McClelland Blending Oriental

THIS IS GREAT STUFF!! Staight oriental tobaccos for bending. Pure ambrosia for anyone who loves orientals. Large elongated rough cut peices with an incredible semi-sweet fragrance, light sweet taste, with a touch of earthiness in the tin aroma and smoke. "...And what is oriental tobacco's fragrance like, one may ask?" Well, like stinky socks and/or mildew. Why would one endeavor to suffer though such a noxious trial? Some people are connoisseurs of ripe stinky cheeses that smell like a septic wound so I think it has to do with context. An excellent blender or try smoking it by itself for a naturally aromatic rich aroma and mild strength smoke. You could even blend this in a lightly cased and dry burley base tobacco. Prince Albert smokers should give that a try. Thanks McClelland for offering this to the over the shelf market.

-Highly Recommended!

P.S. Orientals are in the sun cured class of tobaccos and not flue.

Ribbon cut containing at least three types of sun cured leaf, one bright, one brown and another being darker. Tin note is subtle, woody and sweet, all natural. I smoked this straight and I have to say I am very impressed! It is a very smooth tobacco, of mild strength and nicotine but it's also incredibly flavorful and naturally aromatic. I think I can discern the basma component (if there is one) which gives its characteristic earthy/curry flavor. I can also detect white pepper as far as pungent spices are concerned but there is a load of sweet spice as well, like cinnamon and clove and even a note of sandalwood. Present is also a creamy, buttery, vanilla like aroma - maybe a light casing? Also at times I sensed dried fruit like peach. The tobacco is not very humid but even with a loose packing it needs a few relightings. Smokes nicely and dry to the end with no bite at all. I enjoyed it so much straight that I want to savour it alone. Excellent combination of a light strength/weight tobacco with an intense natural aroma and flavor, smooth texture and a subtle sweetness. Of course it can add spice and flavor to blends and can also reduce the strength of heavier tobaccos but it is heavenly on it own as well.

Update a month later: smoked straight I realised it does not stay lit easily, so much so that I find this a reason to downgrade it to three stars. However if you puff hard making plumes of smoke the aroma is heavenly - dry and cigaretty I admit, but the best imaginable - but still it's not an easy tobacco to smoke due to mechanics. Moreover such kind of smoking is not relaxing even if it has no bite. Lastly, although I wish at McClelland's they put even more emphasis on the Oriental leafs in their Grand Orientals series, I have to admit that overall these blends are more balanced than the straight Oriental for Blending. Yes, this one begs for some Virginia sweetness. But what a divine aroma it has!!

Great blending tobacco! Adds a little bit of smokey sweetness to whatever you add it to. Wouldnt recommend smoking it straight though.

As far as a blending oriental goes, this one is outstanding. The greek and turkish varitiels used are high quality.

Tin note of very woody, musty herbal, and dirt. The ribbon tobacco is composed of Leafs colored in brown with a little dark and light brown mixed in. Tobacco is damp, but no drying needed. Burns slow with many relights. The strength is mild and nic is nope. No flavoring detected. Taste is mild to medium and consistent, with notes of musty dry vegetation, wood, rich earth, sweet spices, mildly spicy, incense, mild dried tart fruit, a creamy buttery sweet background note, and a mild peppery retro. Room note is pleasant, and aftertaste is great.

This makes everything better when added to Straight Virginia or Burley blends. A one dimensional richness is added to every blend it touches! Rather bland by itself, but excellent as a condiment! 4 f 4 stars!

I thought that I should write a critique on the properties of this blending tobacco. As those of you know, who smoke a lot of english blends, orientals are often the backbone of their construction. Orientals lend heaps of texture and complexity to heavily dosed latakia blends. This tobacco has an uncanny ability to power through, yet complament, the smokey essence of latakia and perique. I love the texture of orientals and prefer them to Virginas in most of the "English" blends that I smoke. With this particular tobacco, McClelland has produced an easily blendable tobacco that is great for tweeking and existing blend, or constructing one from scratch. The beefy, twangy overtones of this oriental ooze from the tin apon opening. I think that it is very important for smokers to know and understand the properties of all the tobacco's that make up their favorite blends. The first time that I tried 965 and nightcap, I was aching to know what each tobacco's role was in the blend that I was smoking. Although not mind blowing while smoke solo, this tobacco can be used to doctor up a favorite blend, or construct one from ther ground up. McClelland has provided yet another quality product for experimentation.