McClelland No. 605 Pastry

This is one of my favorites. The room note is awesome, and the taste is sweet, and mild. I have never experienced any tongue bite with this blend, and absolutely recommend this. Ive never seemed to get why folks call this a "blending tobacco?" It tastes great just by itself!

Like most McClelland's tobaccos, Pastry is very moist. Actually, I'd call it wet. This is a tobacco which will require some time to dry out before smoking. The level of moisture is going to create some very hot steam, and thus cause tongue bite. That said, if you're looking for a pleasant, slightly different aromatic and don't mind drying the tobacco a bit, this may be something you will enjoy. The pouch aroma isn't really identifiable, but is clean and alluring. The tobacco is a fairly uniform medium brown in color, and a relatively fine cut. The taste on the charring light reminded me of chocolate and raisins, and this remained in the early part of the bowl. There is also a doughy flavor, which surprised me. Though the blend claims to have a pastry-like flavor I honestly didn't expect it. Further into the bowl I was reminded of challah or hermoset. The chocolaty essence remained on the back of my throat, but toward the end of the smoke I also noticed a fruity flavor more to the front of my tongue. Several people commented to me on the fragrance, describing it as french vanilla or vanilla bean. Aromatic smokers are going to enjoy this blend, which is quite different than most typical aromatics I've smoked.

This review makes me feel sad when I write it but glad that I smoked this fine pipe tobacco blend at all and enjoyed it while it lasted. Unfortunately I cannot purchase this product anymore and the few places I know where to get it right now cost way to much and even though it is not made anymore its also not worth the price which really sucks let me tell you. This is one of the pipe tobacco blends that my wife likes to smoke and she is not pipe tobacco smoker but Pastry is one of those things she actually likes which says alot but she also loves Sutliffs Christmas Spice and Dunhills Nightcap so go figure right!?!?...Pastry was one of those blends that needed no topping and the 100% pure Virginia mix and how they processed it was more than enough. What a amazing tasting pipe tobacco it was, ultra smooth Virginia taste but mildly sweet and the mixture of tobaccos gave it a unique Pastry flavor, smells like fresh sweet bread when you sniff the bag or if lucky the tin. The good news is Pastry does age very well so if you got it age it!!! The texture and feel of this amazing tobacco is one of a kind and Pastry is one of those pipe tobacco blends thst taste even better when you inhale, smoke this slow because its rare but more so because it is a Virginia blend and will burn super hot and will loose its unique flavor so take your time. The room note is pleasant enough and interesting because it still smells like sweet pipe tobacco and Jay won't cross over to a cigarette smell which is good being the type of tobacco it is. My fellow pipe smokers I highly recommend this pipe tobacco but good luck finding it, I know B&M shops might still have it under a different name and believe it or not you can still purchase it online, depending on how badly you want Mcclelland products I can and will give you alittle advice on how to get Mcclelland still because I want you to be able to enjoy it, the good Lord knows I sure do, I have a stock pile of Just Plain Nut in a jar because I love that stuff dearly but here is how you get Mcclelland still if you don't already know. Google McClelland Pastry and there is one I repeat one tobacco shop that still has Mcclelland Bulk Products, there in California (puke) but that's where they are at unfortunately, they use there house names for the Mcclelland blends so if you find them you'll haft to figure out yourself what's (what) but they use the same descriptions as other online vendors do so that helps out alot, the down side is they are alittle pricey and have this ridiculous California tax added on to there stuff which totally sucks!!! and that's all I can tell you but its not rocket science you can find and figure it out pretty easy. The next method is purchase from the UK, most UK tobacco vendors still have McClelland products but for some stupid reason will not ship to the United States (at least tobacco products) BUT!!! There are some vendors and Tobacco shops there that will absolutely sell tobacco still to the United States and don't give a flying (you know what) so find them and use them while you can, the price is just alittle higher not to bad but higher and the shipping is where it hurts but other than that you can score McClelland still so go search it out and buy it up before there dry as well. Good Luck to all you finding this awesome pipe tobacco get it while you can. God bless you all and God bless America, stand for your smoking rights and support your American tobacco farmers because they need it. I wrote this review out May 20th 2018 so you know there is still McClelland out there to be bought, you just gotta know where to find it but I gave you the hints you need to get ahold of it still but time is running out, have a good one guys and gals...

McClelland - No. 605 Pastry.

A medium brown blend and barring a few coarser pieces the majority of it's a shag. The aroma's one of sweet bread and the moisture's good. The title had me perplexed about what to expect, it's not every day you see a blend named Pastry.

605 lights easily, requiring only a quick touch. The first thing I noticed was the thickness of the smoke, it's almost palpable. The Virginias give the most character to the smoke, but are gently caressed by added flavours. I get a slightly grainy, bready, doughy, and croissant-like quality on top of the Va. It burns impeccably, needing very little maintenance, but due to the shag cut can be a little quick. It hasn't got a bite in it.

Nicotine: mild. Room-note: heart warming.

No. 605 Pastry? A good accompaniment to a nice coffee. Recommended:

Three stars.

McCelland Bulk No. 605 - Pastry

Star Rating = 3

Rating Scores - 10 is the Best and 0 is the Worst

Pouch Note = 7

Room Note = 7

Flavor = 7

Bite = 7

Burn = 7

After Taste = 7

Raw Score = 42

Rated Percentage = 70%

Comment = Smooth, same Pouch Note as 110, faint nutty Flavor, slight After Taste

The taste is great for someone wanting something lite. I thought I was having problems keeping it lit then I notice there was nothing left in ther bowl to burn. I do find that it's so lite that I do smoke it rather fast and get some tounge burn. I think if I was to use it for a blend maybe adding some cube burley to slow it down.

The Virginia's in this one aged so nicely! It actually smells and tastes like, well, a delicious pastry. I had not opened the jar for almost 6 years and was surprised to see that it was still moist (but very smokeable) and smelled like a new purchase. It'll be a sad day when the last bowl is smoked.

This is a good burner with thick and plentiful plumes of smoke. I like that. However, that is the best feature of this blend. The taste is mild and forgettable. The room note is nice as with virtually all aromatics. Both the taste, which was not great to begin with, and the aroma, fade in the stretch. I can see having this blend in the mix of a number you already smoke, but it won't go on the top shelf with your favorits.

This is more than likely a tobacco for blending. although you can smoke it just the way it is. Its very mild and nice but has no real special caricature on its own. It obviously has some kind of flavoring on it but seems to be more for smell than flavor although you can tell its there. Not as strong as 5100. This would be a very good tobacco for the beginning pipe smoker. And the beginning blender to play with as well.