McClelland Grey Havens

This really reminds me of some of the "Old-Time" aromatic recreations. I detect (but in the most subtle way) cocoa, for sure. Maybe some rum as well. It reminds me a lot of H&H Classic Burley Kake (which I also love). Very light and airy, lots of smoke but not a flavor kick in the mouth. There is some sort of a food tasting element that I can't put my finger on or describe accurately, it also smells slightly of ketchup in the tin. Overall, I do like this blend, don't know if I would make it a full time regular in the rotation, but I enjoyed it nonetheless.

This is some good stuff. Light nutty, fruity, burly flavor with nice sweet virginia undertones. Perique adds a little flavor without the spicy, peppery burn of high perique content blends. It is very far in the back ground. very god and worth a try if you like burly and virginia tobaccos

A good all day smoke. It's positively delicious, but not overtly so. It's not going to punch you in the face with a wild flavor, but rather it sets in on you unexpectedly about half way through the bowl. This is definitely a blend you want to smoke in a larger bowl to get the full effect. Others in the room have remarked on how good it smellsand it really is just a joy all around. If you're a huge bold Virginia fan, maybe this doesn't quite make the cut for you, but for a very smooth and satisfying (if perhaps less intense) smoke this blend will not leave you wanting.

I did not enjoy this tobacco at all. The light is nutty, which quickly transitions into a briny pepper and toasted wheat. Not a fan of the briny pepper part.

This is an all day smoke for me.

Nice cube and ribbon cut with decent moisture. Medium and darker brown strands, with a good helping of black strands. Some pressed together pieces floating around the mixture that didn't come apart. This is easy to light and stays lit pretty well throughout the smoke. A nice toasted Burley flavor hits you immediately upon lighting. The Virginia component is mild to moderate and doesn't dominate the smoke making a nice even blend of flavors. The Perique is there only as a light seasoning, showing itself now and again, but lends a fruity stability throughout. The fragrance enhancement is barely perceptible, yet adds pleasantness to the overall room note. I notice it most when I blow the smoke through my nose. I think it might be a hint of the topping that is added to #2050 Oriental Cavendish. I have smoked a ton of 2050 and seems this possibly could be it. Never the less, I enjoy this tobacco. It is smooth and mild. Good.

One time I was playing around with some blending tobacco. I mixed some Burley and Virgnia, then added a little vanilla Cavendish and a dash of perique. After a few months in a mason jar I tried it out. "Eureka," I thought, "I've created the world's most boring tobacco!" Little did I know I had also created Grey Havens.

Okay I'm kidding. This is far better than the bland mess I made. But there are some similarities. Initially it was hard to write a review because this tobacco hardly left an impression.

Its all in there somewhere, sweetness, nuttiness, a whiff of vanilla, I think, and the peppery perique. There's just not enough of it.

Actually I take issue with the perique. With none of the other actors delivering, the perique seems to get too much of the spotlight. I'm more aware of it than I feel I should be.

Someone else mentioned you have to like burley. That may be true. It's possible that burley is just too subtle for me. That may also be why I - contrary to yet another poster -- find the similarly Tolkien-themed Deep Hollow to be much more interesting. But that's what makes this fun -- it's all subjective.

Update: This may be growing on me. I have dedicated a pipe to it for the time being and as it begins to settle in I'm getting some more of the nuances. Also being careful to pack gently and not let it get too hot. I enjoyed my bowl today.

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.