Robert McConnell Original Oriental

I'm used to Rattrays 7 Reserve as an "any time of day smoke" and wanted to try this blend after reading the reviews.

McConnell "Oriental" is undoubtly a high quality mixture. It's like a building with a little Virginia as the foundation, lots of Oriental tobaccos as the walls, and a little Latakia as a spicy roof.

I find this mixture very mild and gentle to my tongue. It doesn't bite at all, which surprised me. I smoked it for a week as my only tobacco when I was at our summer home. Very nice tobaco to start the day with, like a good aperitif before brunch. After dinner and before bed I wished I had a more a more full tobacco with me, though.

This blend should be excellent for a smoker of mild aromatics that wants to try a quality non flavoured tobacco. The latakia here gives enough flavour for that to be an easy changeover.

Although I like this blend, it's too mild for my taste. I will stay with 7 Reserve, but don't let this stop you from trying "Oriental"!

wow what a pleasant surprise from an underrated tobacco! if you like great english blends like black mallory, squadron leader, or penzance I don't see how you could not at least appreciate this fine mixture.. it has that same sweet tanginess i get from the virginias in scottish cake - with an added treat of a fine bouquet of orientals and a tasteful light dose of latakia.. the price on mcconnell tins can be a bit steep but it is worth it for an avid smoker of english blends.. top ratings here..

edit.. i'm going to step down to three stars simply because I don't feel the urge to smoke this as often as I used to.. it is more of an occasional treat than my other englishes and virginias.

I made a pretty harsh transition a few years back when I started smoking a pipe from a newbie smoking soda pop flavored tobaccos to a newbie smoking English blends, going literally from cherry borkum riff to Penzance. Without any of the proper humility I consider my palette fairly sophisticated now, I realized, though, that the English blends I favor are pretty bottom heavy with Latakia and I wasn?t sure if I could pick out Orientals from a line up if I had too. So I tried the closest thing to straight Orientals with the best rating here, a review website I probably put too much faith in but one which has yet to lead me astray.

I understand that flavor now and admire the reviewers on this site even more than I did before. I?m not likely to get another tin of this but it?s not any failing on McConnel?s part, this is quality tobacco, presented well, blended well and interesting, it?s just not my cup of tea, it reminds me of smoking a Turkish cigarette, a novelty from time to time, and something I?d appreciate as a gift, but not something I?d go out of my way to purchase. I understand now why there aren?t a lot of mainly oriental blends out there.

This tin was well worth the lesson for my palette and will help me understand and appreciate the more subtle aspects of English and Balkan blends and I?m sure I will finish the tin eventually, perhaps mixing it in with other things that are too latakia rich and not complex enough or Virginians that burn too hot or something. I just don?t see myself replacing the tin with another one. Just not my cup of tea, but would recommend to the palette curious, anyone who is into Orientals doesn?t need my recommendation and is probably very familiar with this blend. For quality I would give this four stars, for my own personal taste and interest a liberal two stars, so I?ll split the difference and call it three again erring on the liberal side.

okay, it says "oriental", but there's certainly a bit of latakia here, too. (edit: and more than "a bit", really!)

i don't know how to put this... it's not a poor quality tobacco, i guess, it's just rather boring. not bland to the extreme extent of today's "early morning pipe", but the tobaccos used are quite simply lacking in character. i tried smoking this back to back with compton's "#21", and the difference was... well, eye-opening...

i used to like this one quite well, and i've got a few aging away in my cupboard. they may, after all, develop into something nice in a couple of years. until then: somewhat recommended as a beginner's oriental.

I fully underwrite the great Pipestud's review. I have smoked the contents in all its possible degrees of humidity. At the beginning quite unsmokable because it was very damp, as all the rest of McC's. Now some crisp bowlfuls left in the bag, but it's still smokable without bite. Good product but too bland, I don't find so much interest... but it's one of the few mild english available in the italian market, I'll give it a new chance.

Wow. Twelve reviews so far without the standard whine that this blend needs more latakia. Maybe my tongue is overly sensitive (I only smoke a dozen bowls in a week) but this blend has more than adequate flavor and the latakia restraint is appreciated. I've been slowly searching for an oriental blend that tastes mostly oriental and this comes closest so far.

Turkish tobacco is stated to be a component in Camel cigarettes, and a Camel is my first impression in the room note. Oriental tobaccos are the original aromatics and among my favorites to smell burning. They have a sweetness I normally associate with Virginias but without their pinching bite; a nuttiness like burley without burley's cloaking effect. One of my favorite smokes is McClellands Blending Oriental by itself for these reasons. This one has the addition of Virginias to add variety to the sweet taste and just the right amount of latakia for variety and depth.

Well done. Sounds like I need to cellar a few tins. In the meantime, my darling EM remains Squadron Leader.

I seem to be in the same wagon with the reviewers Howie and CapnDan. Somewhere around '90 I smoked RM's "Oriental" quite often and always thought it to be a nicer-than-average, all-day smoke. Not complex, but tasty and consistant. Last year I bought three tins (in two different states) and it didn't seem at all like the same ol' Oriental - and it certainly wasn't nearly as tasty. Since I smoke mostly for taste, my confidence in Oriental is shot. Based solely on the later tins I bought; this former-favorite is, alas, in the humble 1 star category at my hacienda.

Tiger

October., 2003) Tin aroma is heavy oriental (Musty) with virginias (Sweetness) and hints of latakia (Nutty). It is a thin ribbon cut which is about 80% tan & brown with hints of brighter leaf and about 20% black. Upon firing this tobacco up, you immediately pick up a burst of oriental flavors, pungent, tangy and and semi-sweet. The latakia is very laid back and it's diffcult to recognize, although, if you hunt for it, you'll pick some smoky, nutty undertones. This is truely an Oriental, thus the name of this blend. I would not even classify this tobacco as an english but since there is latakia in the mix, I guess it does. This is a very tasty blend with a fair amount of complexity, with respect to the oriental tobacco. No doubt, the latakia and virginias play a part in the overall flavor profile but they are minor roles. I like this blend! It gets slightly richer and stronger as the bowl smokes down which is to be expected but it remains cool, easy to smoke and very tasty. I don't sense a more than average offering of nicotine in this blend. 4 out of 5 Flakes - Highly Recommended!

(From blind tobacco review)

1st smoke is in a ceramic pipe, to avoid any pipe characteristics. Appearance: Standard cut for an English blend; ~50% black, 25% brown and 25% light tobaccos. Arrived at a perfect smoking humidity.

Tin aroma has a strong "smoky barbecue sauce" element to it, a savory feel. I'm guessing this blend will have some sweetness to it.

At first light, I'm struck by the balance of flavors. The Latakia is restrained, more than mere condiment but very harmonious with the other components. I would classify this as a Virginia English, as the Virginias are the heart - very high quality (I'd guess from the US), naturally very sweet and some zestiness (bright or red, maybe stoved Virginia), and extremely satisfying. There is an Oriental leaf element, which really pulls the blend together and lifts it above the ordinary. It is warm, with a caramel/toasted marshmallow tone that is substantial, both in the middle and upper bass ranges. This blend doesn't so much rely on the Latakia for its depth and fullness, but rather integrates the Latakia with the Virginias for a more complex bass range. To its credit, this blend would probably smoke deliciously even without Latakia, although I would miss its significant contribution.

Second and third smokes are in Savinelli Capri Root Briar and Comoy Grand Slam. I notice no appreciable differences from the first smoke. A very consistent blend, and a pleasure. I would give this blend an 87 out of 100. Many similarities to Dunhill EMP.

(Note: since this review, I have tried another 12 - 15 English blends. Relatively speaking, this moved down to "I smoke this on occasion." EMP is still "one of my favorites).