McClelland No. 900 Refined Tennessee Ribbon

A very nice Burley nuttiness with a little tang from the Bright. This has really nice flavor. I can't detect any fruit in the topping, but I get a very distinct floral note which makes me think the sweetness is from honey. Pretty nice all the way around.

Mild to medium in body and flavor. Mild in flavoring. Burns well.

McClelland's #900 Refined Kentucky Ribbon has a LOT going for it. It probably should be on any ("un-enhanced")Burley/Virginia lover's "short list". It packs/lights beautifully, behaves exceptionally well in the bowl, offers good smoke volume and delivers a nice taste which is about 65% Burley and 35% Virginia (regardless of the actual tobacco %s present). The Virginia "tang" seems to ebb and flow in a teasing way once the piper has gotten passed the initial light, and that's kinda fun. Yes, it can definitely be made to turn bitter and bitey but even a little attention paid can avoid that. For me, #900 RKR stands in the shadow of the magnificant McCranie's "Old Master" (which is done by McClelland) but #900 is still very well worth a try and likely one of those tobaccos that you'll always seem to have at least a little of on hand.

Tiger

Addendum: Ooops, Thanks Uncle Gar. Mine is labeled "Tennessee" too. Must have had a(nother) one of those mind/typing finger disconnects!

Has a pouch note that seems to me to be butterscotch, but could be anything in that sweet caramelized spectrum, perhaps even bourbon. This flavour persists thru the actual smoke and this is definitely an aromatic.

My bag had some decidedly dusty, earthy aromas. I have no idea if this is the result of poor storage or is a 'natural' or intentional aspect of the tobacco. I do not find it pleasant.

It burns ok. It is a mild and sweet tobacco, I doubt this would bite much unless you went at it like a steam train. Definitely an improvement on most OTC aromatics, but I really would have liked to have tasted the underlying leaf more than the flavouring. Somewhere between one and two stars for me, but I'm rounding up because obviously there is still a viable market for gentle aromatic pipe tobaccos.

McCelland Bulk No. 900 - Refined Tennessee Ribbon

Star rating = 2

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

Pouch Note = 6

Room Note = 7

Flavor = 6

Bite = 6

Burn = 7

After Taste = 7

Raw Score = 39

Rated Percentage = 65%

Comment = A little strong tasting Flavor, a bit of a Bite, smokes a little hot, this blend is nothing special

Unlike other reviewers, I found nothing in this blend that reminded me of Captain Black or 1Q. It did have a sour flavor that may have been maple mixed with straight burley (CB and 1Q are flavored with vanilla, not maple) and it didn't mesh well. I smoked several bowls of this and that cloying taste was a constant. In fact, it reared its head even when I mixed this with other things.

This blend smoked cool and easy and gave off a nice aroma. It appears to be comprised of quality component tobaccos. That's about all I can say on its behalf. I did not enjoy this one much and if you're looking for McClelland burleys, check out their Burley By The Slice or Pressed Burley for a more natural tobacco.

(Review based on 1oz sampler).

This is a very nice blend with a typical American Burley/Virginia flavor, the maple/caramel flavoring is light and well balanced with delicious flavor, the ?nuttiness? of the Burley here is amazing.

I find the flavoring of this blend a bit similar, but much better quality than 1Q or captain black, without artificial flavor and with a true tobacco taste.

This is definitely a great burley tobacco crafted at the finest tobacco leaf and with skilled craftsmanship. McClelland people are really good in Aromatics.

I like this blend and I will be buying some more.

I would recommend this blend to all 1Q or Captain Black lovers since this one is much better quality.

* Bad blend ** Good blend *** Excellent blend **** Exceptional blend

My impressions are in line with the previous two reviewers (except my package says ?Refined TN Ribbon?, not Kentucky, as the second reviewer stated). I enjoy the VA-type sweetness that seems aromatic and translates well to a wonderful room note. The closest comparison that comes to mind is MacBaren?s Navy Flake, sans the specifically honey taste. My only criticism is that perhaps too much flavoring has been added, tipping it more toward a drugstore cavendish type. (..and now I can't get Captain Black out of my mind, dammit.) No, this is burley. I want to try blending this with some sweet old belt VA for a quality half and half.

Good cob pipe smoke, as tend to be all burleys. Best one out of the McClelland burley sampler pack so far.

McClelland - No. 900 Refined Tennessee Ribbon.

Although this is Burley forward it doesn't have too much of the roughness some Burley blends can have. Supporting the nutty Burley there's a fragrant sweetness from the toppings and some zest from the Virginia. It burns consistently, requiring little attention.

I wouldn't class this as a smoke which requires much deciphering, it's a simple, but nice, flavour.

Nicotine: mild to medium. Room-note: pleasant.

There isn't a great deal more to say. Apart from ''recommended'':

Three stars.

I purchased this blend based on the reviews at this website.

Room note is great, pouch note is great. The flavor while smoking is great. It has a full characteristic that lets you know you really are smoking a quality blend.This blend has one pitfall for me...

I am giving this 2 stars for now because it bites no matter how easy I sip. I have managed to keep the bite tolerable, but it is always there. It smokes very hot.

I have cellared this in mason jars and will give it a few months and then revisit. If it's better, I will edit my review accordingly.

A wonderful surprise, I found this one while sampling several different bulk types. There is the smooth, nutty burley flavor and aroma balanced by just enough natural sweetness from the Carolina/Virginia (?), and the end result is just enough of a slightly dark carmelized sweetness that is in balance and not overpowering like a cased blend. I think of it as Captain Black grown up. Nicotine factor is medium and room note is pleasant, but it will bite and turn horribly bitter if smoked too fast. So puff it slowly and enjoy, a good idea anyway with any tobacco. My favorite everyday smoke, and others like the room note as well.