McClelland - Blakeney's Best Bayou Slice pipe tobacco reviews

Review

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Reviewed By:	Date:	Strength:	Flavoring:	Taste:	Room Note:	Recommendation:
Showing reviews 1 through 13 of 13 reviews of this tobacco
Perique	01/26/2013	Mild to Medium	None detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable
Visually, this tobacco presents very similarly to two other McClelland VaPers: Beacon Extra and St James Woods. Lovely, dark broken flake. And like it's cousins, also shares that signature McClelland tin note. Lights easy, burns well. Smokes very dry relative to the moisture level of the broken flakes in the tin, and drier than it's cousin blends. Perhaps due to this toasting process? I would describe this blend as a milder version of Beacon Extra. A fine tobacco, but not one that jumps out in this crowded field. Recommended for those new to VaPers and those seeking a lighter, less Perique-forward blend. And certainly a fine choice for the regular VaPer smoker- just don't expect to be overwhelmed. I'm not sure what the toasting process is, but it definitely mellows and smooths out the smoke. The Virginias are very tame and well-behaved in this one. And the McClelland VA tang is deep in the background. Overall a fine VaPer blend.
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Mr. Big	08/06/2012	Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant
This tin now has 9 months age and it still smokes hot and spicy. It starts out sweet, then sweet and sour , then just sour, then it goes flat. I won't buy again
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SteelCowboy	04/12/2012	Mild	None detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable
Bayou Slice IMHO is one overlooked VaPer. Bayou Slice is a wonderful combination of matured Virginias perfectly balanced with a perfect amount of perique for my taste. The tin that this is based on is a few years old, so keep that in mind. The usual McClelland fermented smell is there in its glory, but to me it isn’t relevant. I prefer to fully rub it out and let it get bone dry. When prepared this way, I find the BS performs at its best. It’s sweet, but not overly so and has just the right amount of pepper to balance it out. It is my favorite VaPer from McClelland. It won’t replace Escudo in my rotation, but it is well done and should be a staple in any VaPer lover’s cellar. Highly Recommended.
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Ehrling	01/27/2012	Mild to Medium	None detected	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable
I am not going to spend a lot of time on this review--it was a bit disappointing. Overall I found Bayou Slices just too flatly bland and lacking in complexity, almost monochromatic, to suit my tastes. The tin aroma was certainly promising, but that promise was not fulfilled in the flavor. There was sufficient body in the smoke, but I can't bring myself to describe this blend as "rich"--it falls somewhere short of that. While I can smoke this flake from time-to-time, I just don't get much enjoyment out of it. It probably deserves 2-stars, but nothing higher.
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Pipestud	10/21/2011	Mild	None detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant
As Virginia/Perique combinations go, this is probably one of the better ones out there. I enjoyed the pungent aroma of this one from the moment I popped the tin and took a whiff. The broken flake can be further rubbed for a more even burn and the smoke was very cool and dry. Perique lovers should give Bayou Slices a try. The lemon Virginia puts the pucker meter at the middle of the scale and it adds refinement and body to the peppery Perique.
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Polaris82	07/25/2011	Medium	None detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable
After reading the many reviews on Bayou Slice I had to give it a go. My first perique blend. I have been a tad disappointed with it so far but im not giving up. The tin that I have needs plenty of drying out right off the bat. I have had some trouble keeping my bowl glowing and there is plenty of gurgle. However the subtle sweetness to this blend is wonderful!!! And I personally love the room note this gives off. Im going to switch to a corncob to see what results I get. To be continued....... UPDATE..... Ive let this dry out for almost a month. My last go at this was somewhat of a disappointment but what a diffrence even minimal aging does. I also switched to a narrow Bueshers corncob after a suggestion from down below and it has made all the diffrence. No bite to speak of and no gurgle. A complete 180! The spiciness of the perique is very evident and a very welcome addition to my rotation. Also the vinegar smell is all but gone. Ive actually been somking more of this after some dry time than my other tobaccos as of late.
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Big Nick	12/30/2010	Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable
It's all true !!! Small slices of the smoothest Louisiana Perique mellowed with sweet and zesty matured Virginia's. Rich and satisfying, compelling aroma, smooth, no bite. I'm quite surprised that this blend has not gained greater popularity.
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Xeneize	11/09/2010	Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild	Tolerable
This subtle VaPer is a bit sweeter than St. James Woods and with less Perique. It also has less from the "vinegar" taste so common in McClelland's tobaccos. Both are great, and are a must try for any Vaper fan.
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Sir Walter Smiley	05/20/2010	Mild to Medium	None detected	Medium	Tolerable
I have smoked this for a few years now. Every time I come across it in a store, I grap it. Its brother, McClellands 'St. James Flake', is more available in the few shops I have around. If memory serves me well in tastes, I would say the only difference in the two is the toasting of the Bayou Slices. The toasting does the flake a favor in flavor. Tangy, sweet, peppery, earthy and; unlike St. James, ready to smoke without any drying. The last tin I found in a shop in Ashville, NC had been on the shelf since 2005. I opened it more than 5 years after the tinning date, WOW!! It made me wish I could buy this in bulk and age it myself. 5 years was probably to long to age, maybe three would be perfect. Anyway, it was the best 50 grams of tobacco I ever smoked. An unaged tin of this still gets a 4 star rating, but an aged tin is now my all time favorite.
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Porch Smoke	12/16/2009	Medium	None detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable
This broken flake arrived ready too smoke out of the tin. Some drying time may be preferrable for smoking in larger bowled pipes as this blend does burn hot but has not yet bit. This blend can be classified as more of a PerVA than a VAPer as the Perique dominates. The Perique is clearly well aged and of high quality as it is never harsh except for the first few puffs which is natural. The virginias provide an excellent woody/nutty/toasty sweet base for the zesty/leathery/peppery Perique leaf. This blend is perfectly balanced offering a nice volume of smoke throughout the bowl. I find myslef puffing greddily on the last peppery ashes wishing I wasn't done. Flavors I noticed in this smoke where of cajun spice, light hazlenut, and good toast. Highly recommended for lovers of Perique and natural virginias. Maybe not a good introduction to Perique for the inexperienced. Enjoy.
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wosbald	09/01/2009	Medium to Strong	None detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong
[With the same blend listed twice under Blakeney's Best Bayou Slice, this is a repeat review.] These medium-cut, partially broken, hard-pressed flakes have a tangy and syrupy tin aroma. This blend is unique amongst the VA based blends in the Blakeney's Best series in that the base leaf is red virginia, not gold as in Tawny Flake and Acadian Ribbon. The butter caramel and peanut brittle overtones so distinct in Tawny Flake, here instead, evoke treacle and black walnut. There is a pretty heavy dose of perique which adds to the depth. This is a unique flake of great depth and presence and which gains phenomenal richness down the bowl. Chamber Gauge: Narrow
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SirLoirn	08/04/2009	Medium to Strong	None detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong
Tin: A cross between the classic McCethup signature and sweet ripe fruit, the odor similar to Acadian Ribbon, plus a VA background. Dark chestnut hue composed of brown-black to tan broken flake that could be compressed and sticks together, though leaving no residue on the fingers. The tobacco averages 1x1/4x1/8 inch "guillotined slices ready-to-rub." Date stamp on bottom: 730306 means it was tinned in 2006. Prep & Burning: Rub the flakes out well, into small pieces. Lights and burns well. Took three relights. When left out to dry, it was almost completely dry in 45 minutes. Taste & Aroma: On first light, it is a mellow, vaguely sweet, zesty matured red ribbon. About 1/4 of the way down, perique becomes quite evident, pungent, musty smoky, and truffle-like. From then on, it is VA tang interspersed with the sweet ripe fruit note, mingling with perique mustiness. Don't know if it is the "classic Blakeney where toasting bans the bite...", but after multiple bowls of BS, there is some tongue bite towards the end of a bowl which may be just plain heat drawn up the stem. Nicotine: Medium to strong perique queasiness Overall: A VAPER in which the perique is strongly noticed, actually rather strong in perique. If you are in to VAPERS, 4 stars.
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RxMan	08/02/2009	Mild to Medium	None detected	Medium	Pleasant
Boy, this stuff smells good. Can is from '06, but stills maintains enough moisture to be smoked right away, or store away for another 6 months or more. Typical MClelland sweet Virginia smell (some say ketchup, I say aged Virginias) with a good dose of Perique for adventure. Flakes are definitely broken, and easy to pack as is or rub out a little. This is a typical "Bayou" type presentation, with the toasting taking the burn tongue thing off, if smoked (as all tobacco should be) slowly to enjoy the flavor. Recommended for the Va/Per crossover or an occasional departure for the English/Balkan crowd. All in all, a good smoke.
Showing reviews 1 through 13 of 13 reviews of this tobacco