Trial by Fire

Mac Baren
Mac Baren, a fourth-generation family-owned business started in 1887, has an interesting history. Although it’s regarded as a leader in Danish-style tobacco blends, its modern-day rise to prominence was triggered by Jorgen Halberg, who was stranded in the United States after traveling from Denmark to the States just before the outbreak of World War II. He stayed for 12 years, working in tobacco factories, then went home and started cranking out blends that remain well respected. Perhaps his firsthand experience working with the finest Virginia and Burley leaf in the States made a difference, because Mac Baren continues to be recognized for using exceptionally high-grade base leaf for its pipe tobaccos. It was interesting for us to try some of the blends we haven’t reviewed before, analyze a new entry, and revisit a couple of classics. While the Danish blending tradition may scream “aromatic,” consider these kinder, gentler tobaccos (including an exciting addition to the company’s nonaromatic lineup), whose quality will appeal to a wide range of tastes.

Mixture Moderne
Gage: If you’ve been smoking a generic, light aromatic, this blend offers the opportunity to take a step up and sample what a smooth and cool aromatic pipe tobacco should deliver. Once again, the base tobaccos of well-aged Virginia leaf and a very smooth black Cavendish put generic aromatics to shame. The blend lights quickly and easily, although I found it much more appealing with 48 hours of drying time in the tin, with the lid off. It wasn’t goopy right out of the tin, but it smoked a bit too wet for my taste.

Even with air drying, it smoked a bit juicy, and I had to swab it out frequently whether smoking my briars or meerschaums. It had good smoke volume but was a bit challenging to keep burning. Although there was some fine-caked Virginia tobacco in this mixture, peppered by aggressive chunks of Burley that kept the blend interesting and complex, it didn’t really distinguish itself. It was a nice, straightforward blend delivering an honest aromatic character with its honey and vanilla overtones.

Harb: Described as a Danish blend, Mixture Moderne includes Virginia tobaccos, the Mac Baren Modern Cavendish, and ready rubbed Burley. The aroma in the tin is sweet and moderately aromatic with a hint of toasted cherry or prune. The cut is a mix of irregular ribbons and strands and Cavendish cut chunks. The composition is golden to medium and darker brown tobaccos, with a good proportion of black tobacco represented by the Cavendish. At the match, there was a sting to the palate from the body provided by the slightly tart Burley, and a medium flavor level from the matured Virginias that was complemented by the sweet, fruity character of the flavoring agent used. By mid-bowl, Mixture Moderne becomes very smooth, with the Virginias becoming more mellow.  There was a nice interplay of flavors between the deeper and lighter notes of the Virginias complemented by the added flavoring in the Cavendish. Once most of this flavoring was burned off, the sweetness of the Virginias lent a nice finish to the bowl.  This would be a good aromatic blend to enjoy any time of the day and should be attractive in a crowd.                

Virginia No. 1
Gage: I frequently receive e-mails from new and veteran pipe puffers asking for recommendations about tasty bright Virginia tobaccos. This is a tough category. By nature, bright, or flue-cured, Virginia tobaccos are (or should be) sweet and high in sugar content. On the other hand, the sugars contribute to a fast burn and consequent tongue bite. In seeking this perfect balance of sweetness and smoothness, the quest is often more yin and yuck than yin and yang.

I welcomed the opportunity to review Virginia No. 1, which is one of the Mac Baren classics that is unfortunately overlooked by some simply because it has been around for so darned long. This yellow-gold mixture is ready rubbed but still shows its roots as a pressed, aged cake.  The nose of this gold and tan blend carries a bit of buckwheat honey (a bit musty and earthy, rather than simply sweet), but mostly just sugary, pure Virginia tobaccos. It worked best when packed loosely. It stands up fine without further rubbing, but if you’re going for a small-bowl smoke, rub it out into fine strands.

This is a naturally sweet mixture without a great deal of depth. This is a string quartet without any bass and is a perfect morning or midday smoke. If there is a better wake-up call than a cup of joe and a bowl of this, I don’t know what it is. Like any bright Virginia, it will punish your tongue if smoked too aggressively, so savor and puff slowly.

The mixture sweetens throughout the bowl, which is a sure sign of well-cured and aged tobaccos. No gloppy mess or glycerin casing aftertaste. If you don’t smoke aromatics, feel confident to smoke this in your best briars without worrying about a lingering aromatic resonance you can’t remove. Any flavored topping is minimal. So for those of you seeking a bright Virginia mixture with loads of character and a minimum of sauce, look no further. This is an outstanding choice for English blend smokers seeking that exceptional bright Virginia, and for aromatic smokers who would welcome a crossover blend.

Harb: This is a classic sweetened Virginia blend that is ready rubbed. The first whiff into the tin reveals a pleasant, lightly fragrant sweetness and a hint of fruit. The color is mostly golden Virginias combined with medium tans and browns and darker brown tobaccos. After a bit more rubbing and air-drying, I loaded Virginia No. 1 in a medium-large bowl and packed it lightly. At first light, the initial flavors had good depth from the more matured Virginias, with the golden tobacco yielding a nice tanginess. The added flavoring was delicate, contributing to the tobacco tastes without keeping them from easily coming through. By mid-bowl, this blend became very smooth and mellow, with a delicate interplay from the various Virginias used. After some of the added flavoring had burned off, the sweet character of the Virginias came through nicely, making this a very pleasant blend to the finish. As with many Virginia blends, this one can be prone to overheating with an aggressive puffing rhythm, but a slow, smooth rhythm will reward the smoker with a cool smoke throughout the bowl. The flavors are more delicate than the more matured Virginia blends, so it is to your advantage to avoid over puffing.

HH Acadian Perique
Gage: Mac Baren has definitely distinguished itself with the introduction of HH Vintage Syrian and HH Matured Virginia, showing just how deftly they select and blend tobaccos without the aid of aromatic flavorings. Once again, they raise the Virginia-Perique bar with their introduction of HH Acadian Perique, which presents the tangy aroma of a blend with meaningful amounts of high-grade Perique. It was intriguing to pick out some bright green strips of tobacco, reminiscent of jade wrappers on American cigars of yore. These are leaves that not only have been flue cured, but heat cured to arrest aging while the chlorophyll is still present in the leaf. It’s an interesting aromatic balance to the heavily cured Perique.

The aroma of plums, dried currants, peppercorns and spices is present in the tin aroma of this multicolored black, tan and gold blend. There is definitely an undercurrent of Oriental leaf sweetness, complementing the peppery Perique and sweet but subtle Virginias.

Easy to light, the tangy medium-cut mixture starts delivering a wide range of flavors from the get-go. There are earth and leather overtones, spice resonances like cumin and coriander, and a dash of Virginia sweetness. All I could think of is that this blend is something akin to an Indian restaurant buffet—sweet, savory and unctuous. It contains a dark-fired Kentucky Burley (one of my favorites, and a real rarity in pipe tobaccos), which is very prominent in its basso profundo role, lending richness to the peppery Perique, sweet Orientals and splash of sweet dark Cavendish. Mac Baren Cavendish is really outstanding.

You almost don’t notice the Virginia base tobaccos, but they tie the blend together in a very appealing manner. While it is most certainly not a cigar leaf blend, it has a cigarlike character that differentiates it from many pipe tobaccos. Like a cigar, it could go well with something like dry sherry or even a gin martini with olives. Not many pipe tobaccos work well as a cigar substitute, but this one does. For those predisposed to think of Mac Baren tobaccos as being sweet and Danish in style, this should be an epiphany. It’s great out of the tin but promises to age well, given the opportunity for the Virginias to develop further and the Perique to meld with the blend.

Harb: This is one of the newer blends added to the HH Signature series from Mac Baren that features the Acadian Perique, which announces itself as soon as the tin is opened. HH Acadian Perique is a complex mix of Virginias, Burleys, dark-fired Kentucky and Orientals. It has a light, earthy, tart aroma in the tin, and the moisture level was suitable for ready loading, unless you prefer to allow your tobacco to dry first. The blend features a variety of Virginias from golden to red including medium-brown ribbons, and these are mixed into darker brown and black leaf. At the first light, the Virginias contribute a medium level of sweetness, with the Burley lending body and the Orientals and Kentucky lending depth. The Perique works well with all these components and is blended in just the right amount to add complexity and its unique character without contributing significantly to the overall flavor. By mid-bowl, the pungency of the Orientals began to flourish, adding more spiciness to the smoke and nicely complementing the Perique and Virginias. This is a nice addition to the Signature series and deserves a place on your to-try list.       

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