McClelland Classic Samsun

I was disappointed with this, some of the other Grand Orientals are much better. I find the flavor too mild, low in "N" and I have a tendency to smoke this fast and get some tongue bite. Just not for me.

updated 1/26/2015-What was wrong with me when I first reviewed this blend ??? . Yes , if you puff on this like a freight train, it will remove your taste buds , but take it slow, and this is a flavorful light blend , with a sweet flavor and fragrant floral scent. Very interesting and pleasant . moved from 2 to 4 stars

I've tried a few of the orientals from McC now and they have been hit or miss for me, this one, while being a bit temperamental has been a hit. If I don't smoke it slow the flavor dies for sure and it is sensitive to ghosted pipes, but when done right in the right pipe, it shines with a nice tangy, sultry sweetness that lingers in your mouth long after each puff. A wonderful mild tobacco with an excellent room note and a unique personality!

A perfect marriage of Virginias and fine Turkish tobacco. In a churchwarden on the seashore on a sunny Spring day, it is a little slice of heaven.

Compared to Drama Reserve, it is milder, and it has a more floral perfume that diminishes after the tin has been open for a few weeks.

Classic Samsun is a stand out Oriental blend. Opening the tin makes you want to grab a fork and napkin (I found it best in a pipe though). Savory, sweet, smoky, tangy ...these simple words don't even work when trying to describe this blend! Read some of the reviews and you'll see what I mean. Classic Samsun comes moist in the tin, and smokes much better after a good drying. The burn is good and the smoke is thick and silky. Once it's burning about mid bowl, the flavor opens dramatically, and I can get lost in delicate dance between rapturous flavor, and tongue bite! Not strong with nicotine, so fill a big bowl and getting into it.

A short review:

Sublime. Non plus ultra.

The tin description is right on target.

Perhaps a wee bit pricey, but you do get what you pay for.

A fantastic smoke. Mild, but lots of flavour (nutty indeed, as the tin description says). I like it most in a big corn cob. Just great!

UPDATE II: (07-10-08) This tobacco just keeps getting better and better! I sip it slowly, treating it like a Turkish hookah, and tease the smoke out until the flavor rises, then letting back until it's almost out. A few rapid puffs bring back a wave of pure, smooth flavor and I repeat this to tobacco ecstacy. If McClelland can keep the quality consistent, they've made my Top 3 rotation for a LONG time to come!



UPDATE: Note that the character of this tobacco changes drastically when you reach the bottom of the bowl. The room note changes to a MUCH fuller and more acrid cloud and the spice will hit you like a freight train (which I enjoy.) So, to keep with the analogy, the last few puffs of the bowl are the stinger at the end. STILL a favorite, but changing the room note to "pleasant to tolerable" and the taste to "medium to full" to reflect this. I still highly recommend it, though!



This blend is the apotheosis of orientals, in my opinion. With that said, let me make the analogy of a symphony to press home the characteristics of this fine tobacco.

At first light, you can feel the bass warm up. Tubas, low brass, tympanis meld together in a mellow earthiness that caresses the tongue and is never harsh. This is complimented at the top of the bowl by a subdued spice, a pianissimo piccolo that switches to the high brass by midbowl. The notes of the main melody ring clear from here to the end, yet that soothing bass line is never overpowered nor does it ever falter. As the conductor, you alone have the power to keep the bassline going, but you can also pull harder and faster to bring more of that top melody to the forefront. At the finale, a pleasant burst of spice hits the senses and the aftertaste is a warm fade out; applause for yet another fantastic performance.

Although this tobacco isn't as complex as others (the flavors don't seem to change much, they only swell in size), it smokes clean, cool and mellow, yet packs plenty of flavor in the bowl. I would say that this is an all-day smoke and it's also got a wonderful room note for those days in the cafe.

Whether walking through the woods, reading a book or sipping a cup of coffee, this tobacco is a loyal companion and music to my senses!

A DEFINITE recommend! Even if you're not a big Oriental fan, this won't disappoint you a bit!

This is the finest offering I have tried (haven't had the Drama or Smyrna) in this series. It is the greatest of an awesome series, where only one got below 4 stars. This is like the top of Everest, if I could I would give it Ten Stars. The blend burns great, doesn't burn out and it takes a lot of puffing to overheat it. I do not detect the cigar note as I somewhat do in Black Sea Sokhoum, just an opulent richness. This and the rest would be totaly ruined by latakia. Sweet, pungent, great for mellow times or, for me, all day. Smoking this for the first time was like the first time I experienced Rattray blends. Destined to be a classic.

This is another fine blend from McClelland's Grand Orientals range. It has a flavor note, I find in some good burley blends. Some may call it a cigar note, however after trying all my favorite burley blends, I find it is similar. However in Classic Samsun that flavor note is clear as a bell chime.

The burning quality of this blend has been excellent. It burns dry to a fine ash. Smokes cool, when it is sipped as a fine virginia type blend.

A fine blend, that I pray is not of finite supply.