McClelland No. 2015 Virginia Perique Flake

This is nice. The perique is perfect in this blend. I normally don't care for perique in my blends, this one may convert me.

I found it to rub easily, dry quickly and pack very well. I did have to relight a couple times but it was only a couple.

I agree with another review below that this goes up in smoke quickly but that is fine, I hate those that burn slow like coal.

It lit up quick and smoked cool. I did get a peppery taste from the perique at the very beginning but this quickly fades as the bowl progresses, the flavor mellows and builds very nicely into a wonderful almost stewed flavor.

Tastes a lot like the smell of a fresh crop of VA tobacco curing in the barn when the stoves are doing their work.

I am highly reccomending this to the patient- almost steady sipping is ok, puffing in almost any form is not. So far a 3/4 inch dia bowl is doing the best with this blend for me.

Goes on where 2010 stops in flavor. I love this series of tobac's 2000, 2010, 2015, 2020 are great. I think this is sorta what 5115 was trying to be like but it fell short. This does the fruity thing naturally from the perique. Much better.

If you like natural tobacco flavor it is in here. A little cigarettish but in a very pleasent way.

I think you should go try some....

update: this is a good tobacco but I seem to be unable to tollerate perique anymore, It just irritates my throat. Not bad for folks who love perique!

IMO not a standout flake, but a solid smoke. Someone described the flavor as "cement block" and "wet pavement," which is strangely apt. I'd add that there's a touch of ozone in there too. Not very flattering descriptions, but the flavors work together. The perique is definitely present and the VAs are top quality which is why it gets 3 stars from me.

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.

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.

I got off to a bad start with this tobacco somehow. I picked it up at McCranies as "Southport" I suppose expecting something quite different. My normal smoke is Orlik Golden Sliced so maybe I was expecting that with perique.

When I got home and opened the pouch, the aroma really put me off. It smelled to me like ketchup. I loosely loaded my pipe not rubbing it out much further than how it came. The flavor was unimpressive and I couldn't detect the sweetness I expected from a VA. Also, the moisture level led to some unexpectedly serious tongue bite. I let it sit for about three weeks and having only two slices of Orlik left, I gave it another try.

Obviously, the tobacco elves came by secretly and performed some kind of miracle because I was confronted with a wonderfully sweet spicy smoke. I also took more time rubbing it out further and loading my pipe with some larger pieces loose at the bottom and a finer rub at the top to get the fire growing. I smoked it all day today and having nothing else to do, was able to delve into the complexities of this blend and was never tempted to go for those last two slices of Orlik.

I am going to spend another full day with it tomorrow and expect to buy a half pound next week and let it dry some before smoking it. By the time I finish this pouch, I will have had sufficient experience at rubbing it out to get an optimum smoke.

I found it to have a better than average amount of vitamin N. and the flavor seemed sometimes medium and sometimes full. The burn was beautiful and lasting - not a fast smoke and I don't recommend trying to rush it as your tongue may object. In fact, I don't recommend starting a bowl unless you have time to relax, savor and pay attention to it. The room note - all tobacco smells good to me; all tobacco smells bad to my wife but I got no complaints from my dogs.

Definitely give this one a try. I won't be surprised if I come back in a month and give this one another star.

I don't smoke alot of VaPer, but this one has made me put it in the 'a least once a week' rotation. I tend to smoke aromatics at work on the flight line and this breaks the monotony of my choice Aro's nicely. I light it up for me.

Nothing really stands out, except that I get a great tobacco flavor. I really, really enjoy a great tobacco flavor.

A little more strength and character, this could go four stars. Worth looking into.

It has all been said before, but this one is a classic that all other VaPers are compared to. Not the best and far, far, far from being even near the worst.

Always a good smoke with little maintenance required. Keep some always at hand, I do.

Hopefully, I am reviewing 2015! The shop I bought from was selling this in bulk and it was labeled McClelland 'Zesty Virginia' - if I remember correctly. A Broken flake VaPer with no mention on the jar of 2015; but it looked and was described like 2015, so...

I found this surprisingly hard to smoke. It was like rubbing out and packing twigs. Tough to get burning. Excessive puffing led to tongue bite and a worn out mouth.

The pouch aroma is very inviting. The flavor that comes from the first half of the bowl is amazing. Tasty BBQ. Sweet and spicy. Plenty of smoky pepper with salty notes.

The last third of the bowl becomes a bit bland. Leaves behind a crunchy ash. Probably a good tobacco for building cake?

Overall, this isn't quite a 3 star blend for me. I found it just as hard to prepare as Dark Star, but without the same reward for my troubles. St. James Woods has the same flavor and is easier to smoke.

Well, its just under one month shy of a 3 year age I put on the same batch of 2015 that I first reviewed. My wait was well worth it. This stuff aged perfectly. Three years has done alot of changing. I have a sample of some recently aquired 2015 to compare the aged stuff to. The excessive moisture has dissapated. I was so excited to see such a drastic change. It was alot harder to rubb out compared to the unaged sample I had to compare it to. I rub it fully and pack to perfection in an XL315 peterson. Then, sheer bliss. I got almost an opiate like feeling from my sensory overload. I puff away with my taste buds and nose telling me more than than I've experienced in a long time. Notes of carmel, sweet tea, apple, and nut abound. I could go on and on but, just buy it. Put it in a sealed mason jar and forget about it. Then open it up and be blown away. UPDATE:01-24-08

The McClelland name has become synonymous with the production of quality, distinctive, VA compositions. 2015 is perhaps one of the milder VA's that I've tried. The addition of perique is quite subtle in this blend, definately not a standout in the mix. 2015 can be smoked non-stop without much bite, IMHO. Other smokers that usually don't smoke alot of VA may not agree. 2015 is so mild on the pallet, I thought it originally had some burley, when I tasted it blindly. There is a presence of nutty textures that are typical of VA. The aroma is very pleasing in the nose. My only gripe on this blend is moisture content. I believe it's a bit wet. The excess sugar and moisture are what allow these bulk VA's to age so well. I have begun to cellar this and other McClellands like wine, using Steve Fowler's method. (See cellaring techniques on ASP's pages). I believe his method to be supreme.