McClelland Acadian Ribbon

sweet and tangy virginias with just the right amount of perique and is sure to age well and only get better. I believe this to be the best vir/per blend by McClelland and of course has that delicious sweet and tangy aroma of matured virginias that only McClelland produces... VERY well done...

Tin: The strongest raisin ketchup odor I remember, of all the McClelland blends. It was so strong, it was the only odor. It was difficult to isolate the Perique out of this. It was almost dry. Strong mahogany hue, overall, bespeckled with darker and lighter ribbon cut, the blonde being wide ribbon.

When smoked, the tin was 1-2 years old. For interesting info. on dating tinned tobacco, link to:

pipes.org---locate the Forums box--Topics--Tobacco Questions-- scroll down , to bottom of page, to Archive Oct. 03, 2006 and Archive Oct. 24, 2005.

Lighting: Oddly enough, it was not easy to keep lit, even though it was dry to the touch, when originally put in the pipe, producing some gurgle and moisture out of the stem. During one of the relights, half way down, it gave a sizzling sound.

Taste & Aroma: More flavor developed around mid-bowl. The Perique ketchup odor was distinct from start to finish; no tongue bite; not sweet.

The Perique quality developed late in the bowl, a peppery feel.

Smoked similar to Royal Cajun Special, in having a toasty VA character.

Laid down a tar and moisture in the pipe.

Nicotine: When the bowl was about done, a only a slight buzz was produced.

Room Note: Nice toasty strong VA. The ash had a vague cacao aroma.

Overall: BBAR is a mild VA billed as having strong and heady Perique. It seems to be designed for those wishing to smoke a blend with Perique, but still having a pleasing room note. The bowl smoke sure gives the nose a zing.

The thought of smoking something with a raisin ketchup signature not distinguishable from Perique, from tin to ash, is not a pleasant thought; could not rightly discern the McClelland from the Perique aroma. 2.2 stars.

I liked this one quite a bit. The toasting is definitely nice touch. Acadian ribbon is really well melded and smooth. It is also, as claimed, very easy to pack and burns with no problems. This is a good morning smoke for those who don't want too much strength to begin the day.

For me this is a change up smoke, though I could see it as an all-dayer for some. McClelland keeps putting out really good products. Now I'm going to have to try me some Grand Orientals.

The tin aroma of this mix of flakey chunks and long-cut, medium ribbon suggests caramelized fruit.

The base leaf is toasted gold VA to which a good dosage of perique is added. The rich flavor is nutty, sweet, and caramel-like.

This is a very companionable blend with just enough depth to add an extra level of satisfaction.

Chamber Gauge: Medium

This blend is smooth. The toasting process took the rough edges out of the virginia. Though not wet, I allowed the tin to dry for a few hours. I like my tobacco dry.

Characteristics are: Sweet Smooth Dry But not very complex.

Not bad, if normal vapers have bite for you, then try this. I find this med. to strong in nicotine strength. I am a daily Dunhill smoker. Use that as a guage for strength.

I enjoyed this. It is a nice Va with some perique added. This could come close to or become an all-day smoke.

My tin has about a year and a half on it.

I am a big fan of Virginia /Perique blends. This one is about the strongest I would want to have Perique in a blend. It is border line to overwhelming. But it never crosses the line. Not for the beginner to Perique's. It does get stronger as you smoke it but somehow never gets to strong.

This is the best perique blend that I've tried. I haven't tried too many, but it's still the best. Latakia is my fav. As you smoke down the bowl, it gets more and more tangy. Like nothing I've ever had. It may be the virginia that is tangy, if so I need to try more virginias. I don't like all Va blends, so I'm guessing it was the perique that did it for me. Beats tawny flake in my book hands down. If you like Va, then try TF as well. Will buy again down the road.

I am dissapointed by this new offering from McClelland. I can taste the "toast" but very little of the perique. I had high hopes since I am a fan of OGF, 5100, 2010, and 2015. Well, the toasting process not only elimates the bite, but practically eliminates the sweet virginia flavor I look for in McKethup. I've tried this in a variety of bowl sizes and disfferent times of day but it just does not click. DGT is pretty awful and ashy. The quality is there, just not my cup of tea.