McClelland Black Shag
(2.55)
Sherlock Holmes kept it in the toe of a Persian slipper nailed to the mantelpiece. It was dry and strong. Kept at what we today have deduced to be proper smoking moisture and smoked gently, this excellent stoved shag will provide hours of smoking pleasure. Examine the ash carefully. A shag cut black Virginia tobacco, making it very easy to pack a pipe and burn evenly.
Notes: The first in the 221b Series is Black Shag, introduced at the 1997 Sherlock Holmes meeting of the Richmond Conclave of Pipe Smokers.
Details
| Brand | McClelland |
| Series | 221b Series |
| Blended By | McClelland Tobacco Company |
| Manufactured By | McClelland Tobacco Company |
| Blend Type | Straight Virginia |
| Contents | Virginia |
| Flavoring | |
| Cut | Shag |
| Packaging | 50 grams tin |
| Country | United States |
| Production | No longer in production |
Profile
Strength
Mild to Medium
Extremely Mild -> Overwhelming
Flavoring
None Detected
None Detected -> Extra Strong
Room Note
Pleasant to Tolerable
Unnoticeable -> Overwhelming
Taste
Medium
Extremely Mild (Flat) -> Overwhelming
Average Rating
|
2.55 / 4
|
Reviews
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Displaying 91 - 93 of 93 Reviews
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Apr 17, 2002 | Medium to Strong | None Detected | Medium to Full | Pleasant to Tolerable |
I was attracted to this tobacco by the image of sitting by a fire, persian slipper in hand, and puffing away late into the evening deep in thought and solitude.
The tobacco is predominantly back with dark brown strands. A few lighter brown strands are barely visible. The smell is ketchup light, and similiar to McClelland's Virginia #25. And yes, it will bite like McClelland's mature Virginia line of tobacco's.
The fine ribbon cut packed well in both large and small pipes (Ascorti bented apple and Small Barling pre-trans). It was moist, but stayed lit.
Once lit, the taste is predominantly sour with sweet/ nutty/ spicy leather undertones. I find it to be on the stronger side, though the smoke itself could be described as thin as opposed to creamy. The flavor did not change through the smoke with the exception of increased sweetness at the end.
There is a peppery effect when blowing smoke through the nose, and I find the overall pungent room aroma pleasant. I suspect, however, non tobacco lovers would not.
The finish was short with little aftertase (or does the toungue bite distract?)
I like to smoke a bowl as a break from standard engligh blends. It seems to rejuninate my taste for them while providing an interesting diversion. I would recommend this as an occasional smoke to stimulate the palate.
The tobacco is predominantly back with dark brown strands. A few lighter brown strands are barely visible. The smell is ketchup light, and similiar to McClelland's Virginia #25. And yes, it will bite like McClelland's mature Virginia line of tobacco's.
The fine ribbon cut packed well in both large and small pipes (Ascorti bented apple and Small Barling pre-trans). It was moist, but stayed lit.
Once lit, the taste is predominantly sour with sweet/ nutty/ spicy leather undertones. I find it to be on the stronger side, though the smoke itself could be described as thin as opposed to creamy. The flavor did not change through the smoke with the exception of increased sweetness at the end.
There is a peppery effect when blowing smoke through the nose, and I find the overall pungent room aroma pleasant. I suspect, however, non tobacco lovers would not.
The finish was short with little aftertase (or does the toungue bite distract?)
I like to smoke a bowl as a break from standard engligh blends. It seems to rejuninate my taste for them while providing an interesting diversion. I would recommend this as an occasional smoke to stimulate the palate.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Mar 28, 2001 | Mild to Medium | None Detected | Extremely Mild (Flat) | Tolerable |
Let me start by saying that while a fan of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's famous sleuth, I am not an obsessed fan. Thus I was not terribly biased when tasting McClelland's Black Shag. With so many other wonderful tobaccos I can't see ever purchasing a tin of this. It seemed very one dimensional and that single dimension wasn't much to keep me interested. I much prefer Rattray's Black Virgina which is similar but burns much cooler and has a distinct sweet/tangyness which I found much more intriguing. I guess if your love for Holmes and Watson is so great that smoking the namesake is important, then go for it cause quite frankly it's the most interesting thing about this tobacco. It's ironic that the good folks at McClelland blend some of my favorite virginia & VA/Perique tobaccos (Dark Star, St James Woods)..what can I say, this isn't one of them.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Feb 25, 2001 | Medium | None Detected | Medium | Tolerable |
This is a pleasant black mix of ribbon tobaccos that's not so powerfully overwhelmed by that ominous
ketchup smell in the tin. Still, the threat of tongue-frying lurks always at the edges of the experience... like finding Joe Pesci under your
kitchen cabinets, you never know when it's going to punch you somewhere painful. It has a lot more flavor than most of the other
McClelland's blends I've tried, and you can actually taste real tobacco over the heat. When smoked VERY slowly and VERY carefully, it's
a decent experience and a nicely flavorful smoke though not particularly outstanding.
ketchup smell in the tin. Still, the threat of tongue-frying lurks always at the edges of the experience... like finding Joe Pesci under your
kitchen cabinets, you never know when it's going to punch you somewhere painful. It has a lot more flavor than most of the other
McClelland's blends I've tried, and you can actually taste real tobacco over the heat. When smoked VERY slowly and VERY carefully, it's
a decent experience and a nicely flavorful smoke though not particularly outstanding.
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