It took me several bowls to get it. At first it seemed a bit too simple. Va. Latakia. I kept wanting to insert oriental flavors that are so often companion to the two main ingredients. The latakia is a good one and it is always pleasant. The Va. is the real show and the stuff is terrific. Very sweet and mellow. When I realized that the purpose of latakia in this blend is to throw the Va. into relief, I understood. The latakia is there to underline the Va. This truly is a Virginia blend supported as it may be the latakia. It really isn't missing anything if you enjoy a mild smoke of a flavorful Va. If you find yourself drawn to this blend, it is definitely worth a try.

As good as a Partagas Lusitanias, yes, that good!,,,,

or listening to a silver flute in the great dome of the Taj Mahal.

Or perhaps you choose to continue the quest for that clumsy dull eyed ox complexity, as you wish. Just remember that simplicity is the teacher of complexity.

I never got a chance to smoke the original issue but this 2005 is excellent. It has a nice level of smokiness... not too much so that the virginias are buried, but enough to elevate this beyond their green Oriental series. This is one blend that in my opinion the smoker needs to exhale through the nose, at least occasionally, to get the most from it. It's very nuanced, and simple puffing will cause the smoker to miss a lot of the subtleties. Exhaling through the nose includes the entire tasting palate and elevates this blend to superstar status. Anniversary is that good! I'm going to stock up on this and hope that when this vintage is gone, they'll come out with another that is just as excellent!

Upon opening I was surprised how comparatively little of the signature McClelland ketchup aroma is present and how forward is the Latakia smokiness. The label says "seasoned lightly" with Latakia but I take issue with their interpretation of "lightly." Seems to me from the aroma, the appearance, and the taste that there is a bit more in there than the description suggests.

I have loaded this blend traditionally and with the Frank method, the latter seeming to provide a bit more consistent flavor throughout the smoke. And what a wonderful smoke it is! The natural sweetness that is indicative of a very fine Virginia leaf is unmistakable, while the Latakia smokiness is also right there in the foreground. Both characteristics blend smoothly but remain distinct and enjoyable throughout the smoke. I could not detect any flavorings.

Again, the level of smokiness indicates to me there is more than just a light serving of Latakia here. Seems to me it's more likely in the 20 to 30 percent range. The flavor is neither monochrome nor complex, but the constant interplay of VA sweet and LAT smoke compliment one another perfectly. Rather mild, very well behaved in the combustion department, providing copious smoke, and great flavor to the very end make this an ideal all day smoke.

I can easily see myself stocking up on this one.

Comprised of a mélange of matured Virginias lightly seasoned with Cyprian Latakia, in the bowl Anniversary offers a pleasant combination of ‘sweet-and-smoke’. Possessing a subdued tanginess, it offers rounded notes of black cherry, wood, light brown sugar, and just a bit of pine smoke. The mouthfeel is soft and the finish dark and sweet with just enough of the classic McClelland matured Virginia tang to remind one of its provenance. Medium bodied, it has a pronounced smoothness. Not an overall complex affair, it is nonetheless a nicely balanced mixture which is as charming in its simplicity as it is impeccable in its presentation.

Harkening back to an earlier form of McClelland packaging, the original release of Anniversary was wrapped in heavy ecru paper with maroon printing and finished with a red wax seal. A limited run of some 3000 100g. tins, it was released in 2002 in commemoration of the 25th anniversary of the founding of the company. Although in company promotional literature of the time this special issue was called “25th Anniversary Blend”, both the outer paper wrapper and the tin label simply noted the blend as “Anniversary” and the series mark being “Special Occasion”. Like the original Christmas Cheer which was released in 1992 in celebration of the company’s 15th year in business, Anniversary was intended to be a one-time, limited edition release. The popularity of the blend, however, led to it being rereleased, in 2005, in the exact same 100g. tin packaging but this time the paper wrapper bore the date span 1977-2005 and featured a green wax seal. The 2005 issue, still readily available as of late 2009, is comprised of a holdover from the 2002 batch held for further aging before it was tinned and shipped in 2005. Once this current batch is depleted there are plans to release the mixture again with a different color wax seal. This review is based upon a tin of the 2005 tinning bearing the factory date stamp of 092005. Well worth cellaring for both its investment value and, perhaps more importantly, its liability to retain itself in good form for an extended period of time.

Downgrading to three stars-that is just my opinion. Still a tasty blend, but it is not going to make my greatest hits list.

I am a sucker for marketing so the packaging is top notch here, wax seal...common got to love it. Tin smell is a tangy mild ketchup not quite as ketchuppy as the Frog but noticeable. This is a well behaved smoke, packs well and burns consistently after initial scaring. On intake you get the mouth watering tangy Virginia and exhale the cool-smoking Cyprian Latakia which tames the Virginia quite nicely without destroying it. This is a one-two punch smoke and could be an all dayer no problem.

If I were helping wean someone off of aromatics, this is the blend I?d choose, not because it?s similar to any aromatic, but because it?s a very well behaved Virginian, no biting or barking, and because unless you have a stubborn palette, it?s hard not to like this stuff, and it?s mild but not bland and not lacking in nicotine. Ok, shutting up. Four stars. Smoke it.

Or, at least, it was up until now. Somehow, the notoriously inconsistent McClelland Tobacco Company have managed to make a blend of naught but Latakia and Virginia that not only showcases all of the best smoking, olfactory, and visual appeals of those varieties of leaf, they do so without any heat or harshness coming through in the smoke. This stuff is good, righteous good and a truly worthy commemoration of the company?s fortuitous anniversary. Truly, that charming waxen seal was not wasted on these tins.

This bend was a bit of a disappointment. I am a huge fan of McClelland's blends and having tried many of their other blends I just expected a bit more out of this one. All and all the blend is not bad, but as for a special release blend I just expected a bit more.

This doesn't reach the heights of sweetness or complexity that you'll find in Hal o' the Wynd or Dark Star (hence my 3 stars), but, to my palate, it never fails to deliver an enjoyable smoke. It's something special, and it's definitely worth cellaring.

Bob

(I think too many pipe smokers tend to puff too fast, and thus, either fail to enjoy the blender's labors and/or scald their poor tongues and blame the tobacco and not the technique.)

The first impression of taste was of sweet, fragrant Virginias with the Latakia only there to compliment and add coolness. As the bowl burns to midpoint, the Latakia fades away and comes back at just the right time. The aroma is of fine, burning tobacco and to me the room note was delicious to smell both during the smoke and after the pipe was back resting in my cabinet. My wife, on the other hand, hates any pipe smoke that doesn't smell like a Glade scented candle, and her comment was "Oh! Stinky!" That sealed the deal for me and this shall now be added to my growing rotation! This is a very satisfying smoke if you smoke it slowly and actually take the time to try and taste all the nuances it brings to your senses. I really enjoy many of McClelland's fine tobaccos, and this one is definitely worth trying. It is something special.

Highly Recommended