McClelland No. 2020 Matured Cake

These Virginias are very nearly rich in flavor. A nice sweet fruitiness. The Oriental component lightly rides on the flavor of the Virginias complimenting them with slightly sour, slightly nutty notes. The Latakia is lightly applied adding more smokiness than anything else. Not much of a woody note there. Altogether, it's a very pleasant smoke with ample flavor and complexity. A solid 3 star smoke.

Medium in body and flavor. Burns well when dry which can take a while. No bite or harshness, in fact it's quite smooth.

Broken flake of mostly darker browns interspersed with some light. This is based on a 1 oz sample. Bag aroma was of McClellands incredible fermented Virginia with orientals (Xanthi, in this case). There was a slight smoky spiciness present from the latakia.

Latakia hounds and nicotine junkies may find little to enjoy here. This was Virginia front and center, orientals everpresent but subservient and latakia well to the rear. Reminded me of a richer version of one of the Grand Oriental series. Very tasty but mellow, with a sour tang and light smoke. I detected a topping of some sort but as usual could not place it. It sweetened the proceedings beyond what I associate with the component tobaccos. But this was no crossover blend. Complex enough but not nearly so much that I had to stop what else I was doing and focus on the blend as it developed. I hear that some folks get bit from McClellands Virginias, but I never have. They do require a slow cadence to allow them to shine, and this one was no exception. I didn't get bitten when I puffed faster but the mélange became a sour mess. I'd like to work with this one some more but I don't get the impression this will be a rotation maker. Enjoyable and perhaps holding more secrets, so I think I'll pick up a half-pound with which to experiment further.

Anything in flake form excites me . I don't recall having much experience with English flakes, maybe just Sam Gawith Navy Flake.

This Flake looks similar to MC's other flakes, such as 2015, but cut a bit thicker. Rubbing out when new takes quite a bit of time, this blend is pressed with quite a bit of force. Initial lighting takes quite a bit of time. I guess if you aren't in a hurry like I am all the time, you could dry it first. Virginia's up front and foremost. sipped small and slow, there is a delicate sweetness on the palate, and the Latakia is almost non-existent. Puffed at a faster rate, the Latakia shows more prominently, and the Xanthi shows quite a bit of spiciness. Only high quality leaf seems to be present here. If you are looking for a great flake to venture into Balkan type blends, try this. Leaves a fairly clean tasting palate.

For some, this could be an everyday smoke!

This is one great way to get some latakia/orientals in your routine for a va smoker. This flake smokes good after some thorough rubbing and drying. Is a little difficult to get going, 3-4 tries, but after that only needs a couple well spaced relights to complete the bowl.

I was very, very impressed with the exceptional balance between the va's and the latakia/turkish. This one is sweet and smokey all at once never getting to that floral level you expect from latakia. It starts off favoring the latakia, then the va's chime in quickly. It builds flavor the whole way down to the heel where I ended up dry with no dottle,and a dry stem as well. Absolutley no bite when smoked with patience. It leaves such a pleasent taste in my mouth for a while after smoking. Like smokey honey or something, I still taste the latakia- yumm. Much different than the usual bitter aftertaste from heavy english.

This one has so much character and is not monochromatic or boring at all. You can taste where you are in a bowl of this after you get used to it. It is a very complex flavor for a bulk tobacco. Keeps me interested and I never want to set it down until the bowl is done, Then I soon desire more even though I find it very satisfying. The nicotine level is low to medium- I expected more there but then I could smoke a second bowl....



I will be ordering and cellaring more of this great flake. I like this better than most other oriental/english blends. A pepsi cola tastes good while puffing this one too, or a glass of some goow wine.

Truly one of the best blends I have ever had the pleasure of smoking.

You need to try this! Nothing beats GL pease caravan but this is an excellent blend if you like mclelland's style and presentation.

McClelland - No. 2020 Matured Cake.

A low point, if it can be considered 'low', is the robustness of the tobacco; although it's been partially broken it still needs some extra processing (for the way I load), and stone me it needs some vigorous rubbing.

When lighting this I opt for a jet-flame, my usual Zippo lacks the power to initiate a burn as the tobacco's still quite chunky. The taste of the smoke's quite well rounded; although there's a slight piquancy from the Latakia and Orientals, it's still really smooth; the Virginia's the platform, with the other two adding a slight zest: a subtle smokiness and a little cream and nuts. At first, I get just a small amount of nuttiness, and only a tiny amount of sweetness; for the first quarter the Virginia seems grassy instead of sweet, but after that point it develops a slight honey-sweetness, with the nuts showing up once the burn's settled. I don't get any tongue bite from 2020, and the nicotine's just below medium; an anytime of day smoke.

This is quite a unique blend; slightly smoky, slightly sweet, and quite nutty, but sadly it bites me a bit!

Recommended.

I really enjoy this broken flake in any pipe I own. Primaraly a Virginia guy, I do smoke nightcap and other latakia blends at night for a change. I've been looking for a virginia based tobacco for the sweetness, with some latakia in the background for that smokey flavor. This is as high a quality bulk tobacco as i've ever bought in a can. Its slightly sweet, the orientals smooth it out and the latakia adds its flavor without being over the top. Perfect for night time relaxation, no bite, and no cotton mouth the next morning from latikia overload. Probably won't appeal to guys who prefer super heavy balkan type blends, but it's just what i've been looking for when a bowl of nightcap seems a little too heavy after smoking several bowles in the course of an evening. It's smooth enough to be an all day smoke as well, and at the rate i've been consuming it, its getting there quickly!

Update 11-28-11

I do not know where the smokey taste comes from, but I understand that this blend contains no latakia. No matter....it's still a very enjoyable blend with a smokey and sweet aftertaste. I have experimented and found that fully rubbed out it lights and burns very easily.

Update 01/09 I just wanted to put forth a few more elements concerning this tobacco. I have recently posted some additional comments regarding the maturation, through aging a few blends. I recently opened a quart-sized mason jar of MC and have to say, it is more than exceptional. In 5 years of aging, 2020 has taken on a sweeter, milder element not present in the freshly procured version. With age, this blend gets really complex. In my opinion it has everything that my beloved 965 had in it, only better. No one elements overdominates the other, they all play an intricate role. It was worth the wait. Although age 2020 looks nothing like 965, it is very similar, only better than 965. Make the investment in time. Buy a pound or two and set it aside. You will be blown away, I was.

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This is another solid, bulk tobacco. I like to think of it as a nice alternative to the heavier English blends. A great morning smoke, yet this could easily be an all-day blend. If you have an affinity for natural tobaccos, I'll bet that you'll find this blend to be more than satisfying. Some smokers may say that bulk blends are inferior to there tinned siblings but I believe that there is just as much quality to be found in bulk blends. This blend has a really great balance between the boldness of VA's and the spicy, smokey essence of the orientals. The orientals are not overwhelming, so this could be a nice way to introduce a fellow smoker to English blends.

Another bulk tobacco, another winner! This medium broken flake is fine for every moment, it delivers a good amount of flavour considering its strenght. Packing and lighting are easy if you rub it an air it a little. The smoke proceeds without a particular evolution in taste but it keeps it consistent throughout the bowl. The format and the perfect moisture guarantee a long, dry and cool smoke, and it seems to smoke better in larger bowls, such as pots. For its price, it is a real bargain.

Pouch Aroma: I can smell Latakia, but it's less smoky than usual and more leathery/nutty. This is overlaid on a dark sweetish base and overall has a slightly dusty, dry aroma. My guess: mostly stoved red and orange Virginia, with a generous helping of Orientals and Latakia used as a condiment rather than a major flavor note. Yum.

Appearance: The tobacco is composed of broken flakes of fair thickness, probably 60% dark brown and black, 30% medium brown and 10% orange and yellow.

Packing and Lighting: I've rubbed it out slightly but left in a considerable number of big chunks to slow the burn. I not packing too tightly because I'm smoking it in a Ser Jacopo Maxima pencil shank stacked billiard; I find deep pipes to smoke better for me this way. It lights well and easily so long as I take the time to allow the tobacco to warm up and dry as I puff slowly.

The initial smoke is slightly sour and sharp but this quickly gives way to a nice burst of Latakia flavor underlaid by some caramelly VA notes. It's still got a slightly sour, acidic note to it which makes for an interesting combination of flavors. It'll be better when everything integrates a bit more, and would probably be quite pleasant with a few years on it.

Exposition: OK, five minutes or so have passed; now that things have settled down a tad and the flavors have melded a bit I can pay more attention to the melange rather than the earlier competing flavors. The smokiness has subsided to a nice level just beneath the caramel sweetness and the acidity has dropped off to the point that it serves as a sidekick to the other two dominant tobacco flavors. This is nice! It's complex enough to keep my interest but not something that I feel compelled to smoke in a quiet, dimly-lit room to minimize distractions.

The Story: I hate to sound repetitious, so I'll just say that the flavors have remained completely steady through the whole middle of the bowl. This is one of the steadiest tobaccos I've ever smoked; this is both a pro and a con. I like some change during the bowl to keep my interest, but I don't necessarily like to feel like I've loaded a different tobacco in the bottom 1/4. This is good, but definitely not a "treat" tobacco. Rather, it's good for smoking while working or listening to music - good enough to satisfy but not distracting. One really enjoyable aspect is the room aroma: the smokiness and the sweetness are VERY well balanced and leave a wonderful smell in the air and on my clothes and hair.

Denouement: The tail end of the bowl has turned just a bit sour and "swampy", but that might be either me smoking a bit too fast or the effect of a tall, narrow bowl. Still, it wasn't unpleasant so much as it's a welcome diversion and an indication that the end is near. The bowl walls were left clean and while there was a tiny bit of dottle left, it was nothing like my aromatics used to leave.

The room aroma is very nice, and I have to say that I enjoyed it quite a bit. I have something similar on my tobacco shelf and I'm waiting to see if it's what I think it is.

Pros: Good clean burn, nice room aroma, simple but enjoyable flavor.

Cons: Had a tendency to bite a little, smoked a bit wet toward the bottom and wasn't as interesting as I would have liked re: flavor changes as the bowl progressed.

I also smoked this in a Parker 831 Canadian, sort of a Gr. 4 size with a more "normal" bowl geometry. The moisture problem (and thus the dottle) was solved by this, but otherwise the experience was nearly identical. Definitely good, but not overwhelmingly so.