McClelland Royal Cajun Ebony

It wa ok, but certainly not the "explosion of flavours" advertised...

And kind of hard to keep lit...

McClelland cranks out another stunning hit. This is a rich, smooth, flavorful, velvety smoke that is well-balanced, and a treat to enjoy at length. Real tobacco that smokes up gentle and delicious, almost like a mild chocolate coffee aromatic of some sort, but with none of the downsides of a cased aromatic. Excellent sweet fermented raisinfruit aroma in the tin. Takes a bit to light well, but stays going and burns right down to a light ash easily. Definitely benefits from a week or so of sitting in the tin after opening, and keeps getting better. No tongue bite whatsoever and could not reasonably be provoked to do so when pushed. Albeit rich and pleasing, with great flavor, this is not a sweet dessert smoke. Not a bit of bitterness from beginning to end, either. This is a satisfying and tasty indulgence that is good anytime and anywhere, whenever the mood suits you for a rich chocolatey-smooth coffee type fix. Three and a half stars.

UPDATE: The more I enjoy this, the more I am enjoying it, if you know what I mean. Solidly in my rotation now and I've cellared a healthy stock. Detecting hints of a molasses quality and perhaps a light sweet oatmeal or cream stout character, especially in the pleasant aftersmoke flavor. Get some!

With this blend, the processing is key. It's difficult, if not impossible, to tease out any particular Virginia or Kentucky tastes, and I'm simply not up for that kind of teasing.

The first opening of the tine gives you the (by now) familiar smell of a good, dark ketchup, with the second note being a smoking aroma - this is, no doubt, where the barbeque flavoring that some have noted comes in.

There's no barbeque taste when you light up, however. The taste is smoky and complex, very mild and velvety on the tongue. There's not too much moisture, it packs nicely for such a course cut, burns cleanly throughout the whole bowl, and leaves a very nice aftertaste.

I'll make this short and sweet - for a little something out of the ordinary and a nice velvet touch on the tongue this is a one-of-a-kind experience not to be missed.

This blend did exibit something special. It is a multi-dimensional smoke, somewhat milder and different from most blends containing standard perique. It contains the newest blending component, which would make me want to purchase it. It packs easy, smokes cool and leaves a bit of dottle in the heel of the pipe. Worth trying and certainly a premium tobacco.

This tobacco is definitely dark, I would say black with occasional shades of dark brown. It really smells smokey upon opening, with sweetness at the same time, but the smokey is predominant. I like the smell of it, it's different, quite unique, can't compare it to Latakia at all. The tobacco itself is not very long, it kind of reminds me of Dark Fragrant, but flattended, if anybody can visualize that. The tobacco is really a small cut, but it makes sense like this because otherwise it would be too hard and long to smoke.

I believe this tobacco should be smoked in a small bowl, so I chose one of my Danish Sovereign and my Chacom Atlante. Don't pack it too tight because 3 weeks after opening, it still has a good rate of dampness, but not overwheming. It is a bit hard to light up but remains rather steady if you dedicate yourself to the smoking. I don't think anybody would want to smoke this tobacco outside, it might prove a tongue killer if it's just a bit windy.

As you keep smoking, it becomes stronger, the smokey side kicks in a bit more than the sweetness, which remain noticeable but discreet, in order to balance the smokey part. The bowl is dry after I'm finished.

I like this tobacco, it's different, rich but not overwhelming and it smokes surprisingly well when smoked with attention. I will not consider it a daily smoke, but a couple times a week is perfect for me.

McClelland gave away samples of all 3 Royal Cajun blends at the 2006 Chicago Pipe Show. Ebony is the first that I have smoked. I find this to be a very desireable blend. It lights easily, burns well, and does not get overly hot or wet. It smokes well in all sizes of pipes. I am smoking it now in a very small bowl (for me) and there is no sign of over-heating. This is a blend that can be smoked at any time of day, and indeed all day. The taste is good, but not overpowering. I will buy more of this blend, and store some to see how it ages.

IMHO this is McClelland's finest Virginia flake offering. A very heady and complex mixture for the experienced piper. It comes completely rubbed out,which makes for very easy packing and lighting.The flavor is equally sweet and sour. I enjoyed it greatly. I feel the best description of the tobacco and the experience would be the following: A much fuller,richer,and SWEETER STONEHAVEN. That pretty much says it all. I actually enjoyed this more than Stonehaven (Even though there is Perique present)3.5 of 4 stars.