Tobaccos Mac Baren - Presbyterian Mixture

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Michael Kindt (18)	2014-08-06		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Medium	Pleasant

As a Catholic, I know that I will burn in the fiery pits of hell for all eternity for smoking this heretical weed, but, hey, you only die once.

On the can it says it's Virginias and Macedonians. George Washington was from Virginia and Alexander the Great was from Macedonia, so it has that going for it. I can't tell if it has Latakia in it or not. Some people say it does and some people say it doesn't. You know, I bet they're both wrong somehow.

The wife says the room note is nice, which means she can stay indoors while I smoke it. Togetherness, as everyone knows, is so important in a marriage.

The smell from the can is delightful, a sour, manure-y, farm-y-ness you city slickers wouldn't understand. I love it. If it was a deodorant, I'd be rubbing it into my armpits right now.

Smoking it is a subtle, nuanced, fragrant, somewhat spicy adventure. It's an adult tobacco and not for the Captain Black kids--easy going enough to smoke all day, but complex enough to make it well worth it. If I could say anything bad about it, it would be that I wish, perhaps, that it was a hair spicier.

The three main tobaccos in my current rotation are Presbyterian Mixture, Frog Morton's Cellar, and Balkan Sasieni. Presby is my favorite of the three and I reach for it most often.

Now, about handing out stars (this, by the way, is my first review)...

Do I give it four stars because I really, really like it, and, yes, I do highly recommend it? Or do I keep the four star rating for something really face-melting, really off-your-meds good? No idea, but I sure can't see myself sitting down and writing a review for a crappy tobacco--and believe you me I have smoked my share of those over the years.

So I guess expect a lot of glowing reviews. That is, until I get bored with reviewing pipe tobacco and vanish into the mists of the internet.

135 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JimInks (3047)	2016-05-27		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

The major component is the grassy, tart and tangy citrus sweet Virginia which forms the base of this blend that the other tobaccos play off. The Orientals are mildly woody with a little earth, spice, herbalness, vegetation, and a hint of floral and sourness. They underscore every puff at their least noticeable and at its peak, offers an interesting contrast to the Virginias. The smokey, woody, earthy, musty, sweet Cyprian Latakia is condimental at best, and is occasionally a little elusive in the back ground. The strength and taste levels are medium. The nic-hit is just past the center of mild to medium. Not much complexity, but this thin ribbon cut blend burns cool, and clean at a slightly fast pace with a mildly sweet, spicy savory flavor. Requires few relights. No harsh spots to be found, and it won’t bite. Leaves just a little dampness in the bottom of the bowl, which won’t interfere with your experience. Has a mildly sweet, lightly spice after taste, and a light campfire room note. Close to being an all day smoke, and may well be one for those who are used to heavier English blends.

-JimInks

70 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	CoreyR (36)	2013-06-27		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

I have heard about Presbyterian for some time and have wanted to try it. I finally found a tin, picked it up and placed into my rotation. When it came up I approached it carefully and tried not to get too worked up over it as I have been disappointed, over anticipated blends, before. Upon opening the tin I noted a pleasant, earthy aroma of Virginia tobacco. The color was very bright, contrasted by the dark Latakia tips. Very pleasing to the eye and nose. The tobacco seemed very moist and I had trouble keeping my first bowl lit. I also did not get a very good taste from it. I found that first bowl to be rather bland. Based on past experience, I tried pre-packing a bowl for the next day and let it sit overnight. I smoked it on my way to work the next morning and, to be honest, was stunned by the difference! After my first false, or charring, light, the bowl stayed lit and burned all the way through. I found the taste to have the sweetness of a good Virginia yet a sort of butter-creaminess also. I did not get, and have not gotten, the "saltiness" nor the "sourness" which others speak of. It is a unique flavor, all of its own. The Latakia lends a earthy, smokey touch but is not overpowering by anymeans. The flavors continue to develope the more I smoke Presbyterian and this has earned a regular spot in my rotation. I am a Frog Morton lover but I think this has now ranked alongside my favorite FM blends.

52 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	fr_tom (393)	2013-11-30		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I got two tins of this in a firesale from someone reducing inventory in the cellar. This tobacco had been recommended to me by several people.

I enjoyed this a lot. It is a tasty Virginia-forward blend with orientals that raise the bar but do not dominate. It is sweet and savory. It is a great smoke and has a lot of balanced flavor. Like others I taste a little latakia, but it is a condiment and not the point of the blend. The smoking experience is subtle and not a sledge hammer.

Pipe Used: Peterson African meer, several briars

Age When Smoked: tins bought from someone divesting

42 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pipestud (1829)	2008-01-03		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I noticed that one of the reviewers wondered why the reviews of this blend are so varied and contradictory. Maxim Engel of pipes2smoke (and quite an authority on tobacco types), cleared that up by telling me that Presbyterian Mixture has had three blenders since its inception many moons ago. It was first produced in England, then Denmark and now Germany. My review below is from the German made variety:

Here's my Reader's Digest version of impressions regarding Prez Mixture (which obviously has fooled a lot of taste buds into believing there is Latakia in the mix.) Still, there are many examples of Virginia leaf, in particular, cured in a manner that will fool the taste buds into believing it is Latakia (Condor, McClelland's Black Shag and the English version of Walnut are prime examples). It is a blend that is unique and unwavering as you work your way down the bowl. It smells like Latakia in the tin--although there isn't any. It has somewhat of a Latakia taste when puffing--although there isn't any. It packs more wallop (i.e. nicotine) than most Latakia blends though, and that is probably because there is no Latakia in Presbyterian Mixture.

It smokes cool, burns evenly and even has an okay scent when whiffed by those you love.

42 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2013-07-25		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Very Full	Pleasant

This may have latakia in it, but I don't think so. I think some are tasting the nuances of the Orientals. Who knows, blenders don't always reveal all their secrets. The tin description does not mention latakia, yet it does the Macedonian. If there is latakia then there is not much. The aroma from the tin is delightfully sweet and sour with a touch of smokiness.

After 10 minutes or so of dry time, this packed quite well and took to the flame nicely. Good volume of smoke and greatly appreciated.

I taste a wonderful interplay of Virginia and the Orientals, this is approaching heavenly. The smoke is dense and heady. Not a strong nicotine hit, but there doesn't have to be. Not stout and strong, but gently assertive and definitely very full. This is just what I have been looking for. Highest recommendation!!

Smoke in peace, all.

36 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	DrumsAndBeer (217)	2014-09-12		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is a superb classic blend. The tobacco is an amalgamation of thinly cut, brightly colored ribbons, mixed with chunky bits of brown and black leaf. Fresh from the tin, the moisture content is perfect and it requires little dry time. The tin note smells of rotting/fermenting fruit, laced with a touch of spice and a trace of wood smoke.

When lit, I get a hint of sweet clove and a subtle sensation of pepper on the tongue. Light in body, smooth in texture with flavors that are far from bold, the smoke is still somehow delicious and extraordinarily fragrant. That said, I would be remiss if I did not mention that the highlight of this blend is the rousing perfume of Presbyterian’s Macedonian leaf. When put to flame, it reveals a musty, slightly sour and almost medicinal scent that is delicately offset by the sweet ambrosial trail of latakia. The Virginia provides good structure but the interplay between the Oriental and Latakia leaf, (the aromatic facets of Presbyterian if you will), is what makes this product so exquisite. Not since Margate have I come across a more intoxicating tobacco aroma. Presbyterian stays nicely lit and has a delightful mid to end bowl flavor that is very well balanced. It is best enjoyed in still air and it would be a waste to smoke this outdoors on a breezy day.

In today’s world of powerfully complex & densely flavored tobacco mixtures, Presbyterian continues to be a refreshing reminder of how tasteful milder blends can be. A piper looking for a strong statement in Latakia will most likely pass this over, but if you’re seeking that special Oriental forward smoke with a just a touch of Latakia, Presbyterian might fit nicely in your rotation.

Simply elegant and highly recommended.

Pipe Used: Meerschaum and Briar

Age When Smoked: fresh

26 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	zulujerk (146)	2010-05-02		Medium	None Detected	Full	Tolerable

I first bought a tin of Presbyterian yesterday afternoon. A day later, it's more than half gone. I haven't been this excited about a tobacco since I first sampled 965, which I devoured just as quickly. I've heard blends described as creamy, 965 was the only experience I'd describe as such, until I managed to get a hold of Presbyterian.

I opened the tin in the shop, and was greeted with such a wonderful scent, one that I have difficulty describing, and have only come so close as to compare it to that of cured olives. The scent is infectious, and I've been quick to close the lid for fear that it might drift away for good.

The thin, stringy tobacco comes tucked away in a plastic bag, nested inside the tin. Presbyterian is very moist as a consequence, and my first experiments with packing and lighting proved disastrous. One early attempt came in a cob, which I must have fired with my lighter for a good minute without any sort of draw. Confused, I gave the cob a thorough look, and realized I had cracked the shank with the heat! I've taken to filling the chamber of a pipe just after finishing a smoke with another pipe, and returning in an hour or two to a perfect match.

The taste is wonderful, sweet and rich, a strength that builds nicely throughout the smoke yet never overpowers. I crave rough smokes, and strangely not found myself wanting of more nicotine. My compulsive need to apply Perique has been derailed, for the short term. There is a bit of Latakia in this, yet it's subtle enough to confuse some into believing it's not there, very much like Early Morning Pipe, though stronger in body. In all the desire my cigarettes have found solitary company, oddly.

You find a tobacco you like, and it shortly disappears. For the first time, I've been thinking of building a cellar.

And here it is:

https://imgur.com/gallery/4UJdNNl

25 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	StevieB (2081)	2014-03-01		Medium	None Detected	Full	Pleasant

Planta - Presbyterian Mixture.

Upon opening it one is greeted by a splendid earth-like aroma and the cut is fabulously even with a great amount of moisture (not too wet nor too dry). If you "dry draw" pre light you will get a really scintillating flavour of the tobaccos used: dominantly Virginia albeit you can detect with ease the Orientals and Latakia.

Once lit the tobaccos are balanced nicely, giving a truly auspicious smoke that does not bite. Like the un-lit aroma the smoke has a splendid earthy quality to it. A good level of nicotine also as its just the right strength, for me. Very pleasing indeed!

Brilliant. Four stars:

Highly recommended.

Pipe Used: Mr Brog

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Smoke King

20 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	panduji68 (28)	2013-07-12		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Upon the opening of the tin, I was greeted by the aroma of rotting fruit, vinegar and figs or raisins perhaps, with a slight hay or straw smell present. It was quite unpleasant whilst placing my nose directly above the tin, but somehow seemed to meld together into a pleasant fermented tobacco, hay type smell if wafted toward the nose from a distance.

Oddly enough, the tobacco was packaged in plastic, covered by a piece of paper with some form of a description I'm guessing, which was written in German. I found this quite odd, as the sticker on the top of the tin was written in English and French. Perhaps they should have covered the gamut of major languages and placed a sticker on the bottom written in Spanish. At any rate, back to the task at hand...

The tobacco was a bit moist out of the tin and required a slight air drying of about 15 minutes prior to entering the pipe. It packed easily and took light nicely after a charring burn. I experienced no tongue bite, and the tobacco burned quite cool in the bowl. I detected no casing or topping, but picked up on some Latakia type smoky flavors mid bowl on down to the finish. It was very slight and quite pleasant! The rest of the flavors were somewhat of leathery sweetness and the raisins or figs detected in the tin note. None of the vinegar I first smelled in the tin came through in the smoke. She was mellow and smooth throughout the entire bowl, but I did get a slight nicotine hit at the bottom, which I found to be quite pleasing.

I have since smoked this Presbyterian delight alongside a spot of Earl Grey with cream in the morning, and a single malt Scotch whiskey in the evening. Both of which were quite blissful! The evening smoke allowing the contemplation of things more complicated, punctuating the important details by pointing my pipe as we pipers so often do.

A wonderful smoke, this. 5 out of 4 stars!

19 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Gentleman Zombie (729)	2013-12-27		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

A pleasant smoking experience. A nice amount of spice from the Orientals and Virginias and a dose of sweetness as well. A touch of butter could be discerned as well as a light incense quality to the smoke. The smokiness of the Latakia is light but always present. Toward the end the sweetness fades replaced by the woody notes of the Latakia. All in all an enjoyable smoke.

Pipe Used: Savinelli bulldog, MM General

Age When Smoked: fresh

Purchased From: smokingpipes.com

Similar Blends: Nothing comes to mind..

15 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	King Weed (228)	2014-11-11		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

When I first started to explore English blends in the mid sixties I would see these strange blue and white tins on shops' shelves with, of all things, a Victorian era church on the lid and I didn't know what to make of it. That probably explains why I was somewhat late in smoking this mixture; somewhere around 1969ish. I liked the blend and classified it as a good medium English. That was the problem though - there were so many medium English blends available then that I kind of forgot about it and didn't pick it up again until the mid seventies. However, this tin was not to my liking: lighter in overall color and lighter in taste; it had become a light English and I wasn't into those blends at that time. I didn't smoke this blend again until earlier this year when a longtime smoking buddy of mine showed up with an open tin and I liked it. The tobacco had become darker and more stout in its taste and I felt it was now a medium/heavy English and that was to my liking. I bought five tins and opened one with my buddy and we discovered it had changed somewhat again: still dark and stout but with a wider variation of colors from blond to very dark brown and it smoked with a satisfying medium/heavy English aroma. I feel that the current production blend is the best variant in the last forty-five years and I highly recommend it to all smokers. Four stars.

Pipe Used: Ashton ELX Sovereign Billiard

Age When Smoked: current production

Purchased From: pipesandcigars

Similar Blends: Dunhill London Mixture.

13 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Wilhelm Joharsányi (33)	2017-10-31		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

Enough has already been said about Presbyterian, so I will keep this brief. I’d rather listen to someone around my grandfather’s age give their opinion, who has been smoking this blend for the past 50 years, instead of a snot-nosed novice like me.

From what I know, the blend has been changed over the years and there is a big debate if Latakia even exists in it. Well in my opinion:

1) I can taste ‘salty, seawater and campfire’ so it has to have Latakia in it, unless the Oriental’s fell overboard during the shipping. The Latakia becomes more evident the more you smoke it.

2) I’m not sure how much Presbyterian blend has actually changed over the years. I highly doubt my grandfather or his generation were smoking “Latakia Bombs’ or anything so unbalanced like today. The current Presbyterian seems like something he would smoke, and I doubt he would even touch the Latakia overloaded English Blends.

3) Quite similar to My Mixture 965 (which is my current favorite English), just less emphasis on the Latakia. Great for a beginner or a seasoned veteran.

4) An excellent blend. A darker, more flavorful English blend. I smoked it 3 times out of a corncob and wasn’t impressed, then smoked it from my briar and then absolutely loved it. Give it some time and smoke it from a nice briar.

5) It is a tough decision if I should make this a part of my regular rotation. Like I said, it’s on par with My Mixture 965, unless I like Peterson’s Old Dublin or Dunhill’s London Mixture more, I could see myself smoking Presbyterian for many, many years. A magnificent, all-day smoke, 4 out of 4 tobacco blend.

Similar Blends: My Mixture 965, with less emphasis on the Latakia (yea it exists).

12 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	CherchezLaghost (52)	2017-10-30		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Medium	Pleasant

This is one of my standbys. A faithful, companionable smoke always. Controversy aside, the latakia issue is nearly moot. I believe the blender when they state selected latakia tips are added to the mixture, but they are only the faintest of whisper in the flavor. This blend shines as an everyday smoke of mellow, round va and creamy, savory, briny macedonian. The nose in the tin is like capers or manzanilla olives. I have 2 pipes dedicated to this blend, and i find it to be eminently satisfying. Truly unique, but understated. A perfect gem.

Pipe Used: Cobs, meerschaums, briar

Age When Smoked: New to 1 year

Purchased From: PipesandCigars.com, smokers haven

11 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2009-07-08		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Even halfway into my second tin of Presyberian, this blend remains something of an enigma to me. This tin aroma is rich, earthy, and sweet. Even though it smells _very_ faintly of Latakia, none of that unique smokiness can be detected in the actual smoke. It smokes quite cooly, burning to a fine grey-white ash at the bottom of the bowl.

I've really begun to enjoy the interplay of the fully mature Virginia and buttery Oriental flavors that this historic blend offers. This is an excellent hot weather blend and something I will most definately keep in my rotation.

11 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	FilipPruncu (89)	2019-11-16		Mild	Mild	Mild	Pleasant

Well, this was an odd experience!

I bought this tin on the 2nd of May 2019 and opened it in the middle of October 2019. When I opened it I was shocked to discover that it was not vacuum sealed, the tin just opened easily. So basically, for 6 months (at least) this tin was sitting there without being vacuum sealed. I never checked it, so I didn’t know until I decided to open it. And I don’t even know how old this tin is, because I don’t know how Planta tobacco tins can be dated (if they can be dated).

HOWEVER.... the tobacco is contained in a plastic wrapper and a paper disc over it, so I guess that this is what saved my tobacco. Curious enough, even after all this time, the tobacco was not dry at all, it was just right to put in the pipe and smoke. However, I did put it in a vacuum sealed jar.

First impressions:

Now, the second surprise came when I wanted to smell the tobacco from the tin. It had a very sweet note, somehow close to vanilla. I really didn’t expect this, because it’s an english blend, right? It somehow reminded me of Samuel Gawith Perfection. I don’t know if this is normal for Presbyterian, maybe my tin was different, maybe I need to get another one that smells and tastes like most people describe it.

The cut is indeed a coarse cut, small pieces, a lot of golden leaf, some brown leaf and a little black leaf, which should be the latakia. You can tell it contains a lot of virginia just by looking at it, so no mystery here.

I packed up my pipes easily, and it was also easy to light it with two matches and keep it lit. Burned great, maybe a bit too fast. It didn’t get hot, but it somehow burned fast, I didn’t even realize I was already to the half of the bowl.

The first smokes were very sweet, with a grassy and sweet virginia in the front, a bit of floral taste and yes, vanilla taste. Why does my tin have this vanilla note? I don’t know. However, there’s also a little smoky, creamy latakia in the back. Tastes more like a scottish blend than an english blend, if we take the description of the scottish blend from pipedia, saying that “A Scottish blend is similar to an English, with less Latakia, a more dominant Virginia character and, perhaps, little or no oriental leaf.” This is how I would label it.

The taste is mild to medium, but it’s good. I didn’t like Early Morning Pipe because it was too mild and flat, but Presbyterian, even though it’s as mild as EMP, I like this one better, I find more taste in this, so if you’re out of EMP and want something similar, get yourself some Presbyterian.

Later impressions:

After many other bowls and almost the tin empty, I decided to give the final impressions, because guess what! Things changed!

While it sat in the jar for a month, it changed. First of all, the vanilla smell is not that strong anymore, but it still delivers a very sweet smell.

So, what about the taste? Well, definitely changed. A decent virginia with a touch of latakia.

Still mild, but the vanilla taste is gone, leaving a virginia forward taste, and a liiiiittle taste of creamy latakia. When you get to half of the bowl, the sweetness fades a bit, leaving some room for the little amount of latakia. This is why I don’t know if I should smoke it in a pipe for virginia tobaccos (like a billiard, chimney) or a pipe for english blends (prince, pot, bulldog, author etc.).

Having so much virginia in it, not only changes the flavor, but the smoking technique as well. What I mean is that if you puff too quick or too much, you’ll have the same experience as with a straight virginia: It gets hot, not necessarily the smoke, but the pipe. So, puff easily. If your pipe gets to hot, let it rest for a few minutes. The good thing is, this tobacco doesn’t go off easily, so you don’t need to puff too much in order to keep it lit. It burns excellent, with no need or relights, leaving a good gray-white ash and leaves very little dottle or moisture.

It’s a decent smoke, I don’t know if it’s better than Early Morning Pipe like I initially thought, but not my type. I like strong blends, strong latakia. It’s subjective in this case.

However, I doubt that you’ll hate it. There’s nothing to hate about it. It will either leave you indifferent or you will like it. Easy to smoke, pleasant, but nothing special, a good all day blend.

Purchased From: smokingpipes.com

Similar Blends: Dunhill Early Morning Pipe, Astley's - No.1 Medium Latakia Mixture.

10 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JuanCarlos (13)	2014-04-27		Medium	None Detected	Full	Tolerable

My first love in pipe smoking. The macedonians are just great, the virginias first quality, and the latakia mmmm to add some controversy i dont think its latakia at all, maybe some sort of smoked turkish, but just a pinch. This is a must for every pipe smoker, since the first moment you open the tin and smell like a dirty barn coming out (no kidding) till you left gray ashes at the bottom of your pipe.

9 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	BriarRabbit (1)	2014-03-12		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

Being a Presbyterian myself, this blend had my immediate curiosity and desire to try it upon seeing it listed at P&C. Providence afforded me the opportunity to try some a couple weeks ago while visiting a friend (while BBQ'ing). I took notes during my smoke so I could post my thoughts here.

That said, my friend stated it was a new tin he was saving for our 'que knowing I'd probably be interested in trying it. I cracked the tin and found a piece of cardboard covering the goods. The smell was wonderful and like no other tobacco I have tried before or since. First and foremost was the plum/raisin, followed by the Virginia's with their familiar sweet hay aroma. I was about to move pull it away from my nose to remove the cardboard when I got a hint of leather and/or earthy aroma with floral-ish notes. OOoo, wait; was that Latakia? Intriguing. Cardboard out, interesting plastic bag opened ... and wow ... now the aroma's are even more powerful but with that moistness that's hard to describe. I just sat there and took it in. Blissful is all I can say. My wife even liked it(!!).

The cut as y'all know is a fine ribbon which I don't usually like as I prefer flake. I have to admit, I was disappointed with this facet of the blend. It is my only point of contention with it; in fact, if it came in flake: I'd be broke. If anybody reading this knows of a flake that is similar to PM, please let me know. Because it seemed moist, I pulled out a couple bowls worth out of the tin and let it sit about 20 minutes before loading. The rest sat till 2nd bowl (see further down).

It packs easily enough into the bowl and doesn't "rise up" afterwards before lighting. I drew a couple of times just to see if it changed profile at all. Only a bit in that it was mainly the leather tones coming through.

Char light revealed the hay and leather first and forward followed by some floral. Very pleasant and only served to pique my interest further. 2nd light was easy and it stayed lit till I was done. PM is a cool smoke; I've since tried freight training with it and my pipe(s) only ever get warm, never hot. Very forgiving. The Virgina was there instantly. Perhaps that's because I'm a huge VaPer fan and detect my beloved Va's quickly. However, the sweetness was accompanied quickly with the floral and then rounded out with what appeared to be a Lat. Incredible.

Mid-bowl the tastes are melded together perfectly and last to the end of the bowl. It remains consistent and satisfying throughout. If any flavor moves forward, it is the Lat - but only a touch forward.

If there is a lingering taste, it's mildly sweet and smokey. I've only had one bowl where there was a bit more than ash at the bottom.

Bottom line: It is in my rotation always as I consider it 5 out of 4 stars. If you are looking for an introduction to English blends, PM is where I'd recommend you start. However, true to its name: be warned, it's stubborn and won't like leave your rotation.

As I said above, I had a 2nd bowl shortly after the first (and finishing my Shiner beer). Short version: it was good or better having been aired out for about an hour. Lighting was even easier was probably the main difference.

Pipe Used: Billiard

Age When Smoked: 47

Purchased From: P&C

Similar Blends: Nothing I've ever had before..

9 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	not_alot_o’_latakia (1)	2022-04-02		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

My first day as a member and my first review, so I hope you like it.

When I commenced my pipe smoking journey, I was like a blindfolded man lost in the wilderness. I randomly sampled a collection of aromatic, virginian and English blends together with one vaper (Peterson Elizabethan). I decided I did not like aromatics, as I found them either too cloying, just tasteless or tasting nothing like the tin descriptions (looking at you Peterson’s Connoisseur). The English and Virginias I tried nearly put me right off the hobby. The English blends by Samuel Gawith gave me steam burns and just tasted dirty (Commonwealth and Skiff Mix) and their virginias (Straight Virginia and Best Brown) were huge nic bombs (but tasted pretty good barring those steam burns and the spasms of heavy nausea). Elizabethan is good but had me throwing up uncontrollably. But before throwing in the towel, I decided to give the hobby one more chance. I spent time doing research using inter alia this website and listening to the YouTube channel ‘Stuff n Things’ with our good friend Bradley. I then proceeded to engineer my ideal flavour profile: a pronounced savoury forwardness together with that familiar virginian rich sweetness, accompanied with a lingering smokey yet creamy backdrop from beginning to end. And being a nicotine featherweight, my ideal blend had to be rich, flavourful but light on the nic. You could liken my perfect blend with a woman’s idea of the perfect man i.e. non-existent. But that did not deter me. I looked beyond the brands and blends with the most hype and “sex appeal” and searched for a brand with modesty and a deep sense of history. I think it was my destiny to stumble upon Presbytarian Mixture. I loved how the product’s recipe originated from the thoughtful minds of humble theologians and became the mainstay of the great Stanley Baldwin. Such distinguished patronage coupled with it’s survival to this day must be a positive thing. So I took the plunge and splurged $120 Australian dollars on a tin of Presbytarian Mixture (tobacco taxes are insane in this country). I faced the possible realisation that this purchase could be a total waste of money and I swore that I would pack the whole lot in if Presbytarian turned out to be a wash-out. That was a year ago.

I am now writing this review in my recliner smoking a bowlful of Presbytarian mixture in my Orlik calabash gourd meerschaum pipe. I smoke filtered because of my sensitivity to nicotine, but that does not change the flavour profile of this fine quality product in any way! Firstly, there is latakia in this blend, but it’s purpose is as a seasoning to the oriental and virginia tobaccos that are the stars of this movie. The sweet virginias and the savoury sour orientals fight against one another, like two hot babes fighting for you to take her home. And you can’t decide which one: the sweet, fragile petite angel (virginia) or the strong, long-limbed, curvy, wildcat (oriental). Depending on my mood at the time, I pick one and enjoy her as the main theme with the other playing second fiddle. But everytime, I’m having a threesome interchangeablely with these insatiable two. And the nicotine level is gorgeously seductive, not ram you up against the wall and tear your clothes off.

The ribbon cut for Presbytarian is my favourite preparation: pre-prepared, easy to pack and always the right moisture content. And it lights and smoulders like a dream: at most, only ever have to re-light once. Once fired up, I drift into a trance of deep concentration, contemplation and preponderance. Now I understand why Earl Baldwin made Presbytarian his brand of choice. Those caramelly virginias, those sour olive nuances of the orientals, all brought together by the smokey charcters of the lightly sprinkled latakias.

My journey for perfect tobacco ended there. I still try different blends, and have found a few others I like. But I alway end up going back to Presbytarian as my absolute favourite. The girls miss me! Peterson Standard Mix is excellent, but Presbytarian is the apex.

Pipe Used: Orlik calabash gourd meerschaum

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: myhumidor.com.au

Similar Blends: Peterson Standard Mixture.

8 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Eddie (11)	2019-08-12		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I was a new pipe smoker, mainly smoking Lane 1-Q. One day, I noticed a tobacco tin named Presbyterian. I'm a reformed Presbyterian myself so out of curiosity I decided to purchase this non-Aromatic. That day I was visiting my brother. I told him about the tobacco I brought with me to try and it was called the Presbyterian. He chuckled and moved on with his work on his car. I opened the Tin. The smell was off putting since I had no experience with non Aros. Bright leaf, black leaf, and the pungent smell is all I remember experiencing from that day. I packed the cob, lit it, and was disappointed immediately. My brother nearby seemed to think it smelled good. I however, smoked half the bowl and dumped the rest. I then went on a never ending search of English blends. I realized my taste had changed so much that I did not even want to try the Lane 1 anymore. I also realized I didn't care for most of them the first time I smoked them, but when I tried them 1 or 2 weeks later, I somehow enjoyed them. My tastebuds were ever changing. Then I remembered the Presbyterian. It had been 4 months since that day when I first lit that first bowl of non aromatic presbyter, in the garage while my brother was working on his car. I smoked my 2nd bowl and was amazed at its flavor this time. So weird and so unbelievable was the second encounter. None of the flavors were apparent to me that first day. Now, It was much drier, almost as if it was too dry, and stale. But I was shocked at how my taste buds reacted.

THE TASTE: a very mild fruity flavor showed up first. Then my tongue picked up sweetness that I was not expecting in an English blend. It was sweeter than Va/pers which I had come to love so much along with English blends. This fruity, sweet taste was suddenly being overtaken by a prominent caramel taste almost after 3rd or 4th puff. It felt pure, and clean and sweet. No harsh ashy bite, no scratches at all. This slightly fruity, and strongly caramelized flavor continued with easy puffs leaving sweet caramel aftertaste on my palate as it exited my mouth. It also had slight spiciness if I pushed it through my nose. Very pleasant spice note, but not too much. In fact, I got (sweet-caramel-fruit) in my mouth, and (spicy-fruit) in my nose at the same time. I was floored by its simple yet, elegant sophistication. It's like a mild English with a va/per mixed. As a member of Presbyterian church, holding on to the calvinistic doctrines of grace spiritually, I can tell you, my old Presbyterian forefather who preached Calvin's doctrines from Scotland, knew his pipe tobacco well. I will follow in his footsteps both in his choice of tobacco, and in his convictions of faith.

Pipe Used: Corncob

Age When Smoked: 6 months

Purchased From: Pipes and cigars

Similar Blends: Like Nothing I have ever tasted.

8 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Adam Z (18)	2018-06-04		Mild	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

It's easy to see why this blend has been around for so long. This is an easygoing all-day smoke for me. It's an English, but it's not at all heavy on the latakia - which is more of a condiment here and is barely even perceptible. If any of the leaves stand out it's probably the orientals, but everything really does blend together quite well. Packs easy, stays lit well enough - but the first couple bowls out of the tin did require 10-15 minutes to dry. If/when I can find it available for purchase I plan to stock up on this. The one tin I bought has left me wanting more, but now everybody's sold out.

Pipe Used: various briars and MM cobs

Age When Smoked: fresh

Purchased From: smokingpipes.com

8 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2009-04-27		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

UPDATE 9/25/13

Was gifted a tin of this recently and cracked it. There can be no doubt that this contains latakia. People must be confusing the latakia for straight oriental here. The taste and aroma make the inclusion of latakia rather obvious to me, although it's a subtle amount. The orientals are much more prominent, as is the virginia. Still good stuff, just not a world beater.

ORIGINAL REVIEW

I bought a tin of this because I'm currently experimenting with oriental blends without latakia. So I was a bit surprised to smell a light amount of latakia in the tin aroma. So as not to ghost the pipes I have reserved for oriental-no-latakia, I smoked this in a brand new IMP meerschaum pipe. As is the custom, the pipe is now ghosted with the aroma of latakia. How disappointing! For those who feel there is no latakia in this, all I can say is that it fits much better in my Balkan blend pipes and not at all in my oriental pipes. If it's not latakia, it's doing an incredibly believable impersonation, both in taste and room aroma. In my consternation, I checked with a reputable tobacco etailer as well as a tobacco expert mentioned in a review below, and they both felt there was latakia in this mix. So if you're looking for a true oriental without latakia, buy this one at your own risk, as there seems to be dissension in the ranks.

But I tried to view this objectively as a lighter bodied Balkan blend rather than allow my disappointment to bias my findings. This is a very decent smoke with a mild-to-medium flavor. It does develop a bit down the bowl but I would classify this as a "steady eddie" - not many surprises here. Nothing at all wrong with a lack of surprise, but on the flip side there is some depth and nuance here. Just not a bunch. I think it's a perfectly fine blend. I smoked the entire tin but I found it ordinary enough that I won't buy any more. As always, your mileage may vary.

8 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Noorrmm (192)	2002-02-01		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

Mostly medium orange and tan leaf with a few darker ribbons. The aroma is rich with Orientals, and sweet with Virginias, but little Latakia smokiness get up my chimney. Packs nicely int all size pipes, and take flame readily. The initial flavors are the Virginias first and the Orientals right after them. There is an immediate layering of tastes, quite charming, and totally British, right-o. As the smoke progresses, the Latakia reminds you that it's there. Burns well, right to the bottom of the bowl, exceptionally dry and usually cool (unless you overpuff). I will get more of this.

8 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	cm1648 (108)	2020-03-07		Mild	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

A quintessential, mild English blend. The virginas drive the bus with hay and slight citrusy notes. The orientals bring the earthy/woody/spicy notes. I'm glad its confirmed that there are latakia tips in the blend, as I do taste smoky latakia notes in the background. This is a top English blend for me, as it can be smoked all day, is easy on the tongue, and leaves little moisture on the bottom of the bowl.

Pipe Used: Peterson system, Erik Nording, Lorenzo Spitfire

Age When Smoked: 6 months

Purchased From: Smokingpipes

Similar Blends: John Cotton #1.

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pip (80)	2019-02-09		Medium	Medium	Medium	Tolerable

Classic light English. Tin note is sweet from the Virginians musty and tangy from the Orientals and slightly smoky due to the latakia content but, it is mostly in the background. This is an oriental forward blend that will not fatigue your taste buds. The smokes is sweet, tangy, earthy and smoky that keeps things interesting. This is an overall good choice in the rotation when you want a smooth lighter English that some nuance that is not over powered by that latakia. Tobacco moisture is good out of the tin. No bite.

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Similar Blends: EMP.

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Lyketeos (2)	2018-05-26		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

I 've always found pipe smoking has a lot in common with praying. And so it seems to me indeed proper when a pipe-tobacco mixture is presented with a religious eponym. Such as "Presbyterian".

Since the first time I smoked it I knew this was the one. The one English\Balkan mixture that had the exact qualities I was looking for: balance and strength. I am a predominantly English/Balkan advocate with a lesser taste for American or Virginia Blends and I am sceptical towards Aromatics and consequently avoid toppings, casings etc. And I have smoked a lot of English and Balkan mixtures the likes of "Balkan Supreme", "Proper English", "Engine 99", "English Oriental", "Byzantium", "The solent mixture" etc but none, I say none, has ever come even close to "Presbyterian".

So what we have here is a masterfull - masterfull - Balkan blend: Orientals, supplemented by bright Virginias and intensified by the strategic -almost superficial in this case- use of Latakia. Opening the tin you encounter a firm, rich aroma, like freshly composted grass springled with honey. There is sweetness, yet it isn't sweet. And there is sourness, yet it isn't sour. There is a "rural", an "agricultural" fragrance to it, please forgive my vagueness, but yes, something fresh and light and soul lifting, but at the same time down to earth and muddy. I just love it, no question. Springy, brunnete ribbons with blond and dark flashes, a nice cut overall. Packs ok, lights easily, burns mostly troublefree to a fine ash. When it comes to tasting it... what a blessing! Lush and bittersweet, - mostly sweet due to the Virginias interplay. Able bodied too. Enhanced to excellence by the easygoing, fragrantly sour predominance of the fine orientals. Like spiced dried prunes. And there 's the Latakia, peaking out of small hideouts to add smokiness and playfullness. Simple joyous complexity! Gods, my heart sings to you for she has known you... As for the room note, there are few that find it a bit intense, even pungent, but to the majority, it is quite tolerable.

So? What is so special about this blend? What is it that makes it stand out of the rest English/Balkan lot? I once used to think that it was the combination of low Latakia usage and a "mysterious" light casing or topping. It was that combination which allowed the blend to excite you with it's taste and aroma without the need of constant Latakia "explosions". Or so I used to think... But then, I smoked straight pure greek Basma tobacco (the Wolfway Epos Blue), and all came to light. I am now vehemently convinced that the distinguished qualities of the "Presbyterian" originate -at least in their majority- to the use of the Basma, which is grown in Greek Macedonia and Thrace and is famed for its aromatic properties and smooth, low nicotine levels. Such a presence would explain the exquisite aromatic nature of the blend and at the same time its lightness and inability to bite. Not to mention the question of the existence or not of Latakia, since the aroma and taste of the Basma would render any role of it secondary and simply complementary.

So, is there Latakia, or not? I insist that there is... But who knows, other than the blender him or herself? And who cares? As tobacco blends go, "Presbyterian" is a true, joyous miracle...

Pipe Used: Briar

Age When Smoked: fresh / tin stored up until 5-6 months

Purchased From: Greece

Similar Blends: none particular. A slight, distant affinity with MacBarren's "Solent Mixture" ?.

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Greekpipesmoker (201)	2017-01-21		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

This is the most balanced latakia blend i 've ever tried.comes out with a nice cut easy to pack and light.the aromas when you open the tin are interesting as you get latakia some spicyness and some sweetness.it burns cool and behaves as you treat to it.if you go easy on that you get sweet nuts and spices.if you go hard latakia dominates the taste in a really good way!after 2 tins i would purchase it again and again!not a blend to start your day it's nicotine content is medium to high..after launch with a cup of coffee is an excellent combination to relax you!defenitelly try it out.

Age When Smoked: When opened!

Similar Blends: Nothing like this!!!.

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Jacinto Cupboard (209)	2014-04-02		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

Visually, a striking mixture of tobacco ranging from blonde through to almost black.

The tin note is sweet and savoury. Pine notes predominate but there is a full earthiness redolent of leather and stables. Latakia is obviously here.

Lights easily with a single match and burns without need for relights or tamping to the very bottom of the bowl. An absolute delight.

The latakia is centre stage for the first third or so and then settles down. The latakia is not particularly aggressive however. I did not feel that I had been sitting alongside a campfire all night. As the bowl progresses the flavours marry and settle. It is sweet, subtle and soft. I did however detect some ammonia, though not enough to cause concern.

I could not pick out orientals apart from the latakia specifically. I really do think some delicate virginias bring much of the magic here. Whatever, the blend is a delight however it is made.

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	TallPuffO'Burley (633)	2014-02-03		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Tolerable to Strong

I got a tin of this through a random blind tin exchange that we included in a PSF get together. I consider myself fortunate to pick this one after smoking it as it is an excellent Balkan blend. I can see where there is controversy as to whether there is any Latakia in this blend as the dominance of this blend lies in the sour orientals that are elevated by a sweet Virginia. This is a great blend.

Also notable on this is the sidestream aroma. It is fantastic. I highly recommend this to the Balkan smoker.

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Susanna Hoffs (74)	2010-07-27		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Medium	Tolerable

Nice picture of a cathedral on the banal tin sticker, as opposed to the painted blue lid of old. Old fashioned words like 'Presbyterian' and the all inclusive puffers favourite adjective 'mixture'. A marketing man's dream!

All in all a very decent mild/medium, creamy English blend. Will join my other favourites such as Peterson's Old Dublin, MM 965, 'And so to bed' and Penzance!

Good luck getting the latter!!

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Eulenburg (193)	2004-04-27		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

"A mellow blend of US Virginia tobaccos and high quality Macedonian grades."

That is how this old blend is usually described?a little more useful, I'd say, that all that piffle about Stanley Baldwin. Do even the oldest smokers remember who he was? [The original appeaser, he was British prime minister on three occasions, 1923-24, 1924-29, and 1935-37.]

This is a virginia-oriental blend, and there is no latakia here, although some of the stoved Virginia might fool you. It is subtle, smooth, slightly bland, not exactly memorable?just like the 1st Earl Baldwin of Bewdley.

Pease's CAIRO, for example, is really the better mixture. And, of course, Fox' CAMPANILE is my absolute favourite for a Virginia-Oriental.

Yet I kind of enjoy this, even if it really lacks colour and piquancy to my old Episcopalian palate.

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	GergelyAdam (10)	2021-01-22		Mild	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

Mellow, pleasant, silky smooth. Can be an all day smoke. Tin note is fresh mozzarella. Room note is tolerable. Nicotine is mild. Taste is sweet & spicy. Butter, clove, black pepper, violet notes. More fresh & less spicy than EMP, I would rather consider this as a Balkan blend. Autumn temperature & wide bowl fits well to this tobacco.

Pipe Used: Clay

Age When Smoked: 6 months

Similar Blends: Peterson - Early Morning Pipe.

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Clamarnicale (9)	2020-06-08		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

Presbyterian is truly a great smoke. For me it became a favourite after the first taste – I can definitely see why it's such a classic.

Now, as I'm currently studying for ordination, some of my fellow High-Church Lutherans might turn up their noses at me smoking a mixture named after another denomination, and a Calvinistic one at that. I'm sure Luther himself would have understood, though. He knew the value of good beer and companionship in keeping your spirits up – pretty sure he'd have been a smoker had he lived just a little later.

And of course, the Greek word "presbyteros" (πρεσβύτερος) just means "elder", and it's the origin of the very word "priest". So all men of the cloth should give this a try, that's an etymological truth!

What I taste and smell mostly in Presbyterian is a very spicy mixture. The virginias are subtly flavoured by the orientals and just a hint of latakia. It actually reminds me a lot of church incense (so you're Catholic? Orthodox? Go for it!).

It's fairly mild, nicotine-wise, and smokes fast as it's a very fine ribbon cut. Doesn't really bite but I get a little tongue tingle. It's quite dry in the tin and smokes like it.

I'd give this three and half stars if I could - the only thing that knocks of that half-star is the cut; I'd really like it to be somewhat more of a coarse ribbon.

Pipe Used: Peterson Killarney 999 and no-name Churchwarden

Age When Smoked: Fresh tin, recently produced.

Purchased From: Esterval's Pipe House

Similar Blends: Samuel Gawith - Skiff Mixture, Rattray - Red Rapparee (British Collection), Rattray - Black Mallory (British Collection).

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Cherry picker 1779 (52)	2017-12-08		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Well, I am all out of my tin of Presby mix. So I guess I'll just write about it. Its one of my favorites. I want some now, but I don't have any and I'm desperately hoping my local shop has some when I walk through that door chiefing down a bowlful of one of my other blends tomorrow after work. weather ill be smoking king Charles mix, margate, sobranie, squadron leader, nightcap, artisans blend, empire English 536, or maybe even some ten to midnight tomorrow it doesn't matter .... either way they better have some Presbyterian mixture. I need it now that I'm out. I love English blends. That's all I'll smoke. I love Latakia. And weather or not presby has Latakia in it or not, I don't know , I don't care, I just really enjoy it. I remember my first bowl of it. I thought it was horrible straight outta the tin with no dry time. It was hot, it was spicy, it was cigarette like. However I put it in a jar leaving some space at the top for some air to settle it and allow it to do its thing. It's tasty after that. It's kind of nutty sweet flavor, creamy smoke, good spice level makes it one of my favorites. I guess when you have a blend that you hate to be out of , even if you don't smoke it all day or every day for that matter , it makes you suddenly realize, " hey this is indeed one of the best, and one of my favorites ." If your on the fence I say go for it ! - Happy smokes now!

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Thepipehunter (43)	2021-03-01		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Tolerable

From the sample I was given, Presbyterian came at the good moisture that did t require any drying time. From the tin I notice the the fragment orientals, very little smokiness from the Latakia though it is there, and a nice sweet aroma that is from the Virginias and possibly even a topping.

Upon lighting I am greeted by the orientals. They are fragrant and floral with a touch of an incense note. The Virginias are about as upfront as the orientals. They are a little bright and citrusy, with a lot of grass, some bright notes, and a good amount of sweetness. The Latakia is about as noticeable in the smoke as it is the tin aroma and serves only as a condiment. It is very woody and a little smokey. It is more noticeable some times then others. I can’t tell if there is a topping on this. If there is it is lightly applied and only enhances the sweetness of the VAs. This blend is musty and fairly tangy, which contrasts well with the sweetness. It is also mildly complex.

Presbyterian Mixture smokes cool without any bite or rough edge, though it can get a little warm if puffed too fast. It didn’t require a few relights. I’m the nicotine content isn’t too strong but it satisfies. Overall it is very well behaved. 3.25 out of 4 stars.

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	LiterarySmoker (143)	2021-01-18		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

This is one of those blends that I've heard a lot of talk about. Presbyterian is a staple for lots of folks and so after hearing so much about it I decided to get it. There seems to be some confusion as to whether this is an English blend or not. According to the manufacturers website, and the back of the tin, this blend does contain a small amount of Cyprian Latakia.

The tin art on this blend is actually quite attractive in an old timey sprt of way. When you open it up there is a pretty consistent ribbon cut with lots of shades of browns and yellows with a little black Latakia in there. The tin note to this is very alluring. I smell sweet bready, bright Virginias, herbal, tangy Orientals, and some very light Latakia smokiness. It packs well and lights well. The tobacco comes at a smokable dryness.

When lit, it is a very tasty blend. The first thing I notice is the sweetness. The Virginias are sweet, citrusy, earthy, and bready. The Orientals are well rounded, tangy, herbal, and floral. The creamy, smokey Latakia is in the background, it provides a bridge between the Virginias and Orientals. This is very well blended, and I have to say very easily smokable.

The taste is a medium. It fills the mouth with creamy sweetness. The strength is an average medium. The room note this one is a little more friendly than your average English mixture. I think this is one of my favorite English blends and one that is an easily repeatable all day sort of smoke. This gets 4 stars.

Pipe Used: Peterson Standard System XL315

Age When Smoked: 6 months

Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	MarkTheLad (46)	2020-10-19		Mild	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable to Strong

This is a top notch English tobacco; it’s earthy, smoky, spicy and just a little sour. I think it benefits from a hour or so of drying time, just to let it breathe a bit and shake off a little of that moisture. This is one of my go-to blends for a latakia and oriental English blend. It's one of those blends that come to mind when someone mentions a typical English tobacco, kind of like Squadron Leader, Skiff or London Mixture.

Pipe Used: Peterson 1/2 bent Donegal Rocky

Age When Smoked: 2 years

Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com

Similar Blends: Squadron Leader, Skiff or London Mixture.

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Ramo (14)	2020-02-24		Mild	None Detected	Extremely Mild (Flat)	Pleasant to Tolerable

Man, they weren't kidding when they said this was a "mild English blend".

Upon first tin crackage, there's a very pleasant, but mild, sweetness and smokiness. It comes in a very thin, stringy ribbon cut. Really almost a shag. It loads easily enough and is well behaved in the pipe. The flavor, however, is an extremely mild "orientelness" with a hint of sweetness. Not bad, but not great, there's better mild Englishes out there.

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Capt (339)	2019-11-15		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I bought my first tin of this back in 2004. I still have it, with just a few bowls worth missing. I hadn't come across it in the vast cellar in years. I decided to do some rearranging and organizing of all the open tins and near empty jars when I spotted it. Its fairly dried out, so I ordered a few fresh tins to finally review this ancient mixture.

Opening the fresh tin, I'm surprised they still use a plastic pouch inside the tin instead of paper. Majority of very bright-blonde Va, with specks of medium brown and black tobacco bringing up the remainder. Tin note is a very sour aroma from the Orientals, with a hint of smokiness from the minimal Latakia. Reminds me of the sour note in Esoterica's "And So To Bed", minus the more Latakia aroma. Moisture content is where it should be. Packs with ease, just as I remember. Pre-lit draw produces those sour notes onto the pallet, which taste surprisingly pleasant.

Initial lighting takes a few match strikes. The Va offers hay like profile, and the orientals offer a terrific spiceiness that balance perfect. The Latakia offers very little in this blend, but it does hang out in the back just enough to know its there. If you are looking for a great English blend but are not a fan of Latkia, this is your guy.

This does tingle my tongue a bit, but I've always had a sensitivity issue. Most shouldn't be bothered. Burns well and even, leaving just a powdery gray ash. For me, this blend worked the best in a tall, narrow bowl, but we are all different.

Pipe Used: several

Age When Smoked: fresh

Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Old Shrink (21)	2019-01-20		Mild	Mild	Mild	Pleasant

Presbyterian Mixture Melange: I was gifted this from a clergy colleague who is of the Presbyterian Church - as an Anglo Catholic I still find it enjoyable & highly recommend it... apologies to the Archbishop of Canterbury! Upon opening the tin you find the tobacco neatly ensconced in a plastic bag with s multi-language description ...it says that the contents are of Latakia, Oriental/Turkish & VA ... it is a splendid arrangement of course cut... it is a fragrant & spicy complex mixture that smokes as a mellow, earth-tone & bright blend. The Latakia plays a supporting role & does not dominate ... thus a great introduction to those pipsters wanting to try the English blends. It did not have a “bite” & smoked cool. I was smoking this whilst outdoors @ intermission @ the Symphony recently & drew favorable comments... from men & women. The smoke is consistent throughout & I would describe it as elegant. I recommend it! 3+ Stars.

Pipe Used: Briars: Dunhill & Ashton’s

Age When Smoked: Recent

Purchased From: Gift, SmokingPipes.com

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Wīglāf (13)	2014-09-25		Medium	None Detected	Full	Pleasant

Presbyterian Mixture was the second blend I ever smoked. My first (purchased in complete ignorance of tobacco blends, of course) was a 2oz bag of black cavendish from a local tobacconist. Needless to say, I was impressionable and had nothing to which I could compare Presbyterian. I was impressed.

Since those early days, Presbyterian has become a favorite blend. It is complex, heady and balanced. Each smoke is consistent. I used to think that this blend smoked a little hot and bit, but I chalk that up to inexperience early on. You really cannot have a bad smoke when Presbyterian is in the bowl.

Presbyterian's tin note and smoking experience are very unique. There are a lot of "Balkan" blends (an ambiguous misnomer for a VA+Latakia+Orientals blend) out there, and it is a challenge to find any that diverge from the hackneyed formula. Presbyterian successfully breaks free, and is memorable and enjoyable every time. I highly recommend this classic blend!

Pipe Used: Savinellis: Duca Carlo & Trevi 114 KS

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: pipesandcigars.com

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	petrisz (9)	2014-06-17		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I was completely blown away by this. Last time I was so excited about a blend was when I smelled Balkan Sobranie :)

Smell-wise it is like a basket of smokey figs and dates and plums and almonds plus some pepper and pine tree. A bit sweet but rather leathery (in a good way) and smokey.

Out of the tin it seemed OK but in the pipe proven to be just a bit to moist. It burned a bit hot and had a very-very-tiny tongue bite. It should not be a problem, it was me being so excited that I puffed the first bowl a bit too fast. I recommend giving it a little time to dry.

The smoke was just wonderful. It is rich and spicy. The tin suggests that it does not contain latakia but it tastes like it contains a very little. The Macedonian tobacco is a delight to taste and is complemented by a virginia that has more of the mature earthy notes than straight honey and vanilla notes.

The blend is Oriental forward. I would not call the taste sweet and the Orientals play the main role all the way but mostly in the first 1/3 is where the Virginia is prominent. Then it starts to recede giving more and more to the Orientals. Nevertheless the Virginia is still lingering there by the end of the bowl as well. The smell first is leathery which turns to increasingly spicy and fur-like by the end. The Latakia is noticeable but only as a nice condiment. The Orientals are exciting and spicy, mostly cinnamon, allspice and cardamom. As the different parts of the blend play together, different tastes surface and vanish like figs, peanut, hazelnut, dates.

If you close your eyes and let the spices carry you away it's easy to picture yourself in one of the historic cities of Lebanon, Turkey or Egypt.

Highly recommended.

UPDATE 29/10/14:

After a couple of months the tobacco dried a bit and now it has the perfect humidity. Smell and taste-wise I do not detect much difference. It is still a very nice blend and it still has plenty excitement in it.

Pipe Used: Savinelli Ecume Rusticata 626

Age When Smoked: freshly bought

Purchased From: www.4noggins.com

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	SteelCowboy (685)	2011-08-23		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

I really wanted to like this blend! It lacks in complexity, it's too wet even after sitting months in an unsealed tin. It's only claim to fame is that it fools a lot of folks into thinking there is Latakia in the blend. There's nothing wrong with an English blend lacking Latakia, but the rest of the tobaccos need to really stand out and that just doesn't happen in PM. Two stars for historical relevance .

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Seabhac (5)	2022-02-01		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

This blend grew on me. When I first cracked the tin, I smelled a familiar scent that I haven't smelled in over 30years : pine pitch. This is the very scent that used to accompany the old Dunhill Nightcap back in the day. Imagine my surprise smelling it here after so long. For all pine pitch aroma however, the blend was not latikia forward. This disappointed me because I really wanted it to be the typical lat bomb English. Seemed rather light. Bit there was this special flavor and aroma pouring through that mixture of orientals, Virginia and condiment latikia. That flavor was irreplaceable in my cellar of tobacco. I started to reach for the PM every time I wanted an English. It was magic. Only PM afforded me that fine, mellow incense and sweet/savory flavor. An exotic flavor that I invite you to try. Just don't expect an oily lat bomb. This is a tobacco of refinement that settles on your palate the more you smoke.

Pipe Used: Stanwell Bent Dublin, Grabow Grand Duke, Cobs

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com

Similar Blends: I can find no peer.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	ScienceSmoker (60)	2021-11-17		Medium	Very Mild	Medium	Pleasant

Nothing smells like Presbyterian. I've tried countless blends, and nothing comes close to it's magical tin note. It's difficult to describe aside from just saying: it's a perfect "English blend" smell with a hint of... something.

Nothing tastes like Presbyterian either, and I think it's because of that extra "something". And the Orientals - they're a high quality Macedonian leaf, and there are plenty of them. Unlike many English blends that focus on the Latakia as the main flavor... the Orientals are the main player in Presbyterian. There definitely is Latakia in this blend, but it's only there in small amounts to enhance the other flavors. The Virginia's, too, are there to provide sweetness and contrast to the main player, the Macedonian leaf. The extra "something" is a very slight hint of cloves or... I just don't know. It has a mild "Christmas-y", lightly smokey scent and flavor. Whatever it is, it really makes Presbyterian what it is. That "something" also shoulders some of the weight of the lessened Latakia, and it's what makes it such an original, enticing blend, IMO.

Bottom line: I don't know what to compare Presbyterian to. There's really nothing like it. In my opinion, it's the ideal English blend, with a tiny dash of something extra... it's just about perfect in every way. Experienced smokers will appreciate it's subtlety.

Pipe Used: S&R stright grain

Similar Blends: Squadron Leader is faintly similar, but it lacks Presbyterian's amazing scent and personality..

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Old Shoe (25)	2020-09-09		Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild	Tolerable

After reading the maelstrom of reviews on this blend, I had a tin sent from Smokingpipes and decided to give this a whirl. I am smoking this in a 40+ year old Weber billiard (unsmoked!) so there can be no taint to my smoking this. Was normal as far as moisture content in the newly opened tin. To me it looks and smells like Early Morning Pipe in the tin - a mild English. Lighting up and about a half hour later I come up with Latakia in a minor way, but surely is not anything close to being a center player. Nicotine was mild, and was an average smoke generator in my experience. Virginia is what I can taste and this stuff reminds me of Skiff Mixture which I smoked years ago when steering away from Aromatics. Recommend for people who enjoy a mild English tobacco.

Pipe Used: Unsmoked Weber sandblasted billiard circa 1970’s

Age When Smoked: New tin

Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com

Similar Blends: Skiff Mixture, Early Morning Pipe.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	DakotaHale43 (47)	2020-07-29		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

The flavors of citrusy grass and hay come out just before reaching the first third of the bowl, when it starts to get really smokey. Seems somewhat naturally sweet, but man there's so much smoke for me (and that's a good thing). Definitely packing this into my rotation.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Lazarus77 (91)	2020-07-10		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Sweet Virginia and spicy Oriental, Latakia is minimal. Cool and dry smoke, no chance of tongue bite, not to complex so perfect for all day smoke. 3 and half stars.

Pipe Used: Peterson standart system

Age When Smoked: 3 years

Purchased From: pfeifendepot.de

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	boc777 (39)	2020-03-04		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Thank you to smokingpipes.com for the recent sale on this tobacco! I had been wanting to try this blend for quite some time, but the $8 a tin sale they had pushed me over the top. Bought two tins and I wish I bought 4! This is a really lovely medium blend. And yes, I am in the "it has some Latakia" camp! Totally balanced, none of the players tries to take over, and it smokes uniformly all the way down to the bottom of the bowl. Moisture content is perfect, needs very little relighting or fussing. Its got hints of citrus and spiciness and nuttiness. Its an incredibly subtle yet satisfying blend and it will become a part of my regular rotation. I love the history of it as well. Its telling when a blend can hang around for this many generations and keep on pleasing pipers from all over the world of varying tastes. This is a very solid choice for an English smoker looking for a little nuance and less bomb. Very pleased with this blend. Like I said, wish I would have bought more when it was on sale!

UPDATE 10-8-20 My only addition to this review, is like many others, my only lament is that this tobacco is not offered in bulk. I would buy 10 pounds of it right now! Its mellow, but not boring. It has no bite, its flavor is unique and always satisfying. I enjoy stronger blends with much higher lat and perique content on a regular basis, but something always brings me back to this blend. It is iconic and a must try for any smoker in my view. If you don't enjoy this blend, then either your taste buds are completely burned out, or you have not developed a true tobacco palate. This is a must have tobacco in my book.

Age When Smoked: new

Purchased From: smokingpipes.com

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Aubrey Gilbert (1)	2020-01-14		Very Mild	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

The first time I smoked this blend I found it tasteless and bland. I rarely like a tobacco the first time I smoke it, so I cleaned and dedicated a Peterson Aran to it and committed to 3 more bowlfuls over the next couple of days before rendering an opinion. What I discovered is that it is not tasteless and bland, it's subtle. Smoke it slow and mindfully and you'll discover it's actually somewhat complex. Although I love a real lat bomb first thing in the day, this blend has become my new breakfast smoke.

Pipe Used: Peterson Aran 120

Purchased From: pipesandcigars

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Spinkle (16)	2019-06-22		Mild	None Detected	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

Planta – Presbyterian Mixture

Since getting into this hobby I’ve seen plenty of reviews that heap praise on this blend on this website and elsewhere. Given that its seen as a good beginner’s English blend I figured I would give it a shot. Not available in Ontario so I had to mail-order from the USA.

The tin note is quite nice and not overwhelming like some of the English blends I’d tried previously. The scent is definitely like many of the English blends that I’ve tried but not quite as strong and spicy. Good start.

The tobacco is a ribbon cut and a large portion is light strands which I assume are Virginia. Darker ribbons scattered throughout but this one seems a bit more yellow Virginia heavy than others I’ve tried.

Lighting up and I knew I liked this blend immediately. It has a light incense note on the retrohale which I love reminiscent of London Mixture. The Virginia develops through the bowl as it seems to for me into a nice savory flavour that balances well with the sweet incense-like flavour. The Oriental is there but takes a back seat to the Virginia in my opinion.

I would recommend this tobacco to anyone. In terms of the Latakia, despite my unrefined palate I know that I can taste it in here. I suspect that once I’m unable to acquire any more Dunhill blends that this may become a regular purchase for me, but for now it seems a little redundant.

Pipe Used: Ropp Vintage Briar

Age When Smoked: Unknown

Purchased From: SmokingPipes.com

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Huuntor (1)	2018-05-15		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

I really wanted to like this mixture. My daily rotation is currently all Dunhill - EMP in the morning, Flake at noon, and Nightcap after dinner. When Smokingpipes.com sent me an email about getting a batch of Presbyterian in stock, I ordered three tins. Upon arrival, I opened a tin and took a deep whiff. Good enough. Next, I let it dry for an hour as it was a touch moist. I then packed my pipe and went out on the deck to enjoy. First puffs were ok, seemed a "tweener" between EMP and Nightcap, but then it started to bite me. I slowed down my puffing but it kept on biting. I also noticed some stomach rumblings and a moderate nicotine buzz. I figured it might be because it was newly opened, so I set it aside for a week to try again. Since that time, I've tried 4 bowls all of which gave me tongue bite and a pretty good nicotine buzz. I'm going to open the second tin and see if I get the same results, but based upon my initial experiences I cannot recommend it.

Pipe Used: Peterson

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: SmokingPipes.com

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	PuffPuffLive (32)	2017-12-30		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I love a good mild English blend on a chilly morning, and I have yet to find one better than Presbyterian.

Imagine a dusty library book that was rescued from a fire. That is the best way to describe the tin note of this blend. I know that this description may not appeal to a casual smoker, but to many of us pipers, it is the smell that will greet us when we step foot on the promised land (religious reference intended, due to branding).

This is one of my go to smokes. Sweet Virginia’s, woody orientals, and a light seasoning of smoky Latakia.

Pipe Used: Various

Age When Smoked: Varied

Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Weber 62 (9)	2016-04-26		Mild	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

I've been wanting to try this for awhile and am glad I did. I'm a big fan of Dunhill Standard Mild/Mellow. Presbyterian fits right in here. It's very mild and this is the kind of Virginia taste I love. I'm not that fond of matured V's/slices etc. I wish it was available in bulk.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2012-05-18		Medium to Strong	Mild	Medium	Tolerable

I always wanted to try this because, well, I am Presbyterian!!! Not BAD by any stretch, but, considering I can get numerous bulk baccy's much cheaper, not worth the cost. Nothing great. Nothing distinctive. Certainly nothing worth paying $15 for 1 3/4 oz when I can get bulks I like better for $3 - $3.50 per oz! I'll keep the tin as a conversation piece, but I doubt I'll ever buy any more!

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Tantric (321)	2007-11-16		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

This is a heady, medium to full mixture of Virginia and Turkish (or some other Oriental leaf). Being a full English, it nevertheless is at the opposite end of Dunhill's London Mixture or Standard Mixture Medium. Where these two are eloquently austere and sober in their components, with a slightly toasted undertone, Presbyterian is almost floral and baroque. Very pungent and moist, the tobacco packs easily but if not previously aired it can be difficult to light.

More than smooth, the taste is fresh and musk, but I wouldn't say Presbyterian is a cool smoke in the same sense that My Mixture 965 or Commonwealth Mixture are. In fact, after the second half of the bowl it starts smoking hot, and it can produce an astringent and piquant effect on the palate. I believe this is on account of the Orientals.

Presbyterian is a mixture along the same lines of Davidoff's English or Dobbie's Original. I have smoked at least three tins of Presbyterian, and I find it very good and pleasing, even though it leaves me thirsty. IMO its only drawback is the acute pungency of the mixture?akin to that of Red Rappary?and though quite strong (let's say slightly above the medium strength region), I find it lacks in depth and roundness of flavour. I miss the more earthy tones and temperance I always find in 965 or London Mixture.

(NB I was one of those fooled in believing this mix had some Latakia leaf!)

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Smokily Dokily (13)	2023-01-27		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Tolerable

When I first encountered this blend, it seemed to mock me from behind the tobacconist's counter. With its fancy white letters and minimalist navy blue background..."Surely" I thought, "This is far too sophisticated for me. Probably too strong anyhow. Looks too proper. I mean look at it! It's good enough to smoke in church!"

For years I shyed away from it, for fear that I wouldn't appreciate it and it would be lost on my simple, aromatic pallate.

I finally got a tin and popped it open immediately. I HAD to finally know-what's inside?

I was immediately greeted with a heavy campfire smell. Anyone on here claiming that this stuff doesn't have Latakia is full of sewer gas. It's there, and it shines brightly. This scent, however, gave way to a savory toffee/caramel note...like browned butter and sugar.

The cut is beautiful. This is the first tobacco I personally encountered that still looks like what it is- chopped up leaves. A beautifully selected melange of woodsy, shaggy confetti; copper and blonde shreds of tissue-papery, veiny leaves of various Virginias, mixed with the darker, crumbly flakes of Latakia. It all clings together beautifully and packs favorably with the air pocket/Frank method. Takes to the match wonderfully fresh out of the tin.

Once lit, I was taken aback by just how intensely rich snd dense the smoke was despite being so cool. I has a unique velvety, creamy quality that is Heaven. Intense wood smoke flavor akin to campfire, enveloping a buttery caramel/toffee body that's absolutely decadent. It is properly sweet, but not cloying or syrupy, and smokes remarkably dry and cool. No juice left in the bowl whatsoever. Consequeently, I couldn't get this to bite if I tried. I've managed to achieve tongue bite off of some pretty mild blends in my day-I have a tendancy to overpack my bowl. This leaf will give the novice smoker plenty of feedback on their packing quality but isn't so finicky that it will ruin the entire smoking session even with a little minor poking and prodding. I would recommend as a first for anyone seeking more full-bodied English blends, but not trying to catch a balls-to-the-wall nicotine spinout... Someone who likes a little "oomph," but that isn't trying to ride the Fury Road to Valhalla- shiny and chrome. Excellent leaf that's friendly to newbies, but not compromised in its quality and flavor. Delightful and satisfying.

Pipe Used: Various Briar

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Jon's Pipe Shop (Champaign, IL)

Similar Blends: Esoterica-Penzance, Peterson-Old Dublin.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	John77 (5)	2021-08-21		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Fairly new to pipe smoking and this is an excellent blend and so far my favorite English! I've tried Peterson EMP, C&D Good Morning, GL Pease Chelsea Morning and Peterson Standard Mixture. Presbyterian is an exquisite smoke and highly recommended!!

Pipe Used: Butz-Choquin: Sweet 1772

Age When Smoked: New Tin

Purchased From: CupofJoes

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	SpicyLegato (9)	2021-08-17		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This has quickly become a favorite of mine. The defining characteristic to me is the full bodied and creamy smoke this produces. It is tangy, sweet, and light enough for a summer day. Highly recommend anyone give this a shot.

Pipe Used: Peterson System Spigot

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JJ Sir Emmitt (40)	2021-08-11		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is a very good tobacco. As a EPC Presbyterian I love the name. Normally mild English blends are not for me. And admittedly this one does get boering at times but it interesting enough to stand out amounts other mild English blends.

The latakia is not predominant by any means. It adds a pleasant smoky sweetness to the dominant Virgina and Oriental flavors of grassiness, tart citrus, spice, woodiness, and some sourness. There is a fleeting umami note that I find intriguing. I don't know where it comes from. Maybe the orientals mixing with the Latakia? I just wish it was more prominent.

This blend burns well needing very little attention. Overall a nice blend, I would not have this in my rotation, but I can see myself reaching for it from time to time.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Dapperdan523 (1)	2020-04-28		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Ok but to Virginia foward. Smokes real well, burns more on the warm side. Great quality tobacco. It would be a great recommendation for those who like the flat grassy taste however, there is a noticeable amount of Latakia which really helps to complement this blend.

Pipe Used: Savinelli Roma 614

Age When Smoked: Nov, 2019

Purchased From: The storytellers pipe

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Indianapolis (49)	2020-02-07		Extremely Mild	None Detected	Extremely Mild (Flat)	Unnoticeable

It's like smoking warm air. Mild is one thing. Subtle flavors are another. But this? Theres honestly nothing to this tobacco.

From the tin, I smell some latakia. In taste, it's hardly there. From the tin, I smell SOME (not much) virginia bready sweetness. In the taste, none.

I love a nice subtle smoke. Tilbury is a favorite virginia, and its quite mild. Le Petit Robin wont melt your face, but you can find some quiet complexity. To call this mild is to overstate its flavor profile. I think I've found more taste drawing on a cold, empty pipe.

Why smoke if you dont want to taste anything at all? This one is NOT for me

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	mel64us (46)	2019-07-20		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I finally bought a tin of Presbyterian after over 50 years of pipe smoking. This, to me, is a very refined blend. My tin came at the right moisture level to load and smoke right away. The aroma from the freshly opened tin was one of Virginias and Orientals with Latakia making a solid appearance in the background. The flavor upon lighting was no surprise. It tasted like it smelled. Virginias led the way with Orientals a strong second and Latakia in a strong supporting role. The room note' to me was pleasant, but my girl friend wasn't so easily pleased. She said it was a good porch smoke. Presbyterian required no relights, burned slow and cool, and left a pale ash and no moisture in the bowl. No tongue bite even if pushed. A medium blend, I would highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys English style blends. It's definitely earned a place of honor in my rotation.

Pipe Used: Peterson System, Butz-Choquin Mirage.

Purchased From: Tobacco Junction, Longview, Texas.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Adam T Valleau (21)	2019-06-30		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

I have seen this blend here and there for years, but had never tried it. A few weeks ago SmokingPipes had it on sale for $8.00 a tin. So I snatched up several tins (I have heard this blend can be difficult to get at times). I'll just say right off the bat that this was a great decision. I'll also cut to the chase and declare that I have fallen in love with this blend. Why? Well, it just tastes so good! OK, I'll elaborate some. Presbyterian Mixture comes in a round tin of 50 grams (1.75 ounces). Upon opening the tin, the tobacco is contained in a plastic wrapper. The tobacco itself has an overall golden-brown color. The cut is a mixture of short ribbons, small chunks and flat little flakelets. The tin note is decidedly English. I'm not always that good at picking out all the various nuanced fragrances in a tin note- essence of tartar sauce, aromatic elderberry, wafts of peat moss, and… well, you get the idea. But my nose can always detect one thing very reliably in a tobacco: latakia. Even in the part per million range. And friends there absolutely, positively IS latakia in Presbyterian Mixture! Unquestionably. Besides, the manufacturer's info says there are latakia tips in it. Why would they lie? Anyway, I also could pick up some of the grassy notes of the Virginia and the slightly sour/floral notes of the orientals. It's intriguing. The blend loads and packs easily, and I think the moisture was just about spot on. Of course, maybe a few minutes of drying might suit your tastes, but I don't think it needs more than that. Upon lighting, I could immediately taste that little bit of latakia. It is very subdued, but it is definitely there. The Virginia makes itself known with its grassy, hay-like qualities, and adds just the right amount of sweetness. But the star of this blend is the oriental tobacco, in my opinion. I get bursts of a pleasing sourness which weaves in and out of the sweet Virginia, and then a slight floral taste will occasionally peek through. I'm not referring to a Lakeland essence here. I'm not very fond of Lakeland. This floral note is very light and unimposing. It works. The smoke is pretty consistent throughout and if anything gets better down the bowl. Few re-llights are required. The tobacco burns well to a gray-white ash and leaves very little dottle or moisture. Presbyterian Mixture is a very tasty, well-balanced blend. Others tell me the room note is very pleasant, too. It is a light, oriental-forward English blend that I think is a very suitable summer blend. The nicotine hit is fairly mild. Easily an all-day blend for me. Yes, Presbyterian Mixture is a deliciously religious experience! Definitely going into my top five blends. Highly recommended!

Pipe Used: Bruyere St. Claude Canadian, Savinelli 614

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: SmokingPipes.com

Similar Blends: Peter Stokkebye Proper English, Sutliff Reserve Blend No. 5..

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	nkulk8r (90)	2019-01-12		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

I initially encountered Presbyterian when I first picked up the pipe – right after realizing that aromatics were not going to take me to the Promised Land. At first, I really liked Presbyterian (I think I may have even been enamored with Presby in the beginning). But I soon developed an affection for sterner stuff, craving more resolutely determined blends, in strength, taste and flavor. I’ve come back to Presbyterian a number of times over the past several years, trying to re-capture some of the old enthusiasm for this blend, but the thrill was gone (which is unfortunate, considering how much I have remaining in reserve). Presbyterian has received some exceptional reviews from some seasoned reviewers whose views and perceptive insights I both respect and admire. I wish I could be more objective about this, but the bottom line is this: Is Presbyterian something I see myself buying again? Is Presbyterian something I look forward to smoking again? If the answer to both of those questions is a pretty emphatic “No” (which it is), then I cannot in good conscience come up with a 2-star recommend. (But it’s not Presbyterian – it’s me). 1-star.

Age When Smoked: 5 years

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2018-10-17		Mild	None Detected	Very Mild	Strong

Well, after reading all the reviews on Presbyterian Mixture I felt compelled to see for myself what "some" of the hype was about since the majority of users gave it three or four stars. Still, there were objectional reviews as well. I finally broke down & purchased a tin. I concur with those who claimed it had some bite to it... noticed that right off. Whether it contains Latakia or some specially treated Virginia concoction is academic. What I'm always looking for in a good blend is an appealing flavor with some punch & I found very few redeeming or alluring qualities about this mixture. I found it to be lacking in flavor, smoke volume, aroma & it was really wimpy in the Vitamin N department. I found the room note to be fairly objectionable & it smoked the same from start to finish & had an extremely fast burning rate... a full bowl doesn't last very long.

I've also noticed that most, not all but most Latakia blends are lacking in Vitamin N & Latakia blends were never my cup of tea anyway. I have stumbled upon a few that weren't too bad and some just overpowering. I loved the BSOM & the original MM 965 but fat chance of acquiring them now. At this point in time, Mississippi Mud & Old Dublin with its unique flavor will be the only Latakia blends I will ever use & after this most recent trial with PM, I find no purpose in sampling any more of these types of blends... this was the straw that broke the camel's back. I did not dislike the Pres mix so much but certainly wasn't crazy about it either. I was unable to discern the Orientals or Virginia flavor because the way the leaf was processed, it detracted rather than added any flavorful dimension to this blend. This will be a tin that will be sealed in a plastic bag within an ammunition container to maintain freshness in the event I might want to give it another try while I'm still above ground but if I don't take or have that opportunity, I won't regret it.

I also contend that the lower & even some obnoxious reviews this mixture received is because many were expecting something different. FWIW, since I don't inhale & choose not to pave my lungs with nicotine asphalt tar & take a chance of coming down with COPD or lung cancer, I opt for the stronger blends that will absorb into the membranes. So, I prefer the Kentucky/Burley, VA/Per, VA/Bur/Per, VA/Bur, etc., or even a reasonably stout, shall we say?... a concentrated VA blend akin to Royal Yacht or maybe Ye Olde Signe. As many of you may be aware, Kentucky/Burley has twice the strength of Virginia tobacco & will hit you harder & faster... like a good, strong cigar or a Burley that can't be inhaled anyway & might give you the hiccups. Rather than recommend, condemn, or praise Presbyterian Mixture, I advise one to try it at their own discretion. You might find a tin for a ten & like me, you might have mixed feelings about your possible, wasteful expenditure. Would I purchase another tin? No need to! This one will last the rest of my life & will most likely be handed down to my descendants. However, we're all of differing DNA, so, as to how one smokes a pipe, his taste preferences... "shaken or stirred" & considered quality & value of any blend should be respected. For me, Pres Mix didn't quite measure up... two stars.

Pipe Used: Vintage Meerschaum Size 2 billiard.

Age When Smoked: Fresh Tin

Purchased From: Smoking Pipes

Similar Blends: Nothing else like it on this planet..

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	toddsmith7378 (41)	2018-04-30		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Smoking a bowl out of a Meer now. It's a fairly smooth bodied oriental/turkish dominant blend to me. I taste the Virginia's with very little Latakia present. The oriental's are pronounced, so I'd suspect this is the light smattering of latakia giving them a fuller flavor profile, but not enough latakia to taste "latakia".

Reminds me a bit of Durbar, but this one is a bit more oriental tasting than that one. I really like it and it's a bit on the White Knight, Durbar, side of a Balkan. A good day smoke, not heavy to my tastes.

Similar Blends: Durbar, White Knight.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	moniker (220)	2016-11-29		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Planta’s Presbyterian Mixture smells quintessentially “English” in the tin, with loamy, musty, slightly spicy Orientals over vaguely “soapy” Latikia, and grassy, somewhat earthy, flue and air cured VAs underneath. The rough-cut mixture ranges from golden brown, to medium-brown, to some dark brown chunks. It’s easy to load and light, right from the tin, and it’s easy to smoke. The tastes and aromas while smoking it run thusly from top to bottom, with each varietal staying in character: Orientals, followed by VAs, followed by ever-present Latakia. IMO, PM is a very well balanced blend, with no rough edges. Strength is more mild than medium. Tastes run closer to medium than mild. Room note is not bad, at all. Aftertaste is best of the smoke. English lovers might well find they can smoke PM all day.

Bottom line? It’s hard being an English blend these days. It’s not like there’s anything wrong with PM; it’s just that, IMO, it is just short of the top blends in its genre. 3+ stars; not quite 4.

Pipe Used: various briars

Age When Smoked: fresh to 1 year

Purchased From: 4noggins

Similar Blends: Along the general lines of Skiff Mixture and Eighteen Twenty, etc. etc..

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Calamiti (86)	2016-10-02		Mild	Extremely Mild	Very Mild	Pleasant

This blend got a lot of history behind it, including three of four different manufacturers in three countries.

I won't sing hymns to it. The disappearingly mild Virginia-Oriental blend sprinkled with a whiff of Latakia is far from being a favourite of mine (I like strong and dark tobaccos, which this one obviously doesn't belong to). But trying to assess the Presbyterian in a way unbiased by my personal preferences I may well understand why so many good Christians swear by it. It's a mellow fragrant blend of an undisputed quality and a noble character, which smells pleasantly in the tin and tastes smoothly in the pipe.

A unique phenomenon about this blend is the famous split of thoughts in regard of presence of Latakia in it. I firmly believe and faithfully witness that Latakia is truly and undoubtedly present here (materially, albeit almost invisibly), while many, as I can see from the reviews, sadly persist in their heretical believe that Latakia's presence in this mixture should be interpreted rather in a symbolical and not literal sense.

Although me personally don't care much about this tobacco, I acknowledge that its admirers show a sign of a good taste in their choice of this blend. Anyway, any pipe smoker must try this blend, even if not for more than for education. Because the fearfully and wonderfully made Presbyterian Mixture is a legend of the pipester world .

That's what Mr. Calamiti, an ultraconservative Catholic and an admirer of super-strong tobaccos, has respectfully got to say about this leafy embodiment of Protestant class and moderation. God bless us, the faithful smokers, whatever's our choice.

Pipe Used: Comoy's Yachtsman

Age When Smoked: 2

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	DeathMetal.org (231)	2016-03-21		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

Summary: a light English that de-emphasizes Latakia for Orientals and aged Virginia, paradoxically bringing out more of the Latakia flavor.

Latakia can be an overwhelming taste. "Presbyterian Mixture" solves that by making Latakia a condimental ingredient, focusing instead on a spicy mixture of Orientals and a subdued, aged Virginia that is less sweet than hay-like. The result makes the pine flavor of the Latakia pop to the fore, framed in sweetness and spice, where it can shine but not overwhelm the others. It is easy to see why this blend has endured the test of time: it is nuanced and yet functional, perfect for distracted sipping while poring over old texts.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pre Republic Peterson (13)	2014-06-03		Very Strong	None Detected	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

I really wanted to try this, exciting history and was relatively hard for me to find a tin. Opened it to see German label inside and a plastic bag, a disappointing start. My tobacco was not coarse, more like tiny wood chippings found on the floor. Dry tobacco. Easy to light due to dryness from can. Huge nicotine hit, the biggest hit I have had for some time, I love Vitamin N, but wow! A double whammy and then some. Aroma reminds me of Dunhill Royal Yacht. I guess I should try another can, but will save it for some time in the future, too many good smokes out there to enjoy.

Having read the other reviews, I think mine has serious quality control issues, the cut is terrible, tiny. :(

EDIT…On thinking, I would have said this is Royal Yacht is blind tasting. This is not what I expected

Pipe Used: Pre-Republic Peterson House Pipe

Age When Smoked: New

Similar Blends: Dunhill Royal Yacht.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Jdor (15)	2014-05-02		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

Everything I heard from this tobacco is true. It's a one in a kind experience for everyone, from experienced pipe smokers to the english-type novices as well!

Upon lighting i could taste the sweet virginias and the spicy orientals. I know there is a neverending discussion about the latakia content, but I find hard to say that I'm only tasting orientals here.

Whatever the case might be, I got from this blend exactly what I was looking for, a great and smooth english experience. 4 stars!

Age When Smoked: New

Similar Blends: Mac Baren - Plumcake.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2013-07-05		Mild	None Detected	Medium to Full	Very Pleasant

I remember when the tin of this was painted . The tin I get nowadays has a sticker of the product for the American Market. Underneath the lid it's still a fine pipe tobacco. It's strange to me that an English blend like this gets so many compliments in the aroma department but it certainly does.

The spicey macedonian leaf is amazing next to the sweet virginia. With the smokey Latikia this almost turns into a BBq of flavour.

If I had to pick my favorite english mixture that I would want on that island, this is my Choice.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Sinister Topiary (84)	2010-06-28		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Tolerable

A quintessential, quality all-day medium High English in the same family as Squadron Leader, Margate, Artisan's Blend & Blackpoint. Like the others of its ilk it has its own nuances, but there's nothing extraordinary to make it stand out from a crowded field. Worth trying if you like the others as this one may be the one that perfectly tickles your tastebuds.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	DeadMensPipes (38)	2009-06-21		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

The tin said "Made in EU." Before I opened the tin, which was marked "Air Tight," a wonderful aroma emanated from the sealed tin - not sure exactly how to describe it. Pungent. Earthy. Tobaccoey. Leather. When I opened the tin and started to break up the compressed strands, the aroma intensified. Added to the above descriptive words, it reminded me of the smell of fresh mowed hay and dairy cows. The tobacco inside was moist, and I wondered how well it would take to a match and stay lit. I gravity fed it into a new meerschaum and very lightly tamped it. Took to a match perfectly after two charring lights. Billowy puffs of smoke, no bite. The taste was reminicscent of a mild cigar or a cigarette. Disappointing. If I want to smoke a cigar, I'll smoke a cigar. Well, I was determined to discover how it would finish out, and after getting about halfway down, the flavor became more nuanced and enjoyable. Burned clean to the end, just gray ash at the bottom of the bowl, no dottle or goop. Left a pleasant aftertaste. I suppose I will eventually finish the tin, but I am not sure if I'll buy another.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Sasquatch (90)	2007-12-15		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

EDIT: 12/12/07 I am upgrading my star rating to 4 for the simple reason that I keep ordering and smoking this stuff, preferentially to many other things. Therefor, I like it better. Therefore, it is 4 star, not three. More complicated than Campanile, and less peppery than many hopeful English mixes.

I think Presbyterian is just a touch thinner than it used to be, but it is still a very enjoyable smoke. King of the no-latakia English crowd, this one smells like a leather sock on opening the tin. There is a vague clove/plum smell to be dug out as well.

In the pipe, this is one perfectly behaved tobacco. It lights beautifully, smokes cool right to the bottom. The smell is not bad when fresh, in fact people have complimented me on it. After a day or so, though, it leaves kind of a funk.

In the tin, this stuff would seem very strong indeed, but it isn't. Nicotine is present but not overwhelming. The smoke is thick and luxurious, and never bitter. There is a sweet undercurrent of plums that I only get out of certain pipes, which compliments the base flavours (kind of flat Va/oriental - think black tea).

I like this stuff as I like most oriental-heavy mixes, and this is another tobacco that shows you can have real beef without a fistful of latakia. Very enjoyable stuff.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2006-08-09		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

How do I love thee, Presbyterian, let me count the ways: the tin with its old church floating in the clouds. That stodgy, Protestant appellation given to a pipe tobacco, no less. And yes, even its unremarkable but charming history and endurance. This is a blend that has been around a long time, and for very good reason. A homage to the Very Rev. William White of Barony Kirk, Glasgow and Earl Baldwin. I can almost hear the glorious musical strains of H. Walford Davies or Sir Charles H. Hubert Parry as the Earl made his way through some pompous national affair. While the Earl may no longer be remembered by modern day Scotsmen, happily for us, his favorite tobacco is!

The aroma is positively wonderful in the tin, with its plum/prune bouquet. And yes, one could easily be fooled that there is latakia in the mixture and not just stoved dark Virginias. Critics find the flavor bland, but I don?t feel that way at all. Though now made in Germany, this is Scotland in a can, and it brings wonderful memories of that delightful and rugged place to mind. The colors of the tobacco are an uncomplicated burnished black and white. The aroma is salty, earthy and briny, like the Isle of Skye. It has a hint of peaty smokiness, like a fine Islay malt. This is an excellent accompaniment to Laphroig or Lagavullin. The texture is fine ribbon cut and its long, moist strings pack beautifully into any number of bowls. I take mine in a small full bent Dunhill. This is truly an evening smoke, though I?ve cheated, and had some during the day. I also appreciate that this is packed in a plastic bag inside the tin and not just paper, which can cause quicker drying. Pipes magazine aptly called it ?belt and suspenders? packaging.

The light is easy, usually no more than one or two matches is required to keep this going for a long, contemplative smoke. Though perhaps not as deep and spicy as Durbar or as exotic as Frog Morton On the Town, Presbyterian is in a class by itself, and there?s nothing else quite like it. It leaves a beautiful, puffy white ash and raises a lovely crown upon lighting. Never any wet dottle in the bowl, and I?m generally a salivating, chewy smoker. However, unlike Dunhill, which generally gets better as it dries out, Presbyterian is more robust when it?s new and moist.

Though a bit pricey, Presbyterian is a rare and joyous find. It?s a polished blend that shall always find a place in my collection and that I can always turn to for its simple, distinguished elegance. I hope to smoke it on a future trip to Scotland, when my heart shall once again be in the highlands.

Five of five stars ------------------ aug 2006 update

This might be the wrong time of the year for this stuff, though something tells me it's more than that. This is really a cool weather blend. Still, it's my third tin, and each time, it gets a bit worse. This is no longer a Scottish blend. It's made by that damnable German/EU company to which Dunhill, Rattray and other once great blending houses have outsourced their wares. This is still good on the nose and keen on the palate, but it's a raging firebrand on the tongue. They must be spiking this with Zyklon B. This blend has certainly changed like so many others. None of the Dunhills are good anymore. Rattray is pedestrian, and this is not far behind. Too bad that even a venerable blend as Presby has gone the way of all flesh.

Two of five stars

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Jakob Kiilerich (120)	2004-12-12		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I am rather new in the traditional English mixture-department. Presbyterian is the best blend I have tried so far: normally I smoke Dunhill's 965. Well, Presbyterian is a well-rounded, semi-sweet English with only a small amount of smoky leaf in it. The virginia is of very high quality.

Upon opening the tin, I detected something that smelled like Cavendish, VA and oriental. Unlike some of the other reviewers I do not think this one is leathery and dusty. For me, Presbyterian is a sweet, thick, dense and an almost silky smoke.

Compared to other heavier blends, this might be a little bland, but as an everyday smoke, it is just my thing. I have already ordered several tins for cellaring. An all-time classic.

Jakob, Denmark

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2001-03-23		Strong	None Detected	Full	Tolerable to Strong

Presbyterian Mixture is new to me, but I have enjoyed the couple of tins I have smoked. It is a somewhat confusing tobacco in that it doesn't smell like a traditional English tobacco, but the flavour nuances are such that I cannot call it anything else. The tin aroma strikes me as that of plums, followed by oriental tobacco smell. I do not detect much Latakia, but do suspect that it is in here. Presbyterian is mostly a dark mixture with light ribbons mixed in (2/3 dark - 1/3 light). The mixture is somewhat dry and packs well into a pipe. Prebyterian lights well and gives a pleasant initial flavour. Presbyterian kicksat this point and is big spicy meatball. Presbyterian is full of spicy oriental tobaccos and gives plenty of flavour. This one can sneak up on you if you aren't sitting down - more nicotine kick here than seems. Any fans of Oriental tobaccos should give Presbyterian a try.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Antonius Blok (192)	2023-04-08		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

I wanted to try this famous tobacco and I was not disappointed. It comes with just the right amount of moisture for immediate smoking, almost on the dry side, which makes it easy to burn very well. The flavor is very harmonious since all its ingredients work together without any predominating, and you can catch all of them. I am surprised by the doubts expressed about the existence or not of Latakia here. Perhaps they are referring to versions prior to the one I am trying now, or perhaps what some have smoked were old tins where the dark ingredient had faded a lot. I fully understand why it is the favorite of many. Four solid stars.

Age When Smoked: 3 years

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Limaxe (6)	2023-04-03		Mild	None Detected	Medium to Full	Strong

A delicious English starter blend, good smoky and floral/herbal aromas, the same in flavor with a good variation between latakia, virginia and orientals. I really don't understand who says they don't feel the latakia in this mix.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	SpiralOut (16)	2023-01-08		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

Tart and floral wood and a touch of smokiness upon lighting. Already I want to cellar some of this, it will marry well. Very little nic hit as the notes because creamy mid bowl. Floral retro with mild spice. Anise comes along towards the end. Very complex. Nice surprise. ☆☆☆1/2

Spiral Out

Pipe Used: Aldo Velani Collection A

Age When Smoked: 2022

Purchased From: Tobacco Junction, Tyler, TX

Similar Blends: Esoterica Margate.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Arkansas Piper (47)	2022-10-19		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

Perhaps it’s my unrefined pallet, but I totally thought this was Latakia forward.

Great blend, and I felt there was a great level of smokiness. However, I keep getting told the Latakia is so little, it shouldn’t come through like that. I don’t know, I guess. But I can say, this is a nice, Smokey blend. Reminds me a bit of Blackhouse, bust has its own flavor on the palate. Nice quality smoke for sure!

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	WellPipeJr (4)	2022-08-07		Mild	Mild to Medium	Mild	Pleasant

Excellent for new time pipe smokers wanting to try English blends. Nice mild flavor with moderate room note. Used to be my favorite until I acquired taste for the stronger blends.

Inexpensive and great for new time pipe smokers. If I’m in the mood for a mild smoke this is my go to.

Pipe Used: Wellington Jumbo

Age When Smoked: New tin to 4 years old

Purchased From: Pipes and cigars

Similar Blends: Reminds me of a mild version of dunhill early morning pipe (now Peterson early morning pipe).

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Bruche (17)	2022-05-21		Mild	Very Mild	Mild	Pleasant

Despite reviews and this tobacco being described as an “English” Latakia - Virginia blend, I consider it more akin to a Cavendish style tobacco blend. I’ve smoked many Latakia (English) blends for years, from light to heavy amounts of Latakia, and honestly don’t pick up much Latakia.

The tin description mentions “mild to medium strength mixture making it the perfect introduction to English blend pipe tobacco”.

It’s puzzling; I don’t detect any Vanilla character as some have identified, but do I sense some sweetness in the aroma. It may be a light topping or casing, or perhaps some “Cavendish-like” treatment; either by pressure and heat drawing out the natural tobacco sugars, or from being flavored or sweetened in some way. Can’t really say.

Bottom line; it’s a very enjoyable smoke in a class by itself.

Pipe Used: Celius Root Bishop 10 Danish Freehand

Age When Smoked: 8 months

Purchased From: Smoking pipes.com

Similar Blends: Haddo’s Delight?.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Elfenbein (6)	2022-05-20		Medium	Medium	Medium to Full	Tolerable

It took me a while to get acquired to the taste of Latakia. Presbytarian mixture did the trick for me. Bought a tin out of curiosity and was pleasently surprised with the mellow sweet taste spiced up with the Latakia.

Pipe Used: Poul Winslow

Age When Smoked: new

Purchased From: Edler tabak Kleve

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Cap'n Lev (19)	2022-05-06		Mild	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Tolerable to Strong

Forgive me father for I have sinned.. Smoking on a calm yet rainy day this blend reminds me the good days of autumn. The oriental leaf giving a precise dose of sourness and Mediterranean temperament makes me want to combine this smoke with a sour mash whiskey(four roses preferably). What makes a man a believer? I am not sure, but this Presbyterian makes the believer inside me to know that this.. this is worth his time. Slàinte mhath!

Pipe Used: Briar, Corn cob, Meerschaum

Age When Smoked: aged 3 years

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	drdave (17)	2022-04-21		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

Buttered Brandy and Smoky Cream. This old recipe offers consistent fine flavors as the tobacco smolders down the bowl. Give me that old time tobacco. It's good enough for me.

Pipe Used: Brebbia 50th Anniversary, Antique Meerschaum

Age When Smoked: 5 months

Purchased From: SmokingPipes

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	PaulMcCoy (78)	2022-01-29		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Its surprisingly sweet, especially on the retrohale. The mechanics are perfect. It had no problem taking a light, and staying lit. I like that the Latakia is being used as a condiment, and not a lead player. There are plenty of other blends that can fill that role for me. This is a simple Virginia/Oriental blend with a light pinch of Latakia. If that's what you're looking for, I don't think you'll be disappointed with this one.

Pipe Used: Morgan Bones L.E.A.P.S Pipe of the year 2021

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	rylandbrown (9)	2022-01-17		Mild	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

I'm not sure there's much I can add to the chorus of voices talking about Presbyterian. It's been around a long time and has a lot of fans.

What I love about this blend, as someone who often can't taste perique, is that I get loads of perique in this blend. Smoky, some pleasant sour notes and spicy. It's a mild and complex blend that I'd recommend for anyone who wants to try an English or is looking for something new.

I don't smoke many english blends, but when I do, this is one I reach for.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	tzinc (12)	2021-12-08		Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

One of if not the favourite of mine. Smooth English/Oriental. People dispute the amount of Latakia in this. I feel whatever the amount it is just right. This could be an All Day. Extremely tasty. Somewhat light but still complex.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	kik_rpm (15)	2021-03-03		Mild	None Detected	Very Full	Pleasant

I have been smoking this one for a while, and decided to review it on a very cold winter night and it was, again, a great companion.

Right from the first puff a creamy sweetness emerges. Sweet but not cloying, like warm milk, cereal and raisins.

Balanced complexity during the whole smoking experience. At the end a leathery sweetness emerges.

It burns evenly and almost need no relighting.

I marinated it with a bit of Pacari ecuadorian dark chocolate and it brought earthly aromas.

Although I tried it on different kinds of pipes, Missouri and turkish meerschaum, it worked better for me.on a briar.

This classic blend is one of my all time favourites

https://www.instagram.com/p/CLhte-fLq6P/?igshid=17ti35khfnm6i

Pipe Used: Briar mollina, kavlak meerschaum

Age When Smoked: 1 year

Purchased From: el estaco Quito

Similar Blends: John bull.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Sangagor (80)	2021-02-15		Mild	None Detected	Mild	Unnoticeable

Typical latakia of fresh tobacco. Nothing strong, but whole aroma was about it. Sometimes notes of mellow cocoa maybe. Burns well, few relights needed. Taste is light without too much sweetness. Sometimes you feel like there is no tobacco in the bowl. But afterwards you are surprised with mellow creamy smoke.

Pipe Used: BPK, Stanislaw

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: etrafika.com

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Fusty the pipe (33)	2020-10-11		Medium	Strong	Medium to Full	Tolerable

I can’t say if Stanley Baldwin or his Presbyterian brethren would recognise this blend today but I thought I should try some.

I’m steadily working my way through the OTC blends, searching for nirvana and initially this was going to filed away as “too heavy on the Latakia” of which I am not a huge fan. Strange to say but I don’t find “smoky” tobaccos to be that nice which is an odd thing to say of something that is designed to be smoked and therefore will, by essence, become “smoky”.

Anyway, I digress.

The pouch note was smoky with a side order of plums and cherries - I can see why people have likened the scent to bonfires and Christmas pudding. First bowl I was not impressed in the slightest but this doesn’t surprise me because of the bonfire qualities it possesses in spades.

I jarred this up and left it. Interestingly, the tobacco in the pouch came as a compacted brick which I managed to transfer, in one lump, into the jar; I’m not sure if this added to what happened next but I suspect it did. I left it for 5 or 6 months at the back of the cellar and got on with smoking the other blends I enjoy. After a bit I decided to give the jar a sniff and see what was occurring and by crikey, the beast had changed!

The smokiness was very much still in attendance but the fruitiness had now over taken it. I tried a bowl, it was lovely - I would almost go so far as to say “refreshing” if that makes any sense?

The wife won’t let me smoke it in the house because “you smell like an old man!” Which is handy because that is the smell I am going for - I am tempted to go around the house with an old grease can and randomly grease hinges and anything else I can find to add to this heady scented brew but I fear she might start removing body parts if I do so out to the shed I go.

If you like a smoky smoke, you should like this. If you don’t, leave it a bit and let it work some alchemy in a jar. All in all - recommended.

Pipe Used: Basket pipe

Age When Smoked: 6 months

Purchased From: GQ

Similar Blends: Something like Squadron Leader or Early Morning Pipe but at the same time not..

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	MangoLegs (72)	2020-04-12		Extremely Mild	Strong	Extremely Mild (Flat)	Unnoticeable

This has no taste. I don't understand why anyone would want to smoke hot air. Perhaps I'm used to very flavorful tobacco? Keep away if you like your tobacco to have taste!

Purchased From: SmokingPipes

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Phil Potwell (10)	2019-04-08		Mild to Medium	Medium	Medium	Pleasant

I wanted to join the crowded ranks and offers some thoughts on Presby.

Like others, upon opening the tin, I found it quite wet, but hazarded a try immediately. The blend struck me as heavy on the Virginias, but there was a spiciness that was interesting, and just a touch of smokiness. I could tell that the bowl was compromised due to the moisture and that I would need to take more active steps before forming an opinion. In the end, I left the cover off the tin for about 4 hours that evening, each time I noticed it or walked by, I stirred it with my finger. After 3 hours, it was still surprisingly sticky, but the 4th hour brought it to what I believed was of a proper smoking consistency and the cover went back on. The next night, I popped it open and what struck me was that the nose had changed quite interestingly. The Virginias had blossomed - bready, earthiness, and maturity, and there was an almost aromatic quality of spice. I was aware of the banter about the presence of Latakia, and was determined to tease out the answer myself. Over the next few days, I smoked an ounce or so, each time sensing tell-tale smokiness, but not seeing obvious dark evidence in the tin. The best I can compare this to is would be perhaps Oullette's Daybreak - although that does quite obviously contain Latakia - the character of the Virginias seems similar, and perhaps if you removed the black bits, the residual of that blend may still smoke with the essence of Latakia, without any material manifestation. The other difference is that I feel confident that I taste significant Oriental-like spice in this blend which must be a Virginia casing if not a spice topping to the blend, whereas Daybreak, comprised of Latakia and Virginia only, tastes that way.

Moisture issues aside, this tobacco very much speaks to me. In my view, it has the sophistication of an English, but more of an emphasis on the Virginias. It has quickly become a favourite, and I have stocked up on a sleeve of tins to future-proof its availability. It is light enough that the palate is not cooked for the rest of the day, yet strong enough to satisfy. I feel that I have been missing out for many years by ignoring this blend. Planta's portfolio appears mainly to showcase aromatics, which do not generally appeal to me. Perhaps that is why I ignored this storied blend for so long.

One last note for those who debate the presence of Latakia. The blend description on the English-translated text from the Planta website states to following: "Extraordinarily soft blend of finest US Virginia grades and a number of selected Latakia leaf tips. Ideal mixture also for beginners with English tobaccos." http://www.planta-tabak.de/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Sortiment-2018-19_Pfeifentabak.pdf

I have no reason to doubt the very blenders producing this tobacco. Anyway, 2 thumbs up!

Pipe Used: Il Ceppo Rhodesian

Age When Smoked: New from Tin

Purchased From: smokingpipes

Similar Blends: Daybreak Pipe (ish).

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	PyrateMate (6)	2019-03-06		Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

This blend is one I have been enjoying fer many years. It is of the English variety, but, a milder one. Lights easily, stays lit and burns all the way down the pipe. Taste is on the sweet side. Aroma is pleasant with a tolerable room note. It can easily be an all day smoke, but the inconsistent supply can make it hard to find. This blend is worth the hunt in order to satisfy your English cravings.

Pipe Used: Peterson B10 Killarney, Missouri Meerschaum Legend

Age When Smoked: Fresh to three years old.

Purchased From: Smoking Pipes

Similar Blends: John Bull, Peter Stokkebye English.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Precious Paul (20)	2018-09-08		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Very Pleasant

Easily one of my all times faves. Easy going stuff that can be enjoyed multiple times a day. Always keep a tin handy. Recommended for anyone lookin to get into English mixtures, great gateway blend you won’t mind coming back to again and again, as I do and have.

Pipe Used: Any will do

Similar Blends: It’s quite unique in its approachability there’s nothing exactly like it that I’ve had.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Ducksbreath (125)	2018-08-24		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

A paradoxically pleasurable yet austere light to medium English mixture with a small, or perhaps non existent, Latakia presence. Distinguished by the creamy (as opposed to toasty or zingy) Virginias and by very fragrant Orientals, which strike me as less black pepper and more like clove, with good flavor depth.

The name of the blend sticks to the tobacco in the way Nightcap sticks to Nightcap, and I find a hard time describing this using purely secular words.

Air exposure and time in a jar will fix the slight tendency to burn a bit hot.

I wouldn't recommend it as a first English as I find it too subtle, refined yet restrained, and I think it is more suited for an experienced English smoker looking for a lighter, austere and refined experience.

Age When Smoked: new

Similar Blends: Dunhill London Mixture, Nat Sherman Empire English.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	jhand45 (13)	2017-09-15		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

This was the first Engish mixture I tried and although I enjoyed it at the time, my palate was undeveloped and I was unsure how it really held up. With this in mind I aquired another tin and was delighted to find that my memory of the blend was broadly accurate.

The Latakia level is relatively light on this blend with the rest being made up of virginias and a tartness from what I assume to be the Macedonian orientals. As a result, this may be a good English blend for people who dont enjoy the insense qualities of blends in the vein of the balkan sobranies and its clones/tributes.

The blend burns well, is not excessively moist and is easy to work with. My one big objection to the blend is the horrible plastic liner that is in the tin where most companies use paper. I hate anything plastic being in contact with my tobacco and although I've read elsewhere that this blend is not a good candidate for aging, the inclusion of plastic further makes me reluctant to stock up on this too heavily. A great blend nevertheless.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2017-09-14		Medium	Very Mild	Medium	Pleasant

First note: Planta produces two different kinds of this mixture. One for the international market in a 50g tin, and one for the German market in a 100g (due to the specific taste profile in Germany as a "active charcole filter country").

This is a short review of the German market version (100g tin).

Description by Planta: "Extraordinarily soft blend of finest US Virginia grades and a number of selected Latakia leaf tips. Ideal mixture also for beginners with English tobaccos."

The mixture has a noticible casing (not sure, what exactly) and as well as a fruity topping.

The taste is sweet with some Latakia in the background. The casing surely trys to mellow the blend. Smoked with an active charcole filter, it is mellow, mild and sweet smoke, but without much depth, a bit boring, to be honest. Smoked without a filter, it has some complexity, and the sweetness has some interestig sourish notes, which changes to a more darker and almost dried fruit aroma during the smoke, with much more noticible Latakia in the background all the time. Sadly at the same time it is less mellow, likes to bite the tounge a bit, and also tends to burn a bit hot, if one is not careful.

But none the less, this blend grew on me and I keep coming back. It definitely benefits and improves if it has some month to age, and it gets better if it has time to dry out a bit, slowly over time in the tin.

Pipe Used: various briars

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Swiss-smoker (87)	2017-06-03		Medium	None Detected	Full	Pleasant

A very tasteful English Mixture, with a quite complex aroma palette. The basis of this mixture is a firm, but not deep digging Virginia with natural sweetness, hints of citrus and grass. Latakia - if there is any at all - is smoky (not camp-firey, nor leathery), woody, earthy and slightly sweeter than usual. The sweetness may also come from the Orientals. According to my experience this could even be some smoky, woody, earthy Kentucky instead of real Latakia. Anyhow. The great star of the show is the special selection of fragrant Orientals. They donate a whiff of old school sourness and an ample range of spices, well rounded off, never harsh. The Orientals make this mixture somehow unique. Excellent smoking conditions.

Age When Smoked: New, out of the tin.

Purchased From: Local tobacconist.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pipesolitude (23)	2016-11-26		Mild	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

I've been trying different tobaccos the last 6 months. And I find myself coming back to PM when I want a mellow smoke that never dissapoints. It seems that opinions about this one is divided. For some it is too bland a taste, especially if you want the latakia to be a more dominant player. I went throught that phase too, but it turned out it was only a phase. Because I really do think that the subtle balance in this blend is very nice. To my palate PM is a very tasty tobacco that should be enjoyed for its balance and unique taste profile; hard to describe but resembles some kind of cake flavour. Also smells great. The smoking qualities are good, it burns cool and leaves a gray ash. However, it changes towards the last third of the bowl, loosing a bit of its subtlety and increases a bit in streangth and near the end of the bowl it tends to get just a little bit harsh.

I would recommend this for those who, like so many who are new to pipe smoking, are easily seduced by the smell of aromatic tobaccos only to find out that aromatic fragrancies seldom translate well into the taste department. Because I think this is an english tobacco that offers what might be characterized as a more 'aromatic' type of taste. I think it would be a good transition from aromatics to english. But, don't get me wrong, this blend definitely stands on its own feet.

No drying time needed, packs and lights easily, burns well with few if any relights, an all-day smoke that is mild in streangth but with a unique taste.

UPDATE (16/11/2017) The new tin I bought is not as good as before, the subtle "cake"-taste is almost gone and the tobacco is more sharp. Dissapointing for a tobacco that had turned into one of my favorites. But perhaps the quality might vary from time to time depending on different tobacco leaves being used in the blend, I don't know.

Similar Blends: Unique (to my experience).

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	The Sunday Evening Pipe Smoker (54)	2016-11-12		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

So I'd put this is the category of a basic, "meat and potatoes" blend. What I mean by that is there aren't too many "smells or bells" to the blend -- and if we are to continue the ecclesiastical metaphor, I suppose in that regard the naming is apt!

Tin note was quite nice. Some describe it as farm like, and I suppose that's true in the sense of it having a kind of hay note to it. I didn't detect much of the Latakia in it.

Taste wise, it is difficult to describe what is going on. A very slight smokiness from the Latakia, but nothing too significant.

Not a bad blend, but neither an outstanding one. Unpretentious and straightforward.

UPDATE 06/28/2017:

So I came back to this blend after a long while and I'm going to revise what I said. I'm not sure if it was simply my inexperience with orientals when I first tried the blend or if t a bit of aging helped bring it out, but when I tried it again recently my reaction was, "wow! this has a real nice flavour from the orientals."

So I'm going to rescind somewhat on my "meat and potatoes" description, which I would usually apply to a latakia blend and say its meat and potatoes but with a noticeable oriental condiment that makes it quite flavourful and delightful with slight but appealing sour notes. I'm upgrading this to 3 out of 4 stars.

Ironically I gave away most of this tin away but now I'm thinking I need to pick up another tin or two.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	L'Italiano (233)	2016-10-31		Medium	None Detected	Full	Tolerable to Strong

Disappointing. Honestly I thought it was better. Latakia is present, and not sparingly, but with a generous sprinkling. And it’s a great Latakia taste. I read about the debate if there is or not Latakia in this blend. Well, if you don’t taste Latakia in this mixture you can’t taste anything else, you can’t detect anything else and perhaps, no offense, smoking pipe is not for you. Why disappointing? Because from the side of Oriental and Latakia you can detect subtle nuances of woodsmoke, moss, weald and the taste is very good and characteristic. But from the side of Virginia there is no sweetness. I’d like the Virginia more present, to balance the excellent Latakia and harmonize the oriental taste. On smoking, a bitter taste remain in the mouth and I prefer a more balanced taste with a little bit of sweetness. Ok, it’s only my opinion. In my personal system rating (from 1 to 10) my score is 7 and two stars.

Similar Blends: balkan mixtures.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Corey Mac (9)	2016-04-22		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

Presbyterian Mixture is like an old leather arm chair. It's like a mahogany paneled library. It's like the first leaf fall in autumn. It's like teatime. It's like a thach roofed house. Classic...

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	mar1895 (5)	2016-02-13		Mild	Very Mild	Medium	Pleasant

What to write on a tobacco with close to 200 reviews? Can there be anything said that has been not said before? Any nuance to detect, yet, that has gone undetected? No, most likely. Why, then, another review.

Because I believe, the tobacco earns one from me. If I do not have it in house, there will be that moment, when after a week of VA/P-Flakes I invariably say: "Some Presbyterian, to set things right, again."

Not everyday, for me, but what taste is, but solidly regularly.

Pipe Used: Georg Jensen Achat

Age When Smoked: new

Purchased From: cigarworld

Similar Blends: Dunhill Mixture 965, TT Smök Mi.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Tom Bombadill (121)	2015-10-25		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

I wanted to rate this 3.5 and not 4 based purely on the subjective criteria that I like a little more latakia to hit my personal sweet spot. That being said, this is an excellent smoke that everybody should try at least once.

The rich flavorful Oriental tabackys are the real stars in this blend. The latakia is present but put in with a light hand as they say. This is similar to, but with a little more latakia, Dunhill's My Mixture 965.

Similar Blends: Dunhill's My Mixture 965!.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Darth 69 (117)	2015-07-12		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Back in the day this was a superlative blend but unfortunately as time goes by, things change. What I thought was the unique pronounced character of the orientals which is different from the earliest I remember, I come now to believe that it has a ghosting of added vanilla flavor. It combines with the orientals which I think has a good part of modern yenidge producing a rather light but repugnant creme vanilla character. I hate vanilla pipe tobacco. They're probably using vanilla because it is no longer acceptable in many countries to use additives that contain coumarin i.e. deer tongue, tonka bean. It may be a surprise to find out a lot of the older classic english blends had such addaitives like Balkan Sobranie. They weren't so pure and neither is Presbyterian. It's not a bad blend and some may appreciate the more rounded but off character it possesses from the vanilla than a truly straight english blend. Not nearly as vanilla strong as Samuel Gawith's "Perfection."

Age When Smoked: 6 months

Similar Blends: Samuel Gawith's "Perfection".

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Cumarinophil (108)	2015-03-21		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

The Presbyterian Mixture smokes like a VA/Oriental mix, starting VA forward and later developing into an Oriental dominated blend. The impression of Latakia is there and at the same time it’s not, which can be seen as the unique selling proposition of this blend.

I’m aggressively sensitive to the typical “moist cellar-Planta-note” that I can’t stand at all, which is gladly not to be found here or at least vanishes in the mix pretty well. On the contrary, I find this tobacco gentle, smooth, tasty and fragrant. If you are looking for something extraordinary or out of the line, this is not it, however, an everyday companion may be waiting for you to be found.

Confirmation by manufacturer: Planta Berlin is present time the only manufacturer supplying markets all over the world. They only use one identical recipe, containing also the tips of Latatia leaf. Results/impressions may vary from packaging and/or transportation (temperature, distance/age, etc.).

Pipe Used: Various with and without filter

Age When Smoked: fresh

Purchased From: http://www.tecon-gmbh.de

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	WillBrown (137)	2015-03-18		Medium to Strong	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Strong

I tried this blend back in the eighties and wrote it off then. I found it to be an unexciting mash of tobaccos. This current version struck me as being just as uninteresting as the older version (which, I suppose, is great for those who like this tobacco). For me, this is not an English blend, it's a faux English. Where's the Latakia? As far as I'm concerned, an English blend without that sweet smokey leaf is no English blend at all. If there's Latakia in the tin, I couldn't find it. So, this blend remains a disappointment to me. Still, it was worth refreshing my memory.

Pipe Used: Butz Choquin Canadian

Age When Smoked: ?

Purchased From: Pipes&Cigars

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	cavendishes (7)	2014-11-22		Mild	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I found this mixture to be a very satisfying and relaxing smoke with plenty to offer in the flavor department. I found it to be very balanced between the virginias and orientals, with a hint of Latakia peaking through from time to time. The orientals in this mix are very pleasant and add a wonderful dimension and depth to the flavor and aroma profile.

This is a smooth smoking, interesting blend with good, somewhat complex flavor and mild to medium body. I detected a very light nicotene effect, but nothing crazy, which I like.

Definitely a keeper for me and a tobacco that will have a regular spot in my rotation.

Pipe Used: calabash

Age When Smoked: new

Purchased From: pipes and cigars

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	gam86 (49)	2014-08-23		Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

I think this is a very good tobacco, in order to understand all its component you’ve to smoke more than a tin! It’s a pleasant everyday smoke but, for me, with a nicotine kick if you smoke it in large pipes. Nevertheless the roomnote is tollarable, my wife said it’s a bit strong but still less than other latakia blends.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	SmokeDawg (82)	2014-03-24		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Strong

Finally got to this classic. I can see why it has lasted the test of time. Loved the colorful variation to this blend. Just the right moisture from the tin so it's ready to smoke. This is a nice English blend that smells and acts like the usual suspects of Skiff Mixture, Squarden Leader and Peterson's Old Dublin. However, there is a twist, a unique smell that defines Presbyterian Mixture. There is a tangy tart smell that also translates to the taste of each bowl and last throughout the smoke. Which ever tobacco this is in the blend that is lending this flavour, is quite dry and gives the blend a flat musky taste. I assume its the smoky flat taste of the Latakia tips. Every single bowl has left my mouth extremely dry with a lingering flat aftertaste. Other than that, I find no fault with this great blend. I do recommend it.

You can expect a musky room note that is not bad but won't be celebrated by a spouse.

Purchased From: Tinderbox Raleigh.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	milabros1981 (15)	2014-02-24		Medium	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

Allright. I've tried several times to be kind with this blend. There was a time when I tasted something spicy, there was a time when I tasted the pure, smooth flavour of orientals. There was a time that I thought why should I smoke this thing...To be honest, it is a nice english blend, decent enough. However I think that if Presbyterian EM was a person, his name would be John Doe: it lacks a strong identity, it lacks a distinctive feature and seems at times that someone just threw the tobacco in and sealed the tin. Pretty bad for a blend that, at first, seemed promising enough.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Anglesey (4)	2014-01-23		Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Nothing in particular jumps through about this blend, though I will say there is latakia present. Despite nothing overwhelming, everything is blended well and in moderation. A very well rounded tobacco. Just fits the dreary era it comes from, and seems to have a very English demeanor.

Comes in a plastic bag in the tin, which I liked, as the crimped paper on other blends always annoys me after a while. Contrary to what others think, I preferred this fresh, I wasn't really as bothered with it after it had dried out a bit more. A staple in anyone's collection.

Pipe Used: Clays, Briars

Age When Smoked: Fresh out of the tin.

Purchased From: pipeshop.co.uk

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	woodworker (4)	2013-11-30		Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This tobacco smells good and earthy in the tin. As a Smoke I found it without any particular flavor. The nicotine was a little strong for me. I normally smoke English blends with a decent amount of latakia. This by comparison was surprisingly bland. On the plus side, the room smelled better afterward. On the negative side, I found it dull. So, with respect to other reviewers who liked it, I give it two stars but can't find a compelling reason to give it more.

Pipe Used: Dr. Grabow Omega

Age When Smoked: new tin

Purchased From: Pipes and Cigars

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	dixcreek (184)	2013-03-27		Medium	Medium	Medium to Full	Tolerable

`Good stuff right out of a new tin. The aroma reminded me of sweet feed and distillers grain, which is very pleasant to me being a farm boy. Stayed lit after the initial false light. Tasted sweet with a bit of saltiness, then I had the sensation in my mouth I get from a fine brewed cup of Irish tea. Almost a numbing effect. This is how I judge tea and it also has appeal to me in my smoking tobacco. the nicotine punch was not overwhelming but still there. I would tell anyone who wishes to try an English type tobacco that their experience would be greatly highlighted with Presbyterian Mixture.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	maigret fan (76)	2013-01-09		Medium to Strong	Medium to Strong	Full	Strong

In the tin there a description of the tobacco written in German. The tobacco is wrapped in a plactic bag, like those from Wellauer in Switzerland. Difficult to know where a tobacco comes from these days! That said, I had a tin of Royalty from Davidoff at the same time. The smell in the tin was almost identical with something stronger for Presbiterian. Smoke is really first-class, satisfaying with a good balance and a nice addition of Latakia. A tobacco to recommend. Perhaps difficult to buy in continental Europe : I bought the tin St James's street London at the cigar shop where Churchill was a customer, so that was keeping in the circle of British prime ministers!

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	AlexL (26)	2012-07-26		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

Beautiful tin, the tobacco inside is covered by a plastic bag in place of regular paper. Strange presentation, but maybe it dries slower this way. Nice smell, a mix of Virginia and Orientals. Latakia? Not sure, but the smoke is exceptionally cool. Albeit it's on the damp side, no drying needed, it is still good right out of the tin. It produces very full-bodied, rich smoke. Interesting and really original taste, do not know to what to compare it. Reminiscent of EMP - but in a nobler version. Aftertaste is peppery - salty – sweet.

Don't know if it worth conversion to Presbyterianism, but I'll definitely order more tins. This tobacco is unique, out of the common.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2012-06-16		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

The aroma of opening the tin... rotting fruit, raisins, figs, a barnyard ripeness? However you describe it, anything that smells like this has to smoke like a champ and I wasn't disappointed. It is a blend that deserves all of your attention while sitting in a big leather chair or the porch on a calm day. The leathery/smokey room note is actually appreciated by the domestic commandant and she never complains when it's time to buy more... how great is that?

It seems to work in all my pipes anytime of day or night. The kick is smooth and makes the back of your eyes warm, provides a gentle spin and makes the world seem a lot better than it probably is. There is a reason this is a hall of fame inductee...I will never run out of this.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	jediokie (6)	2012-03-04		Mild to Medium	Mild	Medium	Tolerable

I really, really wanted to love this blend. It's been highly recommended by several long time smokers whom I look to for tobacco advise. It has been reviewed well on this site.

It was horrible. I opened then tin and the product was really dry. The orientals overpowered the Latakia and changed the complexity of what should have been an English into something unpalatable.

It may just be my taste buds, but after half a bowl I was done. I traded it as soon as I found someone who wanted it.

The experience almost ruined me on orientals for ever but several months later another tobacco came along to save the day.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	elelion (25)	2011-12-07		Medium to Strong	Strong	Medium	Tolerable

The only thing I do not like about this blend is the plastic bag inside the tin. It isolates the breath of the tobacco with the air. About the blend itself, it is a little dry and difficult to pack. It lights well however. The first puff shows the nice mixture of virginia and oriental. Regarding latakia, I prefer to say there is few: shows some existance but hardly noticable. It is a blend I would care not much when owning it, but will sometimes miss it when there is none left. Recommended.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	mo (81)	2011-09-16		Mild	Extremely Mild	Medium	Tolerable

Hi all,

I have been smoking this blend for the last few weeks and have to say i enjoy it. I find it easy on the palette and very easy to smoke.

Never before have i ever experienced a blend where the Latakia is so muted. This confused me greatly as i do not know what to compare it to nor how to class it.

Whatever it is, i do enjoy it as a change of pace, all day smoke. It behaves very well in the pipe after lots of drying and the base tobaccos are of good quality.

EDIT. Never before has a blend grown on me like this blend has. I have grown to really really enjoy it and find myself smoking this all day, everyday. I would go as far as saying that 8 out of 10 bowls i smoke these days is Presbyterian.

This blend is the least pipe picky of any blend i have smoked. Its always consistently brilliant.

As the day goes on, i get pipes with wider bowls. This gets the strength up.

Ok, after many many bowls in many different pipes, i am confident that there is no Latakia in this mix. The Orientals and High Quality Virginias are masterfully blended, my highest compliments to the blender. The marriage of these tobaccos in this blend makes for a delicious mixture.

This blend reminds me of the real Balkan Sobranie in that it leaves a scent in the room that is incense like. Fantastic stuff.

Bumped from 3 to 4 stars.

Mo, South Africa Helderberg40@gmail.com

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Tripjoker (65)	2011-09-08		Mild	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

The problem with reviewing this tobacco is that if you have had Red Rapparee from Rattrays, you will be disappointed with Pesby. The flavors here are all subtle and smoking slowly is the best way to achieve satisfaction. The blend tends to be understated in that the component tobaccos do not weave in and out as gracefully as they could. I believe that the strength of the blend takes away from the whole. If more substantive and character driven tobaccos were used, it would be terrific. As it is, there is no reason to smoke this if RRR is available to you.

On the other hand, if you are a smoker who prefers the light blends that have some nice flavor, and you are not a fan of nicotine, then you are in business. This would fit the bill for beginners in the english genre as well. The blend should be respected though, so do not smoke quickly, or hot. This will bite like a pit bull if you abuse it. Not to mention that it will lose all character if smoked hot.

Cheers!

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	krg1000 (183)	2011-08-21		Medium	Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I find this to be a very good blend. It lights well, stays lit easily enough and burns down to a nice ash at the end of the bowl. I find this has a very nice room note. It doesn't knock you on your behind with too much Vitamin N, but is just right. Highly recommended.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	fireball (36)	2011-02-28		Medium	Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

Works for me. A slightly sweet, mild English is how I categorise it, spicyness from the latakia, a little sweetness from something else in there. Tingly or nippy rather than bitey, it contains the all important (for me) Vitamin N in decent amounts. Can be puffed into oblivion pretty quickly in a small bowl.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2010-10-29		Medium	Extremely Mild	Full	Tolerable

This is the german variety (kopp and kohlhaase?) that's being reviewed.

Opened the tin for airing out and drying and the smell is like barnyard, cows and ducklings. My girlfriend said "what the hell is that smell" so I guess that's a bad thing. Opened it up side by side with Gawith's Skiff and skiff has a cleaner, crisper and more attractive smell.

So, pulled up a pipe thinking that I would probably dislike this blend and whoah I was SO wrong!

Tasty leathery "English" blend with a small amount of latakia thrown in. Dried charcoaled firewood-sy like flavor that sometimes goes into the area of catholic church incense.

When the bowl is done you are going to wish you had more!

This tobacco is on the same level as Squadron Leader for me. A real interesting english smoke that really stands above the competition.

My Ranking: #1 Presbyterian 2 Northwoods 3 Squadron Leader 4 Skiff 5 Dunhill 965

Early Morning Pipe does not even make the list. I don't understand that really, but EMP is just revolting and stinks up your skin, breath and smoking paraphernalia. My girlfriend shunned me half the day after smoking EMP.

...But Presbyterian is World Class! 5 pluses and then a couple of geese thrown in as bonus points! :D

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	hawky454 (107)	2010-05-31		Medium to Strong	Mild	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

What we have here is definitely nothing to write home about. I was very disappointed with this one, maybe I got a bad batch? Upon opening, the tobacco was way to moist for my liking and I had trouble keeping it lit, even when airing it out. The flavor is not bad but at the same time it's not anything special and I would recommend Balkan Sasieni or Proper English for your full bodied needs before you go putting faith into this blend. For the price, this one is a dud!

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	gjMichelob (7)	2010-04-07		Mild	Mild	Mild	Pleasant

I have been inevitably intrigued by the description of this blend claiming ancient and noble roots. I finally received a tin a few days ago.

I was disappointed that the tin's graphics are no longer printed on the metal but attached as a more banal adhesive label. It is the inexorable symptom of the tobacco's market's pains and uncertainties.

I expected a more defined and fragrant flavor form the Presbyterian Mixture. In fact, I am not pleased with the two bowls I tried. However, I recognize the compromising danger of laying the heavy burden of “expectation” on anything, and the distorted perception it may cause. I will leave the tin stored properly for a few more weeks and try it with a more earth-bound spirit.

However, I can report that it is mild in strength, flavor, nicotine, room note and aftertaste, in a fashion which does not allow me to recommend it, particularly as I realize many will, as I did, fall for the intriguing presentation and blend "name", so handsomely suited for a pipe tobacco. Great marketing in itself, really... however, so far, it seems to me that is all there is to it.

I will report further, in due course.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2009-11-19		Medium to Strong	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This was long a standby smoke for me, but the last tin I popped, which also happened to be my first tin which identified itself as blended by Kohlhase & Kopp, was nothing like my dear old Presbyie. It had none of the oriental complexity - my old friend had been kidnapped and replaced by a bland, Danish-style Cavendish. I'm still trying to get the traces of the impostor out of that pipe. Someone please tell me I'm wrong - surely K-und-K haven't ruined a venerable old blend??

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2009-03-11		Medium to Strong	Medium to Strong	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Greetings,

1 I tried Presbyterian Mixture 13 years ago when i first took up pipe smoking.

1.5 I did not care for it at all it was much too strong.

2 Well I ordered another can of it and it came in last week and I really enjoyed the flavors and the room note is very nice also.

3 Anyway I guess that my tastes must be changing I really love a great "people pleaser"aromatic however this will remain in my tobacco collection.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2008-12-26		Strong	Extremely Mild	Medium	Unnoticeable

IMO this smoke is bad. I just bought it because I saw the reviews here, but it's disgusting... when I opened the tin, the smell was that of a leather shop, but I said ok, maybe when you smoke it, it becomes much better... I smoked 2 bowls, I felt no taste, and an extremely light "leathery" taste... after the second bowl, I had a headache! When my woman got in, I asked her about the room's smell, and she told me she doesn't smell anything, but thought I had all our leather jackets out of the closet for some reason! I find it really bad! Grade:F

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	BigSwede (93)	2008-12-02		Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I'm smoking a pipeful of this stuff as I write. This is a blend I will pick up to smoke every-once-in-a-while. I wonder why though, because when I light it up I always enjoy the smoke. Even though mine got quite dry, it packed and lit as well as a fresh tin: superb. It smokes with a minimum of fuss. The smell in the tin has been aptly describes as leathery. It smokes just a tad on the sweet side, which I ascribe to the excellent virginias and the oriental tobac provides a bit of mystery. Not overly complex by any means, but neither just one note boring either. I think anyone venturing out of aromatics and burley based stuff should try a few pipefuls of this. Pleasant, smooth almost soft and never hot or bitter. A definite 3 stars.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2008-04-14		Very Mild	None Detected	Mild	Tolerable

Forgive me pastor....I do rather like this blend and perhaps the marketing gimmick plays a hand in that, (as I am of your flock :) ). And forgive me pipestud but I do taste syrian latakia in this blend, (three producers over). I still like it and have a few tins on hand at any given time. The pastors reference to "bite" I think is the syrian as that pepper does show up in several blends that suppose that addition. I do miss GLP's rennaisance. The Vintage Syrian out now is a great representation. Perhaps this is not what the old Earl actually smoked....still good though

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Classical (13)	2008-04-02		Mild	Mild	Mild	Tolerable

I'm a Presbyterian pastor and I must protest! This tobacco that bears our name is bland, bland! John Knox would be ashamed...

RCUS Elder pegged this one: it's a liberal blend in the worst sense of the word--expensive, pretentious and with little substance and a bad bite.

A very uninteresting smoke to my palate and it costs an arm and a leg: hardly Scottish.

Presbyterian pipe smokers--let's find a better blend for our name! How about Pease's Westminster? Makes sense to me...

Accompaniment: The Young Messiah.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	haredawg (47)	2007-11-15		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

This blend might not need another review, especially given that the reviews seem a bit contradictory. I?m not going to clear anything up, just throw my two match sticks on the fire. Nice tin, nice presentation, the plastics a little different but it doesn?t seem to affect the mix. It seems a little weird, like serving good coffee in a plastic cup; you?d expect it to detract from the flavor somehow. It doesn?t, in fact if concerned about losing moisture it seems like a good packaging idea, though I?m a sucker for the bakery connotation of sculpted wax paper in a tin. So, yeah, there?s that fruit nose in the tin, something plumy, something figgy, something a little fermented. Reminded a little bit of the scent from a fresh opened tin of Rattray?s Hal of the Wynd, the scent being very naturally sweet and figgy and not like a casing but a quality of the curing.

I really want to say there is no casing or aromatic flavoring to Presbyterian Mixture, though I say it with hesitation, with trepidation. My first bowl of this was in a Karl Erik Freehand that isn?t a stranger to aromatics. It was one of my first pipes and was broken in with a sophomoric palate and though I?ve cleaned it with the fervor of an OCD delinquent, it may make things lean towards a bit of a fruity flavor. In the Karl Erik Presbyterian mixture reminded me of a less playful, more serious version of Esoterica?s And So to Bed ? similar spiciness from the Orientals and whatever honeyish raiseny casing is in And So to Bed. And So to Bed is one of the few aromatic I can still stand to smoke so I didn?t toss the Presbyterian mixture out the window.

The next bowlful was in a Pete Silver Spigot that is a bit of a snob, not only has it never even spoken to an aromatic, it?s almost exclusively smoked Esoterica?s Penzance and Germains Special Latakia Flake. It thinks Dunhill mixtures are beneath it (of course you know how the Irish and the English get along). In the Pete the Presbyterian Mixture blossomed in complexity and flavor, a delicate mixture of a variety of Orientals and Virginians, no hint or suggestion of casing, and despite the Pete?s propensity to bring out the latakia there was no suggestion of latakia either or as a reviewer suggested perique.

Perhaps it?s still just a question of mine own palate which might no longer be sophomoric but is definitely still an undergrad. So I?m not really shining any light into the mystery here, but, for what it?s worth, I really recommend this smoke, for me it?s a pleasant distraction from my usual latakia heavy brands without having to backslide into anything sticky sweet or drop the Orientals for a straight VA or VA/PER. The mixture stays interesting through the bowl and burns to a dry white ash. Has a nice nicotine kick too without being brutal about it.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Xeneize (275)	2007-06-24		Medium	Very Mild	Full	Tolerable

A complex blend that developes through the bowl, from a subtle aromatic to a spicy Oriental.

Upon opening the tin, it smells of fruits. Not what one would expect from an English mixture.

First third of the bowl: not much to enjoy, other than a topping (sometimes subtle, sometimes annoying) that's a mix of dates and prunes. But don't despair.

Second third of the bowl: the topping is all gone, and now you have a very rich Oriental with just a touch of Latakia (I don't care what you say) and less-than-outstanding Virginias. The mix is very enjoyable.

Last third of the bowl: spiciness. The Orientals take over definitely and you end up wondering if there isn't some Perique in there (I don't think there is, but they sure taste alike).

All comes down to pure ash and you end up wondering why you didn't fill a bigger pipe. Very tasty.

One less star for being a tongue scorcher and for the unnecessary topping.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2007-06-22		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

You know what I like the most from this blend? It is an oriental mixture, with no Latakia but yet is satisfying! The absence of Latakia makes it tolerable to non - smokers; you don't have that strong burning wood smell a lot of non-smokers despise - too bad for them , they cannot know, these poor fools! Despite the fact that the room aroma sticks out upon lighting, it slowly attenuates.

Upon opening, you are welcomed by a mostly golden and brownish mixture with a bit of dark leaves. The cut is long. The tin aroma is definitely oriental, thus spicy. I haven't detected anything alike fruity like some other reviewers mentioned. But that spicy arome is far from overwhelming, it's just spicy, a tiny bit of that firecamp smell...

The packing is easy and if filled in properly, you will not spend your time relighting all the time.

The smoke gets progressively stronger throughout the smoking, but not too much. The smoke is satisfying, tasty and surprisingly sweet, like a casing was added but there is none, it's just the natural sweetness of what I suspect to be Greek Basma grades in fair presence in the mixture. And this tobacco smokes dry all the way down.

My Lads, the first Earl Baldwin most certainly knew about good tobaccos! Do not let you religious preferences interfere with what could transform into a delicious smoking experience!

For anyone who wants to venture into natural tobaccos, specifically english/ oriental mixtures, this is a good start to get accustomed to this next step in your pipe smoking carreer; and for anyone already into english mixtures but wanting something different, give it a try.

Only one thing, though, that annoys me a bit: the last three tins I've opened, for some reason the tin does not close back on properly... A pity!

Highly recommended!

Update 19 JUne 2007

This afternoon, for some reason, I was finding this blend too bright and not enough dark, lacking a bit of flavour and becoming rather tongue - biting. Later, I smoked some oriental no 14 ( McClelland)and found it too dark, slow burning, and having a tendency to leave the bottom of the pipe rather wet/oily, I don't know why. Somehow, something clicked and: Guess what I did? Yes, absolutely, I mixed the 2 together, half and half and, until now, the result is quite surprising!

It burns better, and the black VA combined with the Greek Basma grades gives it a pleasant,distinctive, slightly sweet flavor, as where the Latakia and Orientals give it a more silky, smokey taste; and I find the room aroma to be very discreet and pleasant...

If you do smoke both of these blends, or something similar, and experience the same problems, you might want to give this a try. I guess it will take a couple days before the different tobaccos melt properly together but, until now it's a delightful surprise, the best of both worlds!

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	RMBittner (66)	2007-02-13		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

I don't think I've ever had to experiment quite so much in order to bring out the true character of a blend. Maybe it won't require so much effort for you. But if it does, I think your attention will be rewarded.

I want to say two things right off the bat, because there's been a lot of debate. I'm not an expert, but I definitely detect (by eye and nose) a whisper of latakia here (which, of course, is an oriental, so the above description doesn't lie). But, surprisingly, I also detect a tiny pinch of perique. A little perique goes a very long way with me, so I feel certain it's here. Contributing the tiniest bit of pepper to the blend, the leaf here is truly condimental. It's perfectly enjoyable by someone with a low threshold for the leaf. And I think it's far more noticeable in the tin aroma than it is in the pipe.

Initial flame brings wafting dark orientals to the fore, with a toasted kind of tangy bitterness that I happen to really enjoy. Midway through, the equally toasty-tasting Virginias duck in and out, never overtaking the orientals completely but sometimes melding with them. Near the end, the orientals again dominate, with a slightly bitter, slightly sooty finish. That latakia is in such small quantities that it never stands out; the perique simply adds a touch of spice.

As for that "effort" I mentioned at the beginning . . .

As tinned, this blend is quite moist; it benefits from 15-20 minutes of drying before loading in the pipe. It's also very particular about how it's packed. Recent Pease blends have gotten me packing pretty tightly, but that didn't work here. Even with a lighter-than-usual hand, this one refused to be a 3-match smoke -- requiring up to 5 matches to finish off the bowl.

Based on Serad's review in "Pipes and Tobaccos" magazine, I'd approached this one initially as a Balkan. But the latakia is present in such tiny quantities as to really make this, as many others have noted, a Virginia/oriental blend, with a dash of perique. While I favor the kind of creamy interaction that comes when orientals work together seamlessly with a large quantitiy of latakia in a true Balkan -- where the Virginias are much more of an afterthought -- Presbyterian is very much worth exploring on its own terms. Not to put too much pressure on its name, but: For me, this one is all dark walnut pews, dusty burgundy curtains, and deep shadows. And it's quite enjoyable.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2006-08-08		Medium	Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant

When you´ve had a bad day at the office, problems start to pile up at your door or you´re feeling stressed-out, take this honourable but naughty mixture and light it, preferably outdoors. After few minutes, you will be on the top of things again. Pure medicin, cool and exciting, yet still relaxing, but just for special occasions.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	dprovons (11)	2005-07-19		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Tolerable to Strong

Boy, did I want to like this stuff. It's cool. Not a lot of people I know smoke it (or have even tried it), the local shops don't carry it, it has a long (though not very exciting) history, it comes in a beautifull tin, complete with church steeple, and I have a presbyterian heritage. What's not to like?

In truth, I DID like Presby mixture. It has a great taste, though somewhat milder than I expected and burns slow and even. I would probably like it more and be writing a slightly different kind of review if I had not made the mistake of buying a tin of Astley's #99 on the same day. I went right to the PM and smoked it several days before even opening the Astley's. I had left the PM tin in the car and was too lazy to go get it, so I popped open the #99 instead. Right away I knew the Astleys had a stronger, fuller taste. In fact, the main difference is simply that everything I like about Presby Mixture is amplified (to good effect) in the Astley's. So really, nothing wrong with PM. Actually, there's a whole lot right with it and it gets a strong recommendation from me (I still grab it for a change of pace). It's just that Astley's gives me more of what I like about PM. And more is good!

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	RCUSElder (244)	2005-05-19		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

05-19-2005

Appearance and Tin aroma: Fine ribbon cut, smells earthy and deliciously pungent.

Packing and Lighting: Long ribbons make for careful packing. Moisture is perfect, two lights max.

Initial Flavor: Earthy, musty, salty, yumm.

Mid-Bowl: a very ocassional sweet note from the VA, but mostly a round, nutty, buttery flavor.

Bottom of Bowl: a nice increase of strength, some spicy notes develop. Ash is fine and dry, light grey in color (as if that matters!).

Overall: Well, being an ordained reformed Elder, I had to try this blend just because of its name affiliation. This blend seems to be in the saltier end of the "oriental" category, but not bitter. Tongue-bite was definitely not an issue with this blend as it provided enough flavor with normal puffing. Alas, this blend already shows the influence of liberalism by its lack of depth though. Don't get me wrong, it is a good blend, but does not exemplify the depth and complexity of the Westminster Standards that Presbyterians are normally known for. I guess I'll keep a tin or two around just to remind myself to keep vigilant...

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Beer (345)	2005-05-02		Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild	Tolerable

Among all the reviewers here, I probably am the one who enjoyed this tobacco the least. I guess that simple virginia+orientals without latakia is not a combination I love, as I find it a bit cigarettish. There are some exceptions I like (Ashton's Old London Pebblecut, and a couple of McClelland made blends), but usually I think that this simple combination falls quite flat.

The tin aroma was quite promising: moderately sweet, very ripe, with some musty notes... the smoking experience was a disappointment. It is a VERY smooth, non-bitey, refined and delicate blend: never cloying, never a taste out of place... but too dull and monochromatic, IMHO.

While I can't say that the result is disagreeable, the taste is quite dusty, without enough Virginia sweetness or noticeable spiciness. Probably OK for those in search of very unperceivable nuances, or on the other hand as an all day blend... but I seek more excitement.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2001-10-24		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

Though this is probably one of those blends initially purchased because of its interesting name and history, it is also remarkably palatable. Though I am not usually too excited about oriental/Virginia blends, I do enjoy this one on occasion.

It is a visually unremarkable though reasonably attractive blend of mottled browns and blacks from the stoved Virginias and lighter colors from the Macedonian oriental tobaccos. The tin nose is eminently pleasant and sufficiently sweet to suggest the possibility of a slight top note of something fruity?though I can neither taste it in the smoke nor put my finger on exactly what the aroma suggests. The orientals as well as the rich dark Virginias are evident in the tin aroma also. If the smoking quality could be judged based solely on the tin aroma, it would be fantastic.

Indeed, the smoking quality and flavor is as good as one would have suspected. I don't notice any top flavoring during the smoke and I'm not really sure there is one at this point. The Virginias are pleasantly balanced-- slightly sweet and very well rounded. The Orientals do help to balance the blend and give it a fullness that I don't think it would have otherwise.

Presbyterian burns cleanly down to a fine white/grey ash. On the whole, it is a very pleasant smoke, but there is nothing here to render this an all the time blend for me; however, I'll definitely come back to it from time to time.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2001-03-28		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Very Full	Very Strong

Description on the tin: ?mellow blend of US-Virginia tobaccos and high-quality Macedonian grades.

Pre light: Smells really musty. I can detect the latakia, but the primary note is heavy Turkish. I think it smells great, but others (non-pipe smokers) disliked it greatly. About 10% dark tobacco, 30% lighter, blond tobacco. The remainder is medium to dark brown. Sort of a crimp cut, with some bigger pieces. It packs easily. Pretty dry, but did not require hydration.

During/after the smoke: Chars well. Tamps down flat and lights evenly and easily. Lots of white smoke, I like that. Initial impression is the mustiness of Turkish. Not as heavy a Balkan blend (it lacks the heavy latakia), but heavy. Very little sweetness. The flavor seems to change down the bowl, but the mustiness does not go away. I can?t really taste the Virginias. Towards the middle and bottom of the bowl I get a slight latakia wafting, but that fades. A slightly salty characteristic develops in the second third of the bowl and continues throughout. Burns really well. Can be a little warm, but not hot. On a scale of 1 to 10 (where 1 is mouth scorching) I?d rate it a 4 or 5. Not really rough on the tongue. It shows some strength towards the bottom of the bowl. On a scale from 1 to 10 (where 10 is my head swimming in mud), I?d give it a 6. Burned to a mottled, light and dark gray fluffy ash with little dottle. Left the walls of the pipe clean. Smokes remarkably dry, and I?m not a very dry smoker. I?m left with a pleasant but musty tobacco aftertaste.

My assessment: Not bad; decent. Not an ?all day? smoke. Reminds me of Balkan Sasieni and compares favorably. I won?t smoke this often, but it?s an interesting change of pace. A little too much Turkish influence for me, at the expense of the latakia and Virginias.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JaWiBr (562)	2023-02-13		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

Tin note of sour fruit, spices and sweet soda. Tobacco is a Coarse Cut of tan, brown, dark brown and a little black. Moisture content is ok, some may want to dry it a bit. Burns slow with a few relights. The strength is medium and nic is mild. No flavoring detected. Taste is medium and consistent, with notes of wood, floral, bread, spices, grass, leather, rich earth, dry hay, herbal peaty vegetation, orange peel/zest, acidic/spicy, citrus, mildly bitter, a mild stewed tart almost sour fruit background note, and a peppery retro. Virginia is leading with Oriental/Turkish supporting. Latakia is cheering on the sidelines. Room note is tolerable, and aftertaste is great.

Pipe Used: 1991 Ashton Old Chruch XX Prince

Age When Smoked: 5 years

Purchased From: smokingpipes.com

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	RudyH (13)	2022-08-23		Mild	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

Revised review: I enjoy this blend more and more. I have seen tobaccos like this referred to as having an "incense" flavor, and that is a better characterization than my "perfume-like" flavor. This is a great tobacco.

Original review: My first review. I like Planta Presbyterian because it has a pleasant perfume-like flavor. It is this distinct flavor that I find attractive. I don't sense it as a sweet flavor, but like a musky perfume.

In my my 2" diameter meerschaum apple with 0.9" bowl diameter this tobacco is outstandingly good. The perfume flavor isn't as strong as in the briars, but that effect actually improves it. I like it in the briars and I like it even more in the excellent IMP meerschaum.

Interesting is that the tin note smells like barbecued pork or similar savory smoked meat, but as usual, the smoke tastes nothing like the tin note.

As of August 2022 my favorite tobacco is Peterson Elizabethan. Am happily exploring the Danish style aromatics, with reviews to follow.

Technique notes: My smoking technique is to focus only on smoking. No reading or work or other distractions. Just enjoying the smoke. Outdoors only. Lightly charring the tobacco initially and with relights. Sipping. Occasional retrohale. Peterson pipe lighter with smallest practical flame. Sometimes a BIC EZ Reach lighter.

Am using a variant of the Frank method to pack a 2/3 full pipe without first putting loose tobacco in the bowl. I just take a wad of tobacco and press it into place Frank-style. Tobacco is stored in OXO POP container with size 60 Boveda 72% pack.

Pipes used: Peterson X105 Billiard, Dunhill 4107 Prince, Savinelli Porto Cervo 122 Pot, Savinelli Giubilieo D'Oro 207 Apple, IMP Meerschaum Apple

Savinelli 207 smooth apple is my favorite pipe and favorite pipe design.

Pipe Used: Various good quality briar pipes

Age When Smoked: New to six months

Purchased From: SmokingPipes

Similar Blends: Nothing else I've tried..

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Roberto84 (4)	2022-05-19		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

The tobacco I am reviewing was produced in 2006. The tobacco has perfect moisture and smokes with ease. The virginia in the mix is covered with sparkling bloom. Lots of rich smoke fills the room as it burns without hesitation.

I have read many of the reviews of this blend and my observations are a bit different. I'm not sure if this is due to my individual tastes or if it has to do with the age of the tobacco blend.

I find this blend to be quite oriental dominant. I enjoy oriental blends, so it is a pleasure for me to smoke. It has a sour, tart profile with the virginia lurking in the background, not assertive, but contributing to the blend nicely. When sipped lightly the virginia sweetness is more noticeable, but at a normal cadence the orientals are in charge.

The room note is typically english. I have a recent tin and am looking forward to trying it and comparing it to the 16 year old tobacco I'm sampling at present. Easily a four star blend in my estimation. Easy to pack, smoke, smooth and very balanced..

Pipe Used: Portland Bulldog

Age When Smoked: 16

Similar Blends: .

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	BingCrosby (162)	2022-05-11		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I know the latakia question has already been solved.. but hello?? Are you all dense? I can pick up on the small amount of latakia in GL Pease Filmore.. this is not all that disguised here.. yes it is oriental forward.. but if you can't perceive the latakia in Presbyterian mixture I kind of admire your lack of taste for that.. because I do love latakia but im also very sensitive to its dominating nature.. Luckily.. Presbyterian is very well balanced.. a nice virgina/oriental guided smoke.. pleasant if not a little one dimensional.. but sometimes that hits the spot..

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	RK_Oz (15)	2022-05-11		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

Got sample from a friend and have smoked a few bowls so far.

First 15 mins: from the initial light their is mild smoky campy profile from the latakia SUPPORTING the grassy, hay, woody virginias complemented by the tangy, sour, spicy orientals. There is some beautiful creaminess engulfing the above mentioned individual notes.

Retrohale: mildly spicy and creamy.

15-30 mins: Similar to the first 15 mins mark with additional creaminess and some sweetness here and there. Latakia is definitely in a support with  Virginias and Orientals competing for the lead role.

Retrohale: moderately spicy with some sweetness and creaminess.

30+ mins: Same as 15-30 mins mark with strength increasing by a notch or two as I continued smoking almost to the heel

Overall: Burns nice,  cool and at a decent pace into grey ash and required only a couple of relights. Leaves almost no moisture in the bowl.

I didn't experience any harsh spots and don't believe it would bite even if sipped faster and harder.

Nice creamy blend, well supported by Latakia providinf consistent spicy, grassy, hay notre with some sweetness.

This can be an excellent blend for people getting into English/Balkan wanting to appreciate Latakia.

Strength is medium and Taste us slightly past the medium mark. It's not an overly complex blend but engaging nevertheless.

3.5/4 overall score

Pipe Used: Various briars

Age When Smoked: 12 months +

Purchased From: Sample from a friend

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Bushleagueosu (20)	2021-09-17		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

I am normally not an english smoker but I do get in the mood for them from time to time. This is very well balanced with not to much latakia or oriental. I get a very pleasing apricot sweetness from the first light which stays about half way through the bowl then transitions to an earthy and sweet mild english. I really enjoy this in all size bowls and it has become one of the very few english blends that i can smoke anytime and I have recently found myself reaching for this instead of some of my regular va/pers.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Leon (85)	2021-07-15		Mild	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is a 1 year old tin, which I find better than when it was fresh.

Out of the tin I get "warm" notes of sweet and just a bit of spice jumps right at you. Chocolate and mint tin note. The floral character of the Turkish tobaccos really stands out.

If I like anything about this blend, it's the first part of the smoke. The fairly small amount of Latakia is still able to compete for first place with the Turkish leaves. Some of that Chocolaty aroma is translated into the smoke. But the main profile is the floral Turkish tobaccos.

Perfect moisture out of the tin, easy to pack and smoke. Minimal relights. The flavor becomes a bit more smokey and ashy towards the end, which I don't particularly like in this case (ashy is never good). I also get a bit bored once I get to the mid-final stages of the smoke as I feel that it becomes more bland. Can be an all-day smoke for those specific people who really like Turkish tobaccos. It's not too complex, but the play between the sweetness, slight spice, and eventually more smokey profiles are something to think about while smoking this blend.

I smoke this in my medium-size Lovat that I dedicate to Latakia blends. Small pipes tend not to translate the flavor enough and with big bowl the flavor gets lost for me.

Medium in body, mild in strength.

Worth a try for those who are looking into trying Balkan blends and anyone else who wants to taste a piece of history. For me, one tin was enough for now.

Pipe Used: Medium-size billiards and Lovats

Age When Smoked: 1 year

Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Greybeard (66)	2021-06-30		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Interesting English blend. As most everyone has said, Virginia is definitely the dominate tobacco here, as the sweet grassy/hay flavor will be there from start to finish. There is a little hint of citrus as well. The orientals, are subtle and stay in the background, only occasionally coming through.

As for latakia, I thought I could smell it some when I first opened the tin, but after smoking several bowls, it's presence eludes me. If it is there (which the label and online descriptions says it is) then it's in such a small amount to be nearly undetectable.

Overall though, this is a fantastic mild English blend, that smokes well and has great flavor. Highly recommended for most any piper except for those who only love heavy latakia.

Pipe Used: Brebbia Sabbiata, & cobs

Age When Smoked: 7 months old when opened

Purchased From: SmokingPipes.com

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Poodlejuice (51)	2021-06-23		Mild	Very Mild	Mild	Pleasant

First of all, this blend is hardly an "English". At least not by my standards. This is more of a VA/oriental blend. Think of a Scottish mixture but with a good pinch of oriental.

I get a nice touch of earth, grass, a nice "sourness", and a really nice floral note complimented by a HUGELY creamy finish. I also get a lot of vanilla, enough that I wonder if it's topped. The latakia is very obvious by the tin note (as is the vanilla) however there is very little latakia flavor while burning. It's there, but it fits right in and doesn't make itself noticed much.

Now on to the negatives. My tin came absurdly dry. It appeared to be sealed when I popped it, but nonetheless it's bone dry. I eventually rehydrated it, and that did improved it a bit. I find that most MacBaren blends require a disciplined smoking technique to enjoy, however this one seems even more difficult to keep in check. I find I can only slow sip this blend, and even then I tend do burn my tongue and get bitter notes.

I have a feeling this is uncharacteristic of this blend so I will probably pick up another tin in a year or so and report back if my experience is any different.

Pipe Used: Cobs, various briar

Age When Smoked: 2020

Purchased From: Smoking pipes

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	TotoPipeDreams (44)	2020-12-27		Mild	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Man I really enjoy this stuff. Wonderful lighter English. But that does not mean lacking in flavor. Well balanced sweet citrusy Virginia’s and Orientals provide a touch of smokiness. It has the bittersweetness of chocolate and Orange rind to me. I particularly enjoy the licorice-y aftertaste. Packs well with nice moisture content out of the tin. Let out to dry overnight and it’s a mellower smoke in my experience. A superb blend for a first time English smoker.

Pipe Used: Missouri Meerschaum Cob, Savinelli 315ks

Age When Smoked: New

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	BrokenRecord (124)	2019-07-22		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Presbyterian Mixture: A balanced light English blend with no thrills

The Virginia varietals are primarily sweet and tangy with some crisp edges in the smoke. The oriental and Latakia tobaccos present themselves to this reviewer only in passing. Presbyterian Mixture smokes fine, but there is just not enough flavor or complexity in this blend to hold my interest.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2019-04-20		Very Mild	None Detected	Very Mild	Strong

After reading all the reviews on Presbyterian Mixture I felt compelled to see for myself what "some" of the hype was about since the majority of users gave it three or four stars. Still, there were objectional reviews as well. I finally broke down & purchased a tin. I concur with those who claimed it had some bite to it... noticed that right off. Whether it contains Latakia or some specially treated Virginia concoction is academic. Taste, flavor?... the tin I received had none. Just burning harshness & bite. Just a flavorless burning of "something" that didn't even taste like tobacco of any kind.

What I'm always looking for in a good blend is an appealing flavor with some punch & I found very few redeeming or alluring qualities in this mixture. I found it to be lacking in flavor, smoke volume, aroma & it was really wimpy in the Vitamin N department. I found the room note to be fairly objectionable & it smoked the same from start to finish & had an extremely fast burning rate. A full bowl didn't last very long. What I am unable to fathom is that almost half the ratings received four stars. You wonder how this can possibly happen but here we are at the most divisive opinions on any blend that's been reviewed. One wonders how this can possibly happen.

After this most recent trial with PM, I find no purpose in sampling any more of these types of blends... this was the straw that broke the camel's back. I certainly wasn't crazy about this one. I was unable to discern the Orientals or Virginia flavor because the way the leaf was processed, it detracted rather than added any flavorful dimension to this blend. This will be a tin that will be sealed in a plastic bag within an ammunition container to maintain freshness in the event I might want to give it another try while I'm still above ground but if I don't take or have that opportunity, I won't regret it. I suppose it's possible that I could have gotten a bad tin. If it were possible, I'd be interested in having it analyzed.

I also contend that the lower & even some obnoxious reviews this mixture received is because many were expecting something different... something better because of many good reviews. FWIW, so was I. Since I don't inhale & choose not to pave my lungs with nicotine asphalt tar & take a chance of coming down with COPD or lung cancer, I opt for the stronger blends that will absorb into the membranes. So, I prefer the Kentucky/Burley, VA/Per, VA/Bur/Per, VA/Bur, a good Balkan or even a reasonably stout VA blend. I'm going to be generous and give this one two stars only because I can't split one in half but honestly, I've never disliked any tobacco blend as much as I disliked this one & it is the only one I've ever graded with less than two stars.

Rather than recommend Presbyterian Mixture, I'd advise one to try it at their own discretion based on reviews other than mine. You might find a tin for a ten like me & might possibly share my feelings about a wasteful expenditure or you may find it to your liking. Would I purchase another tin? No but will use my blending tobaccos to alter the taste & try to finish it off. However, we're all of differing DNA, so, as to how one smokes a pipe, his taste preferences, "shaken or stirred" & considered quality & value of any blend should be respected.

I value & respect the opinions of other pipers who found this blend "pleasurable" & just because it didn't ring "my" bell certainly doesn't mean anything... just didn't work for me. Although being somewhat of a dissenter who gave this blend a fair trial, I felt obligated to impart my evaluation, regardless. My apologies if anyone is offended.

Pipe Used: Vintage size 2, 6" Meerschaum

Age When Smoked: Fresh Tin

Purchased From: Smoking Pipes

Similar Blends: I'm afraid Presbyterian Mixture is a loner...

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	TheSeuff (5)	2019-03-02		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

One of the best oriental forward light English blends ever. A creamy and cohesive mixture of zesty orientals, sweet Virginias, with a faint wisp of Latakia.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2019-02-26		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Presbyterian Mixture was my introdruction to English blends and my first great experience as a pipe smoker.

A mellow English mixture, with a subtle smoky sweetness and a spicy undertone. There's a very distinctive sweet "fermented" smell coming from the tin, which I really enjoy. It's slightly too moist right out of the tin, but after a few minutes drying time it burns quite slowly and not hot at all. Highly recommended for people who would like to try English blends for the first time or pipe smokers who simply don't like tons of Latakia in their English blends. (There's only a hint of Latakia)

Although some people have referred to Presbyterian Mixture as a "bread and butter" English blend, I think it has a lot more to offer. Just give it some time and pay attention to it.

I never got bit by this tobacco, even though I've intentionally pushed it several times. Mild to medium nicotine hit (at least for me), as long as you don't puff away like a maniac.

A high quality tobacco for a very reasonable price. (17€ per 100g)

Pipe Used: Corncob pipes, DB Billiard

Age When Smoked: New

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	canvas (337)	2019-02-11		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This Presbyterian comes with double protection, it's both bagged and sports a paper disc inside the tin. The projected aroma is a milder English, that still showcases a Latakia charcoal trapping and Oriental pixie dust, but also has a prominent Virginia that mellows the whole blend.

The mottled brown mix is dry enough to spark right up, though I had some trouble maintaining the burn. The leaves are quite flat (not many knurled pieces), causing a restricted air flow when packed with my usual pressure. Not a huge biggie, I just needed to adjust my heavy thumb. I was not initially impressed with the first bowl, since I expect my English blends to have more gunpowder (in the way of spicy mouth tingle), but I started to come around to things by the end of the tin. With a good nicotine hit and some thinking-man's smoke, it felt like a classic.

I can't say the heightened Virginia flavor will make this an entry English to try for fans of that state, but if you prefer to eat a hamburger for lunch every day instead of some gout inducing decadent game bird, you may find that being a Protestant for a day is OK.

Purchased From: pipesandcigars.com

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	dbl-bbl (45)	2019-02-01		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

I know this sounds crazy but me thinks this tobacco is quite appealing just to sit & stare at in the tin ... it so reminds me of German Chocolate Cake ... but for goodness sakes don't eat it !

According to Kapnismologists of old, this blend has been around for quite some time ... like since the turn of the century ... the last century that is! I'm no spring chicken hence at my present age it's high time for me to finally put this one on my "bucket list".

I won't go into all of the descriptors for the various tobacco components ... others here have done that quite well. I'll briefly share my findings & comparisons and if these interest you ... well try it for yourself. For me this blend is in the same vein as SG's Squadron Leader ... yet still different. PM has just a whisper of Latakia (SL has slightly more) and a helping spoonful of those sweet & tart Orientals that marry quite nicely with the Virginia base tobaccos. The tobacco burns down to a nice gray ash and the flavor is consistent from start to finish.

I can understand how this one has been around for so long and withstood the test of time. As for me, I still prefer Balkans with a little more zest to go with that old smoky Latakia ... but this is certainly a nice change of pace.

Pipe Used: Briar

Age When Smoked: Fresh from Tin

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Steve Robinett (4)	2019-02-01		Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

A really nice medium English blend. Tin note is pleasant and mildly fragrant. Nice ribbon cut that packs easily and stays lit. This is a bit softer than other English bends that I prefer (Early Morning Pipe and Old Dublin , for example) . Can be an all-day blend and is really a quality smoke. Three stars simply because it just doesn't quite punch the ticket for me.

Pipe Used: Peterson XL02

Age When Smoked: new

Purchased From: Smoking Pipes

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2018-12-20		Mild	None Detected	Extremely Mild (Flat)	Strong

After reading all the reviews on Presbyterian Mixture I felt compelled to see for myself what "some" of the hype was about since the majority of users gave it three or four stars. Still, there were objectional reviews as well. I finally broke down & purchased a tin. I concur with those who claimed it had some bite to it... noticed that right off. Whether it contains Latakia or some specially treated Virginia concoction is academic. Taste, flavor?... the tin I received had none. Just burning harshness & bite. Just a flavorless burning of "something" that didn't even taste like tobacco of any kind.

What I'm always looking for in a good blend is an appealing flavor with some punch & I found very few redeeming or alluring qualities in this mixture. I found it to be lacking in flavor, smoke volume, aroma & it was really wimpy in the Vitamin N department. I found the room note to be fairly objectionable & it smoked the same from start to finish & had an extremely fast burning rate. A full bowl didn't last very long. What I am unable to fathom is that almost half the ratings received four stars. You wonder how this can possibly happen but here we are at the most divisive opinions on any blend that's been reviewed. One wonders how this can possibly happen.

After this most recent trial with PM, I find no purpose in sampling any more of these types of blends... this was the straw that broke the camel's back. I certainly wasn't crazy about this one. I was unable to discern the Orientals or Virginia flavor because the way the leaf was processed, it detracted rather than added any flavorful dimension to this blend. This will be a tin that will be sealed in a plastic bag within an ammunition container to maintain freshness in the event I might want to give it another try while I'm still above ground but if I don't take or have that opportunity, I won't regret it. I suppose it's possible that I could have gotten a bad tin. If it were possible, I'd be interested in having it analyzed.

I also contend that the lower & even some obnoxious reviews this mixture received is because many were expecting something different... something better because of many good reviews. FWIW, so was I. Since I don't inhale & choose not to pave my lungs with nicotine asphalt tar & take a chance of coming down with COPD or lung cancer, I opt for the stronger blends that will absorb into the membranes. So, I prefer the Kentucky/Burley, VA/Per, VA/Bur/Per, VA/Bur, a good Balkan or even a reasonably stout VA blend. I'm going to be generous and give this one two stars only because I can't split one in half but honestly, I've never disliked any tobacco blend as much as I disliked this one & it is the only one I've ever graded with less than two stars.

Rather than recommend Presbyterian Mixture, I'd advise one to try it at their own discretion based on reviews other than mine. You might find a tin for a ten like me & might possibly share my feelings about a wasteful expenditure or you may find it to your liking. Would I purchase another tin? No but will use my blending tobaccos to alter the taste & try to finish it off. However, we're all of differing DNA, so, as to how one smokes a pipe, his taste preferences, "shaken or stirred" & considered quality & value of any blend should be respected.

I value & respect the opinions of other pipers who found this blend "pleasurable" & just because it didn't ring "my" bell certainly doesn't mean anything... just didn't work for me. I've also noticed that it's the number one selling tinned tobacco on Smoking Pipes website, so, obviously, somebody really likes this stuff. Although being somewhat of a dissenter who gave this blend a fair trial, I felt obligated to impart my evaluation, regardless. My apologies if anyone is offended.

Pipe Used: Vintage size 2, 6" Meerschaum

Age When Smoked: Fresh Tin

Purchased From: Smoking Pipes

Similar Blends: I'm afraid Presbyterian Mixture is a loner...

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Lager (53)	2018-12-15		Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

This review is based on a 9 year old sample vrs new. I used 2 separate 268 petersons that had not been smoked in quite some time and were clean. The 9 year old had been in a mason jar and had retained a good moisture level. The color of the 9 year old also turned completely dark brown. The new blend is sharp and spicy and is Virginia foward but at times the spicey orientals show there presence. If there is latakia in either blend it a splash as it rarely makes an appearance. The 9 year old has mellowed and the Virginia is sweet, and the grassyness has left. Still no signs of the latakia and the orentials dance in and out. The newer version burned to an almost white ash as the older to a gray. This blend requires age in my opinion but probably not years, but maybe 6 months to a year. The nic hit is medium, and smokes relatively dry. In conclusion, there are much better blends out there for my taste, so both old an new get two stars as there was not much going on as the blend didn't have much interplay.

Smoke in Peace- Lager

Pipe Used: Peterson 268

Age When Smoked: New and 9 years

Purchased From: Pipes and cigars

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Theologia14 (24)	2018-11-26		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

A nice mellow English blend that ages beautifully. The tin I am basing this review on was about five years old and in peak condition.

Upon first light, I usually get just a little harshness from the latakia, but it settles down very quickly and the first third of the bowl brings out a nice Virginia flavor. The Latakia is noticeable, but it really starts to shine around midway through the bowl. Finally, there is a grand crescendo of delightful latakia at the end of the bowl, leaving you with the feeling that you really did just smoke something.

Mechanically, I only have trouble with this blend in bowls that narrow toward the bottom (My Stanwell Danish Sovereign Zulu being the chief offender). But the blend usually behaves remarkably well and smokes down to a dark grey ash.

This could very well be an all-day blend for someone new to English blends but might leave the experienced piper a bit wanting. I will certainly be buying another tin or two to age in the cellar for a future day.

Pipe Used: Several billiards, a Zulu, and a bent bulldog

Age When Smoked: 4 years

Purchased From: Gift

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	mariusK (33)	2018-10-18		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

One of the best English blends out there. If you are looking for Latakia this one is for you, because this blend is incredibly full in taste and very English (I have no idea whether it has Latakia or not, but it really doesn't matter)

I cannot really add anything to reviews of many luminaries who write here, so allow me please just to state that this is an all days smoke, full of subtle nuances from Virginias and Oriental (and perhaps Latakia?) with some spicy notes. Very elegant and balanced, a wonderful blend that does not bite, needs no relights and burns down to fine ash.

Addendum: it smokes much better when it is a little dry.

Pipe Used: Parker, Caminetto, Butz Choquin Galion

Age When Smoked: new

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Jaime102 (6)	2018-07-19		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

Quoting G. Bush, "I'm not an expert". I do not share all the TULIP Calvinist ideas, nor I have enough experience to fully review tobacco, but this Presbyterian mixture is a good tobacco. It is easy to smoke, and the room note is pleasant ( waiting for my wife impressions). However, is not a cheap tobacco, and for the same price, I can get one of my favorite tobacco tins plus some change. give it a try, it is OK

Pipe Used: Peterson Christmas edition 2017

Purchased From: Motzek, Kiel. Deutschland

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Jjgerv (20)	2018-06-21		Mild	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

A classic English mixture, soft but tasty. Very good quality of tobaccos and the mixture is well achieved. Very nice to smoke all day and can be a very good option for fans of aromatics as a change in rotation.

For these places is one of the most economical tinned mixture, so it is an excellent value for money, perhaps the best.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Daniel W. (23)	2017-09-16		Mild	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

This is my first bowl of the Presbyterian Mixture, I've just tasted a sample of it some months before, but I didn't pay too much attention. Now I took some time to taste it better. I've ever heard about this Mixture, many friends like it. My first impression is that it is very enjoyable. Somehow lightly but good tobacco for a everyday smoke. It tastes like wood-chips mainly. And it also tasted like burn leaves and black pepper. It has kind of sourness, medium to high bitterness (but doesn't bite at all), and not dectable sweetness. It burns pretty well and you don't have to relight it all the time. I like it, it will not be one of my favorites, and I recommend it for those who like smooth Mixtures.

Pipe Used: Peterson Founder's Edition

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: It was a gift

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	SunriseBoy (21)	2017-03-06		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

A lot of the prognostications here and on other reviews drive me nuts when reviewers say there is or isn't Latakia in a blend. First always read JimmyInks. He'll give you the mail on whether or not Latakia is present in a blend.

Second read the next few lines and be informed (correctly for a change!) as to the status of Latakia in the Pres. blend.

(This quote is taken from the intro blurb on the top of the page). As there continues to be controversy over the question of whether Presbyterian Mixture contains Latakia, the following quote from page six of the blender's 2008 catalogue should leave the matter settled: "Extraordinarily soft blend of finest US Virginia grades and a number of selected Latakia leaf tips. Ideal mixture also for beginners with English tobaccos." Originally blended for mass market by William P. Solomon, whose recipe it still follows.

Have you got in now?!

Pipe Used: Corn Cob...what else!

Purchased From: 4noggins

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Kribbage (32)	2017-02-14		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Hoo boy, this one was a real brain tease. Very earthy in the tin, but tremendously different when lit. If my first impression of the tin aroma was where I stopped, I would have been cheating myself of a real great puffer. Room note is very acceptable for my wife, and you gotta give the wife a say in these matters. Taste is sublime, considering the almost rancid aroma upon opening the tin, as I stated previously. But go thru the paces with this closet case, and you will not be disappointed.

Okayokayokay, after reading the other reviews of this blend, I seem to be the only one offended greatly by the tin aroma. Maybe the Tuscan Chicken with double garlic I had for dinner had something to do with my comment, but I still like it when it is burning.... I mean, I'm not chewing the stuff.

Pipe Used: All types

Age When Smoked: Fresh tin

Purchased From: Jon's Pipe Shop, Champaign, Illinois

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	ElMog (36)	2017-02-10		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

Leather, soda, spice, then some incense. Starts out with some spicy and sour notes, quickly calms down and becomes leathery, then some soda-like sweetness comes into play, rising from the background. Slight incense notes in the retrohale. Delicate yet very satisfying. The taste then settles in murkier territory in the scond half of the bowl, with some bitterness appearing, the spice and leather components merging together. If there is latakia in this blend, i for one cannot taste it per se, but at the same time i wouldnt be surprised if its there since the blend feels quite ''english''. Presbyterian packs well, smokes well, a very well behaved tobacco. I dont like the tin note. The room note is not very strong but i wouldnt call it pleasant. Overall, a subtle, savory blend that is not too heavy and never gets tiring. Could be an all-day smoke.

Pipe Used: Various, having best results with wide bowls

Purchased From: 4noggins

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Red_Machine (2)	2017-02-03		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

I bought this because it was a blend recommended on several forums as one that everybody should try. I'm glad I did, because it has a lovely, smooth taste. I can smoke it without needing a drink to wet my whistle while I smoke, but if puffed too hard it can become a bit acrid. I notice that it crackles and pops when I light it sometimes; this is the first time I've experienced this with pipe tobacco, but I haven't been in the hobby long so I don't know if this is unusual or not.

Would recommend!

Pipe Used: Dr. Plumb 4071

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: My Smokingshop

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Rob73 (77)	2016-10-30		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

A spicy opening with a sweetness which emerges as the smoking progresses. A pleasant, rich final. I don't taste Latakia. It lacks in personality. 3,0/5 in my personal rating system.

Purchased From: Dubini, Chiasso (Switzerland)

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Bifkinator (10)	2016-08-21		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

I'm a fan of English mixtures. I love orientals and latikias within English blends so much and thats what makes me pick one up every time I order. I had high hopes and expectations for this one after reading reviews and as soon as it came in I popped it open.

It smells like an English blend. I pick up the latakia and orientals when I sniff at it but its strangely earthy. Or earthier than usual I guess. It caught me off guard. When smoking, it smells pretty good. Not anything out of the ordinary but smells like most English blends room notes. Pretty enjoyable on the room note.

Now I don't know what it is, but there is something about this blend that just really throws my palate off. This is where my overall view of this blend comes from. I'm not a fan to be honest. Its one of those things that you can't really explain other than just saying "I don't really like it". Theres not one thing that stands out that I don't like, theres just something there that I personally don't enjoy. My final conclusion: I want to enjoy it but I just can't. Again, I don't know why and I can't pick out what it is.

I love that this tobacco has a cool story and history to it which is why I got it in the first place (I'm a sucker for tobaccos with a cool story or history). As much as I want to be a fan of this blend I just can't. And I hate it. That being said, I don't NOT recommend it to people. You should totally try it as you should any tobacco you want to regardless of the reviews. But this tin was not my favorite and its hard for me even now to finish a bowl of it.

Pipe Used: Savinelli Lovat

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: Smoking pipes

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	benjamin1 (2)	2016-02-09		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

No idea why this happened, but it did: I have hated this mixture since I first lit it up 4 months ago. I smoke it three times, in three different briars, and each time my experience got worse -- it tasted like a weird, minty rubbery concoction. But, being meticulous and believing that eventually I must come to like this classic blend, I jarred it.

Fast forward to now. I just loaded a bowl in a MM Mark Twain straight cob and holy crap, was my experience different. Perhaps it was the enhanced sweetness of matured virginas, or perhaps it was the classic cob smoking experience, but I was blown away.

The minty flavor I experienced earlier was there, but it was muted by the presence of sweet virginias and lightly spicy orientals. Maybe that mintyness is the classic "soapy" type flavor of latakia, I'm not sure -- correct me if I'm wrong, please. The mouthfeel of this tobacco is awesome. A medium-full bodied smoke, with classic english oiliness, but not overwhelmingly so -- a great all-day english, not too weak, not too strong.

The room note is fairly light -- I would go so far as to call it pleasant, a very smoky and sweet aroma, dissipating within 4 hours or so. Sort of like tobacco incense.

All in all, great smoke. In my rotation now -- still wouldn't give it 5 stars, but maybe because I'm a semois and Va/Per kind of guy, not so much of an english smoker.

Pipe Used: MM Mark Twain Cob

Age When Smoked: 4 months

Purchased From: smokingpipes.com

Similar Blends: Esoterica Tobacciana - Margate, Dunhill - My Mixture 965, Dunhill - Early Morning Pipe.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	crazy owl (74)	2016-01-25		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

After a very long absence I found this wonder again and I´m happy indeed.First aboard begins just like a sibling of London Mixture but in every bowl the subtil macedonian flavour grows more and more.Nothing better could be made with that misterious balkanik leaf.Mc Clelland Yenidje are wonderful,that´s true,but the overhelming,and really splendid of their own,virginias crush the oriental leaf.At Presbyterian they shine in their whole splendor.Nostalgicals could say with all the reasons that this is not the original but is wonderful anyway.With Presby into my pipe I dont miss the old dear BS,well just a little.For the people smoking first time maybe no shocking but if some of you english-balkan lovers after finishing the tin don´t like it blame on me freely.About the controversial presence of Latakia,I believe that there´s only a little pinch of syrian variety.

Pipe Used: dunhills size 4

Age When Smoked: current production

Purchased From: smokingpipes

Similar Blends: mayhaps Dunhill London Mixture.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	point9 (114)	2015-07-11		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

Judge from it's long history, PM must be one of the prototype of so-called Balkan blend. Flavorful oriental in front, sweet, bright virginia as backbone, with delicate latakia added to bring out the subtle complexity, I have no doubt it lasts for generations and remains popular. When you latakia lovers want to refresh yourself from the heavy note, this is the one you will go to.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	The Hun (38)	2015-06-11		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

There is much sturm und drang over whether or not this has latakia, has very much latakia in it, has too much latakia in it, etc. I think it has been established that it does contain latakia, but not an overly large dose of it.

I find it to be a tasty blend, with the virginia and the orientals swapping domination back and forth for the first half of the bowl. The orientals take over for the last half.

The reason I rate this as only two stars is the price. My taste buds register very little difference between this and other similar blends (Villiger Early Day, for example) available at MUCH lower prices.

Pipe Used: Various briars, cobs

Age When Smoked: fresh from tin

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	beercritic (33)	2014-11-07		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

It's nice, but $12+ for a tin? For that kind of cash, I shouldn't have to pick out stems. Still, I plan to smoke this & Three Nuns around the Baptists in my family, just to get a reaction.

Pipe Used: meer briar

Age When Smoked: 6 montgs

Purchased From: P&C

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	meerschaum (8)	2014-09-26		Mild	None Detected	Mild	Pleasant

Why didn't they Just call it Martin luther and cut out some of the BS? Instead Planta (D) give us a load of marketing garbage about a Very Rev. Dr. John White (GB) who supposedly smoked this exact blend over 100 years ago. I also like how its been placed before WW1 to make us romanticise of how things could have been.

About the tobacco itself, it is excellent and worth trying. Nice and mild with just the right amount of Latakia to give it a noticeable but soft smokiness.

Pipe Used: Caminetto

Age When Smoked: new

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	modelmanmodels (12)	2014-03-03		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

I read some of the reviews before purchasing a tin. I'm not a constant smoker of Latakia blends because I find them...eventually to be too much to take.

I'm on my second day with this and I'm really enjoying it and it's not fighting back. I'm not getting all of those supposed nuances of flavoring and complexity, just a real nice Latakia blened smoke. To put those who say there is no Latikia in this, there is. End of story. If you think you can't taste any, go to a neurologist because you occipital nerve complex has failed you. This is a nice, nice choice for the occasional Latakia smoker or the one who wants to stay with it for a while and not get beat up.

Pipe Used: briar and corncob

Age When Smoked: new after opening

Purchased From: Havana House E. Rochester, NY

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Wibblefishofdoom (139)	2014-01-05		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is one of those blends that, for a while, has just barely and perceptibly registered on my consciousness. However, a few folk on a forum I frequent have been smoking this recently so it managed to register a little louder within the merry confines of my ill-used cranium and, after a little inquiry, I decided to purchase a tin.

The smell of mild creosote confirms this definitely has latakia in it. The fine ribbons were easy to pack and light. The first few smokes were a little rough, might have been me smoking it too quick or not giving it time to ghost my pipe. In later smokes though, it did calm down and settled into a pleasant, relatively mild latakia taste with a hint of sweetness. It does require taking slowly though, a little too quick and it can get quite rough.

A quite pleasant, sweet smoke then that does require a little care in smoking slowly. I am surprised there seems to be some debate as the lat content as, to me anyway, it's patently obvious that it's in there even if it is far from being a lat bomb. Could be, of course, that I've got sensitive tastebuds and probably why I got a little roughness too but don't worry folks, it's in there. Anyway, on the whole, a decent smoke that isn't wildly exciting but earns itself a nice three stars.

Pipe Used: Straight Falcon with Algiers Bowl

Age When Smoked: Fresh tin

Purchased From: mysmokingshop.co.uk

Similar Blends: Tree Mixture.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	cigarcohiba (36)	2013-12-21		Mild to Medium	Medium	Mild	Tolerable

An easy go tobacco and yet a complicated character to it. Latakia is definitely there. At times it leaves off an aromatic taste. Also has a "livani" roomnote, smell.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2013-10-15		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Tolerable

It's a classic that's the best thing I could say about it

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Malus Rex (9)	2013-09-23		Overwhelming	None Detected	Very Full	Strong

Soft blend? Ideal mixture? To date, this is the only mixture that has made me feel nauseated. I really wanted to like this blend given it's reputation, history, and noted quality. Unfortunately in the end I was forced to mix the last portion of the tin with my beloved Nightcap to make it tolerable enough to avoid wasting it & tossing it in the trash bin. Sour, harsh, and biting. A nicotine punch in the unmentionables.

Short & sweet: If I could find the sadists responsible for this blend, I'd burn down their offices and salt the earth like the Romans at Carthage. Vae Victis.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Peter Piper (41)	2013-06-04		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

This really is a Prince amongst tobacco blends. It manages to mix bright and dark attractively to the eye, sweet and sour pleasantly to the nose and fruit and salt deliciously to the taste buds. Complex, yet easy to light and maintain, it has everything going for it. If I were to be condemned to only one tobacco for the rest of my days, this would probably be it.

Highly recommended.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	mnadz (69)	2013-05-14		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

Found my favorite blend so far. I like strong blends, finding straight Virginias way too bland (almost tasteless). I want to know that I am smoking tobacco and this delivers. Not only does it deliver a fantastic flavor, but it is such smooth robust taste. I can not say enough of this blend. If your looking for a smooth pop of Latakia, this is it.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Clive Moses Apikouris (41)	2013-04-28		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

As I am not only a proud Red Sea pedestrian but I am also an ordained congregational Rabbi it is quite amusing to me that this blend created for an esteemed member of the Presbyterian clergy should be my current favorite tobacco. Here's the story: I first tried this blend some five years ago. I disliked it. The tin ended up being stored in a Ziplock bag along with other pipe stuff in a plastic storage bin in anticipation of a move. Recently while searching for some old pipe stands I discovered the tin and decided to give the stuff another try. Opening the tin I found the tobacco still moist, the inside of the top of the tin had even rusted a bit. The dark tobacco had a nice slightly musty sweet and sour aroma with a bit of smokiness. I loaded up an old CBP Westminster London made pipe and sparked it up. I was very pleasantly surprised. The smoke was both full bodied and gentle. I usually am not a huge fan of either Virginia or Oriental tobacco but this blend has a marvelous sweet and sour flavor. Yes, there is Latakia, just a bit to season this delicious blend adding a slight a bit of a sweet smokiness, somewhat like what smoked paprika adds to a dish. When I had first tried this years past I was on a heavy Latakia binge so perhaps that is why it was forgotten for so long. As for nicotine content, the dose in this aged tin was quite mild, something that to me is a plus. The tin is now almost empty after numerous bowls. I can't say for sure if the aging had altered the flavor. A new tin is on the way so I'll soon find out. As for this tin, it's a favorite and highly recommended. 5/27/2013 Update: I finished my archaeological discovery tin and popped open a new one. Surprise! A much milder, brighter tasting, less smokey and less savory experience. More of a Virginia forward taste it was still very enjoyable but the aging on the first tin really improved this classic mixture. I'll enjoy this tin but a suppose I must cellar a few and get back to them in the future to enjoy it as much a the first I tried. It still rings up four stars though.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2013-04-15		Medium	Extremely Mild	Full	Tolerable

Where should I start on this? The tin has a very noticeable Virginia smell that is one of the best I have ever smelled. It was as if though there was honey added. The Orientals give it a very fragrant and peppery smell, smoky and smoked!

Once lit, this mixture is pure ecstasy. The balance between the Virginia and the Orientals is I have to say, perfect. This is the best Oriental mixture I have ever smoked.

The blend and balance gives this mixture such a full taste, that is difficult to describe. I would dare say, "smoked honey goodness with a kick in the taste buds". Buy this, buy this!

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2013-03-20		Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium to Full	Tolerable

I came across a tin of this tobacco by luck. I was just buying some pipe cleaners at a shop in oPorto when i noticed they had a nice collection and variety of tobaccos for sale. I was surprised because i hadn't until then found a place where i could buy unusual brands and blends.

When i saw this tin, i remembered someone's advice to make my debut on english tobaccos via Presbyterian Mixture. I have never before tried Latakia, therefore i can't really tell if you taste it here, or not. What i know is that i just love smoking this tobacco for now. I've been smoking it everyday for the last two weeks, and each bowl i smoke seems to taste better than the last.

I've dedicated a brand new pipe to this tobacco, with a large bowl, and to which i removed the stain, leaving it unstained and unwaxed, the pure touch of briar in my hand. The tobacco burns cool, and tastes great, in my opinion. I've found it a good company when walking by the riverside or at the beach. I also enjoy it after lunch with a good cup of coffee, taking some sun, preparing for the afternoon.

Some people have complained of its room note, not that it isn't tolerable, but because they didn't particularly enjoy its smell.

When smoking i tend to feel the taste of wood in my mouth, can't really specify how, but it sometimes does taste like oak to me. The taste varies during the bowl, but i consistently enjoy it during the hole smoke.

I found it very easy to lit and keep lit. Burns evenly and like i said before, burns cool. I've never had tongue bite and i can assure you, being a "newbie" to pipe smoking i tend to puff a bit hard sometimes. Nevertheless i've taken this tobacco as a good chance to become a calm, relaxed and slow smoker. I've had a few bowls burning consistently from top to bottom, never needing to be relit.

I can't tell what other people preferences are when it comes to taste, but if like myself you are discovering the pipe tobacco world, you should give Presbyterian Mixture a try - Even if you don't like it, you'll have a nicely conceived tin of tobacco with a nice look - You could sacralize it as if it was an artistic artifact, in my opinion.

I gave it 4 stars - i don't know if i'll change my mind in the future, but for now, it seems ti fit just right.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Gestalt (20)	2013-02-13		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

I really like this tobacco. It became one of my favorite companions on recent winter walks through the snow with my aging hound and trusted sandblasted billiards (Balkans taste best in sandblasted pipes don't you know!).

Popping a new tin, I was very disappointed with the lack of Latakia, and during my first few bowls, was preoccupied with trying to detect it in the smoke, which I'm sure hampered my enjoyment of this blend. Once I gave up looking for the Latakia I really started to enjoy what was there, Orientals of exceptional quality, married beautifully with good Virginias... and a very light, smooth and constant dose of Latakia. It's no lat-bomb, but it's a great tasting and consistent smoke from start to finish Its wonderful stuff and I shall be buying some for the cellar.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Quincy (6)	2013-02-07		Medium	Mild	Medium to Full	Tolerable

I bought this solely because I am a Presbyterian Minister and well, it would have been heresy not to try. I love it. I love, love, love, love it. I'm mainly an aromatic smoker but holy smokes. Something about the taste reminds me of my undergraduate days studying theology in Vermont. It's a leafy, Fall smell and taste. After a rough Session meeting or Presbytery meeting, I'll pack this up on my way home and just relax. It's heavenly. I can see how, just like our denomination, it isn't for everyone. However, it certainly is for me. I never want to be without it. The only downside is my wife doesn't like this one smoked in the house. I wait until she's asleep or not at home on cold days when I don't want to sit in the garage.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Maccas (6)	2012-12-27		Mild to Medium	Mild	Medium	Tolerable

Did not like the plastic wrapping that the tobacco came in. For me, this detracts from the authenticity of the product. Liked the smell of the tinned raw tobacco - fruity with depth of character. The baccy packed well - certain amount of moisture and pliability in there, the moisture came back later to gurgle a bit and steam on the tongue. However, there is an usual taste and aroma in there that is out of the ordinary. I like it! She who must be obeyed does not like the room note - so generally smoke this outside - no great hardship. This obviously has great heritage and in these days of econimic un-certainty it is nice to draw on the politicians of the past. I have smoked this with a good glass of scotch running alongside it and it is loveley. This, in my opinion, should be sipped gently and allow the smoke to come to the nose - it's double the pleasure. Very good gentle smoke - unusual aroma - like wet leather. Only drawback is that my baccy is moist and as such gurgles and steams a bit - some tongue bite in there but not bad. I have taken the baccy out of the plastic and hopefully this will help with moisture. Good smoke, would buy it again. I think there is world of pipe smokes out there so may try something else and come back to it. Try it!

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	spidermonkey (11)	2012-10-06		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

Tin had about a year and a half on it before I popped it. No reason other than I got distracted by other blends and found this in the stash sitting as pretty as a picture. Open it up, and it's sweet and sour all at once. No expert by any means - I can't say what leaves are doing what. Whatever is happening, I like it. I love the sweet and sour combination that plays back and forth in the nose and on the palate. Can have a tendency to burn a little hot and scorch the tongue. That's about the only thing that I can think of as a drawback. My tin needs just a bit of air before burning properly, but nothing too drastic. Not an amazing tobacco for me - but definitely not bad. I'll keep a tin around for a change of pace.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	fustillat (6)	2012-10-06		Mild	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Having smoked aromatics before, it took me a few days or weeks to become acquainted with this beautiful beast, and it is a good idea to try in in different pipes. It gave me a tongue burn in a small Medico pipe, it behaved well in a Ukrainian pear root, and it gave off a nice cool smoke and a scrumptious flavour in a Denicotea. Now that I've finished the tin and am smoking an ARO again, I feel like missing a friend.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	albfneto (184)	2012-04-21		Very Strong	Medium to Strong	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This a good mixture, cool taste and flavour, but it lacks of some "complexity".

Over the controversy about the presence of Latakia. In the newer cans, tins of this tobacco,the manufacturer said that is an:

"Mellow blend of US-Virgina tobaccos and hight quality Macedonian grades - exclusive,aristocratic pipe mixture."

Therefore,based on this description,it is not a true, or is not a complete "English" mixture, because it not have Oriental tobaccos or Latakia, only Virginia and Macedonian.

However,based on their flavour and taste, for me, Presbyterian Mixture contains Latakia! But I remember that the Macedonian Tobacco is a kind of Greek Latakia.

I have in Mind that this Tobacco can be smoked very slowly and only in small quantities, not full bowl, since seems that is very strong and it contains a very large ammount of Nicotine.

an excelent mixture, fully recommended. Also, Presbyterian is now a benchmark between the English Mixtures and is classic, Legendary

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Mr. Big (321)	2012-04-09		Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Revised 11/6/15- I've been all over the map with this tobacco, liking it , then not so much, was this always manufactured by "Planta" ??? In one word this tobacco is " Inconsistent ". There is a strong "Brine" scent to the tin note and it translates to the smoke. There is also a very "Bitter" taste to the smoke. I really don't know why I'd continue to buy this. This is not the same tobacco from 3 years ago ?

Pipe Used: cob

Age When Smoked: 1 year &1 month

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	DrT999 (318)	2012-04-07		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Over the years, I've written many harsh words about Stanley Baldwin the politician. I must say, however, he smoked a very nice mixture in his cherrywood pipe if this was his every day blend (or at least what he smoked when posing with his pipe). I prefer just a touch of Latakia when it's present at all, and in a wide bowl there is just a tad too much for me, but in taller bowls the orientals really take center stage, with the Latakia providing just the right amount of support. A nice contemplative smoke outside on a cool day.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2012-02-09		Mild	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

They say this is one of the benchmarks of a classic English blend. I find it a great mild,contemplative smoke. Upon opening the tin your greeted by a plastic bag which has the tobacco inside, the sweetness of Virginias,tempered by a nice dash of Orientals and a smidgen of Latakia,it is a tad damp so I recommend you dry it a while and use a pipe fitted with a 9mm filter system. This is an easy to pack,light and smoke baccy that doesn't burn the tonge.if you take it easy. Not that easy to get hold of,so let's hope it doesn't go the way of Balkan Sobranie. O highly reccomend this blend as I think its quite true to the original blend.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2011-12-12		Medium	Mild	Medium	Strong

An average English-type blend. I find it very dry with a rough edge to it. The flavour is a bit harsh and doesn't make for a cool good smoke. Not one of my favorites.

I'm always looking to hearing from other pipe-smokers, so pop me a mail and we can share our experiences.

dickerjason@gmail.com

South Africa

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	quantumboy (130)	2011-11-12		Medium	Very Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

An absolute favorite. Medium-full english with a beautiful balance of all the components. Nothing vies for attention, but everything adds. I have a stack of tins in the cellar. Probably oughtta get more...

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Kokinhenik (93)	2011-10-09		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

The gentleman piper couldn't ask for a tastier English blend nor a brother of the briar dream up a motto better than the Presbyterian's "Burning yet not consumed." The good Lord graced the smoking community with a wonderful treat for the palette with Presbyterian. It's delicious, full bodied, intriguing and consistent. The tin nose is smokey olive bread, tangy and earthy. In the briar I find it a balanced play between nutty, tangy, sour, Orientals, with a touch of soda, and a delicious bready hay Virginia. The earthy smokey Latakia is masterfully blended as supporting actor. The soda note puts this blend in a rarefied spot. By comparison I find EMP similar but Presbyterian is more smokey, strong and savory. The blender found the knife edge between medium and medium/heavy. Presbyterian has a fullness to the smoke yet it's very balanced and doesn't hit you as overly strong in nicotine. We can all enjoy that it's a classic and if treated right, offers an age old satisfying smoke. I love its history and added some additional info below for the readers enjoyment.

History (found elsewhere online): This fine tobacco originally had no name. It was blended before the first World War especially for the Very Rev. Dr. John White, sometime minister of the Barony Kirk in Glasgow and Moderator of the General Assembly in Scotland in 1929. He introduced it to Stanley Baldwin, later Earl Baldwin, Prime Minister in 1923, 1924 and 1935. He liked it so much that regular supplies were sent down to him and it was he who suggested that it be called "Presbyterian Mixture".

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Darth Vader (110)	2011-09-05		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

Opened the tin with the usual hiss of air going into the vaccum but the contents were dryer than the Simpson desert. How could the moisture escape if the seal was still good? The plastic bag inside was not sealed so it wouldnt do much. Must have been sealed ultra dry. Couldnt really taste much of the pipe i smoked. Will rehydrate some and hopefully up the score (minus 10 for quality control though). Very disappointed. Would return to retailer if they werent on the other side of the planet. This is in the hall of fame???

I'm assuming that the german writing inside the tin says something along the lines of that i'm a dumb foriegner and not worthy of such good tobacco so we took it out, laughed as we smoked it and then put this rubbish in instead. Enjoy! My tin says made in the EU.

Update: rehydrating and then siting for several months has brought this back. My opinion now is that of an reasonable balkan but not as good as many such as GLP Kensington. I would probably rate this three stars normally but due to the completely dry nature from the tin i'll give it two.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	HunterTRW (6)	2011-08-23		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

To paraphrase "The Most Interesting Man in the World" who appears occasionally in television commercials for a certain brand of beer, "I don't often smoke English blends, but when I do I prefer Presbyterian Mixture!" To me, it epitomizes the phrase "classic English pipe-tobacco."

The aroma in the tin is delicious: wet leathery, smokey, late fall-woods musty sweet, and cow-barn-like ripe. It's one that, if it could be transubstantiated, I would happily chew on for hours in the same manner that my dog worries her favorite marrow bone.

Presbyterian Mixture's appearance is pleasing, too. Remove the cardboard cover beneath the lid, peel back the clear plastic inner wrap, and you will find substantial strands together with ponderous pieces of light-to-dark brown Virginia leaf, intermixed with Latakia tips that are almost black. It's typically moist, not overly so, but does benefit from some drying prior to use. This is a hefty-looking amalgam that promises solid smoking pleasure.

It does not disappoint. Using the Frank method to fill the bowl of a favorite Savinelli Oscar, it provides me with a good hour of English ecstasy. I find that this tobacco is at its best when smoked SLOWLY, but then aren't they all? I don't mean that you should sip it. Rather, take a deep draught every minute or two and let it drizzle out of your mouth. Take your time as you contemplate its manifold charms and it will reward you. Become distracted (or simply give in to gluttony) and puff too fast, and it will both bite and kick. Nicotine is here in abundance, but will behave if you treat this mixture with gentleness and respect.

Without drying I typically need only two pipe-cleaners per bowl; with drying only one. This tobacco reduces to a fine grey-white ash with little dottle. The room note is comforting in the same manor (pun intended) as that of an old, familiar, and favorite hunting lodge, cabin, or library.

This is a fine English tobacco mixture, and I give it my highest benediction. Amen.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2011-08-10		Mild	Very Mild	Medium	Pleasant

This is a wonderful blend and it is obvious why it has stood the test of time. Very similar to Dunhills EMP but I find this smoother with the orientals a shade less prominent.Unusual presentation in a plastic bag in the tin- I found this really helped keep the moisture level perfect. Room note is not unpleasant. I could smoke this all day very easily. I can see that it may not be strong enough for some people and the flavour is pretty uniform throughout but this is not trying to be an overly complex blend. It leaves a delicious taste on tongue and always leaves me wanting more at the end of the bowl. Perfect with a glass of cold beer when watching newsnight and contemplating issues of state ! Highly recommended.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	DrDyson (148)	2011-07-31		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

Each to his own; I see that some people love Presbyterian Mixture. Personally, I can't see much in it. It's a very bland English mixture, and I found that it burned hot and quickly: the flavour is so bodiless that you can't help puffing hard to try to find some substance in it. I'm not a Latakia freak by any means, but a decent English mixture ought to have more in it than this. Tobaccos are sometimes described in these reviews as one dimensional. This one doesn't have any dimensions at all to speak of. Stanley Baldwin smoked it? Yes: it sort of puts me in mind of the dull, dreary and respectable 1930s. I guess I'm just not a Conservative. If our American friends don't quite get what I mean, think Calvin Coolidge: ordinary and incurably bourgeois. It's an old blend that has survived the horrors of extermination to which so many old blends have succumbed. If only for that reason, it must be worth a try, and palates more subtle than mine clearly enjoy it. Not for me, but I'll give it two stars. It's not horrible; just rather dull.

Update, January 2023: Presbyterian Mixture has now been discontinued in the UK. Another one bites the dust, alas.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2011-07-29		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

Didn't care for this at all. Harsh, hot and what little flavor I found reminded me of smoldering rubber. I know many love this blend and I'm sorry to trash it but these are my honest impressions of this one. Horrid.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	LV9 (85)	2011-07-24		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Tolerable to Strong

I"ll get to the point quick since this blend has been reviewed extensively, the latakia and virginias inter play almost on every puff the orientals provide a little bit of spice more towards the last third of the pipe, the nicotine is about right on this one for me, the room note is tolerable, in the latakia spectrum this is almost to me a morning mix by this I mean do not expect a latakia bomb, subtlety is the intention on this one, probably created originally to be smoked all day without distracting the smoker. Would I buy Presbyterian yes...but is not something that I would actively try to stock it in the cellar, there's nothing in it that makes it stand out from the competition. (My tin has been sitting on the cellar since Oct. 2003)

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	PastorPipe (21)	2011-06-23		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Being a staunch Lutheran, I was a bit cautious to try such a Calvinistic blend. :) However, I find I like it a great deal. The Latakia is there but not overly pronounced. I tasted very little sweetness in it, but there is a bit of spice which causes tingling on the tongue. It isn't very complex and the flavor is consistent throughout the bowl. It is a comfortable smoke overall and leaves a pleasant aftertaste. An old classic that I recommend--but not to the novice.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	derlict311 (71)	2011-05-25		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Tolerable to Strong

Got this one because of the history of it. I've had my original tin I bought a couple years ago and it isn't any better now than when I first smoked it. It has a unique taste that I just can't get my head around. Nah.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	cgar (37)	2011-05-25		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

A mild/medium english blend that produces a creamy not in your face smoke. I too found that this blend does better if you give it time to breathe fresh air for about 10mins or so before packing. After reading some of the reviews here I was a little timid to give this blend a smell out of the tin, but can now share that its not an aweful smell just one that its either a win or lose depending on who you are. (Reminded me of high grade cattle feed) and thats not a bad thing, so to each their own in that department. Overall its a cool smoking medium to light English that will make a nice change up if your looking to mix things up from your everyday.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Fofo (81)	2011-05-16		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

Excellent blend and exactly what I expected: A mixture with orientals front and center, good Virginia influence, and a wisp, just a barely detectable wisp of Latakia.

I would not smoke this every day, it might get boring, but perfect for a bowl or two a week. Now, if you are a fan of Virginia based blends you should definitely give this a try. I mainly smoke Balkans with a lot of oriental and Latakia, but I wanted to try something with just a wisp of Latakia, this fit the bill perfectly.

I did not have any issues with moisture content though this blend will definitely benefit from a few minutes of air time.

While I would not buy this again it is still an excellent blend not to be missed, it's just not completely suitable to my palate like, say, GL Pease Abingdon (my all time favorite) is.

1 person found this review helpful.