Over the years, I have grown to respect Mike and Mary (the owners of McClelland) and I have enjoyed their blends. When I was a tobacconist at Just For Him, they were very kind to me and would spend a lot of time with me describing their blends and discussing the gossip de jour in the tobacco world. I love Arcadia and still think that the now defunct X-40 was one of the best burley flakes I have ever smoked. Manufacturer's Description of Navy Cavendish
With this tobacco, we reintroduce the smoker to the traditional Navy Cavendish aged naturally with dark Jamaican rum to enhance its sweetness and aroma. 50 gm or 100 gm SRP: $15.95 (100 gm)
Review:
When one opens the tin, one is confronted by a sweet rum aroma and sometimes the tell-tale ketchup smell of some McClelland Virginias. The tobacco is dark brown or black with lighter cuts mottled throughout the broken flakes. I do not rub-out my flakes so I clump the pieces together and slide them into the chamber. One certainly experiences a rum sweetness upon the initial light that does fade over time. As the bowl proceeds, one gets more of the Virginia sweetness with an accompanying spice that is also pleasant. The room note is sweeter than a pure Virginia alone as the tobacco burns into a medium gray loose ash. Even with the loose ash, I only had to relight once near the heel of the smoke.
I have smoked several tins of Navy Cavendish and unfortunately this blend seems to change from tin to tin. Some have an inexplicable 'ketchup' smell and others do not. Still, it is a regular in my rotation and overall I continue to enjoy it.
Rating: 3.5 Puffs out of 5
-Safari Bob
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