Mac Baren Virginia No. 1

Another foray into the "World of Mac Baren" has me sampling Virginia No. 1. My sample comes from a 250g tin I recently purchased. Tobacco has a nice light to medium blond color and is a partially broken flake; which is how I would describe Mac's version of a ready-rubbed. The tin aroma was spicy sweet and the tobacco was not as moist as in the 100g tins. I loaded this in a taller, straight stemmed bulldog that I reserve for straight Virginias. Lights with a charring and after a tamp, an additional match. No moisture in the pipe to speak of and no problem with "bite". Just smoke it slowly and you will be rewarded with a tasty smoke. There was a nice peppery sting to my lips upon lighting up, but this quickly settled down to basically nil as I consumed the bowl. A very mild flavor to my palate with a definite Virginia tobacco taste evident throughout. It had just the right amount of natural sweetness in my opinion. It is not grassy either, which is what I prefer in a Virginia.

A very pleasant smoke that has entered my weekly rotation and I would have no problem smoking it on a daily basis. A very enjoyable smoke indeed! One of the few tobaccos where after I finish a bowl, I immediately want another of the same. Different enough from Mac's Virginia Flake offering to include both into rotation. 4 stars across the board!

This is the first Virginia that I smoke...to me it has a sweet orange taste..I get lots of smoke from it...you do have to smoke it slow to get a real feel for it...unlike many other people I get no bite from this

This tobacco was a little misleading at first as I could not detect any aroma other than the sweetness of the Virginia, maybe cause I also love a good aromatic. I also found that I needed to rub this tobacco before packing my pipe, once rubbed to my satisfaction and packed my pipe I had no problem in keeping it lit.

I found that smoking this in my Bajarne, a medium sized Brandy Glass that this tobacco smoked slow and easy with no IMHO tongue bite. The sweetness of the Virginia became more predominate as the tobacco reached the half way point of the bowl, although the aroma was never overwhelming in the room.

This like any Virginia needs to be smoked slowly and with Mac Baren's Virginia # 1 maybe a liitle slower that most to enjoy the fullness of the blend itself.

Smoke it slow, enjoy it longer

I smoke Virginia tobacco quite regularly & when I want a stronger taste only Virginia No1 meet's every criteria I'm looking for.Easy to light,strong sweet taste,the tobacco is thickish & burn's beautifully & slowly.And it doesn't bite me.(But for new comer's)'Puff slowly' just in case! The ash burn's down nice & clean looking,& when I've finished a bowl,I alway's want more.There may,very well be better out there,but I'm yet to discover it!This gem get's 4 star's from me.

It took me 5 years of off and on smoking to be able to handle the tongue bite this blend gives out...but it was well worth it. From the first try, I knew I enjoyed the flavor and aroma, but didn't have the style of smoking down to enjoy it much. Now it's a staple tobacco, along with Scottish Mixture, in my rotation. I think the quality of tobacco is top-notch in VA#1, the price is pretty good, the availability is excellent and with unhurried puffing, the blend is fantastic. I've always been a sucker for Danish Style Aromatics, and this is right up there as one of the best available.

Mac Baren’s Virginia No. 1 is a seriously delightful ready-rubbed tobacco that’s quickly become one of my all-time favorites. The moment I opened the tin, I was greeted with this wonderful, sweet aroma that immediately got me excited for the smoke ahead.

What really impressed me was how easy it was to handle. The ready-rubbed cut made packing and lighting a breeze, saving me from any frustrating moments. As someone who enjoys a leisurely smoke, this was a huge plus for me.

Now, onto the taste – oh boy, it’s fantastic! The blend of those ripe Virginia tobaccos creates this perfect balance of sweetness that feels just right. It doesn’t overwhelm your taste buds, but it’s definitely present, and it adds to the overall enjoyment of the experience.

The smoke itself is so smooth and mellow, making it incredibly easy to kick back and relax while enjoying your pipe. You can tell the quality is top-notch, and the tobacco burns so evenly, giving you this consistent flavor and aroma throughout the session.

Overall, I can’t praise Mac Baren’s Virginia No. 1 enough. It’s a top-tier ready-rubbed tobacco that has won me over completely. If you’re into sweet and mellow smokes, this one’s an absolute must-try. I’d easily give it a solid 4 out of 4 stars – it’s that good!

Sweet , tasty, delicious. A couple years even better. Has become my number one Virginia over Capstan blue and MF. Does it burn hot? In my experience not more than many other good virginias.

I found a few aged tins from 2018 at my local tobacco shop. It’s pretty smooth. I'm sure age has largely contributed to that, though I’ve never had it fresh. I didn’t pick up on any honey flavors like some other reviewers mentioned, but there is a subtle flavoring I catch from time to time in the background. I mainly tasted hay, grass, toast, tea, and sweet bread. The retro-hale is soft and smooth. Definitely worth a go.

I don't recall trying this during my forty years of pipe smoking and that is such a loss. This is a wonderful smoke. I'm not going to run through often repeated hay, citrus, etc. flavors again but just say that I get a rush of toast with sweet cream butter. That's a very good thing in my opinion. I didn't get the tounge bite that many reviewers complain of but I can see that pushed too hard this tobacco could deliver a slight burn. I say savor it with a slow cadence and don't huff it like a run away steam locomotive. This is a fabulous smoke at a bargain price if bought in bulk. Go for it!