McCranie's McArris

This tobacco blend, a sweet mix of Virginias, burley, and what I think must be a sweet cavendish (perhaps it's slightly cased), was originally created by Tom McCranie for a favorite customer. The blend name comes from the customer's name, Harris, and the shop name. It has become, over the years, the most popular bulk tobacco sold by McCranie's, and for good reason. The blend is good from the start, apparently already somewhat aged. I have some set aside to age further, and will again review it in about a year. From the initial light, the sweetness of this tobacco comes through. I don't often smoke aromatics but this is one I can smoke at least as a pleasant change of pace. The tobacco's pouch aroma is rich, indicating quality tobaccos throughout, and the room note is certainly pleasant. The sweetness of the blend carries through to the bottom of the bowl. Mid-bowl I detected a bit of slight acidity, from the burley, but it is not unpleasant, just a bit strong. There's no unpleasant acidity at the bottom of the bowl, as there is with many aromatics; rather, the taste remains pleasant, with what I found to be a reduction in the slight acrid nature of the middle of the smoke. The blend DGTs well, too, though I think it's best smoked from start to finish. I personally prefer this blend in a meerschaum, as I do with most aromatics. In briar, for some reason the blend is slightly less sweet to my tongue, though still quite pleasant. This is, I think, an excellent starter tobacco, and also a fine blend for aromatic smokers who are looking to transition from aromatics to more natural blends. It's not a tobacco I'll keep around as a regular, but one I'll happily smoke either as a change of pace or in settings when a pleasant room aroma is needed.

This very subtle blend has that unmistakable soft sweetness which I find unique to McClelland's virginias. While this is blended by McCranie's, I am told that all of the base tobaccos are from McClelland. There appears to be a very slight aromatic component, but the dominant smell both in the pouch and while smoking is that of the matured red virginia. The description claims there is some burley in there as well, but I don't sense it at all. Perhaps there is just enough of it in there to tame the bite I sometimes get from McClelland's blends. This packs and burns easily due to the mainly ribbon cut. The flavor is consistently mild, sweet, and even a little bit buttery throughout the entire bowl. There is so little nicotine in here that I don't feel it at all. I prefer to smoke this in a full-bent pipe so I can enjoy the wonderful aroma as much as possible, and I often exhale it through my nose. Like most mild blends, smoking McCarris in the same pipe tends to make the flavor more full. This is a great morning smoke due to it's lack of nicotine, mild flavor, and pleasant aroma. In fact, it is so tasty and mild, I have to restrain myself from madly puffing away at it and burning my mouth. I highly recommend this blend for new pipe smokers or smokers of aromatics who want to try out a more natural blend. If you are looking for stout flavor, however, this won't satisfy you. Available from McCrannie's Pipe Shop.

Update 11/23/2005 -- Coming back to this blend after some time away from it, I am downgrading my recommendation by 1 star. Still a nice tobacco, but becomes flavorless well before the bottom of the bowl.

A mild to medium Virginia blend that is subtlety sweet, mildly aromatic and kind to the tongue. I could not detect the burley either. It should be smoked before heavier blends to appreciate it fully, i.e., this is an excellent morning smoke. I would smoke it more often if I solely smoked aromatics.

A cigarette is to be smoked. A cigar is to be enjoyed. A pipe is to be savored.

I rate this tobacco 8.0 out of 10.

This blend would be in my top five of all time were it not for an unfortunate side effect this has on me. It gives me an ache in my back. I don't know how, but it does it! If it weren't for that one odd effect, I would smoke the Heck out of this stuff. Smells great, tastes full and wonderful, would be a good all-day smoke for me.