Mac Baren Dark Twist (Bad Experience)

[easterntraveler]

So I cracked opened some Dark Twist. Being a big fan of Mac Baren I was excited. It had good flavor but I could not get it to stop biting. It seems it has a natural bite to it. Is this just me? Also if this is true can anyone recommend a length of aging to mellow the Darkness. I really want to enjoy this.

 

[judcole]

Pack it more loosely, and slow down. MacB has said themselves that loose(r) packing is a factor in enjoying their blends.

 

[jeffboyrd]

I agree with Jud. I had a similar experience with Dark Twist. I also found DT to have a certain spice that I just couldn't handle. I'm also a MB fan, I enjoy many of their tine. I wish you luck with it eastern.

 

[sasquatch]

It has a spiced element to be sure. But the secret to this and the other MB coins is to dry them just a bit (they feel dry but hide a lot of moisture) and pack them fairly loose. I just grab a few discs and king of break them up and wad that into the pipe.
Going slow is the secret here. These blends have a ton of sugar and will burn hot. If you burn them hot, you'll get zero flavor, tongue bite, and basically have a bad time. Smoke them on the point of going out and they release incredible flavor. It can be almost overwhelming once you learn to smoke them.
Don't give up on Dark Twist! It's got a neat fresh-oatmeal cookie sort of thing going on. It's sweetened with a touch of maple syrup and spiced up with the Cavendish. Just don't get greedy when you suck the pipe.

 

[homeatsea]

+1 to Sasquatch. Though I've never tried Dark Twist, MB's 7 Seas Regular is one of my favorite tobaccos. Pack MB loosely, smoke slowly, sip gently. It also doesn't hurt to cellar their tobacco for a while and revisit them, you never know how your preferences/palate and how the tobacco will change.

 

[hfearly]

Dark Twist and Club Blend are spicy. But it's similar to a Cinnamon Bubble Gum spice, not chemical tongue burn as you'd get with a gooey aromatic.

 

[sparroa]

Most tobaccos require more drying than you might think...
I agree that the coins are likely holding a lot more moisture than you realize and that you are feeling steam burn on your tongue moreso than the legendary "MacBite" sensation.
Just a guess.