McClelland 40th Anniversary

It defines a Virginia flake should be. Sweet, sour, woody, tangy, earthy, spice etc. It has everything but still keeps the extremely complex, balance and full body.

McClelland always makes the best Virginia in the whole world.

My top two five stars tobacco until now.

I love this tobacco. It is a little moist but not so much that it needs drying. It has a hint of vinegar from the tin, but it tastes of pure Virginia after lighting. It is a very sweet smoke with a taste of prunes or figs and a hint of brown sugar. The smoke is creamy and cool. It has no tongue bite. I find this flake ranks as a favorite of mine.

I was given a bowl of this by a friend. I have not had the same experience as other people when smoking this. I found it to be not bad, but not really good, either. Everything was pretty mild and unremarkable.

I simply had to try this after reading the enthusiastic reviews. I purchased two cans, opened one and will leave the other to age. I agree with my "golden nose and palate" friends regarding the aroma and taste. This is a truly excellent red Virginia. I don't agree with those who claim that this tobacco is "easy to rub out", especially not right out of the tin. It's a "broken flake", and the flakes that do happen to remain entire in the tin are about one and half inches long and quite thick. No way to fold and stuff these babies, and it takes some vigorous rubbing to break them down so the pipe can be filled. If they were thinner and more flexible I would give this tobacco the full monty. Expect some relights. As it is, I like it a lot, but it loses one star.

Since this isn't available anymore, I'll simply say 2 1/2 years ago when this was introduced, I purchased a tin, smoked a couple of bowls and promptly ordered 10 more tins. Classic McClelland blend that has only improved with time. Citrus, natural sweetness, hints of cinnamon, a little tanginess, and a creaminess, great aroma, finishes exceptionally well on the palate and virtually no aftertaste. Has the "McClelland Ketchup" pre-light smell, but once ignited there's no trace of it. Even "sipping" this blend, it produces tons of smoke. I shared some with a relatively new pipe smoker and his description was priceless. Needless to say when I mentioned it was no longer available, he offered to be my new best friend. I'm enjoying it sparingly.

Tin note of tart and tangy dark fruit and salty spices. Tobacco is a Flake of marbled reddish brown, dark brown and tan. Moisture content is great. Flakes rub out with a little effort. Burns slow with a few relights. The strength is mild to medium and nic is mild. No flavoring detected. Taste is mild to medium and very consistent, with notes of ripe tangy dark fruit, floral, sweet bread, mild fermented sour, hay, sugar, rich earth, tart and zesty citrus, grassy spices, wood, acidic, a savory sweet background note, and a moderately peppery retro. Room note is pleasant to tolerable, and aftertaste is great.

McClelland -40th anniversary- It is not as tangy as most Christmas Cheers I have smoked . It has a nice earthiness to it . On the very mild side . Not very sweet . Toasty . Mild dark fruit . I am struggling to describe it . Nothing wrong with it , very natural tasting . Good tobacco but not exciting . 3

--- 2021-01-21 ---

When I'm ready and have the time to really enjoy a bowl of tobacco, this is the jar I reach for. Continuing to age, this tobacco shines more and more. The sweetness continues through the bowl and offers sublime satisfaction. I really limit myself to the numbers of times I allow myself to enjoy this blend as somehow I have to make the limited tins in my cellar and this jar last a lifetime.

---- Original 2019-06-26 When I think of McC closing this is my biggest regret of not getting more in my cellar. Forget Frog Morton Series or whatever, I wish I had about 50 of these to keep me the rest of my smoking career

Great broken flakes, the famous McKetchup smell. Easy to rub out or just stuff in a big bowl. Not too much Nic hit, so you can smoke this one all day. It's not fancy, but man is it good....

Sigh.

Upon opening the tin, you are greeted with a wonderfully woody, earthy, fruity smell with a touch of the signature vinegar/ketchup smell that McClelland is famous for. Although this is purported to be straight red Virginia leaf there appears to be a lighter leaf present as well. The sugar content of Virginia tobacco, as with prior McClelland Virginia’s should allow this special blend to age and ferment extremely well. I was lucky enough to get my 1st can of this just prior to Mike and Mary closing up shop. As soon as I tasted my first bowl, I ordered several more which I am cellaring for as long as I can. It's sad to see such a great company with such wonderful blends close. I have prepared this in numerous ways, folding and stuffing, partly rubbed out and fully rubbed out. The flavor experience is slightly different for folded and stuffed which also tends to burn a bit cooler and slower (making it sweeter) but requires more relights. The tobacco itself has a slight moisture content but does not need any drying time. Smoking this straight Virginia is such a pleasure! Subtly sweet, medium body with fuller flavor compared to most other straight Virginias. Folding and stuffing also let you taste the nuances between the different color Virginias better than fully rubbing out. You get some citrus and grassy notes along with a little bit of spice added to the fruit, wood, and earth.