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

If you like Anniversary kake or w.o.laresen old fashioned you will probably love this one.

If you don't mind a wet dottle this might suit you. I demand a tobacco smoke dry to the heel, or I pass on it. I pass on this one. It tastes good from first light, this is deceiving because it always goes sour around half to two thirds of a bowl.

I love mcclellands tobaccos, They are practically all I smoke and this and 5110 are their only non aromatics I have found the humectant characteristics in so far.

I suspect the humectant is to keep the hay grassy nose burning smoke this type of tobacco can produce at bay. Unfortunatley the smoking qualities are disrupted as well. After mid bowl the steam kicks and the good brown sugar flavor goes flat from all the moisture the humectant won't let escape. You can't keep this lit either due to the moisture. Very frustrating blend. If it would dry I believe it would have much better/ richer flavor.

I love Mc 2000, 2010, 2020, 2035, #27, #24, #22 and christmas cheer- these always smoke dry and cool to the heel after a little airing out. I support Mcclelland to the fullest as I smoke their stuff about 99% of the time. I just don't enjoy this 5100.

Try it, you may just enjoy it. If you are the kind of smoker like me take what I said into consideration. I smoked pounds of this aged and fresh over the last year before writing this review.

If you will check my profile you will see this is sadly the lowest I have ever rated a Mcclelland blend. So it goes I guess.

Great blend to smoke now and then, and even better for blending your own mixtures.

Update June 2008

I love this stuff...have settled to my 5100 + perique blend as the everyday tobacco in my pouch. Friends love the smell of the unsmoked tobacco as much as the smoke itself. Treated gently there's no bite though if I'm working in the garden or doing any task where I am likely to puff too often (one of my faults) then I fall back on Carter Hall or PA.

Update June 2009

Just gets better and better...5100+perique...sweeter, fruitier and richer in flavour. What I love about it is that I can smoke 2015 and have a creamier, bread dough like VAPER and then 5100/Perique to contrast it. Two utterly outstanding blends from McClelland. God Bless them.

Flavor: A mild nutty flavor is consistant throughout the life of the bowl. I also detected a bit of a leather note that complements the nutty essence well.

Smoking characteristics: I had no bite from this blend, even when smoked aggressively. Each bowl does require a couple of relights but the flavor was so good that I decided that I could really care less.

Overall: Super blend that could serve as a confirmed all day smoke.