As DK says, it does go very well with a pale ale or Lowland malt (!). I'd also like to suggest a good, still Vouvray! Legends is topnotch! Don't miss this one! Highly recommended. Thanks, Dr. Hanna!

Highly recommended.

Now that I've become more accustomed to Latakia blends, I can definitely smell, in the background of this tin, the dark fruit- like quality of the virginia leaf. An absolutely beautiful compliment to the mass of dark, smoky flavors that dominate. Gourmet stuff.

Perhaps its the quality of the smoke itself, so incredibly thick, and such a cool, amazing smoke! The sweet campfire aroma, the complete absence of any bite whatsoever! Oh so cooperative in the bowl of nearly any pipe. I know that some people will find reason to dislike this because of the relatively low N content- but for me, that is a blessing- The taste is so incredible that I want to smoke more of it, and the more N there is the less of it I can smoke!

This is a very forward blend, very direct... Yet with some balance. Laphroaig vs. Ardbeg- and this blend is the Laphroaig. Smoky, cool, somewhat sweet if you look for it.

Truly luxurious. I strongly recommend this tobacco, and think of it in the same way that some of you may think of Sobranie, or penzance, of the original Dunhill 965.

The tin aroma: who cares? It's as others have described it, pleasant enough, but obviously it's completely different in the pipe.

In the pipe: it's soft, comforting, smoky, deep and rich, with an understated sweetness. There is something lovely about how the notes come together, a nuance that is beautiful but beyond conveying. I'm having to relight several times but it's well worth the effort, the taste remains even throughout the bowl.

Really good stuff, try it!

Updated 1/1/12 I have found that three McClelland blends have very similar characteristics and deserve just a word, they are: Jubilee, Legends and Aurora. All have the same burning , packing and "N" levels but most of all they are extremely smooth and are among my favorites. I feel that Aurora, a Virginia blend, is the basis for the other two. Add a touch of Latakia and a smidgen of Perique to Aurora and you have Jubilee but the dominate flavors still are Aurora. Add a touch of Latakia and a healthy dose of Orientals to Aurora and you have Legends. All are very good but my personal favorite is Legends, smooth, creamy, smoked Provolone with Aurora in the background.

Updated 8/18/12 OK let's bring a 4th into the mix, "Wilderness". I had both a tin of Wilderness and Legends open and was switching smokes between the two, I could not tell the difference. I decided to load two pipes and smoke them at the same time ??? Results: Legends Is creamier, zero spice on the tongue, almost no "McC Vinegar" and a bitter sweet cocoa flavor. Wilderness, is also very smooth but has that tangy sweet and sour "McC Vinegar" ( I love McC Vinegar), not as creamy, but more hidden flavors of cocoa and is sweeter. I think Wilderness is the slight winner for me.

Not one of my favorites, but nonetheless an excellent product. I think this one may turn out to be quite popular and one day might even live up to its name.

A quick snort of the tin aroma first yields the unmistakable aroma of latakia. A few more seconds shows off the orientals, that seem seem to shift from sweet to sour to earthy to toasty. This comes through in the smoke. I could see some smokers finding this too mild but the taste makes up for that for me. Sometimes a mild smoke just fits. This is a highly but not overwhelmingly complex mixture, and has one of the most incredible room notes I've experienced. I spent a lot of time waving the smoke into my face and leaving the room and returning so I could smell that wonderful aroma. Overall, this is a winner taste-wise and aroma-wise.

There are other latakia blends that I prefer and this will be an occasional smoke for me, but it's definitely a blend for someone who loves the interplay of great orientals with a moderate amount of latakia. Goes great with a nice pale ale or a Lowland single malt.

But Legends is a little different, in its inclusion of stoved leaf and the exclusion of Yenidje, in favor of both Drama and Mahalla. These newer blends from McClelland and Russ Ouellette are quite amazing in their Oriental presence, including some of the rarer varietals that tend to make Smyrna seem bland by comparison. By extension, they are natural competitors, as Magnum Opus, Wilderness, and Legends share a similar blending philosophy and characteristics such as extraordinary Orientals and strength profiles.

In the tin, the tobaccos range in color from dark brown to jet black, at about a 50/50 ratio, the Oriental leaf largely indiscernable from the mass of browns. The tin note is predominantly smokey, with hints of sweetness, completely absent of that familiar McClelland tang. It's a standard ribbon cut without any bits of flake mixed in, attractive but quite regular. The moisture level is about perfect, neither dry or wet.

Subtle, creamy and soft, that's straight from the tin description (which also, oddly, describes the blend as bold). I'm generally okay making the strength/spiciness tradeoff, and by that I mean that if the Oriental component holds through, I tend to limit my criticism for the lack of strength. McClelland Latakia mixes do tend to be somewhat wimpy in that regard, which is why I favor more robust mixtures like the various Dunhill blends when I want a good kick.

And right away, it's evident that Legends lacks that kind of body, forcing one to explore the variety of flavors. It's clear now that the mass of black leaf in the tin represented the stoved Virginia leaf, as the smokiness of the Latakia really hits a background note. I find it difficult to describe stoved Virginias, for they lack the high notes of the brighter leaf, yet their flavor is often subdued and quite mild, fitting the tin description just right.

The character is very similar to Wilderness, the proportions of leaf as well. The Orientals are more muted here, though certainly better represented than many of the more traditional English mixes you can find, and they build nicely through the progression of the bowl, really inflaming one's nasal cavity as everything winds down, to my delight.

Legends is a fine, spicy smoke with deeper notes than Wilderness, owing to the stoved leaf, and a tamer Oriental presence, although they are clear cousins in many of their common attributes. I hope this is not the end of the McClelland/Hanna connection, and if I can make a request, amp up the Virginias and keep the spiciness!

Lighter, fruitier and not as smoky as Pease's Westminster (which I also love), so it depends on what you're in the mood for.

This is a very high quality smoke. If you're looking for an elegantly sweet balkan, you won't go wrong.

The tobac out of the tin seems dry enough to pack, but I have found additional time has helped with continuous burning and less relights. Sipping slowly will allow the smoker to taste the finer aspects the blender must have had in mind when putting this together.

This is one of the finest offerings I have had from McClelland. If you like the components of this tobac, you owe it to yourself to try it out.