McClelland Classic Samsun
(3.55)
In the hinterlands just south of the Black Sea in Eastern Turkey, these prized Oriental tobaccos draw their sweet, nutty flavor from the rocky soil as they have done for 350 years. Enjoy the distinctive, mellow, pleasant character of the famed Samsun in this fine blend.
Notes: From McClelland: Samsun grows in the Black Sea region of Eastern Turkey. McClelland has secured the finest Samsun Maden-Canek leaves. They are small, thin, and elastic with a mellow, pleasant, distinctive aroma. Their sweet taste is like the sweetness in a nut meat or sunflower seed. They come from the hinterland of Samsun, mainly to the West of the Yesih Irmak River delta where the climate is very similar to the best Macedonian and Thracian growing areas. Samsun and all Classic Oriental leaves are picked one by one as they ripen, like flue-cured Virginias. If picked too soon so that the sap remains in the leaf during air and sun drying, the sugars will evaporate with the sap. If allowed to ripen too much on the plant, the leaf will be dry and brittle. Tobacco farmers of the classic Samsun growing region have elevated these harvesting and curing processes to high art. Taste what comes from 350 years of experience.
Details
| Brand | McClelland |
| Series | Grand Orientals |
| Blended By | McClelland Tobacco Company |
| Manufactured By | McClelland Tobacco Company |
| Blend Type | Oriental |
| Contents | Oriental/Turkish, Virginia |
| Flavoring | |
| Cut | Coarse Cut |
| Packaging | 50 grams tin |
| Country | United States |
| Production | No longer in production |
Profile
Strength
Mild to Medium
Extremely Mild -> Overwhelming
Flavoring
None Detected
None Detected -> Extra Strong
Room Note
Pleasant
Unnoticeable -> Overwhelming
Taste
Mild to Medium
Extremely Mild (Flat) -> Overwhelming
Average Rating
|
3.55 / 4
|
Reviews
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Displaying 41 - 50 of 76 Reviews
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 18, 2012 | Mild to Medium | None Detected | Mild to Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
I'm a new pipe smoker. My taste is not refined enough yet to equate the flavors to nuts or fruit or something similar. I may never get that. I know when i like something and when I do not. While I have not found other McLellands to be very special, I am quite pleased with this. I do detect some of the McLelland vinegary scent out of the tin, but not as much as some others like blackwood flake. It has a very nice spicyness, you can feel it but not overpowering. The flavor is very mellow and pleasant. It smokes pretty easy, without many relights. Overall very enjoyable.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Jun 07, 2012 | Mild | None Detected | Medium to Full | Pleasant |
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
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
Pipe Used:
cob
Age When Smoked:
1 month
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 29, 2011 | Mild | Extremely Mild | Mild to Medium | Very Pleasant |
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!
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 16, 2011 | Mild to Medium | Extremely Mild | Mild to Medium | Pleasant |
Neptune's trousers this smoked with a bite! I was trying to sip..but at the 1 mph mark I couldn't get any slower. I set it down to rest for a bit, came back about 10 minutes later, and it was still lit!!! Unheard of with a pipe tobacco. The tin was from 2007. I'll moisten it up a bit and try it again. It honestly smoked so hot I couldn't taste much.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| May 07, 2011 | Medium | None Detected | Medium | Tolerable |
This blend is another treasure given to us by McClelland! I really like Samsun. But, this blend is a gentler oriental blend that needs to be smoked gently to draw out its complexity. I enjoy this blend in the evenings after dinner in my back yard, puffing gently and contemplating life as the sun goes down...
While not one in my top rotation, still a great one to have and enjoy from time to time. I seal mine with some aluminum foil and then put the plastic cover on.
While not one in my top rotation, still a great one to have and enjoy from time to time. I seal mine with some aluminum foil and then put the plastic cover on.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| May 04, 2011 | Mild to Medium | None Detected | Medium | Pleasant |
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.
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.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Apr 20, 2011 | Mild to Medium | Mild to Medium | Medium | Very Pleasant |
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.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Oct 04, 2009 | Mild to Medium | None Detected | Mild to Medium | Pleasant |
Recommended because of the quality and exoticism, but I must not like too much oriental in my blends. I like the sweet & sour taste and the mellowness, but I get bored with it and have never finished my tin. This has kept me from trying the other blends in the series. I'll give it another chance some day.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Jul 15, 2009 | Medium | None Detected | Mild to Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
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.
Sublime. Non plus ultra.
The tin description is right on target.
Perhaps a wee bit pricey, but you do get what you pay for.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 07, 2009 | Mild to Medium | None Detected | Medium | Pleasant |
This is a very good and unique blend. There is a bit of earthiness and a little Virginia sweetness that combine to provide a tasty, interesting experience. It never gets overly complex, and the flavors won't knock your socks off, but it's a reliably tasty, interesting treat. Good herbal oriental flavors come through, and sometimes just a hint of floral character.
Like most orientals, this one gives me a tangy burn at the back of my throat and in my sinuses not unlike perique does, but not nearly as strongly as some oriental mixtures, either because there is less in the blend or this Samsun is much milder and smoother than others.
It's relatively dry (what I would call perfect moisture) out of the tin, the ribbons pack easily and perfectly, the smoke was copious and it stayed relatively cool. No relights necessary, and it smokes all the way down to a lightweight ash. Definitely something you should have in the drawer if you like oriental tobaccos.
Like most orientals, this one gives me a tangy burn at the back of my throat and in my sinuses not unlike perique does, but not nearly as strongly as some oriental mixtures, either because there is less in the blend or this Samsun is much milder and smoother than others.
It's relatively dry (what I would call perfect moisture) out of the tin, the ribbons pack easily and perfectly, the smoke was copious and it stayed relatively cool. No relights necessary, and it smokes all the way down to a lightweight ash. Definitely something you should have in the drawer if you like oriental tobaccos.
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