McClelland Stave-Aged Virginia 35 Ribbon

Since trying Frog Morton's Cellar a bit ago, I decided to pick up a tin of this as well. Boy, am I glad I ever did. This is great stuff. I too thought it a bit of a gimmick, just to help in selling a new blend, but the cube of the barrel wood really does add to the flavor and room note of the Virginia nicely. This baccy does not even come close to biting and burns down to a nice ash at the bottom of the pipe. Recommended highly.

Ribbon cut of sandy brown through to black in color. Tin aroma reminded me of rum-raisin ice cream (bourbon-raisin?). Little oak smell as well from the bourbon-soaked chunk of oak that resides in the tin, black on on side. I was mildly intrigued but not overly optimistic.

Lights easily and stays lit. I did not dry this out but found that it smoked a bit better as it dried in the tin - subsequent bowls worked better than the first 3-4. The phrase "it's all in the snork" rang loudly true. This one came alive through snorking and I found myself doing so more often than usual. More savory than sweet, which surprised me, but still a hint of VA-with-bourbon sweetness at the rear. Up front was this very light but very wonderful spice note that was quite compelling. I can't help but wonder how this will age, and I'm going to buy more tins to find out! This is not quite up there with my favorites (yet) and I wouldn't call it a 4 star blend to my tastes (not quite!) but it's deserving of a taste test by anyone who's eyes aren't crossed by a little booze in their 'baccy. Doesn't unseat GLP's Haddo's Delight for me but it's a worthy blend that is quite tasty, if not the last word in complexity.

At first I thought the chunk of oak barrel was a bit gimmicky, but I really do believe it adds a nice woodsy, mild whiskey aroma to the room note. This is a delicious blend that I can smoke pretty much all day. The sweetness of the Virginia really shines in this one without bite.

A very delicious tobacco to say the least! I opened the tin and smoked away and it smoked wonderful! There was no bite, no continual relight, it was great straight out of the tin. I couldn't taste bourbon or whiskey but the tobacco has notes that you'll find in any whiskey. The notes compromised of raisin, vanilla, caramel and fig, all typical flavors that you'll find in a whiskey. By the way, the tobacco pairs wonderful with a porter or stout beer, especially one that has been oaked. I suggest you grab yourself your favorite porter/stout and enjoy this tobacco. If you don't enjoy aromatics, this might be for you because it doesn't smoke like your average aromatic. The flavor and topping are very light and the Virginias definitely make their presence known. I would say this tobacco is definitely worth the try to say the least.

This is a really wonderful light aromatic/Virginia crossover. As a lover of Frog Morton Cellar, I know what magic McClelland can do with their blends by the simply ingenious addition of a small block of wood from a bourbon barrel.

Upon opening my six year old tin, the soft aroma of bourbon wafted upwards, along with a gentle fruitiness from the finely cut Virginia ribbons. The cut, color, and mix of reds reminds me of Aurora.

This is, thank goodness, not a heavy aromatic. Easily packed, and lit, this tobacco delivers a gently sweet aromatic smoke from start to finish. Lite nic hit, great room note. Very much of an all day smoke. I started, as many pipe smokers do, focusing on aromatics, but have (for a while now), moved on to smoking mostly Virginias. These days, heavy aromatics no longer appeal to me. But as a “light aromatic,” this blend satisfies my love of Virginias with a reminder of how pleasant a soft aromatic can be.

Highly recommended, and a great introduction to Virginias if you are coming from a preference for aromatics.

Remember years ago when you bought that pouch of Borkum Riff Bourbon, fried your tongue and faced your first total disappointment in a tobacco? Well, this is your reboot. Tastes like Red Cake that's been stored in a tin with bourbon flavoring added. Except that of course, it's not really "flavoring" the way we normally think of it in tobacco, so I had to really debate my 'flavoring' rating. I put off trying this as long as I could, to let the 'barrel' do it's magic, and it certainly did. Highly recommended!

I loved this blend from the first bowl. Its tin aroma is wonderful, but only hints at how well it smokes. It is the driest, most even-smoking aromatic I have ever tried, with a rich and balanced feel and utterly satisfying flavor.

If all aromatics were this dry and flavorful, then I would smoke aromatics at least half of the time. I think the manner in which this tobacco is "cased" (by way of the small piece of whisky barrel stave in the tin), is pivotal in its success. The tobacco marries the stave's aroma in a very dry but thorough manner, leaving it so flavorful that I would list it as one of my top-ten favorite tobaccos.

This tobacco, much like their Tastemaster, is one of the many reasons why I love McClelland products. These aromatics are both on the dry side and smoke very cleanly. No ghosting results if one's pipe is properly maintained. Yet, flavor-wise, they are rich extremely enjoyable, and even offer a little complexity to keep your taste buds and mind stimulated.

with mostly reddish brown finely cut ribbons with some lighter brown shades and flecks of black thrown in for good measure. There was a chunk of bourbon barrel nestled inside like a hen’s egg in a nest. A slightly sour hit me initially, but a deeper smell brought bourbon and a hint of homemade hard cider. The moisture level was perfect for me, a little moist, but on the dryer side. The unlit sip brought a slight bourbon taste, and the charring light brought this same taste along with a sweet Virginia taste.

The overall smoke was of a caramelized sugary sweetness with bourbon overtones, and at times some slightly grassy undertones. It was good in every pipe I put it through, but it was really excellent in my meerschaums. The room note was pleasant and left the place smelling like toasted bourbon goodness. I could absolutely smoke this all day, and have. The finish was short, but the desire for another bowl hit me almost immediately each time. I guess I liked everything about this blend, and would recommend it to anyone. I would particularly recommend it to aromatic smokers looking to try some Virginia blends, and I think Virginia fans should try this blend at least once. I have definitely got a good supply of this in my cellar.

I can lie to my self if this a nice and great blend. A mature virginia staved is very great smoked in any of my pipes. The taste almost similar with Mac Baren Old Dark Fired, just little bit different at flavor. Is just a pleasant and wonderful smoke with citrus scent and the whiskey flavor just really great.

I just make a 3 layer packing into my pipe, at bent shape or straight shape i had tried both and i dont get any difficult to pack it well into my pipes. needs a good charring light to make it burnt well and keep the light well. Easy to draw and the smokes are quite great with increasing flavor and taste, i found a whiskey, citrus, and a thin soy bean flavor at the middle of the bowl. the smokes is cool and no tendency to get any bite at my tongue.