McClelland Blackwoods Flake

This is my first post. I know there have been a lot of reviews of this product, but I'm impressed with it enough to add my two cents. I tried Blackwoods Flake largely because of the reviews here.

The first thing I noticed was the smell in the tin. I'd read about the "ketchup" smell, but could not imagine what that was like. I found out. The smell of this tobacco was so bad to me at first that it actually nauseated me. "Ketchup" is right. However, now that I've smoked it for a few weeks, I've noticed that the tin aroma is less offending. Maybe it's because the open can has toned down a bit, but it is also partly because I've enjoyed the quality of the smoke. Perhaps I'm just getting used to it.

This is one wonderful tobacco in my opinion. For the first few bowls, I had to avoid smelling the tobacco in the tin. Just load the bowl and smoke. And what an enjoyable smoke.

To me, the first few draws when lighting are nothing spectacular. Unlike my Latakia blends, it takes a minute for the tastes to mature. However, once the bowl begins to burn into the core of the bowl, it becomes a heavenly mixture of tastes and aromas. It has a sweet, tangy taste to me that lasts about 3/4 of the way through the bowl, then becomes a bit spicy to boot.

I've been a big fan of Latakia mixtures to date, but find myself increasingly drawn to this tobacco when I get home from work to relax. It produces a beautiful mixture of tastes and has enough nicotine kick to settle my nerves after a hard day at work. I'll be ordering a few tins of this stuff to put back and savor.

I shouldn't have expected Blackwoods Flake to live up to the majesty of Dark Star. I hoped for Red Virginia royalty, and this blend fell short as a result.

Presentation is nice, and color is appealing, I don't mind the signature McClelland tin aroma at all; however, in this case it managed to linger on much longer than in other McClelland VAs I've sampled (and way beyond my trusty Dark Star). I sensed the aroma carrying into the flavor of the tobacco, and it came through every so often in a clove-like note. Not my favorite.

Overall, the smoke is very good -- even great at times. No bite. When Blackwoods Flake clicks for me, it's superb. But when it's a little off, it couldn't be less inviting. The quality of the leaf, as well as McClelland's handling and processing of same, is top notch ... no question. This one just doesn't deliver consistently enough to be a regular in my rotation.

12-15-2004 McClellands Best IMO!!!

Appearance and Tin Aroma: Beatiful broken flakes (my aged tin was bounced around a lot!). Aroma was of delicious red VA, yumm!

Packing and Lighting: This blend worked well either fully rubbed out or folded and stuffed. Lit after 3-4 lights.

Initial Flavor: Delicious bright red VA, but smooth right off the bat.

Mid-Bowl: This blend is heaven at this point. It is sweet and lightly spicy. It has a good mid-range flavor underneath the bright red, that carries it beautifully.

Bottom of Bowl: It develops into a rich sweet finish, with a slight increase in strength. Before you know it, you are finished and you are immediately thinking of reloading with this sublime blend.

Overall: I can't decide between Ratray's Marlin Flake and this as to which is more tasty, so I won't. I'll enjoy both in my top 5 rotation of VA blends. This is MC'c best blend IMO and is a crowning achievement in the vast world of VA blends. It differs from MF in this manner: It is sweeter and has more of the high end flavors, but is just as rich and complex for a VA. Because of the richness, you don't have to puff too hard to get flavor and can keep the tongue bite demons away.

Rating: 5 out of 5 points. Go buy some now!

I just christened my new cob with some of this that I have had aging since 2008. It was still quite moist and took several lights to get going since I wasn’t patient enough to let it sit out to dry for a bit.

The characteristic ketchup quality of McClelland has completely dissipated and integrated into a fantastic combination of molasses, roasted nuts, candied fruit and a hint of cocoa.

I only have about a third of a tin left, but it's really just come into its own and I plan on enjoying it while I can.

Typical McC Tin note: Ketchup and BBQ. this does NOT translate to flavor. The flavor is big and nuanced for a VA flake! The flavors range from spicy and toasty to that flamed hard carmelization on the top of creme brule. There is a creaminess that hits you mid bowl and fades in and out. McClelland is truly the world heavy weight champion of VA tobacco blenders. For anyone lucky enough to have some cellared it is a gift to be rationed. I do not see anyone reproducing quality VA's like this ever again. For those that have trouble with McC VA's I would suggest hours of dry time and a meerschaum pipe. This opens up all of the flavors and they are too good to miss. I found this one to be a bit heavier in nic than most of their blends, not a KO but it lets its presence be known.

Great smoke. Smooth. Medium bodied. Burns well. I took Jiminks lead. When I read that it was a bit too moist, I didn't get that. So on closer inspection I realized it was a very compressed tobacco. So I thought of Jim. He puts some of his tobacco through a food processor. I used one that is a type of coffee grinder/blender...whatever! Did it for about 5 -7 seconds at a time until it was about cube cut. Brilliant. When I put it in the pipe the first time I sort of tamped it down a bit, and it didn't burn well at all. So this time, using the three step German method, I just fed it in, and banged the bottom of the pipe on my knuckle a few times, bit more, tap, tap, tap, tap. All done. Burned brilliantly. I don't get taste. I've lost nearly all smell, so taste is something foreign to me now, alas.

Thanks Jim for the blender thing and great reviews! And thanks to Smoke-Rings also. I really like his reviews.

And by the way, guys, I often see comments about the "high" cost of (especially tinned) tobacco. Spare a thought for us here in Oz "down under". Two ounces of tobacco retails at $65. And every year the tariff on it goes up 12.5%!

So when guys say that 11 to 15 dollars for a two ounce tin, is getting "up there", just think of what we are enduring here.

Be grateful you get it so blasted cheap!!!

McClelland's - Blackwoods Flake.

Personally, I found that this one was bitey, vinegary, and did not want to dry out. The flakes kind of reminded me of cut rubber strips. I dont find the famous McClelland tin note off putting as some do, but here it carried over noticeably into the smoke, which was a little off putting. Probably the spiciest virginia flake I've ever smoked. Aside from the malt vinegar the tobacco itself was tasty and a quality product, but there's so many other virginia flakes out there that I dont have these issues with...

Who doesn't love a robust red virginia? This haunting blend can easily take care of one's Virginia craving. One of my favorites tobaccos that I always enjoy.

I was lucky enough to receive a sample of this from a friend, and I really liked it. Unfortunately, as others here have stated, it's not really available outside of North America, so it will probably be the only time I get to try it.

It's called flake, but straight away, the appearance is surprising. Instead of neat rows of flake, this is a collection of small pieces, it is a broken flake. The colours range from fairly dark brown to just short of black.

The tin note (I got my sample in a pouch), does have that ketchup aroma, mixed in with an earthy leatherness, and I find it pleasant.

In order to smoke this, I rubbed out some of the tobacco, and used a mixture of this & pieces of whole broken flake.

The lighting was not too difficult, but I found that regular relights were in order towards the end of the bowl.

The taste is rich & satisfying, hints of leather with a pleasant background sweetness evening out the earthy tones at the front end. Towards the last half of the bowl, the sweetness became more dominant, with hints of coffee & very dark chocolate.

The room note is fairly pleasant, this is no aromatic, but it doesn't to pretend to be, and it will put off less people than e.g. a typical English blend will.

The nicotine strength is a solid medium. If it was available in the UK, I would keep some around for sure, but as it isn't, I am unable to.

Three stars instead of four due to the relight issue towards the end of the bowl, but overall, a very good smoke. Moisture was not an issue in the sample I received.