McClelland Oriental Mixture No. 6

(2.74)
A balanced, old style medium mixture, its robust flavor due to liberal use of Middle and Eastern Belt Orange Virginias. This invigorating all day or outdoor tobacco is both satisfying and refreshing.

Details

Brand McClelland
Blended By McClelland Tobacco Company
Manufactured By  
Blend Type Oriental
Contents Latakia, Oriental/Turkish, Virginia
Flavoring
Cut Ribbon
Packaging 50g Tin, 100g Tin
Country United States
Production No longer in production

Profile

Strength
Mild to Medium
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Extremely Mild -> Overwhelming
Flavoring
None Detected
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
None Detected -> Extra Strong
Room Note
Pleasant to Tolerable
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Unnoticeable -> Overwhelming
Taste
Medium
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Extremely Mild (Flat) -> Overwhelming

Average Rating

2.74 / 4
4

10

8

1

Reviews

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Displaying 1 - 10 of 23 Reviews
Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Apr 08, 2010 Mild to Medium None Detected Mild to Medium Pleasant to Tolerable
This review is based on a 2002 tin, opened 3/30/2010, so it may not be a wholly accurate reflection of what you'd find in a brand-new tin.

This is an oriental-forward Oriental/Virginia blend, augmented with what I suspect is just the tiniest touch of latakia. The Virginias are of McClelland's typical high quality, and the Orientals are rich and pungent and always at the forefront. With only a label change, this blend would fit very well in the company's great "Grand Orientals" line.

Again, I can't comment on what's currently being sold as Oriental #6. But I can say that this version of the blend is well-made and delicious, if you like pungent Orientals. There is little or no latakia -- I'm smoking it in pipes well-seasoned with latakia, so I can't honestly say one way or the other -- so this is much more in the line of Red Rapparee and Presbyterian Mixture (although I find it smoother than either of those blends, which can occasionally tend toward harsh, if you're not careful), and McClelland's own Grand Orientals: Yenidje Supreme.

If you like rich Virginias and beautifully handled, pungent Orientals, then I think you'll like this one very much. Just come prepared to experience it for what it is. (Some reviewers seem to be disappointed that the blend isn't something it was never intended to be: a balkan, an English, a latakia blend, etc., etc.)

Note: One early reviewer noted that aging had increased the presence of the Orientals in the blend. That might explain why so many other reviewers comment on the Orientals being too far in the background while others -- myself included -- found it to be quite Oriental-forward in character. (My tin had eight years of age on it.)
9 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Aug 26, 2009 Mild to Medium Extremely Mild Medium Pleasant to Tolerable
The previous review is almost spot on, although I would call it a "good" VA rather than an "outstanding" one. Still, McClellands produces virginias much better to my palate than this one, and without latakia. If I wanted one of those, I would have bought one. For this one I wanted more of a latakia and oriental flavor but those tastes are too light in this blend. I also think there might be a hint of black cavendish in this mix.

This burns and smokes cleanly and produces a nice gray ash at bowl's end. The tin aroma was quite nice and the taste was fine indeed, just not what I was hoping for. I liked it slightly better than their #8, as it seemed to have more body and slightly more flavor. If you like your orientals on the lighter side, this is one to sample. If you like 'em heavier, skip this and go straight to British Woods or Bombay Court Extra.
8 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Sep 10, 2017 Mild to Medium None Detected Medium Pleasant to Tolerable
The orange Virginias offer a lightly tangy, dark fruitiness with a bit of earth, a little citrus, and a few blades of grass. The woody, buttery sweet and sour, floral, lightly spicy Oriental is a little more than a condiment, but never quite manages to be a supporting player. The smoky, woody sweet Cyprian latakia has a continual background presence. The strength and nicotine are in the center of mild to medium. Won’t bite or get harsh, but does have a rough edge here and there. Burns cool and clean at slightly slow pace with a fairly consistent flavor, though it does suffer a mite from lack of depth and nuance. Leaves little moisture in the bowl, and needs a few relights. Has an okay, mildly savory and lightly floral after taste. Is close to an all day smoke for the experienced smoker. Two and a half stars.

-JimInks
7 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Jun 01, 2014 Medium None Detected Medium Pleasant to Tolerable
As I'm working towards the bottom of this tin, I have to say that I really like it but I wish there was just a bit more Latakia. I am currently chugging through a pound of #2020 that has an unusually high Latakia note and I love it. I really just want a ribbon version of #2020 and although #6 is not it, it is still one I enjoy.

Original review 6/1/14: Has similarites to Bulk #2020 only no lemon viginias and ready rubbed. I like it less than 2020 but it is good for when you don't want to mess around with broken flakes. Perfect moisture level out of the tin and burns beautifully without the need for relights. Also it doesn't seem to be very popular so the chance you get a tin with soom age is very good.
Pipe Used: various
Age When Smoked: 6 years
6 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Dec 06, 2003 Mild to Medium None Detected Mild to Medium Tolerable to Strong
The dominant leaf here is Virginia. It is very fragrant and middle of the road in strength in flavor. The Orientals really come to the forefront with this blend and the pot is sweetened by its presence. The Latakia is a background player, and typically top-shelf as all McClelland's Latakia tobacco seems to be.
6 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Nov 21, 2017 Mild None Detected Mild to Medium Tolerable
I snagged an old tin of this off ebay for a song without knowing much about the tin. It was right around 9 yrs old when I popped the 100 g tin. I jarred up half and just finished the other half at deer camp last week.

This is a standard VLO Balkan type blend with the orientals out front. I really wish I knew what orientals were used in this blend. My overall impression is that this is a nice, but quite mild blend. I would put this in the camp of EMP or villiger early day and somewhere between the two in preference. All this to say that it is a fine morning smoke with a cup of coffee.

The Virginia is nice and sweet as to be expected coming from McClelland with 9 yrs of age on it. The latakia is very light, but its presence can still be sensed. This blend is nice, but it is far from earth shattering and can get a little boring in its inoffensiveness. One thing for sure is it won't bite and it smokes cool and for some odd reason I am looking forward to finishing the jarred remainder of it. Maybe I liked it more than I thought. Three stars.
PurchasedFrom: ebay
Age When Smoked: 9yrs
4 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Feb 04, 2007 Medium None Detected Medium Pleasant
I'm not a huge fan of McClelland blends, but have managed to find a few that really do it for me. I believe that this one may become one of the few McClellands that I keep around, if even only for an occasional smoke.

Popping the top on this six year old tin elicited no ketchup aroma; good deal. The smell was of mature va.s, delicately laced with oriental and latakia. Rather than the smokiness of a heavy latakia blend, this stuff is faintly perfumey. But not in the way that lakeland flakes are perfumey. It just smelled very pleasant in the tin, and it was also the perfect humidity for smoking right out of the tin. Guess six years is the mark for McClellands (actually, Mike says five years aging is optimum).

Lighting was accomplished with ease, and once it was going it stayed lit. I would describe the room aroma as 'gentle' rather than pleasant. There was a tiny bit of virginia acridity, but it was very subdued. Everything else about the aroma was full bodied but pleasant; gentle.

I found the flavor to be just like the tobacco smelled. It was lightly perfumed (naturally from the orientals), mildly tangy, and just a remenisce of sweetness. Again, as with the smell, the latakia that I know must be in there, remained so unobtrusive as to be unnoticable.

This mixture is really well executed. McClellands managed to strike a really good balance with the virginias and the orientals, providing a smoke that is surprisingly invigorating on the palate without being "in your face" full of flavor. It's mild disposition means that the smoker will not experience tongue bite, and it is not so heavily laced with latakia that it will grow tiring as a daily smoke.
4 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
May 28, 2022 Mild None Detected Mild Tolerable
The reviews is on a 2017 tin of #6 which gives it 5 years of aging.

I've found #6 to be a great blend when I'm not looking for Latakia and want to enjoy the oriental notes in the lead. The McC Virginias give a nice compliment of sweetness. It burns really cool if not pushes and I enjoy the sweet/slightly sour notes which last through the bowl. Very little moisture and easy to smoke with minimal or no relights.

I'm glad I have a couple of tins left in the cellar as I really enjoy this one and will be sad once I'm out.
Pipe Used: various
PurchasedFrom: JR Cigar
Age When Smoked: 2017
3 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
May 10, 2015 Medium Medium Full Pleasant
I tend to shy away from oriental blends. This one I like very much because it seems to break the mold when one contemplates orientals.

The tangy sweetness of the orientals tantalizes my taste buds.The Virginias add a note of sweetness, The other tobaccos, and yes, there is some Latakia, make this a distinct and complex blend.

Like many truly complex blends, A clean pipe and a slow uncluttered moment provides the ideal setting to savor this fine blend. Smoke this blend slowly, and all of the fine complexity will dance across one's palette in the most delightful manner. Try it. You will like it.
3 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Sep 09, 2007 Medium None Detected Full Tolerable
I bought this because I was visiting Phoenix and Ye Olde Pipe and Tobacco Shoppe had an 11-year old tin. This tin was my first experience with latakia ? my first oriental blend. On opening the tin I saw evidence for plume or bloom on the hard, dark smoky flakes, a fine whitish powder that is thought to be oils rising to the surface and precipitating. The tin smell was rich and smoky, and the latakia smoky flavor comes through on the first light. The smoky flavor diminishes, or saturates, and by the halfway mark the tobacco flavor predominates. The oriental notes remind me of strolling through a middle-eastern spice bazaar. The blend indeed ?stout? ? the oriental flavors are intense, and yet the Virginia flavor comes through, especially in the second half of the bowl. In my first experiences, sometimes I really liked this blend, at other times it seemed slightly off balance. I think this could in part be due to my ability to calibrate the rate of combustion throughout the journey from the top to the bottom of the bowl. ? I have since sampled a few other oriental mixtures, and the more I sample, the more I appreciate Oriental #6. I find that I enjoy the complexity, the intensity of flavor, and especially the virginia finish. I really like the way virginia tobacco flavors build to their peak flavor in the last part of the bowl. A spicy tobacco with a McClelland virginia finish - this is a good thing.
3 people found this review helpful.
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