McClelland Beacon Extra

Smells more like good ol GA BBQ than anything else, but I attempted to smoke on anyway. Yummeh! About the fifth puff I knew I had a winner! Flavors of rich VA just kept on coming with the perique perfectly, almost harmoniously, swirling about. An amazing blend with a bit of the vitamin N. Spicy foods will not overpower this blend and the room/porch note is deep, rich, and quite enjoyable. Almost 4 stars. Dang near perfect!

This tobacco came tinned and had 139 09 stamped on the bottom , leading me to believe this was from the original club release. I have had this stuff since 2011 when I purchased it from iwan ries in Chicago.

The tin aroma is deep and fermented, like many McVirginias. The typical vinegary ketchup aroma graces these dark chocolate brown broken flakes of various sizes. The heterogeneity of size in flakes helps in either packing or rubbing out the perfect amount. This stuff rubbed out easily in my opinion, and dries out well enough to smoke within several hours. This stuff does get better and better the longer the tin is open. The aroma is light tobacco, and is very faint and inoffensive to others.

This stuff is a bit difficult to light, but rewards the palate with rich mature VA flavor. There are toasty bread like notes that swirl with dry hay. The VA is quite sweet on the tip of the tongue with each puff, and is quite pleasant, leaning toward fruity at times. The perique adds little to the fruitiness IMO but does add to some notable pepperiness in the nose on the retrohale. This definitely is quality tobacco, and I can easily appreciate the high marks this one gets. Much better than many other VAPers on the market, and quite approachable with regards to strength and nicotine.

Opening the tin provides just a hint of the McC ketchup but it fades pretty quickly. The flakes are dark brown to black and rather moist. This and their thickness made the initial light a bit difficult since I don't rub out my flakes. However, minimal relights were needed. Smoked cool and smooth with a rich taste. It's pretty heavy with perique and about @ my limit. Even got a + on the room aroma from my wife and that doesn't happen often. An enjoyable smoke for those that like perique blends.

I'm all about variety, I'm all about quality and my palate is wider than many. Tobacco moisture, tongue bite, mood, smoking circumstances and other controllable variables won't be covered. This review is based on multiple bowls over time.

I can't beat the high praise that precedes this. I wanted a full Perique blend that really let me know it was there. This blend does that, but with a soft hand.

Wonderful leaf; this is an excellent tobacco.

A very potent Perique /Virginia blend. Maybe the most perique heavy of any Va/per on the market. So if you like Perique, this is for you. Now I quite liked Beacon but Beacon Extra is pretty much a superior blend. It reminded me of C&D's Bayou Morning Flake...but without any harshness that the latter can have and with a lot more natural sweetness. This is smooth start to finish. The virginias are not absent in the taste department, though. Stoved...pretty much like several other McClelland flakes (Blackwoods, Dark Star...not quite that much, or Pebblecut). The nic hit is a touch past medium, but always smokes cool. Its a very habituating blend. And maybe of all straight-up Vapers, this has the most natural sweet undertones. I cant think of another Vaper that is this good. Others....say Reiners Long Golden Flake...might be as tasty, but they are lighter in character (and Reiners has a bit of burley I believe). Think St James Flake on steroids.

VaPer heavy on the perique, that is something I tend to enjoy. It is rich and full and offers upp good smoking mechanics (a few relights will suffice), but I can not really get around the tomato flavour. Many have mentioned this "ketchup" taste of McClelland's and now I have experienced it for myself, it is not to my liking. It fades a bit throughout the bowl though, and the last third or so is very good. Medium strength.

Conclusion: Fine leaf, good burn, nice strength but not really to my taste. Would not pass on a bowl, but would not buy myself.

I find Beacon Extra (BE) to be one of the top VaPers. It is Medium on the Perique but allows the Virginias to play a major roll. I really like McClelland Virginias as they get a zing from their "Vinegar" processing , I call it McVV, a sweet & sour taste. This has the same McVV taste but with very high quality, mature Virginias used. This has no bite, is smooth, high "N" and is very similar to "St. James Woods", so much so I had to try a side by side taste test. Even side by side, it was almost impossible to distinguish any difference except maybe a touch more Perique in the BE and a touch smoother . I would rate SJW=8 and BE=10, I would buy BE again except that the SJW comes in a 100gram tin that I can get a price break over the 50 gram tin of BE. Price wins !

Outstanding VaPer for those who enjoy more than just a condimental pinch of Perique. As with pretty much every McClelland blend I've tried, the Virginias are of excellent quality. Deep, rich and naturally sweet. Notes of rasins/figs with just the right amount of spice from the Perique. Dispite being more Perique-forward, this blend is remarkably well balanced. Fantastic smoke right off the bat but ages beautifully!

I opened a tin of approximately year-old Beacon Extra a few weeks ago, and have been meandering through it.

The nose at opening is firmly vinegary and ascetic, as per McC signature, with a blast of fermented fruit and pepper. Heady stuff at first, but after a week or so, things recede a bit, and what is left are tangy, vinous notes. Delicious sniffing, if you like that sort of thing.

The flakes are quite moist, and rub out easily, into something resembling chipped beef - another McC trait. These light easily enough in the pipe, and first impressions are very peppery, especially through the nose. There are sweet notes from the virginias, but this is a blend that is primarily intended to show off the virtues (or deficiencies, depending on your tastes) of perique. The pepper mellows as you work your way down a bowl, but is never hesitant.

BE, as others have noted, is pretty bold for a McC blend, and is of decent strength. I actually prefer plain ol' Beacon, as it seems more integrated and less a one-note affair. I'd like to try this again in 5 years, so my remaining tins are going into storage.

Worth a look for those who dig on perique and like the McC virginia flavour profile.

3 stars, I reckon.