Mike & Russ: The Mind Meld Sweet English
(2.38)
A full mixture of the finest smoky Cyprian latakia, fragrant Turkish, naturally sweet matured Virginia and a touch of soft, mellow black cavendish. Smooth, rich, subtle!
Notes: An outstanding blending collaboration of thoughts and tastes between McClelland's Mike McNiel and Pipes and Cigars' Russ Ouellette.
Details
| Brand | Mike & Russ: The Mind Meld |
| Blended By | Mike McNeil & Russ Ouellette |
| Manufactured By | Mike & Russ |
| Blend Type | English |
| Contents | Black Cavendish, Latakia, Oriental/Turkish, Virginia |
| Flavoring | |
| Cut | Mixture |
| Packaging | 50 grams tin |
| Country | United States |
| Production | No longer in production |
Profile
Strength
Mild
Extremely Mild -> Overwhelming
Flavoring
Very Mild
None Detected -> Extra Strong
Room Note
Pleasant
Unnoticeable -> Overwhelming
Taste
Medium
Extremely Mild (Flat) -> Overwhelming
Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 Reviews
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 22, 2017 | Mild | Very Mild | Medium | Tolerable |
The Lat dominates with a dry smokey wood. The Turkish and Virginias are nearly invisible. The Black Cav lends no flavor and only a minimal artificial tasting sweetness. I find this Lat to be a bit bland tasting, and the overall flavor of this blend very monochromatic. It's basically just a low quality Lat with a fake sweetness.
Mild in body. Medium in taste. Added sweetness is very mild. Burns very well.
Mild in body. Medium in taste. Added sweetness is very mild. Burns very well.
Pipe Used:
MM Marcus, Country Gentleman, Mark Twain
PurchasedFrom:
pipesandcigars.com
Age When Smoked:
fresh
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 29, 2019 | Very Mild | None Detected | Full | Tolerable |
After how much I loved the Mind Meld Virginia Ribbon, I was looking forward to trying this one. Unfortunately this one failed to impress me at all. I even found the title to be a misnomer in that I did not find it sweet in the least bit. In fact, my biggest gripe about this blend is its lack of sweetness.
In terms of performance, there is nothing wrong with the blend at all. It is a nice consistent ribbon cut that was perfect humidity upon opening. It packs well and burns well. Another plus was that it had a nice sidestream aroma.
The problem is in the taste and I just found the Latakia to be overwhelming; this also leads to this one being very weak in the nicotine department. I am not sure where the sweetness suggested by the name was intended, but it clearly missed the boat. The Virginia was a whisper and the Cavendish was the same, but tasted like it possibly had a topcoat. I am pretty sure the rest of it was not topped. The oriental was detectable, but did not help as it only added bitterness to what was already a mouthful of yesterday's campfire.
I can't and won't recommend this blend at all and that is why I have stuck with a hard line objective one star rating. In truth, if this had a different name like smoke eater, oriental smoke bomb or something like that, and if it was still produced, I would probably give it two stars as I know there are some who like lat heavy blends.
The name is disturbing as it sounds like a good intro to lat blends for the person considering making the switch, or crossover blends as some refer to them. In reality, it is a blend for the hardcore lat enthusiasts. The problem with it not being produced is that one will be forced to pay a premium to try this one and it just is not worth it.
In terms of performance, there is nothing wrong with the blend at all. It is a nice consistent ribbon cut that was perfect humidity upon opening. It packs well and burns well. Another plus was that it had a nice sidestream aroma.
The problem is in the taste and I just found the Latakia to be overwhelming; this also leads to this one being very weak in the nicotine department. I am not sure where the sweetness suggested by the name was intended, but it clearly missed the boat. The Virginia was a whisper and the Cavendish was the same, but tasted like it possibly had a topcoat. I am pretty sure the rest of it was not topped. The oriental was detectable, but did not help as it only added bitterness to what was already a mouthful of yesterday's campfire.
I can't and won't recommend this blend at all and that is why I have stuck with a hard line objective one star rating. In truth, if this had a different name like smoke eater, oriental smoke bomb or something like that, and if it was still produced, I would probably give it two stars as I know there are some who like lat heavy blends.
The name is disturbing as it sounds like a good intro to lat blends for the person considering making the switch, or crossover blends as some refer to them. In reality, it is a blend for the hardcore lat enthusiasts. The problem with it not being produced is that one will be forced to pay a premium to try this one and it just is not worth it.
Age When Smoked:
3 yrs
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