McClelland No. 2000 Fragrant Matured Cake

I must agree with Elkabong, I too add Perique to this tobacco and find that simple addition tweaks this blend just enough to make it noteworthy. A friend of mine added some cheap Smokers Pride natural, which is a straight, lightly cased burley. I tried it and can honestly say that it reminded me of an old time quality OTC pouch tobacco (I can't really say which one) but it was quite nice for puffing around the shop. While not a true aromatic, it is topped with a maple or fruit-like flavoring which tends to fade quickly if left open to the air for a length of time. You then have a nice sweetened Virginia flavor to the smoke. Again, the Perique is the secret here!

McClelland 2000 fits my smoking patterns perfectly. Normally I keep about a dozen tobaccos going at a time, ranging from full English blends to lighter fare like the Sails.

Out of consideration for my darling wife, I don't smoke the English blends or straight Virginias in the house, because she tends to complain about them. But I do get a bit tired of a steady diet of Sail yellow or Mac Baren Vanilla Cream, and McClelland 2000 has the marked and not-to-be-underestimated advantage of not offending my dear one.

No, it's not Hal o' the Wynd. But it's good quality leaf and it satisfies me.

An aromatic tobacco that smells good in the bag,smells good in the smoke,and tastes like...an aromatic. This is good at first light,but mid way down becomes bland, bitter,and loses it's aroma. The tobacco which makes up this blend is tobacco,but thats all I can tell you. What kind? Not sure,the aromatic agent covers it up. I would really like to love this but cannot.

This blend is extremely pleasant, in a vanilla ice cream sort of way. Most of the time I want some toppings and nuts on my sundae, but once in awhile a scoop of plain old vanilla ice cream is just the ticket. This tobacco is much the same way. It is a nice Va with a discrete "old-timey" sort of casing that makes me think of the old men smoking pipes over coffee down at the grain elevator when I was a kid. On the other hand, after about one bowl worth of reminiscing, I get very bored. It can nip a tad too. This would make a very traditional all dayer.

This is McClelland's bulk Virginia 2010 with the addition of a light aromatic flavoring. I smoke McClelland #5100 and #2035 regularly; I smoke a lot of #2015 and #2010. But in this case the flavoring spoils the Virginia flavor. You can taste the Virginia, but the additive gets in the way. McClelland recommends the blend as a crossover from aromatics to Virginias, and this might be just the ticket for the aromatic lover. I can enjoy it as a change of pace, but it will not be in my regular rotation. Paddy.

First off, I want to take just a few lines to say to any/all Veterans be you a fellow reviewer and pipe smoker or an Average Joe who just happens to be reading this, whatever.....Thank you for your sacrifices and your part in making this the free Nation that it is today. And for those who paid the Ultimate Price to secure that Freedom, I offer this symbol of a moment of silence, and may God bless

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To the review. McC. #2000 is a good VA. flake that can be purchased most anywhere. McCranies sells it as "Sharon Crossing", Old Va. Tobacco Co. (Virginia) has it as "Old Va. Flake". The color is deep brown w/some lighter shades mixed in. It breaks up easily enough and packs well. There is a bit of moisture, but it doesn't seem to effect the burn that much. You may have to do a bit more re-lighting than usual. The VA flavor appears readily w/that typical tang and a bit of spiciness like a mild salsa. A little bitey at first, there is a natural, mellow taste that is pleasant and cool w/an underlying sweetness that remains through most of the bowl. A few gurgles occurred, but a coupla cleaners is all that I used. Not a complex tobak w/flavor shifts here and there during the bowl, this is a good utility smoke as well as a good mixer w/other blends or starting from scratch to make your own exclusive mixture. Does get a wee bit harsh near the end of the bowl, but still burns clean to mottled ash. I keep some around and used to smoke it quite regularly, but my tastes have changed and hey, there's a lotta good tobaccos out there. Still, I feel this is a good smoke and a good value since it's a bulk blend that's easy to get. IMO this makes for a good "doing something" VA. tobacco where I don't have to sit and concentrate on the myriad of flavors. Sometimes simple is best. Hey, works for me.

File under "AROMATIC". This may be an unpopular review, because some people really enjoy #2000. I really wanted to love this, since there are so many other tobaccos in the McClelland 2000 series that are regular favorites. This tobacco arrives wet and sticky from the manufacturer, probably because it is meant to be sold from the bulk jars at tobacco shops. I gradually increased the drying times until I reached 48 hours, when I decided that the PG content wouldn't allow it to dry further no matter how long I left it out. The bag aroma is nice, vanilla and other flavors are evident, and the blend is obviously sweetened,. Although there are some casings here, I'd have to agree with McClelland that this is somewhere between an aromatic and a Virginia blend, but closer to an aromatic. It is easy to pack, burned well, and was surprisingly cool. Slight bite on lighting. There is no immediate rush of flavors, just a sweet, mild smokiness in a blah, middle-of-the-road kind of way. Completely lacks a top range, bass range is indistinct and faint, but okay. The main activity is in the mid-range, with a butterscotch-like creamy tone and sweetness. In conclusion, I don't dislike this tobacco, I am merely indifferent to it. It smokes mildly, consistently and easily, but there is no complexity or strong "pro" factors. My recc is "possibly recommended" because people who are seeking this type of tobacco would probably enjoy this. For me, though, I'll put this in my blending cabinet, where it might someday serve to calm a hot, biting blend.

This is a pretty flake with no particular purpose for being. It burns slowly and smokes forever but there is nothing to the blend that will make you long for its reappearance. It's simply a well-constructed boring American product. The Boston Pops of tobacco.

I prefer this one from the others in their 2000 series since it doesn't have the latakia or perique that some contain. However, some might characterize my preference in taste and aroma as flat but to me, this is a pleasant and natural blend. Very moist upon receipt but partially rubbed out and once you master the packing this will burn without a relight for hours. Mild on the tongue, I enjoy this as an early AM smoke but also have used it as my all day smoke in various size bowls.