McClelland Orient 996 Pipe Tobacco Review
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Kevin Godbee - Jan 31, 2012
- 7 min read
Adam J. Smith
Tin Notes: A special blend of sugary bright Virginia and aged, mellow red Virginia, seasoned with a good amount of rare Yenidje and a touch of Syrian Latakia. Ready to smoke, but designed to age beautifully.
When I hear the word "Orient", I am immediately swept back to my days in Hong Kong. Although I was but a young boy (or, perhaps because of it), I have very vivid memories of the city. The sights and sounds; somehow familiar, yet so different to the ways of Western society in which I was raised. Navigating ones way through the sea of concrete, literally awash with masses of people jostling and shoving for position with an almost manic energy. The glow of neon and the clack of the omni-present Mah-jong parlour, the cacophony of voices and the throngs of vehicles.
But for me, nothing says Hong Kong – or the Orient for that matter – than the multitude of flavours and aromas found throughout the region. Street vendors line the sidewalks, proffering savory and succulent dishes for mere pennies. Entire towers comprised of various restaurants, each offering a different cuisine. Traditional Asian cuisine is well represented, of course, but having acted as the confluence between Oriental and Occidental cultures for decades has helped to shape the culinary shape of the city into something unique.
However, to only look at Hong Kong as representative of the Orient would be like looking at Captain Black as representative of all tobaccos. A massive section of land, the Orient encompasses parts of three continents, stretching from Eastern Europe across Asia to the Pacific Ocean; and from the Middle-East to the barren lands of Siberia in the high-Arctic.
This huge tract of land encompasses a plethora of cultures; with a myriad of lifestyles dependant, by and large, upon the surrounding environment and the type of agriculture that it will support. As one can imagine, the quest for simple nourishment drove the growth of cultural flavour for these different peoples, and as they flourished, each region became synonymous with the flavours they produce. With a slew of different climates, the area we refer to as the Orient produces several different varietals of spices, teas, and food-stuffs; each offering a singular experience. This too is true for tobaccos; with a myriad of varietals of our favourite plant, being produced throughout the region. Indeed, many of the Oriental varietals bear the names of the regions in which they are (or were originally) produced. Many more knowledgeable than I have written at great length on these various leaves, and I encourage you to read these works; for it would be an injustice were I to attempt to include all the many varieties in this article – both to the blend at hand and to the history of the leaf itself. But I digress.
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With many of our favourite "condiment" type varietals coming out of the Orient, it seems only fitting that the area lend it’s name to a blend. In 2007, the Pipe Club of America released just such a blend, Orient 996, in a limited production (300 odd tins). In 2009, McClelland released a second batch of this blend under the name Orient 996 Vintage 2007 Pipe Tobacco under the "Collectors Series", and it is from this that my tins have come.
I first encountered this tobacco when visiting with a pipe-smoking friend of mine. Generously opening up his "active rotation" to me, I found my eyes kept returning to a lone tin; heavy black stock pressed with simple gold-leaf…Orient 996. Filling my bowl from his tin, I knew in an instant this tobacco was for me. Taking a second bowl for the road, I hurried home to place my own order.
A few days later, a package arrived at my door; my order had arrived! Grabbing my camera, I fired off a few shots of the tin (more on that later), grabbed a pipe, and sat down…only to discover with horror that this didn’t resemble the blend I had smoked at all!
It turns out this tobacco blend is a very strange creature. It really seems to benefit from exposure to oxygen. Although it is only slightly damp out of the tin, I find that four hours plus dry time really bring out delicate balance of the Oriental leaf…any less leaves me with a muddled and somewhat bitey mess to deal with.
The tin-note carries the familiar rich, tangy notes that are synonymous with McClellands pressed and stoved Virginias (thank you to Mr. Tad Gage for clarification on the source of this aroma), but with a sweet, almost fruity undertone. And yes, that means the hint of "ketchup" is present, but like all McClelland blends with this aroma I’ve encountered, this is limited to the tin-note only, and doesn’t transfer to the smoke.
A mixture of chocolate and nut browns, coppery golds, and blacks, this blend is presented as a coarse-cut ribbon. I do find the occasional chunk of broken flake that wasn’t fully tumbled, and suggest rubbing these out further, to avoid "pockets" of dominant flavouring.
This blend responds well to both the "three-stage" and "air pocket" packing methods; and although it smokes beautifully in briar, clay and meerschaum, it simply sings in a cob. A quick sip on the stem prior to lighting brings a mild fruity sweetness with a light herbal note to the palate.
On the charring light, I detect strong notes of sweet raisin, with the slightest hint of vanilla making up the main body of the flavour profile, while the faint note of herbs dance fleetingly across the back of the palate.
With the true light, the flavour profile grows markedly more pronounced, with the rich, fruity sweetness growing all the more pronounced. Interwoven amongst the sweetness are hints of herbal (think thyme) and incense like notes of the Oriental varietals and Syrian Latakia; capped off with the slightest hint of vanilla. Every so often, a slightly sour note will take hold, only to disappear almost as soon as it is detected.
As the bowl progresses through the mid-point, the sweetness grows yet more marked, taking on a flavour profile akin to a Creme Brule mixed with fragrant Middle Eastern herbs. Woody, earthy notes begin to appear around half-way as well, with the occasional peppery note adding a bit of excitement to the mix. The sour notes detected in the top portion of the bowl remain, growing slightly bolder in character; yet remaining fleeting.
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The bottom third of the bowl bring an ever-changing melange of sweet notes, first taking on the flavours of a pie-crust, then a marked marshmallow note, before finally settling on a nutty, nougat like flavour. The fleeting sourness remains in the background, while the wood-like notes grow bolder, giving off a flavour akin to the aroma of a power-saw cutting through pine board-stock. As one reaches the heel, the final puffs bring strong flavours of sweet spiced rum.
The aftertaste leaves a strong note of Latakia on the tongue, which I find rather interesting, as this is actually bolder than the Latakia flavours in the smoke itself.
The room-note on this blend is tolerable, bordering on pleasant for the non-smoker. The fruity-sweet notes of the Virginias form the base, with the intoxicating aroma of Orientals gently caressing the olfactory senses, never overpowering, but rather hinting at the depth of flavours to be found.
The burning qualities of this tobacco are superb (even when smoked straight from the tin), requiring the bare minimum of fiddling and relights to smoke rim to heel, leaving minimal dottle behind.
When it comes to nicotine, this blend is about equivalent to a regular cigarette. I find it satisfies my need for the Vitamin N, however is light enough to smoke before breakfast without concern.
Now, to the bad…and there are three issues I came across with this blend.
Firstly; I find that this blend can, and will bite if either not dried enough, or not given enough respect. Secondly; while the flavour profile of this blend is wonderful, I find it to be a touch to fatiguing to the palate for all day smoking – a couple of bowls a day are about all I can manage. Thirdly; that classy gold-leaf on black stock label I referred to earlier? Next to impossible to photograph with my seriously lacking photography skills.
I would be remiss, however, not to note that the first two detractors which I have noted could very well be due to an issue with my personal mouth-chemistry (something I experience from time to time, always, seemingly, in blends that I enjoy); whilst the third is definitely due to a personal deficiency!
It is difficult to smoke this blend without making comparisons to it’s "sister" blend, McClelland PCCA Tudor Castle; indeed, some pipe-smokers note that the blends seem to be almost one and the same, albeit the Tudor Castle featuring Perique whilst the Orient 996 features Syrian Latakia. I, however, feel that such a statement does not do either blend full credit. While there are numerous similarities, the differences are just as voluminous and marked. While the Tudor Castle provides a heady, stout and earthy smoke, Orient 996 is light, sweet and flavourful. Both blends are winners in my book, and have found homes within my cellar.
I Recommend It!
SPONSORED LINK: McClelland Orient 996 – Click Here to Order Now!
SPONSORED LINK: McClelland Orient 996 – Click Here to Order Now!
Written by Kevin Godbee
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Welcome to The Pipes Magazine Radio Show Episode 634! Our featured interview on tonight’s show is with Warren Ertle. Warren is an extremely accomplished musician with a PhD in music. He started early as a percussionist in sixth grade. Later his grandmother got him a cheap Casio keyboard which he taught himself to play. He started playing in blues bands in high school, and has been a pianist with jazz big bands for years. Even though he was already a professional musician, he took his first real piano lesson when he enrolled in college with his studies in classical music. He is of course a pipe smoker. At the top of the show we will have an Ask the Tobacco Blender segment with Jeremy Reeves. Jeremy is the Head Blender at Cornell & Diehl, which is one of the most popular boutique pipe tobacco companies in the USA.
Soon now, supposedly, our neighborhoods will shift from grinning pumpkins, skeletons in various assortments, and zombies dashing about to pretty reindeer, angels, and flashing lights illuminating homes with sparkling stars and laughing, scurrying Santas. But, lest we forget, there is the turkey season, fancy pie aromas wafting from kitchens, and a national pardon of a big Tom Turkey. Remember, now, that only one of these holiday personalities is a pipe smoker. And that is the hefty, bearded fellow in a bright red suit sitting in a sleigh with a herd of deer hitched up and ready to streak across the globe, bringing tidings of joy and many presents. Ok, the scene is set for the next couple of months, right? So, before we get too far off the beaten path, let’s just take a deep breath of fresh autumn air, shall we? Ahh. That’s better, isn’t it? What’s got the Pundit in a snit is not all the Halloween spooks who came a-jostling for candy. Or the wild turkeys gobbling in the backwoods or all the fuss and feathers over the big one—Christmas. No, it is that we might need to take note of all the little things that mean so much to us. Like a good sunrise (seriously, Pundit has not gone all Pollyanna.) Mayhaps we need to appreciate more of what we have than what we have not. Or something like that. Like, a good pipe in the morning with coffee as the dawn brings us coolish weather now that we have flipped the calendar to autumn. But it also brings beautiful leaves that have become a spectacle of technicolor in the wind. It is the little things. The rereading of an enjoyable book and finding something you did not see or learn in the first go-round. Or a stunning phrase you commit to memory with the re-read, while smoking that favorite pipe. And you notice a superior puff that just seems to be different. It’s in the air and the seasons of meaningful little things. It’s aromatic! 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A fact is not a truth until you love it—Shelby Foote. A parting thought: It is said that famed Southern author William Faulkner carried a packed pipe in a coat pocket wherever he went. That’s one effective way to deal with workday conflicts and confusion. A calm and objective judgment in our everyday human affairs, as the quantum man said.
Welcome to The Pipes Magazine Radio Show Episode 633. Our featured guest tonight is Jon David Cole. JD is the Owner/Tobacconist at The Country Squire in Jackson, MS, and the accompanying online store. We’ll have JD and Brian talking about what’s new at the store and in the business in general. At the top of the show, Brian will discuss tobacco growing, what happens to the leaf, and provide updated information on where tobacco is being gown today. Tobacco production originated in the United States and we were once the #1 producer. It’s quite different now.
Well there’s nothing like a touch of the plague to usher in the changing season. Leaving the airport just when the first advertisements for all things pumpkin spice began to appear—lattes, muffins, shampoos, trash bags, and myriad other concoctions—so, too, my ability to breathe freely disappeared. The unfortunate side effect of losing one’s sense of taste and smell for weeks is the utter inability to enjoy tobacco. Not that I consider myself an expert on anything but my own tastes, but be forewarned that this review was made with mildly impugned sensory equipment. Just when a comforting pipe was most needed, its comfort was denied. Be that as it may, the road to recovery found me limping along on one lung this past month, trying to wrest the particulars of two blends on offer from Sutliff: the latest 175th Anniversary blend, Silver Quarter, as well as their spooky seasonal Maple Shadows II. Silver Quarter is a new style on offer from Sutliff, their first coin-cut blend. 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The tin notes are, forgive the pun, on the nose for a good VaPer blend: mild tart sweetness peeking out from behind dried hay and slight chocolate undertones, with a lightly tannic finish of weathered oak. It is always a joy to prepare a coin cut, my preference being to put a few in my palm and vigorously warm my hands together to fully break them apart. These well-formed discs pack and light easily, and smoke with little prodding to the end of the bowl. For technical points it scores well—it smokes light, and it’s easy to tend the ember. While it gets sharp after a few quick bowls, pacing should be heeded to easily smoke down to the heel without inviting bite. Of the flavor, though, I am left a bit wanting. There are tart and high notes aplenty, but very little of the lemony citrus I would anticipate, as well as scant midtones; they tend more toward the red wine-vinegary and sour. 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With a sweet coffee or tea to accompany, the aftertaste of the maple is reinvigorated on the palate […]
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James: What is the craziest thing you’ve seen at this show? Garret: The first thing that comes to mind is the table over there with C-Pipes with the shapes and the size and petiteness and the intricate details they did. You can check out what Garret is working on by going to his Instagram. Stefan Cashwell James: how long have you been carving? Stefan: about 3 years. James: What’s the craziest thing you’ve seen at the show? Stefan: The Adam Davidson pipe with the clear shape and the bamboo—I don’t know if it’s 3D printed or what, but it’s amazing. James: What’s your favorite shape to do? Stefan: That’s a tough question. I think they’re all the same shape, but what’s fascinating is that Dublin, volcano, and blowfish are all the same depending on how you turn them. Playing with that, with all its variations, is a lot of fun. My favorite accent to use is also horn; it’s finicky, but it’s a great accent on pipes. You can check out Stefan’s work on his Instagram. Science: Meet Pipes I chatted with Chris from the San Diego Pipe Club; he started off doing stem replacements for estate pipes but also improved the airflow. James: How are you doing 3d printing? What is the thought process? Chris: It’s a 3D-printed pipe with a briar insert. The design is a calabash meets a Peterson system meets a metal Falcon/Kirsten radiator style. It is a bottom draft smoking bowl like a radiator like those metal pipes. The inside chamber is a calabash. The stummel and accent rings in the stems are all 3d printed. The insert is briar, olive wood, or I have the potential to use meerschaum as well. This idea came about through the San Diego Pipe Club, wanting to see if we could 3D print a pipe and being curious about the technology; I have a printer and design ability, so here we are. James: What’s the type of plastic you’re using? Chris: It’s all PLA plastic, a renewable potato starch plastic that is food-safe. The stummels are printed with a plastic that has wood in it 40% wood fiber, bamboo, rosewood, ebony, redwood, and walnut are the woods I’m printing. For the accent rings I just got a new material that I’m printing that has 40% copper, so its real metal that you can sand, and polish the same as wood filament. The stems are 3d printed as well. The concept is renewable and cheap from a production standpoint, with the ability to make a very high quality smoking pipe based on the experience. By combining the calabash system pipe and bottom draft hole and using 3d simulations to see airflow, I can see where I’m having eddies and ripples in my current, and see where my moisture and all the particles are dropping back out from a vapor to a liquid. Most people who have tried these say the stems are clean, and they don’t even have to run a pipe cleaner afterward because everything collects at the bottom. Chris has also been experimenting with color-changing plastics so you can see the hotspots. Chris said he was able to use this to slow down his cadence, which, of course, could mean you could get a slow-smoke training pipe to teach yourself to perform better. If you’re interested in learning more or want to check one out, you can contact him on Instagram: Copper Beard Pipe Works The Negative Space The show was buzzing about one specific pipe, which had everyone guessing how it was made. I chatted with Adam Davidson briefly about it. James: How did this idea come to fruition? Adam Davidson: Smokingpipes.com had an expo back in August open to all of the makers they carry. The theme was to make a pipe utilizing bamboo. Given that the last time we had the expo I made a smooth Almond with three bamboo shanks, […]
Sounds good enough to give it a go. McClelland has not let me down yet!
Great review. Thanks for all the work you put in. Looking forward to the smokey,fruity,vanilla,herbal smoke you enjoyed. The aftertaste is a party I enjoy a lot so I’m glad you found it very bold.
Happy Smoking.
Thanks for a wonderfully written review. From experience I can’t say that I agree with very much of it, but I thought the article was a great read.
It is simply amazing the number of great blends that have come out of House McClelland.
Thanks for the review.
Where you mention Ted Gage confirmed the source of the McClelland “aroma” what were you referring to? Written source?
@drlpipe
Read the 9th & 11th comments down here:
https://pipesmagazine.com/blog/pipe-tobacco-reviews/mcclelland-wilderness-pipe-tobacco-review/
aha! Thank you for pointing that out!
Thanks for your review. I’ve been a growing fan of Orientals of late the 996 is one of my favorites. It seems I can’t keep enough of it cellared.
This blend reminds me [from the context of this review] of Crooked Lane, even in its appearance. I’m a fan of Orientals, especially bold, smokey ones.
Anyone have an idea about how this this compares to MacBaren HH Vintage Syrian? And will this ever be available in bulk?
Orient 996 is a wonderful and flavorful tobacco that has absolutely nothing to do with Hong Kong. Please review tobacco when you review tobacco and limit your flights of fancy.
I’m happy you were able to visit Hong Kong. Travel is broadening.
PS If it turns out that you were raised in a brothel, please refrain from likening the experience to the olfactory stimuli from various Lakeland tobaccos. We don’t want to hear it.
@Kurt – We’ll keep you in mind in case the position of Associate Editor opens up.