New Mac Baren Dark Fired Kentucky

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Blackhorse

Blackhorse

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I just saw a little info on this one while reading the lastest thing in Pipe Smokers e mag online. It 'sounds' like a killer blend.

It's called, OLD DARK FIRED.

From the mag:

"...the back label: A bold flake of dark-fired burleys in a well balanced unity with Flue-cured Virginias. This flake is Hot Pressed, meaning that during the pressing, heat is added by steam to the tobaccos which causes the tobacco to intensify the marrying process giving us a bolder tobacco. The robust, earthly flavour of the dark-fired burleys shines through in the taste, and you will experience a deeply satisfying smoke indeed.

One of the most fascinating parts about this tobacco that will be sure to confuse a lot of American pipe smokers is that, despite the fact that HH Old Dark Fired contains zero Latakia, Mac Baren still considers it an English because of the method used in its production, specifically the steam press. According to Per Jensen, Mac Baren Product Manager, the steam press makes it so that the "tobaccos marry faster and in a completely different way than what we normally produce. In short, they alter the taste. This blend is a heavy/strong tobacco with a lot of vitamin N."
Click to expand...


Anyone at the Chicago show want to pick me up a tin? Looks like they had a few tins on hand to start with anyway. It'll likely go fast.

:pig: :pig: :pig:


old-dark-fired-725.jpg
 
Sounds real good to me! I'm excited to give it a try once it's available
 
I'm looking forward to it. Heard it was going to be a while before it its the shelves.
 
Iwan Ries still has it listed as available on their web site. I still have a bowl left from the sample and a couple tins I grabbed at the show. Good stuff.
 
That looks right down my alley. I hadn't even heard of it until the Chicago Show buzz started hitting the boards. MacBaren has a pretty good batting average so far with the HH series.
 
I just ordered a 100 gm tin from Iwan Ries...sixteen bucks plus shipping. Total works out to the same price per 50 gms as almost every other tinned blend out there without the shipping...one thing I gotta say about Mad Baren...they ARE reasonable. Now...if the weed just tastes good I'll be delerious!
 
Just got my tin from Iwan Ries in the mail yesterday. Has a really strong, almost beef jerky like smell. Had to dry it over night to make it smokable, as it comes quite moist due to the stream pressing of the tobaccos. Lit a pipe of it this morning and was blown away. Very earthy and an almost salty smoked meat taste up front, with sweet undertones in the background from the flue cured Va's. Definitely a decent hit of nicotine and definitely a full bodied smoke. Quite easy to keep lit (as long as you dry it considerably) and I got absolutely no bite, as one would expect from any blend out of the HH Series. If Iwan Ries still has some in stock, I highly encourage anyone who is a fan of burleys, or dark-fired tobaccos (G&H/Samuel G type blends) to pick up a tin. You will not be disappointed!!! I am going to hold off on purchasing anymore now to allow others to pick up some tins from Iwan Ries, but once this stuff becomes readily available in a few months, I will be purchasing several tins to cellar. Not sure how it will age, but according to MacBaren, this stuff was made to be smoked fresh out of the tin, and I can certainly agree with that notion.

-Scott
 
Just smoked a second bowl this afternoon and am liking this blend evening more. The taste almost reminds me of a smoked porter or a German Rauchbier, for any of you craft beer fans. I could almost see pairing this with something like Stone Smoked Porter or Aecht Rauchbier as I think the flavors would go together very well.

-Scott
 
Kevin -

1) Thanks for the correction. I always appreciate the intervention of knowledge from frist hand sources in the event of one of my frequent errors. The title I used was intended more in a descriptive sense - as opposed to any slur on my part.

2) Welcome to out little corner of the world. We're very pleased to have you with us.

3) Following my recent order for a tin of the new Mac Baren blend, I'm looking forward to enjoying "Old Dark Fired...Hot Pressed Pipe Tobacco" while reading the latest information and other goodies in your fine ezine (or so it is for me)..'.pipesmagazine.com'.
 
Great stuff for sure. If you're into Va's this one is a must. And a MacBaren blend without any bite makes it even better. After trying this in Chicago I will definitely get more of this when it hits the shops, and like Scott says, it's ready to smoke with a little drying out. The steam press process makes it taste like an already aged and vintage Virginia.
Welcome aboard Kevin and thanks for the links.
Andy C.
 
What makes it interesting to me is the process as well as the fact that it is not purly a VA blend...but a VA/Burley blend. As in several of the Gawith blends that I enjoy (among the many pure VA's that I also favor) the addition of the Burley should allow a deeper flavor profile. I'm really looking forward to it!
 
I got my tin in. Added it and did a review over at the review site.

All the hundred ways that have been used here to describe 'smokey' are the Dark Fired Kentucky, which to me is surprisinly well balenced with the other component's flavors. Didn't seem to be a lot of interplay...but all could be recognized. This is like Gawith Dark Flake Lite...the extremes of the GDF brought back to a level at which I'm betting a larger market will enjoy them. For some, that might make this less interesting...but its not. It's more round with a slightly sweeter VA base. And for me, that's a plus.

N level? I smoked two bowls after breakfast this morning and while I surely knew I was 'under the influence' I wasn't in trouble. Dark Flake, Irish Flake, the ropes and twists...if they're a 9.5 out of 10, N wise? This is a 6.5 - 7.

At this point I would call this one good enough to have around all the time, which for me is saying a lot for a MacBaren item. I think it's not only quite an excellent blend...it's also a good idea. It fits nicely into a hole that was obvious. Score one for Micky B!
 
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