McClelland Yenice Agonya

Not nearly as impressive as others in the Grand Oriental line (Yenidje, Drama, Samsum) but still an ok and refreshing smoke. Nothing really jumps out here; it's pretty much just a smooth and mild smoke, perfect for early morning or as a palate cleanser. If you're into extreme subtleties in your blends, you should definitely try this. But for me, pipe smoking is for relaxing and this blend makes me work too hard looking for something to excite my taste buds.

This is probably a better blend than the two stars I'm giving it but I liked it less than the Yenidje Supreme and that got three stars from me. This is certainly one to try if you can't stand anymore latakia or perique blends and want something smoother and lighter, or if you're looking to break away from gooey aromatics.

My second landing on Mc Clelland planet and I think I´ll stay here forever,mayhaps some trip to Hearth&home or Presby.The so called ketchup typical of this world for me is delicious,real matured leaf not as the crude one of CD-GLPease.Agonya doesn´t attain the level of original greek but is wonderful on its side and perfectly married with,sorry I repeat,the heavenly Va from Mc Clelland.In short less complex than Samovar or Black House,both excellent ones,but cleaner.One must be very careful about moist level,too high bad for Va,too low killing Agonya.It deserves a well proportioned bowl tilted to the wide side.Fine baccy.Bye forever Pease & Co,glad to meet you,McClelland.

A fairly dark mixture overall. This has a pronounced tin note of vanilla and butterscotch, that imo cannot possibly be natural. This is also the most moist in the tin of the Grand Orientals series. Underneath the topping is a soft, vegetal fragrance which I assume to be the highlighted Oriental leaf. There is also a green pepper type spice both on the nose and the back of the throat. This makes inhaling sidestream smoke thru the nose an interesting sensory experience. I would go as far as to call it a petrichor effect.

The last part of the bowl, the Virginias become somewhat harsh and hot and the nicotine presence rises dramatically.

Overall, this is a light, sweet and spicy tobacco that might even be considered a crossover blend for aromatic lovers. In truth, somewhere between a 2 and a 3 for me but I'm rounding upwards because, despite my reservations, it is an interesting tobacco.

I have tried this about 20 times times over a two year period. I bought 5 tins "cuz I got a deal" and I'm an Oriental fan. I have sold three of the tins but kept one for aging. That sure sounds confusing but so is my take on this tobacco. I like the spice, but when you compare it to Classic Samsun, it comes up short. No bite, cool and peppery but a little bitter toward the very end of the bowl. My angel wife always asks me if I've been burning pallets again when I smoke this one. Full but not overly creamy smoke, but I favor creamy smoke. This tobacco was a great education for me, it made me start digging into what really was an "Oriental" tobacco. I even joined the Turkish Trade Alliance to understand these tobaccos. This will be a go to for some folks, but it just didn't hit the sweet spot for me. God Bless the folks at McClelland for giving Oriental fans choices.

Ah, what a good find for me as my first foray into Orientals. I picked up this along with the Grand Orientals Highlander to try. I am still figuring out what I think of the Highlander, but I know what I like, and I really like this Agonya. I like its character, its consistant from top to bottom of the bowl, with minimal bite and I enjoy its flavors. Its not a subtle or nuanced smoke, but balanced and well done. I will be keeping more of it around on a regular basis, this has quickly become on of my favorites. In my efforts to pair down the varieties of what I keep in stock, this one clearly made the cut for me.

Ye Nice Agony is surely is. If your criteria for acceptability are: latakia, nicotine, perique and more latakia, this is definitely one to avoid- send me your tins for disposal. It has nothing of interest for you. If you are a beginner, this is your weed. This blend is one of the tastiest and sweetest tobaccos I've ever puffed that has not been sprayed with artificial flavorings. Its smoke is delicious as well. I've long been a fan of orientals, but this stands by itself without a direct comparison. Pipeworks & Wilke may use this in a couple of their oriental blends (Bohemian Mixture, i.e.) and I always wished for more of it. Finally I got it. The downsides: I wish this were available in bulk; it is pricey in the little 50g tins that I have to ration. Second, although the flavors develop and change throughout the bowl, I dislike the final quarter and prefer to dump at that point, again expensive. But o god, the first three are wonderful.

I love this stuff. At first glance and sniff upon opening the tin not very impressive. Let it sit a minute then the fragrant sweet spiceness is revealed. Overall a very nice smooth refreshing smoke. Great anytime! Burns great! long cut! a gem!

What a Bonus!! You smoke a pipe for 45 years you see some great blends come & go. I sure hope this one stays around a long time. This is my first sampling of the Grand Orientals.I usually stay with my english/virgina blends with an occasional briar of Old Ironsides to get my mind right. This tobac comes in a nice ribbon cut that packs real easy and stays lit. It immediately delivers a smooth, balanced, slightly-sweet taste. The sweetness isn't overpowering allowing the mellow orientals to develop as you puff on.A really enjoyable smoke.

This was an interesting blend that was recommended by a tobacconist who said that it was the best of the Grand Orientals. It is sweet without being too sweet, it is smooth and a delite to smoke. Usually I need latakia in the blend although I will turn to when I want a break from latakia and want a sweet smoke. Really nice. Now have sampled two of the Grand Orientals (the otherYenidje Highlander) and both were good and very different from each other and different than most blends I've encountered. Next time I am near a tobacconist that sells the range of Grand Orientals, will get a tin of each and sample. This one is good and highly recommended. I will see how it develops as I work through the tin.