McClelland No. 2000 Fragrant Matured Cake

I enjoy this blend a lot. The taste is plesant and it smokes well. I must admit that I had to learn to sip it, as I found it will bite if you get carried away with it. I enjoy it in smaller size bowls. Is part of part of my rotation for sure.

As a fairly new pipe smoker, I am still looking for that daily, "go-to" blend...this tobacco was recommended by the guys at my local tobacco shop as the next step after my favorite, their house blend cavendish. The better half likes the smell of this in the pouch and in the room. I find myself opening my pouch just to savor the aroma when I can't have a bowl.. Although my tastes are certainly not as refined as some of my esteemed pipe-smoking brethren, I really like this one. As another reviewer says, dry it overnight and it will burn much better. Out of the pouch it's tough for me to keep lit in my Ser Jacopo poker. If you like aromatics, try this one for a change...

I'm sure that under this maple/vanilla casing there is a decent VA flake...It might be "Classic Va" from the same organization. It smells of maple in the bag and smells and tastes of maple and vanilla in the bowl. This blend didn't do it for me.

If you're a fan of the smell of maple/vanilla types of tobaccos, then you may like this. I found it not as offensive as the typically cased cavendish that abounds, but still this is not for me due to a lack of tobacco flavor.

First imprerssions can be wrong especially on tobacco.Very first light was somewhat disappointing as an aromatic fan I expected a little more sweetness,usually derived from the topping.All i got was a was a tobacco that would not stay lit.

TWO WEEKS LATER: After letting some dry though I was treated to a well balanced blend of pure virginias.May not be an allday smoke for me yet,but is the first stepping stone to broadening my tobacco horizons. Burns well in a medium size bowl with little goop accumalation at the bottom.Flavor is slitely peppery for me.Aroma well the significant other didnt complain so its tolerable. Definitely a must try for ex cigarette smokers

(NOTE: PURCHASED AS SHARON'S CROSSING)

This is a fine quality clean-burning aromatic, and among the most aromatic pipe tobaccos that I have smoked. The quality of the tobacco is superior and almost wasted to turn it into an aromatic, but for what it is, it is great!

It is emphatically not a straight VA, so if that is what you are looking for don't stop here (RR, Christmas Cheer '05 or My Reserve would be my reccommendations). It is not especially sweet or flavored in the bowl, but the room note and aroma is strongly sweet and will get positive comments.

2000 reminds me of 221b Honeydew in genre, though Honeydew has far more tobacco taste and aroma and is not what I would call a true aromatic. This is.

I hanker for an aromatic only occasionally and at home I have some self-blended vanilla and hazelnut aromatics, but 2000 may well replace those. Even when intentioanlly smoked fast, there is no bite however it does turn a little sour.

I, too, couldn't see the point in this tobacco, for a long time -- until my good friend and fellow pipe club member, Ned, suggested that I try mixing perique into the blend. I mix about ten per cent. perique with 2000. Some might find that too heavy, but it seems to cut the flavoring back a notch, balances things out, and turns it into a polite and relaxing change of pace smoke.

I appreciate the fact that it stays lit more consistently for me than, say, 2010 does. 2010 is one of my favorites, which I smoke as is or mixed with perique, but I have to relight frequently. I guess I don't have the patience to dry tobacco out ahead of time. 2000 takes some presence of mind to get well started, but, once accomplished, I don't have to think about it anymore.

McClelland is one of my favorite companies, and I'm glad I found a way to spend more money with them! Excellent value.

A reasonable good virginia cake that tastes good and provides a nice room note. Rubs out easily but is a bit moist when fresh. Leaving the bag open for a day or two helps. Smokers of non-aromatic blends will probably not like it. However, for an aromatic, there are far worse blends available.