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...

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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