McClelland No. 22

For the lovers of VA's-- myself included-- a 'must try' blend as we make our way through the taste-gauntlet of the world's innumerable tobaks.

This is a good day starter, no shock to the system, no real surprises.

It is the lack of that certain something else that keeps this blend from receiving a higher rating.

This is my first posted review. It is by no means my first tobacco, I just happen to be smoking it right now.

Virginia # 22 is typical of McClelland Virginias, full of red and dark stoved tobbaccos with small streaks of yellows.

The tin smell is that strange McClelland only aroma so often read of. But as time passes after the tin is opened, the zesty Virginia aroma shines through.

This tobacco, because of its flake cut, is ideal for a multipurpose tobacco. It is easily rubbed out for indoors smoking. It is equally up to the task of outdoor smoking.

The taste is one of spice and sweet. As I am a barbeque cook and cook alot outside with wood, I am most reminded of that aroma with this tobacco. Its taste is like the smell of good sauce on the coals, sweet yet tangy.

I recommend this for anyone who has a taste for the outdoors, spicy foods and honest Virginia

I open this can finally, not before inspecting it; when I notice the stamp on the bottom reading "220715". So I am thinking "Great, if that's the packaging date this has some age to it, so my day is about to get better". Well ... I open the can, and it pops with a loud noise, and I stick my nose in it ... it smells like ... ketchup, some vinegar, perhaps a wiff of something in between clove and ginger. Not very encouraging, but non the less I am determined to get past the first impression - although from past experience if it smells nasty, it tastes nasty. I pick up a a couple jerky looking flakes, rub them on my pipe plate, and fill a bowl. It takes a bit to light, but finally I have a full draw, and it's simply amazing. All the repulsion dissipated, as I was puffing smoke after smoke. I used a Denicote pipe for this, with a 9 mm carbon filter, and I puffed at it for a bit over an hour. Very pleasant smoke - throughout the first half of the smoke it keeps its taste constant: smooth, slow burning, virginia with a unique sweetness to it. The taste reminds me of exactly one thing, yesterday's cut moist grass that has been sitting in the sun for a warm early summer morning. I did not leave it out to dry, since it didn't feel overly moist. As a term of comparison, as far as moisture goes in flake my last experience was Samuel Gawith Navy Flake, which felt considerably wetter. It took me only two relights, which is ok in my flake book. Shortly within the second half of the bowl, this blend kindly reminded me to slow down - the pipe got a tad warm and it was threatening to bite. After I turned off the locomotive I was rewarded with a slightly more intense taste, still grassy like, but resembling a lightly sweet dark chocolate. I was quite impressed by this smoke, and I need to take my hat of in front of this great American blender.

Rich, mellow and a bit tangy. Everything a pressed and aged a Virginia should be! A delight to the senses. This fine Virginia took the match well and I had only two re-lights. Delicious! I just found out McCkelland closed down.Thats what I get for living in the Antarctic most of the year. Glad I have several pounds of various McClelland tobaccos.Next thing you know, someone will tell me that the Doobie Brothers broke up.

This is the least favorite of the McClelland matured VAs I have tried to date. The distinct vinegar smell was overwhelming in my tin. Despite letting it air out and ?re-age? for another several weeks, it didn?t mitigate the vinegar smell. A little harsh at first light, it settles down into a decent VA smoke for a while then ?turns south.? The flavor seems to dissipate, it loses ?punch,? and becomes moderately harsh. And unlike some other reviewers here, I thought its burning qualities were marginal.

A cigarette is to be smoked. A cigar is to be enjoyed. A pipe is to be savored.

I rate this tobacco 6.5 out of 10.

I'm not a connoisseur of straight VA blends. I've only tasted a few and they keep my interest less than VA/P and Latakia blends. This leaf is quite nice. More solid and varied flavor at the top of the bowl...a bit... coarse through out the later portions. Towards the end a little bland. I found it pretty well behaved, but my sample is quite (nicely) dry. Burns very evenly and good thick cut.

This is the second McC VA I have tried, and like the first one (Dark Star) this one annoys the hell out of me.

Like Dark Star, opening the tin is like opening a bottle of 99% acetic acid. The vinegar fumes are so strong they need to put a label on this warning you that it should only be opened in a chemlab inside a fume hood. This is just nuts... what the heck are they putting on this?

I let this thing dry out for several weeks with the top on and it still didn't loose enough of this vinegar smell/flavor. So finally I rubbed it all out to a broken flake consistency and let it dry for a few days with the top completely off. Finally it became smokable. However to be smokable this stuff needs to be bone dry. I don't like tobacco that has to be crispy-dry in order to be smokable and this whole vinegar issue really bugs me.

After all this trouble I'm rewarded with a mediocre virginia at best. A little sweet, a bit of spice, but I'd much rather have a tin of Patriot Flake than this