Mac Baren HH Latakia Flake

Imagine eating salty licorice and drinking red wine while smelling tar (the type derived from wood) Gets more tar-like mid bowl, but it's not smokey in quite the same way whisky nor other english blends. It is sweet, but in constant interplay with the sourness and spicyness. The sweetness isn't constant, nor is any attribute off its flavour really. Indeed, this is a blend with constant development off flavour throughout the bowl.

Not a standard english blend at all in my opinion. The spiciness is too... different. But it still satisfies my latakia cravings.

Truly a unique smoking experience that I don't think will suit everyone. Don't immediately jump from mild aromatics or standard VA/Burs to this. But it is a truly unique, complex and delicious smoke achieved in honest ways, reminding us all how beautiful and magical the tobacco plant can be when put in the right hands.

What, simply put, a great tobacco! The hot pressing process enhances the Latakias' smokiness; the Orientals' spiciness and the Virginias' sweetness, making this flake a genuine pleasure to smoke. All three components are clearly distinguishable and none overshadows the others. Even the cocoa topping fits into the equation and does not deter from tasting the tobacco. Mac Baren created a splendid tobacco with the Latakia Flake!

Just looking at a tin of this, presentation is neat and grande. Flakes are well pressed and easy to break. Hot pressing them, gives them a unified look and feel. Aroma out of the tin is great. That smooth, smoky and incense sweet Latakia aroma. Breaking a flake is a breeze. Actually more than you think, It makes it hard to use fold method on it. It requires some dry time. 30 minutes did the trick for me. It lights very easily, and stays lit. Requires minimal to no relights at all. On first light, your palette is greated with a strong flavour of Latakia, reminiscent of those used in Dunhill blends. It is tasty, creamy, smooth and cool.. It gives a joy of Latakia for the first part of the bowl. Afterwards, It opens up a bit. Some creamy, and herby orientals alongside sharp yet gentle high note grassy Virginia complement the Latakia in an excellent way.It has a great body of smoke. It keeps its consistent flavour and aroma throughout the bowl. It leaves a bit of moisture while smoking, so you may need to clean the smoke hole once or twice. So, a Peterson System or any army mount pipe would be useful.. It burns cool and clean till the end and leaves second to none dottle.. And clean, well burnt ash. For a lover of Latakia, this is definitely heaven.. A medium bodied, complex yet not overwhelming blend with a low to medium nicotine hit and no harshness whatsoever. This blend will definitely make my rotation, and I shall enjoy it as much as I can

This was my first Latakia flake tobacco that I have tried. I really enjoy a medium English type bends when done right. When I received my tin of Latakia Flake I was impressed with the presentation of the product. The tin is simple but done nicely. The inner gold tinted foil is stamped which is typically only on the HH line. When I cracked open the tin I was greeted with a sweet, musty smell. The flakes are in line with MacBaren's standard which are perfect flakes shaped like pieces of stick gum. The tobacco was moist but I don't feel that they were too moist. I like to try new tobaccos as follows: fresh out of the tin or as some say ROTT (right off the truck)/ 1 week after jarring / and another week or so. (Quick note: I remove all tobaccos I receive from the original packaging and I place them in canning jars right away. I do not do the full canning process though. I just place in jar with the top cover and hand tighten the ring) 1st impressions: right out of the tin the tobacco did require some dry time. I rubbed out the beautiful flakes and let them air out for 10 minutes. The tobacco fresh was somewhat bitter but I expected that. The bowl progressed slowly requiring multiple re-lights. The Latakia was strong and the orientals and Burleys/ Virginias were perfectly balanced. I knew this stuff was gonna be good after a week in the jar. One week later after being placed in the jar the tobacco was perfect for smoking. No dry time was really needed. I chose to fold and stuff rather than rub out this time. BAM! Perfect! This stuff is really good tasting and smells great. The bitterness almost completely gone. The musty smell toned down. The smoke was cool and I did not have to re-light every 5 minutes. I really enjoyed the flavor. I am still learning to pick out specific notes but I can say this tobacco Is very deserving of the 4 stars I am giving it. I will be buying more for long term aging as I can imagine it will only get better with time. If you haven't tried anything from the MacBaren HH line you are really missing out. I have yet to find one I didn't like. They say they use no topping and minimal casing only on the HH line and i would agree that i could detect a very minor hint of casing but no top flavoring was detected on my palate. I think MacBaren hit a home run with Latakia Flake and I highly recommend trying it if you like English blends. I wouldn't say that it is a very heavy English it is a tick over medium in my opinion and it hits that sweet spot for me. I will post an update after I have let it sit in the jar a while longer.

Smooth as silk, classically elegant, beautiful dark flakes with low nic.

Another great offering from the HH line from Mac Baren, that really resembles the great standarts of yesterday tobaccos.

I am on my second bowl of this tobacco now. Lovely dark brown appearance in the tin with a fruity whisky aroma. This may be responsible for the sweetness that massaged my palate throughout. But this may well be the interplay of the Burley and Viriginia. A mild, consistent smoke from get-go to finish. Very balanced - nothing overwhelms throughout the smoke as a result. It neither burns hot nor bites. Re-lights are not necessary unless too tightly packed in the bowl. The Latakia is evident, with a hint of spice, but is not overpowering. I did notice some dottle, which I attributed, once again, to having stuffed my pipe too tight or too loose while loading. I eliminated this by passing a pipe cleaner through the stem of the pipe and 'rearranging' the tobacco inside the bowl. It could be an all day smoke, even for new pipe smokers. Yet it is not lacking in nicotine.

A five star product all the way around if you're a Latakia lover like I am. Great consistent flakes. A relatively good humidity in the tin. Easy to rub out and get a good initial burn. Nice sweet creamy taste all the way through.

An enjoyable and simple flake. Not too strong, not too weak, with a very haylike/grasslike taste with a HINT of sweetness in the way background. Burns fairly well down to a nice gray ash. One I will hold onto as an occasional, but not very dynamic in its' flavoring. Enjoyable.

First latakia flavoured flakes I've ever tried. It is not an overwhelming Latakia blend as I supposed it would be, but it was suprisingly good for a strong latakia lover. The virginias upfront with latakia hit from time time is very satisfying. The flavour is almost the same with every bowl and for the entire bowl! The steam pressed flake method has definitely given this blend a unique and distinctive flavour.

Wish you all a happy smoke!