Good Friday! I would covet wisdom and recommendations for replacement blends for McClelland’s Blue Mountain/Balkan Blue and Wilderness. I absolutely loved those blends as they were my first introduction to English and Latakia. Thank you!
Replacement Recommendations
- Thread starter Dr. Van Loafer
- Start date
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I like Hearth and Home's Black House and C&D's Rajah's Court (less latakia and more orientals) but there are many other good ones.
You can look if you want but McClellands matches are pretty tough to find. There are zillions of tobaccos to chose from of the English variety.
There aren't any. McClelland Virginias made those blends what they were. It's best to find others to favorite.
I should add that "Syrian Latakia" as used by McClelland is no more. Therefore, an exact match is impossible. Explore various blenders' "Balkans" and find what you like among the current offerings.
Allow me to further recommend GL Pease's Quiet Nights for a heavier lat content.
Allow me to further recommend GL Pease's Quiet Nights for a heavier lat content.
McClelland matchs you will not find, so it's other English/Balkan blends to enjoy. You might look at White Inight, or Balkan Supreme.
Thanks, I didn't know that, having never smoked it. Then my recommendations will be closer to what the McClellan blend tasted like.
Quiet Nights is a bit of a Latakia bomb compared to the McClelland blends in question. Stokkebye/Arango Balkan Supreme and Peretti Royal would be closer to the Latakia content.
I've never smoked it, likely never will. Purchased them from a fellow who had to give up smoking and passed away a few years ago. I keep them as a momento.
Nah, being just a blending component, many of us had it well cellared before it was discontinued. Their real gems were their Grand Oriental blends.
Probably not “great” alignment with your search, but I remember my first tin of G.L. Pease Lagonda - with a little over 4 yrs of age on it brought Blue Mountain to mind. It will likely be an enjoyable trial even if it leaves something to be desired in the similarity category. I haven’t smoked it fresh, but it would likely be sharper and a touch less sweet than my experience.
A good substitute for Mccleland blends is Sutliff Eastfarthing. For Penzance, I usually go to Solani 779. You can always pinch your pennies and buy the originals on line. I use tinbids.com. For example, the unopened Balkan Blue tin below was around $80. (10/14/2025)
Not the same but Watch City Cigars Virginias have a bit of a vinegar flavor that resembles McClelland VAs.
They have some great Latakia blends that use that Virginia.
They are the closest to McClelland I've tasted.
I have enough McClelland blends cellared so I'm not looking for matches, but noticed this about WCC blends by accident.
They have some great Latakia blends that use that Virginia.
They are the closest to McClelland I've tasted.
I have enough McClelland blends cellared so I'm not looking for matches, but noticed this about WCC blends by accident.
When they become available, I recommend Exotique and Our Best Blend from smokershaven.com. Get on their mailing list. In the meantime, here are a few recommendations:
LJ Peretti: Royal and Omega
GL Pease: Westminster, Meridian, Blackpoint, Horizons
C&D: Rajahs Court
LJ Peretti: Royal and Omega
GL Pease: Westminster, Meridian, Blackpoint, Horizons
C&D: Rajahs Court
Ooohhhh, you're bringing back some awesome memories! Fred Hanna's Wilderness and Legends were two of the best tobaccos I've ever had. I once had several tins of each, now I'm down to one Wilderness, and I might just have to pop it open tomorrow! Fred, please come back! Here's a very interesting story about him:
Meet Fred Hanna, Doctor of Pipes | Smokingpipes.com
Read our interview with Fred Hanna, Doctor of Pipes and author of Pipe focused books such as <em>The Perfect Smoke</em>.
www.smokingpipes.com
I'll third Peretti's Royal Blend as the best readily-available balkan.
I'd second smokershaven.com's Exotique and Our Best Blend, but they're about as hard to come by as Penzance and such.
I'd second smokershaven.com's Exotique and Our Best Blend, but they're about as hard to come by as Penzance and such.