McClelland's Royal Cajun Special

[tpicking]

McClelland's Royal Cajun Special: This blend features Cajun Black, which McClelland's calls an entirely new class of tobacco like Latakia or Perique - "the first new pipe tobacco component in more than forty years."
The first thing you notice when you open the tin is a rich Perique-like aroma with woody and smoky overtones, married with McClelland's nearly trademark ketchup fragrance (which isn't as pronounced here as in some of their other blends like Brindle Flake). The Cajun Black uses a "Perique-style fermentation", which is delightfully obvious in the aroma from the tin. It's a delicious aroma, and you just want to enjoy it for a little while before you smoke some.
The flavor is a complex woody, smoky, spicy, herby blend of flavors. Cajun Black is cured in part over slow-burning hardwood; the smoky flavor and aroma of the Cajun Black are completely different than a Latakia kind of smoke, but this is delicious and wonderful and complex in it's own right.
Even better - when you come back to an unfinished bowl a little later, the balance of flavors changes to an even more woody/smoky rugged yet refined taste that's just as nice as the first part of the bowl. So you can get two different smokes in one bowl of tobacco.
I think you might have guessed that I really like this one.

 

[gwynclan]

Sounds interesting enough to try a tin of. Thanks for the review.

Cheers

 

[mlaug]

I've been smoking all three cajun blends for years, its a great blend! Cajun Dark is a nice sweet smoke, probably my favorite. Good review.
Have you tried the others?

 

[tpicking]

mlaug writes: Have you tried the others?
Not yet. I spent a few days last week going through P&C's website making a list of some tobaccos that I want to try in the future, and then I picked half a dozen from mixed manufacturers that I ordered Saturday. I just tried the Royal Cajun today for the first time. I'll add the Cajun Dark to my list.

 

[barkar]

Sounds great. Thanks.

 

[tpicking]

One thing I discovered overnight - after a few bowls of Royal Cajun Special, there's a noticeable Perique-like ghosting of the pipe if you follow with a non-aromatic. I don't notice it if I follow the RCS with an aromatic, but my Mac Baren's Dark Twist has some distinctive Perique overtones this morning. (The nice thing is that it's actually a pleasant combination.)

 

[mlaug]

Be sure and post back with your impressions of the other Cajun blends. They don't get much press, but are really great tasting blends.
I stumbled upon them by accident. McClelland's blends get a lot of representation in my rotation and when they were talking about a "new" leaf they were going to use, I had to get it. I pre-ordered a tin of each blend through my local B&M. That was a long time ago, I bet it was 6-8 years. If you can stash some away, it ages wonderfully. It gets sweeter and smoother with a few years on it. I like 'em all, but I prefer Dark the best.

 

[spartan]

Glad to finally hear some praise for these blends. *added to favorites list* lol

 

[mlyvers]

i have smoked both the DARK and the SPECIAL. i liked both, i agree you can start a bowl and come back to it later, the taste is just as good if not better than when first smoked. i like that alot. i thought it was better several hours later.
mike.

 

[mlaug]

I think these Cajun blends might be the richest tasting blends I smoke.
Nicely sweet, a little smokey, creamy and smooth.
:puffpipe:

 

[fnord]

Nuts!
More additions to the TAD list.
Good reviews all.

 

[fshu2]

sounds like a great one.

 

[keith929]

Adding to my TAD list. Thanks for the reviews.