Mac Baren Navy Flake

[beetlejazz]

This tin came in the mail today and I was very excited about tasting a new tobacco. And it was well worth the wait - I feel like I've been, in a way, enlightened.

Brothers, I have for the first time tasted a pipe tobacco I absolutely detest.

ale:

The smell in the tin was a warning signal - I have heard it mentioned it's sweet, but I thought, oh, I love Capstan and that is quite sweet to my tongue!... well could have not still excepted the sort of pungent sugary aroma that attacked me from the tin. Well, I'm sure it doesn't taste like that, after all it's tobacco, not after-7-years-birthday-party-vomit, I thought.

So I set to really enjoy my pipeful. Careful cubing, filling my Stanwell Brass Band that, while sometimes gurgles on cold weather, is still quite the effortless smoker. I went outside, sat by the table this time, lit a candle, warmly dressed, and lit my pipe.

YUCK!!!! was my first reaction when the honey came through, this time accompanied by the bitter first mouthfuls of smoke. It'll get better. I'll just smoke slowly. And damn, slowly did I smoke, resisting puff after puff the urge to dump the pipeful and gargle with rum. I found it tasteless, still oddly bitter but not tasty-bitter. With a lot of effort I found some pleasant taste of tobacco lurking somewhere among the bitterish hot air, but it was quickly suffocated by the Honeymonster's slimy tongue (casing?). Luckily I had packed only half a flake, as I could barely survive that. Actually, I must admit I didn't finish it quite. But I came close.

Gentlemen, I truly hate this tobacco. If there's someone out there whose chemistry/taste this one works with, give me your adress and I'll mail you almost a whole tin (only a half flake missing). It pisses me off to just share a roof with it, thinking of what goodies I could have used those euros on.

And now, I'll have a drink, and pack my Pete with some EMP to recover.

 

[the rev]

now I feel uncouth for actually enjoying this tobacco, smoke it three four times a week. If you don't want it...

rev

 

[Greyson]

Beetle, I'm sorry for your experience, but thank you for writing about it in such an amusing way! Best post I've read today by far!

 

[beetlejazz]

I'm glad you're getting joy out of this! :lol: Actually writing this review was the best part of the experience.

BTW, I in NO WAY intend to offend anyone who enjoys this tobacco. More power to you - it just doesn't agree with my tastebuds.

Rev, PM me your address, it's yours.

 

[Puff Daddy]

There's no accounting for individual mouth chemistry or personal taste. I've sat side by side several other guys, all of us smoking the same exact blend, and did not taste what some of them said they were tasting.

 

[DrumsAndBeer]

Beetle, I don't think you're the only one to not enjoy this tobacco right off the bat.

I was sent a generous sample by Natch and I found it to be just okay. It tasted a lot like cigarettes and the most I got out of it was a very subtle sweetness that was right on the border of being undetectable. I can see NF being "serviceable" as a smoking mixture, but due to my own smoking habits and my busy schedule, I prefer to smoke bolder mixtures with big flavor. To me Mac Baren NF lacked statement. My favorite VA mixtures all display that inspiring mid bowl/end bowl flavor crescendo and gradual sweetening that occurs with spiciness that slowly ramps up along the way. By mid bowl NF seemed to flatten out, bitter, and get more and more ashy tasting as the bowl progressed. Not a winner in my books, but not exactly a dog either.

 

[monbla256]

Your experience with this 'bac mirrors mine that I've had with the 5 'bacs of McBite's over the years when I've tried to smoke 'em. Guess we just don't have the "palate" that's needed for this blenders product :twisted:

 

[BigCasino]

There's no accounting for individual mouth chemistry or personal taste. I've sat side by side several other guys, all of us smoking the same exact blend, and did not taste what some of them said they were tasting.

in a situation like this is it possible what ever a person smoked previous in a certain pipe, that the flavor might "ghost" enough with the new tobacco that the flavors are mingling in way the is unbecoming to one person but not the other? :scratch:

 

[the rev]

maybe I just don't know good tobacco. However, I have it on good authority that this tobacco is pretty much all Tinsky smokes, so... I guess I should switch



rev

 

[DrumsAndBeer]

maybe I just don't know good tobacco. However, I have it on good authority that this tobacco is pretty much all Tinsky smokes, so... I guess I should switch



rev

Rev, Good tobacco is what's good to you man. Don't let anyone tell you that there isn't an "I" in pipe.

 

[Cadfael]

I like the stuff too - so when you order it again, after you forget you ordered it once already, send it to me! :lol:

 

[Natch]

Ah, you've received a wonderful gift! I have often emailed friends that sent me samples of this or that tobacco, letting them know that I can't stand it. So knowing what you do and do not like is a good thing, and finding out what you don't like at no coast is a great thing. And, passing on what you don't like is a really great thing! :cheers:


Natch

 

[Kyle Weiss]

Hey, trying it and lying about it is worse...then people will just send you more. Or they'll send you more out of spite, if I should include any Borkum Riff or Smoker's Pride to send your way, Beetle.

Mac Baren's honey "binder" (I don't think it's really a casing or topping; it's so dang light) is something I really like. Unlike sugar, it doesn't seem to get as hot and biting as it cooks and caramelizes. The faint, faint sweetness is natural and alive tasting rather than just coming off like a sh*tty-sweet breakfast cereal.

Mac Baren and I get along pretty good, and Navy Flake is at the top of the heap for me. What that heap is made of obviously depends on whom the question is asked. :lol:

8)

 

[alfredo_buscatti]

Last time I smoked Navy Flake I found it boring; haven't been back.

 

[beetlejazz]

Rev, Good tobacco is what's good to you man.

Exactly!


I really hoped to like this, it sounded good. But there's something about the taste that's just offensive to my senses. The honey-thing. Something that feels at the back of my tongue, and is smelly. Well, as much as I normally think that one needs to give several chances to a new tobacco, this is where I meet my limit. :x Not to say again that there was anything wrong with enjoying this one, seriously, I've been toying with the idea of getting some scented GH tobaccos and dedicating one pipe to Lady Lakeland as the gentle Lakeland-whiff in unscented ones has amused me enough to kinda soften me for it, how's that effed up for you? :lol: Different people find different tastes intolerable, even in small doses.

Hell, some people can't stand garlic, of all things! (and please brothers, don't use this as an inspiration to mail me that tin of garlic-tobacco you have stuck under the short leg of the table ale: )

But Natch is spot on - Good to know what one likes and don't like. So far I've been spoiled, but it's in a strange way reassuring to know the limits of one's enjoyment-area, ya know?

 

[the rev]

two things you almost can't put enough of in food, garlic and black pepper

rev

 

[beetlejazz]

two things you almost can't put enough of in food, garlic and black pepper

True. Hmm. Perhaps I should add a clove in the tin for a few days to see if it improves the taste...

 

[gravel]

two things you almost can't put enough of in food, garlic and black pepper

True. Hmm. Perhaps I should add a clove in the tin for a few days to see if it improves the taste...

Mmmhmmm! Honey and cloves!

 

[Kyle Weiss]

two things you almost can't put enough of in food, garlic and black pepper

rev

Feed that to me, and I'll clear out a gymnasium. Guaranteed.

 

[PreppyHippy]

Thanks for the good read, Beatlejazz. It's fun to read any thoughtful person's experiences with many things, here especially a tobacco. Fun to have the pleasure to read an interesting experience.