It has a pleasant tin odor, though it didn't let me forget that it was from McClelland (ahh, that old funky ketchup/BBQ sauce smell still lingers), and was almost disturbingly moist after a few years unattended in the cellar. As I made my way through the bowl, it brought me back to days of pipe smoking gone by, which is to say that I had to relight more than I have in recent memory.

While this is a good stab at an English, there is an underlying sweetness and vinegary tang that I am now unaccustomed to in such a blend. It was actually a little cloying by the time I got to the last third of the bowl, and the whole experience left me desperately craving a nice, dry, burley-based Camel when finished, owing both to the lingering tang and the relative lack of nicotine. I don't get a lot of complexity from this tobacco, either. Maybe it lacks Orientals, or maybe the sweet Virginia component just tramples them underfoot.

Perhaps this blend has served it's purpose for me, as a signpost on the road to English/Balkan bliss. I can't say it's a bad tobacco, because it isn't, and I can appreciate it for what it is, but my tastes have changed such that I prefer something dryer these days. Maybe it would be helped by a nice strong cup of black coffee on the side. I may give it another spin, but I won't be going out of my way to buy any more.

After tin opening, it needed to dry-out for about 72 hours, which helped immensely.

Would I buy it again? No, there are other ones in my view which offer more depth and complexity. All said quite good, not great.

It brings a different kind of taste for an English mixture.

I am not sure that I would smoke it regularly but it still proved interesting.

The ingredients are exceptional, but they are lost on me...I can't find myself able to pick out the Macedonian leaf or any other of the fine Orientals employed in various McClelland blends. That's not a knock on McClelland, but rather my own shoddy palate--no one should doubt the quality of any McClelland mixture. British Woods is unfortunately destined to the back of my smoking drawer, which is a shame because I spent nearly twenty dollars on this tin (my misguided attempt to support the local brick and mortar). I suppose if I were to change this blend up, I would go for a stronger Virginia component, though as is, far too light for my tastes.

Two of five.

try BW if you like high quality English blends.

Upon opening the tin I was greeted by the McClelland ketchup/barbeque sauce aroma that I've oft read about but after a moment or two it did seem to calm down... Nice cut, packs easily but...this one just didn't do it for me and it could possibly be that I just received a bad batch, not sure.

The depth is lacking and it seems to be monochromatic. The smoke is quite heavy and rich; nice room note for an "english" blend but the taste is flat. I've smoked the blend in several pipes (Savinelli squat, BC and Charatan dublins, Sasieni bull dog and a very large meer)with much the same result; though the squat seemed to bring more of the flavor.

I will let it age a bit and see what happens.

Recommended as a entry level "English" but not for someone looking for a full-bodied smoke.

2 out of 4 stars.

This is for those that like a little bit of oriental with their latakia. This is a heavily pungent full English mixture that smells sweet in the tin and tastes both sweet and smoky in the bowl. A mostly all black tobacco with a few strands of chocolate brown matured virginia, said virginia doesn't seem to play a role I can discern in this one unless it's simply to tone it down a hair. The taste of BW is robust, yet sweet and mellow. Latakia predominates, with the various orientals peeking through the haze from time to time - a refined and occasionally elegant flavor. Somehow this doesn't beat the smoker about the head with latakia, however, and I'm not sure how they did that (perhaps the inclusion of matured red VA).

If you love latakia but prefer not to be overwhelmed by it, give this one a try.