McClelland Yenidje Highlander
(3.30)
Highlander is the one blend so far in the Grand Orientals Series using Latakia. It is a classic mixture of the finest mountain grown Yenidje with both Cyprian and Syrian Latakia and just enough Matured Red Virginia and mellow Maryland. This is a smooth cool-smoking oriental mixture of outstanding character. Our inspiration was a vintage tin of the old Balkan Sobranie.
Notes: From McClelland: Oriental tobacco cultivation began in the 1600s around the villages of Yenidje and Kirdzhali after Venetian and Genoese traders introduced tobacco smoking to the area in the 1500s. The classic Basma seed introduced there over 300 years ago is believed by some to derive from an ancient Venezuelan variety of Nicotiana Tabacum named Barinas. The very finest Xanthi still comes from the original Yenidje (Genesaia) area of Western Thrace just north of the modern town of Xanthi. It is the Xanthi-Yaka-Basma and the Xanthi-Djebel-Basma that comprise the legendary Yenidje leaf which is thin, full-bodied, flexible, with fine veins. Full of oils, the best leaves are quite small, yellow to brown in color, with a pleasant, delicate aroma and sweet, mild, fresh flavor.
Details
| Brand | McClelland |
| Series | Grand Orientals |
| Blended By | McClelland Tobacco Company |
| Manufactured By | McClelland Tobacco Company |
| Blend Type | Oriental |
| Contents | Latakia, Maryland, Oriental/Turkish, Virginia |
| Flavoring | |
| Cut | Coarse Cut |
| Packaging | 50 grams tin, 100 grams tin |
| Country | United States |
| Production | No longer in production |
Profile
Strength
Medium
Extremely Mild -> Overwhelming
Flavoring
None Detected
None Detected -> Extra Strong
Room Note
Tolerable
Unnoticeable -> Overwhelming
Taste
Medium
Extremely Mild (Flat) -> Overwhelming
Average Rating
|
3.30 / 4
|
Reviews
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Displaying 41 - 50 of 54 Reviews
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 11, 2016 | Mild to Medium | None Detected | Medium to Full | Tolerable |
Far too much Propylene glycol making it difficult to light and keep alight, it also shuts down the flavour. So much PG you can leave the lid off for months on end, never dries out. There's really no point in cellaring PG laden blends and McClelland in some of their blends really over does it with this stuff, regrettably such is the case here. PG also makes it burn a lot slower, too slow in-fact the flavours are often mute.
Overall not a very 'Oriental' blend, kind of suspended in the PG dimension of the cosmos. The Yenidje is occasionally apparent but not nearly often enough for my liking, alas the Syrian Latakia is also obliterated by it. This could be a stellar blend if they didn't screw around with it as much as they did . . . oh well.
Decent yes, but nothing special whatsoever which I think it ought to be. I'll finish the tin and share it with a few friends; however, won't bother with another. I prefer both of the McClelland-made Butera blends which oddly enough are McKetchup free with a more natural presentation, not slimy/shiny with PG salad dressing.
Overall not a very 'Oriental' blend, kind of suspended in the PG dimension of the cosmos. The Yenidje is occasionally apparent but not nearly often enough for my liking, alas the Syrian Latakia is also obliterated by it. This could be a stellar blend if they didn't screw around with it as much as they did . . . oh well.
Decent yes, but nothing special whatsoever which I think it ought to be. I'll finish the tin and share it with a few friends; however, won't bother with another. I prefer both of the McClelland-made Butera blends which oddly enough are McKetchup free with a more natural presentation, not slimy/shiny with PG salad dressing.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 28, 2011 | Mild to Medium | None Detected | Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
This was an enjoyable blend, although I only had a small sample, so I would like to smoke through a whole tin of it sometime. I heard such raves about this blend that when I first got my sample I dreamt of my previous experience with Katerini Classic from the same series. When I tried it, I can't say I was entirely disappointed, but it was not what I was expecting. It was good but for me the latakia was not strong enough and the orientals didn't shine like I wanted them to. It's a good smoke, and I want to try a bigger sample, but my initial bout with it didn't drive it up to my favorites list along with it's cousin Katerini.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Mar 27, 2010 | Medium | None Detected | Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
Zulujerk nailed it, 100% I like this blend dried just a tad, and smoked in a .750" (19mm) bore. Smoked slowly, it's completely enjoyable, and rich. The Syrian is so smooth, and the Yenidje adds buttery smooth spice, as well, the VA is sweet, but never overpowers. This is just delicious!
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Jan 11, 2010 | Mild to Medium | None Detected | Medium | Tolerable |
I bought this and the Yenica Agonya to try near the same timeframe, and initially I liked the Yenice much better. I let this one sit for a while and came back to it because the Yenice was getting low. I think some time on the shelf helped this blend get itself together. I think it came out nice and mellow, and I can say that the non oriental componenets have not overpowered the Yenidje. I think I will get this not as often as the Agonya or other Orientals, but it might grow more on me still.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Dec 19, 2008 | Medium | None Detected | Medium | Tolerable |
A subtle and soft blend, as one would expect. Burns well out of the tin with about fifteen minutes of dry-time. It starts off very subtle indeed ? too much so for an English smoker like me ? but soon I started to notice a gentle cocoa-like finish to each puff. Could this be the latakia? The flavor gradually lifts off as you go down the bowl. The Orientals deepen in complexity, giving slight acid tang to balance the cocoa/latakia, while the Virginias keep it naturally sweet. All in all it?s very nice and well balanced, a true connoisseur?s tobacco. I would call it a Balkan?s lighter cousin, the way that some big red wines (say Burgundy) have whites produced from the same grape. (That?s pretentious, I know, but it?s true!). I tend to prefer more body to my smoke so I give it three stars, but that?s not meant to slight its quality. Good stuff!
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 04, 2008 | Mild to Medium | None Detected | Medium | Tolerable |
I received a sample of this from a friend. I've smoked a few bowls of it now and I really like it. No cover-up tastes, just good tobacco flavors. It lights easily, burns fairly cool, and requires few relights. Leaves a nice grey/black ash all the way to the bottom of the bowl. It does end in a slight "ashy" taste, and that's why only 3 stars. I'll be getting more of this.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 19, 2008 | Medium | None Detected | Medium | Pleasant |
A great blend. Initially when opening the tin, had the typical aoma of McClelland catsup (I disagree witht he review that this is not a distinct McClelland smell...not that I don't l ike it...it is distinct and for lack of a better descriptive aroma, I think catsup) The taste after the light was magnificant. The Yenidje tobacco is very unique and blended with the latakia, it gives off a beautiful room aroma. The latakia is not prnounced and I wonder what a bit more latakia would do for the blend. The Yenidje makes the smoke very smooth but spicy. Could the cooling be the Maryland or is it this oriental. Would like to try the other Grand Orientals to sample the combinations with Yenidje. Burns well and leaves a light ash. This blend is unique and when a change is needed but do not want to compromise the spice or the bit of latakia smoke, this is a great one.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| May 29, 2008 | Medium | None Detected | Medium | Pleasant |
For starters I didn't detect any of the ketchup/vinegar smell in the blend, not that that puts me off anyway. This is a very nice blend, occasionally the virginia dominates and that is unfortunate. I like this company's virginia, it just seems a tad out of place here. This blend really shines when you get that incense-like whiff, that I'm assuming is the Yenidje. I love Syrian and this doesn't seem to have much of that or else the Cyprian is interfering with it. All in all, when the bowl doesn't contain too much virginia, this hits its stride and is pretty good!
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Dec 20, 2007 | Medium | None Detected | Medium to Full | Tolerable to Strong |
The tin aroma of this mixture of fine-cut ribbon and small, flakey chunks is dominated by musky yenidje with both latakia types chiming in distinctly though not overwhelmingly. The typical McClelland virginia aroma is present, though not dominant.
The flavor is centered on the richness of the yenidje. The use of both cyprian and syrian latakia only augments this blend. The mellow maryland leaf slightly cuts the impact of the bolder matured red virginia. The use of dark-stoved VA and latakia is restrained.
One of the finest of blends, Yenidje Highlander is remarkably delicious and nuanced, a light to medium english with memorable turkish character. It goes well in a chamber of any gauge.
The flavor is centered on the richness of the yenidje. The use of both cyprian and syrian latakia only augments this blend. The mellow maryland leaf slightly cuts the impact of the bolder matured red virginia. The use of dark-stoved VA and latakia is restrained.
One of the finest of blends, Yenidje Highlander is remarkably delicious and nuanced, a light to medium english with memorable turkish character. It goes well in a chamber of any gauge.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 16, 2007 | Mild to Medium | None Detected | Medium | Tolerable |
I must have gotten a bad tin, this blend seemed rather bland to me. For so many years, I have heard discussions about the Yenidje leaf and how it was the primary spice of Sobranie, this cannot be representative of that long hallowed leaf. I tasted a decent some Virginia with a slightly spicy Latakia afternote, there was some new flavor, which has to be the Yenidje, but it was so subtle as to be almost missed.
I very much wanted to taste this magic leaf that I have heard so much about, but I can only assume that my can was lacking or that the current crop of Yenidje lacks the character of the leaf of 20+ years ago.
I very much wanted to taste this magic leaf that I have heard so much about, but I can only assume that my can was lacking or that the current crop of Yenidje lacks the character of the leaf of 20+ years ago.
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