McClelland - Bulk No.2010 Classic Virginia pipe tobacco reviews

Review

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Reviewed By:	Date:	Strength:	Flavoring:	Taste:	Room Note:	Recommendation:
Showing reviews 1 through 20 of 49 reviews of this tobacco NEXT >
Smoke_Ring	05/02/2013	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable
McCelland Bulk No. 2010 - Classic Virginia [small cake cut] Star Rating = 3 Rating Scores - 10 is the Best and 0 is the Worst Pouch Note = 6 Room Note = 7 Flavor = 8 Bite = 8 Burn = 5 After Taste = 8 Raw Score = 42 Rated Percentage = 70% Comment = Smooth, * Ketchup Pouch Note, Good Flavor, lots of BTU's needed to ignite * Foot Note: McClelland famous "Ketchup" aroma and / or taste comes from the natural fermentation of unstoved / non flue curded Virginias that are aged in cakes.
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Capt	12/17/2012	Mild to Medium	None detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant
I like just about every VA from McClellnd, and this is no exception. The pouch aroma is that sour Mc Va, which I absolutely love. Of all the bulk offerings from McClelland, this is by far the easiest to rub out. Also packs well, without a lot of springiness some can have. Lights fairly well, can use a few minutes dry time after it is rubbed out. Has a very bright flavor, and a pleasant toast-like room note. This stuff still wouldn't bite even if you lit it on your tongue. Very mild mannered, I'd even recommend for a newer Va flake smoker. A very predictable blend, and one I will keep stocked in my cellar
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Past Master	11/15/2012	Mild to Medium	None detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable
I'll give this one three stars. It isn't one that I will feel I must keep in my collection, but it was pleasant. It had little to no bite. Of forty reviewers prior to me, most (18) have given it a three-star rating. But, twelve have given it four stars, so it does have its adherents.
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Darth Vader	10/27/2011	Mild to Medium	None detected	Medium	Very Pleasant
Good solid Va. Agree with comments regarding it being somewhat similar to Xmas cheer. Just not as fruity or quite as good. Still an easy smoke though.
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Stogie	09/05/2011	Medium	None detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant
My enjoyment of this blend was not unexpected, as I typically appreciate anything touch by McClelland. That said, the comparisons to McClelland VA No. 22 caused a bit of hesitancy as it's my least favorite of their VA's. I had a 1/2 pound of this sealed in 2oz tins by the Bufflehead shop in 2004, and am now working through my second tin. Visual: A dark brown flake, with some yellow and gold streaks throughout. My tin contained mainly broken flake, no full "sheets". I also noted a few substantial stem sections. Unusual for McClelland... Texture: Less moist upon opening than what I often experience with this company. Probably as it was a tinned bulk blend. Pack/Pipe: I smoke this fully rubbed out and paper dryed. Gravity fed with a half-hearted Frank Method bunch pressed on top into a number of my VA pipes. (Peterson Billiard, Moretti freehand & others, all having a typically narrow tobacco chamber). No problems smoking this to bottom of the bowl with no to minimal relights and two pipe cleaners to catch moisture. Lighting/Burn: Two matches to char, one to light. Burns slowly to bottom and leaves a white/grey ash with a few bits of charred tobacco. Really generates some heat in the bowl. Not a problem, just noted. 1st 3rd: The citrus component of this tobacco is just spectacular! Sharpening the taste buds and ecouraging frequent puffs. I tamp this a bit more often than others to keep up the consistent burn. 2nd 3rd: Smoke becomes a little cooler here but maintains citrusy zest. No real depth, and none expected. Needed a pipe cleaner to catch heel moisture. More tart than sweet for sure. Final 3rd: Loses just a bit of tang here. No pronounced ashiness, and still producing a bit of moisture in the heel. Notes: Glad that this has not lost it's pronounced tang with 7 years in the tin. Like all McClelland flakes, fantastic quality. If you enjoy the citrus element of Lemon & Orange Virginia varietals - this will deliver by the ton. Stogie rating of: 7 Heavenly Hoyos
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rramstad	05/18/2011	Mild to Medium	None detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable
Initial impressions are that this is a fine Virginia, medium in tone, with lots of brown VA giving it a bit of a caramel taste. I don't get tongue bite, but it does sensitize the roof of my mouth, so I wouldn't be able to smoke multiple bowls of this in one sitting. Great flavor, but definitely a one bowl per day type deal for me because of the mouth sensitivity.
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Virginia lover	07/09/2010	Mild	None detected	Mild to Medium	Tolerable
Nice light smoke with a decent amount of flavor. No casing detected and the ketchup smelling preservative is mild. Zesty, tangy yet smooth and slightly sweet, to be enjoyed slowly as it tends to bite with fast puffing.
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Puffingstuff	06/26/2010	Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant
I am reviewing a one pound bag that I purchased ten years ago. When I first smoked this blend, it was sour, and had the McClelland Ketchup tang to it that I find present in many of the MC brands. I left this tobacco alone for a while, and came back five years later. It had lost the ketchup flavour and had smoothed out some, but something was missing. I put the tobacco into a large earthern ware crock and added very Good Rum. I let the rum evaporate, and did it again. I put the tobacco back into storage for another 5 years. This spring I took it out to try. I wish I had made 5 tons of this blend because it is just that good now. Burns cool, slightly sweet, excllent mellow Virginia flavour. I would call it tame, mature and a little sweet.
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canadianpipesmoker	08/11/2009	Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Very Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable
I am very new to english tobaccos this being my first actually. I see that a lot of experienced smokers really don't like this, but I really do! I find it to be mild and a nice transition from aromatics. I would recommend this to people who want to try an english blend.
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bent-1	08/05/2009	Very Mild	None detected	Extremely Mild (Flat)	Tolerable
This is the first McClelland VA to disappoint me. Just can't get any noticeable flavor out of the blend. Tried it in my usual VA pipes (3/4" bore), larger bores, & smaller. Not tried it in a meer, that will be next. Dried, not dried, rubbed out, broken flake, folded, no difference. It's just too light, and I find my self smoking faster witch makes it hot attempting to squeeze out any flavor. Maybe some 5100 will perk it up? I've not cracked the code or it just doesn't work, either way, 1 1/2 stars to date.
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Pipemanuk	06/18/2009	Mild to Medium	None detected	Mild	Pleasant
when I bought a pound of this about a year ago I smoked some and jarred the rest...14th June 2008 as it happened. My initial thoughts were that this was a rather ragged, sharp and hot smoke and I was a bit dissappointed to be honest. However a couple of days ago I opened a jar (I mature my tobacco in small 4 ounce jars which I find much better than 8 ounce)and the scent had grown deeper, richer and far more rounded in that year of maturation. Now it still demands gentle smoking and concentration but the rewards are a rich sweet taste...very very very pleasant. You can tell the absence of red virginia but the lemon and orange are truly delightful. This with at least a year on it is highly recommended.
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Haebar	04/02/2009	Mild	None detected	Mild	Pleasant
I dried a bit of this tobacco for almost an hour before smoking it. I could taste the sweet taste of the Virginias but there just wasn't enough of it to satisfy me. There was little body and volume to the smoke. If there were "light" versions of pipe tobacco, like there are light beers and light cigarettes, then this blend would be a light Virginia.
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Ghosthunter	01/20/2009	Medium	None detected	Medium	Tolerable to Strong
This is my every day smoke...the flakes prevent it from drying out as quick. I love the way it stinks. Crumble it up...stuff it in...toast it...take a long sip of hot coffee and fire that bad boy up.
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PfeifenRaucher	12/23/2008	Medium to Strong	Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable
I have been working my way through a a 2 oz. sample of this over the past couple years. as other have noted below, it gets better with age. It has a nice spice to it that reminds me a bit of Perique. Tasty stuff but has a tendency to bite even if dried.
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Pipe4ever	09/26/2008	Medium	Medium	Medium	Pleasant
Wonderful flavor and typical ketchup aroma a la McClelland for this top quality virginia flake. this is one of my favorite McClelland virginia blend along with red cake and BWF. No one can make virginia like McClelland. its unique and original.
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al1	09/20/2008	Very Mild	None detected	Mild	Pleasant
This is actually pretty good for what it is. pipesandcigars.com was so kind as to send me a half pound with a Jeppesen pipe purchase for me to puff on. It is exactly as others described so far as the flavor only hitting the highest end of the spectrum and in a very light way. I smoked this after drying and rubbing and I would advise at least drying. Beginners might think it is plain tasting but there are nuances and hints in the flavor that vets will appreciate. However the flavor does not build or change much at all. Could be boring to some. I do not sense red va flavor, just very mild orange and yellows. This smoked extremely well and dry for me in a couple different pipes and was mild enough to keep me wanting more. It requires minimal relights and is one of only a few tobacco's that will smoke dry all the way to the finish. So while it may be very ok for a all day smoke it is not going to give you a rich satisfying flavor. I think this makes cake VERY fast for a va flake, making it an excellent new pipe break in tobacco. I disagree with a previous review that it is like the christmas cheer. Not true in my case- this is much lighter and nowhere as sweet or rich. How that reviewer figured that eludes me at the moment, perhaps mine will develop flavor with age? The nicotine level was much higher than I expected and it hit me about 15 minutes before the bowl was done. It will not floor you but had more umph than I expected as mild as the flavor is. The pouch aroma on this is very nice, much like a good fresh bag of brown sugar would smell-only better. The ketchup odor was very hard to detect and very subdued on this one. It has more of tobacco smell. It rubs pretty easily and smokes even easier. I found a breath smoke technique works well. In fact this was very much one that likes to be sipped constantly with a few breaks occasionally as it warms up. Very easy to smoke. Not nippy at all- this one gives you plenty warning when to slow down and smooths right back out. I will be keeping some of this around and will age some, although I am curious if much age would cut the twang down which is so fitting and controlled in this blend- it could use a little smoothing and I suspect at least a couple months age will make a nice soft smoke. I will be sampling and reviewing more of the Mcclelland bulks as this one is fantastic. I just finished a bowl and could go for another real soon. Thats a good thing when you get tired of having to wait a while for your palatte to refresh after smoking it up all day on stronger blends. Mcclelland must have simillar tastes to mine as I love most of their bulks and tins. You can pick almost anything they make and find something you like about it. For an all day smoker this one is great, It leans more towards a cigarettish like smoke I think but in a good way. I like it for the fact it is about as simple and straight forward as flakes get. Also it leaves my mouth in shape for whatever I want to smoke in the evening. Try some just know what it is. This could be a good blender as well. Update: I aged some for a year and it turned into something very close to christmas cheer. I was very surprised when I opened the jar. Wow it is so much more flavorful now, I see where other reviewers found it this way now.
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Invigilator	09/02/2008	Medium	None detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable
Just a few words to add to previous reviews. The trick with this one is to age it for a year at least. At this point it is transformed from something rather bland into a sweet, tasty and truly enjoyable flake in the McClelland tradition. Wonderful stuff!
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Packer	08/29/2008	Mild to Medium	None detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable
In my "never ending journey" down the Virginia super hiway I decided to stop at the 2010 McCelland Rd. A pleasant stop it is. I have sampled, and reviewed several of McC. bulk blends lately. All have been good/great. 2010 comes as a broken flake.......mostly brown, some golden/red. As with most Mc blend, I find that drying, and fully rubbing out this blend benifits it greatly. Flavor is semi-sweet, mild, and yes.....zesty. This may not be my #1 choice, but it is amoung many that I like. Will it get better with age..probably. I have enough faith that it will. that I will be cellaring some. At this price I don'y beleave that I can go wrong. For now I rate This at * * *
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Glorfindel	05/21/2008	Mild to Medium	None detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant
"2010 Classic Virginia" The name says it all, it certainly is a classic VA done just the way I like it. Somehow the folks at McClelland must have a palate very similar to mine because I like virtually every blend of theirs I try to varying degrees. This VA has all the class of their Christmas Cheer series of which I am a huge fan. If you like CC, you'll like this. VA depth and creaminess with the classic light citrus tang. Aging? I'm sure it has been pre-aged by McClelland and I doubt I will be able to age any right now - I'm gonna smoke up my 4oz and order more. But, for those into aging, I'm sure it will age wonderfully as most all Quality VA flakes do. No bite. If you make this one bite, you've really accomplished something. Highly recommended. 4 stars ()-()-()-() Good Draw to You, Cheers, Glorfindel
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wosbald	10/12/2007	Medium	None detected	Medium	Tolerable
With a pouch aroma of this broken flake exhibits a typically fermented scent. The flavor runs from gold to red virginias with orange in between. It starts off sharp, but smoothes out a bit as the bowl runs out. Fresh from the blender, this is a flavorsome, if simple, flake. Chamber Gauge: Narrow
Showing reviews 1 through 20 of 49 reviews of this tobacco NEXT >