McClelland Dark Star

as a fan of VA flakes, I was highly let down by this blend. I've gone through two 100g tins of it, giving each away about halfway through. as "Slow Triathlete" already mentioned, it's impossible to work with. the flakes are too thin and don't "rub out", they turn into shards of tobacco. then, it takes about 6 months for this blend to dry enough to burn for more than 2 puffs at a time before re-lighting. once it is dried enough, the flakes are so hard you can't rub them out, you only get splinters. if you do like I do with McC flakes, rubbing out the entire tin upon opening before they dry and you can't work with them, then the "shards" of tobacco don't bend or pack well at all. there is NO happy medium with this blend.

the hints of flavor i've been able to acquire while fighting with it have been decent, not good enough for me to put up with the hassle. I can't recommend this pain in the a$$ blend to anyone.

I bought my first tin of Dark Star a few months ago. It's the first tin of tobacco that I smoked all of in just a few weeks time. This has become my favorite Virginia flake as far as taste goes. I find it very sweet. It produces a nice thick, creamy smoke. I'm not experienced enough to distinguish the nuances of tobacco yet but I can say that this one never gets boring to me. I may not yet really know what quality tobacco is but this one seems to fit the bill for me. As many have attested to, it is pretty moist straight out of the tin and has the trademark McClelland tin aroma that most either love or hate. I'm not overly fond of the aroma in the tin but who really cares? I'm not eating it or using it for pot pourri! I rub mine out fairly well and let it dry out for about 20 - 30 minutes to aid the burn. I do think some flavor is lost in doing so but the one down side to Dark Star is that it's a bear to light and keep lit. Some may not care to fidget so much when there are other fine tobaccos out there which don't necessitate it but I find it well worth the effort. There is definitely an art to smoking this one and I plan to gain the experience to master this one. This is one I'm cellaring and can't wait to get some age on. As for tongue bite, I don't get much with this blend overall with the exceptions of relights on occasion if I get overzealous. Even so, it's mild to me. If you're one who doesn't care for prepping tobacco, this one's not for you. If you're looking for a great, complex tobacco that repays what you put into it, then I say give it a go.

The tin note is more towards figs than the usual Ketsup note that McClelland's aged Virginians are known for. Deeper and sweeter.

The flavor has the depth of a top notch Maduro cigar with a touch of sweetness and pepper top note. A full, rich, complex flavor. I found Dark Star to be sweeter and less peppery than McClellands St. James Woods.

The room note is sweeter and lighter than one would expect from the full taste. It is quite pleasant and does not smell at all like a cigar. This is a prime rib of a tobacco.

In short, too hard to light, too hard to keep burning. I don't like having to work too much when I smoke my pipe. Reading other reviews, maybe I should have tried grinding it or something like that, but the very hard very dense chips just won't burn, even with lots of drying and with plenty of "dust" as kindling on the top. Nothing like FVF or other VA flakes I've tried, we're talking SERIOUSLY hard to get lit and stay lit.

When I did get it to burn, I found the flavor interesting, which is why I'm giving it two stars. I'd rather smoke 5100 or 2015, for sure, if I'm reaching for McClelland.

I knew this would be an experimental smoke as soon as I opened the tin. My first thought was, "That's 50 grams of tobacco?" They could have saved money on packaging and used a breath mint can.

The flakes are almost black and oh so wet. After 24 hours with the lid cracked it was finally (barely) dry enough to take a flame. It is the very devil to rub out and simply will not light folded.

First smoke: I found it almost bland. I say almost because this tobacco whispers to you that is has a lot to say.

Second smoke: Bland again, more whispers of shadowy secrets.

Third and fourth: There was something sour, light and pleasant in the background.

Fifth smoke: This lady bit me and I cried no joy.

I give this one two stars only because I will finish the tin. I started mixing it with PS Bullseye Flake and they dance well together, so I have no doubt there is someone somewhere that knows how to get this blend to open up a full oratory... but it ain't me babe.

Tin: Very strong sweet bread and fruit aroma. Shiny black, stoved appearance. The pressed flake is supple, 1&1/2x2x1/6". Date stamped on bottom: 311305, the last two digits meaning tinned in 2005.

Packing & Lighting: Rubs out easily into small splinters. It is lightly packed. It takes two strong efforts to keep it lit, then DS smokes all the way to the bottom, with one relight.

Taste & Aroma: Mild, dark, oily taste and aroma--roasting chestnuts? Not much readily discernable flavor, which is not matched by the tin aroma. No unusual moisture problems; if necessary, just take the stem off once, mid-bowl,and blow it out. Not particularly sweet. If you want sweet, try Christmas Cheer.

Nicotine: medium

Room Note: mild to medium, like the aroma

31MAY07 Update: I was dead wrong on this tobacco. Each successive bowl has been less enjoyable than the previous one, until now I absolutely dread smoking it. The flakes don't really rub out -- they just congeal into these nasty little balls of tar that are nearly impossible to light or keep lit. I have to puff like a mo-fo to keep it going, and by that time the smoke is harsh, hot, and tastes like I'm smoking burned microwave popcorn! I'm too cheap to just throw out what I have left -- the tin cost me $20+, so I guess I'll force myself to smoke some of it once every couple of weeks until it is (thankfully) gone. As much as I may try, it is not possible for me to convey how much I despise this tobacco.

12APR07: While I won't claim to be an expert, Dark Star is one of the better flakes I've tried. The tin aroma is deep, rich Virginia with a hint of that ketchupy sweetness. The flakes are dark brown, moist hunks that rub out somewhat easily. With a newer can, you have to be a little careful not to pack too tightly due to the moistness, but after a while, you can slowly begin to pack more aggressively. You might have a little trouble keeping the bowl lit at first, but eventually it burns OK. The flavor is delightful -- sweet tobacco with little noticeable flavoring. The smoke is dense and blue. The downsides to this product are two: (1) it tends to be hot and harsh toward the end of the bowl; and (2) the flake format in and of itself. I prefer not to have to manipulate my tobacco too much before packing it in and lighting it up, so the latter point is merely a personal preference issue. Overall, though, the annoyances seem minor and this is a fine tobacco well suited for a good, long, enjoyable smoke.

When I smoke Dark Star, I can see myself on the front porch of a fishing cabin down on the bayou, easing back and forth in a wooden rocking chair with my feet up on a rail. My old hound dog is snoozing next to me, and the thick puffs from my briar waft slowly through the humid air along the river bank, becoming lost in the low-hanging Spanish moss, glistening with the late afternoon humidity.

Could'nt dry this stuff out short of a microwave. Tried rubbing it out, smoking as a flake- Snake bit everytime. Everyone said how good this was- I'm blaming my chemistry.... Wish I could have liked it.