McClelland No. 2040 Cyprian Mixture

I have been smoking McClelland’s 2040 Cyprian Mixture for quite some time now, buying it by the pound in bulk, and smoking it anytime I have the craving for something slightly sweet yet still smoky. I am a huge fan of English blend tobaccos with tons of Latakia, usually the more Latakia the better. However, occasionally I like many others, get the craving for something with just a hint of sweetness, and this is when I used to turn to Frog Morton’s Cellar exclusively. I looked for a year for a bulk that had the same creamy and smoky Latakia flavor yet at the same time had that slightly sweet undertone to it, but never found what I was looking for until I stumbled upon 2040 Cyprian Mixture in a bulk sampler. The tin note of this tobacco was nothing out of the ordinary and what I have come to expect from most English blends, with smells of campfire smokiness. However, the more I smelled this blend and took the time to get past the strong smell of the Latakia, I was able to detect the sweet smell of honey. I did not detect this the first time that I tried this blend, so I was really surprised when I lit the pipe and got that sweet note. The tobacco seems to be of decent quality, although I have found a few twiggy or woody bits mixed in with the tobacco, and I have found that the larger the order of bulk the more this tends to be the case. As for the cut, the tobacco is a mixture of long thin ribbons of Virginia and Oriental mixed with chunkier short bits of Latakia. Due to the cut and moisture content, which seemed to be just about right from the moment I received it, the tobacco was easy enough to pack in the bowl, and took a light with minimal effort. Upon lighting the tobacco you are greeted with the smoky Latakia, which is smooth, thick, and creamy, but in the background there is a slightly sweet note that reminds me of honey. To me at least, it has the same sweetness as Frog Morton’s Cellar, although it is much more delicate, and doesn’t have the same heavy whisky smell. The smoke stays consistent and smooth from start to finish which to me is a good thing. As for room note, my wife described it as being similar to the smell of a campfire, and to her at least, it was tolerable. The tobacco always seems to burn down to a fine white ash, which makes cleaning the pipe a breeze, only requiring that I run a pipe cleaner through the pipe to remove any moisture from the stem and bowl. Overall, I am pleased with this mixture, and although this blend will not replace Frog Morton’s Cellar for me, I will continue to keep it around for those days when I have a bit of a sweet tooth. I would recommend this blend to anyone who enjoys the Frog Morton’s series of tobaccos.