McClelland Latakia Flake
(2.80)
A distinctive full English mixture in the grand tradition, rich with smoky Cyprian latakia, fragrant with exotic Xanthi Yaka. Toasted for smoothness, then pressed in cakes to age and marry the flavors. Result: Exceptionally smooth, cool-smoking, full flavored little Levantine flakes ready to rub out--the best Oriental mixture.
Notes: McClelland introduced their Blakeney's Best line at the 21st CORPS (Conclave of Richmond Pipe Smokers) Pipe Show in Richmond, Virginia. The 50g tin was released to the public in late 2005.
Details
| Brand | McClelland |
| Series | Blakeney's Best |
| Blended By | McClelland Tobacco Company |
| Manufactured By | McClelland Tobacco Company |
| Blend Type | English |
| Contents | Latakia, Oriental/Turkish, Virginia |
| Flavoring | |
| Cut | Flake |
| Packaging | 50 grams tin |
| Country | United States |
| Production | No longer in production |
Profile
Strength
Medium
Extremely Mild -> Overwhelming
Flavoring
None Detected
None Detected -> Extra Strong
Room Note
Tolerable
Unnoticeable -> Overwhelming
Taste
Medium
Extremely Mild (Flat) -> Overwhelming
Average Rating
|
2.80 / 4
|
Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 11 Reviews
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Mar 07, 2009 | Medium | None Detected | Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
UPDATE 3/7/09
I'm upgrading this from 2 to 3 stars. I'm usually not a fan of almost tinder dry tobacco, especially in latakia blends. But the flakes in this blend work much better when dried to an almost crunchy consistency. Rubbed out and dry, this blend smokes very well. It's still not going to make my steady rotation but it might make yours. If you like good tasting latakia blends that aren't "in your face" with latakia, give this one a run up the flagpole.
ORIGINAL REVIEW 2/8/09
My quest for the definitive McClelland latakia blend continues! Because this ain't it.
The good news is that this is an incredibly "clean" smoke. That's the best word I can think of, and it reminds me of McClellands #8 Oriental in that regard. It's kind of a palate-cleansing flavor, as though it were meant as a segue from one more flavorful blend to another over a days time. A very friendly, non-cantankerous blend that is easy on the taste buds.
Unfortunately, it also reminds of me #8 in the sense that there's nothing much going on here. It's a decent smoke, but there are other english-style blends around that trump it in my humble opinion. Even blends that are noticeably lighter in taste tend to have more depth and "color" such as McClellands Frogmorton On The Town (my fave McC latakia so far). But as the reviewer below mentioned, some people prefer a less showy blend. Sometimes I do as well but this won't be what I reach for at those times.
I've said before that I find McClellands virginia tobaccos to be the finest of their type in the world. No one can touch this company for virginias, in my opinion. I just wish that I could say the same for their english style blends. The quest continues!
I'm upgrading this from 2 to 3 stars. I'm usually not a fan of almost tinder dry tobacco, especially in latakia blends. But the flakes in this blend work much better when dried to an almost crunchy consistency. Rubbed out and dry, this blend smokes very well. It's still not going to make my steady rotation but it might make yours. If you like good tasting latakia blends that aren't "in your face" with latakia, give this one a run up the flagpole.
ORIGINAL REVIEW 2/8/09
My quest for the definitive McClelland latakia blend continues! Because this ain't it.
The good news is that this is an incredibly "clean" smoke. That's the best word I can think of, and it reminds me of McClellands #8 Oriental in that regard. It's kind of a palate-cleansing flavor, as though it were meant as a segue from one more flavorful blend to another over a days time. A very friendly, non-cantankerous blend that is easy on the taste buds.
Unfortunately, it also reminds of me #8 in the sense that there's nothing much going on here. It's a decent smoke, but there are other english-style blends around that trump it in my humble opinion. Even blends that are noticeably lighter in taste tend to have more depth and "color" such as McClellands Frogmorton On The Town (my fave McC latakia so far). But as the reviewer below mentioned, some people prefer a less showy blend. Sometimes I do as well but this won't be what I reach for at those times.
I've said before that I find McClellands virginia tobaccos to be the finest of their type in the world. No one can touch this company for virginias, in my opinion. I just wish that I could say the same for their english style blends. The quest continues!
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 22, 2015 | Mild to Medium | None Detected | Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
I love the toasty nature of this blend, but at the same time I wonder if toasting it hasn't eliminated some of the finer nuances of flavor. It has the basic flavor of a good English, but is lacking in those nuances I enjoy so much; the sweetness and fruity notes of the Virginia, the sour, woody and sometimes incense-like notes of the Oriental. I miss those things, yet I find that this blend grows on me. I like it in spite of it's faults. Go figure. It's an enjoyable smoke.
Mild to medium in body. Medium in flavor. Needs to be dry for a good burn. The drier the better. On a side note, my tin was 2 years old when it arrived from smokingpipes.
EDIT: I made it sound like there's no trace of Virginias or Orientals in this. I didn't mean it like that. I mean to say that the finer nuances of what I listed are missing. For example, the finer nuances of the Virginia's fruitiness.
Mild to medium in body. Medium in flavor. Needs to be dry for a good burn. The drier the better. On a side note, my tin was 2 years old when it arrived from smokingpipes.
EDIT: I made it sound like there's no trace of Virginias or Orientals in this. I didn't mean it like that. I mean to say that the finer nuances of what I listed are missing. For example, the finer nuances of the Virginia's fruitiness.
Pipe Used:
MM Country Gentleman, Diplomat Apple, Mark Twain
PurchasedFrom:
smokingpipes.com
Age When Smoked:
2 years
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 09, 2008 | Mild to Medium | None Detected | Mild to Medium | Tolerable |
I think that this tobacco is better than it has been made out to be based on the extant reviews. There is a certain virtue in reliability, modesty, a lack of Dolly Parton-ish showiness. This ain't no Vegas stripper who leaves you breathless after the first experience and broken after the last. This is your wife in sweats.
I lucked into a 2+ year old tin of this a couple of weeks back and I find myself reaching for it more and more. I keep a little tobacco harem on hand--8 to 10 open tins at any given time--and for whatever reason, I find myself bypassing higher rated, more aggressive tobaccos in favor of BB Latakia. I've never been able to settle on an All-Day-Smoke and, frankly, I've always considered such a thing to be a myth perpetrated by the lazy and unadventurous. (Haha). But BB Latakia Flake has me pondering getting down on one knee and popping the question.
The tin notes are authentic McLelland and the flakes are small chunks of black and deep golden tobacco. What impresses me most about this, however, is the elegance with which it carries itself in the pipe. It's easy to find such an attitude boring, or to mistake it for indifference to your palate, especially if you smoke it distractedly. Concentrate a little and you might just find that this smokey Latakia blend has the kind of beauty you want on hand on a regular basis.
I'm slowly falling in love with the girl next door.
I lucked into a 2+ year old tin of this a couple of weeks back and I find myself reaching for it more and more. I keep a little tobacco harem on hand--8 to 10 open tins at any given time--and for whatever reason, I find myself bypassing higher rated, more aggressive tobaccos in favor of BB Latakia. I've never been able to settle on an All-Day-Smoke and, frankly, I've always considered such a thing to be a myth perpetrated by the lazy and unadventurous. (Haha). But BB Latakia Flake has me pondering getting down on one knee and popping the question.
The tin notes are authentic McLelland and the flakes are small chunks of black and deep golden tobacco. What impresses me most about this, however, is the elegance with which it carries itself in the pipe. It's easy to find such an attitude boring, or to mistake it for indifference to your palate, especially if you smoke it distractedly. Concentrate a little and you might just find that this smokey Latakia blend has the kind of beauty you want on hand on a regular basis.
I'm slowly falling in love with the girl next door.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Nov 06, 2005 | Medium to Strong | None Detected | Full | Strong |
I think "The Professor" nailed it in his review. I agree with all the points he made regarding this blend.I just need to add my own 2 cents.I am a Cornell&Diehl man through and through and I rarely have much of anything good to say about McClelland products.In this case though,I need to make an exception.I detest that "ketchup" smell of McClelland tobaccos but here I actually think it creates an interesting backdrop for the Latakia.This is a very full blend and you won't win any friends with the room note,but it does have its merits.The tanginess of the Virginias along with that other tanginess of the orientals really makes an interesting blend.I love sour foods and this is the closest thing you can get to a GOOD SOUR tobacco.This genuinely exhibits a "Smoked meat with a vinegar based bbq sauce cooking on the grill" quality. This is a meaty blend.This is like Penzance with the African Virginias being replaced with those good old McClelland ketchupy Virginias.I would smoke it again just for the fact that it is so different. Never burns hot and is easily kept lit.This is for the Latakia "JUNKIE" looking for a different fix.Worth a try. 3 0f 4 stars.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 14, 2005 | Strong | None Detected | Full | Tolerable |
I got a sample tin of this from Mike at RTDA in New Olreans Morial Convention Center, in happier days in early August '05. Smoked half a tin; other half is sitting somewhere in my drenched house.
Very good, true, full English latakia flake. Stronger than Acadian slices, it's brother. The oriental and latakia overcome the tang of the toasted virginias. Plenty of flavor. Fuller than the bulk english flake MC makes.
Very satisfying. It makes me forget.
Very good, true, full English latakia flake. Stronger than Acadian slices, it's brother. The oriental and latakia overcome the tang of the toasted virginias. Plenty of flavor. Fuller than the bulk english flake MC makes.
Very satisfying. It makes me forget.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Sep 21, 2011 | Medium | None Detected | Medium to Full | Tolerable |
I've never had a bowl of this I didn't love. Very flavorful and smokey throughout. I love just sitting on the patio in the evening just slowly sipping on this one. Took me a couple more lights to really get it going but after that it was a wonderful smoke.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Dec 04, 2008 | Mild to Medium | None Detected | Medium | Pleasant |
I smoked this to compare it to other latakia flakes I'm smoking, some as part of my Lakeland tour. I vascillated between 2 and 3 stars. It's fairly nice, and standing alone, as it were, it deserves 3. But with the universe of latakia mixtures and flakes out there, I cannot really recommend it to anyone. I decided to treat it as it stands by itself.
Perhaps it's a bit misnamed. For me, the latakia is very subdued. I found the oriental component much more prominent. Very incense-like. It was quite dry in the tin, and it did improve marginally upon (re)hydration. But it was often a bit sharp on the tongue.
Nothing could tempt me away from Germain's Latakia Flake to smoke this, as it is far and away the best of the latakia flakes in my experience.
Perhaps it's a bit misnamed. For me, the latakia is very subdued. I found the oriental component much more prominent. Very incense-like. It was quite dry in the tin, and it did improve marginally upon (re)hydration. But it was often a bit sharp on the tongue.
Nothing could tempt me away from Germain's Latakia Flake to smoke this, as it is far and away the best of the latakia flakes in my experience.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Apr 14, 2008 | Medium | None Detected | Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
Upon opening the tin, I was greeted by McClelland's signature BBQ sauce fragrance that, contrary to other reviewers, I really enjoy. The flakes are dark brown in coloration with slight mottling by the Va(s). Very appealing sight. As others have noted, the tobacco rubs out easily, but is difficult to light and/or requires frequent re-lighting without considerable drying before loading in your pipe. Surprisingly, little to no moisture built up while smoking this concoction.
This is a smooth, flavorful tobacco with little or no bite. The room note had a sweet/sour overtone to it that appealed to me, but which might put off one's significant other. Overall, an enjoyable, cool-smoking experience in the medium-English vein.
This is a smooth, flavorful tobacco with little or no bite. The room note had a sweet/sour overtone to it that appealed to me, but which might put off one's significant other. Overall, an enjoyable, cool-smoking experience in the medium-English vein.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Jun 14, 2007 | Medium to Strong | None Detected | Medium to Full | Pleasant to Tolerable |
The poor reviews of this flake is disappointing, because the TR reviewers who I know like English/Balkan blends with lively Oriental leaf are the ones I'd expect would see its charm. I'd actually classify this blend as a medium Balkan.
I'll make this straightforward. The Oriental leaf is perfectly balanced with the base tobaccos and Latakia, each flavor coming through in nice variations throughout a bowl. There is also a nice nicotine effect.
However processed, the fullness of the Xanthi Yaka comes through without being offensively acrid, bitter or hot. The Virginias deliver rich, caramel overtones without making this a sweet blend. No casing of the Latakia here.
Cool, smooth, fragrant, round, deep and compelling are what come to my mind. This leaves a room unaffected the day after smoking BBLF. I find myself smoking two bowls in succession.
I think the marketing fell down with this series, perhaps coming across as a gimmick. However, Acadian Ribbon and Latakia Flake are truly worthy of an honest try (Bayou Slices ages in my cellar, still). McClelland ought to just put these in bulk and be done with it. BBLF may be McClellands best Balkan yet.
I'll make this straightforward. The Oriental leaf is perfectly balanced with the base tobaccos and Latakia, each flavor coming through in nice variations throughout a bowl. There is also a nice nicotine effect.
However processed, the fullness of the Xanthi Yaka comes through without being offensively acrid, bitter or hot. The Virginias deliver rich, caramel overtones without making this a sweet blend. No casing of the Latakia here.
Cool, smooth, fragrant, round, deep and compelling are what come to my mind. This leaves a room unaffected the day after smoking BBLF. I find myself smoking two bowls in succession.
I think the marketing fell down with this series, perhaps coming across as a gimmick. However, Acadian Ribbon and Latakia Flake are truly worthy of an honest try (Bayou Slices ages in my cellar, still). McClelland ought to just put these in bulk and be done with it. BBLF may be McClellands best Balkan yet.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Sep 30, 2006 | Medium to Strong | Extremely Mild | Very Full | Tolerable to Strong |
I've only started smoking BB Latakia Flake by McClelland. I'm just getting into the Latakias, and this one is very nice; after it ages a little more I might find it even better, and I'll edit my review.
Extremely rich, with a complexity that shows up after a half bowl or so. I also noted quite a nicotine hit from this one. Was pretty easy to light, burned very well, no dottle in the end. A very rich, dry smoke. Room note was typical for a latakia; spicy, with a smell which doesn't quite leave the room smelling like a cigar, but yet you can tell what it was. I.e., it doesn't smell stale afterwards, but yet leaves a strong presence.
I think as a pure latakia (more or less, anyway) this one is very nice. I think I still prefer Frog Morton's elegance and complexity, but when I want a definite "latakia experience", this should be a fine go-to. I might keep some in my rotation as a nice backup to Frog Morton. Definitely 3 stars.
Extremely rich, with a complexity that shows up after a half bowl or so. I also noted quite a nicotine hit from this one. Was pretty easy to light, burned very well, no dottle in the end. A very rich, dry smoke. Room note was typical for a latakia; spicy, with a smell which doesn't quite leave the room smelling like a cigar, but yet you can tell what it was. I.e., it doesn't smell stale afterwards, but yet leaves a strong presence.
I think as a pure latakia (more or less, anyway) this one is very nice. I think I still prefer Frog Morton's elegance and complexity, but when I want a definite "latakia experience", this should be a fine go-to. I might keep some in my rotation as a nice backup to Frog Morton. Definitely 3 stars.
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