McClelland Drama Reserve

The sweetest and most refreshing oriental I've tried. A blend with Drama leaf included always makes for a fun smoke. This one is a keeper and the best in the grand oriental lineup!

A laid back, shaggy cut, sweet mild blend. Great as an all day smoke, no bite. Mellow, smooth and tasty.

After sompling several grand orientals I discovered this blend.. What a discovery! Sampled in several well smoked pipes which caused me to order a new No. 3 Shell which will be dedicated to this blend. Best sipped slowely like a fine cognac. It deserves not to be rushed. Treat it thus and you will not be disappointed. Will be one of my favourited as lomg as it is available. Kudos!

This stuff is unique. You're not gonna get anything that is exactly like it. And it's pleasant. The burn is relatively quick, and perhaps a bit hot, but not too bad. I definitely needs some drying. My first smoke out of the tin tasted like sweet and sour sauce, but drying fixed that. And the nicotene was a bit low for my tastes, but that was just a matter of getting used to it.

So what does it taste like? Sweet, but with a kind of smooth bitterness. Slightly earthy. Metalic. Tart. I know that sounds weird but I liked it. I'll be trying som #24 later in the year, which as you may know also has drama, but which (I think) features the virginia more.

If you like Drama get yourself some #24. I think you'll enjoy it in the Virginia. Drama has a wonderful sweetness that is like heaven to me. The aroma is like vanilla to my daughter(my official aroma tester)and a sweetness that is pleasant. It burns to a nice gray ash and dry smoke. This is my 1st Grand Oriental, so this is a good start I hope the other's are just as good as this! When dealing with McClelland I'm very rarely disappointed. Good job! IMHO it smokes best in a larger pipe. In a smaller pipe it really starts to purr and it's over, a group 4 or larger should do it.

This tobacco has a wonderful, delicate flavor. By smoking slowly and savoring, you can really pick-up the subtleties. Nice spiciness and wonderful flavor. A fantastic Oriental!

Another great tobacco from this series.

Besides the nice spicy, oriental taste it really has a particular taste which I liked a lot. If I would'nt read the tin information regarding olive oil fragrance, I wouldn't describe this gentle and delicious flavor. Yes it is olive oil indeed.

A must try and must have for all the oriental fans.

I bought this based on the reviews posted here and I'm so happy I did. Not quite as strong of a fermented "ketchup" smell upon opening the tin as from say, Christmas Cheer 2007 (which I also love), but it's still there. By this point, I don't know what/where this particular smell comes from, but I know to trust it, so I don't care! What a truly great blend!

Nothing bashing you over the head, no casing or topping to speak of, or at least none that I could detect. Olive oil? Couldn't find it, not that I would mind.

This tobacco tastes like pipe tobacco, not like cigarettes and thankfully not like a cigar - sorry, just my taste. Smooth, tasty, slightly nutty and natural with a well balanced sweetness on every puff. McClelland has nailed it again. If you absolutely cannot stand an aromatic but still want to smoke around people who don't smoke without offending them, give this a try.

Edit: 04/11/09 Just dropping in again on this one try echo my earlier sentiments. Ridiculous? Sure. I love this tobacco. Beautiful, subtle, natural, nutty and toasty with a enough development throughout the bowl to keep things interesting. Sip gently and enjoy.

Smoked some of this at the Chicago show before it hit the market. This was prior to the nicotine Nazis banning the enjoyment of our fragrant weed. I have tried it in 5 or 6 pipes and, while I prefer more oriental leaf, I can recommend this blend. I would suggest smoking this blend in different pipes to fully gauge the sweetness and complexity. I found it to smoke very evenly in the different pipes I tried, but they were clean and not stained black and only one was allegedly "oil cured". The bore ranged from 3.5mm-4mm. I usually smoke two bowls of this (sequentially) which could mean that I either crave more nicotine or really like the blend. If you regularly smoke Latakia in your blends, you may not fully appreciate this one, it actually has flavor, aroma, a complex sweetness and does not need the condiment of Latakia to deliver enjoyment or complexity. Not a main course but a desert smoke.