McClelland Christmas Cheer 2006

NATURAL TOBACCO FLAVOR, DRIED FRUIT,SWEET

This blend makes me want to change all my other reviews to less- I have never bought McClellands Christmas Blends (The best of the year of processing-in this case I believe 1999) Its SMOOTH, woodsy, and ever so slightly sweet. BUT ITS NOT WHATS THERE!! ITS WHATS NOT THERE!!! ABSOLUTELY NO FOUL AFTERTASTE, No Asheyness, No Sourness, None of the bad ciggarette like whangs that appear transiently in other VA blends...

I must say, I have yet to find a bad can of McClelland.

several tins later, MAN this is the BEST VA!! Its so smooth, yet packs a nice whack of nicotene!

Many, Many tins later- some tins are smokier than others...or i burned out my taste buds....

It took me a few bowls of this to realize that it needs to be dried a bit before packing. It bit quite a bit if I didn't dry it out first. This is my first vintage of the X-mas Cheer, but I do have a few other years cellared. Smoked slowly, this is a great VA blend. Cheers to McClelland!

Well, what's not to like about Xmas Cheer 2006?. It has tremendous flavor for the most part. I cracked a tin a year ago and smoked half of it, jarring the rest. Testing the remainder over the holidays, I find it to have a hint of a soapy taste at first light that I didn't notice in the past. It does settle down through the smoke however.

I love the sweetness of a straight McClelland Virginia. This is tangy-sweet but can bite if aggressive. I believe I still prefer the overall taste of Dark Star and 2035 to this blend.

I actually find the cut of this blend more difficult to work with than Dark Star and 2035. You know up front that you have to prep the Dark Star and 2035. I try to smoke Xmas Cheer as it is and as a consequence it is more difficult to keep burning.

I have three more tins in the cellar along with some other vintage. Perhaps I will update later.

as always since 2000 at lease i have purchased 2 tins of the 2006 vintage for Christmas. I always sample a bowl or 2 from one tin and then let the rest age. 2006 for me is very similar to the 2005 vintage. The cut is small flakes which are much better than the larger flakes from the 90's tins. This one did not bite me as much either. I only mention the bite factor because i have a tin of 1998 that still bites like an inferno everytime. Dont hesitate to purchase vintage 2006 if you have enjoyed 2005 .

This blend is not as sweet as some of the other Christmas Cheers that I have tried. It burns very nicely and is an all around great smoke. It has a tangy, earthy and almost cinnamon taste to it. It smokes very cool, and does not bite. The room note is not as good as some VA blends but is completely natural. Although not as good as some of the earlier Christmas Cheers, with some aging it will smooth the edges out and be a very fine smoke.

I am sure proud of these tobaccos. I get lots of it every year. I like this one a lot, as usual, but I am cautioned a bit by one little nuisance item. It is hard to tame - a real mouth-biter. All young Va can be - so I am not scared - plus it will cellar well. The taste is great - pure and really sweet. I have been smoking the tin since Christmas and like it better every time. It does seem pretty similar to a couple of other red virginia Cheers, unsurprisingly. I expect this to be a clear winner when it has aged a bit more and I apply a little patience in method.

Cheer '06 is my first go at McClelland's vintage Virginia flakes. The tobacco itself is very appealing, with medium browns and some bright stripes. The flakes are nearly square and about 1.25 inches long. The tin aroma has less A1 Steak Sauce ambience than the usual McClelland offerings. This is a naturally sweet smoke with less than the usual VA bite. About as smooth and tasty a VA as I've had in the past three decades of piping, with layers of nuance. Easy light and even burn all the way down. This is a pricey blend, and I'm not sure that it is cost-justified for my tastes. It is excellent, but there are other excellent VAs available that cost less. For me, the vintage approach toward blends is not worth the extra price. For this reason, I've got to take one star away, despite this being a wonderful smoke. If you don't mind paying the premium, and appreciate matured VAs, you're almost certain to enjoy this vintage Cheer.