McClelland Blue Mountain/Balkan Blue
(3.45)
Rich with the finest Mountain Latakia, a classic full Balkan pipe tobacco mixture, smooth and deeply fragrant. The inspiration for this elegant mixture was a 21-year-old tin of the legendary #759.
Notes: This blend was one of three in the Balkan Sobranie Throwdown at the 2011 Chicago pipe show and walked away with the People's Choice Award! McClelland has changed the name of this blend to Balkan Blue.
Details
| Brand | McClelland |
| Blended By | McClelland Tobacco Company |
| Manufactured By | McClelland Tobacco Company |
| Blend Type | Balkan |
| Contents | 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
Pleasant to Tolerable
Unnoticeable -> Overwhelming
Taste
Medium
Extremely Mild (Flat) -> Overwhelming
Average Rating
|
3.45 / 4
|
Reviews
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Displaying 91 - 100 of 102 Reviews
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 14, 2021 | Mild to Medium | Very Mild | Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
I cracked a tin of this dated july 2013 and labeled blue mountain. The smell from the tin was a twangy camfire damp musky smell. The contents were at perfect moisture level and the Mcclellands vinegar smell has completely dissipated. My fresh tin 8 years ago was wet and very smoky and ketchupy if i remember correctly. Back when this was tinned blenders still used high quality latakia unlike today imo of course. What blue mountain lacks in complexity it makes up for in an savory flavor. For me it is not monotone though. The cedary campfire was out in front with hints of nutmeg or cinnamon giving away the lead slightly by midbowl to the excellent twangy sweet Mcclelland virginias and slightly rose like floral orientals. Towards the end of the bowl i detect a vinegar like metalic taste building but in the tastiest way possible. I hated my first tin of this almost a decade ago. Either my personal preference changed or age has done wonders for this blend. Probably a combination of both. I rate this very highly. If you ever find this at a reasonable price i dont think you would be dissapointed if you liked Mcclellands virginias or latakias. Frog morton fans with more of a veterans palate would enjoy this as well.
Age When Smoked:
8 years
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| May 19, 2013 | Mild to Medium | Extremely Mild | Medium | Pleasant |
I heard a few people talk about this blend. Read some reviews and thought I would like to try it. When the tin came by the mail I opened it up and took a nice whiff. It was very nice, very pleasant. The colors of the tobacco were warm and inviting. My first light was a bit light, just had a couple of puffs. No special impression at first. I tamped it down and did the second lighting and sat back to a very pleasant flavorful bowl. It stayed friendly and warm and rich throughout the bowl. I would set it down from time to time to do something and then relight. Again, each relight was good and delicious. Different notes came and went throughout the conversation. Each was interesting and inspiring. After an hour and half or so I found that the pleasant visit was done. No gurgling to interrupt the journey. After the pipe cooled I found only ash at the bottom. No tongue bite at all. Pleasant and rich aftertaste. This was a very enjoyable experience and I'm looking forward to the next conversation.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| May 13, 2013 | Mild to Medium | None Detected | Very Full | Tolerable |
You can not get a better balkan blend than this. This is my favorite tobacco. The flavors may be a bit more subtle than other balkan blends, but the combination of flavors really shine. The taste of this is superb. It is less sweet than it's competition in Black House, and although I have smoked BS759, I don't think it fair to directly compare it.
To my taste, the quality of leaf used in this blend surpasses none other. I love it! One of my favorite tin arts as well.
If you enjoy balkan blends, be sure to give this a try.
To my taste, the quality of leaf used in this blend surpasses none other. I love it! One of my favorite tin arts as well.
If you enjoy balkan blends, be sure to give this a try.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Mar 04, 2013 | Medium | Very Mild | Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
This is a great blend, period. However, depending on your taste-buds, I could imagine some english blend lover staying away from this. I would highly recommend this 'especially' if your new to lataka blends or is an aromatic lover.
It's only drawback, perhaps only happens to me, is that it makes my lips feel relatively oily and also it is 'very' hard to keep lit. I let it dry out for a long time and it still doesn't burn as smoothly as I would like it.
Lastly, the last 3/4 of the bowl, the taste becomes extremely bland and unpleasant. So, although I love the beginning and middle, in the end it doesn't give me that satisfaction as some other blend do.
It's only drawback, perhaps only happens to me, is that it makes my lips feel relatively oily and also it is 'very' hard to keep lit. I let it dry out for a long time and it still doesn't burn as smoothly as I would like it.
Lastly, the last 3/4 of the bowl, the taste becomes extremely bland and unpleasant. So, although I love the beginning and middle, in the end it doesn't give me that satisfaction as some other blend do.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Jan 07, 2013 | Mild to Medium | None Detected | Mild to Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
This is by far the smoothest Balkan blend that I have ever smoked. The sweetness of the Virginia combined with the tangy orientals and smokey latakia combine to provide a very enjoyable smoke. None of the tobaccos contained in this blend overshadow the other. Truly a remarkable experience from start to finish and no bite. It is very similar in flavor to Dunhill Aperitif. In my opinion, this is McClelland's finest blend.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Nov 12, 2012 | Medium | Extremely Mild | Medium to Full | Pleasant to Tolerable |
I packed this into one of my Wellington churchwardens with my dad last night...and after taking a little longer than normal to get lit...The taste was awesome. I was thinking probably what most people think when a tobacco tastes so great to start...halfway down it will taste bad. Not this tobacco, never once did I taste ash the entire bowl. Has a nice general "English flavor" to it, and about halfway through you get a slight buzz, a very mild yet perfect amount of nicotine for a Sunday afternoon smoke. This instantly hopped into my list of top 10 tobaccos.
-Came out of the tin with perfect dryness and ready to smoke. -No bitter taste in mouth afterwards -Smoked especially cool.
-Came out of the tin with perfect dryness and ready to smoke. -No bitter taste in mouth afterwards -Smoked especially cool.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Oct 26, 2012 | Medium | Very Mild | Medium to Full | Strong |
Balkan Sobranie was a go to for me when it was for sale, I have not tried the recent version .Blue Mountain is a very good blend but does not have the complexity of 759, which was tasty, somewhat oily, you could almost chew the smoke.Very good blend but 1 dimensional,will cellar fo a while and try again later
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Sep 05, 2012 | Strong | Medium to Strong | Medium to Full | Strong |
Personal Notes:
Blue Mountain – 4.5
* First smoke in Mr. Brog Churchwarden. * One of my best tasting tobaccos. * Was difficult to keep lit though. This continued on subsequent smokes, including in different pipes, where I kept having to light and relight. * Did not burn hot! I even tried to get a bite, with vigorous puffing, and it stayed cool.
So if you're willing to put up with relighting (or are better at this than me... I don't usually have this problem though), it's a great smoke.
Blue Mountain – 4.5
* First smoke in Mr. Brog Churchwarden. * One of my best tasting tobaccos. * Was difficult to keep lit though. This continued on subsequent smokes, including in different pipes, where I kept having to light and relight. * Did not burn hot! I even tried to get a bite, with vigorous puffing, and it stayed cool.
So if you're willing to put up with relighting (or are better at this than me... I don't usually have this problem though), it's a great smoke.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Mar 19, 2012 | Mild to Medium | None Detected | Medium | Tolerable |
What a pleasant find! Ditto everything Pipe Pirate noted. This has become my first choice for my first bowl of the day and it goes well with a cup of strong coffee. I'm a big latakia fan but I really appreciate the way it melds gently in this blend. It's there; you taste it but it doesn't dominate. I usually smoke this in a straight billiard with an average bowl size and it has always burned well and without much heat. Never experienced any bite at all. Highly recommended; give it a try.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Feb 28, 2012 | Mild | Mild to Medium | Full | Tolerable |
Blue mountain. What can i say, this stuff is brilliant! Smoking it gives you a mild smoky flavor, with a hint of creamy flavor as well. No tongue bite has been expierienced either which is always great. I love latakia, and this offers a very mild amount that works wonderful. I'm definitley stocking up on this!
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