McClelland Town Topic

Okay, first a bit about me so you know where I'm coming from. I recently began smoking a pipe again after about 25 years away from it (spawned by the inheritance of my Dad's pipe collection). First task: Rediscover what kind of tobacco I like. A friend is partial to McClelland tobaccos, so that's where I started. In the past few weeks, I've tried the following McClelland leaf: Frog Morton's Cellar, Holiday Spirit, and Deep Hollow. In addition, I've tried Orlik Golden Sliced, and a few identity- unknown tobacco shop blends known simply as "Cavendish Caramel," and "Oxford." I've seen Town Topic described as an aromatic for those who don't like aromatics. That may be fair. It's an aromatic, but I don't judge it to be over the top. It smokes very cool and pleasant. The maple note is not overwhelming, so I wouldn't say "the room smelled like pancakes" or anything like that. But it is noticeable, and very pleasant. My son, who's been my room-note observer, says this is the most pleasing aroma of all that he's smelled. It's a very comforting, relaxing smoke. From what I've tried, anything will give you tongue bite if you smoke it too fast. That said, you'd have to work to get tongue bite with Town Topic. For the record, Town Topic is my favorite, followed by McClelland's Deep Hollow. After Town Topic, I'll be trying some of McClelland's other Premium Aromatics as well. In the end, I may not smoke this all the time, but at present, I'll probably smoke this more than anything else. It's pure bliss!

This one will please those pipers who prefer a less pronounced artificial flavor in their aromatic smokes. This blend was well put together by a company that knows how to blend tobaccos. The Maple casing is delicate and the leaf has been processed to the point where there will be no bite or extreme heat. The tin smell and room note at the match are quite wonderful.

Ah this is a tough one to review. I am not an expert on anything but as I have smoked just about every maple tobacco available I guess I can be considered a maple pipe tobacco expert... It's fall and that means maple tobacco time, picked up a tin dated 2015 so that's good (one never wants an old aromatic as they lose their potency). The topping is not as good as Autumn Evening, I suspect Aunt Jemimah vs Real Maple syrup in AE but you cannot compare the tobacco since AE is red Virginia Cavendish and TT is Black Cavendish with some yellow Virginia. Sweet, not goopy, smells wonderful, no nicotine and will not bite. **Blend half Granger with half TT for a delightful maple Burley & Black blend!**

Town Topic is a "full on" premium aromatic tobacco. The tin description pretty much nails the blend. It is definitely a slow smoker. Take your time and enjoy the delightfully fragrant Maple room note of this aromatic blend of rich burley's and processed Cavendish tobacco's. Don't huff and puff it too hard or race to get through it. It is easy on the palate and tongue. The room note is reminiscent of old fashioned pipe tobacco, but not at all overpowering. The tin note is also quite appealing. If you enjoy aro's, this is one to try. It is now in my aromatic's rotation. I highly recommend this one for you Maple lovers.

McClelland's - Town Topic

I'm not sure what makes this "premium".  Perhaps its the price tag.  I'm inclined to describe it as closer to "generic" than "premium".  Its black cavendish with some golden mixed in.  Delicate is a good way to describe the maple flavoring (kind of a chocolatey maple) because its not very intense, so there's that if you dont care for powerfully flavored aromatics.  I feel there's some level of humectant (as to be expected) but the blend smokes surprisingly dry in regard to how moist it appears.  Didnt make the pipe gurgle, no goop.  So that's a plus also.  I guess I was hoping for a bit more than what this is, for what this tin costed.  This one seems comparable in quality to Sutliff's Maple Street, which to me is a tastier can of maple at a better price point.

I moved to Concord, New Hampshire last year and was pleased to find a cigar shop that had a few pipe accessories and tobaccos. Your standard stuff; some house blends, most with heavy Cavendish, and a few cheap tins. But, sitting on a low shelf, absolutely covered in dust, I found a tin of Town Topic. I wasn't surprised in reading that it was a Maple - it's New England, after all, and Maple can be found to flavor just about anything (maple pecan ice cream in a few months!). So I bought it, and did enjoy it.

The smell in tin is great, as is the room note. My wife approves. The taste is a bit more relaxed, though the maple is definitely there, along with a smooth bit of Cavendish, but not too much. I only like Cavendish in small doses for a bit of sweet taste and coolness. It does burble in the bowl a bit if one smokes too quickly. All in all a solid aromatic, good especially for cooler weather.

I'm not usually into aromatic blends, after having a somewhat rough introduction to them through Borkum Riff Cherry Liqueur and Captain Black White. I bought this tin because of the room note and in order to have something to smoke in the morning without getting tired of it, but was very surprised to find that the aroma/tobacco ratio was just the way I wanted it to be! Great job, McClelland. The tin aroma is overpowering, so much that when I first opened it in my office my friends smelled it 10 feet from where I was. I wouldn't describe it as maple syrup, but more as cappuccino. My fears of a heavy-laden maple flavor were soon dispelled when I took my first whiff. I would recommend this as an aromatic blend for non-aros.

This is great if you like smoking steam. The aroma in the can is mouth-watering rich and sets up expectations that the actual smoke comes nowhere near delivering. It burns remarkably well for a slightly moist aromatic and does not bite. But that's about the best that can be said of it other than its room aroma. It's not just that it lacks tobacco taste--it lacks any taste whatsoever. Even the casing somehow vanishes into thin air, where I suppose others can enjoy it. They will be the only ones to get anything out of it.

This is a so-so tasting aromatic in the typical American fashion of mostly cavendish-processed burley. The tin says "delicately flavored" and that is certainly true. I did get a faint taste of the advertised maple, with a much more pronounced room aroma. I dried this out for 15 mins prior to smoking and it performed better this way than fresh from the tin. I did not find this to be an overly gooey product, although it felt that way on the fingers when I loaded the pipe. One of my subjective judgment factors for aromatics is how much moisture they produce. Thankfully, this one smoked fairly dry.

I don't find this one to be the equal of McClellands Tastemaster or Easy Street in their Premium Aromatics line. The tin aroma was more overblown in this one and the flavor was too faint. I was grateful that I didn't find the medicinal quality of flavor in TT as I did in their Holiday Spirit. This is not for me but if you enjoy a very sparingly flavored maple cavendish blend that stimulates those around you more than yourself, this would be one place to start.

Let there be no doubt as to how Town Topic is made. Gnomes that work for McClelland wake up early every morning and sneak into your kitchen. When you are not looking, they steal your fresh pancakes and maple syrup. Then when the sun is at its apex they incant the magical words that turn your breakfast into pipe tobacco. At least that is what I got when I smelled Town Topic the first time. There is really no guessing what the sticky topping is... just pure brown-sugar maple.

Like many aromatics, the flavor of the smoke is much more subdued than the unsmoked leaf, so don't think you will taste those pancakes you smelled earlier! You will however, get a nice mild easy smoker with a light caramel/sugar hint.

It was quite nice, and I have to say all the McClellands I've had so far really make the grade.