McClelland No. 2035 Dark Navy Flake

This is a very good smoke and an even better blending component. Thick, dark flakes that rub out easily. burns slow and tastes smooth. Great in a large pipe for a long smoke, but better as a belnding component along with burley and latakia.

It really does not rub out it just kind of breaks up into small chunks. Currently, smoking this in cob and it taste pretty good. Lemony, vinegar with short lingering after taste.

Burns hot and wet with no tongue bite. I'm still searching for my ultimate smoke.

#2035 bulk is a twin of Dark Star. It has tang & spice with dark undertones. Hard to rub out but burns well & priced great compared to Dark Star. DGT is a bit harsh.

The fact that so many incredible tobaccos are available in bulk, at great prices, keeps the number of tins in my rotation at a bare minimum. Maybe 5%. 2035 is a good example. I think this is basically Dark Star Bulk. Except: 2035 is slightly sweeter, more rounded, and simply tastier. Also, it's a little stronger in nicotine, my good friend. It's not often that a blend brings me to sweat, but this one can, just a little, and that can be a good thing. I'm not going to try to blow smokey poetry at you, this blend speaks for itself. Try it.

Dark Navy Flake is a rich, once a day treat for me at most, just because I rarely have enough time to give it full attention.

I've been trying to get through a one ounce sample of 2035 for almost a year now, and thank the Gods, it's finally gone. Do not let the dark thick flakes fool you. This stuff is exceedingly mild. In my opinion, 2035 also lacks any distinguishing flavor. It's like eating steamed vegetables. On the positive side, it burns cool, but you might have problems packing and lighting, due to the nature of the flakes. Looks better than it tastes, that's my final say on 2035.

One and a half of Four.

I rate this weed as one of my top matured VA flake blends. In agreement with previous reviews it is a bit milder than I usually like, but the flavor has an extra element not usually found in ths type of blend. I'd have to call it a leathery-earthy flavor. The thing I like most is that the flavor increases about mid-bowl. Most blends of this genre start off at their best, then go more sour and less citrus like at mid to end of the bowl. Though not the VA powerhouse, I still give it a 4-star because of its complexity and consistency from start to finish.

Although primarily a smoker of lighter Virginia blends, this was my first foray into dark, stoved Virginia flakes.

The cut is something akin to what a Chinese chef with the DT's and a meat cleaver might do with your leather belt. Stuffing the resulting chunks down the bowl and applying a match,or two... or four, finally resulted in getting the lumpy tobacco going. Things improved from there, however.

2035 smokes with some sweetness and little bite but with a dominant overlay of fermented, baked tobacco. Like a freshly baked heavy yeast bread that has been just a bit over-done. To this, I could detect no added flavoring or other complexity. Not bad really, and certainly better than store-bought, but you wish someone had pulled it out of the oven a bit sooner when it was still golden brown and buttery.

Not an unpleasant tobacco, but not worth a return visit.

This is Darkstar in bulk form, just not aged as long as the tins.

I believe this to be a quality VA. Dark-stoved and earthy, this VA has a bold essence that ventures slightly into the realm of sweet. Once lit this tobacco burns consistantly but leaves alot of residue in the plumbing of your pipe. I love this VA because I find it to be almost biteless, even when I smoke it agressively.

During the stoving process, alot of the natural sugars seem to remain in the tobacco. I believe that this accounts for some of the sweet/smokey textures that are present, while smoking. All in all I believe that this is a quality bulk navy flake. I have two lbs. in the cellar to hopefully ripen into what will be a wonderful treat for the future. Like most VA's well aged stock takes on a totally different demeanor that its original.