McClelland St. James Woods

Again, it surprises me that isnt a straight 4 star blend. But thats the subjective part I guess. I see things like Macbarens Navy Flake....a sort of sweetish burley and virginia blend.. a high class drug store blend to my mind...get four stars. And then often the same reviewer gives this three. So i mention this because McClelland virginias are the best there is. Not even Gawith are as good IMHO. And that is the base for this blend. Mc C does three Vapers. Bayou Slices, St James Woods and Beacon extra. All are great. Beacon Extra has the most Perique. And if you like a lot of P, then get that. Its a wonderful blend and the virginias are stoved and rich. Bayou Slices is excellent too, balanced and with a good amount of Perique as well, and also well aged. St James Woods has less Perique but still has a pretty fair amount in comparison to many Vapers out there. The Virginias are mostly red, with some black and heavily pressed. Though again, not as much as , say, dark star or even Blackwoods Flake. But still, a goodly amount and it provides a rich background for the Perique spiciness. Like Bayou Slices, this is a masterfully balanced blend. The nic hit is just below medium, but the taste Id rate as full . This is not all that different from the bulk #2015. The difference is in the amount of stoving applied to the virginias (also its not quite the same mixtures of varitals). All told its simply one of the very very very best Vapers on the market.

The tin I opened is dated in 2011, and 5 years of aging may quite change the flavor. The tin note is very McC catchup, but that is not present in the smoke. As they said there are red and dark virginia, that would explain the layered sweetness and tangy flavor. The perique adds moderate spice, quite spicy than fruity. Although the broken flakes are moist and resilient, rubbing out to smaller streak and packing is easy as well as gets lighted. Very smoky for a Vaper. I may like more fruity than spicy perique to my taste, but it is very recommended for Vaper lovers.

Tin from 2006, opened, thoroughly rubbed out and allowed to dry in the dark to about 15%.

Round, rich, deep, flavorful, extremely well balanced, satisfying, delicious, yet never heavy, SJW replaced SG's SJF as my go-to VaPer some years ago. The perique is beautifully integrated. It burns well (if allowed to dry before smoking) and develops beautifully in the pipe, mellowly earthy with soft tannins and subtle elements of dark stone-fruits, hazelnuts, coffee and chocolate wafting in and out accompanied drily all the while by a hint of sweetness. There is no edge and no bite unless you apply the bellows, and why would you? There is plenty of flavor here at each sip.

For this smoker it has all the qualities. It is great from a fresh tin and develops spectacularly with aging. Try it with 5-7 years on it. Put some back. You'll be glad you did.

Highly recommended! For this smoker one of the very best VaPers.

Appearance:

It looked to be a flake that was broken up into smaller pieces. Brown with some black, very moist/sticky pieces holding it together. It seemed a quite moist in the tin, however after rubbing it out it was less so, but still on the wet side. It rubbed out to long ribbon like strips for the brown pieces, and smaller, still sticky bit for the black pieces. You definitely will want to let this one dry for at least 30 min prior to smoking.

Tin Note:

Earthy, kind of like wet hay, but pleasant, with a hit of spice to it. Overall I found the tin not to be quite appeasing, I didn't pick up on the ketchup or vinegar scent others have mentioned.

Char Light:

Wow, the second I took my first smoke filled puff after the flame hit it I was smacked by an unexpected, delicious, but not overpowering sweetness.

1/3rd of the Bowl:

The smoke, I noticed, was wispy, not full and creamy like say STM. By itself it had a slight spice element, but when snorked...WOW, I was hit with the sensation that I just bit into a fresh, juicy grapefruit (again unexpected based on bag note & char light). The taste was unbelievable, so much so, that I found myself snorking more than I ever had.

2/3rds of the Bowl:

The delicious grapefruit note was still there, with the added sweetness I first encountered duing my char light (it seemed to take a back seat during the first 1/3rd but came back). To top it all off, the spice I noticed in the bag note came out as well.

Bottom:

Burned nice and cool with only a slight bite towards the very bottom. Only had about 5 relights throughout (which is good for me), everything burned down to a nice, white ash and only a very VERY small amout of dottle (which is probably on my part because I'm new). The flavors from the 2/3rd were still dominant at the bottom, with the spice intensifying slightly but never overpowering the grapefruit or the sweetness.

Conclusion:

This blend knocked my socks off, so much so that I am about to go smoke another bowl . It was sweet, zesty, and spicy, everything I like in a smoke. A full complexity of flavor, each complimenting one another. I definitely recommend this blend!

What can I add to what others have said? This is a superb tobacco, in my personal top 10. The subtlety of the various aromas, including the musky undertone of the Perique, is almost unparalleled. Smooth and not harsh.

I enjoy the broken flake cut; it makes for a strong long-lasting pipeful. If you're not used to this cut, rub it between thumb and opposite palm to separate the strands. My only regret is that 50 g. just doesn't last long enough!

This blend is what I think when I think I want to kick back with true perique. That's not often these days. The depth, quality and balance here are undeniable, and you'll know straight away you're onto a luxury blend. No description needed. Having aged this a couple years, I can even say it only gets better. One blend I will strive to never be without. Smoke it low and slow, repeat a bowl or two, it won't burn you or disappoint. This is one of the few blends I would say tastes better in briar than a cob. I'd have a a tough time picking a better blend to settle me into the winter smoking season. Splendid offering!

Another great Virginia from McClelland. The dark loose flakes are beautifully marbled and have that typical "McClelland smell" , ketchup and vinegar come to mind. I never see this smell come across in the taste and in my mind this unique masking helps build the anticipation when tasting the blend. I expected the tobacco to be a Dark Star with Perique, that is not what I got. DS has a very sweet, mature mellow flavor. This blend is a beautiful blending of top quality Virginias and Perique and the latter really makes this flavor unique in the VaPer category. The sweetness from the virginias blends with the plummy/raisin and creates a unique sweetness, like a sweet bread or sticky bun. The perique comes across more in the mouth feel and the peppery note felt mostly in the nose. the flavors seem to concentrate as you burn down the bowl and really finishes strong with a pleasant aftertaste...making me want to smoke another bowl. I smoked this in a few briars and cobs. With the personal reserve line I have noticed a very different flavor when smoked in a cob vs a briar (and even different again in a meerschaum). The briar seems to present a deeper mellower smoke and the cob a brighter more peppery smoke (maybe it is me but I repeated this experience several times). Both are great but different. I highly suggest rubbing this out and letting it dry. I rub it out let it sit for an hour on a plate and then throw it into an empty tin and seal it until I am ready to smoke it. I have found this to work the best for me. No bite or harshness with this one when smoked properly.

When I first tried this blend in 2006, I liked it and bought a bunch. Then, I grew tired of it and didn't re-visit until September 2017. What a difference! Silky smooth and soft-smoking. Delicious. So glad I have a few of those vintage tins. Still, I will buy more and continue to age it. Don't want to run out. Hopefully I've got another 10-15 years of smoking left in me! Maybe let it dry out a bit before smoking.

Tin Note: Ketchup.. I swear that's all I ever smell in these McClelland blends.

Body: 6/10 Taste: 5/10 Nic: 3/10, full stomach Moisture From Tin: Perfect

Mechanics: It's a bit hard to rub out and since it's a broken flake it doesn't lite very well. Nor does it stay lit very well. No bite either, which is a big plus for a VA/ per.

Taste: The reds are the star of this blend, that deep and musty flavour shining through with the perique being very vocal about it's presents, especially with the retrohale. Occasionally I'll get a hit of that 'signature' McClelland ketchup note, which is kind of unpleasant.

Thoughts: Damn! This is good. I have no problem putting this as my #1 tobacco. The virginias and perique play very well together, producing a very flavourful blend and occasionally you'll get a puff that taste just of perique and ohh man is that tasty. The only down side is the ketchup note that, sometimes, hits you over the head. I am sure this will age well. If you like VA/pers stop what you're doing and order a tin or two.

Overall this is a 9/10 blend, now, please excuse me while I go order a few tins to throw in the cellar.