Mac Baren Presbyterian Mixture

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.

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!!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.