McClelland Old Dog
(3.56)
One of the most loved in this series, this is a full English mixture dark with cool, smoky Cyprian latakia, spiced with fragrant Xanthis from Macedonia. These tobaccos marry under pressure with aged, sweet flue cured Virginias and smooth jet black Cavendish to create a very rich, satisfying blend with a tin aroma this is incredibly appealing. Sit back comfortably to ponder the meaning of life with Old Dog as your companion.
Notes: "Ashton Revival" introduced at Chicagoland Pipe Show in May, 2010
Details
| Brand | McClelland |
| Series | Ashton Revival |
| Blended By | McClelland Tobacco Company |
| Manufactured By | McClelland Tobacco Company |
| Blend Type | English |
| Contents | Black Cavendish, Latakia, Oriental/Turkish, Virginia |
| Flavoring | |
| Cut | Ribbon |
| Packaging | 50 grams tin |
| Country | United States |
| Production | No longer in production |
Profile
Strength
Mild to Medium
Extremely Mild -> Overwhelming
Flavoring
None Detected
None Detected -> Extra Strong
Room Note
Tolerable
Unnoticeable -> Overwhelming
Taste
Medium to Full
Extremely Mild (Flat) -> Overwhelming
Average Rating
|
3.56 / 4
|
Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 Reviews
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Sep 21, 2017 | Mild | None Detected | Mild | Tolerable |
I've had this in rotation for a while now, and feel like I have smoked enough to share my thoughts.
Tin Note: Smells rich and smokey. The Latakia is definitely present.
Preparation: The tobacco is somewhat inconsistently cut, and I found a lot of stems in my tin. It was also so moist that I could form a clump and it would stay formed indefinitely. I've left the tin open for 2 days now, and it still has a sticky moistness to it that can only be from some type of added humectant. I have experienced this with every tinned McClelland blend I've tried, and it has always been troublesome. It packs ok, if not a little unevenly due to the variety of different cut sizes.
Light/Flavor: Takes light easily. First taste is pure silky Latakia, which slowly transitions into the lightest background oriental. Latakia definitely dominates, not really allowing the Oriental tang to come through. I detect no sweetness at all, despite their being Black Cavendish and Virginia in the mix. I find the smoke to be entirely one dimensional, Latakia, and it seems out of balance. If there was a tad more sweetness or a touch more Oriental, this would be a fantastic all day English; however, it's lack of balance makes it fall short, and I find that I feel cheated at bowl's end.
This, and all tinned McClelland blends, seem to leave a little moisture and dottle in every pipe I've tried. Even my trusty Nording Classic gets a little swampy, and I have to break out the pipe cleaners(something I almost never do anymore with my usual blends).
Summary: All in all, this smoke wasn't satisfying for me due to the aforementioned lack of balance. I have experimented by blending this 2:1 with straight Virginia, and it is an infinitely better smoke. I never tried the original Aston blend, so I can not comment on how close this is to the Original. This reminded me very much of regular Frog Morton, but maybe a little more Latakia forward. If you hate sweetness in your smoke, enjoy primarily Latakia, this could be an all day smoke, but I find I need more complexity in a blend and so this one was not for me.
Tin Note: Smells rich and smokey. The Latakia is definitely present.
Preparation: The tobacco is somewhat inconsistently cut, and I found a lot of stems in my tin. It was also so moist that I could form a clump and it would stay formed indefinitely. I've left the tin open for 2 days now, and it still has a sticky moistness to it that can only be from some type of added humectant. I have experienced this with every tinned McClelland blend I've tried, and it has always been troublesome. It packs ok, if not a little unevenly due to the variety of different cut sizes.
Light/Flavor: Takes light easily. First taste is pure silky Latakia, which slowly transitions into the lightest background oriental. Latakia definitely dominates, not really allowing the Oriental tang to come through. I detect no sweetness at all, despite their being Black Cavendish and Virginia in the mix. I find the smoke to be entirely one dimensional, Latakia, and it seems out of balance. If there was a tad more sweetness or a touch more Oriental, this would be a fantastic all day English; however, it's lack of balance makes it fall short, and I find that I feel cheated at bowl's end.
This, and all tinned McClelland blends, seem to leave a little moisture and dottle in every pipe I've tried. Even my trusty Nording Classic gets a little swampy, and I have to break out the pipe cleaners(something I almost never do anymore with my usual blends).
Summary: All in all, this smoke wasn't satisfying for me due to the aforementioned lack of balance. I have experimented by blending this 2:1 with straight Virginia, and it is an infinitely better smoke. I never tried the original Aston blend, so I can not comment on how close this is to the Original. This reminded me very much of regular Frog Morton, but maybe a little more Latakia forward. If you hate sweetness in your smoke, enjoy primarily Latakia, this could be an all day smoke, but I find I need more complexity in a blend and so this one was not for me.
Pipe Used:
Nording Classic, Dr. Grabow Grand Duke
PurchasedFrom:
SmokingPipes.com
Age When Smoked:
Fresh, 3 Months
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Jan 31, 2012 | Very Mild | None Detected | Medium to Full | Pleasant to Tolerable |
This tastes like Frog Morton, but with a bit more wow factor. Tasty and smokey flavour, it is really very nice... but like every Mc Clelland blend I have tried, very weak in nicotine. If this was Stronger I would buy more. For what it is, it's done very well, not for me though.
If you don't like nicotine, but like english blends, buy it. If you need a bit of oomph to your smoke, give it a miss.
If you don't like nicotine, but like english blends, buy it. If you need a bit of oomph to your smoke, give it a miss.
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