McClelland Christmas Cheer 2004

I love smoking Christmas Cheer, but hate reviewing it. I love the pure Virginias, and love McClelland, but have a hard time distinguishing among the 5-6 CCs I've tried. The only one I think I could pass a "blindfold test" with is the 2002, since to me it seems to be even purer and more austere of a "single malt" Virginia than the others I've tried.

No exception here. As I have come to expect with this series, a lovely, pure Virginia best suited for slow sipping. 2002 is my favorite so far, but only by a little. This one does seem to have a slightly fuller flavor to it than 2005, 2007, 2010, and certainly the very subtle 2002. Yes, maybe I could pass the blindfold test with this one, for different reasons than with the 2002, but 2005 and 2007 taste almost the same to me!

I've only tried CCs from the 2000s, though I do have a sealed tin of 1999 (don't think I'll crack it anytime soon, though I would like to try some of the older ones).

I have enjoyed many of the McClelland's Christmas Cheer tobaccos of years past. My 2004 vintage tin had aged a bit in my "cellar", and being in the mood for a pressed Virginia Flake, I grabbed it.

Well, one reviewer here claimed to know how best to smoke this flake to make it shine brightly. So, I gave it a try. I used a well broken in pipe, I rubbed the flakes out somewhat, and let the 'baccy sit for 20 minutes to dry just a little bit. Finally, I gravity fed the leaf into the pipe without much tamping down. Out came the Carona Old Boy and I set fire to the leaf which promptly released all kinds of wonderful flavors onto my tongue.

This one burned just a tad warm so, I smoked slowly. It is long on flavor and light on strength.

It's hard for a Texan to enjoy Christmas in July (Predicted high today in my neighborhood is 102 degrees), but Cheer '04 did the trick!

A great, great flake. I got the last tin at my tobacconist this past December '06 and I'm only a few short bowls away from never tasting it again here nearing the end of February 07. It will be sorely missed. If you like McConnell's Scottish Cake you'll love this stuff. I don't know why I'm even bothering to review it any more as I imagine most of the tins are sold out by now.

There's a solid flavor throughout, very woodsy and sweet, reminiscent of a campfire. I'm not too poetic when it comes to describing flavors sometimes, but I know that this is one of the best flakes I've had in my pipe, for whatever it's worth.

This is my favourite of the Christmas Cheers thru '05. It is a very sweet, almost tart and perhaps sharp Virginia. Brassy is a word I sometimes use. Grampa oftened complained if a tobacco was too "bright". I think possibly the terms are for the same concept. But everyone I ask thinks bright is a different thing than the next guy seems to think. Well, brassy is to me the ability to find that bit of bite, a sharp dose of tangy, that is your tongue warning you of a Va that would bite if you let it. And I think this is a bit brassy. A little brass is a good thing. I smoked this mildly and evenly and often. I smoked the first three tins of my original four tins without even realizing the risk. But I got back to town and got some more. I don't know what there is to not like in Christmas Cheer 2004. The stuff was ten yrs old before you ever got any - but age it if you like. If I have any left by the time '06 comes out it will be a miracle. If you have any left in ten years or so look me up.

I wish to respond to a few of the above reviews, as I've found that there is an art to preparing this flake before enjoying it's true bounty. Not that any of you are wrong, boys (at least, I think you're boys/men, not too many female pipe tobacco reviewers out there, seemingly ... ). Taste is such a personal thing; whether you enjoy the finest Balkan, or ground up hay soaked w/ cheap bourbon, is up the individual. That being said ...

First off, select a pipe that cools/softens the flavor -- it would seem that any Ashton or the right Dunhill would do the trick, to name a few possibilities. Or a long clay (Xmas Cheer was great in my new clay Dutch clay, bought here in NY at the historical Keene's Chophouse). Then, rub it out somewhat carefully/thoroughly, and let it sit for 20 minutes to dry just a little bit if you have a freshly-opened tin (unless you are in a very humid room/space--if so, skip that part). Finally, gravity feed without much tamping down. Gentle tamping can happen later once the blend is cooking right.

Smoke this baby easy & slow and she'll reward you big-time. Some of that magical VA 'toastiness' that I've come to look forward to is in there, as well as some fruitiness and spiciness; and after a somewhat harsh beginning, Xmas Cheer '04, like all the others I've tried in this series, rewards your patience and care.

As fears as McCellland virginias goes this is one is breed of a different color, you can actually feel the nicotine, there is a certain harshness to it that I'm going to refer,as character, it is almost a pretentious exercise in reviewing a blend that is no longer made but I will say this the virginias in this blend were top notch, the vinegar smell is completely gone and is easy to smoke just the right amount of Dottle.

The red Virginia is rather earthy, slightly grassy with a deep dried ripe, tangy dark fruit, bread, wood, a little tart and tangy citrus, sugar, and light spice. It’s more tart and tangy than usual. The "vinegar” smell and taste lasts longer than other years, and sublimates the tobacco flavor more than some other years. It’s not quite as smooth as it is in other years, but the rough edges are small. Won't bite or get harsh. The strength and nic-hit are a step past the center of mild to medium. The taste level is a slot past that mark. Needs a light dry time. Burns clean, cool, slow and moist with a very consistent flavor from top to bottom. Requires some relights, and leaves a little moisture at the finish. Has a lightly lingering, pleasant after taste and room note. Can be an all day smoke. Three and a half stars.

-JimInks

Chestnut brown broken flakes with the typical McClellands fermented Virginia tin nose. As this was a 1994 crop and now 20 years old, and since McClellands Virginias are world-renowned as especially fantastic when aged, I couldn't wait to fire this up!

Unfortunately, this one smoked with a bitter, tart flavor that I found objectionable. It came fairly dry and I tried it further dried out, at tin moisture, and I even hydrated it, which is usually the kiss of death for me with Virginia flakes (and indeed, hydrating made the tobacco worse). There was a nice tangy VA flavor underneath but it didn't prominently emerge until about the last 1/4 bowl. It DGT'd just fine but no improvements. Meerschaum or briar didn't matter. I got a flavor like the taste you get from tobacco juice when your tobacco is too wet and seeps into the mouthpiece, but this tobacco burned very dry. Not sure of the cause of this - bad tin, perhaps.

As with all the Christmas Cheers I've tried, this is a pure, natural and unflavored single crop tobacco. Unfortunately, this particular crop apparently doesn't agree with my tastebuds. I have another tin that I may experiment with later but for now, this one earns a mere 2 stars from me.

This blend didn't really do it for me at first. I could smell a bit of a cinnamon from the tin, but it tasted too tart (almost bitter) for my palate. After smoking about a third of the tin, I decided to stove it. The result was fantastic! It really matured the smoke, and the bitterness all but disappeared. If you didn't like it, stove it. You might be surprised.

I sampled a bit of this at a local tobacconist; He had an open tin. It?s a festive can, and the description of the contents courtesy of McClelland?s own extensive product brochure, makes this out to be a truly unique designer blend full of the most unique cuts of tobacco culled from a variety of vintages. Alas, it did nothing for me. The tin aroma is flat. The thick cuts of Virginia are broken into small, chunky bars. It?s not an easy slice to rub out, nor is it easy to pack. Like other experiences I?ve had with matured McClelland Virginias, it?s next to impossible to keep lit, requiring half a box of matches for one pipeful. The taste is static and doesn?t seem to develop into anything. I smoked about half the bowl, became disinterested, dumped it out and tried something else; Frog Morton Across the Pond, I think it was. Fortunately, Frog was magnificent and I?ve been hooked ever since. Cheer is a holiday gimmick with the kind of marketing hype one gets too familiar with at Yuletide. Save your money and buy something else.

Luckily, this blend, like Christmas, comes but once a year.

One of five stars