McClelland Avenue Blend TQ

McCelland Bulk No. TQ - Top Quality Gold & Toasted

Star Rating = 4

Rating Scores - 10 is the Best and 0 is the Worst

Pouch Note = 9

Room Note = 9

Flavor = 9

Bite = 9

Burn = 9

After Taste = 9

Raw Score = 54

Rated Percentage = 90%

Comment = Very Smooth, Very Mild, Mellow with a good light Flavor, you will detect the coconut finish but this blend is not as sweet as Lane limited 1-Q. Depending on your sweetness threshold you make like this blend better than Lane Limited 1-Q

I'm still new to the world of pipe smoking, but I must say, this is the best smoke I've had to date. I seem to get a hint of carmel in it.

I smoke this on a daily basis. This is my go to guy. I find it most enjoyable in a deep wide bowl pipe. It does very well in an old GBD straight billiard. I also enjoy it in a number of straight stem Peterson bulldogs. The flavor is consistent, mild and sweet. As previously commented I agree it could be stronger. Simply because I just plain dam like the stuff. The room note is nice enough that people in a non smoking bar enjoyed it as the door kept opening while I was on the back porch enjoying some after a stout. True story!

This is my go to Aro. So delicious and smooth. If you have people in your life that aren't really a fan of the tobacco scent this should win them over. Cream and chocolate are the dominating flavors in this blend. If you really pay attention while smoking you should be able to pick up on some dark rum, nuts and maybe raisins/prunes as supporting roles. This is a blend that needs to be dried out, no doubt in my mind that McClelland used generous amounts of PG to humidify this blend. It burns well and down to a fine white ash. No bite or burn on your tongue with reasonable smoking. If you go after it with a vengeance, it will fight back.For me this was an all day smoke, went through a considerable amount in a weekend. I do not agree with most reviews saying that TQ is similar to 1Q. I would take TQ any day over 1Q. The main reason is the taste, 1Q is rather boring comparably, in my tastes. TQ has a richer smoke, more flavors and a more intricate smoke.

I believe this blend is much better than Lane 1Q. Once I received the blend, I let it sit out to dry a bit since it was too moist for my liking. The dominant vanilla flavor is not over the top but very present with lots of complexity. I get a slight nutty,buttery,caramel notes all the way thru the bowl. Plus a very pleasant room note. Once my 1Q stock is gone, I will restock with Avenue TQ.

A big sack of cavendish tobaccos made from golden virginias and black burleys. A chestnut and black colored mixture. Some ribbon, some chunks. Looks beautiful.

The tin notes out of a fresh bag are a bit overpowering but are great. Like a baker's oven: warm vanilla and cocoa.

The first puffs certainly bring flavors of a creamy vanilla and chocolate/cocoa with the vanilla being slightly more dominant for me. The base components do indeed make it a very similar blend to Lane 1Q. Very. Except there's a bit less of a sweetness from the vanilla, making it a bit more harmonious in the bowl. The other thing that really separates this from 1Q is the "other" flavor I pick up. This features a flavor I'd describe more as a floral tonquin. A nutty, leathery, wood paneled, faint vanilla essence.

Overall, this is a fantastic aromatic. It's my go-to when people complain about aromatics being goopy and tasteless. It burns down to a white ash, little-to-no dottle, and requires few relights.

I am new to pipe smoking and have been a casual cigar smoker for decades. I just have so much else in my life to soak up the excess OCD that I have been able to keep this in check. Even having tried dozens and dozens of styles and brands of cigars, I still prefer them Mild-Medium. Any who... I see folks saying that this is "comparable" or "same as" Lane 1Q. I have to disagree, Strongly! While I cut my teeth on 1Q, I find the flavors in Ave Blend TQ to be far richer. Also, "too mild" wouldn't be in my description. For me "wonderfully mild but rich in flavors" would. The aroma from the pouch is sweet, caramel, chocolate, vanilla and a tiny bit of coconut. So many times (OK, I have already purchased and tried dozens and dozens of pipe tobaccos in the last year) what you smell in the pouch totally does NOT compute once you light it up. Not so with TQ. The rich flavors come through in the smoke and in the room. I really like this tobacco a LOT. Easy lighting (2 false lights and it was burning perfectly with no further attention) and (I'll wager that you've read this 100 times in these pages) "no tongue bite" (which is complete B.S. I think a lot of these reviewers, with all due respect, could smoke ground up railroad ties and still come up with "no tongue bite"). Truly a great tobacco for noobs but I can see this being one of my favorites for a long time to come!

This McClelland TQ is billed as being similar or an alternative to Lane's 1Q. 1Q is the biggest selling pipe tobacco in the USA so presumably McClelland wanted to get a slice of that market.

Ignoring the 1Q comparison, this is a smooth, mild, pleasant, everyday tobacco that most people looking for a mild aromatic smoke will be delighted with. There's a genuine underlying tobacco taste an a not overpowering caramel style flavoring. Quite easy to smoke this all day.

However, like 1Q this tobacco is very mild and very low on nicotine. It's a great smoke for what it is, but doesn't leave me feeling satisfied in any way. Yes, I've enjoyed my smoke, but I'm left wanting more.

So this is a four star tobacco for the market it's trying to fill, but personally I would like something just a little bit stronger in tobacco tastes and smells (and that same judgement applies to Lane's 1Q).