McClelland Navy Cavendish

I am not normally a fan of either this blender, or this style of tobacco - but a particularly well aged tin came my way so I decided to open it up and give it a try.

The presentation is a nice pressed leaf - almost cake in appearance. Rubbing it out was easy. Gravity feeding the pipe seemed to be the best method.

It took a bit to get lit in the humid air, but once I got a nice char on top - the rest of the pipe took to the flame fairly easily.

I think this is a good example of what "sailor's blends" such as Captain Black, the various drug store cavendish blends, etc... attempt to be. It is flavorful - with the vanilla and rum essence coming through as a compliment to the tobacco.

Initially it starts out a bit bland - mostly cavendish with faint casing. But by midway through the bowl the spice of the rum and the tobacco shines through. The end of the bowl was remarkably tangy - almost perique like in sharpness.

The taste remained fairly constant but did allow for some variation through out. Not something I'd smoke all the time - but I'd likely fill a pipe with it again.

I've been having trouble finding the right pipe for this blend. When I first tried it in a new pipe, it was sweet and pleasant at the outset, but got harsh in the main smoke. Other mistakes I made were using a pipe that was too large and smoking too fast. My tongue paid dearly for that!

Recently I made the pleasant discovery that Navy Cavendish is wonderful in an olivewood pipe. It's a marriage made in Heaven! It could be, though, that my tin is just hitting its stride, having turned two years old.

A new favorite.

I have tried this in a large Cavicchi billiard, a small Savinelli bulldog, and a medium Parker pot, and it seems as though larger bowls do better.

I have only one comment to make. This delicious tobacco develops a marked nutmeg note after about the one-third point. Delectable and unexpected.

This is a cool and flavorful smoke. It is not overly moist and lights and burns well. I didn't detect any rum flavor but as for a creamy vanilla taste ,there was plenty. I'm not talking about a crappy synthetic vanilla.I mean the real bean. This cavendish blend as with most McClelland products has above average tobacco quality. What is not above average here, is the taste complexity. In my opinion it is a "one note johnny" smoke. Thats not necessarily a bad thing when it comes to pipe tobacco,because there are no adverse surprises either. It simply tastes the same from start to finish. If you remotely enjoy vanilla or creamy semi-aromatics with smooth tobacco taste try this.

A fellow piper recommended I try this McClelland concoction whilst I was perusing my local tobacconist's wares. Anyone having viewed any of my previous reviews would have picked up on my reticience to smoke flakes not containing latakia, as I seem to have a rather tender mouth. However, I have been experimenting with some flake virginias from time to time, so I thought why not a cavendish? The tabak tumbles out of the can in a haphazard broken flake. A slight rum flavor is detectable via olfactory sense; I was not blasted with "atomic ketchup", as others may have been. Flakes are greasy to the touch, so I find it is best not to rub out too fully, lest your mouth become a bbq pit. Flavor is straightforward-smoky, with hints of rum emerging ever so often. I kept my puffing cadence to a bare minimum and was rewarded with a gentle but full smoke. Navy Cavendish is not usual fare for moi, mais c'nest pas terrible, and I will finish my tin.

This is not one of those "to die for" tobaccos, IMO. However, it is a nice change of pace. It does have the distinct McClelland odor on opening the tin, and was a little on the moist side. My first few tastings left me feeling disappointed.

I put some in a plastic film cannister and promptly lost it for a couple of months. Upon recovery yesterday, I found that it had dried considerably (though not died up) and was much less ductile, crumbling on folding into the pipe. This was a considerably different experience. It smoked cooler and very much more tasty. I usually do not like flake tobacco this dry, (I am not all that big on flake tobaccos in general) but for Navy Cavendish this seemed to be just the ticket.

Being a good scientist, I had to go back to the tin, which was still more or less at its initial moisture content to see if my initial impressions held true (replication).

Yup. When moist, this stuff is BLAH. Bottom line, this is smokable (and the rum flavor is BTW more apparent) given a good bit of drying. Now I am wondering how the leathery Dark Star (good right out of the tin) would taste given the same gentle and slow drying treatment...

I received this tin several months ago from a friend and I promtly opened it: at the moment I didn't like the smell, just a bit acid. I agree with a previous reviews about a smell of ketchup... Havin' kept the tin with its plug for 4 months before I decide to smoke it. Few days ago I took the tin, wondering if it was still wet ok... and it was! The tin is perfect! I crushed a few flakes and filled an unsmoked Castello Sea Rock lovat with a Pot bowl. It was easy to keep lit. A very nice aroma in the room (no wife sorry:-) ).The initial smoke was appreciable, not able to taste the rum very much. Found a light touch of sweetness, and that is good. After 1/2 of the smoke it started to become a little strong for my taste. First I smoke a full bowl, not liking the final taste... then decide to stop at 2/3. A pleasant smoke! It is not an all day tobacco, but I will keep it in my mind for occasion.

This is a very fine navy cavendish. The mature Virginia, pressed into cakes, and soaked in dark Jamaican rum provides the smoker with pleasant surprises. Upon opening the tin the aroma is very appealing and inviting. The tobacco rubs out easily and packs very nicely. It lights easily. The first puffs bring a bit of a bite. This tobacco needs to be smoked slowly and gently. Role the taste in the mouth, sit back, and relax. Very shortly the bite disappears giving way to a luxurious mellow rum flavoring. The taste is well rounded and complex. The deep richness of the rum is not overly present, but there to smooth out the Virginia's top. The acidic sweetness of the Virginia is rounded out so that the full taste is balanced. Not an all day smoke for my taste, but a tobacco to return to often non the less. This cavendish is strongly recommended to smokers who prefer navy cuts and recommended to those who enjoy Virginias and other non aromatic tobaccos.

Not much flavor or interest here. The rum-like casing/topping detracted from the virginias, rather than enhancing the flavor. This mixture irritates the back of my throat slightly, and is not easy to light. MEH. Not my thing.