I have the MC Drama reserve, I like it a lot and I am definitely going to buy more. Question is if the other McClelland Grand Orientals (Yenidie, Yenice, Samsun, Katerini, Smyrna and Sokhoum) are different enough to be worthwile to be purchased or are very similar to each other.
McClelland Grand Orientals
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I smoked a tin of each. I now stock Yenediji Highlander, Smyrna #1, Classic Samsun and Drama Reserve in my cellar. The latter is upstaged by #24 by McClelland to my tastes.
Mike S.
Mike S.
I came up with dill weed in the background/long inhale tin note of Katerini Classic and also D&R Katerini blending tobacco, and I mentioned that it was a little like Perique to someone who I sent some to. I wonder if he tried it and thought so too.
Do you find the #24 more VA-Forwards Mike? I did and thought that it took away from the clarity of the Drama taste a little bit. Also, do you think that there is a little bit of flavoring on the red VA ribbons in the Drama Reserve? I get a little coffee/mocha flavor in the tin note and a bit in the smoke sometimes which I have decided is not from the Oriental.
I still like the DR a little better than the 24 in terms of tasting the Oriental though. Yenidje Highlander is probably my favorite out of the group, although I can say that my '16 tin still tastes thinner than my '14 tin. Have you ever noticed that? :puffpipe:
I bought three of everything in the collection a few years ago. But, I popped open Yenediji Highlander and it blew my mind. I barely touched the rest of the series. And, I ordered several more tins of Yenediji Highlander.
Not to get too far off topic, but if you like the Highlander with probably something like at least 5+ years of age on it, you might like Orient 996 even if it is much fresher. That's what my '07 Highlander can which I opened up a few months ago reminded me of the most, my tin of 996 that is much newer.
I steered away from the Black Sea due to the main label touting something about cigar leaf, which I personally don't really like.
Most of these do seem to have a lot of VA in them though, but the Oris come though in some of them, at least a little bit. I probably had an easier time picking out the Oris only until/after I had smoked some of my D&R blending Oris straight, and then recalling what I had already smoked, or going back to the Highlander and Drama Reserve which are the two that I stuck with after trying most of the Grand Ori line initially. Also keep in mind that the Highlander has the Cyprian and Syrian Latakia in it, and I think that the Drama Reserve might have a very light and unobtrusive mocha flavor on the casing of the VA red ribbon that shows up mainly initially and occasionally during the smoke. I think that the Agonya and the Samsun might also have a little flavor in their VA casings too, I can't be sure, but I get some coconut and BBQ beef respectively, which started to seem a bit unnatural for tobacco to me, the more that I thought about it. Feel free to disagree if you have smoked natural tobacco that tastes like any of those things. I have heard of some cigar leaf tasting like coffee/mocha, but the Drama Reserve doesn't taste like cigars =).
Most of these do seem to have a lot of VA in them though, but the Oris come though in some of them, at least a little bit. I probably had an easier time picking out the Oris only until/after I had smoked some of my D&R blending Oris straight, and then recalling what I had already smoked, or going back to the Highlander and Drama Reserve which are the two that I stuck with after trying most of the Grand Ori line initially. Also keep in mind that the Highlander has the Cyprian and Syrian Latakia in it, and I think that the Drama Reserve might have a very light and unobtrusive mocha flavor on the casing of the VA red ribbon that shows up mainly initially and occasionally during the smoke. I think that the Agonya and the Samsun might also have a little flavor in their VA casings too, I can't be sure, but I get some coconut and BBQ beef respectively, which started to seem a bit unnatural for tobacco to me, the more that I thought about it. Feel free to disagree if you have smoked natural tobacco that tastes like any of those things. I have heard of some cigar leaf tasting like coffee/mocha, but the Drama Reserve doesn't taste like cigars =).
Black See Sokhoum is one of my favorite blends. Though it references cigar like flavor on the tin; it tastes nothing like a cigar leaf blend. There is also no cigar leaf in the blend. Its just Oriental, Turkish and Virginia. It's a great blend, and definitely worth a try.
I have yet to venture into Orientals in any serious way, but I like the idea. They are underused in blends, and I'd trust McClellands to do something good in each blend, though each one might not jump out immediately, especially after you find one you really like. I'd give them time, and not try to sample them in rapid succession, and save any that don't seem distinct to give it a chance later. Blends are funny and will often unfold and blossom after an initial indifferent sampling. At the least, you can often perk up a so-so blend with a condiment tobacco whether cigar, Lat, dark fired, Perique, Cavendish, or whatever it seems to need. I think you could find a controlling intent in any McClelland blend, not that you love every one, but there is something in each that is rewarding.
Depends on how narrow your cigar experiences are. Most burleys, especially Semois, and even some latakia blends have cigar flavors in them also, IMO. I mean, if you just smoke the Cuban wannabes, you pretty much haven't branched out much with cigars. I can see the cigar similarities.
I tried three of them, Drama Reserve,Classic Samsun yet that Smyrna, the most I did liked that samsun, nevertheless all them were on the sour side, perhaps this is just an Orient leaf specific character, but good and quality stuff on its own,for advanged smoker
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