McClelland Grey Havens

The first time I tried this, it was from a tin less than a year old. It was wet, goopy, and the 'fragrance' just didn't agree with me. However, I could tell that it was one of those tobaccos that would probably do well with some aging.

Fast forward a few years, and try smoking a nine year old tin of Grey Havens. Upon opening, I didn't get any of the smell of the fragrant topping. It was mostly a faint wafting of the signature McClelland smell, and a pretty good dose of perique, which I thought odd given that there supposedly isn't a lot of perique in this blend. Putting my nose right into the tin rewarded me with smells of sweet virginia and tangy/spicy perique. The moisture level was perfect, and there was no stickiness whatsoever.

Packing this tobacco is just like any other ribbon cut. No little bits of flakes to worry about. On first light I got a slight suggestion of the topping, but it quickly disappeared to give way to a very nice perique tanginess bolstered by the burley. The virginias were there, in the background, to add just the right amount of sweetness. During the top half of the bowl, the topping could just barely be discerned on ocassion in the room note.

This tobacco, if packed too tight, or puffed too agressively, can bite. However, loosely packed in a large bowl with a gentle puffing cadence, it is positively docile. And it is so very tasty. The flavors are very well balanced, with the virginia playing a supporting role to the burley and perique. I don't think I would categorize this as an aromatic, or even a semi-aromatic. Like so many of McClelland's blends, it is quite simply what it is, and should be approached as such. You won't have to dedicate a pipe to this blend, but it's best not to smoke it in a pipe that you've dedicated to aromatics or English blends.

First review. I love smoking this blend through My Savinelli Prince of Wales. It can get hot at times with a bit of bite, but I find I am still getting a proper smoking rhythm down. It packs well and smokes slow. I find it makes me patient and contemplative because of its mix of mellowness with subtle complexities. I like it matched with both coffee in the mornings, or with a nice scotch in the evenings. It is my go to smoke if I am not in the mood for something specific.

Naturally it has the McClelland aroma in the tin, and can be moist at first. I will be buying more, its a nice low impact blend to go with any occasion.

What can I say? This is a McClelland blend, and I have yet to find a McClelland that I don?t like. That said this isn?t at the top of my list, but it could see some serious time in my rotation. Out of the tin the smell of this tobacco is very pleasant, Virginia tangy sweetness, and a bit of nuttiness from the burly. When I lit this tobacco up I was surprise as how well the VA/Per came through, it is much milder then many of my standard VA/Per?s but it also burns well without any biting, so I would score that as a distinct positive.

McClelland for people who hate McClelland, right down to the Alphonse Mucha type tin art. I know nothing of the Tolkien writings so I can't ply any literary comparisons. Still, this is an excellent summer blend. I first tried this during a very hot week in July when temperatures soared around 100 degrees and the taste for english latakia laden blends was not desired. The tin is smoky and chocolatey, without the typical McC BBQ sauce. Taste is creamy and crisp and downright pleasureful. This is nicer and less aromatic than Deep Hollow and none of the stickyness of McC's luscious, but syrupy aromatics. The perfect warm weather blend, but I'm eager to try it in the autumn as well.

Three and a half of five stars

I just finished smoking through half the 100g tin of this I picked up several years ago. I was quite surprised in that what I experienced was not what I was expecting. This is a burley blend by McClelland and that is not a common thing. I would describe it as a very classy Prince Albert.

I don't know the intention behind the creation of this blend, but it seems as if McClelland wanted to take their own shot at a codger burley with this offering. The description above says there is no added flavoring, this is wrong. It is clearly topped. There is molasses and a sweet liquer of some sort, if I had to guess. It is strong and for the most part covers most of the tobacco taste. The reason I picked Prince Albert above as a comparison is that the topping most reminded me of the taste of Prince Albert with less chemical aftertaste.

Burley is clearly the lead leaf in this blend, but as I said, the blend is dominated by the topping. The Virginia and Perique are nor perceptible to my palate. The topping is well applied as it carries right through to the end. Of course, the leaf is well done as is everything McClelland does. A nice even ribbon cut that packs and burns easy.

This is good for what it is. I don't think I would go crazy searching for this or paying the high dollars that people are demanding for many of the MC blends at this time. And truth be told, I would still rather smoke Carter Hall than this even with that blend's chemical after taste.

Lots of positive things with this one, but not a stand-out! It has a great blend of Burley and Perique which give it a nutty and sweet, but just a hint of spice. The typical McClelland vinegar tin note is not as obvious as other McClellands, but still present. I will keep some cellared to try in a year or three, but it will not be in permanent rotation just yet. I liked it a lot, but not a favorite. I would re-order, though.

Easy, mild, smooth. If you are a new pipe smoker, I would recommend you start here when it comes to aromatics. This is a mild, easy to smoke mix. It is sweet and light, just a touch of spice in the background. The flavors are kind on the tongue and don't take a developed taste bud to enjoy. Personally, I enjoy latakia blends more, but this is the best for a light and easy aromatic.

I love VaPers, but most have a bit too much Perique for me. I also like Burley. This is both, and the Perique is very mild in this, yet still noticeable. This is good stuff, and appropriately named. It is a peaceful, lightly creamy, relaxing VaPer.

I have been a confirmed aromatic smoker for several years and have always been wary of taking the plunge into the non-aromatic blends for fear they would be so God-awful to taste that I'd never smoke a pipe again. Grey Havens, then, is my first non-aromatic blend and what a surprise.

It has little to no casing that I could detect, just the smell of ketchup. That was a bit alarming in itself, as I thought, "What in the hell have I gotten myself into!" as the tomato smell hit me.

It was moist and burned well, and from the first puff I was pleasantly surprised. This is probably the best tobacco I've ever had. That doesn't mean it's the greatest in the entire world or anything, just that I've never had such a pleasurable smoke like I had with Grey Havens.

The flavor had a bit of spice to it, but it was not overwhelming and it was something that I believe I could smoke all day. I've heard of people saying that about other blends, yet until now I'd never experienced it for myself.

I enjoy medium strength & flavor tobaccos. I don't like mine too weak nor too strong. Grey Havens seems to fit the bill for me. I plan on trying more of McClelland's blends, but believe that Grey Haven's is very near a perfect smoke for me. I will probably step up in strength at some point, but not too much.

For those who enjoy some flavor, this is a wonderful place to begin, especially if you've been limiting yourself to aromatics for fear of getting something unpleasant and rank in your pipe.