CORPS Cyprian Star

Cyprian Star is among the club blends McClelland prepared for the Richmond-based pipe club Conclave of Richmond Pipe Smokers (CORPS), and records indicate it was introduced in 1996. As the name suggests, the blend's signature is Cyprian Latakia, laid over a Virginia base and Oriental tobaccos. Since club blends were released in small tins and limited numbers, it's found today only in old stock.

Its character sits in the classic English mixture line: soot and wood smoke lead, but the Latakia proportion is kept measured enough not to overwhelm the Virginia's sweetness, so body stays medium-to-full rather than fully loaded. Records describe a cool-burning smoke that leaves a dry, spiced trace on the palate. Aimed at smokers used to Latakia mixtures who don't want the smoke to crush the rest of the tobacco.