New Virginia Blend in Loose & Flake: "Modern Virginia" from Mac Baren

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Smoking a Pipe Right Now

Staff member

Nov 16, 2008

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St. Petersburg, FL

pipesmagazine.com

• Oct 13, 2014

• #1

Mac Baren debuted their new Modern Virginia blend at the Richmond show this past weekend, and here is the scoop on it -
Mac Baren Introduces New Modern Virginia in Flake & Loose Cut

 

JimInks

Sultan of Smoke

Aug 31, 2012

61,187

561,940

• Oct 13, 2014

• #2

Brian Levine was the first to smoke it and I was the second. I'm working on a review of it now. I liked it!

 

billbearcat

Starting to Get Obsessed

Mar 3, 2011

126

0

• Nov 21, 2014

• #3

Well it has been about a month or so, what are the opinions about this blend?

 

david555

Starting to Get Obsessed

Sep 15, 2014

131

2

• Nov 21, 2014

• #4

Hear hear!

 

conlejm

Lifer

Mar 22, 2014

1,433

8

• Nov 21, 2014

• #5

JimInks did review this tobacco here:
http://pipesmagazine.com/forums/topic/jims-macbaren-modern-virginia-reviews

 

mikestanley

Lifer

May 10, 2009

1,698

1,126

Akron area of Ohio

• Nov 21, 2014

• #6

smokingpipes.com is giving samples of this tobacco with an order. I look forward to trying it.
Mike S.

 

L

lannarkgent

Lurker

Aug 20, 2014

25

0

• Nov 22, 2014

• #7

I got my sample from smoking pipes. I found this to be a delightfully tasty smoke.I purchased 3 tins after trying the sample. Very good stuff.

 

JimInks

Sultan of Smoke

Aug 31, 2012

61,187

561,940

• Nov 22, 2014

• #8

I have a few tins and I smoke bowl nearly every day. It's very enjoyable.

 

mikestanley

Lifer

May 10, 2009

1,698

1,126

Akron area of Ohio

• Nov 22, 2014

• #9

Is it different from Virginia Flake and/or Va #1?
Mike S.

 

ravkesef

Lifer

Aug 10, 2010

2,923

9,458

82

Cheshire, CT

• Nov 22, 2014

• #10

I'm smoking a bowl of the flake right now (courtesy of Jiminks,) and it's truly superb! Smooth, rich and flavorful. One light took it all the way to the bottom. This will register as one of the truly great Virginias.

 

JimInks

Sultan of Smoke

Aug 31, 2012

61,187

561,940

• Nov 22, 2014

• #11

Glad you liked it, Rav.
MikeStanley: yes, it's much different. The topping is very different, and there are some darker Va. and a little burley here, too. In case you missed my reviews of both the flake and loose cut, here's a link: http://pipesmagazine.com/forums/topic/jims-macbaren-modern-virginia-reviews

 

J

jitterbugdude

Part of the Furniture Now

Mar 25, 2014

993

8

• Nov 23, 2014

• #12

Put me in the minority (again). I think it is rather bland. It's just another one of the hundreds of tobaccos out there that do not stand out.

 

andypandy

Starting to Get Obsessed

Aug 7, 2013

195

0

Oslo, Norway

• Nov 23, 2014

• #13

I hear you Jitterbugdude, I hear you. Not horrible by any means, but rather bland.

 

puffdoggie

Can't Leave

Dec 14, 2013

398

0

• Nov 23, 2014

• #14

I have a couple of sample packs from 4noggins. I haven't tried it yet. I'm saving them for the LVPC mtg on Monday so others can try it also. I'm interested in trying it and hearing the opinions of others as we all have different tastes.
Dave :wink:

 

willc

Starting to Get Obsessed

Jun 7, 2014

117

0

• Nov 23, 2014

• #15

I too got my sample from SP and I think this is a nice smoke and I rarely smoke straight Virginia blends.

It stayed lit and didn't bite so that says a lot there, plus it was decent tasting.

Burley and Lats are still my preferred but a blend like this gives me hope to someday being a straight Virginia fan.

 

carytobacco

Can't Leave

Nov 23, 2012

302

0

Cary, NC

• Nov 25, 2014

• #16

Got a sample pouch of the loose cut from a vendor rep. Nice and mild, maybe a little too mild for my taste. Definitely a little bit of a fruit topping. The main thing I liked about it was it had just enough flavoring to give it a taste but not so much that it overpowered the tobacco. I could still tell where the tobacco taste ended and the topping began.

 

peckinpahhombre

Lifer

Dec 24, 2012

7,195

456

• Nov 25, 2014

• #17

I will be perfectly honest here. I tried a sample I received recently and wasn't a big fan. Was it horrible? No. But did it make me want to rush out and order some? No.
The fruity topping to me was a tad unsettling. Not wholly unpleasant, I grant you, but not something I can truthfully say that I enjoyed.
It did, however, leave me curious as to whether the flake version might suit my palate better. I wonder in particular whether the topping note is more muted and understated in the flake version.

 

puffdoggie

Can't Leave

Dec 14, 2013

398

0

• Nov 25, 2014

• #18

I found Modern Va to be very mild and unremarkable. I tend towards mild blends but MVA did not grab my taste buds and provide any "WOW" factor. It didn't bite but as an aro smoker I still need some sort of taste grabber in my smokes. I'll smoke the samples but won't order any down the road.
Dave

 

saltedplug

Lifer

Aug 20, 2013

5,194

5,100

• Nov 26, 2014

• #19

During the first two years I smoked, I smoked quite a bit of straight VA. My pipe mentor was a straight VA man, and the blends that he touted became mine. But sometime in the third or fourth year, I moved on to other blends, and I can't remember why. When I smoke them now I can't find that early appreciation. Plus they bite me, the proverbial not slow smoker. In the same vein I avoid MB blends as they bite me like crazy, notwithstanding the fact that I'd like to smoke them.

 

mcitinner1

Lifer

Apr 5, 2014

4,043

24

Missouri

• Nov 26, 2014

• #20

@peck

Do you think/know if the tin note and the blend would mellow after cellaring at length? I haven't even looked at the make up of the blend yet. I have several MacBaren blends with a similar fruity smell in cellared jars but they aren't near 'done' yet.