McClelland No. 105 Chocolate Mint

This tobacco reminds me of a chocolate ice cream pie: sweet and flavorful but still rich and full (for a desert, that is). Another mild, high-quality aromatic, this is nothing like the goopy drugstore crap that is so common in America. The smell in the bag is very nice, strongly chocolate/caramel and sweet; I only notice mint if I inhale deeply. The tobacco is very dark, 90% black and 10% brown in a medium cut. The moisture level is high, as is common with McClelland tobaccos, but not as high as Frog Morton in a freshly opened tin. It packs well and lights easily, requiring an average number of relights during a bowl. I first tried this blend in a Kaywoodie billiard I reserve for aromatics. For the first third, the casing is very strong, a rich flavor of dark chocolate and caramel with just a hint of mint in the background. There is quite a bit of sweetness as well, much of it obviously coming from the tobacco. There is no bite; as with #705, this is a very mild, smooth smoke. Moving into the second third of the bowl, the casing is more muted though still the dominating flavor. The best way to describe the taste is rich, sweet chocolate/caramel with mild tobacco base. I can't imagine this blend ever biting, and there is no problem with moisture up to now. The room aroma is very pleasant; I've gotten several compliments about this. For an aromatic, the casing's flavor is surprisingly rich and full. On to the final third already; this smokes very quickly. The chocolate/caramel/mint flavor is still the main note by a wide margin. The taste is one-dimensional, but in a GOOD way; I'd have to smoke a lot of this to get tired of it. Just don't expect a subtle, complex, natural tobacco taste! There is a bit of a gurgle at the end, taken care of nicely by a single pipe cleaner. Despite the slight moisture, I'm in the ashes before I know it. Overall, this blend is almost identical to #705, with chocolate mint instead of nut liquor for flavor. A nice, light, smooth treat that is easy to go through a lot of without noticing. If your mouth is crisped from a heavyweight bout with that Virginia flake, this will give it a nice break and time to heal. I'll continue to enjoy this as a once-in-a-while change of pace from my usual natural blends, or as a late night snack after a long day of smoking.

McClelland Bulk No. 105 - Chocolate Mint

Star Rating = 3

Rating Scores - 10 is the Best and 0 is the Worst

Pouch Note = 7

Room Note = 7

Flavor = 7

Bite = 8

Burn = 8

After Taste = 7

Raw Score = 44

Rated Percentage = 73%

Comment = Smooth, Mild, Mellow, No Chocolate or Mint Pouch Note or Flavor, slight chocky After Taste

When I am in the mood for a true "dessert" tobacco, or when my tongue is crisped from an unfriendly Virginia, or when I want something really, really different, I smoke the occasional bowl of this stuff. It is not at all your goopy drugstore aromatic and although a bit wet it smokes well with no bite and nary a gurgle. This tobacco doesn't especially taste "minty," but it does taste like a sweet chocolate, and it never tastes like tobacco. I am careful to smoke this in an "aromatic-only" pipe, and so am happy with it on the rare occasions I smoke it. I don't think you'd want to smoke this in one of your dedicated Virginia or English pipes as I suspect the flavor would linger longer than you'd like. But if you want a bit of dessert tobacco, it'll do just fine.