Mac Baren Virginia No. 1

A cloyingly sweet Danish-style topping which happens to be sprayed onto ready- rubbed(!) sub-par (musky, bitter) virginia tobacco. Whatever this is, it was not blended by a VA lover, and I will not buy it again if I can avoid it.

This tobacco gave me a very rough start. It bit me every time I lit it up. Once I let it dry out a good bit, and I puffed very slow, I enjoyed the sweet taste it provided. However, I still had a hard time keeping Virginia #1 burning.

As a newbie, I have developed a taste for Virginia's, but this will likely be my last tin of this variety.

I will revisit this tobacco on a later date. Maybe with some experience under my belt and some jar time, I'll have a different opinion. As for now, I do not recommend this for a newbie.

Update: 06/24/07 I just finished a recently purchased tin. It's hard to believe this was VA #1. The tongue bite was awful. I thought my tongue was on fire. The tobacco harsh and bitter. What did they do to this mixture? I really doubt I will ever buy it again.

Original review: Every so often I get a taste for Virginia #1. At $ 10 for a 100 gr tin, plus driving 30 miles one way to purchase it at a tobacco shop far away, the cost exceeds the pleasure. However, sometimes, when you gotta have VA #1, you gotta have it.

Very light, sweet flavor. Age it a bit, and it becomes an even better smoke. Recommended.

Wish it was more available.

I've tried to smoke this stuff for years now but no matter what I do, I cannot change or modify this blowtorch. I've tried age in the tin, perique, pressing and even Dubeck but to no avail. The first third of the bowl leaves me with the knowledge of what it must be like to smoke newly cut hay. Just at the moment where I'm ready to give it up, I do get a sweet Virginia taste that it really quite pleasant. By this time, my mouth has been bitten so badly so as to make everything else seem inadequate to justify the price I've paid. I will not do this again.

Meerschaum Man Smoking a CAO Dunhill Man Pasha

I'm finished wasting money on MacBaren tobacco...this blend was the last straw...

As a returning piper, I found the initial package scent so enticing I could hardly wait to get the honeyed mixture into a briar for a go. Right away it bit me, as others have noted, even in a small Yelo Bole. After a few more nips, I hit upon the idea of mixing it with some of my remaining stash of Macbaren's latakia blend, and voila; no more bite. I mixed it 1 part to 3 parts latakia. It makes both blends easier to take.

I used to get puzzled at reviews of MacBaren products that refers to the company as “ MacBurn” as I I have a sneaking suspicion that the problem lies more with a smoker’s technique than with MacBaren’s tobaccos……As with all my tobacco, I immediately un tin it and put in Mason Jars . This Virginia #1 is dated 4/2020, I bought it 2/2022 and jarred it and am smoking it now, 7/22. That time was apparently enough to mellow any “ so called” rough edges. Virginia tobaccos also benefits from a slow smoking cadence to keep the temperature at bay……..it takes some patience, but we’ll worth it. I’ve smoked several straight Virginia flakes over the years and have enjoyed them all, this one is no exception as it’s mild yet satisfying, slow burning, slightly sweet, as complex as a straight Virginia gets. Grassy, haylike, caramel like, smooth, earthy, I would call that description complex so I would disagree with a reviewer that calls this tobacco one dimensional….. Anyway, buy it, jar it, age it, and enjoy the tobacco that so many consummate blends are based on.

This is one of my favorite VA blends! It smells like honey on dried cherries and smokes dry with a fruity sweet flavor.

It's a great blend for anyone who likes VA tobaccos but is okay with a light aromatic, even though I wouldn't categorize it as an aromatic.

I wouldn't consider this a complex blend but it's a wonderful one-note smoking experience. Highly recommended after years of experience with VA #1.

Been on a Mac Binge as of late and of course had to give the straight VA a try. Solid looking broken flake. Smells like honey and hay. Takes a light pretty easily and has all the great quality characteristics of your average MB blend.

I taste a little bit of fruit, hay, and sugary sweet honey. I think there's a little burley in here too as I can get a bit of cocoa and wood as well. Pretty simple. Mild body and nicotine. Pretty much a one/two note smoke. Does bite if your not careful. Burns downs easily with little trouble like most all Mac Baren blends.

My only problem with this blend is that I found it quite boring. I think there are simply other cheap/bulk all-day VA's that I prefer (see similar too), however it's definitely worth a try if you like straight VA blends. The body was just a little bit too light for my tastes. I found myself craving a bowl of golden extra or Scottish mixture halfway through this smoke because I think it does everything here but better (of course with the addition of more toppings and burley). If you want straight VA from MB I think your better off with the HH blend, which adds a lot more body for just a few dollars more.