McClelland Christmas Cheer 2013

I am not a dedicated VA smoker, I probably smoke va and va/per's only slightly more than I smoke aros so maybe, *maybe* two, three times a month.

I had never had a McClelland tobacco and when I started, a certain online retailer had tins of this particular blend on sale, I decided to pick up a tin and hold onto it.

Come Christmas 2014, I decided to crack it open and I am absolutely amazed. Here it is in March and I'm still enjoying small bowlfuls of this incredible tobacco. I can't really compare it to any other virginias that I've had, it's a whole other flavor and compared to many other virginias that I've had, it has a thickness, a real richness that I've never found before. Rich and mildly sweet smoke, a smoky/sugary smell in the tin, and a room note that is phenomenal.

So yeah, I absolutely love this, and have already started looking at McClelland blends to add to my longterm storage.

I had finished my tin of CC 2013 a while ago and had not added my thoughts on it. I guess my thoughts are not too different than my thoughts on the the 2012 CC which I found to be fantastic thus necessitating my purchase of the 2013 and now the 2014. I have been buying two tins each year. One to smoke and one to cellar.

I have also been trying to buy some of the older editions which have been going for a lot of money on ebay as of recent. I did happen to snag a few tins of the 2009 at a reasonable price and plan to smoke that in 5 years. The demand for these old tins signal what you are getting when you buy a tin of Christmas Cheer. You are getting the finest Virginia produced by a company known for its great Virginias.

Of Course if you are one of those who thinks, Eww, Ketchup, then please avoid this blend as it has that in spades. Also, if you are looking for cinnamon and fruit cakes, this is not that kind of Christmas blend. The only thing Christmassy about this blend is the santa in the insert, the color, the name and the fact that it comes once a year.

It is excellent.

I have the pleasure this Christmas Eve of 2022 of smoking some of this fine tobacco gifted to me by a friend. Writing this more as a journal entry as no doubt you’re familiar with Christmas Cheer. Rubbed out fully, a few lights to get her started but once lit and tended to she burned well.

Thick chunks of broken flakes, still fairly moist and soft, some dusting going on, and of course translucent crystals. The ketchup tangy vinegar fermentation smell of McClellands Virginia tobacco is apparent.

The taste is tart, sweet, hay, bread, fermentation. Reminds of me of a lemon tart. The citrus sour lemon with the semi sweet bready crust. Smooth. No grassy harshness on the retrohale. It’s rich in flavor but milder in mouth feel. Nic hit appears fine for me in the morning with coffee, medium at most. An absolute treat of a pure Virginia and in my few years of pipe smoking experience Virginias don’t get better than this.

Are these old canisters of McClelland tobacco worth the price these days? Is a bottle of 15 or 20 whiskey worth it to you? If you got the dough to smoke why not. It’s as fine as you’ll get.

Dear McClelland, I'm sorry for taking you for granted all these years. You made many of my favorite blends, and yet I never seemed to give you the praise you deserved while you were with us.

Your 2013 Vintage Christmas Cheer was opened that same Christmas Eve, and was lovely. And then I tossed it in my cellar only to forget it existed. Now that you're gone, I scoured my entire house/garage for any of your lovely tins. And there I found the 2013 Christmas tin, now with over 4 years of age.

Smoking it in my Peterson Meerschaum right now is an absolute delight- lightly tangy and sweet, no bite, no spice. Baked sweet pastries glazed with sugar cane syrup and a touch of creamy marshmallow. I am going to savor every last flake.

Ah but isn't that life? You never know when something or someone is going to disappear forever. Enjoy it while you have it and be grateful for the experience. I will never forget you.

I just cracked the 2013 CC tin I purchased two years ago on Sunday night and have just finished my 4th bowl. Some serious drying was needed In order to stuff a pipe with the thick and meaty flakes. Although not an aromatic, CC has all of the allspice, nutmeg and various other Christmassy tastes and aromas which are the result of top shelf Red Virginia's toasting and roasting. My last bowl which is freshly tapped of its ashes I had added a pinch of McClelland blending Perique and the smoke was stellar! reminding me of St. James Woods which is a personal favorite but with a brighter and less mature Virginia aspect but still had that Sweet and Sour Chinese sauce taste I love. I have had several of the Christmas Cheer vintages and 2013 has aged into a beauty with minimal bite and is sweeter on the tongue than other years I have reviewed. CC is just designed to be aged and I suggest buying at least two tins every year, if you smoke one and don't like it someone on Ebay will snatch it up instantly. If you enjoy it as much as I do then you have the other tin to cellar and compare the fresh to the matured. Delightful!

A much anticipated kick off to the holiday season. Purchased two tins of this and glad I did. Cracked the first one at a year old this month. Nicely aged in the short span of time. A consistent high quality product from year to year. Buy a few tins and put them away. This stuff ages fantastic.

Right now I finished a bowl of Christmas Cheer 2013. Very smooth and easy on the tongue, for a pure Virginia. Some of the pep has left but the taste continues to show signs of complexity, without the harshness. One of those fantastic pleasures that reminds me of why I smoke a pipe. It has not lost flavor, nor aroma from tin or Mason jar. It is a tobacco that lets the smoker sit back and say WOW, it is worth the time put in. A lot of depth that only with a sophisticated tobacco sense will be enjoyed by the smoker. It willl not have the ride that fresh tobacco has, but for that you can open a new can of Virginia tobacco. There are times for the peaks of flavor and times for the meditation of smoking an aged blend.

Christmas cheer from 2013 is another great blend from McClelland. It arrives as a rough cut flake that easliy breaks but doesn’t crumble. I wish like everyone else they were still blending but it is what it is. I find that if you get yourself a large enough chamber pipe that you’re otherwise pleased with, you can load this fine blend directly from the tin into the pipe and smoke away. Assuming you know how to pack a pipe and you’re willing to tamp a bit. I smoked two full bowls last night at pipe club over the course of 2 1/2 hours and paired it with a good German beer and I gotta say I really enjoyed it. The Virginia’s in this tobacco are in my opinion Perfectly aged and prepared. It’s a medium bodied tobacco with a little bit of sweetness and the perfect nicotine hint. I taste some almond and a little bit of buttery taste, along with an excellent smokiness. It also pairs well with a Cabernet which I’m finding out right now as I smoke it.. The tin and room note are so nice as well. This year‘s addition was quite a bit different from the 2007 I’ve enjoyed before.

Tin note: Very dark brown and light speckled broken flakes, with an aroma of baked deep fruity muffins, sweet earth, and even ripe fruit that is fermenting and ready to turn. Bottom of tin stamped “7 2013,” moisture level of the broken flake is slightly cool to the touch.

Bowl note: Several flakes were rubbed out aggressively and packed into the Bertram Washington DC 30 Lovat Pot. Lightly tamping throughout the session reveals a slow burning blend with two follow-up lights later. First third exhibited deep dried slightly sweet fruit, pepper, earth, and a slight unknown spice; The pepper later transferred to the background as we transitioned to the Second Third; At this point, a medium aroma of sweet smoky grilled fatty meat emerged, mild spices, and a floral aroma was competing on the finish which I couldn’t identify. Possibly the citrus of the 2009 Orange Virginias? This continued through the second third which eventually became a deep, smooth, creamy, and comfortable smoke. Body mild to medium in the beginning and same for the Nic, transitioning to more of a solid medium body with the Nic at medium to a notch above medium. As I was approaching and entering the last third, the body was ramping up and the Nic was starting to creep up a notch too. Maybe it was the temperature this afternoon, and I decided to put my pipe down and not push it. A Canada Dry BOLD Ginger Ale and Snickers Bar does wonders not to turn a person into Betty White.

With that in mind, this is a great blend for morning or maybe following a good dinner in the evening time. Highly recommended and if you have a tin, pop it open and enjoy that sucker, because I really do think you’re missing out on a good tasting Virginia. 2009 Orange Virginias used in a 2013 blend, so we now have 12 years of age sitting in the tin. Of interest, the inside walls of the tin appear to be coated with a special (spray?) in what I think Mike had performed to protect the contents from air leakage, etc. Well, there you go…