McClelland Bombay Court

My tin of Bombay Court had a date stamp of March '97. I opened it and the aroma was a combination of the oriental tobaccos and what I can only describe as McClelland tin aroma. It's the same smell in every tin of Mclellands I've opened. The leaf was rough cut, mostly black with a few shades of brown. I have an affinity for Oriental blends in my Charatans so I filled up a bent acorn. The latakia was more dominant than the Orientals but did not overpower the blend. I smoked this blend in a variety of pipes, mostly of English manufacture. After about a week the McClelland tin aroma dissipated and more of flavor of the Oriental leaf came through in the smoke. In a small to medium bowl I found the flavor to change halfway through and the Orientals to be more pronounced. At one point I loaded a Sasieni pot and found the flavor to be better than expected considering the wide bowl. I next loaded an extra-large bowl, but the Orientals were lost in this pipe.

When I looked inside my tin a few days ago I realized I had been smoking this almost exclusively for over a week. I was even using this blend to re-season a small colection of estate pipes I had picked up recently. I plan to continue stocking my tobacco cellar with this blend and try some Bombay Extra in the near future.

Rumor has it that McClelland has terrific selection of Orientals warehoused. I have no idea if that is true, but I do know that they have some very good Oriental “forward” blends. Bombay Court falls into that very good group. I tend to enjoy tobaccos on the drier side, and I find that with BC, the drier the better. The Orientals are top notch and BC is really balanced. Each of the component tobaccos seem to fit perfectly in this blend with just the right amount of each. The Latakia plays more in the background, although it is more than a just a condiment and offers just the right amount of smoky deliciousness. My just finished tin is from 2005 and there is a sweetness that reflects the age. I have not smoked it new so your results may vary.

As with any review of McClelland blends post early 2018... it comes with a touch of sadness even if the blend in question is not a bell ringer.

Bombay Court from the personal reserve series is a tasty inclusion with some interesting oriental notes that intertwine with classic, sweet virginias. A nice blend - not something that I'd rush to stock up on were it possible at this point - but nice. My sense is that the reason this blend isn't more regarded is that other reference blends with a similar profile are SO good and noteworthy - namely Red Rapparee by Rattray's (personal fave) and Early Morning Pipe by Dunhill.

If you have it - love it and enjoy it. If you don't - don't lament, seek out others in the range of which there are many.

3/4 stars.

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.

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.

Im not much of an english smoker i always thought English blends we harsh and storng. This blend changed my mind its mild and smooth with a suttle sweetness. If your an English smoker this is a must try.

A delicious blend. The VA's really come to be a great starter, when the blend then meanders into the Turkish and sparks the Latakia. The blend was a perfect balance in my opinion, and I can't imagine it will last very long unsmoked. The tin is from 2003, and it has been aged to perfection. It has the potential to be an all day, as its mildness doesn't leave the pallate wanting rest while it has enough flavor and depth to stay fresh and with depth. Yummy.

To me this is a well balanced Oriental. I have other blends that I consider Full Orientals, this is one that I find quite enjoyable. I can smoke Bombay Court any time of day and enjoy it. This comes slightly wetter than I like, a little drying is needed but not much. Bombay Court is easy to load, lights easily, and burns down to a salt and pepper ash. This blend provides for an underlying sweet smoke from the Virginias, the Orientals peek in and out throughout the smoke and are a little tart. The Latakia seems to me to be in the background, I notice the Latakia early in the smoke and then its there but its not an attention getter. This could easily be an all day smoke.

Bombay Court was reviewed by five reviewers in a blind pipe tobacco tasting in 2002 (I think). A Latakia blend that even non-Latakia folks enjoy. Below is the transcript, snipped to fit (mostly non-smoking parts).

Terry Freeman: (snip) beautifully warm, nutty and leathery smell that reminds me of saddle leather and early spring air redolent of wood fires and freshly-turned earth.(snip) first touch of flame gives me a naturally sweet mouthful of rich, medium density smoke?smooth, slightly nutty ?barest trace of Latakia smokiness?.The most noticeable?the Virginia base and generous ? Turkish. ? VERY smooth but of light to medium strength? The ?first third ? sweet and nutty. On the tongue it reminds me of lightly smoked roasted cashews, while the smoke ? pure roasting chestnuts! ?reminds me somewhat of Dunhill's EMP. As the bowl burns ?, sweetness ..subsiding into a soft richness as the Virginias take on their usual later-in-the-bowl density and weight.

The Story: Down past the halfway point, the sweetness has subsided a bit and there is a distinct pepperiness and an astringency?. Not a trace of bite. ?great light smoke, perfect for a sunny morning like this?.changes flavors in a very subtle way with no obnoxious interludes. Denouement: Beautiful finish, ? sweetness peeking ?out between the full flavors of the Virginia and Turkish tobaccos. The Latakia is still in the background, used as a spice rather than a main course. ? rich biteless flavor and a pleasantly accessible simplicity. A quiet thoughtful experience which requires little attention to keep things burning easily and coolly.

Pros: ? no bite, lights and burns well, flavor relatively stable. It's rich but mild, low in nicotine and easy to smoke for extended periods?.Good all-day smoke for lovers of oriental tobaccos [who don?t like Latakia overwhelmed Englishes] yet enjoy the subtle interplay between a solid Virginia base and well-used condiment tobaccos. Cons: None that I could find?.This one's a winner.

Dave Haig: (snip) smoky, strong latakia odor was hard to overcome?. small sniff of Virginia and ? perique?amount must be minute. .This tobacco is solid from start to finish...definitely for the latakia fan! Likes: I am not a latakia fan, but ? This blend however wasn't unpleasant at all and I will happily add it to my cellaring blends?Dislikes: Some of you may be turned off by the latakian blends, (snip) but I think there is enough viriginia to appeal to a wide range of smokers.

Greg Hampton: (snip) first quarter of the bowl, ? quite unremarkable,...actually smoked nicely without tongue bite?latakia was the dominant flavor, though not heavy, with an underlying (Virginia) sweetness?half bowl ? picked up ? smokiness and sweetness, ?became more balanced. Now, I was interested. The flavors ? smoked meats and something darker, like cocoa or espresso, and the sweetness, like dried fruit. The texture ? smooth and fairly creamy. ?very end ? became a little dark and harsh. ?smoked fairly cool and dry throughout... 2nd smoke: ?tasted a bit fuller?not as much harshness at the end. Overall impression: 7 out of 10. ?good volume of smoke, room aroma ok ?didn't leave a bad aftertaste. ? pretty decent smoke. ?Not everyday smoke, but I will definitely smoke this again.

Lars Eriksson: (snip) Initially ?very, very mild ?burns tongue somewhat.. A bit boring, Unpersonal?Pipe ? very hot. I might have been latakia "poisoned" when I smoked this?didn't find any taste at all?nothing I would buy.

Don Givens: (snip) the champion of slow-smoking delight. The subtle interplay of Oriental versus Latakia with the occasional ?Virginia? very distinct flavor, ?develops throughout the bowl. ? undoubtedly light but the monumental complexities as the bowl wears on nearly overwhelm the palate. ?hot if puff [at more than smoulder]?though flavor wouldn?t allow?slight acidic taste [at the end if sample too moist but] overall quality more than makes up for the end. Overall Rating 9 of 10