McClelland Black Shag

I feel that this may possibly be one of the more under rated blends on this site. This may be due to the fact that it doesn't really fit into any particular category of tobaccos; it's an oddball. Neither an oriental, nor a typical va. mixture, it is all together its own beast. But, I have spent many enjoyable hours contemplating how to pigeonhole this blend while smoking it.

As its name implies, it is a dark shag cut tobacco. The black to light brown strands are nearly cut like cigarette tobacco, meaning that some measure of care needs be exercised when loading the pipe. I find that it smokes best in a medium sized dublin bowl, but will do fairly well in a group 4 size bull cap/ rhodesian. If you have cellared your tin so that it is 3-5 years old, then you have done all that is necessary to turn what ordinarily can be a fairly mundane blend into a spectacular tobacco. Time does wonders for this.

Getting past the charring light has always been a little problematic for me with this blend, perhaps due to my extra caution in trying to light a shag cut va. (a bowl of Cardiff, anyone?). But once lit, this blend burns pretty well. I notice ocassionally that it will require an additional relight halfway down if I'm smoking it in a deep bowl. But, it always burns down to a fine gray ash.

The flavors in Black Shag are petty simple, but then again, not always so. Sometimes, with the right measure of puffing, in the right weather, this blend develops a wonderfully complex body. The flavors range from a cinamon-like spiciness to a rich smoky caramel sweetness. Intermingled with this is a distinct background note of orientals, but done with a fairly light touch so as to provide only a slight lingering mustiness. I suspect there is some dark fired leaf in here somewhere. The flavor is similar to Bombay Court, but deeper, and with a less refined edge to it.

I like it; it's gentlemanly without being too genteel. This is for the guys who refuse to adorn themselves with colognes and hair gels; for the aqua velva crowd only. My wife comments on how 'strong' and 'overpowering' this tobacco smells, but I think she secretly likes it. She says it smells like man.

Bought this last night at JR Tobaccos. A very subdued McClelland tin note - meaning not as much by way of vinegar, but present none the less. Decent moisture content and cut which made for easy loading/lighting. Burned very nicely throughout. I didn't get much of the typical Va from this, the flavor was Latakia-like - but subtle throughout. I may have picked up some Oriental notes as well. Smoked it in a Dunhill Cumberland bent billiard and enjoyed the experience. I'm not a Latakia fan and for that reason, Black Shag is not a 4 star smoke for me. However, I can see myself smoking it not on a regular basis, but definitely more than from "time to time." I believe it would please most smokers who enjoy Va or Latakia, but perhaps not for the aromatic smoker. It reminds me of Revor Plug, but not as strong and minus the "perfume" of RP. As with RP, I do not believe BS has Latakia, but the stoving of the Virginias apparently brings out that flavor note along with a smidgeon of non-Latakia oriental to augment the sweetness. A bit nippy on the tongue if pushed, but no real bite and no palate irritation for me. Can provide a sweetness that IrF, 3P's, Highland Slice, and HH Dark Fired don't - so if that's what I require, I smoke a bowl of Black Shag. Very dependable. And like Holmes himself, not what it appears at first glance/puff.

If you want a nice, cool smoke with a mostly virginia flavor interspersed with a smidgen of oriental leaf, then here you go.

Black Shag is a very fine shag cut dark tobacco with just a hint of English flavor. If you are after a big taste, look elsewhere. This whets the whistle without drowning the taste buds.

I smoke this on occasion and find it to be a delightful change of pace.

I agree with the comment that this tobacco is pretty underrated. A nice virginia shag, Black Shag has sweetness, roundness, and a bit of mustiness...in a good way. The blend is mostly a dark shag, leading me to believe that it has a high percentage of matured Virginias. The blend is plenty sweet, well balanced, and just musty/tangy enough, create a pleasantly complex blend. Improves with age, be it in a jar, or the toe of a Persian slipper nailed to the mantle...

McClelland?s 221-B Series is surrounded around the famous detective, Sherlock Holmes. We grew up reading and watching the films of the witty detective smoking his pipe, and finding clues, solving cases left and right. Now, we have a special line dedicated to the man himself.

The first blend in this series is ?Black Shag.? The tobacco is contained within a small tin containing 50grams of this wonderful blend. The covering of the tin makes anyone that is a Sherlock Holmes lover to tear right into it. On entering the store, I grabbed a tin, removed the plastic cover, and pulled back the seal. I loaded up my pipe and enjoyed a full bowl before even buying. On the cover is a picture of Holmes smoking a bent pipe staring into his magnifying glass. While the design is simple, it is nice to look at.

Upon opening the tin you are greeted with not only the aroma but fine cut strands of brown, red, and black delights. The tin has the slight hint of the famous McClelland ketchup, but very little. After smelling the tobacco for a while the ?ketchup? disappears and you are left with the real thing.

Load the pipe as you like, there is no science to smoking this blend. It lights right away and it stays lit. With the first puff you will be welcomed with a slight spice, very enjoyable.

One should make sure that they smoke this bowl at somewhat of a slow pace. You do not need to smoke extra slow, but tone it down a bit compared to your usual speed. If you go a bit fast you will be victim of tongue bite.

This tobacco remains the same throughout the entire bowl; this is a real pleasure to get your hands on. I recommend this to anyone that wants to smoke a good Virginia blend and one that will not hurt your wallet. I truly enjoyed it and this will be a continual line in my cellar. I can?t wait to tear into the other two blends which are seated right next to me.

Pipeing Joe ______(_)

The tobacco blend of the famous (and fictional) Sherlock Holmes. Honestly I was a little bit disappointed (especially after Mclellend's Watson blend being so good), but that isn't to say that it's necessarily a bad smoke.

To start with, it's dry (very dry) straight out of the tin and the cut is incredibly fine. It also has that odd barbeque sauce smell that so many Mclellend blends have, but underneath that the scent is rich and deep.

It packs well (on account of it being so finely chopped) and lights easily, but does have a tendency to burn hot if you're not careful. Also, despite it being a rather dry blend, it always seems to leave a wet a goopy mess of dottle at the bottom of my pipes.

Finally, it's taste is okay. It can get almost bitter if it gets too hot, but otherwise it's a pleasant smoke. Not too harsh or heavy on the flavour, but also not too light. It's not something I'd like to fill a room with and wallow in, but I didn't dislike the aroma or the atmosphere it left around me. I think it would make a good outdoor smoke for when you're out and about (as opposed to an evening fireside smoke after dinner).

Admittedly I am a Sherlockian at heart. When I saw this blend my mind was whisked to the pages of the Sherlock Holmes story “A Scandal In Bohemia”. McClelland, Sherlock, and straight Virgina, that all reads as must try in my book. The tin I found at a local B&M was about 4 years old. The moisture of the tobacco was just right, and the smell was sweet with a deep richness, coupled with the typical vinegary ketchup smell synonymous with McClelland. The flavor were not exactly what I was expecting, which was nice. There was a dry grassieness to the smoke, along with flavors of toast orange zest, savory herbs, and a little white pepper adding complexity. It was a nice little deviation from a standard straight Virginia blend. This tobacco did need a couple if relights, and it did tend to burn a bit warm. But this was by no means a deal breaker.

This rendition is of course an interpretation of the Sherlockian pipe tobacco. Black Shag was a tobacco for the masses, cheap and strong, nothing sophisticated and usually smoked in a clay pipe. Black Shag by McClelland is actually sophisticated with it's flavor nuances, mild in strength and not a shag cut at all.

This blend gets better with age and also tastes rounder after 1or 2 weeks of drying up. The red Virginia is fighting for dominance with the stoved Virginia and the end result is a smoky, creamy, smooth and mellow baccy. Taste wise I get some quiet spiciness with sweet brioche-like accents.

A solid three stars that could easily become four in the right conditions. Ideal for beginners or for breaking in a pipe it nevertheless requires certain smoking conditions to be fully enjoyed.

Virginia lover

This is my second stab at this mixture, the first was straight out of a new tin. After a few bowls I will admit that I really was less than impressed. As I so often do I put the remainder in a mason jar and stored it in the tobacco vault. 2 plus years have passed since that first try and I can say the time in the lock up improved things exponentially. This is a shag cut,albeit not a Samson or Drum cigarette shag. Packs well, lights well and stays lit. Taste is like black strap molasses with a little spice, I think the spice comes from a pinch or 2 of an Oriental. Maybe not? The flavor grew sweeter as the bowl was spent and the smoke was very pleasurable. Another sipper tobacco that will wear your toung out if you are a sprinter. All in all a good solid smoke, I think I will keep some on hand for an ocassional visit.