McCranie's Southport

The tangy ripe dark fruity, earthy, lightly sugary, lightly grassy, rather citrusy red and orange Virginias are the lead components. They also sport a touch of vinegar that quickly dissipates. The perique provides some plum, raisins and spice as a supporting player. The strength level is a step closer to medium than it is to mild. The taste is medium. The nic-hit is just past the mild mark. Won’t bite or get harsh, but it does have a rough edge here and there. Needs a little dry time. Burns cool, clean and little slow with balanced, mostly consistent sweet and spicy flavor that translates to the mildly lingering after taste. Leaves a little moisture in the bowl, and more so if not dried a bit. Requires some relights under any circumstance. Can be an all day smoke.

-JimInks

Okay. This is McClelland 2015. 2015 is a sublime blend. 4 stars in my book. So why the two star rating? McCranies is labeling this as their own blend and charging 100% more than online retailers. So if you want McC 2015, you got it here, just more expensive.

Foreword: this tobacco was donated to me by Clarkus (thanks), I know that it is the McClelland Bulk 2015, but having reached under the name Southport (Mc Cranie's) my review is here.

This is my first McClelland tobacco so I could meet finally the famous/infamous "ketchup smell" that produces discussions on forum dedicated to pipes, some people argue that it's chemical additives (flavouring, preservatives, wettings ...) while others argue that it is a remnant of natural fermentation of tobacco. IMHO I do agree with this last group: I think this is acetic acid as a result of a sugar fermentation. In any case this pungent smell so affects attention, smoking tobacco just opened this note is also in smoke, you need to aerate the tobacco and leave a few days. With regard to the blend as such, it presents you with a nice red/brown hue and a large broken flake cut, nicotine occurs immediately with a fruity and spicy taste. I'm not a big fan of Perique (and so little expert) but this blend seems well balanced and full bodied, piquancy is constant but non-invasive, sweet-sour taste and flavour slightly metallic make Southport a refreshing tobacco, ideal for warm months. The aftertaste is rather persistent (a bit too much for my preferences) and the room note is really impregnating, keep warned!

Highly recommended for Vaper fans and surely worth a try for all others.

And here we have yet even another McClelland blend Bulk 2015 re-named by McCranies. My question is why bother renaming it?

After looking over some of the reviews for Southport my thought is, who gives a rip whether this is McClelland's 2015 with a fancier name? I personally don't care if its the same blend or not. Just keep it comin' boys!

Southport is not wimpy in the Virginia department with an overwhelming amount of Perique. The balance weighs on the side of the quality Virginia leaf and super ripe Perique.

The flake breaks up easily and is easily loaded. The burn is even and the flavor varies just enough to be interesting as the leaf is consumed. There is an ever so slight tendency for this one to bite if puffed on with reckless abandon.

Virginia/Perique addicts will buy this stuff by the ton.

A fine blend of leaves with a superb taste.McClleland I dont know and dont care,it was good.Smoked it mainly outside while working the garden or chasing my favorite fish,speckled trout. Like most flakes I have tried its hard to keep burning but the flavor far exceeds this inconveince.The tobacco itself is cholate bar colored with streaks of lighteer tobacco.

Exactly the same as Bulk 2015 from McClelland -- I asked, they said yes! See my review and so many others for that fine blend.

This is a wonderful tobacco with the right price! Better than or equal too many VA/P's sold in a tin, you can't go wrong here. This tobacco is in a nice semi-rubbed out flake form that is easy to pack and takes to the light well. With a rich tasting virginia that is sweeter than most virginias used in these types of blends, it was a joy on the taste buds. The perique is definitely present but at the same time never seems to overwhelm the palate, instead lending a nice spicy note to counterbalance the sweetness of the virginia. If you like VA/P blends and are looking for one at a bulk price- look no further!