McClelland Anniversary 1977-2010

I toggle, since I am not a politician it is toggle. Flipflop is for congressional delegates. This is sometimes the very best tobacco I have ever had. Other times it is only very very very good. I love a tobacco with a modest dose of latakia. A little turkish is also pretty good in my book. And Virginia is a must. So how can a "two out three" be my favourite? Maybe that is why I toggle. Perfectly blended, perfectly balanced. Perfectly suited for me. I am glad to get a blend like this to have around, and I hope the continued issue is as good. All I have smoked so far is the special issue. Get this stuff and get plenty of it. Thank me with lavish gifts when you are old and the tobacco is old and you come to realize how valuable this advice was/

I can't say anything bad about this blend. It's a good smoke, but when the time comes to buy another baccy for my Ser Jacopo, I'm going to try something else. Anniversary is sweet with a hint of latakia. If you like virginias and latakia, but not too much of either, this is for you.

Drier than usual McCs, and dries faster in the tin. The Virginias may be of good quality , but the result is bland and they don't really shine, neither does the Latakia. Typical very light EM, one of those middle of the road efforts with little taste and no particular merits that don't belong to any of the two categories... Overhyped, to say the least.

I echo the comments made by some of the reviewers earlier that I appreciate McClelland's for everything they have contributed to the pipe smoking hobby. Perhaps I had my hopes up too high thinking that this would be a blend that would ecclipse other McClelland's blends in some fashion? I'm not sure, but Anniversary is a bit too mild for my taste. I like the company's blends that have a bit more tang and flavor. It is almost like McClelland's wanted to show that they could do something different with this blend. There is nothing wrong with Anniversary, but I would't rush out to buy any more than what I currently have. Now Pease's Stonehenge, that's another story!!!

Twenty-fifth Anniversary is for me an all time favorite. The rich blend of latakia and virginia tobaccos was just right. This is all to rare a blend. The pack and burn were perfect. Rich and smokey the blend was a delight to savor.

I especially enjoyed this in a meerschaum in the evening where I could relax and enjoy it. It has plenty of high notes. The strange, McClelland taste was in the background to be sure, but not as pronounced as in some blends, and I like it anyway. This is an excellent blend well deserved of its appelation. There are several tins of this stored away in the cellar.

After being cellared for about one year I decided that it was time to enjoy this much discussed blend from our friends in Kansas City.

I choose a vintage Savinelli Capri for this tasting, The Savinelli Capris are some of the driest and coolest smokes that I own.

After opening the tin, the first thing I noticed was that this blend did not have any of the common "acetic acid" aroma that I have noticed in freshly opened tins of other McClelland products. This may be a factor of cellaring; I have noticed that aged bulk blends of this maker also loose this smell over time.

Even though it is not mentioned in the tobacco description above, I can not help but notice some ribbon cut flue cured tobacco in the blend. This is mixed with a fully rubbed out Virginia Flake and dark ribbon cut tobaccos, some of which may be fire cured virginias and of course Latakia.

The blend loaded easily into the pipe. It is one of the few tinned tobaccos that are dry enough for me to smoke directly. A charring light took well and I was in business with the second match. One of the first things noticed was that the Latakia tasted more like a Syrian variety than the more "sweet" Cyprian variety usually found in McClelland mixtures.

This tobacco has more of the characteristics found in an English blend of decades ago and is reminisent of the original Scottish Rattray's I have been privy to. The tobacco would be ideal for many smokers all day blends, I found it just a little lacking in body. The flavor did not change at all from the first to the last puff, a rarity these days. All that was left in the bowl was some white ash and pleasant memories!

For my first review, I'm going to review one of the first "real" tobaccos I've had the pleasure to enjoy. Previous to Anniversary, I'd tried a few aromatics, but I was interested in trying an uncased blend, and this was suggested to me.

I liked it from the first, and, several months on, I still smoke it fairly regularly. It has a nice sweet tone to it, which seems to be perfectly balanced (at least to my admittedly inexperienced palate) with the nuttier Latakia. It packs easily, even for me, and smokes well. In some ways, it is similar to Frog Morton, although, of course, with a much lighter Latakia content and a more pronounced VA taste. It has sharper 'teeth' than FM, but it doesn't bite hard or easily, with some care.

Unlike some of the other McC blends I've since tried, it isn't overly moist; in fact, it seems to be a bit on the dry side, which I like. It also doesn't have quite as strong of a tomato-vinegar smell as some of the other McC's do, either, which, imo, is a Good Thing.

While I certainly like the taste, and consider it well balanced, I would not say it's complex, like one of the Pease blends. That isn't bad; sometimes I want fine Indian food, and other times I want a nice, rare steak -- but that doesn't mean one is bad, and the other good. Still, I'm more likely, now, to go for Samarra or Raven's Wing, yet there are still times when Anniversary is a comfortable, pleasant, and delicious experience.

I love the way the tin is packaged and presented. I found that it packed and lit well right after opening. It was a wee bit stronger on the Cyprian Latakia opening scent than I was lead to believe based on opening. However, while smoking the Virginia really came to the front and the Latakia stayed nicely in the background. I personally tend to prefer blends heavy on the Latakia side, but have come to really appreciate the subtle nuances one can obtain from a good Virginia blend. I felt this blend married both in a wonderful way. At the end of the day, I would recommend this blend to anyone, but especially to those that would like to try a bit of latakia without fully committing themselves. I would add this to my regular rotation, and have several stored away, however I got the impression, (and this could just be marketing), that it would be limited, hence the only reason that I categorized it to only smoke occasionally. I highly recommend that you buy this while available, and hope that I am wrong and they continue to market this blend.

What can I say, it's absolutely terrific! From the very first time that I smoked this I thought it was terrific. I smoke this occasionally in a Sasieni Richmond, the same pipe that I use whenever I experiment with different tobaccos. Has a nice bowl and I'm partial to bent pipes anyway. I would most definately recommend this to anyone that likes Virginias and even those who don't care for them, it's a most welcome change from the same old same old. On a scale from 1 to 10, I would give it a 9.5. Happy Smoking!