McClelland - 221b Series: Arcadia pipe tobacco reviews

Review

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Showing reviews 1 through 20 of 93 reviews of this tobacco NEXT >
BriarTuck	04/10/2013	Mild	Extremely Mild	Very Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable
As an avid McClelland fan I was really looking forward to trying this blend, especially as I was able to obtain a tin from 2002. I guess "delicacy" was a good word chosen by the company to describe Arcadia, but I found it far too delicate. For me this blend was all Virginia with only the slightest hint of Oriental interplay. I found the experience to be boring and completely unsatisfying. I guess I've been spoiled by McClelland's genius Grand Oriental Series which are truly the "rich oriental mixture" that was promised on the label of this blend. It's a pity Dr. Watson wasn't around to savor Drama Reserve or Smyrna No.1. Now those are blends that will "stop all conversations"
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Sgt_Fig	04/04/2013	Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Very Pleasant
While I enjoy a broad range of tobaccos, a few remain as a standard by which I gauge others. This is one of them. While mood is a strong predictor of my tobacco choice, there are no bad situations where this blend, sitting in my "Cave" doesn't bring me joy and relaxation. A wonderful blend of legend and reality for me. I always day dream of my first reading of J.M. Barrie's masterpiece, My Lady Nicotine and the descriptive prose that captured my imagination even after all these years.
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Sir Claude	03/04/2013	Mild to Medium	None detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable
As there have been multiple opinions offered on this nice mixture, I shall be brief. McClelland realized a very nice mixture with Arcadia. The stoved VA combined with OR really shine together. Edit The lack of nicotine turns me away from this excellent mixture. Too bad.
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nitramretep	12/23/2012	Mild	Mild to Medium	Medium	Tolerable
This blend is a mystery to me...it seems not to improve over time and actually becomes less pleasent after being open for a few days. McClelland is one of my favorite brands and having read several positive reviews was a little dissapointed. The Frog series still continues to please me though. 221b is perhaps just not my cup of tea but there again I am not a fan of other "dry" blends. I was using this blend in two Ashton pipes both XL models.
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DrT999	11/30/2012	Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable
A very mild smoke, but with a fair amount of flavor. A real Oriental treat for any smoker in the mood for a mild, smooth, relaxing smoke. I get a lot more Oriental than Virginia, but it's not overwhelming in any aspect. Likely a good intro to this catagory for the OTC smoker
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reedsteve	09/10/2012	Mild	None detected	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable
The variety of opinion on the more subtle recipes really comes to to fore with blends such as Arcadia. Controversy over how other kinds of leaf besides latakia can produce that Lapsong Souchong aroma abounds. Problem with always choosing the most in your face "flavor" is that it most often ceases to be our favorite one year later. After too many decades of playing this game, I would say that Arcadia may not be many experts favorite, yet it is often returned to year after year for possessing a classic taste and subtle balance. Perhaps special versions of this kind of "thinking" will supplement or reverse the trend of nameing blends after singular oriental leaf of past fame . Not being able to satisfy our ever glorifying memory is the real game at play.
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FlatCapMatt	02/04/2012	Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable
This was another sampler that I bought recently. It smelled like smokey BBQ sauce when I opened the bag. The flavour while smoked is hard to describe. It was light, and smokey, with a bit of ketchup/BBQ taste. Almost a slight soapy taste too maybe? I didn't have the wife around for the wife test, but I think she wouldn't really mind the room note. It wouldn't be a favourite of hers, but she wouldn't run away from it. I smoked a bowl of this, fairly quickly, and I feel the very slightest of buzzes. Pleasant. I did have some gurgle occur about half-way through the bowl, and it left a little wetness in the bottom. The after taste is a mix of something chemical, and campfire/BBQ like smoke. I probably would not buy this one again, as it seems like I prefer aromatics. However I wouldn't say it is a bad smoke. 2 stars from me.
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MacNutz	12/19/2011	Mild	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable
I'm half way through my first tin of this blend and I am liking it very much as my start of the day smoke. The nic level is low so I want a higher octane later in the day. The Va and Orientals are nicely balanced with the Orientals adding interesting notes to the flavour. It is an interesting change from the Lat bombs I'm fond of but it is still plenty 'English' enough for me. It is probably a good starting point for aro smokers interested in trying something different. Recommended.
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briarroot	10/14/2011	Mild	None detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable
McClelland shines with this one. A perfect balance of Virginias and Orientals. As with its name sake, I find this to be a true gentlemen's smoke. A slight bit of a sour tang, blended with a few sweet notes and a little bit of smokiness in the background. Not to complex nor overtly simple, perfectly rounded out in my opinion. I am not a latakia lover and do not miss them is this blend. Of course it will nip a wee bit like any Va if pushed to hard. I am a sherlock fan and I do think this an apt mixture for a man of Watson's civil and informed taste. Though the man is fictional this tobacco is based on the very real blend of old. I have puffed this through a number of good briars and no doubt find it to be excellent in all of them. I pack it either by layering or the frank method, both to great result. perfect moisture content out of tin and great McClelland aroma. great tin artwork and a perfect all day smoke as well. As the tin says "An original pipe tobacco recipe worthy of offering to one's best friend." Hope you enjoy it as much as I have.
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Davie Jones	10/08/2011	Mild to Medium	None detected	Medium	Pleasant
A very nice, shag cut mixture of VAs, Stoved VAs and OR, easy to smoke and which leaves a nice, sweet roomnote thanks to the stoved VAs. I had not ordered Arcadia in years and, smoking it again, regret not having reordered before. I don't know if it is the real Arcadia mentonned in Sherlock Holmes, but it sure is really good.
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furious	09/17/2011	Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable
I really enjoy the concept here and the oriental really shines through. Develops nicely towards the bottom of the bowl. Enough going on here to keep interest and aging really helps harmonize this blend.
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Tripjoker	06/09/2011	Mild	Extremely Mild	Mild	Tolerable
Again, another $10 wasted. I promise never to buy any more of McClellands products. The reviews are too predictable. Cheers!
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Unsal	06/07/2011	Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable
An excellent tobacco. Highly Recommended.
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tennjd2000	03/11/2011	Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable
A very nice mild English blend with little to no Latakia. This is an "all day smoke" that only gets better to further down the bowl you smoke. This has a very light fruity taste along with the orientals. It sounds like an odd mix, but it works. I have not smoked any aged samples, but I have a feeling that age will be kind to this blend.
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TTQC Driver	03/01/2011	Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable
I first learned of Arcadia at a pipe club meeting and I was not impressed at the time. Later I purchased a tin, and found it a relief from English blends with Latakia. I now enjoy Arcadia as a milder alternative to other favorites such as Dunhill London Mixture, Squadron Leader, Westminster or Picadilly.
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Kyrob	01/24/2011	Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

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Alguhan	12/11/2010	Mild to Medium	None detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable
The shag cut and the moisture of this blend is perfect for an even packing and burn. It offers a cool and relaxant smoke. I like the very tasty orientals in it. Most of the reviewers wrote their opinions about the latakia addition of this blend. I agree with those who said that tehere is just a touch of latakia here. It is not hard to detect but sometimes orientals may give a similiar flavor of latakia. The sweet spiceness of flavors offered me great smoking sessions. I highly recommend it.
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krg1000	12/07/2010	Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Medium	Pleasant
I had tried this years ago, but had forgotten what it was like. This does have the McClelland ketchup smell, but not as strong as some I have tried from McC. It seems to be just right moisture wise for me to pack and smoke right out of the tin. It lights and stays lit easily enough. It produces a decent amount of smoke. I can see why this gets so many positive reviews here. It seems to pass the wife test, so it gets the pleasant rating from me. This smokes down to a nice ash at the end of the bowl without any gurgling at all. Definitely recommended.
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Dapper Dan	11/27/2010	Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Tolerable
Wow! People aren't kidding about the ketchup smell... My first McClelland you see. There is a slight smokiness in the tin as well though. This kind of tastes like it smells I think; really not bad, but not exceptional. There wasn't any of the sweetness that a Squadron Leader, for instance, has. I got a slight "tingle" from nicotine content that I don't in many tobaccos. Not a bad room note, but not sweet smelling at all. The wife may not like it; luckily mine's away right now, haha. This would definitely be a medium English blend I think. Leaves a lingering aftertaste, but I like that a lot. This is a good tobacco; my two star rating doesn't mean it's not, it's just not something I want to smoke all the time. Many smokers will probably like it a lot.
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DoctorHoo	09/13/2010	Mild to Medium	None detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable
This is, by far, my favorite McClellend blend and one of my favorite blends, period. The tin needs to be left open for a day or two to bring it to optimum smokability but then it is outstanding. I dont know whether it has any latakia in it but that's about how much latakia I like, just enough to say, "Hmmm, I wonder if there's any latakia in here." This, along with Rattray's Jock's and Samual Gawith's Squadron Leader are my all-day companions.
Showing reviews 1 through 20 of 93 reviews of this tobacco NEXT >