Mac Baren Virginia No. 1 – Product Review

Mac Baren Virginia no. 1 is a ready rubbed golden straight Virginia tobacco. The pouch note is of figs and raisins with a refreshing scent of light hay. The tobacco is presented in a broken flake form and fills the pipe very easily. I found that twisting the tobacco into the bowl worked really well. I would then rub a small amount out for kindling for the top.

Lighting the Mac Baren Virginia no. 1 is very easy and this pipe tobacco stayed lit with very few relights. I found that packing a little tighter than I usually would worked well. It is also worth saying that this was smoked in a corn cob pipe. The moisture content is just right for me. I needed no drying or airing time and can happily smoke this straight from opening the pouch.

My very first taste impression is that of honey. This straight Virginia really has a naturally sweet taste and afterwards you are left with a subtle sugary coating on the tongue. I used to be an aromatic pipe smoker so I know the perils of tongue scorching if you smoke too fast. With Mac Baren Virginia no. 1 one does need to take it slow to both savor the Virginia flavors as well as preventing tongue bite, but I feel that this is a rule for smoking any pipe tobacco as you can discover more flavors.

The sweetness of this pipe tobacco is not just one dimensional. You do get the sugary sweetness as an after taste but you also get a nice honey and even a surprising sweet nut flavor; the sweetness also lasts throughout the smoke. This pipe tobacco certainly has grown on me the more it is smoked. I also find that it is light in nicotine content which makes this straight Virginia ideal as an all day smoke.

As I have said, this tobacco stays lit throughout the smoke and burns down to a nice white ash. I find this to be a beautifully sweet tobacco but without the syrupy sweetness of some aromatics. Mac Baren Virginia no. 1 is a nice after dinner smoke but also works beautifully first thing in the morning with a black coffee; definitely one to have in my pipe tobacco rotation.

Update 26th October 2015: After coming back to this tobacco after trying some stronger blends I have found Mac Baren Virginia no. 1 to be even more of a delight. It is light and refreshing and has beautiful honey tones and never gets syrupy; truly a Virginia lover’s tobacco.