Mac Baren Presbyterian Mixture

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 EnglishBalkan 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...

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.

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.

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!!