McClelland No. 2025 English Cavendish

An unusually bad entry from McClelland.

This one has a sharp/bitter edge to it. Any sweetness from the virginias is overwhelmed by the astringent qualities of this mixture.

It's hard to believe that this one is still in production as I can't imagine that 2025 is a regular smoke for many people. What was McClelland thinking when they came up with this blend?

Not Recommended.

*

I let this sit in glass for a couple of months. This blend does not carry an especially sweet or a hefty flavor, but it is pleasant and has a soft, tangy taste. The flavor slightly deepens towards the end of the bowl but remains consistent. The tobacco burns a little better when rubbed out fully. I used both a small and a medium sized bowl, packed loosely. Depending on preference, you might want to let the tobacco dry out before use, so experiment a little. If it isn't right, then jar it up and let some time pass.

This is a mild blend.

This is probably my least favorite among the excellent McClelland Virgina bulks. It does, however, have one thing going for it... it's the only bulk Virginia-oriental (without Latakia) that I know of. That said, it's no Campanile... and no Cairo either.

As others have said, Xanthi dominates the taste and the virginias only occasionally peek through. 2025 has an astringent quality to it-- not unpleasant but not what I look for in a Virginia blend. Maybe I would have preferred that a different oriental had been used, or a blend of Turkish. A bulk version of Campanile would have been wonderful.

Improves somewhat with age but I'm not sure yet if it brings it up to par.

Boy, I really wanted to like this tobacco. It's a beautiful looking thick tan & black flake and has a nice pouch aroma. IMOP, the Xanti in this blend is just too strong and over shaddows the VA. I tried several differnent sizes of pipes, but couldn't get the VA to kick in. I even tried casing this mixture with run for a few days to smooth it out, but the Xanthi still was too strong. If you like really heavy English mixtures, this might be for you, but it didn't work for me.

My mouth is scorched!

This tobacco tastes good although it's missing some medium-body that I appreciate in English blends.

The toasty virginia with the added Cav sweetness makes this somewhat unique but it still seems like it's missing something to me.

I am reminded of a neurotic zoologist dying of old age, having spent his life stalking exotic locales looking for the perfect rhino to hunt, kill and stuff. Never finding one, he retires from his journeys with a longing sigh.

Another McClelland Va that seems to take alot of work just to get it ready for smoking. I do like flake tobacco, though this must be rubbed out for smaller bowls. Lighting is difficult but once lit it rarely needs a relight. Not as much taste as expected initially but, builds as you move past the first 1/3. This DGT`s well and you are rewarded with a richness and complexity not experienced before. This can be a very satisfying smoke if sipped not gulped. Takes too much work to put this in my rotation!

Can't add much about #2025 to the existing reviews - and thanks, Inquisitor for such an interesting discourse! Either I got an awfully bad batch or #2025 must just not be my cup of tea, probably the latter and probably due in large part to the Cavendish factor. I've smoked more than a few of the oft-maligned "drug store" tobaccos that I would take over #2025 in a heartbeat. There must be a bumper sticker somewhere that reads "Friends don't let friends smoke #2025". Sorry Gentlemen, but no stars at all for #2025 from Tigreshire. It was that grim.

Tiger

I almost didn't review this tobacco because of the other reviews, but I like it, so I decided to add a bit. This is not a bad tobacco. As the description says, it has some Xanthi in it, which I love the taste of. An all day smoke, no siree! To put it mildly, this stuff smokes HOT! I have smoked it for some time and have tried drying it out and smoking it in a variety of pipes, and the result is always the same, lots of heat.I have rubbed it out, and set it out to dry in my house in the middle of a dry Minnesota winter and it still burns like a house on fire. The problem is this: the taste is good, but mild, and it can be hard to keep lit, so one tends to puff a bit more for flavor and litness. Then the flamethrower comes through the pipe stem and leaves you hurting. I hope some kind soul at McLelland reads this, because this could be a great tobacco. I think the solution is to slice it half as thick and leave the flakes intact like English flake. then the moisture would seep out better and still be contollable. If you are an experienced smoker, give this a shot, but go slowly.

I'm not sure what makes this an English, since there is no Latakia indicated or sensed. The typical McClelland pouch aroma emanates from partially rubbed out flakes that range from yellow to dark brown. Quite easy to pack and keep lit and a cool smoke if you take it slowly. The initial VA sweetness gives way to a spicy, richer and more intense taste from the Orientals but never becomes bitter or too strong. Although I find it more varied and interesting than some straight VAs, it's too sharp for an all day smoke.