McClelland 3 Oaks Syrian

Very, very nice blend.

I can't say anything that hasn't been said.

Very even and tasty. Oh smokey Latakia, how do I love thee, let me count the ways...

I am trying out too many Latakia based blends right now to get into subtlety. I will leave that to the others.

It was a cool Summer's night, right after a job well done. The train was rattling as it galloped out of town. I stood outside, and smoked a hearty bowl full of Three Oaks Syrian. I was a man who was satisfied.

3.5 out of four stars.

If you are a Latakia fan, you owe it to yourself to give this one a try.

I recently finished my first tin of Three Oaks. My regular smoke of choice is Frog Morton On The Bayou and Three Oaks was a real treat.

I agree with Mr. Fallon's assessment, it's a "bell ringer" and has earned a permanent place in rotation next to FMOTB.

The question now, is how much can I cellar without raising the ire of the Mrs?

I am still somewhat of young, partially seasoned pipe smoker, but it is now officially a passion of mine, especially after smoking this amazing treat! Now, I am a fan of both Cyprian and Syrian latakia(Three Oaks Original is also excellent.) But the Syrian latakia is what makes this blend special. A nice creamy sweet smoke that never burns hot. I think this blend will age very well, I have five tins to cellar and 1 to smoke...It's gonna take some self control but I'm sure it will be well worth the wait. I have tried several other blends that use Syrian latakia and honestly none of them compare to this golden blend. Essential.

After reading all the positive reviews about 3 Oaks Syrian I had to give it a try. I enjoy latakia blends very much and this is my first experience with Syrian Latakia. Upon opening the tin the note was not as smoky as I expected. It had more of an oriental aroma to it. It was also not as moist as I expected, but none the less I packed the pipe and lit her up! Nice stuff!!! The latakia is smooth and really develops and complements the Orientals quite nicely while the Virginians keep a nice steady tangy sweetness throughout the bowl. I experienced not bite at all and it smoked down to a nice white ash. Toward the end I had to relight a few times, but the flavor was very consistent from beginning to end. I Highly recommend this tobacco. In my opinion, Cyprian latakia is a bit less refined and rough around the edges that its Syrian counterpart. But, I enjoy them both!

SWEET SYRIAN LATAKIA! UMM, UMM GOOD!!! I've been dying to try some Syrian latakia and I'm glad I did. I've smoked it with Savinelli, Dunhill, Peterson, meerschaum, outside, inside, you name it: the one outstanding characteristic I really love is having that sweet taste of that Syrian Latakia bursting on my tongue and lips. This is WONDERFUL. Great taste from start to finish with super mild quality. I was really surprised at the subtle interplay of the latakia and I loved it retained its mild quality from start to finish. All I can say is I'm glad I bought two, but it's not enough. Hat's off to McClelland on this one. All I can say, is "WOW!"

I have to agree with pipestud (mostly because I first tried Royal Yacht because of his review) and others that this is a great blend that seems to change characters.

It does have Latakia present more than a "touch" but, for the most part I find it a tasty oriental blend with Latakia acting as a true condiment supporting the orientals leading role.

I am a VA lover first but do enjoy an English/Balkan sometimes, but have smoked this every night since opening the tin.

I plan to always have it on-hand and since I am enjoying it so much will probably judge other similar blends agains 3 Oaks Syrian.

Thanks again Pipestud for the Royal Yacht review- that's tasty stuff!

I've now tried several bowls of this and the Three Oaks Original, in different pipes, including a simultaneous "parallel tasting." This blend is for Oriental lovers for sure. The Latakia takes last place, consistently overpowered by the Orientals, so if you're looking for a big, smoky, campfire-like LAT blast, this will disappoint.

If, on the other hand, you prefer an Oriental-forward, spicy, mellow blend with mild Latakia lurking in the background providing some warmth and very mild smokiness, then you'll really like it. The Orientals stay very noticeable throughout the smoke, the overall flavor stays relatively consistent, and the aftertaste, like a good wine, provides for a long spicy finish on the tongue that lasts for quite some time.

The moisture from the tin is perfect. After a couple false lights it stayed lit with no maintenance. I found that I had to pack this a bit tighter than many blends in order to keep it burning and to keep the flavor concentrated enough to enjoy. Orientals tend to really "spice up" my sinuses and the back of my throat, similar to the feeling I get from Perique, and this effect is more pronounced in the Syrian than in the Original. This blend burns cool and never even gets close to heating the briar to an uncomfortable level.

Because I am a fan of big, smoky LAT blends, I prefer Three Oaks Original to the Syrian version, but both are excellent. This earns three stars for me only because it seems less well-balanced right now than the Original. I am fairly confident that with age it will mellow out and earn its fourth star, but only time will tell. I'm going to jar it for a few months, hoping that the Orientals will settle down a bit and the Syrian Latakia will become more noticeable.

If you are a fan of oriental-forward blends you must try Three Oaks Syrian.

Another review of a defunct tobacco. I am not sure what that says about me other than I was lucky enough to stock up on the things that I like to age and just to have on hand. There is a fairly robust secondary market and if you are thinking about purchasing one of these blends no longer in production I hope that this will help. I am reviewing an 8 year old tin right now. I have smoked this fresh and this is the one with the most age on it that I own at this particular time. Before I hit the tin note I’d like to take a moment to mourn the loss of Syrian Latakia. Like may Oriental tobacco’s we have lost many of them to evolution, lack of demand and corporate economics. Many of the tastes of the past are lost forever and this one may be the one I will miss the most. Syrian Latakia has a more subtle and aroma and different flavor profile. Cypriot Latakia is a wonderful tobacco and I am glad that demand for this fragrant and flavor blending component gave rise to another flavor for the pipe. The tin note may be the most harmonious I have ever stuck my proboscis into. All of the components marry together so well that you have to really try to tease out one leaf aroma from the others. Sweet, caramel, slightly Smokey and with hints of a dry red wine, like a Chianti combine with the Virginia’s which do NOT have the typical McClelland ketchup note. It is strange, I have picked this out blind as a McClelland tobacco 4 out of 5 times (thank you wifey) but it isn’t the trademark McClelland Virginia fragrance. This is a very complex blend. The bowl starts slightly sweet with a malted milk ball kind of sweetness that I find as the defining characteristic of a Balkan blend. There are hints of dry woodiness similar to how oak ads flavor to scotch. There is some earthiness from the Red Virginia along with molasses and some mottled hay. The Turkish/Orientals may be contributing to the woodiness but it also ads some subtle light spice (white pepper, and baking spice). The Latakia is what provides the backbone to this blend. Campfire and Port Wine and/or Sherry are present throughout the bowl. When you hit the 2/3 mark you get more smokiness and earthiness. I do get some nuttiness, similar to unsalted raw cashews, at about the halfway point . This is one of the finest blends ever produced in my opinion. The only thing similar to this thatI have tried and have cellared are Bohemian Scandal from GL Pease, Wilderness and Frog Morton Across the Pond from McClelland. If you are a Balkan fan I would highly recommend this blend and would even pay aftermarket prices if you are a serious pipe smoker just so you can get an idea of what these older blends offered earlier generations of pipe smokers. As much as I have lamented the loss of some of the older blends, there are so many great blends and blenders around today we shouldn’t wallow in what is lost, but rather celebrate what we have.

This is zesty, forward, alive, dynamic, zippy, full, savory, almost sharp. Showcases the Syrian admirably. My taste memory may be failing me here, but Wilderness, it seems to me, has just a little something that this doesn't, though I don't know what that is.