Grain of salt ---- these are my impressions after 1.5 bowls, both in cobs.
The tin note (in my case, bag note) is like semi sweet vanilla cookies, or even Golden Grahams cereal. The description on Tobaccoreviews says there's DFK in the blend, but I don't pick that up at all in the tin note. To me, the DFK in another Mac Baren roll cake, Club Blend, is immediately and obviously apparent, kinda like a cold fireplace the morning after an evening fire. In VRC, I can't find that. The vanilla topping in VRC is noticeably different from that in Vanilla Cream Flake, a little less intense, "softer," and not quite so spicy.
In the first half of the bowl, the vanilla is very pleasant and sweet, translating into the taste as well as room note. It fades later, but never completely. It's a very natural taste throughout, with no chemical flavors that I noticed. It has some interesting floral high notes that are noticeable throughout the bowl. Overall, it's quite rich flavorwise, but I would not say overly strong, but certainly not mild either. In the second half I started to notice a woody spice and very subtle smokiness from the DFK, as well as a general backbone to the smoke. It goes very well with the vanilla topping, and I think Mac B balanced those two perfectly. I'd guess there are some other burleys in there as well, as there is some nice round mild nuttiness in the background as well.
The virginias in the blend are very smooth, and add some sweetness. I think they make up a smaller proportion of the blend than the combined burley components. They lack the zip some other Mac Baren virginias have (Virginia Flake and fresh Club Blend, for example).
Overall, it's a very smooth smoke. I even puffed it hard a couple of times, and while it certainly got hot, there was almost no bite. Smoked at a reasonable cadence, there was none. I've never noticed the "Mac Bite" in other Mac Baren blends, so YMMV. I bet with a year + of age, this will be smooth as silk.
The moisture out of the bag was almost perfect, and I only needed to leave a bowlful out for about 30 minutes to get it just right for me. No goop of any kind.
To sum up, it's a very smooth, sweet smoke with a consistent vanilla flavor and aroma. While clearly an aromatic, there is no lack of tobacco oomph and flavor. Not as intensely topped as Vanilla Cream Flake, it's a notch or two stronger.
The tin note (in my case, bag note) is like semi sweet vanilla cookies, or even Golden Grahams cereal. The description on Tobaccoreviews says there's DFK in the blend, but I don't pick that up at all in the tin note. To me, the DFK in another Mac Baren roll cake, Club Blend, is immediately and obviously apparent, kinda like a cold fireplace the morning after an evening fire. In VRC, I can't find that. The vanilla topping in VRC is noticeably different from that in Vanilla Cream Flake, a little less intense, "softer," and not quite so spicy.
In the first half of the bowl, the vanilla is very pleasant and sweet, translating into the taste as well as room note. It fades later, but never completely. It's a very natural taste throughout, with no chemical flavors that I noticed. It has some interesting floral high notes that are noticeable throughout the bowl. Overall, it's quite rich flavorwise, but I would not say overly strong, but certainly not mild either. In the second half I started to notice a woody spice and very subtle smokiness from the DFK, as well as a general backbone to the smoke. It goes very well with the vanilla topping, and I think Mac B balanced those two perfectly. I'd guess there are some other burleys in there as well, as there is some nice round mild nuttiness in the background as well.
The virginias in the blend are very smooth, and add some sweetness. I think they make up a smaller proportion of the blend than the combined burley components. They lack the zip some other Mac Baren virginias have (Virginia Flake and fresh Club Blend, for example).
Overall, it's a very smooth smoke. I even puffed it hard a couple of times, and while it certainly got hot, there was almost no bite. Smoked at a reasonable cadence, there was none. I've never noticed the "Mac Bite" in other Mac Baren blends, so YMMV. I bet with a year + of age, this will be smooth as silk.
The moisture out of the bag was almost perfect, and I only needed to leave a bowlful out for about 30 minutes to get it just right for me. No goop of any kind.
To sum up, it's a very smooth, sweet smoke with a consistent vanilla flavor and aroma. While clearly an aromatic, there is no lack of tobacco oomph and flavor. Not as intensely topped as Vanilla Cream Flake, it's a notch or two stronger.