McClelland Deep Hollow

Smooth tobacco blend. The tin note has the 'McClelland' aroma to it, but that goes away with a pipe. Pack it lightly and it smokes great. I tried it out of the tin right away and it was a bit to moist to keep lit. It has aged in a mason jar for a year, and now smokes to the bottom with no re-lights.

The room-note is pleasant, and it has a nice note that I just can't place, but the odor that you inhale is there and really is a great smoke. It is a mild smoke, and has a sweetness to it. I really like this blend, the Virginia's are top notch. I will always have more on hand so I don't run out and it ages.

I bought a tin of this a few years ago and opened it at that time. I just finished the 100g tin after I'd guess perhaps 5 years in a jar (dipping in for occasional bowls throughout those years). Overall this tobacco is a winner for me.

It is definitely flavorful and on the sweet, rich side of the VA spectrum. I'm in the camp that believes it is lightly cased (but I sure can't put a name on the casing flavor). If it isn't cased then maybe there are non-latakia orientals in there.

When it was young, it was definitely on the moist side, but over time dried a bit. The tobacco in the tin appears dark and smells sweetly fragrant.

The aged specimen lights well without much drying, though I remember it needing a little drying when young. The flavor starts sweet and pretty much stays there. It is a tad tangy at times, but in a good way that supports the sweetness. The bowl never gets too strong or especially complex, though it is pleasant throughout especially if you manage to keep it cool. The burning properties are about average.

The room note is surprisingly pleasant, certainly by the standards of a straight VA. I often choose this blend when I knew I'd be smoking around others. Still, it is definitely as just as good or better from the smoker's perspective.

If you are looking for stronger VA flavors, more nicotine or anything approaching an English or VAPer, look elsewhere. But if you want a pleasant, mild, sweet and fragrant smoke this is a good place to start. In fact, if you are an aromatic smoking looking to make a jump to VAs, this is definitely one worth checking out.

UPDATE:

Upgrading to 3 stars, this ages well with oxygen exposure become a little stronger and more flavorful. Also, this is NOT and aromatic. It IS a light straight VA with an almost non-existant topping. This is a great all day smoke for the lighter VA crowd (me:).

If you have this blend and didn't care for it, give it some time I have smoked a LOT worse

ORIGINAL: 3-14-2008

Light carmel notes, maybe imagination or not, but it's very light.

The VAs used here are mild to almost tasteless, but I can't say I didn't like this blend, I liked it more than I disliked it.

It will perform as a dependable, very average smoke. Whips the pants off any drugstore blend that I can think of, just not enough zing for me.

I can imagine that anyone who keeps the McC blending stocks could create something neat and tastey with this mix. I'd say a dash of oriental and latakia might make some magic here.

This is not a heavily cased aromatic, just a lightly topped VA in the mild dept.

Not bad but not great, definitley has potential. I think I just talked myself into buying the full compliment of McC's blending varieties.

🙂

Good Draw to You, Sincerely

Ethan "Glorfindel" Dickey

I wasnt aware of this toby prior to my Mrs. purchasing this blindly as part of.a Christmas YABO ( she has yet to look up the wishlist I've labored hours on end compiling on this site 🙂

So I didnt research this tin prior to opening. Biases have thereby been unintentionally reduced therein. The tin note is superb, strong earthy chocolatey almost Latakia type smells, slightly vanilla and cinnamon lime -with the latter two lingering my mid-tin.

It was perfect moisture- wise, no relights necessary, and I find it smoked best for me in both cob and large billiard Velani. Sweet, smooth, lat-like coolness near to mid-bowl, whereupon a conscious effort was necessary to keep the Virginias from overwhelming my tongue. A natural French Vanilla with a sugary sweetness is what I chase bowl to bowl here.

I really dig this, as I get a qualty Va. and a smooth aromatic in concert with each other. To date my favorite aros all had cavendish as the base toby, except the Vaper La Flake (which still has in my mind a Bobs C flake chocolate derivative)

Aros take me 3x as long to consume as English blends, but I'm thinking not so long with this blend.

Great option for Aro fans, potential Virginia converts...

I've just finished my 2 oz 'can' of this blend. It had some moments. I detected a very light maple casing from time to time, and the Virginia's were pretty up-front. I enjoyed the mild-medium taste profile, nothing was too overwhelming. I smoked cigarettes for many years and this blend of all the other McClelland's that I've smoked is a satisfying blend of flavor, room-note and tobacco taste, though I agree with some others that it has less nicotine than I'd like. Another note, my can was from 06. I'd be willing to wager that most of the negative reviews on this tobacco have been very new cans and the better reviews of this blend have been the older varieties. The tobacco smelled wonderful out of the can, very raisin/fig aroma, no unnatural scents or flavors, i love how this matures in the bowl to an almost 'cigary' strength and complexity at the bottom of my bent. Reccomended for those who are moving in the direction of 'real tobacco' from aro's or cigarettes.

Deep Hollow. Is this McClelland's tobacco an aromatic or not? You could probably ask 20 people and get 25 opinions on this subject. I am only decided that this is a fragrant tobacco, along the line of a couple of the Rattray's blends. Opening the tin of Deep Hollow presents a little of that usual McClelland smell as well as tobacco that gives a little vanilla-esque nose. This is another tobacco that can be a little moist in the can and some drying certainly doesn't hurt. The tobacco packs well and light easily if you have followed the slight drying process. Deep Hollow is a very nice tobacco to both the smoker and those around. The flavour is not what you expect from the smell in the can - instead it is that of excellent stoved Virginias, which to my palatte is more toward the black Virginia rather than red Virginias in this blend. The vanilla really doesn't come through that much in the smoke and is probably there for the spouse. This tobacco can bite, but only if you do you best impression of a Hoover on the pipe. Overall, this is a nice fragrant tobacco that burns clean to a grey ash.

Not being a big fan of straight Virginia blends right now ( I prefer English / Oriental / Latakia ), I found that I do like Deep Hollow. Opening the tin reveals a mix of tan to black ribbon-cut tobacco with a sweet aroma very similiar to Captain Black ( re: raisins, vanilla and ketchup ). It's also pretty moist so I've found it best to dry out for awhile before loading in your pipe ... otherwise you will have frequent relights.

It burns well and to a grey ash, but can get hot and gurgly if smoked too fast. It has the typical tart and slightly sweet flavors I associate with Virgina tobacco. The smoking aroma is not overpowering, the nicotine level is fairly mild and it leaves a nice aftertaste.

Overall I enjoyed the bowls I've smoked and would recommend to those that already like this McClelland series and are looking for a mellow Virginia blend.

Deep Hollow is a mild virginia blend that makes for a very nice smoke when you don't want anything complicated. I find it to be a mildly sweet blend that has potential to bite if pushed to hard. I do detect a funky vanilla topping in the tin but it doesn't translate into the flavor.

A tasty, light, sweet, and sometimes tangy virginia concoction with a hint of perhaps a mild vanilla or maple casing, and likely a smidge of orientals as well. Lights and smokes easily, with plenty of thick, fragrant smoke, down to a light gray ash, with no re-lights. A great introduction to mild, sugary, smooth virginias. A touch of hay, cut grass, and green apple can be detected mid-bowl. A well done blend! I keep some on hand for a lighter, mellow smoke in the rotation that simply won't bite or overpower in any way, no matter how enthusiastically you rail away at it. Has real virginia flavor despite bordering on a light aromatic, yet without any of the heavy, sweet perfumed gurgling downsides. Great stuff! The more I smoke it, the more I enjoy it. Three and a half stars.