McClelland No. 2045 Oriental Mixture

Like many McClelland blends, this is a fine tobacco. I almost always smoke flakes or broken flake these days, but at the time I bought and cellared this, I had been searching, some years back, for an all day blend in rough or ribbon cut. This tobacco fits the bill perfectly.

I would consider this tobacco a "semi-aromatic". There are varied perspectives on what is an aromatic and what is not an aromatic and perhaps this review might be a good time to clarify. All tobacco has some type of flavor additive to it at some point during the process. If it did not, it would be tough to enjoy. Even the purest VA flakes have some initial form of casing applied to the leaves of the tobacco before it is pressed/heated. That said, there are often additional flavorings/aromatic ingredients of a wide variety added after the initial creation, and it is those types of additives to which most people refer to as "flavoring". There is another component that I would mention for a tobacco to fit into what I would consider a "full fledged" aromatic category. That being, a tobacco blend that consists mostly of inexpensive burley, the end product of such being formed mostly by added flavorings. More precisely, I would consider a "heavy" or "full fledged" aromatic to get most of it's noted attributes incidentally from the additives as opposed to the actual virtues within the leaf; such attributes would be fostered primarily via the innate qualities of the plant, along with the practice and method of the harvesting, drying/curing, and aging of the leaf. Sometimes quality VA's are added to an full aromatic burley tobacco, and naturally some VA's are cased in the way of a full aromatic, though I would suggest that VA's are not often cased as heavily as low quality Burley.

Regarding this tobacco, McClelland states that this is a VA, Oriental, Latakia blend. It makes no mention of Burley and prior to a phone call to confirm this, we shall assume there is no burley (though it would not surprise me if there were tobacco of the aforementioned burley in small amounts, cased beyond recognition). However, clearly this has both the components of an aromatic, combined with the qualities of a mild english blend and it makes for a very easy and enjoyable smoke. Latakia fans who desire a dominant "Lat" element should try the 2040.

1st year: Looking back on my little notes of nearly 5 years ago, I see the Initial smoking upon receiving the tobacco that the tobacco was a bit too moist for my tastes. Bulk tobacco tends to be comparatively dry if one is used to a tin, but there are times when, if purchased soon after the blending, it can be nearly as moist as a tin. I noted the Latakia a bit more significantly during the first year of smoking this blend. I had not tried any for the last 3 years, and now the Latakia is barely noticeable, but adds a component that is somewhat married to the orientals which is very pleasant.

aged 5 years: The blend upon initial light burned much easier, with only 2 or 3 relights. Used the upside down/Palm twist method for filling as opposed to the 3 step, and it works very well. The word for this tobacco blend is subtle. Just as it was 5 years ago when I started smoking it regularly for a year, there was no one aspect that overpowered the others. Though slightly less Latakia now aged, it has not disappeared so much as merged into the Va and oriental to create it's own aspect. This is a very cool and dry smoking tobacco, especially with the new way I filled the pipe (which seems to work perfect for this blend, though not so much for others). A delicate smokiness after the char light, which readily gave way for a leathery and woody layer, like a freshly cut hardwood tree. After several puffs, the VA sweetness came through combined with sandalwood and oriental spice. The aromatic component stayed present throughout the smoke, but was unobtrusive; a characteristic not found in most aromatic elements, until the last 1/8th of the bowl where the aro components seem to congeal to some extent, though not to the extent of a full aromatic (said aspect is the largest downside of most aromatics IMHO).

Overall a very excellent all day smoke for those who really don't like aromatics. It has, as mentioned, an aromatic component but it is kept to a minimum. If I were asked to improve upon the blend, I would ask for and even lower aromatic component to the blend, though at that point it would be nearly non-existent (which would suit me fine).

Compared to other McClelland blends, e.g. 5100, or 2020, this blend would be a 2 star in relation to my preference due to the aromatic component. But in an unbiased review, I give this tobacco 3 starts because it clearly stands high among the blends that are not quite aromatic, but have such a component. Additionally, it is so very perfectly balanced in it's other facets that I believe it earns the 3 stars. If not for that final 1/8th of the bowl, it would be a perfect balance, but there is not much one can do about that.