Tobaccos McClelland - Bayou Slice (Blakeney's Best)

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	SteelCowboy (685)	2012-04-12		Mild	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Bayou Slice IMHO is one overlooked VaPer. Bayou Slice is a wonderful combination of matured Virginias perfectly balanced with a perfect amount of perique for my taste. The tin that this is based on is a few years old, so keep that in mind. The usual McClelland fermented smell is there in its glory, but to me it isn't relevant. I prefer to fully rub it out and let it get bone dry. When prepared this way, I find the BS performs at its best. It's sweet, but not overly so and has just the right amount of pepper to balance it out. It is my favorite VaPer from McClelland. It won't replace Escudo in my rotation, but it is well done and should be a staple in any VaPer lover's cellar. Highly Recommended.

18 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JimInks (3050)	2016-06-14		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

The matured Virginia offers deep tangy fermented stewed dark fruit and light citrus in addition to a little grass and a fair amount of earth. It’s the major component. The Louisiana perique is spice with deep raisin date and fig flavors. The nic-hit is medium and gathers a little strength as you go along. The “vinegar/barbeque” smell does translate to the taste a bit. Won’t bite or get harsh even if pushed. It may need a light dry time as it’s moist out of the tin. Well balanced, you notice every nuance in every puff. Burns slow, cool, clean and smooth with a very consistent taste all the way to the end. Leaves a little moisture in the bowl, and requires some relights. I suggest breaking up the fakes a little for an easier burn rate. The spice sweet, mildly smokey after taste pleasantly lingers. Not an all day smoke, but one that is repeatable.

-JimInks

13 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2008-12-26		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

McClelland's has landed another incredible tobacco with this one. Very similar to a standard in my rotation, the McClellands Bulk #2015 Virginia Flake. This one consists of small, broken flakes that rub out very easily. Nice "tang" to the virginias and the perique adds the proper amount of spice. Burns well and smokes easily to the bottom of the bowl, all the while developing more complex flavors. The richness of the taste probably means this shouldn't be smoked all day, but with all the wonderful tobaccos out there, McClellands and others, why would you... variety being the spice of life, and all that.

McClellands has never made a virginia based tobacco that I have not enjoyed thoroughly. For me, they are the ne plus ultra of virginia blenders. I'm less enamored of their orientals but I still have a few more tins to sample - Latakia Flake, Bombay Extra. But if a virginia flake with perique is your cup of tea, don't miss this one.

13 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pipestud (1829)	2011-10-21		Mild	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

As Virginia/Perique combinations go, this is probably one of the better ones out there. I enjoyed the pungent aroma of this one from the moment I popped the tin and took a whiff. The broken flake can be further rubbed for a more even burn and the smoke was very cool and dry. Perique lovers should give Bayou Slices a try. The lemon Virginia puts the pucker meter at the middle of the scale and it adds refinement and body to the peppery Perique.

12 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2009-08-04		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

Tin: A cross between the classic McCethup signature and sweet ripe fruit, the odor similar to Acadian Ribbon, plus a VA background. Dark chestnut hue composed of brown-black to tan broken flake that could be compressed and sticks together, though leaving no residue on the fingers. The tobacco averages 1x1/4x1/8 inch "guillotined slices ready-to-rub." Date stamp on bottom: 730306 means it was tinned in 2006.

Prep & Burning: Rub the flakes out well, into small pieces. Lights and burns well. Took three relights. When left out to dry, it was almost completely dry in 45 minutes.

Taste & Aroma: On first light, it is a mellow, vaguely sweet, zesty matured red ribbon. About 1/4 of the way down, perique becomes quite evident, pungent, musty smoky, and truffle-like. From then on, it is VA tang interspersed with the sweet ripe fruit note, mingling with perique mustiness.

Don't know if it is the "classic Blakeney where toasting bans the bite...", but after multiple bowls of BS, there is some tongue bite towards the end of a bowl which may be just plain heat drawn up the stem.

Nicotine: Medium to strong perique queasiness

Overall: A VAPER in which the perique is strongly noticed, actually rather strong in perique. If you are in to VAPERS, 4 stars.

8 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	OSR (78)	2015-06-12		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

I've just popped open a 10 year old tin of this fine Va/Per flake and the tobacco is dark brown, mottled with black, and covered in aged sugar crystals.

I fully rubbed the flaked into bits and let it dry for 10 minutes before filling my pipe. The lighting char produced full, toasty Virginia flavor with almost a chocolate pepper flavor. Magical!

Nothing quite like this exists on the market. Tasty all the way down with more richness towards the bottom. Toasty goodness, whatever it means. No edge of harshness anywhere - fine and mellow with plenty of flavor. This is arguably the best VA/PER blend I've smoked.

Pipe Used: Eltang

Age When Smoked: 10 years old - Original Run

Similar Blends: Nothing else. A singularly remarkable Va/Per..

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Perique (163)	2013-01-26		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Visually, this tobacco presents very similarly to two other McClelland VaPers: Beacon Extra and St James Woods. Lovely, dark broken flake. And like it's cousins, also shares that signature McClelland tin note. Lights easy, burns well. Smokes very dry relative to the moisture level of the broken flakes in the tin, and drier than it's cousin blends. Perhaps due to this toasting process?

I would describe this blend as a milder version of Beacon Extra. A fine tobacco, but not one that jumps out in this crowded field. And that's a shame, because this is a very good, under-appreciated blend that deserves wider recognition. A good choice for the regular VaPer smoker- just don't expect to be overwhelmed. Rather, expect to be pleased. And isn't that what we're after? Pleasure? After so many "in your face" Perique blends, I find myself enjoying and respecting Bayou Sliced. I'm not sure what the toasting process is, but it definitely mellows and smooths out the smoke. The Virginias are very tame and well-behaved in this one. And the McClelland VA tang is deep in the background by mid-bowl. Overall a fine VaPer blend.

Like most McClelland Virginias, improves dramatically with some extra-extended dry time. Like most VaPers, improves with age.

Similar Blends: McClelland - St. James Woods (Personal Reserve).

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Wellpipe (66)	2015-08-25		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

If you like mature VA's and have not tried this blend yet you are in for a treat - McClelland knows VA and this is yet another confirmation. Typical Mcvinegar fragrance on opening. Rub out gently and let air on paper for an hour, pack inverted. At first the Perique steps forward with a burst of pepper, then comes the mature VA - graham cracker sweetness, a hint of hay, and pumpkin-pie spice and mellow sweetness. Every now and then the Perique pops up but never overwhelming. From mid- to end of the bowl nothing but sweetness and smoothness with occasional accent of Perique which maintains interest. I don't know if it is the 'Toasting' or just the selection of premium VA but this blend is smooth and velvety to the very end with no bite. A truly delightful smoke with that pleasant, sweet VA room note. Flavor profile and room note remind me a lot of Solani Silver Flake #660 but without the slight edge I get from the Kentucky in Silver Flake.

Age When Smoked: 1 year

Purchased From: Pipesandcigars.com

Similar Blends: Solani #660 Silver Flake.

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	FP Stew (25)	2014-04-13		Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Blakeney’s Best – Bayou Slice is a very nice, well ballanced Mature Virginia and Perique.

Upon opening my 2 yr-old tin, I was greeted with a pleasant hay and earthy aroma that has a very faint sweetness that is difficult to name (no topping though, just the perique hinting at figs).

The tin calls this “sophisticated small slices of the smoothest Louisianna Perique aged in cake to mellow with sweet, zesty Mature Virginia …” I fully agree! The sliced flake are about ¾ inch long and ¼ to 3/8 inch wide. They are “Ready-to Rub” however I found that they were at a perfect moisture content straigh out of the tin and packed well in my pipe without rubbing which allowed them to burn nice and slow.

Charing light greated me with a smooth and rich flavor of a well aged MV. This continued through the first third to half. As the second half of the bowl was reached, the Perique came in with a light peppery flavor that was an enhancement that complimented the MV and gave a nice enjoyable smooth smoke with many subtle falvors; I even caught a passing taste of chocolate.

For those concerned about the Perique, I would say that this blend is more MV with a gentle use of a well behaving Perique that enhances the blend bringing a nice flavor profile that is very enjoyable with No Bite. The room note is plesant … my wife says it is nice.

Pipe Used: Several - Worked well in all sizes

Age When Smoked: 2 years old

Purchased From: EBay

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pipestud (1829)	2005-10-31		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

This tobacco was passed out as a freebie at the recent 2005 Kansas City Pipe Show. I've just gone through three bowls in two days and it's solid.

The broken flake breaks up easily. It lights and stays lit easily. It is easy to detect the various leaf, including the Perique which doesn't wallop the palate. Instead, I received just a gentle kiss of that Louisiana product which was added in masterful and delicate pinches.

A little light for me to consume regularly, but still powerful enough to demand some attention every now and then.

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	StevieB (2082)	2017-06-28		Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

McClelland - Bayou Slice (Blakeney's Best).

The majority of the blend has a similar appearance to McC' No. 24 Matured Virginias. It has the stereotypical McClelland smell, and a brilliant moisture content for immediate smoking.

It tastes a little different to many VaPers. The Virginia couldn't be any easier to identify, it's not just Perique spice-alone. The Virginia tastes very fresh, citrusy/lemony, and a little sweet; I'll mark 'none' for the flavour rating as these taste 100% natural. To my palate the Perique is easily subordinate to the Va: spicy, tangy, and still lively, but not 'the boss'; nowhere near. The burn is even and cool, but slightly quick. I get no tongue bite, even if I choose to smoke a few bowls in succession.

The nicotine: medium. Room-note: quite pleasant.

McClelland Bayou Slice? A very well made blend, but if I'm honest I want a bit more spice to my VaPers. Three stars:

Recommended.

Pipe Used: Parker Knight

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Big Nick (74)	2010-12-30		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

It's all true !!! Small slices of the smoothest Louisiana Perique mellowed with sweet and zesty matured Virginia's. Rich and satisfying, compelling aroma, smooth, no bite. I'm quite surprised that this blend has not gained greater popularity.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Polaris82 (22)	2011-07-25		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

After reading the many reviews on Bayou Slice I had to give it a go. My first perique blend. I have been a tad disappointed with it so far but im not giving up. The tin that I have needs plenty of drying out right off the bat. I have had some trouble keeping my bowl glowing and there is plenty of gurgle. However the subtle sweetness to this blend is wonderful!!! And I personally love the room note this gives off. Im going to switch to a corncob to see what results I get. To be continued.......

UPDATE..... Ive let this dry out for almost a month. My last go at this was somewhat of a disappointment but what a diffrence even minimal aging does. I also switched to a narrow Bueshers corncob after a suggestion from down below and it has made all the diffrence. No bite to speak of and no gurgle. A complete 180! The spiciness of the perique is very evident and a very welcome addition to my rotation. Also the vinegar smell is all but gone. Ive actually been somking more of this after some dry time than my other tobaccos as of late.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Novangelus (8)	2011-02-23		Medium	Medium	Medium to Full	Very Pleasant

Oh yes! This is the real reason Rip Van Winkle was in the woods for 20 years - he had several pounds of this stuff. I may have found the Holy Grail I've been searching for in pipe baccy!

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2009-12-16		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

This broken flake arrived ready too smoke out of the tin. Some drying time may be preferrable for smoking in larger bowled pipes as this blend does burn hot but has not yet bit. This blend can be classified as more of a PerVA than a VAPer as the Perique dominates. The Perique is clearly well aged and of high quality as it is never harsh except for the first few puffs which is natural. The virginias provide an excellent woody/nutty/toasty sweet base for the zesty/leathery/peppery Perique leaf. This blend is perfectly balanced offering a nice volume of smoke throughout the bowl. I find myslef puffing greddily on the last peppery ashes wishing I wasn't done. Flavors I noticed in this smoke where of cajun spice, light hazlenut, and good toast. Highly recommended for lovers of Perique and natural virginias. Maybe not a good introduction to Perique for the inexperienced. Enjoy.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	NEWMAN (306)	2007-07-17		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

What I received in the tin was more of a broken flake than the true, well formed flake that I prefer but this may have been unusual. The ketchup tin aroma, typical of many McClelland blends, was evident although not overpowering. Lighting and packing were easy and a smoke without relights, condensation or bite resulted. I think that there was a nice balance between the Perique and the VAs. However, compared to some of their bulk offerings, I don't see see that much difference to warrant smoking this blend and find 2015 just as enjoyable.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	HabaneroHardy (403)	2021-10-04		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Unnoticeable

A friend of mine at the pipe club let me babysit a tin of this the other day. I in turn let him babysit one of mine. This is a McClelland blend without the name. I tried looking this brand name on the web to see if it was maybe a resurrected blend but could find no trace of it. Maybe it is just made up for fun. The tin code on this is 732017 which makes it about 4 years old and probably some of the last batches of McClelland as they shut their doors around Feb 2018 if I am correct. They also produced this as a ribbon which through me off as I spend some time reading up on the wrong blend. Never heard of this one until the other day. The first few puffs I knew automatically that I would like this one. It is a nice broken flake with the faint vinegar smell that McClelland is (was) known for. This is a full rich smoke, not full in nicotine but full in taste and the way it smokes. If this was a desert it would be a rich dark chocolate cake. The first bowl I had was in my Meerschaum Poker and I just stuffed some into the bowl. It lit up easily and the taste stayed consistent until the end. For some that might be considered one dimensional but consistency is nice at times. You know what you are getting. The second bowl I crumbled and let it air out about 5-10 minutes but honestly could not tell much difference. The third bowl was in a Missouri Meerschaum Patriot Corn Cob and the taste was noticeably different but really not something I can put into words. As I have had 3 fairly medium size bowls I will stop as I will need to return the child back to the parent no worse for wear. It is always a pleasure to smoke any McClelland that I can get my hands on. How I would rate this compared to another McClelland’s is hard to say. I will say that though I am not an all-day smoker this one due to its richness would probably be appreciated more in the evenings rather than an all dayer. I wish I had had some Café del Mundo coffee from New Orleans to pair this one with. To recap, not the fullest tasting smoke I have had but there is a richness that would have me pull this one out of inventory on certain evenings where you can relax and puff on this one slowly.

Pipe Used: Meerschaum and Cob

Age When Smoked: 4 years

Purchased From: Loaner

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	steppx (186)	2017-05-28		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

McClelland makes three great Vapers....(well, more actually, but ) the big three are st james woods, Beacon Extra (and Beacon regular) and this, bayou slices. I think beacon extra is among the best VaPers on the market, but this one might be even better. Beacon extra has more perique...in fact it might have more than any blend I can think of....and it is superb. But Bayou Slices is actually more complex, and better balanced. These are nuances, because all of the Mc C blends with Perique are very good. Its a question of the composition of the Virginias and the amount of stoving. Now the bulk 2015 from McClelland is also very very good...but has considerably less perique. And in general is a bit milder. St James Woods is probably milder overall, too, with a bit less nic hit. Beacon Extra has the highest nicotine content with Bayou somewhere in between. While it seems as one is nitpicking very tiny differences, its not really true. I can tell these apart easily I think, if one were to give a blind taste test. For one thing, the aroma is different. The room note different too, and bayou slices has the superior room note I think.

Anyway, this is excellent stuff. McClelland does stoved virginia better than anyone, period. And among the pantheon of VaPers id say only St James Flake by Gawith is at this level. There are others....some with burly like Reiner Longer Golden Flake (and wee bit of casing) and solani 633, but I think none of them are quite this good. The rich virginia taste is in the foreground and the Perique is quite clear but not as foward as in beacon extra. These are milder virginias (less red perhaps) and there is a nice quality of sweetness in this blend i dont find in any of the others. A real strong clear virginia sweetness that appears about halfway through the bowl. Overall a 5 star blend. Much neglected for some reason.

Purchased From: 4noggins

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Cat Jockey (21)	2017-03-14		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

The guy who stated this to be one overlooked VaPer hit the nail on the head. Takes on a deep fruit tin note several days after being transferred to a jar. This one is tasty smooth. I'll leave it at that.

Pipe Used: Nuttin' but Cobs for me ...

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Lyle (32)	2015-12-06		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

The tin smells tart, winey, and just slightly acetic.

The smoke is tangy and "spicy" with Perique. I once smoked a bowl of this back-to-back with a bowl of Aged Burley Flake, and the tanginess was quite pronounced. This has McCelland's VA house flavor, which for me is a great thing.

I liked this best when it was fully rubbed out, because I found it to be an easy, tasty smoke in this form. I'm sure there are excellent, deep flavors to be had when smoked as a straight broken flake, but I didn't have much luck keeping a cool smoldering ember without breaking it up.

Pipe Used: Dedicated VA/Per pipes

Age When Smoked: 8 years old

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	TallPuffO'Burley (633)	2015-01-26		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable to Strong

A pretty good McClelland Va/Per. And not too much different than 2015, maybe a little sweeter. Distinguishing between McClelland Vapers is as difficult as distinguishing between the different straight Virginias. As usual, if you don't like the scent you will want to take a pass on this one and if, like me, you enjoy that scent then you will not be disappointed in this one.

I would say that in terms of the MC vapers, I would put St. James Woods ahead of this and 2015 for the fact that it is in bulk and a better bargain than this one.

Update 4-7-2022

So I ended up winning two tins of this in a large lot in an estate auction a few years back. They were both aged. this one aged 16 yrs and 7 months before I opened it. All this to say that also open in my cellar was some beacon Extra that was about 5 years aged and it wasn't even a close contest as to what McClelland VaPer was better.

Granted Beacon Extra is a four star blend. (IMO) This just confirms my earlier review that this is just not that great a VaPer. If McClelland was still available I would probably drop a star on this to two stars, but I will leave it at three since some McClelland is better than none, even if it is not one of their best efforts. I just wouldn't pay alot for it.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Xeneize (275)	2010-11-09		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild	Tolerable

This subtle VaPer is a bit sweeter than St. James Woods and with less Perique. It also has less from the "vinegar" taste so common in McClelland's tobaccos. Both are great, and are a must try for any Vaper fan.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Sir Walter Smiley (24)	2010-05-20		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

I have smoked this for a few years now. Every time I come across it in a store, I grap it. Its brother, McClellands 'St. James Flake', is more available in the few shops I have around. If memory serves me well in tastes, I would say the only difference in the two is the toasting of the Bayou Slices. The toasting does the flake a favor in flavor. Tangy, sweet, peppery, earthy and; unlike St. James, ready to smoke without any drying. The last tin I found in a shop in Ashville, NC had been on the shelf since 2005. I opened it more than 5 years after the tinning date, WOW!! It made me wish I could buy this in bulk and age it myself. 5 years was probably to long to age, maybe three would be perfect. Anyway, it was the best 50 grams of tobacco I ever smoked. An unaged tin of this still gets a 4 star rating, but an aged tin is now my all time favorite.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2009-08-02		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

Boy, this stuff smells good. Can is from '06, but stills maintains enough moisture to be smoked right away, or store away for another 6 months or more. Typical MClelland sweet Virginia smell (some say ketchup, I say aged Virginias) with a good dose of Perique for adventure. Flakes are definitely broken, and easy to pack as is or rub out a little. This is a typical "Bayou" type presentation, with the toasting taking the burn tongue thing off, if smoked (as all tobacco should be) slowly to enjoy the flavor. Recommended for the Va/Per crossover or an occasional departure for the English/Balkan crowd. All in all, a good smoke.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Stan (179)	2005-09-14		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

The brother to the new latakia flake. I'm smoking it now in my exile from New Orleans.

Mild smoking and medium flavor. Not as heavy as latakia flake. Ready for rubbing.

The tang of twany flake is again subdued, this time by some perique. Just enough spice to make it interesting, but not heavy or sharp. But not terribly complex either.

I like it fine as non bite version of virginia-perique flake. Enough strength to be satisfying through the day. Only time now to smoke a bowl a day. Worth the investment.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	crazy owl (74)	2017-08-23		Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

Loving McC´s virginias and loving VaPers,I don´t like this flake.The reason maybe the Blakeney´s system that,in my suspiction,kills the spiciness from Perique and doesn´t get better the faboulous Mc Clelland virginias.I´ll remain with my splendid 2015 Virginia-Perique flake.It isn´t bad,but not for me.Simply a toasted VaPer.I don´t think that BB series wuld be the best product of the,at the other hand, glorious McC brand.All this IMVHO.

Pipe Used: many

Age When Smoked: 2 years old

Purchased From: smokingpipes

Similar Blends: toasted VaPer.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	cajomu (80)	2015-11-12		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Ehrling's review nails it for me, so let me repeat it for you:

"I am not going to spend a lot of time on this review--it was a bit disappointing. Overall I found Bayou Slices just a little to bland to suit my tastes. The tin aroma was certainly promising, but that promise was not fulfilled in the flavor. There was sufficient body in the smoke, but I can't bring myself to describe this blend as especially "rich"--it falls short.

"I was able to finish the tin, but I just didn't get much enjoyment out of it. It probably deserves 2-stars, but nothing higher from me."

I will mention that Bayou Slice lacks the ketchup-like aroma that afflicts most McClelland tobaccos.

The only other comment I have is that McClelland's name appears no where on the Bayou Slice label. Instead, it's marketed under the brand name "Blakeney's Best." Why a company with an illustrious name like McClelland would start selling tobacco under a different name is a mystery to me.

Pipe Used: Various briars

Age When Smoked: 18 months

Purchased From: Pipes & Cigars

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2009-09-01		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

[With the same blend listed twice under Blakeney's Best Bayou Slice, this is a repeat review.]

These medium-cut, partially broken, hard-pressed flakes have a tangy and syrupy tin aroma.

This blend is unique amongst the VA based blends in the Blakeney's Best series in that the base leaf is red virginia, not gold as in Tawny Flake and Acadian Ribbon. The butter caramel and peanut brittle overtones so distinct in Tawny Flake, here instead, evoke treacle and black walnut. There is a pretty heavy dose of perique which adds to the depth.

This is a unique flake of great depth and presence and which gains phenomenal richness down the bowl.

Chamber Gauge: Narrow

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2007-11-10		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

[With the same blend listed twice under Blakeney's Best Bayou Slice, this is a repeat review.]

These medium-cut, partially broken, hard-pressed flakes have a tangy and syrupy tin aroma.

This blend is unique amongst the VA based blends in the Blakeney's Best series in that the base leaf is red virginia, not gold as in Tawny Flake and Acadian Ribbon. The butter caramel and peanut brittle overtones so distinct in Tawny Flake, here instead, evoke treacle and black walnut. There is a pretty heavy dose of perique which adds to the depth.

This is a unique flake of great depth and presence and which gains phenomenal richness down the bowl.

Chamber Gauge: Narrow

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2007-06-28		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

Given the successful effort creating St. James Woods, I just don't see the justification for McClelland producing Bayou Slices. The "slices" are more like wood chips of tobacco, thick and tough to keep smoldering. It leaves a sooty taste in my mouth and smells akin to a cigarette burning. SJW rarely bites me and each time I smoked BS, my tongue was sore. I think it is actually a well-layered blend in terms of flavors, with even something Turkish lurking in the shadows, but I cannot check enough boxes to warrant spending more time exploring. YMMV

This is probably the end of my tests of Blakeney's Best series, having smoked Acadian Ribbon (loved it) and Latakia Flake, which is a bit of al'right. Tawny Flake's tin description, along with the TR reviewers, just haven't drawn me in.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Mr. Big (321)	2012-08-06		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant

This tin now has 9 months age and it still smokes hot and spicy. It starts out sweet, then sweet and sour , then just sour, then it goes flat. I won't buy again

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