That said, I must report this is the most foul-tasting stuff I have ever put in a pipe.

I was fooled by the pouch scent which had a nice strong, floral and peppery nose. No hint of the horrors to come.

Once lit, I could not finish half a bowl. The taste so insulted my tastebuds that I dumped it and the rest of the sample into the toilet. I don't think I've ever disliked a baccy so quickly and that much.

It is said that Mixture #79 was Hugh Hefner's favorite when he still smoked a pipe. Don't worry, Hef... I still admire you.

In the interests of expirementation (and the fact that a pouch of this medusa landed in my corner) I am going to try and neutralize the casing with either bourbon our whiskey. I'm running short on tobacco before my next order arrives. The pouch I receive actually had a manufacture flaw on the pouch and it was partly opened. so the perfume stench is minimal for now. (and the tobacco fortunately did not dry out).

To which end, I am going to try and introduce a whiskey/rum/bourbon to it to see if it neutralize the perfume. Will report on this in a week or two. Maybe longer. the tobacco itself looks ok actually so I feel a be guilty to waste it. that might change on the smoking but, it's worth a try anyways.

will report back.

If you are deciding whether to purchase this blend may I offer this advice:

1. Buy a SMALL 1.5 oz. pouch, NOT a tub. Then you won't regret it if you realize you don't like it.

2. FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, devote a pipe you do not care about when trying this - it will leave a ghost in your pipe like nothing else out there, even after only one bowl IMHO. I smoked this in a Dr. Grabow I devote to soapy/perfumey Lakelands.

3. Ask yourself the following: Do I like anise-flavored things?

Not sure? Go buy some black licorice, black jelly beans and, if you are really wanting to test your love of anise, some strong European licorice candies like Salmiakki, Katjes, or Panda licorice. If you like the taste, proceed to hunt down a pouch of Mixture No. 79.

4. Ask yourself the following: Do I like perfumed/scented Lakeland tobaccos?

Mix. 79 is an American version of this niche of pipe tobacco. If you have never tried such tobaccos, Mix. 79 may be a cheaper way to decide whether you should plop down the dough for an expensive (in the US, at least) tin of Ennerdale Flake or Grousemoor.

This tobacco represents a style that is from another time...and, of course, tastes change in the course of 80+ years. But it is worth a try.

I have come across a snus tobacco that has this same taste and the snus manufacturer claims a kind of tobacco called Gotland. Maybe that's the secret to Mixture No. 79!

Anyway, the makers of this stuff ought to be ashamed. And, consider this, a tub of this perfume-counter nightmare costs twice as much as Prince Albert. I have a faithful brier dedicated to the Prince, while I had to sit and apologize to the cob that was forced to endure this stuff!!

First off the pouch aroma is seductive and I've never smelled anything that smelt so good. Sweet and liquorishy is all I can really say.

It loads like a crimp cut. Easy to light and stays lit throughout the bowl.

I do like strong tobacco and that is what I get at light up. I get very little flavor at first. But, the tobacco and nicotene taste is there and I like it. About 3/4 bowl, pleasant hints of liquorice and sweetness come through the full bodied smoke. I don't sense any soapy or perfumy flavors others mentioned. After I finish a bowl, I am left very satisfied.

Will this become a daily smoke? Probably not as Balkans are my go to blends. I will however keep a pouch of this around when I need something different like I do with Prince Albert. Mixture 79 seems great for innatentive smoking like when putzing with yardwork or something. It's hard to puff this stuff wrong. I've been smoking it in a cob but will dedicate a Dr Grab to it because it's liable to ghost a bowl of something else.

This blend is pure burley of good quality, a mixture of light and brown, which has been significantly sweetened and highly flavored. The flavoring is straightforwardly stimulating and refreshingly aromatic. The smoke is mild, creamy, and sweet with a clean finish which leaves the palate refreshed for another bowl.

A high water mark for old-style american aromatics, Mixture No.79 is a constant delight which is never tiring or cloying. It quickly ghosts a briar. This went well in a chamber of any gauge.

Shied away from this for a looooooong time because of how badly people talked about it, but finally I realized that what was said - tastes like soap, smells like granny's perfume - are exactly what I ENJOY about blends like Ennerdale, Condor, &etc.

Figured, what the heck. If I can find an OTC that approximates the lakeland enigma of enigmas, I'm in for the pocket change.

On opening the tin there was no discernible smell other than the tobacco. None of the overpowering casing that other reviewers have castigated the fresh product for.

After a light steaming to bring the moisture level up to tolerable levels, despite being sealed it was a trifle on the dry side, and into a cob. (Having read other reviews I feared putting into something more precious to me.) Now I can't tell you whether this is due to changes in the formulation, or the result of aging, but this tin of Mixture 79 is quite acceptable, if somewhat bland. Very rough cut, burns well, easy to light.

I am not a burley devotee, but I do smoke it as a change of pace, so some of this will probably be blended in to soften mixtures I find a little harsh, but it was a welcome bonus on my purchase. Maybe on my next trip to the US I will pick up the new product just to see how it compares.

So if you like plain old American burley and you can find an old tin of Mixture 79 I suggest you try it. If you have a new tin and don't care for it, I suggest you give it a chance to mature, and just possibly you will find a pleasant surprise years down the road.