McClelland No. 5120 Fragrant Virginia Blend

Where 5100 is a purist's tobacco--nothing but pure Virginia--5120 is deeper in flavor because of the addition of some stoved Virginia. A sweet natural smoke, undemanding and comfortable. Packs, lights and burns easily. It has become a favorite for evenings reading a book or just friendly conversation.

Another great McClelland Virginia blend.

Super Fresh Ketchup is how I describe this blend. After a day with this tobacco, the remaining 11 oz. was jarred. Don't get me wrong it was a-ok. The fragrance is the bag is overwhelmingly fruity. It has a fresher version of the signature McClelland aroma. I just found it to taste like an aromatic blend I used to buy at the mall tobacconist as a teen. A little too moist, and a little over the top for a person whose tastes have developed. I tried air drying, some time in the briar, and DGT to no avail. I usually like Red Va. We'll see what several mos. do. Like another reviewer mentioned. I like the component parts here, it just needs time to mellow. Will report back.

This blend of red, black stoved and a hint of golden VAs has many of the characteristics of another McClelland "fragrant" bulk blend, #2000 Matured Cake. Both are exceptionally moist on receipt which leads to extra work to find the proper drying time. The pouch aromas are fruity/sweet and room aromas well accepted by most non-smokers. If you're smoking more for your company's benefit, this might be a good choice of a non-aromatic VA. Although this one smoked cool and without bite, I prefer the #2000 over this ribbon cut due to the more uniform and slower burning properties. However, neither has enough punch for other than early AM smoke.

I have not played with McC's bulk virginia's much, but I enjoy this one. It burns well across a wide spectrum of temperature ranges, indoors and out. The longer it ages, the more exquisite it becomes, perfect for those long solitary walks in mother nature. Recommended to one and all, but do sip it slowly, as it deserves your attention.

A nicely mottled red and black Virginia blend with the occasional flash of lighter leaf. A very slight Vanilla/fruit pouch aroma accompanies the love-it-or-hate-it McClelland vinegar essence (I love it). Not too sticky or moist. The topping does not come through to the flavor, the room aroma is only slightly different from straight tobacco. This is not an aromatic. On the plus side, it smokes cool, evenly, and with nice thick smoke. Unfortunately, it doesn't have a lot of flavor. More than #2000 and #2050 mind you, and what you can taste is nice. The slight tongue tingle doesn't morph into zest, the mid-level shows some hints of chocolate-like smoothness but never goes anywhere. DGT very slightly enhances the flavors and sweetness, but not enough for my taste. This would be a nice blending tobacco, and perhaps a nice starter Virginia for the new smoker.

Many reviewers knock this blend, but I find it to be absolutely delightful.

One might be tempted to attribute this to different taste buds in the reviewers, but I think there's another reason. If I smoke this blend in a briar, it's boring and bland. But if I smoke this in a clay pipe, I find that the naturally sweet notes stand out and politely tickle my taste buds with zest.

It is somewhat moist, but this can be corrected either by letting it dry, or just being patient.

Like all pure virginia blends, this does demand some respect. If you smoke it to rapidly, you will receive tongue bite. But if you gently sip upon its nectars, you'll have a wonderful experience.

Your views may vary. I'd love to know what experiences others have with this in a meer.

5120 is a mostly dark wiry and fairly wet ribbon cut with almost no scent in the tin. It's difficult to keep lit during the first part of the bowl, but eventually takes the flame and burns well. At first, this tobacco has a mild, slightly sweet taste which grows a little sour and sharp as I progress through the bowl. By the middle of the bowl, the tobacco is burning well and the taste settles into a very nice, slightly sweet, natural tobacco flavor. There is some bite throughout the bowl, but I suspect that if I took the pains to dry this tobacco thoroughly, most of the bite, and maybe most of the burning problems, would abate. This tobacco has a lovely natural tobacco aroma and a mild, natural taste that I like a great deal. Unfortunately, with all the great blends available, I'm not willing to mess with this one. If you're willing to take the pains to find the right moisture level, this might be an outstanding tobacco.