McClelland Legends

This blend is really out of sight. It's full, rich flavor has enough body to keep the smoker happy throughout the bowl. I have smoked most of my first tin and plan on putting some away for a later day.

The tobac out of the tin seems dry enough to pack, but I have found additional time has helped with continuous burning and less relights. Sipping slowly will allow the smoker to taste the finer aspects the blender must have had in mind when putting this together.

This is one of the finest offerings I have had from McClelland. If you like the components of this tobac, you owe it to yourself to try it out.

What can be a better comment than this stuff delivers exactly what the description claims! When smoked, natural flavors from the tobacco really do give currant and plum notes without having to try, so flavorful you don't need to be in a quiet room thinking nothing but your pipe. I can't imagine not having this open all the time. The creamy smoke is a delight and the smokey sweet Latakia pleases with every puff. No question the maximum recommendation available from this ecstatic smoker! Couldn't be ANY BETTER, thanks McClelland and Mr. Hanna- you hit a home run.

Today is the early part of June 2010--I visited the J.M. Boswell store today as I have the grand privaledge of living close to this fabulous, and talented pipe maker, and artisan. I picked up atin of the "Legends", and all I can say is---for the folks at McClellands is---SWING---hit and---HOME RUN. What a wonderful blend. I as stated in other reviews simply LOVE, oh yeah did I say love Latakia blends. I am used to the British woods as my first choice, but this stuff has a slighly detected fruity taste in with the Latakia. FOLKS who like English blends----YOU GOTTA TRY IT. I cannot begin to tell you just how amazing this stuff is.

Legends is a very solid blend but one which to me lacks real excitement. If you like Virginia, especially Red Virginia as your foundation, you'll likely be pleased. The reviewer who compared this to some of the Pease blends is right, which to me are even more overbearing in the Virginia department. (ie. Lagonda, Piccadilly, Sextant and Chelsea Morning.) I personally lean more toward orientals, so take that into account for my three star rating. I do find Legends to be somewhat monochromatic but not without some unique flavors weaving in and out. I prefer Legends over Wilderness but in the McClelland line, I still prefer 3 Oaks Syrian and even their bulk 5110 English Dark Full to Legends. Room note is far inferior to that of Russ Ouellette's Black House. I've smoked two tins of Legends, but won't be reordering.

This is a high quality English mixture, with rich Virginias mixed with tasty Orientals and a very generous portion of Latakia. Everything is fine about this, as it is with many other English mixtures in the market today. For me, it just doesn't stand out. I'd smoke this tobacco every day, but I doubt I'd pick it among ten of its kind. Hence the 3 stars.