McClelland No. 2035 Dark Navy Flake

A stoved virginia that hasn't been dried out is going to tend towards being a pain to keep lit. Dark Star, Black Virginia, Dark Fragrant, etc... all those cause issues unless they're fully dried. The more matches you use, the more the inherent subtle flavors become dulled and turn harsh. So the secret is in drying this out prior to loading. I tried and tried with Dark Star but could scarcely seem to get it right... but when it was right, it was excellent. However, my battle with Dark Star kept me from trying this one for a few years.

On a pipe forum, I was told to microwave this for 10 seconds. Good advice. Being me, I experimented with cook times and 10 seconds was perfect. It dried out the blend but didn't sweat out the flavor. From that point, I got nothing but a nice, spicy, mildly sweet and complex blend with highly nuanced flavors, similar to what I get from Royal Cajun Ebony. Not much nicotine here, either. I can't compare this to Dark Star since it's been so long since I smoked it but I have heard that this is DS without the additional aging. But I ordered some more of both of these for further experimentation. At any rate, if you dry this out, rub it out fully and take your time with it, allowing it to smolder but not burn, you'll be rewarded with a mixture of spicy and sweet and sort of a creamed coffee taste. Very nice! Not a world beater but definitely worth a shot if you prepare it properly.

I am smoking through an ounce of this I was gifted. It requires some dry time, and I have had best luck cubing it. It burns pretty well this way, and i did not find it took many relights once you get it going. The broken flake in my baggie almost had an oily look. I have been smoking it in a GBD pot, and this pipe has worked well for it.

The flavor is a heavy fruit, and I think the stoving intensifies these flavors. There is an unexpected slight spice in the profile and some citrus notes. The flavor became more full and a slightly earthy mellow toward the end of the bowl. It was an easy, smooth smoke once you prep it.

This has been a good blend and very enjoyable. It is easy to recommend.

The Virginias sport a citrusy, tangy dark fruitiness with a fermented sweetness, though I would not say this is overly sweet. There a light grassiness to back up some earth along with some spice. The “vinegar” note is mild and quickly disappears. Needs a bit of dry time as this broken flake seems to hold quite a bit of moisture. I got better results when I cube cut the tobacco and drop the bits in the bowl, loosely packing it. Burns slow, requires lots of relights, but the flavors hold to the finish with no dull or harsh spots. Has a mild to medium nic-hit, and won’t bite. Leaves moisture in the bowl, and you’ll likely have to stir up the last quarter a little to burn it all up. Has a very pleasant after taste and the room note is nice. Can be an all day smoke.

-JimInks

The way this tobacco looks and feels to me is almost like beef jerky. I wanted to try this because 5100 and orlik golden sliced was getting a little boring for me. Opening my 1 oz sample, it has a deep but slightly citrus scent. This is one of the coolest burning va's I've smoked yet. Just as it smells in the bag it has a slight citrus taste and feel but has mostly a dark deep flavor with a slight sweetness. Very enjoyable and I would like to get some more to keep on hand. Being a mechanic, it's kinda hard to smoke a pipe while im working but this is usually the blend I bring to the shop if I smoke on the job. Always a satisfying taste and lots of compliments on the smell. And one thing I like is the nicotine keeps me going on a 10 hour graveyard shift.

DNF is a pressed and lightly stoved VA flake similar to Dark Star. The tobacco is of good grade VA, and the process has rendered a smoking experience that is unique in some aspects to smoking other VA flakes. The pressure and stoving allows the flake to impart a greater level of sweetness that is quite mild in the delivery, with little tongue discomfort. There is a natural and somewhat citrus flavor combined with a vanilla essence that is achieved without additives, and it is quite detectable on the palate as well as in the aroma. The flavor is wonderful.

The drawback may be the need for relights, and additional puffing which can result in slight discomfort to the mouth if such is not checked with patience and good smoking practice. I have smoked this as a folded flake, and completely rubbed out and it still remains a challenge to keep lit. I have aged it for over 3 years, set out overnight to dry, and still the flake remains a challenge to smoke without several relights. However, the patience and extra time it takes to smoke this flake is worth the trouble, in my opinion as there are some unique and very pleasant aspects to the flavor it imparts.

As one post already mentioned, it is not an all day smoke, but one that can be enjoyed while relaxing and while reveling in the handling of your pipe and tobacco. It is not a strong smoke, so those looking for a milder experience should find that it suits them. For those who enjoy sweet flavor but abhor the cloying sweetness that comes from aromatics, this flake will certainly make you smile. It loses one star for the difficulty in keeping an even burn, but the flavor is 4 stars all the way.

[updated 04/08/2006] I had "canned" some small 250ml Ball Platinum jelly jars with 2035 on 8/05 using the microwave tobacco vacuum sealing method, and I just cracked a jar open today on 4/8/06, about eight months of aging so far. I have several more small jars still in the aging drawer.

Well, this tobacco certainly hasn't gotten any worse through the eight months of aging. I gave it a five star back then, and its better now than it was then, so it is still a five star. It seems a bit more complex, slightly smoother, but it still has the great flavor of 2035. It doesn't taste like DarkStar exactly, but it is better in my opinion. The flavor has apparently intensified, because in my earlier review I said that this wasn't that rich in flavor, but this jar I just opened is a flavor powerhouse.

2035 is great stuff. Its good fresh, and it gets better after a while if you can cellar it. I don't see how you can go wrong with this tobacco if you like stoved virginias. Buy a bunch, smoke some as is, and cellar some for later for a special treat. I can't say that this is an "all day" smoke, because it isn't, but you will probably want to smoke at least a bowlfull per day for a nice break from whatever else you have been smoking,

If you haven't tried 2035, you really should, its a pretty cool baccy. The black rubbery flakes are pretty neat and the flavor punch really improves with a bit of aging. Five stars before, five stars now, simply because I can't go any higher. This is one of the best baccys in the world IMHO. *Well worth trying a bag of it!*

[old review]

For a virginia, this is exceptionally smooth. The flavor is nice, but its not overly rich. If you are looking for a knockout punch of virginia flavor then this probably isn't it, but if you like more of a subdued flavor then you might consider giving this a try. It is fairly cool burning, has a rather mild flavor, and is pretty easy to puff away without needing any special attention to smoking technique. The predominant flavors are a strong creamy sweetness and somewhat malty or caramel character. Overall its good tasting and the flavor is lighter and much sweeter than one would expect from such a evil looking black flake.

I've upgraded this to a four star, as I think its a premium example of what a dark stoved virginia should be. For whatever reason, I actually like 2035 better than Dark Star, to me this just tastes better. This is a good pleasant smoke and a great value at the bulk price. I bought a bunch of this stuff after evaluating an 8oz sample and loaded it up in some jars to age.

This is the best dark stoved virginia flake that I have tried thus far. Give it a try sometime and experience one of McClelland's best bulk tobaccos. This and 2010 are my personal favorites from McClelland so far, and mixing the two together is also worthwile for a slightly different experience on occasion.

I don't smoke a lot of straight Virginias, but I try them every once and a while hoping I'll find one that knocks my socks off. This one comes close. I took the advice here and rubbed this out and let it dry for about 9 hours. It was just about crispy. Loaded up and lit it and was hit with a wine-like note. That didn't last though. It quickly became a nice spicy, fruity flavor that I found very pleasant. It pretty much stays that way throughout the bowl. I found this to be a satisfying and tasty smoke. No harshness, no bite, and it burns cool. Been a while since I smoked FVF, but I think this has more flavor. Not quite 4 stars for me, but better than 3. I'll give it 3.5.

Mild to medium in body. Medium in flavor. Burns well when dry. I'm gonna stash some of this.

At this year's Kansas City Pipe Show, I was told by the lady selling tobacco at the McClelland's table that 2035 Navy Flake is not stoved nearly as long as Dark Star, and that is why most people find it to be fuller in strength and not quite as sweet in taste. I concur.

I like to rub out my flakes and, like Dark Star, this one requires work. Also like Dark Star, this one burns poorly and needs constant relighting, even when dried out a bit.

It is an enjoyable flake when lit and seemed to be at its best when consumed in a smaller pipe.

I was lucky enough to get a good size sample of this from a forum friend. Immediately in appearance, this blend screams "compare me to dark star" as it is similar in both appearance and scent. From what reviewer DK has written, it is the same as dark star with just less age. This would make sense to me as I found dark star to be much sweeter than DNF.

The blend is also similar in that it is a bit of a pain to get lit and the flakes are not easily rubbed out. These are problems I also experienced with dark star. I have had a few different blends that are similar to this, dark stoved Virginias. The one thing they all have in common is additional sweetness that tastes like a dried fruit of some sort with perhaps a little molasses tang to them as well. I personally think they make a good change of pace smoke rather than all day type smokes.

So when I smoke one of these I want a lot of that sweetness. Dark star does this, 1776 Old dominion does this, royal Cajun ebony does too. This one is also sweet, but not quite sweet enough to fully satisfy those sweet tooth cravings. This is why I felt the blend to be between two and three stars, so I decided to see what I gave Dark Star and it was four stars. As this is similar, but not as good to my tastes I will give this three stars.

I was very excited to finally try this one. The flakes are very dark, oily, moist and smell of liquorice and sour vinegary notes. You get the slightest hint of sweet virginias and some spices, but the aroma is just dominated by the pungent sourness. I absolutely love it. I smoked this rubbed down in my Savinelli Hercules 803 EX Canadian. On the charring light, it was very sweet on the tongue as well as very mild, without much of a lingering after-taste. Though, after a bit of smoking that liquorice taste crept into the finish, and a slight spiciness/fruitiness came into the draw. About half way down the bowl the tobacco became a tad more stout and rounded, leaving the brighter flavour profile behind, but remaining mellow and smooth to the end. The burn was a little temperamental throughout, needing quite a few relights (especially near the end), but as stated earlier, it was very moist. Overall, This is not at all what I was expecting going into this tobacco judging by the aroma and appearance! But a nice, mellow, and mild smoke nonetheless. I would recommend you give this one a try!