Tobaccos McClelland - Arcadia (221b Series)

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JimInks (3046)	2013-09-26		Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This blend has the "ketchup" smell you usually find in McClelland blends, but it's not present in the taste. There is a topping that I've detected in their Frog Morton series that seems to add a little sweetness here. This blend is lightly grassy, woody and earthy, with fermented tangy dark fruit sweet stoved Virginia. It is well enabled by the smoke, herbs, vegetation, earth, wood, leather, and dry spice from the Orientals. The strength is a couple of steps past the center of mild to medium. The taste is a slot short of the medium mark. The nic-hit is a rung below the strength level. Won't bite or get harsh even if pushed. Has a few small rough edges. Burns a tad slow, cool, clean, and fairly smooth with a very consistent sweet and floral, mildly spicy flavor that never weakens. Leaves little moisture in the bowl, and requires a couple more than an average number of relights. Has a pleasantly lingering after taste, and room note. Aromatic smokers who want to go in a different direction may find this to their liking. An all day smoke.

-JimInks

18 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	TWolf (4)	2014-03-11		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Pleasant

I picked up a tin of this about a year ago while I was traveling and put it in my cellar. I opened the tin to send a sample to someone and sealed the rest in a Mason jar but for some reason I didn't try it myself until about a week ago. I'm not sure what I was expecting from this tobacco but I was very pleasantly surprised. The tin note has just a little bit of ketchupy/vinegary aroma but it's very mild. Just under that is a bit of grassy/hay from the Virginia. It packs very well, lights easily and stays lit. There is a natural sweetness to this tobacco but there is also a pleasant tangy/sourness to the sweet. When the smoke passed over my tongue my initial thought was of the sour sweetness of a sweet tart but that's probably a bad analogy because it's not sweet in a candy way. Maybe the sweet tangy quality of a good barbecue sauce would be a better description, particularly since I thought I noticed a subtle smokiness hovering in the background. I assume that's from the Oriental. For me that rounded out the flavor nicely and gave it more complexity. In any case it's a very pleasant flavor and a very satisfying smoke. The flavor remains throughout the bowl. This one is a winner for me and something I plan to keep on hand.

Pipe Used: Savinelli Trevi 320

Age When Smoked: Cellared about a year

17 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2011-10-14		Mild	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

McClelland shines with this one. A perfect balance of Virginias and Orientals. As with its name sake, I find this to be a true gentlemen's smoke. A slight bit of a sour tang, blended with a few sweet notes and a little bit of smokiness in the background. Not to complex nor overtly simple, perfectly rounded out in my opinion. I am not a latakia lover and do not miss them is this blend. Of course it will nip a wee bit like any Va if pushed to hard.

I am a sherlock fan and I do think this an apt mixture for a man of Watson's civil and informed taste. Though the man is fictional this tobacco is based on the very real blend of old.

I have puffed this through a number of good briars and no doubt find it to be excellent in all of them. I pack it either by layering or the frank method, both to great result. perfect moisture content out of tin and great McClelland aroma. great tin artwork and a perfect all day smoke as well. As the tin says "An original pipe tobacco recipe worthy of offering to one's best friend."

Hope you enjoy it as much as I have.

15 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Eulenburg (193)	2004-06-05		Mild	None Detected	Mild	Tolerable

Arcadia was the name of the fictional mixture in Sir James Matthew Barrie's minor masterpiece of irony, My Lady Nicotine. This was, supposedly, the real-life Craven mixture, which Barrie actually smoked himself. If this is a reproduction of a real-life mixture, how could it possibly have anything to do with Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's fictional stories of Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson? The entire tin legend for this tobacco is arrant nonsense, and an egregious example of the lengths to which blenders will go, to say nothing of any value on their labels.

Either that, or they have a very wise confidence in many of their customers' inability to tell fact (Craven's) from fiction (Sherlock Holmes.)

Be that as it may, this is a good blend. The bouquet of the almost shag-cut tobacco, unlit, is yeasty in the way of latakia, but I do not taste latakia when I smoke it. The chief flavour is the savoury sweetness of lightly-stoved virginia, but some other leaf?not Turkish, I woundn't think?keeps it from getting syrupy. The taste bears some kinship to Rattray's Dark Fragrant, but this is a far more manly, interesting smoke. It is a bit like Haddo's Delight without the Périque.

An excellent afternoon mixture, if smoked slowly.

11 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pipestud (1829)	2002-12-04		Mild	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

I agree with BostonPipe...Arcadia is a friendly mixture without a lot of frills. Loved the shag cut -- helped promote an even pack and burn every time. Unique flavor too. Although there is a good portion of the cool and airy Oriental leaf, this one packs some punch, and I found it to be quite welcome. I'll cellar some as this one has all the ingredients for promoting depth and flavor variances as time goes by.

11 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Gentleman Zombie (729)	2015-06-29		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant

What a wonderful smoke this is. The Orientals provide the main flavors of wood, leather and a hint of butter along with a fair amount of spice and a bare hint of smoke. The Virginias are stoved and provide a little sweetness with a toasty note. Not terribly complex, but it's very well rounded with nice depth. Absolutely delicious. Truly, a great blend.

Mild to medium in body. Medium in flavor. Not sure about a topping or not. If there is one it's extremely mild. Burns perfectly straight from the tin.

Pipe Used: MM Country Gentleman, Diplomat Apple, Mark Twain

Age When Smoked: fresh

Purchased From: smokingpipes.com

8 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2009-07-28		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I totally agree with Beaupipe's review. This one should have been great for me based on the ingredients... and I did like it ok. But the oriental flavor began to wear on me over time. It took me about 6 months to finish the tin and what hit me as favorable with the first few bowls became what turned me off the last few.

I still recommend that people try this, as there seems to be a lot of dissension in the ranks. For that reason, I give this 3 stars. For my own enjoyment, 2 stars.

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Stefanos (222)	2016-09-01		Medium to Strong	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Ribbon cuts, darkish in appearance, a mingle of dark probably stoved virginias and black latakias with considerable less quantity of brighter leaf presumably oriental. Tin note is mostly leathery, tangy and to a lesser degree smoky - latakia dominant - but has also a degree of sweetness. Easy to fill and light. Smoking Arcadia at first, though very satisfying and with a bold flavor, I considered it to be just an occasional smoke for my taste because I thought it was a rather dry smoke. Predominant aromas were leathery and smoky with a black peppery spiciness. And although a rich smoke it was not heavy at all. Still, it's better for the evening than at the start of the day. Yet as soon as I got used to it I began to detect a very welcome subtle sweetness. This combined with the fact that it burned very smoothly and stayed lit to the end gave me a deeply satisfying and relaxing experience which I relished for several 45-50 min smokes. Better when smoked calmly as flavors deepen throughout the bowl. Nicotine level is medium +, just right for me to get my kick and it burns to a beautiful fluffy white ash. Room note is rather subtle considering the latakia content of the blend. I know there is a controversy concerning whether this blend contains any latakia at all but if it doesn't then I'd be very surprised...

Pipe Used: Corn cobs

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: 4noggins

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Uban (60)	2014-06-10		Medium	Very Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant

I had some samples of this a while back and liked them. I'm now almost through a 3-year aged tin & can truly say that I REALLY like this. Oddly, it seemed quite hot & thin in the narrow bowls I usually use for Vas, but in a big meer with a pot-shaped bowl nearly 7/8" across, it transformed into a genuinely rich smoke. Started with lots of Va highs, plenty sweet, a little spice from the O's. Mid bowl develops a creamy balance with the spices kicking in & out, finish is dark with lots of Va base under Oriental tang. Very lightly cased, I think. Nice room note, but pricey for me.

Pipe Used: Big meer

Age When Smoked: 3 yrs

Purchased From: P&T

Similar Blends: reminds me a little of Skiff & 996 w/out the Lat.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	DrT999 (318)	2012-11-30		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

A very mild smoke, but with a fair amount of flavor. A real Oriental treat for any smoker in the mood for a mild, smooth, relaxing smoke. I get a lot more Oriental than Virginia, but it's not overwhelming in any aspect. Likely a good intro to this catagory for the OTC smoker

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	FlatCapMatt (59)	2012-02-04		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

This was another sampler that I bought recently. It smelled like smokey BBQ sauce when I opened the bag.

The flavour while smoked is hard to describe. It was light, and smokey, with a bit of ketchup/BBQ taste. Almost a slight soapy taste too maybe?

I didn't have the wife around for the wife test, but I think she wouldn't really mind the room note. It wouldn't be a favourite of hers, but she wouldn't run away from it.

I smoked a bowl of this, fairly quickly, and I feel the very slightest of buzzes. Pleasant.

I did have some gurgle occur about half-way through the bowl, and it left a little wetness in the bottom.

The after taste is a mix of something chemical, and campfire/BBQ like smoke.

I probably would not buy this one again, as it seems like I prefer aromatics. However I wouldn't say it is a bad smoke.

2 stars from me.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Coda (33)	2014-05-27		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Tolerable

This is a typical McClelland latakia blend, which for me, means it is going to be very filling. Flavorwise, the latakia is dominant, with some virginias playing second (think 5100). I find this to be a very filling blend, while not really stout or strong. Like most McClelland blends, the tobacco appears a bit oily in the tin. The tin note is latakia, with that McClellend "essence" present as well. Its a bit sweet for me, however. All in all, not a bad blend at all. If you are a fan of Frog Morton, than you would love this...

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	The good Rev. Rizzo (36)	2014-04-30		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

My specimen of this was from 2009 so it's aged about 5 years. This was a good thing apparently. Opening the tin presented the typical McClelland's smell. A very nice fine shag with pleasing colors. It packed nicely in the bowl. The initial light was very pleasing with a fairly good puff of smoke. The taste burning through was a nice creamy sweetness. Perhaps a touch of nuttiness and a hint of carmel. It burned nice and cool all the way through the bowl. And as promised leaving a fine white ash. No topping cased flavor here.

Pipe Used: Peterson meerschaum 106

Age When Smoked: 5 years

Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2007-05-28		Mild	None Detected	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

Arcadia, from McClelland's "221b" series, is a pleasant Oriental/English blend on the lighter side. There's a nice interplay of flavors between the Virginia and Oriental components here, neither one overpowering the other. It's not a terribly complex smoke and the flavor is fairly consistent all the way through-- though I do get a slight, temporary bitterness about mid-bowl. It fortunately doesn't last long. Arcadia might merit four stars rather than just three, but I find that it's just not quite as strong or as full as I'd like. Those who are seeking a milder English-style mixture without Latakia would probably enjoy Arcadia-- there's no Latakia here. I'm a big fan of the stuff myself, but sometimes I need a break from it; that's when I find Arcadia most satisfying. In my experience, Arcadia lacks the familiar vinegary McClelland tin aroma; it has a subdued smoky, leathery aroma that I find inviting, and the tobacco is of the customary high McClelland quality. The tin appears small, but don't let that fool you; the tobacco is very tightly packed in there. Arcadia may be a tad moist when the tin is fresh, but it still packs and lights well. I've never experienced any tongue-bite, and I am generally a pretty vigorous puffer. The room note isn't quite in the aromatic league, but seems to be more tolerable to non- smokers than many mixtures of this kind. Arcadia tends to be more expensive than most of the other McClelland offerings (as well as other popular brands), ruling it out as an all-day, everyday smoke; otherwise, it might be well-suited to that job-- both in nicotine strength and flavor, it's mild enough not to wear you out. And of course, anyone who is a Sherlock Holmes fan (like me) naturally has to try Arcadia at least once. It does indeed seem like just the sort of tobacco the good Dr. Watson would enjoy.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Noorrmm (192)	2002-01-27		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

Appearance: Rather fine cut for an English blend, almost a shag. A good range of colors from light to black, evenly distributed.

Aroma: Fairly typical English/Oriental once it dries a bit and loses the ?vinegar? smell.

Packing: Packs easily in any size pipe, but seems o be best in small to medium bowls.

Lighting: Very quick lighting when it?s a the right humidity.

Initial flavor: Just an average English blend. I can taste the Virginias (which are not particularly rich), he Orientals (which are also somewhat subdued), and the moderate Latakia. In short, nothing jumps out for me. There is some nice layering, but not quite the flavor level I?m looking for.

Mid-bowl: The fine cut can smoke hot unless you?re careful. The flavor develops a bit more depth as you progress through the middle, bu still not outstanding.

Finish: A bit more Latakia evident at the end. It does leave a fluffy whte ash, but so does Raven?s Wing.

Summary: Leaving aside the debate about whether this is or isn?t a recreation of Craven (which I enjoyed greatly, but too many years ago for a valid comparison), the blend is just OK, but suffers in comparison to others I?ve reviewed recently. If there had been a Dr. Watson, he would have spent his tobacco money much more wisely.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Aurorasofautumn (38)	2020-04-18		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

Et in Arcadia ego! McClelland Arcadia is one of those tobacco it took me quite a while to get. But when I finally got it - it was a revelation. This tobacco is unique. This tobacco is a masterpiece. And - this tobacco is very subtle - so if you want to experience its magic you better smoke it when you are not in a rush and can give this baccy its due. I recommend to smoke it early in the morning when your tastebuds are still fresh. This is one of the few pipe tobaccos that are not just downright great but simply sublime. This tobacco transports me to another era and place entirely. My thoughts drift off and I am amongst a bunch of English guys in Tweed jackets sitting in a compartment on the Orient Express. But back to the real world and the taste of this blend. The McC VAs are of very high quality and provide just the right amount of unique sweetness to this blend. At first, they are quite prominent but as the bowl progresses the Oriental tobacco comes more to the front. Still the VA always makes itself heard. The VA and Orientals meld in a way that it's truly magical. They complement each other perfectly - period. Some of the other reviewers speak of a buttery taste or of butterscotch and that's something I definitely detect in this blend as well. Lastly, the tin artwork is very stylish. OK - this is (or should I say "was" - oh McClelland why did you have to go?) rather pricey. But with something that transports me right into Paradise and let's me shout out loud "et in Arcadia ego" the price simply does not matter at all. One of my all time favorites and most certainly 4/4 stars.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	StevieB (2080)	2017-10-10		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

McClelland - Arcadia (221b Series).

The blend's prominently a mixture of dark brown and black pieces, with just a few light specks. Most of the pieces are shag cut, there's only a couple of slightly coarser pieces. Moisture's impeccable.

The smoke: the cut enables simple igniting, and then the last line of the description here would serve as a good review: a rich Oriental mixture. The Orientals outweigh the Virginia, they're creamy, buttery, with a slightly woody/toasty edge. The Virginia gives a sweet touch, but is nowhere near as heavy. I note little fluctuation in flavour over the duration, it's similar from beginning to end. It burns perfect: consistent and cool.

Nicotine: medium. Room-note: a little potent.

Arcadia? Although it's well made, I won't give it four stars as it isn't something I'd have as a go-to. So, three stars it is!

Recommended.

Pipe Used: Dagner Poker

Age When Smoked: One month

Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	ElMog (36)	2016-08-16		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I think analogies with BBQ sauce are very apt with this one. It is meaty, spicy, a bit smoky, a bit sour and a bit sweet. To me it tastes like there is some latakia in this one (i wont get into a square VS rectangle argument with oriental VS latakia here...). It is not incredibly complex, nor memorable. But somehow, this smoke has never disappointed me and as such, even though i am not ''consciously'' impressed by Arcadia, on the back of my mind it always feels like a very reliable and satisfying mixture.

Pipe Used: Various cobs and briars

Purchased From: 4noggins

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	hoo-boy (26)	2015-10-26		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

Tried this mostly because I am a fan of Sherlock and the Doc. Not very impressed It burns easily and gentle on the tongue BUT as an English bland kinda fellow it left me knowing I could do better! JUT might be for those who are starting their exploring of Englishes hoo

Similar Blends: Tried this because being a fan of Sherlock and the doc., No very impressed . It burns easily but as I like English blend this left my a tad disappointed McClellends have some tasty blend on their shelf I really prefer . , Might be good If you are just starting English blends , hoo.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	AppleJack (8)	2015-06-26		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

That unmistakable McClelland scent is there are soon as you open up the tin - deep and earthy. Delicious.

It lights easily and smokes well, blowing up big plumes of blue-white smoke. It never gets too hot and burns nice and evenly with a deliciously deep flavour and no bite. It tastes like it smells - earhty and spicy, which makes for a relaxing evening smoke. If you like the sweeter taste of aromatics or drug store blends, then this might be a bit too rich for you, but if you want the actual taste of tobacco this is the way to go.

My only real complaint is one that I have with all McClelland blends, and that's that it's too darned wet when you first open the tin - which makes it hard to keep lit when you get to the bottom of the bowl. But, a little bit of drying will fix this right on up, and I suppose it does keep it from getting dry and hot.

All in all, this is a fantastic smoke with a rich and complex flvour that I just adore. Heartily recommend.

Pipe Used: MM Corn Cob, Meer, and Falcon

Age When Smoked: New

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Kyrob (41)	2014-11-02		Mild	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

I’ve had several tins of Arcadia cellared for years, and this one I’ve had on the shelf for about six years. Opening the tin I was greeted about 75% rich reddish brown small ribbons to about 25% oily black small ribbons, all perfectly slightly on the drier side. The smell was spicy, smoky, and had the McClelland’s Virginia smell. An unlit sip tasted of smokiness and sweet BBQ, and the charring light brought forth a thick sweetness. Overall Arcadia delivers a dance between an underlying sugary sweetness and a slightly sour Latakia note, and while not complex it is a rich smoke. Every so often I get a slight cracked pepper spiciness and the vitamin N content seems very light. The finish is short and the room note is fair. Arcadia is one of my favorite blends and I recommend it to anyone looking for a light yet rich English blend.

Pipe Used: Various

Age When Smoked: 6 Years

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Darth Vader (110)	2014-05-17		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

Vinegar smell. Packs easily and lights and stays lit better than any other tobacco i have ever smoked. Nice tart vs sweet taste but not so good that i want it all the time. Great for the occasional chage up though. Give it a try!

Update Oct 14: This tobac is nearly 4 years old now and has been opened and closed half a dozen times so most of the vinegar smell is gone. I have to say, it has aged magnificently and is now one of favourite smokes. Age makes this superb. Up to four stars. I will be buying more tins to cellar.

Age When Smoked: 3

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Dr. Scott (82)	2014-03-06		Medium	Medium	Full	Very Pleasant

The waxy texture and too-perfect moisture level indicate generous portions of propylene glycol used as a humectant. There is quite a bit of 'Latakia,' likely the Cypriot variety of the smoky weed, but there is more too it than Latakia. The casing is a common but unidentifiable flavoring...the propylene glycol?

Of course, there are the Virginias, including generous helpings of MClelland's dark stoved Virginia. But this is the most English of the English blends I have sampled from the American tobacco firm.

No tongue bite, even when smoked fast, but it does leave a lot of moisture behind. Mind the gurgles!

Tin note is mostly Latakia, but the room note is a delightful, old fashioned, Grandpa's pipe smell that will please most of the rabble. Indeed, I may buy more of this simply for the classic aroma so loved by those unfortunate enough to taste it themselves.

Pipe Used: Large straight billiard

Age When Smoked: 3 years old

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	MacNutz (12)	2011-12-19		Mild	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I'm half way through my first tin of this blend and I am liking it very much as my start of the day smoke. The nic level is low so I want a higher octane later in the day.

The Va and Orientals are nicely balanced with the Orientals adding interesting notes to the flavour. It is an interesting change from the Lat bombs I'm fond of but it is still plenty 'English' enough for me.

It is probably a good starting point for aro smokers interested in trying something different.

Recommended.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Peppino (74)	2010-09-10		Mild	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

This starts out sweet snd smooth,as you reach the half way point. The flavor gets richer this has been cellered since 08 that may change things. However I remember this being about the same when it was a new tin.

Update: Better than before the,flavor is bold but not over the top. Burns to a perfect ash, smoking a bowl in a Upshall as I post:) 4-stars

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	beaupipe (102)	2008-10-15		Mild	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is one of those odd little tobaccos that seem to have everything I want and then just miss somehow, somewhere. I want to fall in love with it, but I just can't.

It is a lovely smoking tobacco. It appears a mottled black, brown and yellow in the can. The orientals give a slight resiny/grassy quality to the tin aromas mixed with the honeyed qualities of the Virginias. It packs like a dream and smokes cool, dry, and long.

I can't remember who it was, but some scribbler once described a woman like this: "She just missed being beautiful and in just missing was not even attractive." It's mean, but I find it curiously apt to describe hallowed and hollow Arcadia.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Sasquatch (90)	2008-04-06		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

The good news is, this is the sort of tobacco I like a lot. Rich and full, cool smoking and not very bitey. Room note is not bad compared to a heavier English.

The bad news is, I already have a tin of this stuff and it says "Presbyterian Mixture" on it.

The good news is, this is cheaper than Prezzy and comes more dry.

There is nothing new under the sun, but if everything mimiced old favorites as well as this, we'd be better for it.

EDIT 040408

I find this less like Presbyterian now... perhaps some ghosts doing the talking. A very pleasant smoke, with some nice hints of something almost like a basma... Good work McClelland

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	A. Morley (97)	2006-04-28		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

I was bias, wonderfully bias even before I first smoked Arcadia. I had, years ago, read Barrie's My Lady Nicotine and found myself captivated by the stories and by the mythic mixture around which they revolved. At the time, I imagined the Arcadia to taste like the Sundowner Mixture; essentially, I imagined the Sundowner Mixture, then, as now a favorite of mine. When I learned about McClelland's reproduction of Craven A I was enthralled and ecstatic. That fantastical ecstasy didn't wear off until I had gone through seven tins of Arcadia, at great personal expense, I might add.

For a time it seemed the perfect English blend. I was suppressed to learn that it contained not Latakia, as I swore I could detect it, though certain Orientals could, doubtless, duplicate aspects of the Latakia flavor. Whatever its composition, I generally found it cool and piquant and complex throughout, always assuring an enjoyable smoke, no matter the pipe.

I was somewhat distressed to find that this precept of mind was not to hold up over time. Recent tins of the Arcadia I have purchased began to smoke hot and acrid or even bland at times. What I have tasted the last few times is like a lower quality all Virginia blend that seems to suffer from a perfusion of stems and twigs. I really don't know what happened and can only hope that the Arcadia experience I had of old will eventually be rediscovered.

Lastly, though I know this is not to be a forum for concourse or dispute, I feel I must correct a long standing error and an egregious wrong done to both the McClelland Tobacco Company and the field of Sherlockiana. In an early review of this tobacco posted 5 June, 2004 by the prolific and well remembered individual going under the name of Eulenburg, it was said in no uncertain terms that the fictitious Arcadia and the actual Craven Mixture were in no way associated with the stories of Sherlock Holmes, and that the McClelland Tobacco Company, in offering their version of Arcadia as Dr. Watson's favorite tobacco, were guilty of perpetrating "arrant nonsense, and an egregious example of the lengths to which blenders will go, to say nothing of any value on their labels."

It was Mr. St. James-Tello's accusation that proved to be nonsense. "How could it possibly have anything to do with Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's fictional stories of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson?" that vitriolic gentleman asked.

Here's how.

Page 474 of the seminal Complete Sherlock Holmes, edited and with an introduction by Christopher Morley, story: the Crooked Man, scene: Dr. Watson's home, in which Holmes quips, "Hum! You still smoke the Arcadia mixture of your bachelor days, then! There is no mistaking that fluffy ash upon your coat." For further authority, let us look to the Annotated Sherlock Holmes, W.S. Baring-Gould's groundbreaking work of Holmesian scholarship. Here again on p. 225 of the one volume edition we see within the first few paragraphs of the Crooked Man, Holmes saying to Watson, "Hum! You still smoke the Arcadia mixture of your bachelor days, then!" In a more recent annotated edition of the Holmesian canon published by Norton in 2005, with notes by Mr. Leslie S. Klinger, we find in the Crooked Man, this time at the very top of p. 583 the once again definite assertion from the mouth of the Master himself that Dr. Watson can, in fact, be found to "still smoke the Arcadia mixture of your bachelor days, then!" And finally, I refer to p. 14 of Mr. Jack Tracy's The Encyclopedia Sherlockiana, Avenel, 1987. Under the heading of Arcadia the entry is given-- the name of Watson's favorite tobacco mixture (CROO).

Take a pinch of snuff, Mr. St. James-Tello, and acknowledge that I have scored over you in your example. (That was a reference to A Case of Identity, not that I had to tell anybody that.)

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2002-12-05		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

Just to ante-up a bit of a review here to go along w/the troops, I find this to be a welcome change of pace from the heavier English blends out there today. This is a multi-colored shag and the cut makes for easy packing and lighting. The moisture content was a bit on the damp side but in no way a major problem; just let some dry a little and fill your pipe, no worries. The flavor @ lighting is typical English w/the earthy, smoky flavors you would expect to taste, maybe a tad citrusy, but IMO lighter and smoother than some blends. It reminds me a bit of McC. Trollshaws (but lighter) and McC. Scottish Woods (but not quite as sharp). There is an underlying sweetness and a minimal tart/sour note as well. Virtually no bite and burns nicely down to a white ash leaving the pipe clean and dry. The room note was surprising to me. At a tobacco shop where I used to work I smelled a sweet almost aromatic scent coming from a fellow employees pipe in the room where he and I were doing some shelf arrangement. When I asked my co-hort what he was smoking he said "Arcadia." I've not had the same comment, but I'm usually alone when I smoke this. Whatever, I enjoy the stuff when I have the chance to smoke it, and will probably keep a tin around the house. A very nice milder, cool smoking English. Tasty. By the way, the story about Holmes, Watson and Arcadia is called "The Crooked Man," it is in the Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, and, I quote, (Holmes speaking to Watson), "Hum! You still smoke the Arcadia mixture of your bachelor days, then! There's no mistaking that fluffy ash upon your coat." End quote. I believe there is another reference but I'm not sure where @ this time. Nuff said. Works for me!

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	BostonPipe (84)	2002-12-02		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild	Pleasant

Opening the tin I perceived the usual McClelland vinegar/ketchup scent, however, not as powerful as other blends by this company. The tobacco packs very easily due to the shag/stringy cut. I like to smoke this blend in a medium to large tapered bowl. I found the first third of the bowl smokes very mild with a slight sweet edge. In the last two thirds I note a very subtle saltiness to the flavor. I find overall this blend to be a very pleasent, smooth, mild smoke. It burns a nice white/grey ash and needs maybe one re-light. Just a nice, change of pace for this usual heavy oriental smoker.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	gladi8tor96 (143)	2018-04-13		Mild	Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Upon opening the tin the smell of Frog Morton comes to mind immediately. However, there is the smoky component missing and the ribbons are just a bit lighter than FM.

Perfect moisture level to load and light. Took a couple of lights to get going, but after that no relights necessary. Kept lit with light tamping.

The smoke was very similar to FM, except again no latakia and hence not any of that smoky campfire flavor present. However, one gets the sweet, tangy, woodsy, incense like tones throughout the smoke. However, the flavor isn't as strong, bold, or as rich as FM. It's a nice creamy, mellow smoke that is very enjoyable. A must try (though that makes it difficult with the loss of McClellands)!

Pipe Used: Doc K Briar bent brandy

Age When Smoked: 4 years

Purchased From: Morgan Hill Cigar and Wine

Similar Blends: McClelland - Frog Morton (Craftsbury Series).

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Sheldon Richman (15)	2017-09-17		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

I am starting to think that smoking Orientals without latakia is the pipe-smoking equivalent of kissing your sister. While smoking Arcadia and McC 2050, I find myself missing the latakia. Not very satisfying. Where's my Pirate Kake?

Pipe Used: Meerschaum and others

Age When Smoked: A few months old

Purchased From: Local tobacconist

Similar Blends: McC 2050.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JohnnyMcPiperson (119)	2017-07-25		Mild	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

An ok all day English, kind of one dimensional. It could have been the age I suppose, but it just seemed like a flat mild straight forward Latakia based Blend, I suppose that may have been what they were going for given what Black Shag is like. The only one I really like from this series is Honeydew

Pipe Used: Dr. Grabow bent dublin

Purchased From: Sample from CPS box pass

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	EvetsNC (5)	2016-03-27		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

I lean towards history and tradition when it comes to many things, including pipes and tobacco; that is the main reason I wanted to try this tobacco (i.e. because of its literary notoriety and its late 1800s/early 1900s history).

I found it to be very similar to Balkan Sobranie (well, in some of its current forms such as Blue Mountain or Black House since I don't believe I ever tried the original version), but a "lighter" version of it. Back in the day this was probably heads above the rest and so I can see why J. M. Barrie was crazy for it. However, since we are lucky to have an amazing array of amazing tobaccos to choose from these days, I would say this one is very good but not great.

Age When Smoked: new/2015 production

Purchased From: Pipes & Cigars

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	coldmoon (24)	2015-02-24		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Cellared this tobacco in Mason jar for 2 years. It has that ketchupy barbecuey smell to it in the tin, but as I stated earlier - I don't really mind that at all. Perfect moisture level right from the tin. Packs very easily. Lights and stays lit without problems. Very rarely had to relight. The taste is an interesting one. I can definitely taste sweetness from VAs but at the same time some sour notes come through. I have to say that I like the taste very much. Could bite if pushed too hard. This tobacco is a medium strength but it gets a bit stronger at the end of the bowl and the taste gets a bit peppery. The room note is not unpleasant at all. Been smoking this tobacco indoors without much complaint. This is one of the first oriental tobaccos for me. So take this review with a grain of salt. Will definitely keep this tobacco in my rotation. Highly recommended.

Pipe Used: Big Ben bent apple

Age When Smoked: Cellared for 2 years

Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Mike10 (17)	2015-01-23		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Arcadia is a very good English blend rich with smoky-spicy flavors. Having purposely avoided ascertaining what its components were, it took me a little time to get used to, mistaking the smokiness of its flavoring to be a result of liberal seasoning with Latakia. While there is obviously Latakia in Arcadia, the more I smoked it the more I found its flavors more on the spicy and complex side, which would naturally result from greater use of oriental tobaccos.

Overall, Arcadia is very pleasant and nicely traditional. Passers-by wrinkled their noses at the room note several times, but more so found it "smoky" or "strong" rather than actually unpleasant. This is a tobacco that I can recommend without hesitation.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Appalachian Scholar (34)	2014-08-21		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Extra Full	Overwhelming

Let me preface this review by noting that I am not an English fan. I smoked this in 2001 when it first came out. The room aroma was akin to a campfire and the taste was horrible. Having said that, I have come to realize that's how most English blends smell. If you lean towards English blends, you'll probably enjoy this. Aromatic lovers need to stay away.

Its the strongest English blend I have ever tried and could only smoke a few bowls. However, I kept the tin for a while as sniffing the tobacco was useful in clearing out my sinuses.

Pipe Used: Brewster Billiard

Age When Smoked: New

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2013-11-10		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Medium to Full	Tolerable

Great blend of Virginias and orientals, this is my go to smoke. It's the first tobacco I've tried that's stuck with me (with exception to Sutliff's Molto Dolce). This is as others have said "a tobacco for an aro smoker looking for something more."

The tin note is strong of barbecue sauce and ketchup, but the smoke is amazing.

The room note isn't the best, I usually smoke it outside.

I'd recommend this to any one new to the pipe and wanting to move over from aro's. As it is what I would consider a gateway blend.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2013-04-10		Mild	Extremely Mild	Very Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

As an avid McClelland fan I was really looking forward to trying this blend, especially as I was able to obtain a tin from 2002.

I guess "delicacy" was a good word chosen by the company to describe Arcadia, but I found it far too delicate.

For me this blend was all Virginia with only the slightest hint of Oriental interplay. I found the experience to be boring and completely unsatisfying.

I guess I've been spoiled by McClelland's genius Grand Oriental Series which are truly the "rich oriental mixture" that was promised on the label of this blend.

It's a pity Dr. Watson wasn't around to savor Drama Reserve or Smyrna No.1. Now those are blends that will "stop all conversations"

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	nitramretep (8)	2012-12-23		Mild	Mild to Medium	Medium	Tolerable

This blend is a mystery to me...it seems not to improve over time and actually becomes less pleasent after being open for a few days. McClelland is one of my favorite brands and having read several positive reviews was a little dissapointed. The Frog series still continues to please me though. 221b is perhaps just not my cup of tea but there again I am not a fan of other "dry" blends. I was using this blend in two Ashton pipes both XL models.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	reedsteve (7)	2012-09-10		Mild	None Detected	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

The variety of opinion on the more subtle recipes really comes to to fore with blends such as Arcadia. Controversy over how other kinds of leaf besides latakia can produce that Lapsong Souchong aroma abounds. Problem with always choosing the most in your face "flavor" is that it most often ceases to be our favorite one year later. After too many decades of playing this game, I would say that Arcadia may not be many experts favorite, yet it is often returned to year after year for possessing a classic taste and subtle balance. Perhaps special versions of this kind of "thinking" will supplement or reverse the trend of nameing blends after singular oriental leaf of past fame . Not being able to satisfy our ever glorifying memory is the real game at play.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2011-10-08		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

A very nice, shag cut mixture of VAs, Stoved VAs and OR, easy to smoke and which leaves a nice, sweet roomnote thanks to the stoved VAs. I had not ordered Arcadia in years and, smoking it again, regret not having reordered before. I don't know if it is the real Arcadia mentonned in Sherlock Holmes, but it sure is really good.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2011-09-17		Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I really enjoy the concept here and the oriental really shines through. Develops nicely towards the bottom of the bowl. Enough going on here to keep interest and aging really helps harmonize this blend.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Tripjoker (65)	2011-06-09		Mild	Extremely Mild	Mild	Tolerable

Again, another $10 wasted. I promise never to buy any more of McClellands products. The reviews are too predictable. Cheers!

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2011-03-11		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

A very nice mild English blend with little to no Latakia. This is an "all day smoke" that only gets better to further down the bowl you smoke. This has a very light fruity taste along with the orientals. It sounds like an odd mix, but it works. I have not smoked any aged samples, but I have a feeling that age will be kind to this blend.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2011-03-01		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I first learned of Arcadia at a pipe club meeting and I was not impressed at the time. Later I purchased a tin, and found it a relief from English blends with Latakia. I now enjoy Arcadia as a milder alternative to other favorites such as Dunhill London Mixture, Squadron Leader, Westminster or Picadilly.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2010-12-11		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

The shag cut and the moisture of this blend is perfect for an even packing and burn. It offers a cool and relaxant smoke. I like the very tasty orientals in it. Most of the reviewers wrote their opinions about the latakia addition of this blend. I agree with those who said that tehere is just a touch of latakia here. It is not hard to detect but sometimes orientals may give a similiar flavor of latakia.

The sweet spiceness of flavors offered me great smoking sessions. I highly recommend it.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Virginia lover (218)	2010-02-11		Very Mild	None Detected	Extremely Mild (Flat)	Pleasant to Tolerable

Light smoke, bland taste. Burns well to a white ash, no tongue bite.McClelland' s ketchup smell is light. I gave away the rest after a few tries.

Virginia lover

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2009-01-13		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Arcadia is a short/medium cut tobacco, varying from black to medium brown in colour. The first week the tin was opened, it smelled of orientals, stoved black VA and VAs; however it also presented an unidentified damp, rather sour, almost unpleasant smell that hung in my nostrils for a while. After about 5-6 days, that smell disappeared and solely the orientals and VAs prevailed.

Due to the cut, Arcadia is easy to fill and light up; the taste reminded me of Oriental No 14 for the first third of the pipeful, minus the Latakia. The VAs, especially the stoved, dominate that part. The second third built stronger, with more of the Orientals dominating. The last third was stronger still and both VAs and Orientals were very perceptible. The nicotine content is just right.

The tobacco can have a tendency to bite if smoked before the leaf is sufficiently dried out. It is more enjoyable when it is properly dried out. Overall, I appreciated the combination of VAs, especially the stoved ones, with the orientals. It is a nice change of pace from the traditional VA Oriental and Latakia blends, and satisfying still.

It will not become part of my regular rotation, but I will certainly rebuy Arcadia. Recommended.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Kerdy (43)	2008-11-01		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

UPDATE:

Just opened a 4 year old tin. Age has been very kind to this tobacco! Very nice indeed.

----------------------------------------

07/02/2004

So far this is the first English type blend that I have enjoyed enough to want to purchase another tin. Maybe time is changing what I like or maybe it is just a very good middle of the road English. I have dedicated a pipe for this blend alone. It, I imagine, is exactly what Waston would have smoked. Possibly even Holmes from time to time. It burns cool and clean with nice plumes of smoke. A nice light Earthy aroma. Something for outdoors, as if the wife would ever allow it indoors. It is easy to get caught up in daydreaming while smoking this blend. As much as I like this, it may slowly turn me over to an English lover. We will see. If you smoke aromatics and want a change of pace, I recommend this without reservation.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	RMBittner (66)	2008-09-04		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I held off trying this blend for quite a while, afraid it would just be another run-of-the-mill English. And I couldn't bear the thought of trying something that even vaguely attempted to replicate the fictional "Arcadia" (which, as I'm sure others here have noted, was based on the very real "Craven Mixture") only to find that it was nondescript.

I recommend setting prejudices and unrealistic expectations aside -- after all, no blend made with current tobacco harvests can begin to duplicate a blend that existed 100 years ago, and which certainly changed over time as well (hence two quite different modern blends that claim to be based on Craven Mixture: "Arcadia" and Cornell & Diehl's "Yale Mixture") -- and simply enjoying this one.

If you've sampled any of the Frog Mortons or Butera's Royal Vintage: Latakia #2, you'll experience some familiar notes. But the Frogs (at least the ones I've tried) highlighted sweetness in their blends, and Arcadia is a generally dry smoke that only has an occasional touch of (natural, not added) sweetness. And, to my palate, the Butera Latakia #2 blend exudes wonderful aroma while failing to deliver flavor; Arcadia succeeds nicely in both areas.

So much has been written about this already, that I don't feel compelled to deliver a point-by-point appraisal. I'll just say that this is a fine, very well-balanced Oriental blend that's well worth exploring. It doesn't knock you out with Orientals -- this is no Presbyterian or Red Rapparee -- and it doesn't have as much of the exotic latakia component as Yenidje Highlander (though it wouldn't surprise me if there is Syrian latakia in Arcadia). It's just a very well-crafted medium-weight English. And while that might sound like dozens of other blends, I think McClelland's handling of the Virginias constitutes almost a brand identity (like the basic difference between Coke and Pepsi). . . and I think that sets Arcadia apart from much of the rest of the English pack.

FWIW: This sampling was based on a five-year-old tin, from 2003. If that one tin was any indication, Arcadia will age very well, at least for the short term.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Past Master (20)	2008-06-10		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

My interest in Arcadia was piqued a few years ago when I read the article about it in Pipes & Tobaccos Magazine. The folks at McClelland had found an antique sample of Arcadia in the hands of a collector. They acquired the sample and carefully disassembled it strand by strand, examining each piece by magnifying glass, and separating them into separate piles noting the identity and proportions of each component. In this way, they were able to reconstruct the original recipe of this classic.

Maybe that's more than you wanted to know, but it caught my fascination, and wanted to try this blend as a means of travelling back in time to accompany Dr. Watson to 221B Baker Street.

I found Arcadia to be just what it promised to be, an extremely mild but pleasant and agreeable smoke. Just like the sort of chap an eccentric like Holmes would want as a daily foil. Although not the most exciting of blends, its at least as interesting as Dr. Watson who, although not known for being the most flamboyant personality in Victorian London, was not without a few surprises of his own from time to time.

To date, the 62 previous reviewers have voted overwhelming in favor of Arcadia, 75% giving it 3 or 4 stars.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2008-05-25		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Very Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

this tobbac is very interesting, it has an initial flavor upon first light, but has a tendency to go to a cool smoke directly after, i detected slight hints of butterscotch about half way through the bowl. in all i would say exept for the few flair ups of flavor it could be equated to being a glass of water with a spoon full of suger ( a light sweetness) and a very cool smoke

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	constantsmoker (65)	2007-09-27		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Upon opening the tin,I was greeted by an aroma of lightly spiced beef jerky which, for obviously carnivorous recessive gene reasons, turned me on. The product seemed to have a balanced moisture content, lit well and burned smoothly. Smoke this one slowly, though, as it tends to dry out one's mouth if one is a constant puffer(as am I)...yet it does not bite the tongue appreciably even if you do create a pipe furnace. Nice smoky aroma, and a wonderful smoke when one is in a reflective mood, perhaps puffing on a churchwarden pipe with this mixture. A masterful combination of Virginia and Oriental tobaccos, and arguably the best of the 221-B Series. McClelland hit a grand slam home run with this blend.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	cell biologist (21)	2007-09-09		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Pleasant

I just had the coldest smoke this morning.  I dressed to the hilt, the cold-weather version of high heels and diamonds, and took my pipe onto the deck with my pad of paper to ruminate over grant proposal specific aims as I puffed.  The pipe was the Tinsky briar hawkbill.  The tobacco was the Arcadia mixture.  The temperature was below zero °F when I went out and was 2°F when I came in.  I had a cup of coffee, which I was obligated to drink quickly before it froze.  Ice formed from my nostril breath on the pipe's shank and stem.  The tobacco was difficult to keep lit.  Any smoke that accidentally went down the throat was somewhat sharp, but it was fine in the nose and mouth.  The flavor was great, however.  I really like this tobacco, and this pipe is now smoking very well.  (I have a theory that smoking a pipe in the very cold helps break it in.  My theory has no real physics behind it other than the temperature differential between the hot burning tobacco and the cold air helps re-orient the molecular structure and diffuse the tobacco essence into the pipe.  This may be entirely fantasy.)  The pipe at first seemed to absorb the flavor and body of the tobacco, and is now delivering a little of it back.  The Arcadia mixture smells smoky in the tin, but apparently does not contain Latakia (at least it is not mentioned, and several reviewers say so).  It may be that the treatment of the oriental therein imparts a smoky aroma.  The smoke is all tobacco flavor, and rich and deep, with a nice complement of spicy oriental.  It has a sweet taste on the tongue, not like and aromatic, just tobacco-sweet.  The finish is excellent, the flavor builds like a good virginia.  All in all, the coldest smoke was a success!

Update: I have since tried Arcadia in a number of pipes and it also sings in a pecan pipe with a graphite bowl, and in a Tinsky Canadian. This tobacco is somewhat of an acquired taste, like scotch I suppose (which I learned to drink many years ago now). The more I smoke it the more I like it. The blenders have not only done their research on an interesting old tobacco blend, they have put their finest tobaccos in this one.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Redd (117)	2007-07-11		Medium	Very Mild	Medium	Strong

Better to leave the mystery in the tin to Holmes Old man. Or sned your tin to Nigel Bruce. Nice idea for a selling point that is Directed to the Sherlockian Fan. The Blend is Bitter to much Oriental. Smokes wet and hard to keep lit.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2007-07-02		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Tolerable

Hmmm, a tobacco blend over which there is disagreement, a rarity indeed! Sarcasm aside, I cellared a tin five years before giving Arcadia a go. I come at this blend somewhat prejudiced, having a fondness for McClelland blends and very much enjoying Blag Shag in the same series.

Everything about Arcadia was not what I expected. It is darker in color, heavier in flavor, slightly cased, easier to burn and perfectly unique, having expected a lighter mixture that would end up being a Virginia tilted English, light on the condimental leaf.

Arcadia's flavors are balanced while at the same time distinct, no easy accomplishment. Very easy to smoke and as a dry bowl at smoke end I have found. I enjoyed this most in a group 5 bowl with straight-sides, finding conical bowls intensifying the flavor to point of being harsh. Smaller bowls however drilled did not deliver enough flavor to keep this cool.

The closest blend comparison would be Rattray's Highland Targe or perhaps 3 Noggins. All in all, Arcadia is a good mixture, but my tastes lean more in the Highland Targe direction in this genre. I think the cigarette-like aftertaste keeps me from praising this more.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	final_id (37)	2007-04-01		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

This interesting put-together tries to capture an old English recipe that, like Balkan Sobraine, is technically "lost" but can still be mimicked accurately. Supposedly. Just thought I'd let you know that tidbit. :)

Now then, I find it nicely light and airy, a kind of "dry grey" smoke that, were it a photograph, would be a black-and-white documentary image of an airplane propellor with no people anywhere in the image. Kind of "just the facts ma'am." For that reason, it almost has no experience to it at all, just a technically accurate expression of Syrian and Virginia. It's the most like a cigarette of any tobacco I'll smoke, though it doesn't have the sticks and weeds and seeds or the tarry, mal-constructed smell and taste of the cheap tobaccos of typical cheap cigarette manufacture.

Also, the ash is absolutely gorgeous. Arcadia disappears into a perfect white powder with almost no unburnt leaves, no dark spots, little goopy buildup. Would be absolutely useless for trying to pre-char a new pipe, it almost would leave nothing behind but the smooth pristine inside of the bowl just as when you bought it before it was smoked at all!

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2007-01-12		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

09/03/2011 I am upgrading this from 3 to 4 stars. In the 4 1/2 years since I first tried Arcadia, I have smoked many tins of this, and it is, without a doubt, one of my favorite blends. No matter what else I smoke, I have at least 2 bowls a day of Arcadia. If I could only have one blend, Arcadia would be that blend.

01/1/007 Being a fan of both McClelland and Sherlock Holmes, I decided to try Arcadia. I do like Oriental blends, McConnell's Oriental being one of my favorites. I acquired a tin with almost 4 years aging, and was pleased with the blend. Arcadia packed and lit easily. This blend burned evenly and smoked cool to the bottom of the bowl, leaving a fluffy ash. While I could sense tongue bite lurking around in there, I experienced none myself. What I did experience was a scrumptious bowlful of tobacco. I would definitely recommend Arcadia to any pipe smoker, and I look forward to trying Honeydew and Black Shag from the 221-B series. Well done, McClelland, another winner.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2006-12-08		Mild	Very Mild	Mild	Tolerable

Wasn't my thing- Can had the famous McKetchup Smell- and took forever to dry out. I got Bite something awful. Maybe too much P.G.? Could have been my chemistry. Much better Virgina blends out there.

**update- I noticed I made a typo and fixed. There does seem to be some new reviews stating a lack of the famous ketchup/Vingr. smell. I may try again to see if theres a change...

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	RCUSElder (244)	2006-04-06		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Strong

Early in my pipe smoking career (LOL!!!) I picked up this blend and really was unable to appreciate its quality. I recently picked up a tin and can now give it justice.

Appearance and Tin aroma: Yes, this has the trademark MCC tang. Smells earthy, musty, and spicy. The cut is a fine ribbon. The leaf is mostly dark with stoved and red VA leaf and darker oriental leaf.

Packing and Lighting: This is a bit wet upn opening. I like to load a pipe and let it sit for an hour or two before lighting. At that point, it lights fairly easily.

Initial Flavor: Delicious stoved VA/Oriental blend. A bit nippy from the start, though.

Mid-Bowl: If sipped, a wonderful journey. The flavor profile is similar to "VA Woods" by the same blended. Sweet and sour transistions abound and they mix wonderfully.

Bottom of Bowl: Not much of an increase in strength, but it ends with a dark grey mottled ash. There is quite a bit of moisture in the shank, though.

Overall: This is a delicious mid-strength oriental blend that is of high quality as to be expected by MCC. I wouldn't say this is going to be a regular for me, but definitely will keeep a tin or two in the cellar. Two notes of caution: 1. Smoke it slow or you will get tongue-bite, 2. The room note is great while smoking, but later is foul, like burned plastic. Smoke outside! Lastly, I found that if you smoke this blend, the aftertaste will not allow you to enjoy other Company's blends. I tried to smoke some Ashbury after smoking this and got a bitter, foul surprise! But this aftertaste is usually gone by the next day. Enjoy...

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2005-12-05		Mild	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

221b is the blend I choose when I am in the mood for something other than perique/latakia-lased blends. It is a beautiful shag/ribbon cut and I actually like the smell out of the tin. It is not as moist as most McClellands` out of the tin and is very much a no-hassle tobacco for packing and lighting. The Virginias and orientals in this blend seem to work well together and would be a nice cross over blend into the english world. If puffed feveriously, it will bite somewhat and become acidic. A well-rounded tobak that has a great taste from start to finish as it burns to a nice ash! No write-ups as this is a very low-maintenance tobacco. Cellar some as age will only improve this blend.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2005-09-01		Mild	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

One of the 221b series in honor of Sherlock Holmes, this is an enchanting typically McC blend with a unique twist. It?s burnt ketchup in the tin, but reserved and darkly fragrant. It?s a fine shag cut that packs well into the bowl and provides a long, cool smoke. This is very different from other McCs, and of the highest quality. Arcadia is obviously a stoved Virginia with a peppery Macedonian or other Oriental added for zest. As distinguished gentleman indicates below, it wavers between sweet and sour. It leaves a fluffy, white ash. Now I am inspired to search the Sherlock Holmes stories to find the reference to this fine blend. A fine tribute to a distinguished body of writing. Both Holmes and Watson would've probably loved it!

Four of five stars

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Mephisto (32)	2005-04-22		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

this blend is light and smokey and burns very well. It is not strong of flavor but still interesting. I like the fluffyness and the easy going impression it gives. It is however just a tad too strong for all day smoke. I like the orientals and it is not strong like matured virginias. A new kind of category that I quite like. Not an English as one would expect from most blends such as squadron leader or penzance yet still has many of the qualities that make english blends so interesting. Great burning qualities but can get a bit hot if puffed too much yet no bite. May get a bitter puff at times but this is passing and not to be fretted over. The room note is tolerable but not very pleaseing to the non-piper as it is not camp fireish or sweet but dont let this keep you from trying it. I like it very much and it is good when you dont want a latakia english blend or an aromatic it falls in a midle grould not sweet not musty I dont know how to describe it other than to say if you try it you will at least be pleased with an intersting and very well behaved blend that does not become boreing or overbearing. A review that I guess doesnt say much other than do try it as it is unique and I think it will agree with many of you as it has will me. I have added it to my regulars along with squadron leader, old dublin (english), penzance (class of its own), sunset breaze and bluenote ( aromatic ) this will give you an idea of my taste if yours are similar then you might like this too.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	UncleGar (110)	2005-03-17		Mild	None Detected	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

Ah, the inevitable complaint on the absence of latakia. As my mom used to say, it's easier to add than take out. It's hard to find a good oriental without it, and this is one of them.

The McClelland sour note sure pinched my nose, though it's irrelevant to me. The Sherlock Holmes baloney is as well; I came for the orientals and what they bring.

Aromaticity and sweetness and limited nicotine characterize this blend, and it would have become my favorite of this type had I not found McConnell's Oriental. Arcadia is bland by comparison, requiring a half bowl to come up to speed. Still not a bad smoke and easier to find.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2005-01-19		Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

I was quite disappointed with this one, hoping for it to live up to the hype carried by the name ?Arcadia.? The biggest let-down was the paucity of latakia in the blend. Overall, not a very pleasing or memorable smoke.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2004-09-11		Medium	Mild	Medium to Full	Strong

Every bowl I packed of this, the first few puffs had a very strange, slightly sour taste. As the bowls burned, the strange taste disappeared and they turned out to be decent smokes. It does taste like clean, quality leaf once it has burned down. It burns well and eventually produces a flavorful, rich, thick smoke. I just can't forget that initial taste and it often prevents me from grabbing the tin. If you don't mind that initial "unique" flavor, this might be a good choice for you. I'll finish the other half of this 11 dollar tin eventually but don't expect I'll return to this one.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2004-08-20		Mild	None Detected	Mild	Pleasant

When I recently picked up pipe smoking again, I desired to find a mild English-style tobacco as a counterpoint to my usual aromatics. I picked up a can of Arcadia and was extremely pleased, for a while.

Arcadia is pleasantly moist and packs easily. Once through the charring light, it stays lit very well and smokes cleanly. Tongue bite isn't really a risk unless you are seriously overdrawing on your pipe.

The room note is mild, if unremarkable. It certainly won't offend anyone not already offended by tobacco smoke in general. All in all, a pleasant bowl to meditate over.

I resolved that Arcadia would be a regular part of my tobacco rotation; a resolution I kept for a couple of tins. Unfortunately, as I sampled more and more tobaccos, I found that Arcadia really doesn't stand up to scrutiny. Another reviewer used the term, 'single dimensional', and that describes it pretty accurately. If you are a new pipe smoker or an aromatic one wishing to branch out a bit, this may well be a non-traumatic introduction to this style. If offered a bowl in the future, I would not turn it down. But, given the variety of better tobaccos in the pipescape, I doubt I would be sufficiently motivated to purchase another tin.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Ivanhoe (36)	2004-04-26		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

There seems to be a considerable range of experience and taste with Arcadia. Some find it hard to light, some say it's easy. Some smell the McClelland ketchup, others don't. Some say it's sweet, others say sour. I can't tell if these are just different impressions from different people or if McClelland has some sort of quality control problem with this one. I find Arcadia to be inconsistent in taste -- even within a single bowlful.

Here is my experience. I found no characteristic ketchup odor when I opened the tin; in fact, the pouch aroma was quite faint. The tobacco was cut in a shag and was quite dry for a McClelland blend. (Just about the way I like it, actually.) You don't really need to pack it at all, it just pours into the pipe bowl. I found it to light easily and burn steadily without many relights.

I like many McClelland Virginia blends, but I am still undecided about this one. The taste changes erratically for me. Sometimes it's just muddy, as an earlier reviewer reported, and sometimes I taste sweet Va tobacco. Other times a sharp, sour taste comes through that some may like but I do not. Also, the turkish tobacco in this blend seems sometimes to impart a cigarette-type taste sometimes that I do not like. This may be the source of the muddiness.

I will finish what I have and probably not buy any more of this stuff. There are too many delicious tobaccos waiting for me to spend time on one that only pleases me intermittently.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2003-09-12		Mild	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

This is an excellent transition from some of the milder tobacs to a fuller richer blend. I have learned to love Latikia in a big way since my discovery of this blend. This is THE example of a mild to medium English where the VA still stands up and makes you take notice.

Also, is there anything that smokes quite as cool and sweet all the way to the bottom of the bowl. DGT is also an option with this blend. I think it may even gain a bit of strength when employed correctly.

I have a few pipes in excess of three inches in bowl height that make for an excellent cool smoke, but they all handle the shag cut of this blend to perfection.

4 stars, two thumbs up, and good smoking.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2003-04-03		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

What a treat. This tobacco surprised me upon first openning and continues to do so every time I smoke it.

The robbon cut is very thin and suggests a quick burning (hot) smoke. Surprise #1. It smokes slowly and cool, all in all a very smmoth smoking experience.

The aroma from the can is nice with a mix of Latakia, Oriental and Virginia. No suprise there and the smoke follows the same guidelines. Sheer pleasure.

This tobacco, time and time again comes across as sharp and clean with each tobacco standing in its place and joining together with the others for a very pleasurable smoke.

I keep waiting for this tobacco to fall short of my expectations, and each time I smoke it I am again reminded how good it is.

Enjoy!

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2002-10-28		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant

as i am fairly new to the world of pipe i will attempt to be objective about what i see,smell and taste. i have written this after 1 fresh tin smoked.

appearance-very fine cut(think saw-shavings), low moisture content, predomenatly black mottled with dark and light brown leaf.

tin aroma- a pungent mixture of latikia and vinegar. an apealing spicey tartness

the smoke- lights and burns very well to the end of the bowl. very little condensation. initial taste is a delightful smokey nutty flavor which lingers until nearing the bottom of the bowl. at this point the flavor becomes fairly acrid and mineraly in my opinion. it imparts a sea saltish quality on the back of the tongue which sticks with you for quite awhile. if this blend were to maintain its beginning taste throughout the bowl it would surely be a favorite of mine. i plan on ordering another tin and seeing if my palate becomes more acustom to the flavor, but as for now i think ill load a bowl of Caravan in its place.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	BronxBriar (10)	2002-03-21		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

Sorry to go against the tide of the majority opinion....but I didn't like it, would not recommend it, and will not smoke it again.

It's a vanilla shake without the syrup, it's all hat and no cattle,....well you get the idea.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2002-02-16		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

I shall have to begin by agreeing with some of my predecessors in reviewing this tobacco. It does not have the usual McClelland "aroma" that I for one like. Be that as it may I do like the low smokey tin aroma of this blend.

Despite the glowing self-description on the tin label this is a tobacco worth sharing. It packs and lights easily and burns clean all the way down the bowl.

The taste is mild, with just a hint of spice. The tobacco that I detect the most is Virginia, with just a touch of Latakia perhaps. If there is turkish I did not detect it.

I found this a blend with some kick to it on an empty stomach, I was positively giddy last night. A good smoke after any meal. One of the few "english" style tobaccos I have found that I really like. Highly Recommended.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2002-01-21		Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

Despite the hoopla emanating through the universe by hordes of repressed little Sherlockians, this just isn't much of a tobacco. It's a sour-smelling wiry little shag that is hard to light whether wet or dry. On getting it lit, you'll taste some Latakia, then the Orientals, and it will even turn light and sweet later in the bowl. The effect is something like watching a very fat seal do his tricks VERY SLOWLY. Smoked as slowly as possible, it is perhaps at its best, and can only be described as "muddy." Whatever possessed Watson to smoke this stuff? Oh yes, he was English and had NO sense of TASTE.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2001-03-31		Medium	Very Mild	Medium to Full	Tolerable

This is something of a novelty: a McClelland blend without bite or excessive moisture, which still has excellent taste. If you are expecting a "tongue-bite-in-a-can" Virginia or a soupy Frog Morton-style blend, you should be pleasantly surprised here. The tin aroma is a nice mellow, musty sweetness, with a hint of the normal McClelland vinegar smell. It is a darker tobacco, black and dark browns making up most of the tin, with a small amount of lighter brown leaf. The cut is medium to long, and packing is fairly easy. The moisture level is rather low for a McClelland blend, though higher than others such as GL Pease. It lights easily, puffing up immediately into a fluffy white ash, and needs about the average number of relights during the bowl. In the first 1/3 of the bowl, there is definite sweetness and bright flavor from the Virginias. The Oriental tobacco, however, seems to mellow this out, providing an excellent addition of subtle, musty flavor to the smoke. Though too early to tell, tongue bite seems to not be a problem here. The overall flavor is very smooth and sweet, not dark at all but not overly mild and weak either. With the second third, some of the strong sweetness dissipates, though the smoke is still somewhat sweet. The musty, darker Orientals become more prominent and flavorful, though I still wouldn't call this a dark, rich smoke. There is still no bite, and no problems with moisture up to now. The last third is similar to the second, darker and richer than a straight Virginia but not as much so as an English blend. The smoke is still smooth and tasty, full but not overwhelming. There is a bit of gurgle towards the end, but a single pipe cleaner took care of that. There is still no bite, something I find amazing in a McClelland (partial) Virginia blend. It just stays smooth and good right down to the bottom. Overall, I find this a very good, mild blend without any bite. There is enough taste and complexity for the full English smoker, but at the same time it isn't too rich and full for the Virginia flake lover. I, liking both types, would tend to reach for this when I'm in the mood for something lighter and sweeter than Latakia-based blends. This is a very good tobacco, and I plan to buy more when my tin runs out.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Antonius Blok (192)	2021-11-08		Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

McClelland made some of the best tobaccos I have ever had the opportunity to smoke, and I am not necessarily referring to the most famous ones. Arcadia is one of them ...

When I opened the tin for the first time, I was wondering in admiration how they managed to put 50 grams of tobacco in a container that is the equivalent of 2/3 of a standard size. That makes me think that being more pressed could facilitate the amalgamation of the component tobaccos and its better aging. Very fine cut leaves of a very dark color appear at sight, dotted with a few brown flakes. It seems that they are virginias cooked and quite aged by time, hence the black color is the predominant color. Some reviewers say it wears Latakia, but I don't think so as I don't perceive it at all.

Once the pipe is lit, the smoke is slightly creamy, smooth and relaxing. The taste is pleasantly dairy, buttery, in the style of some Latakia blends with orientals, but in this case, only Virginia and Izmir. No ketchup in the flavor. Nor do I perceive any coverage, although considering the reviews of some very experienced smokers I would not put my hand in the fire in this regard. Some puffs brings slightly toasted nuances.

Arcadia is one of the most pleasant surprises that I have encountered lately in this world of pipe tobaccos and it comes to scientifically demonstrate that theory of those who think that Watson was sometimes ahead of his partner. Elemental, my dear Holmes...

Pipe Used: Brentegani

Age When Smoked: 20 years

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pryhosm (248)	2021-04-14		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I was just revisiting the reviews on this tobacco and realized I never wrote a review for this great blend. I am a big fan of Oriental blends and I am a lover of McClelland Virginia's. McClelland may be the best Oriental forward blender of all time, despite being known as the pinnacle of Virginia tobacco blending. This is an old tin from 2007 that I am smoking now and I am down to my last 3 tins of this. This is supposed to be a recreation of Craven's mixture, of which I am on my last tin as I write this. I will state up front that I don't think this remotely resembles Craven's mixture. Craven's mixture has a pronounced top note that is floral and perfume like, Arcadia has none of that. This blend is slightly sweet, sour, woody, buttery with a slight spice note. The complexity of the flavor is deep but subtle. It is not a mouth coating flavor bomb like a Latakia heavy blend. It is a more medium strength subtle and nuanced flavor profile. The finish is long and extremely pleasant. It is like the taste that follows after eating toasted bread with butter and spices with a residual tang. The way the individual tobacco's and flavors compliment each other in away I do not think I have experienced in another blend. Another blend relegated to history, but if you have the chance and are a lover of Oriental tobacco's I highly recommend this blend.

Age When Smoked: 14 years

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	anglocatholicpiper (34)	2020-10-27		Mild	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Frog Morton without the Latakia. Period. It's good. It's McClelland. I miss this company! I taste the Vas and the Orientals...and the topping. Not overly sweet. Thoroughly a McClelland flavor. A bit wet out of the tin (even after 4 years of age). Would wish, heartily, that this was still available. Even if it's not my favorite blend, I can't think of anything else that could replace this.

Pipe Used: Meers

Age When Smoked: 4 years old

Purchased From: Boswells

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	hoo-boy (26)	2015-10-26		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

Tried this mostly because I am a fan of Sherlock and the Doc. Not very impressed It burns easily and gentle on the tongue BUT as an English bland kinda fellow it left me knowing I could do better! JUT might be for those who are starting their exploring of Englishes hoo

Similar Blends: Tried this because being a fan of Sherlock and the doc., No very impressed . It burns easily but as I like English blend this left my a tad disappointed McClellends have some tasty blend on their shelf I really prefer . , Might be good If you are just starting English blends , hoo.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2015-10-18		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

Ribbon-cut, light brown in colour, spicy; slightly smoked and slightly sweet smell. I think this will be an easy and a light smoke.

Easy packing in a meerschaum, the first lighting produced an overwhelming taste of acidity which I found too overpowering and unimpressive.

However, less than a minute later, it all got balanced with beautiful spices and cloves flavours and some tangy sweetness (undoubtedly, the famous McClelland Virginias). I really like it now, and start drawing faster. A slight bite reminds me I should puff calmly and enjoy the taste without melting my tongue. Then throughout the second half of the bowl, I thought I detected some Latakia. The description does not mention any Latakia. I could be wrong.

Anyway, this is an easy all day smoke, with a nice taste. Nothing too complex about this baccy as it does not evolve and is not a show stopper. But it's a heck of a good mixture and can be smoked at any time of the day.

Pipe Used: Meerschaum

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Sgt_Fig (5)	2013-04-04		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Very Pleasant

While I enjoy a broad range of tobaccos, a few remain as a standard by which I gauge others. This is one of them. While mood is a strong predictor of my tobacco choice, there are no bad situations where this blend, sitting in my "Cave" doesn't bring me joy and relaxation. A wonderful blend of legend and reality for me. I always day dream of my first reading of J.M. Barrie's masterpiece, My Lady Nicotine and the descriptive prose that captured my imagination even after all these years.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2013-03-04		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

As there have been multiple opinions offered on this nice mixture, I shall be brief.

McClelland realized a very nice mixture with Arcadia. The stoved VA combined with OR really shine together.

Edit

The lack of nicotine turns me away from this excellent mixture. Too bad.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	krg1000 (183)	2010-12-07		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Medium	Pleasant

I had tried this years ago, but had forgotten what it was like. This does have the McClelland ketchup smell, but not as strong as some I have tried from McC. It seems to be just right moisture wise for me to pack and smoke right out of the tin. It lights and stays lit easily enough. It produces a decent amount of smoke. I can see why this gets so many positive reviews here. It seems to pass the wife test, so it gets the pleasant rating from me. This smokes down to a nice ash at the end of the bowl without any gurgling at all. Definitely recommended.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2010-11-27		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Tolerable

Wow! People aren't kidding about the ketchup smell... My first McClelland you see. There is a slight smokiness in the tin as well though. This kind of tastes like it smells I think; really not bad, but not exceptional. There wasn't any of the sweetness that a Squadron Leader, for instance, has. I got a slight "tingle" from nicotine content that I don't in many tobaccos. Not a bad room note, but not sweet smelling at all. The wife may not like it; luckily mine's away right now, haha. This would definitely be a medium English blend I think. Leaves a lingering aftertaste, but I like that a lot. This is a good tobacco; my two star rating doesn't mean it's not, it's just not something I want to smoke all the time. Many smokers will probably like it a lot.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2010-09-13		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is, by far, my favorite McClellend blend and one of my favorite blends, period. The tin needs to be left open for a day or two to bring it to optimum smokability but then it is outstanding. I dont know whether it has any latakia in it but that's about how much latakia I like, just enough to say, "Hmmm, I wonder if there's any latakia in here." This, along with Rattray's Jock's and Samual Gawith's Squadron Leader are my all-day companions.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2010-07-25		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Tolerable

A distinctively different mixture.

There are no Latakias but it still remains a rich, dark mixture.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2010-05-05		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

This blend was not at all what I expected, however this was also the first English/oriental blend I have tried and being a Holmes fan I just had to. From the tin I detected that slightly spicy ketchup flavor one hears about allot, it packed well but took many tamp and relight cycles to keep burning however once it was lit it stayed that way. The aroma reminded me right off of a nice warm camp fire with medium earth like tones and smoked moist enough to not dry out my mouth. A very nice blend for a night at camp, or by the fire after a long day hot on the trail of the latest mystery. All in all a good break from the normal aromatics I smoke in the daily rotation. Seems to be consistent with the smoke of that time.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2010-02-06		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This review is based on a single bowl sample that's at least a couple of years old. It was dry and ready to smoke. It smelled fine and I believe it was kept properly. The overall impression was of a clean dry more or less nondescript English with the Virginia tobacco fairly front and center at first, and the other elements getting stronger mid bowl. I was unable to smoke to the bottom, and was surprised to find quite a bit of unburned tobacco and some moisture there, as it seemed to smoke dry. Odd that.

Based on this one bowl, I have no urge to run out and get more, and if I had more here I probably wouldn't gravitate towards it anyway, so it receives two stars.

(One star = would not smoke for free, Two stars = would willingly smoke, Three stars = if faced with a few different options, would probably choose, Four stars = actively seek out.)

I strongly urge others to ignore my review if you feel others are more compelling... after all, these notes are just from one bowl. If more of this comes around, I will update my review...

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2009-12-10		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Tolerable

As a fan of mystery series (including Sherlock Holmes), I got drawn into this tobacco when I learned it was supposedly Dr. Watson's favorite smoke (whatever that means--as if he's a real guy). But I was willing to overlook that inconsistency because I've always liked Watson, and I guess I just assumed he had good taste. Smoking this blend however, proved to be a slightly different experience. I can't seem to get to the bottom of it (either my lingering questions about the blend or the tin of tobacco). It is a one-of-a-kind blend with a peculiar flavor--some days I find myself taken aback by it in a somewhat good way, other days it seems a little too out there for me and it leaves no clues as to why. Overall, I think I liked it much better when the tin was brand new. Either my tastes have changed or there's been some mystery that's gone on with the tobacco as it sits. Seems a little sleuthing is in order--looks like this calls for my calabash and pipe lighter...

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2009-09-14		Mild	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

Not for me I'm afraid. I found this blend to be a little bland. There is no doubt that many will enjoy this style of blend It burns to a nice grey ash, packs and burns well and no bite. The room note is tolerable. Nicotine is minimal. Smoked in a Stanwell Vario 2/5 stars

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Dr.sadik (120)	2009-01-09		Medium	None Detected	Full	Tolerable to Strong

succeful marriagefor the virginia orinetals,, latakia is there but i guess tht pinch aint generous,,any way i dnt like there dual impact,,its a sharp blend mks ur buds alerted forevery puff,,burns perfectly and have the oreintal tag to it,,but it is aint ablend iwould die without,,but would go back to one day thti cn promise

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2008-11-28		Mild	Very Mild	Mild	Very Pleasant

I really enjoyed this blend. I do think that linking this tobacco to a literary juggernaut is probably its biggest downfall, whom could do that justice? Anyway, it smokes nicely. I absolutely love the room note (and so does the missus) and I will keep it in the daily rotation. It is a mildly cool smoke and has virtually no tongue bite. The overall tasted does change at the bottom of the bowl and becomes more earthy and I presume this is the orientals showing up late for the party. A good blend that few would be disappointed in purchasing.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	CPT/VSG (72)	2008-04-23		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

When I took up the pipe again a few months ago, Arcadia was recommended to me by one of my tobacconists. It was a good reintroduction to Oriental blends as it stays lit without trouble and burns down to a nice ash. It is interesting enough with a nice room note. It has no bite and leaves little aftertaste. In all a pleasant tobacco although, after finishing the tin, it doesn't make my regular rotation. There are just too many more interesting options out there.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2008-04-10		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Tolerable

This is a blend that quit honestly is just slightly above average. The taste is very well balanced and well rounded, but is missing something. The blend smokes very cool and is also very dry. The taste is only slightly sweet and does not exhibit any of the McClelland vinegar smell. I also think that this blend would be helped by some latakia. The ash is so fine that it requires no coaxing to get it out of the pipe. I also find it to be very easy to keep light. Other than that it is another average English blend that offers little to differentiate its self from the rest. All in all not bad but not exceptional.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	puro66 (73)	2007-07-01		Mild	None Detected	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

The best of the 221b series but that's not hard to achieve. It's a decent enough smoke but not a must have for me. I was honestly quite dissapointed in this entire series. Oh well, can't win them all! A decent little oriental worth a puff.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	sasha (228)	2007-03-20		Mild	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant

Enjoyable smoke, and a very easy one. This tobacco seems made to put you at ease: easy to pack, light and smoke. Notwithstanding the shag cut, it burns cool and relatively slow. Thankfully, the usual McClelland ketchup smell is very subtle here.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2006-09-15		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Strong

I know nothing about Sherlock Holmes nor Dr. Watson, I purchased this very enjoyable blend because I am a die-hard McClelland fan. I am finding that the subtleties of different blends are what make the difference between them.

Contrary to Talonr1701's experience, my tin (2005) was dryer that I expected or would prefer, and the typical ketchup smell of McC Virginias was not there at all. I don't know if the dryness is intentional or accidental, but because of this it burned a little faster and hotter than I wanted it to. So, after slowing down, I discovered its true richness. I find Bombay Extra to be just plain strong, and Arcadia lacks that strength but fills in with satisfying richness where other blends lack, when smoked slowly.

I tend to enjoy aroma as much (if not more ) than taste when I smoke, and I thoroughly enjoyed this aromoa. The taste a tad more naturally sweet than other mild-to-moderate English blends I've smoked (e.g., 5110, FM, NC) and just plain rich with natural flavor; additive flavor is non-existant.

Room note is listed as "strong" because I would expect others to find it so. While outside, I was thinking the aroma leaned toward liturgical incence, but that allusion is oft overused and I thought it was my imagination, but after wandering inside, I immediately noticed it was not my imagination. While I thoroughly enjoy that aroma, many a wife would not!

Definitely worth your try, though Gerber baby food jars are bigger...

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2006-04-07		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

This is by far my favorite of the 221b series. It's exactly the kind of blend I can imagine Watson smoking. Indeed it reminds me of the character, in the same way the strong and bitey Black Shag reminds me of Holmes in one of his "disputatious" moods. Arcadia is the tobacco equivalent of Watson. Friendly on the surface with a sweet smelling leaf, it has more complex currents underneath. There are fascinating oriental undertones in this tobacco that come out with a long smoke. It can bite, but rarely does. It's not smokey and I can taste no latakia. I prefer it smoked of an evening in my Stanwell church warden with the long stem attached. It leaves a nice taste in the mouth and fine room note. Those who demand heavy Syrian overtones in their Virginia/Oriental blends probably won't like it as much. But for those who want a break from smokey aftertaste, it's an excellent choice. I find the absence of latakia or perique allowed me to taste the more subtle undertones which would otherwise be lost. I can see why it was Watson's old favorite. Overall, it's a triumph in the 221b series. I just wish it came in the larger size tin.

Update: I've bought half a dozen tins to set aside. I don't know many people aging this stuff as it seems to be regarded as a "novelty" tobacco. But I think some really interesting things might happen with time.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2006-01-15		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant

The appearance of this shag is inviting. Mostly black bits with threads of mahogany, it delivers a very satisfying, cool smoke that is very enjoyable without being widely complex. I think of this as a delightful cello solo. To compare this blend to another blend with different components is a bit confusing. This is mature VA and Orientals tied together with very light casing that is almost unidentifiable. It performs in a very limited range that is to say, it performs exceedlingly well in a limited range and is very enjoyable. There is mild spice from the Orientals, some strength from the same on a background of very mellow and naturally sweet stoved VA. I would say this is mildly spicy without the VA tang.

This is a balanced smoke and that is what I truly enjoy about it. Despite its appearance (which might lead one to think it is strong) it is of medium strength and delightful before a meal. IMO never overpowering, never palate altering, never hot and always leaves the mouth unabused.

My preference is to enjoy this in a small bowl pipe, and I do, often.

Cheers, VC

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2005-11-19		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I must say compared to McClelland's Frog Morton on the Town, I would have to give my nod to that blend in comparing the two. Why? Because I miss my Latakia. On the plus side, Arcadia doesn't seem to have the "McClelland Catsup" aroma as much as other blends I've smoked by that fine manufacturer. Actually, that may benefit others, and not me. I like that smell! It usually means I'm on my way to a good smoke when I pop a can of anything McClelland. I can't say, however, that I missed it here. This really is a fine tobacco even if it lacks my dear old Latakia. My first can of this gave me a "ugh" rating. It was like my mother making me sit there as a child. I had to finish that plate of food before I could go out and play. On a second can, I realized that I was actually enjoying the "play" that Arcadia was giving me. Forget about Watson, and all of that stuff. What I had here was something more akin to "My Lady Nicotine" by J.M Barrie. Well, did I give up my playmates for a real lady? Yeah, for a while. But the romance of Latakia was missing. It was time to move on. Maybe I had "Frog Legs" in mind. I ran back to my good old "Frog Morton on the Town". With all of the daydreaming aside, I did crack out a year old can of "Arcadia". A year or more in the can makes this a little more flavorful as should be expected. I often find myself smoking Virginia oriented blends to keep me company for a change of pace. That can come from something as simple as Astleys No.s 55, or 109, or something that I can sink my teeth into like GLP "Haddo's Delight" or McC's "Dark Star". Both are power hitters that challenge me. Arcadia doesn't. That can be a nice thing. It gets me away from going through the pipe cleaners, more matches, and the concern about getting bit back. I recently had two bowls of this in a Peterson's Irish Whiskey pot shape (606). Mind you, this was after having a meal of extremely spicy Thai food. I was expecting to get hit hard. Never happened. Smooth and pleasant from top to bottom. I would recommend this as a good step away from the center for anybody who usually smokes either English blends or Virgina/Perique blends. You should be as pleasantly surprised as I am. Just sit back and enjoy it. Let your cares melt away. The Orientals fill the gaps that you would normally be missing.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2005-08-29		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

When you want an English mixture without the Latakia make this your choice.This is a wonderful Oriental Mixture that constantly vacillates between sweet and sour. It is very pungent in flavor and the room note is pleasant. A rather full taste for a non -Latakia mix. I greatly enjoyed it. It still has that McC. tang to it though,so realize this is not Midnight Ride by CAO,rather more of Presbyterian Mixture with McC. virginias being used . All in all- a very good smoke. 3 of 4 stars!

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Spike (296)	2005-08-13		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

Imagine Royal Yacht without the added flavoring. Add a good amount of Orientals and you have Arcadia. At first light I thought I tasted a wisp of Latakia but I think that it is just the rich Oriental tobacs. Those puffers who dislike cigarettish aromas should probably avoid this blend. Very satisfying and enjoyable though probably too strong for an all-day smoke.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2005-02-18		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

arcadia is a bit different from the other mcclelland blends i have smoked in that it is a bit drier in the tin than something like frog morton. it also doesn't seem to have the famous (infamous?) ketchup odor, it's actually more of a vinegarish sour aroma. the coloring is black and dark brown flakes with a fine ribbon cut. it loads easily and fires right up at the touch of a match. the first thing noticed is the wonderfully mellow taste of the oriental tobaccos. some blends take a while to make an impression, arcadia grabs you right from the first puff. after a few more draws, the virginas start wafting their way into the mix, adding a wonderful subtle sweetness. their influence intensifies a bit as the bowl burns down, but never shows a hint of bite. this is one tobacco that seems to perform well in any pipe. it smokes well in everything from my stanwell and petersons to the cob i'm puffing on right now. it burns down to a fine gray ash with a minimum of relights. this is not just an all day smoke, but one you would be happy with for days on end. smart guy, that dr. watson! four BIG stars for arcadia!

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2004-11-07		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant

221b Arcadia is outstanding. Four large, solid stars.

Tiger

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2004-07-22		Mild to Medium	Medium	Medium	Very Pleasant

Arcadia...What can I say. Although not a sherlockian, I can well understand how the room note was said to "Stop all Conversation." Even my Wife, who claims that all my english blends smell like "Burning Beef Jerky", Likes it!! However, As expected, itdoes come with the McClelland Katsup Top Dressing. I wonder if they clean their blending vats with vinnigar? I find this packs and smokes best in a small to medium sized bowl, and if smoked with great care, can be quite wonderful. But of course, as with all other McC blends, will boil the tast buds right off your tounge, if puffed carelessly. I also find the aftertaste to be quite pleasant. Try it with a cup of Good Hazlenut Coffee. All in all, Recomended!

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pounder 5000 (178)	2004-05-29		Mild	None Detected	Very Mild	Tolerable

Hate to be a dissenter, but I found this blend to be full of hot air (i.e. steam)! It truly held very little interest for me. The smoke had little or no body and the burn got me. I smoked my way through a whole tin, and although I found some of the early morning smokes pleasant, overall I won't be buying more. Give me Skiff or EMP anyday.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2004-02-15		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

This is my favorite out of the mcclelland latakia blends.(at least the ones that are directly under the mcclelland name) it is round and smooth and very tastey. I like to dry it out a little bit when I get it as I feel it is a little to moist on immediate opening. This has a nice light sweetnes that I enjoy and smoke this when I am in the mood for an english that is on the sweeter side of the spectrum for english blends. This is good! Recomended for those who would like to try an english blend that is unique and on the sweeter side.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2003-10-19		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Tolerable

McClelland's Arcadia, the second blend among the 221-B series, is a wonderful mild English tobacco.

The tin aroma of this tobacco is very pleasant to the nose of an English tobacco smoker. I find myself simply breathing in the smell when I just don't have the time available to smoke an entire bowl of it. I believe this blend contains Virginia, Oriental, and perhaps a hint of Latakia tobaccos.

The ribbon/shag cut of this tobacco packs effortlessly. The blend has a medium moisture, which I find to be the correct level for this tobacco.

I find one of the most admirable qualities of this smooth blend is its burning characteristic. Simply stated, this tobacco has a no hassle burn, one of the best I have ever witnessed. The result after a few moments of puffing this blend is an almost white, full ash. A tolerable aroma is emitted from this tobacco.

Aracdia does have the tendency to taste slightly bitter from time to time but this should not be feared. I find that this blend smokes best when slightly moist. I feel that further aging would benefit this tobacco.

I highly recommend Arcadia.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Danno (106)	2003-06-26		Mild to Medium	Medium to Strong	Full	Tolerable

One of life's great pleasures is opening up a new tin o'tabac, keenly anticipating some ephemeral scent which man has never before encountered. That said, upon opening a tin of Arcadia, this reviewer nearly hit the deck, courtesy of the "McLelland Effect", or "nausea-inducing-stench". Once suitably recovered, I let this tin dry for 24 hours, then loaded up my Sasieni 4 dot straight for a test run. Initial thoughts: Interesting...is there latakia in here? Stronger than I would have thought, but with the tin smell plutonium could have been hidden...strange white ash, flavor getting better. Over the next 7 days I smoked the tin up and while it is still interesting, there isn't anything memorable enough to cause me to run out and buy more. NB-significant other kept muttering that the room note smelled like "German Cigarettes", while I just found it to be murky.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2003-06-19		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

I particularly like the tin aroma. I'll stick my nose right into this weed and inhale deeply. I'll do this for a while before I even get around to loading a bowl.

Once a bowl is loaded and lit, though, the pleasure really begins. The orientals sit just on top of the sweet Virginia. I can taste both simultaneously and distinctly, with absolutely scrumptious cashew and peanut notes moving in and out, particularly when exhaled through the nose.

I'm having a torrid affair with this weed. We'll see whether it settles down to a long-term romance or not.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2003-04-30		Mild	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

The tobacco is just fine if you don't mind rather subtlely flavored mixtures. I write mainly to clear up the literary cofusion above. The arrogant fellow who claims that Arcadia has "nothing whatever to do with Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's stories of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson" is blowing smoke from more than just his mouth. Apparently, one need not be correct in order to display unbridled confidence in oneself. If he were to read the Sherlock Holmes short stories (I believe in The Adventures, though it may be in The Memoirs), he would find a clear reference when Holmes enters Dr. Watson's home (after Watson's marriage when the two no longer roomed together) and says something like: "I see you still smoke the Arcadia mixture of your bachelor days." I do not have the books available at the time, or I could give a more precise reference. I believe it is also mentioned at some other time in the stories. Whether this is an accurate imitation of whatever was meant by Doyle as an "Arcadia mixture" I have no clue, but Arcadia most certainly does have something to do with Dr. Watson.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2003-01-19		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Medium	Pleasant

This is an interesting blend. The color is dark brown and black in a ribbon cut so it is easy to pack, easy to light, stays lit, and draws smoothly. The tin aroma is some vinager, some sweet Virginia reminding me of the 5100. The orientals are in smaller proportion, but give a little bit of musk to the aroma and taste. My impression of the flavor is that this is definatly a McClelland Virginia blend that reminds me very much of the already mentioned 5100. Unlike the 5100, there is more variety and complexity to this blend. The orientals give a nice bottom note, but without the dominance of latakia found in an English blend. I would call it an American Virginia-Oriental blend. My opinion of the overall effect is that I like it. It is sweet, but not boringly so. There is mystery in its flavor, but dominated by the familiarity of a red Virginia cake. I can certainly see this as some smoker's daily smoke. For me it would be something to always keep on hand and smoke as a break from English blends and Virginias. Arcadia is quite a find and I am sure that I will get to know it much better as time goes by. Highly Recommended.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Grim Chieftain (2)	2002-12-16		Mild to Medium	Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is an outstanding pipe tobacco. The taste improves with every puff. One of my favorite McClelland blends. This combination of Virginia and Oriental tobacco was masterfully blended. I have stocked up on this one!

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2002-12-15		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Full	Pleasant

A member 0f the 212B series, this blend arrives slightly damp in the tin as do most mcClelland blends. It is almost a fine shag cut with a few stems present. It lights easily and burns well consuming only a single match during a bowlful. The initial taste is pure virginia but soon the mellow oriental tobaccos become known. By mid bowl the latakia is noticable and the taste becomes pleasantly spicy and changing. The spicy taste increases throughout the bowl. This is an excellent English blend with a subtle and changing character throughout the bowl. There is little bite and it smokes cool, burning to a surprisingly pure white ash. The room presence is pleasant for an English blend and has raised no objections from others. I would highly recommend this blend. Although it appears to be priced slightly above the other McClelland tinned blends,I plan on keeping it on hand.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2002-01-14		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Very Full	Pleasant

Arcadia has a distinct flavor unlike any other blend I've tried. It is certainly my favorite of the Mcclellands. It burns terrific also. One of my all-time favorite smokes!!

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2001-04-01		Medium	None Detected	Full	Strong

Arcadia is one of the best tobaccos McClellands has come out with in the last couple years. Supposedly modeled after samples of the original Arcadia, it turns out to be a very nice tobacco. Arcadia is different than most McClelland tobaccos in that it is a little more dry and doesn't have that ketchup smell. Arcadia has nice English tobacco smell with Virginias, Latakia and other oriental tobacco. It packs fairly well and lights easily. Arcadia gives a nice rounded flavour, it is middle of the road for English tobaccos. Arcadia burns to an extremely light white ash and leaves the smoker wanting more.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2001-03-28		Medium	Medium	Full	Tolerable to Strong

What a nice tobacco! It lights well, burns beautifully, has a pensive aroma (like you might expect from Watson), with an interesting white ash. This is one of my favorite smokes. Well balanced. Try it!

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