McClelland Syrian Super Balkan

The last and supposedly strongest of the McClellands Syrian latakia series, this is a mostly black ribbon with a rich tin aroma of the lat on top, a side of perique and Turkish and an underlying lightly sweet Virginia aroma. The latakia is the first scent to hit the nose but quickly subsides into a musty olfactory sensation that is quite exhilarating.

Fr Tom really nailed this one, although it appears I enjoyed it more overall. Testing different puffing cadences, a malty-like perique surfaced more when this blend was puffed more quickly, while the sweeter, lighter orientals took the main stage when sipped. The latakia melded perfectly in either case and the Virginias were always on top and lent their usual tanginess. The entire blend was creamy, with a smoky undertone. This is an excellent blend - different from the Syrian Full - just as good, but more complex while at the same time being more homogenous, more harmonious. Both will have a lofty spot in my cellar. McClellands is unequaled in its stash of Virginias but I'm beginning to think they are also the masters of Syrian latakia as well. Highly recommended!

I was gifted some 8 yo Syrian Super Balkan, and I have never smoked it fresh. I have to say, this is a very pleasant smoke. The turkish and perique are the dominant tastes for me. The latakia has a slight herbal note. The Virginias are a great mix of bright and a slightly heavier sweet. It is a tasty combo.

If you are looking for a Balkan sledge hammer, this will disappoint. It is subtle and complex. Puffing brings out the perique. Sipping gives a dominant turkish/latakia note. The Virginias are always there. This is a nicely crafted smoke.

I am thinking I will have to buy a fresh tin now to see how it compares.

This is a really nice smoke. There is a fairly strong woody note with lesser notes of smoke and leather. A mild fruity note with ample sweetness and spice. More spicy than sweet. Straight from the tin it burns pretty well, but needs a re-light here and there. A little drying time improves that. A very nice blend that tends to grow on you.

Mild in body. Mild to medium in flavor.

I think a little age on this blend's Virginia component will improve my review. The flavor of the Syrian was nice, but the Virginia leaf was a little fresh and not typical of the McClelland's processing. I'm not sure how much Oriental is in the blend, but it was interwoven with care. The Perique is lightly detectable. Perhaps it will be a more mellow smoke once the Virginia leaf settles down and gets a little longer in the tooth.

This is a blend I tried when the supply of Mississippi Mud and Frog Morton On The Bayou ran out at my local store (they've since taken steps to ensure that never happens again). I normally don't like to tell smokers that a tobacco tastes "like another, but...." the comparison is too striking to ignore. I found this to be essentially a stronger Frog Morton On The Bayou, with an even more pronounced perique flavor. In fact, the perique is so strong that this blend is mainly for those who like that tobacco type, as it's so obvious and upfront in the mix.

That said, I liked it very much, as Morton sometimes gets too mild tasting for my everyday smoking, and this blend adds the same type of pleasure but with more kick. A nice blend for latakia/perique lovers, and it's a bit cheaper than Morton also, at least in this part of town.

It smokes strong right out, and the flavor gets stronger as you progress down the bowl. It has good burning qualities, though, and is easy to pack, and smokes well even if a bit moist. I found that it dries out pretty quickly, though that isn't something that ruins a perique blend anyway.

I smoke it about once a month, and would probably smoke it more if my local shop didn't carry bulk Black Mallory. A nice divergence from my usual diet of Mississippi Mud and Morton, and worth a try.

This is a good blend. Unfortunately, this blend has a really bad name. When I hear the word super, I think of strength, like super bleach, or better yet, like super new formula. Then you read the can and it says, mellow, fragrant, satisfying. Sorry these two terms in my opinion do not go well together. It should be called Syrian Mellow Balkan and then any preconceived notions I had would not conflict with my taste buds. I finished a can, and it is nice, smooth, tasteful but not Super.

I haven't been posting in several years, it seems enough time has passed and I am ready to make a return. Years ago I sold Melvin S. Shwartz his first tin of Penzance and showed Ian Weeks how to pack a pipe, what a great hobby! Anyways, Syrian Super Balkan has a very distinct wine like character of the Syrian I smoked when it was readily available years ago and in various G.L. Peace blends and C&D's Baalbek. My Grandfather cellared several pounds of a Syrian/Basma/VA blend he purchased from a tobacconist in Eugene Oregon and this blend reminded me of that blend and brought back fond memories. Light in nicotine yet tasty and very unique.

"May my last breath be drawn through a pipe, and exhaled in a jest." - Charles Lamb

I happened across this six year old tin at a local B&M a few weeks ago and thought I would give it a try. The tin contained loose ribbons in various shades of chocolate brown with a little black mixed in. The tin aroma was one of the often mentioned McClelland ketchup, but the few times I have experienced this smell personally have never bothered me. This tobacco was a little on the dry side, which suited me fine. An unlit sip tasted of the sweet Virginias in the blend.

On the charring light and the first few draws I mostly tasted the sweetness, and it remained dominate throughout the bowl. As the bowl progressed I also detected both fruity and peppery tones, and every so often a hint of chocolate. After smoking a few bowls of this in a row I could really feel the Perique at the back of my throat, and other than that this blend was very mild. It was not bad in briars and meers, but I preferred it best in a cob where the flavors just seemed bolder. The room note was tolerable; it reminded me of saddle leather that had just come off of a horse's back, that pungent animal sweat and leather smell.

Overall I really liked Syrian Super Balkan. I liked how every puff seemed to contain a little surprise, and how subtle the blend was. I like more aggressive blends typically, but this is a good change in the rotation in the form of a mild English and I will definitely be buying more. I would recommend this blend to anyone looking for a mild or first time English smoke.

What I was hoping for: a full Syrian Balkan with some extra perique zing.

What I got: McVinegary virginias and muddled weakness from everything else.

It's too bad that they were so stingy with the Syrian. Syrian is more subtle than Cyprian so I wasn't expecting a lat blast, and granted, it does play nice with the perique to me. Kind of an interesting mix of flavor that has characteristics of both the lat and the perique. But well underneath. The virginias dominate in this blend and they're just not that great. Age does not seem to have done much other than smooth them out and accentuate the ketchup taste, and to my tastes it just doesn't work so well here.

I did like the orientals and there is juust enough.

When I added a pinch of a different lat-heavy english (forget which) to it, it perked it right up - there is potential that just wasn't reached. Just not blended as well as it could be, and the tang of the virginias (I love virginias normally) kind of take away the greatness that could be.

Not a bad one by any means, but not excellent.

This has become one of my favorite blends and one that seems to work well as a "good morning" smoke for me. There tend to be some very bright notes in this blend, which are countered nicely-though not evenly- by other flavors.Each bowl starts out with those bright notes and mellows out a bit by the middle of the bowl. The one downside seems to be the room note which my wife (a cigarette smoker) finds strong and the smoke itself "thick".