McClelland Yenice Agonya

Another pearl of McClelland, another masterpiece. This is a top natural mixture, really gentle and pleasant. No defects and with a clean, soft and harmonious taste. Without any doubt, this could be a four stars, but I give it only three stars because, in a hypothetical preference scale among Grand Orientals, in my opinion Smyrna n°1 and Drama Reserve are superior. Anyway a great natural blend. So, in my personal rating system (from 1 to 10) my score is 9 and three and a half stars.

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.

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.

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.

I would like to explain why this fine tobacco got a three rather than four star. It is great stuff, like all the Grand Oriental line. It seems to me though that this blend doesn't deliver the Orintal goods. The equation is imbalanced. Yes there are Orientals there, but the virginias just shine over the Oriental until you have a VIRGINIA BLEND (with a pich of yenice). Now on its own it is a fine flavorfull tobacco I would not hesitate to smoke, and have indeed set some back into my cellar. It just does not make the Oriental the dominant tobacco, which is the purported intent of the line, with the other ynidje and Samsun blends being classics in my eyes. Excellent tobacco that does not quite stay on mission.

Well, not as impressive as Yenice Supreme. But still a nice experience and a must try for oriental fans.

A smooth and delightful smoke. Fits for me in the mornings. It does not offer you surprizes, a mild, spicy nice oriental taste.

Yenice Agonya is a very fine Oriental, and unlike others McClelland's, the vinegar taste is very mild. It's smooth, soft on the palate and sweet. In fact, an added pinch of Latakia would make it rounder and a bit less cloying. There are a few Orientals that I enjoy more than this one, but it's definitely worth a try.