Tobaccos Mac Baren - Aromatic Choice

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2002-08-25		Mild	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

With this tobacco, I had one of those moments I think every pipe smoker has from time to time. At last! I've found it! The tobacco I've been waiting for! Perhaps this blend will be dismissed by veterans, for it is not very strong and seems to be cased liberally. However, when I return home after a day of teaching english to, on average, about ninety small Taiwanese children, all I want is a sweet, rich pipe that doesn't ask very much. One can gravity feed, stuff, or mash this tobacco into the bowl and puff like a locomotive, but all is well. I've made this my reward tobacco, something to look forward to. Highly recommended, especially to novices such as myself

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pipestud (1829)	2006-03-31		Very Mild	Very Mild	Very Mild	Pleasant

Reading all the reviews of this blend has confused me - not that I need any help.

All I know is that this tastes like tobacco in a muted sort of way and can be smoked hard and fast with little distress to the tongue.

If you enjoy light aromatics that are more on the Burley side of the tracks, then I can certainly recommend this Mac Baren's offering.

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	StevieB (2081)	2014-09-07		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Mac Baren - Aromatic Choice.

The mixture itself gives off quite a potent/sweet smell of which makes the added flavours very conspicuous. This one does seem a little too moist, albeit not soaking wet; it just requires a short amount of time to let a bowlful reach the correct level of dryness. A good point I quickly ascertain is that the different constituents appear to be quite a fair selection, the most prevalent is the Cavendish but not overly so as there is a decent quantity of Virginia and Burley.

After a short airing period, only a few hours, it takes to the flame excellently and gives an enjoyable smoke. With the aromatic side the amalgamation is a pleasant one, not a harsh one but a mild sweetness with an almost "nutty" quality to it. Any added alcohol (to me) remains very light, noticeable but you have to look for it! The final positive (more subjective) is I get no tongue bite from start to finish.

Nicotine: mild to medium. Room-note: pleasant.

Three stars.

Pipe Used: Peterson Dracula

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Smoke King

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	codyp (65)	2014-03-05		Mild	Strong	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

I'm usually nice about blends I personally don't like, and give opinions based on a rounded fact.

But this blend was just foul. Sorry, but that's all.

I guess say it's because of the tongue bite and chemical taste.

I will say on good thing, it does smell good, and in a tobacco way. Not too much of a chemical smell.

Pipe Used: AKB Freehand Meerschaum, H.I.S Egg Bent

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Local Shop (J & R Fielding Co.)

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Kraft1994 (54)	2014-02-15		Very Mild	Extremely Mild	Extremely Mild (Flat)	Pleasant

Not as bad as over the counter aromatic blends. but... its close. Nice aroma but no flavor to speak of. Just tastes like hot air. Burns wet and leaves the pipe sticky. Nice aroma but no tobacco flavor. Not even any flavor from the casing. Just hot steam like smoke.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Bram (4)	2014-03-14		Mild	Mild	Extremely Mild (Flat)	Tolerable

One of the blandest blends I've ever smoked. I bought this hoping it would be sweet with a nice aromatic note, but it turned out smelling of cigarettes (Kent in particular) in the pouch and rather bland when smoked. I searched for the nutty character of most Mb blends but was quite disappointed. It lacks character and delicacy but might appeal to those looking for a milder aromatic without heavy casing. Not my type.

Pipe Used: Angelo briar, Medico Husky

Age When Smoked: Fresh from the pouch

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2009-07-25		Extremely Mild	Mild	Extremely Mild (Flat)	Unnoticeable

This is the worst MB blend I hae ever tasted. It tastes like the toacco had been replaced by shredded pieces of the same cardboard they use to produce the pack. Sorry Mac Bare, but this one is realy terrible.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	UncleGar (110)	2005-04-18		Very Mild	Medium to Strong	Medium	Pleasant

They say you can judge a man by his enemies. I?ve used this technique successfully several times on this list to select tobaccos. Why oh why do nicotine addicts try ?mild? blends at all? Yes, this is mild because it is SUPPOSED to be. I?ve smoked cigars and pipes for 30+ years and find nothing wrong with this blend. It delivers as promised and then some.

It starts sweet and aromatic, but not excessively so, progresses to more complex, yet mild flavors of hardwood nuts, and finishes with long anticipated stoved virginia sweet/sour notes. If anything, it needs a bass note of something to stretch the spectrum. It never turns acrid or bitter.

Like the first reviewer, I use this as a reward for evenings when I need to sleep later. A wonderful relaxing smoke it is, and I love the sweetness, be it virginias or casing; it matters not. It would not be an all-day smoke, though; the taste would stop being special.

This was my first MacBaren and remains my favorite. Yes, they all can bite, but I find that to be a matter of technique and experience more than anything. The package claims it to be easy to smoke, and I agree. It seems oblivious to careless packing or lighting or whether you use a cob or Savinelli briar. Because of this, I?d recommend it also to those new to the pipe. Neophytes should also be cautioned to dedicate a pipe to flavored blends such as this so as not to risk carryover when they try english or balkan blends as another ?veteran? reviewer discovered. In fact, I devote a specific pipe to this blend so as not to introduce foreign flavors, welcomed elsewhere, to this one.

I suppose the packaging is a bit full of itself, but no more so than many others with pretentious names and allusions to the leisure class of yachts, clubs and royalty. At least it sets itself apart from other pouches, as well it should. I wish it came in 100g tins.

I?d recommend this to any smoker who can appreciate an upscale mild aromatic and especially to those who don?t need a hit of nicotine to get by.

Update 1/05 Yikes! What IS this now? It went way over the top and I couldn't finish half a bowl. Did they unplug the flavor sprayer? Old package fine, new one gross. Something is rotten in Denmark. Really: my waning old stock is still great. Goodbye old friend...

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2002-08-22		Extremely Mild	Strong	Extremely Mild (Flat)	Tolerable

I guess I would be the "veteran" that Benjamin was talking about. I have a problem with MacBaren's consistent and heavy-handed use of the honey/cheap liqueur casing. This blend is in a recycled-looking corrugated package, apparently to appeal to the younger, hipper crowd. I wouldn't mind the marketing bit, but I found this to have no tobacco flavor, and an unpleasant taste. It gunked up my pipe, and it took three salt-and-alcohol treatments to get rid of the stench. Of course, this is merely MY opinion....

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Courtney Fish (33)	2018-03-13		Mild	Medium	Mild	Pleasant

For such a mild tobacco, packed with so much vanilla and sweetness, this provides quite a heavy (but not unpleasant) tobacco-fragrance room note. Other than that I can’t say there was anything remarkable about this but straight out of the pack it burns very well to a pure white ash but leaves quite a wet bowl. Packs and lights well requiring a few infrequent relights. Inoffensive, pleasant flavour overall with no bite to be found, but unlikely to return to this in the near future.

Pipe Used: Carey, Missouri Meerschaum

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: Smoke King

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	pillliwinx (2)	2015-09-10		Mild	Extremely Mild	Extremely Mild (Flat)	Tolerable

I am totally new to pipe tobacco so ordered a few samples and they arrived today. Tried this one first. It has a pleasant smell in the packet and packed very, very easily. It lit no problem and stayed lit all the way to the end. As mentioned I have no idea about blends, tobacco types etc, but all I know that although there was a ton of smoke, it didn't taste of anything? It burned very hot and felt like I was smoking steam? Along with the steam, it nipped a bit, not just on the tongue but in the mouth as well. I have enough for another couple of bowls, but I won't be rushing to smoke them........I hope the other samples are better!

Pipe Used: MM Corn Cob

Age When Smoked: Straight out of the packet

Purchased From: Smoke-King

Similar Blends: No idea.......yet!.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	keremgulermen (11)	2012-12-19		Extremely Mild	Medium	Mild	Very Pleasant

Its my first tobacco, so I connected this tobacco in full of emotion. But, its really unnecessary and average tobacco to smoke, maybe only smell. :D

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2012-05-23		Very Mild	Medium to Strong	Mild	Very Pleasant

This is another aromatic I can locally find.

It smells like lemon, it tastes like lemon, it burns like lemon. But why, wife loves the smell.

You can find a better aromatic I am sure.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2009-05-01		Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Sorry folks but this is clearly the worst Mac Baren I have tried and had to ditch it after the first couple of puffs. As you open the pouch, its almost reminiscent of opening a packet of tea. I have personally nothing against tea, but if this is an 'Aromatic Choice' they certainly could have done a better job. The tobacco quality is just fine as with all Mac Barens but the casing leaves much to be desired. The room note is not too bad but it not all about the room note is it? If one would be stranded on a desert island, it would be better if one had to drink or chew it rather than smoke it! Apologies to Mac Baren, I really wanted to like it but I just can't.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Cakici (29)	2020-04-14		Very Mild	Very Strong	Full	Very Pleasant

It's definitely a neglected blend in my eyes. One should not be smoking it through the pouch because what I experienced is it's usually excessively humid blend that has a heavy smell of liquor or of other chemicals in it. What I certainly suggest is letting it dry a bit, for let's say 3-4 hours at room temperature, then give it a try with no rush.

Pipe Used: Turkish Meershaum, Ser Jacopo, Stanwells

Age When Smoked: 3 to 4 hours

Purchased From: Local tobaccionist

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Telling it how it is. (73)	2015-10-22		Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Mild	Pleasant

Please Note: I am trying to work off my back log of tobaccos i have tried years and years ago. In most cases i have no clue anymore when. Or who produced it back in the day. Also my memories are faded by time and those reviews are based mostly on my notes but sometimes i have a current tin for comparison as well:

I first tried this when it came out and still was named Mild Choice. Back in the day the pouch design was the only thing that made me courious about it. And since i recently got a large sample of this blend i thought its time to revisit it.

Mostly black tobacco with some very few brown sprinkles in it. The pouch aroma is rather off putting even tho i couldn't exactly tell why. There is some artificiality to the smell so maybe that's why i dont like it. In any case it smells like something trying to emulate fruit. Maybe like some fizzy powder or realy cheap bubble gum.

Packing and lighting are easy enough. Burning properties are excellent with only little maintenance needed.

The first light revealed why i had to toss out most of the pouch way back when i first smoked it: it has that incredibly bad taste like peach iced tea. And i hate peach iced tea, especially the cheap brands that taste exactly as this blend does. There is no tobacco taste involved here either. The flavouring lasts throughout most of the bowl and only the very last of the bowl has to be tossed out.

Aftertaste is just what you tasted in the smoke and lasts long enough. Tongue bite is no issue unless you puff away too hard and/or too often.

Room note is nice but on the heavy side and the kind that non smokers identify with pipes.

So, do i recommend this blend? Nope. It just doesn't cut it for me but if you dig peach iced tea this might just float your boat. I am just no fan of the new Mac Baren blends and think they are redundant at best. Except of course for the marvelous HH series. But all the choices and cubes and 7 seas and mild that and modern here velvety blends in my opinion are just pointlessly buggery blends no one waited for. And yet i am a huge Mac Baren fan for their classic line of blends so giving them bad ratings really does pain me.

Pipe Used: It went trough rotation.

Age When Smoked: They don't print production dates on it.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pipe4ever (204)	2008-12-31		Very Mild	None Detected	Extremely Mild (Flat)	Very Pleasant

This is an ultra aromatic mild and heavily cased tobacco with very good aroma and room note but without any memorable taste or flavor, other Mac Baren blends are much better. Try Mixture

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2008-07-15		Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Mild	Pleasant

Just as a starting side note I am reviewing the "Mild Choice" version of this. I bought this because I went to the tobacco shop and they did not have what I originally went there for and so as I was browsing around I saw this and having heard mixed things about it I decided to see for myself, it also saved me a few bucks which is helpful to a poor college kid. When I first opened it the tobac seemed dry but I packed my pipe and puffed away. After a couple of bowls Ive decided this is pretty good stuff as far as aromatics go. In my opinion the casing is done right, not too much, but its still there. Definately not my favorite but good for social situations or a change of pace. It also doesn't really bite and I was puffing pretty hard. Pretty good stuff overall.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Tantric (321)	2008-07-03		Very Mild	Medium	Mild	Pleasant

A nice enough aromatic blend, fruity in taste, similar to Larsen's No 50. Very Danish, smooth, no tongue bite, not particularly exiting (I much prefer Original Choice), but a definite crowd pleaser. In a way it's Cube with the sweetness toned down to a palatable proportion. Smoke it slowly, without thinking too much about it. An aromatic fan should very much enjoy this. Other folk might find it just OK.

PS Hate the cardboard pouch color!

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Scottgun (11)	2008-04-01		Very Mild	Medium	Extremely Mild (Flat)	Tolerable

Smoke the corrugated pouch instead of what's inside it. At least it will have a taste.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2005-06-11		Very Mild	Strong	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is a typical MacBaren blend with heavy use of their favorite honey like casing. Sweet with no tobacco flavor at all.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2004-08-17		Extremely Mild	Extra Strong	Extremely Mild (Flat)	Pleasant to Tolerable

Oh yes the legendary mac baren bite - that's probably why mac baren has introduced this tabacco by mentioning on the nice wrap (no tonguebite). It's true you wont't get bit but you can smoke hot "lemonized" air....

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	emir_drnd (1)	2022-07-01		Mild to Medium	Mild	Very Mild	Tolerable

Oh boy, that was my first tobacco. It was so bad, I tought to leave the pipe smoking. It was bitter, chemically, and burns the tongue. Not recommended.

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	aksamolsa (20)	2016-02-02		Mild	Mild to Medium	Mild	Pleasant

Yet another aromatic by Mac Baren. Everything written on description above is true, I prefer this one -and Mac Baren Vanilla Choice- when I am exhausted with challenging tobaccos but still have desire to smoke. Easy but non-satisfying to my taste.

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Silent Soliloquy (17)	2015-11-28		Extremely Mild	Very Strong	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

If you would like some very aromatic (hard to tell, but peach, honey, vanilla) and very mild smoke - this is a very good choice. Think of hookah smoke - that's relatively close. No tongue bite, sweet pleasant aftertaste, even cool burn with white ash, is there even nicotine? You can pretty much breathe this one. No need to strain yourself smoking carefully not to flip to bitter/bitey like with similar line of borkum riff for example. Bottom line this is more of a cocktail drink made of smoke. I only regret getting 1 pouch and will definitely get more. Compared to 7 seas cherry (another mc baren I tried), this is heavenly. All that being said, if you want actual tobacco smoke - this is not your choice at all. Probably the main reason for all the negative feedback here.

Pipe Used: meerschaum, sahin and neerup briars

Age When Smoked: new

Purchased From: creepy guy in Istanbul (ok, not so creepy)

Similar Blends: Sutliff Tobacco Company - South Seas (Sutliff Private Stock).

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Gustaw (5)	2014-06-01		Very Mild	Medium	Very Mild	Very Pleasant

It was my first ever tobacco and I'd recommend it for newbies. All of my friends loved the smell and, although the taste wasn't noticeable, I enjoyed smoking it. I never bought it again and I don't intend to, but I have a good memory of this blend.

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	hubup (14)	2013-08-26		Extremely Mild	Mild	Extremely Mild (Flat)	Very Pleasant

No tongue bites, nice aroma with no tobacco taste...Doesn't feel like i'm smoking tobacco but feels like breathing a room spray...I saw better aromatic tobaccos of mac baren...

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2013-07-02		Very Mild	Very Mild	Mild	Pleasant

lemon taste is different. if you like aromatics you should try this at least once (not twice!) but otherwise it offers nothing different.

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	UncleDoc (8)	2010-10-13		Mild	Mild	Very Mild	Pleasant

It completely depends on your taste. This blend has some kind of bizarre fruity smell and taste. First few bowls I really hated it but now I'm getting used to it! And also my friends like it. Very easy burning so you don't need to light it up again and again. Very mild with no bite. Good choice for those who seek something different.

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Dubinthedam (133)	2010-03-10		Very Mild	Medium to Strong	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

a good intro aromatic baccy, but simply put, I would advise beginners to start with Vanilla Cream.

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2009-10-07		Mild	Very Mild	Mild	Pleasant

This is my first tobacco review having just started the hobby so having now tried 8 tobaccos I feel able to usefully comment. I had no trouble packing and lighting (thanks you tube) and keeping it lit but I did manage to burn a cave into the bowl of my first and not very cheap Peterson pipe. I put that down to technique. The tobacco was light on flavour but did not burn my tongue and the smell was pleasant enough. A pretty goood introduction into pipe smoking but I dont think I will buy it again. There are so many alternatives.

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2008-05-14		Very Mild	Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

This is a good mild aromatic tobacco, recommended for beginner smokers. It does not bite the tongue and the aroma is very pleasant. Smoke it easily and you will love this one.

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	SmokeKing David (134)	2007-11-30		Very Mild	Medium	Mild	Pleasant

I recommend this for aromatic aficianados. Fruity, but still some real tobacco taste. Not wet and goopy like some other aromatics. Non-biting, the tobacco in the pouch I bought was somewhat dry; thus, air-drying prior to lighting was unnecessary.

This blend stayed lit well and was virtually trouble free. I wholly enjoyed the 45 minute smoke and look forward to my next bowl.

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2004-12-15		Mild	Very Strong	Mild	Tolerable to Strong

Funny, I got both Mild Choice and Aromatic Choice and they are very different. Mild Choice is a milder version of the Original. So let?s talk about the Original first. It is very very aromatic. In fact so much so one can only taste the heavy creamy sweet vanilla with just a generous non-detectable tobacco flavor. Great to impress your friend with and fun to have around, I guess. But then they have the Aromatic Choice. It certainly makes me wonder, how can this be more aromatic then the Original? As I found out, once the bag is open, I am greeted with smell of assorted fruits, especially peach. I see a few yellow/brown leaves and that?s it. Once fired up, it is peach flavored aperitif all the way. Sorry, but this sway a bit too much from the purpose of pipe smoking.

Nobody has rated this review yet.