Tobaccos Mac Baren - Virginia Flake

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JimInks (3046)	2014-04-13		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

A fairly natural tasting straight up light, bright Virginia flake, though I do notice a light sugar topping. There's a basic tart and tangy sugary citrus and honey sweetness from the tobacco conjoining with a grassy, bready taste - no hay - to provide a mild, gentle smoking experience. Has minor spice and floral notes. Has a lower acidity level than Mac Baren's Virginia #1. It’s rather mild in this production. Not a flavor bomb by any means, but it's a comfortable all day smoke that burns fairly slowly and cool with a very consistent flavor from top to bottom. The nic-hit is a step past the mild mark. The strength is a step past that level. The taste is in the center of mild to medium. Can burn a little warm if puffed fast, but won't bite or get harsh. It does sport a few small rough edges. Leaves little dampness in the bowl, and requires a few relights. Has a lightly lingering, very pleasant after taste and room note. Ages exceptionally well.

-JimInks

31 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2009-03-11		Mild	Extremely Mild	Mild	Pleasant

I bought a pound of this on sale, as the sale price of a pound was about the same as the regular price of 3 50 gram tins. Smart shopper or village idiot? Well... neither, exactly. I'd classify this as a "good" but not great smoke. I'd grade it about 2.5 stars and rounded up due to the leaf quality.

This is a pleasant mild smoke that doesn't offend as long as it's smoked slowly. Whatever casing might be in there burns off at the match or in the drying process, much like MacB's Navy Flake. This tobacco is neither complex nor does it develop down the bowl. It's just a nice friendly smoke when you're not in the mood to try anything new and your taste buds don't want to be overwhelmed. Mildly and pleasantly sweet, but not as sweet as Virginia #1. I've smoked about 6 oz of this and I'm going to age the rest for a couple of years. I wonder if the mildness might give way to a bit more zest with some cellaring.

20 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Eulenburg (193)	2004-05-09		Very Mild	Mild	Mild	Very Pleasant

This has been available on-and-off since I was a teenager (NOT yesterday) but I have the impression that the tin was somehow different. I remember first trying this at the same time as THE ORIGINAL SOBRANIE Flake ("Pure Virginia") in the green étui, and thinking this hotter and rather more syrupy.

But taken in its own terms, this is a quality product, as all of Baren's offerings, beautifully put together. The flavour is lightest Virginia, lightly sweetened. I like it better than ORLIK's Golden Sliced, because this has no burley. The burley there is meant to aleviate BITE. It also makes the taste duller. If you wish to avoid pernicious heat with M. BAREN's Virginia Flake, don't rub it out at all: just stuff it into the pipe whole; it will burn slower. This tobacco is a perfect tutorial on slow puffing and restrained smoldering; smoked that way, it is among the better light flakes.

If you want to taste this without the sweetener, or see what the sweetener adds to a blend of this sort, try FRIBOURG & TREYER's Cut Blended Plug.

14 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Beer (345)	2009-08-25		Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

A very classically styled bright and red Virginia flake (although, knowing Mac Baren, I might suspect that there also is a slight touch of burley). It smells and tastes like an English flake with just a hint of sweet flavoring (honey, sugar...) to betray its Danish origin. Very "reference" virginia flake, IMHO.

It is predictable from start to finish: no surprises, neither of the unpleasant kind (it burns slow, cool, with no bitterness, sourness or tonguebite, very smooth) nor of the pleasant one (it is good, but without peaks of excellence). A mild tasting flake with a medium body, sweet, only slightly grassy and hayish. Similar to Capstan (but without its sour fruitiness) or Marlin Flake (but not as deliciously sweet), or Full Virginia Flake (but not as fragrant and complex). The problem, IMHO, lies in the fact that it's also rather undistinguished: it doesn't excel in any department, while undoubtedly providing a solid good smoke. With so many virginia flake alternatives, one has to go looking for nuances to tell the winners from the simply OK stuff. And IMHO the three tobaccos I compared it to above shine with more personality, more "juice", more complexity, more satisfaction. The difference is not huge, but it's there. Somewhat it can be comparable to some similar Fribourg & Treyer flakes: good, but not the best of its kind.

Anyway, far from being bad: if you stumble upon some tins at a good price, cellar them away because it is enjoyable and without specific faults other than not being the best of its class.

13 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pipestud (1829)	2003-05-18		Very Mild	Mild	Very Mild	Very Pleasant

As I continue to work my way (slowly) through the extensive Mac Baren's line, I held off on this one for as long as possible because I knew it was a flavored Virginia Flake and I was hesitant to try it. It is a very light tasting Virginia with a sweet and unusual top dressing that I liked. It was beautifully presented in a handsome tin, and the flake itself was marvelously put together. It stayed lit well (all Mac Baren's tobaccos seem to burn with no problem,) and burned cleanly with a superb aroma. If light and sweet is your go-to type of blend, I think you will really enjoy this.

12 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	doc'spipe (242)	2010-05-19		Medium	Mild	Medium	Pleasant

Beautifully prepared flakes stacked neatly in two rows. The tin aroma was of honey and a hint of vanilla with a perfect moisture content for removing and folding the flake for smoking. After lighting, a mildly sweet Virginia awaits you. In spite of the mildness, I was able to taste a flavored Virginia and what tasted like lemon and vanilla - a casing applied with a light touch, but this sweetness soon gives way to a very nice, albeit mild, Virginia. I experienced no bite and would say it burned very well - never hot, and with a spiciness that was very appealing. No real grassiness to this one either - a subdued brightness that I happen to favor in a Virginia. I could only just barely make out the Burley, but by mid bowl the nicotene presence will let you know it's there. There was no moisture and the flake burned to a nice light gray ash. Unless smoked too fast, it never was cigarette-like or ashy. A while after the tin is opened, the top note lessens considerably, but still adds a subtle balance to the overall flavor. For its genre, similar to Orlik's Golden Slice without the higher citrus tones of OGS. I like it much better than OGS.

As comparisons to Mac's Virginia No. 1 are inevitable, both are different enough to enjoy them as separate entities. Whereas No. 1 is honey forward, Virginia Flake is more vanilla forward (subtle, smoother and not as cloying vanilla as found in their Vanilla Cream). Mac Baren rates their flake stronger than their No. 1, and after consuming many bowls of each, I would have to agree, but not by much. One huge plus with the flake is a perfectly-sized tin for carrying in one's pocket, and I like the yellow-colored scheme of the tin as well. If you favor a Virginia in a flake form, Virginia Flake provides a satisfying experience. A bit more aromatic than No. 1. Like a good "B" movie that you don't mind watching more than once. Abbott and Costello made B movies. They happen to be my favorite comedy team with a 5 star rating, just like Virginia Flake!

9 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Mesh (51)	2016-02-14		Mild	Mild	Mild	Tolerable

This was the first flake tobacco I ever bought back in 2009 as a new pipe smoker, so you could say I have something of a sentimental attachment to it. Two or three tins of this and I was quite well hooked to the amazing world of pipe smoking. The tin design, the arrangement of the flakes, the tin note and the subtlety sweet VA notes in the smoke... there was enough there to capture my newbie imagination.

Sentimentality aside, however, now that I've sampled maybe twenty or so different Virginia flakes, this is objectively speaking not a very good example of its genre. There is a pleasant grassy taste in the first third of the bowl with some citrus notes, but it is too eager to bite and needs extremely slow sipping to burn down gently and not produce a harsh, cigarette-like taste after mid-bowl. Some reviewers have mentioned sweetness in the blend, something which I can't really find here any more.

I will always come back to this blend once every couple of years for nostalgia's sake, but there are several VA flakes I'd recommend before this one.

8 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Felix (7)	2007-02-22		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Received a sample with a recent SmokingPipes order, probably wouldn't have noticed the blend otherwise.

Nice naturally high-dextrose Virginia, enhanced slightly with what appears to be a small amount of honey casing. Wonderful smell when you open the pouch but you immediately recognize it's not an artificial (aromatic) smell; rather, just a great Virginia tobacco smell. The casing adds virtually nothing to the sensory experience.

The moisture level was just right in my sample...not too dry and not too wet. The light-brown flakes (3/4" x 3 3/4") fall apart easily and really don't require rubbing out...just fold and stuff and you'll have a perfectly packed bowl with the correct draw. An absolute novice can look like an expert with this blend.

One charring light, tamp lightly, light again and that's the last match required until the bowl is 3/4 finished. Extremely easy to smoke this blend.

However, it'll quickly vette your smoking technique. Puff too aggressively, it'll bite and you'll have a hot pipe to boot. But smoked slowly, your pipe will remain cool and you'll fully enjoy all this mild Virginia has to offer.

I know conventional wisdom dictates using a smaller pipe for flake but this blend is perfect in a Dunhill Group 5 when I take my dogs out for an hour plus walk and want a long smoke. It stays lit and requires virtually no additional fiddling until almost finished.

I like this blend so much that I'm going to buy one of the 1lb boxes SmokingPipes has on their web site. And a second box to age for awhile. Guess that's why they sent me a sample, huh?

Highly recommended if you enjoy Virginias.

8 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	wmf (14)	2014-09-18		Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium to Full	Tolerable

Found this one and only tin at Southern Cigar and immediately searched on TRs. Seems either this flake is loved or hated. Soooo...it was on sale and MAN am I glad I bought this gloriously rich flake. By following some of the 3 and 4 star reviewer's recommendations here for packing and smoking, I formulated a plan for my Bjarne. Popped the tin and the wife approved. Dried figs and faint tobacco smell, but very fresh at the same time (Awww Yeah). Liberated a flake from the tin and let it sit for 15 to 20 mins. I folded lengthwise and Z-bent the flake and somewhat shoved and arranged it in the bowl. Any bits of flake that came off during preparation were placed atop the tobacco in the bowl and somewhat thumb pressed. Felt a little tingle on charring light, but that's as far as I let it get. Took it easy and it was an instant classic. Figgy, Virginiaey, tobaccoey. Just a touch of natural saltiness feintly shows hear and there as the other flavors richly swirl on the tongue. Mid bowl was just as delicious with more tobacco coming thru, yet the fig was still keeping things interestingly delicious. My first bowl of this was incredible til I tried smoking all the dottle. Leave a little dottle, and if the need for more is desired, grab another briar. Thank you kindly Mac Baren.

Pipe Used: Bjarne squat brandy/pear 1/16 bend

Age When Smoked: fresh

Purchased From: Southern Cigar Newnan GA

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Coda (33)	2014-05-27		Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is a pretty decent blend. Mild yet flavorful, Virginia Flake is ideal as a simple, any time of day tobacco. A semi-citrus, semi-grassy Virginia flavor comes through strong from beginning to end, melding smoothly with a slightly honey-esque sweetness. Smoked as a flake, the flavors are darker, with a slightly more musty taste. Rubbed out, this flake really shines. Fresh out of a tin, it may have the tendency to bite. But taken slowly, this tobacco is one of the hidden treasures of the tobacco world...

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Peter Piper (41)	2013-06-14		Medium	Very Mild	Medium	Pleasant

A nicely presented golden pressed flake in an understated rectangular tin. A slight vanilla aroma carries through into the smoke, which is at once yeasty with a touch of sweetness, sort of Virginia plus. The tobacco seems very ripe and mature, it is easy to light, gentle puffing is rewarded with a smooth and pleasant smoke which carries on to the bottom of the bowl, moreish. An excellent example of its type.

Highly recommended.

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Tantric (321)	2005-03-20		Mild	Very Mild	Mild	Pleasant

In what I believe is becoming my reconciliation with Mac Baren's blends, I gave a try to Virginia Flake. As with Golden Ambrosia and Virginia No. 1 I was rather surprised to taste a very gentle, mild, yet flavoursome tobacco. Certainly sweet, Virginia Flake is not at all cloying or syrupy. I find it a mild sweetness, almost natural, with a slight honey undertone that does not interfere with the tobacco taste.

Golden Virginias neatly pressed together to form beautiful, pliable flakes this tobacco represents a prime example of the Danish tobacco manufacture tradition (a la par with Stokkebye and Larsen's flakes). Of course, if you are used to Gawith, Dunhill or Mc Quaid's flakes, you may find Mac Barn's far too mild and flavourless. But if you take the time to puff in slowly and calmly you will be gratified by a very elegant and gentle tobacco. This is perhaps a mid morning or early afternoon smoke, that goes down well with tea or sherry. It has a very inviting aroma, with a nice aftertaste.

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Big Train (118)	2016-03-29		Very Mild	None Detected	Extremely Mild (Flat)	Unnoticeable

I am a Virginia flake smoker and I think that I have tried them all . This flake would not be my top choice or even near the top . Frankly , it is very grassy and sort of tasteless . It provides some first class tongue bite and is to be smoked only in moments of extreme need . That being said , it is a very useful product . I use it to mix with Samuel Gawith rain forest tobaccos to bring down the moisture level . Since it has little noticeable taste it does not change the excellent SG but it does provide enough dry kindling to light up and enjoy the flavor or great but way too moist tobacco . I always keep a good supply of this in my pipe room and couldn't smoke without it . Pretty yellow can too .

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Young Piper (304)	2016-01-20		Mild	Extremely Mild	Mild	Pleasant

I feel this blend is very similar to Virginia #1 but with the topping toned down. Whereas Virginia #1 is the absolute opposite of what you would want to give a newbie, Vir Flake is much much more forgiving of careless technique and does not have the same ability to cause 3rd degree burns on a neophyte's tongue.. (and yes I was that kid, and yes I couldn't smoke for a week after that). The flake burns slower, cooler and the slight hassle of dealing with a Flake for a new smoker may seem daunting at first, the learning experience of smoking a Flake will broaden your horizons. Very similar to OGS to me as well without Perique.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Alhaji (33)	2015-11-12		Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This tobacco is a pleasant smoke - presents well in the tin in a nice layout. The flakes are easy to rub out and to load. Stays lit and burns to a fine white ash. No bite detected but could produce that effect if 'rush-smoked'. Taste is creamy and spicy from mid-bowl with a certain tanginess about it - sort of lemon grassy, like notes of Citrus. If no flavouring was added, as is generally believed, this could well be attributed to the 'Mac Baren way' of processing its Virginia(s).

4 people found this review helpful.

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

Another fine flake offering from MacBaren. Perfect moisture content, and ready to fold, or rub out (as I do) and smoke. Excellent Virginia flavor....not too strong, not too lite. And can be had for $7 - $8 per 50g tin, so can't beat the price. This stuff really shines when smoked in a cob. Will be part of my permanent rotation, along with MacB's NF and Orlick's GS.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2010-03-29		Medium	Very Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

When I ordered this little tin, I was on the lookout for a simple, unsophisticated Virginia Flake. Sure enough, that's exactly what you get. Once you pop open the tin, it has an earthy tone to it with a little note of warm hey, slightly sweet. Definitely not your heavy topping candy tobacco smell. Once lit, you're presented with a good solid Virginia taste with a very faint sweet taste lingering in the back, which only compliments the tobacco. The taste doesn't change much throughout the bowl and the flake burns cool and mellow all the way down. Even during heavier puffing, I could not get the tobacco to bite my tongue.

Long story short, this is a good virginia flake without any fancy extras. It tastes delightful all the way down. This could easily be smoked all day, just be aware of the nicotine, of which this little friend is not void of.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Leon (85)	2022-04-15		Mild	None Detected	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is a great, fairly easygoing Mac Baren Virginia blend. I went through the tin pretty quickly, so you won't hear many complaints from me.

Tin note of sugary fruits. Not like it's been artificially flavored, but natural Virginia note. Recognizable Mac Baren tin aroma.

An initial hint of toastiness, but then moving towards a beautiful fresh fruit flavor. Not as bright-forward as some others. Instead of pure hay-grassiness, it carries a bit more depth, slight spice, sugar, a dark fruits.

I'm not sure if flavoring is added, but if it does it's extremely mild. The sweet fruit flavor comes, in my opinion, mostly from the natural Virginia leaf. However, Somewhere during the end of the first third of the bawl, the flavor flattens up a bit, suggesting that some kind of flavoring was indeed added. Once that happens, it does dole it a bit, but at the same time a bit more of body and spice are felt.

Comes in fairly wide and very thin typical Mac Baren flakes. My average pipe takes about half of a flake to fill up. Very easy to rub out, load, and light. The moisture is almost perfect out of the tin, but I took 20 minutes to dry them after first opening it. If you keep them in the tin, rather than jarring them up, then they'll reach the perfect moisture after a day or two.

It smokes slow and should be sipped to fully enjoy the flavor. While it can be an all-day smoke, I think that it'd be more appreciated if it's smoked occasionally. If you get a slow and steady cadence there's some chance that you won't need to relight at all and you won't experience any tongue bite.

Mild in body and strength.

To sum this up, this is a very nice blend. I don't think that I will ever not feel like smoking it. However, my main issue is that loss of flavor around the end of the first third of the bowl. It still tastes good from there, it just transforms before I would like it to. I would've been happier if this kept the sweet fruit taste throughout the bowl or at least half of it. Still, the whole bowl is very enjoyable. Three stars.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	DeathMetal.org (231)	2020-11-28		Mild	Mild	Mild	Tolerable

Summary: a soft, mild Virginia flake with a touch of vanilla and sugar for a lasting, comfortable smoke.

Part of being a reviewer has always been assessing quality independent of whether or not you like the product in question. For example, many of us do not really like aromatics, but it is our job as writers (even if unpaid) to assess quality as a means of addressing the utility of this product to our readers. Our readers who like aromatics deserve to know which of these are quality, even if the reviewer would never be caught dead smoking these. Some products bridge the gap: "Virginia Flake" is both an aromatic and a Virginia flake, but excels in both categories. These soft, crumbly flakes pack super-easily; you must solely select the right amount, fold it, drop it in the pipe, and lightly squash to flare the layers. At that point, smoking this flake is stupidly simple: you light it, breath smoke, and a couple hours later, the smoke stops coming and you turn the pipe over. Ash falls out, leaving an empty bowl. The sugar in the Virginia leaf makes it burn naturally a bit hotter, so this is a blend that you really must breath smoke or you are going to end up huffing hot air. I smoke as part of a Vipassana meditation, so the goal is to burn as slowly as possible without responding to tension in life by puffing and sucking. If you approach this flake that way, you will get a rewarding smoke. This flake deviates from traditional Virginia flakes by having what feels like a small amount of white Burley in there, the soft texture produced by means unknown, and a slight sugar topping that tastes faintly of vanilla, cocoa, and maybe a light fruit or amaretto essence. This means that "Virginia Flake" smokes smoothly like a classic blend for a pleasantly extended duration, leaving behind a slight aroma of cotton candy and vanilla ice cream. While not a full aromatic, therefore not the "wife-pleaser" that is basically a burning air freshener or oil infuser (do they make Febreeze tobacco yet?), this blend will leave fewer people coughing and gagging in your wake.

Similar Blends: Orlik Tobacco Company A/S - Golden Sliced (Red Tin), Sutliff Tobacco Company - Virginia Slices #507-C, Newminster - No. 400 Superior Navy Flake, Peterson - Signature Flake (Founders Collection), Peter Stokkebye - Luxury Navy Flake.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Greekpipesmoker (201)	2017-10-15		Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

All virginia flakes are appealing to me so i purchased a tin of this blend.once the tin cracks a sweet and spicy smell comes out(perhaps some sugar-pepper topping?).the bright flakes come at proper moisture,they are very manageable eithet to rub or to fold as they are.lights easy and several relights are needed.while smoking the flavours are clear,natural and simple.the virginias are mostly citrusy and grassy with some rare earth notes.the topping is in the backround till the end making the smoking experience sweeter and more peppery.burns cool and slow without chance ot tongue bite.the room note is discreet and the nicotine level low.burns to total ash with some moisture being created at the end of the bowl.an all day smoke for sure.in conclusion this is a decent blend proper for every and all day smoking pleasure.

Age When Smoked: Rubbed and packed at once

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	DrDyson (148)	2013-10-26		Mild	Very Mild	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is a lightly-topped Virginia flake that comes well presented in a neat rectangular tin. The flakes rub out easily and it can be smoked straight out of the tin, but it needs to be sipped or it'll bite you. One of the claims made for it on the tin is that it's slow-burning. It isn't, though; not in my experience, anyway.

What I said in an earlier review of MacBaren's Navy Flake applies here, on the whole. It's all right, but rather ordinary, I found. Apart from a rather nice, though very subtle, honeyish note it doesn't have any distinguishing qualities to speak of. A decent all-day smoke, but not something that the connoisseur is going to want to linger over, I think. Somewhat recommended, but I wouldn't queue to buy it. Perhaps it needs a more sensitive palate than mine to appreciate the nuances.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	WmZiggy (81)	2010-12-31		Mild to Medium	Mild	Extremely Mild (Flat)	Pleasant to Tolerable

Grassy, with little or no depth of development of other taste notes as the smoke progresses. Just an unpleasant grassy taste top to bottom. On my MacB world tour, this one is my biggest disappointment, especially given the beautiful presentation of this flake in the tin. This flake may make a good blending tobacco, but by itself it leaves much to be desired.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2006-03-24		Mild to Medium	Mild	Medium	Very Pleasant

Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful. I just love this mild VA flake. The base tobaccos used are high quality and beautiful in the tin. The light top note is my favorite of any blend. I normally like natural Virginia and Virginia with perique, but this flavor really is unique and wonderful. It seems to have something more than the normal honey-like flavor of Navy Flake. I can't put my finger on the flavor, but I love it. Absolutely no tongue bite, no matter how hard you try. I prefer to fold the flakes into a wide bowled pipe, like a pot. The pot seems to really bring out the wonderful flavoring that only makes the high quality Virginia taste better. Smoke this stuff really slowly and you will be rewarded.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Bonneville (52)	2022-03-28		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

Quality flake here. I bought a box of it 8 years ago and let it age. Finally just getting around to trying it, and Im’ afraid I’m rather disappointed.

You have to sip this tobacco slower than any other I’ve tried to avoid the bite and loss of flavor. You can get creamy smoke out of it with a subtle marshmallow-y sweetness. But it’s too prone to becoming harsh or bitey if you aren’t careful, even with a lot of age.

Age When Smoked: 8 years

Purchased From: Beehive Cigars

Similar Blends: Newminster Navy Flake.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Olivermac (19)	2021-02-06		Mild	None Detected	Very Mild	Pleasant

People keep saying that this flake has a topping on it, but I do not detect it. Hell, it says right there in the description at the top flavoring: none. Ok, that out of my system, this flake is what I would call decent to goodish. I smoke a lot of Virginia flake tobaccos and this one would probably fit in the bottom third somewhere. I used to absolutely love me some mcclleland Virginia flake(oh, I'm still upset about them going out of business!) and this one pales in comparison. If I could give it 2 and a half stars I would, but I'll settle on three due to the excellent quality and presentation. Also, why the heck did they get rid of the nice yellow tin?

Purchased From: Pipes and cigars

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Antonius Blok (192)	2020-09-15		Mild	Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

In everything it reminds me of the Capstan Gold Navy Cut: the aroma in the opening of the tin, the cut of the flakes (although they are smaller here), the size and color of the tin, its lack of flavor ... Some say that Mac Baren in his day he took this work out to compete directly with Capstan. I can neither affirm nor deny it. In the smoke the flavor is completely bland and flat. Sometimes I have seemed to perceive a hint of a rush of sweetness, but it has vanished so quickly that I do not know if it was the product of my imagination. You have to smoke it slowly because otherwise it tends to heat the bowl and sting the tongue. It can be a good tobacco to mix, in that it also resembles the Capstan Gold Navy Cut ... I will not repeat.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	pipelicidad (26)	2019-03-16		Mild	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is a good and austere bright virginia flake. The tin note is nice, I would describe the smell as a very subtle chocolate plus anise. The smoking experience is not extraordinary, but very enjoyable: the typical bright Virginia, sweet and with a nice body. For me, it´s closer to Orlik Golden Sliced than to Virginia n1. The latter is sweeter and has some hay-like notes. Also, V1 is very moody (can bite very hard unless you manage to get the right puffing pase), whereas VF it´s closer to other “cool-smoking” Virginias (once again, GS comes to mind). The casing is there, but at the final rows, and always helping the tobacco taste. Overall, very good, not very complex, easy on the N factor, and has a nice room note. I would recommend this tobacco, specially if you like the Mac Baren classical line or OGS. Finally, the fold and stuff packing method makes this blend shine.

Pipe Used: basket pipes

Age When Smoked: 1 year

Purchased From: Somewhere in Madrid

Similar Blends: Orlik GS, Vno1.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	StevieB (2080)	2017-10-19		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

Mac Baren - Virginia Flake.

Note: a review I did a few years back but disagreed with, so decided to re-post.

Because this is now supplied in a pouch I was unsure whether the flakes would be loose or not, but the pouch contains a plastic case in which the tobacco sits. Underneath the foil seal resides two rows of light brown, perfectly hydrated, thin, flakes. I like a flake to be fully rubbed and the task is very easy with this: they crumble as they're picked out.

Now, the smoke: it's good, but not the best straight Va I've had. The Virginia tastes fresh, sharp, and a little zesty. I'm unsure as to the variety of topping used, but I note an added sweetness and very subtle herby quality. The burn from V.F. is reliable, but can become too warm if chugged; this reduces the rating a little.

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

Virginia Flake? Because of the heat it misses out on four stars, but it still warrants three:

Recommended.

Pipe Used: Peterson Clontarf XL11

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: G.Q. Tobaccos

2 people found this review helpful.

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

The only Mac Baren from myself that I almost gave 3 stars.

It was a solid Virginia taste, that burned slowly, but sadly not cool.

I would definitely recommend this a beginner smoker to flakes because it easy to light and keep smoking. Plus the Virginia taste is definitely one a beginner smoker should come around to smoke for the first time.

Two stars.

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

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Smoking Pipes

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Kraft1994 (54)	2014-02-11		Mild	None Detected	Mild	Pleasant

This is an alright Virginia flake. Sweet, sugar hay flavor. However not immune to Mac Barens tongue bite cures. Overall, its an alright Virginia. Not even in the same ball park as Samual Gawith, Dunhill of any of the other legendary flakes. but, Its a good low cost starting place for beginner pipe smokers.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2011-12-21		Mild	Mild	Mild	Pleasant

Really one of THE best virginia flakes in my opinion! This flake is totally underated I feel. Such a sweet mild flaver, I even get a slight hint of a lemony flaver. It loads great right out of the tin, easy to light and it stays lit. I give this one 3.5 stars! Check out my new youtube video series called "Adventures in Pipe Smoking" It's a fun video series for pipe smokers! I will be featuring this flake soon!

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2011-08-26		Mild	Mild	Mild to Medium	Unnoticeable

It's a Virginia. Other reviewers mention tasting the possibility of some Burley. I don't. Yes, it is sweet tasting but not overwhelmingly so. Yes it will tingle the tongue a little as all Virginias will if not smoked properly. so smoke it properly -- that is to say-- slow and easy.

Some reviewers say it is no Full Virginia Flake from Sam Gawith.Tha's true it isn't but then again what is? I like Full Virginia Flake a lot but factoring in the price of Full Virginia Flake and its scarcity and spotty distribution (when there is any around) this is definitely not a bad smoke even if it is not the substitute it doesn't pretend to be.It's a simple sweetened Danish Virginia. It smokes well,with enough nicotine and good burning qualites.It does not knock your socks off nor is it bland as some have claimed. Through the years I have smoked most if not all of the MacBarens and Sam Gawith and many many others and still do. This one fits right in my lineup as far as I am concerned. With the boutique tobaccos and other much touted ones being what they are this will find a place in my inventory. Simple reccomendation --- smoke it and enjoy it for what it is. Don't expect Nirvana and conversly don't expect a visit from the I.R.S. with an audit letter either. Smoked a 50 gram tin and then ordered a pound package and then another one after that one.

Do i reccomend it? Sure do.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2011-02-28		Very Mild	Very Mild	Very Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

After finishing a tin of much beloved Samuel Gawith Full Virginia Flake and being impatient for the arrival of the next import I thought I would give Macbaren's Virginia Flake a try as it is readily available to me. The quaint little yellow tin, the gold paper inlay implying 'luxury tobacco' awaits, the beautiful way the flakes are presented, the rich summer grass aroma - it all bodes well. Sadly for me, all I got was a very unpleasant saccharin, stale baccy taste in my mouth vividly reminding me just why I packed up cigarette smoking and moved to pipe smoking in the first place.

Comparing this with the Gawith FVF is like comparing a two day old, cold Big Mac (found under the sofa) to a three star Michelin restaurant T-bone steak. (UPDATE: I would 'imagine' having never eaten anything from under my sofa, two days old or otherwise - at least not from Macdonalds.)

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2008-03-16		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Not much to add to the many excellent reviews of this blend. Nice presentation, packs and smokes easily, (I cut it into thirds) consistent, pleasant, sweet Virginia taste and like many Virginias, will bite if pushed. I like this one in the morning. I got a sample from Smoking pipes. Thanks! Incidentally, if purchased in bulk, MVF is a very economical smoke. It is what it is, and deserves 4 stars as a mild VA. If that?s your thing or you want to sample the type, give it a try.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Satc001 (67)	2006-12-30		Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

This is a fine offering from MacBaren. This flake is easily rubbed out and packed into a pipe. A couple of matches and it burns easily with minimal relights. This tobacco gives the smoker a nice woodsy virginia taste with a slight tone of honey and maple from the Danish casing, as well as a full, buttery quality from the Burley present in this blend. If smoked at a reasonable pace it only provides the normal amount of tongue bite for a Virginia, but if puffed too fast it will nip. It has a friendly aroma that I find myself enjoying as well as others around me. This is NOT the same thing as Virginia No.1 and in my opinion it is superior to that blend (although I liked No. 1 a lot as well). My pipes will be seeing more of this blend and I whole heartedly recommend it for your enjoyment.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Lbarraa (29)	2005-05-29		Mild to Medium	Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

A great tobacco, with the taste of Navy Flake and the flavor of Virginia nº1. This tobacco is very easy to burn, with out tongue bite, the just nicotine and the rigth flavor. Great presentation. Is ideal for the outdoor, and a medium size pipe. One of my favorites.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Stan (179)	2003-05-12		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I decided to venture more into the MB line, and since I like virginia flakes, even some scented ones, I gave this a full tin go after looking at the other reviews, but with caution.

P&T magazine gave MB's Navy Flake a nod over this one, due to the extra flavoring here, but Navy Flake is also scented (but less so than VF). Indeed Navy Flake is more of an all day smoke, due to the just slightly sweet taste and coolness from the burley. But if you have a sweeter tooth, Virginia Flake has the advantage. Navy Flake, for all its goodness, is bland by comparison.

Virginia Flake does smoke somewhat cool if and only if you pack the unrubbed flake firmly. (You can sense its willing to be hot and bite if you rubbed it out fully or packed it too loose.) But smoked slowly it does not bite or get too hot.

It starts out quite sweet, with a nearly dense honey taste aided by the bright virginia sugariness. The sweetness lightens a bit duirng the bottom 2/3's of the smoke. I found it to be a somewhat wet smoke, using my pipe cleaner about three times. (I used a medium, straight Von Eryck pipe, but an early model that a cleaner would not run straight through, so a better pipe may help in the future. Still, tasty.) It's more of an occasional, small hit of the wet honey taste rather than a steady stream of aromatic stuff. I could still taste a slight tang from the bright virginias used, so the underlying tobacco is of high quality.

The taste was somewhat medium rich to me, and that's why I stuck with it. Other honeydew flakes used for comparison include G&H Glengarry (lighter, more natural, and smoother), Erinmore (richer, fuller), CAO's Vanilla flake (similar but cooler), and Solani's Virginia Flake (fuller and dryer) or Long Golden Flake (very cool, round, dry and tasty). I might try MB's Virginia Flake again, and in different style pipes, due to the interesting richness that develops.

Reservedly recommended to bright flake fanciers and light aromatic buffs who want to venture into flakes, but with cool heads.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	SombrereroLocco (2)	2022-07-29		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Very Pleasant

A straight virgina with a sweet taste. Mild flavour and stay light really easily. Although it was my first puff with it I like it a lot and I recommend it. I'll give a better review later on.

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Estanco Piegui Nº432 Madrid

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Ignaz (5)	2022-06-20		Mild	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

An absolute classic. Not much is to say about this tobaccos properties and aroma. That has been done for decades. It tastes as a virginia flake should: mild, mellow, sweet and almost tender. For a virginia flake it burns very easily which is certainly due to the tobacco being quite dry already straight from the tin. It forgives some hasty puffing more generously than other flakes and has been my go to outdoor tobacco because of that.

If you are a beginner and look for a first flake: I would suggest this one.

Pipe Used: Torben Danske Albert

Age When Smoked: 4 months

Similar Blends: MB Navy Flake, Capstan Blue.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Virginia lover (218)	2022-05-15		Mild	Mild	Mild	Pleasant

Taking a whiff off of the tin I get the smell of a fruity chocolate topping. The flakes are of a mahogany color and moisture ready to smoke.

I get more hay than grass, no sweetness, citrus notes and a bit of tongue bite especially when I look for more flavor by puffing fast. By mid bowl, the dark fruit flavor replaces the citrus one and remains the same for the reminder of the smoke. When blowing the smoke through the nose, the chocolate topping is really there and I ask myself if I' m not smoking a very light Aromatic. There are moments that are really bland and the nicotine never picks up. A redeeming quality is that it could be a starting flake for a beginner or somebody who likes light topped flakes.

Virginia lover

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Slow Triathlete (62)	2022-05-11		Mild	Mild	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

This blend is extremely user friendly and I can recommend it to even the most novice of pipe smokers.

Because it is mild and has a slight fruit top note, it reminds me a lot of Orlik's Golden Sliced. I will say that this flake is just a tad bit stronger than OGS however.

It is definitely one that you can smoke all day but I find that I lose any kind of taste after 2 bowls. If you are looking for something similar but with a bit more strength then I highly recommend their HH Pure Virginia Blend. It is one of my favorites!

Pipe Used: Several different Radice Apples

Similar Blends: Orlik's Golden Sliced.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	smokethefox (14)	2022-02-09		Mild	None Detected	Mild	Pleasant

I smoked a tin some years ago and I decided to give it another try. Its widely available and with a quite tempting packaging. Must admit, the first purchase was because of the fine looking tin. Tin notes are of typical Virginia. Sweet, grassy, hay and citrus. The smell is surprisingly mild. This one is a real Light n' Go. Comes ready to smoke right out of the tin. Lights easily. The flakes are cut perfectly. Very easy to fold and stuff. The smoke is sweet and creamy. Reminds me of whipped cream. Some hay a bit of citrus, maybe. I'm really struggling to find flavors here. The taste, like the smell of tobacco is mild. Not much complexity. I would call this blend The candy Virginia. Light on vitamin N. When you are one your way, working on something and a light no brainer smoke is all that you require, then this is perfect. Recommended

Pipe Used: Windsor

Age When Smoked: new

Purchased From: etrafika.cz

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Exiled Michigander (26)	2021-11-23		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Tin note is of fresh straw with some sweet floral fragrances. Flakes are nicely presented inside. The flavor when smoked brings me back to Christmas Eve as a boy, when my grandmother would fry bread dough for dessert and serve it with butter and homemade raspberry jam--very bready and sweet. Leaves a delightful aftertaste in the mouth after smoking. Burns relatively cool and is very smooth. Probably won't blow you away, but a very solid smoke and worth picking up a tin to try if it's on sale.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	TallPuffO'Burley (633)	2021-03-05		Medium	None Detected	Very Mild	Tolerable

This was a big disappointment to me. Visually everything about this is spot-on to prepare you for a wonderful Virginia experience, but the taste falls well short of the expectations you will have built up before light-up.

The problem, and really the only problem, with this is that it lacks the sweetness that nearly every other similar blend would have. Heck, the HH Pure Virginia delivers much more sweetness than this one and it certainly has no assistance from any toppings or sweeteners.

I don't know whether this is topped or sweetened, but if it is, then it needs more. As I stated earlier, this was the only fault I could find on this. It is a classy presentation as would be expected from MacB. The flakes are just the right size and humidity. They rub out effortlessy, easily take a light and need few relights. It is also easy on the tongue and actually has a decent amount of nicotine. But, none of this really matters if it lacks flavor.

It would make a great blender if you wanted to put the effort into rubbing out all the flakes, but the end result would leave you thinking that you should have just bought some C&D ribbon cut Virginia instead. That move would save time, money and deliver a better tasting virginia. I can't help but objectively give this a one star as the competition for Virginia Flakes is too high for there to be any room for this one.

Age When Smoked: 5yr 2 months

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	DrAcula (62)	2020-12-07		Mild	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Presentation: Yellow label with black trim and text. I love the paper on the inside that hold the tobacco, it is quality.

Cut: Beautiful signature Mac Baren flakes, solidly pressed and very clean looking but also rub out super easily. A touch on the moist side.

Tin note: General light sweetness, maybe a little grassy.

Tasting notes: Tart citrus, slightly sweet grass, earthy, extremely faint fruit. The topping leaves a certain film feeling on my tongue, feels cheap and chemically. I wish they didn't put it in there because it ruins it. I also wish there was more red virginias in here.

Mechanics: Might bite due to topping.

Extra Remarks: What is otherwise a very pleasant mild to medium VA blend has been tarnished by a topping. Maybe I'm extra sensitive to them or something but it ruins the blend. And to be clear, my contention is not that the topping is too strong, just simply that it tastes and feels bad while smoking. Besides the topping, I can tell it is quality leaf and potentially enjoyable to some. 2 stars.

Pipe Used: IMP Straight Billiard Meer

Age When Smoked: Fresh from tin

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Ted vig (11)	2020-07-01		Mild	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

A really nice Virginia flake. It's definitely cased with something sugary-sweet. Nice presentation in the tin. It works really well with the fold & stuff method. Although monochromatic, it's a good solid sweet Virginia. Works well in a narrow tall chamber.i just took a driving trip and two flakes folded into my Neerup made for a two hour smoke!

Pipe Used: Many different pipes.

Age When Smoked: 5 yrs

Purchased From: Multiple sources

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Ehsan Jafari (3)	2020-04-29		Mild	Mild	Full	Pleasant

I have found this nice flake tasty and light. Definitely sweet due to the Virginia. the flake shape gives you a pleasure sense to touch the tobacco to rub and load highly recommended to the amateurs and daily use.

Pipe Used: BIGBEN Sylvia 855

Age When Smoked: 32

Purchased From: Iran

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	renwardhoop (177)	2017-05-06		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Overwhelming	Pleasant

Now then. This is a nasty little rascal of a blend.

It looks so cute in it's tiny little yellow tin. And it smells just like a good virginia flake should smell, with an economical oblong of tightly stacked brown, unassuming flake.

But that's what it wants you to think.

It's a little nasty sleeper that will come to haunt your worst nightmares. Oh sure, the flake is nicely moist and breaks up, just as a good flake should. Packed lightly and ready for a nice virginia smoke just like the old boys of yore. You know, the ones you remember as a kid, thinking 'nice smell but I'll stay on cigarettes'.

You char-light, take a puff and ye gods ! What a narsty surprise awaits your poor old tongue. It's an assault and battery on your mouth. It's brutal death metal only orally induced.

It'll leave your taste buds in pieces and your tongue cut into shreds. You smoke this one at your peril. It took days and countless bowls of Stanwell aromatics and DT's Choo Choo train to help heal the evil that this little devil inflicted on me. Shaking hands dump the contents into the ashtray and you half expect your best glass (and expensive) pipe-ashtray to start melting from the poisons contained therein.

And yet the rest of it sits there, in it's smart little tin, smugly laughing back at you for being a big jessie. None but the bravest of smokers should attempt this blend, even if it did only cost 6.80 euros from Spain. I'll be having words with you, my dear son.

Yes, this is the assassin of all virginia flakes and only the noblest and gentlest of pipe smokers will make friends with this one.

I'm off to hug myself better with Capstan's Blue Flake, also made by Macbites. I mean MacBaren's.

It's the back of the cellar for you my lad, under strict guard.

Pipe Used: Just the one.

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: By my Son from Spain.

Similar Blends: A smack in the mouth..

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	wintermute (90)	2017-02-02		Mild	None Detected	Mild	Tolerable to Strong

I purchased this tin from a store a number of years ago and just got around to trying it. I am not the biggest Virginia fan, but I thought I would give this a go. When you pop open the tin there is a sweet tobacco smell. I do not mean candy, but a real sweet natural tobacco aroma like freshly cut grass. I tried rubbing this stuff out and also tried just stuffing the strands into the bowl. It takes a couple of charring lights and a serious lighting to get it really going. The moisture was perfect even after all this time. There is a good amount of smoke and the taste is of Summer. When you smoke it rubbed out the light taste is even more pronounced. If you smoke it with the stuffing method, you get more of the earthy sweetness. Either way the room aroma is essentially the same. The wife just complains that it smells like a really strong cigarette. The smoke is the same from first uff to the last. And the light flavor never seems to change. The ash is fine and knocks right out of the bowl. This reminds me of a hot Summer day. And it even goes really well with sweet tea. I am writing this in the middle of Winter so the contrast is even more noticeable.This little tin will provide more smokes than you might think. I have tried it in a small briar and a large cob and the performance is the same. The nicotine is average. This would also be good with an American style beer such as Budweiser. I am not sure I would buy it again with so many other tobaccos demanding my attention, but if you truly love plain Virginia and have not grabbed this tin yet, you really owe it to yourself. By the way, I am much more of a Burley smoker so take it for what it's worth.

Pipe Used: Small briar churchwarden and MM Country Gentleman

Age When Smoked: 4 or so years in the cellar

Purchased From: The Humidor in Tulsa, OK

Similar Blends: Escudo Carter Hall.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Original Big Tex (4)	2016-09-25		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is the first flake that I successfully smoked using the food and stuff method!

I found VF to be just a good, honest Virginia and nothing more. Smoke it cool and you get some nice citrus notes along with the pure tobacco flavor, get it hot and it gets a bit harsh.

Not too sweet, not too bitter, just right...

Pipe Used: Moonshine Stublin

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: P&C

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2016-03-22		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

My very first foray into Flake and while I did enjoy this one, I have subsequently settled on two others that I will mention elsewhere. A caveat, I am a novice flake smoker who is still working out the kinks on how to load by folding. I had better luck by rubbing this one out and loading properly. The tobacco is a very flavorful one and I tasted hints of honey and grain. I did experience a bit of tongue bite but, I have to chalk that up with my lack of experience with Flake tobacco. I am told that this can occur more often with bright flake like this one. All in all I would smoke this again but for now, I am moving on to another flake to experiment with.

Pipe Used: Peterson 221

Age When Smoked: New

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	SamH (31)	2015-10-29		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Pleasant

This is nice, but for me seemed a little light and dry after St Bruno and Full Virginia (SG) Flake. Could be a good option for many though.

Pipe Used: Various billiards

Age When Smoked: From tin, straight from shop.

Purchased From: Now defunct Lewes tobacconist.

Similar Blends: Oddly I don't think much..

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Appalachian Scholar (34)	2015-08-02		Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

I like this much better than Virginia Number 1. This blend gets better the more it dries out and is very mellow. Room aroma is about the same.

Pipe Used: Brewster Billiard

Age When Smoked: New

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	sirchud68 (60)	2015-07-22		Mild	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I've just purchased my first tin of M.B. Virginia Flake. As a Mac Barens lover, this blend has been on my "To Try" list for a few years now. These are my first impressions. I've been smoking some top notch Virginia flakes for awhile now so I wasn't blown away by this but that doesn't mean I think this doesn't have a place. Say, if you are a Virginia n°1 smoker and have been itching to move on to more straight up bright Virginia blends, this might be a next step. Or if you plan on moving away from other lightly topped aromatics and want to enter the world of flake tobaccos, this might be just the thing. This is an affordable smoke and is presented in a beautiful way. Tin moisture was just right, and I didn't encounter any bite though the key to enjoying this type of tobacco is slow, light sipping. So, as it stands, this seems like a great gate way flake. Though there are many other great first time bright Virginia flakes, I would recommend this if you had the chance to pick it up.

Pipe Used: Peterson's Kapet

Age When Smoked: 1 year

Purchased From: Milan Tobacconist Roanoke, Va.

Similar Blends: A lesser cousin to Dunhill Flake.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Ib Fagerlund PRDK (3)	2015-05-02		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant

Absolutely my favorite among the standard Mac B. blends. This is an honest VA flake in the medium range. Only very lightly flavored to enhance the natural VA notes. By no means a complex experience, but a straight forward, honest tobacco. Notes of fresh bright VA with a little sweetness. No bite and a mellow smoke. A basic medium strength VA flake to be smoked all day long.

Pipe Used: Stanwell no. 29

Age When Smoked: New

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Joeray (61)	2013-11-03		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Have a good smoke with this blend, but I wonder, when I smoke this blend, my pipe is more hot than the usually. I smoke it very slow and draw quite slow even sometimes I take a hard draw to get a great smoke. I think the problem was on my pipe, but for the 2nd time, with other pipe, I have a same problem, is more hot and it cause moisten more faster then the usually.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2012-12-14		Very Mild	Extremely Mild	Very Mild	Tolerable

Hi! I'm a newbie pipe smoker. I tried only 4 different tobacco, but the MBVF was my first flake. I've finished a box, but I think that was my first and last. It hasn't got real taste, just something extreme light aroma, which i can't identify. There was only one occasion when i felt a bit honey. I can't remember what I ate or drank before this. I have some medium bowl-sized pipe and always packed my pipe a half or thirds of a sheet, and sometimes didn't cut, just folding it into my pipe, like in in this step by step guide: http://www.mac-baren.com/TopMenu/Expert-Knowledge/Flake-Tobacco/How-to-fill-a-pipe-1.aspx . There wasn't real different. I'm a bit dissapointed in this mixture. Now I will trying Virginia No 1. I hope somebody will find this honey savor, which I felt for one night. :))

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	SmokeKing David (134)	2012-10-29		Mild	Very Mild	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

If you're looking for an ultra-light smoke, this may be for you. I disagree with the description of a "full" taste. It is definitely not full.

Despite this, I think it achieves what it likely tries to; namely a very light Virginia flake that has a light coating. For these reasons, I give it three stars even though I personally find it too light. I vastly prefer Virginia No 1 by the same blending house.

Govern Yourself Accordingly.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Zose (3)	2012-03-06		Mild	Mild	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

I am a new pipesmoker, so take this all with a grain of salt. However, I am a long time cigar smoker and no stranger to good tobacco or full-bodied tobacco. This flake is not full-bodied, but it's certainly good.

The first third of the bowl was very mild indeed, but the flavor built nicely and by the halfway point was very enjoyable. Though Mac Baren says this is slightly flavored, I didn't notice it; I just tasted mild tobacco. The best thing I can compare this to is a high quality Dominican cigar with a Connecticut wrapper: mild, but worth your time. The second half of the bowl was especially good with nice natural sweetness and just a hint of nuttiness.

I had some trouble getting it lit, but only in the first third of the bowl; after that I think I relit once for the rest of the bowl. I also experienced a little gurgle. I'll chalk up both of those issues to user error. The gurgle might very well have been me slobbering down the pipe.

I experienced no tongue bite, even when I was getting a little greedy with the puffs.

I smoke outside, but I popped my head in and blew a few puffs at my wife. She said the room note was "like a cigar, but nicer."

All in all a nice simple mild smoke that, within its mild range, had plenty of very nice flavor.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2011-07-10		Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Tolerable

After Samuel Gawiths FVF, this tobacco is a disaster. It was bone dry in the tin, and needed a lot of rehydration. The flakes break up into incredibly thin stringy strands, and remind me of cheap cigarette rolling tobacco. It drys out almost immediately once rubbed out, and has a slightly bitter smell to it.

As with all the Mac Baren tobacco I've tried, there is instant tongue bite which no matter how delicately sipped intensifies as it is smoked. It burns extremely hot and fast, and after only a few seconds, my pipe is very hot to the touch. No matter the moisture level I've tried, this characteristic is impossible to avoid.

An unpleasant bitter flavour (once again, comparable to all the MB I've tried) is all that awaits, and it is a truly disappointing smoke. I picked it up as I am so fond of Sam Gawith's Full Virginia Flake, and hoped that this might prove to be on a par with that, perhaps playing a slightly different tune. Different it is, but for me, a dischordant cacophany. Any pipe I smoke it in is tainted with this bitter tongue bitey experience after several bowls of better tobacco.

One to avoid.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	bence (34)	2011-06-09		Mild	Very Mild	Mild	Pleasant

I like it better than VA no1., less flavoring, more natural taste.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Doctor Max (29)	2011-05-13		Mild	Very Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Like the other Mac Baren flakes, Virginia flake comes packed in a very nice little metal tin, in a slightly eccentric yellow this time. The flakes are wrapped in a nice golden coloured wrapper. Undoing this reveals a very nice, hay- to golden brown neatly cut densly packed stack of flakes of perfect size to roll and stuff in a corn cob. Tin aroma is a light, sweet grassy hayey smell with decided lemon peel notes. Smoking reveals a very sweet flavour with notes of hay and lemon, and when correctly treated and allowed to burn cool, almost of lemonade. Room note is surprisingly smokey and dry, with notes of oak, and not altogether easy to accept by non- smokers in the room. While this is a fairly mild tobacco, calling it cigarette tobacco is more than unfair. While it can get a bit ashy and harsh when smoked too hot, as well as towards the end of the bowl, the quality of this tobacco should be undisputed. Careful smoking does bring out very nice, unique bright and summery flavours, but as with many Mac Baren offerings, you just wish that they were more present. A recommended hot weather tobacco.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2011-03-26		Mild	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

this is my first review. i've been trolling this site for a few months now getting great tips from smokers so i thought it time to leave some comments of my own.

and i seem to have picked a tobacco that only comes 'somewhat recommended' but i'm going to leave it a higher mark than that. as soon as i saw this tobacco and smelled it in the tin, i had a good feeling. right from the tin i got hints of honey, grass and licorice. i pulled out a couple of flakes, let them rest and dry for about 10 minutes, then folded them into my pipe, topped it with a bit of broken flake and struck a match. i sipped at it as i've heard there might be some tongue bite but like vinnie799 found none. just a pleasant smoking tobacco with an attractive natural sweetness. it burned very well. and i never got tired of the taste from start to finish. and even now as i write this (about 20 minutes since finished the bowl) i am still left with the pleasant flavours.

my guess that lovers of big, bold VF won't enjoy this and likely find it too mild but i thought this to be a quality tobacco, with a natural sweetness that burns very well.

i will be keeping this VF in my rotation and recommend it to smokers looking for a clean, naturally sweet VF.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Max1a (38)	2011-02-09		Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Just a straight up Virginia flake. Very grassy, very one dimensional. I suppose that a person could want to smoke this alone, but it is actually a very good blender and makes a fantastic base for the addition of some Red Virginia, Lat, and perique. 2 stars straight, 3 as a blender tobacco.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	grumpyoldprofessor (11)	2010-11-23		Mild	Mild	Mild	Tolerable

I bought my Virginia Flake in the 1lb offering. The presentation of this flake is down right beautiful. It's a one pound hunk of long thinly sliced Virginia right off the ol' chopping block! It has such a sweet grassy smell to it that transfers to the taste nicely. As I said the flakes are thin and quite long as well. At first I thought I would need to cut one in half to smoke in my favorite flake pipe, but due to the thin slice one flake folded in half and gently twisted fit right in. It's very pliable and a good moisture level as well. The charring light got things going nicely and I tamped down the tobacco and lit again and didn't have to mess with after that. It does light easily which is a major plus with any flake. As far as taste goes it does have a nice light taste and mild strength. It's got the typical grassy, hay like, taste and none of the cigarette taste normally associated with VA's. I think it's a good choice for a nice light, sweet and mild VA available in bulk.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2010-06-02		Mild	Mild	Mild	Pleasant

i've been trying different tobacco but this is probably the worst tin i bought.

packaging & aroma when you get from opening the tin is great! when i smoked this, i thought it was good the first three puffs then it took 360 to "what in the world am i smoking?"

the taste is probably truly mild or more like smoking cheap cigarette tobacco. if i had a choice between smoking this or not smoking, i will chose not smoking at all.

i highly recommend picking something else to try.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Newbie2010 (18)	2010-05-11		Mild	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

It is what it is. It has very straightforward elements of a Virginia, but I detect hints of the burley and cavendish MB uses in Navy Flake. It does remind me of a RYO cigarette tobacco and the room note is reminiscent of those Stokkyebye RYO baccys I no longer partake. It is no SG Full Virginia Flake, which I tried first, but it's a decent smoke. I would recommend it to someone who has yet to venture into Virginia flakes. I actually took a flake and mixed it with Captain Black White as a last ditch effort to keep from throwing the CB away. It's not bad. Tones that sickeningly sweet CB down nicely.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2010-05-06		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

When I first lit my bowl, I was wondering why people didn't like this tobacco. While it wasn't a straight Virginia, the flavoring was applied with a fairly light hand. Light citrus and honey notes, along with a little tobacco taste. A little wet, but no biggy.

Then it nosedived into eaux de crushed Marlbaro Red Butt. Absolutely terrible. The worst part is, being a poor college student, I'm gonna have to smoke the rest to justify the purchase.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Skando (203)	2010-04-25		Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

One may think to a Mixture (or Navy) Flake without any Burley and Cavendish. You know it's a Mac Baren from the very first.

We are talking of something not so natural, the honey factor is quite evident, and maybe a touch of lemon and vanilla. The favouring is applied with light hand, but enough to cover the sharp edges usually associated with Va's. That's why VF is never shining any hayish or fruity notes. But also nothing wrong.

VF is better in medium larger bowls, stuff easily both with the fold & plug method or rubbed out, and burns evenly, cool and unbiting. It doesn't suffer any deterioration by several relight, and good with DGT. The strength never exceeds the mild-to-medium notch.

It's the first tobacco leaving me a so sceptical... difficult to tell if it's good or not. Sometimes it gives me some very nice experience, others I'm just bored. Virginia no. 1 absolutely wins the match in the McB family. I'm simply unable to compare it with other flakes of other brands.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Giaach (3)	2009-09-28		Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

Upon opening the tin I get the smells of grasses,hay, raisins, and possibly chocolate. Unlike the interesting smells in the tin the smoking of this tobacco is nothing special. It has the same tastes all the way through, mainly of hays and woody with a slight hint of fruit once in a while. I prefer a stronger Virginia like Samuel Gawiths Full Virginia. All in all and okay tobacco but nothing amazing.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Duke (41)	2009-03-12		Mild	Medium	Mild to Medium	Unnoticeable

Virginia Flake is Virginian and a touch of Burley. Why? I?ve been looking for a bright tasting Virginian to replace Dunhill?s Lt. Flake and, so, yet another ho hum tobacco. Light Flake had a topping or casing that never left a ghost, this does. It is of great quality, but why the Burley?. I taste the Burley. Its sweet smoke didn?t bite. I don?t need being saved by the bite-reducing Burley.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pipe4ever (204)	2009-02-23		Mild	Mild	Mild	Pleasant

This is my favorite Virginia Flake and a regular is my rotation.

When I want something a little bit aromatic, a little bit creamy and sweet with true Virginia flavor, but not too heavy Aromatic or too complex Virginia flavor, then only Mac Baren Virginia Flake will do.

This need Definitely some drying time then fold it and pack it as it is, with preference in a horn shape pipe and with the "air pocket" packing method, the flavor is close to Mac Baren Navy Flake, the burley provides the "creamy" body and reduces bite, the taste is sweetm mild creamy and fruity, the sweetness comes from the natural sweet Virginia leaf rather than from added sweetener.

This is not the same Virginia as with Virginia No1, Virginia Flake is a bit sweeter with more body and without the hay flavor of VA #1

Bad blend Good blend = Excellent blend * Exceptional blend

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Dr.sadik (120)	2008-12-20		Medium to Strong	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Tolerable to Strong

this blend goes side by side with the erinmore flake but its a lighter version,,nicely burned easy on the mouth. burns in to white ash, straight virginia with no misleading flavors to wounder about. an all day smoke blend if you dont really care for people complements (aroma wise).

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pseudo Nim (129)	2008-08-26		Mild	Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Unnoticeable

Update May 19 2008 I have a couple of tins of this with more than a year on them and have just cracked one open, no sign of sugar crystals, no darkening of flake. Age seems to do nothing for this and my remaining tin will be kept for an absolute emergency, I can only hope I never have to use it. Even two stars feels a bit genorous.

Update August 26 2008 Have to drop this one down a star as I'm now finding it a little too "tangy" for my liking, although I will continue to smoke it from time to time, certainly not with the same voracity as I have in the past, having discovered Old Gowrie. Were I once again, to find myself out of tobacco and this the only decent offering available, of course I would buy it, but when my stock depletes, I will not be in a hurry to make sure there are tins on hand, there are just too many superior flakes out there.

I was told I would not like Mac's Virginia Flake, by the shopkeeper, that it was too mild and had no taste other than that of just pure tobacco, I took a tin home anyway as the other offerings that were available ranged from poor to don't even think about it. As I was already familiar with Mac Baren's Vanilla Flake and Navy cut Flake, and not overly impressed with either, I expected pretty much the same, pocket size tin and tobacco in foil wrap. For my liking, ALL Mac Baren's are a little on the dry side, and Virginia Flake did not dissapoint, on rubbing out the first slice, a habit of mine, slice in left palm, folded in half lengthwise, then end to end before rubbing with the thumb, I had to be careful not to end up with a handful of sawdust. One match, puff SLOWLY, no tongue bite, and careful not to let the pipe get to warm, I get a taste of lemon, just a hint, not unpleasant, nice suprise, a good honest Virginia Flake, pure tobacco taste with a hint of lemon. Burn is nice and even down to the bottom of the bowl, leaving a grey ash. I quickly decided I liked this one and several tins later my opinion has not changed. A good all day smoke until evening when I prefer something different. Were it not for the potential tongue bite from puffing to quickly, I would reccomend this to a novice. Wife Rating ? I have almost no sense of smell, but I am reliably told that it's OK, and the dog just eye's me warily, she knows only to well some of the concoctions I have been known to stuff in a briar and set fire to. All in all, four stars.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	haredawg (47)	2006-12-12		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

I drove to the vets to pick up the dogs, smoking Mac Barens Virginia flake and thinking about cornfields casing my boyhood in green shucks and yellow silk, railroad tracks under my bike wheels a jack of diamonds in the spokes, baseball mitt around the spoiler.

Another season turns, Hot coffee and wet gloves, the bite of the morning and thick boots, dark til noon then dark again, blue light coming off the snow, cold as blue, a blue knuckle the blue of the settling Swedes eyes.

Dylan Thomas had his heron priested shores, James Joyce his emerald Island, I had corn fields and tundra and sometimes at night the big sky would let loose a rock or two and light up the elms, the doomed elms with rot in their sap.

I think to write to a pipe forum; Mac Barens Virginia flake is a nostalgic blend; first notes of corn fields and bike grease, mitt leather and pick up games or pickle in a vacant lot, by mid bowl hints of coffee and ice and blue, with a strong finish aged forty years, a girl with a pony tail and dripping wax down a wine bottle. I recommend this blend to infirms with memory loss, journalists who feel they?ve sacrificed some heart for their craft and old men with the time to daydream and walk through ghost fields green and golden or blue and white. I know it?s a catalyst and not the thing itself; tobacco doesn?t make you sweet and sticky, people do, unemployment does, the holidays, death, love and other things we?ve given names to reference but have no inkling of their nature.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pipepundit (168)	2006-07-19		Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

I enjoy many of Mac Baren`s products, Scottish Mixture and Navy Flake in particular. Some, like Vanilla Flake and Stockton, do not please in the same way. Virginia Flake is beautifully crafted, a pleasure to handle and carry about, and when one is sated with heavier flavours a delightful change of pace. The added flavouring is not obtrusive and does not mask the mild taste of the tobacco. This is no substitute for Light Flake or Long Flake or Old Gowrie, let alone the cooked virginias. But when one is in the mood for a light cool consomme rather than a French onion soup, so to speak, this meets the requirement.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Spike (296)	2005-09-08		Medium	Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

If you enjoy Virginia Flakes and are o.k. with some added flavoring this is quite enjoyable. A bit too much flavor and scent when first opened and the first few puffs were too much for my tastes. It did settle into a nice smoke after about the first one quarter of the bowl. A good first smoke of the day for the V.F. fan. Similar qualties as McB's Navy Flake.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Steerpike (156)	2005-06-07		Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

Very nicely made VA flake, attractively presented, it really looks the part in the tin.

Its seems to be at the right moisture content, and rubs with ease, no trouble to pack it evenly. Lights quick, and burns long, slow and even, with little need for relights unless smoked slow. But here's the problem, you have to smoke it really slow or it gets toasty hot and bites. More than most other pure Virginia smokes I've tried. This defect aside, its a pleasant enough mild tobacco, seems a bit too mild at first, but smoked in a big pipe the taste (and strength) will develop toward the end. The taste of the leaf is somewahat dulled by the flavourings, its not fruity, more toasty flavours appear, with a hint of honey. Quite sweet. Is there a hint of vanilla in here? I can smell it in the tin, seems to enhance the sweetness. The room note is mild, sweet, perhaps a little dull, but not unleasant. Overall, its alright, there are other VA flakes I prefer though. I have an unopened tin stashed away, hopefully a few years in hiding might improve it...

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pagercat (40)	2005-04-10		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Overview: A very-lightly cased mild VA flake that rubs, burns and tastes very clean and consistent.

Tin appearance, aroma, feel: All of Mac Baren's flakes are sealed in a neat little tin and wrapped four-fold in some gorgeous thick gold paper with the words "Mac Baren Flake" embossed on the main fold. Unfolding the gold flaps will reveal perfect twin sets of rectangular flakes of well-blended and beautifully grained Virginia tobacco. Upon closer inspection, one can easily see the various type of Virginia leaves used in this blend. There are mostly matured browns with strands of red and a few hints of black lined across the sheets with zesty yellow appearing prominently throughout. The flakes are perfectly smooth and uniform. The thickness is just enough to keep the flake intact when removed from the tin yet very easily rubbed out, thereby giving one the opportunity to experiment with various degrees of burn rate and quality. The scent is present but far from overwhelming as it gives one the impression of freshly mowed grass and a sweet summer breeze.

The Smoke: Upon initial lighting the first tastes are those of sweetness and clean tobacco. One must exercise some caution and restraint on the initial light as the blend tends to heat up very quickly and can bite with attitude. After the tamp and relight the bowl burns slow and even. The taste is consistent all the way through with a mild finish. Relights are a necessary evil as it tends to go out as easily as it overheats. I would not recommend this blend to a beginning smoker because of this trait, preferably suggesting Mac Baren's ?Virginia No. 1? blend instead.

Summary: Virginia Flake leaves a perfect fluffy white ash in the bowl with almost no dottle at all. While mildly sweetened the dominant taste is the blend of pure tobacco. While it is good for a change of pace, there isn't much to it to hold one's interest. Unlike many premium blends that change flavors and characteristics throughout the bowl, Virginia Flake remains as uniform in taste as it is in appearance. It's a good mild smoke but nothing more.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Effluvinator (60)	2005-02-09		Medium	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

I like this tobacco, but when you factor in the cost there are better VA flakes out there for the same or less money. It's not a complex VA like something from the U.K. There is a sweetness but it appears to be more from a dressing or casing rather than the VA itself. The taste is kind of a cross between MacBaren VA #1 and their Navy Flake. It has some slight robustness that reminds me a little of the Navy Flake, but the overall taste is really more similar to the VA #1. I much prefer the Navy Flake to the VA Flake, and feel that if you want to smoke a MacBaren VA tobacco in appreciable quantities you would be better off with the VA #1 due to cost and taste considerations. Still, this is different than the VA #1 and since I smoke a wide variety of tobaccos I do occasionally purchase a tin of this.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Jaybee (77)	2004-07-29		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

A very attractive flake with a mild honey-like flavoring. This takes to the match well and there's no problem keeping it lit. Really just a pure virginia version of Navy Flake....just too light for my tastes....

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Jakob Kiilerich (120)	2004-03-01		Extremely Mild	Strong	Very Mild	Pleasant

During the Renaissance Period, no one would dream of taking a bath more than one time a year - at max! Instead people sprayed on litres upon litres of sweet perfumes to hide their natural body odour.

Where's the tobacco in this blend i ask? Are MacBaren trying to hide something here? Bad quality VA leaf perhaps?

The flavouring is very pervasive and the nicotine level is extremely low. If you puff on this a little to hard, you will get punished. But it burns well, even the most unexperienced of novices should be able to keep this one lit, and the presentation is of course (as always with MacBaren) very beautiful.

I think MacBaren is trying to imitate the traditional English "soap-flavouring" as seen in Light Flake and others. They do not succeed at all. I agree with the esteemed Pipestud; it's bland, it's hot, it has no guts. My advice: Try Navy Flake from MacBaren instead, if you like this brand.

Jakob Kiilerich, Denmark

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	NEWMAN (305)	2002-12-02		Medium	Mild	Medium	Pleasant

I'm not sure how long this blend has been available in the US market, but I'm glad I found it while on the net. The perfectly prepared, flat, rectangular, pressed flakes of golden to dark brown VAs are @ an ideal moisture content and neatly stacked in the tin. MacBaren certainly knows how to effectively present and market their products. I didn't rub out the flakes resulting in a very slow but even burn rate and a cool smoke in various bowl sizes. Although I couldn't pinpoint the casing, it seemed typical of the Danish, honey additives and resulted in a room aroma that was viewed by others as much improved compared to some of my McClelland regular VAs and VAs/Periques. It's perhaps a nice compromise when in company. The sweet taste and aftertaste were also enjoyable but rather one dimensional. I found this considerably sweeter than MacBaren's Navy Flake which has more of a Burley influence. Another winner from MacBaren.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2002-07-05		Mild to Medium	Medium to Strong	Medium	Pleasant

This is the second tobacco from Mac Baren's variegated line which has led me to exclaim, "I've found it! The tobacco I've been looking for!"

Tin aroma: In the tin, this flake smells like an overpowering vanilla air freshener.

Cut: This light and dark mottled flake is, in cut, reminiscent of Orlick's Golden Sliced. Large, leathery, silky-textured rectangles that make rubbing out quite interesting.

This tobacco, like many Mac Baren tobaccos can burn rather warm, and this is not helped by the fact that I still pack my pipe inexpertly. However, on the occassions that I get it right, this tobacco is wonderfully rewarding. It tastes like the smell that wafted out of tobacconists I passed when I was younger. The casing is quite heavy so the tobacco flavour is somewhat covered, but is definitely present. The casing and the tobacco are merged quite skillfully.

I haven't tried the Vanilla Cream, so I can't compare the two. However, if you are one of those that enjoy sweet baccies, give this a try.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JaWiBr (558)	2023-05-09		Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Tin note of dark fruit, sugar and spices. Tobacco is a flake of marbled orangish brown, tan and a little dark brown. Moisture content is great. Flakes rub out easily. Burns slow with a few relights. The strength is medium and nic is mild to medium. No flavoring is listed but seems to be a mild sweetness that fizzles out around the halfway point. Taste is mild to medium and very consistent, with notes of sweet vegetation, sugar, spices, floral, wood, bread, zesty lemon grass, earthy, orange peel, tart sour citrus, slightly acidic, mildly savory, slightly spicy, a tangy dak fruit background note, and a peppery retro. Virginias are leading with Flavoring supporting. Room note is pleasant to tolerable, and aftertaste is great.

Pipe Used: Castello Old Antiquari G84

Age When Smoked: 10 years

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Mijnnif (130)	2023-03-15		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild	Pleasant

Tin note is grass slightly floral and just a bit sweet. As with most Mac Baren tobacco the presentation is outstanding in the tin. I personally don't rub this out, but just break the flakes in half and put them lengthwise in the bowl snuggly. The tobacco lights very easily and stays lit. The smoke is mild if puffed gently and does not bite. This is a straight Virginia with a very lite topping. I had read the topping was cider vinegar and sugar water, but the vinegar does not translate into the smoke just a slight sweetness . Easley an all day smoke. Not complex but an excellent Virginia. 4 solid stars. If you like Virginias this is one to try.

Pipe Used: Savinelli Brier 320

Age When Smoked: 6 months

Purchased From: Chesapeake pipe and cigar

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2013-02-15		Mild	Medium	Extremely Mild (Flat)	Pleasant

Many tins in the MB line seem to taste similar to me, and they smoke in the same fashion as well. They taste bland...are HOT/Tongue-Biters...and smell like potpourri. I cannot recommend this product.

Smoke in peace, brothers and sisters of the leaf.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JustOneforMe (28)	2012-04-26		Very Mild	Medium	Extremely Mild (Flat)	Pleasant

I have now smoked several Mac Baren offerings and will not review them any further since they are extremely not to my liking. If interested in my thoughts about their line of tobaccos then just see my review on Burley London, it pretty much sums up this vapid weed give or take a slight aromatic difference (vanilla, cherry etc...).

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2011-03-23		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Mild	Pleasant

I've been smoking heavy burleys and English all winter. Yesterday I decided that it was time for a summer smoke, a nice VA flake. I purchased a neat little 1 3/4 oz/50gm tin of MB Virginia Flake. Opening the tin I was greeted with a luxurious looking presentation of gold overleaf and two very nicely packed rows of thin light colored flakes. The tin aroma was appealing too. Maybe honey smell,and or grassy but I'm not sure but it was pleasant. The flakes rubbed out very nicely and since it broke up so easily I thought it'd be nice for a fold and stuff kinda thing. The flakes behaved nicely as I stuffed two flakes in a medium sized bowl and they took a light easily. Now, knowing MacBaren's is known to smoke hot and people say they've been bitten by MB, I started smoking it very slowly from the start, just about breath smoking it. MB VA Flake treated me very kindly. This to me is a straight up VA Flake so I'd suggest one not expect much more than this. If you know VA's then you know not to espect alot. However, I was delighted with this little tin and was a great change up from the rigorous heavy demands of winter/cold weather requirements of pipe smoking in my opinion. Lighter weather lighter tobacco for me. I'm giving this baby THREE stars here. It presents itself very well in its class. I'm still backing up my days with a heavier Nic hit but this stuff's nice.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2011-03-01		Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Nothing speacail just a stright Natural Va. Unlike most mac barens this one has a naturaly sligthly sweet taste, very nice, grassy, hay like aroma. If you like natural simple tasting Va flakes like myself a tin of this will serve you well.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2010-11-23		Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild	Pleasant

Your no thrills basic virginia flake also makes a good blending tobacco with perique.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2010-10-30		Mild	Mild	Mild	Pleasant

a very light virgina flake with a mildely sweet taste. burns cool with no bite. great for an early morning smoke. i really like english bleands but this was a plesent change of pace in terms of strength and flavor.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2010-06-24		Mild	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

Looks and smells nice in tin, lights well, stays lit, so far so good. Tastes nice for first ten minutes or so, then transforms into Golden Virginia cigarette roll-up baccy. Yikes!

I'd give in one star, but out of respect for other reviews I'll add another. Some may like it, but I don't! I recommend Orlik Golden Sliced, and even more so Erinmore Flake for those who want something less like a cigarette. I haven't tried Sam Gawith FVF yet, but I hear that's better than this, too.

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2010-04-02		Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Dear MacBaren,

Gentlemen,

This simply will not do. Will you please advise by immediate return, where precisely you put the Virginia as advertised on the lid of this tin?

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2010-02-12		Medium	Very Mild	Medium	Pleasant

This is just a very fine VA smoke. open a tin I get a hay, grassey smell, the flake is ready to be smoked, no need to dryout first. from first light all the way down to the bottom, I get sweet virginia flawor and a hint of citrus. If you are up for a mild and easy virginia flake this is what you should try out.

~noflex

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2009-05-06		Medium	Mild	Mild	Tolerable

I feel a little harsh giving this a 'not recommended' but this is not an objective review. I am not a pure virginia smoker. i do not like smoking cigarettes. This to me feels like someone's crumbled a Marlboro red in my bowl. I truly understand why others enjoy pure virginias, the flavours are indeed subtle and interesting in many va blends. I decided to give it another shot, try a virginia blend with this mac b but within a puff remembered why it was not for me. too grassy like smoking dry straw coated in honey with the smell of freshly tarred roads in the background. to be fare to virginia smokers i probably shouldn't call this a pure va it certainly has some bland fill-in going in to the blend and a non-descript casing (a blast of fabreeze i'd say) sorry folks

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2009-02-12		Mild	Mild	Mild	Tolerable

As a fan of Virginia flakes, I was eager to try this since Mac's Navy flake is a long time favorite. I wasn't impressed with the scent from the tin, the room note, or the quick flavorless bite by the 5th puff. Was fairly wet as well, will try to dry for a bit and give it another shot....until then, I'll stick with my favorite virginian, Orlik golden sliced

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2009-01-25		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Pleasant

Virginia flake is very similar to Mac's #1, however i find the former to be a tastier and higher quality blend. Maybe pressing this into a flake form diminishes from it's true uniqueness that is exemplified by it's big brother (Virginia #1).

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2008-10-30		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Very Mild	Unnoticeable

'You can't judge a book by it's cover' was never truer. The nice packaging hides a very unsatisfying flake that threatens to bite at the slightest draw. There is a barely noticeable citrus tang that is buried under the bland cigarette steam this produces.

You're much better off with smoking something like Stokkebye Luxury Twist Flake or Orlik Golden Sliced if you desire this kind of Virginia.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2008-07-27		Mild	Medium	Mild	Pleasant

Ghastly.

Too many good to orgasmic pressed Virginias out there to bother with this. Decent leaf, tragic results.

Maybe it would be tolerable if they took off the training wheels.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Sylvian (28)	2008-07-22		Mild to Medium	Mild	Very Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

I don't really miss cigarettes that much.

Look for HH Mature Virginia instead if it has to be Mac Baren - it's not flake, right, but at least it's very decent Virginia and not Marlboro Lights...

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2008-03-01		Mild	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

This is the second MacBaren I've tried and another winner. Packs, lights and burns great.. A wonderful all day smoke, can be hot if you don't take your time but has a bright clean tobacco taste without any noticeable casing. Because of the small size of my Tsuge Kaga I like a milder tobacco in it and this one seems to be my favorite in a small pipes. I find I am partial to certain pipe/tobacco combinations and this one I think matches a smaller pipe, my drive to work combo!

If you like flake tobacco and real tobacco taste try this one.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2007-10-27		Very Mild	Very Mild	Medium	Unnoticeable

Not good or bad, but I also don't care much for virginia blends, it is good for the occasional light smoke. Seems like it would be good on a hot day with a glass of lemonade.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2007-07-30		Mild	None Detected	Extremely Mild (Flat)	Tolerable

As some of the other MacBaren Blends bring a lot of character to the table, Virginia Flake is more along the lines of the quiet uninvited guest, provided there is an open seat, there is no problem.

The tin I had opened must have been different than that of the other reviewers. I could detect no flavoring other than the licorice that MacBaren uses to process all of its tabacco's. I don't consider the licorice to be flavoring it's more along the lines of an inherent processing result.

To me this flake was the same as MacBaren's Dark Twist ( I have not yet submitted a review for Dark Twist).

Nothing unique to this blend, just a good smoke. Fresh, packs well, burns slow, mid-way through the licorice peaks through (It's my opinion to recognize tongue bite as the licorice flavor/processing used by MacBaren).

I'd smoke it again, and speak kindly of Virginia Flake to others.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2007-03-29		Mild	Very Mild	Mild	Very Pleasant

Well, I must come clean. I smoked this in bulk for quite awhile before knowing it was a Mac Baren product. It tasted "Danish" to me, but my assumption was that Stokkebye made it. It has been an infrequent smoke because it is a little warm and obviously cased. None the less, I can echo Pipepundit's comparison to others' flakes with the exception that I think VF is better than the similar Light Flake.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2007-03-21		Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Ok, so I bought a 10+ year old tin of this recently, and hoping that the aging process would benefit this blend, I was VERY hopeful. Unfortunately, I was also VERY dissappointed. The smell upon opening the tin was wonderful, but that was the only wonderful thing about this blend. Hot, steamy, very little flavor, and it left the inside of my mouth feeling like it was full of cotton, and my tongue, well, we won't go there! Yet another MacBlowtorch blend going in the back of my humidor, for sheer desperation smokes only. YUK!

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2007-02-23		Mild to Medium	Mild	Medium	Very Pleasant

Virginia Flake.23/02/07. Even with its topping I thoroughly enjoyed this V Flake.It was great for a change and I really do look forward to smoking this again. It behaved well by lighting easy,though I did let a double portion air out on paper for fifteen to twenty min's. I also found I could put this down and relight it with no negative out come in flavour.Three stars from me.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2006-10-22		Very Mild	Medium	Extremely Mild (Flat)	Pleasant

Highly recommended for those who enjoy a Danish type tobacco that is virtually flovorless and who don't mind severe tongue bite. All other should seek elsewhere.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2006-02-18		Mild	Mild	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

Mac Baren's Virginia Flake brought back times studying in my office in Slovakia. But that was then and this is now...

Start: Opening the tin reveals a nicely stack of sheet cakes of Virginia flake cut hidden under a golden wrapper. Smells as it should...Virginia-y...provokes a mouth watery sensation...not sure because it smells good or you can smell insta-bite.

The joy in this type of cut is rubbing. Who doesn't like to touch their smoke a little bit? I love getting in there and sifting and rubbing. Good times.

Now light it up but be gentle. No huffing here.

Mid-Bowl: If smoked carefully the Virginia's come out nicely. A lemon, tart, honey splashes the pallet. This can go bad though if you puff harder to derive more of that goodness.

Finish: Decent smoke but a lot of care, at first, can take away from this blend. Finishes nicely.

Not bad but I will continue to my search for something more in VA.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	tavancleave (11)	2006-02-11		Mild	Mild	Mild	Pleasant

Virginia Flake looks great when you first open the tin. However, after smoking my first bowlful I never want to open the tin again. This tobacco seems to have a lot of potential but smokes incredibly hot and steamy. I am not going to keep this blend around.

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2005-12-17		Mild to Medium	Medium to Strong	Medium to Full	Pleasant

I like this tobacco when I'm in the mood for a stronger smoke but not an English. I've also found that rubbing it out too much seems to make it burn hot. Folding it twice, slightly rubbing it out and packing it loosly works best for me. You need to be careful about tamping it as it burns, its casing can make it stick to the sides of the pipe and it tends to crumble and plug the stem.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2005-10-04		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Tolerable

I first tried this blend in a large bowl rubbed out, and WOW what a mistake! The sweetness was coming across as hot and with a lot of bite. That night I went for round two with my stanwell churchwarden( H.C.A. #1) partially rubbed out. what a difference a pipe makes with this blend, smoked slowly the narrow bowl and long stem brought everythig together into a pleasent unified flavor. It went well with a decaf-soy-chocolate latte (Yes, I'm in California.)So, while I would recommend it,it can be very pipe sensitive. two stars

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