Soli Deo gloria!

My tin had a hard brown wax seal, the tin was dated 2010 so I guess it is some of their latest lot of this product. Lights easy, and has a smooth creamy taste with some pleasant sweetness. I found almost zero true tounge bite, just the typical tingle, I get when smoking any full flavored VA.

IMO this blend is dominated by the flavor of fine Virginia’s, with just the right amount of Latakia that is noticable in it’s aroma, but not so much in its taste. For me, a worthwhile and satisfying smoke.

In these reviews I hope to show my tastes and give readers something to identify with, as that is how I use this site. I find a reviewer with similar tastes and explore the tobacco's they rate highly.

the tin presentation is superb and so are the ingredients. I smoked this through a few different briars and found the results to be the same. A smokey flavor that just slightly pushed the sweetness of the VA around. Not enough for me to give up on the bowl but enough that if felt like the pairing wasn't as balanced I had wished for.

If you like a bit of latakia give it a go, if you want to really taste those Virginias go elsewhere.

This is one of those tobaccos that is truly different. After first popping the tin, the sweet smoke of latakia drifted up to my nostrils. Just the faintest hint of vinegar and BBQ sauce floated around in the air. I sealed it again, and upon popping it a second time, I was struck with a beautiful scent of dried sugar plums. Nosing this tobacco is a curiosity.

It's late 2011, and this tin was from 05, so perhaps it was the additional 6 years of aging this tin did in an Albuquerque tobacco shop. The moisture level was perfect- throughout the smoke, I got absolutely no gurgle, and next to absolutely no tongue bite. The other tobaccos I regularly smoke- They couldn't boast that on their virgin experiences with me.

But I'm getting ahead of myself.

I carefully loaded half a bowl into an askwith accustomed to english tobacco, and put flame to it. First light came and went, and the tobacco uncooperatively went out on me. The first tenative sips were almost exclusively the sweetness virginia leaf. The tangy, smoky latakia just barely started to underscore the Va leaf, but died with the flame. I patiently finger tamped the tobacco, and lit it again. Then, it stayed lit without complaint, The soft, silky smokiness of latakia filling both my palate and the air. The next puff was straight back to virginias- sweet lemon! Then Smooth smoky sugar. And again- back to white sugary sweetness that for just a fraction of a moment nearly reminded me of white cake.

I set the pipe down to go find a proper tamp just in case it decided to play with me more. I dug through a junk drawer, finally locating a czech tool on my nightstand. 3 minutes later, and this tobacco- amazingly- is still cooperatively lit in the pipe! And upon picking it up again I was struck by the true dichotomy of the tobaccos present- Balance is not a word suited to describe this tobacco, because although The Virginias and Latakias are evenly matched, it is not "balanced" in the way we use the term to describe a good english blend.

No. This tobacco IS equilibrium. It is the see-saw. not balance, but the act itself.

I don't know what category of smoker I fall into- I was an on again, off again smoker of aros for years, and then finally, several years ago wised up and picked up some "real" tobaccos. I tried an English blend at the local tobacco shop, and found it much too "strong" for my liking. So then, I looked into Virgina tobaccos. I bought some university flake, which was not exactly to my taste, and after trying a few others (including orlik's golden sliced) I settled on Marlin Flake as a semi- regular tobacco to smoke, finally moving somewhat back into the English tobacco scene when someone recommended Legends (and then Wilderness) to me.

But Marlin Flake was my primary smoke. Just... as I adjusted to the English blends, something began to disturb me, more and more, about the high Va content tobacco. Perhaps it was too sweet. Perhaps it was the mouthfeel. I don't know.

I think, when I picked up this tin, I was at that perfect moment when this tobacco would be my sunlight. I was lost somewhere between Va and Lat, with most aro's a distant, dusty thought in my mind.

And this tobacco fit perfectly into the transitioning gap I had made for myself.

Near the end of the bowl, it finally did gutter out and require a re-light. It re-lit without argument and stayed that way, but the quality of the smoke had changed again. It was thicker, creamier. There's something magical about the way a tobacco can change towards the end of a bowl. Perhaps, in those last minutes of bliss, this tobacco became more than the see-saw.

For those of you out there who are aromatic smokers just trying virginias, add this to your list to try in the not too distant future. If there is anyone out there, like me, who truly wasn't sold on the complexity of English or the sweetness of VA, This may be the blend for you. Some few pipe smokers will truly not appreciate this blend- the die-hard on either side of the Va(VaPer)//English(Balkan) line. Most will at least appreciate it. Some will love it. I for one, will be ordering additional tins for the cellar... It is perhaps the best marriage of sweet and fruity Va and smoky, luscious latakia I could imagine.

UPDATE 10/25/11: I still love this tobacco and stand by what I said, but this blend, as good as it is, does not compare to mcclelland legends.

Anniversary is a bit of a cipher for me, as I can't think of anything quite like it. First off, the VAs are superb but different than any I've sampled before. The tin description for this mixture says they have "clarity," and it's correct -- they have a lot of high notes and an almost fragile quality about them. Another way of describing this is to say that the range of VA flavors are exceptionally well-defined. I get primarily hints of lemon, cinnamon, and cane sugar as well as the signature McClelland's tang (some call it ketchup or vinegar). There is very little of the depth I experience with, say, Blackwoods Flake or Dark Star. The VAs are delicious, but also thin -- they have little in the way of a bottom note. To invoke a musical analogy, the VA flavor is akin to listening to a symphony played entirely on flutes: achingly beautiful, in large part because it's so delicate, even ephemeral.

This is where the cyprian latakia comes in. Most of McClelland's most successful products are straight VAs, and I imagine there might have been some temptation to release an all-VA blend. That would have been a mistake in this case, snd the decision to use latakia in Anniversary was absolutely perfect. Rarely have I encountered a blend in which the attributes of latakia when used as a condiment are so dramatically illustrated. As the tin description indicates, it slows the burn and cools the smoke. More importantly, it provides desperately needed bass notes to the concert, anchoring the performance in a way that allows the VAs to dazzle the audience with intricate solos.

Okay, okay -- I'm maybe waxing a little too poetic here. Oddly enough, it's not even that I like this blend THAT much (it's not a desert island smoke to me, as much as I enjoy it). It's too mild, for one thing. It's also not at all complex. But I am really impressed by the overall composition of this mixture -- this is one of the best presentations of both latakia and VA that I've come across. There is almost no integration of flavors here, and this blend is all the better for that lack. The sharp contrast of sweet/smoky allows both types of leaf to really shine. For this reason, Anniversay might be the most ideal introduction to latakia I could imagine, and it could easily turn someone into a drooling addict of McClellands unique style of VAs. I find it interesting to note that many reviewers have said they feel that Anniversary has more latakia than advertised. I'm not sure I agree with that assessment. Instead, I believe that the latakia is thrown into such a sharp contrast by the VAs that the smoky taste seems far more potent than the actual proportions would indicate. I actually get more of the spicy nuances that define latakia's flavor from this blend than I do from many Balkans, even if the brute strength isn't there.

Anniversary doesn't fit well into traditional categories, at least not in my opinion. It's obviously not a straight VA blend, but I also wouldn't call it an English mixture even though its ingredients should automatically qualify it as such. But the flavors simply don't remind me -- even in passing -- of a traditional English or Balkan. What Anniversay DOES make me think of is that genre known as "American English," in which blenders typically use a base of burley and varying amounts of latakia (sometimes with other leaf included in condimental amounts). I just can't put it in the same category as Westminster or Commonwealth, but I do find it very easy to compare it to Epiphany, Bald-Headed Teacher, or Morley's Best. Strange ....

Anyway, the burning qualities of this are typical for a ribbon cut. It's a lot drier than most McClelland products, which is a nice surprise. I experience minimal tongue irritation with Anniversary, which I consider essential to my enjoyment of a blend (my mouth is quite sensitive to VAs). The strength is also minimal -- there's more nicotine here than in Frog Morton, but not by much.

This is one of those blends that makes me wish that tobaccos were rated here using five stars instead of four. Why? Three stars doesn't seem to do this justice, but Anniversary also doesn't quite deserve the highest rating available. I would like to give this four out of five stars, but I guess I'll just call it a 3.5. If nothing else, I have a hard time imagining anyone genuinely disliking this mixture (unless they just despise latakia) and I'm sure that some will love it. As I said earlier, I doubt this stuff will ever be a true favorite but I nonetheless hope to have a tin on hand at all times. I could easily imagine some smokers calling it their Holy Grail.

Additional notes: I have noticed but to me it seems odd that the top 3/4 of the bowl burns so fast and what im left with in the bottom of the bowl while maintaining the flavor seems to last much much longer than say a full bowl of other tobaccos.

In addition as far as JR Cigar goes im glad they screwed up my order this time. This was a great smoke but as I checked with them by phone and through their website they have no more Anniversary 2005. Im not sure why it is still listed as such but a sure way to tell what you have is by the end date on the tin and the wrapping. On the wrapping for instance mine said 1977-2010 indicating it was made in 2010 however one stating 1977-2002 would be from 2002. Also look on the bottom of the actual tin itself as mine was stamped 09 2010 which I can only guess is the month and year of either its packaging or of the tobacco's month and year in age.

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.

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

Edit 7-18-12: Well, I'm well into a huge Marxman Jumbo-full of this blend, and I like it. Maybe a bit more Latakia than Oriental #1, and the thing is with this one, is that it has the Latakia combined with that well-known "vinegar" thing found in McClelland matured Virginias. I just don't think it would be the first McClelland I would buy again, unless I got a really good deal on it.

So, I'll smoke up the rest I have, enjoy it, and stick to McClelland Matured Virginias and Christmas Cheer before I go buying anymore of this.

Don't get me wrong; I'm enjoying this pipe, but I think my main issue with it is that I don't like the typical McClelland "vinegar" (even though I know that's not what it really is) combined with this Latakia. It has taken me a while to finish this tin, and I gave some away, so I guess this is my final word. Still recommended, of course, even if it's not my favorite McClelland.

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.