McClelland Honeydew

Cracked open a new tin, and immediately noted the ketchup/vinegar notes in this tobacco. Rough cut flakes, that were relatively easy to rub out and dry slightly before smoking. Flakes seemed slightly damp right out of the tin, so I deemed drying to be necessary.

Packed about 3/4 of a bowl, and went to it. Slightly tough to get a decent light, and required a touch of flame a number of times.

Once lit, there was a definite note of vinegar, and a very slight sweetness to the smoke. The smoke was relatively light, and stayed pretty consistent throughout the bowl. This weed required a touch of flame a few times but eventually smoked completely to ash.

I did note a slight bit of tongue bite with this one, possibly due to it being a bit more moist that it should have been, or possibly due to me having smoked it a bit too quickly. Next time, I'll dry it longer, and smoke it slower. Overall, this one is just ok for me. The vinegar/ketchup doesn't seem to fit my tastes.

This is a somewhat decent aromatic flake... Until it starts biting a bit... The smoke is nice and has a sweet taste to it (too sweet for me)... I really do not have much to say about this flake...

i was very disappointed by this having high expectations as a result of the pre-introduction marketing. the blend was certainly decent with no real draw backs other than maybe a little tongue bite that was manageable with controlled smoking but it just didn't deliver a lot of flavor to me. i don't know what the honeydew was supposed to add (i don't even know what it is) but whatever it was, i missed it.

My review is based on a three year old tin. This is an attractive pipe-weed, with a wide gamut of brown hues. The inviting tin aroma had some of the characteristic McClelland vinegar-ketchup, which I have come to embrace. It's usually a promise of good things to come in the smoke.

The coarse cut gets one to pondering just how to prepare this pipe-weed for the bowl. I have found the slightest bit of rubbing out works best. Too much, and the heat uncomfortably increases. With a good char, this blend burns evenly and with minimal relighting.

The sweetness is relatively noticable from first puff, decreasing somewhat by midbowl. Mind that this is not the black Cavendish style of sweetness, but a much lighter and more natural touch. Still, it is aromatic, with honey overtones. Fanciers of straight Virginias may well find this cloying, as I did. The bottom third of the bowl is the most satisfying.

Alas, this pipe-weed is a hot and biting experience, if not given attention at all times. A few thoughtless draws, and you'll be nursing your tongue. This is what I find to be Honeydew's undoing. There is insufficient reward for the trouble required. I am forced to slow my puffing down to levels I find annoying.

I'm setting this tin aside in hopes its bite will diminish over time. I wonder if I shall even finish it. I certainly will not be acquiring more.

I love this smoke when sitting in back yard watching birds. Blend is light but is slightly complex. Reminds me of my days as a boy enjoying honeysuckle on a hot summer day, Blend needs to be smoked slowly as if you go after it too much, it may bite a little. I like this blend a great deal.

I was a little disappointed with this blend in that it doesn't taste like "Honeydew melon" and itis hot burning and has a bite. It is a quality Virginia, with a light casing that reminds me of the casing on " Distinguished Gentleman", only at about 1/3 the casing strength (there is more to this casing than just honey). Areo smokers should enjoy this as a crossover but I didn't get any "Ooo Wows" from the wife test ! I agree with reviewer, arpie55 02/28/2009

I do like the smaller tin that is easier to slip in a pocket

Updated (/14/2014- I just tried this again after having the same tin cellared ( tin marked 2010). it's still the same ! Maybe no topping to be found ? This is just hot and flavorless but I do find the strength stronger.

Honeydew...and the secret formula is a pinch of Burley and spoon of Molasses? Maybe not, but it might as well be.

Honeydew is a tasty broken flake consisting largely of what I assume is Virginia leaf. It's mild, and it doesn't remind me a bit of melons, despite the name. Honeydew has a sugary taste, that may or may not be all natural. That I don't detect a synthetic taste, however, makes this my kind of "aromatic".

McClelland has applied a nice touch with the nostalgia, going out of their way to craft blends that fit the Sherlock Holmes universe. I enjoy reading their tin notes..and request a blend in honor of the Speckled Band. Unfortunately, I'm not one for details, and as far as I know, they may have already done this. When I get around to reading the story, I suppose I'll know for sure.

A mild, albeit disappointing, blend. The gentleness of its tin aroma and smoke fragrance belies the fact that this tobacco has some bite to it if you are not careful. I think that Sherlock Holmes was better off finding two severed ears in the empty box of honeydew tobacco rather than this blend. That being said, this is not a "bad" tobacco, and VA afficionados may take to it far more readily than I did.

On another note, McClelland deserves a lot of credit for its attempt to re-capture the essences of late-Victorian era tobaccos smoked by the literary super-sleuth and his companion.

I've been trying to enjoy this off and on for a couple weeks now, and I must say that I just don't get it. It tastes nearly like a totally unflavored tobacco to me, with only a mild sweetness mingling with the typical McClelland tanginess. It is not, however, ketchupy or vinegary in any way.

It's not bad at all, just not good enough in my opinion to warrant the price. If were available in bulk at a good price, then it would be easier to justify this tobacco. I may, or may not, end up finishing the tin, but smoking it isn't something I particularly look forward to. I'll stick with the real Irish flake, Erinmore.