McClelland No. 22
(3.25)
A balanced blend of Eastern and Middle belt Virginias aged in cakes to develop their natural sweetness. A zesty tobacco with rich undertones, coarse enough to smoke on windy days outdoors, but easily rubbed out to suit any occasion.
Details
| Brand | McClelland |
| Series | Matured Virginias |
| Blended By | McClelland Tobacco Company |
| Manufactured By | McClelland Tobacco Company |
| Blend Type | Straight Virginia |
| Contents | 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
|
3.25 / 4
|
Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 Reviews
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 23, 2010 | Medium | Very Mild | Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
Another of the blends I have been puffing away at, and meaning to review. Why haven't I? It hasn't moved me. There is absolute;y NOTHING wrong with this tobacco. I enjoy looking at it, touching it, smelling it, and smoking it. Would I go out of my way to buy it again? MAYBE. It's of the "can't hurt to have some on hand" class of straight VA's.
It is a very pretty, slightly broken, fairly thick cut flake presenting a wide range of colors from bright yellow to dense umber. The moisture was pretty close to spot on when I opened the tin( about 2 years old). I just crumble/fold some chunks into a pipe, rub a few strands out as kindling for the top, and light'er up.
The smell I find to be hit or miss based upon my mood, the weather, the alignment of the stars, and the timing of an obscure geyser in Iceland. Some days it smells EXACTLY like A1. Yes, A1 steak sauce, which paradoxically is the WORST thing anyone can do to/put on a steak. But it tends to work here. Whether this is the result of actual spicing used in the process, or just the result of these particular leaves and the chemical reaction which they present when dosed with the vinegar-voodoo juice at Mc C's, it lingers in the room note. Not bad, just different. Some of it comes through in the taste, but not much.
There isn't any bite, but there is a bit of a peppery tingle and spicy undertone. Almost all of the proper Virginia flavor and aroma components are there, but it never really grabs me and demands that I smoke it. Toffee, caramel,buttery pastry, it's all in there. No grassyness, no hay, no citrus. I wish it developed more, then I would have more to say about it.
I still have a tin of No. 25 on the shelf, dated May of 2009, so I have something to look forward to. It may be the family member that floats my boat.
It is a very pretty, slightly broken, fairly thick cut flake presenting a wide range of colors from bright yellow to dense umber. The moisture was pretty close to spot on when I opened the tin( about 2 years old). I just crumble/fold some chunks into a pipe, rub a few strands out as kindling for the top, and light'er up.
The smell I find to be hit or miss based upon my mood, the weather, the alignment of the stars, and the timing of an obscure geyser in Iceland. Some days it smells EXACTLY like A1. Yes, A1 steak sauce, which paradoxically is the WORST thing anyone can do to/put on a steak. But it tends to work here. Whether this is the result of actual spicing used in the process, or just the result of these particular leaves and the chemical reaction which they present when dosed with the vinegar-voodoo juice at Mc C's, it lingers in the room note. Not bad, just different. Some of it comes through in the taste, but not much.
There isn't any bite, but there is a bit of a peppery tingle and spicy undertone. Almost all of the proper Virginia flavor and aroma components are there, but it never really grabs me and demands that I smoke it. Toffee, caramel,buttery pastry, it's all in there. No grassyness, no hay, no citrus. I wish it developed more, then I would have more to say about it.
I still have a tin of No. 25 on the shelf, dated May of 2009, so I have something to look forward to. It may be the family member that floats my boat.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 11, 2016 | Medium | None Detected | Very Mild | Tolerable to Strong |
When I opened the tin, there was a very strong aroma of ketchup, though it did not carry through to the smoke. The broken flakes were very nice, and the tobacco rubbed out perfectly each time. The moisture level was spot on, but this tin had apparently been sitting for some time, despite my having just bought it. Mature VA #22 lit and burned well, and behaved throughout the bowl. I tried it in a number of different pipes, including several briars and cobs, and it seemed to be most at home in the pot shape.
I was, however, not impressed with the taste. It was a touch ashy, and that is all the flavor it really had. If there was anything else going on, it was hidden beneath that. The only time I ever got a little more out of it was in a pot, particularly my Randy Wiley. The sort of thing to smoke if one wants a lit pipe but no distractions like taste or complexity.
(1.75oz tin smoked over ten days in November.)
I was, however, not impressed with the taste. It was a touch ashy, and that is all the flavor it really had. If there was anything else going on, it was hidden beneath that. The only time I ever got a little more out of it was in a pot, particularly my Randy Wiley. The sort of thing to smoke if one wants a lit pipe but no distractions like taste or complexity.
(1.75oz tin smoked over ten days in November.)
PurchasedFrom:
Pipes & Cigars
Age When Smoked:
3yrs 10mos
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Jun 18, 2003 | Mild to Medium | None Detected | Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
As I load up my last remaining bowl of VA No.22 from McClelland, I feel I have done this tobacco proper service by smoking an entire tin before reviewing. (As I always do!). As a self-professed lover of VA Flakes, and one that finds most of the McClelland product divine, I was not nearly as impressed with this tobacco as I had hoped to be, or as most of the previous reviewers were. I purchased VA No. 22 along with tins of VA No. 24, St. James Woods and Dark Star, of which I will have reviews posted soon. This was my least favorite of the four.
Visual: A dark brown flake, with lots of yellow and gold streaks throughout. My tin contained mainly broken flake, no full "sheets".
Texture: As with most McClelland flakes, this one was just a little moist upon opening, but I like it that way. I let this tin get fairly dry over the three months that I took to get through it, and as it became dryer it lost that VA tang to a large extent. Even upon proper rehydration, the wonderful tanginess of VA never returned.
Pack/Pipe: I smoke this both partially rubbed and fully rubbed. Usually I preferred the latter. Gravity fed into a number of my VA pipes, (Ashton XX oldchurch and Pebblegrain pots, Nording freehands, Dunhill Redbark Poker etc...) This seemed to burn best with a light hand.No problems smoking this to bottom of the bowl with minimal relights.
Lighting/Burn: Two matches to char, one to light. Without fail, this tobacco needed a relight within the first third of the bowl, but then makes it almost to the bottom. Burns to bottom and leaves a white/grey ash with a few bits of charred tobacco.
1st 3rd: This tobacco is definitely most flavorful in this portion of the bowl. VA tang is here as well as a nice earthy sweetness. Smokes through this portion quickly and with nice mouthfuls of white smoke.
2nd 3rd: Burn rate slows down here. Smoke becomes a little cooler and flavor evens out to a natural VA taste with just a little tang. If it had more zip here I would rate this higher. Never needed additional matches in this portion.
Final 3rd: Have lost a lot of flavor here. Almost no VA tang at all, minimum smoke generation, and need stirred and relit with some frequency. Maybe I am tamping this too firmly, but evidently my consistency is amazing, because it happens every time!
Notes: Like all McClelland flakes, I have no issues with the quality. This just did not stack up to the benchmark set by St. James Woods and VA No.24 in my opinion.
Stogie rating of: 5 Fair Fonsecas
Visual: A dark brown flake, with lots of yellow and gold streaks throughout. My tin contained mainly broken flake, no full "sheets".
Texture: As with most McClelland flakes, this one was just a little moist upon opening, but I like it that way. I let this tin get fairly dry over the three months that I took to get through it, and as it became dryer it lost that VA tang to a large extent. Even upon proper rehydration, the wonderful tanginess of VA never returned.
Pack/Pipe: I smoke this both partially rubbed and fully rubbed. Usually I preferred the latter. Gravity fed into a number of my VA pipes, (Ashton XX oldchurch and Pebblegrain pots, Nording freehands, Dunhill Redbark Poker etc...) This seemed to burn best with a light hand.No problems smoking this to bottom of the bowl with minimal relights.
Lighting/Burn: Two matches to char, one to light. Without fail, this tobacco needed a relight within the first third of the bowl, but then makes it almost to the bottom. Burns to bottom and leaves a white/grey ash with a few bits of charred tobacco.
1st 3rd: This tobacco is definitely most flavorful in this portion of the bowl. VA tang is here as well as a nice earthy sweetness. Smokes through this portion quickly and with nice mouthfuls of white smoke.
2nd 3rd: Burn rate slows down here. Smoke becomes a little cooler and flavor evens out to a natural VA taste with just a little tang. If it had more zip here I would rate this higher. Never needed additional matches in this portion.
Final 3rd: Have lost a lot of flavor here. Almost no VA tang at all, minimum smoke generation, and need stirred and relit with some frequency. Maybe I am tamping this too firmly, but evidently my consistency is amazing, because it happens every time!
Notes: Like all McClelland flakes, I have no issues with the quality. This just did not stack up to the benchmark set by St. James Woods and VA No.24 in my opinion.
Stogie rating of: 5 Fair Fonsecas
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Oct 31, 2005 | Medium | None Detected | Mild to Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
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.
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.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Jul 27, 2004 | Medium to Strong | None Detected | Full | Tolerable |
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.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Jun 18, 2003 | Medium | None Detected | Medium | Unnoticeable |
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
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
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