McClelland Wilderness

After smoking a tin of Frog Morton and 3 Oaks Syrian, I felt McClelland english blends were maybe to mild in the flavor department. Good tobaccos, but too mild and monotone for my abused tastebuds. I deciced to try Wilderness after reading QuantumBoy's review since he likes many tobaccos i do. I've smoked an entire tin of Wilderness in less than a week and have 10 tins coming to me this week. This stuff is amazing. Mild to Medium in strength, but FULL in flavor. Super creamy and velvety, with tons of flavor layers. Although the Syrian latakia is prominent (You'll be familiar with the winey flavor from 3 Oaks), to me this is an Oriental blend, with the Syrian latakia playing support. Sweet and sour and velvety and slightly smokey and winey and creamy and savory. Wow!

(8.7.10) I heard this was formulated by a guy from Toledo, which is where I'm from, so I gave it a try. It was a little bit more potent than I expected.. in a very good way. It has a noticeable taste, but subtle enough. When I opened the can I was surprised.. no "ketchup" smell that usually seems to characterize McClelland. The can scent was fairly mild, but what I could smell was very pleasant and sophisticated (interesting since the name is "wilderness.") The only thing I have to compare this to is Dunhill Nightcap, of which I still have a small stash. It's not quite as potent, but very similar, and with a touch more flavor. All in all it's really outstanding. Even the last few dregs are fresh and intoxicating, not the burnt taste I sometimes get with the late relights. All in all it's a sure keeper. If you miss Nightcap, I think this might be a similar smoke. I highly recommend.

(9.7.10) This stuff is really good. I defer to Marshall regarding flavor; I couldn't hope to describe it better. It goes on and on; the only thing I've smoked where the last few dregs are the best--it retains its strong, full character and then some. And It burns superbly.

(10.7.10) I don't mean to have this on the seventh of every month, it just happens. Weird. STILL OUTSTANDING!

McClelland Wilderness - This blend is long gone from the market but I’ll do a review anyways in case someone happens upon some tins . The lovely wine like Syrian tobacco leads the spicy , buttery and savory Oriental varietals . Red Virginia for sweetness and a little bbq Essence in moderate amounts in seems . The Yendije leaf is noticeable, i love the flavor of it but cannot describe the taste in words . Excellent blend . Many pipe tobacco companies go away and great blends disappear from the market but McClellands was the best one and sadly gone forever ! 4

Wilderness... lost now in a wilderness with no Syrian Latakia... thanks, Fred, for briefly taking us out of a tobacco nostalgia wilderness and showing that the good old days can be as recent as yesterday....

Another perfect all day tobacco from McClelland. I'm not sure what to say. This is super unique and very, very tasty. I crave this one. As an added bonus it burns and packs perfectly. I would be happy if this was the only tobacco I could smoke.

Slightly silkier than Legends, and one almost gets a sense when pairing the two that the subtle differences between Syrian (Wilderness) and Cyprian (Legends) are actually discernible. Both are superb, though I worked through Wilderness a lot more quickly and I prefer it.

My God, it's full of stars.

I can't possibly deconstruct this. A beautifully weighted tobacco that smokes like a dream and transcends the genre. Smoke it while you can because the orientals will not age well and some of these constituent tobaccos might never be seen again once stocks are gone.

I think that there's a subtle difference between a good English and a good Balkan. It's certainly true in this case. Many Balkans overpower you with Latakia. Too much in my view. This one is an excellently balanced blend with great flavor in a relatively mild smoke, very English in it's character. If you like a good English, you'll probably enjoy this blend. Another winner from McClelland.

This tobacco encapsulates my idea of the perfect outdoor smoke. It's slightly sweet, noticeably spicy, and light enough for an all-day smoke while out on the trail, camping in the woods, and sitting around a fire telling stories. Hanna's complex Orientals bring this blend to life and keep me coming back for more. This tobacco has evolved into one of my favorites and always has a spot in my rotation.