Mac Baren Plumcake and Mixture Scottish Blend

[Mad Hatter]

Plumcake

"Bright Virginia tobaccos mixed with Burley, a little original MB Cavendish and just a touch of Syrian Latakia" and "original Jamaican Rum". At the time I picked this one up I had been smoking entirely darker English blends but the description and the plainness of the labelling seemed enticing, and my desire to expand my horizons led me to snatch the last remaining tin from the store shelf. Mac Baren's Plumcake is labelled as a light aromatic and so was also my first experience with aromatic pipe tobaccos. When you open the can the first thing you notice is the smell. It has a nice aroma that reminds me of the corner of the living room at Granddad's where he kept all of his Half&Half, Prince Albert and other various brands of drug store goodies, which is to say just a nice and rich, yet sweet tobacco smell. The range of color in the ribbon cut contents is limited to mostly a medium brown with just a smattering of black. Upon close inspection the tobacco appears to have a slight oiliness to it and the moisture content is high enough you might not want to smoke it straight from the tin for fear of the infamous Mac Baren tongue bite. However, if you give it a little time to dry, this should be a non-issue. After my first tin I began buying this by the pound and when my tin runs empty I just refill it and leave it in my truck for a few days to slowly dry out. The room note and the flavor are very pleasant, fruity with kind of a "blue" richness that you can both taste and smell. It can be a bit of a chore at times to get it going, but once you do the flavors come through best if smoked slowly. It has a fair dose of nicotene, just a little too strong for my liking but it has a great aftertaste and this combination makes it an excellent late evening or lazy morning smoke.

Scottish Blend

Made from more than 35 different tobacco leaves from around the world, Scottish Blend is amazingly similar to Plumcake. It looks like, and to a degree smells like and tastes like Plumcake, only without the fruitiness. At the same time it has a delightful flavor and aroma all its own which reminds me of a grassy hillside in spring twinged with the smell of a freshly mowed field with just a touch of autumn and the earth. Another excellent smoke for lovers of VAs and mild aromatics.

[EvanS]

MadHatter - nice and very accurate reviews. Truth is MacB Mixture #1 is the first tin I ever bought at a B&M. First tin of any kind, actually. Scorched me so bad it scared me. I like the flavor but even after getting where i coud smoke most VA's without worry this stuff still wanted to nip me.
So I stoved the remainder of the tin using the 220/220 method. WOW - the pluminess stayed while adding a nice toasty grapenuts flavor.

[Mad Hatter]

Originally Posted by EvanS

MadHatter - nice and very accurate reviews. Truth is MacB Mixture #1 is the first tin I ever bought at a B&M. First tin of any kind, actually. Scorched me so bad it scared me. I like the flavor but even after getting where i coud smoke most VA's without worry this stuff still wanted to nip me.
So I stoved the remainder of the tin using the 220/220 method. WOW - the pluminess stayed while adding a nice toasty grapenuts flavor.

Thanks Evans....... I'm not familiar with this 220/220 method, but it sure sounds good. How do you do that?

[EvanS]

Originally Posted by Mad Hatter

Thanks Evans....... I'm not familiar with this 220/220 method, but it sure sounds good. How do you do that?

Take a sealed or unsealed tin, wrap it up with a few good layers of tin foil. The foil will help (1) insulate the tobac from direct heat (2) help seal in moisture and (3) help contain any unexpected explosions.... j/k

220/220 comes from turning the oven to 220 degrees F and leaving it to stew (stove) for 220 minutes. Most of what I have read states that you do want to have an oven temp of over 200 but going much over 220 to speed up the process runs a high risk of getting too toasty too quickly.

It's all pretty simple and I found the difference to be incredible. Of course how much this appeals to you will depend on your tastes and I am sure that just like with aging some tobacs will take to stoving better than others. As I identify tobacs that I REALLY like, and will buy large quantities of, I am looking forward to trying other things like this.

MadHat - P/M me your address and I'll send you some so you can compare the difference.

[TexasOutlaw]

I've been wanting to try this, but I'm worry about the tongue bite that some describe.

[Mister Moo]

Originally Posted by TexasOutlaw

I've been wanting to try this, but I'm worry about the tongue bite that some describe.

I dare to bare (my tongue to yet one more MacBaren product).

I feel like a glutton for punishment each time, tho' few and far between, that I buy something with the Crest & Royal Seal of Tongue-MeltBaron on the lid. Maybe I feel like testing my maturity and capability as a pipesmoker; maybe it's masochism - or maybe machismo! Really, it's the reviews that Dub, M'atter, EvS (and others at TR.com) have written. Something about the Plumcake just sounds sooooooo enticing - so, "how lovely to slowly smoke a rich sweet bowl of whatever in front of the fireplace on a cold winters eve" kind of thing. So I bought a tin of the stuff and and, I swear, unless I my skills are good and I love it it'll be my last nickel ever going into the MacB till.

It reminds me of seeing a box on Celestial Seasonings "Sleepytime" herbal tea at the grocery store for the first time. You've seen the box with the bear in the nightshirt? Well - here:



I mean, I wanted to be that bear bad enough that I bought a box of the stuff, took it home and made a cup and got all comfy-like and took a gentle swig and like to spit the crap from here to Sunday all over the family room. Land 'o Goshen! It was dee-SCUS-ting.

Still - Plumcake here I come. I still wanna be the bear. More later.

[EvanS]

Dan, the term "you go Boooiieeeeeee" certainly applies here. I have found that a refrigerated can of Solarcane is handy to have nearby.

[Mister Moo]

Originally Posted by EvanS

a refrigerated can of Solarcane is handy to have nearby.

Solarcaine tongue couldn't be worse than my last round of MacBaren tongue. As I said - perhaps my technique has matured and I simply haven't been able to get "it" yet. Maybe Plumcake is my MacB corner-turner. Hope springs eternal in the pipe game.

[Davetopay]

I certainly hope that your experience with Plum Cake will be a delight. It is one of my "go to" favorites. I find I like it best in a large bent pipe where I can spend enough time with it to properly be "lazy"...or maybe just slow moving....if that makes any sense.

[Mad Hatter]

Maybe you should try it in a 9mm filter pipe. I think can't figure where the heat comes from. Maybe try a pipe with a tight airway......... or a CW? I don't smoke it much anymore because I only have 1 filter pipe and otherwise I just get tired of fighting the fire, but now I'm gonna give 'er another go.

[Mister Moo]

Originally Posted by Mister Moo

Solarcaine tongue couldn't be worse than my last round of MacBaren tongue. As I said - perhaps my technique has matured and I simply haven't been able to get "it" yet. Maybe Plumcake is my MacB corner-turner. Hope springs eternal in the pipe game.

Awww... I cracked the new tin last week and took in a not-unpleasant light whiff of rum and mild/sweet.

Keeping a short story short: I smoked three or four bowlsful in two different pipes. I'd call it very Virginia-dominant and it never offered a hint of bite. It was dryish out of the tin and smoked with a few swabs/bowl. I found it uninspiringly average tasting and totally missed the joy of its many boosters.

[Davetopay]

Originally Posted by Mister Moo

Awww... I cracked the new tin last week and took in a not-unpleasant light whiff of rum and mild/sweet.

Keeping a short story short: I smoked three or four bowlsful in two different pipes. I'd call it very Virginia-dominant and it never offered a hint of bite. It was dryish out of the tin and smoked with a few swabs/bowl. I found it uninspiringly average tasting and totally missed the joy of its many boosters.

Not everything is for everyone!

The important thing is to keep trying new things!

[dogsplayinpoker]

Originally Posted by Mister Moo

Awww... I cracked the new tin last week and took in a not-unpleasant light whiff of rum and mild/sweet.

Keeping a short story short: I smoked three or four bowlsful in two different pipes. I'd call it very Virginia-dominant and it never offered a hint of bite. It was dryish out of the tin and smoked with a few swabs/bowl. I found it uninspiringly average tasting and totally missed the joy of its many boosters.

See!! You missed the rabid badger tearing your tongue to shreds! It adds to the flavor. Be the bear.

BOT, I enjoyed plumcake the last time I had it but have found Davidoff Scottish Mixture to be a better fit for my 'buds.