McClelland Easy Street

Easy Street is a straight black Cavendish blend with a sweet & sour, musty/molded fruit tin note. The flavoring is supposed to be English Walnut. However, I wouldn't exactly liken it to the black walnut extract that's used in ice cream and baked goods.

There isn’t much to this blend, and I disagree with the tin description which promises a rich and creamy smoke. I do enjoy the flavor of the unique topping, but unfortunately it's all I can taste.

By itself, Easy Street burns well, provides a fairly dry smoke and a nice room note. I found the flavor to be reminiscent of Wilke’s Bleeker Street. I also found this to be an interesting Cavendish for blending. Try mixing a dash of it with a base of Red Cake 5100.

It is interesting to smoke an unsweetened black cavendish. It usually tastes a little musty and thin to me. There must be some quality in the sweetener that gives me the musty. This was thin on taste but the overall smoking experience was pleasant enough.

Mine was a sample from a friend, and it was at a good level of hydration - maybe slightly on the dry side. I have been smoking it this way. I can't really comment on the tobacco flavor because the mild topping masks it.

The topping is supposed to be walnut, and maybe this is the flavor of walnuts. It tasted more like weak coffee with cream and sugar to me.

It smoked easily, but the flavor ran out of steam in the last third of the bowl. It was almost like smoking hot air at this point. I did not experience goop/dottle.

It is hard to recommend this in general, but it could easily be exactly what someone is looking for.

Dark coarse cut cavendish with a fairly strong walnut liquor top note. Rich but mild smoke. Kind of like black walnut ice cream but not nearly as sweet. The smoke was cool and enjoyable but pretty one dimensional. Not overly aromatic but the quality tobacco did shine through. Good to have around as a change a pace from time to time but not an everyday smoke in my opinion.

I was not impressed with Easy Street as the Walnut topping was not sweet enough for me. Great quality Black Cavendish (as always with Mc) that had not bite (or Nicotine) and smoked somewhat cool. I can see where they were going with this aromatic and someone who enjoys Walnuts on a Sundae or toasted in their shells and eaten by themselves would surely be impressed with the natural tasting topping but for me I evidently prefer Vanilla or Chocolate Etc. toppings.

For a seasoned pipester, this stuff leaves alot to be desired. It s too sweet for my taste and gives you very little vitamin N. That being said, for the occasional pipe smoker who isn't accustomed to alot of nicotine, and wants to smoke something that smells good, and wont get them kicked our of the house, then you could do alot worse. Once lit, it stays lit pretty well. Mine has been sitting in an unsealed tin for over a year. Still a bit moister than I like. After abour mid bowl, the "walnut ice cream" flavor sneakes in and out. The smoke is as smooth as silk, so it shouldnt "choke" the occasional pipester. I wouldnt buy again, but if you like black cavendish...it's worth a try.

In the tin there is a slight note of algae from this moist, black cavendish treat. It's amazing how McClelland prepares black cavendish so differently from Cornell & Diehl. One charring light & a relight will keep this aromatic delight going for about an hour in a medium-sized bowl. I don't know if I would say there is only a 'whisper' of walnut. I detect something more: vanilla? butterscotch? This isn't as forward as the sweet, nougat rich 'Best of Show', but it's very good for those seeking a less sugary aromatic. Except for 'Mellow Mack', McClelland offers some of the finest aromatics that will delight your palate, keep your pipe dry & leave a heavenly aroma in any room. Let the anti-smokers moan! They'd change their tune after a winsome whiff of walnut. Yum!

Four of five stars

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aug 2006 update

This has been sitting in a tin for awhile, and for good reason. It's too sticky and gloppy. I'm not putting up with tongue bite or goopy s### any longer. After trying the magnificent Two Friends Celtic Mist, Easy Street and its ilk are an anachronism. The tin aroma is now entirely like algae and the walnut seems to have flown the shell. Anyone want a 1/2 tin of ES?

Two of five stars