McClelland 3 Oaks Syrian
(3.55)
Rare Syrian latakia, with its renowned mellow smokiness, is balanced with naturally sweet Orientals and aged Virginia leaf to create a satisfying blend reminiscent of classic Syrian latakia blends of old. Formulated by Tad Gage to reflect the character of original Three Oaks Pipe Tobacco, it tantalizes with intriguing differences.
Notes: Introduced in 2009.
Details
| Brand | McClelland |
| Series | Collector Series |
| Blended By | Tad Gage |
| Manufactured By | McClelland Tobacco Company |
| Blend Type | Balkan |
| Contents | Latakia, Oriental/Turkish, Virginia |
| Flavoring | |
| Cut | Ribbon |
| Packaging | 50 grams tin |
| Country | United States |
| Production | No longer in production |
Profile
Strength
Mild to Medium
Extremely Mild -> Overwhelming
Flavoring
None Detected
None Detected -> Extra Strong
Room Note
Pleasant to Tolerable
Unnoticeable -> Overwhelming
Taste
Medium
Extremely Mild (Flat) -> Overwhelming
Average Rating
|
3.55 / 4
|
Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 Reviews
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 18, 2014 | Extremely Mild | Very Mild | Mild | Pleasant to Tolerable |
Well I have to say that my take is different from most reviews here. Taste is subjective so I guess it will happen from time to time. It is very smooth and rich with smokey Latakia that seems like it was indeed smoked wit oak rather then pine and the bitter slightly floral sweetness of the Orientals. The VA's also add to the sweetness and since the tin has been in my cellar for over 3 yrs it must be a little sweeter then when it was young. There also seems to be a very very small amount of bright leaf that gives only the faintest hint of spice. However, this is really where the high notes end. The tobacco is saturated with PG solution or some other humectant that keeps it way too moist. I can let it sit out for hours and still have several relights. There is to me a topping added too. I do get a faint taste of anise on the retrohale at about the end of the first 1/3 of the bowl and it never goes away from that point on. Finally, it does bite a little even with the age on it. Now, I do have to say that some of McCllland's blends do this to me so I came into it knowing it was a possiblity so if you seem to have this problem with them too be aware that despite the mild smoke it may bite. I would still somewhat recommend this blend espeically if someone was looking to try Syrian Lat. for the first time it is a good representive of what Syrian is compared to its Cyprus counter part. For me There is no need to revist this blend as it does taste similar to many McClelland Lat. blends with the change of lat being taken into consideration but I think there are much better Syrian blends out there.
PurchasedFrom:
smokingpipes.com
Age When Smoked:
40 months
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Jul 28, 2014 | Mild | None Detected | Full | Tolerable |
Every piper sooner or later meets a blend that despite promising ingredients just never finds a suitable pipe or technique. I hope, for blending purposes, the problem lies with the ingredient ratios, my chief complaint with Abingdon. Two tins had the same result: yuck. I just didn't like the taste.
I still recommend trying it, just don't lay in several tins until you do.
I still recommend trying it, just don't lay in several tins until you do.
Age When Smoked:
1 year in tin, 0-2 years open
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Oct 31, 2012 | Mild to Medium | None Detected | Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
Fresh off my second bowl of this. The first one I remember was unremarkable. I gave it a pretty tight pack and it burnt ok. A few relights. It doesn't seem overly moist as some people have said, but maybe just my tin. The smoke starts pretty solid and simple, smooth and smoky latakia up front. That seems to fade away and in the middle of the bowl, when i am wanting a body and character to build it seems lacking. I find myself tasting ashiness with a musty background, like an old basement. Especially on the relights, it reminded me of re-lighting a cigarette that had been sitting. Towards the end there was a small reward of flavor, when I distinctly tasted black licorice and some deep red wine. The flavors were too subtle for me, and I found myself pulling hard to extract them, which led to not quite tongue bite but a dryness, which along with the ashiness left my mouth feeling like an ashtray. Rating: less enjoyable. Worth another shot, has some promise, maybe in a different pipe.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Jun 11, 2011 | Mild to Medium | Mild | Mild to Medium | Tolerable |
Appearance is a dark brown broken flake or very rough large ribbon. Tin smells of dried fruits and dusty room. Tastes very lightly sweet, ashy, not very smoky for a latakia blend.
I do not see this as an English nor a Balkan. Smells a bit like dried fruit; in fact, it smells like American chewing tobacco. I haven't any idea how to categorise this, but to say it feels waxy and tastes ashy. There's no strength here either. How does this rate a high recommendation? Drying this well improves flavour and reduces bite, but there are certainly better mixtures on the market.
I do not see this as an English nor a Balkan. Smells a bit like dried fruit; in fact, it smells like American chewing tobacco. I haven't any idea how to categorise this, but to say it feels waxy and tastes ashy. There's no strength here either. How does this rate a high recommendation? Drying this well improves flavour and reduces bite, but there are certainly better mixtures on the market.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Oct 29, 2017 | Mild | None Detected | Mild | Pleasant to Tolerable |
My tin is from 2013. Was purchased at Uptowns smoke shop in Nashville in 2015 (great place to visit if you are in Nashville). I smoked a couple of bowls afterwards but honestly it was boring. Im smoking a bowl of it now as im typing this. Back then the flavors where very mild and had no complexity. Also it gave me a little tongue bite but that was from over doing it to get flavor out of it. As of today, it is still very mild and not complex and its not giving me tongue bite because i know what to expect now. Its just a mild english with Syrian Latakia. I have found im not a fan of Syrian as i am of Cyprian. Mostly because of the age Syrian has. It is too light for my tastes. Still good but light. Its not a bad blend but, im not going to miss it.
Age When Smoked:
4 years
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 02, 2017 | Mild | Very Mild | Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
McClelland - Three Oaks Syrian
Several years ago, this was my first experience with syrian latakia, at a time when syrian latakia blends seemed hard to find but yet this one was plentiful.
As I found it, this blend was rich and flavorful, but not as powerful as I wished it were, and also very mildly flavored with something (liquoricey tasting) that, although wasn't totally at odds with the rest of the blend, just wasn't really my taste, and left me feeling irritated that the tin descriptive made no explicit mention of this "surprising ingredient you might not expect", although I now realize the phrase "classic Syrian Latakia blends of old" should've been my hint. To me this blend improved as it dried out some in the tin over the course of several months, and the bottom of the tin made a great mixer with some D&R Rimboche SJ.
Several years ago, this was my first experience with syrian latakia, at a time when syrian latakia blends seemed hard to find but yet this one was plentiful.
As I found it, this blend was rich and flavorful, but not as powerful as I wished it were, and also very mildly flavored with something (liquoricey tasting) that, although wasn't totally at odds with the rest of the blend, just wasn't really my taste, and left me feeling irritated that the tin descriptive made no explicit mention of this "surprising ingredient you might not expect", although I now realize the phrase "classic Syrian Latakia blends of old" should've been my hint. To me this blend improved as it dried out some in the tin over the course of several months, and the bottom of the tin made a great mixer with some D&R Rimboche SJ.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Jul 27, 2012 | Mild to Medium | Mild to Medium | Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
Good blend, but sweet oriantals are dominant and cant get the real Latakia pleasure. Hard to light even I opened the tin to decrease the humidiy level of tobacco. Often deflates. Not for me.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Oct 10, 2009 | Mild | None Detected | Very Mild | Pleasant |
Three Oaks Syrian is well worth a try if you like lighter blends. My experence is that it burns a lot better with a little less moisture than straight from the tin. I dry it until when pinched together hard it doesn't want to stick together (and good luck with that). That all said, I do not feel it is near as strong in the Lat. taste dept. as Artisans Blend. It is a good, smooth smoke, but the Lat. is not really up front. There is a smokeyness there for sure, just not leaping out, think light and mild. Flavor did increase as the bowl approached the 3/4 done mark, but not a lot. I did find that I enjoyed it more in a larger gauge bowl. Leaf quality is good, no harshness as associated with some of the "younger" blends. I've not tried the "original" blend as yet - but will soon. I have high hopes for it. How it ages - have to ask the Nobel folks - ha. If you want a Lat. blast look else where. For me, I need a little more flavor. I enjoy Syrian but there needs to be enough of it to count.
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