McClelland Christmas Cheer 2000

I place McClelland's 2000 Christmas Cheer in the same group as PCCA's Millenium. Orange/Red VA's just don't get any better than these.

A soft, round VA with plenty of tang - not weak mind you - and possesing that light sweet creaminess of a premium VA.

A broken flake that does burn better when fully rubbed out.

I have tried many a straight VA and VA dominant blend (being a huge VA fan myself).

This blend - for my tatstes and opinion - I confidently declare,,,

The perfect VA!!!!!

Love it!!!

Merry Christmas all.

I fear this is a repeat of Sceny's review back in '02, so this does not change much over the years; however, it did not turn very "dark" at the end of the bowl which is a plus in my book.

This is a very refined pressed/broken flake blend of sweet red Virginia that has mellowed well in the tin. (Purchase date 10/02) The sugar content is low enough not to cause an undo amount of tongue bite. CC 2000 is a pure delight to smoke on particularly cool days. I can smoke this bowl after bowl and find all kinds of sweet citric notes with volumes of smoke that I just want to waft into the nostrils to tickle my senses. If you can find a tin of this delightful mixture, enjoy!

Packing is easy, just crumble some in a pinch and stuff it into the pipe. Of course leave some spring to it, but if you don?t, no fear because upon lighting it springs up and with a couple firm lights it burns right to the bottom with a fine grey ash.

Looks like all the other CC's in the tin but this one has a HUGE fermented tin aroma that translates to ketchup or vinegar to some folks. If you don't like that smell, stay far away from this one. Or just dry it out to diminish the aroma and augment the flavors.

As always, I smoked a bowl of this at tin moisture and, as always, it was ok but not great. Properly dried out, this one was interesting in that it was one of the smoothest and cleanest smoking of all the CC's. There was the usual hit of tanginess from the orange/red and an occasional light spiciness and fruitiness but overall this was remarkable for its lack of complexity and it's seamless, top-to-bottom, single bolt of cloth flavor. Smooth! Very little in this tobacco called attention to itself. It was like the Velvet (OTC tobacco) of the Virginia world but with higher quality leaf. This is a sit back and relax while reading a book tobacco. You won't miss a word because of pondering the tobacco. And that was it's downfall for me. Don't get me wrong - this is still a 4 star blend, but it's not something I'd smoke a lot of, even if I had a lot of it to smoke. No jump factor. No heavy complexity, although it had a lot of depth. It just wasn't exciting enough for me. But of all the CC's I've smoked (and I still have 3 to go), this one was one of the most different from the pack. For those that think they all taste alike, try this one if you can find some.

Was just gifted a generous sample of the 2000 vintage from a friend. This vintage is 17 years old this year.

The Virginias have just aged so well. There's nothing at all negative about this tobacco. Sweet and tangy, toasty from age and mellowed substantially smoother than this varietal is when fresh. Not much more you can really say in terms of flavor. It's the ultimate Virginia smoke and it makes my mouth water from the richness.

Well, the long wait is over: after more than 12 months of anticipation, on December 25th at 11:30 am, I cracked open my first tin of Year 2000 Christmas Cheer. What could be better than smoking well-aged Virginia tobacco, on Christmas day, in my new Tinsky Christmas 2001 pipe?? Very little, indeed: the wait was well worth it. This is, hands down, the finest Virginia flake I have ever smoked. The aroma on popping the lid is heavenly. It is immediately obvious that this is a McClelland Virginia, but the most delicious such I have ever smelled. There are sharp, tangy, and sweet notes, all overlaid with that classic vinegar aroma. Unlike some other McClelland flakes, however, it remains fairly mellow in tone, with round, mature undertones balancing everything perfectly. I could just sit and inhale this all day. The flake is partially broken but still mostly whole, medium in length and average in cut width. The tobacco?s color is mainly mottled dark brown, with a few stripes of lighter leaf providing a visually pleasing contrast. The moisture level is medium to somewhat high, making the flake soft but not sticky. A fan of C&D or GLPease tobaccos may wish to rub this out and let it sit prior to smoking. The flake does rub out easily, making packing via this method not overly difficult. I, however, prefer to smoke the flake as-is, the extra effort in loading a bowl being well worth it for me. As a straight flake, lighting is initially challenging, requiring (at least in my case) several matches and repeated strong puffing. Once lit, however, the tobacco burns very well, requiring a minimum of relights, straight to the bottom. The first 1/3 of a bowl is as varied as the tin aroma: bright, sweet, and complex. The sweetness is dominant, but so well blended that I almost forget it?s there at times. The smoke is overall much smoother than that of most VA flakes, totally bite-free and with only hints of sharpness. The overall effect is ?brown?, about as far from boring and one-dimensional as possible. There is a bit of moisture at the start, but a pipe cleaner or two is all that is required to clear it up. Into the second third, the disparate flavors continue to meld and interact, eddies of higher and lower notes mixing together in near-perfect harmony. The blend has become deeper in taste, though still staying far away from English/Latakia darkness; and the sharper tones have completely mellowed into the overall flavor. I have noticed no further moisture, and the smoke is still remarkably bite-free. If you have problems with McClelland Virginia blends attacking your tongue, I certainly recommend you try this. In the final third, the flavor has become darker yet. The wonderful complexity remains, smooth and balanced on the palate, the subtle interplay of notes requiring the smoker?s full attention to appreciate. It is a surprisingly satisfying smoke, rich enough for after dinner yet smooth enough for an all-day blend. This is an obviously high-quality, fully mature tobacco, with none of the usual McClelland problems. It smokes clean, dry and good straight to the bottom of the bowl. Overall, what more can I say? This is the best McClelland Virginia flake I have ever had the pleasure to smoke. I am very glad I waited to try it; the benefits of aging are readily apparent here. I highly recommend this, and am sorry only in that I stocked but two tins when it was available.

Alright so I will be totally honest here. I have always been and will always be a VA smoker first and foremost. I just opened this tin from 2000 and it's from the 96 crop. This stuff has a bit of age on it and I really like it. Very smooth with all the wonderfull taste. no it's not as in your face as a tin of the 08 is but that is not the point when opening an aged tin. This stuff is easier to smoke and you do not have to worry one bit about tongue bite. not one little bit! so good. IMO worth every penny of the $40 price tag I see around. I would recomend buying two or three of each year as they come out and lay them back. Buy some FVF too. Age it and enjoy!

There's not much to add after the other fine reviews. This is simply one of the absolute best VA flakes I have ever smoked. It's a light to medium bodied virginia (broken) flake with plenty of natural sweetness. I've just finished off another tin and have only one more aging, which makes me sad. All of the Christmas Cheer offerings are excellent, so pick some up, let them age, and enjoy!

According to McC, this is an orange-red flue cured VA from a 1996 crop harvested near Danville.

I purchased a 100 gram tin 4 years ago and opened it several months ago. This is a fantastic tobacco and i will buy all the Christmas Cheer I can find here in Canada of any vintage year. I have only enough left for one more pipeful. I noticed that some reviewers said it was costly. I would like to say that if they would buy it in Canada they would have a real understanding of the cost if they could even locate a tin! I paid $30.00 for my tin 4 years ago - plus tax. I just located a tin (2006) vintage, and the price is $50.00 plus tax! Now that is costly. I will buy it, because a great tobacco is priceless. I would love to hear feedback on this. The way things are going now, my tobacco collection is surpassing the price of my pipe collection which includes Dunhill's, Cooke and other fine pieces.