I’ve recently been enjoying this blend a lot and I’m thinking of cellaring it deep. How well does it age? What does it lose and gain with age?
How Well Does Mac Baren Navy Flake Age?
- Thread starter eljimmy
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Probably well for some but it's the only Mac Baren blend that I couldn't finish one tin of.
Something about the flavor I didn't care for.
Hopefully awesome. I’m sitting on a mid 90s tin that I aim to open in February
Dunno how it ages, but I like it fresh with a lot of drying time. I think the general consensus is that aged tastes better.
So, the first time I ordered Navy Flake, the tins showed up with 2 years of age, except I didn't know that at first. I just popped a tin, and started smoking it. After a few bowls I looked at the date and saw it was two years old. I ordered several tins that all came with that age on it. I loved it so much that I ordered a bunch more and then a 1 lb box of it, all of which were more recent production. I've been smoking my way through the aged stuff and loving it, but when I was jarring up the 1 lb box, I stuck a couple flakes in the jar I've been smoking out of, and will occasionally smoke one of the fresher flakes. I still really enjoy it, but the flavor on the older flakes seem almost concentrated, if that makes sense. The same flavors are in fresh and aged, but there's just more of them in the older ones. I also found a 7 year old tin at a B&M last year that I'm very excited to try. I've never had a tobacco with that much age on it.
Yeah it’s a good one. Aging should be fine but I personally don’t think I would cellar for aging but to have stock. Also, if you haven’t tried Mixture Flake and Virginia Flake you definitely should. Both are great with different flavor profiles.
I often find Mac Baren tins with a couple years of age at the local cigar shop.
The only Mac Baren Navy I own is from 2005 and 2006, I have never smoked it fresh. I traded a guy who sent me a pound and a half of 2006 Navy flake, this was years ago before I was a member at this site which I joined in 2012. I also have a handful of 2005 tins and the one I have cracked and I am smoking out of is tasty. Based on the blends I am smoking I would guess the fresh stuff has more casing flavors where as the aged stuff probably has the Virginia's coming through much more as that is what I taste.
I imagine the flavors of the casing is much stronger when new, and it mellows as it ages. The Virginia and Burley are present and for my tastes the Burley takes away from the Virginia's a bit. I have many Vaburs in my cellar and this is the only blend that has the Burleys more forward than the Virginia's when aged a long time.
To be honest I have not looked at the jar with 1.5 pounds of 2006 in at least 6 or 7 years. I have one open tin from 2005 that I have to be in the mood for. I wish I could help you with a fresh to age comparison, but I will tell you that you should try a lot more flakes before you go deep on the MC. Capstan Blue Flake, Peterson Flake, Peterson Navy Rolls, Peterson University Flake, Savinelli which is a Vabur but with a nice Plum topping. It is not a mild blend, Doblone d'Oro. many say it is the closest to the old Three Nuns. Those are just off the top of my head of blends that are readily available.
Based on my opinion I would buy and age all the suggestions I gave you. Make sure you buy only one tin for a test, then go deep if you love it. I have over 150 tins of Capstan Blue Flake. That is how much I love the stuff. Compare that to my Mac Baren Navy holdings. Also one of the finest vaburs on the market is the Mac Baren Old Dark Fired.
I imagine the flavors of the casing is much stronger when new, and it mellows as it ages. The Virginia and Burley are present and for my tastes the Burley takes away from the Virginia's a bit. I have many Vaburs in my cellar and this is the only blend that has the Burleys more forward than the Virginia's when aged a long time.
To be honest I have not looked at the jar with 1.5 pounds of 2006 in at least 6 or 7 years. I have one open tin from 2005 that I have to be in the mood for. I wish I could help you with a fresh to age comparison, but I will tell you that you should try a lot more flakes before you go deep on the MC. Capstan Blue Flake, Peterson Flake, Peterson Navy Rolls, Peterson University Flake, Savinelli which is a Vabur but with a nice Plum topping. It is not a mild blend, Doblone d'Oro. many say it is the closest to the old Three Nuns. Those are just off the top of my head of blends that are readily available.
Based on my opinion I would buy and age all the suggestions I gave you. Make sure you buy only one tin for a test, then go deep if you love it. I have over 150 tins of Capstan Blue Flake. That is how much I love the stuff. Compare that to my Mac Baren Navy holdings. Also one of the finest vaburs on the market is the Mac Baren Old Dark Fired.
My current open tin of MBNF is from 2013. The primary differences I’ve noticed between fresh and aged are: the topping is toned down a bit, and the Mac Baren cavendish is a little less spicy and prominent. Overall, there’s much less of a difference than with a straight Virginia fresh vs. 8 years of aging.
In my experience in the fresh tins the burley is predominant, while in the old ones it's the virginia; I find it very good in both cases...