McClelland No. 2030 #1 Grade Balkan

No. 2030 is the second of about a dozen samples I picked up of McClelland’s, so far fine bulk blends. I don’t have a lot of experience with Balkan blends but found this to be a fine tobacco. It has a campfire smoky quality with a sour note that I liked, the latakia blends in well to back up these qualities. I picked up my cadence to see how it would affect the flavor and it just picked up the spiciness, did not bite at all. This is a first bowl impression so I will update this review after I get through this sample, the only thing I will do differently on the next bowl is a little drying time before I pack. I give this 3 Stars

I'm a Va/ Burley or Va/Perique lover. However, never been guilty of being called Tobacco prejudice.. (Tobacco whore on occassion) (love you Aro bacca call me). I love to mix it up with some English and Aromatics at times. Some days I get a hanker'n (yeah I wrote hanker'n I'm in N.C.) Don't judge.. For some of that soury-sweet - and tangy Balkan.

This quality bulk from McClelland hits that spot just right. Soury-Sweet-Tangy with a bit of Smokey Latakia.

I'm not a hard core Balkan man but I know good quality smoke when I get it. I don't smoke cheap pipe weed and life is too short to do so. This is a med profile Balkan. I do recommend this for smokers wanting to try a decent Balkan blend to mix it up for a change. You won't be disappointed.

2030 has a wonderful, rich and dark appearance, with a lot of black mixed with golden brown in rough-cut ribbon. Though the aroma is of latakia, it's not an overwhelming aroma, so is quite alluring. The moisture level, like that of many McClelland blends, is very high – sometimes I think McClelland must have some sort of deal worked out with their local water company (go camping and take McClelland tobaccos so that if you run out of water you can just squeeze some from the tobacco). I'd advise drying the blend a good bit before smoking. The charring light tasted strongly of the latakia, but once the bowl was lit the orientals took control. The initial flavor is nicely complex, with the musty and spicy nature of the orientals dominating, while nicely complimented by the sweet overtones of Virginia and the richer, stronger undertones of latakia. I felt a slight bite from the tobacco at first, but I think it is more due to the high moisture content than to the tobacco itself. That said, I didn't have to use up my supply of pipe cleaners to smoke the tobacco. By mid-bowl the taste is still good, with the orientals still driving. The Virginia overtones eased off a bit, though, making the smoke a little harsher to my taste. By mid-bowl I found myself having to relight on occasion. The end of the bowl is where the blend really lost me. I found the taste to be somewhat acrid, and almost ashy. The tobacco burned down to a good, gray ash, and to the bottom of the bowl with a bit of help from my lighter. Perhaps this tobacco has a good appeal to some Balkan smokers, but for me there are better blends.

The sample (3 oz.) that I tried was 4 years old. I have since tried some unaged, and find it does get better with time. I will say that it is not a full flavor tobacco, but has a lot of subtleties that I really enjoy. Unlike many McClelland blends, there are not a lot of miscellaneous yard sweepings to sort out. I think this is a big plus when buying a bulk tobacco. The texture of the smoke is very smooth, and there is absolutely no bite. There are some overtones of caramel and just a bit of smokiness from the very little latakia. The spice from the Oriental tobacco is very nice but smooth. This is not a powerful blend but one that can be a anytime goto blend. Overall it will improve with age, and smooths out any edges that are already almost nonexistent. Whether this is the balkin blend you love or not is up to you, one thing is for sure there are plenty to choose from.

2030 is a well-made mostly dark coarsely cut ribbon. My sample doesn't have any stems or loose tobacco dust as I have occasionally seen with other McClelland bulks. This blend arrived properly humidified, not as wet as some of the McClelland blends I have tried. It packs, lights, and burns well. It reminds me very much of a slightly milder Balkan Sasieni--the Balkan fullness of taste is there, in somewhat diluted form, as is the underlying bitterness/pungency and bitiness that's part of the Sasieni experience. Smoked slowly, it's pretty good stuff, but in this category I much prefer Greg Pease's Caravan, which is the benchmark Balkan for me.

This one is dull and uninspiring. Lacking flavor which makes me want to push it. You don't want to do that though, as the flavor then goes off the rails and down roads best untraveled. I'll just leave this one alone.

October-2003. Bulk No.2030 # Grade Balkan. Nothing outstanding for me here.As far as a Balkan's go give me Pease's Odyssey,Balkan Sobranie or Balkan Sasieni.Nothing memorable about this one.