I find this to be the most complex blend in the entire McClellands line of mixtures. One can taste all of the different tobaccos and none of them dominate the blend.

This is a tobacco to be sipped. It's not a full mixture though the label would have you believe that there's some strength in the mixture. The virginias are the base but the rest of the tobaccos come through nicely.

My advice is to buy a tin, pop the top and let it sit (with the plastic top on it) for a couple of weeks. There's something about letting certain tobaccos breathe and this is one of the mixtures that benefits from breathing.

Steady and complex to the bottom of the bowl, I prefer this in larger pipes. A very nice tobacco for the sippers among us. The oriental tobacco mixed with the perique really does the trick. Well done.

Aromatic-only fans will probably hate it, but for a palette slightly more experienced and ready for English as in my case, this was a great step "up" and an extremely enjoyable after-dinner smoke that left me quite satisfied.

Appearance and Tin Aroma: Medium to fine ribbon, mostly dark brown to black laef. Smells awful, reminds me of sea swamp! Very similar to Cornell and Diehl's Red Stag. My tin was dated from March of 2002 so it had sufficient aging.

Packing and Lighting: Easy and not quite as moist as other MC blends I have tried. Lit after 2-3 lights quite well.

Initial Flavor: Blegh! Same sea swamp!

Mid-Bowl: Sea Swamp odor settles down, but it still is not very tasty although the room note is pretty good to those who like Balkans or English blends (which I do, of course.)

Bottom of Bowl: A little build up of strength, a little tingle from the perique is noticable. Ash is fine and mottled grey. Heel is dry.

Overall: This blend did not work for me. I love Balkans and English blends, but the leaf components in this mix just did not taste well to me. After 6 bowls, gave the rest away. Thankfully, there are many other MC blends I do enjoy thoroughly.(British Woods, FMATP, X-mas Cheeer, Dark Star, 221b Honeydew, etc...

Rating: 2 out of 5 points

This blend is just right for me.. The Latakia I do not find too overpowering but bold and well stated. The toasted Virginia components that play along sweetly with the Perique makes this a tasty smoke. The Perique adds it's stewed fruit background,and the smoke is thick,and curly smokey sweet.

I did play with this blend trying to figure out how to help you guys who have a tin of this now and don't like it too much. Here it goes: Add two chopped up level tablespoons of Dark Star to Bombay Extra. You'll be sending me Christmas Cards after you try that!

75F patio smoke in 1/8 bent Tinsky tall Bulldog blast

Appearance: 50% black, 25% red, 20% brown and 5% blond. Mostly ribbon cut leaf, perfect moisture.

Tin Aroma: Light Latakia, with scent of what could be either matured Virginia or Oriental.

Light up: Lights easily with Latakia showing itself first, though it is well and lightly applied. Sweetness, toastiness and tongue heat indicate significant Virginia content, and mild back of throat edge indicates some nicotine strength. I'm not in ecstasy, but am enjoying this very much. The Latakia is truly only a spice note, just a bit more evident than it is in Bob's Chocolate Flake. Need to watch smoking rate b/c this can bite if pushed. Burns easily and dry, though the Tinsky must get some of the credit too. Bowl aroma is primarily Virginia.

Settle in: Top range is faint but necessary for the mild complexity this blend possesses.

There is a vague top-end sweetness that escapes further description. There is a caramel-like note in the lower end of the top range, indicating high-quality Virginias were used. This effect is lost, however, if the pipe is not air-smoked, so I am guessing that a high percentage of these qualities are from the small amount of bright leaf present, and the red Virginias. I'm picturing a mango-type sweetness and zestiness, but not flavor. Mid-range is the heart of this blend. The caramel tones transition into the mid-range and expand. Mind you, no toppings on this one are detectable. No heaviness or bitterness, no hint of Perique for me. Not really spicy either. Also a pound cake sweetness and depth, and an apricot jam quality (that isn't it exactly, but is as close as I can get). The Latakia is very faint, a big plus in my book, and it lends a chocolate-y tone to the background. The heat is no longer a factor. Bottom range is present but not much so. Vague and sweet. This tobacco burns fast. There are only five or so flavors here, very constant, without much variation. There is enough complexity, however, to keep the smoker interested, and the flavors that are present are pretty tasty. I'm not tasting any orientals at this point.

The end is near: This tobacco burns to a clean ash, leaving little aftertaste. Again, not much variation, but the Latakia does pick up a bit near the end, as well as a flavor that I identify with matured Virginia. No burley curse.

I'm not especially good with identifying Latakia blends, but I'm guessing that this isn't an Esoterica or Lake District blend. I don't pick up any signature smells of the Danish or German blends. I'm guessing American-sourced Virginias here.

An initial 7.5 of 10, very high for a Latakia blend for me. Second and third smokes confirm this rating. The best of the three for me.

I really enjoy the sweetness of the Virginia component, and find this adds to the balance of the blend. I would not characterize this as a really heavy lifter in the latakia territory, but it IS a good lat. fix. The perique is not a major player, but provides a bit of a zip that Bombay Court is lacking.

I also take exception to the comment that this tobacco is one-dimensional. The VA-latakia interplay is IMO rich and dark, just like the color. But then, why should we all like the same blends? I do find that I take to this tobacco more on some occasions than others, so would not give it great marks in the consistency category.

This is not one of the great english blends, but one of the good ones. It deserves an occasional pipe when the mood is right for a little perique in the latakia stew. Just don't expect Nightcap.

Upon opening the tin you get the definite feeling this is a heady blend. You get the same feeling at the match. I made it to about the quarter-bowl point before the wife sent me into the garage with the dogs - guess that tells you what the room note is like.

If you like your Latakia flavor revved up and care little whether you have friends around, then light up with Bombay Extra. Talk about smoking in solitude, this baby will get the job done, Whew!

Like most McClellands, it must be dried a little and I find it packs better if I break down the longer ribbons. The tobacco lights and burns well.

One quality I find particularly appealing is that the room aroma is less offensive to others than most latakia blends and does not linger in the room as do most latakias. I have on several occasions smoked this more than once in an evening then had guests over the next morning and asked if they could smell the tobacco and they could only smell an inoffensive hint.

Physical Characteristics: Not very many light strands in this average length ribbon cut, and a bit too moist for my taste, but that doesn't mean anything, as most commercial tobacco is too moist for my taste. As with every other McClelland blend I have smoked, it packs easily and burns evenly, leaving a powdery, white ash.

Notes: This blend seems to be a fugue on Bombay Court, somewhat inverting the proportions of Latakia and Orientals. Whereas Bombay Court is, as I wrote in my review of it, is heavier on the Orientals with the Latakia playing a mostly supporting role, this is Latakia, Latakia, Latakia, with just enough Virginia and Oriental to be able to call it a 'blend'. The Latakia used is high grade, very flavorful and full, but the absolutely gigantic percentage of it quickly dulls my tastebuds to any subtlety the blend might have to offer.

Verdict: While this is an interesting aside to Bombay Court, it really isn't my thing, being just a tad too one-dimensional.

Aroma: A heavy aroma of, smokey Cyprian Latakia, sweet virginias and spicy Orientals. Definitely more Latakia than BC.

Packing: Packs easily into medium and larger pipes.

Lighting: Takes flame fairly well, neither too east nor too difficult to light.

Initial flavor: To my taste, the Latakia drowns out the other tobaccos.

Mid-bowl: The Latakia still overpowers the blend, resulting in a monochromatic Taste.

Finish: Finished well, not much gain in harshness. The pipe was dry and clean with some gray ash left.

Summary: Not as pleasing as Bombay Court, nor in the same league with GLP Raven?s Wing..