I/ve smoked about 1lb now and have some more on order to store and savour. It certainly improves quite quickly in jars...I've noticed a richer flavour as I progress through my present supply but I am sure theres much better to come.

It's rich, dark fruit laden taste is just wonderful; it smells so good you almost feel like eating it...I could sit and sniff the jar for ages and I've felt no tongue bite either...but then I've learnt to smoke it gently through experience I might add!

Definitely one of my favourites and well recommended. As an aside I can quite see where the previous reviewer was coming from when he said that he was finding a salty taste as well.

Altogether a fine fine tobacco.

It is not fair to compare these two blends though as they have nothing in common.

Over time, I could see 2035 becoming a 4 star blend in my rotation. It is sweet, rich and doesn't scorch my tongue.

I am partial to lemon leaf and having it stoved is a pleasant change of pace.

Yes, it is somewhat difficult to work with, but it is worth the effort.

As for being the same as Dark Star only in bulk, I don't know that I totally agree with that notion. But I do like them both and give a slight edge to Dark Star.

In my '03 review I refer to sweetness a lot, however now I taste more of a salty taste (in a good way). The flavors are pretty deep and rich with more bass than treble. And boy does it become smooth! Absolutely no hint of tongue bite, which is pretty remarkable for a McClelland Virginia! I often try to make it bite by pulling really hard for a few puffs. All I get is a burst of smooth, rich, and tasty flavor. Still, slow breath smoking is the way to go with 2035. Over the years I have altered the way I prepare 2015 for smoking. After aging anyway, there is no need for drying. The dark black flakes come out of the jar at a perfect packing and smoking humidity. I simply roll a ball and stuff it into my pipe as made popular by Buck on ASP. I will rub out a little tinder to layer the top. It does take a few matches to get it going, but it then burns extremely well and re-lights are a snap with a Zippo.

I changed my strength rating from "mild to medium" to "medium", and my taste rating from "medium" to "medium to full".

07/09/03 For the record, the sample I'm reviewing was aged in a Mason jar for one year. It's the end of about a half pound that I've been smoking for the last year. Of course, 2035 is a dark stoved Virginia that is sold in bulk form. Some say it's the same as Dark Star; I'm not sure.

I didn't need to rub this bowl out, because it's already broken due to the length of time it's been in the jar. It lit with one match and I tamped and re-lit. The flavor is sweet and mild; I'd call it a delicate sweetness. Sometimes it's so mild that I have a tendency to over-puff. The trick for me is to take long, slow draws. This way I don't burn my tongue and I can taste the subtle, sweet Virginias. Towards the middle of the bowl, the flavor increases. This is where 2035 really gets good. Mid-bowl, 2035 is one of the best tobaccos I've ever smoked. The sweetness builds through the bowl and finishes rich and tasty.

Along with 2010 and 2015, this is one of the great McClelland bulk tobaccos. The only downside to this blend is that it can be difficult to manage. It comes rather moist and needs to be dried a bit.

Burns hot and wet with no tongue bite. I'm still searching for my ultimate smoke.

Anyway, these guys are geniuses and their tobaccos are the best I have tried. They are sweet, nutty, clean (no aftertaste, which is a criteria that I notice more and more these days), and just satisfying. This one smokes much much better after rubbing out and drying a bit. Actually, I've dried it up to overnight with great results, but even half an hour will help this tobacco. Again, right now this is my favorite, right ahead of McClelland's Blackwoods Flake and their Classic Virginia, in that order.

couple of months later... (wwha whha wwha, or that sound on I Love Lucy, the trombone?)

this is not my favorite tobacco any longer, and I guess I'm going to have to take a star off my previously enthusiastic rating. Perhaps, looking back at the McClellands, this is just as good, and I'll give it a three star, but sometimes, I'd like to say, something just goes south and leaves you going, does this taste like that? A couple of puffs later generally you're back on track, and maybe I've oversmoked this stuff as it has been my thing. I'll take a break, and move on for a while, give it another chance later. Is this a review or a journal? Hmm...

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.

Dark Navy Flake is a rich, once a day treat for me at most, just because I rarely have enough time to give it full attention.

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.

This is a true tobacco, with a gentle, bite-less virginia tang. Builds through the bowl, with hints of citrus amongs plumes of smoke. It has the wonderful McClelland acidity correlated to the typical aroma many ascribe to ketchup--a good thing!. Rub the flakes a little, stuff the bowl, then top with a heavily rubbed top layer for a good even light.

It reaches a crescendo at midbowl. Due to the stoving, it's a bassy blend with very few high notes that one expects from bright virginias. Does not fatigue the senses. As with many virginias you must draw on the pipe gently to understand the appeal. Funny how many complain about "hot" blends, never considering that both the smoking method and the blend must be synchronous to judge a tobacco fairly, and understand its merits. Although it doesn't stand out amongst the crowd of legendary blends, this is definitely recommended to non-aromatic smoker.

If you enjoy 2035, be sure to put some away for ageing. You will be in for a real treat.

Out of the tin, it is difficult to light, and because of the moisture content, will rarely burn to the bottom of the bowl. One solution is to let it dry out. In doing so, much of the flavor is lost. My solution, is to dry out just a pinch to fill the bottom of the bowl and do the same to the top. If you like stoved tobacco, this is a must try.

Wonderful! And a bargain to boot!

One and a half of Four.

?This tobacco begins as Bright Yellow, sugary top grade Virginia and Carolina leaf. Through careful triple aging, pressing and stoving, it becomes rich, cool and dark. A spicy aroma.?

I detect the same dark stoved rich body and sweet taste that fits the VA profile of a dark stoved VA Flake.

The tins of 2035 that I have are from 1993, and here we are going into 2006- so this blend has really had some time to mellow. Believe you me- this is a flawless smoking experience.

As far as bite, these tins that I have been smoking have none- the newer bulk version very well might- I cannot say.

Highly recommended!

The cut is something akin to what a Chinese chef with the DT's and a meat cleaver might do with your leather belt. Stuffing the resulting chunks down the bowl and applying a match,or two... or four, finally resulted in getting the lumpy tobacco going. Things improved from there, however.

2035 smokes with some sweetness and little bite but with a dominant overlay of fermented, baked tobacco. Like a freshly baked heavy yeast bread that has been just a bit over-done. To this, I could detect no added flavoring or other complexity. Not bad really, and certainly better than store-bought, but you wish someone had pulled it out of the oven a bit sooner when it was still golden brown and buttery.

Not an unpleasant tobacco, but not worth a return visit.