MacBaren The Solent Mixture English Mixture
Brand: MacBarenType: English
Tobaccos: Burley, Cavendish, Latakia, Virginia
Casing: Rum
Cut: Ribbon
Tin Note: Spicy sweet, Cocoa/Honey?, Rum/Liquor
Room Note: Sweet & Smoky
Tin Description:
Solent Mixture was first produced in 1950, making it the oldest brand in the MacBaren range today. The actual mixture is particularly interesting. Essentially the tobacco consists of sweet Virginia tobacco mixes with a full-bodied Burley, to which is added the original MacBaren Cavendish and - making this mixture very special- Syrian Latakia tobacco. Solent Mixture is a full-bodied tobacco with highly distinctive spicy flavor and aroma. A tobacco that harks back to the age of full-rigged ships with the air on board pungent with the smell of saltwater, wharfs and tar. An authentic English mixture.
I would call this a traditional English blend. Not a Lat forward English. Traditional in a sense of classic English that focuses on a balanced mix of high quality tobaccos. Almost an aromatic/English hybrid by todays standards. This is a blend difficult to nail down. Its hard to decide if its more of an aro than an English and if pressed, I would lean towards aromatic. I say aromatic only because its more light and sweet than robust and smoky. Solent is mellow, smooth, sweet and spicy. It has a light airy smoking quality. The Virginia is the frontrunner. The Burley gives a nice depth and body to the mix. The Latakia is more of a backstage player, although it shows itself a little more about halfway through the bowl. The Virginias shine brightly in this blend, lending a clean natural sweetness to the flavor. It has a fair amount of smoky spice from the Syrian Latakia. I would prefer more but its a nice change of pace from Latbomb blends. The ribbon cut is a little moist out of the tin, but not sticky. It will give a slight bite if pushed, but easily avoided with a slow cadence. Easy to pack and light. Burns well and evenly. This is an English that stands out from the new-wave Latbomb blends of today. A light airy, sweet and spicy treat. I've been quite impressed with the last several tins of MacBaren I've tried. Good prices, hefty 3.5 oz. tins with production dates clearly labeled for those of us who cellar, and most importantly, a good quality enjoyable smoke.
Recommendations:
I recommend Solent Mixture to new pipers and aromatic smokers. If you're new to the hobby or stuck in aromatic blends, this is a great bridge for moving up to higher quality pipe tobacco, and a friendly introduction to English blends.
I also recommend this to the seasoned pros. A good change of pace from Lat forward/heavy blends. It will pass the wife test (verified) and satisfy your sweet tooth with a clean natural sweet flavor.
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