McClelland No. 2010 Classic Virginia

McClelland - No. 2010 Classic Virginia.

If you've ever wondered exactly what's meant when people describe the aroma from the McClelland blends as being ketchup-like, try a sniff of this! Even though the pouch-note could be considered slightly incongruous, I find it a very good blend.

The broken flake's are still quite wholesome so many folks would probably want to give them a further rub, but that's easy though, the moisture makes that a simple task. And then it gives a very satisfying smoke: to be fair, I get a deeper flavour than I'd expected, I'd prepared for a bit of a 'zest-fest', but this has more depth to it than just zest alone. There's a honey sweetness, with an almost caramel-esc smoothness. I do get a slight liveliness from the Virginia's, but whether that would fall under the caption of Zest (as per the current description), grass, hay, or lemon, would come down to personal predilection I guess! One of the great features of No. 2010 is the burn: it's stable, even, cool, and a pipe can be enjoyed from just one light for a very long period.

I don't recognise much nicotine from 2010, maybe not quite very mild but definitely no more than mild. And finally the room-note: very nice indeed.

This has a bit more character than a lot of straight Va's, and I have to highly recommend it:

Four stars.

"2010 Classic Virginia"

The name says it all, it certainly is a classic VA done just the way I like it. Somehow the folks at McClelland must have a palate very similar to mine because I like virtually every blend of theirs I try to varying degrees.

This VA has all the class of their Christmas Cheer series of which I am a huge fan. If you like CC, you'll like this.

VA depth and creaminess with the classic light citrus tang.

Aging? I'm sure it has been pre-aged by McClelland and I doubt I will be able to age any right now - I'm gonna smoke up my 4oz and order more. But, for those into aging, I'm sure it will age wonderfully as most all Quality VA flakes do.

No bite. If you make this one bite, you've really accomplished something.

Highly recommended.

4 stars (*)-(*)-(*)-(*)

Good Draw to You, Cheers,

Glorfindel

This flake is the standard by which I judge most Virginias. 2010 has a nice, sweet taste without the addition of a topping, it ages with excellence, like a fine Virginia should, and it only gets better as you work your way down to the bottom of a bowl. I assume this would be an excellent candidate for your DGT effect, though I must admit I am too impatient to bother with the experiment.

I've had some distasteful reactions with other McClelland blends, notably, 2035 and 2025, the former for what I believed to be a lack of taste, and the latter for its incessant tendency to bite. I'm also not much a fan of that vinegary smell that appears to be an intimate part of any McClelland blend. Though I found it a novelty at first, my approval quickly waned to something approaching a mild distaste. You'll find that stench here, but the fine qualities of 2010 quickly outshine any previous apprehensions I initially feared when first sampling this blend.

This is pure Virginia goodness, people. It's not too strong, and not too weak, but just enough to give you a taste of how great the old standard can compare to your English and aromatic blends. You'll get great billows of smoke here for a valued cost. Give this a try. I highly recommend it.

4.0 out of 4.0

When I first got my sample of bulk about a month ago, it was damp but still very smokeable. My first pipes were somewhat hot and bit some. As this dried and I could keep it lit at a smolder, this turned into a good smoke and without the heat. It could use some time in the cellar. I agree with reviewer "Virginia Lover, 07/09/2010".

Updated 12/29/2014- I just retried this blend after a year in the cellar, "wonderful". Naturally sweet, dark , zesty and no harshness. I'll be ordering more, reminds me of one of McC's better Christmas Cheer blends. The wait time in the cellar was worth it and I'm upping this to 4 stars.

BTW- I also blended this 50/50 with some "5100 Red Cake" and that's a winner also. I've been looking for a way to cut what I perceive as a touch of Lakeland Floral ( not a fan) in the 5100 , adding the "2010" did the trick.

This is a bulk Virginia blend that is just as good as any of the McClelland tinned Virginias that I have tried. It's at the same time, light and bright with a bit of grass and a bit more dark, with earthy, fruity flavors. As stated previously, it is a bulk blend, but with this one (Along with 2015, 2025, and 2035) you won't really save much money as compared with the tins. However, it is well worth trying.

I actually bought about 6 ounces last June (2016) and forgot about it after placing it in a mason jar. I opened it in March and commenced smoking it. I smoked it every day for a while, but slowed down after I smoked about 2 ounces of it for fear of smoking it all. Now, it did have at least 9 or 10 months of age on it, but I was pleasantly surprised by it. I've found that it performs better for me with a bit of drying time. I've smoked it straight out of the jar, with a couple hours drying time and have even left it packed in a pipe overnight to smoke the following day. The couple hours of drying time seemed to work the best for me. I've also found that this tobacco favors medium-sized to larger bowls. At least for me.

I'm a fan of other of McClelland's bulk, especially No. 2025. And though I prefer the 2025 (I love the Xanthi in it), this is a close second. So, definitely buy some and jar it up for a while. I plan on buying at least a half pound more to jar up for myself and see what a year will do, then two years, then three. McClelland 2010 has definitely surprised me and become a blend that I look forward to smoking.

This is a very good straight virginia broken flake tobacco. It is comprised of moist dense chunks of brown flake and requires some amount of rubbing out and possibly some subsequent drying to prepare it for smoking.

The flavor characteristics tend towards the citrusy and fruit like tastes often found in virginia tobaccos, although I did not find it overly tangy. This blend seemes less sweet than many other virginias although it does have a small amount of sweetness present. Overall the flavor is right in line with what I like from a straight virginia. This blend doesn't seem nearly as bitey as other virginia tobaccos that I have tried, but it provides a good solid flavor nevertheless. It's tasty enough to keep you reaching for more and mild enough that you can keep doing so.

This, along with 2035, are my favorite bulk McClellands that I have tried so far. I prefer 2010 over 2015 personally because I think that 2010 is a bit more flavorfull (although somewhat more bitey also). All in all, 2010 is a highly enjoyable virginia flake and the bulk pricing is just icing on the cake.

I filled up a couple small jars to cellar and intend on getting more of this excellent tobacco. If you're trying out virginia tobaccos then get some of this to try for sure.

UPDATE 1: I just cracked open one of the small jars and am enjoying the first bowl from it. It was aged about 6 months and it is very tasty.

One could say there was fruity topping in it. No. I have sample at least five years old. Sweetness was like cherry vanilla and honey compote. Broken flakes was too dry to smoke, but still usable.

Smoke was sweet peppery and fruity. Don't need relights. This VA has most pleasant room note from neutral tobaccos I have tried. One of the best VA out there.

This is not your regular virginia blend. After a few bowls, I am still trying to get my head around it. For starters, it is rich and dark, but not quite full-bodied. It has a slight tang to it, but it is not overtly sweet or zesty. Then, there is this mellow component going on in the background that comes and goes so difficult to describe. I cannot detect any perique, and yet it is somewhat peppery and full of flavour. Also, it is reminiscent of some oriental tobaccos. Call me "crazy" if you like. Having said that, I think these flakes will probably benefit from some cellaring time. I am not quite sure this particular tobacco would be my cup of tea, but I am finding the smoking experience so amazingly complex and entertaining that it's gonna get a gold sticker.

Edit 03 March 2018: After smoking 2oz of this tobacco I'd like to add the following: it is now that I begin to realize these are probably one of the best flake virginia tobaccos I have ever smoked in my whole entire life. Because the sui generis nature of it, I've never had anything quite like it, it has taken me for some time to realize this. Alas, McClelland is closing down, so in a manner of speaking, I feel sorry I've come across such good quality tobacco, for you can never miss something you never had.

It's perfect for autopilot, smokes easy and doesn't suffer if you forget about it for a while. Just a simple straight Virginia for everyday puffing, what could be better?