McClelland Christmas Cheer 2003

(3.33)
Hand-blended, premium pressed Virginia flake tobaccos. A fine vintage, naturally sweet, in limited quantity.

Details

Brand McClelland
Blended By McClelland Tobacco Company
Manufactured By McClelland Tobacco Company
Blend Type Straight Virginia
Contents Virginia
Flavoring
Cut Broken Flake
Packaging 100 grams tin
Country United States
Production No longer in production

Profile

Strength
Medium
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Extremely Mild -> Overwhelming
Flavoring
None Detected
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
None Detected -> Extra Strong
Room Note
Pleasant
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Unnoticeable -> Overwhelming
Taste
Medium
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Extremely Mild (Flat) -> Overwhelming

Average Rating

3.33 / 4
6

8

1

0

Reviews

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Displaying 1 - 10 of 15 Reviews
Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Dec 14, 2014 Mild None Detected Medium Pleasant
Similar looking to the 2002 but slightly darker, this is a single crop red VA to 2002's orange. Didn't come as dry in the tin as '02 but didn't need much drying time to stay lit and smoke perfectly. Tin aroma was rich and deep straight Virginia.

This one is richer than '02 and less sweet, a bit more tart and sour. Less emphasis on citrus notes with more hay-like qualities. But still with an underlying sweet taste. Compared to another McClellands red, #5100, this is considerably less sweet and more tart, but with a much deeper flavor. As this review is already comparison-heavy, here's another... This is to 5100 as, say, Penzance is to the MacBaren's Latakia Flake I'm working through. It has essentially the same basic flavor profile but is considerably richer in flavor and body. Now, I enjoy the 5100, and as an all-day smoke, I may even prefer it to this, but this one shows just how much can be gleaned from a single crop of tobacco by a master blender. The mouthfeel is almost chewy in comparison and the flavor fills the entire oral cavity. I hate to keep saying "deep" but there it is. This is Virginia as it occurs in nature without being futzed with beyond the basics. Not a terribly complex blend but not exactly "set it and forget it" either. McClellands blends tend to work for me because they eschew the high nicotine punch without sacrificing rich flavor. I smoke for flavor, and McClellands is a master of getting the most of it out of Virginia tobacco. Well worth a try for the Virginia lover.
5 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Nov 07, 2021 Mild to Medium Extremely Mild Mild to Medium Unnoticeable
McClelland Christmas Cheer 2003- Tis the season to crack open another vintage tin of CC ! 18 yrs old and the tobacco is in great shape and perfect moisture .It is sweet and tangy and earthy. Dark fruit and a little citrus . These tins are still readily available on the after market but they will cost you . It is worth the money IMO . On the other hand , the Carolina Red Flake perique that just came out is a great tobacco and worth stocking up big on for the future as it is the closest you will come to McClellands Virginias albeit with more nicotine. Merry Christmas to all ! 4
Age When Smoked: 18 years
4 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Mar 19, 2015 Mild Extremely Mild Mild to Medium Very Pleasant
The red Virginia is a bit earthy with a deep dried dark fruit; tart and tangy. Has a little spice, just a little more than a few other years. Has a nice sugary hit. The "vinegar” smell and taste lasts longer than other years, too. It’s very much like McClelland’s Red Cake, only a little mellower. Has a mild nic-hit. No bite, no dull or harsh moments. Burns slow and moist, and needs a slight dry time. Requires relights, and leaves a little moisture at the finish. Smooth and consistent flavor with a nice after taste that pleasantly lingers. An all day smoke.

-JimInks
3 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Sep 28, 2012 Mild to Medium None Detected Mild to Medium Pleasant
My first Christmas Cheer...and one with nine years age? Yes, please. McClelland's Christmas Cheer is definitely worth the buy. It smokes like it's a Christmas cookie, soft, gentle and sweet. It was dry out of the tin due to the aging but the red broken flakes were perfectly ready to be stuffed and puffed. It's more on the mild side of things, as one may guess buying anything from McClelland's, but still has plenty of zest. This is a great tin to gift to a friend or to keep on hand for public or party smoking (they will love it). SInce cracking the tin, I have craved it daily. I only hope the newer versions are just as enjoyable.

Update: Finished the tin is just over a week. Why didn't I buy more? Count me in the Christmas Cheer cult who pays way too much on Ebay.
2 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Oct 09, 2005 Mild to Medium None Detected Mild to Medium Pleasant
I have tried just about every Christmas Cheer that McClelland's has offered (except the 1992 and 1993 editions) and this 2003 version was typically sweet and airy. Not a bell ringer as far as matured Virginia cakes go, but I did enjoy going through the tin. I smoked Christmas Cheer 2003 mostly in the evenings. It didn't produce enough kick to get my day started.

Typical of McClelland's Christmas Cheer tobaccos, this one was at a good moisture level and smoked clean and dry.
1 person found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Jul 23, 2005 Mild None Detected Medium Pleasant to Tolerable
Christmas Cheer is a regular for me. I usually smoke whatever is 3 to 4 years old. That being said I can't tell one bit of difference between 2001, 2002, and 2003.

It comes ready rubbed and is easy to further rub out and pack. I do not practice drying out my tobaccos and in fact upon opening tins I transfer the remaining tobacco to canning jars and lable them appropriatly.

I smoke Christmas Cheer in pipes that are dedicated exclusively to this particular series, not per year. Nothing else is smoked in these pipes.

I taste no casing or topping, and there is an absence of the spiceyness that I find in McClellands Blackwoods, or #27. It exhibits the usual Virginia Profile that I look for and the last half of the bowl is as usual with VA's stoved and much more flavorful than the first.

I highly recommend the Christmas Cheer Series for a smoker that enjoys VA rubbed flake and is not looking for the pizzaze of a more complex Dark Stoved blend such as McClelland Dark Star or #2035
1 person found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Mar 23, 2005 Medium Very Mild Medium Pleasant to Tolerable
This quite a nice blend. Upon opening the tin I detected notes of clove; yes I am almost certain that McClelland have added some of this christmas-like spice. It is not detectable when lit. The vinegar smell is not as pervasive as in other blends from this company, and the moisture level is a bit on the dry side compared to most McClellands. My tin is two years old, and I think the ageing has mellowed it out a bit, because this one do not bite at all.

CC2003 produces thick clouds of smooth and rich smoke, and there are many notes through the bowl. It is probably the best American pure VA I have ever had, and it makes me want to explore more from this company.

A fine product, recommended to every VA fan.

Jakob Kiilerich, Denmark.
1 person found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Jun 25, 2004 Mild to Medium None Detected Medium Pleasant
This is a nice straight VA flake -- not overpowering or underwhelming. It needs a bit of time to dry before smoking. (I typically rub it out and let it sit on a paper plate or napkin for an hour or so before loading. I usually buy 4 or 6 cans to store each year, and aging does mellow this blend nicely. Enjoy.

As a side note, it is interesting how different degrees of rubbing this blend out treat the flavor and burn quailities. Experiment for yourself.
1 person found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Jun 26, 2023 Medium None Detected Medium Pleasant to Tolerable
Tin note of tartly sweet dark fruit, saltiness and bready. Tobacco is a broken flake of reddish brown, dark brown and light brown. Moisture content is great. No drying needed; larger broken flakes require a bit of effort to rub out. Burns slow with a few relights. The strength is medium and nic is mild to medium. No flavoring detected. Taste is medium and very consistent, with notes of tart and tangy dark fruit, sour almost salty vegetation, tangy fermented vinegary, spices, floral, tart orange peel, sugary, very savory, earthy, a semi-sweet tart citrusy hay background note, and a peppery retro. Room note is pleasant to tolerable, and aftertaste is great.
Pipe Used: 2015 XXX Ashton Brindle Author
Age When Smoked: 20 years
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Dec 28, 2008 Medium None Detected Medium Tolerable
A fine quality Virginia. Fairly coarse and quite dry for a McClelland tobac. For devoted Viginnia fans only. Update: 12/28/08 Tried some very dry 2003 Christmas Cheer. Still a fine Virginia flake. Although bone dry, it smoked very nicely in a medium apple.
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