McClelland No. 5120 Fragrant Virginia Blend

Another gifted sample of about an ounce. Mostly dark brown to black ribbons with an aromatic casing greeting the nose upon opening the bag. Naturally I'm not sure I can place it but to me it smelled of coconut and perhaps nougat. As these types of flavorings are often not to my liking, I was a bit hesitant but I soldiered on.

Nice example of what might be the difference between an aromatic and a "fragrant" blend. I think of aromatics (Goopers) as an attempt to negate all tobacco taste with a "fragrant" blend being more about the tobacco. This is the latter. The casing wasn't unpleasant but for me it was unnecessary. A bit fruity but not overbearing. The Virginias came through and were tangy and sweet with some dark stoved flavor. There may have been some complexity but the casing did a pretty fair job of making this a simple affair... and indeed I think that's the point, based on its name. This strikes me as being for those who like casing on their Virginias to create extra sweetness without having to suffer through too much casing and its requisite moisture and pipe ghosting. The blend succeeds on that level and would be a nice step up for aromatic smokers. For me, it's 2.5 stars. Nice but not much to offer the Virginia lover.

This is a high quality pure Virginia, but almost tasteless, flat. slow burning, without the difficulties od the Flake or Plug cuts. the flavour and taste are very mild. Seems to be light in nicotine content, suggested for begginners and for people that enjoy pure tobaccos, but it will problaby not so good for fans of latakia or aromatic mixtures. It will be good for smokers that like pure Virginias, bu for me, pure Virginias are only for mix with other tobaccos. 3 stars for the quality of the mixture, but is not for me. All pure or almost pure virginias are flat!

For me 5120 is mild enough to where I can smoke bowl after bowl if I choose. As for the flavoring , it is what it is and I would just be guessing but its enjoyable.Taste is mild yet flavor able and simple enough to enjoy without having to sit there and try to concentrate to figure it out. To me that's a good smoke. While i have puffed on the other 51"s I would like to see if this baccy improves with age and I would not doubt it. Try some I bet you'll smoke the hell out of it.

McCelland Bulk No. 5120 - Fragrant Virginia Blend

Star Rating = 3

Rating Scores - 10 is the Best and 0 is the Worst

Pouch Note = 7

Room Note = 8

Flavor = 8

Bite = 7

Burn = 8

After Taste = 8

Raw Score = 46

Rated Percentage = 77%

Comment = Smooth, Mid Strength Flavor, * Ketchup Pouch Note, but it has a hint of a Bite

* Foot Note: McClelland famous "Ketchup" aroma and / or taste comes from the natural fermentation of unstoved / non flue curded Virginias that are aged in cakes.

A pleasant, earthy, faintly musty taste is what greets me first with this blend. A mix of 5100 and a little 5105, I took a while to differentiate visually between a bag of 5100 and 5120. Midway through the bowl the earthiness has gone away and there's some spicy sweetness evident, albeit in a raw unpolished state. This tobacco cries out for ageing doesn't it. Doesn't yet convince me that it's a great tobacco blend, and yet hints that there is complexity waiting to develop. Towards the end of the bowl, the gurgle starts to appear and the smoky mustiness reappears as well. I can't say that I'm over impressed with this, as a freshly bought tobacco. My point of writing this review is really to record my impressions as it is now and then come back in say 6 months to compare it with the 1lb I've put away to age. I'm hoping the jarred tobacco will be a big improvement on this. If it's not I won't be buying anymore.

Update June 2008. I've bought a few more pounds of this and added 1 ounce of Perique to 1 lb of 5120. Makes quite a difference...smooths out the sweetness and adds some piquancy. Seemed to me that it also hid the mustiness as well. I like this mix very much. I have cellared several jars of this and have high hopes of it in a year or two.

Upgraded to 3 stars.

I orignally purchased this thinking it contained perique. The first thing that really caught me was the pouch aroma and then I understood why everybody was using 'ketchup' in their descriptions - although I kept thinking 'steak sauce'. Packs well and burns consistently. Hits it's peak halfway through the bowl and I didn't have a problem with the ending going sour. I bought 2 ounces to try out. As I got towards the end of the pouch it seemed like it lost it's oomph - too much exposure to air? I would buy more but want to try 2015 next.

I received a sample of this from Tobacco Direct.com along with my bulk order of 5100. I chucked it off to the side and kind of forgot about it for a week or so. I found it in my tobacco drawer and thought I would take it to work, where aeromatics are appreciated by my co-workers. I just finished another bowl of it and had several co-workers comment that it smelled really good and why don't I smoke it more often (they don't care for my full latakia weed).

I have to say, I don't find this to be an aeromatic (though I thought it would be from the name "fragrant"). I actually really enjoy it as a sweet treat and a departure from my regular blends. I may even order some in bulk to keep on hand. Good quality virginia and natural sweetness, plus a pleasing room note for the folks around you. Not a bad combination at all.

Jar note of spices, mild steak sauce, and mild stewed fruit. Tobacco is a mix of what appears to be 50/50 Stoved Virginia broken flake and Red Virginia Ribbon. The black and brown tobacco is moist but needs no drying. Burns slow with few relights once lit. The strength is mild to medium (it picks up some strength at the halfway point) and nic is mild. No flavoring detected. Taste is mild to medium and complex, with notes of mildly tart dark fruit, very earthy, wood, spiced bread, tangy lemon, sweet stewed fruit, mildly spicy, a sweet grass background note, and retro is smooth and gets a little peppery toward the halfway point. Stoved Virginia is leading with Red Matured Virginias supporting. Room note is pleasant, and aftertaste is great.

I liked this for what it was a good quality blend of virginias. It loaded up pretty easy and smoked like a charm all the way to the bottom of the bowl. It did not have the most flavor of other virginia blends I have tried, and that is why I would not rush out and buy more but would not turn down any offerings of this blend.