McClelland's 221-B Series Arcadia

Very nice! Nice aroma, and smooth burning. Keep it coming!

Delicious and flavorful English tobacco with a terrific aroma. I am discovering that McClelland has produced most of my favorite English/Oriental tobaccos. Give it a try.

Just got my first tin. It is different from my other tobaccos. So far I like it very much. This could be the start of a good friendship. I will let you know more after my second tin- and there will be a second one- but so far so good.

Stronger Oriental, mild Latakia. I normally like a heavy latakia, but this blend was strangely intriguing. It has a pleasant smell out of the tin and smokes nicely, a bit lighter than expected, but incredibly pleasant. Good for the break from a heavy latakia without having to change styles entirely.

I purchased Arcadia at my local JR Cigar emporium, and like most purchases I make there, it comes with a caveat: freshness. I see the numbers "200214" printed on the bottom of the tin, not sure if this is some sort of freshness date or not, but I usually carefully inspect the tins before making my decision. Over the years, JR has been eliminating more and more retail space for pipe tobacco. The store I visit from time to time now has only two bookshelf-size units remaining and although the selection is 'respectable', the product is not moving very quickly, so freshness is a concern. I've recently needed to open a new sleeve of six tins of McBaren Virginia No. 1 because the solo tins that were on display were from 2010! ... This being stated, the Arcadia blend I found to be quite enjoyable, peak freshness or not. It has a fair amount of latakia kick to it but also a detectable fruitiness, especially in the middle notes of burning. McClelland is a quality house, we all can agree, so it's no surprise that they've got a winner here. I also appreciate the historical element, that is, if the story about it being Dr. Watson's favorite blend is true. ... I must add that I broke in a brand-new Dr. Grabow Freehand pipe with this blend and the draw on it was of course quite impressive. Arcadia, in my view, is a very worthy addition to my English-latakia arsenal, especially for those times when I don't want to be hit over the head with the latakia sledgehammer.

I tried out Arcadia, honestly, because I liked what I had read about it, and because it shares its title with my favorite Tom Stoppard play. This is a good, slightly spicy, appealing McClelland British blend of Virginias and Orientals that I have found unusually satisfying. Definitely one of my reliable rotations that tastes good and smells great.