McClelland Yenidje Supreme

What in the world do so many favorable reviewers see in this stuff? I find it to be a thin, shallow smoke with, in the worst sense, a bitter and raw green note that's way too prominent. The exotic tastes that do come through (cf. OleFattGuy's astute identification of cardamom, cumin, clove, etc.) I neither expect nor appreciate in a smoke. With so many good tobaccos out there why would anyone endorse this?

"Yenidje" is probably the Greek word for dandelion; and somewhere in Greece there is a farmer having a good laugh.

I just don't get it; must be a personal chemistry thing, or this is the wrong tobacco genre for me.

Great stuff as are almost all in this line. Great blend for oriental lovers.This showcases the pungency of the oriental, while adding virginas to make it a well rounded smoke. THis and the samsun are the best in the range. Dry and pungent, great all day. I always have a tin of this going. Does well for me in large bowls and small bowls equally. Some have complained that the Oriental is not the clarion note in these blends (and I will agree in the case of Yenice Agonya). You must remeber that oriental is a condimental leaf, even if it is our favored leaf. It does its work like a good soldier and blends well with other tobaccos, unlike latakia which tends to be the center of attention, sometimes allowing the others to play. On its own it can be somewhat stringent and acrid. Sometimes there is a tiem for that though. If you jst want oriental, no virginia I would look into the Pipeworks and Wilke No 10 and the Peretti Oriental No 40. They do have some latakia but the taste is oriental. IF you are that dedicated you can pick out the latakia, I have...lord I'm an oriental leaf geek, and just have the oriental. I would stay away from th McClelland blending oriental, its just cardboard they found in Turkey.

Yenidje Supreme is a delicately flavored blend. It is wonderful. It is gentle on the tongue. I was expecting a bully blend that is full of dark virginia. Light brown tobaccos dominate the blend. It does have the McClelland's scent, but I never taste it.

I see this blend as an example of what this oriental varietal can do for a blend. It is not a showcase of oriental tobacco. What does it do? It brings out the spiciness of the virginia. There is a creamy nuttiness.

All of these flavors occur, while the tobacco smoulders evenly and dry, to a fine ash.

The cut of the tobacco is suited to any bore. It did not turn bitter nor burn unevenly in any different shaped pipes, I used. However, this blend should not be smoked after a heavier blend. Certainly not after an english or balkan blend. View this tobacco has a almost undetectable virginia blend. The gentle flavors put a smile on my face.

Both previous reviewers have made some valid points regarding this new product. While I didn't smell the customary "catsup" scent, that almost bland first 5 minutes was just a prelude to a delicate,fresh, slightly sweet smoke.

This is more complex that it first hints to be... intriguing, with some depth developing in the last half of the bowl. This tobacco is best "sipped"... allowing the flavors and aromas to mingle... meditative, to say the least.

Smoked in a group 5 straight billiard.

Highly recommended.

...a pipe is to be savored.

Reviewing disappeared tobacco is unkind, I'm going through my only tin, and will miss it when it's gone.

The leaf is mostly black or dark. The tin note is AMAZING -- if it wasn't such a great smoke I'd just sniff it - transporting to some imagined Balkan world -- Bond, James in from Russia with Love.

It smokes great too -- the reason McClelland's is so missed.

The taste improved after the tin was open a week. The flavor seems very Oriental to me (I'm no expert, but my idea of an excellent tobacco is Pertti's Tashkent).

I can never report "room note" -- I think that's up to the non-smoker in the room.

PS... Yenidje Supreme seems to benefit from a clean/ed pipe

This was a bit of a disappointment for me. Tin note was signature McClelland VA, ketchupy sweet and spicy. The favor profile is that of a stoved Virginia blend with a hint of Oriental. The tin description leads you to believe you are about to embark on a magic carpet ride to the Orient not a ride in a pick up truck through rural North Carolina. Mostly quality stoved VA (5100?) bready, hay flavors, some sweetness form non stoved VA. A hint there of woody Oriental but it is masked by the overpowering VA profile. There is a nice toastiness to the flavor. Don't get me wrong, I like Virginia's and I really like McClelland Virginia's but I was looking for a more Oriental forward smoke from these tins. If you want another nice VA blend with some background Orientals, this is for you.

McClelland - Yenidje Supreme

A blend that is gentle, subtle, delicate.  Nutmeg, cloves, maybe paprika.  Not real deep but yet I quite enjoyed the variety of kitchen spice flavors.  A hint of the virginia twang and citrus, no hay.  Not wanting to say it's topped, but considering the slight clove type notes and sweetness a very light topping could be possible.  Very little nicotine.

Is this blend truly soo-preem?  I'm not sure.  I didn't get the sense that it put the yenidze on display as fully as it could have.  Still, the taste of this blend was memorable to me and it was worth spending the numerous relaxed bowls I had with it.

Yenidje Supreme is, IMHO, an artful blend even though it somewhat belies its series title of “Grand Orientals” by being for the most part a Virginia based blend, only interspersed with a little Yenidje. Still the Basma component is ever-present but subtle. It is a delicate and elegant tobacco which was not made to impress but still its qualities shine through. Mellow and sweet Virginias are seasoned with nutty and sweetly spiced Yenidje (Basma) leafs creating a clean, dry, natural-tasting smoke with delectable honeyed sweetness on the palate and a slightly sweet and nutty aroma. Seems to contains fine ribbon cuts of differing widths from light brown to almost black and some shades in between. Tin note is also subtle but exquisite, nutty natural tobacco reminiscent of sweet spices with a hint of vanilla. It really makes me wonder if there is a very mild topping here, but it’s certainly possible there is none. Packs, lights and keeps lit with ease and burns to a fine grey ash. There is no bite however you smoke this blend, but slow sipping releases an intoxicating mellow honeyness that induces a drowsy delight…Room note for me is quite pleasant, and I also got some favorable remarks (not from the wife though – this has not happened yet…). Very natural tobaccoish, almost cigaretty in the most pleasant form imaginable. Actually, this blend being mild but flavorful is the first tobacco I use in the morning. Delightful but not overwhelming, with a medium nicotine kick and a welcome sweetness, it has a cigarette-like quality almost like the ideal cigarette I’ve been seeking (in vain) all these years I have been smoking them. It’s the second tobacco from the Grand Oriental series I taste, the other one being the Smyrna No.1 which I found slightly more pleasurable, but even this is a four star blend!

I just popped a tin of this stuff and I gotta say it delivers. This tin, too, though just received, was canned in 2007. It's just the right moisture and I don't find the ubiquitous Mickey C "ketchup" here (though I don't mid that at all in other blends).

It lights easily, smokes cool, is sweet and a little peppery (just enough, not too much). There's just enough Turkish Yenidje (Xanthi) in this blend and it never overwhelms the fine virginias. It's a mild smoke, but flavorful. It doesn't bite. The retrohale is nice. The room note, while not exemplary, is good and wife-friendly. Kind of reminds me of Balkan Sobranie 759 in a way, especially when the sweetness kicks in. Burns cleanly to a fine white ash.

If you like Orientals, without the lakatia to obfuscate the flavors, this virginia-forward blend is sure to please.