McClelland St. James Woods

I largely agree with Dr. Scott's review below, especially about the Heinz 57 flavor, and the over-dominance of perique.

For me, the taste is like figs seasoned with hints of cinnamon and nutmeg, then smothered with Vegemite or HP sauce. It does not have the elegance and balance of Escudo, but instead is monochrome and too sharp.

Like all McClelland's blends, it's quality. I expect there are some for whom this will be nectar, but it's just not my flavor.

If you are looking for smoothness and flavor like Escudo or Davidoff Flake Medallions - this is not it. Overcooked virginias and not enough perique. Rough and hard to keep lit. A let down. I liked the smell.

I tried this blend a while back and disliked it from the get-go and never made it thru the can. Blamed it on the sharpness of the perique amongst other reasons. Now, upon time and thought, I am not so sure. I post a NR simply because of that experience but acknowledge how personal tastes change or develop and plan to give this one another go. I post now simply to note that reviews are perhaps better termed ...opinions.

What can I say about the magnificent tobacco blend from McClelland? It is truly a pleasure to smoke, the perique is perfect and the stoved VA is awesome. This tobacco surpassed my expectations. I sipped the first part of the bowl to find it subtle and not overly powerful. By the middle of the experience some sweet notes of the tobacco came out and by the end I was asking for more. Highy recommend.

"Got any stewed prunes? Give them some black coffee. That'll sober 'em up."

Mmmmmm. Perique.

No kidding, I get a nice stewed prune note and a little bitter black coffee/chicory in this very good blend. And best of all, it still tastes like tobacco.

I have discovered heaven in a tin. As an englishman, I have only recently realised the wealth of great tobacco's in the USA. We really never should have let you guys get away with rebelling... Enough of that! First time I tried SJW, I found the perique just a bit too hot to cope with and had a fizzy tongue for 12 hours or so. But, as many contributors urge us to not give up but 'Endeavour to persevere', I tried it again...this time very gently and I found flavour, depth, nuance of taste and utter enjoyment! There's a rich fruitiness...plums, damsons, seville oranges married with dark chocolate depths in this blend. The perique is just amazing when you treat this tobacco properly; it enhances and deepens and spices. I smoke it in a Jobert pipe..an olivewood pipe from South Africa. It's dedicated to VA's and though expensive (I have 2 children at university so pennies are scarce), it's money well spent. I suggest you try one; heavier than briar but provides an excellent smoke. Back to SJW. I'm ordering some 2015 to age as SJW is pretty expensive for me to get and hoping that it's a decent alternative; but SJW richly deserves its full marks. It's one of their best tobacco's ever .

As others have observed, this is pretty much Blackwoods Flake with perique added. I should like this, as I'm a fan of Blackwoods and I absolutely love perique, but this blend was a huge letdown.

In my experience, perique normally adds a stewed or ripe fruit essence while greatly enhancing the entire range of tobacco flavors. When used correctly, perique can unlock all the nuances of a blend, kind of like applying salt or other spices to meat can actually intensify the inherent qualities. It also usually imparts some strength, as perique is a nicotine laden leaf. In St. James Woods, however, it seems to do the exact opposite. The concoction was utterly flat, almost like smoking hot air, and I couldn't make out so much as a hint of the perique flavor I was expecting.

I ended up dumping what was left in the tin after forcing myself to smoke a half-dozen bowls. This is the only McClelland tobacco I've tried that was a complete waste of time, and this is by far the worst presentation of perique that I've had the misfortune to come across. If you're searching for a Va/Per, I'd suggest picking up some Filmore, Anniversary Cake, or St. James Flake (from Sam Gawith).

McClellands flagship VA/P blend my tin was 4 years old . A fine looking flake . Great initial taste and a complex all the way down it of course merits recommendation . But the $64.000 question is with so many great VA/P blends availble is this one one of the greats . Maybe , but as other reviewers have noted 2015 may well have the edge to my taste. It's not bad but is perhaps not as good as I was hoping.

Smell of vinegar and dark fruits, penetrating, intense and very rich, if you like vinegar as I do. The color is brown and black, with some reddish streaks and some sugar crystals. I didn't need to dry it out beforehand to have a good smoking experience, although I did need a few relights. The vinegar is noticeable in the first puffs, but after the first third it will have disappeared. The virginias that I like the most are the red virginias and by extension, the va/per with red virginias are also my preference. Here the perique is sour and spicy, with a balsamic touch in some puffs. It does not bite the tongue at all, even if it is smoked in a hurry. It produces a creamy, full-bodied smoke and provides a very long smoke, as tobacco burns slowly.

One thing that caught my attention the first days I smoked it, is that this tobacco is a chameleon that blends in with the pairing, so you decide which tobacco flavors you want to enhance. Although this is something that happens with many tobaccos, with this one it happens in a particularly notable way. So, in a way, it's like several tobaccos in one.

All the SJW pipes I've smoked have been four stars, so guess what grade I'm going to give it... It would be a favorite if there were no Beacon Extra.