McClelland Yenice Agonya
(3.28)
Grown near the Sea of Marmara, not far from the ancient Troy or Illium, this wide, fine-textured, reddish yellow Turkish tobacco variety is renowned for being smooth on the palate with a delicate aroma. Yenice is pronounced Yenidje in Turkish, and the Agonya seed from which it is grown is of Xanthi origin (that first Yenidje of legend). This blend is designed to highlight the beautiful Agonya leaf's mellow taste and subtle fragrance.
Notes: From McClelland: Agonya is the famous Turkish tobacco from the Sea of Marmara district of Yenice (pronounced Yenidje in Turkish) which lies to the southeast of Canakhale. This is the anciently famous area of Troy or Illium south of the Hellespont. The Hamdibey or Agonya district plants the Agonya seed, a Kabakulak variety of Xanthi origin (that first Yenidje of legend). Agonya leaves are wide, fine-textured and oval with bare stems. This blend is designed to highlight Agonya's mellow taste and subtle fragrance. When the Greeks followed Helen to Troy, they were after booty but they were a few centuries too early to share this elegant treasure. How might a round of calming, agreeable bowls of Yenice Agonya have changed history?
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, 100 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 to Tolerable
Unnoticeable -> Overwhelming
Taste
Mild to Medium
Extremely Mild (Flat) -> Overwhelming
Average Rating
|
3.28 / 4
|
Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 Reviews
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Mar 25, 2014 | Very Mild | None Detected | Very Mild | Pleasant to Tolerable |
I have mixed feelings about Yenice Agonya. It smells so lovely in the tin. The McClelland ketchup/vinegar smell that many people object to is definitely present, but there is also a warm, almost perfume-like smell presumably from the Yenice that is very enticing. The moisture level straight from the tin is perfect. The cut, a thick ribbon, packs easily, lights and burns well.
And then this is where the disappointment kicks in. Produces a thin, airy smoke and extremely mild flavor. It's a nice flavor, a tiny bit of sweetness from the Virginia and a subtle aromatic warmth from the Yenice, but you have to look so hard for it.
I find myself instinctively hitting it harder, looking for more flavor and denser smoke. But that doesn't work, it only burns hotter and you lose what subtle nuance of flavor that there is in this blend. At least it doesn't bite.
At 7 years, I suppose it's possible that I aged this one too long. Perhaps whatever picquancy or boldness there once was has mellowed to the point of blandness. Yenice Agonya simply doesn't deliver the warm, deep, exotic flavors that I look for in oriental tobaccos. It hints at it, but doesn't satisfy. I will say though that it leaves a pleasant taste in your mouth after smoking it.
I can't recommend Yenice Agonya to you unless you love extremely mild tobacco. It's quality tobacco, much too nice to throw away, so I sometimes smoke it in the mornings as a first pipe of the day, but honestly it's even too mild for that, to my taste. Once the tin is gone I doubt this is one I'll bother revisiting.
And then this is where the disappointment kicks in. Produces a thin, airy smoke and extremely mild flavor. It's a nice flavor, a tiny bit of sweetness from the Virginia and a subtle aromatic warmth from the Yenice, but you have to look so hard for it.
I find myself instinctively hitting it harder, looking for more flavor and denser smoke. But that doesn't work, it only burns hotter and you lose what subtle nuance of flavor that there is in this blend. At least it doesn't bite.
At 7 years, I suppose it's possible that I aged this one too long. Perhaps whatever picquancy or boldness there once was has mellowed to the point of blandness. Yenice Agonya simply doesn't deliver the warm, deep, exotic flavors that I look for in oriental tobaccos. It hints at it, but doesn't satisfy. I will say though that it leaves a pleasant taste in your mouth after smoking it.
I can't recommend Yenice Agonya to you unless you love extremely mild tobacco. It's quality tobacco, much too nice to throw away, so I sometimes smoke it in the mornings as a first pipe of the day, but honestly it's even too mild for that, to my taste. Once the tin is gone I doubt this is one I'll bother revisiting.
Pipe Used:
various briars and cobs
Age When Smoked:
7 years (2007 tin code)
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 25, 2010 | Very Mild | Extremely Mild | Very Mild | Pleasant to Tolerable |
Having enjoyed others in the Grand Orientals line, this one for me is just too delicate to the point that it doesn't deliver enough flavor for me. Although I generally smoke the G.O.'s slowly, I find myself puffing away on this blend trying to find the flavor. There are better choices in the Grand Oriental line, however, two stars for the use of quality tobacco and McClelland's effort to bring these tobacco's into the public eye.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| May 06, 2009 | Mild | Very Mild | Mild | Pleasant |
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.
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.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 28, 2010 | Very Mild | None Detected | Medium | Tolerable |
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.
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