Mac Baren Virginia No. 1

Mac Baren - Virginia No. 1.

As others have said, the contents of the pouch/tin are very similar to a broken flake. It's not been pulverised to a shag or left so chunky it needs rubbing; it's just as I like to smoke my flakes. I get little in the way of an aroma from the unlit blend, nothing that brings many toppings to mind.

Onto the smoke: For me, the first thing to jump out is the heat; it burns too hot and it's a shame, this takes the edge of the enjoyment of the flavours. These flavours are quite good, nothing great but they would be enjoyable if it weren't for the heat; I get mainly a slight sweetness from the honey and the natural Virginias character but any extra spiciness eludes me. I find the nicotine quite mild; it's not 'beginners level' but still, it's below medium.

This isn't a bad smoke, nor do I find it a particularly good smoke. I'd say it's worth about two and a half stars.

Somewhat recommended.

The tobacco is hard to light and requires relighting. A mellow and soft blend, the added sugar and honey come through noticeably. A mild experience in strenght and taste.

This seems to be one of those tobaccos I don't agree on in regards to most people here.

To me, it's pretty much a base tobacco. By which I mean, I would use it to blend or for a mindless smoke while working on something. When I feel like a pipe but don't care for frills.

I have experienced almost no tongue bite. Others seem to think it's the fiery pits of Hades in a tin. You should probably try this for yourself. My local tobbaconist offered me this as what it is, straight pipe tobacco. It's pretty bland, has a bit of tartness. Burns to the hotter side and seems to hold quite a bit of moisture, by which I mean it produces quite a bit.

I've smoked this in a briar, a corncob and a corncob without filter. Without filter, a lot more the moistness comes with the smoke, producing a rather more tartness/sourness than with filter. I'd recommend you smoke this with a filter. In a straight corncob.

I smoke this quite slowly too, I sip the smoke and rebreath. Any real taste comes from retrohaling. Again, the tartness. I have noticed NO sweetness whatsoever.

All in all, it's ok. Nothing special. Don't smoke it quickly because that will actually ruin the experience and will produce tongue bite as well as quite a bit of dawdle. Other than that, in my mind it's something of a working tobacco. Simple, straight, no frills. I spent 2 hours on a bowl in a Missouri Meerschaum the other day, letting it go out, relighting and doing various things, just taking it slow.

Yeah. I don't know what else to say but that the only reason I reviewed this was because of the quite unbelievable claims of other reviewers on here. I simply don't notice very much about it. It's like the tap water of tobacco. Nice to have at home when you pretty much don't care for something flavourful.

But it seems that there are many varying opinions and tastes, moreso than otherwise. That's why I somewhat recommend it. On the whole, I don't think it's worth going out of your way for but it's one of those things you'll just have to try for yourself.

It has to be said that I'm an ex-cigarette smoker who likes strong coffee and am used to stronger tastes. I've also smoked a variety of cigars and cigarillos and am new to pipesmoking. So, perhaps my tastebuds simply aren't as developed as those of others.

Plenty of reviews explaining all the flavors, hay, sweet, etc. So, I’ll maybe explain a different way.

I have difficulty smoking straight Virginia’s like I have difficulty drinking light beer. It’s OK and can get the job done, but there is simply better stuff out there for my tastes. I find Virginia’s to be better on hot summer days when I want to smoke something but could use a lighter fair. They seem to require a magic touch in cadence and draw because I struggle to find it. They also tend to burn too hot for me - regardless of how slow and easy I go. So, maybe I’m just not meant for Virginia’s.

What I have done is take some Virginia no. 1 and mixed with Mac Baren vanilla flake. Not a huge fan of either individually, but do like the mixture of them together better. Still not a go to by any means, but a nice light smoke. I tend to stick to smaller bowls when I smoke Virginia’s and aros. I keep trying to smoke them in hopes of someday enjoying them, but I haven’t made it yet. Virginia’s to me are good to make blends with, not smoke straight.

If light and fluffy are your thing, then this is probably up your ally. My personal preference lies elsewhere. I can’t give this more than 2 stars because I don’t like it so much, but can’t give it less because I could recommend it to the right person.

Virginia no 1 is definitely an interesting budget introduction for someone who would like to switch from aromas or English blends. However, after testing other such tobacco, it is at best mediocre. Tin note is very characteristic of pure Virginia, with a sweet hay aroma, but not too intense. The taste is dominated by a delicate sweetness and a grassy note and... that's about it. No depth, no surprise, no vinegar twist. Halfway through the pipe it starts to get boring. In addition, there is a sting that is very clearly characteristic of both Virginia and Mac Baren, which bites on the tongue with every careless breath. On the other hand, the most pleasant thing about it is after taste. I am glad that I have a beard because it stays on it much longer. All in all, if you're new to Virginia and want to see what all the fuss is about then light up Virginia No 1 in your spare time and puff carefully. If you want more serious smoke, you'd better get yourself a SG FVF or SG BBF.

I appreciated the ready rub cut here. If you are in the market for straight Virginia, may as well make the experience primal with thick tendrils to rub apart. There was certainly some kind of sugar topping at work here, since the typical barn/hay oder came across too sweet to be natural, though it was a pleasant aroma all the same. Something akin to having Grape Nuts cereal but with spoonfuls of sugar and milk added, until what you have is closer to candy.

The thicker cut takes an extra moment to light, but really keeps a strong ember once rolling. The first few puffs are as sweet as the initial bag aroma, followed by a few somewhat bitter and unpleasant moments, finishing with a sweet residue that lingers in the saliva. The wheat germ taste I associate with a Virginia was hidden under whatever was sprayed on.

I dunno, it felt like they forgot to wash the pesticides off before processing the tobacco. Rather than smoking something natural, I spent the whole time questing if i needed to clean my pipe instead.

I have an old tin (from ebay) of V#1 that is from the 80's and maybe the 70's. It was a bit dried out and needed some TLC. Keep that in mind as you read on. It still smells good, as real Virginia should, with a pronounced sweet, tart cherry in the tin (not Sweet-Tarts), which is very promising and may come from aging, but I'm not sure. I do not taste that cherry in the smoke or smell it in the room note, though. If pipe smoking was all about the tin note, my aged V#1 would be top of the heap.

I have not tried a more recent vintage of V#1, believe it or not, and perhaps should, but it is not calling to me that strongly. It is still a bit bitey, after all these years. I can smoke two bowls in an evening, but not three. Push it and it will push back; even old age don't make it toothless. The Virginia is pretty good, a bit grassy and actually somewhat refined. If you have had great Virginia, this is not on the same level in my opinion but is notches above drugstore tobacco. I don't mind smoking it now I've got it and would smoke it again, but would not buy again -- there's just too much out there. Yeah, age may have deadened its charms but might also have improved it. I bought an old dried tin of Burley London Blend, which also tended to bite worse than BLB normally does.

MacBaren non-HH blends either bite you or they don't. If they bite, and a lot of Danish tobaccos do, you hate them. If they don't, they're pretty good and really hard to beat for the price. If you are on the fence about trying MB tobaccos, you have to try them--only way to know. There is a reason that blends like V#1 have been popular since the 50's, trust me.

It is amazing to me how I can smoke one company's Virginia tobacco, but not another one, in terms of tongue bite. There are very few MacBaren blends that don't just absolutely scorch my tongue.

The tin note of this Virginia is totally sublime. Notes of sweet honeydew, sorghum, and rich fermented tobacco. Lights and packs easy, and the initial portion of the bowl is super sweet, and produces a great aromatic room note!

However, this blend truly burns my tongue. I've tried many pipes and many methods to cure the dreaded MacBaren bite, but at some time I need to face the realization I cannot smoke MacBaren Virginias anymore.

3-3.5 stars if this doesn't bite your tongue!

Pretty straight forward Virginia. I detect a hint of honey. Smells like burn bread, but otherwise okay. Should be smoked in pipes with wide draft holes or will otherwise gurgle. Can lead to tongue bite if not careful.