McClelland Blue Mountain/Balkan Blue

I am finishing a tin I opened a few years ago, and has been properly stored. It was the same as I am finishing the tin. McClelland has a very distinct and heavily cased virginia base they use, which smells a lot like ketchup when you open a fresh tin. It's rather sweet as well, and so I have always considered this brand to be aromatic crossover. Their blends never pass medium intensity, and are very fragrant which is a big plus. They produce thin smoke and are always sweet which is not something I'm always in the mood for. This particular blend has all those traits, and is enjoyable. It's got a careful measure of Latakia and nice oriental leaf giving it an overall exotic perfume. The flavor is light and slightly sweet. My biggest issue with this tin is that it clearly has a high amount of humectant to the point that I can taste it. If you've ever tried vaping, you know exactly what PG smells and tastes like, it's kind of like musty steam, it's light but noticeable and can be smelled and tasted. This prevents me from buying this again. That said, I have enjoyed the whole tin, it's a very pleasant light balkan blend.

When I opened the tin I found a very dark ribbon mixture little bit humid. Tin aroma was very pleasant, sweet and fermented, smoky exotic woods.

Once lit you get the flavors of the oriental tobaccos, exotic woods, incense. Sweetness, vinegar, earthy and dried fruits flavors from the Virginias, and finally the latakia gives some smoky sweetness. All together combined into a thick velvety flavorful smoke very consistent through all the bowl. Best part of the smoking experience comes near the bottom of the bowl. If you puff very slowly you get more Virginia goodness if no more latakia/orientals in the front. Needs 1 – 2 relight no tongue bite. Excellent tobacco, I’ll miss McClelland.

The tin note on this is amazing and beats White Knight for me by a hair, but in the flavour department it falls a little short in comparison when smoked. The comparisons to Hearth and Home Blackhouse and White Knight are obvious enough, so there's not much for me to add to the reviews other than to say I prefer Russ's blends in general. Excellent blend nonetheless and surprisingly mild, (which could be seen as an asset, or a detriment, depending on your taste. When I first smoked this I found myself inhaling it like a cigarette with ease. Dangerous!) I could sit and smell this tin all day while smoking White Knight or Red Rapp.

There are 4 great Balkan's that I have experienced: Germaine's Balkan Sobranie, H&H WhiteKnight and BlackHouse blends and my all time favorite, Balkan by Brebbia. All of these have subtleties that separate them by flavor, but they are all in the World Class category for me. I have never had the original BS, but these are top rate balkan blends, even if the original BS is the grand daddy of the genre. The tin note is Latakia, this may be the only McClelland blend where I can't pick up their signature Virginia smell in the tin. upon deep breaths I get the orientals and I know the VA's are there, but no ketchup in this one (and I love McClelland Virgiana's, for the record). The smoke has the signature maltyness that to me defines Balkans. It is sweet and smoky and a smoke I want to chew on. I get the Virginia's on the finish and the after taste and the orientals give the mouth and nose feel a little woody, spicyness. I absolutely love this stuff. The flavor stays consistent throughout the bowl and burns to a gray ash. Fantastic stuff and should age well.

This is what I would call a high-quality blend. To the enjoyer of Balkans, I would recommend giving this a try. When I first lit the bowl I could taste the undeniable high-quality Oriental and as I made it through the bowl the Latakia showed up at just the right time. The Oriental was present but not overpowering and the fashionably late entrance of Latakia made this a memorable smoke. An interesting experience for any tester who enjoys Oriental and Latakia.

When aged properly and sufficiently, it would be extremely hard to beat this blend, even by the likes of Sobranie and White Knight. The quality of tobacco leaves used in Blue Mountain is super excellent, and the blending is certainly a work of art. Easily an unparalleled all-day smoke. A true masterpiece. Cannot be recommended highly enough.

this review is just to keep track for myself mainly, less intended as a serious in depth review. Just to keep an eye of what ive tried and what I like, with quick notes about it. alot of these notes are from memory, and I will update the review as I continue smoking them.

when I first smoked this blend, it was when I had the first, ah-ha moment when smoking a latakia. I had it 2 years ago and dont remember the flavor, so i wont go into detail. I just remember this being reaallllly good and trying lots of other latakias since. maybe i have a thing for balkans idk yet, but I will be back for more. as of now this is my favorite latakia forward blend

No joke folks this is an awesome blend. Everything you would expect from a top notch Balkan blend. The Latakia lover should find this blend simply outstanding. While lat does not overwhelm this blend it is there all through the smoke. This hay sweet sour flavor with hints of baked bread from the Virginias and sweet hay and a hint of spice from time to time from orientals make this a very interesting blend. Oh man this is good stuff. There is some nicotine in this but no so much to make you uncomfortable. The aroma from smoke is what you would expect from a Balkan and smokers will appreciate the aroma but non smokers will expect you to leave the room. This is a true four star blend.

I had high expectations from this blend. The tin aroma has the typical McClelland ketchup note that, as usual, disappears when smoking it. It is a balkan-style tobacco but, to me, it is a little bit too mild in strength. 3,5/5 in my personal rating system. 3,5/5 in my personal rating system.