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Post by Legend Lover on May 1, 2019 2:08:01 GMT -5
Let the thoughts flow...
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bouwser
Junior Member
Posts: 436
First Name: Josh
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Post by bouwser on May 3, 2019 19:38:55 GMT -5
Just finished my initial bowl. If you follow along on the WAYS thread, it takes me a bit to get through a bowl due to having a 4 year old and sometimes just life.
Here are my first bowl thoughts:
The tin note was fruity and quite enjoyable.
The first 1/3 of the bowl has a lot of Virginia flavor melding with the burley. I wasn't necessarily read for this since I didn't know that there were this much burley in the blend. So you can imagine the confusion I was under. Flavor confusion. Not a bad thing.
By the 2/3 or 1/2 way point the burley takes over. Since I am just starting to understand this tobacco, my mind likened it to DFK. There is a nice richness to this flake. It burns slow and thus gives a deep flavor. By this point my mind knows its burley, so I sit back and enjoy the ride.
Last 1/3 of the bowl was cruise city. I just sat back and enjoyed the deep richness. Retrohales tapped back into the Virginias. You could go back and forth between burley and Virginia if rotating exhales.
Overall I enjoyed this initial smoke. I'm actually pretty excited to give a go again now that I understand it a bit. This blend has more to teach me.
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Post by scrooge on May 3, 2019 19:43:09 GMT -5
Ways thread?
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Post by McWiggins on May 3, 2019 19:46:07 GMT -5
I believe its the "What Are You Smoking" thread. |
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bouwser
Junior Member
Posts: 436
First Name: Josh
Favorite Pipe: that is tough
Favorite Tobacco: Bengal Slices, PS English Oriental Supreme, Plum Pudding, TAPS VIP
Location:
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Post by bouwser on May 3, 2019 19:59:50 GMT -5
I believe its the "What Are You Smoking" thread. Yes, correct |
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Post by McWiggins on May 3, 2019 20:13:00 GMT -5
Sounds like it's gonna be good!  I havent smoked any of it yet but I have popped the tin and put it in a jar. I was real curious to see and smell it so I couldnt help myself. I'll be diving into smoking it soon but right now it looks great and smells great too. |
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Post by Cramptholomew on May 3, 2019 21:27:26 GMT -5
Sounds like it's gonna be good! I havent smoked any of it yet but I have popped the tin and put it in a jar. I was real curious to see and smell it so I couldnt help myself. I'll be diving into smoking it soon but right now it looks great and smells great too. Oh good! You have it! I'll get next month's... Haha! |
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Post by McWiggins on May 3, 2019 21:59:38 GMT -5
Sounds like it's gonna be good! I havent smoked any of it yet but I have popped the tin and put it in a jar. I was real curious to see and smell it so I couldnt help myself. I'll be diving into smoking it soon but right now it looks great and smells great too. Oh good! You have it! I'll get next month's... Haha! I not only have every BOM for the year so far, I also have the two Peterson blends that have to be changed due to being discontinued. lol |
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Post by Cramptholomew on May 3, 2019 22:01:11 GMT -5
Oh good! You have it! I'll get next month's... Haha! I not only have every BOM for the year so far, I also have the two Peterson blends that have to be changed due to being discontinued. lol well, what am I good for, then? |
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Post by Wolfman on May 3, 2019 22:01:19 GMT -5
I've never tried it. It sounds good.
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Post by McWiggins on May 3, 2019 22:07:46 GMT -5
I not only have every BOM for the year so far, I also have the two Peterson blends that have to be changed due to being discontinued. lol well, what am I good for, then? Friendship!  |
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Post by Cramptholomew on May 3, 2019 22:08:42 GMT -5
well, what am I good for, then? Friendship! Oh yeah! That! LOL! That guy just threw his crap on the floor, just like I leave my soda cups. |
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Post by Wolfman on May 3, 2019 22:11:05 GMT -5
I have to amend my previous comment. I actually smoked a few bowls last year (or before). I didn’t care for it, but I didn’t smoke burley regularly. I’m now a ‘codger’, so maybe another bowl or three is warranted ?
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Post by McWiggins on May 3, 2019 22:16:01 GMT -5
I have to amend my previous comment. I actually smoked a few bowls last year (or before). I didn’t care for it, but I didn’t smoke burley regularly. I’m now a ‘codger’, so maybe another bowl or three is warranted ? I cant answer that as I haven't smoked it yet but I sure do like tin note. I hope my expectations are met. |
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elric
Full Member
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Post by elric on May 3, 2019 22:45:16 GMT -5
MacBaren Navy Flake is a fruity, touch spicy flake with hints of citrus.
Love this stuff so I jarred a pound for the cellar.
I'm not a fan of strongly cased aromatics but I do like a blend where the topping has been applied lightly.
Navy Flake gets it right for my tastes.
Best of all, it does NOT bite.
I'm trying to get a bit of age (flakes all seem to benefit from ageing)but it's not easy to leave the jar alone.
Although I love the square tin, it is not efficient at keeping in the moisture. Once opened it needs to be jarred.
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bouwser
Junior Member
Posts: 436
First Name: Josh
Favorite Pipe: that is tough
Favorite Tobacco: Bengal Slices, PS English Oriental Supreme, Plum Pudding, TAPS VIP
Location:
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Post by bouwser on May 4, 2019 9:37:45 GMT -5
Just finished a small bowl. I tasted a lot more burley this time. Definitely tasted some hints of floral/fruity. Great first smoke of the day.
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Post by Legend Lover on May 10, 2019 9:39:23 GMT -5
Having some right now. It arrived this morning. The flake was dry... Driest I've ever seen tobacco out of the tin (it was inside a foil-covered tub in a pouch).
When I moved to a jar the flake broke up.
It's an enjoyable smoke. I suppose I can taste the burley as I get the odd cigarette smell. I sense the hay or even silage.
Can't taste any topping at the start... If it's there it's subtle. Half way down I do get the flavours opening up. I can sense what appears to be the rum that wasn't there at the start.
Good suggestion for BOM. Certainly better than 3 nuns.
One thing I'll say... Really easy to keep lit!!
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Post by clintonvilleleather on May 10, 2019 18:49:40 GMT -5
I went through many tins of that in the late 90's. It is a really nice medium strength pleasantly sweet blend.
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Post by sperrytops on May 10, 2019 19:43:59 GMT -5
I have a pound of the MacB Navy Flake form 2016. Breaking it open now.
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Post by Cramptholomew on May 10, 2019 20:38:47 GMT -5
Smoking my first bowl now. Started out with a face full of Burley. Now halfway down I'm getting more Virginia. I'm finding no black cav in here. It's a smooth smoke. I'm not BLOWN AWAY by it, but it's definitely serviceable. I think LL's description of silage is a good one. Not so much hay and grass, as it is macerated vegetation. I'm not sure I can justify the expense of this stuff for what I'm getting. Given all the blends I have laying around, I can't say I'd ever be, like, "oh yeah, MacB Navy Flake, that sounds great right now."
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Post by McWiggins on May 11, 2019 1:07:23 GMT -5
Had my first bowl of this months blend tonight with Cramptholomew. All of what he wrote is how I feel as well. We tend to see many blends the same with a few exceptions. At the start, I was quite excited. The tin note is good, fresh and calls to a tobacco lover. It was spot on with its moist/dry ratio and ready from the start to be smoked. Sadly the smoke was OK at best. Its not bad and is a good blend but there’s nothing about it that knocks my socks off. Now I know not every blend is going to blow me away and that’s fine as I have plenty of blends that don’t blow me away but are just good simple enjoyable smokes. They on the other hand are at least more economical. I don’t mind spending good money on good tobacco but I find MacBaren Navy Flake, for what it is, overpriced. Currently a tin costs $20. I have the month left to smoke more bowls of this in a variety of pipes. Maybe I’ll find a combination that works. If so I wouldn’t mind putting this away for the future but if not, I will probably buy another tin or two provided I get it on sale as I’d be curious to see what it would be like with some age on it. Aside from that, I have a number of blends currently in my cellar that are cheaper and do the same for me. Again, I don’t dislike it but currently do not feel it’s worth its cost. Maybe time will change my mind. |
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Post by Legend Lover on May 11, 2019 4:43:33 GMT -5
Interestingly, this was no more expensive than the rest of the blends available in the UK (with the exception of a couple like Davidoff and capstan).
I wonder why it's more expensive in the USA?
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bouwser
Junior Member
Posts: 436
First Name: Josh
Favorite Pipe: that is tough
Favorite Tobacco: Bengal Slices, PS English Oriental Supreme, Plum Pudding, TAPS VIP
Location:
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Post by bouwser on May 11, 2019 6:13:50 GMT -5
Interestingly, this was no more expensive than the rest of the blends available in the UK (with the exception of a couple like Davidoff and capstan). I wonder why it's more expensive in the USA? I think it is a bigger tin. 3.5 oz? |
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Post by sperrytops on May 11, 2019 13:25:40 GMT -5
Interestingly, this was no more expensive than the rest of the blends available in the UK (with the exception of a couple like Davidoff and capstan). I wonder why it's more expensive in the USA? A pound of MacBaren Navy Flake at TobaccoPipes is $54.00 That's 3.36 an ounce. |
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Post by Legend Lover on May 11, 2019 13:29:11 GMT -5
Interestingly, this was no more expensive than the rest of the blends available in the UK (with the exception of a couple like Davidoff and capstan). I wonder why it's more expensive in the USA? A pound of MacBaren Navy Flake at TobaccoPipes is $54.00 That's 3.36 an ounce. In the uk it's about $20 for 50g (1.7oz). But most tobacco is at that price. |
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Post by toshtego on May 13, 2019 20:16:02 GMT -5
MacB's Navy Flake was one of my all time favorites for decades.
"Rico, suave!".
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Post by sperrytops on May 14, 2019 19:53:14 GMT -5
Here are my first impressions of MacBaren Navy Flake. Keep in mind I am smoking jarred flake from 2016 so it has a bit of age on it.
First notes I captured as I opened the jar : earth tones, hay, and some cigarette odor. No sweetness at all in the jar smelling process. The tobacco was a bit dry but not bad, ie, not too dry to smoke, Just shy of perfect on the dry side. It burned reasonably cool and evenly.
In the top half of the bowl I really do taste the Burley, but a bit of sweetness to it. I am not a Burley fan, but this was not bad at all, maybe the age and the blending of the flavors. It could also be balanced out by the Virginia in it. On the tongue there is a bit of sweetness. Not sure if that's a topping or the Virginias. There is no cigarette flavor in the smoke, just on the odor of the tobacco in the jar.
Halfway through the bowl the flavor remains pretty constant. This is clearly a Burley heavy blend with just enough Virginia to take the edge off of the Burley and sweeten the tobacco. The Burley comes up more strongly in the aftertaste on the palate.
About halfway through the bowl I had a compelling desire for a glass of Chardonnay for accompaniment. I found the oak and floral tones of the Chardonnay a wonderful enhancement and accompaniment to the Navy Flake.
The room note carries a heavier hay and Burley scent to it, more than the flavor from the smoke. This also seems to be a light to medium Nicotine level tobacco. Never felt any Nic hit from this. Maybe that's from it's age as well.
Lastly, the flavor remains pretty constant through the entire bowl. No changes. I like that a lot. A very constant flavor you can depend on.
I hope this helps. This was my first bowl, so I'll post again once I've had several more.
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Post by Legend Lover on May 15, 2019 4:33:52 GMT -5
Here are my first impressions of MacBaren Navy Flake. Keep in mind I am smoking jarred flake from 2016 so it has a bit of age on it. First notes I captured as I opened the jar : earth tones, hay, and some cigarette odor. No sweetness at all in the jar smelling process. The tobacco was a bit dry but not bad, ie, not too dry to smoke, Just shy of perfect on the dry side. It burned reasonably cool and evenly. In the top half of the bowl I really do taste the Burley, but a bit of sweetness to it. I am not a Burley fan, but this was not bad at all, maybe the age and the blending of the flavors. It could also be balanced out by the Virginia in it. On the tongue there is a bit of sweetness. Not sure if that's a topping or the Virginias. There is no cigarette flavor in the smoke, just on the odor of the tobacco in the jar. Halfway through the bowl the flavor remains pretty constant. This is clearly a Burley heavy blend with just enough Virginia to take the edge off of the Burley and sweeten the tobacco. The Burley comes up more strongly in the aftertaste on the palate. About halfway through the bowl I had a compelling desire for a glass of Chardonnay for accompaniment. I found the oak and floral tones of the Chardonnay a wonderful enhancement and accompaniment to the Navy Flake. The room note carries a heavier hay and Burley scent to it, more than the flavor from the smoke. This also seems to be a light to medium Nicotine level tobacco. Never felt any Nic hit from this. Maybe that's from it's age as well. Lastly, the flavor remains pretty constant through the entire bowl. No changes. I like that a lot. A very constant flavor you can depend on. I hope this helps. This was my first bowl, so I'll post again once I've had several more. Nice detailed review, sperrytops. |
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Post by McWiggins on May 29, 2019 12:35:28 GMT -5
Had my first bowl of this months blend tonight with Cramptholomew . All of what he wrote is how I feel as well. We tend to see many blends the same with a few exceptions. At the start, I was quite excited. The tin note is good, fresh and calls to a tobacco lover. It was spot on with its moist/dry ratio and ready from the start to be smoked. Sadly the smoke was OK at best. Its not bad and is a good blend but there’s nothing about it that knocks my socks off. Now I know not every blend is going to blow me away and that’s fine as I have plenty of blends that don’t blow me away but are just good simple enjoyable smokes. They on the other hand are at least more economical. I don’t mind spending good money on good tobacco but I find MacBaren Navy Flake, for what it is, overpriced. Currently a tin costs $20. I have the month left to smoke more bowls of this in a variety of pipes. Maybe I’ll find a combination that works. If so I wouldn’t mind putting this away for the future but if not, I will probably buy another tin or two provided I get it on sale as I’d be curious to see what it would be like with some age on it. Aside from that, I have a number of blends currently in my cellar that are cheaper and do the same for me. Again, I don’t dislike it but currently do not feel it’s worth its cost. Maybe time will change my mind. We're about near the end of this month and I have smoked this blend in a number of different pipes. My original thoughts and feelings remain the same. I still plan to put a tin or two away and try it a few years from now but thats about it. |
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Post by sperrytops on May 29, 2019 12:42:31 GMT -5
Been smoking the MacB Navy Flake now maybe 10 times this month. My thoughts haven't changed much from the more detailed review above. It's not one I'll smoke frequently, though I consider it a nice alternative to other smokes I am much more likely to smoke. Like Scott said, it's OK, but not great. I've got the better part of a pound cellared away, and may dip into it from time to time.
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