Robert McConnell Original Oriental

The tin note of this short, fine ribbon cut is dominated by the smoky scent of its Latakia, which is accompanied by a sublime sweetness.

Because of the relatively short tobacco fibers it's important not to pack your pipe too tightly. Getting it burning evenly is easy: a single charring and true light will usually do.

The strong taste is clearly that of an English blend dominated by Latakia with a subjacent sweetness, which comes from the Virginias, that also add a slight tangy aftertaste, and Black Cavendish. For the minor role the Orientals are playing, I wouldn't truely call this a Balkan mixture. Because of the cut this tobacco tends to burn rather hotly and fast and therefore needs to be smoked with care, which is why I would not recommend Original Oriental to newbies. At the end there's some powdery grey ash.

The room note is fumy.

McConnell Oriental is musty, slightly sour, with hints of sweetness and smokiness. It does not bite, but feels robust and zesty nevertheless. There is not much development here one could call one-dimensional, the other reliable, depending on your preferences. Oriental smokes well and is easy to handle.

What I don’t like with this blend is that it tastes overly bitter and disturbingly sour with coffee and some other drinks. I like my water carbonated, which then feels like throwing my tongue into a deep fryer or so. However, this is by no means a bad blend and I enjoyed it adjusting my habits a little. Just not a regular for the likes of me, who seem to prefer Orientals used as condimental only in small doses. Part of the tin gets air-sealed for aging.

I much prefer C&D Sunset Harbor Flake and HU Dockworker to this one.

I have to agree with some of the other reviewers here, this blend seems to be on the bland side. They must pack this extremely wet, because upon opening the tin, I noticed not only the paper lining but also the thin cardboard cover were a distinct brown color and the lining is still on the damp side several days after opening the tin. Very surprisingly, this is an easy blend to light up right out of the tin. It smokes down to a nice ash at the bottom of the pipe and produces a nice amount of smoke. But it leaves you wanting in the taste and nicotine departments. I would recommend this if you want to give this type of blend a shot, you may just like it. Otherwise, you may be well served to pass on this one.

It's a fine, mild and atypical "scottish blend like" mixture, maybe a little straight for the first part of the tin. No traces of latakia, (also in the catalogue you can read "Oriental Macedonia, Bright Carolina, Red Old Belt Virginia & Black Cavendish"), but, if you like, you can make a very classical EM by adding a 10-25% of Syrian Latakia (McConnell I suggest) to the mixture. Unfortunately the name of the mixture make sense only after about half a tin, before that, the virginias and the black cavendish tends to cover the oriental taste, also, this is more distinct in the final part of the smoking. Personally I really appreciated the last pipe of the tin (so to much late). First you can percieve the virginias tonality followed by the black coffee aftertaste of the black cavendish (always to strong), after you start to discover the honey, grassy, cinnamon, spicy and natural undertones of the Macedonia, but (I repeat) only when It's too late to full enjoy the tobacco in its name. It's a pity, this could be a real good mixture, so I can't give more than 2 or 2 and a half stars.

Type: Scottish/English mixture ; Contents: Bright Carolina, Red Old Belt Virginia, Black Cavendish, Oriental Macedonia (I put this at last for the reasons that I wrote before) ; Cut: Ribbon / Shag (maybe a thin Ribbon type) ; Humidity: Regular, a little wet ; Lighting: No problems, easy ad constant ; Pipe recommended: Thin bowl, tall I suggest, like a Poker or a Dublin, but works fine also with medium and large size.

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.

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

Not being a big lover of mainly oriental belnds, I gave it a try, but I must say its not the best I ever tasted. The beginning started of reasonably, but soon I got tired of the taste and left the pipe for what it was.

Not a full review, but in my opinion not a great tobacco.

Just bought a tin of this. it smells very spicy,...yet some sweetness is detectable. Smoking it it turns out to be verry light smoking though there is a refined creamy full smoke with a true latakia overtone. Nowere to find the used tobacco's only A century old formula, traditional mixture of Oriental and Virginia tobaccos. I think it is tobacco for the true latakia smoker, who loves the typical oriental tastes. Though oriental, i think it smells more like some tobacco's i smelled in the middle east, using in water pipes. The positive fact is that the tobacco indeed really will mind u to this mystical country's. For me it is 6,5 point's on a scale to ten, not too much but it can be personal preference. Though when I smoked my second bowl i might probably review this grade.