McClelland 3 Oaks Syrian

This is quite delicious. The local tobacconist was out of Old Gowrie, so I asked for his recommendation on something that had Latakia in it. I am not dissapointed and will now make this part of my rotation. Upon opening the tin, there is a real almost BBQ smoke smell coming from the leaf. It doesn't smell at all like it tastes. It is a sweet...sweet smoke from start to finish.

I am a younger pipe smoker (33) and used to smoke cigars. This was smoked in a root briar Dunhill and burns consistently and tasty to the end.

This is how I describe about this blend ; awesome, remarkable, great, and satisfying. I smoke this blend almost at all my pipe, from straight pipe to a full bent pipe and the results are same, satisfy. Honestly, in my personal opinion, this is one of the best English blend that I ever had smoke. I very enjoy my smoking time with this blend.

I don't found any strong kick during I smoke this. It is quite mellow, sweet, smokey, and very-very little bit spiciness but almost not detectable. Just a slow and smooth pleasure but the taste is not make me get bored or flat. The smoke is really great if you pack it correctly and there is almost not juicy at all, just a right moisture that made this blend burnt right, not wet nor hot.

My wife always complains me if I smoke this stuff, not because it's bad aroma, flavor, or the room notes, but because it's great smokes. The room notes is quite tolerable, if I said pleasant my wife sure will not complain about it but also not bad at all. She just hate me because it seems I burn the living room while I smoke with this stuff. Yeah I highly recommend this blend to others who want try a nice and great english blend, lot of my friend (fellow pipesmokers) also love this stuff.

When reading reviews you get a sense of what to expect. With this blend I was surprised how light it was. The latakia is in the background for sure, I taste the orientals, they take front and center. That's not a bad thing it's just I prefer a heavier smoke. I do like 3O but for a change of pace more than a regular go to blend. It does leave a great gray ash and was easily smoked to the bottom of the bowl.

UPDATE:9/23/11 As someone already said each bowl is different! So much so that I emptied the tin and mixed it up again to try and get a better consistency to the blend. It seems to have worked! The first smoke was in a Castello, the next two bowls in a Radice and Caminetto and I'm got a lot more latakia in those bowls. Not overpowering but much more flavor than the first bowl. Very nice:) Changed my rating to a 4 star based on the interesting flavor you get from this blend. It still burns to a perfect ash, I guess I need to wait on my ratings until I go through 3-4 bowls........I must be patient!

The scent coming out of the newly opened tin is soft and sublime. Latakia is subdued but delicious. Orientals lay heavy on the warm, sweet Virginia aroma. Complex and immensely enjoyable. Scents of creosote, sharp, tangy, sea salt, okra, raw sweet peppers, and aged hard cheeses. All imbedded in a the tasty aroma of a top-notch Oriental blend.

Coarse ribbons pack well. Lights and burns nicely.

In the mouth the smoke is soft but flavorful, creamy and smooth. Sweet Virginia sweetness and subdued smokiness and oily, leathery notes from the tasty Latakia. But the Orientals dominate here - they really shine, fresh and peppery sweet. On the mild side, but delivers an amazing smoke. If this blend had a little more OOMPH to it, it would be perfect. Still, this stuff is subtle, warm, and delicious. Goes in the favorites list.

4 stars.

This tobccos has great smell and taste. Let it sit for a while after you open it though, gets better after about 1 month.

What a great smoke! Wow! This is an English latakia blend at it's best! I was really surprised as my first experience with this blend came in a baggie in a trade and in the baggie, it was mostly light in color, a ribbon cut, with a few dark bits of leaf mingled in. I was expecting to be honest it to be a VaPer and thus loaded it into a Pete Bulldog and proceeded to light up. The pouch aroma did not have the traditional English aroma but more of a sweet peaty aroma. But upon first light up, my mouth was filled with the most fragrant, sweet, and smokey flavor of latakia that was surrounded by a great sweet VA and the exotic flavor of orientals! I liked it first off and by the time I finished the bowl, I loved it! I smoked the rest of the small baggie and proceeded to order a tin of this blend. I am going through it like crazy, it is wonderful to smoke with coffee in the morning or with a good wine or bourbon on the rocks before bed. It does take a few relights during the process of smoking the bowl, but some of that is my just slowly sipping the wonderful smoke and relaxing with it. It burns down to a medium grey ash with no dottle left in the pipe and leaves one with a fine aftertaste in the mouth. I never did get the scent of ketchup or vinegar common with McClelland blends. I highly recommend this blend to all pipers as it really is an experience more than just a smoke.

Absolutely lovely English mixture, wonderfuly balanced with a slight lean on Latakia. If this is really Syrian Latakia, it's certainly not the one I've tried long ago, and not the same that can be found in Ashton Artisan's Blend or Brebbia Balkan. I don't know, and I don't care. Syrian Latakia or not, this English mixture is definitely one of the bests I've every smoked.

The tin aroma is smoky, moisture level is almost dry and just how I like it, so all is well right off. The packing is easy and the tobacco lights right up. The first taste is nice but reserved. There is the latakia flavor with a smoky (that word again)quality that I often miss with many latakia blends. This quality is surely the Syrian at work. As the pipe is smoked down to mid bowl the flavor is building to a medium strength. Right down to the bottom it is smooth and never harsh. There is no burnt tongue or smoking fatigue . Once the bowl is finished it could easily be followed by another. This is one of the finest English blends around and I highly recommend it.

This is truly something special. I love this blender and they do syrian justice. In my opinion, this along with wilderness are the best in the syrian category, regardless of manufacturer. It's so well balanced it makes for an easy and enjoyable all day smoke. This is one of the few blends I consistently crave. Wilderness being another. Must try.