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Fully matured Virginias, ready rubbed burleys, latakia and a touch of fire cured cavendish is the recipe. We added one of the worlds finest 30-year old Scotch whiskies, Glenfarclas. The natural flavours from the tobacco and the delightful taste of the Scotch marry perfectly, so when smoked you experience the mellow taste and subtle smoky note of the tobaccos combined with the overtone of a fine scotch.
Notes: Discontinued in 2014.
Favorite Of 2 Users
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pipestud (1829) |   |
Very Mild | Medium | Very Mild | Very Pleasant |
I love a lot of the Mac Baren offerings and I'm still scratching my head over why HH Highland Blend passed the company's taste test but was then discontinued. Did their brewery shut down causing them to lose their pipeline to Glenfarclas Whiskey (whatever the heck that is?) Nice overall presentation of Whiskey that was misted sparingly, but enough of it to enhance the balance of the blend. Provides a unique smoking experience.
Pipestud
7 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
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| JimInks (3019) | |
Medium | Mild to Medium | Medium | Pleasant |
The twelve year old Glenfarclas Scotch whiskey moderately sublimates the tobaccos as well as being a team player. The woody burleys are nutty, oat-like and sweet with light earthiness. The tar and tangy citrusy, grassy Virginia cavendish is bready with a mild spice hit in a support role. The Cyprian Latakia is a condimental ingredient, mainly pushing a little smoke, earth, and wood more than actually latakia taste. Creamy at times, slight sour notes pop up here and there as a contrast to the sweetness. It doesn't bite or get harsh, but it should be sipped just the same as it can burn a little warm if forced. Sports few rough notes. The strength and taste levels are medium. The nic-hit is a couple of steps past the mild mark. Burns clean at a reasonable pace with a mostly consistent flavor. Leaves little moisture in the bowl, and requires few relights. Has a pleasant, lightly lingering after taste, and room note. Can be an all day smoke.
-JimInks
7 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TallPuffO'Burley (632) | |
Medium | Mild | Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
I just recently finished a sample of this I got a few years ago. I remember tasting it once, thinking to myself "meh", jarring it and putting it onto a shelf where it got buried. Recently I have been on a mission to finish most of my open containers, so I revisited it and was much more impressed with it this time.
I have found I am not a big fan of blends flavored with whiskey even though it is always my first choice of adult beverage. That said, a couple do stand out, notably Peterson's Irish Whiskey and McClelland's 35th anniversary. I would put this above those two which is odd as Scotch is usually my last choice of whiskey. A whiff of scotch usually brings back ill memories of raiding my dad's bar when I didn't know what I was doing as a kid. These adventures invariably led a to vomiting.
So with that said, I was actually very pleased with the tin note of HHHB. It is funny as it is undoubtedly a scotch aroma, but mixed with the various tobacco leafs it is a very pleasant aroma that I could sniff for hours. The blend smokes nice, albeit a little hot if you are not cautious. It has a very sweet aroma with a touch of smoke, which I had assumed to be coming from the scotch, before I realized there is a touch of Latakia. It is added condimentally. The star in this one is certainly the scotch and maybe the burley.
Needless to say, I really enjoyed the bowls I had and am now disappointed I didn't stock up on this one before it got discontinued.
5 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
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| Geronimo Von Klaus (76) | |
Medium | Medium to Strong | Medium | Pleasant |
I really like this, and am sad to hear they are discontinuing it.
It deserves to be in the HH line, its much higher quality than the Classic or 7 Seas series.
Quite rich, its VA forward with the Lat in the background, and the Glenfarclas casing is very nicely done. It smokes cool, very rich aroma and I would call this crossover rather than full aro as the tobacco components are more of the draw than the casing.
The Lat adds creamy and rich consistency, but the smokiness is kept at bay, the VA's warm up and bring some sweetness into the fold, the whiskey also warms up and comes across as deep and peaty.
Delightful, all round.
Don't know why it gets such visceral dislike from some quarters. I didn't think it was chemical or cloying at all.
Similar Blends: Sutliff Bourbon Street Match.
4 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
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| the_german (309) | |
Mild to Medium | Mild to Medium | Mild | Tolerable |
Out of all the Henrik Halberg ("HH") blends, this is the one that has me puzzled. After all the other whiskey-flavoured blends that have failed so far, why did Henrik even try? Well, this blend is history, and for my personal preferences, that's a good thing.
The tin note is not bad; the 'baccy does have a slight scent of whiskey. Now, I know the Glenfarclas Single Malt. This 'baccy does not smell anything like it, nor does it taste like it. The flavour of the 'baccy is more in the stuffy department, and the room note is on the verge of being offensive to the Whiskey lover--a vain parody of the wonderful water-of-life that is supposed to flavour this blend.
Have a dram of the Glenfarclas Single instead of smoking this blend, is my recommendation. Maybe alongside one of the other HH blends. Most of thm are excellent smokes.
Pipe Used: BC Marseille, MM cobs
Age When Smoked: Fresh from new tin
Purchased From: Smoker's Corner, Lübeck, Germany
Similar Blends: Samuel Gawith - Bothy Flake (Kearvaig Pipe Club).
3 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
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| Houndstooth (34) | |
Strong | Medium | Full | Tolerable |
This is only my 2nd Mac Baren, but it falls far short of the HH Vintage Syrian, one of my favorite Balkans. Not that this is unpleasant, but I did get some nasty tongue bite (first time that's happened in a decade or more). There is such a thing as the dreaded Mac Baren tongue bite after all, I'm sad to report. I can be a bit of a puffer though, so it could be my own damn fault, especially given my inexperience with burley.
There is some sweetness due to the whiskey no doubt. Not a great deal of Latakia kick though; not that that's a bad thing or anything. This tobacco just doesn't have what I'm looking for though- as a Balkan, or semi-aromatic. Two stars.
UPDATE: Over two months later, I felt I'd underestimated this tobacco. It stands on its own merits. I'm adding another star for a total of 3 stars. Not bad stuff.
Pipe Used: Peterson Army- the best of others
Age When Smoked: Nov 2012 according to tin
Purchased From: Cigars Int'l
3 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
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| marosi (70) | |
Mild to Medium | Mild | Medium | Tolerable |
The HH blends are truly a different animal from other Mac Baren products, and this is no exception. Reviewers which are lumping this in with other non-HH Mac Baren products are really not giving these blends a fair or objective look, because they are distinctively different and Mac Baren makes no bones about that. I am not saying that they are inherently better or worse, but they are not prepared in the same vein, and it is simply inaccurate to review them as if they are. The HH blends focus heavily on the flavors of the constituent tobaccos used in the mixture, and have little to none of the typical Mac Baren casing which flavors many of their other blends, and gives them their Mac Baren character, for better or worse. As a result, the HH line is nothing like other blends such as Roll Cake or Club Blend.
Both within Mac Baren, and in general, I would urge everyone to take each review with a grain of salt and try things yourself before you write something off based on the palate of another. Sometimes the difference of a pipe or humidity level can make a world of difference in the smoking experience and taste, and this should also not be forgotten. My experience are that Mac Baren blends are not for the beginning smoker, meaning someone who has not learned to control their rate of puffing, moisture level, packing, and relighting. Many are very good blends, but if you take them straight from the tin to the pipe, and light and puff heavily and frequently, you are indeed likely to get some, or a lot, of tongue bite. If you take your time, however, and dry them to a lower moisture level before lighting up, you will be rewarded.
This is not my favorite HH blend - that accolade goes to the Acadian Perique, which I find both delicious and wonderful to smoke. This mixture, like all of the HH blends, is a blend of several tobaccos, and is only lightly cased with the whiskey. It packs easily in the bowl without much tamping, and lights and burns readily. I find it a little spicy at the beginning, and mellows as things move along. As others have noted, I do not taste the whiskey as much as I smell it in the tin. It does offer a nice rich mixture of virginias and latakia, with something extra, perhaps from the whiskey, perhaps from the dark kentucky. It is a cool smoke, but is more likely to bite in my estimation if you are careless than either Acadian Perique or Vintage Syrian.
I do not find this an out of this world, best of the best blend, but it is a very fine quality and enjoyable smoke. The HH blends really show what Mac Baren is capable of when it steps away from the usual cased virginia and burley offerings. Both Acadian Perique and Vintage Syrian are "better" in my estimation, but this is a good study in contrast, and definitely has its own flavor.
* I just wanted to offer an update and say that, now that my tin is a million years old it is so, so much better than what it used to be. The blend originally to me had a sharp flavor (not tongue bite, but just an sharpness that detracted from the flavor) and did not seem cohesive on my palette. That has all changed. It is now much mellower and richer, the sharpness is gone, and it offers a well rounded tobacco flavor with a hint of whiskey. I am going to smoke more of it now in various pipes to see how this holds, but It seems like good things are happening. of course, one could argue that if you have to wait 6-8 years for a blend to become truly tasty, then that is not worth the wait, but it is, trust me it is.
3 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
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| Clive Moses Apikouris (41) | |
Medium | Mild | Medium to Full | Tolerable |
I opened this time after 3 years of "cellaring". My memories of it from the past weren't distinct so I had little prejudice in giving it a go. Upon opening one finds a rough cut, kind of shag or perhaps roughly rubbed out flake of various shades of brown, with much having a golden hue. The tin aroma is sweet and a bit smoky. As for Scotch Whisky, I detect little Whisky scent or flavor, perhaps because I'm enjoying this along with a fine dram of Talisker Storm which would overwhelm a milder Scotch whisky flavor or smell. The blend is very Virginia forward, something usually not to my liking. However 3 years of aging have mellowed the nasty Virginia tongue burn and instead it's just grassy sweetness, supported by some Cavendish and Burley creaminess and body. As for the Latakia it's hard to notice much here at all if any, much less of a smoke taste than the tin aroma would make one think would be encountered. My pipe burned smoothly without needing a relight. HH Highland Blend is not something I'll smoke too regularly but it is certainly enjoyable.
An update one day later: I didn't notice it at the time as much but the Virginia mouth scalding was taking place. I know that many love Virginia tobacco. However I am one of many who find the stuff's alkaline burn too discomforting. After smoking this "Virginia forward" blend my mouth developed a feeling of scalding throughout the following morning and the roof of my mouth even had skin peeling. It's tobaccos like this that had me putting away my pipes for years. I'm lowering my score here.
Pipe Used: Design Berlin 9mm Cutty NeoLine 11 9mm
Age When Smoked: 3 years
Purchased From: I believe smokingpipes.com
Similar Blends: Davidoff Royalty.
2 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
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| Telling it how it is. (73) | |
Mild to Medium | Mild | Medium | Very Pleasant |
I have to admit this blend was a surprise for me.
The sweetness of the virginia blends perfectly with the very slight whiskey flavour, while the latakia provides just a hint of smokiness and smoothens to the blend. To me this is perfectly balanced throughout the bowl. This by far isn't an aromatic blend, as you always clearly can make out the pure tobacco taste. Even towards the end of the bowl when the flavouring becomes less and less. It is a perfect example for a scottish blend.
The room note is purely fascinating and i fail to describe it. Also the ghosting is very nice and pleasant, i love to smell the smoked and cleaned bowls for it. I can't make out any crossover as the flavouring really is very slight.
I strongly recommend to hurry up and grab the remaining tins that are still easy to to get. I know i will!
Pipe Used: It went trough rotation.
Age When Smoked: Fresh
2 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
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| Emeritus Account (30125) | |
Mild to Medium | Mild | Mild to Medium | Pleasant |
Overall Highland Blend is a pleasant tobacco. Even if it is flavoured with scotch whiskey, I cannot help but compare it to Plumcake; the basic tobaccos are rather similar, for the exception that HB has more backbone in terms of richness, strength and tobacco taste. HB is well balanced, smokes easy and offers a combination of sweet, spicy and smoky tasting experience. I will buy again when I seek a milder tobacco as a change of pace.
Pipe Used: Corn cob and meerschaum
Age When Smoked: 14 months
Purchased From: 4noggins.com
Similar Blends: Mac Baren Plumcake.
2 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
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| boc777 (39) | |
Medium to Strong | Medium | Medium to Full | Pleasant to Tolerable |
I see this has some mixed reviews... I have to say, I am a fan of this. I have not tried everything in the MacB lineup, but this is my favorite so far. I prefer this to Club blend and Dark Twist by a long shot. Not to mention its way cheaper in bulk than those two highly regarded tins. I find this to be very complex, not overbearing with the casing and just a nice change of pace. Room note is a bit of a problem with the wife, but I love it. Just put your nose down in a pouch of this and it gets the blood flowing. A really nice blend that is a keeper for me.
2 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
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| Beer (345) | |
Mild to Medium | Very Mild | Mild | Pleasant to Tolerable |
Mmmm, quite a disappointment here. I usually like the MacBaren flakes, their coin cut ones and even some mixtures (Navy Mixture on top of them all), but this one is rather bland. It doesn't seem to have anything more to offer compared to the classic Mixture, or Symphony, of Gold of Denmark... and actually, something less.
Sure, it's one of the most complex mixtures by MacBaren from the point of view of composition, but that's where the complexity ends. I find it has too little flavour, while having a medium body that can sometimes even hint a bit at harshness (even without pushing it).
And the 30yo Glenfarclas? Actually, I can't smell it in the tin, and I can taste it in the smoke even less than that. It's just your usual average slightly biscuity/nutty/earthy MacBaren mixture, simple as that. Just a hint of smokiness in the tin due to the (infinitesimal) amount of Latakia. I have yet to find a "whisky-flavored" blend that actually tastes of whisky... Not that this is bad, because wasting a pricey and lovely sherry cask Glenfarclas for flavoring tobacco would be a serious crime in my book. (To those finding hints of peat due to the whisky, please reconsider: Glenfarclas is NOT peated... it's the Latakia giving that smoky hint!)
Anyway... No, sorry, this is just a bland unoffensive smoke for me. Decent, but I'll pass.
2 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
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| pipey duck (49) | |
Mild to Medium | Mild | Medium | Tolerable |
I was really keen on trying this stuff and i am glad i did.Afther 150 gramm I can say , this baccy entertaint me very well ,but I have no decision about it. First i have to say, i have seldom tongue bite and also HB bite not really but it is a bit harsh, I smoke it sometimes with filter which i never do with my favourits. But the mix of an english blend in addition with the whisky give a delicious smoke.Let it air for a few minutes and sip it and you get sweet spicy event which i was looking at for long. The only minus is the harshness due the flavour. 3 Stars
2 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
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| Stan (178) | |
Medium | Mild to Medium | Medium | Pleasant |
Smells nice in pouch. Packs and burns easy enough. Flavor is light until second half of bowl. A soft taste until then, probably from the whiskey. Not hot nor really bitey but does nip a little in last half of smoke. The latakia may cool it, but I don't taste that leaf much. Puff slow to steady. Still an aromatic smoker may enjoy this more
Not much of an improvement over their Highland Mixture of some years past, which I recall as milder. I think I tasted the whiskey more in that version. Still something soft is present on the taste buds from the HH version.
2 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
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| joel750 (6) | |
Medium | Mild | Medium to Full | Pleasant to Tolerable |
Like PipeNosher, I too got a sample pack of this blend when i ordered a Brand New Peterson Kapet pipe from smokingpipes.Opening the packet,the aroma just hit me.A little Musky,smoky and smells like a forest early in the morning in the summertime.I'm not really particular on English blends + it's not really my cup of tea but since it came in w/ my pipe free,Hell why not try it? I had a past experience tasting an English blend namely Northwoods when i ordered some from J.M.Boswell and i almost coughed trying to smoke their stuff!Smoking this MacBaren, It's a lot milder than the Northwoods and More tolerable. I smoked it a little bit more and i have to say:I'm really starting to like this blend! So far, it's in my tobacco line up rotation whenever i have the mood to smoke an English.Good tobacco i must say after 3 bowls & now keeping a 2oz. In standby. If you like Aromatics and curious to try an English blend,here's the stuff to start.
2 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
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| Emeritus Account (30125) | |
Mild | Mild | Medium | Tolerable to Strong |
This is my first review here and I mostly use this site prior to making tobacco purchases. With that said, this stuff was bad enough to motivate me to write a review, albeit a negative review.
I like just about every Mac Baren product I have tried. The Vintage Syrian being one of my favorites.
On first draw my tongue was on fire. I tried to stay with it, but it bit hard. Also the smoke was very harsh. I was smoking a sample from a sealed pouch, so I assume it was stored well.
It room note was so bad, and it's the first time my wife came into the room while I am smoking and said that stuff stinks!
1 person found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
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| Emeritus Account (30125) | |
Medium | Mild to Medium | Medium to Full | Pleasant to Tolerable |
I am in fully agree with marosi, the HH series are unlike regular line MacBarens. The flavoring in this tobacco is wonderful and compliments the tobacco well. I really admired the cut of this tobacco; a very rustic consistency. I found it tangy and robust without being overbearing. Unlike regular line MacBarens I have no problem with tongue bite from this tobacco. Would really recommend this. Great change of pace.
1 person found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
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| Emeritus Account (30125) | |
Medium to Strong | Mild | Medium to Full | Pleasant to Tolerable |
I'm a fan of this blend. Nice manly aroma. Stout without being overwhelming. Solid natural flavors with a little extra thanks to the Glenfarcas. Very nice nic level. This blend is pleasing and satisfying in several ways. Could smoke it all day.
1 person found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
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| atomicbuster (79) | |
Mild | Mild to Medium | Mild to Medium | Pleasant |
I found this blend very appealing. The aroma right out of the pouch was nice, a bit leathery and indeed only a hint of the whiskey. The latakia was almost nonexistent to me. I couldn't detect any nicotine kick either. I don't think it produced tongue bite naturally, only when I puffed it hard and fast. That was my fault. I'd buy it again, and I recommend it.
1 person found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
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| SteelCowboy (685) | |
Medium | Very Mild | Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
This tobacco looks great in the tin and smells good too. But like so many Mac Baren blends its just plain harsh. I enjoy strong tobacco and by harsh I mean not smooth. Its not a surprise that so many complain about tongue bite with their blends, it affects me the same way and I seldom get tongue bite. I am not sure if its an additive to their blends, but its not one that will hit my cellar again. Not Recommended.
1 person found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
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| radioisotope (17) | |
Medium | Mild | Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
I was very excited when I got this new edition to the HH line up. I received it in a sample pouch from swmoking pipes.
Puch smell was smokey with a little bit of pine forest. The alcohol scotch smell makes it self known.
First part of the bowl I had a pine aroma, with a lemony citrus after taste. Towards the bottom of the bowl it became very smoky and spicey like HH Mature Virginia. Still noticed the pine, and the citrus taste remained.
I have smoked this out of three different pipes, cob, briar and meerschaum. I found the meerschaum to be the best smoke with this.
I will say that this is best smoked slowly, I do tend to puff hard sometimes and that really ruins this smoke.
As far as the scotch goes I really didn't detect it, but I've never drank scotch so I really wouldn't know it if there was any.
I think this is nice edition to the HH line up but it is probably my least favorite of the 4. I think they missed the rating on this one since they rate it a 3 for stregth on the pouch, which is the same as Acadia perique. This is not near as strong as Acadia Perique and doesnt have near the nicotine content.
Overall I give this 3 stars as it is good but not as good as the other HH blend. When this comes on sale, I will buy ba tin and let it age for awhile to see what effect it has.
1 person found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
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| Emeritus Account (30125) | |
Medium | Mild | Medium to Full | Pleasant to Tolerable |
Got some in a sampler pouch, if you have any you will hate it (grin) send me all your samplers...serious now, this is a FANTASTIC blend, Mac Baren created a HIT here for sure...can't wait until this one is released....soon I hope so I can add a few pnds to the cellar...I do pick up nice flavors of peat from the 30yr whiskey in the finish...perhaps some cherry in/out somewhere, tang and sweet...mmm-mmm-mmm...only have about two bowls left in the sampler (perfect out of the pouch) and going to finish it off now
UPDATE: 5/27/2011-=-After getting a few more sampler pouches, opened another and it was just blah...hope it is just a no QA with samplers...just got a few 100g tins (yes they have released it now) waiting to smoke some from a fresh 100g tin to hope it was same or better then my first sampler pouch...otherwise it is gonna be plant-food....too many GREAT tobacco blends out there to smoke bad ones ;-)
1 person found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
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| Emeritus Account (30125) | |
Medium | Very Mild | Medium to Full | Pleasant to Tolerable |
I first came across this tobacco in the form of a complimentary half-pouch from smokingpipes.com. I am a particular lover of Mac Baren's other "HH" blends, but this was a new one on me. Upon breaking the seal, I could easily smell a deep, peaty smokiness. The label suggests there is Latakia present, but it must not be much. The smoke smell had nothing to do with Latakia, but more like a campfire with the burning of mossy peat. I assume this is a component of the scotch whiskey ingredient. I was immediately interested.
The presentation in the pouch is very pretty, with lemony yellows and medium browns, offset by dark and even black. It's a mixture of different cuts and broken flakes. Packing is easy, as it is fairly dry, and won't plug up the air flow.
Lighting and tamping was easy, and in fact, the faux light turned out to be the only light needed. It just kept burning without any fuss. Flavor is a magnificent matured Virginia with the ever present smokiness and peatiness. There is nothing "sweet" about the taste, but rather just a satisfying texture of richness to the smoke. The flavor doesn't evolve a lot down the bowl, but neither does it become nasty in the way that some others do. I could not detect any nicotine hit, which might be viewed as a negative by some, but I took it as another plus. I did not find myself becoming bored with this blend at all, at least not on the first pipe full. Time will tell as to its future viability, but I have high hopes. In the meantime, a definite four stars for a cool, dry smoke, an amazingly new experience and a stimulating companion for getting the thought processes going. Highly recommended.
1 person found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Emeritus Account (30125) | |
Mild to Medium | Mild | Mild to Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
Had this one after breakfast outside on a wet morning in May as the morning fog rolled in off the coast of Lake Michigan. The scotch added an interesting flare and unique bouquet at first but eventually it didn't play too heavily. The Burley was in the forefront at the beginning. The latakia kicked in later on and stayed around but didn't take over completely. Pretty well balanced, even the virginia surfaced for a moment or two in my latakia dedicated Stanwell Canadian. However, it did go a little bland here and there. A creamy blandness that wasn't bad, just nothing special and a little tough on the tongue for a minute. Some uniqueness from the scotch was appreciated, and the smokey scent of latakia was left on me for some time afterward. The burn was one of the easiest I've had, didn't even have to think twice about it. It smoked itself from top to bottom if not a little on the warm side. Overall, a decent smoke that provided a nice change in the rotation. Because of the moments of blandness, I'll have to have a few more bowls before I decide to make it a permanent. 2.9
Nobody has rated this review yet.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
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| Dr. Scott (82) | |
Medium to Strong | Medium | Medium | Tolerable |
A waste of good whiskey.
Plumcake with whiskey instead of rum as the casing. Like other Mac Barens, it bites like hell and is sour like an old dirty sock. Don't bother.
Update, 27 March 2012: I was given a free sample, and I forgot that I had tried it before. I must have blocked the unpleasant memories from my mind. It Is worse than I wrote above. Horrible!
Nobody has rated this review yet.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
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| chetking (54) | |
Medium | Mild to Medium | Medium | Pleasant |
Like previous reviewers I too am taken by this engaging blend sent along in a 0.71 Oz. sampler pouch by SmokingPipes.com out of Little River, SC. Thanks friends - will probably place a full order soon. Not a Latakia or English blend smoker I much prefer sweet, heavy aros, but this one sports a delicate, sophisticated taste I'd like to try in a couple of my prized pipes including a pair of Petersons. The hint of Scotch whiskey dressing superbly compliments the Latakia taste. Me thinks McBaron may have a "transformational" winner here. Happy Hunting!
Nobody has rated this review yet.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Emeritus Account (30125) | |
Mild to Medium | Mild to Medium | Mild to Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
Interesting "crossover" blend. I do not often smoke blends with Latakia, and to me the Latakia was in the forefront, everything else coming in second. This is a pleasant surprise though, a MacBaren blend that does not burn the tongue! Sent to me as a sample from Smokingpipes.com (thanks very much!)....I will keep it for an occasional smoke.
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600 Perdue Ave
Richmond, VA 23224