Compton's of Galashiels Macedonian Mixture

The Virginia is lightly grassy with some earth and citrus, and basically acts as a base for the tartly tangy, spicy Orientals/Turkish. The Cyprian latakia is smoky, lightly sweet, and woodsy, and though obvious in every puff, it doesn't dominate. The dry, woody, lightly sweet Yenidje is the star, and also has an "unflavored soda note". There have been comparisons to this and Balkan Sobranie White, but there are too many differences to equate them: the higher spice and lower latakia contents being the most noticeable. It's rather smooth for such a spicy smoke. Burns at a moderate pace, cool and clean, and has a very consistent flavor and pleasant finish, never losing the minor hits of creaminess. Needs few relights, and leaves a touch of dampness in the bowl. Has a lingering after taste and room note. Not an all day smoke.

-JimInks

UPDATED 3/12/12:

Compton's Compendium, a tasting journey through all of Maxim Engel's Compton's Blends.

This is a very full-flavored blend that actually seems fuller to me than York Full. I think this could be a result of the profound smoothness of York as compared to Macedonian which perhaps has some sharp edges to wear down. But this is by no means a bad thing. While York is the quintessential smooth old powerhouse, this is the brash younger upstart. However, based on my sampling from a couple years ago, it improves with age, which I am very much looking forward to.

On first light it's fantastic, with a richness from the well-balanced proportion of Virginia and Orientals. As the bowl burns, a contrasty sharpness appears which tingles the nose and the soft palate, even the tongue at times. I wouldn't call it bite, it's more like "spicy."

The Orientals are far in the lead in this one, lending flavors ranging from tangy to smoky to herbal/toasty in various proportions, influenced strongly, I believe, by the Yenidje. Even the room note is nice! For those of you who like an Oriental Bomb (that's the first time I've ever used that term!) this one will certainly satisfy.

I have a tendency with this blend to puff pretty hard, which intensifies the flavors and provides lots of beautiful smoke (and can heat up the briar). But when I slow down and concentrate, the rewards are manifold, including a wonderful complexity, verious flavors wafting in and out, and a richness that rivals or surpasses many of the full Balkans out there.

Four stars, consistent with my TR review from more than two years ago.

OLD REVIEW: This is one delicious blend! It was great when I opened it months ago, but I put it in a jar and just re-opened it after about six months of aging. Not a huge improvement, but a little better than it was which is to say fantastic.

Jar aroma is smoky sweet like 965. It's based on dark Virginias, which I love, but the flavor is so well balanced that nothing really takes center stage. There is a wonderful creaminess and richness during the first half-bowl that gives way to a more straightforward almost-Balkan strength that just keeps giving and giving.

When I have the means I'll be ordering lots of this stuff to lay away for a while...

BB is right in a way - this stuff tastes like Yenidje with some condiments on the side. I opened the pouch after about three years in the cellar. First impression was that it tasted like a really light version of the ol' white tin. Next couple of b owls pretty much the same. A week later, it BLEW UP INTO THE BEST ORIENTAL I HAVE EVER TASTED. A very simple choice, really. And it's not light either, the flavor/spice of the O's is way up there. Get some if you can.

Macedonian Mixture is a full, rich, flavorful smoke. It, like all Compton blends that I've enjoyed, lends itself best to soft leisurely sipping of the pipe. In my experience, appreciation of its complexity is lost with puffing. Comparison of it to some romanticized blend from the past - now extinct - is pointless to me. Similarly, I'm not at all interested to know it's percentage of this strain of tobacco or that. Honestly stated....who cares and so what? I'm not a tobacco blender. We can enjoy paintings by Monet without ever being able to name the specific hues that make for its beauty. Macedonian Mixture is simply a very, very good pipe tobacco, thoughtfully blended. Compared to the Balkan Mixture and York Full Mixture, Macedonian Mixture is a bit less smooth in the throat and sinuses , but equally rich. Time in the jar will round it out, and its complexity will leap forward. Compton's of Galashiels blends are the pipe tobacco equivalent of historic Cuban cigars, in my opinion. With age, their unique excellence will become classically exquisite. They are a mature pleasure to be enjoyed with a good book, cool drink, alone in contemplation or with the company of comfortable friends or a loyal dog. Macedonian Mixture is very well done and wholly satisfying for those who enjoy fine tobacco. It has no flaws in being what it is intended to be.

Excellent Balkan mixture, the closest I've found to Balkan Sobranie Original Mixture so far. I will compare both since most people does and many try Macedonian Mixture looking for a replacement to the legendary English product.

The Yenidje leaf is present in Compton's product and in similar proportions, but I guess this variety is a bit sharper. The roundness and mellowness one used to find in BSOM is less evident in MM and makes its taste (not its strength) kind of overwhelming at times. The Latakias used in both are quite similar, and if someone told me they are the same, I'd trust him.

Overall, a wonderful experience.

Macedonian Mixture is sold by Max Engel at Pipes2Smoke under the Compton's of Galashiel label. There is a detailed and interesting discussion of how Max obtained the rights to this brand on his website. This is the first currently available tobacco that provides a Balkan Sobranie White experience. That unique tart-sweet odor that lasts throughout the bowl is present. I carefully compared a bowl of one week old MM with a bowl of 25 year old BSW. The BSW was smoked in an old Dunhill shell, the MM is a newer Larson Pearl. IF the BSW can be compared to a string quartet, the MM is best compared to a string Octet. The MM is a bit stronger and a bit harsher than the BSW. However, these differences are minimal. If the BSW is a 10, then the MM is a 9.7. The harshness I found may be related to residual ammonia due to the newness of the tobacco. Also, the Virginias and the Latakia may not be the same. The important point is that if you loved BSW, then this is a comparable and worthy successor. I plan to buy several pounds for my cellar.

ADDENDUM 04/11/2007- Having smoked several more bowls of both BSW and MM I think the difference lies in the type of Latakia. BSW probably used Syrian Latakia. Max isn't currently able to obtain Syrian Latakia and probably uses Cyprian. Boy, how this mixture would resemble BSW with the use of Syrian Latakia.

UPDATE 1/2/14

Forget the cost - this is an outstanding blend. I smoked several bowls of this over the Christmas holiday, and it is worth every shekel. Just an excellent take on the standard Balkan, possibly the best there is. Get some if you can get some! Upgraded to 4 stars

Yep, this is one take on the classic Balkan Sobranie White. I opened a tin of that to compare the two and I thought this one fared very well, even though the Sobranie is a couple of decades old.

This is a nice, creamy balkan-style blend but with that nice sharp burst of flavor that Sobranie white and Dunhill 965 possess. I enjoyed this a little less than 965 (my staple in this genre) but it's still a good smoke. The orientals really sing. My first 3-4 bowls of this were less than stellar but the nuances eventually came through. Ok, it's a costly puff and the cost-to-benefit ratio is dubious when one compares the cost of other premium tobacco blends. But if you're still knocking your head against the wall for the disappearance of Sobranie white, give this stuff a try. I'm an indoor smoker but I just had to put on my jacket and sit on my porch with this one as I watched the leaves fall. Really a great experience!

I must say that this is far better than the Balkan Sobranie Original mixture that I have cellared. But that may be because the BSW is of more recent vintage(In the pouch) . The Macedonian Mixture is not as bloated as BSW and has more subtle hints of Yenidje than does BSW. This is a smooth a pleasant tasting Balkan especially in a small bowl and smoked with slow steady puffs. This is likely to become my mainstay tobacco because I like it better than the Balkan Sasieni and the other Balkans which I smoke from time to time. The one set back is it is a bit expensive and is not commonly found at your local tobacconist. It must be ordered via the internet at pipes2smoke.com

I'm a committable Balkan and English enthusiast and this being my first foray into Canadian blending house Compton's.

This blend is fantastic and worth every penny of the comparatively high price. A large part of this is due to Canadian bureaucratic nonsense and also Compton's uses tobaccos of the highest standard, indeed it's very apparent.

The high accolades of this being compared to the famed Balkan Sobranie White are not amiss by any stretch. In fact I would be so bold as to say this blend is superior. It seems deeper and richer to me. It did require some drying time before the first pack, but this is not a fault by any means.

I have the good fortune of having some Sobranie hoarded away to be smoked on special occasions and I've been smoking these back-to-back, off and on. Of course I assume the intentions of Compton's certainly not to replicate Sobranie, but simply to make a great tobacco and they've done so far beyond my expectations. I'm quite looking forward to trying more from the Canucks.