McClelland 3 Oaks Syrian

Simply stated, I love this blend. When I moved from cigars to pipes in 2001, my first enjoyable english blend was Ashton Celebrated Sovereign - and it had Syrian latakia. Upon further research , my holy grail tobacco became Pease Rennaisance, which was already becoming hard to find. I cellared as much as I could reasonably afford.

I've been on a Syrian latakia quest ever since. Many of the blends have been good, but the McClelland's offerings have had so little of the Syrian, that I've been dissapointed. Until I got to try 3 Oaks Syrian.

The best thing about this balanced blend was that is had enough of the fabled Syrian that I could really enjoy it. Since its release by McClelland, I've stocked up sufficiently.

This is a very well-balanced blend. It is classic English, with the use of great quality Syrian. When first smoked it, I realized that is was the very same Syrian used in Pease's Rennaissance. It was obvious. The orientals and virginias are classic English quantities. Just wonderful.

I will say that the blend has a slight harsh quality to it upon first light that mellows thoughout the bowl. I believe that is will subside with age. I've cellared enough to see if I am right.

That said, I get bored smoking the same blend all the time. I need a change of pace now and again. Upon the recent release of several new Syrian blends by McClellands, I sought that occassional compliment to 3OS. The test blends were Samovar, Ringlow Syrian Reserve, Celebrated Sovereign, and Wilderness. I liked them all, but have determined that my change-of-pace blend will be Samavor. I took them all to my pipe club meeting, and the majority preferred Wilderness.

Now I am comfortable that I can smoke the rest of my Rennaissance, while my 3OS ages. Then, I will still be content with great quality Syrian latakia blends, as I age as well.

Fantastic smoke. Rich creamy smokiness with a background of light sweetness that immediately led to me lean back, close my eyes and savour the moment. It is a rare moment that my type A personality can be convinced to kick back and relax. Each bowl of the first tin of this blend did just that. With each bowl for an hour I was removed from the stress and quit thinking about how to solve my next problem. Instead I relaxed and enjoyed the moment. I have already cellared several tins. If you like Latakia, then you need to try this one.

A fantastic blend. An incredibly high standard of quality tobacco that is not bitter, biting, harsh, or anything but flavorful and smooth, with tons of rich, mellow, dense smoke. Lights and burns easily, especially with a little drying time in advance. If you like Syrian Latakia, the dominant but not overwhelming star here, then this is a delicious blend artfully punctuated with the stuff, and a fine treat for you. Tasty, refined, satisfying, and enjoyable all-around. A perfect balance of Syrian lat, sugary virginias, and spicy orientals, all of which are constantly present. If you don't know if you will like a medium latakia blend, give this blend a whirl. Unlike the numerous harsh, bitter, biting, overpowering and not-well-blended mixes I've smoked extensively and now ended my troubled relationships with, this one won't bludgeon and blunt your taste buds or leave you regretting the encounter, Latakia lover or not. Well done! Three and a half stars.

Update: I'm bumping my rating of this tobacco to four stars. I've recently run the gamut of English and Balkan blends from mild to medium to strong...more Pease, Mac Baren, McClelland's and other tobacco brands and blends in these categories than I have the inclination, time, or opportunity to write a coherent review for, but suffice it to say that this blend stands out for me as an excellent light-to-medium English that has worked its way solidly into my rotation despite some pretty stiff competition. The Syrian latakia couples harmoniously with McClelland's trademark tangy-sweet virginias like peanut butter takes to chocolate, and the perfect compliment of fragrant orientals raises the bar yet higher. The Syrian latakia in this mixture, while only modestly present in the blend by ratio, is nonetheless remarkably and blatantly bright, pronounced, clean, smooth, and tasty in almost every hit...more refined than its Cyprian counterpart which can lend almost too much of a two-dimensional, excessive damp-burning mossy-campfire-log quality to some blends. Perhaps because it is not a lat-bomb, but the Syrian latakia is so tasty here, I sometimes find myself deliberately, selfishly banging away repetitively and too aggressively at Three Oaks Syrian in the bowl like a runaway coal steamer, yet it never gets harsh or ugly in any respect. A lobotomized chimpanzee couldn't raise a bad smoke out of this outstanding, flavorful mild-to-medium lat/virginia/oriental mixture. Best smoked slowly and savored for its noteworthy balance. Now do as I say, not as I do! Highest recommendation, just try to compose yourself whilst lit.

A word of caution to Syrian latakia fans who also enjoy orientals and are not hindered by a dearth of common sense...go get yourself some of this or you won't have any of it...

Update 3/17/2012 - Nearly three full years later, 3 Oaks Syrian remains high and strong in my rotation as a favorite. Medium-mild, sweet, rich and even fragrant. One of the few blends I stockpile, as I intend to have this available to me for a long time to come...

Update 4/4/2013 - If you love the Syrian lat in this fantastic blend, do yourself a favor and also try Samovar and Wilderness. These are all excellent medium-weight desert island blends for the Syrian lat lover, and they've all found a sizeable nook in my cellar.

I had a 2009 tin that was opened for a month. I dried some out on a napkin for 3 hours. Still seemed a bit moist. Took 4 matches and still left some unburned tobacco at the bottom. Also noticed a bit of goo when cleaning the bowl afterward. Is this cased ? Was some PG used ?

Apart from that, this is the best of the latakia blends I've tried. You can actually taste the virginia's. The latakia is not as forceful as cyprian. Nicely balanced. The room note won't scare away the dog either.

I had to work at this one a bit to really appreciate it, but I am glad that I did so. My first impression after smoking this blend was that it was light on taste, in fact, my first smoke was almost like puffing cool air. Only the sight of the smoke leaving my mouth would have told me my pipe was lit. But dauntless I tried some different packing variations and pipe combos. Now I get it, its there now. Its smooth and silky and smokes very well. It is truly a fine offering. It is like a well aged and mellowed single malt. I would say that if you were buying this as a single malt, this would be a bottle that would cost you $80 or so to get such refinement. I am a big fan of this one, if you start a day with some Pease Chelsea Morning, you would do well to close it out at night with Three Oaks Syrian, that sums my thoughts up well.

Absolutely delicious and very well blended.

In my experience, a Syrian Latakia is generally lighter and sweeter than a Cypriot one, so it is unsurprising that this blend is on the milder side of the English spectrum. Never before, however, have I encountered a Syrian that lived up to the hype. I've tried Rose of Latakia, Syrian Super Balkan, and so on; cursed my luck that I took up pipes after the demise of Raven's Wing and Bohemian Scandal; and generally felt that I was missing out. No longer.

Three Oaks Syrian is a pitch-perfect combination of McClelland's big, heavy British Woods (English) with its light, succulent Bombay Court (Oriental). But even that characterization doesn't do it justice. The Syrian--and maybe a bit of casing-- gives it a sweet, slightly musty smokiness that other reviewers have tried to describe. I have encountered this flavor previously in British Woods and in Pease's Maltese Falcon; in this case, however, it is less forceful yet, if anything, more enjoyable. While the Latakia is dominant from the top of the bowl to the bottom, there is just enough, but not too much, Oriental swirling around in the background and producing big, soft clouds to make for a perfectly balanced smoke. Not a symphony but a concerto, let's say.

Easily the best light English I have ever tasted. I can only imagine what it will be like in a few years.

Sinister Topiary's previous review perfectly describes this blend. I am a Latakia blend smoker and the Syrian in this blend is comparable with Pease Bohemian Scandal, this is a real find. Highly recommended!

I just finished my first tin and I was blown away by this blend. Its just about as perfect a latakia blend as I have ever smoked. If you like Artisans Blend you will fall in love with this stuff. Its not quite as smokey and harsh as artisans blend but the taste and complexity are all there. I will be ordering much more.

Very nice, i love syrian latakia but not cyprian so much,so this along with Artisans blend i find to be great.Sweet and very tasty without latakia overload,highly recommended.Matt