Tobaccos Robert McConnell - Original Oriental

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2012-05-11		Mild	None Detected	Mild	Pleasant

It is clearly not "cool" in the pipe smoking community to enjoy a blend that gets fairly consistent low ratings on this site. While I find that kind of blind faith alternately bemusing and disconcerting, I have the cure for at least one blend. If you find it uncool to like Rattrays Highland Targe because of its low ratings, try this one instead. Same flavor profile, although this one is a hair more robust. Or I should say, the flavor comes to me a bit quicker. I have to commend the blender on his use of the latakia condiment, which this blend does indeed contain... the apparent debate has been settled, at least to my satisfaction :). This is primarily an oriental blend with virginia in the sidecar and latakia balancing carefully to the rear. Therefore, latakia hounds should be warned that their favorite condiment is indeed just a condiment here.

The tin nose is dark and musty but the flavor is clear and clean. All the tobaccos play well together but the oriental is clearly in the lead, hence the name of this one is well-conceived. The flavors are a bit more assertive than in the Rattrays but other than that, the two taste and smoke very much alike. HT may be somewhat more complex, but this is no one-trick pony. The variations are just a bit more subtle while the overall flavor is just a hair more bold. I find this to be an excellent example of an oriental-forward tobacco and I'm surprised that I never smoked this one in the "good old days". I plan to correct that immediately, as more tins are headed to my cellar. Highly recommended to those who enjoy blends that unlock their secrets gently and on their own timetable.

52 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Lochinvar (78)	2015-01-28		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Virginia/Oriental blends are among my favorite, and Oriental may be the best of the lot. Upon opening the tin, a musty, sweet spicy smell hits you, like the smell of fresh dirt and hay and barnyard....in a very good way. The Virginias are figgy sweet, and dark. The Orientals (I'll guess) are Macedonian, as they have the milder musty, sweet, nutty aroma and are less sharp than Smyrna/Izmir type so prevalent. The Latakia is very soft and in very limited quantity, only serving to augment the other tobaccos, not even acting as a third player. The taste is sweet, nutty, bright and warm, I'm always reminded of chestnuts when I smoke this. This and Presbyterian represent the softer side of Oriental blends, as opposed to the sharper, drier profiles of Red Rapparee, Sobranie white, Durbar, Rajah's Court, etc. It is an amazing leaf, Oriental, that can be so many different things

Pipe Used: Colossal Lovat, Rinaldo bulldog

Purchased From: Smoking Pipes

Similar Blends: Presbyterian Mixture.

33 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pipestud (1829)	2007-04-08		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

This McConnell offering smokes pretty much like an Oriental dominated blend; but unlike others, heavy on the flavor with a palate washing of delight like no other blend of this genre that I have ever tasted. The flavor does vary as the bowl is consumed (pleasantly so), and did smoke dry (caveat: I did smoke it in a Ruthenberg rusticated pipe that won't gurgle even if smoked underwater).

I do think this is similar to Dunhill's Aperitif although not quite as heavy. Smashing stuff and lived up to its billing as one of the world's finest ever Oriental blends.

21 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Deimitori (11)	2012-11-15		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I've smoked two bowls of this good tobacco, the quantity supplied to me of our forum meeting (Hellenic Pipe Smokers Forum) in October 2012.

My view is that this is a very good and valuable tobacco. Oriental tobaccos have the dominant role with flavors between sweet and spicy, it has creamy texture and I taste nice taste of raisins, a taste of "earth", slightly spicy spices and a nostalgic scent of old wood shop.

Virginia simply serves as a basis in which Orientals are "dancing" their own delicately scented complex dance. The Black Cavendish looks like the link that connects the base (Virginia) to the top (Oriental) giving a very nice and interesting final smoking result. A successful mixture that is not an one-dimensional one.

As smoking goes to the middle of the bowl, the sensation of pungent spices becomes stronger without monopolizing the taste palette. I had the subtle taste of Japanese green tea "Ocha", something that up to now I have only tasted in the legendary Balkan Sobranie.

And of course there is the smoked taste of Latakia tobacco which enriches it. If there is no Latakia in this blend as some pipe smokers ar mentioning, then it is a highly successful smoked Oriental tobacco in the mixture that gives a sense of tasty Latakia.

The tobacco reminds me the great English blends of Dunhill. It has the European "feel" of the Balkan / English blends. But it is also somewhat less "aggressive" in both the "intensity" and the final aftertaste compared to those of Dunhill's .

A smooth smoking with moderate strength of nicotine it can be smoked pleasant all day. It lights easily and burns slowly and well and without a lot of extra lighting. No tongue biting if smoking it in a calm way, not leaving any liquid in the bowl and the filter comes very clean after smoking. The room note is rather pleasant to tolerable and can be well accepted even by people who do not like the smell of the "Latakia".

An old, historic blend has its roots close in the beginning of the 19th century!

A great pipe tobacco with a very nice, soft and rich flavor. I was very pleased to "meet" this tobacco, but now that I smoked all the quantity I had, I will miss it very much ...

18 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Perique (163)	2015-09-07		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Visually, The Original Oriental is similar to McConnell's Scottish Cake, if a bit darker in complexion. And like Scottish Cake, Original Oriental arrives sticky, but not damp. This is a natural tobacco stickiness I find common to all of McConnell's offerings. Once exposed to air for a few moments, the tobacco is ready to smoke. 

The tin note is delicious: sweet feed, molasses, raisin, hay all presented so naturally that one would think this tobacco was pulled out of the barn yesterday. This tin note is among my favorites of any blend. 

While the tin note hints at world-class Virginia, the Orientals are clearly the star of the smoking show. Earthy, nutty, somewhat musty with a hint of a subdued floral note, this blend establishes itself as superior from the first true light. Silky smooth and cool burning, Original Oriental is superb. There is an extremely subtle undercurrent of unflavored Cavendish here that adds a distant note of sweetness without impacting the extremely dry smoking experience of this spectacular Oriental blend.  As with any Oriental, the smoke is dry, smooth, and absolutely without bite. The Latakia here is condimental, and adds a slight bit of leather and mustiness. It's perfectly interwoven with the Cavendish to produce a noteworthy balance of background flavors to showcase the Orientals. Definitely not a smokey blend, nor can it be characterized as sweet. Original Oriental is balanced, subdued, and smooth. There is a dank, mushroomy, earthiness towards the end of the bowl when the Latakia finally asserts itself, but it is short-lived and by no means unpleasant. Toning down the cadence brings the Cavendish back and balances the smoke out right to the last sip.

Though I may appear to gush over this blend, I must say, gentlemen, this one is sublime: a seldom mentioned sleeper of an Oriental, quite possibly the equal of Wilke No.10, and one I am destined to cellar.  Original Oriental is to Oriental blends what Scottish Cake is to VaPers: unique, distinct, smooth, and not nearly as acclaimed as it deserves to be. 

Update 2020: just put a dozen of these tins in the cabinet to lay down for a few years. I’ll never again be caught out like I was with Wilke No.10 or the McCelland Orientals. Our world is contracting, gentlemen. Invest accordingly.

Similar Blends: Pipeworks & Wilke - Wilke No.010.

13 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Precious Paul (20)	2018-12-03		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

Quite simply this is outstanding stuff, you don’t need a tome the size of war and peace describing every component, aroma, and taste in minute detail down to the color of the socks the reviewer was wearing. Buy some and smoke it, if you’re a fan of Balkan/English type mixtures. Sublime

Pipe Used: Stanwell zebrano and Sav Tevere

Age When Smoked: 3 months

12 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	L'Italiano (231)	2018-04-12		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Tolerable to Strong

Few words to clarify the difference between a Balkan blend and an Oriental blend. According to a strictly geographical logic, a Balkan mixture shouldn’t have Latakia, because neither Syria nor Cyprus belong to the geographical area of the Balkans. A Balkan blend should have only Oriental leaves. On the contrary, an Oriental mixture can have Latakia, because Syria and Cyprus are in the oriental area.

Actually, almost the opposite happens. A Balkan blend stands out for the considerable amount of Syrian Latakia while an Oriental blend is characterized by the considerable presence of Oriental leaves. Again a Balkan mixture always contains Latakia, while an Oriental mixture can be with or without Latakia. Last but not least a Balkan mixture can, paradoxically, not have Oriental leaves (for example Samuel Gawith Balkan Flake). This in real terms.

Now the review. In my opinion this blend is a classic English mixture, a Latakia mixture well-balanced. Oriental, Balkan, Scottish, it doesn’t matter. I mean that Original Oriental is composed of Virginia, Latakia and Oriental leaves, with some Black Cavendish and a touch of Perique (who knows…). Really I don’t detect any Perique. And even the Black Cavendish is not so evident, at least it is not in a leading role. Anyway this mixture is rich in nuances and palatable. Tasty and not too complex. A good English blend for Latakia lovers’. In my personal rating system (from 1 to 10) my score is 8 and three stars.

11 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Stefanos (222)	2016-11-08		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

Tin note is dominated by a smoky Latakia scent which is not very pungent and is complimented by a sweeter spice, presumably from the orientals.

Comes in finely cut ribbons of different colours bright, red and black. I cannot tell apart the Latakia and Black Cavendish though… It packs and lights easily.

This is a harmonious and quite smooth and creamy English mixture of mild to medium strength and yet full in flavor. By English, I mean a Latakia mixture. So if you are looking for an Oriental blend where Latakia is just a trace, this is not it.

Latakia is present and noticeable. It’s in no way overwhelming but still it makes its presence felt. It leaves space for the Orientals to show as a sweet fragrant spiciness, especially when smoked gently. There is also a faint sweetness counterbalancing the smokiness which I guess comes from the Virginias. Generally it smokes dry and to the bottom, but the last third of the bowl gets a little harsh and slightly bitter.

I’m not a great aficionado of the dark leaf but not allergic to it either, for me it has it’s moments although I do not like smoking it all day. Yet, I find McConnell’s Oriental a very versatile blend because although full in flavor, it’s not overwhelming. I can even smoke it in the morning if I am in the mood, but it can also be also smoked after dinner.

It is highly recommended to those who know what they’re looking for: a medium strength, full flavor, mild and balanced Latakia blend where one can also taste the Orientals. I rather favour oriental blends without any latakia at all or just minimal, but that’s just my personal preference. This blend is very well made.

8 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Gentleman Zombie (729)	2014-04-16		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is a quality light Balkan. The Orientals are rich and the Virginias are nice and sweet. The Latakia is not too light and not too heavy. It's just right. I've been unable to detect the Black Cav. This is my second McConnell blend and both have been impressive. Mild to medium in body. Medium in flavor. 3+

Pipe Used: MM General, MM Country Gentleman

Age When Smoked: fresh

Purchased From: 4noggins

8 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	the_german (309)	2017-12-08		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

Opening the tin, I was expecting something along the lines of, maybe, Pöschl's Exclusiv Royal or a similar Va/Orient. Off comes the lid, another illusion shattered. Instead, this is a truly classic Balkan, the kind I love: lots of Latakia and Orient, VA and maybe Perique to sweeten things, and fully unapologetic for the room note: this kind of blend is about the flavour and nothing else.

And it delivers. The ribbon in the tin is fine, but relatively short, about 2/3rds dark browns and the rest bright. The Dark Cavendish mentioned on the tin's label is decidedly _not_ a Black Cavendish, just a dark Cavendish, which I figure was made from KY leaf, going by both taste and tin aroma.

Stuffing, lighting and maintenance are accordingly easy. Nice, cool burn, full Balkan flavour, with nuances of Turkish Delight, toffee, coffee, bread, and so on all popping up in between--this is not a smoke that becomes boring. And I have nothing left but bright grey ashes at the end, no condensation at all.

Beautiful. 4 stars, and added to my rotation.

Pipe Used: MM cobs, Torben Dansk Loki

Age When Smoked: Fresh from new tin

Purchased From: cigarworld.de

Similar Blends: Dan Tobacco - Old Ironsides (American History Mixtures), Torben Dansk - No.3 Red Virginia Superb, Dan Tobacco - London Blend No. 1000.

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Jorge Soler (202)	2016-03-05		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Very Pleasant

If your want to explore oriental tobaccos without being overwhelmed by stronger Latakia blends, The Original Oriental might be a good place to start. The acrid or sour tin note that it is so characteristic in other tobaccos in this range (say for example Squadron Leader) gives away its internal composition of Oriental/Turkish leaf. The combination of spicy and tangy undertones with the earthiness of the virginias is well achieved, but I am not all too sure about the Cavendish tobacco it contains. My only criticism here is that it is quite apparent whereas something more subtle and inconspicuous would've done the trick. Having said that, I am finding this to be a very pleasant smoke (it really ticks so many boxes), but I am not overtly impressed, so I am going to give it a rating of 3 stars.

Edit (19 July 2016): I have been smoking this stuff regularly over the past few months and it has become one of my favourite Balkan mixtures in my rotation. In my previous review I only gave it 3 stars despite its quality, but I am upgrading this to 4 stars now.

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Spitfire1 (15)	2014-06-27		Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I am used to smoke Latakia containing Tobacco like Peterson Balkan Delight and Balkan Flake from Samuel Gawith. I have to admit the taste of this Tobacco is much "softer" but it is a real Delight to smoke late at night sitting in the garden and looking to the sun going down. The tobacco's room note is also more tolerable for non smokers when used in-house. A very welcome Tobacco and even one you could smoke all-day long, something you can't do with a real heavy Latakia.

I surely shall buy it back and even cellar it.

Pipe Used: Peterson Bulldog

Age When Smoked: fresh

Purchased From: Tobacco house in Diest (Belgium)

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	HabaneroHardy (395)	2019-08-21		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Unnoticeable

Tales from the club. This past meeting a member of the club brought in a tin of this that he has had since October 1997. Wow, 22 years. I was 37. A great guy by the way. Anyway, he opened the tin and the tobacco was stuck to the paper doily and the paper cup was stained from the aged tobacco. Nice! The description says it has Syrian Latakia along with the kitchen sink, Latakia, Black Cav, Oriental/Turkish, Perique and VA. Nice tin note, very Oriental. I loaded my pipe and the first few puffs I got an actual nose tingle and it smoked cool, clean, with a little tartness. I was generously gifted about five bowls of this and decided to smoke some more of this today after work on the porch having my afternoon coffee. I must really be an Oriental/Turkish fan because every bowl of this I enjoyed. Some of the reviewers have compared this to Dunhill Durbar but I have not tried it yet. I have a few tins and hopefully it does but I will save those for another day. This blend and I mean remotely reminds me a little bit of Mac Baren HH Vintage Syrian, not sure if it is the Syrian Latakia or more than likely I believe it is the Oriental/Turkish tobaccos that it reminds me of. Not sure what the more recent blend of this tastes like but it is always a nice surprise to be able to smoke something this old.

Pipe Used: SAVINELLI POKER 310 KS

Age When Smoked: 22 Years

Purchased From: Gift

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2008-03-10		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Pleasant

Tin: Light brown, and black, with the odd olive strand. Initially, it had a strong, acrid, sour undertone. There was no display of quality VA or spicy oriental. A smoky aroma is noticeable along with an unnatural organic tone, an unsweet odor of rank, smoky barbecue sauce. A couple of hours after tin opening, it seemed to transition into a mainly smoky Latakia aroma. A sweet oriental bouquet was latterly present. Compare this to McClelland's Oriental Blending tobacco available from SmokingPipes.com.

Packing & Lighting: The standard ribbon cut was not very moist; within a few minutes it was crispy dry. A typical two-match deal, with a relight, but it did have significant gurgle, contrasting with the dry tobacco. Left to dry for one-half hours, it was close to bonedry, crispy. In fact, the exceptional amount of goopy moisture, draining out of the stem, made me wonder.

Taste & Aroma: It has mild qualities of an oriental: sweet, nutty, with naturally spicy, fragrant aromas. I don't notice the VA. A slightly smoky Latakia undertone adds a tad of complexity. A light oriental character predominates. There is no heavy hand of Latakia or VA, as in many full English blends. If smoked hard, it may be a little bitey.

The above was smoked in a briar, outdoors. Maybe this accounts for a more oriental experience, strongly so, when next smoked in a meerschaum.

Indoors, in the meerschaum, there is a distinctly oriental flavor and aroma. It is decidely nutty, buttery, and sweet; spicy and zingy; an ample potpourri of oriental aromatics. In this second setting, it is a very fragrant oriental mixture. Also, the gurgle is nonexistent. Maybe it's just me, but towards the end of the bowl, it seems so spicy as to be peppery to the tongue. I do not think it is steam. On second thought, by the end of the bowl, there is a smidgen of bite.

The tobacco was smoked later, again, in the same briar and was delicious, though in the meerschaum, even more so. That initial experience of modest oriental qualities, and excessive moisture draining out of the stem, must have been some sort of aberration.

Nicotine: The briar smoke was mild. In the meerschaum, it was strong, almost very strong, heady. It alternates between mild to strong, usually closer to strong.

Room Note: Fragrant oriental perfume, but not lingering.(This is where the ratings schema needs to be broadened: to wit, RM Oriental is full, strong, but quite pleasant, agreeable.)

Overall: The tin aroma was deceptive. However, it does smoke with the full flavor and aroma of an oriental tobacco. RM Oriental is one of the tastiest and naturally aromatic of all tobaccos. I could have almost eaten it, there was so much creamy flavor. 3.7-4.1 stars, a solid 4 stars.

This merits comparison to McClelland's Oriental Blending Tobacco which is what I would smoke for a full oriental experience.

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	StevieB (2075)	2014-08-26		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

Robert McConnell - Original Oriental.

Medium size ribbons, a healthy selection of colours, and nicely hydrated.

The smoke: without a doubt, the Orientals lead. They're sour, piquant, zesty, and lovely! There's enough Latakia to give weight to the smoke, but it's nowhere near being a ''bomb''. The Perique gives a splash of spices, but the Virginia and Cavendish are way down in pecking order! The burn couldn't be better, generating a smoke which only bites when pushed to do so.

Nicotine: medium. Room-note: not the best!

Original Oriental? A four star blend:

Highly recommended.

Highly recommended.

Pipe Used: Peterson Golden Supreme

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Smoke King

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	who broke my clay pipe? (70)	2011-05-07		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

I have found a new friend in this. Wanting to try a quintessential "oriental" of sorts so i could determine its taste charecteristic;i sought this site for inspiration and found this. I ordered a tin online as a sample as well as some regulars and other newbies..

I have had a real go at this since i have purchased it and it has a certain enigma value that i like a lot, but struggle to describe easy..The saying "less is more " applies i think, and its simplicity is its strength and i think it goes to show that sometimes its not what you put into a blend but what you leave out that makes a good baccy..

The surprise in the taste was pleasant as well because i had in my minds eye(or tongue)a preonception that it was going to be one of those sort of "once in a while" smokes;the word oriental conjoured up a vision of a rich ,sweet and sour sauce bomb,perhaps a bit like a hyper version of"erinmore balkan mixture" .

Anyway ; i pop open the tin and take a sniff and i can immediately smell some familiar ingredients that i have encountered in other balkan/english mixtures.

Tin aroma;of naturally sweet aromatic mixed herbs,not as industrial or creosote-ish as other favourites of mine ,and there was no familiar but likable diesal engine sump oil factor to this one either(i try to find adjectives)..

I scrape the contents off the paper card lid and it feels basically smokable.. The appearance of contents;a few yellows,some orange,tan and dark browns for the main part ,and a smidgeon of khaki green,,its a medium ribbony sawdust cut.

I load into a new 6" georgian clay(which is my favourite standard type of pipe BTW)..

Using a gas lighter(because clays dont care)the baccy takes flame easy and fluffs up slightly where i give it a quick tamp with my finger WHICH I LICK AFTERWARDS then carry on.. Its an easy tobacco to work with.

My first impressions after getting into it was that it wasn't spice shock assault that i was expecting,and it was quite a sober and sensible smoke(i was bracing myself unnecessarily for exteme spice which didn't actually appear),the other thing that got me was how smokey this was considering it supposedly has no latakia in it,,;smokey but not in the familiar latakia smooth,sooty type way(i think i know what i'm talking about,, i hope)..

The other pleasant surprise was how natural and unspoilt this mixture is..It had in its unique way;that archetypal "natural tobacco" factor combined with an interesting complexity..

The no nonsence and strait talking conversation of this smoking experience was on the same par as "irish oak" and "old dublin",,;no casing/topping detected whatsoever and it has a unique factor..

I'm so glad i had a bowl of peterson "irish oak" before hand actually ,because it gave me the perfect datum from which to judge..

Comparison to other blends;i can say roughly between "irish oak" and "old dublin" there must be some common middle ground ingredients,but it has an identity of its own and is not like a hybrid.(its a different brand anyway) It fills a vacuum on the taste spectrum which i did not know was missing until i tried it.. The consequences have been strange in that; it has helped me to appreciate "irish oak" and "old dublin" even more as well. Its a complimentary member.

Anyway; its taste fluctuates down the bowl to be interesting while sticking within the main conversation. Good interplay of ingredients taking turns or coming in combination.

What it doesn't have in its ingredients,augments the ingredients that are present in proportion, while still maintaining a perfect balance of firing order and a medium strength english property.(this is a 1000cc triple as opposed to a 1000cc four).Its got a lumpy factor and not as smooth but no worse off for it(charecter factor).. Its not harsh though..

Taste; i have already said that i was pleasantly surprised by its natural unspoiled factor;i will try to explain its own flavour rather than by comparison goal posts. I get a very herby taste with lightly salted creamy butter,as well as a slightly sweet and cheese(parmesan-ish) and onion buscuit savoury type taste..(Onion bread?).

I get a hint of pepper on the tongue but not in a black pepper perique sence like in "irish oak";it is more of a sensation than a flavour,its a prickle but not tongue bite,,,;perhaps it is the herbs(or whatever) asserting their own sensation. Its hard to put my finger on, and i am still trying to solve it;green aromatic herbs like summer herb salad;there is a herbal bitterness but its pleasant.Its on the herby more than the spicy side,which is perhaps what impressed me about it and enforces its unique factor. Sometimes it has a sage and onion stuffing taste in a way as well

This blend does not mention having any latakia in it,and i don't know if it has any or not,,,and even if it hasn't its not exactly missed either.. This tobacco has its own natural smokey factor,and i can see why some may feel they are tasting latakia,but it maybe an illusion of familiar taste association from the other ingredients;although smokey,it has its own smoke and not because of ,or the same as the fortified type of smoke due to the curing method of any latakia.. So comparing it to "old dublin"(sorry i could not resist) i can say that the oriental in this is augmented while the sooty leathery ,smooth ,smokiness of the absent latakia is diminished..

I look at tobacco as an acoustic property, that cannot be amplified electrically;you have the size of your bowl to smoke it in,but what ever you want to put in for maximum taste,you have got to be prepared for the fact that you will have to take something else out and thats generally it.(as long as you are willing to stay within a single bracket of mild,medium,or strong) You see;i like my englishes/balkans medium and my ropes and plugs strong(they have to be strong to justify the fuffing about with!).. So sticking to my parameters its obvious that i cannot have it both ways of having all strengths of the ingredients while maintaining a medium dynamic combined strength;what ever i want to bring in i have got to be prepared to chuck something else out;the way i get round this is by smoking variations in a day to keep my pallet interested..(i could perhaps stack my bowl with a pinch of this, and a pinch of that, to creat a medly actually,,havent thought of that before!)

This oriental tastes basically what i wish "old dublin" would taste like sometimes,,,;by fluke it has been achieved sometimes,and other times i have wished "old dublin" to give me more of something else..(old dublin has been my so far favourite regular purchase)wanting all this while staying within the medium english strength factor. Trying "oriental" has made me realise that i had been asking too much of a single blend "old dublin"to give me that amount of deviant compass(plus i don't like it if a tobacco doesn't taste consistant as well either)...

And so i have found a tobacco "oriental"that gives me that bit more, and a bit less, that i can instantly go to while not hoping my "old dublin" would taste a bit more "this or that way" sometimes. It means i don't get bored basically and means my rotation between 2 alternating blends has been smoothed out with this new harmonious member..

If you like or are familiar with "irish oak" or "old dublin" you may find this a worthy contemporary with an identity of its own whileit has the ability to be a variation on a simular ingredient theme,,(another actually is a blend called punchbowle that has just virgina and latakia,and with these 4 blends there is for me a definative north,east,south and west within the medium strength bracket of simular ingredient, natural tasting, medium strength english tobacco's.)

Its burn rate is the slower side of medium i have noticed and so it is kind to the small bowl handicap of my clay pipe(which i smoke for their pure tobacco taste,,;again you can't have it both ways)

Clays smoke hotter but it was cool at the mouth end.

After taste is herby and i can taste a herby like vinegarette-ish taste on my lips. It does not cloy my clothes like say a saucy and spicy"erinmore balkan mixture"(which i liked but wanted a toned down version for allday puffing,,;i found that solution in "squadron leader")

Nice for me room note,and enough strength that when smoked outside not much is lost in the wind as far as taste.

It stays lit quite well and burns to light battleship grey ash,in the same manner as either "old dublin " or "irish oak"

Nicoteen hit is medium and satisfying and doesn't leave me wanting.

I will will definately purchase more of this and regret not purchasing more when i was purchasing.

The pleasure this gives me whilst smoking in the sun and staring through the blurry smoky haze and the heatwave shaddows is epic;i was mentaly on a sail boat whilst sitting in that garden chair in my crappy yard ,,,no shit this stuff makes me feel like a satisfied millionaire doing exactly what i would do if i was a millionaire.. Peace and 4 stars!

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Andreas (1)	2021-01-16		Mild	None Detected	Full	Very Pleasant

This is the tobacco I have been waiting for all my life. Imagine, you walk in Mazedonia on a warm summer day in pure nature. You smell dry grass with flowers such as thyme, on your side you see huge bushes of rosemary and soon you smell wild honey, coming from some old and hollow trees in which bees are living. As you go on, you smell nuts and discover a farmer who is extracting nut oil from his nut trees. Then you get aware of all these odors at the same time: hay with flowers, rosemary and thyme, wild honey and nuts. A non smoking person, when reading these words, will say to us: why you smoke instead of going out to smell these odors in nature? We do both, go out into nature and smoke. This is a mystery of pipe smoking: the happiness it brings to us. This tobacco really is unique. All the different tobaccos inside only have one goal: to support and to complete the flavor of the orientals to the maximum possible. And please note: all this is pure tobacco, nothing added. The only tastes missing are horse stable, leather and soil, and this is the right thing for this tobacco, because it is a mixture of the sunlight. If you wish to complete your collection of Balkan /Oriental mixtures by one with much leather and soil, then you try Magnum Opus; these two cover both ends of the range of Balkan mixtures at the highest level. In the middle of this range you will find Comoy's English and Smyrna, also excellent blends.

Pipe Used: Ingo Garbe

Age When Smoked: fresh

Purchased From: Germany

Similar Blends: no similar blends possible in my mind.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Tomcat (212)	2020-06-01		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

This is a blend that is hard to describe in a good way . The fragrant Orientals are obviously in the lead . The Latakia backs them up perfectly. The rest of the tobaccos meld together to compliment the blend deliciously. Original Oriental is fragrant , buttery , creamy , spicy ,sweet,salty,smokey,nutty,with a toffee like finish. This is great blending IMO . If you like the balkan blends you should try this . Easy 4 stars

Similar Blends: Blackhouse.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2019-01-13		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

The tin description mentions Orientals, Virginia, Syrian Latakia and Perique as well as dark Cavandish. I bought this tin only resently. And I suspect that Kohlase sadly again changed yet another recipe of a Robert McConnell blend.

While smoking, the Orientals are indeed a major player in the orchestra. A sweet start gives then room for a Ping Pong game between olivy-oily and oleoresinous aromas, sometimes with a hint of saltyness. A subtle and nice background of the Virginias are permanetly part of the music. The Latakia (which is definetely NOT Syrian) is only barely noticible. I could not detect any Perique. The dark Cavendish is a normal (English) Black Cavendish (I would say, it is Rattray's Black Virgina) which adds some fruity sweetness.

Overall this blend is round, good and enjoyable, surely something that one can recommment. But in comparison to e.g. the Dunhill Durbar, this one is merely a mid range tobacco, which is of course reflected in the much lower price.

Considering the price and the lack of Durbar, I think this one still will be a sporadic recurring guest in my cellar.

Pipe Used: different Briars, Falcon, Meerschaum

Age When Smoked: a few months old

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Bosančeros (3)	2018-05-10		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I've been looking forward to taste this mixture after reading good comments about it and..well.. Tin note is very nice and promising,tobacco is good to be smoked out of the tin but I give it a 10 min dry before filling the bowl. Lighting is easy and it doesn't need many relights,tobacco burns in to a fine ash. Smoke is cool and it doesn't bite you.Taste is semi-full yet satisfying enough. The mix is quite good but I would appreciate a bit more latakia,but I take it for what it is,a mild oriental. Recommended as a everyday smoke or when you don't feel a need for full english.

Pipe Used: Savinelli

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	E. Bonit (3)	2014-11-02		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

This Blend is - along with the newly released Durbar - one of the finest Orientals on the marked: Balanced, elegant and complex. Latakia is in the background, strength is medium.

One of the grand pleasures of a pipe smoker: To sniff the rising smoke of a decent Oriental from your bowl. I prefer this much to Mc Connells Scottish Mixture.

Pipe Used: Briars

Age When Smoked: fresh from tin

Purchased From: local tobacconist

Similar Blends: Durbar, the old EMP.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	TEO (33)	2011-02-14		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

Wow what a spicy and really "century old" formula. Here it is, a big oriental mixture without any Latakia in it, sweet & spicy as it has to be.

This blend is able to develop a sweet bouquet of intense but natural flavours of an excellent Virginia and Macedonian leaves. A little cavendish, which is not extremely sugary is added for a little more depth and perfect to even the burning qualities.

The Oriental leaves are so earthy, incense-like spicey that it's no surprise someone may sense some good latakia in it, but there isn't any. Anyway it's not a bad idea to add some, paying attention not to exceed: it's easy to transform it from a glorious balkan to an overwhelming blend.

That sweet & "cheese like" aroma and taste of Macedonian leaves is marvellous. If you're looking for a intense oriental nirvana, savouring sweetnes with no fruit flavours or any casing added, this is the right blend, for you.

It sends you back in time, savouring some 1800 Orient traveller's taste, in a Agatha Christie book, for Example... 2 steps up from other McConnell blends I like but don't love, this is really excellent, for a decent price. Far better than a lot of celebrated UK English blends or Balkans.

It only lacks a little nicotine punch, but it's perfect in moisture out of the tin and steady burning.

Update - October 2011 - After some time in the cellar, I give now the fourth star to this quality blend, it is simply delicious.

I found it refined, round and naturally sweet and very savourful. Just a single relight for the entire bowl in a mid size Peterson.

A must-have.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Paddy (127)	2006-08-22		Mild	None Detected	Full	Pleasant

This is my kind of oriental mixture. It has just enough latakia and plenty of other Balkan tobaccos to add spice and zing to an otherwise mild smoke. I need to be sure to smoke this tobacco in a a dedicated pipe or a pipe which has been used for similar blends such as Campanile or Provost Mixture. Even a pipe used for Old Gowrie will leave enough of its spirit in the bowl to mask the subtle flavors of this blend. For me this tobacco has no bite nor harshness, and delivers plenty of flavor on the palate and zing in the nose. I describe the taste as full not in sense of a highly cased or English scented tobacco but in the sense of fully delivering the varied flavors of the oriental leaf. Highly recommended. Paddy.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JaWiBr (437)	2022-11-04		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Tin notes of sour, sweet and smoky. The mixed cut is mostly black with dark brown and a little light brown. Tobacco is soft and slightly tacky, no prep needed. Burns slow with a few relights. The strength mild to medium, nic is mild. No flavoring detected. Taste is med and somewhat consistent with notes of smoky wood, earth, mildly sweet ripe fruit, floral and a little spicy. Oriental/Turkish is driving with Virginias riding shotgun. Cavendish and Latakia are in riding back. Room note is pleasant to tolerable and after taste is good.

Pipe Used: Castello Sea Rock Briar SC 31

Age When Smoked: 4 years

Purchased From: TobaccoPipes.com

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	TexasLeaguer (5)	2022-10-18		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is exactly the sort of oriental mixture I want to smoke. Notes of sweet butternut squash, woody incense, and smoked fruit (apples/pears). The latakia is extremely mild, serving as a nice condiment and nothing more. The cavendish keeps things cool, and allows for flavors to blend into a sweet and woody delight. Smoke this with coffee on a crisp morning and be rewarded with a sensational experience. 4 stars.

Pipe Used: Savinelli Punto Oro Canadian

Age When Smoked: 2 years

Purchased From: Briar Shoppe (Houston)

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	PipeDragon (42)	2022-04-20		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

Lately, I've discovered that I'm much more drawn to Balkan blends than traditional English, and so I was curious about this one.

Right from the get-go, the tin note is all about the Orientals: musty, spicy, very floral with a touch of smokiness and incense from the Latakia. The moisture was pretty much perfect, requiring 10 minutes of drying time at the most. Nicely cut, making the packing and lighting very easy. No burning characteristics issues whatsoever.

In the actual smoke, the Orientals are by far the star of the show, delivering a very floral taste, spicy, a bit of aromatic wood, incense, slightly sour and zesty. The Latakia plays second fiddle and it's there to complete the overall exotic character of the smoke. In fact, the Latakia is more pronounced in the tin note than in the actual smoke. The Virginia and Black Cavendish stay in the background, mostly to balance out the taste with a bit of sweetness.

I'm still pretty new in the world of Oriental/Balkan blends, but this a very solid offering. Has enough taste variety to keep you interested, yet not too much as to become heavy or complex. Very good for an introduction in the world of Balkan blends.

Pipe Used: Peterson SH Mycroft (Irish Seconds)

Age When Smoked: 9 months

Purchased From: Local tobacconist

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Azirish (18)	2020-11-21		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

Tin note is faintly smokey from the Latakia, hay and fig, sourness and barnyard. First half of bowl is sour and sweet with the latakia in the background. Kind of difficult for me to discern the different tobaccos. They just kind of meld together into a sweet sour mix. I may have needed more drying time due to the slight goopy condition of the cavendish. 2nd half of bowl much better. Orientals are leading the way with Virginias a close 2nd. Latakia is only slightly there kind of rounding it out and the cavendish just adding some slight sweetness. I think the key is a loose , gentle packing of the pipe and slightly drying. Over all impression is a good smoke.

Pipe Used: P Jeppesen Ida Freehand, various briars

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: Smoking Pipes

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	RonR (85)	2020-02-24		Very Mild	Very Mild	Very Mild	Pleasant

3rdGuy

This is a really nice Oriental. If you are looking for one, like myself, just for your morning coffee you could stop here and not miss out. It is light overall to start your day yet full in Oriental flavor to keep you interested. It is just a morning smoke for me but I like that. Easy going, nothing surprising and that is just how I like to start my day.

Pipe Used: Cobs and briar. Did best in my cobs.

Age When Smoked: 2018 tin.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	BubbaBriar (4)	2019-03-25		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

An oriental you can fall in love with on the first bowl. Easily packs and a delicious spicy and smooth taste at the same time blend which probably isn't easy to achieve. definitely not a boring smoke. Aftertaste doesn't last particularly long but is pleasant. A real winner in my book anyways and will definitely be ordering some more.

Pipe Used: Briar Savinelli

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Wilhelm Joharsányi (33)	2018-02-22		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Tolerable to Strong

McConnell’s Oriental is a highly complex, Oriental-forward blend that offers a unique experience every time you smoke. This is the real deal when it comes to Oriental blends. With 5 different tobaccos, all the components are very well-balanced, with the Orientals being the most notable and prominent. The spicy Perique, followed by the Latakia play a well-crafted supporting role. It can easily be an all-day smoke, the room note kind of smells up your room, and has a medium to low nicotine content.

Ashton’s Artisanal Blend can only dream of being this good and is more of a 2nd rate blend when compared to McConnell’s Oriental. Now don’t get me wrong: Ashton has some excellent, premium tobaccos blended into Artisanal Blend. However, McConnell’s blending is far superior: artfully utilizing all the components, allowing the smoker to slowly discover the distinct taste of all five different tobaccos in the blend. Aston attempted something similar, but resulted in a bland, tasteless, uninspired murky mess of blend. Smoke these two blends side by side and tell me I am wrong. The difference is night and day.

If you are a fan of Oriental blends, this is easily a 4-star tobacco. However, I am not really an Oriental-forward kind of guy and I am just trying to ‘broaden my horizons’ instead of smoking English and VaPers all day. It is still a nice blend, I just personally needed more of a Latakia presence; felt a bit lacking in the Latakia department and wasn't as fulfilling as other blends.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	NobbyR (79)	2015-04-08		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

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.

Pipe Used: Vauen Oxford

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: Local Tobacconist

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Mijnnif (126)	2022-08-18		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable to Strong

Tin note Latakia muskiness greats you first with some lite sweetness and sour. a bit moist when first opened but settles out after a bit of drying time or jarred time. The first thing I notice on initial light is the Latakia's muskiness this is enhanced with the Orientals and the Turkish. It has a very lite touch of sweetness. Smokes better in a Mer. No detectable toppings. No bite even when puffed hard, but if puffed hard it can be a bit harsh. The flavors are much better with a lite cadence. Nic hit is medium . Burns clean. Smoking outside is recommended as the room note is quite musky. Not an all day smoke but a welcome change of pace.

Pipe Used: meerschaum apple and others

Age When Smoked: 3 months old

Purchased From: Smoking pipes

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	tzinc (12)	2021-04-10		Mild	None Detected	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

Creamy but light. Any time of the day including all day smoke. Goes down smooth and easy. Very pleasant taste and scent. Highly recommend this Balkan Oriental blend.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Bucivs (15)	2021-02-28		Mild	Mild	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

Yes this is a great tobacco but you have to let it mature properly. I smoked a 5 year old tin and it was sublime, I bought a new one and it’s just a decent smoke. So make your stock.

Pipe Used: Calabria pipe

Age When Smoked: 5

Similar Blends: Celebrated sovereign.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	PiperMunky (2)	2020-12-22		Mild	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

December 22nd, 2020

The cut of this tobacco is a slightly rough ribbon cut. There were some standard ribbons mixed in with a bulk of shorter ribbons. The tobacco is slightly damp, but nothing that couldn’t be smoked out of the tin. I dried mine for about half an hour and it was perfect. In the blend you'll find a lot of black latakia and chestnut Orientals with a few brighter leaves throughout. It’s interesting seeing so much black though since the latakia takes a back seat overall in the blend.

The tin note is a sweet, smoky barbeque. It reminds me of bbq sauce dippers you’d get from a fast food restaurant. Makes me want chicken nuggets! The tobacco took to a light very well. One charring light, and it kept a light very well. The smoke was cool to warm, and I didn’t feel any tongue bite throughout, even during relights. I didn’t try to rip on it to see if I could get it to bite, but I’d imagine it’d take quite a bit to try to get it to nip at you.

The initial light gave me equal parts soapy, leathery latakia and toffee flavors from the Orientals. It reminds me a lot of a Balkan blend, which left me with question marks considering it’s supposed to be an oriental blend. In the first third, the latakia quickly takes a back seat, and my question marks are taken away. The latakia is a nice smoky support to the sweet toffee flavors I get from Orientals. The taste danced between the toffee flavors, and toasted bread. Sometimes the toffee would lead, sometimes the bread would lead. In the second third of the bowl, things started to settle in. There was a lingering sweet, toasty flavor that stayed consistent. Nothing super complex, just a very pleasant ride. The last third of the bowl saw the sweet toasty flavors staying consistent, but I noticed a slightly floral flavor sneak in from time to time when I would take a puff. I found the bottom of the bowl about 60 minutes in. The flavors kept the consistent sweet toast, but instead of floral, I was finding very subtle semisweet chocolate in some of the puffs. The last part of the bowl definitely left me pleasantly surprised with those flavors sneaking in after such a consistent middle of the bowl. As I’m writing this review, the smoke has left a smoky aftertaste that is accompanied by a sweet floral flavor akin to Violet candy.

I gave this a mild strength. I might go mild to slightly medium, but I didn’t really feel much of any nic hit, and it was on an empty stomach

The flavor profile is a nice medium. Nothing super overpowering, but it had some nuances in it that left me smiling at the surprises I’d find along the way. There wasn’t any topping that I detected, just a consistently smoky sweet that gave way to toffees and bread for the most part. The nuances are small enough that I’d be interested to see if someone caught the same things as I did.

I smoke outside, so the room note is difficult to really comment on, but when I put my mask on after smoking, it smelled like lightly toasted bread in contrast to the darker toast I was getting in the flavor notes.

At the time of this review, this tobacco is just over a month old, and has been stored in a canning jar.

This is a prevalently stocked blend, so you shouldn’t have trouble finding it online, and if your local BnM carries McConnell blends, you’re likely to find this one amongst them.

I gave it a 3.5 of 4. I’ll definitely be putting a tin in the cellar and seeing how it develops after a few years

Pipe Used: Peterson Dracula 999 (Rhodesian) smooth finish

Age When Smoked: 1 Month, stored in mason jar

Purchased From: Edward's Pipe and Tobacco Denver, CO

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Benjamin Meyer (25)	2020-11-25		Medium	Very Mild	Full	Tolerable to Strong

This review is from a small 2 year old sample, and acts as a reminder for the next time I'm tempted to open my tin of it.

Te ribbon cut is extremely easy to use but being used to flakes, I thought it burnt a little too fast. The color of the blend is very nice, full of contrast, from light yellow to jet black.

The latakia is present but mostly in the background, supporting the orientals. It tends to make itself more discrete as the bowl burns down. The orientals really are the star. This blend is a great showcase for them. The virginias are nice but by no means is this their show. I find their sweetness to be confusing. There is a definite sweetness, quite pleasant, but it seems just too sweet for coming only from them. It says here there's added black cavendish. If so, this is definitely the culprit. Otherwise, this could be a sweet casing.

I really liked this kind of light "English". The Lat and Or working well together but giving precedent to the Or. The added sweetness ties it all together really nicely. I'll be glad to com to my tin.

Pipe Used: Briar and meerschaum

Age When Smoked: 2 year sample

Purchased From: Gift from a friend

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	snow901 (12)	2020-09-30		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Very Pleasant

What else can be said about this tobacco other than everyone should try it! It rare that I get excited about a tobacco but Oriental was something unexpected. It is expertly balanced with no one tobacco playing a dominant role. The Orientals give the tobacco a complexity and wonderful aroma.

Interestingly, the tin note smells more like a medium English tobacco. The latakia is present and forward in the aroma. Lighting it, however, the tobacco is not at all latakia forward. It is much mellower and lighter than the tin note should suggest.

Pipe Used: Dunhill Billiard #4, Peterson system, Wimbledon

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com

Similar Blends: Presbyterian.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pikey Mick (48)	2020-06-11		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

Tin note is musty, sweet and a little smoky. When I first tried this I hated it. Tasted like dirty old socks so I chucked it in the cupboard and forgot about it for near on 3 years. Broke it out recently and I was pleasantly surprised as it's turned into a very smooth, spicy, slightly earthy tasting tobacco. The Virginia's stay pretty well hidden for me until the bottom of the bowl where the sweetness takes over from the spice. I found it better with a pinch of perique added. I know that there's perique in the blend but I needed a tad more. Aftertaste on the palate is quite sweet and very pleasant. I think most pipe smokers from novice to experienced would enjoy this blend. Has a gorgeous, spicy retro hale. Could be good as an all day smoke as the more I smoke it I'm enjoying it more. The orientals have an almost addictive smell rather than taste. Very pleasant indeed.

Pipe Used: Various briars

Age When Smoked: 3 yrs

Purchased From: Tranters I think

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Lingo (39)	2019-04-21		Mild	Extremely Mild	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is an useless tobacco to me. I like natural and honest mixtures, with one or two species at most. I just can’t get a point with 4-5-6 tobaccos blends, they confuse my buds.

I understand that components here are delicate, no flake or cake, no dark leaves, no strong periques or latakias... only the ever-flatting cavendish (which is likecream on pasta: it will just cover all up), and bye bye to the rest. Yes it smells a bit smoky and oriental, but mostly anonymous (reminds me of Clan). Easy to load and smoke, it left me with a “huh, what have I smoked?”

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Cumarinophil (108)	2015-04-04		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

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.

Pipe Used: Various with and without filter

Age When Smoked: fresh

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	tabaco (112)	2015-02-16		Mild	Very Mild	Mild	Tolerable

My first and last tin that I'll buy since Kohlhase, Kopp und Co. took over the blending, nowhere near the original McConnell and I don't care for it. I was hoping it might be similar albeit a variation.

These large European blending houses use a generic base and tweak before they tin, which may work occasionally but for the likes of Rattray, Astley, JJ Fox and the like it certainly does not work for me.

This blend is topped with something soapy it kind of has that Lakeland essence which I don't really care for, although it's very light and mild; thankfully.

I cannot recommend it on it's own merits nor as an interpretation/adaptation of the original.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	krg1000 (183)	2014-11-02		Mild	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

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.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2012-10-29		Mild	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

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.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2011-01-01		Medium	Extremely Mild	Very Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

One of the best (if not the best) Oriental mixtures for me. It causes disagreement between those who try it, whether if it contains or not Latakia (just like Provost). In my opinion, it doesn't. Virginia has a supplementary role and leaves the Oriental as protagonists, with their spicy yet simultaneously sweet flavor. Tasteful, with a natural tobacco aroma, which feels me with joy. Sweet flavor up until the end of the bowl. Easily smoked at any time of a day. Perfect humidity. Finely cut, which allows the easy filling of the bowl. It lights effortlessly and so it is maintained. Naturally no tongue-bite. Its nicotine level is medium to strong, perfect for my standards. Additionally, it perfectly complements a drink and a meal, to the point that sometimes you may think it releases certain fragrances like plum, walnuts or freshly baked bread. Amazing mixture.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2010-09-02		Mild	None Detected	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

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"!

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	BingCrosby (161)	2009-02-20		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

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.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	haredawg (47)	2008-12-21		Mild	None Detected	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

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.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2008-12-11		Mild	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

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.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Skando (203)	2007-04-18		Mild	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

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.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	UncleGar (110)	2005-03-08		Mild	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

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.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2004-11-08		Mild	Mild	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

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

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JohnnyFlake (17)	2003-10-16		Medium to Strong	Medium to Strong	Medium to Full	Tolerable

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!

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2003-01-03		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

(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).

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pippifein (7)	2021-03-25		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Virginia is the baseline, additional comes oriental, which calls the tune. They complement one another and appear well balanced. Latakia is far in the background, appears with very discreet smoky notes. Perique ist not to dedect, at least for me. Overall i do like this tobacco, it appears not to strong with some very interessting taste variations, but there are some better tobaccos in the market, so i give it a three. For sure this wasn't the last smoke of this attractiv blend.

Pipe Used: Savinelli 606 KS

Age When Smoked: 50

Purchased From: Local Dealer

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	ChollyWheels (12)	2021-02-23		Mild	None Detected	Mild	Tolerable

I enjoyed the oriental aspects -- a hint of sweet burning leaves of Autumn -- as you'd expect of a blend of this name -- but not the rest. It wasn't bad (packed well, needed little drying) but I'm spoiled by Balkans and Orientals I like a lot more (Peretti 40, McClelland Balkan Beauty).

I also admit to a bias against "Cavendish" which is almost totally undefined (a steamed processed leaf, but the type of leaf varies). I also generally avoid Perique. Maybe smokers without those biases like this better.

Pipe Used: Savinelli Grezza (large bowl)

Age When Smoked: New

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	TallPuffO'Burley (632)	2020-12-14		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

This is my kind of balkan/latakia/english or whatever you care to call it. This blend is virginia heavy and latakia light. The orientals used are more citrus sour than noxious tire fire, and are quite prevalent making this a proper Balkan IMO. Rounding out all the hard edges on this is the right amount of cavendish.

Because of these properties I find this to be both a good warm weather and cold weather smoke. This is more than a theory as I had the chance to test it out under both conditions. It comes at a nice moisture content and the ribbon cut made for easy packing. It burned well with no issues and was easy on the tongue.

I am between three and four stars on this one, but decided to hold it to three as I still prefer a few others to this one, in particular, EMP, Squadron Leader, Cotton 1&2, amongst a few others in this lighter balkan category.

Age When Smoked: 5 years 6 months

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Reagold (29)	2019-11-30		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

I hold a tin of this with so much expectation... When I opened, It was bone dry. But still smokable, and is still possible to see that this was a great misture.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	ATW (110)	2019-06-02		Mild	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I can believe I have managed to get a tin of this. Robert McConnell along with Rattrays, F&T have become kind of hard to get ahold of. Knock on wood, I'm surprised Ashton isn't getting that way too since they are all produced by K&K.

I absolutely love to tin aroma. It's a smokey and leathery tin note with fermented dark fruit. Very unique and different. There isn't much complexity to the flavor profile. It's smokey, leathery, and sweet. I don't pick up on the orientals. As I've found with most blends that contain black cavendish, it give a aged quality to the flavor. Not much spice and no noticeable nicotine.

This blend reminds me so much of Boswells Northwoods and most of McCellelands English blends but with a shade or two more of depth. I might stock on more of this but it depends on if availability will allow me.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Cap'n Lev (19)	2017-10-08		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I've smoked this tobacco 2 years ago, so I should definitely try this again. Still I cannot forget the feeling of a flavorful warm bread when smoking it. Oriental seems to me a pleasant, mild tobacco with delicate and calm character. I've really enjoyed this blend, and strongly will recommend it especially to new pipe smokers getting to the latakia and non aromatics.

Pipe Used: briar, meerschaum

Age When Smoked: fresh

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2016-05-16		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

I have smoked this in the past; at least a decade ago. I recall liking it then.

Whether I've changed or the blend has, I suspect the first, I now find that there's a slight sweetness to this blend, and some other English/Scottish blends from K&K, that just doesn't work for me. I presume from the Cavendish? There's an after-taste that lingers in the same manner as an artificial sweetener.

If you get along well with other K&K blends that include Cavendish, I'm sure you'll enjoy this one.

Pipe Used: Various briars and a Falcon

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	PeterD (91)	2015-11-14		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I first started smoking McConnell tobaccos in the late 1960's and Oriental Mixture was one of my favorites...While this version is not too close to the Original, it is a very good smoke. It is a light Balkan and its flavor and consistency remain well above average throughout the smoke...This could serve as an all-day smoke for some but I rather enjoy it in the fall and winter most often. Since it is a light Balkan, I smoke it at any time of day and generally in a larger size pipe. It certainly meets my overall expectations, therefore I highly recommend it and further recommend it to anyone wishing a solid light Balkan.

Pipe Used: gp 3-5 size

Age When Smoked: current production

Purchased From: smokingpipes.com

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	bearded_cavalier (11)	2015-06-19		Mild	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

A really delicious oriental - soft and sweet, with a delicate but discernible spice. Quality leaf is used here. A little similar in some respect to FMATP. Lovely flavour profile and goes well the morning coffee. No tongue bite at all, even with relatively fast puffing. Recommended.

Similar Blends: FMATP.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Otis56 (31)	2014-09-28		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

let me help you out here. If you want to know what a tobacco is like on this site. Read 5 or 6 reviews .not all of them. Then you will get a feel of weather or not the reviews you have read will help you decide on a proper choice for you. The Original Oriental is in my opinion one of the finest oriental/ English blends ever made. All tobaccos in this blend truly work in perfect harmony. A few blenders around today should grab a can of this and give it a good try.Who knows? You may learn something. And for my other pipe smoking friends out there. Smoke. And peace to you.

Pipe Used: Ashton/ billiard

Age When Smoked: 1year

Purchased From: 4noggins

Similar Blends: Ashton Artisian, 965, nightcap, wilderness, legend.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Peter Piper (41)	2013-05-22		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

This is a lovely mixture, to look at, smell and smoke. Contrasting colours, a pleasant aroma and then a mellow combination of flavours come your way: fruit, honey and spice without any hard edges to it. If this is "an old man's smoke" then I must be an old man!

Recommended.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	renwardhoop (177)	2013-05-18		Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Tolerable

Ach. Ach. Ach.

I've made a big mistake here. I thought this blend would be like a pipe version of Tor Oriental cigarettes.

By that I mean sweet, flavourful with an aromatic aroma.

It is none of those things. It's what I call an old man's smoke, or maybe old skool as they call it these days.

As I said I bought this blend in error. I could detect a musty, leathery odour before I even cracked open the can. Maybe that raises a question over the canning process I don't know.

So, it was without any great surprise that opening the tin revealed a damp dark mass of tobacco, that immediately brought to mind my horrific encounter with a certain squadron leader.

The smell that I detected before I openned up, was there in abundance and carries through into the smoke. To some this style of tobacco is the very epitomy, to others, like me it's just ghastly. Ir smokes down to a hard flaky ash and I have a nasty suspicion that I may have to break out the alcohol and salt.

Not for me then and up for an urgent trade, with nary a teaspoonful missing.

Don't make the mistake I did, and do your research before buying.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2013-01-17		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

The blend that I currently smoke and also my first ever Robert McConnell. Very complex aroma and nice oriental taste. The Latakia is not powerful, added only for complexity. The taste is offered mainly by the sweetness of Virginia and the spiciness of the Orientals with the Cavendish added to temper the strength. A real symphony of aromas. I love it! It will always be in my collection.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	DrT999 (317)	2012-10-18		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant

A fairly monochromatic smoke for me, and I've gone through nearly the whole tin trying to figure out my reaction to that one somewhat spicy, slightly smoky note (presumably mostly from the Macedonian). On the whole, smoking in taller pipes have left the last of the bowl a bit on the harsh side. I've enjoyed this more in wider bowls. I would suggest that if you want to understand a Macedonian blend, this is a good one to try. It does have an interesting room note! A good, rich flavor on the whole, without the overwhelming N some such blends can have. A natural tasting underlying sweetness to balance that spice and smoke. Since I know there are many tobaccos out there I would rate a 4, the question arises would I rebuy this particular tobacco, assuming my tastes don't change much more. In this case, the answer is probably.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Mr. Big (321)	2011-10-07		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

Revised review 2016-3-5 I guess tastes change from when I first tried this 5 years ago. I now find this a very" creamy" Oriental forward blend. Most of my experience with a blend of this type comes with some heat, but not this one. I don't know if it is the Cavendish or Latakia that tames this one , but neither show themselves in the taste. In smoking this blend back to back with EMP , I find them very similar, including the cut.

I believe that I will be stocking up

Pipe Used: MM hardwood

Age When Smoked: new

Similar Blends: Dunhill's EMP.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2011-05-10		Mild	Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Very nice, very enjoyable, mild smoke, with an excellent but not overpowering oriental flavour. Burns quite quickly but never hot. I prefer slightly stronger tobaccos, otherwise I would rate this a 4 star.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Fountainhead (17)	2011-01-17		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

McConnell calls this blend "Oriental" without much more detail because the experience of this smoke is as simply put as the name describes. It is a very pure, un-messed-around-with, oriental blend that any tobacco purist who does not like heavy additional flavorings will enjoy. This blend is done in a very traditional English fashion. It has a great spicy-satin taste that doesn't bite and a mild room note that seems to somewhat match the taste.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Arkie (129)	2010-12-16		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Oriental is my second favorite blend. This blend has a robust quality and an excellent balance of flavors. It is the most complex blend I've ever tasted. From the first puff to the last there is swirl of flavors varying in sweetness and pungency. I can see why some reviews here have rated it unfavorably if the smoker was expecting a classic English blend with overpowering latakia content rather than a balanced blend with latakia being used to compliment the Turkish and oriental leaves. It makes a great nightcap along with a snifter of cognac. It seems to favor thick walled briars and it likes to be savored slowly. It rates a solid 4 stars.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	thefoolish (10)	2010-12-02		Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

This blend is a relaxing blend that does not require the smoker to contemplate its minutiae. The main reason for this is that the blend is exactly what it seems to be.

I tend to enjoy this blend around a campfire.

I'm still not done with my first tin, so maybe I will discover that this blend has more to it than I am detecting, but right now it seems like a good example of your standard English mixture.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2010-11-30		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Tobacco has almost the right moisture out of the tin, smokes dry and gives no real tonguebite if puffed a bit more on the hot side. The taste is imho quite interesting. Orientals and Virginia are definitly in the foreground, but Black Cavendish and Latakia give additional complexity from the background. I especially liked that mixture of Latakia smokiness combined with the rather sweet nuances of Black Cavendish and VA plus the spicy notes of the Oriental stuff. Room note reminded me somewhat of a mild cigar or high quality turkish blend cigarette plus a good trace of latakia. If there is any flavoring to this baccy, then it is not really traceable for me.(The VA maybe has some very subtle topping, but it doesn't manage to get through.)

As far as strength is concerned, this tobacco could well become one of my all day english blends delivering a satisfyingly spicy smoke without being too overwhelming like e.g. Gawith's Commonwealth Mixture(which I prefer to smoke in the evening now and then if I get a latakia crave).

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2010-07-21		Mild	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Another fine blend from Robert McConnell also like their Scottish Cake.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2010-03-26		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I evaded this tobacco for a long time because of the incredibly boring tin-art. I finally tried it because I like orientals and do not always want latakia to go with it.

Surprise, surprise... This is a really very pleasant smoke, highly recommended!

update: a bit boring... one star down.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Dubinthedam (133)	2010-03-24		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is one of the only oriental blends I have tried that actually just calls itself an 'oriental'. How apt, because that's exactly what it is. A english blend with the emphasis on the oriental 'other' leafs rather than latakia. The virginia's in this are sweet and good quality. I can think of no other blend that acts as an example of what an oriental blend is in theory. Many ask whats the difference between English and oriental, smoke a tin of Nightcap and this and you will get the picture. This is a near to perfection 'beginners' and 'easy on the palette' oriental. So many blend mislead by their name, this does not. I could see this as a perfect spring blend.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2009-11-24		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

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.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Steden (100)	2009-07-26		Mild	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

Oriental in name and fact, this mix is unbalanced on the oriental leaf but also reveals the other ingredients: the sweetness of the earthy and herbaceous virginias, astringent, dry and smoky taste from Latakia. The result is a mix of balsamic flavor and an intriguing taste from the interaction between the various components that seem to catch up during the smoke. As other reviewers have noted this formula does not have much character but reveals a confidential and discreet elegance, typically "British" (I apologize for the easy rhetoric...), which I personally appreciate.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2009-06-26		Mild	Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Scrivo volentieri di questa miscela di Robert Mc Connel  ORIENTAL  Perché mi ha veramente stupito piacevolmente fin dal primo assaggio. Una miscela di gusto inglese ma non così austera come una classica EM Un ottimo  all day  da prendere anche in seria considerazione come tabacco per così dire estivo. Il blend si compone del classico trittico orientali-virginia e latakia, con una lieve preponderanza degli orientali, (del resto non a caso si chiama  oriental  ) che caratterizzano con il loro bouquet floreale e morbido tutta la fumata; il latakia presente ma non invadente corre come sul velluto accontentandosi per una volta a fare da illustre comprimario rispetto anche ai pregiati e dolci lemon virginia con i loro golosi effluvi di terra, fichi, uva passa e cacao. Non dichiarato, a mio avviso anche un black cavendish contribuisce alla dolcezza dell'insieme. Gli orientali dicevamo la fanno da padrone fin dalle prime boccate rivelando anche un sapore lievemente astringente e leggermente torbato e a tratti anche lievemente salato. La miscela è tanto semplice quanto complessa ad un attento esame, ogni boccata contribuisce a costruirne la struttura, svariando piacevolmente in un caleidoscopio di sapori costantemente in divenire. Il latakia dicevamo è sempre presente ma mai soverchiante, in compenso regala sentori chiari di bergamotto, cuoio e legno di sandalo: eccellente!!! Verso metà fumata la pienezza della miscela ne guadagna, assurgono maggiormente i virginia dolci e fruttati terminando ancora sugli orientali, mentre cala leggermente il latakia. Dicevo prima che è a mio parere una miscela complessa anche se non sembra, proprio perché appare costantemente in evoluzione durante tutta la fumata. Secondo me un ottima scelta, estremamente soddisfacente senza risultare troppo inebriante.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2008-12-29		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

Oriental by Robert McConnell reminds me of what many a English/Balkan blend used to be,15 years ago.

Appearance: Upon very close inspection I can detect at least 5 different hues of leaf in this mixture Red and Lemon Virginias are in abundance, darker browns of Oriental with nearly jet black Latakia. The cut is a somewhat varied rough ribbon cut.

Tin aroma: This is complex mixture it immediately says ?English/Balkan? in a very rich and full variety. The Virginias are evident, with rich earthy tones and under-currents of fig/raisin and cocoa. The smoky Latakia makes the main statement, complex and enticing, plenty of smokiness with underlying astringent tones of bergamot and sandalwood. Just under the surface I detect the Orientals giving the mixture?dry fruitiness? and lending even greater depth to the mélange of flavors. There is a peaty, slightly salty over tone to the aroma

This tobacco is nearly perfect in moisture and I employed the ?once like a baby, once like a lady, finally like a gentleman? method of layered packing in a small Armellini Lovat dedicated to English/Balkan mixtures.

Lighting usually is easy, and with a friendly ?lighting tamp? I was well on my way. As expected, the initial flavor is very smoky with an astringent (very gently so) quality I?ve come to expect from Orientals. The Orientals used in this blend are of a floral and softer variety, providing a silky, soft mouth-feel. Latakia and Orientals tend to live ?nasally? for me, so I often employ the ?French curve? method of inhaling the slipstream smoke. The Virginias set a firm background and foundation on which the Latakia and Orientals build. This blend slowly builds in flavors and complexity with each puff.

Mid Bowl: Approaching mid-bowl, the fullness tends to build and the flavors gaining intensity in unison. The initial strength of the Latakia is slowly giving way to other components, the Orientals slowly numbing (not at all in a bad way) my soft pallet and nasal regions. Flavors and scents of bergamot and sandalwood, leather and smoke are abundant and rich. The Virginia comes through a bit more assertively from time to time with rich fruity and sweet tones. Each mouthful is slightly different and unexpected tones creep gently in from time to time. This blend is complex, almost in the extreme, requiring my full attention. Somehow it remains subtle and constantly changing it is a contemplative smoke.

Home Stretch: As end of the bowl approaches, I?m pleasantly taken to that place far from the daily grind and it's troubles. The fullness and character of this blend really come into their own during this final stretch. The Virginias have deepened to a wine like goodness and the Latakia and Oriental has widened yielding leather and forest tones. While not particularly strong in nicotine the final third of the bowl is far fuller in flavors and depth than one might expect from where the blend begins. Layer upon layer of flavor develop and by the home stretch I can't imagine wanting more. This blend finds the perfect balance of refinement and power, is never harsh and has plenty to satisfy even the most discerning of palates.

Supplemental Notes: I don't know exactly why it's taken me so long to find this blend. It is truly a fine, though not very popular blend among English/Balkan fanciers *

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	PipePaladin (78)	2008-03-11		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

VERY VERY SPICY! PURE ORIENTAL TASTE! ONLY FOR THE FAITHFUL!

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2007-11-21		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

This tobacco is a nice change as I have been exploring oriental blends. Opening the tin reminds me of sweet and chewy figs. It was sealed a little wet. Lighter on the Latakia with a refined balance. The aroma changes significantly thoughout the bowl with notes of patchouli, leather, cream soda, smoky barbeque and black licorice. Packed lightly, I enjoy this blend in a rusticated Canadian and a Danish Cherrywood.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2007-10-11		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

This is simply superb and a wonderful change-of-pace break from category blends such as VAPERs, straight VA, and Latakia-dominated blends.

The Latakia in this blend is nicely restrained but it dances in and out - no question - while the remaining Oriental leaf dominates, not the Latakia or proported VA.

Like SirLoirn noted below, if there is any VA actually in this, then its minimal. This is an exotic smoke and if you pay atention and go slowly you will be well rewarded.

Oriental slowly reveals itself as you move down the bowl. Out of the tin, as usual, I dry mine for at least 24 hours in open air. After that, it readily takes to the flame and has excellent burning qualities - it's very easy to keep this blend smoldering once its been properly dried.

It does indeed develop into a spicy/peppery finish (close to bitey), as noted by SirLoirn. Again, exotic comes to mind with subtle incense aroma perfuming the air. Minimal nicotine makes this a fine evening smoke.

I have dedicated a pipe to this blend - it's refreshingly unique in a crowded field of me-too offerings.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2007-10-04		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

Side by Side Comparison of Orcilla Mixture, Campanile and Original Oriental

I usually do not open multiple tins of tobacco at the same time of the exact same genre. But with the advent of Embarcadero, Yenidje Supreme and HH Vintage Virginia, all containing Virginia and Oriental leaf without latakia, I wanted to see how three ?classic? blends compared. Each has at least five years aging in the tin unopened. I do not have a tin of aged Cairo, or I would add it to the present review.

I laid out three mounds of leaf from each tin, equivalent to what would fill a very large pipe bowl and then some. As always for me, this is a test for the eyes, the nose, the fingers, the ears and mouth.

Orcilla Mixture: Color-wise, Orcilla is the overall lightest of the three. Mostly light browns and tans, with a few suspicious specks of dark leaf. Moisture content is just right, but there were more stems here than in the two others. There is a fermented nose in the tin and something very faintly smoky when I cup my hands around the tin and inhale through my nose very deeply. I am suspicious of Latakia, but am not confident.

Campanile: Darkest of the three and the reverse of Orcilla. The specks are the lighter leaf, while the remaining are medium browns to black. There are a few stems. There is something definitely smoky in the tin aroma, as with Original Oriental. This was noticeably moister of the three.

Original Oriental: Bright, black and brown in near equal proportions. The most visually interesting of three, but it is also the hardest to anticipate what it will be like smoking. Only a tiny stem. Moisture content is fine, but I smell something smoky, just like in Campanile. These are not supposed to have latakia, hmmm.

Cut: All three are a medium long ribbon cut, with Orcilla being much finer, followed by Campanile and then Original Oriental. All three are nice blends to handle, but will require care when loading due to the long leaf.

I decided on three of my best Virginia pipes for the test run, then one more whiff of Campanile and Original Oriental made me think better of it. I think they have latakia. I will not put noticeable latakia or aromatized leaf in a pipe reserved for Virginia blends. I switched out two pipes for pipes used with very light English blends that had very little noticeable residual smell in the bowl. Orcilla loaded with ease, followed by Campanile. Original Oriental took more care. I used the Frank Method with each blend.

My notes on each blend as follows:

Orcilla.

First Bowl Impressions: Not a light-weight by any means, and deep, earthy, spicy flavors betray the lighter appearance of the unburned leaf. I do detect brighter leaf at times. There?s a definite tingle in mouth and nose, but no Latakia, which is a good thing in this case. The burn is exceptionally even, white and rapid. My experience says, ?Respect this or your tongue will get slapped.? That said, it was easy keeping this cool. There is flavor aplenty. ?Sipping? this carefully avoids the need for aggressive puffing. Since this develops somewhat down the bowl, I?ll give my impressions on the middle and last third of the bowl.

The second third of the bowl is when the flavor intensifies. It does not vary from one flavor to the other, except when a little ?something? arrives. This ?something? might be Perique. If you do not generally like blends with Orientals or Turkish leaf because they are harsh, sour or oppressively acrid, Orcilla will change your mind. The Turkish in Orcilla are as good as any I have smoked in any blend and better than most others.

Last half is about the same as the middle third, but a bit more intense. I also sense more Perique. Overall, a solid blend with no arias, but Orcilla is surprisingly fuller than I anticipated without being overwhelming in flavor or strength.

Ongoing Impressions with Orcilla: I keep reaching for this of the three being reviewed here. It gets better each time I smoke it. The balance is perfect, highlighting the Virginias by off-setting them with the mild Turkish. The blender has a palate for subtle, rich flavors that anyone could enjoy who likes flue-cured leaf or Oriental leaf. This is World-class blending indeed.

Campanile: First Bowl Impressions: Subtle, but definite Latakia at the match and throughout, with a surprise taste of non-descript topping. Campanile is a nice, refined mild-medium English, but not an Oriental blend or a ?spiced? Virginia. It really does not develop much down the bowl, but does burn beautifully, cleanly, coolly, and to a dry, slightly mottled white ash. If J.J. Fox were a tobacconist in my neighborhood, I would feel quite blessed with access to such quality (and to think of the blending houses the residents of Edinburgh, Dublin and London had access to, without forgetting Kendal or Jersey, is to sigh that a great era has passed). With the price per tin and solid competition readily available, I am not likely to purchase more. I can still recommend it because it is well crafted, just not a niche that needed filling in my rotation.

Ongoing Impressions: Truly a clean pipe, clean palate blend. The Virginia leaf is top-notch and just gets creamier the more I smoked it in the same pipe on repeated occasions. This is far more refined than my staple lighter English, EMP. If I could get this more reasonably priced, I would enjoy a tin now and then.

Original Oriental:

Initial Impressions: This is more in the genre of Orcilla, but darker still, with that acrid taste for which Turkish leaf is renowned. Thankfully, it is not sour, bitter or bitey. Compared to Orcilla, this starts off strong, like an amusement park ride launched by catapult. Orcilla starts more like the walk before the jog before the run. Despite the instant ?pow,? Original Oriental is smooth enough. The thought occurs to me that Original Oriental borders balkanic. There might be a smidge of Latakia here, but much in the way it appears ghostly in Pease?s Fillmore. If there is perique, it is quite enigmatic. I think Original Oriental is more like McClelland?s Yenidje Supreme, just fuller-flavored, but not as refined.

Ongoing Impressions: This has merit by itself, and I really do enjoy its complexity and richness. If I smoke it back to back with Orcilla and Campanile, it is ?odd man out.? I think that this is because Original Oriental demands my attention, and I do not always want to think too much about the ?act of smoking.?

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	pencils (57)	2007-08-05		Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

This is a nice, easy Oriental smoke. Not too strong, not too moist, and not too overwhelming tastewise.

If you like a strong latakia kick then this may disappoint, but for those of us who enjoy a subtle and slightly reserved blend, then this is worth purchasing. It smokes dry, has just enough of the bonfire smell to fill the room, and is easy on the nicotine.

Unnlike some latakia blends I could mention, this doesn't kick like a mule...

I am enjoying my tin, and would happily recommend it.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2006-08-21		Mild	Medium	Mild	Pleasant

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.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	OleFattGuy (27)	2006-08-14		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

The nice yellow tin portrays (once you peel of the Governmental warning sticker) an undecidely Asian Landscape with a tobacco(?) factory in front of two Alps, with what appears to be a "classic" Chinaman in a pointed hat with stringlike moustaches. Cool.

Upon opening there is a smokey flavour with organic whiffs that soon dissipate. Sweet. The tobacco consists of somewhat equal thirds of black, bright and olive strands that are a couple of millimeters wide a fairly thin cut. Nice.

The tobacco is on the wet side upon opening so I let a few pinches dry out for half an hour before I stuff them in a small semi-churchwarden Prince that I use for English, Balkan and Orientals.

The smoke is mild at first but enough of Latakia goes in there to make itself noticed although it is more of a spice than an ingredient. the Orientals whirl about in a taste potpourri which is elegant and cool, yet satisfying. The second half intensifys the tastes but they do not change markedly, just get a bit stronger.

I long for another pipe as soon as possible, but my tongue did get a bit of scorching probably due to overzealous puffing. Overall a nice milder alternative to a fullblown English mix with more elegance and less kapow.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2006-07-06		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I purchased a tin of Robert McConnell Oriental on impulse after visiting my local tobacconist and spotting the bright yellow tin on the shelves. The tin aroma is one of mellow tobacco...attractive, sweet and nutty. Visually, this Oriental is made up predominantly of black and tan ribbons, but you will also find - scattered here and there - occasional olive green strands that give it an interesting look. I smoked this in a Peterson System #314 and this RM offering lit easily enough to produce a creamy, blue hazed smoke. The taste was cool, light and surprisingly refreshing, though it did intensify a little further down the bowl as the smoke progressed. I think this makes a good, any-time-of-the-day smoke, though if you're looking for something more complex from your tobacco it will disappoint. However, I quite enjoyed it for its simplicity and light touch. I will be keeping a tin of this around for an occasional change of pace or for when I need to refresh a jaded palate. Three stars.

Update 06/07/2006: I have just finished a second tin of this excellent Robert McConnell offering. It has certainly grown on me and now has a regular place in my rotation. A bowl full of Oriental first thing in the morning is a great way to start the day...upgrading this from three to four stars.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2006-03-20		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This blend, along with Squadron Leader and Wellauer's English are my "all day" English choices. This has nice spicy aromas from the Orientals and enough Latakia to add some weight and maintain interest. I smoke this in the morning with coffee and before work or on the weekend when I intend to smoke several bowls. It benefits from some drying out, like many tobaccos, and is most enjoyable once the tin has been opened for a while. It burns well right to the bottom and leaves a nice dry ash.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	sasha (228)	2005-07-29		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

If you like orientals, this is for you. A fine blend, though it lacks in body, but it couldn't have been otherwise, considering the tobaccos used. You can smoke it alone with satisfaction, but you could also use it to spice up a mixture with a good body and a scanty aroma.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2005-01-15		Medium	Medium	Full	Tolerable to Strong

In agreement with much of the favorable posts... It's an honest 'oriental'. I probably have smoked Balkan Sasieni moreso...but both are very simular ie. like coke and pepsi. I get confused by the terms 'Oriental' 'Balkan' and 'English'. I've heard Balkan S. described as really being an 'English'. On Robert McConnell's label it says 'The Original Orient'...but on the back of the tin it says 'traditional English Mixture.' When one takes into account that 'Robert McConnell'(very english sounding name) is made in Germany...and that Balkan Sasieni is made in Denmark(not the tobacco of course but the company blending it) then one is further confused... At any rate I like the stuff ie. latakia and virginias with a little 'orient'. I would say RM has perhaps a tiny bit more 'orient' flabor than BS...and that BS is stronger in regard to nicotine...but that BS has a slightly milder room note. I smoke the RM in a peterson harp that is dedicated to BS and RM... The flavors are so close...pipe selection and the way one stores the tobacco - might tip the balance in regard to preference. I like RM's tins better than do the tins of BSasieni.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2004-08-14		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Very Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

I guess I'm the odd man out on this one. I've read the other reviews, and I just cannot reconcile theh comments with the blend I smoked. Maybe there was something wrong with mine.

This is a very mild mixture. The Oriental is shy, and the Virginia is weak. I can?t think of one good reason to smoke it again.

Bland, flat, brings nothing to the party.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2004-03-12		Mild	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

I have smoked from two different tins of this, with a very different opinion. The rating given is for an older tin from the early 90?s. This is a spectacular smoke. Early flavor is somewhat sour and does well to set it aside for 20 minutes or so after smoking for 5-10 minutes. The result is a wonderful medium English that moves on to become a very tasty Balkan style smoke, with an increasing darkness and smokiness as the bowl progresses. (5/2002)

A subsequent in from 2001 smokes without the complexity, and is not the same blend at all. Further notes to come. (5/2002)

I recently opened a tin of this that had aged on the shelf a bit. It is labeled as made in the EU, but does not have a made in Germany label. I suspect that this is from approximately ?98-00..giving it 3-5 years or so in the tin. This was highly improved from the virtually unaged tin smoked in 2002, but not as good as the older tin. Whether this is a function of age or production, I don?t know. The flavor was much more complex, with a stronger presentation of the nutty oriental components in the midrang (March, 2004)

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2003-09-02		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

Not the easiest blend to find, Oriental reinforces my opinion that Latakia is not the most important component of an English/Balkan blend. Don't get me wrong- I love Latakia as much as the next guy, and probably more, but it's the other Orientals (and not just the women) that get my blood running.

If Virginia is the Cabernet Sauvignon of the pipe world- big, bold, and authoritative- then the Orientals are surely Pinot Noir- light, fragrant, and ethereal. They are aromatic, in the proper sense of the word.

McConnell's Oriental is a very nice product that's a wonderful alternative to the heavier English blends without sacrificing anything in terms of taste.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2002-07-18		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

A real star, subtle and delicate. Has none of the sharpness of most balkan blends. A rich smooth smoke dominated by the orientals of course but rich and complex. A must try tobacco.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Albion1956 (42)	2002-06-21		Medium to Strong	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

When trying the McConnell range, I had to keep in mind that the same guys do the Rattrays line. The tin had a strong aroma of orientals, hence the name. I packed this in an old Barling prince, and lit it up. Charring produced the acidic taste which one should expect, with the Va.'s keeping pace. Smoked cool and steady, a flavorful tobacco, which could be classified as medium, a little stronger towards the bottom, which is expected. Tasty, not in your face, to quote one, and could be an all day smoke. A good blend.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2002-04-10		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

Very nice medium english blend. I smoke this primarily in a calabash, which helps punch up the sweetness a bit.

This blend really ranks up there with Dunhill's Durbar, IMO. It's not quite as complex as Durbar, but is a little lighter and hence a better all-day smoke.

It also leaves very mild aftertaste, and the wife noted pleasantly that even after multiple bowls that a simple brushing seemed to eliminate the ashtray mouth syndrome, another major plus that I've only experienced with one other blend (a homemade blend of burley and turkish).

Highly, highly recommended to any fan of the medium balkan blends like Durbar and Sullivans

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2002-04-03		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

In the tin, this is a finely-chopped ribbon of blacks and dark browns with a little bright leaf. The tin aroma is quite pungently Oriental. Tin moisture is near perfect and the chopped ribbon is easy to load. First light gives a very cool, almost neutral smoke with just a touch of Oriental acridity to the flavour and aroma. As the bowl progresses, the smoke stays wonderfully cool, subtle, and lightly sweet with a hint of nuttiness. This is hardly an in-your-face full English, but it is a very nice quiet friendly blend with excellent breeding and manners. Recommended.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2009-08-03		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

If you are looking for a bland, non tiring and every hour oriental smoke this can be a good choice. If you are looking for a real oriental this is not for you.

At this point of view this tobacco should receive only 2 stars from me. I've accorded the third for its surprising smoke. It has a very pleasant varieties of flavors during smoking. Perique adds an elegance to this surprising smoke. For sure I will smoke again.

Tolerable strength and nice flavors of this tobacco can mislead you. Be careful not to smoke it fast. It tends to overheat, ruining your pleasure.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2006-10-08		Mild	None Detected	Mild	Pleasant

Robert McConnell's Oriental is a blend that should be tried by all pipe smokers. I like oriental blends, and this one is no exception. Oriental loads easily in any size pipe. It lights easily, burns throughout the bowl with only the occasional tamp, and leaves a fairly clean, dry pipe. A smooth, tasty blend, the tobaccos meld into a well orchestrated, well behaved smoking experience. I was rewarded through the bowl with a nutty sweet and creamy smoke. IMHO, Oriental is the best blend of it's kind.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2006-04-21		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

I love this tobacco and it's overall mildness. It has that classic Scottish/English character from light virginia, oriental and latakia but with a light to medium character. This reminds me of what Rattray's Highland Targe used to be like. Of course, it's all different these days but these McConnell blends still have that classic character to them. However, this is a soft smooth tobacco. Not for someone who needs heavy nicotine or massive complexity.

Great quality in the leaf, and an very easy smoking blend.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2004-03-20		Mild to Medium	Medium	Medium to Full	Tolerable

I usually smoke VA's flakes and I'm not addicted to English blends (I've tryed Dunhill's London Mixture less than a year ago, but nothing more than that), however after smoking it I can say this "Colonian" is nice enough for my pipe. I'm not sure about that, but probably half is Virginia and half oriental, with a small amount of Latakia and some other light tobacco (¿another kind of Virginia?). It smells rich and full without being boring. Packing it is simple explecially if you came from VA flakes. At first is very neutral, but after few minutes it gets interesting and you can smell various flavours (i.e. the nuances of a good virginia added to the classical oriental scent). The smoke is tasty but it never gets too strong and it always stays cool; this tobacco is definitely easy to smoke. The only drawback is that the mixture is quite simple (actually the taste does not change very much while smoking), but I think this is O.K. for an all day tobacco like this one.

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