McClelland No. 5115 Old World Classic Cake

Nice looking broken flake with a bag aroma (1 oz sample) of basic Virginia overlaid with a Lakeland-type essence. Very light on the scenting which is almost just that... a scenting rather than a flavoring. However, the flavoring does come out in the taste, but it's very light while the scenting is rather heavier (but not heavy in the least).

This smokes like a straight Virginia... sweet and robust in the way only McClellands seems to deliver, but with that light sweetener. I can't place the flavoring/scent and it's considerably less noticeable than their #2000. While that one is noticeable for having excellent flavor and a flavoring that lasts down the entire bowl, this one is wispier on the casing. The virginia is top-notch and this would be a blend that those looking to break away from the goopy aromatics might try. This might be McClellands answer to the Lakeland style blends, although it's more of a gallant effort than an all-out success. Worth a try but not destined for my rotation, as I prefer the more fully realized #2000 as my cased broken flake Virginia of choice.

Like others, this reminds me a bit of a Lakeland -- the topping seems to me to be a bit like GH's Louisiana Flake -- but only a bit. The topping itself is on the mild and sweetish side, the N is even lighter. There is a bit of a bite to this, but fortunately just a bit. A pleasant summer smoke, when something light and a bit different is called for. Since I know there are many tobaccos out there I would rate a 4, the question arises would I rebuy this particular tobacco, assuming my tastes don't change much more. In this case, the answer is not often.

McClelland - No. 5115 Old World Classic Cake.

It's a very coarse broken flake, half the pouch needed a full rub because of being whole flakes. The other half wasn't without want for attention, either, but this half was a little more 'broken'. Moisture was good the day it arrived, two weeks after placing the order (I'm U.K., this was a Cup O' Joes order), and it had a subsequent two week wait once it had arrived.

The smoke from it is one that's clearly from high quality Virginia. It tastes 'developed', more than fresh, if that makes sense; I identify a matured sweetness, instead of fresh hay. The added fruit topping makes up for any missing citrus from the Virginia, but in all fairness, would mask it anyway. From the topping I get only citrus fruit, I can't taste the coffee. The smoke has a cool temperature, I get no bite, and it burns well.

The room-note: nice enough, just not 'my thing'. Nicotine: mild.

I think 5115 is a good, well made blend, but it falls a little short of four stars, for me.

Recommended.

If someone had given me this tobacco and told me it was a Lakeland blend I would have believed them. This is not your typical straight American Virginia blend - it tastes scented (but not sugary sweet). Something about the "casing" reminds me of (of all things) Bob's Chocolate Flake. It has a certain perfume-like quality to it that reminds me the tobaccos offered by English blenders with the name Gawaith in them. This is a good "every-once-in-a-while" blend that I can see myself having when in the right mood. The flavor pairs very well with a cup of tea.

A big positive for me is that the nicotine level is VERY mild. If it were not for the unidentifiable scent (I detect nothing fruity about its "fruit-essences") and the need to carefully sip this (it will bite badly if it is not totally dried to a crisp) I might argue this could be an "all-day" blend due to its mildness.

If you like Virginia-based Lakeland blends (e.g., SG Grousemoor) give this a go - you may like it. If you want a lot of nicotine or are bothered by having to carefully watch temperature of your bowl you'll be disappointed I think.

For those of you who believe that McClelland is incapable of producing virginias without their trademark "ketchup" topping, this may be the tobacco to try. Before I go further, I wish to offer one caveat; this tobacco is only for experienced virginia smokers, those oh so patient puffers (that's puffers, not 'poofers').

This medium brown virginia flake, available only in bulk, has a clean virginia smell to it. The natural fruit essences have been added with a light touch, and are just barely detectable once the tobacco is properly dry. The flavorings complement the natural citrusiness of the virginia so well, that hard to tell there is anything other than tobacco in this flake. Some people find straight va. flakes boring, bitey, or just too difficult to work with. 5115 is no different than most virginia flakes in terms of ease of use. It's a thick flake, and takes some work to rub out fully. And it simply will not burn well if just broken up into chunks, and stuffed into the pipe. But patience is rewarded. Once fully rubbed out, and carefully loaded, this baccy shines. The first half dozen or so attempts at a charring light are the most critical; this is where you are most likely to ruin your tongue, so take it easy and be patient in lighting. Once lit, the stuff burns slowly of its own accord, and does not require a lot of puffing to keep it going.

I have learned that most McClelland virginias do have a slight cigarette like quality to the smoke, and that is something I have just had to learn to deal with. And 5115 definitely has that cigarette like acrid quality when breathed up through the sinuses, but this is forgivable given the quality of the tobacco. The flavors range from oaty/hops to citrus. The sweetness is more a background note in this particular flake, so you will not be overwhelmed by it. I find the flavors to be very well balanced, maybe a little too much so, as this may lead some to believe that it is a boring/bland smoke.

It's not overwhelming, but it's not boring. And I find that the different virginia flavors vary depending on the pipe I smoke it in. A dublin will cause the higher citrus notes to come out, as well as the sharpness of the tobacco. A group 4 or 5 bulldog is my favorite pipe to smoke this in. Does not smoke well in a chimney, and it is just to sharp on the tongue to smoke in a really small pipe. But, in a medium billiard or bulldog it smokes very well.

As I stated, this is a tobacco for experienced virginia smokers. If you have smoked MacBaren's virinia #1, and liked it, then this is another tobacco for you to try. It's richer than Va. #1 but is very similar in terms of flavor. It does require one's full attention, as becoming sidetracked while puffing can result in a scorched tongue. Load it carefully, light it carefully, and smoke it slowly. Do these things, and you will really enjoy this tobacco.

5115 Old World Classic Cake is a (barely) broken flake of medium brown with a sweet and slightly bready tin note. The charring and true lights bring a light fruit flavor with distinct Virginia grassiness, some very light earthiness and toast. The fruit flavoring here is very mild and quickly mellows in the first third of the bowl, melding seamlessly with the Virginia to create a very smooth-smoking blend.

Sipping this blend slowly, it reminds me somewhat of Newminster Superior Navy Flake, but with a light, Scandi-style fruit topping and a thinner mouthfeel. There is distinct tobacco flavor here, far more so than I would expect from what the blender refers to as an aromatic. Another good comparison is Stokkebye's Luxury Twist Flake. Like that flake, 5115 is a Virginia that happens to be flavored with citrus fruit - a classification distinct from "aromatic". And like LTF, 5115 has aging potential written all over it. If this is an aromatic, then so is Orlik Golden Sliced. For those who like the smell and taste of Danish blends but need more tobacco flavor and less bite, this might be your Holy Grail. Burning characteristics are more Virginia than aromatic, and 5115 leaves little mess in the bowl.

I didn't know what to expect from this blend, but overall I was very impressed. While many flavored Virginia blends promise, this one actually delivers. I'll be jarring this up and look forward to re-tasting it 3-5 years down the road. While this style won't appeal to all pipe smokers, it could be a three star blend as the flavoring mellows in the jar and the Virginia has had a few years to think about itself. That cannot be said of similar blends, reflecting McClelland's commitment to quality Virginia leaf even within its flavored lineup.

Edit 2020: True to my word, I opened a jar of 2016 vintage to see if the blend, and my opinion thereof, had changed. The fruit topping had mellowed so much as to have almost disappeared, but slow sipping brings it out from the background. The Virginias have aged beautifully, rich and mellow, though ever so slightly thin. Incredibly dry and cool-smoking, this is a blend that was designed to appeal to the smoker to whom “mild” was a compliment rather than a pejorative. But few knew Virginia blends as well as McClelland, and age has done wonders for this blend. As such, I’m raising my rating from two to three stars for the 3-5 year aged version. Highly recommended, however, for those who enjoy “mild” Virginia blends. Will come back to this in another few years and we’ll see how it has progressed.

To be honest I ordered this by mistake, I meant to order 5110 and was not paying enough attention. When I received it I was a bit disappointed but since I was to blame I was not going to let it go to waste. Turns out that this a decent smoke with a fairly straight forward tobacco flavor. Care in stoking is needed in order to prevent tongue burn, puff it slow and savor. By no means compares to Dark Star or St James Woods but performs well for a bulk cake.

This is one of the best of the bulk mcclelland blends I have tried. This is a very light virginia blend and is much appreciated when I am in the mood for a virginia blend of this genre. This is not as bitey as some of the other mcclelland virginias that I've had and smokes on the cool side. I will say that I dried this out quite a bit and would probably have come to other conclusions if I had done otherwise. The flavors run in the mid to high range of the virginia spectrum but are not sharp. The only things I have to say negative about this blend is that there is little depth on the lower end in this blend and the flavors tended to get even more mild past the halfway point of the bowl. These are the only things that keep me from giving it the highest rating. This would be a regular blend for me but I tend to lean towards virginia blends with a little more depth and additional low end. This is very good however and highly recomended to those who would prefer a lighter virginia blend.

A straight forward blend of different Virginia leaf with a slight fruity tone. The Virginia leaf is amazing here,absolutely delightful! The fruit essence is so slight that it rides along the smoke almost undetectable. Dry as usual. Lights easy and coats the bowl nicely. Tangy, but balanced. A really nice tobacco that I'll buy again.