Mac Baren HH Pure Virginia

My go to , One of the best Virginia flacks made

After a long break from pipes (7 years), I started again with aromatics, but they fell flat of the joy I remembered. This tin brought me back to virginias. I've smoked my way through a 3.5 ounce tin over two months prior to posting this review. The tin note is figs and leather. The flake is cut into thin but dense slices with clearly defined edges that don't easily flex or fall apart as other virginia flakes until deliberately broken or rubbed. Have experimented with this flake fully rubbed, broken (partially rubbed), or folded and stuffed. The flake is too dense for a simple fold and stuff approach. I get the best results from partial rubbing/breaking. Pairing the bowl for this review with a glass of water, but also pairs well with tea or coke. I've tried coffee, but the subtle flavors are muted. On lighting, the flavor reminds me of cola. It's sweet, dark, a little tangy, like dr. pepper. Almost barbeque sauce. A touch of spice with a mild tingle on my tongue or nose on retrohale, which also reveals fig, raisin and fresh cut lumber flavors not immediately noticeable to the tongue. My nose loves this blend, and is fully engaged. Toasted whole wheat bread with a touch of dark honey or brown sugar sweetness. Others claim to taste hay or grass, but I do not. Smokes slow and needs a couple of relights. The complex, hard to identify flavors call attention away from other tasks to concentrate on the flavors. I can't put my finger on it. I can't find the words. This flake needs a poet. Halfway thru the bowl, the flavors change a little. Sweetness gives way to a little more tangy, savory. The nicotine is mild at first building to near medium at the end. No bite, but an easy pace is better for revealing its nuances. There is a little moisture in the bottom of the bowl, but drying isn't necessary, and the flavors prefer no dry time. Nice, pleasant aftertaste of cola and brown sugar. A bowl of HH Pure Virginia feels like story time, and requires 45 minutes to an hour.

It is an excellent virginia

Best Virginia blend on the market in my opinion. Has a higher ratio of red Virginia. Flavor is darker and fuller. Dense smoke. Behaved blend. Very enjoyable smoke.

A great smoke. Good nicotine , dry out a little while. It a good all day blend. No bite, it and orlik Golden Sliced are very even in my book, although this is just straight, no topping Virginia. Beginners, try this one once , smoke slowly and enjoy.

Love that MacBaren has a great VA tobacco.

This is an all day pipe tobacco for my tastes. Pure Virginia burns well with sweet natural tobacco flavors. The tobacco never gets harsh or too hot when smoked at an even pace.

I am a fan of Virginias and MacBaren tobaccos. I haven't found a flake that compares with Mac Baren tobaccos and I am collecting every blend they produce. I like the clean tobacco aroma and the taste of this tobacco. I appreciate that Mac Baren tobaccos are not perfumed as so many tobaccos are.

This is a great Virginia to me. For my taste, it checks all the boxes. It isn't boring. A flake, maybe flake and a half will fill my bowl. For some reason. I enjoy the flavors just a little more out of a wider bowl. I can taste the tang and Virginia attributes a little more. I can smoke this anytime of day and I reach for it often. Very well behaved even when pushed.

If one likes Virginia blends it doesn’t get much better than this. Very smooth, great flavor, and burns evenly not too many relights. This one is my every day morning pipe. The flavor builds with every sip and coats the pallet with a great aftertaste. As Goldilocks says hummmm just right. Pure tobacco it’s the reason we smoke pipes.

This is a fine blend of Virginia tobaccos. It is smooth and mild which conveys the quality of the blend of the traditionally even burning Virginias. I think this may be my favorite flake blend. I just ordered a pound of it!

If you like flake, and if you like Virginia flu and air dried tobaccos, you will love this. It is very smooth, and without any afterbite. This is an excellent choice both for those new to pipes or flakes and those who are looking for a mellow smoke at any time of the day. As the name suggests, this is quite a pure flake, and a reward for those who wish to avoid aromatics. I think it is worth the premium tin price. [I grew up in central Virginia tobacco country--it smells like home to me....]

It's a good baseline to start if you're trying to profile what Pure virginia is. Would recommend Capstan Blue as it is more robust and has more of the "wonder bread" after taste from retrohaling but with the price difference, this is a close second. I tried this and capstan without aging.

Great pipe tobacco will buy again

Great mature Virginia rub it out dry it out and enjoy!

When I first started smoking a pipe, I got many aromatic blends, but was not very happy with the experience. This is coming from a cigarette smoker who was trying to transition to pipes. I spoke with someone who recommended this as something more similar to cigarette tobacco than the aromatics. I enjoyed this flavor and taste, also I liked the cut better than the bulk cut blends I had previously purchased. After smoking this for awhile, I started trying more aromatics and was able to appreciate/enjoy them as well (I truly like the room notes of the aromatics and it takes me back to older days memories)... The only negative I have is some of the tins after the initial opening, did not seal well. If I didnt smoke as frequently as I was, this may cause an issue with humidity for others, unknown if I got some bad tins or if this is common with this type of tin (remember I am new at this hobby).

Pure is not only literal in this case, but the taste of this tobacco is just so pure, bright and smooth. It's one of the few smokes that makes me actually smile involuntarily. Not a super unique smelling Virginia, but super solid.

For what it is made to be, I appreciated it's simplicity. It's an edgey smoke, crisp, clean and well focused. Perfect for times of hard work or tasks requiring mental acumen. I wouldn't choose it first in the evening but it's perfect for the day in the field or shop.

A bit darker than i would like.. The packaging is a disaster. Fancy box. Once you open the sealed plastic your tobacco is doomed.

A great flake. Ages well.

On the charring light I got that instant aroma of freshly cut hay and the taste of sweet grass. I let the flakes dry for 30 minutes and then folded and stuffed. I had quite a few relights before getting a nice ember. Nice flavors and aromas of hay throughout the bowl. I believe I will dry the flakes a little longer and possibly rub them out on the next bowl.

Virginia flavor, bright and flavorful, perfect to blend with other fine tobacco varieties. And zero bite!

Fantastic tobacco. Great service and pricing!

First class Virginia flake. Top quality leaf. Well packaged. Delightful smell, medium strength. Very enjoyable all day smoke

Good straight Va. comparable with Orlik Golden Slices, but a bit more costly. Got this as a substitute while Orlik was on back order,

Great smoke

I thoroughly enjoyed this one, it become an immediate favorite in my rotation. I will almost certainly order again. As the title suggests, the description of the flavor by the manufacturer of "grassy" is very accurate although I would say DRY grass. Like good grass hay one might feed their horses. This is a delightful blend and very easy to smoke. Highly recommended!

In an era when McClelland and Dunhil are gone, this is about as good as you can do.

Excellent. Will buy again.

I am less than 18 months into my pipe hobby, and this is the my favorite so far in the straight Virginia variety. For me, it is a cool smoke with consistent flavor throughout the bowl no matter the pipe used. I am looking forward to smoking it with some age to see what all the fuss is about with aged Virginias.

Great Virginian tobacco without any bite. A little plain but still good.

A mild smoke with nuances of sweet hay and grass. There is a hint of white pepper and remarkably stays consistent throughout the bowl. Taking a whiff of tin note, it's obvious there isn't any topping or flavoring. It has a pungent fermenting dark fruit aroma. The color of the tobacco is rather dark, however, smoking reveals a tasty and relaxing flake. My favorite aspect about MB HH Pure Virginia is the mild flavor with a soda (or carbonated) mouthfeel and undertone.

great needs lower price ,,,,, i have bought pipe and smoke from you only ,,,what about a discount tagged on my account

Excellent tobacco--3 of 5 on nicotine content, seems to me. A good alternative, along with Orlik Golden, for those who hate to see the Royal Yacht by Dunhill take its final voyage.

If you like pure virginia this is for you. Sweet and tangy. Hay like, has that known virginia bite if you puff too fast. Can be smoked all day. I like the HH stuff by MacBaren so Im partial.

For the experienced pipe smoker, Virginia done right is the best. This is one of them

Great flake. Very forgiving and full flavored. Not your average Virginia flake

Good straightforward Virginia. Personally think some aging would only make it better.

This tobacco smokes evenly and cool if you sip it, but punishes those chasing plumes or rushing. (In this way, it is a typical VA and a typical MacBaren.) Take your time and you will be rewarded with notes of hay, sugar (tastes like a nip of the signature MacBaren sweetness is added, but it only compliments the VAs), and some earthy-sweet vegetal bass notes. Altogether a bright mixture, all day, low N, light body, full flavor smoke. I highly recommend it.

As a very mellow unique flavor, the flag itself is very thin which makes it quite easy to break up. I enjoy the Pleasant mild flavor. I don't know about anybody else but I got a distinct raisin flavor.

I have fallen in love with this blend of virginias. It has all of the wonderfully bready, grassy, nutty notes you hear about from Virginia lovers, and the flakes are packed at just the perfect moisture level. It burns cool, evenly, and slowly with a thick body of smoke with a wonderful mouthfeel that is smooth and delectable. Nicotine level is medium-range, definitely stronger than, say, a bowl of pure ribbon-cut red Virginia. I have long been a fan of blends with a healthy dose of black cavendish, and am a huge fan of Lane LL-7, but this H&H Pure Virginia turned me into a true Virginia believer. Never disappoints. It’s great right out of the tin, and I suspect it has already been well-aged, but i’m excited to see what a few years of extra cellaring will do...if I can keep my lands off of it for that long. I can say with high confidence that if you give this a try, you won’t be dissapointed.

Awesome Grassy...

My brother had smoked the 5100 for years. When that company went under he was at a loss for what he wanted to smoke. He tried several blends only to be dissatisfied. I looked in the Pipes and Cigars catalog and read that the Pure Virginia was a blend of Virginia tobaccos with a minimum amount of casing, I bought a small tin for him to try. He loved it, and now buys it by the pound. THANKS P&S!

Good right out of the tin. Gonna let it age for a while and see what happens

This is one of the best straight Virginias out there. I could smoke nothing but this, except that it's a surprisingly stout smoke for a straight VA, especially if just broken and not rubbed out. Not really a mellow smoke, but a bit more mellow if fully rubbed out. It's a bit much on a hot day at the beach; maybe this is more of a winter smoke of a straight VA. Or if you like straight VAs but want a little more umph sometimes. Burns fine under all conditions (and I don't dry things out), even if just folded and gently stuffed so it's mostly intact. Long-but-pleasant aftertaste.

I really, really love this stuff. Sweet, but also with a wonderful depth of flavor. Possibly my favorite Virginia flake.

THIS is what straight Virginia is supposed to be! Nothing else to say, really, except wishing that it wasn't backordered.

Overseas trip started a bit of mold but was easy to cut out and separate. After drying for a couple days and a week in the jar the flakes have become fruity with that butter smell of maturing. It is very mild and enjoyable. It has more of a nic hit than expected which is a bonus for an all Virginia. It is very clean like a distilled water. This will be very enjoyable the more it cellars but is just fine fresh.

This is an email I sent to Mac Baren hope it helps I don't write reviews much but felt I had to for this tobacco: I just wanted to drop you a line to tell you I have been smoking pipe tobacco for 36 years and have tried more than I can count. I just yesterday received a tin of your HH Pure Virginia tobacco, I liked it so much that I turned around the same day and ordered 5 pounds of it. That was all I could find for sale on the web sites that I use. I have tried numerous Mac Baren blends over the years and I have a few that I sometimes regularly smoke. The HH Pure Virginia is the best tobacco I have ever smoked out of all yours and everyone else....... Please continue to make this and I think as pipe smokers try this especially if they are Virginia smokers they will make it there favorite tobacco out of all other Virginia's. Thank you for being a great company and doing what you do everyday for the love of us pipe smokers in the world.

Pure Select leaf; nothing more needed. Smoke it slow & cool for best flavor

One of the easiest smoking Virginia blends I have found, my mouth waters just thinking about it.

Way too mild....not much Virginia sweetness

Been trying Virginias the past two years. HH Pure was a little bitter for me on first light but was sweeter on relight.

So, I picked this up on a whim while browsing at my local tobacconist this morning. I got home and couldn't help but pack a bowl and I was very pleased. It's just a pure, grassy Virginia. It tastes just like a fresh mowed field would smell; absolutely wonderful. From the tin the moisture was perfect, needing no drying time, and the flakes were beautifully pressed. Defiantly one that is going into my standard rotation.

Great Smoke when you want just a tobacco taste…Smooth…Good Flavor…Smoke it slow in deep pipe bowl. Regards from the “Big Easy” CW

Great presentation. Dunhill flake is my all time favorite Virginia flake, this is a close 2nd. Needs about 20 mins dry time. Summertime means Virginia flakes!!

A very satisfying pure Virginia, rich taste and aroma, smokes down to the last strand, no bite, mild but distinctive and not at all bland

Great smoke, best virginia flake yet!!

The first couple of bowls I smoked of HH Pure Virginia were just ok. The flavor was good but I wasn't wowed in any way. But the more I smoked it the better it got and now stands proudly next to the rest of the MacBaren HH line which has become, in my mind, the front runner of tobacco blends. Highly recommended.