Mac Baren Solent Mixture
(3.15)
A fine composition of choice Virginias with a fully ripe cavendish and Syrian latakia, giving this classical mixture its satisfying taste. Solent is specially manufactured from quality selected tobaccos.
Notes: Aka "English Mixture". As of 04/16/2018, Syrian latakia is still used as a blending component. According to Nick Shane at SmokingPipes.com, the label indicates Syrian latakia is used in this blend, and that Mac Baren's does have some stores of Syrian latakia, but it is unknown for how long.
Update: As of 01/30/2019, according to Per Georg Jensen of Mac Baren it has "Latakia from Cyprus, it is many years since the Latakia from Syria were used.".
From the tin: Solent Mixture was first produced in 1950, making it the oldest brand in the Mac Baren range today. The actual mixture is particularly interesting. Essentially the tobacco consists of sweet Virginia tobaccos mixed with a full bodied burley, to which is added the original Mac Baren cavendish and making this mixture very special, Syrian latakia tobacco. Solent Mixture is a full bodied tobacco with highly distinctive spicy flavour and aroma. A tobacco that harks back to the age of full-rigged ships with the air on board pungent with the smell of salt water, wharfs and tar. An authentic English mixture.
Details
| Brand | Mac Baren |
| Blended By | Per Jensen |
| Manufactured By | Mac Baren |
| Blend Type | English |
| Contents | Burley, Cavendish, Latakia, Virginia |
| Flavoring | Cocoa / Chocolate, Rum, Vanilla |
| Cut | Ribbon |
| Packaging | 100 grams tin |
| Country | Denmark |
| Production | Currently available |
Profile
Strength
Mild to Medium
Extremely Mild -> Overwhelming
Flavoring
Mild
None Detected -> Extra Strong
Room Note
Pleasant to Tolerable
Unnoticeable -> Overwhelming
Taste
Medium
Extremely Mild (Flat) -> Overwhelming
Average Rating
|
3.15 / 4
|
Reviews
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Displaying 21 - 24 of 24 Reviews
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Jan 11, 2008 | Medium | Mild | Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
This is one of my favorite Mac Baren blends. The VA tobacco is typical Mac Baren sweet and smooth, almost a velvety texture. I like the black Cavendish and its rum casing it adds just enough zing to the blend to help it stand out from the rest. The tobacco burns very cleanly for a cased blend, and is mild enough for me to still consider it an English. The cut is of typical Mac Baren standards, and the tin note was very pleasant. Overall this blend is very nice, and burns all the way to the bottom with no residual in your pipe. Great smoke.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Oct 28, 2006 | Medium | Very Mild | Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
This stuff is great !!!! Like most MacBaren mixs, the virginias have a very dominent flavor, which is great. The Syrian gives an exotic condimental addition to a very well put together blend. From Char to Heel, the flavor is consistant- Virginia sweet, exotic and spicey. The real treat is the rum casing. It is the best rum in a mix I have had. Exotic and tasty- Think this should have been the Navy mixture... Highly recomended. Experience it.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 01, 2003 | Mild to Medium | Mild to Medium | Mild to Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
I have about a dozen tins of this tobacco in my basement that I bought over a dozen years ago when I learned that it was no longer going to be sold in the U.S. It looks to be dark red Virginias and cavendish with darker bits of what I take to be latakia. The tobacco is rather finely chopped and packs easily. The smoke tastes of red Virginias and a sweetened cavendish reminiscent of Dark Twist but also includes an unusual treatment of latakia in that the latakia does not taste like latakia. There is a somewhat resiny element to the flavor of the smoke which is strange and unique and which I attribute to the latakia in this mixture. This is a pleasant smoke, smoooth with no bite, and I keep it on hand because it has a distinctive tobacco flavor that draws me back from time to time. I expect my remaining tins will last for a good many years. It would be shame never to be able to smoke it again. Well recommended. Paddy.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Dec 25, 2023 | Mild to Medium | Mild | Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
It's an interesting blend from Mac Baren. I bought it because I was interested in an English blend from Mac Baren and while it is technically an English because of the Latakia, it's not a Latakia bomb. This would be a great blend for someone who is interested in trying Latakia but also wants to taste something other than Latakia.
There's some sort of topping that I can't put my finger on. Rum? Fruit? It's got a bit of a sweet note on the nose, and the flavors play well together. It's got to so much topping that I would categorize this as an aromatic, but it's not an aromatic in the style of 1Q or something known by the flavoring. This is a tobacco-forward aromatic.
There's some sort of topping that I can't put my finger on. Rum? Fruit? It's got a bit of a sweet note on the nose, and the flavors play well together. It's got to so much topping that I would categorize this as an aromatic, but it's not an aromatic in the style of 1Q or something known by the flavoring. This is a tobacco-forward aromatic.
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