McClelland Drama Reserve

This is a fine blend and a nice change of pace. It is very fragrant , with just the right amount of spice and sweetness. While I like this , I prefer Smyrna more. Unlike Smyrna, the Virginias do not lead the show (and I love McCVV), the Drama tobaccos are more out front. I do find Drama intriguing and I think this would be the better choice for "public smoking"

updated 11/4/12- I've really grown to like this, one of the best of the Grand Orientals. It has a background taste of cocoa and clove. A sweet and sour taste. If you push it, it will get hot and bitter ( as I found with Smyrna also). For that reason alone, I prefer Yenidje Highlander ,as I feel it is smoother. I've decided to move this down to 3 stars because of the heat issue

So much good tobacco and so little time! Yet another entry in the Grand Orientals line-up, and a grand slam, at that. An intriguing, light, savory Turkish blend with tasty, slightly spicy orientals, a tiny hint of mild pepperiness, and most appealing...the wonderful, periodic, welcome assertion of mellow, smooth, oily-sweet olive, as you burn down the bowl. The classic rich Turkish flavor stays with you pleasantly for a bit after your smoke. This is a smooth experience that starts off mild, nutty, and leafy, then builds to a more dense, slightly spicier and richer taste, but keeps returning to its olive-tinged mellowness throughout multiple, delicate transitions along the bowl. Mid-bowl is simply delicious. Never harsh, imbalanced or bitter, right to the end, and nothing dominates or overpowers. A consummate harmonious blend. The lighter you sip, the more subtle nuances can be drawn out and explored over and over. This is yet another cool-burning, long-burning, relaxing and rewarding smoke. Highest quality, right up there with Samsun although not as full, and slightly less spicy than Smyrna or Katerini, but no less tasty, and certainly more unique. Three stars.

UPDATE: The truly unique subtleties and nuances of this mild, tasty blend are sufficently appealing as to cause me to question my order of preference of the excellent Grand Orientals series. After extensive exploration in various bowl sizes, I find myself reaching for Drama more often than even Samsun...McClelland's incredible virginias provide unstoppable flavor and ideal pairing for the delicate and intriguing Drama leaf. Four and a half stars? Indeed.

This is a really good blend. If it’s true it is no longer in production then that’s a shame. I find it deceptively good. Lighting is easy, especially if you have given it a day or two to dry in the open air. But the initial light is strong, even acrid. Once you’ve gotten a good charring light and relit, you are good to gently puff and experience all that is advertised on the label. It certainly has an earthy, eastern quality to it. If puffed hard it won’t really cause chemical bite, only a heat bite. The flavor is mild, but if you clench a lot you will taste more earthiness than is pleasurable. Lasts a long time in a leather pouch, won’t completely dry up and crumble. I’ll say again the flavor is mild, with mild aftertaste. But a welcome and unexpected bonus is the really nice room note. Car or cabin smells great after a few bowls of this. Orientals are not ma favorite tobaccos, but for what it is, this is really good. Highly recommended.

Delicious. No other words. One of the best oriental leaf you can try. This is a top natural mixture, unflavored but aromatic, natural aromatic. Simply wonderful. Try it! Don’t you know the difference between the oriental tobacco and the others? This is one of the best and you can begin to learn the pleasant oriental taste, an exquisite taste. No other words. Excellent work McClelland! In my personal rating system (from 1 to 10) my score is 10 (the maximum) and four stars.

Disclosure: I only smoke bent pipes outdoors (yes, the wife objects to indoor smoking) and cannot speak to "room note" as such but the aroma from the burning tobacco hitting my nostrils is what I enjoy the most about pipe smoking.

I love this blend because it is sophisticated and complex without any latakia. (Don't get me wrong, I do like latakia as long as it does not render a blend too smokey.) But oftentimes I am in the mood for something oriental without any trace of latakia and Drama Reserve is one of the two Grand Orientals blends (the other one is Smyrna) that I reach for in those instances. I find Drama Reserve to be strong enough to satisfy me and reserved enough to smoke frequently, and even during hot weather, without getting a nicotine buzz. At times I have even detected a certain refreshing dimension in it. This is definitely one of my favorites and I highly recommended.

Smokes well, great taste. Perfect as a once in a while change of pace. The ketchup smelling preservative persists even after six months, that is the only minus. Subtle and delicate flavor, better smoked on a sunny day. This should hit the spot for people who prefer Oriental tobacco blends.

Virginia lover

McClelland belts one out of the park. It's pretty, it smells good in the tin, it burns in a most civilized way, and it makes great smoke. Unprompted, I would not have used "olive oil" to describe this; having read that on the label, I noted a slight catch in my throat while snuffling the tin, not too dissimilar to what you get when you take a spoonful of extra virgin oil. Smoking Drama Reserve quite slowly, I observed some progression in the three-way balance--sweet, spicy and bitter--from top to bottom of the bowl. I felt more spice early and more bitterness late, with sweetness throughout. A fine experience, and I hope they made some more.

Typical McClelland VA tin note. I have become a huge Oriental fan. When I first started smoking a pipe, Oriental blends seemed devoid of any flavor. As I matured as a pipe smoker I started to appreciate Oriental forward English blends and then Oriental blends sans Latakia. This is among the greats. I am not sure if I am glad or annoyed that I saw olive oil used as a descriptor for the flavor of this blend prior to smoking it. I am fairly certain I wouldn't have made that connection on my own, but whoever made that observation was spot on and I taste it in the smoke and in the finish. I have never used this descriptor before but this blend, for me, compares to a dry wine. What I mean is that that characteristic that makes a wine dry (think Sauvingnon Blanc or Chianti) is what I get in this blend, almost tannic. The VA is the base and it is a typical rich McClelland VA: bready with a subtle sweetness. The Oriental's in this blend give it a buttery, woody, nutty, and of course olive oil like flavor. I have played around with pipe rotation on this one and found, strangely enough for me, that this smokes best in a smaller briar (group 3) although is quite good in a cob and a meer, which I normally prefer lighter blends...but my Dunhill Chestnut group 3 Zulu made this baby sing.

I am a big fan of McClelland's Grand Oriental line and the Drama Reserve might just be my top dog. To be sure, all blends in the line are keepers. What sets Drama apart for me is the slightly sour sweetness and depth of flavour. It packs and burns with ease, especially after some light airing. The smoke is rich and leaves a wonderful room note. Like all Grand Orientals, it is a wonderful smoke in warmer weather, though performs just as well in the cold.