Mac Baren HH Highland Blend

I opened this time after 3 years of "cellaring". My memories of it from the past weren't distinct so I had little prejudice in giving it a go. Upon opening one finds a rough cut, kind of shag or perhaps roughly rubbed out flake of various shades of brown, with much having a golden hue. The tin aroma is sweet and a bit smoky. As for Scotch Whisky, I detect little Whisky scent or flavor, perhaps because I'm enjoying this along with a fine dram of Talisker Storm which would overwhelm a milder Scotch whisky flavor or smell. The blend is very Virginia forward, something usually not to my liking. However 3 years of aging have mellowed the nasty Virginia tongue burn and instead it's just grassy sweetness, supported by some Cavendish and Burley creaminess and body. As for the Latakia it's hard to notice much here at all if any, much less of a smoke taste than the tin aroma would make one think would be encountered. My pipe burned smoothly without needing a relight. HH Highland Blend is not something I'll smoke too regularly but it is certainly enjoyable.

An update one day later: I didn't notice it at the time as much but the Virginia mouth scalding was taking place. I know that many love Virginia tobacco. However I am one of many who find the stuff's alkaline burn too discomforting. After smoking this "Virginia forward" blend my mouth developed a feeling of scalding throughout the following morning and the roof of my mouth even had skin peeling. It's tobaccos like this that had me putting away my pipes for years. I'm lowering my score here.

Mmmm, quite a disappointment here. I usually like the MacBaren flakes, their coin cut ones and even some mixtures (Navy Mixture on top of them all), but this one is rather bland. It doesn't seem to have anything more to offer compared to the classic Mixture, or Symphony, of Gold of Denmark... and actually, something less.

Sure, it's one of the most complex mixtures by MacBaren from the point of view of composition, but that's where the complexity ends. I find it has too little flavour, while having a medium body that can sometimes even hint a bit at harshness (even without pushing it).

And the 30yo Glenfarclas? Actually, I can't smell it in the tin, and I can taste it in the smoke even less than that. It's just your usual average slightly biscuity/nutty/earthy MacBaren mixture, simple as that. Just a hint of smokiness in the tin due to the (infinitesimal) amount of Latakia. I have yet to find a "whisky-flavored" blend that actually tastes of whisky... Not that this is bad, because wasting a pricey and lovely sherry cask Glenfarclas for flavoring tobacco would be a serious crime in my book. (To those finding hints of peat due to the whisky, please reconsider: Glenfarclas is NOT peated... it's the Latakia giving that smoky hint!)

Anyway... No, sorry, this is just a bland unoffensive smoke for me. Decent, but I'll pass.

Smells nice in pouch. Packs and burns easy enough. Flavor is light until second half of bowl. A soft taste until then, probably from the whiskey. Not hot nor really bitey but does nip a little in last half of smoke. The latakia may cool it, but I don't taste that leaf much. Puff slow to steady. Still an aromatic smoker may enjoy this more

Not much of an improvement over their Highland Mixture of some years past, which I recall as milder. I think I tasted the whiskey more in that version. Still something soft is present on the taste buds from the HH version.