Tobaccos Mac Baren - HH Pure Virginia

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JimInks (3048)	2015-09-28		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

The red Virginia in this flake offers fairly tangy, dried dark fruit with some earth, bread, sugar and wood, and is the star component. The brown Virginia is earthy, woody, bready, sugary, mildly floral, tangy dark fruit sweet as a supporting player. There are streaks of bright flue cured Virginia that offer some tart and tangy citrus and an ample amount of grass/hay, and a little sugar and floralness, plus a hint of spice. The description emphasizes the grassiness, but I think the earthiness is a touch more noticeable. It doesn’t have much complexity, though the contrasting flavors of the Virginias are melded together by the hot pressing, which is responsible for a slight fermented sweetness in the flake. There is a slight sour note here and there, which I tend to notice a shade more after the half way point, but I don’t find it distracting. The strength is medium, while the taste is a step over that line. The nic-hit is a couple of slots below the strength level. Has a few small rough edges. Like other flakes in the HH series, it breaks apart very easily, and is moist, but not overly so. Whether or not you decide to dry it any speaks to personal preference, but it’s good to go as it is. Burns cool and clean at a slightly slow rate with minimal relights, and sports a very consistent, well balanced, deeply rich, punchy flavor that never weakens. Has no harsh spots and won’t bite, though I recommend a slow to moderate smoking cadence for best effect. Leaves virtually no moisture in the bowl, and the red Virginia after taste pleasantly lingers a little. Has a sweet room note. It’s not quite an all day smoke, but it is repeatable. Three and a half stars.

-JimInks

86 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pipestud (1829)	2016-03-04		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Very Pleasant

This is a very fine Virginia and as deeply rich and earthy as the best Virginia blends on the market today. The leaf has certainly been aged well as the fermented flavor you would expect from a ripe Virginia comes through in waves. And, also like well aged straight Virginia, the flavor deepens and offers a variety of sensations as the tobacco is consumed. I am off to purchase more tins for my cellar as something tells me wonderful things will happen when I re-visit this one in a 5-10 year old tin! Mac Baren, you done good with this one!

Pipestud

66 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	StevieB (2081)	2016-02-02		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Medium	Pleasant

Mac Baren - HH Pure Virginia. I love EVERYTHING about this blend!

The tin contains three rows of flakes that are quite slim and dark brown in colour. The amount of moisture is better than many sealed tins, it's only slightly damp. Mine isn't in desperate need of drying, yes, that would raise the standard to perfect but I find it good enough to smoke right away.

I crumble my flakes as opposed to the fold and stuff method and this is easy to rub to a decent texture. Whilst doing so the only notable aroma I get is a straight up Virginia one; any extra casing must have been added very sparingly.

I find the smoke 'savoury' tasting. I struggle to detect many sweet nuances from this compared to many straight Virginia's. What I do detect is a slight saltiness from the smoke; not acrid or full but a delicate addition. Also, I get the least grassiness I've had from a straight Virginia, it tastes as if there's a tiny proportion of Burley in there to me; a slight nuttiness, making it even more savoury.

This burns resplendently. Once it's lit it is very independent. I only need my tamper to maintain it. My lighter's only needed if it's not puffed often enough.

Nicotine? I think it's just below medium, it's a nice strength for my taste.

I think this is a completely unique straight Virginia. It's not just the usual sweet and grassy affair that I get from most Va's. Total perfection: highly recommended.

Four stars.

Pipe Used: Strambach Vienna Meer'

Age When Smoked: 4 Month

Purchased From: The Danish Pipe Shop

38 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Sasquatch (90)	2015-10-07		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

JimInks' review is right on... this is bang in the middle of the road virginia. Nice flakes (typcial MacB 1.5mm CNC Router type flakes, none of your random bacon-chips stuff here) which rub very easily into fine ribbon. A bit more moist out of the tin than I would ordinarily smoke, but smokeable as is or easily rectified with a bit of drying.

This is not as sweet as either Capstan offering, and has none of the complexity of something like Reiner Long Golden or even Mac Baren's other virginia-based blends. Also without the MacB honey or maple flavors. It's just dead-ahead virginia. Easy to get along with and a nice introduction to the genre. This won't probably be strong enough in nicotine to appeal to the long-time Va smokers or people who prefer big strong burleys a la C+D. But as a gentle autumn puff for the casual user, I'd say this blend has lots to recommend itself. Exhibiting the same softness of overall profile as the Capstan Gold, I suspect that ten years in the cellar will make this blend magical, and that's where the rest of my tins are headed. Quality stuff, and worth putting a few away.

Pipe Used: Various briars, medium to large

Age When Smoked: new

Similar Blends: Capstan Gold, Best Brown Flake, Mellow Mallard.

32 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	PeterD (91)	2015-11-08		Medium	Mild	Medium	Pleasant

More than the middle-of-the-road to me...this is a very good Virginia Flake tobacco. I like the "pure" taste and while similar to other straight Virginia flakes/plugs/Ready Rubbed offerings, I find this a notch above many others.

Easily an all-day smoke and one for most any size pipe...Moisture level is perfect and easy to rub out...

...Another impressive flake in the MacBaren HH series...

Pipe Used: group 3 to 5 size

Age When Smoked: 2 months

Purchased From: smokingpipes.com

23 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2017-06-08		Mild	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

As always, Mac Baren gets an A for presentation. Nifty embossed gold wrapper that perfectly fits the beautiful looking, admirably symmetrical dark brown flakes with spots of gold. Wonderful tea-like fragrance in the tin. A bit wet and I ultimately dried this thoroughly to enhance the natural flavors, but I did not "crispify" it. It worked best with a small amount of moisture remaining. It didn't seem to care if it was rubbed out or folded and stuffed, as I couldn't discern a single iota of flavor difference. Since it took the match better when rubbed out, that's how I smoked most of the bowls.

I admit that I'm a huge admirer of the Mac Baren HH series concept. Even when the blend doesn't hit my overall preferences, I like what hot pressing does to their output, and I especially appreciate it when they keep the honey and sugar in their respective jars and make a perfectly natural blend. There is no Mac Baren tongue steam inherent in any of the HH blends, no pastry-like phony saccharine sweetness - just honest to goodness tobacco taste. This one is kind of a conundrum at this point, as I really found very little of the usual straight Virginia descriptors to apply, even the "grassiness" that Mac Baren claims. I did find a little sweetness, but I mostly tasted tartness and sourness with a nice background note of maltiness. This is a soft but spirited tobacco, with a provocative zestiness and tang (thanks to the red VA) which was nicely and just noticeably offset with a hint of citrus. Almost zero complexity but with a decent depth to the smoke. I think this one will age brilliantly and my other tins are headed to the cellar. I liked this and declared it "good" but it's not a great blend... yet! I do think there is some greatness there, but it needs to age awhile first. Kudos to Mac Baren for the HH series. None are currently in my rotation (ODF being recently displaced by SG's Lakeland Dark) but I sincerely applaud the effort. Once again, I find it difficult to disparage a Danish company from producing Danish products, but these more English versions are more to my taste.

21 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	DenizBeck (323)	2017-09-09		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

As I started to appreciate straight Virginias during the past few months I was looking forward to try Mac Barens shot at a straight Virginia blend. As I love the HH-Line, for their unspoiled, natural tobaccos I chose HH Pure Virginia.

Cracking up the lovely, classy, yet simple designed tin with it's intriguing rich yellow that has the Mac Baren lions on it I was instantly interested in how this one would perform in the pipe. Inside there's the typical and very classy golden wrapper paper Mac Baren uses and three rows of Mac Barens evenly cut, thin flake slices. They know how to make a flake cut, sure thing! 1,5cm in thickness, ~ 11 cm in lenght and 3cm in width the flakes break apart quite easily, which hints towards there's little to none glue applied! Optically seducing with their rich hue of mostly medium bron, bright brown and few bright-golden speckles.

The tin-note is very inconspicuous and natural. Slightly honeyed, mildly fruity, bready and tobacco-y and I could swear I perceive a faint vinegar-ish note to it, especially when cracking a fresh tin. Comes very well conditioned for a flake cut. Not too moist, yet demanding at least an half-, better one- to two hours of drying time. But it can be smoked right away, if properly rubbed out!

Slow and cool smouldering in the bowl HH Pure Virginia offers a rich aroma with some depth to it. Mildly notes of stoved fruits that underline the delicous somewhat bready and/or nutty aroma. A little earthy and very tobacco-y, fairly tangy and spicy for a straight Virginia. In the background I perceive some notes of grass and hay. Honeyish sweetness is always present, that is rather unobtrusive and mild, I'd bet this is all natural sweetness, none added to it.

Pretty bold for a straight Virginia and very rich in flavors this is one of the most complex straight Virginia blends I had. Diversified and refined it offers a enticing smoking experience that's far from being one-dimensional or boring! Definetly a blend I'll integrate into my rotation. Very All-Day suitable due to it's rather digestible strenght, this truly is a gem within the countless straight VA offerings.

4/4 stars for genuine, honest and interesting pure Virginia blend that is living up to the name of Mac Barens HH-Line - unspoiled, tasteful, rounded. Favorited!

Pipe Used: Clay Pipes / Various Briars

17 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	GabrielCRT (115)	2016-05-19		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

I think this is a masterpiece. This seems to be as close an experience as you can have to smoking Virginia tobacco straight from the farm to your bowl. It has obviously been cured and fermented but it has no topping and a nearly undetectable amount of casing. Smoking uncased Virginias isn't a very pleasant experience. Some amount of casing is necessary to reduce harshness and fix any inherent rough edges of the leaf. The casing used here does not intrude upon the flavor at all.

This blend of Virginias tastes grassy. Occasional hay, earth, spice, and vague natural sweetness pop up. No honey, citrus, or molasses here. I sense a medium strength with a bit of a kick. I hope to see this released in the 16oz boxes so that I may age some!

15 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Stan (179)	2015-10-09		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Robust and full tasting for a straight Virginia. Fuller than Pease Union Square. Smoked a full tin.

However this does not have the sweetness of Pease's or Mcclelland's Virginias. But you can tell this is a Virginia from the get go, as there is that citrus taste but subdued due to pressing.

Cool, forgiving, and steady burning for a Virginia flake.

Flavor pumped up but not the sweetness. Not dark tasting.

Almost too much richness for me. Recommended for a heavier dose for straight Virginia fan.

Pipe Used: Arlington

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Smokingpipes

Similar Blends: Mcclelland no. 27 (matured virginia), twangy flake (blakeney's best).

12 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Tantric (321)	2018-12-20		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

Very similar to MacBaren's own Virginia blend (yellow pouch), this is a very nice flake, full of flavor, rich in taste, and easy to smoke. Unlike many Virginias--especially those under the MacBaren process--this won't bite.

It has a woodsy, slightly toasted nuance, very natural, with almost no sweetness to it (unlike, say, Dunhill's Light Flake or Orlik's Golden Sliced). I think this is a very good, high quality smoke, unpretentious yet satisfying and flavorsome in a most natural manner. Good stuff!

Pipe Used: Parker

Age When Smoked: 2 years

Purchased From: Joshua Ward

Similar Blends: MacBaren's Virginia; Briar Fox..

10 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Big Train (118)	2016-02-10		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Unnoticeable

Being a Virginia flake smoker I was excited to try this new issue . Upon opening the tin I was not impressed . The flake seemed way too hard and was not responsive to good packing . There was little or no tin note , not at all what I expect from a primo Virginia flake . The first bowl was not at all enjoyable giving me a nice case of tongue bite . I smoked a few more bowls and found it even less acceptable than the first . I have read the other reviews of this tobacco , all from reliable smokers , and I wonder why I am in such disagreement . This tobacco simply has none of the delicate , subtle taste that I associate with Virginia flake . I gave the rest of the tin away at the Kaywoodie show in New York and felt well rid of it .

10 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Bulldog8483 (25)	2018-05-20		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Upon opening the tin, you are greeted with a sweet, fig like and fruity smell. It is simply a phenomenal smelling blend. It comes in the traditional, thin MacBaren flakes (about half the size of an Orlik flake for comparison purposes) and the presentation is top notch IMO. It is easily lit, stays lit and smokes to a fine ash with no hard tobacco clump at the end to boot. Perfect in that regard.

Smoking mechanics: should be sipped like all pure Virginias and I dry it out minimally. Just enough so there is a little spring back when you squeeze it. I've found it to have best flavor if done this way. However, here's the key with this blend and I've found this to be the case more than many other blends I've had: YOU MUST FIND THE PROPER PIPE SIZE AND SHAPE TO SMOKE THIS IN! It drastically changes the taste if not done so. It honestly oscillates between a mediocre, so-so smoke to a phenomenal, top notch smoke if you find the correct combination. So far, the best shape I've found for the blend is the 320 Savinelli. The Savinelli Marron Glace 320 KS to be exact. Like I said, minimally dry it out, smoke/sip it slow and use a good pipe and you are in for a world class, second to none smoke. Just don't give up on it and keep trying things until you find the right combo for you personally. I highly doubt you'll be disappointed, if you like Pure Virginias that is. Happy smokes brothers!

UPDATE (6/21/2020): This blend has only gotten better since writing my first review of it. Simply phenomenal. I've found several other pipe combinations that smoke this beautifully and some that don't seem to do so well so I hope it's encouraging to all of you that smoke this terrific blend. I've got a couple of years on the jar I'm smoking out of today and it is wonderful. Smooth, mellow, and subtle with increasing sweetness as i work through the bowl. 5 and 10 years down the road WILL do wonders for this blend and that's saying something because it's tremendous right now as is. In short, I can only speak more positively of this blend as of this two-year update. My cellar is well stocked, enough said. Enjoy fellas, this one's a beauty!

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: Online retailer

Similar Blends: Dunhill Flake.

9 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	doc'spipe (242)	2018-03-26		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

I've always been a fan of Mac Baren's Virginia No 1 and their Virginia Flake. I've just added their Modern Virginia to that list, but their HH Pure Virginia is now my favorite Mac Va.

Mac Baren's tin presentation is always appealing as is the readiness for a smoke right out of a fresh tin. The tin note was of tobacco, mild and not grassy as is typical of many Virginias. There was no flavoring I could detect while smoking; just a very pleasant, atypical tasting, Virginia from first puff to last with a very appealing pure tobacco taste throughout. It didn't smoke hot or bite and it smoked dry to the heel. I can smoke this all day, every day. This is a keeper and as previously stated, now my favorite Mac Baren Virginia offering. 4 stars!

Pipe Used: Stanwell sandblast featherweight poker

Age When Smoked: Fresh from tin

Purchased From: 4noggins.com

9 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	moniker (220)	2018-10-07		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

HH Pure Virginia is another first class offering in this limited series from Mac Baren. Presentation is 3 rows of small, perfect flakes the color of toasted “wheat” bread of the sort one tends to get in diners. Tin note is grassy and fairly sweet, with some toast and some hay, with a depth to it that’s hard to describe. It can be folded and stuffed straight from the tin, but sans drying it takes patience to get it well lit or keep it burning. In the end, after a good deal of fiddling around with it, I prefer to rub it out and load it into a VA pipe. I find this blend to be naturally "aromatic" off the match, and the tastes get richer as it is smoked down, with meadow grasses, toast, and hay from the flue cured and just a little sweetness, earth, and oats from air cured brown and red leaf. I get no “dark fruit” from this blend (and not a lot of sweetness, either). Anyway, the balance struck is impeccable, and it is smooth and well melded top to bottom. Strength builds gently toward medium; likewise the tastes. Room note is pleasant. Aftertaste is a sweeter, lingering version of the best of the smoke.

Here we are today, with TR as a resource and worldwide access to the best overall lot of tobaccos in my lifetime. There are great VAs aplenty, and you can add HH Pure VA to the list, IMO. It took me a while to figure it out, but I like it right enough now, and I recommend it a 4’s worth to experienced VA lovers.

Pipe Used: various VA briars

Age When Smoked: from the tin to 2 months in a jar

Purchased From: Liberty Tobacco

Similar Blends: F & T's Vintage.

8 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	TallPuffO'Burley (633)	2018-10-04		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

I have come to expect great things when I try any of the HH blends by Mac Baren and this was no exception. A great Virginia as natural as you can get. This has abundant hay like sweetness with light citrus tones.

I really enjoyed this one, but it does not eclipse my favorite Virginia, that being Dunhill Flake. DF is a touch less natural and probably has a light topping on it where HHPV does not. I would also put Capstan Blue above this one, but these things will not make it any less than four stars in my book. If for nothing else, this will give one the taste of a Virginia with the minimal amount of tinkering.

If you like this blend then you are a Virginia lover for sure. Now that DF is no longer being produced and Capstan is expensive, this will become the Virginia I recommend to those who want to try a straight Va.

8 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2015-10-28		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

Deep brown hot pressed flakes cut with military precision, medium flavor with a wonderful peppery note, and fairly good strength. Presentation mirrors the rest of the quality - it's on point, Tip.

All you FVF and Best Brown Flake hoarders, buy a few tins of this for the apocalypse, and maybe some to smoke now.

Age When Smoked: 3 months

8 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	B&D Pipes (9)	2020-05-15		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

HH Pure Virginia - Part 3 of 6 - MacBaren HH Flake Reviews

In honor of the just released MacBaren HH Rustica Flake (that I have jarred and reintroducing oxygen) I will be reviewing the five previous HH Flakes leading up to a final review of that new release. I feel all tobacco requires a “Cool Down” period after you open the tin. A minimum of a month so the prior five HH Flakes will give me enough time to get Rustica ready for my liking. With that said: here is Part 3 of 6 . . . of my MacBaren HH Flake Series Reviews.

I have always understood that Virginia tobaccos were normally the base of most blends due to the natural sugar content. That sweetness greatly assisting the blender with balancing their creation. Using a food analogy, I have always seen them as the grains of the tobacco world. Like bread or rice (both of which I love), I simply was not able to eat them by themselves. I needed some jam on that bread or some beans with that rice.

Back in September of 2018, Dorothy and I were at Sutliff for their excellent pipe show. We met a lot of good people those couple of days. Some of which later became very dear friends. The older gentleman sitting across from me had an IT background much like myself. We were both tinkerers and due to this we hit it off almost immediately. Having such similar interests, I was hooked on our conversation. During which I asked what was in his pipe. His response: “Amphora Virginia”. I immediately scoffed at him. “How can you smoke straight Virginias like that? Put some Latakia in it!” I proclaimed. Back then I was hooked on Lat-Bombs and anything else was seen as an inferior smoke in my mind. His response was that Latakia is too heavy. Virginias were something he could smoke all the time. He proceeded to pinch out about half his pouch, put it in a Ziplock, and gave it to me. Not being one to look a gift horse in the mouth, I thanked him and put it away.

If you have been following my other reviews you will have already guessed that about seven months later . . . my palate burnt out due to my blending and taste testing latakia forward tobaccos. I was forced to move away from that leaf. One fateful night I was frustrated that I couldn’t enjoy pipe tobacco like I used to. I pulled out the Amphora Virginia that I was given, stuffed it into my pipe, and proceeded to start a journey of which I have yet to return. That experience can only be described as utterly sublime. I was simply enthralled with the flavor. I thought to myself: “OH MAN! If what some consider to be an OTC Virginia is this good . . . I wonder what is seen as a more Premium Virginia will taste like?!?!” That fleeting thought eventually lead me to picking up a tin of HH Pure Virginia.

The tin note of HH Pure Virginia is a bit underwhelming. A touch of sweetness and grass. But that’s about it. The flakes are beautifully cut and optimally hydrated, which is what I have come to expect of all MacBaren tobaccos. I always choose to fold and stuff any MacBaren flake I come across because to not do so just seems to be a bit of an injustice to me. They are simply the perfect candidates for that method. When you light HH Pure Virginia you are immediately greeted with that subtle sweetness that is very familiar. A dried fruit sweetness akin to raisins. You will notice an earthy tone throughout the smoke. The main notes you will taste are grass and hay. Occasionally you will be greeted with a bit of citrus that is a bit tart but never unpleasant. When you retrohale this tobacco you are overwhelmed with the grassy taste that MacBaren proclaims you will experience, but you will also taste a bit of bread and hay. An experienced smoker will find this blend to be surprisingly complex for a straight Virginia and will easily be able to pick out the Red and Bright Virginias.

HH Pure Virginia is a prime example of a damned near perfect straight Virginia. I dislike comparing tobaccos. I honestly feel that every tobacco blend has its own special quality that is only cheapened when being compared to something else. With that said, I feel that this is one of the few scenarios where it would be appropriate. If you’re a smoker of Samuel Gawith Full Virginia Flake, Capstan Blue, McClelland 5100, Orlik Golden Sliced, etc . . . you will most definitely enjoy MacBaren’s HH Pure Virginia Flake. If Escudo Navy De Luxe sets the bar for VaPers, then HH Pure Virginia sets the bar for straight Virginias. It is a wonderful tobacco that only gets better with age.

As I sit here smoking my final bowl of HH Pure Virginia for quite a while (due to smoking so much of it for this review), I cannot help but think of that older gentleman that I met going on two years ago at Sutliff. His generosity in giving me that huge pinch of Amphora Virginia really had an impact on my tastes and how I perceive tobacco as a whole. If you are reading this review, you know who you are. This past October, I was able to thank you in person for the role you played in my journey through this vast hobby. It may have been such a little thing to you . . . but know that to me it has meant everything.

~ Barry

Pipe Used: Multiple

Age When Smoked: Fresh to 6 months

Purchased From: Pipes & Cigars, Local B&M, SmokingPipes, TobaccoPipes, TheStoryTellersPipe

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Greekpipesmoker (201)	2017-11-03		Medium to Strong	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant

This was my first blend from the HH series.As a virginia flake lover i could not resist in this special version of MacBaren.the tin appearance prepares you for something unique and top quality.since the tin breaks a wonderfull smell comes out.pure tobacco notes including sweet and sour notes.the flakes are mostly dark with some bright and brown stripes.the flakes are very manageable in proper moisture.i prefered the rubbing method in this one because with the folding method the lighting is very hard due to it's solid pressing.while smoking the flavours differ a bit than these ones the smell promises you.the dark virginias are dominant offering dark fruits,earthy notes in a tangy way.the other virginias (brown and yellow)are in the backround offering sweet and grassy notes.rarelly some citrucy notes came out.i expected more sweet notes i could say.I also detected some sour notes,something like a plum or vinegar topping also.the flavours combine well each other and after a half bowl the sour notes become more present.the nicotine level is medium and the taste above medium.the room note is pleasant.burns cool and slow with a few relights needed.leaves some moisture at the end of the bowl without chance of tongue bite.in comparison with other virginia flakes i tried this one is one of the strongest.it can be an all day smoke to those who like strong flavours.

Age When Smoked: Rubbed and packed at once

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	steppx (186)	2017-05-22		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

Boy, this is among the top three virginia flakes available. No joke. Gawith Full Virginia Flake is considered the gold standard and this is just as good. In fact its rather similar in composition and level of stoving. Its maybe not as complex but it has genuine depth of flavor and is pure tobacco. I consider McClelland 1776 flake to also be near the top. The second tier would include Butera dark stoved, and Astely's #44, and probably Wessex Campaign Dark flake. McClelland's dark star and blackwoods flake are also excellent. But honestly, I think this HH Macbaren flake is even better. It has great natural sweetness ( much as I like the wessex for example, it does contain the very slightest casing...very slight but its there). Cornel & Diehl's Opening Night is very good and Pease's Union Square;...both are broken flake. The Pease is maybe the strongest nicotine wise. But this macbaren flake is rich and very cool smoking and needs only the slightest dry time. The nic hit is between mild and medium...a bit closer to medium. Not as strong as the Pease, but perhaps stronger than astely's or the Wessex.

If you like lighter virginia, Gawith's Golden Glow and butera's golden cake are very good. Dan tobacco's hamborger veermaster is excellent as well for a light virginia flake. And if you like heavily stoved virginia...the sleeper is McClelland's bulk flake...Navy Flake. Its top flight stuff. But even if macbaren is associated with aromatics and lightweight burley blends, the HH line is something altogether different and this is maybe their best offering.

Purchased From: 4noggins

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Gentleman Zombie (729)	2016-09-11		Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Flavor is tasty and well rounded. Fruity, tangy and a bit of grass. The flavor is also mild and mellow which surprised me a bit considering the medium body. Thought it would be a little bolder. If you prefer a milder flavor this would be a great choice. A very nice smoke.

Medium in body. No added flavoring which may be why it's milder and mellower compared to some other flakes I've been smoking lately. Taste is just a shade over mild, I'll go with mild to medium. Burns very well.

Pipe Used: MM Dagner Poker, Country Gentleman, Marcus

Age When Smoked: fresh

Purchased From: smokingpipes.com

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Little Steven (76)	2016-07-06		Medium	Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Unnoticeable

You don't want to drive your Ferrari every day. If you need to nip down the road for a bag of nails, the Ford will do.

The HH series is your Ford tobacco. And that's a good thing.

I rarely go for straight virginias but the summer months brings out the desire.

Pure Virginia fits the bill because of its great quality of being eminently user friendly.

Pipe Used: Stanwell billard.

Age When Smoked: Fresh from the shop.

Purchased From: The Danish Pipe Shop (nice chaps).

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	O'Confrère (40)	2016-02-29		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

Dignified, dark and deep, HH Pure Virginia offers a very distinctive take on virginias: Toasty, earthy, and, for a virginia, stout, with sweet tannins and a bit of nicotine, but after the fullness of the smoke it leaves the mouth feeling surprisingly clean. It’s a little on the tarry side, pleasantly so, but that just seems part and parcel of the rich and multi-faceted flavor spectrum this fine mixture brings to the table (pipe), and, hey, when the dog walks on the water who’s going to complain that it can’t swim?

Got the best results when I let it dry a little, rubbed it out thoroughly and smoked slowly. This mixture grabs my attention and doesn’t let it go.

Different than the best of McClelland, Samuel Gawith, C&D, Compton’s and G.L. Pease, but able to take a place at their honored round table. Highly recommended!

Pipe Used: Several, all reserved for straight virginias

Age When Smoked: About six months

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	smoking-rob (79)	2016-01-23		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Tolerable

This one took a while to grow on me but grown it has now. I have not seen other reviewers mention the saltiness which I clearly perceive and it could point to a smidgeon of Latakia being used (say 0.5-1%). The pepperiness I notice as well. A good solid smoke this, not much to add to the other reviews.

Pipe Used: various

Age When Smoked: new

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2016-01-17		Mild	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

HH Pure is a medium-colored hot pressed flake made of what I can imagine are the highest quality VA tobaccos Mac Baren has in the warehouse. I can't knock them for anything mechanical - I smoked an entire tin folded and stuffed, because there was no need to even think about rubbing this out. It lights and burns beautifully, and smells pretty good while it goes.

I dinged it a star because it doesn't show the complexity I find in the English-style flakes or in the best quality McClelland straight VAs. It's not monochromatic by any stretch of the word but it seems to progress predictably from start to finish. Nothing wrong with that, but also nothing standout that would earn that fourth star.

This is good pipeweed, lovingly made and artfully presented, and it might be the stealth blend of the HH line since nobody seems to have noticed how good it is just yet.

Pipe Used: basket pipe

Age When Smoked: so fresh

Similar Blends: Dunhill Flake.

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Voyaging (80)	2019-05-03		Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Tolerable to Strong

Presentation is wonderful as it always is with Mac Baren's flakes. They are neatly organized and uniform. This review is based on a four year-old tin. The flakes were really dark with some bright flecks here and there.

The tin note upon opening smelt of vinegar, a slight dried fruit hint, and somewhat like cured meat. As it spends time in a jar it gets closer to smelling like dried fruit. The flakes are a little moist. I tried folding and stuffing and rubbing out as well. I found that rubbing it out and drying it a bit to burn best and taste the best.

The smoke starts out sort of nondescript, just a slight vinegar and fermented taste. At about mid-bowl I pick up tangy vinegar notes, woody notes, nuts, maybe almonds, toasted bread notes, banana, oats, hints of cinnamon, pastry notes, a touch of cake batter, sultanas, figs, molasses, and it builds in woody smokiness towards the middle and end of the bowl with those pastry and fig notes lingering in the background.

There is not much acidity, and no citrus notes, to my palate. I didn't find this to be a sugary sweet flake. I also don't get the honey notes typical with many Virginias.

Strength is medium maybe. Nicotine is medium. I have gotten a big nic hit with this blend once. I had just a little food in my stomach, smoked too fast, and it got me.

I recommend this for the Virginia-lover who enjoys the more natural tobacco taste, or the person who likes darker Virginias. This blend showcases all that Virginia can be, in that it is both sweet and earthy, or sweet and savory. To my taste, this is closest to Wessex Brown Virginia Flake, but maybe better. If I blind-tasted this I might think there was Burley, but the tin does say there are air-cured Virginias in there as well.

I would buy this again, and hopefully get a younger tin with some bright notes and honey notes, which I think I missed out on because my tin was old. It's a quality Virginia with complexity, depth and roundness.

Update 7-18-2019 It's got depth and body and it might be the best straight Virginia I have smoked yet. I think it just needed air.

Update 12-25-2019 I bought a younger tin to see what this is like with less age. This tin is dated Oct2018. It has the dried fruit notes, honey notes, cereal notes, in addition to the notes mentioned in my original review: smokiness and nuttiness, cocoa.

The only negative thing I can say about it is that when it's young it can be a total fruit bomb, and make your pipe taste that way. The development runs its course into more flavors when smoked, but it is very fruity Virginia flavor when young. It has more zest when young, and more darkness and depth when aged.

This is an extraordinary straight Virginia.

Pipe Used: Bent brandy,billiard,bent apple,Canadian

Age When Smoked: ~3 years, 1 year

Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com

Similar Blends: Wessex Brown Virginia Flake, Amphora Virginia.

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	dixcreek (184)	2015-12-20		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

Great middle of the road pure Virginia. Sweet grassy hay notes with a bit of citrus. Tin condition was near perfect with no drying of the flakes necessary. Smoked both runned out and folded. No great difference in the taste just the burn time. Formula burned straight through the smoke with few relights. Little to none on moisture in the bowl. Another solid smoke from the HH line. Planning to set a few tins back to age, believe this may jump to a 4 after some age is applied.

Age When Smoked: new tin

Purchased From: pipes and cigars

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Daniel HK (1)	2020-08-24		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

The Flake shape and cut into 3 rows. It uses straight and well-aged good quality Virginia. The taste is rich but not sweet as FVF, not complex and just little unnoticed grassiness. I also feel little spicy like tiny black pepper in the beginning and very subtle citrus taste in the end. Nicotine is in low level. Good for daily smoking especially for the beginners. May good to keep long for well fermented.

The tin is manufactured on Dec 2018.

Age When Smoked: 1.5 year

Purchased From: Dec 2018

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	BingCrosby (162)	2020-05-26		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

A very fine Virginia flake indeed.. Another solid blend in the HH series or line (whatever you wanna call it).. Pure Virginia is exactly what it says it is.. it is a pure and clean smoke.. The bready, earthy, sweet notes are what I taste the most.. grass and hay more in the background.. little citrus.. smooth and cool burning.. very well behaved.. nothing really to complain about.. Of all the HH blends I have tried this one probably excites me the least.. but it still excites me.. I find the hot pressing, while improving the mechanics of the smoke, kind of tones down the flavor (which you can still taste underneath.. just a little muted).. but the subtle complexity and comfortable smoke behavior make it so good! The aroma while smoking it is just fantastic! I think even people who don't like virginas (usually the same people who are susceptible to tongue bite) will love this! The tin I smoked had a few years on it.. i think with a few more i could give this 4 stars.. as it stands, i am torn.. i really like this.. i just can't say it blows me away.. so i will say 3.. but some smokes have been 4 ;)

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Nordmann (2)	2020-01-24		Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

I stored a few 50g tins in my cellar for a year so my review/impression might vary from others beacuse I'v never smoked this one "fresh" from the tin. I also let every tobacco dry for about 15 minutes after rubbing out the flake. The tin note reminds me of black bread with a fresh sour note, verry pleasent for me at least. The taste is fresh and bready with just a tiny sweetish note. If not puffed like a freight train I'll get no tounge bite and the taste remains for the complete bowl. The nicotin hit is not overwhelming but with the great taste of the tobacco it's a verry satisfying all day smoke for me.

Pipe Used: Corn Cob, Falcon, Meerschaum, Ben Wade Billiard

Age When Smoked: 1 year

Purchased From: local tobacconist

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	PipeTobaccoReviewer (12)	2020-01-23		Mild	Medium	Mild	Unnoticeable

This tin came with a little over a year on it from TP. A mildly sweet blend with notes of light citrus, hay, and honey for the first quarter of the bowl. It develops a buttery ginger spice quality with hints of caramel/toffee as it progresses. Fleeting hints of an odd chalky flavor which appear randomly and not in every bowl. However, unfortunately, there are a lot of rough edges and harshness in this blend which cover up an otherwise good profile. It gets acrid very easily. The finish gets hot and ashy at the heel, each bowl. For being just over a year old, this should be much better than it is.When the harsh edges recede, which is rare, and the profile fully presents it’s rather good. Unfortunately that just doesn’t happen anywhere near enough to mitigate the unpleasant aspects.

The tin presentation is top shelf; it comes in typical MacB fashion of extremely uniform stacked flakes wrapped in a thick shiny gold paper. The leaf quality, while not poor, leaves something to be desired. The burn qualities are generally good, but can get hot if pushed even slightly. Each bowl was a one light affair. Aside from the moments of really good profile notes, it is consistently “meh” from bowl to bowl. Even with its failures, it is extremely repeatable as far as impact on the palate and can easily be an all day smoke for those so inclined.

However. All that being said, I did get a distinct chemical fertilizer taste in my final bowl out of 5 smoked. That was alarming and really not good. Anything that can give that taste I won't smoke.

Pipe Used: Sav 802 and 702

Age When Smoked: 1 year

Purchased From: TobaccoPipes.com

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pipesolitude (23)	2022-09-06		Mild to Medium	Mild	Medium	Pleasant

I will be honest, if you want a review with more experience from this particular flake there are others to read since this is more of a first impression review. In my experience of Mac Baren, I think there is often little to complain about, because everything is done very well and "correct" (very fine tobaccos, etc). But sometimes too much perfection can get a bit boring, and that is kind of how I feel about this flake. For some, this will be a very well behaved virginia well worth its time. But without really being able to put my finger on it, I feel a bit impatient from the first impression I get. Sure, if you stick around with this one, age it, find the perfect pipe for it, etc., there will be nothing here to complain about.

Taste: The flavour I get is honey-sweetness and hey together with an earthy body that is also a bit sour and tangy and a little spicy here and there and some yeasty bready notes, overall fairly balanced. But the sweetness you get here is from topping, and I find it a bit onedimensional. But easy to smoke with little relights, and a pleasent sweet room note.

Overall, nothing stands out really, nothing to complain about, but for the same reason, as with people so also for tobacco, it can get a bit boring. But maybe I will have to update my evaluation if this grows on me, we'll see. It could be the sour quality of the (red?) virginias that puts me off, and if I feel like smoking a very smooth Mac Baren virginia with slight sugar topping, I will probably grab for Virginia no. 1 instead.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Slow Triathlete (62)	2022-05-11		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Very Pleasant

I will confess that I am a bit biased towards this blend. This blend and the Sav. Brunello Flake that is made by MacBaren are my two favorite blends made by this manufacturer.

With that said, I will say that this blend reminds me a lot of a slightly more user friendly and a smoother version of Samuel Gawith's Full Virginia Flake. I have smoked a bunch of both and have loved SG's FVF since when you could buy a pound for $30. Yeah, imagine that.

I will say that FVF will always be a Gold Standard Blend but because it has become so hard to find here in the US I have found that HH Pure Virginia is the closest substitute (if not replacement) in my opinion.

It is a bit stronger than most of their Virginia offerings and I would recommend smoking it in a wide shallow bowl. That is how I have gotten the most flavor out of it. Fold and stuff it or rub it out and pack it. To me the flavors are the same. Pure bliss.

Pipe Used: Most recently a Radice Bulldog

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Tomcat (226)	2021-08-07		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Unnoticeable

HH Pure Virginia - Smoking a fairly fresh 9 month old tin . The grassy and citrus notes are there but pleasant. A little bit of dark fruit . The thing that I like that I am picking up is malty almost caramel sweetness in the bowl i am smoking now . This is quality blend . It smokes about the same all through the bowl some floral notes as well . No tongue bite to worry about . Moisture is spot on from tin . Nic is mild-medium . I may order a pound to see how this cellars . I fancy the blend . 4

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	HabaneroHardy (403)	2018-12-09		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Unnoticeable

This has medium brown flakes with light brown streaks running parallel throughout. This has to me the typical sweet Virginia tin note. This smokes very, smooth, mellow with very little if any tongue bite. My tin was from Sep 2015 and as good as it is now, I wonder what aging ten years would do for it? On a side note the tin art is very impressive on this blend. If you like straight Virginia's this is definitely one to try. I try not to pass out four stars indiscriminately but this one deserves it in my book.

Pipe Used: Meerschaum

Age When Smoked: 3 years

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	WillBrown (137)	2018-08-18		Medium to Strong	Extremely Mild	Full	Strong

This reminded me a lot of the one I just reviewed, Amphora Virginia. The latter is a 'ripped flake,' this Pure VA is a pressed flake. The taste profiles between the two blends were similar, at least to my palate. Much of what I said for the Amphora blend goes for this one, too—a bit sharp, slow burning, strong. I prefer softer, lighter, pressed flakes. This one's a good sipper, but I much rather burn up a Capstan Yellow or an Orlik Golden Slice, they're lighter, and more pleasant to smoke. Still, HH Pure VA is pretty good. If you really like sharper VA's then this one's for you. 2.50 stars.

Purchased From: A full tin, from the Chicago Pipe Show

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	jpiper33 (9)	2018-03-20		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable to Strong

The presentation is top notch and the tin note is enticing. As a lover of all things, Virginia these two aspects make me excited, very excited. Unfortunately, this is where my excitement ends with this blend. Bright Virginia's take to the forefront and are grassy with a moderate zest. There are the occasional dark fruit notes and a fleeting sweetness that becomes more prominent in the last third of the bowl. Overall, the blend is rather monochromatic and uneventful.

I know that this blend receives lots of love but I just can't get on the wagon. I appreciate the HH line and their goal to "emphasize the natural tobacco taste." However, this one is a miss for me. Out of all the VA varietals, brights are my least favorite and this obviously impacts my opinion of the blend. I would love to see an addition to the HH line that highlights reds as opposed to brights.

Pipe Used: Various briars and meerschaums

Age When Smoked: 3 years old

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	DCD (8)	2017-07-12		Mild	None Detected	Mild	Pleasant

For a straight Virginia this could stand as a model of the form: a beautiful golden/amber color, a tin aroma of grass and hay with a touch of raisin, which carries over into the actual smoke. I read or heard somewhere that this is lightly cased with sugar water but otherwise left natural. All I taste is natural Virginia, with that deceptive simplicity that a well matured Virginia can have. Its sweetness is balanced by an herbaceousness that just screams "Virginia" and makes me think of John Rolfe, Sir Walter Raleigh, QEI and what made the world go crazy for tobacco in the first place. It invites you to think about it, and when you do you'll find fruit and spice aromas subtly lurking behind the pure and classical facade. This is also a great flake to try for those, like me, who are new to the cut. Pressed and steamed under 55 tons of pressure and cut by modern machine, the flakes are uniform in size and density, making it easy to learn the fold-and-stuff technique before trying more raggedy flakes like McClellan or Samuel Gawith. I always come back to this flake for its simplicity, its pure tobacco enjoyment, its easy smoking qualities, and its extremely high standards of workmanship.

Pipe Used: Small Stanwells

Age When Smoked: new in tin

Purchased From: Boswell's

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Virginia lover (218)	2017-07-07		Medium	Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

2 year old tin. It gets full points for presentation and smell off the tin. My flakes were hard to keep lit, I had to relight a lot. In the taste department it's more earthy than grassy or sweet with some brioche flavor.

While advertised as topping free, a sweet licorice taste shows up. After smoking it with a regular pipe, I tried it with a new pipe and the licorice taste was omnipresent. I guess that a casing can do as good a job as a topping. Licorice is my favorite flavor since I was a kid, there's no hiding from my taste buds.There are better "pure" Virginias out there, sorry for being the party pooper.

Virginia lover

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	WorkingClassChap (197)	2022-07-11		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Aged 2 years.

Flakes are a little darker in color at this point than they are fresh. Loosely formed and breaks apart or folds well. The smell is hay, barn yard, and honey. Very wonderful aroma.

The smoke is a naturally sweet and bright Virginia. Flavors of hay, grass, wood (that barn yard flavor), citrus, tang, some fruit, and a little bit of fermentation but mainly in the back ground. I also get notes of sweet honey from time to time. It’s all very easy and pleasant. Ever the slightest mouth tingle, no bite, a little harshness on the retrohale. Gets more grassy, earthy, and woody as the bowl progresses. Flavorful but does not interfere with your day. Little aftertaste.

A wonderful straight Virginia that will do doubt age well.

Pipe Used: Briar

Age When Smoked: 2 years

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	RonR (85)	2021-05-16		Very Mild	None Detected	Very Mild	Tolerable

3rdguy

Solid blend with a few years on it. Capstan and Reiner Golden Flake are similar but both have a nice sweet topping applied up front. HH Pure Virginia does not have that, it is as pure a Virginia you can get. With age however you will get that sweet note and more. That is why I like this blend over those 2. You get a pure,natural sweet tasting straight virginia with time and this blend is cheap compared to just about anything out there and comes in bulk. Smokable as it comes but it doesn't truly shine above all others until it has some age IMO.

Fresh : Light in nic . Little to no sweetness. Retrohale was uninspiring. Pure tobacco taste. Good smoke but nothing that would make me long for it.

Aged: Light in nic. Sweetness. Retrohale has some dimension of flavor that can easily be picked up. Tobacco has some body to it, does not leave you wanting for something you can't put your finger on. Pure tobacco taste. Very satisfying and a rewardingsmoke.

Highly recommended and easy to obtain. Cellar down on this one.

Pipe Used: briar and cobs

Age When Smoked: fresh and 6 years of age

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	nkulk8r (90)	2021-02-27		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

Mac Baren - HH Pure Virginia. "Pure Virginia" indeed.

I'm smoking a bowl of Earth, along with the salt of it.

Seriously -- have you ever smoked an earthier, richer Virginia? I am not sure that I have. But if a curious piper asked me for advice on a "pure Virginia flake" I might just very well recommend them a tin of Mac Baren HH Pure Virginia. Fruity, some himt of saltiness and plenty of earth, this is Turkey season Virginia, best smoked in the crisp outdoors of Autumn, shotgun-in-hand, bowl-in-mouth . . .

Lovely stuff this.

Pipe Used: Briarworks C111 Bullmoose

Age When Smoked: Fresh

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	WmZiggy (81)	2020-12-27		Mild	None Detected	Mild	Pleasant

This wonderful Virginia Flake doesn't need another review. BUT given I pulled a tin I laid down 3 yrs and 1 month ago today I thought I would add something about aging this flake. BUY it. AGE it. This is AMBROSIA!! MB has a "top shelf" Virginia Flake in this one and I have many others in the vault that have aged much longer and smoked thru the years. I would only add I opened this tin when new and it was on the dry side in terms of moisture content. Try it with a dram of Four Roses Bourbon. Just lovely.

Pipe Used: My Amphora X-Yes 724, 50 yrs old

Age When Smoked: 3 yrs 1 month

Purchased From: IRC

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	LiterarySmoker (143)	2020-10-31		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I'm newer to some of these pure Virginia blends, to date I've had the John Cotton's Double Pressed Virginia, and Capstan's Original both in the flake and ready rubbed, and I might include Orlik's Golden Slices in that catagory too, although some say it includes perique. So my experience isn't all that broad, but what I've tried so far makes me interested. I've been eyeing this blend for a while, and I was waiting for an excuse to pull the trigger on it.

When you open the tin you see the flakes. They are a perfect size for folding and stuffing, and their moisture content makes them smokable out of the tin. They look to be a combination of red and bright Virginias. The tin note here is sweet hay, honey and slight fermentation. They stuff pretty well, I used 2 flakes here today. Lighting straight from the tin might take some time, but when dried for some time like an hour or so becomes a little quicker. I find I need a few more than the average amount of relights here. On another note this one smells wonderful to me, but may not to your friends.

After lighting, this blend really reminds me of Orlik Golden sliced. That sweet hay, grass comes through to the front followed by a slight breadyness. It's almost floral like in its sweetness and it is slightly herbal. I do taste the fermented Red Virginia's adding a tiny bit of dark fruit, but they add a mellow smoothness to the whole experience getting rid of a few of the rougher edges. I think I would call the taste a medium. The strength here is a pretty solid medium, I don't really feel it, but it is nice.

I think this is a very good blend, especially for summer. It is well made and long lasting. I could easily buy more, and if you are looking for an authentic straight Virginia experience give this a try.

Pipe Used: Kaywoodie Birkshire Large Billiard

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Pipesandcigars.com

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Philo Beddoe (221)	2018-11-28		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is good stuff! HH Pure Virginia should satisfy most Virginia smokers, as it’s not offensive in any way and it succeeds in its mission of being a high quality Virginia Flake you can smoke all day and be satisfied with every bowlful. HHPV fresh out of the tin reminds me of a tin of OGS I smoked that had ten years of aging on it, a richer, deeper OGS. This isn’t trying to compete with 40th Ann., rather HHPV is simply trying to be one of the best straight Virgina flakes you can smoke all day and IMHO it has succeeded.

Pipe Used: Various briars

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: Local B&M

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	oldermanpipe (25)	2018-09-22		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

This might be a strange review, because, basically, I do not like Virginia flakes. This goes back to 1972, shortly after I started smoking a pipe, and having just discovered the original Edgeworth Slices, and the Original Balkan Sobranie Smoking Mixture. I grabbed a green tin of Sobranie Flake, popped it open, loaded my pipe, fired it up...and thought, "What the hell???" There was nothing about it that I liked. And though in the 46 years since, little has changed, I have developed an understanding and appreciation of what Virginia flakes are about. Some, I have even enjoyed.

Mac Baren HH Pure Virginia Flake is one these. How so many reviewers here can taste all those extraneous flavors in pipe tobaccos is utterly beyond me. All I can say about HH Pure Virginia is that it tastes like an early fall afternoon smells...sweet, a bit vinegary at times, slightly smoky. It is that good. Like all tobacco, it is best puffed slowly, but fear not: it absolutely cannot be puffed into the hot zone; there isn't a bite in a bowlful.

The big surprise was that the tin I received from Smokingpipes was dated September, 2015. Three years old! The flakes were a very dark brown, and at perfect moisture right out of the tin. That bit of good fortune probably had something to do with my enjoyment.

Will it be in my rotation? Probably not. Just as Scotch will never be a regular drink. But will I order it sometime? Absolutely.

Age When Smoked: 3 years

Purchased From: Smokingpipes

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Ithian (18)	2023-02-20		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

An excellent melange of the finest virginia leafs, this blend is like a safari showcasing all that Virginias can be in one bowl. Containing so many different Virginias, the flavor profile is highly fluctuating throughout the bowl, taking you on a journey from hay to breadiness over dark fruit to tingly spiciness. It delivers a smoke full of exploration and discovery.

This illusiveness is also the only point of critique I have. Every draw is different, and so if you hit a very delightful flavor, you might be let down if the next puff doesn't deliver the same. Thus, there's not THAT HH Pure Virginia flavor, and it's unlikely to create nostalgia.

The HH series is all about showcasing various tobacco types, and HH Pure Virginia couldn't have been better suited to fulfill this task. It's the perfect smoke when you feel adventurous or want to try something new.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Nick Prof. (28)	2023-02-18		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

HH straight Virginia of Mac Baren: This is one of the finest blends and a top straight Virginia. Many folks comment on how well this tobacco ages; i would add that this is an excellent blend also when smoked fresh out of the tin. It does not need any drying time, though it can also be left little in the air. It burns pretty cool and relatively slow depending on how you prepare the tobacco in the bowl. I personally prefer to break the flake into medium-size pieces and often prepare a medium-to-large bowl of Peterson XL02 or savinelli 616, or a medium bowl of Peterson 408 pipe. Generally it concentrates, as many straight Va blends do, little oil in the shank so occasionally I will pass through the stem a cleaner to absorb the oils when I smoke this blend. It’s grassy, woody and (little more pronounced) bready with a great natural flavor. There is no chance of bite and in my view, this is a tobacco that is better smoked in non-filter pipes or removing the filter in filtered pipes. This is a full 4-star blend. I prefer smoking this blend after dinner, sometimes on a lazy weekday or Sunday afternoon - easily to repeat a second or even a third bowl during the day, though I most likely will smoke one bowl, anything between 3 to 5 times during the week.

Pipe Used: Peterson XL02, 408, Savinelli 616, Group 6 Dunhill

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JaWiBr (566)	2022-12-21		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

Tin date Nov 2019 has note of plums, sweet bread, and mild fresh cut grass. Tobacco flakes are a reddish-brown with a little dark brown and tan. Moisture is good to go. Rubs out easily and no drying needed. Burns slow with a few relights. The strength is mild to medium and nic is mild to medium. No flavoring detected. Taste is medium and consistent, with notes of mild tart dried fruit, mildly floral, dry hay, wood, dry earth, mild spiced bread, mild fermented sweetness, a tangy lemon grass background note, and a moderately peppery retro. Room note is pleasant, and aftertaste is great.

Pipe Used: Peterson Bard Rusticated 221 Fishtail

Age When Smoked: 3 years

Purchased From: Cup O' Joes

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pip'n'Piper (54)	2022-10-18		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

The smell from a fresh tin, to me, smells exactly like apple cider. That fragrance dwindles after a few days in tin and it becomes more toward a standard virginia, sweet-grass hay, with a tinge of cider. To say standard is, however, a misnomer. HH Virginia, is both typical and beyond the pale at the same time (insert audible gasp). This is more than basic or standard, it's one of the best straight virginias there is. It is the beacon that other blenders ought to use to find sure ground. I have been on a multi month kick near exclusive to VAs and VaPers. This should be the bar, it’s perfect. All others will be measured accordingly. The flakes are crisp and tidy. The moisture is near perfect straight from the tin. I consider HH Burley Flake the perfect moisture level in a flake, and this ain't far off. It has all the aspects one would expect from a good straight virginia: grassy with the hay-like sweetness, some breadiness and that slight bit of earth. There are also some light spots of cocao, lemon/citrus and a bit of that apple cider I smelled on the initial tin pop. Although, it is the sweetness that captivates me, wow. Where does it seperate itself from other straight VAs? The depth and heft of the flavour. This smooth, dry smoke is well above average. It's free of the harshness one usually finds in un-aged virginia and, as stated by one of my favourite reviewers, it has a delicious savoury aspect. Just, a high quality smoke that is guaranteed to please anyone who enjoys virginias. 4 stars, simple as that. Wow.

Pipe Used: A Friggledorf Flugelhorn

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: None of your business

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	PufferPlante (2)	2022-09-13		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Great tasting tobacco. Tin smell is awesome. Reminds me of fruit leather and fresh cut grass or hay. Tastes is great, with layers of flavours to consider. Can be peppery on the retrohale but I like that. Beautiful smoke. Can't go wrong with this one!

Pipe Used: Cobs, Turkish meerschaum

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: 4noggins

Similar Blends: Peterson flake.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	L'Italiano (233)	2022-05-24		Strong	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Tolerable

Straight Virginia above average. Good quality pure Virginia without any doubt. I do not perceive any topping, but sure there is a little bit of sugar (casing). Opening the tin, the smell is typical: Virginia, caramelized sugar and a little note of chocolate. While smoking, the taste is extremely natural, low sugary and slightly grassy. A little bit salty and bitter. Some spicy notes: a little peppery, earthy, woody with some sweet notes. However, there is little evolution and the taste is quite flat. But natural. High strength and medium to high nicotine level. In my opinion this straight Virginia is only for experienced pipe-smokers and it is recommended only after meals. Well, it is not a “must” but a good experience. If you are looking for a pure, natural, straight Virginia this is for you. In my personal rating system (from 1 to 10) my score is 8 and three stars.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Knightsmoker (218)	2022-04-04		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

The tin note is deeply of dried grass/hay, with notes of citrus in the background. As for the smoke, the VA's are very earthy, lots of grass/hay with some tart notes of citrus that can be a little zesty at times. There was a little flower note that reminds me of clover in the field with just a hint of spice and wood. Unlike others I really don't get any dark fruits in this one. There is more than just a hint of honey here maybe not as much as Dunhill/Peterson's Flake but it is there. It does linger for a while as well. The nic is firmly in the mild to med. range as is the overall strength profile of the smoke. It does not bite but was not an all day smoke for me, although I did find myself picking it up throughout the day. Not really complex and it did not really develop at the bottom like I hoped it would. Still, a solid three stars.

Age When Smoked: 6 months

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	ATW (110)	2021-04-11		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

Let's face it, yeah we all have our preferences with Virginia's, but most Virginia's are the same basic profile. This being said and from my own experience,HH pure Virginia is in a different class of its own.

For starters, at least the 50g tin no longer has the US warning label anymore! The FDA failed again! My tin is from November 2020. The tin aroma has a very fermented stewed fruit aroma. The flakes are a little moist but not enough to need drying time. Like most Virginia's I've had, the flavor is very consistent from being to end but its pretty complex.

I wouldn't say its has grassy notes but their is a slight vegative note to it here and there. It's has a very dark flavor profile. Just enough caramel like sweetness to know its there but doesn't show that much, it's very nutty, has some very light bready notes, and a floral note every now and then, but mostly it's very earthy and musty like very well aged tobacco. No spice at all. Very smooth with no harshness at all. Burns cool and very well with no tongue bite.

As far as I know, I haven't had anything with with air cured Virginia's. It's very good with a va quality I haven't experienced before. I honestly wasn't expecting it to be this good. I can see this as a excellent all day smoke and not be tiring.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	NEWMAN (305)	2021-02-05		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Very nice tin presentation as is typical of MacB; flakes are evenly cut and have an ideal moisture content and are very suitable for my fold and pack technique; steady burn rate with no relights; cool smoke with little condensation; pleasant tobacco taste that is consistent from start to end

Pipe Used: charatan; estella

Age When Smoked: unknown

Purchased From: smoking pipes.com

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Lazarus77 (91)	2020-08-29		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

Good quality Virginia, sweet - deep - rich - earthy - grassy, cool & dry smoke, no tongue bite, excellent all day smoke. Must buy to try. 3.5 stars. Recommended.

Pipe Used: Falcon, Vauen

Age When Smoked: 3 years

Purchased From: pfeifendepot.de

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Viscfab (36)	2020-08-08		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

This is undoubtely among the finest Virginia Flakes produced. The MacBaren care and packaging is always outstanding on their flake products. Crack the tin open to find wonderfully cut and pressed matured Virginia into beautiful homogeneous flakes of pure hot pressed Virginias absolutely and flawlessly stacked inside the tin. Amber in color, with a fresh citrusy smell that reminds me a bit of marmelade. I fold a flak and stuff into a medium or larger bowls evening out the top which sometimes exceeds the bowl limits. Takes 3 or 4 charing lights to get it going but then will not need many relight if you keep a steady and relaxed sipping cadence. Oh the flavour is grand! Tangy citruses and sweet grassy notes from top to bottom. I get no bite and I am presented by a wonderful and satisfying aroma of high quality processed virginias, Sweeteness is not excessive but present all the way to the bottom of the bowl. It is somewhat similar to Amphora Virginia blend also produced by MacBaren. Delicious and indulging. Makes no mess on the bowl and burns at a slow comfy pace.

Pipe Used: Vauen, Savinelli, Stanwell

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: local importer

Similar Blends: Mac Baren - Amphora Virginia.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	troyniss (38)	2020-03-28		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Presentation: As with all the HH MacBaren blends, the standard is a neatly, even and uniform flake with the gold wrapper. I love opening any Macbaren tin, I can always count on quality. Shades of brown, tan, mocha and yellow are layered in a fine flake. Rubs apart effortlessly and one can assume that a fold n' stuff method would also guarantee a nice smoke. I find that this blend among others comes slightly moist and could benefit for a short 10-15 minute dry time for ease of keeping lit.

Palette: Where as one might suspect this being a pure bright leaf blend, it is a melange of reds, browns and a little bright. The tin aroma is fantastic and offers a sweet hay and grass aroma along with the bread like reds. A touch of honey initially and caramel if you leave your nose in long enough. The blend is sweet but not as sweet as a pure bright. The red Virginia is nice and soft but pop in with some tickling spice every now and then. The brights are a good compliment and keep the tone from reaching too deep.

Performance: Smokes effortlessly and doesn't require many relights. I only experienced one relight with one whole flake. Leaves barely a drop of moisture in the heel and produces a semi-fine ash. Mild nicotine hit and a nice side stream note.

Conclusion: While I normally tend to prefer pure bright VA blends, this is a great bridge between red VA and bright VA. Would be perfect for a discerning smoker who is trying to figure out of they like brights or red's more. It offers best of both worlds and is a good benchmark for a quality VA blend. Not an all day flake but perhaps one or two throughout.

Pipe Used: Sasieni Family Era Billiard, Various Briars.

Age When Smoked: Less than 1 Year

Purchased From: SP.com

Similar Blends: Any VA flake that has a mix of reds,browns,brights..

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Zippo2000 (12)	2020-01-23		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

I got this in a 50g pouch and even had aluminium foil sealed,it's very dry. when smoking got a lot moisture. compare with other pure Virginia flake this not impress me at all, just like average Virginia out there.

Pipe Used: Unknown Briar, Peterson.

Age When Smoked: 1 year

Purchased From: Online Shop

Similar Blends: Wessex Red Virginia Flake..

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Connoisseur (47)	2019-09-17		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Unnoticeable

Definitely my favourite in the HH line. Baren HH Pure Virginia is a high quality all virginian tobacco with a rather unconventional virginia taste profile. Straight out of the tin, I originally found the flavor to be OK but nothing to write home about and it possessed none of the sweetness promised on the tin description. However, after a month or two in a jar, boy does this stuff come to life - becoming darker and more flavourful, with a combination of bright and low notes and just the right amount of sweetness.

I believe HH Pure Virginia will age superbly and I have set aside several tins to enjoy down track. Excellent stuff!

Age When Smoked: 2 years

Purchased From: 4Noggins

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Goose55 (33)	2019-08-02		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

I was recently gifted with a couple of tins of this with 3 years age and I am smoking my 1st ever bowl of it as I type. Wonderful very rich tin note of sweet grass & hay. Wave after wave of sweet smoking Virginia that takes to the match well straight out of the tin, with absolutely no bite. Even if puffed on hardily. It'll take me some bowls to figure out how much depth & complexity this has. I'm looking forward to enjoying a bowl during my evening happy hour one day soon. This very well could definitely be a keeper.

Pipe Used: Upshall Tilshead bent Billiard

Age When Smoked: 3 years

Purchased From: Was a gift

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	BrokenRecord (124)	2019-07-23		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

HH Pure Virginia: A very tangy and tart red-Virginia flake

The flake seems to be made up mostly of red Virginias as it is the tangiest and tartest straight Virginia flake that I have ever tried. My tin has four years of age on it, so all of the tobacco has darkened—making it hard to ascertain the other components. There is quite a bit of earthiness and a subtle sweetness. Any grassiness or bright notes from the other Virginia varietals have faded. The smoke has some body to it, similar to F&T Vintage Flake. However, HH Pure Virginia is more straight forward in its flavor profile. The tobacco also has a texture similar to C&D Small Batch Carolina Red Flake.

The flavor profile of the tobacco improves with a month in the jar.

If I try a more recent tin, I will update my review.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Uncle Al (17)	2019-05-24		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

HH Pure Virginia is for connoisseurs of top quality Virginia tobaccos. Will definitely age, but I'll never know. An exceptional blend. Medium (maybe a little higher) strength and straight Virginia flavour. If you take it slowly, gently and moist from the tin it's gorgeous! Cut and rubbed or folded this really is something special. So do yourself a big favour and get some.

Pipe Used: Bulldog

Age When Smoked: No age

Purchased From: 4Noggins

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	WikingPipe (1)	2018-07-19		Mild	Mild	Medium	Pleasant

I went into this blend with very high expectations as I love all of the HH line. My expectations may have been a bit too high as I was underwhelmed. The blend was a bit lifeless and too fresh. I wanted that sweetness and depth you get with other Virginia offerings. I placed it back on the shelf within the tin and revisited it a month later. I don't know if it simply needed to breath a bit and rest, but it did the trick. I loaded up my go too straight Virginia pipe and that sweet depth presented itself. Gently sipped brought out the savory sweetness and high citrus notes that we all long for. This offering IMO is a mix between SG Best Brown and Orlik Golden Slice. The grassy citrusy notes are the front-runner here like in Orlik, with the dark earthy depth presenting itself only when sipped and searched for like in Best Brown. This will age wonderfully which will marry the Virginia's to bring out more of that earthy depth and will only increase that sweetness. 3 stars for now, but well on its way to 4. Cellar up men and this one will be able to hang with the legends.

Pipe Used: Rinaldo Triade YYYY Silver Line

Age When Smoked: 4 months

Purchased From: Smokingpipes

Similar Blends: Orlik, SG Best Brown.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	brashboy (84)	2016-08-31		Medium	None Detected	Very Full	Pleasant

I agree with Pipestud's review: this is a very fine Virginia, indeed; for my taste, it is light years beyond MacBite Virginia classics such as Virginia #1. Complex, a little citrusy at times, some sweet and sour and loads of real tobacco taste. Winner, winner, chicken dinner. 4 stars.

Pipe Used: Cobs

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Timbo 556 (6)	2015-12-20		Very Mild	Extremely Mild	Very Mild	Very Pleasant

Once again the MacBaren HH line impresses me. I received a sample of this from a friend of mine as he and I frequently trade tobaccos. He gave me enough for about 3 or 4 pipes. The tin once again is simple and nicely done. The presentation of the flakes are beautiful which is expected of MB flakes (they look like perfect sticks of gum) the flakes were bright with multicolored streaks which is from the multiple different va's used. The tobacco fresh out of the tin was moist and has the typical grassy lemon zest of most other straight va flakes I have smoked. I did give the flakes some dry time before smoking but multiple re-lights were still needed. It was good but nothing that blew me away until..... I let them rest in a canning jar for a little while. I re-visited after 2 weeks and the flakes were perfect for smoking (dry wise) I tried it both full rubbed out and folded. Both ways this blend was excellent after some rest time. The sweetness that I love came through along with that farm hay flavor. The blend isn't complex by any means but is very consistent. I have plans for buying in larger quantities to let these flakes age for some time a I prefer them aged in a jar which I feel brings the flake to the perfect moisture and allows the sweetness to build up as well (I am not talking sticky sweet aromatic sweetness) just natural sweetness. I have been playing around with 9mm filters and I like this blend with or without a filter. I give this blend a 3.5 and it will be my new go to Straight VA flake.

Pipe Used: Stanwell 118 9mm

Age When Smoked: Fresh to 2 weeks

Purchased From: Gifted by friend / he got it at smokingpipes.com

Similar Blends: Samuel Gawith - Full Virginia Flake, Dunhill Virginia flake.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	tobaksrøg (54)	2023-03-21		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

I can't imagine how any virginia lover can dislike this blend; it includes everything you would expect in a straight virginia. But it lacks that extra something, the X factor that elevates a blend from great to all-time-great. Maybe it could benefit from some extra depth in flavour. 3.5 stars.

Age When Smoked: New

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Ferrigno (7)	2023-02-13		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I'm smoking Mac Baren's HH Pure Virginia in parallel with other straight Virginias: Samuel Gawith's Full Virginia Flake, Gawith & Hoggarth's Brigh CR Flake, GL Pease's Union Square, Peterson (former Dunhill's) Flake, Dan Tobacco's Veermaster and Amphora Virginia. HH Pure Virginia is a compact flake, quite dry and almost ready to be smoked, with a standard and natural Virginia flavour. After rubbing and some drying time, it releases notes of hay, bread crust and aromatic Mediterranean herbs. It is toasted, not as much as Amphora Virginia but more than the Gawith counterparts. This straight Virginia provides a pleasant floral and herbal aroma at the beginning, evolving into more toasted notes, sometimes reminding me of coffee. It is smooth and relatively gentle to the tongue, easy to smoke and repeatable.

Pipe Used: Castello, Savinelli, Meer, others

Age When Smoked: 24 months

Purchased From: German shop

Similar Blends: Amphora Virginia.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Blew_Smoke (17)	2023-01-05		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

After a long break from pipes (7 years), I started again with aromatics, but they fell flat of the joy I remembered. This tin brought me back to virginias. I've smoked my way through a 3.5 ounce tin over two months prior to posting this review.

The tin note is figs and leather. The flake is cut into thin but dense slices with clearly defined edges that don't easily flex or fall apart as other virginia flakes until deliberately broken or rubbed. Have experimented with this flake fully rubbed, broken (partially rubbed), or folded and stuffed. The flake is too dense for a simple fold and stuff approach. I get the best results from partial rubbing/breaking. Pairing the bowl for this review with a glass of water, but also pairs well with tea or coke. I've tried coffee, but the subtle flavors are muted. On lighting, the flavor reminds me of cola. It's sweet, dark, a little tangy, like dr. pepper. Almost barbeque sauce. A touch of spice with a mild tingle on my tongue or nose on retrohale, which also reveals fig, raisin and fresh cut lumber flavors not immediately noticeable to the tongue. My nose loves this blend, and is fully engaged. Toasted whole wheat bread with a touch of dark honey or brown sugar sweetness. Others claim to taste hay or grass, but I do not. Smokes slow and needs a couple of relights. The complex, hard to identify flavors call attention away from other tasks to concentrate on the flavors. I can't put my finger on it. I can't find the words. This flake needs a poet. Halfway thru the bowl, the flavors change a little. Sweetness gives way to a little more tangy, savory. The nicotine is mild at first building to near medium at the end. No bite, but an easy pace is better for revealing its nuances. There is a little moisture in the bottom of the bowl, but drying isn't necessary, and the flavors prefer no dry time. Nice, pleasant aftertaste of cola and brown sugar. A bowl of HH Pure Virginia feels like story time, and requires 45 minutes to an hour for a single bowl. Relax and listen, walk away enriched. Highly recommended, 4-stars.

Pipe Used: Savinelli 673 KS

Age When Smoked: 1 year

Purchased From: McCranie's Pipe Shop Charlotte NC

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	willie b (37)	2022-09-05		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

don't puff straight Virgina often but it's good for a break from my usuals. this is a good one to try if you haven't. good price for a decent quality tin. I find it to start really good and get harsh at the end. many better flakes out there. I prefer Newminster 400 over all the rest. taste is subjective. this one i keep on hand because of the tin size. flu and air cured pressed tobacco.

Pipe Used: Nording freehand

Age When Smoked: fresh and aged.

Purchased From: tobacco pipes

Similar Blends: quite a few straight Virginias..

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	PaulMcCoy (78)	2021-11-28		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

If I didn’t read that this was a straight Virginia, I’d swear this had a little Burley in it. The taste is dark, and earthy, and gets bolder the further you get into it. The red Virginias add a little grass, and sweetness, but I think they are a little over powered by the dark Virginias. The mechanics are great. Takes a light, and stays lit no problem. The retrohale was on the medium to strong side. If you’re into darker less sweet Virginias, or like burley blends, give it a shot. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.

Pipe Used: Everyman 158

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: Pipesandcigars.com

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Bumble (65)	2021-11-04		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

As a newer pipe smoker, I am mainly exploring the different blends (I favor aromatic blends, although I am dipping my toes into the non-aromatic blends now) to find what I like. Opening the tin, what I smelled was hay. Pure tobacco, it was wonderful... a pleasant taste and mild! This has gone into my rotation and I will be trying other Virginia blends in the future!

Pipe Used: Missouri Meerschaum Corn Cob

Age When Smoked: new

Purchased From: pipesandcigars.com

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	J-P (11)	2021-04-08		Mild	None Detected	Mild	Tolerable

Very simple first impression: This is a fresh tin (Dec 2020). Tin note is tangy slightly apricot/apple but mainly pure 'wholemeal buttered toast' tobacco smells.

I folded and stuffed this into a bent Dublin (conical bowl).

The flakes are the usual impeccable cut from Mac Baren, Fairly dark and reminiscent of some English flakes (Gawith/Hoggarth). Spots and streaks of lighter Va, but mainly brown. Moisture is 'goldilocks' out of the tin.

I had trouble keeping it lit, but once I got past the halfway point (where it was more rubbed) it stopped being an issue. Possibly could be resolved by a little drying time.

Flavours: An extremely savoury, plain and simple flake.

Bready, earthy Virginias are forward, quite peppery and a bit nutty. Not remotely grassy or sweet in this bowl. More sour than sweet.

No detectable honey casing which I usually find with the MB Virginias (in Rollcakes or other blends).

Just very, very plain tobacco flavours. Some vague hints of malty sweetness, but just whiffs, very faint. It got a slight browned-butter note toward the end.

Very little bite so far. It gets a little hot when windy, where the stoved (almost burley) tastes come out. Very dry voluminous smoke, unusual for a pure Va.

Strength is middling, fairly light. It has a bit of oomph though. When folded it's a long smoke as it burns very slowly.

All that said it's 'good' tobacco. I suspect (as many have written already) that it's going to age well. I'll revisit this in a few months (or more likely years). For my taste - a little plain when fresh.

If you want something simple that you don't have to think about, this would be perfect.

I'm giving this 3 stars for now.

I'll jar it and try it aged for which I have fairly high hopes on improvement. But I suspect it'll take quite a while to really develop.

Not what I'd call a very interesting smoke, but that can be nice occasionally, some people might like it as an 'all day' smoke.

A polite way of saying that it was a little dull.

Pipe Used: Savinelli Punto Oro 413KS

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: 4Noggins

Similar Blends: Samuel Gawith's Full Virginia Flake, Capstan Yellow.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Lager (53)	2020-09-13		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

Mac Baren and the H&H series is the top of their line and this one is no exception. The beautifuly presented Virginia stacks are laid out inside a foil wrapper. I prefer to rub my flakes out but the choice is yours. The moisture level was close to where I like it so drying time was not needed. The leaf is top shelf with wisps of grassy hay, and citrus. It lights easy, leaves little to no moisture when done. The strength is a bit under medium and there is no topping what so ever. Push it and it could bite. Age will do this well and I will be buying more for the cellar. This is a good smoke for all you straight Virginia lovers

Thanks Mac Baren!

Lager

Pipe Used: Peterson, 120, 268

Age When Smoked: new

Purchased From: Cigars International

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Jackob (3)	2019-01-23		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium	Very Strong

My first unflavoured Tobacco and my first Flake-cut too...

During my first tasting it had a lightly sharp flavour which bit my tongue, but the second time it worked better.

Flavour on Skales from 0 to 7: flavoured: 0 smokey: 5 vanilla: 0 roasted: 5 grassy: 0 nutty: 3 acid: 0 wort: 5

I drank during my tasting a cup of herbtee on my balcony. It was a cold but dry evening.

I'm not quite shure if this is really my type of tobaco... But my friend dislikes the aftertaste and the smell of this.

Pipe Used: Venini, Light Bent, Filter

Age When Smoked: new

Purchased From: http://www.kammerers-tabakstube.de/

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Limaxe (6)	2023-05-23		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable to Strong

In the can it has a sweet aroma, while in the smoke it is toasty and acrid, slightly sweet and peppery, the same in flavor. The aftertaste is the same slightly sweet toasted aftertaste, which does not last long, tends to heat up and its smoke is harsh, it is not a snuff tobacco

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	japapuss (1)	2023-03-16		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

First time smoking a "pure" Virginia, and - based on what I've heard about Virginias - wasn't at all what I expected. I have a rather fast cadence, and expected a hot burn, but that did not happen. It has a mild, sweet grassy taste, with a bit of black pepper, and a side note of something I can't quite put my finger on. Smoked it in a Venturi "The Pipe" which has a reputation for allowing the "true" flavor of a tobacco to come through. I would definitely recommend this to anyone who has never smoked a Virginia before and is looking for a good starting point.

Pipe Used: Venturi "The Pipe"

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: SmokingPipes.com

Similar Blends: As it is my first Virginia I can't really make a comparison..

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	rick5iron (20)	2023-01-10		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

high quality tobacco and packaged first class. it will require a little drying time before smoking. smoking it i taste figs, bread,raisins, etc . pretty good smoke, but for me not all day ,everyday smoke

Pipe Used: sav626

Age When Smoked: 1yr

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	The Sunday Evening Pipe Smoker (54)	2022-12-14		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Given this one's ready availability and also the fact you can buy a bulk version of it, I was hoping this could be a substitute for some of the other coveted straight Va. flakes out there.

While this has the grassy tin note and flavour, it unfortunately has a bit more sharpness / bite to it than some other offerings like Gawith's FVF or Capstan Blue. It might be a little closer to F&T Cut Virginia Plug though.

Still, if you're out of a Va. flake and cannot find FVF, don't want to pay the Capstan prices, then this could certainly do, but a better option might be Peterson/Dunhill Flake.

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