Mac Baren the solent mixture pipe tobacco

Mac Baren the solent mixture

Solent Mixture is part of the ”English Mixture” category, meaning that it is a Virginia-dominated blend spiced with Latakia tobacco.

The inspiration for this mixture came to Jørgen Halberg as far back as late 1948. However, it was not until two years later that Solent Mixture was fully developed.

Back in those early days, most pipe smokers smoked tobacco containing varying quantities of Latakia tobacco. Some mixtures contained up to 60% Latakia tobacco resulting in the blends being totally dominated by the very strong smoky taste. The large percentage of Latakia also resulted in a strong room-aroma that would pervade the entire area. No doubt many pipe smokers found that their spouses objected to the strong smell of the tobacco and that others in the room found the air to be rather unpleasant. Jørgen Halberg had encountered this problem on numerous occasions, which inspired him to develop Solent Mixture. His idea was to develop a Virginia dominated tobacco with sufficient Latakia content to give the pipe smoker the right taste, but which left a more pleasant air in the room - a compromise between the pipe smoker and his surroundings. In other words, a tobacco where the pipe smoker could enjoy the good taste of Latakia without having to endure jibes about the smell.

To conjoin the sweet Virginia tobaccos and the strong Latakia, Jørgen Halberg developed a unique Cavendish. Using an age-old process, dark-fired Kentucky tobaccos were converted into a flavour-intensive Cavendish. Indeed, the Cavendish developed by Jørgen Halberg is the tobacco that today we call “Mac Baren Original Cavendish”.

The different tobaccos were now ready. As a final flavour enhancer Jørgen Halberg chose a dark Jamaican rum, which is added after the tobaccos have been mixed together. When the pipe smoker fills his pipe with Solent Mixture, its perfect flavour is his to savour and enjoy: the sweetness of the Virginia tobaccos, the spice of the Latakia tobacco, the slightly bitter smoked flavour of the Original Cavendish, all bound together with an excellent Jamaican rum.

Tin: 100g