Mac Baren Latakia Blend

Bought a partial tin (still in good shape) as well as other pipes & tobaccos at an estate sale. It's certainly smokable, hut doesn't merit purchasing again. Why is Cavendish in a latakia blend? And where is said Latakia? Seems there is a 'house note' in the non HH tobaccos at Mac Baren. Somewhat off-putting & ho hum. Pipe tobacco is like Pokemon, gotta try them all.

If you're like me, you really enjoy the smokiness of latakia. If you're like me and tried Latakia Blend, you're also wondering "where's the latakia? This is a good tobacco. Not great, but good. But if you are expecting smokey like a solid english, this one will disappoint.

I just got through reviewing Scottish Mixture, so it was fresh on my mind. When opening this blend, my first thought was that it smelled incredibly similar. I can't quite put my finger on it, but it has a very similar characteristic. If you liked Scottish Mixture or found it to be enjoyable but just a tad too harsh, you will definitely like Latakia blend.

It comes cut in roll cake form which look like little disks. They are thin, but have a perfect amount of moisture to smoke right away. It packs and lights easily.

The first couple of puffs were very pleasant. But then the more you think about it, the more you notice something lacking. The Virginia is at the forefront but isnt sweet enough or smooth enough. There's a harshness that as I said, is similar to Scottish blend, but I couldnt put my finger on what it was once again. Perhaps some sort of liquor topping? The harshness doesnt translate to tongue bite which is nice, even though I smoked it in a nosewarmer.

I will say that my wife LIKED the room note, which is enough to move it from a 1 star to a 2 star tobacco in my book. Again, this is a good, smokable tobacco but not a great one.

In short sumary: 1. If you enjoyed Scottish Mixture, you will like this blend. 2. If you see the name on the tin and you think "smokey" you will be wrong.

Based on a hazy memory of a generous sample:

This was somewhat of a dissapointment for me! The only blend from the "Roll Cake" series by Mac Baren that didn't float my boat and to me: The least flavourful one!

The latakia is virtually nonexsitent, you'll see a few black spots in the coins, but I suppose most of it is Cavendish! In the smoke itself there is next to none Latakia to be noticed and the slight hint I perceive might as well be placebo.

They should've called this "Virginia Blend" as the Virginia base is quite good. Sweetness, hay and grass.. some earthy notes.. very mild spiciness. This is rather a sweet smoke and a wonderful blend for smokers who come from aromatics and want to lean towards more natural blends.

If you're looking for a Latakia coin-cut - this isn't for you! If you're looking for a mild Virginia blend with a nice sweetness, though not much of complexity - this is for you! And even then there are plenty blends out there, that are better in that category.

Sadly, this is my first Mac Baren blend that really dissapointed me.. the name is misleading, the blend is average (as a Virginia coin-cut) and the price not exactly cheap.

|| Personal rating: 1,5-stars | Attempt of an 'obective rating' : 2-stars ||

Although I would not hesitate to say this is generally a fine blend, like some other reviewers I too had expected a little more Latakia in this brand.

Here the cavendish play a major role and it subdue all the other tobacco. There’s a hint of aromatization that I find quite pleasant but still it ruins the play between the tobaccos.

I am an avid fan of Virginia and English blends. So, when I saw “Latakia Blend” on the tin, my expectation was an explosion of Latakia comparable to C&D's DaVinci, Pirate Kake, Orient Express, or Dunhill's Nightcap, My Mixture 965, etc. However, Latakia Blend is not how I would describe this blend. It is more of a Va/Cav to me more than anything else. I've always been a firm believer in giving everything a fair chance. Looking past the name, I have committed to give an honest and impartial assessment.

Upon opening the tin, one can see a well packed, quite moist, curly cut tobacco. One is also greeted with an extremely sweet aroma. I'm unsure whether this is part of the casing, or topping (not sure if this is the case as nothing was ever mentioned in any of their ads), or simply what one may perceive as the Virginia and Cavendish present in this blend.

As it is a Virginia based blend, I made it a point to bring the moisture level way down. To me, drying out the tobacco to a certain moisture level prevents gurgling and bites. It did require a bit of time to dry and bring it to a more acceptable smoking state, as moisture level was a bit high. When properly dried, the weed gave out a good amount of smoke. It packed well and smoked well. Very little bite was detected when smoking this blend. The tobacco did have a hint of sweetness to it. Again I'm not sure if this tobacco is cased or topped, or if the sweetness in taste is due to the Virginia and Cavendish. I leave that up to the reviewers to decide. Latakia is almost non-existent. One must have a nose of a blood hound to smell it, and/or a “well tuned” palate to be able to savor it. This observation was well echoed by a few friends and associates as well.

However, this is as far as this blend goes. Other than the fact that it was sweet and had insignificant amount of Latakia, nothing memorable or exciting can be said about this blend. Perhaps adding an ounce (maybe more) of Latakia will improve its taste. That will be reserved for future discussion.

Overall, to me it's just one of those “nothing to write home about” blends. It is neither good nor bad – it's just a plain uneventful blend. Will I smoke it [again]? Maybe, who knows? Will I buy it or include it as part of my regular rotation? Definitely NOT! Sad to say, this is one blend that is going to be "somewhat recommended" in my book. 8-(

Going back a few decades I use to occasionally pick up a tin of Latakia Blend and over time I would smoke it more and more. Rubbing the rolled cuts would really help bring out a richness and as another reviewer noted, it ages well. A few years back however, the blend seemed to have evolved. Previuosly it burned well, but I noticed over a couple tins it seemed to burn wetter and it was rare I could smoke it to the bottom of the bowl. Tasted great, but I really prefer an even burning blend.

Now, the lack of Latakia is not the issue with this one.

You smell right away once you open the tin.

No, the issue is the same as the other roll cakes: they are too mild in taste.

It will definitively suit beginners' needs, but a salty dog like myself, unfortunately not.

I bought this wanting to try something new in the "English" family, but something went wrong somewhere. I barely noticed any hint of Latakia. I barely noticed the nutty, maple syrup flavor of the Mac Baren cavendish. I almost didn't notice the flavor of the Virginia. In fact, I experienced only a very mild Virginia with a note of cavendish. If there was any Latakia flavor, it bled through the lid from the big word LATAKIA on the outside. I hate to bash, but Mac Baren had that one coming.

A rather mild Virginia with a little nutty cavendish. I like the "roll cake" coins with the dot of cavendish in the middle. Smokes well.