Monday, September 30, 2013

Mac Baren HH Vintage Syrian

Tin Notes:
The HH Vintage Syrian is not really new. Actually, the inspiration for the recipe originates back from the start of Mac Baren Tobacco, more than 120 years ago. This blend is typical for that time, and it is easy to describe as a “back to nature” tobacco. The taste of the HH Vintage Syrian Latakia comes from the full and rich natural flavours of the tobacco.
The basic ingredient of the blend is a smooth and yet powerful Latakia from Syria. This tobacco gives the blend the overall “smoky” taste. It is a powerful flavour with no tongue bite whatsoever. To add a spicy note to the blend, Turkish Oriental has been added. A mix of Virginia tobaccos from three different continents adds a sweet natural taste. To complete the recipe with depth and body, we added a little Dark Fired Kentucky from the USA.
The HH Vintage Syrian Latakia is a loose cut tobacco, which guarantees a smooth and steady burn. It does not get hot which means you will find extremely little bite on your tongue. When you empty your pipe after smoking, you will find only fine grey ashes left over from this wonderful slow and dry smoke.

     Strength: Medium
        Flavor: Medium
          Taste: Medium
Room Note: Tolerable

The tin note was earthy and smoky. This is a Latakia forward blend. Right from the charring light the Latakia made its presence known. The rich smoky flavor came right to the front. Which was not surprising based on the tin note. On  the true light the Turkish Orientals joined the party as well.  After the first third of the bowl the Dark Fired Kentucky was added to the flavor. The Earthy and smoky flavors were still the dominate factor to the end of the bowl. Even once the bowl was done I could still taste the Latakia. The tobacco burned well and produced a light gray ash. I had almost no relights. I will definitely be smoking more this tobacco. I highly recommend this blend to any who is looking for an English blend with Latakia forward.

Thursday, September 26, 2013

Mac Baren Virginia No. 1 Ready Rubbed

Tin Notes:
Virginia No. 1 is a real Mac Baren classic which was introduced in 1957. Ever since this blend has found fans all over the world due to the sweet natural taste of Virginia tobaccos with just a hint of flavour on top.
Virginia No. 1 is composed of 100% bright Virginia tobaccos from 3 continents. All together the Virginia No. 1 contains 12 different Virginia leaf tobaccos, each with its very own properties. In combination the different leaves marry together in a perfect and natural unity.
This is a Ready Rubbed tobacco which means that the tobaccos are pressed into big blocks of tobacco and then stored under pressure for weeks. Finally the blocks are cut into slices and partly rubbed out.
If you fill your pipe with Virginia No. 1, just as you find it in the pouch or tin, you will experience a slow burning tobacco with a natural sweet Virginia taste.

     Strength: Mild to Medium
        Flavor: Mild
          Taste: Mild to Medium
Room Note: Pleasant

The tin note was of fresh mowed hay. The tobacco needed to be dried for a short amount of time before smoking. On the charring light the flavor was of hay and honey. On the true light the sweetness of the blend came out even more. Having only Virginias in the blend one might think that it would have only a one note in flavor. But with the use of multiple types of Virginias there is a symphony of flavor. Sweetness, Tartness, and Woodsy just to mention a few. The tobacco burned well and I had almost no relights. This tobacco is like a single malt scotch it is meant to be sipped slowly.

Tuesday, September 24, 2013

Mac Barren Plumcake Navy Blend

Tin Note:
Plumcake brings your imagination back to the old times when the sailors filled their pipes with good, satisfying pipe tobacco.
This blend consists of carefully selected Virginia tobaccos in a beautiful ribbon cut, Burleys cut as a ready rubbed, some Original Cavendish and finally to top the blend off, a handful of Latakia is added.
All together the different tobaccos add a perfect taste of natural sweetness and a smokiness coming from the Original Cavendish and of course, the Latakia.
It is a full-bodied blend with offers the natural tobacco taste and on top of these excellent tobaccos we have added some genuine Jamaican Rum.

     Strength: Medium
        Flavor: Mild to Medium
          Taste: Medium
Room Note: Very Pleasant

 The tin note was of figs. The tobacco needed to be dried for a while before smoking. On the charring light the flavor was of the Virginia with a slight hint of the Jamaican Rum. On the true light the smokiness of the Latakia and the Cavendish added to the flavor. The amount of Latakia in this blend is minimal. The flavor remains way in the background. The tobacco burned well and produced a light gray ash with no dottle. I had almost no relights. This blend can be enjoyed by smokers of both Aromatic and English blends,

Monday, September 23, 2013

Mac Baren Dark Twist Roll Cake

Tin Note:
Dark Twist was introduced in 1955. It is rightfully the most known of the Mac Baren Roll Cake tobaccos. Whole leaves are used as wrapper for the rope and the inlay is divided into two groups.
The first group contains 100% pure Virginia tobaccos, meaning that the whole leaves are used as wrapper leaves and the leaves with small imperfections are used as the inlay.
The second group contains whole Virginia leaves as wrapper and Dark Fired Kentucky as inlay, meaning you see the dark tobacco in the centre and the brighter Virginias around it.
After the tobaccos have been spun into ropes it is stored for weeks and then cut into small coins. The blend of Dark Twist is broken down as follows. For every 2 coins of Virginia tobacco there is 1 coin with a centre of Dark Fired Kentucky.

     Strength: Medium - Strong
        Flavor: Medium
          Taste: Medium
Room Note: Pleasant

The tin note was the rich scent of the Virginia was great. The tobacco need to be dried for awhile before smoking, The charring light released the rich flavor of  the Virginias.  On the true light the flavor was mostly from the Virginias. After smoking the first quarter of the bowl I must of hit the second type of coin with the Dark Fired Kentucky and the flavor tool off in a different direction of pleasure. After this bowl I tried to make sure that when I loaded the coins into the bowl I alternated between the two types. This made for a much better overall smoking experience. The tobacco smoked well with a minimum amount of relights. This is a must try for the experienced smoker.
 

Thursday, September 19, 2013

Sutliff PS Berkshire

Tin Note:
If English history is your cup of tea, then a visit to Berkshire is a must. Just as events, places, people and buildings define history, this rich English blend can be defined by a mixture of Latakia, Oriental, Virginia and Perique.

     Strength: Medium
        Flavor: Mild
          Taste: Medium
Room Note: Pleasant

The tin note was earthy and smoky. Right from the charring light the Latakia and Perique made their presence known. The rich smoky flavor came right to the front along with the spiciness of Perique. During the first third of the bowl the Orientals joined the party as well as the Virginia adding it's sweetness to the flavor. The tobacco burned well and stayed lit without many re-lights. I will definitely be smoking more this tobacco. I highly recommend this blend to any who is looking to start experimenting with English blends with Latakia. The flavors are well balanced.

Tuesday, September 17, 2013

Mac Baren Vanilla Cream Loose Cut

Tin Notes:
Vanilla Cream Loose cut is recognized as a slow burning pipe tobacco with a balanced taste of exotic vanilla and natural tobacco. The colourful blend consists of loose cut Virginia tobaccos, light brown Burleys, a sweet and soft Modern Cavendish. It is finally mixed with small plugs of flake tobacco.
After processing, the tobaccos are gently mixed together and an exceptional vanilla flavour is added. This selection creates an outstanding blend with superior flavour, unique aroma and a distinctive taste experience.

     Strength: Mild
        Flavor: Medium
          Taste: Mild to Medium
Room Note: Pleasant

The tin note is vanilla, but not the usual vanilla. It was more like the vanilla that is used for baking.  On the charring light the vanilla was right there but not over powering like so many aromatics. On the true light the creaminess joined in. About at the third of the bowl the sweetness of the Virginia was noticeable. The tobacco burned well and stayed lit without many re-lights. This blend is an good  all day smoke. I would recommend this tobacco.
 

Monday, September 16, 2013

Mac Baren Navy Flake

Tin Notes:
From the moment Navy Flake first appeared on tobacconists’ shelves, pipe smokers everywhere have shown their appreciation of this mixture. There are many reasons why Navy Flake has become a true Mac Baren classic since then. When Navy Flake was developed in 1965, much work went into the composition of the raw tobaccos. Selections of Burley tobacco were made from our extensive stocks and after countless tests the right Burley content was found. Similarly, tests were then carried out on Virginia tobacco. Different qualities of Virginia tobacco were selected and test smoked. Finally, a handful of these were selected for inclusion in the blend. Once the right basic tobaccos had been found, a final important element was added to the mixture: a small measure of original Mac Baren Cavendish was added, and it is this which gives Navy Flake its full body.

     Strength: Medium
        Flavor: Mild
          Taste: Medium
Room Note: Very Pleasant

Upon opening the tin I was hit with an amazing aroma that seamed to be a mixture of all the ingredients. No one ingredient stood out above the other, but melded into a single scent. On the charring light the tobacco responded well to the flame still no one flavor out shined the other. On the true light the Burley did seem to come to the front slightly. This tobacco smoked smooth and cool. Not a single relight after the true light on all four bowls that I smoked. I would highly recommend this tobacco.
 

Friday, September 13, 2013

Sutliff PS Bosphorus Cruise

 Tin Notes:
Experience the breath-taking beauty of the old Byzantine strait with this magnificent mixture of Oriental, Latakia, and Red Virginia

     Strength: Medium
        Flavor: Mild
          Taste: Medium
Room Note: Pleasant


The tin note was earthy and smoky. This is a Latakia forward blend. Right from the charring light the Latakia made its presence known. The rich smoky flavor came right to the front. Which was not surprising based on the tin note. After the first third of the bowl the Orientals joined the party as well as the Red Virginia adding to the flavor. The Earthy and smoky flavors were still the dominate factor to the end of the bowl. Even once the bowl was done I could still taste the Latakia.  I will definitely be smoking more this tobacco. I highly recommend this blend to any who has a penchant for English blends with Latakia.

Wednesday, September 11, 2013

Sutliff PS Tabac Noir

Tin Notes:
Exotic best describes this unique Black Cavendish, for it is dark, flavorful and strikingly unusual. While there are countless all Black blends on the market, the meticulous formulation of nine flavors ranks this complex blend as perhaps the finest.

     Strength: Mild
        Flavor: Mild
          Taste: Mild
Room Note: Pleasant

The tin note had the faint aroma of rum. The tobacco was dark and had an oily sheen. The charring light and the true light had the smell and light flavor of rum and honey. The flavor remain the consistent through the rest of the bowl. The tobacco burned well and stayed lit without many re-lights.

Monday, September 9, 2013

Stuliff PS BRG Mixture

Tin Notes:
Perfect for fans of Briggs. This pleasing blend of Burley and Virginia is as comforting as a good time spent with your best friend.

     Strength: Mild-Medium
        Flavor: Mild
          Taste: Mild-Medium
Room Note: Pleasant

The tin note was of figs. The tobacco’s moisture was a little wet for smoking right from the tin 1 hour drying was needed. The charring light brought the nuttiness of the Burley to the front. The true light still had the nuttiness in the fore front, but the sweetness of the Virginia joined in. The room note was pleasant. This is a great all day smoke; it burns well with hardly any re-lights. No tongue bite, but beware the potential is there if smoked too quickly. It smoked all the way to the bottom of the bowl. I will be cellaring a few tins for the future.

Thursday, September 5, 2013

Sutliff PS Sunrise Smoke

Tin Notes:
Perfect for fans of Early Morning Pipe The perfect way to start a good morning. This lavish mixture of pressed Virginia Ribbon, Pressed Black Ribbon, Turkish, and Latakia is sure to awaken the taste buds.

     Strength: Medium
        Flavor: None detected
          Taste: Medium
Room Note: Pleasant


The tin note might put off some smokers new to Latakia. This is a Turkish forward tobacco with a small amount of Latakia. On the charring light the spiciness of the Turkish tobacco was in the fore-front. On the true light the sweetness of the Virginias added to the flavor. The earthy and smoky flavors of the Latakia was muted and in the background but still a noticeable ingredient of the overall flavor to the end of the bowl. The tobacco burned well with minimal re-lights and no tongue bite. I will definitely be smoking more this tobacco and recommending it to others.

Tuesday, September 3, 2013

Sutliff PS Taste of Summer

Tin Notes:
This delicious mixture of Burley, Virginia, and Black Cavendish is reminiscent of incredibly juicy, ripe peaches of summers past

     Strength: Mild
        Flavor: Very Mild
          Taste: Very Mild
Room Note: Unnoticeable

The tin note has the faint aroma of peaches. The charring light as well as the true light the vanilla flavor of the Black Cavendish made it's presence known. The sweetness of  Virginia became evident at the first third of the bowl. The flavor remained consistent from that point. As far as the peach flavoring it did not rise to the occasion. This was disappointing but the tobacco burned well with minimal re-lights and had no tongue bite.