Mac Baren Changing Design & Recipes Recently?

[demian_dec]

A long story put short. Today I went to my local tobacconist to get a pouch of Amphora Full, and upon opening and closer inspection at home I can tell - not to be a conspiracy theorist! - this isn't really the tobacco I remember.

The old pouches (pre-2019/2020 when I first tried it, and 2023 around half a year ago) had thick and shiny, golden plastic foil on the inside, around which the crimson-red cover was wrapped and then topped by thin and transparent plastic foil. They had a certain more luxurious feel to them, whereas the new one only has the cover (which now is dark-red on the inside - see the attached photos) wrapped in that thin transparent plastic foil, and so reminds me more of the cheap cigarette tobacco packaging. This, however, isn't the reason for the worries of mine.
I'm heavily concerned with the tobacco's smell. While actually quite pleasant, it doesn't posess a complete resemblance to what I remember - neither from four-five years ago, nor from half a year ago.
I happen to have saved the previous pouch, and - although the code numbers are barely visible, if not completely gone - one can recognise the older pouch was produced on 8th (eyeballing) of August 2023, and the new one on the 1st of May 2024.
Don't get me wrong, I do entertain the most likely possibility of a different tobacco yield - and it still tastes quite well. It just doesn't have that one feel to it, at least yet.

You know what, while writing this I'm starting to think I'm at fault here - I take it, perhaps my memory or sense of smell (or both) does give me up ever so slightly. I just would like to know if anybody else noticed something similar with Amphora Full or other Mac Baren products.


P.S.
Side-to-side visual comparison. Sorry about the poor lighting.

 

[hoipolloiglasgow]

I’m a huge Mac Baren fan. I like ODF, Balkan, Solent, etc and haven’t noticed any changes. In fact they are well known to be pretty consistent. Yeah, their tins have changed ever so slightly, I mean they don’t have the Mac Baren text going around them anymore and it looks a little less cool. They don’t put the HH flakes in a 3.5 oz square tins anymore, but the 1.75s are still in a square tin. Not familiar with the amphora stuff though. I noticed 22’ Balkan tasted not as good as my 21’ but I accounted that to age, anything that hasn’t hit the 3 year mark will taste a little young. Still, really awesome stuff though as well as the new ODF. I wish they would’ve acquired certain rerelease brands and have always felt they would’ve done a better job at redoing them.

 

[FalconForever]

Perhaps leave it for a few days and then smell it? I noticed that a few brands I smoke fresh from the pouch didn't impress me but a second bowl over a few weeks later and they were a different thing. I wonder if the new plastics in pouches impart a smell just after opening that disappears.

 

[kcghost]

Mac Baren has a long history of changing tobaccos. Usually with something they already have.

 

[fireground_piper]

It is worth noting Per Jensen was relieved of his Master Blender role around December 2023. Whether that has resulted in any blend changes to your 2024 product, who knows!

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

Why don't you smoke some and see if it is any good? The crops change at least somewhat year to year. Farms close so new sources have to be found. And certainly in some cases, the blender finds something cheaper to keep the costs as low as possible. Or a different casing (or whatever) is used. Or their internal process is revised. Who knows? The only certainty is the blends will vary over time. It's either acceptable to the Customer; or not. If it is, you keep buying and smoking it. If not, you find another blend to purchase and smoke. I think it really is as simple as that. I seriously doubt you're going to get the blender to divulge exactly what changed.

 

[Piping Abe]

In an organic product, change is always consistant. A Master Blenders job is to maintain conistancy with an ever changing product.

 

[Sig]

Maybe they just redesigned their packaging and the smell you are just misremembering.
The main reason almost ALL tobacco is cased is to keep it tasting the same year after year. Although the tobacco might change slightly, the casing is enough to keep it tasting the same.
Virginia #1 is my all time favorite tobacco blend. It has tasted the same to me for the near two decades ive been smoking it.
There may be subtle flavor differences from crop to crop, but the human palate isn't usually sensitive enough to discern these flavors....in my opinion.
MacBaren BETTER NOT change their taste!!!
Im about to drop the hatchet on a few pounds.

 

[AJL67]

A long story put short. Today I went to my local tobacconist to get a pouch of Amphora Full, and upon opening and closer inspection at home I can tell - not to be a conspiracy theorist! - this isn't really the tobacco I remember.

The old pouches (pre-2019/2020 when I first tried it, and 2023 around half a year ago) had thick and shiny, golden plastic foil on the inside, around which the crimson-red cover was wrapped and then topped by thin and transparent plastic foil. They had a certain more luxurious feel to them, whereas the new one only has the cover (which now is dark-red on the inside - see the attached photos) wrapped in that thin transparent plastic foil, and so reminds me more of the cheap cigarette tobacco packaging. This, however, isn't the reason for the worries of mine.
I'm heavily concerned with the tobacco's smell. While actually quite pleasant, it doesn't posess a complete resemblance to what I remember - neither from four-five years ago, nor from half a year ago.
I happen to have saved the previous pouch, and - although the code numbers are barely visible, if not completely gone - one can recognise the older pouch was produced on 8th (eyeballing) of August 2023, and the new one on the 1st of May 2024.
Don't get me wrong, I do entertain the most likely possibility of a different tobacco yield - and it still tastes quite well. It just doesn't have that one feel to it, at least yet.

You know what, while writing this I'm starting to think I'm at fault here - I take it, perhaps my memory or sense of smell (or both) does give me up ever so slightly. I just would like to know if anybody else noticed something similar with Amphora Full or other Mac Baren products.


P.S.
Side-to-side visual comparison. Sorry about the poor lighting.





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When i was younger there was a bbq place we went too all the time, most amazing bbq ever, i moved away and for decades always "remembered" that bbq, when i moved back to FL that was one of the first places i went to eat, same owners, same exact recipes, wasn't at all how i remembered it, not quite as good, still good but not what i remembered.

 

[sablebrush52]

We're in an environment of changing components as manufacturers search for suppliers. The names stay the same. The contents not so much.

 

[ThermionicScott]

In an organic product, change is always consistant. A Master Blenders job is to maintain conistancy with an ever changing product.

I wonder who their master blender is now. Who watches the Master Blenders?

 

[renfield]

Change is the one constant and pipe blends are no exception. I have no idea if they’ve changed Amphora but our senses of taste and smell vary from day to day as well.

As was mentioned above a few days to breathe may make a difference.

 

[woodsroad]

Bring back the MacRib Flake!

 

[JOHN72]

We're in an environment of changing components as manufacturers search for suppliers. The names stay the same. The contents not so much.

Same.

 

[Terry Lennox]

A long story put short. Today I went to my local tobacconist to get a pouch of Amphora Full, and upon opening and closer inspection at home I can tell - not to be a conspiracy theorist! - this isn't really the tobacco I remember.

The old pouches (pre-2019/2020 when I first tried it, and 2023 around half a year ago) had thick and shiny, golden plastic foil on the inside, around which the crimson-red cover was wrapped and then topped by thin and transparent plastic foil. They had a certain more luxurious feel to them, whereas the new one only has the cover (which now is dark-red on the inside - see the attached photos) wrapped in that thin transparent plastic foil, and so reminds me more of the cheap cigarette tobacco packaging. This, however, isn't the reason for the worries of mine.
I'm heavily concerned with the tobacco's smell. While actually quite pleasant, it doesn't posess a complete resemblance to what I remember - neither from four-five years ago, nor from half a year ago.
I happen to have saved the previous pouch, and - although the code numbers are barely visible, if not completely gone - one can recognise the older pouch was produced on 8th (eyeballing) of August 2023, and the new one on the 1st of May 2024.
Don't get me wrong, I do entertain the most likely possibility of a different tobacco yield - and it still tastes quite well. It just doesn't have that one feel to it, at least yet.

You know what, while writing this I'm starting to think I'm at fault here - I take it, perhaps my memory or sense of smell (or both) does give me up ever so slightly. I just would like to know if anybody else noticed something similar with Amphora Full or other Mac Baren products.


P.S.
Side-to-side visual comparison. Sorry about the poor lighting.





View attachment 316563View attachment 316564View attachment 316565View attachment 316566View attachment 316567View attachment 316568

I wonder if they have contracted the production out to another factory. Didn't they buy Planta in Berlin? Perhaps the German version is being made by Planta now. This would explain the package change.

 

[demian_dec]

UPDATE

So! Today I managed to snatch an old pouch on my way home - at the same tiny-tiny gas-station-style shop where I bought my first pipe since arriving in Germany. The pouch is the last of the series, the others were all new. Just like the empty pouch I compared the new one with, this one is from August 2023. And it's exactly the Amphora Full I remember and love.
It's the heavily sweet syrup/honey aroma (casing, I guess?) that's gone missing in the new pouches. I take it, Mac Baren went barebones with Amphora Full - especially after consulting the owner of my local tobacconist's store on Wednesday. He supposed it could've been the new EU measures. Perhaps it's the Berlin Planta factory mentioned by @Terry Lennox. I'll have to dig and investigate a bit about that one. And I definitely will bring those to my tobacconist for the store owner to compare himself.
So, all and all, yes, Amphora Full has changed. And this does make me sad. My disappointment is immeasurable, and my day (evening) is ruined, if you will.

 

[krizzose]

If any blend manufacturer is sitting on tons of tobacco, it’s Mac Baren. That doesn’t mean that blend components haven’t changed, of course, but it seems unlikely.

Does anyone know if Per Jensen was shown the door, or if he moved on voluntarily?

 

[suamrai61]

If any blend manufacturer is sitting on tons of tobacco, it’s Mac Baren. That doesn’t mean that blend components haven’t changed, of course, but it seems unlikely.

Does anyone know if Per Jensen was shown the door, or if he moved on voluntarily?

Voluntarily. I read somewhere (most likely on the PM Radio show) that he moved to Germany late last year.

 

[fireground_piper]

Voluntarily. I read somewhere (most likely on the PM Radio show) that he moved to Germany late last year.

The discussion out there is he moved to Germany and was working at the German affiliate, then they closed down the German affiliate.