McClelland No. 22

I plan to come back and fill in a bit more when I have more of the tin finished but thought I might note here that I had stumbled on a six year-old tin of No. 22 in a local shop. Opening revealed the flakes to be in excellent condition...many coated with a fine sugar dusting...or might this be bloom? At any rate it was easily rubbed to a coarse texture, put into a handy 2001 Peterson's 4th of July Dublin A4...and the result was close to heaven. Smooth, sweet, spicy, just a delight! It burned well with only a few re-lights to the bottom of the bowl...the flavor deepening as the bowl progressed. I need to go back and rummage around that shop more often!

Virginia #22 arrives in 2-3 inch flakes, medium to dark brown, with lighter golden striping. As expected, the McClelland 'Heinz ketchup' odor is in full effect, though I don't find this off-putting.

As of this review, I have smoked it fully rubbed-out, 'sausage-rolled', and cut, against the grain, into small squares. I have found the last to be the best preparation in terms of ease of lighting and coolness in smoking. (Occasionally, I use some aged 5100 as kindling to aid in lighting as well.)

The flavor alternates between a subdued, toasted sweetness and a more astringent 'tobacco' flavor. I never find the nicotine presence to be overwhelming, but often notice it once I have finished the bowl.

As others have noted, #22 has a tendency to bite enthusiastic puffers; some aging is sure to take care of such concerns.

That's one of the tobaccos I bought as soon as the rumours of McClelland shutting down their production started to spread. I bought a tin of it one day just to try it, liked it a lot and immediately ordered two pounds of this, so this should tell you how much I like this tobacco. I don't just like it, I simply adore it.

For a while I thought that McC's #24 is king when it comes to the Matured Virginias Series, but oh boy - how #22 has grown on me. The zesty taste of the bright Virginias is just beyond compare. I usually fully rub out the flakes and gravity pack them. After a few puffs I am in heaven already. The smoke is creamy, light, flavorful, slightly sweet, zesty and surprisingly full but never tiring. What I taste mostly here are citrus notes as well as "malty/bread notes", but they are part of a complex amalgam of flavors I just cannot seem to pin down and which ultimately constitutes the magic and allure of this blend.

A big plus of this blend for me is also that it's produced using tobacco that has actually been grown on American soil (I know I am Swiss but I still love the U.S.).

In my opinion, when it comes to the best Virginia baccy out there, forget Rattray's Holy Trinity, forget Gawith's FVF and BBF (even though I love those quite fervently as well), forget Dunhill Flake and come and pray at the altar of the almighty McC Matured Virgnias #22.

I’m smoking a tin of number 22 from 2012. To age this I opened the tin and re- caped it. I did this to let the vinegar smell dry up and also give the tobacco some drying time. After all those years the tobacco has not dried out completely, it’s easy to pack, and still takes a few matches. The flavor is mellow, malty, and hay like. This tobacco tastes absolutely wonderful! It’s staying lit well and has a mellow tangy flavor that is just out of this world good. I’m so glad I have a few cans stored up.

I love Virginia tobacco's...almost as much as I love Balkan Blend. Well that isn't right. They are equals at the pinnacle of flavor, just different and really are dependent on mood. That said, I am also a fan of McClelland Virginia's in particular. From the signature tin note to the presentation and unique flavors they draw from the leaf. I am sure glad I have some saved up (but not nearly enough). No. 22 is a zesty, flavorful straight VA that comes in beautiful broken flakes resembling beef jerky and the tang from the tin not far off from jerky.

I have been smoking 6 year old tins and the flavor is robust, tangy and has depth. The familiar ketchup/BBQ sauce smell transfers to the taste in the first 2 minutes of the smoke but dissipates quickly (I like that flavor btw). It develops into a savory, earthy smoke with dark sweetness and has creamy spots as the bowl progresses past the half way point. There is also a mild spicy quality that persists from beginning to end, kinda of like perique pepperiness but not quite.

If you are a fan of VA's, McClelland VA's in particular and can find this tobacco, it is a must have.

#22 Matured Virginia was my go to smoke after nearly a lifetime of Dunhill Nightcap. For a while I segued into Three Year Matured Virginia, but that went away for a while. When it returned it wasn't the same. Enter #22! Now I find that McClelland closed its doors, so there's nowhere to go?

I am going to keep this brief. #22 has everything I look for in a Virginia tobacco. It lights well, when allowed to dry a bit, and stays lit. The flavor at the match is a little sweet and grassy but this develops beautifully as the bowl is consumed. After about 1/2 bowl, #22 becomes rich and sweet with a little spiciness that plays in and out. The only thing left at the bottom of the bowl is a grey/white ash with absolutely no goop. I love this blend.

Jay

A smooth and flavorful straight Virginia. This is from a three year old tin so a new one may not be as tasty and bite-free. The spousal unit was especially critical of the after-smell of my clothing. I on the other hand enjoyed it thoroughly. Highly recommended.

Overall & after smoking quite a few ounces of this stuff I would say that this & 2015 are my favourite Va flakes, 22 has that McClelland Venom & zest which splits pipesmokers in half- into love it or hate it camps that is. 22 has as much bite as the best of 'em, having it's share of yellow leaf- But if appreciated slowly you won't harm yourself( I've got a sensitive tongue but it won't bite me with proper technique) . Another thing about this blend is it's High range sweetness, you can't even detect it some smokes, other times you can. BUT when the moon is full.... ( joke..sorta) never boring though & as said before - outstanding with a few beers. * I've recently opened a 3 year old tin & in comparison to a younger tin there is more sweetness & toastiness but the bite-threshold seems about the same.

disclaimer: review updated & some liberties taken .