McClelland No. 2045 Oriental Mixture

I loaded up an Irwin's Lovat about a week ago with the intent of smoking the 2045 that night. Well, it didn't happen and life got crazy as it tends to do and so a week later I finally got around to putting match to tobacco. Upon first light I was greeted with a very nutty and smooth puff of smoke with a background of spice (think Christmas spices) and a whiff of latakia. This is quite a revelation for me because typically orientals and I don't get along. Balkan Supreme and Red Rapparee are two I've smoked and just don't jive well with my tongue and throat. They were too acrid and it felt like somebody shaved the inside of my throat and threw after shave on it. Just a bit too much for me. I figured it would be the same with 2045 but thankfully that isn't the case. The smoke was quite smooth, flavorful, not overpowering and the orientals were not acrid at all but quite sweet all while the latakia is quite in the background giving a nice smokey undertone. Tongue bite was pretty much non-existant except for puffing a little hard on the relights. I'm also quite glad I let the tobacco dry out for a week. It seems quite wet and takes a while to dry but to be honest I think it helps the smoke. There was a bit of wetness in the heel but for the most part it smoked down with only a couple of gurgles which were my fault for too rapid of a cadence. Nothing a pipe cleaner can't handle. The description of soft, sweet and rich certainly are applicable to this blend. I quite enjoy it and can certainly recommend this to anyone both new to pipe smoking and veterans as well. If you're looking for a lat bomb go elsewhere but if you would enjoy a sweet, very slightly smokey tobacco that has a rich flavor then this will work out perfectly for you.

UPDATE 3/22/10: This blend has lost favor with me. The topping seems to be too much and the constant wet heel has become a nuisance. There are better blends out there but the price does balance that out a bit. Somewhat recommended and if it works for your palette and pocket book then I would stock up on it.

This blend with no humidifying agents, no toppings and a bit more Latakia would be approaching nirvana, considering the price. Why McC would douse something with so much potential with toppings and moisturizers is beyond me.

Drying for at least a few hours yields one of the best Oriental presentations in it's price range. Even drenched as it is, 2045 is a delicious Oriental blend if somewhat mild and low in nicotine.

McC makes some great blends, if only they would adhere to more natural methods of preservation and presentation. Their tobaccos tastes great as is.

My experience so far with McC's tobaccos is that their pricing structure is a very good indicator of the quality of tobacco you are going to get. This bulk offering is reasonable quality tobacco, well blended. But McC's bulk offerings are a long way from their premium tinned products. No. 2045 for example has none of the rich conditioning their premium Virginias display. The Orientals lack elegance, and I suspect suffer in supply chain, in comparison to premium offerings.

But it is what it is, a low cost bulk offering, not a premium product, that is still in a whole different league to typical OTC products.

2045 is a light English with (barely) enough Lat to provide a creamy cushion for what might otherwise be harsh Orientals. These Orientals have a hay and spice character and a somewhat barnyard aroma. The Vas here are muted. The flavour profile is on the acidic or sour side. It burns well to a fine ash.

I enjoyed this tobacco a lot, but it is certainly no champion. A solid 2 stars, 3 if you consider the price.

A bit boring and non descript. Cool and smooth but almost flavorless. Easy to smoke. Pete Stoke's bulk oriental/english/balkan/whatever blends are just as cost effective and a little more enjoyable than this one.

Maybe better with age?

I concur with another reviewer that this has little or no aroma in the bag, though I do detect a dark, fruit topping lacing these dark, broken flakes.

This tastes better with less moisture than as it arrives (i.e. very moist). this smokes better for me a little rubbed out IMO. Even rubbed out, I made several charring passes. Once aflame, it remains so.

The first two thirds of the bowl are all about Virginias and Turkish, deepening in flavor as the smoke progresses. The top dressing diminishes over this same course, but never completely.

Overall, the latakia is barely discernable against heavier doses of stoved flue-cured and Turkish leaf until the last third of the bowl. Even then, the latakia is just smidge.

While not providing bright flavors, this can get a bit sharp if not smoked slowly and gently. Your tongue will demand this anyhow. The Turkish is not soft like the Frog series, nor is it acrid ala Balkan Sasieni, Dunhill or Crown Achievement. The sweetness present is moderate and not apparently assisted by man.

Compare this to Royal Vintage Blended Flake without the perique or the now deceased Ashton Brindle Flake. Perhaps a bit like 221B Black Shag, though lighter overall, and BS is untopped and sans latakia. I will compare it to Arcadia from the same series. This is moderately rich, pleasant and an ok change-up for me. The added aromatic agent keeps this from a higher recommendation.

I tried this blend based on its description, seeking something with a little latakia and a taste on the sweet side. Like its cousin 2050 it was a bit wet on arrival, and bearing a more typical McC ketchupy aroma. Air drying for a day improved on that and left behind a prune-like scent, though not one as strong as 2050. I could not detect latakia in the pouch. The smoke was mild, fairly sweet, soft and smooth with no bite or harshness. The room aroma was quite nice, not too cloying. Not the driest blend I've ever tried, a couple of dips of the pipe cleaner were necessary to ward off the gurgles. Overall, a decent crossover type blend, worth a try, but not a blend I would buy again.

I purchased this tobacco more than a year ago in the hopes that it would be a good introduction into Oriental leafs. The pouch fragrance was, like other McClelland brands, rather acidic like vinegar or ketchup, yet somewhat interesting. Upon finishing a bowl full, I decided this tobacco was not for me. Yet, a year later, the flavor has changed significantly to the point where the tobacco has mellowed and is fairly pungent and sweet. It has latakia in it, yet one would barely notice. Instead, one would think cavendish was present, which it is not. Overall, it is a simple smoke perfect for mowing the lawn with or simply relaxing and not wanting to concentrate on a smoke.