Customer Reviews (45 Total)
Truly wonderful
July 24, 2017
Product: Mac Baren Dark Twist 16oz
This is truly not for the novice or beginning pipe smoker. It's got a learning curve and I have had to get used too this tobacco. The easiest way to pack the bowl is to get a few of the coins of the tobacco and fold them in half and place it in your ... Read More
bowl. You have to be careful to not overpack your bowl. Gently sit back and sip the tobacco and you will have a lot less tongue bite and you will have a great time with the great taste of pure Virginia tobacco. Recommend it for cigar smokers too that enjoy a pipe too. Read Less
More trouble than it's worth for me
August 26, 2017
Product: Mac Baren Dark Twist 3.5oz
It would be a great tobacco if it didn't have the tendency to bite my tongue. I have been smoking pipes about 20 years and smoke a wide variety of non aromatic tobacco and this is one that just doesn't work for me. I tried drying it out, different pi... Read More
pes, smoking it really slow. It just doesn't suit me. I normally smoke non aromatics but I can sometimes enjoy a natural tobacco with a light top flavor. I do not really like tobacco with a detectable casing and this starts to lean towards that type of blend a little more than I'd hoped it would. This won't really dry out very well which is usually a bad sign for me towards how it will smoke. I did get some really decent flavor on a few smokes. I like plenty of other blends from this company and I just thought I'd try this. I honestly wouldn't recommend it to a person who prefers a straight tobacco flavor. I will revisit the rest of the tin in the future. Maybe some age will mellow it into a smoother smoke. Read Less
Product: Mac Baren Dark Twist 3.5oz
This has a nice, natural maple and brown sugar taste to it and pleasing aroma. Smokes better rubbed out but should still be sipped or it will bite you.
The tricky one
April 20, 2017
Product: Mac Baren Dark Twist 3.5oz
This blend is quite tricky. And it has a learning curve, which is a lot to say about a tobacco blend, so I will divide my review to two parts, one for the blend itself and the other for the mechanics part. As for the blend itself, it is excellent. Da... Read More
rk, ripe virginias are the star here, with burley supplementing them with nuttiness and richness. The taste is quite good, consistent and pleasurable. And though it is labelled as maple, I had more hints of molasses in it. And even tried maple and molasses to check once more, and it still strikes me as molasses rather than maple. The dark, rich taste is complemented with a good, nice aroma and makes it a good candidate for a morning smoke with a cup of coffee. Now to the tricky part, mechanically this blend is a bit challenging.. It is a roll cake, but it is a mess at that. not all coins have the same components, so there are two things you need to do. First, you need to identify the components of each. Mostly if a coin contains cavendish or not. The other is you need to try and balance the coins in the bowl to get the full flavour out of it, or to do a flavour profile you prefer. This was a daunting exercise and required nearly half a tin to do. But when I struck that balance I wanted, it was extremely rewarding. A definitely recommended blend. Read Less
Bought by accident
March 14, 2017
Product: Mac Baren Dark Twist 3.5oz
I purchased this tin after the cashier poped the seal because they wanted to smell it after I read the description. Didnt want to leave it to dry out sitting on the counter so I grabbed it and have enjoyed it ever since. It does have a bite but I hav... Read More
e gotten better with my pace and have come to love this blend as a good break from my normal rotation. It has a sweet molasses flavor more so than maple syrup to me as one review mentioned.
I would say get two rolls of the light coin tobacco and sandwich a dark tobacco coin between them like an oreo to get a great flavor profile to me. Read Less
Fantastic blend !
October 02, 2013
Product: Mac Baren Dark Twist 3.5oz
Serious tobacco satisfaction with a unique and tangy flavor.
Superb roll cake
March 15, 2021
Product: Mac Baren Dark Twist 3.5oz
This stuff is just fantastic, and I enjoyed the entire can. It's only equalled by the fantastic Vanilla Roll Cake. The bright Virginia spice/bite is expertly blended with rich cavendish. It's chocolaty and sweet, and burns and smokes really well. I w... Read More
ould recommend this tobacco and will certainly buy it again. Read Less
Desert Island Blend
June 18, 2020
Product: Mac Baren Dark Twist 16oz
Like Per Jensen says, if you wake up on a Monday Morning and you are feeling a bit off, just smoke the ones with with the dark center, and you will feel alright again. There are two full Virginia coins to every Dark-fired center coin in each package.... Read More
So, you can learn their flavors and strength, and self-regulate accordingly, I've never known any one container to contain so many different flavor and strength options. I love changing it up with every bowl. I can choose to pack a Dark Fired centric bowl or a Virginia centric bowl. And, I am constantly experimenting with layering this tobacco to switch things up mid-bowl and even switch them back again. If I were on a Desert Island, this might be the only tobacco I would need. And, it has that unmistakable Mac Baren natural flavor of, to me, brown sugar or whatever they use to case it. It is fantastic. Almost as good as candied bacon. And, better than candied bacon for breakfast, actually. Love this tobacco! Read Less
Roll Cut
December 07, 2019
Product: Mac Baren Dark Twist 3.5oz
Good tobacco flavor. The small coins are easy to fold and stuff, lights well, and is a satisfying smoke that burns clean all the way to the bottom of the bowl.
Flavorful and satisfying!
December 02, 2017
Product: Mac Baren Dark Twist 3.5oz
I purchased this because I like the coin type tobaccos and I'm also a fan of dark fired leaf. I found the best way to smoke it is to choose 4 to 5 coins and rub them out. I usually let them dry for 10 - 15 minutes and then pack my pipe. Some coins ha... Read More
ve more black Cavendish and are easily discerned by their darker color, I like to get at least 2 of them in a bowl. You have to pay attention to this blend and slow your cadence a little to get the most flavor and to avoid being bit, but the reward is well worth it, with creamy, sweet maple and molasses/brown sugar flavors that are sublime, combined with the slight spicy-ness of the dark fired leaf. Leaves a nice after taste and the room note isn't terrible. Read Less
Try it !!
November 26, 2013
Product: Mac Baren Dark Twist 3.5oz
One of my best ! Very good and strong .
one of the best tobaccos of this manufacturer!
August 13, 2021
Product: Mac Baren Dark Twist 3.5oz
Although Mac Baren is so not good, Dark Twist has retained its taste and recipe over the past 60 years. And as it seems to me, one of the best tobaccos of this manufacturer!
This is an aromatic, but a deep, dark and tasty one that employs plenty of ... Read More
fire cured Kentucky. No candy taste, but certainly a sweetened up Virginia that will be delightful if you smoke it slowly. I loved the presentation. The spun discs were fun to rub out and pack. It burned clean and dry to the bottom and left a friendly aftertaste on the palate. Read Less
Spicy, spicy, spicy.
May 29, 2021
Product: Mac Baren Dark Twist 3.5oz
This is the spiciest and hottest burning mix I've ever tried. Overwhelming brown sugar and cinnamon flavor yet in a good way and some how the tobacco still shines. I'm still on the fence about this one in some ways. The flavor is intense yet yummy. W... Read More
orth a try if you like in your face flavor. Read Less
Product: Mac Baren Dark Twist 3.5oz
So good on so many leaves!! Try not to rub out !! Good nose great flavors it’s not letting me down will be in my rotation from now on delicious!! Thank you for this blend 🙃👌
All time favorite
January 21, 2021
Product: Mac Baren Dark Twist 3.5oz
I like to say this one is like the tobacco equivalent of candied bacon: it's too sweet for some, too savory for others, but when you're in the mood for it nothing else will do. The dark fired is used with a just subtle enough hand that it really lets... Read More
the maple notes and the other tobaccos shine through. Just be careful, it will bite ya. Read Less
Worth the teouble
June 19, 2018
Product: Mac Baren Dark Twist 3.5oz
I overcame the bite with smoking in meer and puffing slowly. Semi sweet complex taste and lots of fun playing with the coins.
Been looking for
March 29, 2018
Product: Mac Baren Dark Twist 3.5oz
This is the Virginia I’ve been looking for. Very rich and thick smoke!
Rather strong and quite complex.
December 26, 2016
Product: Mac Baren Dark Twist 3.5oz
This mixture is usually categorized as an Aromatic and I am generally scared away by any artificial flavouring and sweetening. After carefully reading the description of this mixture on Mac Baren’s homepage (www.mac-baren.com) I concluded that this i... Read More
s NOT an Aromatic. The ONLY substance added on to 100 % natural tobacco is maple syrup. Not any (other) artificial flavouring what so ever! That’s why I decided to try a pouch. I am glad I did.
It is a neat Curly Cut, produced in a laborious, interesting manner. I suggest you read the description on the above mentioned homepage of Mac Baren. I don’t rub it out, I just break and loosen the coins a little, which leads to an excellent stuffing, burning and smoking condition. The flavours deploy rather inconsistently, because it depends very much on how you stuff your pipe, and on the size of the pipe, since all the coins are not identical, as explained on the manufacturer’s homepage. Makes it interesting to explore.
This mixture is rather strong for a Mac Baren and quite complex in flavour, even though it is composed of Virginia and Kentucky exclusively. There is NO Black Cavendish as some reviewers wrote. The black eye in some coins is Dark Fired Kentucky. There is no prominent aroma peak, but there are plenty of discreet hidden flavours coming out of this Virginia. With just the right amount of Kentucky, the aroma palette is accompanied by a smoky taste. In fact it’s all about natural tobacco aromas. The added maple sugar is very reserved and not easily detectable or distinguishable from the natural tobacco-sweetness. All in all it is a tasty, recommendable, everyday/anytime Virginia/Kentucky mixture, without adding it to my rotation or favourites. Read Less
Product: Mac Baren Dark Twist 3.5oz
I received my parcel today..was very excited to taste what was written in the tin description...I faced a horrbile hit in the head immediately after I lit it..tones of tongue bites ..harsh..full of rude nicotine ... I feel really guilty that I bought... Read More
it...I just can't understand what is the point of making such a disappointment by a name like Mac Baren!?!?!?!?! Read Less
Does not smoke....
August 07, 2016
Product: Mac Baren Dark Twist 3.5oz
Like a natural. How can you tell with so much topping!!! Will let age and try again in 3 years. Way too sticky to smoke now!!! It bites!
Smooth but Pronounced Flavor
May 21, 2014
Product: Mac Baren Dark Twist 3.5oz
The aroma from the open tin initially takes me back to my cigarette-smoking days and a pack of freshly opened unfiltered Camels (40 years ago I really liked that smell). Ahhh, but then the sweet smells of raisin/prune step gently forward with a promi... Read More
se of something certainly more deeply interesting and flavorful than a plain old cigarette. The taste and pleasant room note from Dark Twist are qualities that lately have made this an all-day smoke for me. And I love the Roll Cake "coins" that lend themselves so readily to the preparation of a perfect load, so to speak. I roll the coins gently between my fingers to slightly separate the tobacco strands for the bottom third of the bowl and I use a hand grinder to more completely separate the strands for the middle third and finally, I use the fine bits from the grinder to top off the bowl. It lights very easily. This process may sound complicated but it takes only a minute or two. If you take it easy you won't get any bite and you will be rewarded with a fresh and sweet Virginia tobacco taste. Read Less
Nice and mellow
December 11, 2022
Product: Mac Baren Dark Twist 3.5oz
Nice and mellow smoke, not overpowering.
Good Tobacco
August 11, 2022
Product: Mac Baren Dark Twist 3.5oz
Every time I come back to this tobacco I am happy. It is constant! The maple flavor is subtle, perfect for the discerning pipe smoker wanting a bit more from tobacco.
Sweet coins
April 20, 2022
Product: Mac Baren Dark Twist 3.5oz
Trying this one out on my coin series. MB makes really nice coin cuts and these are no exception. The flavor isn't my cup of tea as much as some others but I think it's still a good, high quality blend. On the sweeter side of the spectrum, so if that... Read More
suits you, it will be enjoyable. Read Less
Stoved 200°/300 minutes
April 09, 2022
Product: Mac Baren Dark Twist 3.5oz
It's awesome. Tin notes are a deeelicious rasin oatmeal.
After the stoving, opened can after 20 minutes of cooling, to let it breath. Gave it 30 minutes, and loaded a bowl. Taste is worth the effort. Jarred the rest. It isn't a substitute for aging... Read More
, but does meld flavors like aging. I went and bought two of the one pound bags. On the date code it was 3/21. So already has a solid year and a couple months of age. Anybody that enjoys this should stock up, as the age makes the purchase a smart choice for the cellar or blending with an aged Virgina. Very tasty. Read Less
A Bad Tin?
January 02, 2022
Product: Mac Baren Dark Twist 3.5oz
50 years ago, this was my favorite tobacco, but this latest tin is nothing like it. There is almost no Cavendish in the stuff. If I pick through it and pack a bowl with something like the old proportions, it's good - just like the old stuff. Bu... Read More
t right out of the tin, it's rather unpleasant. Maybe this is a bad tin, or maybe MacBarens has changed the formula - either way, it would be nice if we could buy the MB Cavendish to add and make up the deficit. As it is, I may end up pitching the whole tin. Read Less
Wonderful
November 12, 2021
Product: Mac Baren Dark Twist 3.5oz
As I've said in another review, I love DFK. Not all DFKs are created equal however. This one is more mellow than the HH Old Dark Fired and a little sweeter. The casing is not overpowering or intrusive, it simply adds a little sweet to the mix. It is ... Read More
full bodied yet not "knock your socks off" strong. It's well worth the price. I will be buying it by the pound from now on. Read Less
A balanced, campfire delight
August 13, 2021
Product: Mac Baren Dark Twist 3.5oz
Balanced well with bright/ red virginas and kentucky, this blend is a delight when sipped. The maple addition doesnt take away from the natural flavors but adds to the natural sweetness.
https://youtu.be/uhekgdKhoQM
Not what expected
July 18, 2021
Product: Mac Baren Dark Twist 3.5oz
I bought 2 tins hoping for a great time after reading reviews, and the stuff I got was bone dry and had no topping. The tin was sealed perfectly, but I might as well have been smoking hot air. I occasionally could taste some cavendish and some Kentuc... Read More
ky, but that’s about it. I’m hoping it was just a batch they didn’t prepare properly, because I was looking forward to something slightly aromatic. Read Less
Unsealed Tin
March 11, 2021
Product: Mac Baren Dark Twist 3.5oz
This tin had apparently become unsealed somehow, or at least had leaked, because the rolls are all very dry, resulting in a hot burn and flavorless smoke. This is incredibly disappointing, given the great reviews I see here and the quality I have com... Read More
e to know from Mac Baren. I might try again, but, once bitten… Real shame. Read Less
Natural tobacco flavor
February 15, 2021
Product: Mac Baren Dark Twist 3.5oz
Complex and natural flavored coins. Mildly sweet from the maple and cavendish, a little dark spice from the Kentucky, lots of Virginia. A wonderful rich Danish tobacco. Highly recommend.
This one just isn't for me
December 06, 2020
Product: Mac Baren Dark Twist 3.5oz
Less sweeter, and has a different flavor profile. The spicy, woody, earthy, mildly floral, nutty, dryly sour.
Full Body Burley
May 24, 2020
Product: Mac Baren Dark Twist 3.5oz
This is not my daily smoke. I do love it from time to time. It is a heavier Burley flavor. It needs to be rubbed out and packed properly in your pipe. It burns well and needs to be smoked slowly. If you smoke too fast it will bite. I enjoy smoki... Read More
ng this while having a good Bourbon to drink with it. A great smoke at the end of the day. Read Less
Best Enjoyed Slowly
October 24, 2019
Product: Mac Baren Dark Twist 3.5oz
Delicious and robust tobacco. Lots of earthy sweet natural sugars. Some nice notes of stewed fruit with the topping being just perceivable by me. However, I taste molasses more than actual maple flavouring. I packed straight from a two year old t... Read More
in- Fold and stuff method and the pipe burned nicely with minimal relights. I will warn that while smoking slow and taking a couple breaks, I managed to avoid bite, but I could feel it always looming just a few puffs away, so be careful. If this worked with my ph a little more effortlessly, I'd have given it another star. Read Less
Product: Mac Baren Dark Twist 3.5oz
I'm not rating this tobacco as I have not smoked it yet, my question I want to ask is would this be a tobacco better to mix with another? I love spicy tobacco's but reading these reviews it sounds amazing and quite spicy, hence why I ask if it's bett... Read More
er to mix with a tobacco more mellow or a flavoured one? Read Less
A nun by any other name...
August 30, 2018
Product: Mac Baren Dark Twist 3.5oz
In my time trying all manner of coin cut tobaccos and mixtures containing Dark-fired Kentucky, I came across three blends that were near clones of each other, with perhaps subtle differences that I could barely detect: Mac Baren's Dark Twist, Mac Bar... Read More
en's Latakia Blend (may no longer be available), and Bell's Three Nuns which if I recall was made by Mac Baren. Of these three I preferred Dark Twist. Actually, if we are talking about VA, DFK and Maple flavoring, I prefer Orlik Dark Strong Kentucky, but Dark Twist is really nice. It's a tad sweeter than Three Nuns and less harsh, though both can bite if pushed. Mac Baren's Latakia Blend obviously included Latakia whereas Dark Twist contains none that I could ever detect. Somehow they remain similar to each other. Dark Twist's maple casing is not over the top, I'd say it's well in the background. Orlik DSK is probably the sweetest of these. With Dark Twist the Dark-fired comes through bold and in the front of the mix, while the Virginia helps sweeten the pot. The “coins” are lightly spun and practically rub themselves out. I eventually gave up on trying to stack and stuff them, though you may try. The coins are on the small side compared to Escudo or Luxury Bullseye Flakes averaging nickel sized. The nature of the spun rope from which these are cut makes for a guessing game of flavors. Dark Twist is always a delight to partake, but the flavors one gets can be a mixed bag depending on how much of any one component you happen to get into your bowl. One bowl may have more VA, another more Kentucky. They don't seem blended well, but as I said, all is tasty. The dryness of the coins varies from tin to tin and from place of purchase (I even found a B&M that offered to open a tin so I could smell it... I wont buy there again) But for the most part, Dark Twist is a treat if you like Kentucky. Enough said, enjoy. Read Less
Product: Mac Baren Dark Twist 3.5oz
This tobacco taste great to me. I get a almost tea like flavor from it.
Sweet sugarness
April 07, 2018
Product: Mac Baren Dark Twist 3.5oz
I get no bite at all from it unlike most people, but for me this tobacco is most pleasant when smoked in a cob, even if you overheat your cob the flavour will get more toasty and will cause no bitterness.
Worth a try.
Virginia and aro hybrid
July 16, 2016
Product: Mac Baren Dark Twist 3.5oz
May be an excellent introduction into virginias. Medium to mild strength tobacco with subtle notes of sugar cane or maple syrup, vague note of prunes in the background and a bit of rum or other liquor. Not too much nico fix. An hybrid of straight vir... Read More
ginia and mildly aromatic with natural flavour.
It shows the face of great virginias indulged with some maturity and medium robust form, not overly complicated smoke, but translates from strength to flavour in through the smoke. Virginias manifest but a subdued by the note of mild dressing. The character of the tobacco commands and the only variation is in the added flavour and its intensity which varies from maple or sugar cane with hints of liquor.
People who havent taste virginias may start with this. It will teach them a lot on how it is all about and the proper cadence to smoke virginias.
Notice that if it gets dried it lose strength.
Truly a classy. Read Less
Very Good
October 18, 2015
Product: Mac Baren Dark Twist 3.5oz
I like to rub out the tobacco and dry it for a few hours to overnight.Great flavor.
Solid coin
September 28, 2015
Product: Mac Baren Dark Twist 3.5oz
Straight forward tobacco. Tin smells of silage and stewed tomatoes, and a noted sweet/savoury flare.
Lovely coins and an excellent level of dry-to-moist ratio was perfect in a pipe out of the tin. The trick is to use a smaller pipe, with a layere... Read More
d 4 disc sandwich folded in on itself. Medium body smoke, and a light sweetness that gains is strength throughout the bowl. Tastes of sweet toast and hay, with a mild pepperiness from the kentucky. Sipped slowly and the flavours are subtle and pleasing. It smoked very well, and for a vey long time. The trick as mentioned is slow sipping. Take your time and you will be rewarded. Very very good. Read Less
Pleasant
February 21, 2015
Product: Mac Baren Dark Twist 3.5oz
This blend is a pleasant enough smoke. I do not like the top dressing/casing/whatever you want to call it on this blend. It is a rum flavored topping which adds to the moisture. It lites and burns easy enough, but tends to taste dirty to me. It is wo... Read More
rth a try, but not rotation worthy enough for me. Read Less
Forward into the past
January 03, 2015
Product: Mac Baren Dark Twist 3.5oz
I used to smoke this about 15 years ago and have been meaning to get another tin. This was not possible because my local smoke shop stopped carrying it. I saw it on this site and put it on my wish list for the holiday season. My wife got it for me a... Read More
nd surprisingly, it does not bother her sinuses as do a lot of Virginia blends. It still has the same rich flavor I remember from years ago. It does have a little bite but this is not a problem with a Peterson P-lip. The bouquet reminds me of dried fruit but is not excessive. 'Twas good to see the return of an old friend. Read Less
I can't do it
March 29, 2013
Product: Mac Baren Dark Twist 3.5oz
I have tried, unsuccessfully, to smoke this blend for 10 years. The presentation it great, The value is great. But I just cant get this tobacco to not destroy my tongue. Every couple years I'll buy another tin just to remind myself what an idiot I am... Read More
. Just not for me. Read Less
New companion/old friend....
August 15, 2012
Product: Mac Baren Dark Twist 3.5oz
Decades ago, a then college buddy of mine suggested that Dark Twist has a tin bouquet similar to that of quality leather. That is true now, as well as when we first discovered it. The rich taste goes on from there, and hasn't varied over the years. T... Read More
ry this one if you're looking for a new friend to follow you through the years. Read Less
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Dark Twist 16oz
