Tobaccos Mac Baren - Amphora Special Reserve No.2

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JimInks (3025)	2017-03-05		Mild	Medium	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

The base of the blend is the grassy, tartly citrusy Virginia, which is processed in the cavendish style, and also offers a few drops of honey. The nutty, earthy, woody molasses sweet burley plays a support role. The unsweetened black cavendish provides some brown sugar. Though mildly applied, the cherry topping has some richness, depth, a slightly floral, sour note, and sublimates the tobaccos a bit. The strength level is mild, and the taste threshold is a step shy of being mild to medium. The nic-hit is mild. Won’t bite or get harsh. Burns cool and clean at a moderate pace with a fairly smooth, lightly sour, tartly sweet flavor, though the topping does lose just a tad of its potency in the last quarter of the experience. Leaves little moisture in the bowl, and requires an average number of relights. Has a pleasant, slightly lingering after taste and room note. Can be an all day smoke. Two and a half stars.

-JimInks

12 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	TallPuffO'Burley (632)	2017-04-24		Mild to Medium	Medium to Strong	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I was lucky enough to get a sample of this one as it is not easy to come by in the states. This is a good aromatic and a great cherry aromatic IMO. To my tastes the bar is low on a good cherry aro as so many repulse me. The toppings in many typically come off as cough syrup or as something chemically designed to taste like cherry.

I realize that you probably just can't squeeze cherry juice on tobacco and expect to taste good or burn properly, so likely any cherry topping is something chemical that is designed to taste like cherry, but this one actually tastes like real cherries to me. There are other flavors involved, but overall it is cherry and it is good. My sample lasted probably 7 bowls and all were enjoyed. I won't go into detail of how the leaf tasted as it is something you really can't taste at all. This is an aromatic and it is all about the topping.

I don't enjoy this as much as GH Top Black Cherry which really isn't very cherry tasting either, but just tastes fantastic. I would say, however, that this will easily go down as my second favorite cherry aromatic. So three stars for this one and it could easily go 4 stars to someone who may think top black cherry tastes like soap or smells like an old lady's perfume. lol

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	rafalgdansk87 (12)	2018-02-27		Very Mild	Strong	Full	Very Pleasant

Very nice sour cherry aroma, but i also notice some sweet taste vanilla, which gives a great balance. It burns quite well and cool. Smoke is quite gentle. Overall i highly recomend this tobacco.

Pipe Used: Angelo Lovat

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	renwardhoop (177)	2020-02-28		Medium	Medium	Medium	Unnoticeable

The nastier of the two numbered blends from Amphora. Number 8 was passable but this one is horrible.

Admittedly this has sat around in my cellar for about 2 years, until broke I open the pouch seal last week. Therefore, it was pretty dry. The pouch aroma was as I had expected and indeed, as the description of the blend says.

This will almost certainly be my last exposure to cherry flavour blends mainly because of the chemical taste and smell I seem to get from similar blends. This one is probably down there with the likes of the dreadful Meine Mixture from Germany. Which is pretty low considering said blend is a 'budget' priced tobacco, selling for under 5 euros.

Sometimes a blend can be rescued by a rehydration or even a switch to a certain type of pipe, but poor old number twos (I know couldn't resist it) isn't having any of it, remaining a sour tasting cherry mess of a blend which I have decanted and hidden away in the very back of the cupboard, next to the legendary Jirsa.

Pipe Used: All

Age When Smoked: 2 years (sealed)

Purchased From: Gifted from Spain

Similar Blends: Sam Gawith's Black cherry, Meine Mixture red, Borkham Riff cherry..

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	raybrown55 (45)	2019-09-25		Very Mild	Strong	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

I decided to try this with great anticipation, due to the prestige of the Amphora line and the good reviews. But I'm totally disappointed, this stuff to me is horrible, you only get a cough syrup taste, in place of the promised cherries, and nothing else. Really one of the worse aromatics I've ever tried, so I can't recommend it

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	StevieB (2076)	2016-12-16		Very Mild	Very Strong	Mild	Very Pleasant

Mac Baren - Amphora Special Reserve No. 2.

The pouch contains quite coarse ribbons and it unfortunately has a few twigs in there. On the plus side the moisture couldn't be any better. The smell from the pouch is just like the taste of the smoke: strong with cherries.

Special Reserve No. 2 lights well, and then gives a good burn, with a temperature that's quite cool. The flavour from the smoke's a bit like a cherry, cream, pie: there's oodles of the fruit, with some vanilla cream as well. The topping cancels out most of the tobacco tastes, it's rather heavy, thus, it smothers the tobaccos somewhat. It also makes the smoke bitey, unless it's tentatively sipped. The smoke's fairly thick and palpable, this would make it even better suited to the evening relaxation slot..... in my opinion.

The room-note's VERY cherry, and the nicotine's very mild.

Mac Baren Amphora Special Reserve No. 2? I think, even though it's quite a good smoke, the best feature of this is the note; it's really good fun! The note doesn't justify full marks though, so S.R.N.2 gets three stars, not four.

Recommended.

Pipe Used: Somali Lee Van Cleef Meer'

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: The Danish Pipe Shop

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	MikeHaggarKJ (22)	2018-05-02		Mild	Medium to Strong	Medium	Pleasant

I find the tin note and taste dominated by a sour, cough syrup-esque medicinal cherry flavouring. Excessive, overpowering and artificial. Makes me sick to my stomach and I couldn't finish a bowl. Tobacco flavour is mostly sublimated - you REALLY have to enjoy that cherry flavour to get any enjoyment out off this blend.

If you're not a cherry aromatics enthusiast, be warned.

It seems as if all aromatics have at least one "omg ultra chemical piece off shit not real tobacco"-review. Guess I'm that guy this time.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Babis (3)	2021-01-29		Mild	None Detected	Mild	Unnoticeable

Horrible taste, you can't smoke this stuff. I decided to try this blend because of the recommendations but I was disappointed. It would be very difficult for me to finish the 40 grammar sag.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	thesmoggypipester (76)	2018-02-28		Mild to Medium	Medium to Strong	Medium	Very Pleasant

the third and final amphora that is available in the UK that I have tried.

I have to say that this is a cherry aromatic that ticks all the boxes.

out of the pouch the cherry dominates but it isn't a sickly or artificial flavour it actually smells natural, there is a touch of tobacco scent but over all it's cherry all the way.

A nice thick ribbon that packs easily and lights a charm, the cherry is straight away saying hello, the burley adds a nice nuttiness to the blend and the Virginia gives it that bit of tang.

it burns really well it never gets warm and surprisingly for an aromatic it has not one hint of bite, it barely even gets warm.

so if you are sick of gloopy aromatics, artificial cough medicine flavour aromatics try this one it ticks all the boxes for my and is a very fine smoke indeed, the strength is there and never overwhelms and is a fantastic social smoke the room note couldn't offend if it tried.

easily an all day smoke and one that I will be deffinitely keeping on hand.

This is what borkum riff cherry Cavendish could of been had they chose a more natural topping rather than the overly artificial one.

well done Mac baren for creating another fine amphora blend.

Pipe Used: Falcon

Age When Smoked: new

Purchased From: Mysmokingshop.co.uk

Similar Blends: if you like borkum riff cherry Cavendish you will love this, alas if you were disappointed by the same blend this will put the smile back on your face..

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Big Fish Big Pipe (GR) (1)	2017-10-15		Mild	Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

One of the new blends made in Denmark from Mac Baren's collection. Cherry aroma (chemical i suppose) but I loved it! I will buy it again and again and again. When you smell the blend in the pouch your imagination will bring a woman's perfume in frond of you and you will have the desire to make love with her :-D This is absolutely one of the 'must to try' blends.

Pipe Used: Rattrey's

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Danish Pipe Shop

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	PipeDragon (43)	2023-03-19		Mild	Medium	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

I've approached this blend with mixed expectations. On one hand, all the cherry aromatics I've tried before have been horrible, all characterized by a very chemical, syrupy, sickly sweet artificial taste. On the other, I've smoked most of the Amphora blends over time and not one has ever disappointed me. So there was some hope.

As a disclaimer, this review is based on an old pouch that already had 3-1/2 years of age upon unsealing, which is quite a lot for a non-aromatic, even more so for an aromatic.

The moisture content was perfect, maybe a hair on the dry side, but still great for smoking straight away. Easy to pack and light, requiring only a handful of relights. Just like the other Amphora blends, it burns really cool and it never bites or become harsh, even if pushed.

The taste is all about the cherries, which are quite muted given the age of the pouch, but still very noticeable and the aromatic taste doesn't seem affected by the age. I imagine that in a fresh pouch it has more depth. However, I've finally had the chance to smoke a cherry aromatic that tastes like actual cherries, free from any chemical or sickly sweet taste. Being an aromatic, the taste of the actual tobaccos takes second place but, if I dig really deep, the main thing that I pick up is a bit of nuttiness from the Burleys. The taste is consistent from start to finish and it burns down to ash.

Before this, based on past experiences, I thought that it's probably impossible to create a cherry aromatic that actually tastes good. This Amphora offering proved me wrong. I enjoy it quite a lot and I'm really curious to see one day how it tastes like from a fresh pouch. But even with a bit of age, it still tastes wonderful. Not something I would smoke regularly, but definitely one that I would consider when I'm in the mood for a cherry aromatic. It gave me hope that there are quality cherry aromatics out there.

Pipe Used: Savinelli Impero 320

Age When Smoked: 3-1/2 years

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Book7 (3)	2022-11-20		Mild	Medium to Strong	Full	Very Pleasant

I was debating between this one and Amphora Full and on the end bought both. Started with No.2 and on opening of the pouch you can smell strong cherry. It smokes well, no bites no problems with lighting. You can also taste vanilla as second aroma. It is very pleasant to smoke and leaves nice aftertaste. All in all I am delighted with it and will continue to enjoy it. When I finally tried Amphora Full who came highly recommended I was not so impressed.

Age When Smoked: New

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	tobaksrøg (53)	2022-09-03		Mild	Strong	Medium	Pleasant

One of the best tin/pouch notes out there. Delicious aroma of cherries that sort-of persists while smoking. Great ribbon cut. One of the better aromatic you can find, especially in a pouch.

Age When Smoked: New

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	RobbieZA (12)	2021-06-09		Very Mild	Mild	Mild	Very Pleasant

Opening the packet you are greeted by a sweet clean smelling cherry aroma. Not overpowering or synthetic, just A natural fruity smell.

This was recommended my my local tobacconist along with a few other tobaccos I’ve already reviewed.

This tobacco was easy to light and there wasn’t any tongue bite. The smoke was smooth and I could taste the cherry ever so slightly, but in a satisfying way. The room note is very pleasant. The price isn’t too bad either, this is a quality tobacco. It can be smoked everyday or on a special occasion. Maybe the tobacco was very fresh but it seemed to die on me a few times in the beginning.

If you like this kind of tobacco it the Amphora product range, do yourself a favour and try it! Buy a pouch for your humidor... you won’t regret it!

Pipe Used: Angelo & Falcon

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Tobacco City Klerksdorp

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Anakin1981 (11)	2021-03-16		Mild	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Another common and cheap tobacco that you can find in many places. This one gives a light cherry flavour that doesn't feel overly strong and it doesn't last for the duration of the smoke.

It burns very well and is cheap enough to give it a try but in my opinion there are better choices, even in this price range.

Pipe Used: Various

Age When Smoked: Fresh from the pouch

Purchased From: Tobacco store

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Clamarnicale (9)	2020-06-09		Mild	Medium	Medium to Full	Very Pleasant

For a couple of years I forswore aromatics. My very earliest years as a pipe smoker I mostly smoked subtly whisky flavoured blends that were pleasant enough, but as my fortune waned somewhat I turned to cheaper alternatives. They either didn't taste anything but gave me nicotine, or they didn't taste anything but gave me tongue bite. Then I discovered the pipe smokers of the Internet, such as this site, and English blends and Balkans and so on and on. A flavour revolution.

After awhile, when looking for other tobaccos, I ran across reviews of aromatics that actually sounded good. This was one of them, so I ordered a pouch and a new pipe and was pleasantly surprised.

The tobaccos themselves taste very mild; I find that the cherry flavourings tend to take over. They're sweet, somewhat sour and actually tastes like cherry. I get a bit of vanilla too. It's very mild when it comes to the nicotine as well.

I usually smoke this like a dessert, when I want something light. After dinner I usually go for my Nightcap, but sometimes I find I want to keep smoking after that, and then I'll reach for this. If I smoke among non-smokers, I often bring this along as the room note is very nice.

It comes in a pouch and is fairly dry - it needs no dry time. Store it in an airtight jar to retain moisture. I can puff away like there's no tomorrow on this without getting any tongue bite, but a slow cadence will get you a better flavour.

Pipe Used: Comoy Rhodesian. A cob.

Age When Smoked: Fresh.

Purchased From: Esterval's Pipe House

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	L'Italiano (231)	2019-09-07		Mild	Strong	Full	Pleasant

Strongly flavored blend. Opening the pouch the smell is intense and enchanting (the same of a cherry candy). The room note too. The taste is pure cherry. One of the best cherry-flavored blend. High quality. Really good for aromatic mixtures’ lovers. However in my opinion this blend is too flavored. Excessive is the right word. Tobacco taste is quite hidden. And it is too light with a low nicotine content. What can I say? Perfect for aromatic blends’ lovers (mild blends). Not for me, not at all. It is essential for me to savor tobacco taste and its natural strength. For this reason in my personal rating system (from 1 to 10) my score is 5 and only two stars.

Nobody has rated this review yet.