Robert McConnell Black and Gold

I recently cracked open a 15-year old tin of McConnell Black & Gold (do they even make this one anymore?) and was surprised by the way the leaf had fermented. I received a delicious and sweet taste that was a bit more than the natural components, but not overwhelming. I couldn't really capture a lot of the Perique flavor but it was certainly there. This was a totally unique smoke to me and I guess calling this one a flavored Oriental/Latakia mixture wouldn't be too far off the mark.

If Black & Gold is indeed still on the market, I sure can recommend this one to those who like more than a cased Burley.

Robert McConnell - Black and Gold.

When I initially opened my tin up the name made sense, a tin brimmed with black and gold tobacco. Well, it's actually black and dark brown but lets not split hairs! The aroma from the tin has more of a fruitiness to it than the smokes flavour. It smells quite sharp yet the taste is much milder. From the smoke I get a subtle plum note with a creamy vanilla taste.

I find the flavour of the tobaccos to be well weighted. There is a sour woodiness from the Oriental which is prevented from being too imperious by the creamy/vanilla like Black Cav'. There is also a slight sharpness from the Perique with the Virginia giving build/body/substance to the smoke. At first puff this seemed a little boring but after about ten minutes the flavours really begin to develop and come through clearly.

For me, the nicotine is perfect; middle ground so not too much nor too little.

First puff suggested "a bit of a boring smoke worth one or two stars" but after a few puffs this really comes to life; a love it or hate it blend maybe?!

Highly recommended.

I am not an aromatic smoker. Being a Dane, that could make me quite an outsider. But I am fed up with those eternal synthetic "candy-baccies" which dominate Denmark.

Here is an English aromatic that I simply love. This colorful blend does not taste artificial, it is like as if McConnell's thought; "Hey! Let's make an aromatic like they would have made it a 100 years ago"

A natural, rustic blend; top quality leaf and with a topping so weird (GOOD) that I can't describe it, nor compare it with any other blends. One of my favourites.

Jakob Kiilerich, Denmark

Last of the oldish McConnell tins from my cellar. This is one is - surprise - black and gold in color, ribbon cut, with a heavy smell of fruit in the tin. It claims to have a "woodspice" flavor, and since I have no idea what that means, I have no idea if either the smell or the flavor meets that claims. But I'm willing to concede the issue.

In the pipe, this is indeed a bit fruity tasting to start, and proper drying before partaking is recommended to tame that flavor, which is mildly sweet and more than a bit sour. Raisiny and perhaps apricot. This is a well crafted aromatic that eschews its American counterparts goopiness and artificiality. Once dried and once I get a short way into the bowl, the tobacco flavor comes thru. Excellent Virginia leaf with a bit more than a smidge of fruity perique. I did not notice any orientals but they could have been a factor in this one's sour side. Reminded me a bit of Glen Piper, which is another McConnell aromatic that was well conceived. Once this blend got into its zone, it was well balanced with the flavoring becoming complementary to the Virginias tang and mellow sweetness. It had kind of a McClelland-esque fermented quality but on a smaller level. Overall this is a mild-to-medium smoke but is very flavorful and mouthfilling. No lightweight in the nic department either. Complexity is on the short end of the stick but still contained some minor nuances. Smoked at tin moisture (came very moist), these nuances disappear and the smoke becomes steamy and dull. This one, like most virginiais, needs to be dried out to reach its potential and I found it best just short of crispy. This is a good one to try if you're curious about aromatics but have found the typical U.S ones to be too chemically flavored. A nice change of pace for me but nowhere near a rotation maker.

A nice fruity smoke, slightly sweet and very mild. I have not smoked it for a long time, but I don?t recall any Perique in it. It is a good tobacco for a change of pace (i.e., when tired of straight Virginias and not in the mood for Orientals). Visually, it is a very attractive mixture, the jet black Cavendish contrasting with the bright yellow (golden?) Virginias. It packs easily, but it is hard to keep lit, probably due to the moisture in the black Cavendish.

Flavour wise, it tastes of prunes and dried raisins, but not in an artificial way. It produces a nice nose or atmosphere, without being notable. I find a good option to break in a new pipe, and a good introduction for those seeking to take up a pipe.

BLACK AND GOLD: This mixture is peculiar because it contains Perique but it isn’t a Va/Per and it is flavored but it is not a real flavored blend. And of course it is not a natural aromatic mixture. Aromatic yes, but in a broad sense. Perique is perceived very well but also the flavoring is evident (although a little more hidden). BLACK Cavendish AND GOLD Virginia are without any doubt the main actors. Turkish Dubec is hidden and I do not perceive it. Maybe in the last version of the blend there is no oriental leaf. This blend is mild, delicate, but it is also too mild and too light (IMO of course). It could be a great mixture if it had more strength and more body. Anyway it is ideal for all those who prefer mild, light and aromatic mixtures. In my personal rating system (from 1 to 10) my score is 7 and two and a half stars.

IMHO tobaccos branded McC and produced by K&K have a common thing ... the understatement. I have found that in Oriental, Scottish Blend, Glen Piper and Maduro, the exception being - at the moment - Scottish Cake only (but I have just the Scottish Flake ready to start).

B&G is far long to be a substantial smoke, but it's polite and pleasant. Notes of raisins and figs in the tin aroma, and a very attractive topping kinda liqueurish/flowerish. The smoke is faintly sweet and also liqueurish, mild and non biting if smoked properly. A bit much flat and boring as all-day on weekly basis, as I'm doing...

As I have noticed with Scottish Blend, the current production has been flattening down in comparison with the small round tins production of the early 2K. I still have one those tins of B&G (I found three of them three years ago) and all the features were more pronounced, and bit stronger. I really liked it, cannot say the same now.

Again maybe it's a problem of aging, but I'm wondering why so many tobacco should be bought today for being smoke the next two years. The producer should bear the costs of immobilization of capitals, or not ?

When I first lit Black & Gold, I almost emptied the bowl after a few puffs. I detected foreshadowing of a soapy smoke. I went on with it, and I am happy to say, the soap receded. Subsequent bowls behaved the same.

Under the casing, there were hints of Va flavor from time to time. I also noted a tendency toward harshness as well. Toward the end, the flavors all seem to mix into a muddy medley where the only thing that can be identified is a hint of Cavendish. As to the Perique?. What Perique???

This review pertains to the 2022 version, and not the previous incarnations, which were different. The lead component is the spicy fire cured black cavendish, which mainly acts as a carrier for the rich syrupy apricot and mild creamy vanilla. They tone down the tobaccos without totally drowning them out. The bright Virginias provide a lot of tart and tangy citrus, vegetative grass, sugar, bread, floralness, a little spice, honey, and light sour lemon. They are in a support role. The spice and plums from the earthy, woody perique is barely noticeable. Even though Turkish is not mentioned in the current description, I sense a little floralness, spice, herbs, sour note which indicates it is present in a very small amount. The strength and taste levels barely reach the medium mark. The nic-hit is a couple of steps behind them. No bite or harshness present. Barely has a rough note. Mildly moist, it burns cool, clean and slight slow with mostly consistent sweet, floral, spicy, mildly sour, lightly bitter, syrupy flavor that extends to the lightly lingering after taste. The room note is very pleasant. Leaves little dampness in the bowl, and requires a couple more than an average number of relights. An all day smoke. Two stars.

-JimInks

This has been one of my favorite tobaccos for about a decade. In spite of numerous changes of tin descriptions over the years, It has delivered a consistent experience and taste. I have no idea whether this still contains the dubec Turkish or the “woodspice” topping, but it remains tasty. B&G is classified as an English aromatic and has quite a strong tin aroma, but does not feel sticky or gooey. Do not think Lakeland, this is nothing like that style of aro. The top notes are vanilla and what I’m guessing to be wine. I will get these delicious blasts of what can only be described as a sour grape jolly rancher. This may sound offensive to some, but plays wonderfully off the partly rubbed VA. There is a wonderful sort of tartness/sourness that develops when the VA, Perique, and topping conspire. Certainly this is not an everyday blend, but a guilty pleasure that I have reliably come back to. While this may be heavily topped, it smokes smoothly and doesn’t come across as sickly sweet. The tobaccos are complimented by, as opposed to smothered by the topping. Easy 4 stars. Highly recommended. This one is VERY unusual and clearly will not please all pipers, but is very much worth a try!

Sour Concord grapes, faint vanilla, semi-sweet VAPer.