Tobaccos McClelland - Acadian Ribbon (Blakeney's Best)

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Gentleman Zombie (729)	2015-06-25		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

Nice Vaper with a little something extra. The Virginias, as usual with McClelland, are superbly sweet and delicious. The Perique is moderately spicy and very fruity. The toasty note is what I really like in this blend. It's a very nice touch. A great smoke all the way around.

Mild to medium in body. Medium in flavor. Burns very well.

Pipe Used: MM Country Gentleman, Diplomat Apple, Mark Twain

Age When Smoked: fresh

Purchased From: smokingpipes.com

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2009-01-27		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I have a theory that VaPer blends work best and taste best when they are in flake or broken flake form, rather than ribbon cut. This theory has no basis in actual fact so far as I know, but this blend lends credence to the theory. It's most likely comparison in the flavor department is McClellands Bayou Slices, another of Blakeney's Best. Both blends work well and taste good but the Bayou goes beyond that into a realm of depth of flavor that this one can't quite match. As usual, I find that ribbon VaPers cannot touch blends like Escudo, McClellands St James or #2015 and several others I prefer.

That said, this is a fully serviceable smoke. It is quite tasty and more than just reasonably satisfying. The cut ensures an easy load into the pipe and negates the need for relights. If you like the taste of perique, this blend won't steer you wrong. If it weren't for the existence of VaPer flakes, I could live quite comfortably with this one. Compared to those, this just barely misses the mark. It just doesn't possess the complexity of a flake, in my humble opinion. But those who don't want to mess with flakes will be very pleased with this. It's a nice flavorful smoke.

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JimInks (3047)	2017-07-15		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

The very tangy dark fruit, sugar and earth from the matured Virginias sport a light fermentation, vinegar and stewed fruit as the lead components. In an important support role is the mildly spicy, raisiny, plumy, perique, which also has a stewed fruit quality to it. The nic-hit is just past the mild threshold. No chance of bite or harshness, and has no dull moments. Burns cool, clean, and a tad slow with a deep, consistent flavor. Has a little more smoothness than your usual VaPer. Leaves little moisture in the bowl, and requires a few relights. Has a very pleasant, lightly lingering after taste, and stronger room note. Can be an all day smoke.

-JimInks

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	BingCrosby (162)	2012-05-29		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

Very nice va/per.. It is a bit of a rough rider, however, so if you prefer a less refined more in your face perique blast - this is for you. I like it. the mccleland signature ketchup thing is there in full force, but the character of the tobacco pulls through in a way that 2015 didnt for me.. Plenty of flavor, very satisfying, decent nicotine.. its a winner.. It does kind of dry out your mouth a little, but well worth it

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Demetri (113)	2010-04-30		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

I picked up a tin of this at my B&M several months ago, maybe 6 or 8. It was on a close-out special and I just added a tin to a multiple blend purchase at the time as an afterthought. Tossing it into my tobacco cabinet and forgetting about it, it languished away, ignored for months, until I ran out of C&D Bayou Morning, my usual morning smoke. Not wanting to smoke a flake in the very early AM I finally opened this. What a waste of time. NO! Not the blend, but my waste of sheer enjoyment. Now I'm kicking myself not buying several tins of this when I could get it for cheap. Cracking the tin I found, thankfully, no McClelland ketchup, if you know what I mean. Instead the tin aroma recalled fruit - and not the usual raisin, plum, fig fruits one usually reads in descriptions, but one of my favorites -sweet pineapple. The ribbon cut appeared to be heavier in Perique over the VAs. At first light, however, that impression did not follow through. The sweet VA's play first chair with the perique second. Still spicy enough though and the pineapply impression upon firing yields to a toasty almond note and ample nicotine to jump start the day.

Absolutely divine. A blend I must have more of. 4 Stars.

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	StevieB (2081)	2017-11-08		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

McClelland - Arcadian Ribbon (Blakeney's Best).

It's a fairly coarse, medium and dark brown blend that has the usual McClelland ketchup smell. I smoke a lot of VaPers, usually as a morning smoke (loads of G.H. Louisiana Flake) and I can see this making my rotation.

The smoke is different to the usual VaPers. At first the Virginia and Perique are equal in weight. The flavour from them isn't the usual VaPer affair though, I don't get grass and spice, but much more sweet, dark fruit. There's also a subtle doughy top-note to the smoke. Towards the end the Perique dominates, without being vinegary, or too sharp. The toasting process is what separates this completely from your bog-standard VaPer, giving the smoke a pleasantly toasty edge. I've smoked four bowls of this this morning and every one has burned well without any tongue bite.

Nicotine: above medium. Room-note: pleasant.

Highly recommended:

Four stars.

Pipe Used: Atinok Meerschaum

Age When Smoked: Four months

Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JohnnyMcPiperson (119)	2011-01-28		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable to Strong

This blend for me was just okay. I used to buy a pack of Lucky Strikes from time to time and thought, hmm toasted, that could be interesting... For me though, I just didn't get what I was expecting, and I can't say I really cared for this one at the time when I tried it. As the description says, it was easy to pack and burned quite well, wouldn't mind revisiting it at some point, but at the time it just wasn't for me. With that said, the tin note was very toasty smelling, you could also pick up the perique with a trained nose I think. To me the mix of perique and Va just didn't jive right, but who knows maybe if I have the opportunity to smoke it again I'll have a different experience. I did smoke an entire tin of it through though, so I can't say it was terrible or anything, just didn't stick out as a blend I would go back to. I seem to remember the perique was very present in the blend, but it had a much different taste to it from the perique blends I had tasted before. Unique, but not my cup of tea.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pipestud (1829)	2005-09-02		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Unnoticeable

This blend was shared at the tobacco bar of my most recent pipe club meeting and I liked it so much that the fellow who brought it gifted me the tin and there were actually several bowls left after everyone had plowed through it.

The nicotine and Perique presence both get stronger on down the bowl, and the new "toasting" method used sure eliminated any bite. I did catch the typical "McClelland's ketchup smell in the tin, but it was quite subdued. I normally do not care for blends with Perique. But, this stuff was an exception. The Virginia base was sweet and not at all grassy. BTW, from what I understand, McClelland's may be the only pipe tobacco company with a large remaining stash of St. James Parish Perique. I have heard there is a cigarette company that pays high dollar for the stuff to put in their particular brand of weed. St. James Parish, Louisiana (the only place in the world where true Perique is grown) was not affected by Hurricane Katrina and future crops have not been compromised.

Finally, it says on the tin, "...rich ribbon blend, smoothed by the Blakeney exclusive toasting process." So, what is the Blakeney exclusive toasting process? Inquiring minds want to know.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2008-04-21		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

Update: Hmmm, I really enjoyed this, but other VAPER ribbon mixtures are stocked in my cellar, but not this blend.

August 2005: This is a Perique blend. If you do not like Perique, do not want to notice its presence, or have a physiological reaction to it (as does RCUSElder with his allergy), do not bother with this blend.

On the other hand, if you like a stout measure of Perique without the overwhelming whammy delivered by Mississippi Mud, Escudo or Haddo's Delight, try this blend.

It seems that it cannot bite the tongue. It burns cleanly and completely, with little moisture in the tin or at the end of a bowl. You might catch yourself capturing the side stream smoke because it is delicious to a pipe smoker (the Perique might chase away all but your most faithful companions).

There is something to the toasting process that is reminiscent of cocoa, but I do not think this blend is flavored- it simply married well. There is natural sweetness present that all Virginia blends have, but within the genre, it is not very sweet.

I smoked this the month it was tinned and can only expect that putting six months and more age in unopened, cellared tins will deliver a smoother smoke without some of the "catches" noted. Still, BBAR is a winner.

Try thoroughly cleaning a pipe or two and dedicating briar to this blend. Small to medium sized bowls worked best for me, and a large bowl increased the impact of the hearty Virginias and generous Perique.

It was not at all difficult packing the bowl. My observation is that the newer the tin, the lighter the pack- but Acadian Ribbon can be loaded absentmindedly into a pipe. The ribbons are quite short, not a shag, but nothing approaching a Germain's idea of ribbon (angel hair?).

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Philo Beddoe (221)	2018-12-03		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

I suppose the best way to sum BB Acadian Ribbon up, would be the word satisfying. There are Va/Per.’s with more peppery tang and some with more deep dark fruit flavor. There are also Va/Per.’s out there with more nicotine, but BB Acadian Ribbon seems to hit everything at about a grade B level. Escudo and Dunhill DNR give me a stronger Va/Per. experience, but I wouldn’t want to smoke those all day long, BB Acadian Ribbon is similar to Elizabethan in this regard, as I can smoke multiple bowls in a day without palate fatigue. If this were still readily available, I would cellar it, but alas it’s ship has sailed and this tin will likely be my last.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2006-07-22		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

This was a Christmas present, and it's almost enough to make me believe in Santa again. I smoke a lot of Va./Perique blends, and expected a ho-hum experience. What a pleasant surprise!

I don't consider it strong -- in fact, I hesitated at terming it Mild to Medium. One of the other reviewers mentioned Frog Morton in comparison, I believe, but I don't see it. I use Frog Morton to smooth out Holiday, and consider it a blending tobacco. But this is a bit more assertive, which I like in Virginias, but without bite, and without falling into harshness. I couldn't bring myself to rev things up, because it was so pleasant to puff along. Perhaps it could be pushed into being bullyish, but I haven't found it so.

This is going to become part of my regular rotation, and I'll be cellaring some, too, to see what a few years does for it.

Highly recommended.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pryhosm (248)	2019-03-09		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I love this blend...I wish I found more than one tin while it was still around. Tin note is McClelland VA, ketchup sweetness along with figs, prunes and other dark fruit. The smoke is a flavor I have not found in a VAPer. It is tangy, sweet, earthy and spicy. Hints of raisins and figs in the back ground. The perique is pretty prominent to my palate, spicy and a tad fruity. I have not red this in other reviews but I sense that this is either exclusively red VA or at least heavy on the red VA. I find it similar to 5100 but the toasting and the perique definitely separate it from that particular blend. The tin I purchased had 12 years of age on it so this is not from a fresh tin. A VAPer in category of its own, not comparable to Escudo or others because the VA flavor is nothing like it or any other blend.

Pipe Used: Briar’s and cob’s

Age When Smoked: 12 years

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2015-01-20		Medium	None Detected	Full	Tolerable to Strong

I can't believe I received a 9 year old tin. With that in mind this blend was awesome, quite an experience. This would be the first time I've smoked such an aged and matured tobacco blend, an it was sublime. Tangy & peppery, with a smooth sweetness that only comes from age, nothing to complain about here.

Pipe Used: MM Mark Twain

Age When Smoked: 9 years old

Purchased From: smokingpipes.com

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Ring88 (10)	2010-03-03		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

I was lucky and got this in a free tin. I do not care for the fist smell of this in the tin. Catsup is a very good way to put it.. but I can look over that, Packing was a breeze I did the three pinch. The charring light went well, The burning light went well. and then it hits you.. This is a great smoke strong in the perique wow spice.. Loved it only had to relight two maybe three times. just a touch on the ashy side in the end but all in all I did like this a lot. (relights may be my fault)

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	sasha (228)	2007-01-14		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

A good blend, though not exceptional: smokes cool, dry and biteless, the strenght grows up towards the end of the bowl and the amount of Perique is just right not to overwhelm the Virginia. It is a good all-day smoke for the VAPER lovers but I've found it a little boring, without any evolution in taste.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Satc001 (67)	2006-08-27		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Opening the tin, you are greeted with a wonderul looking tobacco. I love the ribbon cut, looks good, and is great to pack. Let this one air out a bit, it comes pretty moist, but give it a second to breathe then light up and enjoy. This tobacco fluctuates from being sweet, peppery, and raisin like, to ashy and bland. I don't understand what causes it to have either effect. Sometimes it is very enjoyable and other times not at all. I orginally rated this well but must lower it to two stars, a blend needs to be consistently enjoyable.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2005-07-01		Mild	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

I'm with Stan on this one. This gets interesting to downright tasty about half way through the bowl. As un-impressed as I was with the other Blakeney's offering (Waaayyyyyyy too mild, bordering on tasteless), I think this is a winner.

Obviously the Perique carries the blend and, in my opinion at least, takes the Virginias to a much higher level. It is just that synergy that makes Perique magic.

I find myself reaching for the tin of this stuff and craving it. It is not the best of McClelland by a long shot, but I can honestly say that I like this and will be buying more to cellar. There is no doubt it will age well.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2005-06-28		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I tried this new blend from McClelland at the prodding of my local tobacconist. I found the blend to have the same Heinz vinegar smell as any of their blends containing virginia tobacco. The perique aroma was noted but was overwhelmed by the stench of the vinegar.

The tobacco packed easily and was a one match light. However, it is a mediocre, one dimensional smoke at best. There is nothing in this blend to make me want another bowl much less buy a tin.

If it's a virginia/perique blend you desire, do yourself a favor and invest in a better tobacco such as Escudo or Just For Him Golden Cashemere. This tobacco was a dismal effort.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Antonius Blok (192)	2021-10-15		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

When I opened the tin I did not find a broken flake, but a ribbon, and it does not appear at all that the flakes have been broken by transport. Either this has already left the factory in ribbon form, or the tin has been shaking like a rattle for all these years. Since most reviewers speak of the cut as a broken flake, I had to look several times to verify that they were not talking about another tobacco.

The humidity level is perfect to charge the pipe immediately, but insufficient to keep it well preserved for the future, so I immediately transferred the tobacco to a glass jar.

Smell of vinegar, ferment and wine cellar, very typical of the aged va / per. In this case there is no ketchup aroma, so typical in many McClelland blends. Once the pipe is lit, the presence of the perique is noticed. The flavor is smooth and delicious, presenting different nuances ranging from sweet to sour, toasted and sometimes slightly spicy. All this very summarized, because I think that a more cultivated palate than mine could write several pages describing nuances in this mixture.

Right now I'm excited about this tobacco and just the fact that when it runs out I won't be able to restock it is the only thing that keeps me from devouring it.

One of the best tobaccos I have ever smoked.

Age When Smoked: 16 years

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2012-05-02		Medium	Mild	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

This was my first tin of BB Acadian Ribbon. I enjoy Perique in my blends, but this was my first Virginia/Perique blend. Snapping the lid, I thought the aroma was quite nice. After ignition, the Perique made itself know and remain evident through the entire bowl. Interestingly enough, the citrusy notes I relate to Golden Virginias started to peak out about mid bowl. It was at this point, I also began to experience a pleasant spiciness. The second half of this smoke was clearly more complex as it appeared that all essences started to rise, but always mixing with that great touch of Perique. I did not find the Perique to be overpowering at all. Instead, it worked nicely with the Virginias. If you like Perique in your mix, with some subtle sweetness offered by the Virginias, then give this blend a try. For me, my fondness for Perique and Virginia tobaccos makes this a "must have" in my tobacco lineup.

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2011-12-16		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

If you like Virginias, and especially Perique, this one's for you.

The flavor has that classic woodsy, tangy VA taste, with the extra kick of Perique, which I love. Flavor is very present, but not strong in the way a Latakia-based tobbaco is. It's more cool and mild, but it certainly is there.

It packs easy and smokes even and cool, all the way down. It also produces volumes of cool smoke, lending itself well to smoke rings.

There's also plenty of nicotine from that Perique, making it a great relaxation aid.

Due to the n factor, it can work well as a before-bed blend, but flavor wise I find it to be especially pleasant as a mid-late afternoon smoke.

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	chgo.piper (37)	2009-11-26		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

sweet and tangy virginias with just the right amount of perique and is sure to age well and only get better. I believe this to be the best vir/per blend by McClelland and of course has that delicious sweet and tangy aroma of matured virginias that only McClelland produces... VERY well done...

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2008-03-27		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Tin: The strongest raisin ketchup odor I remember, of all the McClelland blends. It was so strong, it was the only odor. It was difficult to isolate the Perique out of this. It was almost dry. Strong mahogany hue, overall, bespeckled with darker and lighter ribbon cut, the blonde being wide ribbon.

When smoked, the tin was 1-2 years old. For interesting info. on dating tinned tobacco, link to:

pipes.org---locate the Forums box--Topics--Tobacco Questions-- scroll down , to bottom of page, to Archive Oct. 03, 2006 and Archive Oct. 24, 2005.

Lighting: Oddly enough, it was not easy to keep lit, even though it was dry to the touch, when originally put in the pipe, producing some gurgle and moisture out of the stem. During one of the relights, half way down, it gave a sizzling sound.

Taste & Aroma: More flavor developed around mid-bowl. The Perique ketchup odor was distinct from start to finish; no tongue bite; not sweet.

The Perique quality developed late in the bowl, a peppery feel.

Smoked similar to Royal Cajun Special, in having a toasty VA character.

Laid down a tar and moisture in the pipe.

Nicotine: When the bowl was about done, a only a slight buzz was produced.

Room Note: Nice toasty strong VA. The ash had a vague cacao aroma.

Overall: BBAR is a mild VA billed as having strong and heady Perique. It seems to be designed for those wishing to smoke a blend with Perique, but still having a pleasing room note. The bowl smoke sure gives the nose a zing.

The thought of smoking something with a raisin ketchup signature not distinguishable from Perique, from tin to ash, is not a pleasant thought; could not rightly discern the McClelland from the Perique aroma. 2.2 stars.

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2007-11-10		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

I liked this one quite a bit. The toasting is definitely nice touch. Acadian ribbon is really well melded and smooth. It is also, as claimed, very easy to pack and burns with no problems. This is a good morning smoke for those who don't want too much strength to begin the day.

For me this is a change up smoke, though I could see it as an all-dayer for some. McClelland keeps putting out really good products. Now I'm going to have to try me some Grand Orientals.

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2007-11-10		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable to Strong

The tin aroma of this mix of flakey chunks and long-cut, medium ribbon suggests caramelized fruit.

The base leaf is toasted gold VA to which a good dosage of perique is added. The rich flavor is nutty, sweet, and caramel-like.

This is a very companionable blend with just enough depth to add an extra level of satisfaction.

Chamber Gauge: Medium

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2007-10-10		Medium to Strong	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This blend is smooth. The toasting process took the rough edges out of the virginia. Though not wet, I allowed the tin to dry for a few hours. I like my tobacco dry.

Characteristics are: Sweet Smooth Dry But not very complex.

Not bad, if normal vapers have bite for you, then try this. I find this med. to strong in nicotine strength. I am a daily Dunhill smoker. Use that as a guage for strength.

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Fazby (66)	2006-09-26		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

I enjoyed this. It is a nice Va with some perique added. This could come close to or become an all-day smoke.

My tin has about a year and a half on it.

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2005-12-20		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Very Full	Tolerable

I am a big fan of Virginia /Perique blends. This one is about the strongest I would want to have Perique in a blend. It is border line to overwhelming. But it never crosses the line. Not for the beginner to Perique's. It does get stronger as you smoke it but somehow never gets to strong.

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2005-09-23		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant

This is the best perique blend that I've tried. I haven't tried too many, but it's still the best. Latakia is my fav. As you smoke down the bowl, it gets more and more tangy. Like nothing I've ever had. It may be the virginia that is tangy, if so I need to try more virginias. I don't like all Va blends, so I'm guessing it was the perique that did it for me. Beats tawny flake in my book hands down. If you like Va, then try TF as well. Will buy again down the road.

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2005-08-28		Mild	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

I am dissapointed by this new offering from McClelland. I can taste the "toast" but very little of the perique. I had high hopes since I am a fan of OGF, 5100, 2010, and 2015. Well, the toasting process not only elimates the bite, but practically eliminates the sweet virginia flavor I look for in McKethup. I've tried this in a variety of bowl sizes and disfferent times of day but it just does not click. DGT is pretty awful and ashy. The quality is there, just not my cup of tea.

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	RCUSElder (244)	2005-08-08		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Strong

Appearance and Tin Aroma: I love the typical MC tang and love many of MC's blends, but this one smelled like burned plastic IMO. The leaves were in a nice ribbon cut with mohogany, golden, and black leaf pretty much evenly represented.

Initial Flavor: Burned Plastic

Mid-Bowl: Burned Plastic with Perique tartness

Bottom of Bowl: More burned plastic, more Perique tartness.

Overall: As you might have guessed, I did not like this blend. It appears to be a high quality offerring, but did not agree with my palate at all...now where's my aged Blackwoods flake?

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Stan (179)	2005-07-01		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

Stan to the rescue, after trying a tin as usual. I have more stashed. Not a bad blend at all and a not too distant cousin to the Frog Morton series. The difference here is no latakia note or as dark of a finish.

VA. ribbons composed of stoved, red, and even some brights. That combo is what makes the taste here a little lighter in effect that any of the Frog Mortons. Not a weak blend by any means.

Throw in some perique and the flavor develops mid-way down the bowl to a small spicy kick. Not terribly complex or dark tasting or strong, but complex and spicy enough to suit a medium smokers taste.

I think a stoved virginia connoisseur may appreciate the added light leaf and perique influence. Recommended to that breed.

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