Mac Baren Mixture: Scottish Blend

File this one under “extremely pleasant surprises.” If you are a new pipe smoker or looking to advise someone starting out or to make a “pipe kit gift” this blend would be an excellent choice. It is sweet enough to enjoy as a true aromatic, but lets the natural flavor shine enough that I suspect even hard core English fans will enjoy it. The strength is on the medium side of mild, the room note is very pleasant but not as immensely “friendly” as a super fruity or super vanilla aromatic. The pouch note is lovely and approximates the “good tobacco smell” you get from walking into a very fine old fashioned tobacco shop. The moisture from the bag may be perfect if you don’t demand it too dry, but I strongly recommend drying it to bring out the burley flavor and avoid bite, especially if you live in a place that regularly has humidity above 70%. Unlike most aromatics, I have NOT noticed the drying reducing the flavor, which puts this in the “green light aromatic” zone for me. This is a complex and subtle blend that is fairly forgiving and non-fussy and low maintenance, quite a feat.

I bought this when I had run out amphora full and wanted to explore a new blend that fit a similar “low cos, full flavor naturally sweet aromatic” profile. I’m so glad I did! This is in the same neighborhood as amphora full but more complex, slightly sweeter, much more complex, and from where I was buying it, exactly the same low price.

I like my tobacco on the dry end, especially if it is a burley blend. The lovely natural tartness of a burley only comes out when dry enough. This blend benefits from significant drying, though you don’t need to desiccate it as much as say, Kentucky bird. The flavors are persistent in a touch of humidity, even if when packing, you wish you had taken sightly more time to dry it. The flavor is fairly forgiving to a small bit of dampness, but for best results, dry until consistently tart to the taste.

As with most good blends, there is an evolution of flavor through the bowl. At the start, there is a natural but sweet flavor that will seem completely natural if you’ve are used to heavily cased and topped aromatics. It is like a Virginia honey that edges slightly to an amphora full chocolate area. But the natural flavor of the burley takes the lead.

As the bowl develops, spice comes more to the fore with a hint of licorice or amaretto.

The broken flake cut helps slow the burn and add complexity (slight bit of dampness) and variety to the flavor. This blend is full of surprises and I lately find myself coaxed away from the English blends I also love to enjoy this one perhaps for several days in a row. This is not a tobacco that one would easily get bored with.

I did not find this prone to bite, though if this blend is speedily pushed, the flavor would scorch and I can see that bite potential is in there.

Unlike some burley-heavy aromatics like Kentucky Bird, that benefit in flavor by being treated very gently with a slow smoke to the heel on zero relights, this blend benefits in the last third of the bowl from a good, strong ember as long as it stays cool enough. Resist the temptation to ash out early. This is not like a cheap aromatic where the casing is the only good part. This is made from truly high quality leaf. The bottom third has amazing flavor, if your smoke gets wispy and weak at the final third, relax, let it go out and cool, and then relight to a good, thick, warm draw. You’ll be rewarded with lovely spice balanced by some persistent sweetness.

I’m giving this 4 out of 5 only because I was not TOTALLY blown away at the start like with early morning pipe or LJP’s black cavendish or Brebbia Opera, But this is really amazing and I may revisit this review in time to add that’s extra star because I fully expect this blend to continue to deliver pleasant surprises.