McClelland No. 2030 #1 Grade Balkan

The first bowl I packed with this tobacco left a very good first impression . At the first try I thought that I had found a new tobacco to enter my regular rotation, but every time I have tried it since then it hasn't been the same. What I noticed from going back to it from time to time is that it burns fast, and the subtle but sweet maple syrup like back round is like a dog begging at the table that wont stop while your trying to enjoy your meal. The pipe being your meal and the dog being the sweetness. To me this tobacco doesn't have anything to offer that really stands out from the crowd flavor wise. I would recommend this tobacco for someone who wants to transition from aromatics to something else.

McClelland - No. 2030 #1 Grade Balkan.

It's a bit of a twiggy mixture, this imminently lessens the rating! Moisture's decent, and it's a traditionally English pouch-note.

The smoke? Far tamer than I expected. Although the Latakia has a piquant side, being smoky and a little rough, it also lends a slight sweetness. The Orientals are easily the second in command, with a spiciness which accompanies the Latakia well. The Virginia does the least work, simple. No. 2030 burns well, not becoming too warm, and it doesn't bite me one bit.

The nicotine: quite mild for a Balkan. Room-note: pleasant to tolerable.

McClelland #2030? it isn't 'bad', just slightly mundane, in comparison to some other Balkans. Two stars:

Somewhat recommended.

10/28/2004 I am glad I waited to write this review. I was "underwhelmed" when I initially tried this about a year ago. This has been stored in my tobacco "cellar" for that length of time and it may be that it has aged wonderfully or my palate is more educated now. I really like this mixture. The spiciness of the Oriental component really makes it unique compared to a more mainstream English like E.M.P. In fact that is a good comparative tobac. as I think E.M.P. is a benchmark for light-medium English type tobacs. I will be ordering a half-pound or so to put away for a while. I think this is the best Balkan that I have tasted without having the original Balkan Sobranie to measure it against. Highly recommended. Edit-11/05/2006: No longer a four star in my cellar. Would go two and a half straight or three as a blender.

Definitely Deja Vu. I have encountered this in nearly every independent B&M ever visited. It is a medium English/Oriental tobacco using several varieties of Oriental leaf, Cyprian Latakia and a base of undistinguished Virginias. The flavor is very generic, not particularly complex, and does not develop throughout the bowl. A ggod value for the price, but not beguiling enough to repeat soon.

The problem with this blend is that there are too many excellent Balkan blends out there. This blend is actually good though. My 2 oz. came from Uptowns and was at the perfect moisture. In the bag, the aroma is reminiscent of the McClelland tang that you either love or hate (I happen to love it)with the latakia and oriental quite fragrant as well. Leaf appearance is of a mostly dark medium ribbon cut. Packing and lighting are easy. At the top of the bowl you have to set your pace slowly due to the brightness of the virginia in this. If you don't, your tongue will suffer. Flavor is of a good middle-weight balkan. Flavor-wise, this reminds me a lot of "British Woods", but not quite as complex. Mid to bottom of the bowl you get a mild increase in fullness but when your done, you really are not wowed in any way. I suppose due to its low cost that this is a great buy, but as for me, I prefer to smoke less and get higher quality leaf. I will recommend this though, especially to those curious to expand into the world of "Balkans". Rating: 3 out of 5 points. Enjoy....

A rather ordinary Balkan without much to separate it from the field. Like most of the McClelland bulks it is not as refined in terms of the cut of the tobacco or the number of stems and hard pieces compared to McClelland's tinned mixtures.

This is a medium Balkan that could only be recommended if cost was a factor.

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.

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.