McClelland Christmas Cheer 2016
(3.63)
Handblended, premium pressed Virginia flake pipe tobaccos. A fine vintage, naturally sweet, in limited quantity.
Notes: From tin insert: We are proud to offer our 2016 Christmas Cheer pipe tobacco, an exceptionally fine vintage tobacco, hand blended and aged in pressed cakes to develop natural mellowness. This 2016 blend is made with a special selection of ripe, red, flue-cured Virginia from a beautiful 2010 Middle-Belt crop. Superb leaf picked at peak ripeness, it is naturally sweet, rich in oils. It should age with distinction. Each buying season, we look for tobaccos of exceptional quality and distinctive character. In various combinations, their flavors, aromas, textures, contribute to the overall excellence of all our products.
The leaves of different crops and regions are combined to maintain consistency from year to year.
With Christmas Cheer pipe tobacco, we treat our discriminating customers to the singular pleasure of a tasting of the very finest in tobaccos of a particular vintage, not worrying about maintaining the flavor and appearance of this product into future years but actually striving instead to present the unique character of a single crop and area.
That's what Christmas Cheer pipe tobacco is all about. Happy Holidays!
Details
| Brand | McClelland |
| Blended By | McClelland Tobacco Company |
| Manufactured By | McClelland Tobacco Company |
| Blend Type | Straight Virginia |
| Contents | Virginia |
| Flavoring | |
| Cut | Broken Flake |
| Packaging | 100 grams tin |
| Country | United States |
| Production | No longer in production |
Profile
Strength
Medium
Extremely Mild -> Overwhelming
Flavoring
None Detected
None Detected -> Extra Strong
Room Note
Pleasant to Tolerable
Unnoticeable -> Overwhelming
Taste
Medium
Extremely Mild (Flat) -> Overwhelming
Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 Reviews
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 21, 2016 | Medium | None Detected | Medium to Full | Pleasant to Tolerable |
Christmas Cheers 2016/2017 - I've decided to review these together as they were released at the same time. Which one is better? Well, I really have to split hairs, it's hard to tell them apart unless I smoke them back to back. The 2016 has slightly, and I mean slightly, more tang and high notes, while the 2017 is slightly more base. Both are very fine examples of McClelland Virginias. both are good on the relight, the flavor stays and doesn't get ashy. I find the 2016 has slightly more tanginess and stays most of the bowl. I find the 2017 closer to FVF, darker ,less spice. I'll try to buy more. Both are 4 star.
DAMN THE FDA for our loss of this yearly treat ,I thought we already had one Federal agency, the ATF, making tobacco rules. Next the EPA will be putting out rules requiring us to filter our exhaled smoke as we would be adding to pollution and Global warming. Will the government ever stop making useless new regulations ?
DAMN THE FDA for our loss of this yearly treat ,I thought we already had one Federal agency, the ATF, making tobacco rules. Next the EPA will be putting out rules requiring us to filter our exhaled smoke as we would be adding to pollution and Global warming. Will the government ever stop making useless new regulations ?
Pipe Used:
cob
Age When Smoked:
1 month open
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 21, 2017 | Medium | None Detected | Mild to Medium | Pleasant |
This tobacco is an absolute joy. It has a heady nicotine hit, a deliciously grassy/fruity/earthy taste and burns supremely well. I've packed bowls of this many ways, but for me, rolling two whole flakes and stuffing them for a half bowl or four for a full bowl and crumbling one more on top with a slightly-stronger-than-average tamp is the best.
I really should have let this age longer, but with a full tin and several more on the way, I was dying to try this young. I'm really glad I did. It begs for slow sipping, something with which I struggle, but hasn't bit me in the least. It really works well with a breath smoking strategy if you've time to relax and sit down.
This is a simple smoke and a wonderful tobacco. It will reward you with grassy and fruity taste in inverse proportions to your smoking speed. Fight the urge to chase that wonderful flavor with more puffing, it comes best with slowness. It lights easily and requires few relights. It will age incredibly well, it is very sweet and for those worried about the famous McClelland 'ketchup', it dissipates with a little drying or once lit and influences the flavor not at all.
There will be an addendum once this has been sampled with some age.
I really should have let this age longer, but with a full tin and several more on the way, I was dying to try this young. I'm really glad I did. It begs for slow sipping, something with which I struggle, but hasn't bit me in the least. It really works well with a breath smoking strategy if you've time to relax and sit down.
This is a simple smoke and a wonderful tobacco. It will reward you with grassy and fruity taste in inverse proportions to your smoking speed. Fight the urge to chase that wonderful flavor with more puffing, it comes best with slowness. It lights easily and requires few relights. It will age incredibly well, it is very sweet and for those worried about the famous McClelland 'ketchup', it dissipates with a little drying or once lit and influences the flavor not at all.
There will be an addendum once this has been sampled with some age.
Pipe Used:
Nording apple
PurchasedFrom:
Tobaccopipes.com
Age When Smoked:
6 months
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Oct 07, 2016 | Medium | None Detected | Full | Pleasant to Tolerable |
I know I shouldn't have opened this yet, being what it is, but I couldn't help myself. I was late to the gold rush on this one and was only able to secure 2 tins. But I'll keep the other cellared to open years down the road. Smells like a delicious McClelland VA should in the tin, with a touch of fermentation. From first light I am amazed at the depth and complexity of flavor here. There's a lot more going on than what I've experienced with previous Christmas Cheer year models. It's rich, deep, and dark, and only just sweet enough to round the edges. Black cherry comes to mind. But what's got me so intrigued is the obvious spiciness, like the peppery sort of spice I get from Escudo. Obviously that comes from the perique, but where is it coming from in a blend of straight red Virginias? Interesting...very interesting. Right off the top I've got to give this one 4 stars. The leaf is top-notch quality, flavors are rich and abundant, and it burns evenly with no issues. It can bite if pushed but is sublime when sipped...par for the course. Highly recommended!
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 04, 2017 | Mild to Medium | None Detected | Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
I was able to sample a few bowls of this fine tobacco from my local Wine and Cigar/Pipe shop.
From the tin it smells like a McClelland Va....tangy, earthy, woody, hayish goodness.
Loads and lights easy, whether you stuff the broken flakes directly in your bowl, or rub them out. Takes a few relights directly from the tin unless you are super attentive to it and puff at a regular cadence.
The smoke is wonderful with deep and complex notes. I was surprised at the creamy, bread-ish flavors. Another reviewer mentioned the tang, and I don't disagree, but it was a softer tang, without any kind of sharpness....hence why I mention the creaminess of it. Good red VA dark fruit, earth, with a bit of wood and spice here and there.
I was quite impressed with the blend and I need to get a few tins to cellar away before they are gone.
From the tin it smells like a McClelland Va....tangy, earthy, woody, hayish goodness.
Loads and lights easy, whether you stuff the broken flakes directly in your bowl, or rub them out. Takes a few relights directly from the tin unless you are super attentive to it and puff at a regular cadence.
The smoke is wonderful with deep and complex notes. I was surprised at the creamy, bread-ish flavors. Another reviewer mentioned the tang, and I don't disagree, but it was a softer tang, without any kind of sharpness....hence why I mention the creaminess of it. Good red VA dark fruit, earth, with a bit of wood and spice here and there.
I was quite impressed with the blend and I need to get a few tins to cellar away before they are gone.
Pipe Used:
Cob, Billard
PurchasedFrom:
Sample
Age When Smoked:
Unknown
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 13, 2023 | Mild to Medium | Extremely Mild | Medium | Unnoticeable |
McClelland Christmas Cheer 2016 - Alas , this is my last tin of Christmas Cheer! The red Virginia is tangy , fruity and sugary sweet . It has quite a bit of spice . Like Germains , McClelland had a special way of processing their Virginias . At least we still have Germains for now . RIP McClelland tobacco company. 4 stars
Age When Smoked:
6 1/2 yr old tin
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