Robert McConnell Black Parrot
(2.95)
Virginia, Carolina & pure Louisiana perique, this unique square-cut tobacco emcompasses flavor, maturity and mellow smoking.
Notes: Previously produced by Ashton, this mixture is now under the flag of R. McConnell, but the manufacturer is always Kohlhase & Kopp.
Details
| Brand | Robert McConnell |
| Blended By | |
| Manufactured By | Kohlhase & Kopp |
| Blend Type | Virginia/Perique |
| Contents | Perique, Virginia |
| Flavoring | |
| Cut | Broken Flake |
| Packaging | 100 grams tin |
| Country | Germany |
| Production |
Profile
Strength
Medium
Extremely Mild -> Overwhelming
Flavoring
None Detected
None Detected -> Extra Strong
Room Note
Pleasant to Tolerable
Unnoticeable -> Overwhelming
Taste
Medium to Full
Extremely Mild (Flat) -> Overwhelming
Average Rating
|
2.95 / 4
|
Reviews
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Displaying 31 - 37 of 37 Reviews
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 01, 2003 | Mild to Medium | None Detected | Medium to Full | Tolerable |
I'm down to my last bowl of this enjoyable blend. Having fallen in love with another Ashton blend, (read; McClelland), Pebblecut, I had high expectations for Black Parrot.
Tin Aroma: McClellands signature.
Visual: A mottled broken flake, (Square cut?), consisting of mahogany brown base with streaks of lighter brown, blond and almost black.
Texture: I think most McClelland flakes ship just a tad on the moist side, and that's just fine with me. Nice thick chunks of broken flake, with not to much "dust".
Pack/Pipe: Smoked this fully rubbed out, and gravity fed into the bowl with plenty of tapping to settle tobacco. Topped of after tamping down once, and ready to light. Although I prefer smaller pipes, and especially when smoking flake tobacco, this particular blend seemed to perform best in taller stacks, so I usually smoked this in a pair of Nording freehands, a Von Erck classic, and numerous Ashton xx & xxx pots.
Lighting/Burn: With the exception of Escudo, this is the best burning flake I have ever smoked. The rule was one long charring match, one quick relight after tamping the char down, and then smoke to bottom of bowl with just one more match at the very end to finish off a few remaining bits. And this was in my larger bowls!
1st 3rd: A little dull and ashy on first light, but it quickly settles down into a tangy bright flavor with an immediate background taste of stewed fruit. (Tastes very close to Escudo, but this has a lot more tang.) Produces plenty of white smoke.
2nd 3rd: Very consistent flavor. Still bright and tangy with just a little bit more stewed fruit. No ash or heat at all.
Final 3rd: This portion begins just like the previous. Tang and stewed fruit. At the very end, it gets ashy and loses most of the flavor, but I carry on to cure the bowl properly. Leaves a grainy gray ash with very little charred tobacco.
Notes: A very good blend, and super consistent. Really shines after it has been open for about 2 weeks. This blend does not unseat Ashton Pebblecut from first place though.
Stogie rating of: 8 Pristine Punch
Tin Aroma: McClellands signature.
Visual: A mottled broken flake, (Square cut?), consisting of mahogany brown base with streaks of lighter brown, blond and almost black.
Texture: I think most McClelland flakes ship just a tad on the moist side, and that's just fine with me. Nice thick chunks of broken flake, with not to much "dust".
Pack/Pipe: Smoked this fully rubbed out, and gravity fed into the bowl with plenty of tapping to settle tobacco. Topped of after tamping down once, and ready to light. Although I prefer smaller pipes, and especially when smoking flake tobacco, this particular blend seemed to perform best in taller stacks, so I usually smoked this in a pair of Nording freehands, a Von Erck classic, and numerous Ashton xx & xxx pots.
Lighting/Burn: With the exception of Escudo, this is the best burning flake I have ever smoked. The rule was one long charring match, one quick relight after tamping the char down, and then smoke to bottom of bowl with just one more match at the very end to finish off a few remaining bits. And this was in my larger bowls!
1st 3rd: A little dull and ashy on first light, but it quickly settles down into a tangy bright flavor with an immediate background taste of stewed fruit. (Tastes very close to Escudo, but this has a lot more tang.) Produces plenty of white smoke.
2nd 3rd: Very consistent flavor. Still bright and tangy with just a little bit more stewed fruit. No ash or heat at all.
Final 3rd: This portion begins just like the previous. Tang and stewed fruit. At the very end, it gets ashy and loses most of the flavor, but I carry on to cure the bowl properly. Leaves a grainy gray ash with very little charred tobacco.
Notes: A very good blend, and super consistent. Really shines after it has been open for about 2 weeks. This blend does not unseat Ashton Pebblecut from first place though.
Stogie rating of: 8 Pristine Punch
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Aug 15, 2003 | Mild to Medium | Extremely Mild | Very Full | Pleasant |
This my first experience with Black Parrot and what a delightful experience it is. The tin aroma does carry the faint zing of vinegar which tells you it is a McClelland Va., but none of that comes through in the smoke as it does not with other McClellands. It arrives a bit moist in flakes as described, above, and rubs out easily. The initial light is strangely hot at the match, but once lit, the smoke smooths out immediately. On the tongue, it tastes of a sweet, raisiny Virginia with the unmistakable tang of Perique, a Three Nuns taste that makes me salivate. On the tongue, for me, it is almost identical to Three Nuns (tin version). It does not remind me of Escudo. But the smoke is quite different from Three Nuns in the nose where it is nuttier with a roundness which makes me think of a very high quality Kentucky, just a trace. There is also an almost imperceptible dark note that appears in the nose from time to time. The first bowl I smoked in an Ashton Old Church pot in which I usually smoke Va./Periques, and it was so delicious, I immediately smoked another in a Wiley apple which I also use for Va./Periques. There was no difference in the flavor of the smoke. This is a first rate tobacco, and it is a treat to know that if and when I cannot get hold of Three Nuns, I have something in its stead. Matter of fact, Black Parrot could be as satisying in its own way as Three Nuns - time will tell. Most highly recommended to the Va./Perique smoker. Paddy.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Jul 08, 2003 | Medium to Strong | None Detected | Medium to Full | Tolerable |
This is a full-bodied VA/P, a full step up from its cousin St. James Woods. I fully expected to love this, but I don't. My guess is that it has the same type of red Virginia that turns me off to blends like McClelland 5100 and Virginia Woods. An unpleasant chemical reaction. For most people's body chemistry, though, I can imagine this would be a nice addition to the VA/P rotation, just a notch in strength down from Haddo's.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Sep 08, 2002 | Medium | None Detected | Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
I like this little VA/Perique blend. It rubs out nice, filling the pipe is not a problem, and it lights and burns very well. The tingle on the taste buds reveals the light Perique component as well as the quality Va's, and the slightly tart sweetness is present for a good portion of the bowl, giving way to a mild sour (but pleasant) note as you smoke down. Flavors of dates and raisins (?) seem to be hiding in there. I noticed a few extra re-lights but it could have been just me or the fill or the moisture. I've only smoked this in a few bent pipes to date, so maybe a little bit of air time and a different pipe (perhaps a straight billiard or apple) could make the difference. I still swabbed w/a pipe cleaner only a coupla times. All-in-all a very enjoyable blend which I think I like better than Escudo, and it's not quite as heavy as St. James Woods. Let's not forget Haddos which I like very much as well. A well-balanced blend that I feel would work most anytime. Worth having a tin or two around for the upcoming Autumn walks on a clear, crisp morning. Burns to a dove gray ash.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Sep 03, 2002 | Medium | None Detected | Medium | Tolerable |
Another McClelland blend under the Ashton name that has the typical McClelland attributes for similar tobacco composition and form. I'm not sure what makes this one a 'unique square-cut' but it's a nicely prepared, partially rubbed out flake of mostly darker tobaccos with some golden intermixed. A rich, creamy smoke with a nice balance to the Perique. In some pipes or due to my techniques, the last 1/3 got wet and therefore bitter but partial drying eliminated this problem. Overall, an enjoyable smoke but I'm not convinced that it warrants the increased $$ compared to other McClelland bulks that I've tried.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Jan 29, 2002 | Medium | None Detected | Medium to Full | Pleasant to Tolerable |
A very nice small flake, mostly dark with some light flashes. The smell is slightly vinegary, with the sour ang of perique quite noticeable. The moisture level is fairly high, so it neds to be aired out for a while. It is a classic Va/Per blend which is rather milder than Escudo, but not wimpy. Think of it as an all-day version of the Big E. Definitely worth a try.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Jun 13, 2001 | Medium to Strong | None Detected | Full | Pleasant to Tolerable |
Tin Aroma: barbeque sauce, vinegar, and all those other smells in a tinned virginia that spell McClelland. This one smells a bit spicy, due to the perique in the blend.
Physical Characteristics: A very dark flake, partially rubbed out, or 'broken'. Not too moist on opening the tin, and rubs out easily.
Notes: A very balanced virginia/perique blend. This blend showed up on my smoking radar just as I was discovering how to smoke virginias without destroying my palate. Though it is slightly 'steamy' on first light, it settles down very quickly into a pleasant full-bodied smoke. I have been somewhat non-plussed by the bulk of McClelland virginias, preferring the fuller flavors of the lakeland types, but the Ashton Black Parrot is full and satisfying, without any noticeable added topping, such as tonquin bean essence, as is used in some lakeland virginias. Black Parrot DGT's well, and is a pleasant smoke at any time of day, though I have gravitated towards smoking it mostly in the mornings, with some light coffee. The perique in it is very mild, not even leaving a spicy aftertaste on the lips, as many other Perique blends do. The finish is pleasant and does not get overly strong or 'dark' at the bottom of the bowl.
Physical Characteristics: A very dark flake, partially rubbed out, or 'broken'. Not too moist on opening the tin, and rubs out easily.
Notes: A very balanced virginia/perique blend. This blend showed up on my smoking radar just as I was discovering how to smoke virginias without destroying my palate. Though it is slightly 'steamy' on first light, it settles down very quickly into a pleasant full-bodied smoke. I have been somewhat non-plussed by the bulk of McClelland virginias, preferring the fuller flavors of the lakeland types, but the Ashton Black Parrot is full and satisfying, without any noticeable added topping, such as tonquin bean essence, as is used in some lakeland virginias. Black Parrot DGT's well, and is a pleasant smoke at any time of day, though I have gravitated towards smoking it mostly in the mornings, with some light coffee. The perique in it is very mild, not even leaving a spicy aftertaste on the lips, as many other Perique blends do. The finish is pleasant and does not get overly strong or 'dark' at the bottom of the bowl.
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