McClelland Balkan Beauty

As the tin description highlights, this definitely has the virtues of a very well aged blend. The blend elements are melded together very harmoniously into a more unified smoking experience, not a blend of varying complexity. The cut is among McClelland's finer cuts for it's blends. A medium to full english style with a refined edge and somewhat less in nicotine than a medium blend so, still satisfying in that regard. In picking apart the blend and burning these individual elements I was surprised that the Latikia has more rounded, sweet character than is typical with this leaf. The Virginias are mid-brown ready rubbed with smooth sweetness almost verging on a brown sugar character that slightly dominates the taste of the blend followed by the fuller Latikia character. The Orientals seem rather subdued and lean towards a more underlying harmony with the Virginias. This is perhaps a little disappointing for me being a fan of orientals and wonder that a stronger variety would have been better choice well, to my liking anyways. But, this blend is not flat in the way I perceive strict blends of Virginia and Latakia only. Along the way smoking this it did eventually remind me of Murray's production of Dunhill's 965 without the more prominent brown sugar flavor of the brown cavendish base. It's very much a blend in that style that echoes that classic tobacco.