McClelland Yenidje Supreme

A mixed cut of dark chestnut, brown and nearly black broken ribbon mixed with fine, nearly shag cut olive to tan hued ribbon. The tin nose is fragrant with a pleasant combination of sweetness and spice along with a fleeting sharp note which is slightly citric in nature. Due to the fine cut, the mixture packs and burns with relative ease and presents very little in the way of trouble in just about any pipe.

Sitting atop what seems at times to be a rather overdone base of matured Virginias (including a sizable helping of stoved leaf), the Xanthi is noticeable but much to the chagrin of this reviewer never dominant. Dry with hints of blanched almonds and allspice, while at times the blend presents notes which are ever so slightly reminiscent of the indescribably smooth and nutty flavor of the old Balkan Sobranie cigarettes (in the white tin of 10) or that of the equally much missed original G.A. Andron Turkish Specials (unfiltered of course) it is the character of the sweet, aged Virginias which stands out most of the time. In every dozen puffs, eleven are McClelland Virginia and one Xanthi – when it arrives it is good, but it should really not be so shy. On the mild side of medium bodied, the finish is thin and a bit sweet.

As a Virginia-Oriental blend, Yenidje Supreme is a pleasant, mild smoke, but as a showcase for this particular Turkish leaf it falls a bit flat. The sample on which this review is based comes from a tin dated to 2007. Growing increasingly bored, as this tin began to near its end this reviewer found himself adding a pinch of blending Izmir along with a small bit of mixed cigar leaf to each bowl so as to help things along (and what a pleasant combination it was!). To a certain extent this deficiency is understandable, for while upping the level of Xanthi in the blend and reducing the amount of the Virginia mixture would correct this, it would also most certainly up the price of a tin as well. From the manufacturer's perspective, that may well be a major issue. At the same time, however, in light of the theme of the Grand Orientals series and – more significantly the tin label description – one should expect to pay a premium, and this reviewer would be more than happy to shell out a price substantially more than other 50g. tins outside of the line for a chance to indulge in an explicit and unambiguous tasting of the featured leaf.

Overall, a quality preparation which is worth sampling, but one which is really not much in the way of a keeper in terms of delivering what it promises. In this case, it is really too bad that McClelland did not take the risk, financial or otherwise, of producing something which could have been truly special.