McClelland Arcadia

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...

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.