McCranie's Red Flake, vintage 1983

(3.70)
Red Virginia from a special allotment of a 1983 crop North Carolina leaf. Packaged with a light vacuum seal, it will continue to mellow with age.

Details

Brand McCranie's
Blended By McClelland Tobacco Company
Manufactured By McClelland Tobacco Company
Blend Type Straight Virginia
Contents Virginia
Flavoring
Cut Flake
Packaging 50 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
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Unnoticeable -> Overwhelming
Taste
Medium
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Extremely Mild (Flat) -> Overwhelming

Average Rating

3.70 / 4
16

3

0

1

Reviews

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Displaying 1 - 10 of 20 Reviews
Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
May 13, 2017 Medium None Detected Medium Pleasant
The deep rich red Virginia provides a lot of tangy, ripe dark fruit with a touch of fermentation, a lot of earth, wood, some breadiness, and a touch of spice. It’s a tad stronger and richer than the 1983 ribbon version. The strength and taste levels are medium. The nic-hit is just past the center of mild to medium. Won’t bite or get harsh, and is slightly less smoother than the ribbon version. May need a light dry time. Burns cool, clean and slow with a very consistent flavor that sports a little softness. Leaves little moisture in the bowl, and requires some relights as flakes will need. Has a pleasantly lingering after taste and room note. Can be an all day smoke.

-JimInks
6 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
May 05, 2015 Mild to Medium Mild to Medium Mild to Medium Very Pleasant
I smoked one bowl of this and fell in love. The taste the smoke gives throughout the smoke is incredible and leaves a pleasant aftertaste. I immediately purchased the current vintage of this tobacco and hope to store it as long as possible before smoking...going to be hard as I loved it so much.
Pipe Used: Unmarked pipe from Italy
PurchasedFrom: N/A
Age When Smoked: 32 years
2 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Mar 10, 2015 Mild to Medium None Detected Mild to Medium Tolerable
I got two tins each of this and the 1983 Red Ribbon from a private party for a pretty reasonable cost. The oldest tin was from 1994, so that's what I'm reviewing here. I smoked it in the first few months of 2015, so the leaf was 32 years old, and it had been in a sealed tin for 21 years.

There was a lingering scent of McClelland-style fermentation here. My leaves were loaded with plume. I tend to rub my flakes out fully. The smoke was deep and pleasingly sweet, and I'm not one for overly sweet tobacco. There was a cedar wood note drifting in throughout the note. There was a bit of tang, too, like there often is with red Virginias. The flavor intensified as it burned, but never got above pleasantly mellow.

This wasn't an especially complex blend, but it was definitely pleasing. I'm looking forward to smoking lots more of this.
Pipe Used: Mostly an old Comoy billiard
Age When Smoked: 21 years
2 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Mar 18, 2011 Medium None Detected Medium Pleasant
The tin is dated 10899 just opened it last night and rubbed it out. My initial impression is a good flavor with nice burning qualities. It left a great ash and clean bowl in the Savinelli. It has sweetness right from the start and burns evenly, it does dry my mouth a bit but no tongue bite. The flavor gets deeper with coffee undertones that add's to the smoke. The aroma is good and it's not real smokey when lit. A very nice virginia that took way to long to get to in my stash. Like I have said I had dropped my pleasure of the pipe for quite awhile but I'm happy to be back I never realized how much I missed them.
2 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Aug 22, 2009 Medium None Detected Medium Pleasant
Well, I finally won a tin of this on Ebay-pretty cheap, considering; and I must conclude that it is all that it is made out to be. I got the 1983 version, tinned in 1999 with the McClelland code on the bottom of the tin. I would not go spending exorbitant amounts of money on it, since there are other good tobaccos out there. The tobacco has held up well, still a bit moist and needing to be dried out. It is mellow and amazingly complex. It gets better toward the end, like any decent Virginia, and what else can I say? It's just great natural Virginia tobacco. I will try to make my little tin last.

Update 3-31-10: Still have a lot left of the tin, since I only allow myself to smoke a small bowl of it once in a while. It's late, I'm bored, and I'm having a little bowl in my trusty Jobey author (Stromboli 200) which, ironically, I bought at McCranies. This is a tobacco which requires one's full attention. A single malt among Virginias (but there are other McClellands which fit this description). Get some if you can, I can definitely say it is worth the $30 I paid, or more.
2 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
May 20, 2008 Medium None Detected Full Tolerable
Red Virginias don't get redder than this. And it's a complex, sweet, mellow, lacking tongue bite... sublime Virginia. This blend hits the zone for me 90% of the times. I smoke others Virginias just because I love variety and in sake of perspective.

If you love HOtW, you've really got to try this.
2 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Oct 15, 2003 Medium None Detected Medium Pleasant
Sad news, folks...McCranie's Red Flake from that famous 1983 crop is no more. Yep, they finally ran out and the original Red Ribbon is gone too.

If you do manage to scarf a tin of the original 1983 crop of Red Flake from eBay or elsewhere, you will be rewarded with a rich and creamy taste that just cannot be duplicated.

There is now a new version available (made from an exceptional 1996 crop, I believe.) It is somewhat moist in the tin, rubs out easily, and will offer a wide range of wonderful flavors as you work your way down the bowl -- but take heed, smoke slowly or suffer a bitten tongue because Red Flake will bite if puffed with too much enthusiasm.

This Red Virginia reminded me greatly of the late, lamented Original McCranie's Red Flake. More "tang" though, and down a peg on the flavor meter than the original version. Still, your palate will be satisfied and it does leave your pipe smelling tartly sweet. Because I find so much potential in this one, I have ordered a few more tins for the "cellar," and will revisit this new found friend a few years down the road. A little more age and I suspect it'll truly be yummy
2 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Jan 29, 2002 Medium None Detected Medium Pleasant
A nice red Va cake, with the usual McClelland ketchup aroma when you open the can. Rubs out easily to any desired degree, packs and lights well. Flavor is typical red Va., full and sweet wih wide range of high and middle notes. Easy to keep it cool, once he excess moisture has been aired out. Not significantly better than McC bulk #5100 (although that's not a flake).
2 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Oct 27, 2009 Medium Extremely Mild Medium to Full Pleasant
God, i love this stuff! Sweet, zesty, tangy and yet with a bottom depth. I originally had 40 tins of this, i am now down to my last. i just cant stop smoking this. one of the best.by far the best vintage McCranies put out, far better than the 2000 crop which is sprayed and sauced. this is natural and delicious.
1 person found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Aug 09, 2009 Medium None Detected Medium to Full Pleasant
This is another amped up version of McClelland 5100, but by far the best! It has all the makings of an excellent VA with subtleties that are brought more in the forefront by pressing the tobaccos into a flake. This is my new absolutely favorite VA blend. I cant say enough about how much better having this in a flake makes this blend. This is a must try!!!
1 person found this review helpful.
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