Mac Baren Mixture: Scottish Blend

Watch out for this one, she's a biter!

Decent room note, the flavor was quite good, and it did provide a slight dose of nicotine, which I don't mind. I would have probably given it three stars, but it bit my tongue like a rabid dog. I realize tongue bite can differ from person to person, but I can't imagine this one not biting all who smoke it. Decent tobacco, two stars.

Like all the aromatics I've tried, the aroma off the tin is great but the real proof comes at smoking time.

After a couple of horrible experiences with some other MB aromatics who's bite was too much for me, this one was somewhat smokeable due to a pleasant coating effect and dense smoke at the beginning of each draw. There's bite in it too and that's a no-no.

I'm left wondering how many people give up the beautiful world of pipesmoking due to the bite and hot temperature of your average, readily available aromatic tobacco.

I can't help but think that if a mild cool burning english mixture was as common as a mac baren vanilla, we'd see more people enjoying the pipe!

in the end perhaps it's worth a try for a soft entry into aromatic tobaccoes.

Purely an English blend. It was very pleasant for me when it's lit up i can't put down my pipe. taste is got a light bourbon whiskey note. it can be smoked without any drinks at any time of the day.

I remember back when Walgreens sold this in the tins. It’s probably hard for the younger pipers to believe, but Walgreens used to sell quite a large variety of pipe tobacco and cigars. Mac Baren Scottish Mixture was the one tobacco I really learned to smoke a pipe with. It’s a real tasty tobacco blend that requires one to slow down and take it easy. Smoke this mixture faster than a sip and it will nip at your tongue. Mixture has a handsome aroma, and the taste is grassy sweet Virginia with the roundness of Burley. It seems I may taste a wee bit of liquor added. Could it be Teacher’s? This tobacco mixture satisfies with good medium nicotine level, a rich tobacco taste and flavor.

First take:

This blend is just excellent but I couldn't figure out why it's labeled as an aromatic. It's a very complex blend that is excellent from the first light to the end. I had to re-light this often because it made itself known as a slow burner. Slow and low. I tried the breathing method and still couldn't go slow enough. It's definitely one I plan on keeping in my rotation. It has a lot going on except for the "Aromatic" flavors that I'm used to in my aromatics. That's not a bad thing at all, just something I was searching for while going through the bowl.

Nutty, full but not overpowering, complex. Every draw had something a little bit different until I got it too hot. Too hot and the nuances get hidden. Aftertaste is a bit like unsweetened chocolate, but I didn't taste any chocolate at the time. I can't wait to get back to it.

2022-08-06 Update: I brought this same jar out of my cellar, so at this point, it's almost 3 years old. After going through a catalog of English blends, I can now tell why this blend is technically called an aromatic. There is something sweet in this blend. Maybe it's just regular, white sugar. But whatever has been added to this blend makes it an absolute pleasure to smoke. It has just the right amount of sweetness--just a hint. The rest of the tobaccos in this blend play off each other so well. Not one of them looking for center stage. This blend is mild and approachable enough to recommend to someone new to a pipe, but good and interesting enough for an old codger to enjoy. I will keep this blend on hand for as long as I own a pipe.

This one has a very complex flavor. It's subtle and mild, and I can't begin to identify all flavors. Sweet, creamy, spicy, musky, fruity, nutty, and citrusy are the first things that come to mind. Different aspects of the blend's character can vary from one puff to the next. It does this in a way that makes it interesting, not inconsistent, if that makes sense.

I don't find this to be a particularly bitey blend, but if you're going a little fast it will get hot both in the bowl and on the tongue. I like the room note, the gf doesn't. Smoking it at the recommended slow pace means an occasional relight, but doing so can open up a new set of flavors and aromas.

I can see this as a blend that one could smoke all day. I haven't done that, but I think it's a great first-thing-in-the-morning blend.

It might help to think of this as a blend that rewards the lazy pipe smoker. The less effort you put into smoking it, the more you'll get from it. You can't say that about many things in life.

I've been smoking this stuff all day and still can't figure it out.

My confusion with this blend started when I popped the tin the other day. While inspecting the contents, I saw every color and almost every cut available on the market. Ribbons, broken flakes, cube cut, shag, bits, and quite a few dusty specks at the bottom of the tin. The color is mostly light brown, with bright streaks, reds, and a bit of dark.

The tin note is very pleasant, sweet Virginia's lead the way, combined with a sugary topping. I get fruity citrus notes, along with a bit of a nutty chocolate smell. There also seems to be a touch of something alcoholic in the background. Every sniff brings out something different. Again, I find myself confused.

The smoke is mildly sweet and pleasant (but it will bite if you puff like a madman). I mostly get a Virginia and burley flavor, but the toppings show up from time to time. The flavor changes quite a bit from bowl to bowl, and even puff to puff. The room note is sweet and non-descriptive.

Not much to say about this blend, good or bad. It is a flavorful smoke that borders on an aromatic, but maintains a natural character. It's the kind of smoke that you can reach for when you don't really know what your in the mood for.

MB Mixture is an underrated tobacco that everyone should try at some point. Aromatic lovers and natural fans can both enjoy this one. The complexity is mindblowing, starting from the tin note which is so good I nearly ate it instead of puffing it. Needs some drying when you first smoke it, though. Otherwise burns clean, little moisture, leaves white ash behind, nothing else really. It tastes really good, as you can enjoy the sweet aroma and the natural flavours of the tobacco at the same time- and this is a great example that they can work really well together. It won't bite you even if you push it, however, it the taste will decrease; so try to puff it at a moderate pace. Now this one can be an all day smoke, and, as others have pointed it out too, you can smoke this for months and you will never tire of it. Highly recommended for the starters and experts as well.

I really can't understand why this only has a average rating of 2.8 stars! I was expecting this to have a much better average rating tbqh!

Great tobacco taste and a decent, well done flavouring.

As I opened the 50g pouch today I was very pleased by the smell. It has a spicy (almost Perique-ish peppery) and soft honey-ish sweet note to it. Also a bit citrus-/hay-ish smell to it, which i guess is owed to the excellent Virginas used for this one. At first I thought there were Orientals in it, due to the spicy character the tin-smell gives. But it's just VA/Burley/Cavendish as the description says. The mixture is filled with a lot of ready rubbed Virgina, accompanied by a bit burley and speckled with little bits of Black Cavendish. The appearance is very appettizing, as well as the smell.

The taste is pretty sweet compared to the spicy smell. It's a typical MB Aroma I guess. Honey-ish - very natural, but easily noticeable flavouring, that almost appears to be "real honey". Smoked in a clay, I could make out a taste remind me of butter-cookies, but just a whiff of it. Very pleasant!

Even tho it comes along pretty sweet, you can still clearly taste the delightful tobaccos in there. It has got a decent spiciness and very little peppery tang to it especially towards the end of the bowl, but the VAs dominate the rich taste. Honey, bread, some grass and hay. I personally can't taste the burleys as those, but I guess they play a supporting role to this tobacco, giving some nutty backbone and perking up the spice. Cavendish adds a slight toasty-ness to the flavor and makes the smoke creamy and full.

"35 diffrent tobacco leafes were used" - and that is noticeable. With every pinch you take out of the pouch there is a chance you get a few different nuances to the smoke. Interesting, but may be bothering people who want a consitent smoke. I don't mind it, I find it to make this blend unique

A excellent blend, which is easy to find (you can get it nearly everywhere; even the small tobacco shops who only sell 2-3 pipe blends often have it here in Germany), easy to smoke and - most importantly - easy to enjoy. Even if you don't have time and leisure for conscious tasting, it will reward you with a nice, fresh and not overly, but decently sweet smoke. If you take your time it's a even bigger joy. Due to it's high percentage of VAs you shouldnt smoke it to hastily or rushed, or it will just become bity and the tasty flavour will hide.

3-stars, not the "eye-opening" smoking experience, but solid as rock and may as well be a 4-star blend for lovers of more aromatic tobaccos!

|| Personal rating: 3-stars | Rated for what it is: 3,5-stars! ||