Jim's MacBaren Modern Virginia Reviews.

I smoked both the flake and loose cut all weekend and here are my reviews of both. There is a very slight difference between the two, which I note in the reviews.

Modern Virginia Flake:
The first thing you notice when you open the tin is the sweet fruity topping and Virginias. The yellow and dark Virginias offer some citrus with a few grassy notes and a little earth, and comprises the majority of the tobacco (70%). The dark cavendish is Virginia based, and adds a citrus note with a touch of honey, and bare hit of spice. There’s a little burley (10%) that is nutty with a slight sweetness. The tobaccos are pressed for thirty days and the flake is very easy to break apart for folding and stuffing in your bowl, or rubbing out as you please. The topping is apricot and a hint of pineapple, and is noticeable in every puff, though it’s not strong enough to overwhelm the inherent properties of the tobaccos. I also get a mild fig taste. The topping slightly diminishes after the half way point, and the tobacco flavor is just a little more obvious from then on. The flake is a touch fuller in the Virginia component than the loose cut. It’s a mild to medium very smooth and rather creamy smoke that burns well with few relights, no harsh or dull spots, no bite and no dottle.

Modern Virginia Loose Cut:
The first thing you notice when you open the tin is the sweet fruity topping and Virginias. The yellow and dark Virginias offer some citrus with a few grassy notes and a little earth, and comprises the majority of the tobacco (70%). The dark cavendish is Virginia based, and adds a citrus note with a touch of honey and a bare hit of spice. There’s a little burley (10%) that is nutty with a slight sweetness. The tobaccos are pressed for thirty days and cut into easily managed small strips for easy loading. The topping is apricot and a hint of pineapple, and is noticeable in every puff, though it’s not strong enough to overwhelm the inherent properties of the tobaccos. I also get a mild fig taste. The topping very slightly diminishes a little after the half way point, and the tobacco flavor is just a little more obvious from then on. The only difference between the flake and the loose cut is the the loose cut is slightly sweeter after the half way point than the flake. The flake is just a mite fuller in regard to the Virginia. It’s a mild to medium very smooth and rather creamy smoke that burns well with few relights, no harsh or dull spots, no bite and no dottle.

Not two reviews I could just skim through and pick up the difference. I read both reviews in full twice and then got the sense of it. Thanks.

Jim, did you let that loose cut dry for a bit first? Try as I might, I cannot get it to light well. I mean I just about have to relight every time I take a puff. And there is plenty of dry dottle when I finish.

Simple Man wrote:

Jim, did you let that loose cut dry for a bit first? Try as I might, I cannot get it to light well. I mean I just about have to relight every time I take a puff. And there is plenty of dry dottle when I finish.

I don't know what Jim did and I've not had this blend yet but that is a phenomenon I've never experienced with a MacB. Scratch head?

Jim -

When you say the loose is "sweeter" later in the bowl, how do you mean? Are you talking about the natural sweetness that often accompanies certain VAs, or is this a case where the sweetness of the topping/casing has more staying power in the loose version?

I didn't have any problems with relights once I got it going. I have and do smoke it straight out of the tin. It takes three lights to start it up, and usually I'm fine for a bit. I guess it's all in how you load it in your pipe. I cube cut it with my fingers and drop the bits into the bowl.

As for the sweetness, it just seems to me that the topping holds up a little better in the loose cut, which strikes me as odd because the loose cut is made from the same tobacco as the flake. But that's what I seemed to notice.

JimInks wrote:

I didn't have any problems with relights once I got it going. I have and do smoke it straight out of the tin. It takes three lights to start it up, and usually I'm fine for a bit. I guess it's all in how you load it in your pipe. I cube cut it with my fingers and drop the bits into the bowl.

As for the sweetness, it just seems to me that the topping holds up a little better in the loose cut, which strikes me as odd because the loose cut is made from the same tobacco as the flake.  But that's what I seemed to notice.

No, this is the loose cut... I haven't tried the flake. The method you use for it is the same I use for OGS and such, I've never had a problem with them. But this Modern Virginia loose cut has been something else. It has a good enough taste, just can't seem to light a fire to it. Weird...

Jim, thanks for the review. Curious to see how this compares to Virginia No. 1.

Old Nate wrote:

Jim, thanks for the review. Curious to see how this compares to Virginia No. 1.

There are differences. I know what I think, but I'll wait until you smoke the Modern Va. to see what you think.

I was bombed with a pouch of the loose and will be smoking it as my next bowl in my car/cob combo of winter smoking. I did however check out the tobacco visually and it's smell. I found both appealing. I'm really looking forward to smoking this.

Well, I can't articulate like Jim but I've smoked it and am pleased. I smoked it in a cob driving around. I think it's an excellent driving around cob tobacco. For me it's a great burning euro VA that I will enjoy passively with some occasional hints of fruit. If the description appeals, try it. I had zero problems with the burn either.

I tried the loose cut, and liked it....

I wonder how they got the pineapple topping to work. I like it!

Got a pouch of this in my BoB bombing. Have yet to smoke any of it, due the Aro designation.

Guess I need to get a round tuit and decide for myself!




Cheers,

RR

OK, I gotta ask...

What is a BoB bombing?

Ozark Wizard wrote:

OK, I gotta ask...

What is a BoB bombing?

PM me your address

Fatman wrote:

Ozark Wizard wrote:

OK, I gotta ask...

What is a BoB bombing?

PM me your address

YES!

Brewdude wrote:

Got a pouch of this in my BoB bombing. Have yet to smoke any of it, due the Aro designation.

Guess I need to get a round tuit and decide for myself!




Cheers,

RR

It's definitely not a tobacco puro but I would think of it as an aromatic kinda like University Flake is an aromatic. The tobaccos exist in these for a purpose beyond just being something to spray the flavor onto. Good luck, let us know what you think.

Fatman wrote:

Ozark Wizard wrote:

OK, I gotta ask...

What is a BoB bombing?

PM me your address

John, do I need to take cover due to proximity, or join you in the demonstration?

juanmedusa wrote:

Brewdude wrote:

Got a pouch of this in my BoB bombing. Have yet to smoke any of it, due the Aro designation.

Guess I need to get a round tuit and decide for myself!




Cheers,

RR

It's definitely not a tobacco puro but I would think of it as an aromatic kinda like University Flake is an aromatic. The tobaccos exist in these for a purpose beyond just being something to spray the flavor onto. Good luck, let us know what you think.

Thanks for the info. I'll check it out with an open mind.


Cheers,

RR