McClelland No. 2015 Virginia Perique Flake

I generally enjoy most all things red Virginia and this, with the addition of perique, is no exception. 2015 is a good mainstream smoke that with aging is really quite good. I for one do not care for the aroma of most McClelland blends in the bag however I have learned to appreciate what that aroma translates into once a match is introduced. It is almost hard to believe that a vaper such as this would produce a smooth creamy smoke but when sipped appropriately that is exactly what you have. I have in the past bought this in bulk as many others have and let it age with excellent results. There are nuances with this blend that you get only after it begins to breakdown in a confined space. It will make you look at your pipe and wonder what you really put in it. It?s a rewarding experience.

Honestly, if I could afford to smoke St James Woods on a regular basis I would choose it over 2015 but 6 to 8 months of aging with 2015 seems like a much better investment. And the benefit is not too far off from the tin if you are patient. This is a good quality smoke that ages well and is very satisfying. I am giving it 3 stars only because it is what it was meant to be; average tobacco with good aging potential.

Originally this blend was a pain in the butt because it came extremely wet and no matter how much I rubbed it out it never seemed to dry out. Finally, I put my sample on a cutting board and minced it as I do garlic. It finally broke up small enough that it was able to dry out. I did smoke a bowl before it was dried out enough. I was extremely disappointed because I had to relight so many times that I couldn?t take notes well enough to give a proper review. After chopping this blend into oblivion I was able to smoke it almost to the bottom of the bowl. Even though this blend is pretty good for a bulk blend, I feel that the amount of prep work just isn?t worth it to me. However, if you are very patient with this then you will be rewarded with a fine bulk blend. The different Virginias taste very good against the amount of Perique that is in this blend. Taste-wise this was a very good blend but like I said earlier the amount of work to get it there just isn?t for me.

This broken flake has a sweet and tart pouch aroma.

The virginias are of solid quality: tasty, though a bit diffuse, lacking the clarity found in McC's tinned blends. The perique is noticable, though not dominant.

This is a simple and pleasing bulk blend from the ever-reliable McClelland house. For those who are so inclined, this ages nicely.

Chamber Gauge: Narrow

In the never-ending search for a great VA flake, I was thrilled to get a few onces of the bulk 2015. Although this VA lacks the rich choco-aroma of the great Marlin Flake, it does have a very peppery nose to float along with the sweet Virginia. It does take 1/3 of a bowl to flame up and engage the crusty unrubbables, but then you are rewarded with mild, copious smoke that could fill an afternoon, indoors or out. And the price per ounce makes this a 3 star standby.

I cannot seem to get 2015 to rub out well. The little chunks of bark just get smaller. The salsa tang is ok every now and then but I'm still searching for the right combination of aging, pipe and consistency that many seem to find with this weed.

I think I?ll try some of the suggested alternatives in this thread.

This is one peach of a bulk Va/Per, with better flavor than many of the more expensive tinned blends.

The perique is added at a perfect level to keep the smoke interesting yet allowing the virginias to remain as the main focus. Naturally sweet, mildly spicy, it burns cool for me with no bite.

Due to its price and quality, 2015 would make a perfect all day smoke for the Va/Per lover. If you like this type of tobacco, it's a must try.

I rank this just a slight notch below my favorites of the genre.

* * * 1/2

Just ordered two oz. of this stuff from smokingpipes.com to give it whirl. I'm a pretty novice smoker but this stuff just wasn't for me. Gave it a great big whiff when I first opened it and it smelled very nice, like fresh hay. Unfortunately that was the best part of my experience with it. It was pretty moist when i got it, so I set aside two bowls worth to dry for the afternoon. That night and went to light it up and was very disappointed. Gave me pretty bad tongue bite trying to get it going.(Note: This could have been from my inexperience with pipe tobacco but I have managed to light up with other pipe tobaccos and receive no tongue bite so who knows.) The tobacco was strong, almost like smoking a cigar, but I found the taste to be very bland. halfway through the bowl I started to detect a hint of spiciness but other than that nothing. I guess I just don't enjoy Virginias very much. I'm more of a Latakia and Oriental guy.

If you enjoy Virginias this may be the tobacco for you, all these reviewers can't be wrong. However, if your on the fence about purchasing this stuff and aren't that big a fan of the Virginias I wouldn't recommend this to you.

I generally like McClelland tobaccos, and this is no exception pour moi. I like this a little better than the 2010, which now just appears like a component of this blend. This has more interesting flavor notes than 2010, I'm sure a result of the Perique. Let me try to break it down: the nuttiness/grassiness is from the Virginias, and that sort of sour/piquant is from the Perique. Now, I know tobacco tastes like tobacco and not the millions of fruits, vegetables, or other products that I and others use to describe it, but I can perhaps make out a bitter orange tamarind, without it ever getting quite there. The 2010 may be the bitter which somehow the 2015's interesting sidenotes of sourness balance out perfectly, creating something new, and pretty nice. A very affordable VaPer. But if you want the full-blown-away effect of all this, check out Cornell and Diehl's Night Train, which is similar save for its added Burley component.

Update: Fillmore has simply replaced 2015 as my Vaper of choice.



09/24/2006: This broken flake comes a tad too moist to my liking and thus I prefer to let it dry out a bit before smoking. When dried some (about 2 hours) but still pliable, the fold, bend and stuff method works just fine for me. Once the bowl is ready, a charring light, a few gentle tamps and a re-light routinely gets me through an entire bowl.

2015 consists of quality Virginia character and natural sweetness and the Perique is never to spicy or peppery. Their perfect marriage of balance and taste provides a lot of flavor right from the start. The Perique is used with just the right proportion to round off the blend and remove any hint of bite.

This is one I can smoke all day. A tobacco with a sweet/nutty Virginia taste and a hint of cool plum like spiciness that does not require ones full attention to enjoy. The flavor and burn characteristics are top notch. The ash is always white, dry and clean. The aroma is very pleasing. I highly recommend this to Vaper enthusiasts.