McClelland Drama Reserve

The tin aroma is true McClelland Virginia, but the ketchup is now sweet & sour sauce. The Oriental, led by the Drama, provides the tangy notes on top of the sweet Virginia, as well as that additional odd sweetness Drama and some other Turkish leaves have. It also adds spice and oily herb-like aromas, floral whispers, thin sour citrus-ish odors, faint hints of clove, ocean air, Worcestershire sauce, dark chocolate, malt, and curing hay. Just the tin aroma is frickin' amazing.

Ribbon cut - easy packing, even burn, careful not to let it get too hot.

Cool and easy. Virginia sweetness, another interesting blend of Oriental leaf. Common in many blends, Drama spotlighted like this, is a cool experience. This series is a great idea. This is my second “Grand Orientals” blend. (My first was the Samsun, my favorite so far.)

Very easy smoking' stuff. Complex in the Orientals, simple sweet Virginia background. I did catch the whole olive oil taste, and less of the salty sea air notes I get from most Oriental-heavy blends. The room note is a little too cigarette-like for me.

Very interesting and appealing. You can imagine yourself on some Mediterranean dock, your clay pipe filled with this stuff, waiting to set sail for adventure across the dark blue waters. (I think that was a Popeye cartoon!)

A deliciously delicate blend with subtle characteristics that showcase the fine Drama leaf. This is a satisfying blend and should be savored to let the intricacies wash over your palate. Don't try to smoke it too quickly or you'll miss a lot of what it has to offer. The Drama adds a slightly oily sort of richness to the blend that's hard to describe but is very satisfying and unique, especially when combined with the beautifully supporting virginias found here. Top notch!

This is my first tobacco review... When I first purchased this blend, I made the mistake of smoking it in several pipes in which I had prior smoked VAPERS and Latakia mixes of all kinds... I know... dumb. It is therefore easy to see why I did not understand all the fine praise this blend had engendered. One third of the way down the tin, I read the review by "bent-1", who suggested using a "meerschaum or neutral smoking Italian briar pipe". Wow! What a difference. Bent-1 was absolutely correct! I dedicated a clean meerschaum to this blend and now I see why this is a 4 star blend. I will admit having difficulty describing the flavour of tobacco, but I know what I like, and this blend is indeed fabulous. Hard to describe but all these apply: subtle, sweet, and exotic. Burns well right down to the bottom... no bite whatsoever. I bought several tins based on the reviews and am very glad I did.

Many people dont like using the "fourth star". I think they believe that a four star rating is for that special occasion extraordinary smoke. Maybe. I think a four star rating can be given to an extraordinary tobacco one can enjoy anytime-anyplace, as well as on special occasions. One that is consistantly perfect in flavor and burn. Drama reserve is one of those extraordinary blends. There are so many good products out there these days for nuts like us but its still hard to believe that some are well. Perfect.

Upon opening the tin the sweet, natural aroma of the Drama and the honey sweetness of the Virginia are compelling. The stuff is cured perfectly and burns cool and even everytime. The flavor is wonderful and room not too strong so even non-smokers enjoy it, (as much as when I smoke "Town Topic"). Bottom line, I love this stuff!

Not to be a trouble maker but it could deserve a 4+!

Lochinvar nailed it for me. I'll add this to Lochinvar's description: The blend has a smooth, silky creamy texture/taste, does quite well in a meerschaum or neutral smoking Italian briar pipe. As most blends, a nice open drafted pipe, & slow sips yield a melange of flavors.

**Update7/15/2018: Still throughly enjoy this blend, above description fits the bill. McClellands warned it was a limited stock when the blend was introduced, glad I stocked up.

Open the tin and you are greeted with a wonderful aroma of some of McClelland's finest. Fresh out of the tin (@ 5+ years) it packs well, lights easily, and never disappoints through the bowl. Wonderful flavor, which is well-profiled in the other reviews. Pleasant spicy tingle upon retrohale. The proportions of Orientals and Virginia in this blend allow both to shine in harmony. A 4+ for me!

One of the best tobaccos I've ever had the pleasure to smoke. The tin smell is to die for, almost chocolatey, and the taste is a wonderful marriage between the superb virginia and the spicy orientals, very creamy. Every time I finish a bowl, I'd just want more... Fantastic!

This is, quite frankly, one of the best tobaccos I've ever smoked. I love oriental tobaccos, especially Turkish, Balkan leaf. Drama Reserve is light and very tasty. Many comment on the olive oil taste—I would say olive oil aftertaste, myself. The tobacco does have a slight tang to it, yet, at the same time it's a smooth smoke. I couldn't really differentiate the virginias from the drama leaf (then, when I reviewed this blend; now, as of 8/11/15, I can). This might be because the tobacco is so wonderfully balanced. It was the only tin of tobacco I completed during my entire smoking season, that's how much I liked it. So, this 'baccy has everything I look for in a smoke—smoothness, mildness, taste and low nicotine. I'll be keeping a tin or two of this around for awhile. I wonder if the other Grand Orientals are as good as this one? I'll be finding out next year, I've got a tin of Katerini and Smyrna on tap next.

Cheers!

Great tobacco really does taste like fine olive oil