McClelland Legends

This is an orientals forward English mixture, with Latakia sparingly applied, beautifully supported by sweet Virginias. The stoved Va here works especially well and the sweet and sour balance between Va and Orientals is brilliant. The fragrance of this baccy is outstanding.

It burns beautifully to white ash, producing creamy clouds of smoke along the way. It is wonderfully cool and has, for me, a perfect moisture content straight out of the tin. The highest possible recommendation from me.

Smoking this blend is like travelling back in time.

If you like english blends it just does not get any better.

Definitively a must try. You will not be disappointed.

After opening the tin let it rest one night without the cap on top. I do so because the tobacco needs air to build taste. Concerning the amount of humidity this blend is just perfect.

All in all, Legends is a solid English, but nothing too different from various other McClelland light Englishes. I had this in a run of what I thought to be McClelland standouts (Samovar, Wilderness, Scottish Woods), and thought it was "too middle." There were good Orientals, but it did not really stand up and scream oriental, the Latakia was there but no bomb, and it was kinda deepish. Good quality leaf, a good light all day, but forgettable.

Legends is without any discussion the most fine-tuned, harmonious, and delicious mixture I've ever had!

I bought a tin of Legends together with a tin of Westminster and Three Oaks. The two latter - which I will review in the near future - pale in comparison with this masterpiece.

I was very pleased to discover that no bright VA has been used here. Dark stoved VA together with reds promised creaminess and of course: my sweet beloved Mrs. Nicotine.

The Latakia used is top shelf and Mahalla and Drama ditto. There is nothing, and I mean nothing that could be done better proportion-wise!

Legends does not bite. Legends does not turn acrid at the end. Legends does not smoke wet. Legends burn even and slow.

Plumes of thick, creamy, caramel-like, sweet, spicy wellness! Indeed I'm raving I know, but I just can't help it. There are so many English and Balkans out there which are great, but this one just beats them all...

***** Jakob Kiilerich, Denmark *****

Legends has been well described below, and DK's review is spot on! Surprisingly light to be so full flavored and complex, there is a lot going on here, but it is never too much. This mixture is all about balance and, perhaps, restraint. The smoke is at once rich and tantalizing. Despite its depth it prickles the tongue pleasantly without biting, like the acidity in some white wines, which is one of the qualities that set this tobacco apart from others and make it a lively and invigorating smoke. Never cloying or over the top, it can be enjoyed as a part of your daily routine, yet it is at its best when savored slowly. Then, in quiet moments, it will unfold layer after fascinating layer of fine flavors and reward every bit of attention you give to it.

Legends is topnotch! Don't miss this one! Highly recommended.

I don't know what to add to this one that others haven't already said. The quality, the creaminess of the smoke? Just how amazingly the latakia massages the virginia leaf, and little flecks of oriental peek out here and there?

Now that I've become more accustomed to Latakia blends, I can definitely smell, in the background of this tin, the dark fruit- like quality of the virginia leaf. An absolutely beautiful compliment to the mass of dark, smoky flavors that dominate. Gourmet stuff.

Perhaps its the quality of the smoke itself, so incredibly thick, and such a cool, amazing smoke! The sweet campfire aroma, the complete absence of any bite whatsoever! Oh so cooperative in the bowl of nearly any pipe. I know that some people will find reason to dislike this because of the relatively low N content- but for me, that is a blessing- The taste is so incredible that I want to smoke more of it, and the more N there is the less of it I can smoke!

This is a very forward blend, very direct... Yet with some balance. Laphroaig vs. Ardbeg- and this blend is the Laphroaig. Smoky, cool, somewhat sweet if you look for it.

Truly luxurious. I strongly recommend this tobacco, and think of it in the same way that some of you may think of Sobranie, or penzance, of the original Dunhill 965.

This stuff is basically "Odyssey" Light .... Seriously, other than the unmistakeable tang of McClelland's virginias, the flavor of Legends is almost identical to the aforementioned GL Pease classic. But this is a much milder smoke, with fewer high notes and less of the sensation that you've just licked a piece of charcoal. To some smokers, this is probably a blessing. To me, however, it just doesn't satisfy. It is, however, very good stuff, and it's grown on me to the point that I plan on keeping a few tins around for those days when I don't want to be overwhelmed with flavor.

Not one of my favorites, but nonetheless an excellent product. I think this one may turn out to be quite popular and one day might even live up to its name.

Fred Hanna, speaking with adoration about the blends of yesteryear, provoked me into trying Legends. Legends is Hanna’s interpretation of what blends were like when “Turkish” varietals were readily available and of superior quality. This in contrast to the blended Turkish leaf used by tobacco manufacturers for the last 20+ years, according to Hanna. With several Greek, Turkish, and Balkan tobacco varietals again available individually, Hanna apparently tried his hand at designing a blend to give a voice to long silent Oriental mixtures.

I can only evaluate Legends qua Legends, not Legends compared to extinct blends. On its own, Legends is something of a standout among a crowded field of full-flavored pipe tobaccos composed primarily of Virginias, Orientals and Latakia tobaccos.

‘Boldness in balance’ best describes my experience with Legends. Hanna took a chin-out approach, trusting his own instincts and the patience of pipe smokers to let distinctive Oriental leaf varieties wash over the smoker with waves of incredibly rich, deep, spicy and complex flavors off-set by uber-quality Cyprian Latakia of a smoky, creamy and behaved sort, all upon a pedestal of impeccable Virginias.

Legends is no mere memorial, but lives and moves, shifts and turns as it rises and falls several times throughout a bowl, even in a small pipe. Boredom is simply not possible, nor monotony, smoking Legends. Try as I might to find a point of weakness or failure, Legends delivers on all counts.

I just opened the tin this afternoon, and was immediately pleased. No stems in the mix, a nice rough ribbon cut, and perfect moisture level.

I packed a 3/4 bowl in a new Savinelli canadian, and lit it up. Immediately, the Latakia pops out with a loamy campfire smell, and the Red Virginias add a beautiful, mildly sweet, and woody taste.

It smoked cool and slow, burned evenly, and required no re-lights at all. The tastes intensified midway through the bowl, and it smoked to a thick light gray ash all the way down to the bottom. Around the middle of the bowl the pepper notes came out, and lent another lovely element to the smoke.

It was a beautiful experience, and I can't wait to finish the rest of this tin. I highly recommend it to anyone who loves Virginias and English blends. I should note as well the tin note of "ketchup" or sweet vinegar was less prominent than in the Frog Morton tins.