McClelland Dark Star

Dark Star is in that class of very stoved virginia flakes. The stuff has a unique consistency , like rubber (too moist as it comes in the tin) to beef jerky (after it has dried to a smokable level). And it is very dense. The actual leaves in the flakes are indistinguishable, though it does shred, again like jerky. And it is as dark a flake as I have encountered. My current (2-year-old) sample has little crystals on the edges, indicating a very high sugar content.

Some compare DS to Marlin Flake, but MF is not nearly as dark in color or body. Maybe the closest thing to Dark Star that I can think of is Rattray's Black Virginia, which is, of course, not a flake, but is as heavily stoved. OK, so maybe it is not a good comparison. Now, either you like heavily stoved and pressed virginias or you do not. If not, why bother?

For a flake, Dark Star sure does have a tendency to bite. I prefer to dry it out to the point that the flakes break on folding. I then construct a pile of broken flakes about the size of the diameter of the pipe and stuff them in (laying flat) then crumble a little on top for ignition purposes. Puffed SLOWLY to avoid tongue damage, the bowl will burn smoothly and coolly to the bottom. ("Coolly" is a relative thing here, since the incredibly high sugar content of DS makes the burn hot by nature.) Note that this approach only works once the flake has dried sufficiently

I find the flavor of DS very complex if smoked slowly enough. The flavor gets darker and sweeter as the bowl progresses. There is a little virginia sharpness initially, but this is quickly subsumed by the sweetness. Reviewers that have commented on the fact that the _virginia has been completely stoved out of Dark Star_ do not care for this flavor development. And they have a point. It works for me, though.

I find that DS is one of the sweetest "natural" tobacco experiences around. Adn the adjective "rich" is appropriate as well. I will go through stages where I smoke DS on almost a daily basis as my virginia-of-the-day, but then move on to other offerings. After each hiatus, I wonder why I did not return sooner. The reason is probably the existence of Marlin Flake, and the myriad Va/P blends out there.

I'm going against my better judgement and adding to this already endless list of reviews. I have a big problem with this tobacco. This is the most inconsistent tobacco I have ever come accross. However, I must say, when everything is perfect (bowl size/pipe, moisture, pack, smolder temp. etc.) this is some of the tastiest virginia out there. I am typically an english fancier and enjoy rich robust flavors. Dark star gives some of the richest and most robust flavors that any pipeman could ask for. So you must be asking; whats the problem? The problem is that Dark Star only smokes this way about one out of five bowl fulls. The rest of the time its a slightly below average smoke at best. And I must say that when it's bad it's really bad. Take all of the horrors that can possibly go wrong with a bowl full of virginia, add them up and multiply by 10 and you'll have some idea of just how bad we're talking about. So why do I continue to smoke Dark Star? The fact of the matter, is that one bowl out of five, is like a revelation in pipe smoking. I can fight through the terrible smokes because I know that eventually everything will be perfect once again, and I will be able to enjoy all that Dark Star has to offer. If you don't mind a terribly inconsistent tobacco then pick some of this stuff up. When everything is finally perfect you'll be rewarded handsomely.

As a self professed lover of VA & VA/Perique flakes, I was primed to try this much revered tobacco. Having purchased it at the same time as McClelland Va No. 22, Va No. 24 and St. James Woods, I was able weigh it against a number of other front runners in it's class.

Tin Aroma: Ahhh that wonderful McClelland smell! No kidding, I really do like it. It's probably just a Pavlonian response.

Visual: If I were to shave some thin slices off of my Goodyears, this would likely match perfect. I did not have to much dust or pre-rub in my tin. Just a dis-orderly stack of oily black flakes.

Texture: Typically McClelland, just a bit on the moist side out of the tin, and that's just fine with me. Did not ever need to rehydrate even though it took me a while to get through the tin.

Pack/Pipe: Smoked this Fully rubbed (which yielded a very fine and grainy tobacco), rough rubbed, cut into pieces and stuffed whole into pipe. My preference usually fell to fully rubbed or cut into peices. I smoked this in my full rotation of VA flake pipes which consists of lots of xx & xxx Ashtons, a Dunhill Redbark, two Nording freehands (large), and others. Gravity fed with a medium tamp twice or three times.

Lighting/Burn: Usually one long match to char and another long match to light. (sometimes two.) This would usually suffice for the majority of the slow burning bowl. Often burning to bottom with no relights.

1st 3rd: Immediately notice that wonderful VA tang, but not to the extent that I expected. A citrusy sweetness, and a bit of a mouth filling low note that I can't quite place. Burns slow from the get-go so I just settle in for the duration. Tamping lightly and often.

2nd 3rd: It took a while to get here, but the flavor remains very consistent, maybe even getting a little more robust as the pipe warms up. Still not offering the amount of flavor I was expecting. (Milder than Va. No 24 or St. James).

Final 3rd: Most of the tanginess has been replaced with a slightly sharp fruitiness and good smokiness. Takes a long time to finish to bottom of bowl, but one is rewarded with a fine white ash that does cling to the side fairly well.

Notes: Of the 4 VA flakes I mentioned at the intro, this one was my 3rd favorite. I just did not get the knockout flavor punch I was hoping for. I will need to come back to this in a few years. (So many flakes, so little time!)

Stogie rating of: 8 Pristine Punch

The name says it all, this is a dark flake with flavor for days. Contains top-grade McClelland Virginia’s that are grassy with dark stewed fruit flavors. Don’t get me wrong this is an amazing blend but be prepared to put some work into smoking it. It will need a little drying time and even then will probably require several re-lights, it’s just a very dense black flake that is hard to keep lit. If you put in the time to prepare your bowl you will definitely be rewarded in flavor. This is a great blend that has been around for decades, definitely a must try!

Not sure if the name refers to the sci-fi classic or the fact that in spite of their blackened appearance, these flakes harbor the classic bright Virginia taste that smokers of McClelland blends may be familiar with.

Tin note is the signature vinegar complemented by delightful fruity tones. None of the vinegar was detected in the smoke even when freshly opened. Mostly full flakes accompanied by some broken flake.

I found the flake to be nice and pliable, easy to work with. My method is to roll a flake so that the grain of the flake runs vertically in the bowl, to muddle it so that it starts to flake out a little, then stuff but not too tight. That way air can run without obstruction from top to bottom of the bowl. For this and also for rubbing it into small chunks and gravity filling the bowl, it was much better to work with than others I can think of, like Blackwoods Flake for example.

I enjoyed the delicate texture that the smoke takes on about halfway through and on. This seems typical of the brights I have smoked in other McClelland blends and is as impeccable a style of bright Virginias as you could ask for.

The tin I just smoked has a couple years of age, but there were no sugar crystals on the flakes, which maybe means high sugar content but no sugars added. It has more of a natural sweetness with some caramelization (more on that to follow)

The stoving process has mellowed the taste out quite a bit. There are none of the sharper top notes you might find in your typical bright Virginia flake. Instead, the smoke is permeated with a lightly caramelized flavor. The caramelized/burntish flavor reminds me of a bright variety of coffee that has been dark roasted. I am sure many if not most favor a dark roast, but I find that the process ruins all the bright top notes of such a coffee. Likewise, with this one the stoving process seems to have taken all the top end off the Virginia, and since there are no deeper notes, it's all high midrange, like listening to a very good, mellow tenor sax for an hour or more seeing as it burns slowly. It also demanded to be slow sipped. No oils to bring to near combustion by revving it up a little. I liked it best in my Savinelli churchwarden.

Highly recommended if that sounds good to you. 3 stars for me, since perfect mellow high mids are not enough.

Flavor of rich, spicy Virginia tobacco, with a ketchup-y zing in the background. Flavor intensifies a bit through the bowl, and can get a bit edgy/harsh, even when not pushed. Temperamental to get going, but burns well, once tamed by the flame. Last third is smooth.

Not my usual cup of tea or bowl of tabak, this stuff is unique and nice for am occasional smoke. Yes, when you pop the tin there's "ketchup", however it's not ketchup you are sniffing, instead you are inhaling the aroma of the fermentation process McClelland uses in developing the signature flavor of their stoved Virginia tobaccos. I originally opened this tin close to a year ago and it is stored with other blends in a sealed plastic container. The black semi-shredded flakes were as sticky and moist as when I first opened the tin (that's a plus to me; as tobacco dries it loses flavor). I shredded the stuff the best I could. Rubbing it out would just mash it into a sticky ball. While Dark Star is quite moist and sticky with a nice initial charring light it will light up nicely and burn pretty well but will need a bit of help staying lit as you properly sip it. Sip it, that's the technique that must be employed as with just about all tobaccos. Here it it is a necessity as the sweet stoved Virginia will certainly scald your tongue if you chug away at it. The flavor is very pleasant but one dimensional. It a a sweet, but not cloying taste with a nice smooth and surprisingly cool almost metallic, in a nice way mouth feel. In the second half of the bowl the flavors intensity increases a bit incrementally as you go on and it becomes slightly spicy and the Virginia tongue tingle makes a at first subtle appearance and then continues to stick around for the completion of the ride. I would only smoke this in a 9mm filter pipe like the Vauen Classic I'm enjoying it in as I write this. Otherwise my estimate of tongue danger could be somewhat underestimated. While I wouldn't smoke this on a daily basis it is a very nice change of pace and I won't wait as long before enjoying it again.

Of the 3 Mc personal reserves I tried so far, this is the best. Reviewer before made a good comparison aND was right about the atomic fireball/cinnamon spicyness. Having read about the difficulty keeping lit, I rubbed it and basically did a gravity pack, maybe a light tamp. That helped, mine stayed lit pretty well. I did a full four charring lights. This tobacco is very compacted, and expands greatly when lit. This probably causes the lighting issues, as it will expand too much and keep oxygen from getting to the embers. I didn't get any bite from this. If you like spice, you will like this. Rating: enjoyable. Not sure if it is going to be in my rotation, got to try it a few more times and deserves some more chances.

You ever hear that old chestnut about it being better to keep silent and be thought a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt? Yeah, I don't ascribe to it either. Now onto my review!

I picked up DS out of curiosity, pure and simple. It's obvious aggravating qualities, as evidenced in reviews here, piqued my interest. Who doesn't enjoy the occasional challenge? That said, I still thought it best to ask others in the know the best way to prepare it...no need to fumble around with that aspect of it, I believed. I needn't have worried. I found the complaints of preparation and difficulty in lighting groundless. Sloppy wet and fresh from the open tin, it was no more annoying than your average flake. If I used matches, I suppose one extra would be required, but eh...so what? Even fold and stuffed was a breeze.

So endeth (most) the good news.

DS is the most vinegary McClelland I've ever messed with. Peel the lid back and hold your nose vinegary. Sheeew! My wife makes Carolina BBQ sauce(cider vinegar with brown sugar and red pepper) that smells tame in comparison. I know that smell usually doesn't translate in the smoke...usually. Unfortunately for me, this one did. I actually had a reaction to it...kind of a slow motion prelude to puking...my tongue withdrew into the recess of my mouth, and I was salivating profusely. WTH? Yeah...not cool. But being the trooper I am (read: cheapskate), I persevered with the tin. I'm fairly glad I did, too.

Not that it was smooth sailing, however. I learned the hard way to let this one air out and let the scent subside, yes, but I also found out that some tin time drying also helped it smoke like, well, smoke. Almost the first half of the tin didn't even feel like there was smoke in my mouth...it was like, uh...you ever get a shot of perfume in your mouth? Or possibly a citrusy furniture polish? Weird, I know, but true. (This is not an endorsement to experiment with these chemicals, BTW...besides, they are only partially effective on halitosis). 🙂

Somewhere in time, though, things settled down nicely. Suddenly I had a well behaved, non biting pleasant VA to look forward to. DS is a very much like its tin description, the spiciness intriguing, the sweetness beguiling. I only wish I had understood all the quirks before essentially wasting much of the tin.

I will get this again, I'm sure. While the continuing learning curve seems steep, the rewards look pretty promising. Either that, or I need to learn to keep my fat mouth shut.