McClelland No. 2015 Virginia Perique Flake

The "tin note" on this blend is spot-on with aroma of the corn silage produced by my family's dairy farm. It's not ketchup you're smelling folks, just the scent of fermented vegetable matter.

I have no luck smoking this stuff folded and stuff, I have to rub it out first. Once I do though it's moderately easy to smoke; stays lit and isn't too gurgly. It's on the wet side when fresh so a bit of drying is recommended.

To me the flavor is overall on the light/mild side. I taste sweet alfalfa/plums with a light tang from the perique.

I would smoke this again, but I probably won't buy it again.

2015 is packaged in extremely dense flakes. I usually pack a bowl without doing much to the flakes, but I found I had to rub out 2015, or I would hit air gaps which made for an inferior smoke.

It seemed to smoke much wetter than what I'm used to.

The taste while I was smoking it was okay. It seemed to pick up an ashy taste very easily, and I would make sure and dump any ash before a relight, and would not try to smoke to the absolute end.

However, the aftertaste is exceptional, one of the best I've had! Even after brushing my teeth, the next morning my mouth tastes wonderful.

I bought this blend because I can't find my regular vaper flake anywhere, (has there been a blight on Virginia tobacco?) I was unimpressed to begin with, but a couple of weeks of smoking has caused it to grow on me.

It's mild for sure, but the good thing is that it doesn't bite at all, even after repeated bowls. This tobacco needs to be rubbed out throughly so that it burns well, I wouldnt advise smoking it in flake form. I have come to appreciate it's smooth flavor, the perique is just right for my tastes (I know it's there for a little spice, but doesn't burn the mouth). Slightly sweet, a little spice mid/late bowl, and very slow burning, it might just become a regular in my rotation. Smoked at leisure, it's taste becomes more apparent, and i'm thinking about buying some to celler for 6 months, I think it would age nicely. 3 stars.

I can't say this is a cool smoke by any means, but it is a flavorful one -- fairly slow burning, naturally sweet. If this site had a 5 star scale it would be a 3, but right now I have to keep this at 2+ for me. I look forward to trying it again a few months.

Nice smoke not overwhelming good flavor.Lots of smoke,not my favorite but its up there. Doing a revisit of this smoke , ie an update I love this tobacco it is very very good . I guess it takes some time to find some thing you like better than what you are used to.

We have all had this experience one time or another... the one where you really want to like a blend and can taste the potential in it.. but something just doesn't do it for you. For those who do like this tobacco - I am jealous because it is a va/per at a great price.. I found the mccleland treatment of an otherwise quality tobacco just a little too off putting.. It isn't just the ketchup thing.. there is something else almost a soapy thing going on and not a pleasant soap. Whatever treatment mccleland gives their virginias is preventing me from appreciating their tobacco.. So if you don't mind the mccleland treatment you are sure to love 2015.. if you don't - avoid it.

I found 2015 to be heavy, harsh and sour. I do enjoy VP's but this one goes to the dark side. I'm sure this is high quality tobacco (after all it is McCelland) but it's just not my cup of tea. Please bare in mind that this is only personal opinion. You may love 2015. You will never know if you don't try it.

I have become quite fan of VaPers and this is another in my quest to try them all. This is a nice blend but not a great blend. It comes in a semi rubbed out state, needs drying as it comes to moist and it is of a pretty uniform dark brown color leaf. The pouch note is slightly sweet, little of the kethchup aroma common with MC blends and a little musky, obviously the perique in it. If loades easy in the pipe after being rubbed out some more and lights very easy. It burns at a nice slow pace and has the semi sweet flavor of VA with a touch of the perique emitting through. It is creamy and non biting to the tongue and while there is no Ah HA moment with it, it really is a pleasant smoke. But I find it is a little light in the perique dept and the VA used could have been a touch sweeter for it to be a regular for me. It does burn down to the bottom at it's slow pace needing few relights and it burns dry to the end with a black and white ash and little dottle. As it is not an inyour face blend, it easily could be an all day blend for some, but for me, it won't make my keep in the cellar list. I recommend trying it but I can't give it a rousing review as it's pretty non dimentionable.

In my continuing exploration of VaPers it is quite natural for me to try this blend. Hence, I purchased 2 ounces of this flake as a trial. My favorite VaPer to date has been C&D's Bayou Morning (in bulk ribbon form; I've not tried this as their version flake yet) and my second favorite, closely behind, is Escudo (a true pressed product).

2015 did have some small jar aroma of the McClelland ketchup topping, but not badly so. Moist enough to pack easily but not so much as to be difficult to keep lit, it was a smooth, generally pleasant VaPer of medium strength. It's taste is a bit muted, subdued in comparison to Escudo or Bayou Morning. I think therefore that the VA component is greater here and the Perique a bit less than those others. The VAs dominate this flake with Perique playing a less prominent role. I consider it a 'journeyman' blend and well suited for those times when one wants a long smoke. Load up a huge bowl and be assured of a pleasant smoke for quite some time. Also suitable as an all day VaPer where Bayou Morning or Escudo might become too much. Although a VaPer, in comparison to McC's Dark Star (a pressed VA) I like 2015 better just for the ease of smoking it, plus the added spiciness of the Perique. Nice tobacco. 3 Stars.