IMO this is the king of the aromatics.

UPDATE - I have been smoking a pipe for sometime and I find my tastes have changed. I would no longer rate this tobacco as highly as I have previously, though I do still enjoy it from time to time. It seems to smoke a lot hotter than it used to. I don't know if that's me or if the blend has changed. UPDATE 30 12 2009 - These days I find that Clan is second only in my choice of readily available supermarket brands. I always go for St. Bruno if available but Clan would be my next choice - preferable to both mellow virginia and gold block.

Another year on and I think I have been unfair on Clan. It is actually a good rich tasting tobacco. I definitely dig the aroma and my partner, a non smoker, also finds the aroma in the room pleasing. I still prefer St Bruno but I think Clan is definitely my second choice in the readily available supermarket brands.

I do like the moisture level and the way it packs. It does make a good blender. I have used perique and latakia at times in different blends with good results.

They seem to peddle a lot of this in Europe.

Now, to the detailed assessment... Like so many others, I remeber this tobacco from my early childhood, my grandfather used to smoke this blend between 1967 and 1969 (he shifted from cigarettes to be a pipesmoker in 1967 and gave up smoking entirely 1969), and naturally there were lots of fond memories related to this. Even during time I was kid, I liked Clans tobacco pouch aroma, as as it was similar to strong liquorice ("salmiak") due ammonium chloride. I also noticed already then how well its packs in the bowl (as three years old, during late 1969 I sometimes had proviledge to "load" the pipe for my grandfather, and quickly learned how easy it was to pack properly) When I bought my first pipe (Dunhill, during 1992) I used first this blend as the tobacco to form the cake into the new bowl. And Clan was the tobacco which was to set the standards of being "the basic" pipe tobacco.

Regarding the CUT: The cut of Clan is a PROPER pipe tobacco cut, and is far superior than those unfortunate Scandinavian thin shag cuts (due their "roll your own" uses) which have in Scandinavian market "spoiled" Borkums Riff and Amphora tobaccos (and which really can damage the bowl of your pipe while burning excessively hot, and when too moist, are really prone to cause tongue bite). So, if visiting Scandinavia, and need to get a re-supply of pipe tobacco, Clan is fairly safe choice.

The distinctive "chemical smell" mentioned earlier by few reviewers (poupehan, Eldrich) is, no doubt, ammonium chloride which has been sprinkled over the blend. And just like Eldrich mentioned, I have heard similar stories that opening the pouch will cause this particular tobacco to loose its strength really fast (and relatively strong becames "extra mild"). Only way to secure that this tobacco will hold its slight moist and aroma is to pack it immediately after opening the pouch into a glass jar with airtight rubber seal and wire locked lid (this particular tobacco really needs "gastight" storage) So, as cheap as this tobacco might be, it is fairly demanding regarding proper storage. Also if this has been in shop shelf for long time, it might have lost some its strength. On the other hand.., if first bowl is too strong for you, store some of the tobacco (for bowl or two) in tiny metal box (without airtight seal) for a day...

Proper spicy flavor prevents beginners from buffing too hard, so actually this is suitable belnd for beginners (and then they can find something better smokes as "pleasant discoveries"). there are 14 different and it can be noticed while in pouch and while smoke. No doubt, there is Latakia, than can be tasted as well as Virginia and Burley. No wonder, so many cigarette smokers changed to this, as "a natural continuation". I have seen that there are additional variants of Clan such as Mild and Malt Whisky but never tried neither of them (even I would like to try Clan Malt Whisky sometime). Mild is available from local tobacco shop, but the another not...

Talking about room note of this tobacco is bit under-estimated in "size scale". As I was visiting one fairly small town (with not much traffic) as I walked along the street, I suddenly noticed clear aroma of Clan, and as I looked around, fellow (whom I knew) was standing across the street (in range of about 30 yards) and smoked his pipe...(so, in scale, almost "a street note") Distinctive (almost territorial) room note of Clan is fairly individualistic nowdays. Long time ago it was quite common, but nowdays relatively rare, but although fairly distinctive, most find it pleasant (and possibly due relatively rare encounter).

And just as ROMMER mentioned in earlier review, this tobacco really enters your system... After 20 minutes you can feel it, and its effect will last about 4 hours... Old folks used to say that this stuff enchances the blood circulation for quite a while, so, during a cold and rainy November day while feet and hands feel really cold, bowlful of Clan certainly "corrects" that (at least did that to me), during hot day (or in hot climate) might make someone to sweat. This might be reason why most loyal Clan smokers were old men...

I keep collection of dirrerent brands and blends of pipe tobacco stored for diffrerent occations, and most are more fancy (and expensive) than Clan, but Clan is "the old reliable" which has earned its place amongst the tobacco stock. When I can not decide which to enjoy a bowlful, then I choose Clan... In case I use my Peterson 303 System (which does not have a filter) I load bottom of the bowl (about 1/4 layer) with W.O.Larsens Old Fashioned, and then 3/4 of Clan. Clan provides the spice and bottom layer of Old Fashioned takes care that fine ash of perfectly combusting Clan does not endup to the bit... And it is fairly perfect smoke... I have enjoyed every bowl, never had tonguebit or irritation... Actually.., one time as I was once again affected by paper dust allergy (after processing old archive files the dust from old papers made my throat sore and nose running and feel really miserable) I loaded the bowl of my pipe (in frustration and miserable feeling condition) really full of Clan and smoked it during 30 minutes time... And after that, my thoroat was no longer dry or sore, and my nose was no longer running.., so, I dare to say Clan worked like anti-histamine and stopped allergic rhinitis... Indeed smells like medicine, but works like one too... Now you know, why Clan is one of my favourites...

Update: Earlier I smoked "original Clan", but latest have been DK made (made by Orlik), and although nicotone kick has somewhat reduced (milder than earlier), I just bought 200 grams tin of this stuff, so, it can not be all that bad as many think...

Reason 1: Clans flavor is unlike any other pipe tobacco out there, it is utterly unique. Unlike Condor / St Bruno and most other English blends it misses out on the soapy overtones and instead tastes a lot like burnt toast with a herbal undertone...

Reason 2: However it is what Clan does to the pipe that overshadows the taste. Smoke Clan in any pipe and it immediately becomes a CLAN pipe. This stuff literally clings to the pipe and flavors it. Here is a true story. My grandfather (g.r.h.s) passed away over 10 years ago and I inherited his old pipe. Nothing grand, just an old Alco system pipe. I had not seen him smoke that pipe for at least 10 years prior to his death and yes, even after 20 years the pipe smelt of Clan. Not many tobaccos are that individual. Clan however is one of them. If you become a Clan smoker so do your pipes and after many bowls the taste just gets stronger and stronger. But how about the burn...

Reason 3: Some time ago now I gave up pipe smoking, yes prior to finding Clan I became utterly fed up with badly burning tobaccos, tobaccos that were wet and nasty, tobaccos that were expensive and useless. Clan however saved the day because imo it burns with the greatest ease of any tobacco in the world. It is never to wet when purchased and if you have any trouble at all just let it stand in the air for a few hours. It nearly always smokes away to a fine dust and is neither hot or fast burning. With Clan in the pipe you can smoke those pipes that you though were poor smokers, the stuff is made for the pipe.But again...

Reason 4: Smoking Clan is rebellious because most people try it once and give up, they never allow time to understand the tobaccos complexities. Those of us that smoke Clan are in a way the monority and thats a good poition to be in. Who wants to be just another St Bruno nut when he can be a Clan compadre!

Reason 5:The roots of Scandinavian Tobacco Group stretch to more than 200 years ago, when the three Danish tobacco dynasties, Chr. Augustinus Fabrikker, Copenhagen (founded 1750), C.W. Obel, Aalborg (1787) and R. Færchs Fabrikker, Holstebro (1869), launched their first products.

Say no more. Clan goes back donkeys years. I love it and I hope you will. If you dont then you can always send me your unwated tins and I will put them to good use ;)

Thanks for reading.

For the life of me I've never been able to figure out, how the manufactures have been able to ensure that every pouch they produced since the late 90's is bone dry and unsmokable. Sadly you have to go through a routine as arduous as opening an ancient port, with none of the reward, to smoke this weed.

It burns, it tastes of rough chemicals and it is always bone dry in the pouch. This was a tolerable tobacco for beginners less then ten years ago. Now, it is truly awful.

---------------Update-------------------------------------------

Not having smoked this in a while, I got a pouch, and immediately wondered why I had been wasting my time trying so many other aromatics. If there is a perfect aromatic this is it. Admittedly there are others that are sweeter, like a vannilla explosion when you light up. But they also burn hotter, wetter and steamier, with far less taste of tobacco. They also represent an olfactory assult on anybody in the room not unlike an overdose of perfume, which is all very well if people like vanilla/cherry/whatever else but some don't. The aroma of clan is indeed unobtrusive, sweet in its own way, but the sweetness is so artfully blended in that it cannot be told apart from the smell of the tobacco as with some sweeter blends. The tobaccos used in this blend are diverse, and the casings include rum, vanilla, and liquorice, in restrained doses. I've not found that anybody dislikes its aroma, but many people have told me that it smells nice, including a number of people with an absolute aversion to tobacco smoke.

Smells great in the pouch - very spicy. Packs well and easily. Taste wise it's OK, not as nice as in the pouch but it grows on you in my opinion. Great room note. It's pretty easy to smoke but will bite if you puff hard. It's no way near as bad as others have made out in my book. I've finished the pouch I bought and will definitely get some more when I start to run down my other brands.

I broke in my first two pipes on this stuff and they taste great to me!

Recommended, but an acquired taste.

Clan be with you? Clan smoke you? Then you try CLan, right? I give Clan, good Clan. Good Clan be praised, bad Clan be shunned. Shunned?

Wife Rating: Wife shun Clan? Wife no like Clan dead tree like smoke esquness. Dead tree people, resembles? Yes... you must open your eyes and understand. The magic of Clan. Magic? It is a deep magic?

Clan bring tidings of dead tree people of ashlands. We talking taste. It dances on the tongue like an old man with no eyes and shoe boxes for gloves. That is uncouth, and so is Clan.

May Giebbelhouse smite thine enemies to Giebbels n Bits.

Cheers, Toe Bacco