McClelland Christmas Cheer 2001

Tin: Initially mahogany; then dark brown and blonde mottled in a 7:3 ratio, pressed into a partly broken flake. Strong fruit, something akin to banana bread, sweet hay-oats smell; the typical McClelland ketchup/raisin odor is *not* present. After all these years sealed, it is still supple; it does not feel overly moist. Under sunlight, it sparkles with minute dots of sugar. The speckles of sugar were mistaken for mold until I read the reviews. Tin date: 072001.

Packing & Lighting: Takes 1 or 2 matches to get it lit, then it stayed all the way to the bottom. It really burns well. The only concern is the accumulation of condensate in the stem--the bowl remains absolutely dry--the stem has to off occasionally and condensate blown out. At one point, the unsealed tin, left in a room at 80 degrees, had light moisture on the inside of the lid.

Taste & Aroma: Light scented roasting fruit. It gets richer and deeper towards the bottom, adding a scented wood quallity. CC 2001 has quite a sweet taste. The aroma changes with the intensity at which it is smoked. Multiple bowls smoked back-to-back, does elicit minor bite or tongue tingle.

Nicotine: Between mild and medium

Room Note: A pleasant, mild, roasting fruit scent.

Overall: Now that's a sweet tobacco. I have to agree with Danno in the CC 1999 review concerning humectant and an unfamiliar flavor. I get get a consistent and disagreeable amount of tongue tingle(bite). Mparker, in their CC 94 review, lists a variety of flavors which I also found to be elicited, depending on the burn temp. of the tobacco. A leaflet inside the tin gives the rationale for the CC series and the method of making this 2001 blend, "...sun dappled Middle Belt orange leaf of the 1995 North Carolina crop..." 3.4 stars.

A limited tobacco and different every year...this year is quite good and tends to the richer veriginias. A worth while treat and since it is limited you may not be ble to find this year however do give it a try and you will be pleasently rewarded. Smooth and slow with unique sweetness. The tobacco used is of great quality and produces unique taste. Mery Christmas!

I got this as part of a pass and couldnt pass up on the chance to try some, the tin aroma was wonderful, rich musty-sweet virginia with less than normal McClellend Ketchup smell. the tobacco was mostly dark brown broken flakes which were a tad too moist and had to be dried out a bit, I packed it somewhat loosely into my new dark ringblast billiard, without braking up the flake any further.

It took to flame rather nicely and tamped down evenly and took only 2 relights too keep it going. The initial flavor is what remained throughout, rich sweet deep virginia, the consistancy didnt change much throughout the smoke, which may bore some, but which i found somewhat comeforting. I think this would make a lovely fall/wintertime smoke hence the name. I look forward to when i can grab a cople more tins of this one to smoke and one to age, and also to Christmas cheer 2002.

Overall i would rate this a 4.5 out of 5.

Highly reccomended.

Just cracked open a tin of this fine Virginia with 17 years of aging on it. With several bowls under my belt, it was time to add my two cents. A deep fruity aroma wafted up to me after that satisfying whoosh from a well fermented Virginia. The mostly broken flakes were light to medium reddish, with scattered sugar crystals. The frequently present ketchup odor was there, but dissipated rapidly. This blend smokes sweet and smooth, but really needs to be smoked slowly.

I’ve come to the conclusion that many of the varied reviews on Virginias (including this blend) reflect how the tobacco is smoked, as much as anything. Even I will find that if I absentmindedly puff too hard or rapidly, the tobacco loses a lot of flavor, and consequently, is not very enjoyable.

Smoked slowly, as this must, it’s a fine Virginia blend. Consistently mild and sweet, with a pleasing room note. Medium nic hit. Burns to a fine white ash, with little moisture.

I love Virginias, and this was my first experience with the Christmas series. I do recommend this tobacco for lovers of Virginias.

This is definitely a blend for the holidays - warm and spicy notes, without overpowering the natural sweetness and flavour of the Virginia. A great smoke in cold weather, but a little stifling in the summer. Like many Virginias, this one ages very well too. If you can get some, cellar it for a while.