Mac Baren Mixture: Scottish Blend

This seems to be very similar to Dark Twist with just a little less virginia and then rubbed out. But mixture, is an absolutely enjoyable smoke. It is lightly cased but still has a very nice tobacco taste to it. A wonderful aroma. This is a very good standard blend that I highly recommend to the Virginia or aromatic smoker.

I tried this on a whim, I was really looking for Dark Twist (check review on that) but couldn't find it. Instead, I went for the keyword "Scottish" as I hadn't tried that particular "geographic" variety yet, and bought the 50g pouch.

The tobacco is said to consist of 35 (!) different types and is MacBaren's oldest mixture. This makes the presentation as complex as the taste(more later on that), with broken flake mingling with odd pieces and strands.

My first encounter then was on a pub crawl on one of those all too sparse hot summer nights, when you can stand in a short-sleeved shirt outdoors and drink cool beer in the vaning light (Sweden).

I had brought a small Chacom and unconciously did what OSR below describes; took a wad of the broken flake and stuffed it into the bowl, no rubbing no nothing just stuffing the bowl and strewing a few loose bits on top for lighting.

The lighting puffs rewarded me with thick, rich white smoke which had a complex sweet taste, the VA could be traced, the Burley and Cavendish as well and all held together by the sweet-sour flavouring. An aromatic, but not a candy, more of a weird caramelised eel pie (in a good sense, if that is possible). A truly great taste!

Although I smoked in a haphazard way, putting the pipe down for a sip of beer now and then, the pipe burned really hot towards the end of the first bowl, maybe as a result of the chemistry in the residues of previous tobaccos as someone suggested in an earlier review?

The taste was so good, I cursed myself for only bringing one pipe, so I cleaned it out with a furry cleaner, and let it lie for the time it took me to finish and order a new beer.

Once it had cooled down I repeated the stuffing procedure and lit up. Aahh, this was just as good as the first one! I repeated til I had smoked four bowls and the night chill forced me inside (where we are no longer allowed to smoke in a pub in Sweden 🙁 ).

The day after I woke up with the slightest burn on my tongue and palate (probably due to the hasty smoking of the last part of the fourth bowl, although while I was drinking a few more beers before I went home and to bed, I did not notice it earlier. I even ate a kebab on the way home and ... wait a minute! The peperoni!), but it subsided in a few hours...

All in all this will be my regular smoke for outdoors activities like fly fishing for trout, pub crawling (outdoors) and the like, a pleasant surprise since it is readily available almost anywhere, and at a competitive price (at least in Sweden) compared to let's say Rattrays or G&H.

The reviews on this page are what allowed me to give "Mixture" a positive recommendation. I was better prepared before I smoked for its requirements. Thanks everyone.

Firstly, I agree with the packaging: "mild and light." This is fine by me because "mild and light" has its place and it does not necessarily mean 'tasteless'. There is enough flavor there to keep you (which I found came at me from different angles after a few sessions).

I bought a 50g satchel of "Mixture" for a local shop after my imported supply ran out. I live in Hong Kong and there are few tobacconists who carry pipe tobacco (think Cigar shops with $100USD cigars but only "Captain Black" pouches in the corner collecting dust....hell on this earth). There is one local shop here that carries more than one packet but, I am nervous of the mass produced tobaccos (label 'aromatics').

I packed it too loose at first, fearing tongue bite. But, then stuffed the bowl a bit more ambitiously the second time (w/ second pipe) and it walked along on its own taking the occassional puff here and there. It is forgiving if you are trying not to pack a furnace ( to save your tongue a good burning). Just pinching and stuffing a bowl was definitely liberating.

I Tried it on 3 different pipes (corncob-Washington, Canadian, and a Churchwarden). The first two pipe utilized during and evenings pub crawlings and the third at home on the balcony ( a churchwarden in public: never).

Did I suffer tongue bite; only once, and midly at that. It had more to do with the end of an evening in which I was favoring equal parts alcohol and tobacco. I tend to draw on a pipe deeply after a few drinks. I slipped and packed the Canadian unconsciously as I would any other bowl (methodically). Half way through and a few deep draws and I was burned. I had to set the pipe down several times due to its heat as well. That will teach me.

But, without distraction and knowing "Mixtures" requirements; tongue bite does not become an issue. As others have mentioned; a loose packed bowl and you can really enjoy it. And it's subtle nature has me contemplating it as an all day smoke.

I buy this at the only "smoke shop" in my small town that has a very limited selection of weed, but I like to support the local economy! This certainly is tasty tobacco, primarily due to the quality Virginia that comes forth. This blend will not inspire deep thoughts, but it tastes good enough to smoke while you're doing something else. If it didn't want to burn so hot, I would smoke this more often. Definitely worth trying, esp. if you lean toward Virginias, but new smokers and rowdy puffers beware: you will get bit!

The pouch note is of sweet spices and a hint of florar aroma. Nothing artificial, very pleasent and wants you to pack your pipe immediatly.
The cut is chaotic, could use a bit of rubbing out, but nothing a smoker could not handle.
Moisture is perfect and takes the light easely.
Now the smoke: the kentucky with its woodsy, nutty and floral taste lead the experiance. Not harsh, not dominating, but it is the base. Sweet hay from VA and chocolate from burly.
The topping is sweet and enhaches the taste. A little bit too sweet for a great burly mixture.
3 solid stars!

Viene algo húmedo y agradece 20-30 min de aireado. El olor en frío es muy rico, una mezcla de miel, tabaco y madera deliciosamente equilibrada y natural, como si los propios tabacos tuvieran esos olores dulces, melosos y de repostería pero a la vez manteniendo su identidad y esencia tabaquera intacta. Le tengo especial cariño a esta mezcla porque fue la primera que me dio fumadas realmente memorables, haciendo el camino de Santiago y en mis inicios piperos. Ya se sabe que el momento y el entorno influye mucho en la percepción del tabaco. Según he ido fumándolo en otros momentos y probando otras labores... no puedo darle más de 3 estrellas. Elaboro:

Técnicamente carga y prende bien, se mantiene encendido fácilmente y quema de manera homogénea. El primer fallito de esta mezcla es que el sabor se queda algo flojo en comparación con el olor en frío, ya que éste crea muchas expectativas. Es rico, muy rico, pero uno se espera algo más intenso. Eso hace que quieras apretarle un poco más, buscando esa intensidad algo apagada y... pum, te deja la lengua como un felpudo. Y ese es el segundo problemilla de esta mezcla, muerde bastante. Eso sí, si eres capaz de fumarlo lento, muy lento, especialmente lento, puede ofrecer una gama de matices espectaculares. Es muy complejo y cambiante, tiene notas de madera, de campo, de tierra, de pino, pero también de miel, de pestiño, de frutos secos, garrapiñada, castañas asadas, algo de cacao, picantito, ahumadito suave.., etc, etc, etc.

Si la intensidad del sabor fuera algo más alta y la fumada fuera técnicamente más despreocupada... sería un 4 estrellas como una casa. Aún así, un tabaquete al que volveré de tiempo en tiempo, porque desde luego, es especial.

Pleasant but wet, be careful to dry it or it will bite your tongue. Nice and full aroma for long smoking, but with gentle, small puffs. I usually smoke it on porch with coffee or black tea on late afternoon, it smells lovely.

Interesting mixture of different blends. Very sweet in my impression but the overall is very fresh and with a nice smoke. Very pleasant for a long quiet smoke evening or all-day smoke.