McClelland Katerini Classic
(3.24)
The small, heart-shaped Katerini leaf, grown from Samsun seed on mountain slopes in Greek Western Macedonia, is delicate, elastic, robust. The aroma is subtle. Notice the sweet, mild, curry-like flavor in the mellow Virginia-based blend. Easy to pack, delightful to smoke.
Notes: From McClelland: Katerini is a very important tobacco producing area southwest of Thessalonika on mountain slopes of mainland Greece (western Macedonia). The small, heart shaped leaf that takes the area's name and makes it legendary is grown from Samsun seed. Katerini leaf is light golden in color, delicate, elastic, porous and robust. It has a more subtle aroma than Samsun but notice an especially sweet, mild curry-like flavor in this fine blend.
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
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
|
3.24 / 4
|
Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 Reviews
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 04, 2008 | Mild to Medium | None Detected | Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
Well now, here's a little truffle for your tobacco shelf.
Pop open the tin and Katerini Classic greets you with that familiar McClelland sour smell. Don't be put off. Although I personally enjoy 'Virginia tang', it is a minor player in this nicely conceived blend.
The label describes this as a "mellow Virginia-based blend", but Burley-philes should like the way the Oriental tames the not-too-sweet Virginias. It delivers a basic tobacco taste with a hint of curry in a briny and vaguely tangy background. Some raw greenish tasting notes here and there contribute more than they detract. For the curry flavor McClelland should've named this "Huck Finn on the Ganges", or "Mahatma on the Mississippi".
In an earlier review I panned McClelland's Yenidje Supreme, stating that I neither expect nor appreciate flavors from the kitchen spice rack in my smoke. Well, hypocrite that I am, I have to admit that the taste of curry in this smoke works well. Of course such a description is a mere resemblance, and a blend's taste is a quintessential property; so this isn't actually a curry taste, but you get the idea.
Katerini Classic has a simple and balanced mosaic of flavors that should appeal to most smokers; and I think you should try it. At first I tried it in a briar and I thought it was lousy. I switched to a narrow but deep meer and changed my mind.
It packs nicely; needs occasional re-lights; good smoke volume; good intensity of flavor; no bite; weak in nicotine; some nice subtleties of flavor and aroma; smokes down to dry ash. This blend continues to reveal nuances of flavor and aroma with every bowl I smoke -- but it also grows correspondingly more tiresome overall. I give it two stars for its palatability and novelty. I like it, but I won't give it three stars because, IMHO, it is destined to be a one time purchase for most smokers, and I think it is overpriced.
Pop open the tin and Katerini Classic greets you with that familiar McClelland sour smell. Don't be put off. Although I personally enjoy 'Virginia tang', it is a minor player in this nicely conceived blend.
The label describes this as a "mellow Virginia-based blend", but Burley-philes should like the way the Oriental tames the not-too-sweet Virginias. It delivers a basic tobacco taste with a hint of curry in a briny and vaguely tangy background. Some raw greenish tasting notes here and there contribute more than they detract. For the curry flavor McClelland should've named this "Huck Finn on the Ganges", or "Mahatma on the Mississippi".
In an earlier review I panned McClelland's Yenidje Supreme, stating that I neither expect nor appreciate flavors from the kitchen spice rack in my smoke. Well, hypocrite that I am, I have to admit that the taste of curry in this smoke works well. Of course such a description is a mere resemblance, and a blend's taste is a quintessential property; so this isn't actually a curry taste, but you get the idea.
Katerini Classic has a simple and balanced mosaic of flavors that should appeal to most smokers; and I think you should try it. At first I tried it in a briar and I thought it was lousy. I switched to a narrow but deep meer and changed my mind.
It packs nicely; needs occasional re-lights; good smoke volume; good intensity of flavor; no bite; weak in nicotine; some nice subtleties of flavor and aroma; smokes down to dry ash. This blend continues to reveal nuances of flavor and aroma with every bowl I smoke -- but it also grows correspondingly more tiresome overall. I give it two stars for its palatability and novelty. I like it, but I won't give it three stars because, IMHO, it is destined to be a one time purchase for most smokers, and I think it is overpriced.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Jun 17, 2009 | Very Mild | Extremely Mild | Very Mild | Pleasant |
I found this the least enjoyable of all the McClellands Grand Orientals. That's not to say that this is bad, it's just a little too light for my tastes. It packs well and burns well, requiring few to no relights. It's a pleasant enough smoke but I have the same problem with this that I had with the Yenice Agonya, and that is that I feel like I'm puffing too hard to get more flavor out of it. Consequently, it turns harsh due to overpuffing.
The virginia is present and there is a wisp of oriental spice. However, the virginia seems to be very youthful and the oriental too sparse (for my tastes). If you are moving away from aromatics, this might be a good place to start. If you like extremely mild tobaccos and subtle flavors, this is recommended. But if you prefer full flavored or full bodied blends, the delicacies here may escape you as they largely escaped me. If you can only try 2 or 3 of the Grand Orientals, skip this one.
The virginia is present and there is a wisp of oriental spice. However, the virginia seems to be very youthful and the oriental too sparse (for my tastes). If you are moving away from aromatics, this might be a good place to start. If you like extremely mild tobaccos and subtle flavors, this is recommended. But if you prefer full flavored or full bodied blends, the delicacies here may escape you as they largely escaped me. If you can only try 2 or 3 of the Grand Orientals, skip this one.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Dec 01, 2010 | Mild | Mild | Mild | Pleasant to Tolerable |
Basically a good quality light virginia with just a twist from the Katerini leaf. If smoked slowly you'll taste a pleasant and very subtle curry/cummin like flavour.
I would give it 3 stars if a little stronger in nicotine.
Smoke it in your virginia dedicated pipes without fear of ghosting.
I would give it 3 stars if a little stronger in nicotine.
Smoke it in your virginia dedicated pipes without fear of ghosting.
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