can smell insta-bite.
The joy in this type of cut is rubbing. Who doesn't like to touch their smoke a little bit? I love getting in there and sifting and rubbing. Good times.
Now light it up but be gentle. No huffing here.
Mid-Bowl: If smoked carefully the Virginia's come out nicely. A lemon, tart, honey splashes the pallet. This can go bad though if you puff harder to derive more of that goodness.
Finish: Decent smoke but a lot of care, at first, can take away from this blend. Finishes nicely.
Not bad but I will continue to my search for something more in VA.
Start: Opening the tin reveals a nicely stack of sheet cakes of Virginia flake cut hidden under a golden wrapper. Smells as it should...Virginia-y...provokes a mouth watery sensation...not sure because it smells good or you can smell insta-bite.
The joy in this type of cut is rubbing. Who doesn't like to touch their smoke a little bit? I love getting in there and sifting and rubbing. Good times.
Now light it up but be gentle. No huffing here.
Mid-Bowl: If smoked carefully the Virginia's come out nicely. A lemon, tart, honey splashes the pallet. This can go bad though if you puff harder to derive more of that goodness.
Finish: Decent smoke but a lot of care, at first, can take away from this blend. Finishes nicely.
Not bad but I will continue to my search for something more in VA.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Oct 04, 2005 | Mild to Medium | Mild to Medium | Medium | Tolerable |
I first tried this blend in a large bowl rubbed out, and WOW what a mistake! The sweetness was coming across as hot and with a lot of bite. That night I went for round two with my stanwell churchwarden( H.C.A. #1) partially rubbed out. what a difference a pipe makes with this blend, smoked slowly the narrow bowl and long stem brought everythig together into a pleasent unified flavor. It went well with a decaf-soy-chocolate latte (Yes, I'm in California.)So, while I would recommend it,it can be very pipe sensitive. two stars
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