TobaccoReviews.com does not permit access to minors.
Are you at least 21 years old?
If you receive this confirmation repeatedly, you will need to enable cookies so that your response can be saved.
Where to Buy
Cup O' Joes
SmokingPipes.com
TobaccoPipes.com
A well-rounded blend, emphasizing the chocolate flavor of burley tobacco.
Centuries of tobacco craftsmanship go into Amphora Original blend to bring out the rich chocolately undertones of the finest burley tobaccos, balanced with Orientals, Kentucky, and Virginia leaf. The result is a smooth textured and easy burning blend of rare distinction.
Notes: Made by MacBaren since 2006, the company owns the blend as of 2015.
Favorite Of 6 Users
|
Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JimInks (3046) |  |
Mild to Medium | Mild | Mild to Medium | Pleasant |
The rich chocolate topping is obvious without overwhelming the tobaccos. The burleys have a toasted nuttiness along with earth, wood, and a little molasses, and takes a little more of the lead than the grass, earth, and citrus from the Virginia. In a support role, the Kentucky has a little smoky, nutty, earthy woodiness with a bare hint of spice. The Oriental is lightly floral with a little smoke, earth and wood, plus very minor sour and spice notes as it playfully lingers in the background. The strength is a hair shy of the center of mild to medium, while the taste level is a rung more potent than that. Won’t bite even when puffed fast. The nic-hit is a couple of steps past the mild mark. The tobaccos are ribbon cut with a little broken flake. The blend is subtly complex with a very cool, clean and smooth, mostly consistent flavor from start to finish. The only change in flavor I have ever noticed is that the burleys and Kentucky seem to stand out just a little more after the half way point. Has no dull or harsh spots. Requires few relights, and leaves virtually no moisture in the bowl. Has a nice after taste and pleasant room note. An all day smoke that is very easy on your senses.
If you give it any dry time, you will find the tobacco flavor more noticeable without totally losing the chocolate topping. I dry it, and my review reflects that experience. Fresh and moist, you will find the tobaccos are a little more sublimated by the topping.
As a side note: the 1970s and '80s versions of this blend had a little less chocolate, and a touch more Oriental, and was not quite as sweet as the later productions.
-JimInks
59 people found this review helpful.
|
Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| felipe (6) | |
Mild to Medium | Extremely Mild | Medium to Full | Pleasant to Tolerable |
I always had troubles at figuring out what an 'all-day-smoke' tobacco was. After all, one can always smoke whatever he wants whenever it wants. Right?
True, but sometimes you don't have the time or the concentration needed for smoking virginia flakes, or you don't feel in the mood for latakia-induced meditation. Or in general you want to smoke, but you don't know what to smoke. So you linger for a minute on your stash, and you are at risk of picking your favorite blend for a mediocre smoke. Don't do it, keep always a jar of Amphora OB around for situations like this. Don't use expensive tobaccos to fight your nicotine cravings.
It's a natural cavendish (no noticeable flavoring) made from virginias, burley and kentucky, and you can taste all of them! Never monotone, it even provides some evolution during the smoke. It burns quite fast, forcing the smoker to be disciplined, but forgives you go full-steam mode for a while. Smokes great in a cob, giving good 20-minutes smokes if packed lightly.
To me, an 'all-day' tobacco is one you burn when you just want a good, satisfying bowl, but for some reason you don't feel like you want any particular tobacco. AOB is perfect for these moments.
Pipe Used: Many briars, corncob
Age When Smoked: Pouch from the shelves
Similar Blends: Skandinavik Regular, Italia.
34 people found this review helpful.
|
|
Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JimInks (3046) | |
Mild to Medium | Mild | Mild to Medium | Pleasant |
The rich chocolate topping is obvious without overwhelming the tobaccos. The burleys have a toasted nuttiness along with earth, wood, and a little molasses, and takes a little more of the lead than the grass, earth, and citrus from the Virginia. In a support role, the Kentucky has a little smoky, nutty, earthy woodiness with a bare hint of spice. The Oriental is lightly floral with a little smoke, earth and wood, plus very minor sour and spice notes as it playfully lingers in the background. The strength is a hair shy of the center of mild to medium, while the taste level is a rung more potent than that. Won’t bite even when puffed fast. The nic-hit is a couple of steps past the mild mark. The tobaccos are ribbon cut with a little broken flake. The blend is subtly complex with a very cool, clean and smooth, mostly consistent flavor from start to finish. The only change in flavor I have ever noticed is that the burleys and Kentucky seem to stand out just a little more after the half way point. Has no dull or harsh spots. Requires few relights, and leaves virtually no moisture in the bowl. Has a nice after taste and pleasant room note. An all day smoke that is very easy on your senses.
If you give it any dry time, you will find the tobacco flavor more noticeable without totally losing the chocolate topping. I dry it, and my review reflects that experience. Fresh and moist, you will find the tobaccos are a little more sublimated by the topping.
As a side note: the 1970s and '80s versions of this blend had a little less chocolate, and a touch more Oriental, and was not quite as sweet as the later productions.
-JimInks
29 people found this review helpful.
|
Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| fr_tom (393) |  |
Mild to Medium | Very Mild | Mild to Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
I have not smoked this since the 70's when you could buy it in every drug store. My wife got me a pouch, and it is the smoke I remember. It comes in the distinctive "mostly rubbed out" ribbon, and there is an appealing earthy cocoa note to the pouch. It may have come a little more hydrated than I might prefer. That did not stop me from codger scooping out of the pouch, giving it a firm thumb and lighting up.
The smoke is burley forward, and the flavor is a pleasant earthy/nutty with some sweet and hay from the Virginia. The little topping it has presents as slightly sweet and mellow to me. The Kentucky provides a subtle spicy edge, and there is some sour from the Orientals every now and then. I did not get the chocolate others seem to find in the flavor.
It smoked without drama and was not quirky. It took an average number of relights and was easy to sip while doing something else.
Amphora Brown was famously my great-uncle's goto smoke, and I can understand settling on this as an everyday smoke. It is good, and if I could still buy it in every drug store, I would do that from time to time.
This is easy to recommend, but it is really a remnant of another era where people wanted something good that was reliable and available to smoke as they went about their business. These days, most people seem to want a little more of the "wow" factor, since they are banished to the back porch to light up and need to make it a memorable experience.
This is a solid 3 for me.
23 people found this review helpful.
|
Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tantric (321) | |
Mild to Medium | Extremely Mild | Mild | Pleasant to Tolerable |
For over 10 years this used to be my go-to tobacco. In the late '90s, however, Douwe Egebert's--like many other companies--sold its tobacco interests to Imperial Tobacco Company. Unlike other transitions, this one did not go down well. Amphora regular became a lackluster, un-Cavendished melânge of very simple Burleys and Viriginas, ribbon cut, tasteless and rather stale.
Recently I learned that as of 2007, MacBaren is the new producer of the Amphora range. So I bought two 50g. pouches of what is now called Original Blend, in a nice metalic paper wraper, with a new design (more elegant), but with the brown color of old.
This is a considerable improvement on the ITC version, but it yet has match the truly original one. I believe the difference resides in MacBaren's passion for the Burley leaf as the dominant tobacco. This is not at all bad (I'm a big fan of Golden Extra and London Club), but it does change the delictae and complex equilibrium that Amphora regular used to have, i.e., a subtle and elegant balance between the Virginias, Burleys and Kentucky, plus the Oriental leaf (not Latakia).
Due to the way it was processed, I believe there were certain similarities between old Amphora regular and the also bygone Sobranie's Virginia #10. Both had a certain cigar quality, due to the use of cigar leaf in the latter and a Sumatra or Java Vrginia in the former.
In this version I can hardly taste de Orientals and Virginias. The Cavendish process also seems to be different (yielding a slightly harsher smoke), and the cut--though better than the ribbon style of ITC--is loser and tougher.
I am comparing both not out of memory. A friend recently got hold of the Douwe Egbert's Amphora regular, in a a 6 Oz tin, and--after a much needed process of rehydration-- I have been smoking both.
Still: this a good and simple smoke, mild to medium, with basically a natural taste in spite of the otherwise barely perceptible coca/chocalte topping. A good change of pace for English style smokers, and a more refined version of the Virginia-Burley-Kentucky (i.e., the current Three Nuns) out there.
Pipe Used: BBB straight Rhodesian.
Age When Smoked: 2 years after buying
Purchased From: Duty Free St. Martens island.
Similar Blends: The current Three Nuns.
21 people found this review helpful.
|
Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TallPuffO'Burley (633) | |
Medium | Extremely Mild | Medium to Full | Tolerable |
I really enjoyed this one which was something I did not really expect. I had expected something very aromatic, but instead was treated to a fantastic Burley based blend that offered many different flavor profiles with each puff.
I picked up my pouch of this a few years ago when it was announced that it would again be available in the USA. I did not know much of the blend and had always assumed it an aromatic. The topping listed is that of Chocolate, which is a topping I tend to despise on tobacco. I am pleased to announce the topping is very light and really just compliments the tobacco flavor.
I felt the burley was the boss of the blend. Virginia was not really detectable in its own right to my tastes and really appears to be along simply to amplify the sweetness of the blend. One thing I enjoyed was the interplay between the Kentucky leaf and the orientals. Dark Fired Kentucky is to Burley what Dark roasted Coffee is to the coffee bean IMO. The Orientals used in the mix offer a slightly sour offset that does play well with all the other elements. The humidity level was about perfect and each bowl smoked effortlessly. I really can't see a scenario where one could get bit by this, even if puffing a bit carelessly.
I was up in the air about whether this should be a 3 or a 4 star blend, but have decided it should be bumped to a 4 because it is unique and defies conventional genre classification. Of blends similarly composed, I can't think of one that is better.
17 people found this review helpful.
|
Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pipestud (1829) | |
Medium | Extremely Mild | Medium | Very Pleasant |
One of the all-time classic blends that is, unfortunately, now unavailable in the USA. Tubs of the Original Amphora literally flew off the shelves of drug stores and supermarkets around the country. A very tasty Burley blend with lightly flavored quality Cavendish and a touch of Virginia leaf for added flavor. This blend never bit, always packed and stayed lit well, and pleased those who enjoyed quality smokes at a bargain price.
I miss this one!
14 people found this review helpful.
|
Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gentleman Zombie (729) | |
Mild to Medium | Very Mild | Medium | Pleasant |
A pretty nice Burley smoke. The Burley dominates early until joined by the Kentucky around the 1/4 mark. The chocolate/cocoa topping is light but evident. I can get hints of the Oriental and Virginias in the background. Can't taste the Cav, but I suspect that's what brings the mild sweetness. The only drawback here is the heat and for that I'll deduct one star.
Mild to medium in body. Medium in taste. Flavoring is very mild. Burn is a bit quick.
Pipe Used: MM Dagner Poker, Country Gentleman, Marcus
Age When Smoked: fresh
Purchased From: smokingpipes.com
12 people found this review helpful.
|
|
Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| smoking-rob (79) | |
Mild | Mild | Mild to Medium | Pleasant |
On a whim I bought a pouch of this old veteran as I live in the Netherlands and it used to be produced here by Douwe Egberts, but nowadays by Imperial Tobacco. It is very popular among Dutch pipesmokers and I can understand why: a slightly sweet, spicy, mild and well burning cavendish that never offends. Recommended.
10 people found this review helpful.
|
|
Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kaziwazee (8) | |
Medium | Mild | Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
I purchased this blend about two weeks ago, after smoking some really nice aromatics from the folks at J.M. Boswells. The smell in the pouch is somewhat a cross between roasted nuts and chocolate. My first smoke was somewhat jarring, since for the last few months I have been smoking the sweet flavors of the Boswell blends. As a result, I found the taste of this blend to be somewhat unusual. At this point, I thought I made a mistake purchasing this blend. However, the next day I took another smoke and it got better. Then I tried it later that evening, and it was simply magical. What I'm suggesting is that this is a tobacco that grows better with each smoke. The flavor is somewhat enigmatic: a mixture of nuts and definitely rich chocolate. I find it tastes best when smoked slowly; and the taste that remains after smoking is to die for. I highly recommend this blend!
10 people found this review helpful.
|
Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| StevieB (2081) | |
Medium | Mild | Mild to Medium | Very Pleasant |
Mac Baren - Amphora Original Blend.
A fairly coarse, medium brown, ribbon with some pieces a few shades lighter. The unlit aroma is slightly sweet, however it's not too certain as to what the source of it is. The moisture of the blend's good.
Amphora Original was easily lit, burning well right away, maybe a touch quick, but not 'fast'. The tobaccos taste quality, but I get more Burley in comparison to the others. The other leaves are added in lesser quantities, they don't carry quite as much oomph. I find the Cavendish easier to notice, but the rest seem slightly lost. The topping comes over from the very start, gaining a little strength as a bowl progresses. Although it gains strength, it still doesn't go above mild.
Nicotine: medium. Room-note: very nice.
A good quality smoke, albeit lacking something to earn full marks. I think three stars sums this up nicely:
Recommended.
Pipe Used: Davorin Devovic Morta
Age When Smoked: New
Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com
9 people found this review helpful.
|
|
Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia lover (218) | |
Mild | Extremely Mild | Mild to Medium | Pleasant |
I was offered a sample by an old timer and what a pleasant surprise it was. A no fuss tobacco for an all day smoke, a Dutch Cavendish type blend that satisfies. The chocolate/cocoa taste is there in spades, never strong but adding to the Burley nuttiness. Due to the cut it burns quite fast so beware to pace yourself.
It's something to try for those who don't like aromatics but want to take a break from their favorite tobacco. With that in mind, this old school blend could easily become an unassuming, preferred smoke for many.
Virginia lover
8 people found this review helpful.
|
|
Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PastorPipe (21) | |
Mild to Medium | Mild | Mild to Medium | Pleasant |
The pouch I purchased seemed very fresh. Upon opening it, I didn't get the the aroma of cocoa, only a grassy Virginia smell with a mild sourness. Ribbon cut with some broken bits of flake. It required no drying, lit and burned well with no relights required after the charring light. Though I didn't smell cocoa in the pouch, I definitely tasted it--like powdered unsweetened Hershey's cocoa. It wasn't bitter, however. I would have appreciated a little more sweetness. It complimented the tobacco which seems to me to be of a very good quality. There was some nuttiness and a little pepper. There was also a creaminess about the smoke, and at times had a kind of evaporated milk note which I liked. The cocoa flavor definitely intensified as I got further down the bowl, and stayed present right until the end. The smoke was warm, but not hot. Nice for a cool evening. It didn't bite at all. I didn't puffed it hard, but I didn't sip it either. It behaves well. All in all this was a pleasant and relaxing smoke-not terribly complex, but certainly enjoyable. The room note was rather nice too. It's something that I'll smoke from time to time, and might buy again. It wasn't remarkable. It didn't make me say, "Wow!" However, I think its a good quality smoke at a very good price.
Pipe Used: MM filtered cob
Age When Smoked: Fresh
Purchased From: smokingpipes.com
7 people found this review helpful.
|
Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DenizBeck (323) | |
Medium | Very Mild | Medium to Full | Pleasant |
As I like Amphore Full Aroma (aka Amphora Red) pretty good a fellow pipe smoker from Finnland (dank Paul mein Freund!) did send me a pouch (which are now 40g instead of 50g...is this the brave new world Huxley wrote about?!) of the Originial Blend aka "Amphora Brown". As it's not available in germany (yet the red one is) I was really happy to get my fingers of a pouch.
Opening the pouch, which looks very similar to the red one I immediatly got blown away! This is much more natural, less sauced (if at all, I'd guess it's just cased in forehand no topping) and very tobacco-forward. I get choco- and nuts that are underlined with a whiff of fruitiness to it. Also I perceive the Oriental leaf, which contributes a slightly sour, more woody and ethereal aroma to the pouch aroma. Delicious scents that seem quite natural.
The cut is a rather coarse broken flake, with some ribbons inbetween. Mostly dark(er) brown, with some bright brown and very few golden-yellow sprinkles. Came in perfect condition for my gusto (slightly crispy with little moisture to it), but it's hard to judge the condition on a pouch. You never know how old the pouch is and they don't hold moisture too well, so it's a "hit 'n miss" thing with pouches.
First light offered a intensely nutty and chocolaty aroma, but not in a way a flavoring would give it, it seems those notes are (mainly) from the tobaccos themselves and are only underscored by the added flavoring. As the pouch states they wanted to emphazize the chocolaty note of the Burleys and they really hit a sweet spot here. I also notice the Oriental leafs quite well, which are contributing slightly sour, more dry-woody and ethereal and floral aroma that is underscoring the smoking experiences in the back very well! Virginias offer little (honeyish-)sweetness, earth and little citrusy freshness to balance the bold and "dark" character of the Burley. Kentucky offer little smokiness and enhances the earthy dimension a bit.
Really a rich melange of finest tobaccos, I wouldn't have expected it to be so deep and complex! Burley and Kentucky form a solid base of earth and choco/nut on which the Oriental can play the "blue notes" to it with its distinctive aroma, whils the Virginia is balancing the bold power and aroma of this mixture.
Much, much(!) better than the red (Full Aroma) one. While the red one is a tad too sweet and too sauced for me to be an All-Day smoke, this is the definition of an All-Day smoke for the Burley aficionado.
4/4 stars for an outstandingly good OTC blend that really impresses me with its tobacco forward taste and the skillfully blended mixture of excellent (tasting) leafs into a blend that's far above your average OTC blend. Perfection in a word!
A review with pictures and slightly more extended can be found on: http://pipesmagazine.com/forums/topic/a-package-from-paulie-amphore-original-brown-review?replies=3#post-1126915
Pipe Used: Clay Pipes / Various Briars
7 people found this review helpful.
|
|
Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| L'Italiano (233) | |
Medium | None Detected | Medium | Tolerable |
This tobacco is one of the best cavendish tobacco I have never smoked. Excellent, neutral, natural tobacco. But cavendish. I don’t know if there is some chocolate added. Or something else. I know this is a real natural cavendish tobacco (to be more precise, cavendish and not black cavendish). You can smoke it straight all day long and it doesn’t cloy. You can use it in all kind of mixture to improve it or to dilute an expensive tobacco, thanks to its neutral character. In my opinion this tobacco is a non-aromatic Cavendish and in this cheap product you can find the real taste of cavendish tobacco. In my personal rating (from 1 to 10) my score is 8/9 and three stars.
7 people found this review helpful.
|
|
Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Emeritus Account (30167) | |
Medium | Mild | Medium to Full | Pleasant to Tolerable |
One of my favorite allday tobacco, also very fitable in home-made mixtures. Round, fragrant, straight and natural, a little hint of cocoa in the aftertaste but not heavy artificial flavouring, it's all very soft and pleasant. The entire mixture (burley, oriental, kentucky and virginia) pass for a cavendish process. Despite that is a tobacco from the NL, the style is indubitably American; the result is a mixture between the burley American mixture and a classic and natural scottish blend, so nothing of the famous "Holland flavour like", burleys and orientals are preminent. Magnificent with some fresh added havana cigar fund. One of my secret and favourite mixture that a friend of mine call "Habanera" consist in 60 - 75% of AOB, 15 - 20% havana cigar, 10 - 20% latakia (syrian); the best % in my opinion is (70/20/10). Try it! The AOB is a good start for the beginner: for a perfect smoking requires some experience to control the lighting, the pressure in the bowl and the humidity, but if you do something wrong the result never fails you, so it's good for start practising.
Type: Burley american mixture/ scottish blend, natural medium ; Contents: Burley, Orientals, Kentucky and Virginia ; Flavoring: None particular flavoring added, only the minimal required by the cavendish process, something that remeber a chocolate aftertaste; Cut: Ribbon ; Humidity: Often high and tend to produce some humidity in the fund of the bowl during smoking, needs to be slow tasted ; Lighting: Most of the time easy, but burn slow and sometimes needs to be relighted ; Pipe recommended: Large bowls, in a Chubby is awesome, in a Corn pipe works great and in the Meerschaums give unique experiences
7 people found this review helpful.
|
Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| mo (81) | |
Mild to Medium | Very Mild | Mild to Medium | Unnoticeable |
I have been on a bit of a hunt for a good blend found in a pouch and picked up one of these after watching the review of it by Shane from Smokingpipes
I have to say, this is easily the best pouched tobacco blend I have smoked to date, granted I have a long way to go to try most of them but what I have found still remains truly delicious
In the past I have been one to shy away from Burly blends, due to the bitterness associated with this type of concoction but Amphora Original is as smooth as it gets with the Virginia and Oriental components popping in and creating a sort of crispness to the smoke...truly delightful
I can barely identify the cocoa flavouring as it is done so discretely to lift the taste of the very smooth Burly. I have grown really fond of this blend
From my own experience as a traditional VaPer smoker, pipers with a similar palette will benefit from giving this blend a try
Suitable as an "all day smoke" due to the lower than average nicotine found in it
Highly Recommended
PS. I have found that giving it a bit of drying time will do wonders
Pipe Used: Meerschaum, DBs and Petersons
Age When Smoked: New
Purchased From: Curiosity Hut
6 people found this review helpful.
|
|
Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Skando (203) | |
Mild to Medium | None Detected | Medium | Tolerable |
I have smoked Amphora OB (formerly Regular) a certain number of times in my long smoking life, never for itself but just because it is one of the few blends available in Italy - together with Italia and, in a smaller measure, Skandinavik Regular - good for house blending. The mixture Dunhill 965 + Amphora Regular (50/50) was a true classic back in the seventies, just as Sobranie Original Mixture + Italia (50/50) was too. Both good ways to reduce the considerable cost of smoking the expensive english mixtures of the time.
OB smoked alone belongs to the family of the regular/continental blends based on the triad VaBKy with occasional presence of Orientals (whose quality and origin who knows ?) or so-called Tropicals (Java, Paraguay or african weeds): a very balanced pout-pourry of many weeds, Burley being the main component. Very good to start new pipes because the non-characterization of the blend.
The smoke: not bad. A mild-to-medium strength mix of thin ribbon and ready rubbed, nutty/earthy with initial faint floreal notes, and some pleasant sourish effects to the tongue. Occasionally salty and piquant. To the nostril only tobacco aroma, I frankly don't detect any flavouring, not even the chocolatey one the pouch notes speak of. The body develops from refreshing to stouter, and sometimes makes me think of the current Three Nuns Original, just in milder way. The burning behaviour is very much good. Seems to me that OB benefits from larger bores.
A nice surprise indeed. OB is something no pipster should miss to taste in his life, and one of the best OTC blends available worldwide.
6 people found this review helpful.
|
|
Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marco D. (17) | |
Mild to Medium | Extremely Mild | Mild to Medium | Tolerable |
I want to start from the blend. Here someone recognize the dark fire Kentucky, but for me there is not trace. The punch description says Virginia, Burley and Orientals, for me this is the real blend; nothing more. Now, going back to the review, the cut is not a ribbon, but is in the perfect style of Amphora's blend, so ribbon, ready rubbed and broken flake all togheter. The packing is easy but need experience due to the particolar cut. The combustion is regular too. The aromas are very simply and tipical of Virginia and Burley, the Orientals remain in the background, but pay a lot of attenction to the frequency and intesity of puffs becouse this tobacco easily tends to overbalance and then became unpleseant, bite a little, also with a standard/normal rythim. In my opinion this is not, literally, a "flavoured" tobacco, for me there is a light neutral casing. The Original is not a good tobacco, but at the same time is not a bad one. This tobacco can offer a relaxed smoke, obviusly simply, there are different better options, but Amphora Original owns its dignity and I respect this product.
Pipe Used: Savinelli, Ashton
Age When Smoked: Immediately after purchase
Purchased From: Tabacconist in Italia
Similar Blends: Mac Baren Golden blend, Mac Baren Mixture, Amphora Full, Italia (MST).
5 people found this review helpful.
|
Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kokinhenik (93) | |
Mild to Medium | Mild | Mild to Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
First impressions: The flavoring is really affective. The Cocoa/Chocolate is very subtle but the way it highlights and sets off the kitchen sink of varietals is absolutely delicious. Very smooth. With so much going on here the blend is surprisingly consistent and steady in its note. Burley, Cavendish, Kentucky, Oriental/Turkish, Virginia oh my! I did detect a faint chemical note here and there.
5 people found this review helpful.
|
|
Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Emeritus Account (30167) | |
Mild | Mild | Mild | Pleasant |
#2 of 4 small samples from an internet friend, this "review" is based on two bowls, making it pointless for the reader to glean anything useful. I'm just jotting down my impressions based on this very limited experience. Rely on them at your own risk.
As opposed to the C&D, this one was sweeter and more chocolatey with a much rounder mouthfeel. The Virginia and Kentucky certainly helped, although I could not discern any real Turkish flavor. There was a very slight hint of sour which could have been my imagination. But the star of this show was the chocolatey burley which was likely assisted by a cocoa topping. Sweet but not excessively so, with a pleasant nut-like aroma and flavor. Not much complexity but every so often, I'd notice a slight shift in flavor presentation and the Kentucky added a little boldness or the Virginia gave me some brisk natural sweetness. This is one I'd like to buy and experiment with further.
5 people found this review helpful.
|
|
Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| thesmoggypipester (77) | |
Medium | Very Mild | Mild to Medium | Very Pleasant |
Having smoked a lot of this over the last few weeks I thought I would 're review my finding.
being a regular smoker of amphora full aroma, i was very surprised when I opened this and found the aromas a lot more subdued, at first thought I thought there was none, but a quick ruffle off the tobacco opens up typical burley cocoa and Virginia tang, there is a slight addition of cocoa/vanilla but unless you really search for it you will miss it.
Lighting up again it's a lot more subdued than full aroma and first few smokes I thought bland, but then something happened.
I sat down and concentrated just on the tobacco, and then the secrets were finally revealed.
Lovely true tobacco tastes straight from the off with a decent level of complexity, the slight addition of the cocoa and vanilla really compliments the blend.
for me this tobacco is almost the stereotypical type of tobacco where you sit and relax and savour it, and it truly is one to be favoured, have it burning away In the background and chug like a steam train you will get nothing from it.
Take it slow and let it develop and you will be rewarded.
it's kind of like having a bottle of 20 year old single malt, you don't just slug down shooters like no tomorow, you sit and relax, you savour the tastes, the aromas and the finish. You are in it for the long haul.
this is exactly what amphora original is like, blink and you miss it, but take your time and enjoy it and in my opinion it really is something special.
strength won't overwhelm it is stronger than full aroma, room note won't offend many, although ardent none smokers may raise the odd eyebrow.
4 stars and place in my top 3 rotation.
Pipe Used: Falcon....of course.
Age When Smoked: new
Purchased From: Mysmokingshop.co.uk
5 people found this review helpful.
|
|
Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fife&Drum (34) | |
Mild to Medium | Mild | Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
This is a Burley based blend. Not much flavoring added. Slight vanilla. The coco flavor one tastes to me is just the natural Burley taste. MacBaren generally processes their tobaccos with a maple sugar and water additive. I taste this. The Kentucky added is Burley as well that brings the slight Smokey taste with a sourness as the bowl reaches mid point. The Virginia’s bring up the rear with a light fruity body with the orientals adding spice and earthiness. This is not as pleasing a blend as Amphora Full Aroma. Yet it smokes smooth and non biting. More of a utility type blend. Still a very good blend.
Pipe Used: Old Whitehall Meerchaum lined
5 people found this review helpful.
|
Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WmZiggy (81) | |
Very Mild | Extremely Mild | Mild | Pleasant |
I had a pipe smoking friend send me a note that Amphora was back on the market and promptly order the Original and Full blends. This review is for the Original, as I haven't tried the Full yet. I was motivated because I smoked a number of tins of Amphora "Regular" in college, even ordered one of their pipes with coupons back when I couldn't afford to buy nice pipes. ( As an aside, the Amphora pipes were nice briars that smoked well.)
The remake Original Blend is as I remember their Regular that came in brown tins, if memory serves me correctly. It is a mild, easy smoke, with Burley earthiness in the forefront. After it has been burning a while - perhaps mid-bowl, I began to discern more sweetness of the Virginia kicking in, along with some nice Turkish notes. The blend burned nicely, with few re-lights to the bottom of the bowl. It smoked cool in the bowl, and did not burn the mouth, no matter how hard I puffed it. A slow burning nice tobacco flavor blend.
This blend was formed into cakes and sliced into course-cut ribbons. It is predominately Burley with some lemon colored Virginia. Predominately brown in color, it has some black flakes, perhaps the Cavendish leaf. I can't pick out the Turkish, but it's there. There is a top dressing, but it is light, perhaps licorice.
If you like lighter Burley/VA/Turkish blends you will like AOB. I like it as a nice change of pace from more high powered blends and flakes.
05/13/16 I smoked a bowl of this is my ol Amphora bulldog pipe last night. Whatever, it was excellent. Some fine memories here!
Pipe Used: Dunhill Cumberland Squat Bulldog blast.
Age When Smoked: New
Purchased From: Pipes and Cigars
Similar Blends: McBaren's Golden Extra without the MB top dressing..
5 people found this review helpful.
|
Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| doc'spipe (242) | |
Medium | Mild | Medium | Pleasant |
I'm smoking my first bowl of Amphora Original as I write this post. Like many, I've waited for this to come back to the USA for years. Last I smoked it was in the late 80s I believe. Not as flavorful as the Full Aroma but enjoyable none the less (see my review for Full Aroma). I ordered two packs each from 4noggins and they arrived this afternoon. I was at a basketball game at West Point and knowing the parcel with the baccy would be arriving today, I couldn't wait to get home and start puffing away. Mildly chocolate in taste , with a mild to medium nic hit. Smokes relatively cool and without bite. What remains coming back into the room after putting the pipe down for a few minutes is a delicious smell of chocolate cake baking. Never cigarette like at all which is a huge plus too. Very enjoyable! 4 stars.
Pipe Used: Stanwell Featherweight Poker
Age When Smoked: Fresh from pouch.
Purchased From: 4Noggins
5 people found this review helpful.
|
|
Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pipelover59 (1) | |
Medium | None Detected | Medium | Pleasant |
This is one of those delightful quiet and understated friends that is like the neighbour you are happy to greet every once in a while to re-calibrate to the centre with a decent and light conversation.
The subtle grassy scent in the pouch quietly introduces the other components of this pleasant smoke that evolves in the bowl. Opening blush is a simple pure tobacco taste with a cocoa greeting that grows as the bowl burns down. It is gentle on the tongue, but requires a little attention as you smoke it. The meerschaum lining in my BC added a light dimension to the roundness of the obvious Virginia and Burley medley that stayed constant throughout. The grassy sweet flavours came through a little more in the end, more complementary than competitive. The room note is reminiscent of older classic tobaccos that "your uncle used to smoke", and while not something that makes you ohh and ahh, is still a welcoming scent to almost any nose.
I enjoy this tobacco to give perspective to the various English blends that I smoke and in my rotation sometimes use it as an introduction to the Dunhill 965 time of day for juxtaposition.
Quite simply, a classic old unassuming favourite that is a reliable part of a relaxed rotation that seeks a balanced mediator among the competitive interests!
Pipe Used: Butz Cho
Age When Smoked: fresh
Purchased From: Casablanca's in Toronto
4 people found this review helpful.
|
|
Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| eikles (1) | |
Medium | None Detected | Medium to Full | Pleasant to Tolerable |
My favorite burley blend so far. Excellent natural chocolaty and nutty burley flavor.
4 people found this review helpful.
|
|
Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Emeritus Account (30167) | |
Medium | Medium to Strong | Medium to Full | Pleasant |
I agree with the other reviewer. I used to smoke the Amphora range in the past, and recall them as being rather fast-burning. I bought this upon the recommendation of a tobacconist in Holland, who claimed it as the only blend he smokes.
A curious aroma and taste - very nutty, I'd say. You probably wouldn't want to smoke it day-in-day-out, unlike said tobacconist, but it makes a good rotation tobacco.
Sadly, unavailable in the UK, so if you're abroad and see it, buy a few packs.
Better than the full aroma blend, though this is certainly worth trying, too.
4 people found this review helpful.
|
|
Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pipestud (1829) | |
Very Mild | Extremely Mild | Very Mild | Pleasant to Tolerable |
Seeing Skilling's review of Amphora Regular reminded me of when I started smoking this blend 25 or 30 years ago. I ordered several packages of Amphora from the Dan Tobacco catalog a year or so ago and the flavor sure seemed less impressive than what I remembered. Then I read Tantric's review and understood why. I did not know the blender had changed.
Like many of today's staples that have undergone subtle changes due to the recipe being recreated by different blenders, Amphora Regular is indeed not what it used to be. A hot burning, mild sort of mostly burley with a smidgen of virginia, AR does not light my fire.
4 people found this review helpful.
|
Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| neopipe (2) | |
Medium | Very Mild | Medium to Full | Pleasant |
A pipe smoking session is a very delicate time. Know then, that it is the year 2021. The known pipe universe is ruled according to Danelaw under Emperor Mac Baren. In this time, the most precious substance in the Universe is the spice melange. Composed mainly of burleys along with virginias and orientals, the spice enhances life. The spice expands tastiness. The spice is vital to productivity. The Amphora Guild and its member smokers, who the spice has mutated for the last five decades or so, retrohale the Original spice gas, which gives them the ability to fold time. That is, to enjoy tobacco at a delightfully slow pace.
The spice is also known as Amphora Original and it has been my loyal companion for many years now. Smoking a pipe has become synonymous with having a bowl of Amphora Original. If smoking weren't outlawed in most places (unfortunately, the spice does not grant one the ability to fold the law), I could smoke this anytime, anyplace - not only figuratively, but literally as well. The very first time I bought this, I assumed this was going to be a cheap, second-rate pipe tobacco. Yet, I couldn't have been more wrong. Fresh and unsmoked, the spice melange smells like cocoa, dark chocolate and raisins in its lovely brown pouch. As a rubbed out flake it can be a little rough around the edges so I occasionally find myself rubbing it out a little further. I then load up my pipe and prepare for a journey of some 90 minutes of burley-induced pleasure.
The cool, dry, slow and even burn of this tobacco offers a variety of subtle and natural tobacco flavors. There is the slightly bittersweet flavor of dark chocolate or cocoa which tends to stand out midway. It also has some drier, woodier, hazelnut-like qualities I greatly appreciate. Though by no means sweet, it is creamy and smooth as butter. And yet every now and then, it reveals its spicy character - a flavor reminding me of black pepper, the original spice melange.
A delight for anyone who appreciates the delicate sweetness and earthiness of burley along with virginias and orientals, it is readily available where I live at an affordable price. It's neither too mild nor too strong but supplies just the right amount of lady nicotine a man needs. It isn't so high-maintenance as to require your constant attention yet when you do give it your attention, you will be rewarded. Whether sipped or puffed, the spice never bites, although sipping is recommended if you want to pick up more flavors. Another reason I love this tobacco for is its rather full body, the smoke being almost edible though without being overwhelming.
Like bread and butter, this is my staple tobacco. For maximum potency, I recommend pairing it with strong black coffee. It leaves no moisture, just a nice layer of white ash at the bottom. Though it is unlikely tho ghost your pipes, it may come to possess your taste buds. In case you hadn't guessed it, this is my all day smoke. I would recommend any pipe smoker to contemplate the spice melange and consider joining the Amphora Guild.
Fear of tongue bite is the mind-killer. The Amphora Original must flow!
Pipe Used: straight billiards
3 people found this review helpful.
|
|
Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rohann (16) | |
Mild to Medium | Medium | Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
This is my first "real" burley blend I ever bought. One thing very noticeable about Amphora: It is not "cheap" in regards to the quality.
This blend has an obvious cacao taste, yet not chocolate. Remarkably smooth! A bit of sweetness come and go every once in a while. A definite taste of Brasil nuts is evident. The room note is quite inoffensive and the pouch smells rather mild. I got it in perfect moisture level. It burns cool and stays unaltered in temperature in spite of my efforts. It packs easily, lights and stays lit just as good.
My long searched verdict came to me very clearly: This is a high quality tobacco at a very affordable price, making it arguably the best all day smoke.
Pipe Used: Peterson 312
Age When Smoked: 3 years
Purchased From: Tobacco Worx
3 people found this review helpful.
|
Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reed's Tobacciana (7) | |
Medium | Medium | Medium to Full | Very Pleasant |
I really like this blend. It has a nice cocoa flavor that compliments the natural air cured burley.The dark fired Kentucky burley adds a nice spice element as well. To me the other tobaccos take a back seat to these two but the Turkish does add a little something to the mix. I'm an all day smoker and this could easily be a all day smoke. It has no bite and smokes cool for me. The only real drawback is the price. $4.23 an ounce!!! Why??? No way that it will ever be a regular smoke for me. There are too many good burley blends out there in bulk that provide the same experience. Put this on the market in bulk at a reasonal price and you have a real winner.
Pipe Used: Vintage Missouri Meerschaum
Age When Smoked: Several Months
Purchased From: Smoking Pipes
Similar Blends: Peter Stokkebye Natural Dutch Cavendish.
3 people found this review helpful.
|
Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| cakeanddottle (105) | |
Mild to Medium | Mild | Mild to Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
I really kicked myself afterwards for not getting a bunch of Burley London Blend when they delisted it. Golden Extra was sort of a substitute, but given the choice I'd take BLB every time. I didn't try Amphora Original until years later, and going from memory this is the tobacco that can soften the blow of BLB's unavailability.
If you've smoked the pre-HH Burley Flake Mac Baren Burleys, this will be immediately familiar to you. It's a mild Burley with an excellent quality of taste. A little nut sweet, meant to be sipped because the mild flavors don't hold up if you push forward too quickly. This also has a cocoa topping, which presents nicely and never overtakes the Burley. Honestly, this is exactly a Danish interpretation of an American OTC Burley.
In the spectrum of Mac Baren Burleys, I place HH Burley Flake at the top. Since it came out, I no longer pine for Burley London Blend. That's the one you should buy your weight in. I also like the old school Mac Baren Burley presentation, and this and Golden Extra are present in my cellar. They're a little mild by American standards, but they hit no sour notes, the quality of flavor is excellent, and they are consistent year after year. If you like Golden Extra I'd certainly give this a try. I think it's a bit better, and very much along the same lines.
3 people found this review helpful.
|
Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HabaneroHardy (401) | |
Mild | Extremely Mild | Mild to Medium | Unnoticeable |
Back in the late 90s when I was still new in the hobby or pastime however one would say, I was trying different and new blends. Come to think of it, I guess I am still trying new and different blends. Anyway, back to the story. There was Hilands at the mall, a pipe and cigar store in Vista owned by a retired SgtMaj USMC, and of course drug stores. There was not the vast internet shopping that we have today, sounding old. Ha. I tried blends like Captain Black, Dutch Masters Whiskey, buy one get one free and probably a few others. I bought this one and also the Full Aroma. It was night and I went out to the pool at the apartment complex where I lived, sat in a chair alone and smoked this. Why I still remember this I do not know, maybe it was the peace and solitude that I enjoyed that night. Maybe for once everything just melded together. It was good and like a fleeting romance I moved on. Sometime in the future it disappeared from the US market until a few years ago when I noticed it back in catalogs and online. Then it was like nine dollars a pouch and a little too pricey for me at the time. I got this one, Full Aroma, and the Black Cav on sale. Upon opening, I noticed that this is hermetically sealed unlike a few pouches which are taped and that is about it. It has a very faint coco smell and I mean faint. I have been smoking this for the past two days and really enjoy it. I would not even classify this as an aromatic. This is a good quality smooth burley in my opinion. Will I buy again, more than likely no but not because of any negative qualities of the blend more due to too much inventory. Yes, I am a pouch hopper, hopping from one blend to the next. When this pouch is emptied, I will check out the other two. It was nice to smoke something where it all began so to speak. The reviewer oldcodger has some interesting history about Amphora. This also has some classy packaging.
Pipe Used: Various Briars
Age When Smoked: New
3 people found this review helpful.
|
|
Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Simon.c (20) | |
Mild | Mild to Medium | Medium | Very Pleasant |
I bought this on a whim, I'm plesantly surprised how good it is for a packet aromatic.
You get a lot of bang for your buck. A simple burley heavy tobacco with a lightly applied sweetish chocolate topping. The topping compliments the toasty, nutty burly very nicely. It burns well, requires little attention to keep lit, never seems to bite. All in all it's going into my regular rotation.
Age When Smoked: New
Purchased From: GQ
3 people found this review helpful.
|
|
Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| rattdogg99 (53) | |
Medium | Very Mild | Mild to Medium | Pleasant |
Delightful. Good tobacco flavor as the top dressings are add with a light hand. The Burley is the main player providing the chocolate, nutty flavor with the other tobaccos in the background. I can't detect the vanilla others have mentioned but I do think its there just doing it's part to make this one of the most mellow blends I've ever smoked. If I had to pick one word to describe Amphora Original I guess mellow would be it. Highly recommended.
Pipe Used: MM cobs
Age When Smoked: Fresh
Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com
3 people found this review helpful.
|
|
Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| wintermute (90) | |
Mild to Medium | Very Mild | Mild | Tolerable to Strong |
Let me say that I a big fan of Burley tobacco. This tobacco is right up my alley and has all the qualities one looks for in a good Burley blend. The taste is sort of many Black and Burley blends I have tried without the usual vanilla topping. The Virginia and Oriental tobaccos are present, but they play a minor role. There is a sweetness that one can certainly taste and, yes, it does seem like chocolate. Well, dark chocolate, anyway. Do not be mislead into thinking this is some kind of milk chocolate confection. Also, do not think that the aroma is that of simmering cocoa; it is not. I would describe the taste as being more sweet than nutty, but the aroma is that of a typical Burley smoke. The pouch reveals an almost broken flake kind of feel and the pouch aroma does, indeed, smell like it tastes. Some careful packing in a larger pipe seems to yield the best results. It does not take to a light very well, but What Mac Barren product really does? And, it seems to impart a little more moisture to the bowl than one might first think. The smoke is thick, but not over-whelming. And, yes, like most Mac Barren offerings, if you puff to vigorously you will get bitten. Treat it as you would an aromatic and the taste and smoke are just great. The nicotine is higher than your typical Mac Barren blend and the ash is fine and falls out of the pipe. There is no after-taste. It does not ghost your pipe unless your next bowl is a heavy English or dessert aromatic. Overall, this is a very fine all-day smoke. There is enough complexity to keep you interested and there is enough simple Burley goodness to keep you satisfied. When the bowl is done, you want another one right away. If I could grab a pouch of this at my local convenience store or dgrug store, this would be sure go-to for me.
Pipe Used: various briars and cobs
Age When Smoked: 6 months
Purchased From: pipesandcigars.com
Similar Blends: Mac Barren Symphony, Sir Walter Raleigh Regular, Stokkebye's Black and Burley.
3 people found this review helpful.
|
Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pryhosm (248) | |
Mild | Mild | Mild to Medium | Pleasant |
Amphora is a nice simple smoke. Chocolate and Burley is the pouch note. I would call this a burley based aromatic. I read the label and it says it has robust blend of several tobacco's but the dominant tobacco I taste is burley. The Cavendish and Kentucky are the only tobacco's that I can taste. It is a very nice pouch blend. It is not heavily flavored like many OTC's and doesn't come as moist as other pouches. The pouch an a half I have gone through were ready to smoke right out of the pouch and do not leave a wet heel. I was a bit disappointed due to the pouch description, I was expecting more complexity given the number of tobacco types in the blend, but other than my expectations being off, Amphora smokes well and has a nice honest old school pipe tobacco character. The chocolate topping is the dominant flavor but supports the burley very nicely and is not overpowering. The molases like flavor from the cavendish also is very nice and provides a nice full mouth feel, it rounds the smoke out very nicely. KY gives a nice woody spice that is very subtle but perks up this tobacco. I did not get any tongue bite which I did expect...very nice surprise. Overall this is a nice all day smoke if you want a nice burley based flavor without having to pay to much attention to the pipe.
Pipe Used: briars and cobs
Age When Smoked: straight out of fresh pouches.
Purchased From: Pipes and Cigars
3 people found this review helpful.
|
Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| J. Ward (70) | |
Medium | Very Mild | Medium | Tolerable |
The virginias are hay and a touch of honey, yet they're overshadowed by the nutty sweet burleys that lend a slight note of cocoa. The kentucky is wood and leather with a slight bit of spice, and becomes more noticeable as the bowl burns past mid-point. I don't detect much from the turkish. The chocolate topping is delicate and barely there, adding a little extra something and complimenting the natural flavors, while the cavendish smooths things out nicely. If you enjoy a good burley blend, then you'll love this tobacco, absolutely. 3.4 stars.
Age When Smoked: 6 months
Purchased From: smokingpipes.com
3 people found this review helpful.
|
Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| steppx (186) | |
Mild | Mild | Mild to Medium | Pleasant |
Like all things, the original was better. At least thats my memory. The Orientals were certainly stronger in the old version. The Imperial product was junk, but this new Macbaren is not bad.....but its not the same. It is closer now to a Carter Hall kind of smoke...and nothing wrong with that, mind, but still, I miss the old. Its a perfectly good high level codger blend.
Purchased From: 4noggins
3 people found this review helpful.
|
Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MarkTheLad (46) | |
Mild to Medium | Mild | Mild to Medium | Pleasant |
This is a good solid blend, I find it to be a little sweet, nutty and faintly chocolatey. I wasn't a big fan of this the first time I smoked it, for some reason I found it harsh, maybe it was the pipe or just my mouth chemistry at the time. I came back to it about 2 months later though and really enjoyed it, now I reach for it as much as I do anything else. The pouch aroma is nice and tobacco forward and it seems to have a nice room note as well. I really like how the flavorings are all sublimated and I can taste the quality tobaccos up front. It burns nice and cool with no bite and very few relights once you get it going. The cut is kind of a coarse or a thick ribbon cut, but it packs easily enough. This is usually my morning smoke, as I enjoy Amphora with a cup of coffee and I smoke it almost exclusively in my briar pipes (for some reason I think it just tastes better that way). This comes a little moist in the pouch, so I like to open the pouch and let dry overnight. I would estimate the strength to be medium, just a couple ticks above mild.
Pipe Used: Various briars
Age When Smoked: 3 months
Purchased From: PipesandCigars.com
3 people found this review helpful.
|
|
Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Robykeys82 (25) | |
Mild to Medium | Mild | Medium | Pleasant |
Amphora Original Blend is one of those mixtures suggested for beginners, since it's easy to pack, light and burns really well. While some notice a heavy cocoa topping, I don't. Just a subtle hint of chocolate here and there. This mixtures can be viewed as an alternative for the Latakia addicted, it's not heavy in the nicotine compartment and the tobaccos are really balanced. Not a masterpiece, but a honest blend. Recommended.
Pipe Used: American Bent, Corncob
Age When Smoked: Fresh from pouch
3 people found this review helpful.
|
|
Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| oldcodger (74) | |
Mild to Medium | Extremely Mild | Medium | Pleasant |
Amphora Original Blend is a perfectly good tobacco when smoked for what it is. And what is that? A casual utility blend, not a gourmet offering.
This was originally produced in the Netherlands by Douwe Egberts, the brown package then denoted as Regular. It was part of a family of Amphoras, including (but not limited to) the red full aromatic (actually somewhere between mild and medium), the blue (light aromatic with a hint of mint), and the green (medium aromatic with a hazelnut taste). In the late 1990's the brand was acquired by Imperial Tobacco. and according to many the quality went down. I have no idea if this was true, for Imperial would not distribute to the United States. After some years the manufacture was farmed out to MacBaren, and then in 2015 MacBaren actually acquired the Amphora line. Once more the brown "Regular" was available in the US, but it was now characterized as "Original Blend." MacBaren produces good tobacco.
In the pouch you discover a mixture with a somewhat stringy ribbon cut. The sniffing test reveals nothing outstanding, but then it is not unpleasant either.It lights OK, but the ribbons are large enough to require an occasional relight in the puffing. The tobaccos are burley, dark fired Kentucky, cavendish (not black cavendish), oriental and Virginia.
The taste is pleasant, although not exciting. The burley and Kentucky dominate, enhanced with a bit of cocoa flavoring--a taste that melds well with burley. The cavendish and Virginia lurk in the background, but provide a bit of sweetness. The oriental is just barely evident. What you have is a very nice medium smoke with a taste that is perfectly fine for casual smoking but a bit too insipid for those pipe times when full attention is directed to the smoke.
The room note is pleasant, more of a natural tobacco than an aromatic smell (for Amphora Original Blend is a semi-aromatic, not an aromatic blend).The nicotine strength just hits medium. I smoke it in my burley blend pipes. I am not particularly bite prone. This blend has never bitten me, but hold in mind that I am not sensitive along that line.
When you are doing something else, but choose to also puff a pipe, Amphora Original Blend fills the bill. When your full attention is directed to the smoking, however, it comes across as very ordinary. Use this as a utility tobacco.
3 people found this review helpful.
|
|
Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rob73 (77) | |
Mild | Mild | Mild to Medium | Pleasant |
One of the most popular blends. The reason? It's the right choice for a novice, it's an aromatic but not too sweet and not so boring and also it has a good and intriguing flavour after the first third of smoke. You have to smoke it very slowly to appreciate it. 3,0/5 in my personal rating system.
Purchased From: New Smoke, Milano (Italy)
3 people found this review helpful.
|
|
Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| tados (3) | |
Mild to Medium | Mild | Medium | Pleasant |
This blend is a great all-day smoke. It is just nutty and chocolatey enough to give a kick to your bowl. The room note is great, I appreciate the sweetness of the last half-bowl. It's a tobacco I like to share with a non-smoker friend for his firsts time because here in Quebec it's the only convenient store tobacco that offers a good burley blend. (the other available tobaccos are Sail, Tycoon, Captain Black and Borkum Riff) all of these have poor reviews and I'm not interested in trying those.
The pouch: great nut/chocolate sent. 1st half: Good, plain burley. 2nd half: The flavoring reveals itself. great aroma, great room note. Ending: I have never thrown the last fourth of the bowl like I usually do.
Pros: great flavouring Cons: occasional bite tongue, the flavouring could be overwhelming for English smokers. Creates quite a lot of humidity, keep a peap-cleaner near you, especially in cold weather.
3 people found this review helpful.
|
Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| albfneto (184) | |
Very Mild | Very Mild | Very Mild | Pleasant |
Is almost tasteless, not so strong. For me is Flat,but is a good quality product. Agreable for novices in pipe smoking.
3 people found this review helpful.
|
|
Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Emeritus Account (30167) | |
Mild | Extremely Mild | Mild | Pleasant to Tolerable |
Good times! This was the first blend I ever tried, I bought it the same day I bought my first pipe. I had no clue. I bought the pipe because I liked how it looked and it was cheap, and I bought Amphora Regular because the guy at the counter asked me if I wanted to pick up some tobacco and I blurted out "Amphora" since I remembered an old commercial for it, and "Regular" since it was the first pouch I spotted behind the counter.
The taste is mild, and it burns relatively well. Thankfully I enjoyed it enough to stick with the pipe, it really led me to explore the hobby deeper. I will eternally be grateful to Amphora for it...but you still only get two stars!
Worth a try.
3 people found this review helpful.
|
|
Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| strongirish (249) | |
Mild | Extremely Mild | Mild to Medium | Very Pleasant |
I smoked this for years and am still looking for a replacement. If anyone ever finds one, please, please contact me as I would love to try it. This is an almost natural tobacco and a mix of Burley and Virginias in a thin cavendish cut that stays lit easily and can be smoked all day long. It has a great room note that noone, I mean noone ever complained about. It has a sweet nutty taste and a good n hit. Unfortunately they no longer import into the US! Don't you hate it when your all day blend cannot be had anymore? Cakes the bowl well and burns down to a powdery grey ash.
Great stuff!
3 people found this review helpful.
|
Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Skygazer (6) | |
Medium | Mild | Mild to Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
Commonly recommended for beginners here in Italy but I don't particularly agree with this, to be honest. I myself smoked my first bowls with this blend but never managed to quite love it.
First, the cut is chunky and moist, which made my first packing and lighting experiences quite a chore. Second, I still don't believe the taste holds up. It's a good tobacco, but too anonymous to my taste... but then again, I'm an ex cigarette smoker so my expectations for pipe tobacco are high. I'd never choose this over an English blend or a good aromatic, but I'd still smoke it with pleasure.
2 people found this review helpful.
|
Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cap'n Lev (19) | |
Mild to Medium | Mild | Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
The contents of burley and cavendish, plus oriental are harmoniously blended with Virginia and a very mild chocolate flavoring (almost not existent). It is an all day easy going blend that has all the components I like for when I chill in the evenings. Surprisingly after all those complicated blends and tobaccos, this blend reminds me why I still am a fun of simple burley cavendish ones. I am smoking right now one bowl in a corncob pipe and I must say this blend is mild enough to relax yet strong enough with a tasteful aroma and hints of cocoa that I much appreciate on a hard day work ahead.
Pipe Used: Briar, Corn cob, Meerschaum
Age When Smoked: New
2 people found this review helpful.
|
Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DeathMetal.org (231) | |
Mild | Mild | Medium to Full | Pleasant to Tolerable |
Summary: a solid Burley blend enhanced with the flavor of condimentals, but burns hot because of no PG so requires breath-smoking slowly.
Like other Mac Baren mixtures, Amphora "Original Blend" features a core of Burley whose flavor is twisted mid-flight by condimentals. The Orientals give it a sweet-sour tang, the dark fired Kentucky Burley makes it smoky and rich, and the Virginias sweeten it as the Cavendish makes a nice, fluffy light smoke. It fits right within the spectrum of Dutch blends, which pair dark fired and Virginias, but has more of the flavor profile of an English with the dark fired standing in for Latakia. As a result, the taste of this blend more resembles watching a tapestry from a distance than staring at a detail: a broad Burley flavor, tweaked slightly with a sweet topping, in which all of these other influences swim and merge. Like an English, you find yourself tasting an almost gingerbread-like concoction and over time, start to detect its constituents. Like most Mac Baren blends, Amphora does not use chemicals to regulate burning, so it will burn hot and steam bite unless you breath-smoke it very slowly.
Similar Blends: John Middleton, Inc - Prince Albert, Mac Baren - Mixture: Scottish Blend.
2 people found this review helpful.
|
Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tomcat (221) | |
Mild to Medium | Extremely Mild | Medium | Unnoticeable |
Mac Baren- Amphora Original Blend . A Nutty ,toasty and lightly infused cocoa Burley blend . I really enjoy the way the Orientals and Kentucky tobaccos dance together and weave in and out at different times during the smoke ! I like to be surprised at what comes next during a smoke . The Virginias are there with some hay and grass but in the background mostly . It’s a creamy smoke with occasional spice and floral notes. Sell it in a pouch or tin or bulk , I don’t care . I will buy more to cellar . A winner ! 4 stars
2 people found this review helpful.
|
|
Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Emeritus Account (30167) | |
Mild to Medium | Very Mild | Medium to Full | Pleasant |
No lack of taste in this stuff , the orientals are a little sharp on my tongue but I got used to it after a few smokes , mainly burley , would be ideal with a bit more dark fired. , Close to medium strength , very nice will probably buy more to have some on hand , nice chunky cut and slow burning which is a bonus , recommended to try. Revisited this blend in 2022 upgraded from 3 to four stars actually enjoying my pipe again. Not all that easy to obtain these days , so now I've found it will be buying more for future use, corncob and briar used.
Pipe Used: Briar
Age When Smoked: Fresh
Purchased From: Smoke king uk and kiosk
Similar Blends: This may seem like a strange comparison but the only similar baccy I can recall smoking is dunhill 965 because of its rich creamy texture ,not as strong as 965 ( dunhill 965 of many years ago not the modern stuff )..
2 people found this review helpful.
|
Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DavyCrockettwashere (33) | |
Mild | Extremely Mild | Mild | Pleasant |
I was recently given a pouch of Amphora Original. I hadn’t tried this since it was made by Douie Egbert company, and that was quite a long time ago. Gone was the Fiber One looking pieces of the blend, but the taste and flavor seemed to be there. In fact, it was really, really good. The Burley has the soft, round, chocolate side, while the Virginia and Turkish soften the nicotine to make the whole, feel like your favorite quilt. A good tasting pipe of tobacco, that really satisfies. So good to see this one back again.
Pipe Used: My old Comoy.
Age When Smoked: New.
2 people found this review helpful.
|
Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Troy_nov1965 (13) | |
Mild to Medium | Mild to Medium | Mild to Medium | Pleasant |
Its a good tobacco and I like it very much . Nice burley taste with just the right sweetness from the Virginia's. The dark fired Kentucky adds a nice hint of deep smokey flavor. I could see myself smoking this very often and daily but for one problem. The price. The average price is around 7.00 dollars a pouch here in the US. Thats roughly about 112 dollars a pound ! Too many good and better bulk blends out there for half that. If it was sold in bulk or at least 1 LB bags at a decent price I would buy it often. Again good tobacco but not worth the price. I will not purchase again.
Pipe Used: Pre-war Yello Boles, Kaywoodies etc...
Age When Smoked: straight from pouch
Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com
2 people found this review helpful.
|
Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| canvas (337) | |
Mild | Mild | Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
Well this is annoying. I did a review of Original Blend a year ago, and now I can't seem to find it, so I'm doing what any good reviewer does, buy some more! As with the other Amphora pouches, you get the golden ticket treatment (by which I mean the bag has a smart looking gold lining) plus a wad of some seriously unbroken meaty ribbon bits. The pouch gives off a nice natural sweetness, though not as chocolatey as the pouch I had prior. It was feeling more like a Virginia forward blend with an earthy smell.
The flavors do surface once lit. The smoke is velvety, possibly chocolate, though certainly not an overly topped sweet-a-thon. The kind of thing you can smoke in succession without tiring of it. Nicotine and intensity is on the milder side. The Amphora cut is what I liked the most, it is sturdy and smolders without much moisture.
I often look at pouched tobaccos as cheap, but this was one that changed my opinion.
Purchased From: pipesandcigars.com
2 people found this review helpful.
|
Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sheldon Richman (15) | |
Medium | Mild | Medium to Full | Pleasant |
A great all-day smoke - the ultimate compliment. Pleasant natural chocolate burley flavor that really satisfies. I love this blend! I will buy more for sure.
Pipe Used: All kinds
Age When Smoked: Fresh
Purchased From: Smoking Pipes
2 people found this review helpful.
|
Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WolfmanSam (37) | |
Mild to Medium | Mild | Mild to Medium | Pleasant |
Upon opening the pouch, I’m greeted with a pleasant, mild cocoa aroma. The tobacco is moist, but does not need time to dry. This ribbon cut is a mixture of light brown, dark brown and light/dark brown tobaccos.
I taste chocolate, but it is not overpowering. At times, I sense leather. It’s savory rather than sweet, and can be lightly spicy. It’s pleasant, mellow and almost medium in body. It smokes cool and never harsh. It goes well with black coffee, and works best for me as a pre-breakfast pipe.
This is a good blend for the aromatic smoker that wants to explore non-aromatics, and still retain the flavour.
2 people found this review helpful.
|
Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Philo Beddoe (221) | |
Mild to Medium | Mild | Mild to Medium | Tolerable |
I was quite surprised by this tobacco, I expected a typical Danish aromatic that would be way too sweet and roast my tongue. In fact, Amphora is a very pleasant smoke, producing no tongue bite and the chocolate casing was rather mild. I taste Burley predominantly, with the chocolate casing much lighter than I had expected, reminds me of the taste of baking chocolate, not very sweet at all, more of a chocolate aftertaste than an in your face aromatic. I will be buying more.
Pipe Used: Various briars
Age When Smoked: Fresh
Purchased From: Local grocery store
2 people found this review helpful.
|
|
Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BigSwede (93) | |
Mild to Medium | Extremely Mild | Mild to Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
I smoked this stuff originally when Nixon was still president. I loved it back when. After all the iterations I was a little nervous about trying it again. I like the chunky ribbon cut and the smell in the pouch of raisins and figs. Once going it needs few relights. The flavor is good burley tobacco and a hint of cocoa, just a hint. It's a simple smoke with the tobacco flavors coming through. Its a good out of doors smoke. No aftertaste. I'll keep some around for sitting out on the patio in nice weather. Recommended.
Pipe Used: Large bowl freehand
Age When Smoked: New
2 people found this review helpful.
|
|
Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cicero1 (3) | |
Mild to Medium | Very Mild | Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
Recently moved to an area without a tobacconist, this was one of the few blends offered at a variety store, so I figured I'd give it a try. Within the first few bowls I was amazed, and I intend to continue purchasing this blend.
There's a mild cocoa flavouring which is enjoyable but not overpowering. The tobacco burns fairly cool, and doesn't require much tamping in order to remain lit. I've also never received tongue bite, even when first testing this in unfiltered briars. There's a lasting aftertaste which is pleasant.
I've smoked this around non-smokers, and there were never complaints about the smell.
2 people found this review helpful.
|
Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AcworthAl (38) | |
Mild to Medium | Very Mild | Medium to Full | Pleasant to Tolerable |
Amphora Original I have not smoke this for 40 years. Thanks to Tobacco Reviews (really a great web site) I purchased two packs. Tried a pipe full in a reversed calabash a Curvy what a great smoke really wonderful and a change of pace from some of the Vapers I have smoked. Tobacco Reviews has be an incredible find it has increased my knowledge of pipe tobacco and the balance of the debit card. Thanks for the great work you and your reviews do.
Pipe Used: Curvy
Age When Smoked: New out of tin
Purchased From: smoking pipes.com
2 people found this review helpful.
|
|
Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bentlink (9) | |
Mild to Medium | Mild | Medium | Tolerable |
I smoked this back in the 1980's in College, and this newly imported version compares well with my memory...but my tastes have evolved. The pouch has the familiar tobaco and liqueur tones. It's a stringy ribbon cut with some hint of folded, rubbed cake with some pieces clinging together. The moisture is about right, just a bit on the damp side.
On lighting, I get a wee taste of chocolate. I'd describe it as Burley-forward, but don't see that as particularly positive, just factual. It burns well, with surprisingly little moisture. I find it getting sweeter at mid bowl. It holds on as decent to the finish.
This blend has some nostalgia for me, but I'm more of an English and Balkan fan these days, and miss some of the Latakia and Oriental taste. This blend is serviceable, but not really special for me now. I'll smoke it as a comfortable and occasional diversion, but won't go out of my way to find more.
Pipe Used: Neerup
Age When Smoked: Fresh
Purchased From: Pipes & Cigars
2 people found this review helpful.
|
|
Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oppenheimer (2) | |
Medium | Very Mild | Medium | Pleasant |
One of my first Tobacco. Was not disapointed. The Burley gives it a nice chocolate tone. Round finish. As some of you mentionned before, it fits in the "all day smoke" class (price / value / can be found basically everywhere). Sure there is some way better Tobacco around, but you should give it a try (especially for new smokers). People around me told me the smell was nice. For me, it is time to conquer new lands.
Pipe Used: Peterson #306
Age When Smoked: Brand new
Purchased From: J.E. Giguère
2 people found this review helpful.
|
Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| THE-GYPSY-SMOKER (3) | |
Medium | None Detected | Extremely Mild (Flat) | Strong |
dont always believe reviews on the internet.no two ppl have the same taste either as i learned that the hardway by wasting money on this blend witch sells for close to a wopping 30$! up here in canada as ppl in the us refer to this as drugstore tobacco. in toronto we stopped tobacco sales at pharmacies and grocery stores back in the mid 90s so here its considered rare to even find capin black bokarum erinmore or amphora and they all sell for 30$ no matter what for a 50g pouch that costs you 5$ or 6$ so you can imagine that means top shelf stuff costs us between 60$ to 80$!...so back to my reveiew if your into tobacco that tastes like cigarettes this is for you. mainly amarican smokes that smell and tastes like cigars like marbs cams and winston here are smokes dont taste like that.everytime im about to try a new tobacco for the first time i use a unused mini cob to get the full flave and then i will try it a 2nd time in a proper pipe.. on the false char it tasted like pure chemicals on the true light it smelled and tasted like cigar smoke with a strange blast of spicyness it burned super fast and scolding hot i could barley hold the bowl and it stated to gurgle right away i also tasted a hint of sour this made me not want to try the other versions like the cognac one
Pipe Used: corn cob mini and a peterson billiard
Purchased From: smok and variety shop
Similar Blends: marlbaro reds cigarettes.
2 people found this review helpful.
|
|
Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Emeritus Account (30167) | |
Medium | Mild | Medium | Pleasant |
This is (my current) OTC mainstay, so my review may be somewhat coloured.
The pouch aroma is very mild, offering hints of nuttyness and freshly mown grass, with undertones of leather. I have found this tobacco to be a touch on the dry side (although not overly so), but I think that is due to me being the only person purchasing this from my local tobacconist, and his supply being rather aged.
The cut is a little on the long side (to the point of being near unruly), and towards the bottom of the pouch, often contains bits of stem/veins, and larger pieces of flake. I could see this causing trouble during packing, particularly if packing a smaller bowl (although its become second nature to me now). Takes the flame very well, often I get through a bowl with but one (true) light.
Flavour starts out slightly sweet, building on the base of nutty burleys, layering the almost hay-like sweetness of the Virginia's throughout. As the bowl passes the 1/2 way mark, the Virginia flavours give way to a slightly chocolatey (think dark - 80% cocoa) undertone, with a honey sweetness from the cav., and a slightly peppery tingle from the Kentucky..all, of course, overtop of the boldy nutty burley flavours. There is usually a small amount of dottle mixed in with grey ash, but bone dry.
The room note on this tobacco is also deep with nutty aroma, with hints of leather and hay. The wife enjoys this the most out of any burley blend she has been subjected to so far.
If you are having a hard time finding tobacconists that are not just glorified head shops, news stands, or convenience stores, I would highly recommend this tobacco.
2 people found this review helpful.
|
|
Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Merven the Great (18) | |
Medium to Strong | Medium | Medium to Full | Pleasant to Tolerable |
What can I say? you get what you pay for...This smells better than it smokes in fact I think it smells like old tobacco used to smell like (burning and in the pouch)- cedar log cabin with a brandy in one hand and pipe in the other. It packs, burns and smokes well but left me wanting more. I have a liking for cavendish which is easy to see spot here so you can pick the tobacco flavoring for each pipe to make this mix more interesting (if you could be bothered?). I have half packed the pipe a few times and folded Erinmore Virginia Flake to top it off for something different, that's pretty good. Handy for a "in case of emergency break pouch tobacco" and very easy to get.
2 people found this review helpful.
|
|
Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boswell (12) | |
Mild to Medium | Very Mild | Mild to Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
I picked up a pouch of this on holiday in Italy recently -- it doesn't seem to be available here in the UK. It's a pleasant tobacco, milder than, say, St Bruno; burns slowly; doesn't seem to bite; has nice nutty flavour with just a hint of topping. A relaxing smoke.
2 people found this review helpful.
|
|
Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dubinthedam (133) | |
Mild to Medium | Medium | Medium | Very Pleasant |
Pleasantly surprised with this one (called Original Blend here) given to me by a newbie who didn't much care for it. Very nice gentle casing on this one, fruity and floral. But quite subtle with a good natural baccy taste. Only a hint of chemical taste. The burley is well used in the blend, popping up now and then. Less bite than a MacB, even cheaper here in Holland than MacB (it is a Dutch baccy, although I suspect made in Denmark these days). One of the more natural tasting packets I've had for a while.
2 people found this review helpful.
|
|
Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Emeritus Account (30167) | |
Very Mild | Extremely Mild | Medium to Full | Pleasant to Tolerable |
First off, the brown "regular" pouch in Canada and Holland is sold as "Original Blend". It is also described on the pouch as, "A well-rounded blend, emphasising the chocolately flavour of burly tobacco". When I first tried this a year ago I found it bland- strike that- tasteless! A recent return trip to Holland changed my mind though. I decided to try it again as another reviewer here mentioned the Dutch version to be better. He was right. Wonderful creamy/chocolatey aroma and flavour. Easily lit, no tongue bite regardless of puffing rhythm and just a wonderful tobacco to enjoy with a cup of Dutch coffee. On my return home I decided to try the "Canadian" version and found it to be just as satisfying and an equally good partner to a cup of Earl Grey. A comparison tobacco would be Mac Baren's London Blend Burly which, in contrast to everyones glowing review, I find to be a distant second. Perhaps the blend has changed or perhaps I have - regardless it has become a personal favourite.
addendum 2007: still the tobacco I smoke every morning - see pipe master Rolando Negoita's brief bio on the web and please reconsider - truly a wonderful smoke with a regular Timmy's eh!
addendum 2008: I smoke a lot of different blends....I still think this is a quality tobacco and have introduced it to several pipers who never would have tried it, (and they liked it). I've yet to find a "dry" pouch in the, (dare I say), several hundred I've purchased. This is a "diamond in the rough" tobacco believe me.
2 people found this review helpful.
|
Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ruffinogold (112) | |
Medium | Extremely Mild | Medium | Tolerable |
I havent had it in awhile though I remember it to be a straight burley flavor that had a touch of spice that I loved.It burned dry which was nice .Alittle nutty and at the time available.I miss this blend. Though Skandinavik regular is similar it's not the same . Skandinavik will leave a pipe stinky. I dont remember this blend having any cavendish . I remember it to be a ready rubbed burley that I smoked in the 80's and into the 90's a bit . People say virginia and cavendish with regards to this blend and it confuses me . Maybe there is va and cavendish in it ..... but it tasted like a straight ahead burley to me ......... and thats a damn good thing . It must have changed since the 80's cause this was no way a ribbon cut when I smoked it and it was void of any added flavoring
Pipe Used: Mediun sized chambered pipes
Age When Smoked: Fresh from the pouch
Purchased From: OTC
Similar Blends: Similar to other straight ahead burley blends .. just not as refined as say MB GE but more refined than SWR.
2 people found this review helpful.
|
Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JaWiBr (558) | |
Mild to Medium | None Detected | Medium to Full | Pleasant to Tolerable |
80's Douwe Egberts Amphora Regular (Brown or Natural). Package description "There is surely no better balance on earth than Amphora Regular. Composed of finest Burley, Kentuckey, Virginia and Oriental tobaccos, it achieves the rare distinction of being a smooth, slow burning smoke with a full taste yet deceptively light character. This is the result of two centuries if blending experience and our unique cavendish process. Mild, mellow and immensely enjoyable."
Package note of sharp sour vegetation, mild barbeque and spices. Tobacco is a broken flake of medium brown, light brown and dark brown. Moisture content is great. Burns moderate with few relights. The strength is mild to medium and nic is mild. Flavoring is listed with cocoa, but I could not detect any extra outside of a natural flavor. Taste is medium to full and moderately consistent, with notes of sour vegetation, spices, bitter wood, dry rich earth, mildly spicy, leather, mild cocoa, tart and tangy citrus, toasted bread, acidic, mild molasses, lemon grass, mild floral, a sour nutty background note, and a moderately peppery retro. Burley is leading with Oriental/Turkish, Virginia and Kentucky supporting. Cavendish is the process they put all the tobacco through. Room note is pleasant to tolerable, and aftertaste is great.
Pipe Used: 2016 Northern Briars Premier Rox Cut #4 Prince
Age When Smoked: 34+ years
1 person found this review helpful.
|
Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lager (53) | |
Mild to Medium | Mild | Mild to Medium | Pleasant |
Ahhh yes, this really brings back memories of the older version I smoked in the 80's and early 90's. You always paid a bit more for this then the other packaged tobaccos you could find at any gas station or drug store, but it was worth it to me. I think the reason for so many of the low reviews is some pipers do not understand the Cavendish process or how to smoke it. First off, slow down, take it easy and sip. The second is you may need a little dry time before loading. I at times will char light, relight, and let it sit for a bit. Then go at it and it's the perfect moisture. The topping is mildly applied and the tobacco flavor comes through more as you work down the bowl. The cut is a rubbed out flake with thick stands which I rub out even more before I load a bowl. The leaf is high quality as expected from Mac Baren and they have done a wonderful job on this and the other Amphora lines. I am currently smoking this, their Burley blend and their Kentucky blend. I reviewed the Burley blend but for some reason it has not moved from the new blends to over here? Come on moderator if I had a different name it would be posted. ( No offense intended) While we are at it please post the Kentucky blend which is an excellent blend also. I do not remember this as being called the original blend but just Amphora in the brown pouch? Either way this is good stuff, not a power house blend but steady and consistent. It will also gain some strength as you progress further down the bowl so go easy or it can nip a little.
Lager
1 person found this review helpful.
|
|
Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paganelius (11) | |
Extremely Mild | None Detected | Extremely Mild (Flat) | Pleasant |
Tobacco has a nice smell but smoking it was frustrating because it has no taste at all for me. So, I got more visual satisfaction from observing how smoke was floating in the room. Likely, tobacco did not bite. Actually, I did not find any chocolate notes in the tobacco smell like other reviewers, however, the smell is rather fruity. My conclusion is the next: you can buy this blend, open a pouch and sniff it and it is more than enough. You even don't need a pipe for it because smoke gives you nothing.
Pipe Used: briar, MM
Age When Smoked: fresh
Purchased From: local tobacco store
1 person found this review helpful.
|
|
Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nick Prof. (28) | |
Mild to Medium | Mild | Medium to Full | Pleasant to Tolerable |
This is an updated review of Amphora Original Blend on Feb. 2023: I have smoked many pouches of AOB and currently I am smoking an aged blend from around 8 months (left to age in sealed pouch). This is a mildly aromatic, fairly complex blend with grassy, earthy, woody and sweet tones. It is mild-to-medium in terms of strength, but it gives a pretty much smoky and satisfying experience. You get the topping mildly, and you also experience a good quality tobacco. It stays lit and does not need any drying time, it also does not bite and is generally consistent in flavor throughout the bowl. It is clearly a 3.5-star blend that will round to 3 stars though I believe for many pipe smokers including aromatic lovers this may get to full 4 stars; within the aromatic class, it outperforms compared to many other blends and triggers your palate to experience all the complexity and creaminess, woodiness and sweetness of the tobacco without the topping to overwhelmingly take over the experience. It is an all-day smoke, and it burns cool but relatively fast. To date, I smoke predominantly English blends plus Va/Vapers throughout the day (plus a cigar here and there and some Marlboro red cigarettes), and for aromatics I can hardly smoke a bowl or two during the whole week. This one (AOB) is a blend from the aromatic class, perhaps one of very-very few aromatics, that I can repeat during the day.
Pipe Used: Savinelli 614, MM country gentleman
Age When Smoked: Fresh to 8 months aged
Purchased From: Local shop
1 person found this review helpful.
|
|
Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| stressmoker (11) | |
Medium | Mild to Medium | Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
I like this tobacco because it is "ample". It's not thin, it give a nice rich smoke, with a spicy yet not too extreme flavor. The whole blend offers a natural taste (unlike "Full aroma" in which I taste something artificial in the background). This has become my standard winter tobacco, since I noticed that whether it's warm or cold outside, the flavor remains the same. The ribbon cut, though harder to light if it's windy, offers a slower smoke, and a more consistent flavor than for example, shag or flake (I find). Mostly, this tobacco feels so full. On top of that, it's among the more affordable tobaccos (about 9 euros a pouch where I live). In comparison Ashton's artisan blend (which I enjoy), which fits into the same medium-strength spicy blend is almost double that price. The room note is also much better than with most tobaccos around the same strength.
I would note though, that strangely I didn't find this tobacco aged well. I found the feel and flavor were much better when it wasn't too dry, and not too cellared.
Pipe Used: Briar
Purchased From: skonis ir kvapas
1 person found this review helpful.
|
|
Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Noddadoc (4) | |
Mild to Medium | Mild | Mild to Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
Didn't expect to like it. Opened the pouch today and I have already smoked three bowls today. This is the definition of an all day smoke.
Its easy to manage. No fussing. Just pack and light. I found the consistency perfect right out the package. It stays lit, no frequent relights and burns beautifully. The flavor is consistent the whole way through. There some slight nuttiness, some darker fruit flavors: there's also a subtle spice there and a tang. I am assuming that's the orientals and Kentucky. What's odd is I don't really detect a topping though I know its there because I read it is. Maybe I blew my palette awhile back, There is maybe a hint of chocolate but that's me reading there is and not so much because I tasted it. I think its Virginia dominant and to me, its more the red virginia.
This blend is well balanced. I am actually shocked by how much I enjoy this blend as I didn't expect much. Also, weirdly enough, I detect the nicotine in this more than others have mentioned in their reviews. Yet I can smoke other "higher" nicotine content blends and not feel it. I was a former smoker so my nicotinic receptors blew out maybe but Amphora, I feel it.
This was a nice surprise and a great travel, fishing, hiking blend. Quick grab and go and all day.
Pipe Used: Crown/Cob
Age When Smoked: New pouch
Purchased From: Tobacco Pipes
1 person found this review helpful.
|
Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WorkingClassChap (197) | |
Mild to Medium | Mild to Medium | Medium | Pleasant |
Smoking now:
Pouch is pretty nice. Smells molasses chocolate and natural tobacco.
Big strands of tobacco packs ok if you get it all in there. The taste had a slight chocolate tone, but it’s very naturally burley and not a sweet aromatic chocolate. A natural sweet molasses woody nut flavor with cocoa. Retrohale is nice and you’ll notice the Virginias there. Slight spice from the Kentucky that may tingle your cheeks. Won’t bite, smoked right from the pouch. No bad after taste or tongue bite. Does benefit from some drying time.
1 person found this review helpful.
|
|
Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ramin (4) | |
Medium | None Detected | Medium | Very Strong |
this tobacco is Burly Base. i couldn't find any coco or chocolate tast in that. when you open the pouch, you can find easily sour smell of kentacky and oriental. and during smoking ,tast is very simillar to a high portion of oriental tobaccos. low portion of virginia, not recomended for virginia lovers and sweet tobaccos. there s not high quality tobacco in it. i won't buy it again.
Pipe Used: ratrays
Age When Smoked: fresh
Purchased From: iran, local shop
Similar Blends: any low qualiy burly-kantacky tobacco.
1 person found this review helpful.
|
Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| buroak (16) | |
Mild | Mild | Mild to Medium | Pleasant |
I understand what those who rate this blend highly see in Amphora Original Blend. The flavors of the constituent tobaccos and chocolate topping all come through clearly in the smoke, not an insignificant achievement. The taste experience is complex without being strong. The nicotine hit is mild. It packs easily and burns well. All in all this should be a blend one can smoke all day long without their palate being either fatigued or bored.
My problem with this blend is that it fiercely bites my tongue after only the first few draws. No fix I have tried has banished the bite, nor even noticeably mitigated the problem. For me, then, this is a one star blend. My experience, however, seems to be outside of the mainstream. So, I somewhat recommend this blend. If it does not bite you, you may well find it a great and economical smoke.
1 person found this review helpful.
|
|
Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Emeritus Account (30167) | |
Mild to Medium | Medium | Mild to Medium | Pleasant |
The composition is Cavendish (at least, 50%), Burley (25%), Oriental (10%), Virginia (10%) and Kentucky (5%). The most intense aromatizants are cocoa and ripe fruit (maybe apple or drupe). It's a very widespread mixture, and you can find it everywhere (recommended if you like apple, drupe and cocoa, at the same time).
Pipe Used: Many briars
Age When Smoked: new
Purchased From: local tabacconist
Similar Blends: Mac Baren - Original Choice.
1 person found this review helpful.
|
|
Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Emeritus Account (30167) | |
Medium | Mild | Medium | Pleasant |
I cannot believe I will say this, because Mac Baren makes this tobacco, but this is vile tobacco. It is harsh, it smokes hot and leaves a disgusting aftertaste in my mouth. I bought the Full Aroma as well and will not even attempt to try it. When I think I have 4 pouches of Black Cavendish on the way that I ordered last week...No more pouched tobaccos for me. I'll stick to my tins.
1 person found this review helpful.
|
|
Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| dzacca (8) | |
Medium | Extremely Mild | Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
A classic blend. Often recommended for beginners, but I actually think you need to acquire some smoking skills before you can fully appreciate it.
It's one of my favorite tobaccos, a great all-day smoke made from a nice blend.
Pipe Used: Brebbia Savana 601, MM Legend
Age When Smoked: Couple of months
1 person found this review helpful.
|
Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alessandro (14) | |
Mild | Mild | Mild | Pleasant |
One of the first tobaccos I tried. Great mild smoke, with a slight chocolate flavouring. It's a great all day tobacco that won't disappoint but won't blow you away either. Good to have around when you're in the mood.
1 person found this review helpful.
|
|
Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Emeritus Account (30167) | |
Mild to Medium | Very Mild | Mild to Medium | Tolerable |
A good tobacco for someone looking for a lightly flavoured tobacco. It has a nice chocolate and walnut flavour that is rather discreet. For the rest, it tastes like pure tobacco. Original Blend is great for an all day smoke for anyone that wants a no nonsense tobacco.
1 person found this review helpful.
|
|
Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Emeritus Account (30167) | |
Mild | Very Mild | Very Mild | Tolerable |
A little bit nutty, buttery and chocolate-y, but overall terribly uneventful. I see a couple that to enjoy this, but I can't think of any reason to ever buy it again.
1 person found this review helpful.
|
|
Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Emeritus Account (30167) | |
Mild | Mild | Mild | Pleasant to Tolerable |
My brother gave me a pouch of this after his last visit to Holland..It reminds me of a strong but very high quality cigarette tobacco..I would not buy it but I will finish the pouch..Its a steady burner..the flavour as I have already said remind me of cigarettes.. I cannot say I dislike it..but it does not have the sweetness I like..as I have said in my other reviews I am a real fan of FVF ..as such I tend to judge other tobacco's from that "marker' it burns steadily and not hot ..and it does not change its flavour if you have to relight it mid pipe ..Nothing more to say about this weed..only to thank my brother for buying it for me
1 person found this review helpful.
|
|
Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arkie (129) | |
Mild | None Detected | Mild to Medium | Tolerable |
As far as I know, this blend is no longer available in the U.S. The last time I had a pouch of it, it was still blended by D & E. It tasted very similar to the current Skandivic Full Aroma. It didn't have any negative aspects except, to my taste, it was a bit bland. It was certainly better than most of the common "drug store" brands.
1 person found this review helpful.
|
|
Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Emeritus Account (30167) | |
Mild to Medium | Very Mild | Mild to Medium | Pleasant |
TO JONNYNAILS: AN EQUIVALENT OF GITANES IN PIPE TOBACCOS ARE SEMOIS TOBACCOS (BELGIUM) AND THE "GRIS CUBES" AVAILABLE IN FRANCE.
1 person found this review helpful.
|
|
Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Emeritus Account (30167) | |
Mild to Medium | Extremely Mild | Medium | Tolerable |
The original manufacturer's mixture was excellent. This was pure tobacco at its best.
Imperial Tobacco has changed the recipe for the worse. This is not what it used to be.
1 person found this review helpful.
|
Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| tpatriarche (43) | |
Medium to Strong | Mild | Medium | Pleasant |
Surprised this old standard hasn't had a review already ... maybe we just take it for granted. Back in my sweet-lovin' younger days, I used to buy Amphora Green, or Special Black for preference. Haven't tried the Original in decades, but I was in a drugstore with a selection of about 2 tobaccos ... well, you know how it goes....
A pleasant surprise. In the package the scent was mild & agreeable, not too much of the characteristic Amphora flavour, with a subtle topnote that reminded me of new-mown grass (mint??), giving it a fresh smell. I could smell the Virginia, but according to the manufacturer, Burley predominates (chocolatey???) - which suits my taste. I couldn't detect a chocolaty taste, but then straight air-cured Burley doesn't taste chocolaty to me either. A little dry, but then it had probably been on the shelf for 2 years.
Enjoyable smoke, stronger than I remember other Amphora blends being. That may have been partly because it was dry & fast-burning. Good even burn to the bottom, almost no gummy dottle left. Easy on the tongue, typical of a good Cavendish. Room note pleasant, primarily straight tobacco, not heavily scented.
Technically Cavendish can be completely unflavoured (although I've never found one that is); this comes fairly close. More for the experienced smoker than the beginner, I think. I would buy it again, although I'll probably use what's left for some home blending.
1 person found this review helpful.
|
|
Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Emeritus Account (30167) | |
Mild to Medium | Mild | Mild to Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
Another Van Nelle-licensed product. Years ago when I first started pipe smoking this was my regular brand, but the blend has changed somewhat since those days when it was a true D&E product.
Available in the 50 gram pouch and 200 gram "can" in Canada.
I recall the D&E pouch aroma was very earthy.....now I detect what smells to me like a light rum topping, though nothing but tobacco in the room note. Carefully packed because it is rather coarse, it lights and smokes well in a small bore as long as you keep it tamped, with just one match.
The first half bowl smokes dry and smooth, but its character gets a bit aggressive on the tongue and back of throat in the last half. Best to puff on this slowly and lightly. Smoking this on its own is something I seldom did way back when, and something I seldom do today.....even less so with this modified baccy.
While I always keep this blend on hand, I use it to add some burley body to my black and gold cavendish blends. Smokes nicely mixed 25/75 with Captain Black Royal...which takes the nip out of both but gives a nice mellow smoke and a pleasant, but less intense room note as a bonus.
A D&E Original Blend, its not, so if you're expecting to relive the Amphora brown experience of yesteryear, forget it! But if you want a rather mellow smoke for at least the first half bowl, or want to add some burley body to another blend go ahead and give it a go.
1 person found this review helpful.
|
|
Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Emeritus Account (30167) | |
Mild | Mild | Mild | Tolerable |
It's an old friend Like Amphora Full Aroma. It's better than smoking candy sweet stuffs when you are not able to find something else. Or maybe it would be interesting to smoke a bowl of this in the memory of old days.
Fortunately I have possibilities to smoke better tobaccos.
1 person found this review helpful.
|
|
Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steden (100) | |
Mild | Very Mild | Very Mild | Pleasant to Tolerable |
Abstract: This review is based on the mixture called Original Blend. On the envelope are shown as components Burley, Cavendish and Orientals. As I said in my review about Park Lane N.7 by comparing the two tobaccos, AOB has a certain elegance, but lacks depth. The aroma and flavor is slightly nutty and chocolate, may remind the Gianduja. Nothing unpleasant, but the taste is as exciting as a harpsichord concert! This tobacco is often used in "home mixtures" as stabilizing strength and aromas. Excellent for "breaking" of a new pipe.
1 person found this review helpful.
|
|
Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Emeritus Account (30167) | |
Mild | Extremely Mild | Medium | Very Pleasant |
This, along with Full Aroma, is the best version of Amphora. It is cheap and easily found, so you don't have to search far and wide to find this (at least here, in Romania). The cut is almost like the Full Aroma, and the lenght of the tobacco makes it a little hard to fill a pipe, but not too hard. I couldn't detect any aroma in it, so I will put it more in the category of natural tobacco, with no chemicals in it. It isn't strong, so it is an excellent choice for beginners. But be warned, you need a lot of patience to smoke this one to the bottom, especially if you have a large bowl pipe. For me, it took one and a half hour to smoke it. It doesn't bite the tongue and it burns very dry, even though the tobacco is a little wet in the pouch. The room smell it is almost identical to Full Aroma. It is a good tobacco and recommended for every smoker. You can try this and I guarantee that it is not a waste of money.
1 person found this review helpful.
|
|
Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Emeritus Account (30167) | |
Very Mild | Very Mild | Very Mild | Pleasant to Tolerable |
Upon opening the pouch the smell was not exactly aromatic, more pungent like inexpensive cigars. The tobacco on the dry side but packed well. The burn was even and burn through with one tamping and re-light. A little tongue bite, I attribute to the dryness it burned quick and hot. Flavours were mellow notes of nutmeg and vanilla with some bitterness near the end. I may abandon the last 40g because its now has the moisture level of shredded news print and the taste following quickly. I imagine this is more a problem with freshness, I bought the pouch at a corner store in a pinch. I would try another pouch if I knew it was fresh and stored well.
1 person found this review helpful.
|
Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sasquatch (90) | |
Medium | Very Mild | Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
I don't quite think that this is 4 star tobacco, but it is definitely worth a try. Like Casper, I am smoking the "Canadian" version, pouch saying Amphora Original, and coming apparently out of the Netherlands.
cut is rough shag, fairly fine, with a bit of very fine mixed throughout. Lighting and keeping lit couldn't be easier, and you can really puff on this without it biting, or even heating up the pipe much - a very good choice for a beginner.
Smooth and rich, just a little spice, but not much. I kind of wonder if just a little chocolate flavoring is added.
Very good with a cup of tea for sure. Or even a root beer. Undemanding tobacco and a classic. It's too bad the Imperial Tobacco version seems to be a dud.
1 person found this review helpful.
|
|
Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Emeritus Account (30167) | |
Mild to Medium | Extremely Mild | Mild to Medium | Tolerable |
Amphora Regular is a large cut, broken flake that smells like plain, pure tobacco smell. Somehow, it reminds me of Drum cigarette tobacco, but on the sweeter side.
Being the traditional danish/Dutch cavendish blend, it's rather on the dull side of things. But the bakkie is still a nice one.
It needs some rubbing out before filling; lighting is easy and it's not hard to maintain; it doesn't require a lot of attention. It smokes dry, I'll give it that.
It is a nice tobacco, it's just that it lacks that little kick in taste and nicotine, but it might prove too strong for beginners.
However,it really builds up a new pipe nicely...
1 person found this review helpful.
|
|
Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ducksbreath (125) | |
Mild to Medium | Extremely Mild | Mild | Tolerable |
Update: The new version I bought stateside is not near as strong as the sample I had 10 years ago. However, it is very bland, and the full aroma version does not have the same fruity topping as I remember. So I'm not going to upgrade the rating.
Extremely bitter and tasteless with a suprising dose of nicotine, like a cigarette. I can't believe the old stuff was like this, but I don't remember. The full aroma version masks this bitterness and is one star better, but I can't believe this is the same as the tobacco that used to be so popular, which when available I never really tried.
1 person found this review helpful.
|
|
Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Emeritus Account (30167) | |
Mild | None Detected | Extremely Mild (Flat) | Unnoticeable |
I didn't expect much from such a tobacco, and I wasn't disappointed. Bland, dry and dusty is how I would enshrine this pipe load... however, it didn't spoil my pipe, it didn't chase away loved ones, and it made me want to smoke something GOOD right after. I'm so cheap that perhaps I'll use it as padding with some heavily-flavoured concoction. It might lend itself to some vanilla highlights.
1 person found this review helpful.
|
|
Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pipepundit (168) | |
Mild | None Detected | Mild | Tolerable |
Amphora used to produce some rather nice aromatics once upon a time. I remember with affection their Golden Cavendish and the Full Aromatic in the red pouch. The brown pouch - both as Regular and Original - is disappointing. My memory of it was of a clean tasting tobacco with some meat to it. The present incarnation, though it burns well, is hardly worth the bother of smoking on its own. It is useful, though, for extending or taming other blends.
1 person found this review helpful.
|
|
Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hemlock (69) | |
Mild | None Detected | Mild to Medium | Tolerable |
Judging by the reviews over the years, this is one tobacco that has changed over the years, and may well be subject to batch variability even today (it's a wonder than any blend can stay the same year over year being a natural product, let alone the mfg. processes). I suspect that the pouch I tried is characteristic of its current form which, in summary is not an aromatic cavendish at all. I tried this as Amphora Original Blend, here in Canada. Apparently a Dutch blend (judging by the address of the mfr.), so I cannot say if this is the Imperial tobacco version or not. The texture is very nice being a sort of ribbon/shag mixture with a perfect moisture level. I have now smoked several bowls with a singe light.
The pouch describes this as a blend that emphasized the chocolatey flavour of burely, but I taste nothing like chocolate. This is very much unlike a cavendish blend, with no casing or blackened pressed leaf. The pouch aroma is very much like a rich roll your own cigarette tobacco, such as Drum or Van Nelle. Though the pouch description suggests an exotic smoke with its Oriental, Virginia and Kentucky components, it is in fact very plain in flavour. I cannot discern the Oriental component, and the Virginia is not exceedingly sweet or tangy. The room note is fairly smokey, nicer than a cigar, but no crowdpleaser either. The strength is around an HPH 1.5, surprisingly since I had expected more.
If you are accustomed to plain flavoured tobacco with little or no distinct character and like plain burley and virginia blends this is for you. I could see this as a staple blend for seasoned smokers, who may get this at the local smoke shop amongst two or three other "drugstore" blends. If you're looking for an aromatic, try the Full Aroma (red). Although I have enjoyed this pouch for its true tobacco character, I will likely not be buying this again since it is scarcely a step above mediocre in the realm of natural blends.
1 person found this review helpful.
|
Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| sasha (228) | |
Mild | Extremely Mild | Mild to Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
This is a classic among the first tobaccos for new pipesmokers. It's easy to pack and smoke, it doesn't bite the tongue, not moist, a perfect beginner's blend. Later on, it can be very useful for home blending purposes, it's a good base for its nice body and little aroma: mixed 50/50 with latakia it becomes a nice smoke, though not complex at all. I've also found it useful to damp a little those tobaccos with an overwhelming casing.
1 person found this review helpful.
|
|
Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tantric (321) | |
Mild to Medium | None Detected | Mild to Medium | Tolerable |
I don?t know what happened to this one! In its original Dutch D&E version it used to be a very smooth, flavoursome smoke, combining Burleys, Orientals and Virginias in a Cavendish blend. It had a certain taste of dark, unsweetened chocolate (very mild), redolent of those Dutch cigars made with leaf from Java, or of dark, expresso roasted coffee beans. It was a very stable and reliable smoke: nothing out of the ordinary, but very nice in mid afternoon or even in early morning. It went off the market for a while, and has now resurfaced under an English firm (Imperial Tobacco). Well, they have done something very strange out of this blend. In the pouch the aroma has changed. It does smell of natural tobacco, but the spiciness has gone. It now has a scent similar to cigarette tobacco. Upon lightening, the first few puffs yield a flavour only vaguely reminiscent of the Dutch version. Then, somehow, the whole thing starts burning hot (even if you puff slowly and carefully), and it develops a very unpleasant bitterness. Suddenly, whatever flavour there was, dissipates and you are left only with smoke. No character, no zest, no depth. Just smoke. Perhaps a cigarette smoker trying to pick up a pipe might find this a kind of transitional tobacco.
__________ Addendum (Feb'05): I don't know if the people at Imperial Tobacco read these pages, or if my palate has become so jaded I don't distinguish flavours any more, but the recent pouches I have bought of Amphora Regular seem to be more in line with the original D&E blend.
There is still a mysterious bitter agent there, that tends to spoil the Oriental- Virginia interplay (maybe a cheap Burley?), but somehow the flavour and consistency of the blend have been brought up a notch, making it more palatable and closer to its old self. Who knows? Maybe the blenders at Imperial Tobacco are finally getting it right! In any case, due to my recent experience with this old favourite, I am upgrading my perception of what could still be a very good natural tobacco.
1 person found this review helpful.
|
|
Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Emeritus Account (30167) | |
Mild | Mild to Medium | Mild | Pleasant |
I enjoy trying various kinds of blends for reference - even if I am fairly sure I won't like them.
That is the approach I took when lighting up a sample of Amphora brown that passed my way recently.
All in all not a bad aromatic smoke - likely a better option than many over the counter cavendish soup blends you could find. Probably a good option for someone who wants a light, flavorful chocolate/vanilla flavored blend without much complexity. A bit of burley and VA taste but not even as much tobacco essence as say - Deep Hollow. Nice to try, but my tastes just lean so heavily towards natural tobacco flavors that I'm not interested in testing Amphora Regular any further.
1 person found this review helpful.
|
|
Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Emeritus Account (30167) | |
Mild | None Detected | Mild | Pleasant |
I have just tried Amphora Regular for the 1st time and I kind of like it. It doesn't fit in with the other baccys that I typically smoke but it is mild and lights easily and stays lit. Has a pleasant though mild taste and easily an all day type blend. I think I will keep some around. 31/2 stars ===============update===============
I have had several bowls now and continue to enjoy this mild but somewhat flavorful Dutch blend. There is definitely a place for this baccy for me.
1 person found this review helpful.
|
|
Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Emeritus Account (30167) | |
Extremely Mild | None Detected | Extremely Mild (Flat) | Pleasant |
October-2003. Amphora Regular (Brown) Out of curiousity I tried this again and why I bothered,I dont know. This time was even worse,very close to smoking pure air with absolutely no flavour. The only plus to this is,it was easy to light. Totally lacking everything. 1 out of 10.
1 person found this review helpful.
|
|
Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Emeritus Account (30167) | |
Mild | Mild | Mild | Tolerable |
I'm no tobacco expert, but I kind of like this stuff. It's a staple for me, probably because I got a lot for free (There's a story there, but I won't bother with it). It doesn't have much flavor too it, but the flavor it does have is pleasant. Being a new smoker, I find it hard to keep some blends lit, but for some reason, this particular blend only requires one lighting (A good thing in my book). Anyone who likes strong, full flavored English blends will be turned off, but for a novice pipesmoker, it's certainly tolerable.
1 person found this review helpful.
|
|
Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Emeritus Account (30167) | |
Mild to Medium | None Detected | Very Mild | Pleasant to Tolerable |
Amphora Red without the flavoring. Good but a little bland and tiring. Not as good as Amphora Red.
1 person found this review helpful.
|
|
Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Emeritus Account (30167) | |
Mild to Medium | Extremely Mild | Medium | Tolerable |
In my waltz down memory lane, I figured this one to be a sure hit. What happened? The difference between the Amphora of old and the modern iteration is significant, to say the least.
Ouch!
1 person found this review helpful.
|
|
Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gae (46) | |
Extremely Mild | Extremely Mild | Extremely Mild (Flat) | Pleasant |
Well it has been a few year's since I smoked this. So "WHAT HAVE THEY DONE TO IT"????????????? I puffed & puffed & puffed & even smoked it different pipe's as well. Just to make sure it wasn't me!!! It was almost like smoking fresh air! And I couln't seem to get hardly any taste out of it at all! There's nothing even familiar about the way it was year's ago!!! It might be ok for a "VERY Timid" new comer to pipe smoking,but I'll never bother with this again.There's just nothing to add. I'll give it 1 star out of 4 only because it's easy to light.
1 person found this review helpful.
|
|
Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Emeritus Account (30167) | |
Medium | Mild to Medium | Medium | Tolerable |
I found this stuff on a country store shelf. I had to blow and wipe the dust off the package. The tobacco was somewhat dry.
Upon smoking, it reminded me of Skandinavik Regular (a tobacco I smoke somewhat regularly).
A dominate burley blend with a little VA. Nothing real special with this blend but could be a working/fishing smoke.
Better then the candy smokes. Offers more then most straight burley blends.
I'd like to find a fresher pack of this.
1 person found this review helpful.
|
|
Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Noorrmm (192) | |
Mild to Medium | Very Mild | Mild to Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
Appearance: A typical Dutch ?Cavendish?, possibly best described as a coarse shag. Mostly medium brown with a few darker traces visible.
Aroma: Very straight-forward Burley/Virginia blend with no traces of Oriental leaf to my nose. Also litle or no traces of added scents or flavors.
Packing: The blend was easy to pack in every pipe that I tried, from Peterson Barrels to large billiards.
Lighting: In keeping with the cut, it took flame readily, hardly needing a charring light. Mostly one match and go.
Initial flavor: A fairly light taste, but interesting. Mostly a slightly bitter, nutty taste from the Burley, a sweetness from the Va. In the background. Mostly stayed in the middle range, no highs or lows.
Mid-bowl: Still a plain honest flavor, with little complexity or layering. Cool enough if not smoked rapidly, and no trace of gurgle.
Finish: Again, not much change at the bottom. Also not much dottle, if any.
Summary: A good all-day smoke if you like lighter blends. It does not need your full attention, so may be smoked while working on other tasks, even outdoors. Definitely good quality, way above average for Dutch blends.
1 person found this review helpful.
|
|
Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Emeritus Account (30167) | |
Mild to Medium | Medium to Strong | Mild to Medium | Strong |
Amphora Brown is a favorite of many people, but I gave my can of it away. While the room-note was quite pleasant, I found the flavor to be basically pretty flat. The not entirely unpleasant casing domainates strongly and does flavor the pipe. Unfortunately, the underlying tobacco flavor was barely there. This tobacco smoked fairly wet and was prone to be a touch agressive.
1 person found this review helpful.
|
|
Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| nickdrake (3) | |
Medium | Mild to Medium | Mild | Pleasant to Tolerable |
I have a strange relationship with this tobacco, a classic changed during yearss. Smoke cool and slow. Apparently a "perfect" mixture, balanced and for all tastes. Virginias are quite presents but the main taste is burley, with a little kentucky in background. And small oriental spicy. Seems elegant and old fashioned. But is a little neutral and for me something is missing. My solution is an addition of a small amount of Tornabuoni's "cimette", strong and rich kentucky from Valtiberina. For me in this way is a very good all day tobacco, a safe harbour when you can't find your tobacco or if you want to smoke a quiet mixture. Body is really well rounded and stronger and more full.
Purchased From: italia, Venezia
Nobody has rated this review yet.
|
Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monza (2) | |
Medium | Very Mild | Medium | Pleasant |
Tabacco onesto e saporito. Se fumato con calma e un po' di attenzione regala una fumata con i tipici sentori del burley con note nocciola e tostatura. E' dichiarato un aromatizzazione al cacao, ma personalmente non l'ho avvertita. Brucia bene e necessita di poche riaccensioni. Consiglio di tenerlo in un barattolo ermetico per preservarne umidità ed aroma. Considero questo il migliore tabacco della serie amphora venduto in Italia. Voto (da 0 a 10) 6+
Pipe Used: Varie radiche
Age When Smoked: Fresco
Purchased From: Italy
Similar Blends: Peterson Sherlock Holmes.
Nobody has rated this review yet.
|
Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leon (85) | |
Mild | Mild to Medium | Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
Tin Note of stewed fruits, hint of coffee
The long list of ingredients makes sense, not because I can identify each one, but because it would've been so difficult to do so. The Burley seems to be both white and darker one, with some cocoa notes but also deeper spice notes with the small addition of nicotine. The Virginia provide just a hint of sweetness and fruitiness. I can identify the Dark Fired Kentucky far in the background with its lightly smoky notes.
Despite the description, this is not a chocolate blend, if that's what you're looking for. It's much more complex than the average black Cavendish + flavor. I would compare this more with the classic "over the counter" blends such as Half & Half, Sir Walter Raleigh, and especially Edgeworth in style.
Ribbon cut, easy to pack and smoke, minimal relights, good moisture level from the pouch. An all-day smoke for the "classical smoker". No tongue bite. Smokes fairly fast and cool.
Medium in body, mild in strength.
My first several bowls tasted very different than later ones. I used to get a lot more fruitiness and sweetness and not much of the Burley cocoa/nuttiness. While it was conserved in a mason jar, it feels like it turned from an aromatic blend to an almost straight Burley one. Unfortunately, I liked it better when I first smoked it. Now it tastes like several other blends that I've tried and will probably stick with. It's a very nice blend and I recommend for the Burley and aromatic smokers especially to try it, but for me it doesn't stand out enough at the moment.
Nobody has rated this review yet.
|
|
Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GeoffS (29) | |
Medium | Mild | Mild to Medium | Pleasant |
I see this classified as an aromatic but not in my books. Supposedly there's a chocolate topping but if there is it's a bitter chocolate, not a sweet one. The power of suggestion allows me to pick out some cocoa flavour but not much. The blend itself is a bit rough around the edges for me. I have a hard time picking out the constituent tobaccos but I'd say the burley is most prominent. It packs well and smokes easy and as drugstore tobaccos go it's a really good one, so I'll recommend it based on your budget and tobacco availability.
Nobody has rated this review yet.
|
|
Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PennsylvaniaPiper (20) | |
Mild to Medium | Very Mild | Mild to Medium | Pleasant |
I bought this pouch on a whim and WOW...Amphora Original Blend is really fantastic, and provides a unique smoking experience.
The kentucky and oriental hang out in the background and keep things interesting while the burley, va, and black cavendish provide a somewhat sweet, mellow smoke that has a fuller flavor but does not overwhelm.
Really nice room note; good any time of the day. I also really like the pouch which is a sturdy, gold colored foil.
Pipe Used: boswell freehand
Nobody has rated this review yet.
|
Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JimPM (153) | |
Mild | Mild | Mild | Pleasant |
Now, an argument could be made that, of itself, Amphora Original is differentiated. Why? The recipe of the chocolate-coated blend is technically complex in nature, only coming about through some very involved craftmanship on the part of the blender. Thus, assigning Original to the OTC class may be somewhat misappropriated. Yet for the purposes of my stated mission, it was destined to follow the registered course.
At face value, “centuries-old crafted” Original is an interesting soup cooked with a motley assortment of distinct tobaccos. Specifically, this brown spattered Burley-based matrix is evenly complimented (per Mac Baren) by the presence of spicy Dark Fired Kentucky, essential Virginia, and Oriental leaves. Additionally, two individual Cavendish varietals provide the critical secondary element within the base line. Considering the expanse of varietals used and Mac Baren’s even-keel notation, I anticipated a lively yet well-rounded registration of flavor.
With this standard Danish “aromatic” recipe, the greenness of my disposition was properly initiated into the unique style of Dutch Cavendish. There are two classic preparations, (Golden & Black), as I uncovered. First, the Golden being an exclusive customary weave of select Burley and Virginia made further distinguishable by an elaborate triple processing method. A slow operation involving steaming to open the leaf pores, heavy molasses casing, and a final prolonged cold pressing provide the standard manufacturing protocol.
Similarly, the Black grade adopts the same processing router as the Golden but does receive an additional heavy casing (maybe licorice?) and steaming upstream prior to the final operational steps. Both Cavendish function within this blend to supplement the body of the smoke and promote the overall flavor fusion of the different constituent tobaccos. My assumption is the Black variety is solely fabricated with Burley in following Mac Baren’s official final product classification.
Generally, I found the mechanical attributes of the blend to be solid and respectful. Although a bit of drying time is best, the tobacco does burn cool, dry and at a comfortable pace. The bowl packs easily and stays reasonably ignited without too much maintenance. The blueish smoke plumage that Original produces is quite hardy and makes for an enjoyable experience. The texture can get a little rough and mildly bitey if smoked too vigorously; best to sip and savor.
Surprisingly what really grabbed me in relation to the blend’s pouch note was the immediacy of proud DFK and Virginia. Much to my disorientation, I could sense very little of anything other than a zestful raisiny grass note. With deeper inhales, however, I was just able to register a chocolaty-licorice scent and some familiar fragrances of a base Burley. Given the recipe, I was rather confounded by the biased registration.
Original makes its formative room impression as a cheery confluence of native Burley and Virginia aroma. Intermingled on that stream, an unmistakable herbal spice softly reports from the DFK and Oriental, bolstered by that definite cocoa-licorice accent noted in the pouch aroma. Balanced and well-proportioned, the nose on Original is markedly consistent with its core mixture.
Given the blend’s colorful mixture, I was very eager to learn of Original’s manifest flavor. Taking in an ample drawl, the foretold preview from Mac Baren of a balanced taste profile truly came through. Nothing really dominated the whole experience to the point of characterizing Original as actually being blasé; very consistent with no moving nuances whatsoever. Most prominent is the bottom flavor qualification of a nutty and a lesser sour deep woodiness tendered by the ever-present Burley, complimented by subtle highlights of dark molasses/karo-like influences accentuated by the Cavendish most likely.
Furthermore, I clearly noted the spiced smokiness of the DFK as the second leading element while the pungent/fruity Oriental strain and the proverbial grassiness of the Virginia less successfully jockeyed about for their position within the sphere of taste. Additionally, the chocolate top-coating was characteristically diminished only being slightly perceived on the retro-hale or re-lights. Essentially this timeless Burley-based blend, in lieu of its complex recipe of assorted constituent tobaccos, really presents a very mild and mundane smoking experience.
As usual, my trials consisted of burning this mixture in both a briar and cob. In fundamental terms, the overall impersonations of the mix’s qualities were more defined coming through the Meerschaum cob versus my standard Burley test briar. The fact of the matter is, I was somewhat underwhelmed by the briar-smoked presentation of Original. The experience was without commemorative impression given the history and fanfare surrounding the product. However, being consistent in the sampling process, by uncapping of the cob the flatness of my initial found some shape becoming more objective and consequently receptive to giving this one an equitable final assessment.
There are so many variables relating to the subject tobacco and the design/construction of the affected pipe that interplay, for one to define an assignable root cause would involve serious and costly experimentation. In sum, as experienced through the media of briar, I found the mixture to be conclusively uncharismatic and disappointingly average in terms of the total experience. Accordingly, the true character of Amphora Original, in my opinion, is best encountered via an ordinary cob pipe for what it is worth or essentially offers the smoker.
My final thoughts on the suitability of Amphora Original being assembled with other OTC/codger blends: From a functional and marketing standpoint, yes, I’d argue that it does conform to a basic classification regardless of the more costly price tag. With respect to sheer craftmanship, I think not. The intricacy of its standard recipe and complex manufacturing process, make the degree of congruence with other OTCs debatable. However, with this blend trial my hopeful perception and hard reality did not necessarily meet in the corner; I felt dumbfounded.
Dismally, I found Original to be pleasant but in an ordinary or uneventful way; nothing too hateful, nothing too stellar. On a related point, I do honestly struggle to sort this mixture into the Burley-based genre. Perhaps my somewhat drab assessment is attributable to the mixture being too balanced for my liking thus making it uninspiring? In my opinion, Original does not necessarily conform to the standard features of other OTC/codger Burleys.
On the other hand, and just for public record, it is a feasible all-day smoke all be it. Even so, based upon this exercise, Original is not one that I will have readily available in my standard rotation.
Pipe Used: Briar & Cob
Age When Smoked: 2 months in pouch
Nobody has rated this review yet.
|
|
Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Emeritus Account (30167) | |
Very Mild | None Detected | Very Mild | Tolerable |
This is a very mediocre tobacco, dull, monotone, flavorless, I think it might br used to tone down or mix up other tobaccos with it. otherwise, pass it by,not even for begginers ,I think you're better off with Captain black if you are a begginer. Not disgusting, but I'm not buying any of this stuff ever again.
Nobody has rated this review yet.
600 Perdue Ave
Richmond, VA 23224