McClelland No. 2050 Oriental Cavendish Mix

I concur with Toytruck's review of 07/16/2008. My take on 2050 is that it is a "flavored" blend -- and probably only the Cavendish component at that -- but it is a far cry from cheap drugstore brands that reek of chemicals. Snob that I am (or sophisticate that I try to be), I never intentionally buy a flavored or "cased" tobacco; but on occasion I do blunder into them. So it was with 2050, and I think it is a really nice smoke: cool, dry, and tasty. For me it delivers tastes from the dark side: deep prune / raisin / fig; and something that suggests a high-end semi-sweet extra dark chocolate (semi-bitter might be more descriptive.) I think I've experienced a similar dark taste like this in something called Chinese Bead Molasses. Well, despite the flavoring (I resist using the words "casing sauce" for this blend), there's no mistake: you're smoking tobacco, not chemicals.

Though my supply is moister than I prefer, it is in no way sticky; and there are no packing, lighting, or burning issues. For me this is just a little bitey because I'm an eager puffer when I get something this tasty. It gives a mild nicotine hit and burns cleanly to the bottom leaving a whitish ash. No goop, no gurgle, no dottle; and your next bowl of burley will evict any flavor ghost that lingers in the bowl. I tried this in various briars, which were OK, but I highly recommend smoking this in a clay -- heavenly!

Reserve this guilty pleasure for those occasions when your usual tobacco genre seems to stop working. This provides a delightful change of pace for the tired palate. Quality stuff.

After reading the other reviews it seems that many are reviewing this tobacco for what it is not rather than what it is. It is not a latakia blend and should not be downgraded for that. It is a mildly flavored oriental blend. It has a sweet flavor and aroma with hints of vanilla. I had received this a while back as part of a sampler package and avoided it because of many of the reviews. That was my loss. One evening a couple of weeks ago I decided to give it a try and was pleasantly surprised. This is not a drug store aromatic that leaves an artificial taste in your mouth. It is quality tobacco with a lightly sweet flavoring which does not overpower the taste of the oriental tobaccos. It also leaves a very nice aroma in the room that is most noticeable when you leave the room and return. I am leaning more toward this for an in-the-house smoke due to its very pleasing smell. This is not my favorite tobacco. (That would be McClelland's 2040 Cyprian Blend.) But it is a nice change of pace for a sweeter flavor and a pleasant aroma.

Picked some of this up at the recommendation of my tobacconist (they call it "Orient Express". I'm a VA smoker, mostly. But this one caught my eye because of how unique it is. IT IS DELICIOUS. Don't understand the negative reviews here. There is a deep Cavendish flavor. but the Orientals add a really nice dimension to the sweet flavors of the Cavendish. This is a very unique blend that might be confusing to some. But I definitely appreciate it for what it is. Solid 3 stars.

I got this in a McClelland sampler.

At first sniff I get a bit of vanilla and cloves. Upon lighting I find are very agreeable blend of flavors going on, with less of an aromatic quality than I expected at first whiff. The casings are there but the orientals come through with a mustiness that I like. I know, musty doesn't sound good but there it is. There's plenty of sweetness from some VAs and the cavendish, and a somewhat creamy feel. Bit of a baked good thing going on.

Is it an aromatic? Well, When it's called "cavendish," I sort of expect something along those lines. As such, if I'm not careful I can get it gurgling and a wet bowl at the end -- seems to depend a bit on the pipe I use. But it hasn't bitten me. This is definitely not like a drug store blend that smells like candy and tastes like dookie.

Furthermore, faulting it for not having latakia is like faulting rum for not being whiskey. That said, I could see adding a bit of Cyprian to the mixture for a touch of depth and smokiness.

Purists will definitely be repulsed by this heretical blend. Me, I'm too uncultured to know any better, so I just go ahead and enjoy this tasty tobacco.

This is an interesting pipe tobacco that fills a gap in the market - an English style without any Latakia. For those who detest the smell or taste of Latakia, or for those who like Latakia but are aware that other people might not find the smell tolerable, this tobacco is a godsend. It has all the qualities of an English, but without Latakia.

I bought a 2oz sample because I was interested to try out such a tobacco. I'm one of those who find myself feeling a little self conscious smoking Latakia near other people, and this is particularly so in nearby coffee shops that have a smoking lounge or terrace where I'd like to be able to enjoy a meaningful smoke but without disturbing others with the pungent Latakia smell. I also wouldn't ever smoke Latakia in my home, but do occasionally smoke an aromatic indoors. Something a little stronger and more interesting would be welcome.

Having said all of this, I'm a little lukewarm about this McClelland blend. Yes, it has a slightly spicey Englishness but without much depth. There's a small amount of creaminess towards the end from the virginias, and a reasonably pleasant creamy aftertaste as well. But I didn't feel that I wanted to rush out and order this tobacco. That feeling might develop as I get near to the end of my current 2oz bag, but at the moment I'm thinking "hey, this is okay" rather than "wow, this is wonderful".

This is a perfectly okay smoke that fills a niche. The quality is good. For these reasons it deserves at least three stars. I do, however, feel that it lacks depth. I like the slightly spicey flavors, but miss the deep creaminess that is evident in some proper English blends. However proper English blends contain Latakia, which this blends deliberately avoids. So although it's not perfect and could do with more depth (IMHO) it is pretty much a fait d'accompli that if you want an English style but without the Latakia smells, this is just about the only tobacco that fits the bill.

I bought this in bulk back in April and it's been waiting on me to get back to it. I don't have much to add to the reviews of my esteemed fellow puffers...this is a good smoke! I enjoyed it from top of bowl to bottom. Burns clean, no goop...it's not my every day choice, but I will smoke it more often than I have previously!

I like the way this blend reminds me of Frog Morton Across the Pond. It's not as flavorful or as English-y but it's good enough to try. I don't think it's anywhere near as bad a drug store blend. Those leave horrible, horrible things in your pipe. This blend didn't leave much; just a bit of excess moisture. I suppose if one would smoke this out of a freshly opened bulk bag then perhaps it would leave some gunk. My 2 ounces came from an opened and almost empty bag which probably helped dry out the blend a bit.

I've been experimenting with many aros and mild english tobaccos and was curious on how this mostly oriental / natural cavendish would taste. I REALLY like English Luxury and also 1-Q. This blend has really little to no casing taste (may not have any... at all) but manages a spicy, toasty smoke that I wanted to just keep puffing on. Wonderful smoke for anyone looking to move a little away from aros while still getting a flavorful, warm toasty smoke with their pipe but staying away from the strong Latakia or heavy burley tastes.