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
Please login to post a review.
Displaying 11 - 20 of 102 Reviews
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 16, 2011 | Mild | None Detected | Full | Pleasant |
I have to agree with the mob so far on this one.
I don't care about some "legendary" mixture now likely long past its prime. I do appreciate that its memory inspired the authoring of this delightful blend. We are indeed living in wonderful times for pipe smoking: the choices and availability and quality of tobaccos have never been better.
Oddly, Blue Mountain manages to have a unique character despite the dozens of similar-seeming blends I've smoked over the years. It has the richness of Penzance but with a sweetness not normally found in a balkan. The room note, despite the latakia content, is wonderful (no distaff present for confirmation). Blue Mountain is rather more of an "oriental bomb". The flavor evolves, changes, returns, and changes again, depending on the puffing rate and time since lightup. I find I can pretty much adjust it to my preference. As another reviewer observed, one can burn it completely to ash, an ability shared by very few blends.
My favorite vessel is an old, full-sized Wilke bent billiard, though I have yet to find an unsuitable pipe for it; I favored a small clay for the first tin. I pack it moderately for best burning; the moisture in the tin is perfect for my tastes and habits.
Nicotine lovers may downgrade this mixture for its relatively low levels. My chemistry is sensitive to nicotine and I particularly enjoy being able to enjoy a full bowl at a time.
I'd like to think this will age well, though my experience with latakia bends (particularly Penzance) has shown that fresher is better. Nevertheless, I'm stocking up on this and smoking the hell out of it while it is available and hope some remains for aging.
Kudos to Mike McNeil at McClelland, he has made his claim to fame. Four star stuff!
Update 6/2014 I retrieved a forgotten tin of this that had been opened for two years. As with Penzance, age did damage: the spectrum went muddy and more monochromatic. Some tobaccos improve, not this.
I didn't stock up on this, so I cannot comment on aged sealed tins. I shall endeavor to find out.
Oh, it's still four stars for fresh. I'll just have to finish what I start.
I don't care about some "legendary" mixture now likely long past its prime. I do appreciate that its memory inspired the authoring of this delightful blend. We are indeed living in wonderful times for pipe smoking: the choices and availability and quality of tobaccos have never been better.
Oddly, Blue Mountain manages to have a unique character despite the dozens of similar-seeming blends I've smoked over the years. It has the richness of Penzance but with a sweetness not normally found in a balkan. The room note, despite the latakia content, is wonderful (no distaff present for confirmation). Blue Mountain is rather more of an "oriental bomb". The flavor evolves, changes, returns, and changes again, depending on the puffing rate and time since lightup. I find I can pretty much adjust it to my preference. As another reviewer observed, one can burn it completely to ash, an ability shared by very few blends.
My favorite vessel is an old, full-sized Wilke bent billiard, though I have yet to find an unsuitable pipe for it; I favored a small clay for the first tin. I pack it moderately for best burning; the moisture in the tin is perfect for my tastes and habits.
Nicotine lovers may downgrade this mixture for its relatively low levels. My chemistry is sensitive to nicotine and I particularly enjoy being able to enjoy a full bowl at a time.
I'd like to think this will age well, though my experience with latakia bends (particularly Penzance) has shown that fresher is better. Nevertheless, I'm stocking up on this and smoking the hell out of it while it is available and hope some remains for aging.
Kudos to Mike McNeil at McClelland, he has made his claim to fame. Four star stuff!
Update 6/2014 I retrieved a forgotten tin of this that had been opened for two years. As with Penzance, age did damage: the spectrum went muddy and more monochromatic. Some tobaccos improve, not this.
I didn't stock up on this, so I cannot comment on aged sealed tins. I shall endeavor to find out.
Oh, it's still four stars for fresh. I'll just have to finish what I start.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 28, 2011 | Medium | Very Mild | Medium to Full | Pleasant |
This was a fantastic balkan, the sweet sultry orientals and smokey spicy yet savory latakia did dances on my palette, satisfying me to the very last bowl. This is one of those Balkans that you can't help but toke and puff huge plumes of smoke into the air! What a wonderful blend, although I do understand why it didn't win with the judges for the Sobrani contest, since to me it is not all that similar to the balkan sobrani that I've smoked, granted it is probably a ghost of what it was since my Sobrani has some serious age on it. It reminded me of something between Frog Morton on the Bayou and Blackpoint, a little smoother than BP and a bit heftier than FMOTB.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Feb 28, 2015 | Mild to Medium | Very Mild | Mild to Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
I got a sample from a fellow pipe smoker. I was quite skeptical as I was present when he smoked it and I distinctively smelled a sweet topping.
The berry soda like topping was there from the start and even through it was extremely mild at the beginning, it became a bit stronger towards the middle. The sweet and very tangy virginia dominates the oriental leaf completely and the Latakia gives lip service smokiness. I think that McClelland does a very good job with their virginias and va/pers but for English/Balkan mixtures I' ll go look somewhere else (Samuel Gawith, Germain and G.L. Pease) among the best ones. Unless one prefers English/Balkan with toppings or casings, then those pipers have a winner in Blue Mountain/Balkan Blue.
Virginia lover
The berry soda like topping was there from the start and even through it was extremely mild at the beginning, it became a bit stronger towards the middle. The sweet and very tangy virginia dominates the oriental leaf completely and the Latakia gives lip service smokiness. I think that McClelland does a very good job with their virginias and va/pers but for English/Balkan mixtures I' ll go look somewhere else (Samuel Gawith, Germain and G.L. Pease) among the best ones. Unless one prefers English/Balkan with toppings or casings, then those pipers have a winner in Blue Mountain/Balkan Blue.
Virginia lover
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 21, 2014 | Mild to Medium | Extremely Mild | Medium to Full | Tolerable |
A very nice Latakia forward English with a wonderful sweet note. The Orientals sit between the two and hold it all together. My tin was a bit dry, but that's how I would have smoked it anyway. Lights easily and burns well. There was only a faint trace of McBBQ smell in the tin note and in the flavor. Just below medium in body. Medium to full in flavor. A nice relaxing and enjoyable smoke. 3+
Pipe Used:
MM General, MM Country Gentleman, MM Freehand
PurchasedFrom:
smokingpipes.com
Age When Smoked:
fresh
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Mar 20, 2018 | Mild to Medium | None Detected | Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
McClelland Balkan Blue/Blue Mountain is a very solid English blend that stands a fair amount Latakia forward. Supposedly, this blend was blended to replicate the infamous Balkan Sobranie 759, and since I have never had the pleasure of smoking any, I cannot comment to how close this blend actually comes within reach of it. However, this blend offers a very solid, slow burning English experience, with a dash of sweetness.
The tin note made it apparent that it was a McClelland blend, being on the mild side and with a hint of sweetness that much of their English blends have to offer. The Latakia sits in front seat for the entire smoke, offering a smoky, leathery taste. McClelland's Orientals have always been smooth, which I appreciate, because harsh/sharp Orientals are not a pleasant experience! In this blend they sit in the background offering a more buttery, woody experience rather than the sour Oriental you might find in Early Morning Pipe. The Virgina's are sweet and musty, which really pulls the blend together, giving it a sweetness that at times almost tastes like there is a hint of a topping that is also giving it sweetness. The blend is very smooth, creamy, and very well balanced. However, I did have to relight a few more times than normal, which is nothing to worry about. It smokes very cool, and can be smoked down to a fine white ash. The nicotine was hovering around or slightly higher than the mild mark. A pleasant English!
The tin note made it apparent that it was a McClelland blend, being on the mild side and with a hint of sweetness that much of their English blends have to offer. The Latakia sits in front seat for the entire smoke, offering a smoky, leathery taste. McClelland's Orientals have always been smooth, which I appreciate, because harsh/sharp Orientals are not a pleasant experience! In this blend they sit in the background offering a more buttery, woody experience rather than the sour Oriental you might find in Early Morning Pipe. The Virgina's are sweet and musty, which really pulls the blend together, giving it a sweetness that at times almost tastes like there is a hint of a topping that is also giving it sweetness. The blend is very smooth, creamy, and very well balanced. However, I did have to relight a few more times than normal, which is nothing to worry about. It smokes very cool, and can be smoked down to a fine white ash. The nicotine was hovering around or slightly higher than the mild mark. A pleasant English!
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Sep 19, 2017 | Mild to Medium | Mild | Medium to Full | Pleasant to Tolerable |
Being a fan of Black House, I felt it was important to sample Balkan Blue and compare them for myself. In short, to my palate this is the inferior blend of the two.
I do find the McClelland tin note to be offputting. In BB its mixed with the Latakia campfire but its still there and although it quickly dissipates, it is present in the first few puffs and I personally find it offputting.
This is not to besmirch the tobacco entirely however. It is rich in flavour, burns well and deserves to be sampled by fans of balkan blends. My tin was fairly damp but smokeable fresh from the tin. Nicotine was fairly standard for this type of blend and was on the milder side of the spectrum.
I wouldnt discourage anyone from buying this, particularly if you like McClelland blends and you like Balkan blends. But I do feel there is better out there and would personally reach for a tin of Black House over this.
I do find the McClelland tin note to be offputting. In BB its mixed with the Latakia campfire but its still there and although it quickly dissipates, it is present in the first few puffs and I personally find it offputting.
This is not to besmirch the tobacco entirely however. It is rich in flavour, burns well and deserves to be sampled by fans of balkan blends. My tin was fairly damp but smokeable fresh from the tin. Nicotine was fairly standard for this type of blend and was on the milder side of the spectrum.
I wouldnt discourage anyone from buying this, particularly if you like McClelland blends and you like Balkan blends. But I do feel there is better out there and would personally reach for a tin of Black House over this.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 27, 2013 | Mild to Medium | Mild | Very Mild | Pleasant |
I have gone through three tins of Blue Mountain, obtained from three different sources, only one of wich I actually intentionally purchased. I still have yet another tin sitting on my shelf, unopened, which I won, with several tins of Frog Morton, at the Richmond Pipe Expo this year in the silent auction.
I had high hopes for this blend as I am a fan of the Maclelland "sweet latakia" style, their FM line being a favorite of mine. Sadly, I now know what "monochromatic" means in regards to pipe tobacco.
It is not that it is a bad blend, far from it, there is just no depth to it, nothing to grab your attention. It does light well and burn through easily. There is a bit of that smoky/latakia flavor but I found it rather flat and un appealing.
Since I already have it, I believe the tin I currently have shall sit in my cellar for awhile. Perhaps it shall benefit from a few years worth of aging. Otherwise, I shall put my money toward better, for me, tobaccos.
I will say that, if you are looking for something very bland, this may be for you.
I had high hopes for this blend as I am a fan of the Maclelland "sweet latakia" style, their FM line being a favorite of mine. Sadly, I now know what "monochromatic" means in regards to pipe tobacco.
It is not that it is a bad blend, far from it, there is just no depth to it, nothing to grab your attention. It does light well and burn through easily. There is a bit of that smoky/latakia flavor but I found it rather flat and un appealing.
Since I already have it, I believe the tin I currently have shall sit in my cellar for awhile. Perhaps it shall benefit from a few years worth of aging. Otherwise, I shall put my money toward better, for me, tobaccos.
I will say that, if you are looking for something very bland, this may be for you.
Pipe Used:
Several
PurchasedFrom:
several sources
Age When Smoked:
1-2 years
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Apr 25, 2020 | Medium | None Detected | Medium | Tolerable |
McClelland- Balkan Blue
I received half a tin of this from a dear friend at the pipe club last October for a birthday present, the tin was half full and after my first smoke of this I knew and understood the fuss about McClelland and why they were so beloved by pipe smokers.
I’m a balkan lover, and am sad to say that this will never have a true comparison as it’s truly a one of a kind smoke.
The Latakia is aged and smoky, smooth like a find bourbon, the Virginia has that patented vinegar and ketchup scent but it never overpowers the blend, adding that famous sweet flavor, the hints of spiciness work well and just add a delicious multi faceted smoke.
A blend I’m truly grateful to have some of, and with sadness a limited amount but hopefully an amount that will last.
I’d like to list some blends that would be worthwhile replacements that I smoke, but I know most will find them underwhelming regardless.
I received half a tin of this from a dear friend at the pipe club last October for a birthday present, the tin was half full and after my first smoke of this I knew and understood the fuss about McClelland and why they were so beloved by pipe smokers.
I’m a balkan lover, and am sad to say that this will never have a true comparison as it’s truly a one of a kind smoke.
The Latakia is aged and smoky, smooth like a find bourbon, the Virginia has that patented vinegar and ketchup scent but it never overpowers the blend, adding that famous sweet flavor, the hints of spiciness work well and just add a delicious multi faceted smoke.
A blend I’m truly grateful to have some of, and with sadness a limited amount but hopefully an amount that will last.
I’d like to list some blends that would be worthwhile replacements that I smoke, but I know most will find them underwhelming regardless.
Pipe Used:
Various
PurchasedFrom:
Gift
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Jan 18, 2020 | Mild to Medium | Medium | Mild to Medium | Pleasant |
This blend is the one of the finest pipe tobaccos i have ever smoked. I had just started smoking a pipe and McClelland shut down 5 months later. I was fortunate to find 6 tins at my tobacco store and baught them all. I have smoked this in every type of pipe i have, and finally dedicated a Missouri Meerschaum legend to it with a walker forever stem.
I have not found any other blend that has a similar taste. Smooth even flavor from top to bottom. The tobacco burns well but goes out easily if you don't tend to it. Has a slight sweetness to it not overpowering for Latikia, but just right for my palate. Never bites. I let it dry for 20 minutes from the jar. Kind of a bummer that their won't be anymore produced, so i save it for special occasions.
Being a new pipe smoker i can't compare it to the legndary 759. I did give the Black house a go, but i didn't care for it. I gave my tin away to a friend, who liked it more then me. If you ever find any of this tobacco and don't care for it feel free to send it my way.
I have not found any other blend that has a similar taste. Smooth even flavor from top to bottom. The tobacco burns well but goes out easily if you don't tend to it. Has a slight sweetness to it not overpowering for Latikia, but just right for my palate. Never bites. I let it dry for 20 minutes from the jar. Kind of a bummer that their won't be anymore produced, so i save it for special occasions.
Being a new pipe smoker i can't compare it to the legndary 759. I did give the Black house a go, but i didn't care for it. I gave my tin away to a friend, who liked it more then me. If you ever find any of this tobacco and don't care for it feel free to send it my way.
Pipe Used:
Missouri Meerschaum
PurchasedFrom:
Liberty Tobacco Shop Kerney Mesa
Age When Smoked:
2017 tin date
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 02, 2018 | Mild to Medium | Mild to Medium | Mild to Medium | Unnoticeable |
I bought this tin last year and it is dated 2016. I have one unopened tin left. I tried it out again this evening and the tin note smelt like Latakia but I could detect the faint ketchup/vinegar smell that McClelland is noted for. Upon lighting up this produced a nice mild to medium spicy flavor and maintained that way until about half way when it seemed to smoke a little bit spicier. This is a great blend that smokes smooth and pleasant and too bad it is no longer in production. I will hold on to my last tin and save it for a special occasion.
Pipe Used:
Savinelli Poker, 310 KS
Age When Smoked:
2 years
target="_blank"
