Mac Baren Latakia Blend

Super, super tobacco, like all the Mac B rolls.

This tobacco is badly misnamed. It's a virginia with condimental latakia, and anyone hoping for a latakia-laden blend is going to be vastly disappointed.

It's sweet, woody in the same way that some McClelland blends are (Virginia Woods for example) and just incredibly deep.

Sometimes it's so sweet and so rich it's overpowering.

All this occurs if you smoke slow. I mean Sllooowwwwww. Like most Mac B blends. Master it and you will SEE.

The Latakia adds a very mild smoky, musty, woody push to the product, but isn't really noticeable beyond that. I suspect it's Syrian and not Cyprian. The Virginia offers grassy, tart and tangy citrus, plenty of bread, mild sugar, light floralness, and slight spice.The Virginia competes with the spicy cavendish for attention, though it often takes a back seat to the spice. Has a mild sugar and honey topping. The strength and taste levels are medium. The nic-hit is a couple of steps behind them. Burns cool, clean and a tad slow with a very consistent sweet and spicy flavor that extends to the pleasantly lingering after taste. The room note is a tad stronger. Leaves little moisture in the bowl. Requires few relights, but needs to be smoked at a slow or moderate pace or the spice might prove too much for your tongue. Three and a half stars.

-JimInks

This is a typical Danish latakia blend. If you bought the tin thinking you were going to get a real "English" hit of tobacco, then you were disappointed, weren't you?

This latakia blend is in highly unusual (for latakia mixtures) roll cake form. After a good rubbing out and packing, it is ready to get lit up. The only down side is that you won't get lit up over this one. The latakia is faintly present. The smoke is pleasant, but bland. If I am not in the mood for big flavor, this is a good change of pace. But no, I don't leave any unopened tins in my cellar.

This seems to one of those love it or hate it blends. Apparently some smokers hate it because they feel cheated it is not straight latakia.

40 years ago a college classmate let me sample a bowl full. It was one of the first blends I ever tried and I although I liked it, I couldn't afford a tin of MacBarens at the time. After I graduated and was financially able to buy some I couldn't find a tobacco shop that had it in stock. Finally, last week I was able to buy a tin and it was as good as I remembered it. If I had to summarize the taste in one word it would be "rich". This is a very satisfying smoke and I am going to stock my cellar with it in the event I can't find another source for it in 40 years.

Latakia Blend, the name isn’t correct. This is a Scottish blend in the Danish tradition. Scottish because it has Virginia, Black Cavendish with just a touch of Latakia. In the Danish tradition because Black Cavendish is flavored. In fact in this blend there is Original MB Cavendish and not Modern MB Cavendish. That means that Black Cavendish is produced mainly with Burley to which sugar and flavors are added. Moreover, as declared by the house, “a little top flavor has been added”. In a real Scottish mixture, Black Cavendish is natural, unflavored. Anyway, in my opinion, the defect is another one. In this blend there is really too little Latakia. I think less than 3%. It is almost imperceptible, I would say insignificant. Moreover the mixture is, in my opinion, too light, too weak, with a low nicotine content. Not the taste, the taste is ok. But the strength, the body, the character. For all these reasons, in my personal rating system (from 1 to 10), my score is 7 and only two stars.

Old tin, early 70s. Chaplikc below has sampled it! This is probably nothing like a recently produced tin, so just a brief note for the record: MacBaren roll cakes age really well. These were dry but not quite crispy on opening the tin. I rub most flakes and cakes out, and did so with this. The taste is old and musty, yet mild and heavenly! There is not much complexity to it, and this is probably true of the recent production: it's a mild one. I would not choose this for body or for a nicotine fix, but slowly sipped, I will savor the occasional bowl of this tobacco that is as old as I am, that is pretty unique in my cellar. MacBaren roll cakes tend to bite me, but not this one. I don't know whether it's the age or the blend. All I get is a sweet, perfumed smoke that is great to hold in the nasal passages and savor. If there had ever been Latakia here, it would be hard to tell after 40 years, but I don't care! I am officially in the market for 70s MacBaren now.

- I made this review only as a "Public Service Announcement !", as this was one of the great smoking experiences I've ever had. But let me clarify, this smoke was from a 28 year old sealed tin !!! It's a long story, that I don't want to bore you with, but basically I bought two tins, the first I smoked new, 28 years ago and was unimpressed. I just cellared the second and just got around to trying the second.

What little I can remember of the fresh tin, was that it was very light on Latakia and it reminded me of MacB's Virginia #1with some spicy bitey Cavendish and a touch of Latakia.

This aged tin, is very creamy, smooth , sweet with only a hint of spice and yes, still lacking in Latakia.

I don't think I'll buy more and wait 28 years ! Wow , Just saw "Kilmarnock Piper review from a 40 year old tin and we are in the same camp

I've been waiting to write this review because my first impression of this tobacco was not very good. I was like many of the other reviewers who imagined this would be a strong, smoky flavored latakia blend.

At first I thought my inexperience with "coin" tobacco was to blame for what was missing in this blend. I discovered that was not the case. I figured my inexperience with pipe tobaccos was to blame, and that was partially true. Ater trying numerous other tobaccos, hating some and liking some, I decided to go back to this. All of my expectations were gone. Alas, I discovered why this tobacco was unimpressive to me at first--I had prejudices about what it was. Thanks to MacBaren's leaving out the key word "Virginia" from the name of this blend, I expected something entirely different.

What I have found different from this blend compared to so many others is that it requires being in the moment. Yes, I can smoke some Balkan blends or Syrian blends while doing just about anything and still be left with a strong taste of it during and afterwards. The beauty of this blend is that it is so subtle yet so delicious if I smoke it slowly, then faster, than slowly, savoring the sweet honey Virginia and Cavendish, and finding hints of something else. It is the most relaxing tobacco I have ever smoked. I couldn't think about my problems, my stresses, my hurry and worry of the rat race; I had to chill out and be in the moment. I don't care for pure Virginias (unless it's mature Viginia), can't stand pure cavendish, and I love Latakia. I think that is why this is named as such. It's a bit of a paradox--it's named for the ingredient that can't be sensed too well, but it's what brings out the best of the other tobaccos.I'll keep for the occasional smoke when I need to just slow down and relax.

First, Let me give a very special thanks to Kilmarnock Piper for being very kind and generous in giving me a sample of this. This sample is from the early 1970's. I must say that this is the very best Mac Baren blend I have tried to date. This is called Latakia blend but i believe that the blenders may have called this blend that in a sort of dry humor kind of way. If I detect any latakia in this blend it is only in the after taste. This blend is smooth, sweet and very enjoyable.It is not a complex smoke that builds but rather a consistant smoke that is enjoyable in every puff. It has NO hint of the usual Mac Baren bite. My only problem is that I have a very limited few bowls of this and I just want to smoke it all right away. I will not do this though and will limit myself to times only when Im not in a hurry and can truly enjoy this treat. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED if you can find a very vintage tin such as the one I sampled!

The best blend i have ever smoked without doubt. The Virginia and Cavendish tobaccos collaborate in a perfect way with a subtle but yet complex taste of Latakia in the background.