McClelland St. James Woods
(3.31)
A highly sophisticated broken flake of matured red and black stoved Virginias pressed with the finest Louisiana perique. This beautiful, mottled tobacco has an especially deep, rich character with that mysterious and compelling aroma that is perique's alone. A truly satisfying delight for natural Virginia pipe tobacco.
Notes: From McClelland: Occasionally we meet someone whose familiarity with a variety of tobaccos, sensitive palate, and desire for "that special tobacco" provide an inspiration for us. In seeking to satisfy a taste other than our own, we pleasantly surprise ourselves with beautiful results. This is what the Personal Reserve Series is all about. We developed this concept early on as a way to enhance our creative spirit. We are proud to offer these fine pipe tobacco blends, and hope you will enjoy them.
Details
| Brand | McClelland |
| Series | Personal Reserve |
| Blended By | McClelland Tobacco Company |
| Manufactured By | McClelland Tobacco Company |
| Blend Type | Virginia/Perique |
| Contents | Perique, Virginia |
| Flavoring | |
| Cut | Broken Flake |
| Packaging | 50 grams tin, 100 grams tin |
| Country | United States |
| Production | No longer in production |
Profile
Strength
Medium
Extremely Mild -> Overwhelming
Flavoring
None Detected
None Detected -> Extra Strong
Room Note
Pleasant to Tolerable
Unnoticeable -> Overwhelming
Taste
Medium
Extremely Mild (Flat) -> Overwhelming
Average Rating
|
3.31 / 4
|
Reviews
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Displaying 61 - 65 of 65 Reviews
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Jan 14, 2007 | Medium | None Detected | Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
I smoked this as my first or second attempt at finding out a bit of what perique might offer and I was really disappointed. I had ordered quite a few tins and I put them aside and never opened one again for years. The other day I was looking through the larder and I came across these tins and pulled one out to try again - what a shock!. This is without a doubt the one tobacco of all I have known that is the most improved by some age. This tin was from the '98 batch. All the edges were gone - just pure smooth good rich Va/Per which I actually prefer to aged Escudo for my own personal taste. I am so pleased I didn't chalk this up as a bad experiment back in '98 and trade this tobacco off. I wish I had 50 more tins aging instead of 4 or 5. Now to pull out that Beacon and give it another go.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Sep 24, 2006 | Mild to Medium | None Detected | Mild to Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
I am now working on my second tin of St. James Woods. I think that this tobacco blend is my first experience with ?dark stoved Virginia? tobacco. It is one of the very finest tobaccos that I have ever smoked. St. James Woods delivers a mild sweetness, with no bitterness and no harshness (or bite) on my tongue. I do not know how to describe the aroma, except to say that it is a mild, pleasant tobacco smell. It is not at all similar to Cavendish or fire-cured blends.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Sep 02, 2004 | Strong | None Detected | Full | Pleasant to Tolerable |
This is my favorite McClelland pipe tobacco! Opening the tin the vinegar smell is very faint,but I do smell HIGH GRADE STOVED VIRGINIA and a hefty amount of that wonderful Louisanna leaf, PERIQUE. The color is Red,brown and black. Red,brown and black being the Virginia and dark brown the Perique. This tobacco is partially broken with some flakes broken in half.
(As others have said, let this tobacco dry out a bit)
Packing,the partial falkes fall apart easily,and it packs really well. Lighting is a breeze,and stays lit.
This is strong tobacco,and to me,that's a good thing. The taste is S P I C E Y,and D A R K. This tobacco tastes...spooky,and has that Perique echo that usually is way in the background,but here is playing up front along side the Virginia section. To me this is not at all for faint of heart,and most new pipe smokers should stay far away and ripen their taste buds first.
I wish McClelland sold this by the bushel! Bravo Zulu McClelland
(As others have said, let this tobacco dry out a bit)
Packing,the partial falkes fall apart easily,and it packs really well. Lighting is a breeze,and stays lit.
This is strong tobacco,and to me,that's a good thing. The taste is S P I C E Y,and D A R K. This tobacco tastes...spooky,and has that Perique echo that usually is way in the background,but here is playing up front along side the Virginia section. To me this is not at all for faint of heart,and most new pipe smokers should stay far away and ripen their taste buds first.
I wish McClelland sold this by the bushel! Bravo Zulu McClelland
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Apr 08, 2004 | Medium to Strong | None Detected | Full | Tolerable |
I really like the strength this can deliver. If I am seeking strength, but not interested in smoking out the inside of a tree stump (latakia), then this is what I often go for. I the latakia blends mind you, but this is different. The tang of the VA's can be overwhelming, and the strength from the perique can pack a whollop at times, but by in large, the mix of the two is incomparable. I think I always have a tin of this open -- I'm going to make it a point to make sure I've got some aging at all times soon.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Apr 17, 2002 | Medium | None Detected | Medium | Pleasant |
I'm fairly new to virginia flakes, transitioning from english blends, so this came as a wake-up call. Scent on opening the tin is vinegarish. After a few days of drying it loses the vinegar and slides toward a nose-tickling sharpness. Mostly darker thin cut wide flakes that I cut into 1/4 inch squares to smoke. I smoke this mostly in taller thinner bowls, and pack it fairly tightly - otherwise the flavor gets too thin for my english (blend) bred tastes. On lighting it is way more sharp than sweet, but as I (carefully) smoke it down the sweetness kicks in and remains to the end. Perique is obvious, but it seems to accentuate the virginia sweetness. The smoke does get thiner at the end of the bowl. This can bite terribly if smoked too fresh out of the tin or too quickly, but properly prepared and carefully smoked it is very enjoyable. Recommended. 8 of 10. - Kelly
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