McClelland Black Shag

Appearance: Fine cut ribbon, almost entirely dark brown. Perhaps a bit finer cut than Royal Yacht. Seems to be the same cut as Va. #25, but #25 contains a fair amount of Red Va. More moisture than I like, but typical for McClelland.

Aroma: Pleasant stoved Virginia aroma, not particularly rich but naurally sweet.

Packing: The shag cut is fine enough for even my smallest pipes. It does require a bit of care packing into larger bowls to ensure evenness.

Lighting: Almost lights itself when you open the matchbox.

Initial flavor: Smooth, slightly sweet Va. Flavor, cooler than the cut would lead you to expect. Not as rich and flavorful as their Virginia #25.

Mid-bowl: Seems to hit mid range and high notes, but no low range which I miss. Can bite if you smoke too fast

Finish: Gains a bit more strength at the bottom, but leaves a nice gray ash.

Summary: I really wanted to love it for several reasons. The Sherlock connection for one, and the fact that I like Va #25. However, the hype failed in my case. I still prefer #25.

Well, the best thing I can say about this particular offering from McClelland is that it isn't offensive. There really isn't anything here to make me reach for it again, but I was not put off by it in any way, except for its complete mediocrity. Flavor is decent, strength is negligable, and room aroma is not particularly bad nor pleasant. If tobacco blends were created by government oversight comittees, this would be the end result.

This is a goody, in my opinion, but, if you're not careful, you'll blacken your tongue faster than a New Orleans chef can burn fish. The flavour and aroma have just enough heft to make this worthwhile and interesting without being overwhelming. Just don't puff too fast.

UPDATE 01/06/2005: My opinions as stated above are further proof that it is never wise to review any tobacco prematurely. I had written this review after smoking three or four bowls of 'Black Shag', but, now that I've (mercifully) almost finished off my tin, I can say without reservation that I do not care for this tobacco at all. Yes, the latakia presence is there, but that's about the only redeeming quality I find in it. This is one of the most flat, one-dimensional mixtures I've ever loaded up a pipe with. The only part of my previous review that I do not retract is my note about the tobacco's incendiary character. It STILL blisters my tongue to smoke it.

Tried this because I have read Sherlock Holmes, and love the movies. Off topic you must see the new English TV series Sherlock. Back t the baccy.. I was very disappointed. Don't bother with this one.

Blech! Wretched stuff and an insult to the venerable detective. To be fair though this is probably what the tobacco in the persian slipper tasted like after years of neglect.

Note: Deserves no stars. Moriarity was clearly behind this.

Interesing shag cut. More reminicent of RYO cigarette tobacco. for the way its cut you would expect a bit more flavor. But you can puff and puff and it always seems like somthings missing. I think this ones kinda boring, and what flavor is there, isnt all that appealing. McClelland has some really good blends. This isnt one of them.

Ok, I'll try to think of something nice to say....the tin will be great for keeping something in...paper clips. In a word, awful. I've read the other reviews about lightness on the tongue, etc...I found it to smoke way to hot, the tobacco cut lends to that, flavor...uh, what flavor...smelled like cigarettes...I liked stoved Virginias, but with some taste..I'll stick with Rattray's Black Virginia...

I've approached this tin from several directions. The first smoke burned me badly. I switched to a HCA churchwarden and took wee little puffs, but it still burned and I had to relight it several times. I let the tin sit for a few weeks, and approached it again with a different pipe. Smoking carefully after the leaf had dried, I was not bitten or burned. But the taste isn't pleasant. And the smell is pretty nasty. I know Holmes kept his stash in the toe of an old Persian slipper, but ths stuff smells like it crossed the desert riding in one. I'll take the 7% solution, or better yet the excellent Arcadia blend in this same line.

EDIT: I let the tin dry for a few weeks and smoked another bowl in a church warden today. It's still not exactly good, but it's much better now that the leaf has dried out. I also packed it more loosely. It did not burn me this time, but the taste isn't really there. I'm going to stow it for a few months in a sealed container and see how it is after that.

The smell in the tin was unpleasant, it smelled burnt or ashen, maybe that comes from the persian slipper it was stored in. The taste was unpleasant, again burnt wood. One can find far better stoved Virginias out there, pass this by.