All of these blends were originally created exclusively for the PCCA (Pipe Collectors Club of America.) These blends are now available as a regular product line through all of McClelland's retailers - those who choose to carry them anyway.
Judging from the tin descriptions, it appears they are all light on the Latakia or they omit it altogether. Those with Latakia feature Syrian Latakia. Another thing that strikes me is nearly all of them mention aging. In my experience, McClelland tobaccos almost universally benefit greatly from even a year or two of aging so believe them. If something looks especially good, I usually order one tin to try and a couple more to cellar.
Following are the tin descriptions:
Tudor Castle... this beautifully balanced blend of sugary bright Virginia, a good amount of rare No. 1 Grade Yenidje, red Virginia and a nice touch of St. James Perique is a great smoke today and should age and mellow beautifully in the tin.
Beacon...a vintage Matured Virginia flake tobacco smoothed by extended aging, delicately seasoned with deeply aromatic Louisiana Perique
Orient 996...a very 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 enjoy now but designed to age beautifully
Jubilee...the finest sugary Matured Virginia, premium Latakia, delicate Turkish and precious Louisiana Perique...a blend that should age very well in the tin
Aurora...the full spectrum of Matured Virginia flavor from naturally sweet, mellow red to rich, deeply aromatic black stoved lemon Virginia
Tudor Castle Arcade...pressed in cakes, aged to perfection, this blend of naturally sweet Matured Virginias, fragrant Katerini, rich Louisiana Perique and just a touch of Syrian Latakia is an exceptionally smooth and cool smoke suitable for a stroll along the castle arcade
If anyone has smoked any of these, I'm especially interested in hearing what you thought of them. Please post to the comments below or better yet, submit an objective review by clicking on the Site Admin link near the bottom of the sidebar and hit submit. Do me a favor when you submit reviews, shoot me a note on the contact form letting me know you submitted it.
