McClelland Old Dog

I have asked myself why I write reviews for things that are no longer in production. I then went back looking for reviews on the original Ashton Celebrated Sovereign and realized why. Tins come around even after long out of production and someone may want to know what others thought way back when... This is one of McClelland's best English blends in my opinion. Many are too mild for me to get excited about but Blue Mountain, Balkan Beauty, 3 Oaks Cyprian and Syrian are in my favorite blends, this one may have just cracked that list. Tin note is sweet with Latakia in the lead. Some sourness from the Cavendish and Orientals. Very inviting tin note. The flavor is sweet, creamy, earthy with some woodiness to the profile. It is very complex and you can tease out certain flavors from each leaf as the bowl develops. The VA is there but for a McClelland, it is hard to pick out. For me this fit best in a cob. Richer flavor for some reason. Great in a briar too, but the MM General really liked this one. Another great smoke that I am both happy and annoyed that I tried.

I smoked this tin faster than any tin of tobacco to date. The black Cavendish has no discernible flavoring but it is included and I don't see any problem with that. The components are perfectly blended. Mostly a Latakia forward taste but there are pockets of Virginia that stand forward of the other tobaccos from time to time. The tin says it is English on the label so in my book it is English, and my favorite one so far.

As far as english blends go this one is on a mild side. Smokes cool and burns well. In the tasting department you get smooth leather and smokiness from latakia, slight sugary sweetnes from black cavendish and incense type aroma. Retrohaling this one is simply heaveny as it doesnt burn your sinuses. No nicotine detected. Mellow english that can very well be an all day smoke.

I really have enjoyed this the few times I've had it. The tobacco itself is full and enjoyable. On top of that, there is an herbal note, I guess from the Xanthis, that I find compelling. This is a very nice, relaxing smoke that, as the tin says, is perfect for "pondering the meaning of life". I can't recommend it enough.

If you believe in "Love @ First sight", then you must believe in "Love @ First light". The tin aroma is OUT STANDING, it's a smoke for the seasoned English smokers, and a must try for the non-English, imagine this, Im setting on my front porch just 2 days into summer, the day was 90 plus degrees, now it has cooled a bit, very warm, but comfortable. My front porch has a very nice setting,"Shabby shiek rockers and table, ferns all around, and tree frogs singing and fire flys are dancing, hang in there, Im trying to get my review a proper perspective. The smoke is dence and true English, this has such a wonderfull fragrant, exotic and enticing aroma "My wife dident even mind", if room note was for the smoker only, I would go with very pleasent. The tin moisture was perfect, and easy to smoke straight from the can, NOW,...Smoke this in a meerchum or a good brier, DO NOT WAST THIS BLEND IN A CHEAP PIPE, " personly I would dedicate one for this,..By this time your wondering where Im getting too and when will I end,.. OK, this was so rich and zesty, spicy and tasty that I found a bent pipe to be the best, so when sipping slowly, the smoke enters the nose with delight, I rolled sipped and frenched, with some easy inhaling" only a few times", bottom line, this is a clasic 10 star in my book, and as almost always it's a McClelland, please get some soon, I thought tudor castle was great and still is, but to be fair, the two are different, yet they are in my top list of Mclellands, and Old dog made the summit, Happy Jack, a very happy Jack

Its almost as fully flavored as cuban cigar, but it can be more full bodied. You can't go wrong though, i found aging it and putting a warm wet rolled tissue as a humidor improves tase. It is naturally flavorful which is hard to come by nowadays yet a mild enough smoke to be a relaxer.