Mac Baren Vanilla Cream: Flake vs Loose Cut Flavor?

[Skippy B. Coyote]

I've become a big fan of Mac Baren's Vanilla Flake, it's easily my favorite vanilla aromatic I've ever smoked, but the flakes are rather dry and fragile so they're not the best for trying to take with you in a tobacco pouch and load a bowl on the go. Since I often load and smoke my pipe while out on walks I generally prefer ribbon or coarse cut tobacco over flakes, so on a recent tobacco order I decided to pick up a 1 ounce bulk sample of Mac Baren Vanilla Cream Loose Cut to see how it compared to the flake version.

I was rather surprised when the tobacco arrived quite wet, since I've only ever bought tinned aromatics from Mac Baren prior to this and they're usually nicely dry straight out of the tin, and when smoked I found that bulk sample of Mac Baren Vanilla Cream Loose Cut had substantially less vanilla flavor than the flake version I've been smoking. I'm used to the vanilla top note being obviously noticeable and staying throughout the whole bowl with the flakes, whereas with the bulk loose cut the vanilla flavor was barely perceptible and disappeared entirely after 10 minutes of smoking.

So, what I'm wondering is if anyone else has noticed the loose cut version of Mac Baren Vanilla Cream having way less vanilla flavor than the flake version, or if it's just the fact that I bought the bulk version of loose cut when I should have bought the tinned version instead? I know sometimes bulk tobaccos can be a little lower quality than their tinned counterparts, so would it be worth picking up a tin of Vanilla Cream loose cut instead if I found the bulk version to be lacking in the vanilla flavor department? Or is any loose cut version of Vanilla Cream just going to have way less vanilla flavor than the flake version? Any thoughts on the matter would be greatly appreciated!

 

[fireground_piper]

I doubt there’s a lower quality “version” anyone uses for bulk vs. tinned. Most difference is likely due to which vendor you bought it from and how they stored it while in their possession.

I just smoked a bowl of both versions in the past few weeks. The loose is comparatively wetter and I’d say a little sweeter. The flake maybe more of a dry vanilla by comparison. I have only ever bought 1 tin of each and then the rest by the pound bags/boxes. I don’t remember there being much difference but I also bought them in their full packaging and not by ounce. The flake by the box are longer than the tin of course. Loose seemed the same.

 

[Skippy B. Coyote]

I doubt there’s a lower quality “version” anyone uses for bulk vs. tinned. Most difference is likely due to which vendor you bought it from and how they stored it while in their possession.

I just smoked a bowl of both versions in the past few weeks. The loose is comparatively wetter and I’d say a little sweeter. The flake maybe more of a dry vanilla by comparison. I have only ever bought 1 tin of each and then the rest by the pound bags/boxes. I don’t remember there being much difference but I also bought them in their full packaging and not by ounce. The flake by the box are longer than the tin of course. Loose seemed the same.

Thanks much for sharing your experiences! I purchased the bulk loose cut Vanilla Cream from SmokingPipes, so it did come from a reputable establishment that I assume stores their bulk tobaccos well, but it's entirely possible that I could have just gotten a slightly under-topped batch or that being stored in retail packaging like a tin simply allows the flavors to meld better and intensify. In any case though, if you haven't really noticed much a difference between the loose cut and flake cut version aside from the loose cut being slightly sweeter and a little wetter than I'll have to pick up a tin of the loose cut on my next order and give it a go.

 

[username]

Assuming your not folding and stuffing the flake could always just rub it out in advance. just a thought, ive done it before in the past.

 

[fireground_piper]

I’d suggest the vanilla roll cake too. It’s my favorite of the three.

Easier to prep than the flake and I think it has more vanilla ginger bread flavor to it than just straight up vanilla. Just sayin.

 

[username]

I’d suggest the vanilla roll cake too. It’s my favorite of the three.

Easier to prep than the flake and I think it has more vanilla ginger bread flavor to it than just straight up vanilla. Just sayin.

another vote for vanilla roll cake.

 

[Skippy B. Coyote]

I’d suggest the vanilla roll cake too. It’s my favorite of the three.

Easier to prep than the flake and I think it has more vanilla ginger bread flavor to it than just straight up vanilla. Just sayin.

I've pondered trying Vanilla Roll Cake for awhile, but I think my favorite thing about Vanilla Flake is that it pretty much just tastes like a mellow Virginia flake with some natural vanilla extract and I feel like adding Burley or Dark Fired Kentucky would muddle up that light Virginia flavor profile I enjoy so much. I have plenty of darker, earthier tobaccos to smoke but Vanilla Flake is what I reach for when I want something light and summery. I've also read that Vanilla Roll Cake has less vanilla flavoring added than Vanilla Flake or Vanilla Cream Loose Cut, and I always want more vanilla flavor; not less!

 

[fireground_piper]

I've pondered trying Vanilla Roll Cake for awhile, but I think my favorite thing about Vanilla Flake is that it pretty much just tastes like a mellow Virginia flake with some natural vanilla extract and I feel like adding Burley or Dark Fired Kentucky would muddle up that light Virginia flavor profile I enjoy so much. I have plenty of darker, earthier tobaccos to smoke but Vanilla Flake is what I reach for when I want something light and summery. I've also read that Vanilla Roll Cake has less vanilla flavoring added than Vanilla Flake or Vanilla Cream Loose Cut, and I always want more vanilla flavor; not less!

yes I would agree if you want just a pure vanilla, loose and flake is the way to go compared to the roll cake.

 

[romaso]

First I'd suggest getting a hard little box you could carry a few flakes in that fits in your pocket. I got some at Dollar Tree, pack of playing cards size that seal well.

I get the loose cut because the vanilla is more muted and I can taste the Virginias more. I also age it, which mutes the vanilla even more but smooths out the Virginias. I think the pressing concentrates the vanilla flavor in the flake.

The vanilla roll cake is a different vanilla entirely, reminds me of Play-Doh. I'm not fond of it.

 

[AppalachianPipe92]

Very rarely do I smoke these, but a couple times of year I'll pull out a MB Vanilla Flake or Roll Cake. I rub em out and dry the hell out of em before smoking. It's just my preference for those blends, and really all things aromatic. I smoke a VaPer or Straiight VA or Burley Flake wetter than I'll smoke any aromatic. I also prefer a ribbon cut or rubbed out flakes for all my smokes (generally speaking). YMMV

 

[romaso]

If you're looking for more vanilla flavor, try Newminster 6 Vanilla Delight. It's a similar flavor, just turned up quite a bit. You won't taste the underlying tobaccos very much. I keep a jar around for a dessert tobacco, but don't smoke it often:

updating via yoast

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If you want to try a black cavendish vanilla, I think the best is Stokkebye 201 Black Cavendish. Again, a dessert tobacco for me. Overall, I prefer this to the Newminster, but still don't reach for it often:

updating via yoast

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The Mac Baren Vanilla Creme is my long term favorite. I buy it in the 5 lb bags now.

 

[Skippy B. Coyote]

I got a shipment with a tin of Mac Baren Vanilla Cream Loose Cut and a tin of Vanilla Roll Cake in the mail on Tuesday last week, so I've had about a week to smoke and compare them with the Mac Baren Vanilla Flake I already liked and thought I'd share my findings!

First off, the Vanilla Flake and Vanilla Cream Loose Cut (whether bulk or tinned) are indeed the same blend and have the same aroma and flavor profile. It just took a couple weeks of sitting sealed up in a Ball jar for the bulk Vanilla Cream Loose Cut I picked up to really develop it's aroma and flavor, which I find is often the case with bulk aromatic blends. The only difference I can find between the flake and loose cut is that the flake version seems to have a significantly more vanilla'y tin note and an ever so slightly (and I mean very slightly) stronger flavor both in terms of the vanilla topping and the Virginia tobaccos themselves when smoked.

However, the slightly stronger flavors of the Vanilla Flake are offset by just how darn temperamental it is when it comes to heat and smoking cadence. You have to keep the Vanilla Flake burning at a very low temperature and smoke it very slowly or the vanilla and Virginia flavors will quickly turn ashy and unpleasant tasting. This is not a blend that can be smoked outdoors with any amount of wind or it'll just burn too hot and the flavor will turn to ashy mud. "Mercurial as a menstruating lioness" would be an apt description for Vanilla Flake's smoking qualities.

In contrast, while slightly softer in the flavor department the Vanilla Cream Loose Cut is much less temperamental when it comes to heat and smoking cadence and can be smoked outside on a windy day or puffed absentmindedly while you're busy doing other activities without having to worry about the flavor of the vanilla topping or Virginias going south. It's a much less finicky blend and would be my pick of the two for any situation where you're not sitting quietly indoors with no distractions.

Another interesting finding was getting the chance to compare the bulk Vanilla Cream Loose Cut to the tinned version. Much to my surprise the bulk version actually had a noticably stronger vanilla tin note and flavor once left to sit in a Ball jar for awhile. I don't think there was any difference at all in the blend itself, I'm sure they're the same tobacco, I just think that being allowed to breathe a little in a bulk bin allowed the vanilla topping to stay fresher than being enclosed in a vacuum sealed tin with little to no air inside. I'm sure that sounds rather counterintuitive, but I'm at a loss for any other explanation as to why the bulk Vanilla Cream Loose Cut has more vanilla aroma and flavor than the tinned one unless Mac Baren is just having quality control issues and not every batch is getting topped equally. My tin was dated May of this year so it was only 5 months old, but that 5 months in a tin does seem to have muted the vanilla aroma and flavor slightly. If possible I would recommend picking up Mac Baren Vanilla Cream Loose Cut in bulk rather than in a tin if you want to get the most vanilla out of it.

Lastly, we come to Mac Baren Vanilla Roll Cake. I know this blend has a lot of fans, and I'm probably going to disappoint them by saying that I didn't much care for it. The vanilla topping wasn't detectable at all in the tin note to me, it just smelled like a VaBur blend with a slight nondescript sweetness, and that's pretty much how it tasted to me as well.

The quality of the tobacco was very good, and you can really taste both the soft bready Virginias and the spicy hint of Dark Fired Kentucky (which is extra spicy on the retrohale I might add), but the vanilla topping was completely absent and undetectable to my palate no matter how slowly I smoked it or what pipe I smoked it in. I do enjoy a subtle aromatic now and then, but this one was just too subtle for me and I couldn't find any vanilla flavor in it at all no matter how hard I searched for it. I suppose it's possible I could have just gotten an undertopped tin, since the coins were quite dry and crumbly straight out of the tin, but any vanilla aroma or flavor that might have been there was completely lost on me. It was just a good VaBur blend with a touch of mild sweetness.

So, there you have it! After having tried all vanilla offerings from Mac Baren I think I'll be sticking with the Vanilla Cream Loose Cut, and buying it in bulk once I smoke my way through this tin. The Vanilla Flake might be a touch stronger in the flavor department, but it's temperamental enough about heat and smoking cadence that I think the Loose Cut is much better suited for smoking outdoors or while busy with other activities.

 

[ThermionicScott]

Interesting findings. Thanks for posting them!

 

[mso489]

I've smoked neither version, but I know cut makes a definite difference. Just that flake, coin, plug, and rope smoke slower and longer tells you you won't have the same experience with the loose version. For convenience I like loose tobacco, but if i'm deeply into a blend, and it comes in flake/etc., I'd go with that.

 

[renfield]

I’ve usually seen differences between the flake and loose versions of a blend. They all start out the same but the subsequent differences in storage have an effect. For that reason I prefer to get the tins so there’s no risk of getting some bulk that has had more of a chance to dry out at the vendor as I’ll likely be cellaring it and not smoking it all immediately.