Just Discovered MacBaren Scottish Mixture

[Effortlessdepths]

Wow is this fantastic. So different than what I usually smoke, this is what I always imagined the quintessential "pipe tobacco" to be like before I took up the pipe. Burn characteristics are supreme, a merry-go-round of flavors as to be expected by the description, and best of all it's a blend with a lovely room note that I could actually enjoy in a social situation where I want others to enjoy the note as well.

I'm almost certainly still considered a pup as far as the briar is concerned with 6 years smoking, and when the first tongue bite appeared two minutes into the bowl, I immediately slowed down even more and it just blossomed. Wish it has a bit more oomph, but you can't have it all and honestly it's so good that I can live without the vit N. So happy to have found this time in the back of my cellar. I tend towards the strong and dry smoke, D&R and C&D, with a newfound adventure on the Va & VaPer path, but this evening I just picked something that was totally out of my current wheelhouse and I'm glad I did. The tin has 5 years on it too, I'm sure that helps. So glad I took this little diversion. This will be a social blend for sure. It's pretty nifty too that I'm mostly Danish and Scottish by ancestry...

On a side note, anything like this blend that DOES have a bit more Vitamin N? Loving this intro to Danish tobacco!

 

[Brendan]

For me I prefer MacBaren's Navy Flake for something along the same lines but with more body. My experience with MacBaren is pretty much just those 2, but that doesn't matter because they're about the only 2 blends left.

So pretty much, Navy Flake; you make like it more then Scottish Mixture.

 

[judcole]

There's a reason Mixture has been around as long as it has and is sold everywhere. It's one of the classic "all-day" blends. It also ages beautifully. It's always in my rotation.

 

[Alejo R.]

Good
Available
Inexpensive
Great mix

 

[gervais]

I agree, it's a great blend for sure!

 

[Waning Embers]

Didn't that one get discontinued?

 

[Brad H]

Didn't that one get discontinued?

I thought that's one of the very few that wasn't discontinued

 

[Waning Embers]

I thought that's one of the very few that wasn't discontinued

View attachment 380385

It's good that it didn't but bad that it'll likely get reformulated.

 

[Brad H]

It's good that it didn't but bad that it'll likely get reformulated.

I tried it twice, put it down. I may revisit it later. If it's still continued, you called it on most likely being manipulated in some way.
I'm sure for now there is enough at retailers state side for people to buy the current production. It seemed to not be one selling out left and right during the great tobacco storm of 2025

 

[eyjaygaming]

Its still the single best selling pipe tobacco SKU in the world, that others have tried to copy over the years (and failed... looking at you, Peterson Irish Dew!). Also, from experience, its the most complex pipe tobacco composition I have ever come across. I have blended it many times at pipe tobacco events from base components - and at least in the afficionado scene such as this, this blend is highly highly underrepresented and imho even unappreciated. Two years ago I made a handcrafted Limited Edition of the Mixture for the German market, using hand drawn tobacco art that we had found in the basement... blended it with my own hands.

No bowl of Mixture smokes the same, as many components are included... red loose cut VA, Ready Rubbed bright and red VA, loose cut Burley from Malawi and Ready Rubbed Burley and strong Dark Fired Kentucky which we tone down in that we process the DFK into a Cavendish. It really is fascinating... and in the 1950/60s totally changed the pipe tobacco landscape. I would call it a hybrid aromatic/non-aromatic tobacco. If you could smell the top flavor we use, some have even said they would swear its a Lakeland.

In later years when smokers started preferring more palatable user-friendly tobaccos due to the aromatic craze in the 70s and 80s, we created "aromatic" versions of Mixture called "Danish Aromatic Mixture" and "Mixture Light" (later called Mixture Modern), both that replaced the DFK with sweet Virginia Cavendish.

There really isn't a "stronger" version of this. If you want more strength, add some Burley tobacco, if you want more spice, add some DFK.

Don't listen to rumors about changed formulas due to the STG takeover, its BS.
Edit: pipe tobacco always "changes" - due to leaf availability, quality, pricing etc. The only thing that has "changed" according to my study of this blend has been the removal of Cumarin back in the 80s/90s.

 

[JoburgB2]

I’ve always liked Mixture. Sentimental. Was visiting my grandfather in Frankfurt back in 1983 and took a day trip with him to Heidelberg. Stopped in at a tobacconist, and Mixture was the first tin of tobacco I had ever purchased, along with Early Morning Pipe. I try to keep Mixture on hand, it’s an old friend and stand-by.

 

[PaulTheScandinavian]

Along with Barens Symphony, Golden Extra and Orlik Golden flakes those are very popular here in Scandinavian countries

 

[denholrl]

I like this blend also. Especially the very old stuff. Very similar the Connoisseur (Burak) Scottish Ribbon.

 

[crashthegrey]

How fortunate that you discovered one that is sticking around. Enjoy!

 

[FLDRD]

No bowl of Mixture smokes the same, as many components are included...

This is so true for me. It was the significant intrigue that stimulated me to stock up on it a few years back.

 

[Brad H]

How fortunate that you discovered one that is sticking around. Enjoy!

Sticking around, but will it be reformulated? The answer is yet to come.

 

[crashthegrey]

Sticking around, but will it be reformulated? The answer is yet to come.

Umm, @eyjaygaming knows better than almost everyone. It will not be reformulated.

 

[eyjaygaming]

Umm, @eyjaygaming knows better than almost everyone. It will not be reformulated.

I was still on staff when product development was working on Mixture and others... I left with no worries concerning that (thankfully).