I have been smoking Mac Baren's HH Rustica for over six months now, going through several tins. This has become one of my staple go-to tobaccos. I particularly like to smoke a flake/stick in the morning with a cup of dark coffee. Makes for a nice start to the day.
The opening tin note is somewhat similar to HH Old Dark Fired. A sweet smokey bbq aroma.
The flakes are fairly dry out of the tin, but even so, they are a bit difficult to light, especially using the fold and stuff method. I found I prefer fully rubbing a flake/stick out and somewhat loosely packing it in my pipe. Using the fold and stuff method I need multiple relights, whereas, when I rub it out I only need a couple for relights.
On lighting, Mac Baren's HH Rustica has an unique earthy almost light herbal/floral scent/taste, not overpowering. It's NOT a sickly purfumy floral sent, it's more like an earthy Chrysanthemum mixed in with herbal hints. The Virginia's and Burley's mix in harmoniously. Personally they all meld together for me and I can't discern one out from the other. In general I find Virginias to have kind of a sweet note, similar to the smell of fresh collected hay with some hints of citrus. I find Burleys to have kind of a nutty and toasty flavor.
The nicotine is on the stronger side of most pipe tobaccos. Somewhere in the realm of Gawith Hoggarth and Co's Brown Irish Twist. I can get a little green when I smoke a couple of flakes/sticks in a row.
The opening tin note is somewhat similar to HH Old Dark Fired. A sweet smokey bbq aroma.
The flakes are fairly dry out of the tin, but even so, they are a bit difficult to light, especially using the fold and stuff method. I found I prefer fully rubbing a flake/stick out and somewhat loosely packing it in my pipe. Using the fold and stuff method I need multiple relights, whereas, when I rub it out I only need a couple for relights.
On lighting, Mac Baren's HH Rustica has an unique earthy almost light herbal/floral scent/taste, not overpowering. It's NOT a sickly purfumy floral sent, it's more like an earthy Chrysanthemum mixed in with herbal hints. The Virginia's and Burley's mix in harmoniously. Personally they all meld together for me and I can't discern one out from the other. In general I find Virginias to have kind of a sweet note, similar to the smell of fresh collected hay with some hints of citrus. I find Burleys to have kind of a nutty and toasty flavor.
The nicotine is on the stronger side of most pipe tobaccos. Somewhere in the realm of Gawith Hoggarth and Co's Brown Irish Twist. I can get a little green when I smoke a couple of flakes/sticks in a row.