MacBaren Solent Mixture English review

[danielplainview]

MacBaren The Solent Mixture English Mixture​

Brand: MacBaren
Type: 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.
http://www.sutliff-tobacco.com/

 

[beefeater33]

Great Review!

I enjoy this 4-5 times a month. Sometimes its the only thing that will "scratch that itch". I find it fairly complex, it changes a lot for me through the bowl. I like a blend to do that sometimes, like a good cigar.... sweet, then spicy, then smoky, etc. I agree there's some sort of topping, not really a true English-- but I keep this one handy, at all times...

+1 on the room note. Personally I couldn't give a rat's ass, but the GF likes the smell of this one.

 

[Chasing Embers]

I keep hearing very good things about this blend, may have to give it a try. Thanks for the great review!

 

[saltedplug]

You may find this funny, but every time I read the name of this blend, "Solent Mixture," I am reminded of the 1973 film "Solyent Green," which is the name for a synthetic food eaten by citizens of a dystopia. Turns out that it is made from the dead, not the advertised plankton. So this gives me pause and I don't buy the tobacco. But in reality this association does not give me pause but the infamous Mac Baren bite does. I love the ingredients MB uses, and their tins are very attractive and a value buy. But Scottish Mixture and Roll Cake eat my mouth alive, and I've stopped thinking that any of their blends are worth the risk.

 

[Chasing Embers]

Soylent Green is people! Yeah, I think the same thing when I see it. :rofl:

 

[MarkinAZ]

Thank you for the review Daniel. I currently have a tin of Solent Mixture that has been sitting for the last month, and as soon as I receive my Koncak meerschaum from Tim West, I will break open that tin and give er a go...

 

[wyfbane]

Daniel, thank you for your review. It was well done and now I want to try it. I love Mac B tobaccos for their flavor and their forcing me to follow a slower puff cadence. :wink:
WOW. Hey Markinca53. Welcome to posting! Daniel, you should feel honored it was your review that prompted him to break his near 5 year silence.
Be sure to post us some pics of that Meer when you get it and don't wait 4+ years for post 2.

 

[MarkinAZ]

@wyfbane :D well, I move along with lightning speed every 3 to 4 yrs. Maybe I can pump out 4 more posts in the next two years or so :wink:

 

[stvalentine]

Thank you for the great review Daniel! Despite of the "soylent green" movie memories I will give this tobacco a try. Can´t go wrong with Mac Baren anyway....

 

[mso489]

A good and comprehensive review. It sounds a little too aromatic for me, from a blend with English characteristics, but it is certainly something I'd sample. For people who want an elegant, complex, but fairly mild English blend, I'd steer them toward Nat Sherman 536.