McClelland Wilderness

To me, Wilderness is Frog Morton camping. It is an exceedingly mild English blend with grand ambition, apparent in the use of rare Turkish leaf, Yenidje and Drama, which add a wonderful spice to the smoke. I admire McClelland for their ability to take risks, and I would say that having Fred Hanna concoct his own mixes with their best leaf easily demonstrates McClelland's commitment to extending the breadth of fine pipe tobaccos.

But as usual, I have problems with McClelland English blends. They are simply too light for my tastes and I find myself puffing at a ridiculous pace in an effort to absorb enough nicotine. I know that not everyone feels this way, those that seek flavor more so than strength, and I extend an enthusiastic recommendation to these people. For a mild English, Wilderness really is hard to beat, and I think fans of the Frog Morton line will find this a truly exotic, novel creation that may present a pathway to appreciating greater complexity.

So, my "two star" rating in no way suggests that Wilderness is an average blend--it's not. One should only read the relevant (and fascinating) Smoker's Forum posts to understand Fred's passion in its creation, and the deep respect his fans have shown in their embrace of the blend. Yet in my own drive, I find it a bit difficult to fill my pipe with Wilderness, often going for inferior, yet stronger mixes that populate my cabinet. It is these second choices that will compete with Wilderness when my favorites are on back order.

Smoking the blend now in a large bowled Peterson billiard, I am happy for having gone the other route, though I know I will run into the same, conflicting motivations when the time comes to fill my pipe with another English.

*** Update

Well, it's taken me nearly half a year to finish off this tin, and the last two bowls, smoked in quick succession, have warmed me up to Wilderness. I wouldn't call it a favorite, but I have to appreciate the Turkish component, which puts the blend in the same category as Russ's Magnum Opus, different and powerful. It gets in your face and reminds you that you're smoking something special. I still do have some problems with the blend--it starts off kind of so-so and the mildness is always evident. But about a third in when those Orientals kick in it's a sublime smoke. I have a hard time placing the Syrian leaf, but it's not a problem, anyhow. The smokey Latakia flavor is always in the background for me. One bowl left...I think my vacation is coming to an end.

*** Update

A day later and I'm just about finishing that last bowl. Wilderness went from a hated to loved blend in a very short time and I can't quite understand what I missed through the majority of the tin. Perhaps my ability to appreciate Oriental blends has matured, and my desire for overwhelming nicotine doses and Latakia bloat have declined. In any event, this is an excellent Oriental blend--and I say that because the leaf seems to me the most prominent in the mix. Now I'll have to go and reorder based on this brief window of experience. Tastes can change dramatically, I have found, and while I know that to be true, usually my opinions flop in the opposite direction, from Loved to Hated. I have learned to appreciate the Wilderness--sorry for the lousy joke.

Well, this is certainly an interesting treat. This sublimely mellow, smooth concoction is full of wonderful, diverse flavors, burns well, and simply won't bite. And what the heck is it? Perhaps a fine medium Blakan with a creative twist, it would seem.

The first half of this smoke is intriguingly outdoorsy and flavorful, true to its namesake. It blatantly displays a brilliant interplay of Syrian and cyprian latakia, which truly does create an intense sensory experience of pine...pine cone pitch, pine sap, pine needles, slightly sweet and not bitter in any way. This is not the dull two-dimensional bludgeoning that excessive doses of cyprian alone can effect. The intoxicatingly interesting, slightly sweet pine sap notes are wonderfully tempered by a smooth smokiness as well, much like a small pinewood fire burning lightly in the open air of a pine forest. Wilderness indeed, or perhaps we could call it Campfire Companion. The orientals are pleasant, smooth, tasty, and very much in the background....until...about 2/3 of the way down the bowl, an oriental bomb goes off. After doing an extensive tour with all of McClelland's Grand Orientals, and having several of them in my regular rotation, I immediately recognized mild, sweet, tangy Yenidje and what seemed more like mild, savory Katerini than Drama leaf, in big doses which come solidly to the forefront together. Excellent! Peppered with hits of latakia bits all the way to the bottom of the bowl, which rounds out the orientals, the overall experience remains smooth, rich, mellow and flavorful, preserving some of the pine forest suggestions right to the end. The pleasant aftersmoke taste is undeniably that of the tasty orientals, which firmly but gently control the last third of the smoke without totally displacing the latakia. Quite unique and tasty, an easy three and a half stars. Pine wilds, indeed, and yet another delightful application of Syrian latakia. If you like the flavor of Syrian latakia and enjoy the oriental-forward smoke experience of a blakan over a traditional english, check this one out. I'm glad I did.

(update 9-27-10) My initial opinion of this excellent blend hasn't changed in the slightest. In fact, I've been enjoying it so much I've ordered more tins, some to cellar. I'm upgrading this to four stars, as I can't imagine how I'd improve on it. This isn't just power of suggestion, clever marketing, an appealing name, and handsome packaging. The refreshing pine needle essence of this smoke from the perfect dose of Syrian begs you to go out into a pine forest on a still, cool evening and savor it slowly. It mingles intoxicatingly and seamlessly with the dense, woodsy air. And it lights and burns so well I doubt even Smokey the Bear could kill this campfire. An outstanding smoking experience, masterfully crafted. It is firmly in my rotation and I sincerely look forward to savoring it in the cooler months ahead.

(update 10-25-10) All verbose blithering aside...Dang, this is tasty stuff! This and Three Oaks Syrian have become fixtures around these parts, along with welcome visits from Samovar and New Century.

(update 3-17-2013) This blend has become widely acknowledged and appreciated. I was lucky enough to be turned on to it when it was first released, and my impressions have remained consistent. It is a top-five favorite solidly in my rotation, more for what it isn't than what it is. This is not intended to be an overpowering english or a gagging, monotone cyprian lat bomb. My initial appreciation for the pine sap qualities may be from the use of pine gum essence in the blend (from boiled pine pitch), among many other subtle but unique techniques and ingredients in the blend. If you have Wilderness and are having a less than positive experience, try a different pipe, by all means!

A good review of this excellent blend can be found here:

http://pipesmagazine.com/blog/pipe-tobacco-reviews/mcclelland-wilderness-pipe-tobacco-review/

I want to start off by saying this is not Balkan Sobranie ... thankfully. While I believe the hype surrounding Balkan Sobranie was more about it's absence than it's essence, I have enjoyed it more than once. Wilderness is its own blend, and has its own character. Are there components that are similar to BS? .. sure, one can distinguish throughout the smoke the hits of elements synonymous what what BS offers. But this blend is a much fuller and complex blend IMHO. The name "Wilderness" is apt indeed as the tobacco imparts flavors and essence to remind one of a deep green forest of pine with a few patches of hard oak. The blend is remarkable. The Syrian Lat offers a sublime smoky foundation that is sprinkled with a touch of juniper. The orientals rise quickly to the surface to infuse the palate with sandalwood and mid-Eastern incense. The relatively small amount of VA offers a delicate and subtle sweetness that can be missed the smoker is not paying attention, though it marries to the sweet pungency of the Drama to create a new creature that dances across the foundation of dark earth and pine needles like Autumn leaves on October's wind. All of these delightful components infuse the senses in waves of differentiation like a Tchaikovsky concerto. The richness of Wilderness' essence can often be strong, but not overpowering, as its music takes us from elegance to climax, and back again.

One previous review demonstrates the faceted construct of this blend by offering 3 reviews at three different time periods. He begins by experiencing only a glimpse of rich taste Wilderness imparts, then later realizes he has missed a great deal, and finally understands that he had only begun to explore the enigma of this blend. Prevalent in oriental and Syrian elements, if you enjoy a tobacco rich and full of flavor, you are sure to enjoy this blend.

Fred Hanna has created an absolute masterpiece in his new Wilderness blend. When I finish a bowl, I just can't wait until the next one! This is one of the most flavorful blends I've had in a while and in my opinion destined to become a legend (wait...that's the name of his other blend...hmmm...)

One might think the star of the show is the Syrian latakia, which is close to the truth, but the orientals Fred chose ("sweet Drama, rare Yenidje, and more") put it over the top. There is a buttery toastiness that starts at first match and doesn't stop. There is a hint of lingering Virginia sweetness but that is not what will appeal to people with this blend. By no means a LAT bomb, yet woodsy, rich, and deep, one of the most complex blends I've had in a while.

The Virginias stick with their supporting role and never really make much noise. The interplay of the two types of Latakia with the Oriental weed is absolutely delicious and entertaining. I find myself concentrating just to try to identify the myriad flavors that present themselves as the bowl progresses. It certainly gains some strength during the last third, and a bit more finesse and attention to technique are required to keep the flavors flowing. But Wilderness is good to the last drop.

A true desert island - or wilderness - blend for me!

Upon opening the tin, one is greeted by the lovely fragrance of very high-quality Syrian and Cyprian Latakia leaf. This owing to the predominance of Latakia in the Wilderness blend. The nose is heavy on the "lat". Given somwhat greater attention, the aroma of world-class balsamic vinegar peeks through - just a bit that floats up from the wonderful orientals Darma, Yenidje and perhaps others, too. Delicious stuff!

The cut is coarse and reveals the black, yellow and tan bits of intoxicating leaf. It does struggle against the match and it is a challenge to light and nursing the embers is a chore with Wilderness. It never burned fully, and a rather hefty amount of dottle greets the smoker at the end of the bowl. Might this shortcoming be based in "operator error"? Yes, of course - in fact I suspect it is likely that I played in role in the unfavorable lighting and burning characteristics of the blend.

Now to the heart of the matter! Wilderness was as flavourful as any blend I've had the fortune to smoke. It's an extremely complex, layered, sophisticated smoke of the very highest order. Especially tasty to my palate are the wonderful orientals which serve as a fine counterpoint to the excellent Latakia.

This is as good as it gets gentlemen and ladies. Highly recommended. 4 Stars!

A fantastic blend here. Just a wonderful, sweet, spicy and mild English blend. An all day smoke that really sings. This blend could not be more appropriately named. Weather your camping in late summer, hunting in the fall, ice fishing in winter or going for a spring stroll through the forest this blend is made for the outdoors. Such an earthy, natural blend that just seems to enhance the beauty of the wilderness. You'll never catch me on a fishing trip with out my deep bowl corn cob and a tin of McClelland Wilderness. An absolute favorite.

I was leery buying this one at first, as I normally don't care much for McClelland's latakia blends because they usually lack both the complexity and strength I like in English/Balkans. Wilderness, however, is the first latakia blend from this company I've fallen in love with, in large part because it remedies the most important of those two issues.

This is one of the most complex things I've ever smoked, rivaled only by the new Magnum Opus blend from Hearth & Home and some batches of seriously aged Renaissance and Samarrah I lucked into. Every few seconds the flavor seems to shift, yet always retaining a subdued sweetness and the smoky spice of both types of latakia. It never fails to hold my attention throughout the smoke, as it never grows tiresome or bland. While some reviewers have stated they don't taste much latakia, I have to question whether they are simply accustomed to the sharp, smoky Cyprian variety. This is the closest thing to Syrian "lat bomb" I've ever smoked! But that also means the character is very different from Cyprian-based blends, which have a "smoky" or "campfire" flavor. The Syrian, on the other hand, is more reminiscent of red wine, incense, or even curry. Hannah has stated publicly that this contains nearly 35 percent Syrian latakia, which is a prodigious amount of that particular leaf (which is considerably stronger in flavor than its Cyprian counterpart).

Fred Hanna, of course, is known as one of the world's premier experts on the legendary Balkan Sobranie mixtures, and it's interesting to note that the ingredients listed on the label are a dead ringer for the Sobranie "white" mixture of old. It's also worth noting that Hanna has not chosen to describe this as a recreation of that famous blend, although he has said publicly that his appreciation for the classic mixtures is what inspired him to take on this project. I doubt that he could have recreated the Sobranie's flavor with the constituent tobaccos here (McC's virginias are too pungent and unique to ever sucessfully mimic those used in European blends) but this stuff is absolutely superb on its own terms. I've picked up flavors that I've never before encountered in a pipe tobacco, and I've gone through hundreds of blends over the past 20 years. Hanna has said this blend has 12 different tobaccos in it (Syrian, Cyprian, a mix of Vas and a whole slew of orientals) and boy does it show!

The burning characteristics here are pretty good if not spectacular, it's very cool in the pipe, and it doesn't have much potential for bite.

If I have a criticism, it is one voiced already by several others. Wilderness has relatively little in the way of nicotine strength even though it is (to my palate) full flavored. I like powerful blends such as Old Joe Krantz, Billy Budd, Bosun Cut Plug, etc., and Wilderness falls far short of those. On the other hand, I've run into VERY few blends of this type that satisfy my cravings for Vitamin N, and Wilderness does at least have more nicotine than other McClelland mixtures (I estimate it to be about the same as Carter Hall).

Anyhow, Wilderness has shot to the top of my English/Balkan rotation with a bullet. Primo stuff. If you go into it looking for nicotine or a large dose of Cyprian latakia, you will likely be disappointed. For the rest of us, four stars.

This is a fantastic tobacco blend. From charring light to end, Wilderness is sweet with a distinctly fragrant incense-like wood smoke scent. Faint hints of McClelland's fermented Virginia tang are also noticeable, as are the hints of the holiday spice flavors that one finds in their Matured VA's. However I find that the most compelling aspect of Wilderness is the use of both Cyprian and Syrian Latakia which seems to deepen the aroma while providing a richness in flavor that is both profound and unique. This has been done in a few other blends, but the Syrian/Cyprian harmony struck in Wilderness is superb.

As the bowl progresses everything just gets better. The Latakia while used generously, never overwhelms. The smoke remains smooth, creamy & lightly sweet and the spicy quality of the Orientals provide plenty of sparkle, making the later portion of the bowl all the more interesting.

Altogether, Wilderness is not a flavor hammer, it's actually quite mild. But that's not to say it's lacking in flavor. If anything it's a perfect example of what makes most McClelland blends so great. Wilderness is perfectly balanced, mild enough to smoke any time, and yet it has plenty of flavor and complexity. In fact there's enough nuances and tricky little olfactory sensations in a bowl of Wilderness to write plenty more about. And of course all this makes for a very wonderful smoke.

When I was stocking my cellar I was sure that I would have some regrets in the end and Wilderness is one such casualty. Over the last few years, I had too many open containers and so many more blends that I wanted to try. So if I wanted to try something I would just buy it and cellar it until I winnowed down my open containers enough to try it later.

Such was the case with the tin of Wilderness I bought 2 1/2 yrs ago. I, unfortunately, did not get a chance to try this til after the cat was out of the bag about McClelland's dwindling Syrian reserves and production ceased. Although aware of the Syrian shortage in plenty enough time to do something about it, I had not found a Syrian blend worthy of deep cellaring until I tried Wilderness.

This blend is fantastic. It is a ready rubbed blend that carries the strong scent of McClelland Virginia leaf, or Ketchup as some say. The smell doesn't carry through to the smoke as far as I can tell. The Virginia presence is strong and provides much of the sweetness one experiences. The star condiment as far as I can tell is the Yenidge. It is by far the dominant taste IMO. I really can't tell the drama leaf from the other elements, but it may have a lot of play in the side stream note. This blend also has both Cyprian and Syrian Latakia, but neither is overwhelming in presence and both play back in the blend. There is little smokiness and leather to this blend and I think it is the better because of it. In fact, I find this to be a Balkan that is more on the refreshing side and it makes for a good warm weather smoke.

Now, for my favorite part of this blend. It is the side stream aroma. I spent almost as much time sniffing the top of the burning bowl as I did smoking it proper. If they sold incense that smelled like this I think I would permanently burn it in my garage.

To now all has been positive and the only negative I can find is that I can't find it anywhere to buy another tin. If anyone does not like this blend I will trade you for it. If you are in a B&M and are reaching for it and you see me coming through the door, watch out. lol This stuff is that good and is bound to go down as one of the great blends that they don't make anymore.