McClelland Navy Cavendish
(3.07)
With this tobacco, we reintroduce the smoker to the traditional navy cavendish, pressed in cake and aged naturally with dark Jamaican rum to achieve its rich depth of flavor, color and aroma.
Details
| Brand | McClelland |
| Series | Matured Virginias |
| Blended By | McClelland Tobacco Company |
| Manufactured By | McClelland Tobacco Company |
| Blend Type | Virginia Based |
| Contents | Virginia |
| Flavoring | Rum |
| Cut | Flake |
| Packaging | 50 grams tin, 100 grams tin |
| Country | United States |
| Production | No longer in production |
Profile
Strength
Mild to Medium
Extremely Mild -> Overwhelming
Flavoring
Mild
None Detected -> Extra Strong
Room Note
Pleasant
Unnoticeable -> Overwhelming
Taste
Medium
Extremely Mild (Flat) -> Overwhelming
Average Rating
|
3.07 / 4
|
Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 13 Reviews
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Jan 25, 2016 | Mild | Mild to Medium | Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
There's something in Navy Cavendish to confuse every possible pipe smoker ... It's a flake that says Navy but it's not like anyone else's Navy Flake, it's a Cavendish but many smokers haven't even had a VA Cavendish, much less something trying to recreate an old-style Cav, it's got rum but really doesn't make for an aromatic. I can only imagine how many missed expectations have come out of this little can.
The smoke itself is pretty good, although if McClelland wanted to be historically accurate they'd have twisted the leaf after hitting it with rum, and wrapped it in hemp rope to press. As is, it's a standard McC flake, well built and easy to work with. The rum is on the light side, leaving a plenty sweet smoke but without the kind of flavor an aro smoker might be looking for.
My main criticism of the blend is that it should have been steamed and pressed longer to take more of the bitey edge off of it and to smooth out the harshness. The flavor gets pretty blunt by mid-bowl in a way that I don't usually associate with Cavendish, although it's got some of the throat hit and flavor punch that C&D's Red Virginia Cavendish blending tobacco does.
It's an interesting experiment, but it just doesn't quite get there for me.
The smoke itself is pretty good, although if McClelland wanted to be historically accurate they'd have twisted the leaf after hitting it with rum, and wrapped it in hemp rope to press. As is, it's a standard McC flake, well built and easy to work with. The rum is on the light side, leaving a plenty sweet smoke but without the kind of flavor an aro smoker might be looking for.
My main criticism of the blend is that it should have been steamed and pressed longer to take more of the bitey edge off of it and to smooth out the harshness. The flavor gets pretty blunt by mid-bowl in a way that I don't usually associate with Cavendish, although it's got some of the throat hit and flavor punch that C&D's Red Virginia Cavendish blending tobacco does.
It's an interesting experiment, but it just doesn't quite get there for me.
Pipe Used:
basket pipe
Age When Smoked:
newborn
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 16, 2020 | Mild | Very Mild | Mild to Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
The Virginia varietals seems to consist mostly of red leaf that was stoved or processed in a similar method. They offer a nice earthiness and slight fruit undertone. The casing melds well with the tobacco and the smoke is mellow. This flake does nip at the tongue a bit more than usual but not enough to hinder another bowl.
*This review is based on a small sample and limited life experience.
*This review is based on a small sample and limited life experience.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 08, 2015 | Mild to Medium | Medium to Strong | Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
Take this review with a grain of salt because a friend gave me an 8 year old tin that was pretty dried out. I rehydrated it and this is where my impressions are coming from.
Very dark tobaccos that is easy to rub out.
There are some nice tangy and sweet lemon like flavors here but the rum gets in the way too much for my preferences. They're very different tobaccos, but it kind of reminded me of GL Pease's Barbary Coast and the alcohol used to top that blend. I got a lot of dottle left over in the bowl and it smoked a little wet.
If you want some rum flavor with your VAs this is a good option. I personally would just prefer the matured VA without the rum and maybe a splash of burley for variation. If you're looking for a zesty dark VA with no impinging toppings, I would look into the McClelland 2035, Dark Star or Butera's Dark Stoved.
High quality tobacco that is just not for me here.
Very dark tobaccos that is easy to rub out.
There are some nice tangy and sweet lemon like flavors here but the rum gets in the way too much for my preferences. They're very different tobaccos, but it kind of reminded me of GL Pease's Barbary Coast and the alcohol used to top that blend. I got a lot of dottle left over in the bowl and it smoked a little wet.
If you want some rum flavor with your VAs this is a good option. I personally would just prefer the matured VA without the rum and maybe a splash of burley for variation. If you're looking for a zesty dark VA with no impinging toppings, I would look into the McClelland 2035, Dark Star or Butera's Dark Stoved.
High quality tobacco that is just not for me here.
Age When Smoked:
8 years
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 26, 2010 | Mild | Very Mild | Extremely Mild (Flat) | Strong |
I agree with the previous reviewer, Davetopay: not bad.
It's not a bad smoke at all -- typical McClelland quality. But there's nothing special about it, nothing to make it stand out. I, too, had difficulty discerning much flavor in it.
A quality smoke, yet a bland one. This one's not for me.
It's not a bad smoke at all -- typical McClelland quality. But there's nothing special about it, nothing to make it stand out. I, too, had difficulty discerning much flavor in it.
A quality smoke, yet a bland one. This one's not for me.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 08, 2012 | Mild | Mild | Very Mild | Pleasant |
Objective: Very wet tobacco, but drying was not a problem. Mild to moderate amount of smoke delivered (Not a good thing, desire more). Price within reason. Packed well, lit well and smoked nicely to the bottom of the bowl.
Subjective: This was a nice smelling blend in the tin, but that did not translate into the smoke. I found the aroma to be off-putting and the taste to be somewhat chemical like. Not a mixture I will be revisiting.
Subjective: This was a nice smelling blend in the tin, but that did not translate into the smoke. I found the aroma to be off-putting and the taste to be somewhat chemical like. Not a mixture I will be revisiting.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Jun 24, 2002 | Mild to Medium | Very Mild | Medium | Pleasant |
Another nicely prepared flake from McClelland that has a more pleasant tin and room aroma than some of their other 'vinegar' blends. Easy to keep lit and a cool smoker when not rubbed out. However, I didn't taste the rum and found the initial 1/3 of the smoke rather rough. Overall, this rather uninteresting cavendish blend is no match for McClelland's true flakes in either bulk or the Personal Reserve series that I've reviewed and found more complex and enjoyable.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Aug 20, 2011 | Mild | Very Mild | Mild | Pleasant to Tolerable |
McC Navy Cavendish … This one smokes too much like a cigarette tobacco (Camel) for my liking. I found little stand alone taste/flavor in this blend, except when fully inhaled. Many seem to love this tobacco, maybe for that reason, but for me I want a blend not so dependent on being smoked like a cigarette, to find satisfaction. For that reason, this one is off my list of expectable pipe blends, and I can only somewhat recommend it to others.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 24, 2010 | Medium to Strong | Medium | Medium | Strong |
Not a fan of virginia's used to like lane's oriental cavendish,this was strong all around, my wife smelled the first wiff and that was from inside our garage outside of the house!The blend reminded me of a reasonable escudo loved the rum casing!
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| May 14, 2010 | Mild to Medium | Mild | Mild to Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
Not bad. That's not meant as a knock on the blend, I am actually enjoying smoking it a good deal.It's just that it doesn't stand out and declare it self when matched up against other navy blends. This tin has several years of age on it, and smokes very well. Dry, cool, little bit spicy, but I keep thinking about PS Luxury Navy Flake and how if I had to chose one to buy ofrever and a day, I'd go LNF. That being said, this is good stuff and is worth trying if you are looking at getting into the world of Navy Flake. The presentation is a broken flake, fairly soft when compared against some others, and easy to break up and load. It takes a light with relative ease, and burns cleanly to a nice ash. Only problem is, the flavor is a little weak for me. I like a baccy that will jump up and kick your tastebuds in their collective asses. Not so much the case here. In fact, I found myself getting a bit of bite due to my over puffing to try and pull more taste out of it. Therefore I give it 2 stars......pushing toward 3...but not quite.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Jun 14, 2010 | Mild to Medium | Mild | Mild | Pleasant to Tolerable |
Not much flavor or interest here. The rum-like casing/topping detracted from the virginias, rather than enhancing the flavor. This mixture irritates the back of my throat slightly, and is not easy to light. MEH. Not my thing.
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