McClelland Black Shag

I thought this was decent. It did not make much of an impression on me. It will be only an occasional smoke for me, but it is decent enough that I will smoke it once in a while to mix things up. The shag cut packs and burned pretty well. Had not so good results in a small pipe. It went better in a medium one for me. Seems to go ok with coffee.

It just had that already burnt taste like when you smoke half a bowl and then let it sit all day and get back to it later to me off the start- probablly due to the dark va not being a good blender. I like dark va alone. Just not my cup of tea. By far I think Mclelland has better blends.

I could see some english smokers really liking this though, so I will say try it. Just don't order more than one tin till you see how it treats you is all I'm saying. I like the #25 va more than this. The cut is simillar but it is rich dark stoved va without the latakia. I'd rather see more latakia in the 221b honestly.

I like the honeydew in this series much better and that is on my "A" list.

Beutifully shag cut. Bouught this at JR's out of whim not knowing anything about it. Not bad but nothing to rave about either. Very fruity and reminded me a bit of Dunhill Royal Yacht but then it has been a long time since I had that. Burned well. Something missing. Perhaps it is just that I don't like a full Va Stoved blend and need more latakia but this will not be a regular. I will keep it stored for a break from my usual English and Oriental blends that I prefer much more.

This seems to be one of those love it or hate it blends by reading other reviews. It's also interesting how different folks seem to sense different things present. Here's my take:

First off I love it for those times when I'm looking for something that leans to Full but isn't overwhelming. Usually a good choice early in the day and always for me in a small bowl. I taste stoved VA and Orientals with just a tad of unsweetened black cavandish which may be what imparts the ever-so-slight sweet essence. The firm shag cut right off the bat alerts the lucky piper to continuous light tamping since a lot of air-flow exists naturally as a result of the form. If one doesn't adjust to the cut, their experience is going to be terrible out of the gate, because the more firm kernels of tobacco permit a lot of air-flow and that can mean 'hot' if you don't adjust to a lighter puffing. Also, if this tobacco is smoked in any condition other than slightly towards the drier side ... an equally rotten experience will result.

On plus side is ... if you are familiar with this style of tobacco or make a few adjustments .... it is delightful. Understated in room note and a nice nut-sweet taste. To my knowledge and olfactory system ... there is not even a hint of latakia in this blend. The Orientals are smooth with some spice and the VA's are of the creamy stoved variety. I think this tobacco smokes best when it's a little crunchy to the touch ... if you must hydrate your supply ... do it sparingly in a humidor. Recently a friend gave me a supply that was very dry in the tin ... I mixed it with a little from a newly opened tin and let it sit for two days. It was almost too moist to smoke. Wonderful stuff - always on the list.

Cheers, VC

Appearance: Fine cut ribbon, almost entirely dark brown. Perhaps a bit finer cut than Royal Yacht. Seems to be the same cut as Va. #25, but #25 contains a fair amount of Red Va. More moisture than I like, but typical for McClelland.

Aroma: Pleasant stoved Virginia aroma, not particularly rich but naurally sweet.

Packing: The shag cut is fine enough for even my smallest pipes. It does require a bit of care packing into larger bowls to ensure evenness.

Lighting: Almost lights itself when you open the matchbox.

Initial flavor: Smooth, slightly sweet Va. Flavor, cooler than the cut would lead you to expect. Not as rich and flavorful as their Virginia #25.

Mid-bowl: Seems to hit mid range and high notes, but no low range which I miss. Can bite if you smoke too fast

Finish: Gains a bit more strength at the bottom, but leaves a nice gray ash.

Summary: I really wanted to love it for several reasons. The Sherlock connection for one, and the fact that I like Va #25. However, the hype failed in my case. I still prefer #25.

I found this to be a very boring smoke, which is common for me when smoking a blend that is mostly stoved Virginia; however, McClelland did make a few that I enjoyed; dark star and Blackwoods Flake to name a few. This is not one of them. I have a few more tins in my cellar and will put them on the selling block as I have no desire to smoke anymore of this.

I find this to be lacking any soul. It is monotone and weak. On top of these two attributes, it also lacks enough sweetness to compensate for its shortcomings. I ended up blending most of the second half of the tin.

McClelland across the board sells at a premium now and this one is not worth the extra cash. There are several stoved virginias that are better than this that are still produced today; Wessex Brigade Dark flake is one such blend.

If I had to give one positive on this, it would be the cut. It is not the long curly shag cut that you would see in five brothers or some of the GH blends; rather, it is shorter individual pieces. It packs easy and smokes great once you get it lit. It can be a little fussy at light up though which is not uncommon for McClelland.

This was my favorite McClellan blend. It took me a few bowls to understand how good it was. It actually has a toasted flavor that i have found no where else. Its mellow, sweet and rich. No trace of chemicals or dressing. It's consistency is completely unique also. It's almost granular, but smaller than cube cut. You can practically spoon it into your bowl. It doesn't compress much, just enough to stay put. It's very dark and appearance, almost black. And it has that wonderful toasted smell. Almost like something you could eat. When you open a new can it seems like it's too dry. But it's not. It's perfect. It's incredibly easy to work. It smokes very consistent and uniformly, and requires few re lights. But the flavor. I don't know if it's complex but it is a delicate flavor. No tobacco I've ever smoked became a favorite so quickly. I wish I had bought 10 cans of the stuff.

Update: smoked a little of this stuff recently. It's as good as I ever thought it was. Truly sad that we can't get any of mcclellan's wonderful plans anymore. This one was my favorite. But I can't pay $99 for a can. So I'll just what what I have left. I have a can of deep hollow then I would be willing to trade for some black shag.

Opening the tin one finds dark and red ribbons that smell like sweet McClelland VA. Notes of tangy bread and rich earth and wood.

Loads and lights perfectly without any dry time. Stays lit easily with light tamping now and again and didn't require any relights.

Quick smoke description summary: Somewhere between Blackwoods Flake and Red Cake. Not as deep, rich, and bold as Blackwoods flake as well as not being as complex, but fairly close. Not as one dimensional as Red Cake, but has the same tangy-bready sweetness as that blend.

The smoke is sweet and creamy. It reminded me a lot of red-cake especially during the first 1/4 of the bowl. Lots of sweet tang, bread, and the typical dark fruit sweetness that you would expect from McClelland VAs. After about half way point it becomes more woody, maybe a tiny tiny bit of spice here and there with more citrus notes (lemon more so than orange) display as well. Reminds me of blackwoods flake in the flavor profile but not as bold, rich, or deep. This is an easy going smooth smoke that, like red cake, you can just load, light and enjoy without too much contemplation, however it does have some complexity. Wonderful smoke and can't believe I haven't tried it until now.....and sad that McClelland's has closed their shop. I'll have to pick up some of the remaining tins at my local shop.

Admittedly I am a Sherlockian at heart. When I saw this blend my mind was whisked to the pages of the Sherlock Holmes story “A Scandal In Bohemia”. McClelland, Sherlock, and straight Virgina, that all reads as must try in my book. The tin I found at a local B&M was about 4 years old. The moisture of the tobacco was just right, and the smell was sweet with a deep richness, coupled with the typical vinegary ketchup smell synonymous with McClelland. The flavor were not exactly what I was expecting, which was nice. There was a dry grassieness to the smoke, along with flavors of toast orange zest, savory herbs, and a little white pepper adding complexity. It was a nice little deviation from a standard straight Virginia blend. This tobacco did need a couple if relights, and it did tend to burn a bit warm. But this was by no means a deal breaker.

I am a huge Sherlock Holmes fan. So I had to give this blend a try. Well it sure is not what I had hoped. This is probably something the worlds first consulting detective would have smoked. Kind of an unemotional blend that just doesn't hit the mark for me. Sort of a pleasing non-descript smoke. Nice tobacco taste but nothing really jumps out with this blend. I could smoke this at any time but I know I would get little pleasure just a nice decent smoke. Perhaps I need to store it in the toe of a Persian Slipper.