McClelland A.M. Pipe

Being as I am still quite the heavy cigarette smoker,this one is going to be a little hard for me to judge. I will throw in my two cents anyhow, as I'm sure I am not the only pipe smoker who still wastes his/her money/health on cigarettes.

First off, I haven't the pleasure of smoking Dunhill's EMP, so I'm just judging this blend on it's own. Secondly, I usually have a cigarette or two (shamefully) by the time I get moving and reach for my pipe. A habit I'm trying to break.

AMP is a quality smoke, with a nice room note that isn't offensive as Englishes go. I think a little more strength wouldn't kill me, yet I understand the point of the blend is to be "light". The smoke is nice enough, if not a little bland.

I will experiment with this tobacco throughout the day as a mild English until I drop the morning cigarette habit and try it for what it was blended for. It is worth a try (as all McClelland blends are, IMO) but I am not sure if I will include AMP into my rotation, as of yet.

I'm a firm believer that taste is subjective. I wanted to compare this with Dunhill's EMP to see which one is better. I was told to try this as a prelude to the EMP. I was able to get a hold of a couple of ounces as a "test" sample from a local smoke shop here in Villa Park. The sample was a little dry for my taste (although I was told by others it was just right). However, it burned and smoked well. I can only speculate that with the proper condition, it would have been an even better smoke.

The flavor was very mild and left a somewhat bland English taste. I guess this would make it a good "first pipe" of the day. At the risk of sounding bias, being a full-bodied cigar smoker, I tend to crave for a stronger smoke when it comes to my pipe tobacco.

After opening a "new" tin of EMP recently obtained from Iwan Ries, I compared one over the other; it is safe to say that AMP is not equal to EMP. It was like comparing apples to oranges. We've all heard of the saying that goes, "copied but never equaled" (or something to that effect). Well, this was the case - only Dunhill can be a Dunhill.

Which is better? Let me put it this way, they're both similar AND different at the same time. They both use the same tobacco, with the exception of Latakia in AMP. The EMP has a richer darker tobacco color than the AMP. But then, it may have been due to the fact that the AMP was a little bit drier. I also found that the EMP has a richer flavor than the AMP.

AMP on its own is not really a bad tobacco. A little too mild on the palate but overall will make a good everyday smoke. I am giving this the benefit of a doubt and give it 2 out of 4 stars (for now).

McClelland - A.M. Pipe.

It's quite a well rubbed ribbon but sadly includes a few twigs. The moisture's good from the fresh pouch.

The Latakia gives a heady flavour but I don't find it eradicates the other leaves, unlike a Lat-Bomb. The Orientals are about equal to it in weight, giving a buttery, woody, taste. The Virginias lend a fruity sweetness, but are a few rows back in comparison to the Latakia and Orientals. The initial part of a bowl scores four, but this rating decreases as it's smoked and an acerbic quality establishes itself and reduces the recommendation. Mechanically it behaves well, needing hardly any relights or tamps.

Nicotine: mild to medium. Room-note: pleasant.

A.M. Pipe? Would be wonderful if it weren't for the sour top-note. Somewhat recommended:

Two stars.

I will confess that I am a HUGE EMP fan, so my review of this blend may be a bit biased. I think on its own merits AMP is a good blend, however it is not EMP! The cut is wrong and its moisture content is a bit high. It does not have the same earthy quality and certainly has double the Latakia. The blend seems to have a bit less strength as well. I will probably cellar a pound or so of this blend to see if it gets better with age, however at this time I see no reason to add it to my rotation.

On its own merits, this blend is...OK. Nothing special. But as a replacement for EMP, it falls well short. The dominant characteristic for me has been sweetness in the 3 or 4 bowls I've tried, and that's not at all what I'm looking for in a morning smoke. It makes the mouthfeel heavier, and less inviting at that time of day. EMP has a light earthy-nutty character that is either missing altogether, or masked by the sweetness here.