McClelland Christmas Cheer 1997
(3.38)
Hand-blended, premium pressed Virginia flake tobaccos. A fine vintage, naturally sweet, in limited quantity.
Notes: Produced in 1992, 1994-present in limited quantities. Tinned in July of the respective year.
Details
| Brand | McClelland |
| Blended By | McClelland Tobacco Company |
| Manufactured By | McClelland Tobacco Company |
| Blend Type | Straight Virginia |
| Contents | Virginia |
| Flavoring | |
| Cut | Broken Flake |
| Packaging | 50 grams or 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
Unnoticeable -> Overwhelming
Taste
Medium
Extremely Mild (Flat) -> Overwhelming
Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 Reviews
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Jul 05, 2017 | Medium | None Detected | Medium | Pleasant |
I picked up a few older CC's in an estate sale and wasn't going to smoke them for awhile but this tin was bulging to a disconcerting level so thought I'd crack it now. The tobacco was a deep gingerbread color with some lighter strands and the signature McClellands aroma was present in spades. As I've said before, it always tickles me when people complain about this and then don't dry out the tobacco to make it disappear. That's like complaining that they'd enjoy steak more if it wasn't so undercooked!
I smoked a bowl of this at tin moisture ( it was still quite moist) and got the expected steamy "meh" taste. This was best very close to crispy where it allowed the orange and red crisp flavors to shine. There was a very light citrusy flavor that was like an exclamation point to the deep tang offered by the orange-red crop. This is straight Virginia at its finest. I never got to smoke this version fresh so I don't know what 20 years has done to it, but I imagine it has aged magnificently. There were some darker fruit notes but mainly a wonderful bready quality with perhaps some more exotic flavors such as ginger, nutmeg and a light clove. This needed to be smoked slowly and, as always, benefitted from some snorking to bring out the full montage of flavors. Heavier puffing brought the fire and tongue sizzle, as well as a breakdown of the flavor. I stupidly smoked this entire tin and I don't expect to find another at a price I can afford, so it's literally up in smoke... and I enjoyed every puff! This rivals the 2005 crop for the best CC yet! But I still have a few more to sample.
I smoked a bowl of this at tin moisture ( it was still quite moist) and got the expected steamy "meh" taste. This was best very close to crispy where it allowed the orange and red crisp flavors to shine. There was a very light citrusy flavor that was like an exclamation point to the deep tang offered by the orange-red crop. This is straight Virginia at its finest. I never got to smoke this version fresh so I don't know what 20 years has done to it, but I imagine it has aged magnificently. There were some darker fruit notes but mainly a wonderful bready quality with perhaps some more exotic flavors such as ginger, nutmeg and a light clove. This needed to be smoked slowly and, as always, benefitted from some snorking to bring out the full montage of flavors. Heavier puffing brought the fire and tongue sizzle, as well as a breakdown of the flavor. I stupidly smoked this entire tin and I don't expect to find another at a price I can afford, so it's literally up in smoke... and I enjoyed every puff! This rivals the 2005 crop for the best CC yet! But I still have a few more to sample.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Nov 14, 2008 | Medium | None Detected | Mild to Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
A bowl of this starts out mellow, woody and leathery, giving way in fairly short order to a soft sweetness. The dominant impression becomes one of a spicy butter cookie flavored with anise or black licorice, with the occasional taste of a lemony frosting. The smoke is satisfying, with a good body, and it tickles the nose. The individual flavors vary in degree as they come and go, as if the tobacco is trying to express every possible combination of flavors as it is consumed.
It is sublime.
I should note that the contents of this tin of 1997 Christmas Cheer (stamped 071897) had been abused since the seal was broken almost ten years ago. The storage conditions were about as far from ideal as one can reasonably consider and the tin had rusted completely through in three spots. Yet after careful rehydration, this was still wonderful tobacco when smoked in October and November of 2008.
It is sublime.
I should note that the contents of this tin of 1997 Christmas Cheer (stamped 071897) had been abused since the seal was broken almost ten years ago. The storage conditions were about as far from ideal as one can reasonably consider and the tin had rusted completely through in three spots. Yet after careful rehydration, this was still wonderful tobacco when smoked in October and November of 2008.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 19, 2023 | Medium | None Detected | Medium | Tolerable to Strong |
I just opened a tin of this today, 4/2023. It's just another poke in the eye that I didn't fill a warehouse with McClelland VA flakes.
I hadn't smoked regularly for a number of years and just got back into the tins I'd saved. Some things just don't age well, but all the McClelland and PCCA VA flakes are just incredible. Nothing is really like them and the flavor just takes me back every time.
It's sad that McClelland is gone and it will be a sad day when my last tin is smoked.
I hadn't smoked regularly for a number of years and just got back into the tins I'd saved. Some things just don't age well, but all the McClelland and PCCA VA flakes are just incredible. Nothing is really like them and the flavor just takes me back every time.
It's sad that McClelland is gone and it will be a sad day when my last tin is smoked.
Pipe Used:
A variety
Age When Smoked:
26
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Oct 26, 2009 | Medium | None Detected | Medium to Full | Pleasant |
This was the first McC CC I purchased back in 1998. Boy I'm glad I added another 15 tins to the cellar!!
There are not many tobaccos I appreciate more that a good Orange Virginia, and this one is at the top of the heap.
Every year or so I pop a new tin, and am amazed each and every time with the progression of the fermentation going on in those tins.
If you are a VA fan, and love the orange citrus taste, fine and buy as many as you can!!
There are not many tobaccos I appreciate more that a good Orange Virginia, and this one is at the top of the heap.
Every year or so I pop a new tin, and am amazed each and every time with the progression of the fermentation going on in those tins.
If you are a VA fan, and love the orange citrus taste, fine and buy as many as you can!!
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