McClelland Bombay Court

Does not need much effort to light but it does not catch to fire immediately, something probably expect with such a cut.

When I first smoked it, not having smoked another English for some time, it gave me the impression of being an archetypal English blend according to the British tradition. However when you compare it more directly with other Englishes, it shows its McClelland character with its tell-tale sweet Virginia scent.

It’s a hearty English, measured in the Latakia content, flavourful with nice Virginias and a good Oriental note, though not very complex or nuanced. I did enjoy it but there are much better Englishes out there and better McClellands as well.

This is from my tobacco log and dates from 2002 and I will say this blend is better now than my 2002 thoughts! This is a wonderful blend that contains the dreaded Virginia and as if by magic the Virginia burn I expect to occur never happens. Maybe Virginia tobaccos are not all that bad and with the right tobaccos it can even become something I may start to embrace! I am not sure what gives this the smokey flavor but whatever it is I am glad it is in this blend to help mask (is that the right term) the Virginia tobacco that I am still wary of.Overall this tobacco is one to buy again and again!

McClelland Bombay Court presents as a range of light to dark brown ribbon. Tin note is subtle, presenting some grassy and herbal notes with a foundation of more pungent, damp, earthy, and mushroomy aromas. While by no means lacking, the tin note is muted compared to the norm for a McClelland oriental.

The charring light brings those damp, dank, earthy notes to the fore with a background note (typical of quality Virginia) of haylage and a touch of sweet feed. This is an interesting combination of Virginia and Oriental tobaccos that is disproportionately impacted by the condimental Latakia - and not at all in a bad way. Each sip seems to bring equal parts of the constitute tobaccos. While there is an overall damp mouthfeel to this blend, the smoke is nonetheless dry, and the burn is slow and cool.

Bombay Court is a walk through a primordial forest: deep, dark, dank, yet remarkably smooth-smoking. The final third is heavy, damp, and - yes - delicious. Bombay Court can't contend with the fantastic Grand Oriental series, but is a fine and interesting blend in its own right: certainly worth a try, and a winner for those who prefer more dank, musty, muted, yet cool-smoking, creamy and smooth Oriental/Latakia blends.

Not really my cup of Tea. I like McClelland products in general and in particular the frog morton range, 221b and Christmas Cheer, but i just havent taken to this one. Well made though so i'm sure others will like it. 2 stars for now. I have another 100g tin but i doubt i'll order more.

This was my first Latakia. If all Latakia are like this, I am hooked. I am not an experienced smoker, this isn't going to be some profound review that compares this to a wide range of tobaccos. To date, I have smoked mostly aromatic tobaccos. Today I found out what I missing out on by not expanding beyond my comfort zone. The first thing I notice upon opening tin is that this smells nothing like what I have tried to date. It smells of wood smoke and cedar to me, an almost black pepper spice to it. I find this intriguing. On the first light, it is again the smell that hits me. More spice and wood smoke roll over me, the faint memory of BBQ smoke comes to mind. Being a huge fan of BBQ, I begin to salivate just a little. Second light and now my first real taste. The taste lives up to the promise of the smell. So much flavor and somehow the smell just enhances it all. Again I feel like I am tasting hickory smoke and spice, with just a touch of sourness to it all. Some how this vinegar background note unifies the whole taste experience for me. The taste is smooth and even throughout the whole smoke, unlike a lot of the other aromatics I have tried. I get to the end of the bowl and keep re-lighting that last little bit hoping to prolong the experience just a little bit longer. I think I might be in love. I will definitely be stocking up on this tobacco.

Just popped an 05 tin I caught on eBay. Now I know why people chase old tins of tobacco. This blend is lovely, mild/medium, smooth as a babies bottom. Slightly sweet with chocolate overtones and a hint of latakia. A truly elegant refined blend for the quite moments of your life. And it leaves a fine tobacco aftertaste.

Perfect moisture and burn direct from the tin. For me this is a relaxing morning pleasure. Light ,lively and engaging. Perfect with a cappuccino.

As with all McClelland blends it has a unique aroma in the tin, I love it, some do not. Bombay Court burns slow and cool, will not bite, and displays a variety of flavors.

McClelland blends are a tremendous value for the money because most are dry in the tin and smoke slow. You do not pay for moisture or PG. As a result a pipe can last a long time.

This is great smoke to DGT since each time you put a match to it the flavors explode with billows of sweet smoke. Use a clean pipe, you want to enjoy the subtle flavors without ghosts of the past intruding. I have not tried a new tin, but will give you a run for the old ones.

This is one of my first ventures out of the aromatic category so keep that in mind while reading my review.

I found the Latakia to be a dominant flavor in the first half of the bowl which I like but not quite as strong as is in this blend. Several of the other reviews say that the Latakia is very much on the back burner so that tells you that I don't mix much of it in my home blends. I do enjoy the last half of the bowl more than the first half as the sweetness marries with the other flavors more. I find this blend a little harder to light than other tobaccos I am used to smoking but I did purchase the tin and haven't allowed it to sit uncovered for any length of time.

I smoke this blend in a Danish Freehand that I made myself out of plateau briar. I can tell you that even after saying what I didn't prefer in this tobacco that it is extremely clean tasting, even and cool burning and that it does not bite. I have also smoked it exclusively since I purchased it 4 days ago which says a lot for it's ability to please the smoker. I will surely be looking into more of this company's blends. Oh and the wife who is used to a Peter Stokkebye Black Cavendish or Blue Note fragrance said this one could be smoked in the house. WOW!!!

12-07-2004 A light oriental.

Appearance and Tin Aroma: This doesn't smell swampy like Bombay Extra, just a typical light oriental. Very similar to Oriental #8 and #12. Leaf is light brown to dark brown.

Packing and Lighting: Easy, but is very moist in the tin. 2-3 lights max.

Initial Flavor: Nice burst of the turkish from the get go, some bright VA too.

Mid-Bowl: Same round turkish dominated flavor, not too pungent, a little spicyness from the red VA noticable. Latakia is in the background.

Bottom of Bowl: A slight build up of strength, gery mottled ash is left with some moisture in the heel and shank, 2-3 pipecleaners worth!

Overall: This is a smooth oriental blend, but is just too bland for me. It might be a good intro to Turkish dominated blends though.

Rating: 3 out of 5 points

The tin of McClelland Bombay Court I smoked for this review was put up in 1999, so the following contents may not be applicable to newer "vintages."

This blend is a dark-brown and black ribbon with a small amount of beige ribbon. On opening, the blend is a little damp, but quite smokable.

The early parts of the bowl produced a light, silky smoke tasting of Orientals, muted Latakia and a bit of Virginia sweetness and prickle. I noticed relatively little bite, although the flavor is thin enough that I sometimes puffed the blend into some heat.

By mid-pipe, the blend still seems "light," with an increase in the peppery note, and a sour-and-salty nuttiness that tastes pretty good.

The last third of the bowl always seems a bit dull to me.

The end of the smoke leaves just a small amount of light-grey ash. It often always leaves me feeling a bit unsated--this blend is light on nicotine, although it tastes good and smokes well.

The most interesting aspect of this smoke is the edge-play with the Orientals. They are a big part of the experience, but they never cross the line into true bitterness, and are always buttressed by the sweetness of the Virginias, or the smokiness of the Latakias, or both.

I note that this blend does better in bigger bowls and that it DGTs quite well.

In summary: a well-made, if occasionally boring light English, good for mornings, or for the all-day smoker looking for a moderate nicotine dose.