McClelland 40th Anniversary

I bought 2 tins of this last August, and was enjoying the "clinking" sound it made when I gently shook the can. It promised a high-sugar smoke. That aside, I broke open a tin last Sunday. The aroma was unlike other MC blends with only very little of the "ketchup" and fairly sweet. It's cut into 1/2 x 2 inch slices that rub out pretty easily. As for the smoke, I have to say here that it was bland, and I didn't get any other taste all the way down the bowl. Surprising. I will say it takes first prize in mildness - no bite or harshness at all. I'll have to work on this blend a while and see what, if anything, develops. Otherwise, this didn't do much for me.

Just as there are some va/per that enter my rotation as virginias, the reverse also happens, that there are some tobaccos made up of red virginias that, due to their flavor profile, enter my rotation almost as if they were va/per. This is one of them. It's fine and smooth, yet savory and fruity, in the style of McCranie's red virginias, like Red Ribbon. At some moments towards the middle of the pipe, it also provides slight toasty nuances. It burns well and evenly, without the need for more than average relighting. It does not bite the tongue even when rushed, nor does it produce moisture.

In my opinion, one of the best Virginias to come out of the McClelland Manufacture, which is saying a lot, and certainly one of the best Virginias I've been lucky enough to smoke...

In my mind this is one of the best McClelland VA's. Depending on the day, I think this one edges out all the Christmas Cheer offerings I've tried (barring the very heavily aged offerings). Somewhat complicated smoke and one that gets better and better throughout the bowl. The reds definitely play a dominant role but not so much to be one dimensional. If I didn't have so little of this left, I could see this being an all day smoke. This tobacco will get much better the longer it ages. So sad to see these great blends discontinued. Enthusiastic 4/4 stars.

This tin is from 2017 and now 6 years old. I get the "McC" ketchup and barbecue essence in the tin and then a little in the smoke. There is a rich tang and robust fruit in the taste, followed with a mellow earthiness and a backdrop of a woody scented vinegarette taste. The strength is mild to medium, lights well but one must sip this gem slowly or may get tongue bitten or "leathertongued".

Spoiler Alert: This is absolute gold standard for Red Virginias! It's that good... Couldn't believe I hadn't reviewed this already.  Regardless, with that out of the way, let's get into it.

Presentation: McClelland's tin artwork is a thing of beauty. Comes in a distinct blue labeled tin with their trademark whale on the front. Beautiful to my eyes. Comes in a chunky flake format to boot. Second to none IMO. Nothing I would change there as I prefer flakes to almost any other tobacco production style.

Tin Note: Slightly Vinegary, but sweet upon opening the tin and the vinegar smell is in the Forefront initially. After the blend has been opened and has time to air out while in a jar or remaining in the tin itself, the sweetness takes Center Stage. Very appealing to nose.

Smoking Mechanics: Needs very little dry time. Basically ready to go out of tin, but anywhere from 5 to 15 minutes may be preferable to you. Much more than that and it gets to crispy and loses flavor IMO. No bite whatsoever. Smokes well, burns well, and leaves a fine white ash in the bottom of the bowl when finished with it. High quality all around.

Taste: Doesn't have near the vinegar taste that other McClelland Virginias do. Quite different from Christmas Cheer for example. I was initially surprised by that because I thought they'd be similar. It's very smooth and mellow. Very smooth. Like a 25-30 year old scotch. Not in taste, just for comparison purposes smoothness wise. My dad, who is 67 and used to smoke a pipe and then went to cigarettes, says that this is the smoothest tobacco he's ever had.  He's smoked for 50 years now. Moving on, what very little vinegar taste is there at the beginning, quickly fades to zero within 5 minutes or under. Hints of brown sugar, molasses, and baked bread appear as you work down the bowl. The sweetness builds as you go, but never gets "overly sweet" (if that's a thing) either. Very consistent and that's a good thing. Unbelievablely enjoyable to smoke. The most enjoyable for me, personally.

Conclusion: This is without a doubt my top pipe tobacco of all time. Top shelf Virginias that are amazingly smooth and consistent. I don't think you'll find a finer Virginia tobacco than this. I *try* to save it for special occasions because I want to have tins to cellar and smoke down the road, but I find it hard to do so. This will be a cellaring dream too! In short, I know it's very difficult, if not impossible to find, and expensive to boot, but it's a once in a lifetime tobacco for me. I recommend picking up a tin, if you're able, just to try it and smoke it sparingly once you do. I guarantee you won't regret it unless you don't like Virginias to begin with or don't know what a quality one tastes like, but even if you don't, you still might like this top notch, world class, blue ribbon tobacco. A+ Enjoy Fellas, this ones a beauty....