Mac Baren Presbyterian Mixture

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.