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 41 - 50 of 55 Reviews
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 24, 2008 | Mild to Medium | Mild to Medium | Medium | Tolerable |
This is a nice hybrid blend (aromatized English, if you excuse the oxymoron). The rum/plum topping is light enough not to mask the underlying tobaccos, and it slowly fades through the first third of the bowl (much like Presbyterian Mixture, but there are no noticeable Orientals here).
Upon opening the tin and aproaching my nose, I have a dejà vu: it smells like Haddo's Delight! In fact, it smells like Haddo's would with a pinch of Latakia. Once lit the comparison is over, since the base tobaccos have nothing in common, but the toppings are definitely similar.
As with most MacBarens, tongue bite is an issue for the careless puffer. This, along with the low Latakia content, will probably make TSM more appealing to the Virginia lover than to the English fan.
Upon opening the tin and aproaching my nose, I have a dejà vu: it smells like Haddo's Delight! In fact, it smells like Haddo's would with a pinch of Latakia. Once lit the comparison is over, since the base tobaccos have nothing in common, but the toppings are definitely similar.
As with most MacBarens, tongue bite is an issue for the careless puffer. This, along with the low Latakia content, will probably make TSM more appealing to the Virginia lover than to the English fan.
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Feb 17, 2003 | Medium to Strong | Very Mild | Mild to Medium | Tolerable |
This is a wonderful introduction to Latakia mixtures. It has a wonderful colour with contrasting deep orange virginia and black cavendish. It smell on opening the packet is a wonderful sweet wood smoke Latakia with just a hint of aromatic topping. It packs very well and burns very easily (but be careful that it doesn?t get too hot!). The smoke is both mild yet very satisfying with solid woody tones and a delicate sweetness which does no not over whelm the inexperienced smoker wile still providing an interesting smoke for the confirmed Latakia fan! It does however have a slight tendency to smoke wet and so it probably best smoked in a filter or Peterson system pipe.
| 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.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 05, 2018 | Mild to Medium | Mild | Medium | Pleasant |
A Virginia/Burley blend, with a mild rum topping and hints of latakia. Earthy, spicy-sweet, mellow.
Very nice tin note, of sour-fruity, slightly alcoholic rum topping and underlying spice of the tobaccos. The flavoring is rather mildly applied! Definetly not too far from both the Navy Flake and Plumcake rum-flavors, but less sweet than the Navy one, and less fruity than the Plumcake one is.
The smoke is smooth and mild. Earthy and woodsy tobacco notes, resulting from the Burley and Original Cavendish (which is processed from Burley leaf) dominates, along with some zesty and sweet notes from the Virginias. The latakia is applied exceptionally mild, if not to say hes almost unnoticeable! By times I feel a hint of ethereal, spicy latakia hit.
2,5-stars from me, nothing fancy, but a solid smoke for hours of relaxation and pleasure! Don't let the latakia scare you if you don't like it, it's practically not there! Great smoke!
Very nice tin note, of sour-fruity, slightly alcoholic rum topping and underlying spice of the tobaccos. The flavoring is rather mildly applied! Definetly not too far from both the Navy Flake and Plumcake rum-flavors, but less sweet than the Navy one, and less fruity than the Plumcake one is.
The smoke is smooth and mild. Earthy and woodsy tobacco notes, resulting from the Burley and Original Cavendish (which is processed from Burley leaf) dominates, along with some zesty and sweet notes from the Virginias. The latakia is applied exceptionally mild, if not to say hes almost unnoticeable! By times I feel a hint of ethereal, spicy latakia hit.
2,5-stars from me, nothing fancy, but a solid smoke for hours of relaxation and pleasure! Don't let the latakia scare you if you don't like it, it's practically not there! Great smoke!
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Jun 28, 2015 | Mild to Medium | Extremely Mild | Mild to Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
Solent mixture seems to be an aromatic with multiple flavors, according to Mac Baren's description, but it is actually an atypical English blend. I don't taste much of the flavoring when I smoke it besides the lingering campfire latakia and unsweetened cavendish. No tongue bite at all and suitable for all day smoke.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Dec 23, 2013 | Medium | None Detected | Medium to Full | Pleasant |
Excellent blending shines through!
Smooth all the way - no negatives - delivers as advertised.
Unique flavor profile for me, which changes somewhat through the bowl. Spice, with latakia smokiness, with the hints of nuts and fruit shifting throughout.
Smooth all the way - no negatives - delivers as advertised.
Unique flavor profile for me, which changes somewhat through the bowl. Spice, with latakia smokiness, with the hints of nuts and fruit shifting throughout.
Pipe Used:
Karl Erik, Bjarne, Peterson
PurchasedFrom:
Corona Smoke Shop, Battle Creek, MI
Age When Smoked:
Tin date May 2011
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Aug 17, 2013 | Medium | Medium | Medium | Pleasant |
Another Mac Baren classic. It reminded me of Esoterica's "And so to Bed." Since that great blend's production has been suspended, this is a worthy substitute. Give it a try!
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