To my mind, it's the Carter Hall of Virginias: a simple, cheap and available all day smoke. I have watched my tastes change from burley towards Va's as of late, and I find Red Cake fills the same role as CH for me.

I actually call it a favorite of mine; in reality, there are blends I like more. Thing is, I always come back to it, whether to cleanse my palette or just to smoke mindlessly for a while.

The fact it is a blending component means it's useful too. Got a 'baccy missing 'something'? Drop a pinch of 5100 in, and it will no doubt help things along.

The only downside, I suppose, is it's one dimensional character. If you only smoke the occasional bowl, or always smoke looking for complexity, Red Cake will no doubt disappoint. If you're looking for a quick work break smoke, or one to pair with yard work, etc., this may well fit the bill for you. It does me.

Good smoking, slightly treated with PEG, and a generally good blend for trouble free, readily burning VA. Gives the same satisfaction of a good VA flake without the work. Despite the apparent topping, it turns out to have a VA flavour throughout. Good for regular smoking, albeit, might be considered a bit plain so a good base for adding a dash of perique or some other condiment of your liking.

I recommend this for when you have time to really sit down and enjoy the blend, it won't bark unless you really tempt it to but absent minded puffing while doing something else may cause it to bite.

Pipes brands used: Dunhill, Charatan, GBD, Peterson, Stanwell, and one Gourd Calabash. (all pipes were pre-1963 except the Stanwells and the Calabash).

5100 is the epitome of an English VA. It is so special that there is nothing else like it in my opinion. This tobacco, it may surprise some to know, is used in a number of high grade blends that are on the market today. It is a rich, full, and sweet red VA that ages like a dream.

When you first light the bowl you immediately taste the tangy sweet flavor of citrus inherent in this blend. I have read the minimalist comments of "ketchup" which I think carries a negative connotation. Anyone can reduce and/or minimize a complex flavor experience to some common reference. We could all say that wine tastes like Welches Grape juice or that caviar tastes like sea water. However, such reflections by the masses dismiss the subtle and complex flavorings that can only be detected by a patient and attentive palate.

As you move through a bowl of this remarkable leaf you find a smoky flavor enhanced by a bit of grass with an undertone of cashew that reflects continually off the dominant flavor of plum and fig which remain primary through the last few puffs. Toward the bottom there is a hint of raisin.

Buy this tobacco in bulk and age it. You will note an increase in all of these flavors within even a year of proper aging. This tobacco is a real gem and I can only hope that subsequent years are as kind.

I am amazed, not that such a wonderful leaf exists in our world, but that it is available in bulk. It truly is one of the most under-rated tobaccos I have come across, and I hope it continues to be available to everyone at an affordable cost.

Appearance: Medium to dark red ribbon. The tobacco is a bit moister than I like.

Aroma: Rich sweet aroma with trace of the vanilla. However, I don't believe it has a top dressing of any flavoring. The tobacco just as this nice sweet aroma that reminds me of vanilla.

Packing: No problem in any size or shape bowl.

Lighting: Initial lighting is slow due to the moisture level, but once it's going it burns well.

Initial flavor: Smooth and rich. No bite!!

Mid-bowl: When smoked slowly, it offers layers of flavor.

Finish: Clean finish and leaves a dry ash. I didn't notice any of the "goop" that you tend to find with aromatics.

Room Note: Very pleasant room aroma....my family likes it, which means I can smoke in the house.

Summary: I will end up using this mix as an all day smoke. I'm told by my local tobacconist that 5100 makes a great blending base. He uses it in several of his shop bulk blends.

Now!

This tastes like a blender, in a lot of ways. I think it is a constituent of some more pricey blends.

I think it is nice to smoke on it's own when I'm looking for a light virginia with a little twang.

It's kind of flat tasting past a half bowl for me.

I've been told this is the weakest of all virginias Ever.

It has, in fact, little twang.

But, it's really nice.

If you put this in a jar, near the window, in a west-facing south-Austrian appartment for a week or two, (but only by accident) it sings. (and twangs)

I suspected this might make a good blending tobacco when I first smoked it and I'm tickled to see so many reviewers doing just that. I really like one reviewers idea of this Red Cake, the McClelland Stoved VA and some Perique - sounds like something I oughtta try! By itself this blend is very nice and very smokable, but it's not (for me) one of McClellands best blends. But getting to the top of that mountain would be quite a feat, as McClellands has at least a dozen blends that I find 4 star. Try this if you like straight virginia or if you're an aromatic smoker wondering what all the straight VA hubbub is about. This will start you on your journey.

at least it's a ribbon, so you don't have to fight with the dreaded McClelland flake, allowing it to pack easily enough. getting it to burn can take about 5 or 6 charring lights before it really wants to take off.

Flavor is vinegar-like at the start, which quickly fades to a slight smokey sweetness. around mid-bowl, the sweetness is just in the background while a more tangy and smokey flavor prevails. i've dried this to as much as i can, it still has a tendency to go out even while overpuffing to keep it going.

if you like red VAs and McClellands VA flavors but not their "broken flakes/chips of solid wood", then this may be up your alley.

for me, i give it an "eh, it's alright if this is what you're wanting."

*update - my large 4 oz sample is now 3 years old, and this blend has grown on me a little bit. i wouldn't scoff at it, and wouldn't mind keeping it around, although it's not a favorite, it's still pretty good.

I'm not overly fond of the ketchup smell that seems to eminate from McClelland tobacco's, but for a tobacco as rich and tasty as this, I could forgive almost anything, smooth burning and no bite, takes well to the match and low maintenance, burning down to a fine white ash and well behaved throughout the bowl.

This may yet find it's way into rotation, if not, then a special treat (on a regular basis).

IMHO, this would be an excellent tobacco for an Aromatic smoker to try, should they want to come over to straight virginias, but require a little more taste ie sweetness, that are to be found in some flakes, and/or do not feel happy about handling flakes.

A well earned four stars.

Having said that, I might still not enjoy 5100 by itself very much. I've found a recipe for an every day blend that has become my very favorite. The base is 5100, to which I add some ounces of 5105, Stoved VA. Finally, just two ounces of McClelland's Blending Perique, and I have a pound of a mild VaPer. And so far, I've laid several pounds of it aside. 5100, as a blending leaf, is really superb. The Mason jars of this blend that have matured now for a little over a year are already fantastic. I can't wait until it's a few years old.

I'm a latakia blend guy, but have always admired the people who are all gaga over great Virginias. This was recommended to me, and so I got it, hoping that it would finally be a straight VA that I could love. But, not to be. Great aroma, but one dimensional. Lika all VA's to me, it can bite. This should be considered as a component in blending, to me, and not an end-all in itself. It's of obvious good quality, and I'd think that when it was blended with a good Cyprian latakia and either a tasty Turkish or even a cubed burley, this may be part of a real winner.

-Adam