Tobaccos McClelland - No. 24 (Matured Virginias)

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2009-05-22		Mild	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

This is by far my favorite of the McClelland brown label virginias, and I think the inclusion of the Drama leaf is the reason. It imparts a beautiful spiciness faintly reminiscent of perique to the blend and elevates this to 4 star status. Not my favorite blend but it will be part of my regular rotation... a regular but occasional smoke.

As mentioned, this is wet out of the tin and needs some drying time to perform at its best. I recently smoked a 19 year old tin of this but most of my review is based on a 1 year old tin. With regards to the aged version, it's absolutely wonderful - the best tobacco I have ever smoked. The one year old is also very good but it makes me want to cellar a tin or two for a couple of decades, which I have decided to do.

As is, this is still a great smoke.

28 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pipestud (1829)	2006-12-24		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

Oh yes, another fine Virginia tobacco blend from McClellands!

More forgiving than Dark Star and even #27, this tobacco surely will win over even the most "dainty tongued" pipesters who shy away from Virginia blends due to the heat. It is also (nicotine wise) a headier brew than #27, and I do appreciate that drug.

McClelland's #24 is, simply stated, regal in flavor and behavior. It rubs out and stays lit easily. Puff slowly in order to savor the varying waves of Virginia flavor.

Hey McClelland's, you done good with this one!

23 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JimInks (3046)	2014-01-23		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

The light vinegar smell that McClelland is well known for is only slightly present when you smell the tobacco, and almost non-existent during the smoke. The Virginias have a deep, fermented tangy dark fruit sweetness, slight tart and tangy citrus, stewed dark fruit, and a lot of earth, wood, sugar and bread with a few blades of grass. The spice, wood, earth, herbs, vegetation, floralness and dry sour note from the Drama provides a mildly present flavor push. The strength and taste levels are medium. The nic-hit is a couple of steps past the center of mild to medium. No chance of bite or harshness, but it does have a few rough edges. The flakes are broken and a little thick, so make sure you've given it some drying time. You may want to consider breaking the flake pieces a little smaller than they are. Burns slow, cool and clean with a very rich, tangy sweet, slightly savory, consistent taste all the way through. Requires a fair number of relights, and leaves a little moisture in the bowl. You may have to stir up the last quarter, depending on how you dried and packed your pipe. Has a very pleasant, lightly lingering after taste, and the room note is a touch stronger. Can be an all day smoke. Three and a half stars.

-JimInks

21 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2007-05-12		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Very Pleasant

This is a most remarkable blend. Other reviewers have noted the initial qualities most adequately. While I have smoked this in various degrees of maturity, the tin I am smoking for this review has 7 years age. Some sugar crystals are noticeable on the flakes, yet they are still slightly pliable. I was most surprised that this particular tin has smoked delightfully without any drying whatsoever. Not my usual experience.

I'm smoking it in a Savinelli - Bing's Favorite - which is long stemmed, long shanked - slight bent billiard with a medium bowl. The pipe has been dedicated to this blend. My personal observation; one must dedicate a pipe to this blend or similar blends to really enjoy it. To the best of my senses, there is no topping at all. This particular smoke is very nuanced and I reserve the time to sit and enjoy it without distraction. The subtle amount of Drama in the blend provides an occasional incense-like waft every so often through this very nutty-woodsy smoke.

This is a very satisfying tobacco with a nice nicotine level. Unlike so many other VAs, this never gets hum-drum. It always leaves me wanting more when I am finished with a bowl. There is no signal in flavor to detect the bottom of the bowl - it smokes wonderfully from char light to final ash. This is a smoke of choice before a meal - since it leaves the taste buds stimulated. It is NOT my choice just after a meal, for I feel it requires a fresh palate to enjoy the complexities of this fine blend, My pipe-packing method of choice is to lightly rub and then gently screw the wad into the pipe.

My tastes run the spectrum of unflavored blends including many VA/Oriental, Latakia-heavy Oriental blends and very lightly cased Cavendish cut VA blends. However this unflavored VA flake is in a class by itself and is a regular treat and deserves it's own pipe.

Cheers, VC

16 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	SteelCowboy (685)	2016-04-15		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I have to admit I am not the biggest fan of McClelland Virginias as they often lack the punch of the EU made Virginia blends that I often smoke. But No. 24 is a winner. The flakes are very moist and need dry time, a lot of dry time. But the wait is worth it. The Matured Virginias offer their usual sweetness, but the Drama is what wins me over to this blend. It adds a delicious spice note while amping up the overall flavor of the blend. I wouldn’t call it overly spicy, but just right for me and it adds an additional dimension to the blend that I often crave from this fine company. It burns slowly and like every McClelland Virginia blend I have tried, there isn’t a whisper of a bite. I have never minded the fermented smell of McClelland Virginias, but those that do should know that it doesn’t seem as strong to me as other blends. I find my best results by a fairly light pack of small flake pieces with just a little fully rubbed out to get things going. My wife, a McClelland VA lover, has an eleven year old 100g tin stashed away that I’m sure she won’t miss…….

14 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Gentleman Zombie (729)	2015-06-02		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is a fairly complex smoke for a two component blend. Among the flavors and nuances of flavors encountered were fruit, wood, spice, sweetness, a note similar to butter, and hints of salt and earth. Very nice and pretty well rounded.

It got interesting when choosing a pipe. I first used a cob and got a much stronger showing from the Oriental. In fact, by the end of the bowl it had drowned out the Virginias completely. For this reason I recommend using a briar for this flake. In a briar the Virginias remain strong. The Oriental will gain in strength and achieve a nice balance toward the end. It's a nicer smoke that way.

I really like this one and think it deserves full honors. 4 stars.

Mild to medium in body and flavor. I used a cube cut and a full rub on this and got a little better burn with the full rub.

Pipe Used: MM Country Gentleman, Savinelli Bulldog

Age When Smoked: fresh

Purchased From: smokingpipes.com

13 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	SmokeDawg (82)	2014-05-30		Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

I'm primarily a straight Va and VaPer smoker and I finally got my hands on a four year aged tin of this stuff. Popped the lid and saw an army flat rich brown flakes staring back at me. The moisture looked just right but I rubbed a flake out and let it dry while I prepared a cup of hot tea. I then loaded them into my best briar.. A handmade Straight grain Luciano Dublin bowl.

Oh my. This is REALLY GOOD. You don't get waves of sweet VA here and there, its a constant VA sweetness throughout and really tasty like only McClelland Va's can do. You can tell the dark VA has some age on it and its pressed to perfection. I hope this one doesn't spoil me regarding my other VA's. This tasted alot like Blackwoods Flake. If you enjoy VA's and haven't tried No.24 I highly recommend it! A tail wagger for sure. Smoke it up!

Pipe Used: Luciano Dublin Straight Grain

Age When Smoked: Tin from 12-10

Purchased From: Ebay.

Similar Blends: Blackwoods Flake.

9 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2001-03-11		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Pouch Aroma: If this isn't a McClelland's 2000 series, I'll eat a meerschaum. It's got that lovely fermented, acidic smell (some folks describe it as 'smelling like ketchup') and it makes my mouth water. It seems to be a Virginia flake with little or no perique judging from the smell.

Appearance: Thick broken flakes made up of tobaccos that vary from yellow to dark brown. It looks like #2015 but is just a tad lighter, although my supply of #2015 is at least 3 years old and has sugar crystals on it, so it may just be the age difference.

Packing and Lighting: I rubbed this up just a little and put it into a Savinelli Punto Oro, shape 316 (1/8 bent, short flared dublin) which smokes great with flake tobaccos. The pre-lighting taste is a little more subtle than #2015 - sweet and musty, but not in a sugary way like sample 'A'. This is classic matured virginia sweetness...

The first puff tastes quite sweet and sharp, but again lacking in that signature perique 'bite' when blown out of my nose. Tasty and mellow, and each following puff gets more mellow and flavorful and is developing the usual McC's taste.

Exposition: I have gotten in the habit of letting flake tobacco go out and rest for 10 minutes or so after I get a good burn going. This seems to accent the fuller flavors and tone down some of the sweetness. The re-light is heavy and spicy, as expected, and the smoke feels cool on my tongue. The smoke itself is on the thin side, but is a lovely blue-grey. There is quite a bit of sharpness here; I'm assuming it's from the lighter virginias. Overall, a very savory smoke which I'm enjoying immensely.

The Story: Once I got going fully the sweetness is subdued to the point where it's a subtle counterpoint to the sharp woodsy taste of the heavier virginias. The room aroma is leathery and spicy, and I'm tasting something suspiciously oriental that I can't quite place. I don't think this is #2015; rather, it's something similar that I've never tried before. It's too light and brassy and is missing the tang I'm used to. It's a nice change though, and I'd definately keep some around if I'm right. If I'm wrong and it IS what I think it is, I can see exactly what aging has done to my favorite tobacco.

Denoument: Here at the end of the bowl, re-lights have come a /little/ more frequently, but I have a tendency to let it go out, so most of the time it's my fault. These last few puffs are quite heavy and creamy-tasting, while the sweetness is coming back out for a peek. A nice finish to a pleasant bowl of tobacco...

Pros: This is rich, creamy-tasting, and yet has a pleasant sharpness under it. The sweetness of the virginias never quite goes away, but the character changes in unpredictable ways throughout the bowl. It was a fun smoke, and very relaxing. There is a spicy-sweet aroma left in the room and a definate 'tobacco' taste lingers on my tongue. This would be a great reading tobacco, or one to smoke unrubbed in a large pipe while taking a walk.

Cons: Some folks may find this to be a biting tobacco, as it must be puffed very patiently to allow the flavors to outweigh the sharpness. The flavor also intensifies quite a lot toward the bottom which may put some folks off if they're used to a milder smoke.

*note: I smoked this later also - but in my straight Hardcastle bulldog. This pipe is also very kind to VA flakes, and in this case it brought to the fore a nice Oriental aroma that calls to mind McClelland's #2025 with its sweet, earthy Turkish undertone. Good stuff, whatever you smoke it in!

8 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	StevieB (2080)	2017-05-22		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

McClelland - No. 24 (Matured Virginias).

Think of Peterson University Flake, snap a flake in half, and that's the size of these. Some pieces are smaller, and some bigger, but that's about the size of the majority. The colour of them is a dark brown, and the moisture of my tin made the blend smokeable straight away.

For the first half the Virginia is in charge; it tastes sweeter, earthier, and fresher, than the latter half. Once the Orientals kick in they change the character a bit; it goes from being sweet and mild, to more savoury and sharp, with a slight tanginess. The flavour progresses until the finish, with the Orientals constantly gaining weight. The burn from No. 24 is great, the smoke's medium in temperature, and totally bite free.

The room-note's quite full, and the nicotine's just above medium.

No. 24? Highly recommended:

Four stars.

Pipe Used: Altinok Meerschaum

Age When Smoked: Three months

Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	TallPuffO'Burley (633)	2017-01-03		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

This is some good stuff. It took me a while to get around to trying this one, but better late than never. No. 27 is a fantastic blend in its own right, but doesn't differentiate itself from the other McClelland Virginias like this one does.

IMHO The drama is perfectly paired with the Matured Virginia in 24 superbly adding the ideal amount of sour notes to a very sweet mix of Virginia leaf. What comes out of the pipe is monotone in taste, but tasty nonetheless. I will be adding a lot of this to the cellar. Four stars all the way.

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Capt (339)	2016-01-20		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

I've had this tin cellared for 6 years. I have always found McClelland Va's perform much better with some age on them, and this one is no exception. Cracking this tin reveals some beautiful brindle flakes, comprised of medium brown, dark chestnut and light lemon color. Tin aroma is a bit different from the usual vinegar McClelland, if you are familiar with sour Kriek Lambic beers, this will smell familiar to you. It has a sour fruit aroma, with a bit of citrus. Rubbing out wasn't much of a chore, it seemed much easier than say Blackwoods Flake. loading was a breeze, a bit of spring back, enough to make the charring light easy, and perfect for minimal relights.

Initial light is something special. You can really detect the Drama, it lends a spiciness that plays very well with the sweetness of the darker Va's. Small, consistent sips instead of full long draws with keep the nuances alive, and will prevent this blend from smoking hot and airy. The flavor is sweet and bready, with a touch of spice. The spiciness is really noticeable when exhaled through the nose.

It states on the tin that this blend is suitable for outdoor smoking, but smoking this indoors leaves an awesome room note of baked breads and Danish. I know this one will be a permanent fixture in my cellar from now on!

Out of all the Matured Virginia in this line up, try this one last. Because it's the best.

Pairs well with a bold roast coffee.

Age When Smoked: 6 years

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Tom Servo (58)	2011-03-29		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Tin aroma reminds me of playing in the hay loft of the old barn on a humid, rainy Autumn day. Beautifully matured Virginia. Just a whiff of the sweetish-tangy, sea air saltiness and fresh citrus nature of the Drama. Sweet and sour - curing hay and grain - fermenting grain, heady and earthy and intoxicating. Lighter notes of malt syrup, molasses, cocoa, sun-dried tomatoes, pepper, white wine (riesing).

Light it up, and dive into the deep, sweet ripe Virginia. Warm cookie dough, rum cake with raisins, hay, coffee, black pepper. The Drama Orientals add a fresh, spicy, salty, citrus tang that blends nicely into the delicious Virginia background.

Delicious, light Virginia flake. Magnificent flavor, but has a tendency to bite. Even with careful puffing, in five different pipes. The fact is sometimes Virginias bite, there no getting around it. A great blend, the only minus is having to be so diligent with your puffing to keep your tongue safe.

Not on my favorites list, but very, very good. I'll try this one again, but as long as McClelland still makes Blackwoods Flake, I'll probably grab that first. Although I do like the Drama - Virginia combination. Gonna give it 3 ½ Stars.

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	HabaneroHardy (401)	2017-03-19		Medium	Medium	Medium to Full	Unnoticeable

I must confess I am a tobacco hoarder. Not to brag but I have more pipe tobacco than I will ever smoke in my lifetime. I am 57 years old and this has led me to a dilemma. Do I start trying some of my blends that are between 15 and 20 years old; or do they wind up being sold to a Tobacco Store dirt cheap upon my demise only to have someone else enjoy them at a fraction of their worth? I have decided to start cracking open a few tins. I opened McClelland No. 24. I bought this blend in 2000. I am not a poet so my comments will be brief. Upon opening I smelled a strong sweet acidic odor from the tobacco which I liked. I have never met a McClelland I didn’t like to tell you the truth. The flakes were dark with light streaks and broken into nice size pieces. I grabbed a few, folded and shoved them in my Savinelli Goliath Billiard which is as old as the tobacco. I lit it and sat it back down and let it burn out. I lit again and got a nice spicy, cool smoke with lots of smoke halos around me. I have only smoked the one bowl but find it very good and remind me more of a really mild English than a VA which must be the Drama. I can see why this gets great reviews.

Pipe Used: Savinelli Goliath

Age When Smoked: 17 years

Purchased From: Can't remember

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	DeathMetal.org (231)	2017-11-25		Mild	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

Saturday morning at the house of my grandparents, twenty years ago: the coffee bubbles in the percolator, eggs and bacon sizzle on the grill, the television is on super loud and then, someone pops some bread in the toaster and a delightful smell fills the house. Grandma bought the bread that was sweet and delicious but bad for you at the grocery store, so toast there was more like candy to us kids raised on urban-suburban homebrew bread. Imagine spreading some apricot jam on it, and you have the basic idea of the first half of the bowl of this blend. The Orientals add a slight piquant flavor to the stacked and pressed Virginias, bringing out a honey, bread and lemon flavor which changes as the bowl burns down and melts the sugars in the Virginias. Out of that sweet-sour taste, represented by the apricot jam although that is not an exact flavor match, comes the sensation of nougat, where the honey and sugar balance the gently tangy flavor of egg whites. Over time this gives way to more of a caramelized honey flavor with a faint tang of lemon, and as the bowl turns to ash, becomes a purer sweetness like agave. For those who like sweeter tobaccos, this is quite a treat that could easily be smoked all day and late into the night, but the higher sugars means that it burns hotter and can bite, so it is best breath-smoked at an extremely slow pace. A large bowl lasts me for an hour and three quarters of an hour. Although it is already "matured," this blend will likely gain a richer flavor with further aging.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	donmartinthree (22)	2014-10-31		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

I did not know what to expect when I bought this - it sounded good, had good reviews, I love darker/aged Virginias and I like oriental and prefer flake cuts. That's really the only reason I got a tin of this when I was in the states at my parents' place over Christmas last year.

Now almost a year later and back in Germany, where I live, I finally got around to opening and smoking a decent amount of this.

The tin note upon opening reveals that McClelland vinegar scent, but that fades after being opened for a day or so. What's left is the smell of wood, something nutty in the background, a slightly sour note and dark notes of raisins and figs. I'm telling you, this is as deliciously-smelling as it is -looking and especially -tasting...

The small flakes are of a thick cut with a relatively dark colour with lighter streaks (drama leaf) throughout. They are too thick to pack as flake, so what I do is, when I have a LOT of time (this burns so slowly!), cut the flakes into small cubes with my very sharp opinel and then just let them fall into my pipe etc. without tamping. When I don't want a smoke that will last 2+ hours in a medium sized bowl, I rub it out to a nice ribbon cut that is slightly wide.

The flavors are amazing... Rich, dark, spicy aged virginia flavors with one of the creamiest mouth-feels of smoke I've ever experienced (except for in cigars occasionally). Mid-bowl, the drama oriental becomes more pronounced and it develops a slight tanginess accompanied by a rich, almost roasted nuttiness, akin to maybe walnuts or pecans. A very rich and robust flavor which, combined with the aforementioned rich, spicy virginia flavors, is amazing.

The tin states this, and usually I believe that to be marketing speak, however, I did smoke this outdoors on a few walks in the woods and I must say, this is a stunning tobacco.

When I am back in the states this year, I'm bringing more of this home with me. Damn.

Pipe Used: GBD Prince

Age When Smoked: Tin dated Feb. 2011

Purchased From: shop

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	cakeanddottle (105)	2014-02-10		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Medium	Tolerable

For my money the best tobacco McClelland makes. Sweet and savory Va with enough Drama added to provide a whisper of spice. Super Va and stands up against the best. Great with some age too

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Rothesay (5)	2017-06-22		Strong	None Detected	Full	Tolerable

The fourth and final of the McClelland Mature Virginias that I have tried, this one wins the prize. Though the tin aroma still had that ketchup aroma (and I really do not like ketchup at all) it was less Nos. 22 and 25, but more than No. 27. As with the latter, it did not carry over into the smoke.

The partly broken flakes were good quality, though they took a little more to rub out as this blend is somewhat stouter in construction. It was hard to get the flakes to beyond a broken ready rub. I did not even consider folding and stuffing after the nicotine hit from the first bowl. The moisture content of this more than year-old tin was a trifle damp, but not enough that any drying was necessary.

In flavor, this one was the strongest than the others, but mostly in a good way. The 24 had a sweetness that was lacking in 22, 25, and 27, which I really liked. It wasn't cloying, though it had a molasses quality. I might just buy another tin of this to cellar and see if that flavor improves with several years aging. The room note was easily the best of the four according to the wife test. My only real complaint here is that the nicotine level was too high for my lights - I know many like that aspect of tobacco, but I could do without it. I have to take a star away for it, though I would like to only take a half-star.

Overall, my experiment with the four McClelland Mature Virginias was a success in that I have found at least one - this one No. 24 - that I would purchase again.

(1.75oz tin smoked over 14 days in June.)

Age When Smoked: 1 year, 4 months

Purchased From: Pipes and Cigars

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Cat Jockey (21)	2017-03-14		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

Simply put, a fantastic tobacco. Quite possibly my very favorite tobacco, for what is Life without a bit of Drama ?...? The addition of said Drama, and the incense to floral notes (the floral notes in the tin show up not long after being transferred to a jar, while they are ever present in the smoke) it brings, combines with the Virginias used in spectacular fashion and in the right proportion. Wonderfully complex.

Once again, McClelland nails it with their tin description and another superb tobacco from the Whale of land locked Missouri.

This is a 5 star, not 4, tobacco. It is that good.

Pipe Used: Nuttin' but Cobs for me ...

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	J.R. Patton (106)	2016-10-04		Medium	None Detected	Full	Pleasant

I don't have much to add to what others have already said about No. 24. This is a superb offering from McClelland and a personal favorite of mine. Let's face it, straight Virginias, for all their pleasantries, can get a little monochromatic or boring sometimes. In this blend, the addition of Drama completely eliminates the issue and makes for one fine, interesting smoke. You get the ever-present creamy sweetness of excellent red VA, complemented by a constantly changing presence of mildly sharp, spicy and tart high notes coming from the Drama leaf. It adds a highly refreshing sort of complexity that makes this one a treat in any kind of weather, hot or cool. And as GentlemanZombie points out, the flavor profile is greatly influenced by the choice of pipe. I always smoke tobacco in a briar, cob, and meerschaum side by side before doing a review. And in my limited experience, no blend I've yet tried is as dependent on pipe type as No. 24. When the weather is cooler or I just want a sweet creamy smoke with that extra hint of tartness, I choose briar. When the weather is warm I choose a cob to get the most out of the refreshingly tart overtones. In summary, this is a spectacular blend with a surprising amount of complexity, and the leaf quality, as always with McClelland, is second to none. Perfect burn and zero bite issues. If you don't have a few McClelland VAs in rotation, you're surely missing out. Highly recommended, if I ever find this in bulk I will cellar pounds of it.

Pipe Used: Stanwell HCA III, MM Washington

Age When Smoked: 1 year

Purchased From: Pipesandcigars.com

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2015-12-18		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Classic McClelland broken flake with a moderate smell of sweet fermented Virginia and a little perfume of the Drama leaf. It has a little more moisture than many of the McClelland flakes I have tried, but it burns extremely well. I rub this out, which is not my normal habit with broken flake, but it seems to work.

As it smokes, I get a lot more orange and red than lemon Virginia flavor. The earthy and warm Virginia presence is nicely offset by the Drama. This blend sent me down the rabbit hole with regards to Drama, and I found a few early 20th Century sources that suggested that the hill leaf is a lot sweeter than other Basmas, and that it's grown next to Kavalla. That sweetness is apparent - at times the bowl was almost sugary. I have a huge sweet tooth, so I loved that.

With so many McClelland blends to choose from, some are bound to get lost in the shuffle. I'm fond of the whole Matured Virginia line, but I think No. 24 is an overlooked beauty. It ages wonderfully, too, and if you're inclined to buy aged tins it comes cheaper than the Christmas Cheers.

Age When Smoked: 2+ years

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Tilley4 (16)	2015-01-03		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

The Drama doesn't do this one any favors.. Something doesn't jive with the Virginia here... This isn't a bad tobacco but if they dropped the Drama out of it, I would like it much better...

Update: This tobacco needs to be dried thoroughly before smoking. I was smoking this way too wet and not getting the full flavors... The Drama serves to enhance this tobacco, not detract as I previously stated... This had become one of my go to blends now that I have more experience with the pipe...

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	oldcodger (74)	2014-09-11		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

McClelland No. 24 in the Matured Virginias series is a fine tasting tobacco which must be smoked carefully to avoid tongue bite.

Touted as suitable for outdoor smoking, No. 24 is in small Dentyne gum sized flakes. The acetic aroma characteristic of McClellands is present, although not as strong as in some of their offerings. The flakes are far too moist on opening the can. Break the seal and wait three days.

The Virginia have been aged to a deep chestnut color. The manufacturer says it is "lightly seasoned" with Drama, a varietal oriental, presumably the orange streaks in the small flakes. I find the oriental a bit stronger than "lightly seasoned" would suggest. I often describe oriental as herbal in taste, but the Drama has an affinity with olive oil.

The small flakes cram easily into the pipe, but loaded this way No. 24 is hard to light. Even rubbed out, this is not an easy tobacco to light, but hold in mind it is described as ideal for outdoor smoking. A fine cut burns hot outdoors on a windy day.

The Virginia flavor is fairly full and not particular sweet for this variety of tobacco. Overall, I find the flavor of this Virginia plus Drama to be quite likable. The room note is nondescript, but not offensive. The nicotine level is medium.

I would rate No. 24 higher if I did not find it so difficult to light and requiring a very precise puffing technique to avoid tongue bite.

My last tin was smoked with Dunhills and a Sasieni 3 Dot.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Kilmarnock Piper (251)	2009-10-04		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

Loved it, but I love most McClellands I've tried. This one is especially rich and satisfying.

12-6-11 Aquired a tin from 1993; don't ask how much I paid. Still debating whether to cellar it (i.e. for how long) or smoke it (i.e. sooner rather than later), but when I do smoke it, I will post my thoughts.

The review by DK right below mine is tempting me to go for the smoke it sooner option...

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JohnnyMcPiperson (119)	2017-05-03		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

Tin note strikes me with pleasant smells of dried fruit and cedar. The flavor son first light are very dry tasting, pencil shavings, chestnut, lightly toasted bread. A subtle sweetness peeks in and out. Halfway through the bowl I'm getting an oaky sweetness. It makes me take a couple of deep draws to get a better taste, must be careful though lest she unleash the VA bite. A fine smoke, smooth, dry, not as bitey as some McClelland VAs.

Pipe Used: Morta bamboo pick axe and a GBD Meer lined

Age When Smoked: 2010

Purchased From: Gift

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	raybrown55 (46)	2017-03-29		Medium	None Detected	Full	Pleasant

Drama Reserve is one of my favourite blends, so I had to try No. 24, because they share the same ingredients. It seems to me that the proportions of the two constituent tobaccos are here reversed, more Virginia in no. 24 and less Drama, but the final effect is equally fascinating: a full and creamy taste and a joy to smoke it ...

Pipe Used: Bogni

Age When Smoked: 6 years

Purchased From: Dubini Chiasso

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Jacinto Cupboard (209)	2017-02-10		Medium	None Detected	Very Full	Very Pleasant

This is a genre bender from McC. A rich Va broken flake with a hit of Orientals. It has a rich, fruity sweetness at its core and a pronounced fragrance and sourness from the Drama leaf.

This baccy bursts with flavour. Most of my smoking is done indoors but it is easy to see why McC would commend it as an outdoor chuff.

This stuff is really well done and confirms in my mind the view that these people are world leaders when it comes to quality Va pipe tobaccos.

Pipe Used: MM Washington

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Stefanos (222)	2016-10-17		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

It comes in thick broken dark brown flakes which are quite moist but with a loose packing can be smoked directly at a sipping pace.

Tin aroma has the vinegary quality which I personally enjoy, combined with nutty and sweet spicy notes.

Produces a full bodied, rich and concentrated smoke with earthy and nutty tones and full flavor and I enjoyed it very much at the slow sipping pace its moisture level dictated. Rounded, creamy and smooth, it produces no bite and has no rough edges. No hay-like aromas, it’s more on the mature, sweet yeasty side of the Virginia flavor spectrum. I suppose the Drama leaf lends some sweet spiciness but I did experience a homogeneous smoke and not scattered nuances here and there. It also becomes more interesting as the bowl progresses: the sweet spiciness increases halfway through the bowl, so it’s not a one dimensional smoke. It constantly delivers a beautiful mellow sweetness and though not all bowls were the same - but that has probably more to do with body chemistry - some were heavenly. It needs a few relights but then after each one you get an increased mellowness and a toasted bready sweetness. Draw with a loose packing is unproblematic. It leaves a powdery grey ash and burns dry.

Even though it’s a robust tobacco, I enjoyed it very much as a first tobacco in the morning with coffee. Yet, I consider this tobacco a luxury which I like to contemplate and savour, so although I will be buying again, I won’t use as an all day tobacco. In a few words this is a regal Virginia which is highly recommended.

Pipe Used: Corn cobs

Age When Smoked: fresh tin

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	drdave (17)	2016-05-19		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

I'm sure glad I recently ordered a 100 gram tin of this wonderful weed from Smokingpipes. Not having had it since sometime around 1990, I hadn't remembered just how damn good this is. Beautiful golden brown and vari-colored short cut flakes in the tin emit fine fragrances of fermenting Virginia at its best. Smokes sugar sweet and smooth to the ash. The inclusion of Drama leaf really adds to the freakin' fine taste. Going to be stocking piles of cans of it in the cellar. McClellands, I think, put together the best Virginias on planet Earth and this one is at the top of that list.

Pipe Used: briars, big and small

Age When Smoked: 2015

Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com

Similar Blends: in a class of its own.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Mesh (51)	2016-05-08		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

I find McClelland's VAs a bit hit-and-miss, and as far as I'm concerned No. 24 is one of their big hits. Rich, creamy, spicy, sweet and sour all at the same time - it's definitely one of the more distinctive VA-based blends on the market.

I found the Oriental component more prominent than the tin description suggests. About 90% of my smoking involves straight VAs these days, so this blend probably won't be a frequent smoke for me. Nevertheless, it's a very well-made tobacco and deserves a full recommendation.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	MAPiper (10)	2015-08-17		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

I got a tin of this to try along with Scottish Woods and Tudor Castle. I'm primarily a VA and VA Per smoker. I wanted to try some oriental blends. I didn't think this one would be the best out of those three but it might be. They are all fantastic but this deceptively complex blend has a lot to offer. This is a great virginia flake with a little sour taste and depth from the Drama leaf. It's rich and also sweet. I was very surprised by how sweet this is. I've read in reviews about orientals that they can be sweet.

24 is very well balanced. It's simple but I can see smoking tons of this and not tiring of it. It's an excellent smoke and I will buy some to cellar

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	ruffinogold (112)	2014-02-02		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

Oh , man ! This is quite a great blend . Every so often a blend blows me away and # 24 sure did ! I'm not a big McClelland Fan mostly because of their " ketchup " perverseness [ lol ] . well , this blend doesnt have any ketchup at all , thank the Lord . McClelland flakes are thicker cut and softer than the European stuff , in general . The aroma of the open tin is lovely ! It smokes very slow and very cool .. this stuff couldnt bite , just impossible . The whisper of Oriental [ drama apparently ] is just the cats ass ! It's there but in such a mild lovely way that I wasnt even sure what it was . It adds a slight depth to the blend and is just fantastic ! I'm gonna keep it short cause I just started smoking this blend and I'm sure I'll edit later as I get to experience it more . In a Nut shell .... Giada De Laurentis in Fishnets !!!!

Pipe Used: From small to large

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: http://www.smokingpipes.com/tobacco/by-maker/mac-baren/moreinfo.cfm?product_id=1185

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Mr. Big (321)	2013-09-05		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

This is good, but I feel it needs a year or two in the cellar . I also detect a slight flavoring, almost a "Lakeland floral", that I'm not a fan of. All that said , I can't rate this a full 3 stars.

Updated 2/12/14- Well I gave this another try, and I really don't find the Lakeland Floral scent anymore. The tin now has about 6 months of cellar time . What I did notice is a bad bite. I usually love McC Virginias and for that matter Drama, but these two together, make a real tongue scorcher . I also found this a hard tobacco to keep lit, I guess that's why the description says it's a good outdoor tobacco, I guess for when you're riding a motorcycle . Back to the cellar with this one.

Pipe Used: cob

Age When Smoked: 6 months

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Wawalsh (8)	2011-09-10		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant

My first two attempts to smoke this tobacco ended up in me dumping the bowl before it was fully smoked. I decided to try it a third time and filled my Dunhill Tan Shell estate pipe and lit her up. It started out bland as I remembered it and then...... 1/4 of the way down the bowl the tobacco came alive. Very complex with a sweet earthiness. Just a little spice in the background to enliven my taste buds. Once lit, I did not have to relite and she smoked all the way to the bottom. It left me wanting more.

I am a fan of the McClelland line but I would like this tobacco no matter who made it. Highly recommended.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2009-06-06		Mild	None Detected	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

Moist broken flakes which are predominantly bleached brown in color streaked with chestnut, chocolate, and light grey to nearly cream-colored veins along with a light dusting of sugar crystals. The visual effect is that of a dull late-winter landscape, something accentuated by the overall grayness of the sugar bloom and the jagged brokenness of the flakes themselves: a tired, abandoned field at the edge of a ratty forest on an overcast, snowless February afternoon. It is presumed that the grayish-white streaks are the Drama.

The tin nose is sharp, with a predominant note of fresh cut grapefruit and just a touch of musty earth. The expected acetic acid aroma is entirely absent, perhaps obscured by the heady citrus smell. Thick and moist, the broken flakes of cut cake rub out with considerable ease as well as having enough pliability to accommodate various fold-and-stuff methods, depending on individual circumstance or preference. Like all such preparations, lighting and maintaining a proper ember requires patience and attention. Topping the bowl with a pinch of finely rubbed crumbs is recommended.

On the thin side of medium bodied, this oriental-seasoned matured Virginia flake is sweet and piquant with notes of citrus, new wood, and light roast coffee. Marked by a peculiar, occasionally smoky spice which can tend towards sourness, it has a refreshing finish which is short and crisp. The grapefruit aroma present in the tin carries forth in the bowl, adding a brightness which is accentuated by the signature natural zest of the McClelland aged Virginias. While this reviewer found bite to be rarely, if ever, an issue, No. 24 can become a bit taxing on the tongue if puffed too aggressively. As a Virginia-Oriental blend, it components are clearly distinct yet sometimes a bit off balance.

The example under review here, coming in the ever fetching McClelland 100g. tumbler, was tinned in 2000 and opened in 2009. An intriguing blend, Matured Virginia No. 24 bears many of the hallmark characteristics of McClelland's unique aged Virginia cut cakes. Among them, however, this particular offering seems the least zesty and rich, although like its brethren there is little reason to believe that it will not fare well with extended cellaring.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	al1 (58)	2008-08-20		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is one weird va blend. It has this nutty almost musty woodsy smell and taste to it to me. Kind of interesting tin aroma. Not offensive but not the typical mclelland aroma for va's. Just Interesting. Will keep you wondering what it smells like for a long time. I find this blend is one of the few that tastes close to the way it smells.

As far as taste this is not your ordinary va. I find it good to mix things up but not a daily smoke. Smooth and nutty. Not bitey at all. Not that flavorful either but a good solid smoke.

I find the tin aroma and taste nothing like #27 as others mentioned. Much more mellow and unpronounced in both smell and taste.

Good, interesting and worth the money. Will smoke it once and a while. Just not as much as the others I smoke everyday in this series. I like the 27 and 22 the most.

update: I am finding myself coming back to this blend more and more often. It is very good and smooth. A little hard to get lit but worth the effort. Fast becoming a regular for me.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	AL (26)	2007-02-24		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Very Pleasant

2017 Additional Notes. For two years I accumulated 50 large tins of #24 for aging, they are now 10-12 years old. This tobacco becomes amazing with some time in the closet.

McClelland #24 is my favorite in Virginias. I have two pipes that have had nothing but #24. One of the pipes is an average sized group 4 and the other is a much larger, heavy walled system pipe. Both pipes do a good job with #24 although I do prefer the larger for the longer smoke. Opening the tin you will find a gorgeous leaf, chestnut brown as noted, there will be about one inch flakes and some that are falling apart. Older tins will generally have some sugar crystals. You can find some light, almost white, strands mixed in the flake, which I?m guessing, is the Drama. Is this technically an Oriental blend? I find the tin aroma to be a little vegetal, citrus, and sweet. In the larger pipe I stuff in #24 in whole flake and then top off with the fine-rubbed. In the smaller pipe I rub out the flake and top off with the fine stuff. This tobacco comes moist and needs aired out. I dry it to near crunchy.

If I get any bite from this tobacco it is when I am lighting up or if the tobacco is too moist. With the fine tobacco on the top of the bowl this is an easy lightup. The taste, well it is sweet and woody to me, with an occasional tart note, I get more taste sensation from #24 than any other tobacco I smoke. Frequently I let this go out during a smoke; the smell of the burned tobacco is of a rich charred wood, like a campfire that?s gone out, the room note is pleasant. The last quarter of the smoke is excellent. For a Virginia, surprisingly, this makes a little more smoke than most. As with any pipe tobacco, slow smoking produces the best character of the tobacco. The nicotine hit to me stays steady throughout the smoke and does not become too powerful at the end. This burns down to a powdery gray ash.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2005-08-14		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

Virginia 24 is currently one of my two staple flakes. Unfortunately for me, the 100-gram tin I am smoking dates to 2000, so I don't think I will be able to repeat this smoking experience anytime soon. My well-aged sample is remarkably smooth and creamy with a light sweetness and the wonderful smokiness of the Drama coming and going. I have smoked this blend in small briars (with bore sizes of 3/4" or smaller), larger briars (with bore sizes of up to 7/8"), meerschaums of several sizes, and a clay. The blend smokes well in every pipe I've tried, but goes best for me in a smaller-bored briar. For some reason, it smokes insanely well in a bent Stanwell I picked up for about $20. So well, in fact, that if I could get more of this tobacco aged this long, I'd dedicate the Stanwell to this one blend.

Anyway, I agree with RCUSElder and others--if you can find this tobacco with some age on it, pick it up. I know I will be adding some to my cellar so that a few years from now I can smoke some more of this stuff.

I have no experience with unaged Virginia 24. But I will be trying some soon.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2004-11-17		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

McClelland?s Virginia No.24 is a full Virginia flake pipe tobacco spiced sparingly with Drama leaf.

The tin aroma is sharp in a fermented/acidic acid manner. This aroma remains with the tobacco as it diminishes little over time. Virginia No.24 is composed of aged Virginias and a slight amount of Drama, a Macedonian condimental tobacco leaf. The color of Virginia No.24 is of varying shades of chestnut brown with occasional stripes of yellow/orange running through the flakes. The appearance of the flakes is very much like that of tree bark. Sugar crystals were present in healthy amounts, adding a sparkle to the flakes.

The cut of Virgina No.24 is a thick, stout, square flake cut measuring about 1? x 1.25?. The flakes themselves are a bit stubborn to rub out, especially to a finer constancy. The blend also resists packing somewhat. Virginia No.24 burns best when some of the initial moisture is removed. The optimum moisture level seems to be when the flakes become slightly brittle.

Virginia No.24 lights superbly after proper tamping and has the wonderful tendency to burn clean to the walls of the pipe bowl. Although being a thick flake, Virgina No.24 can be smoked to the bottom of the bowl while requiring only one or two lights to do so. The room note is light and somewhat nondescript. The blend has a pleasant, tangy nose off of the bowl.

The flavor of Virginia No.24 is initially tangy and slightly sweet with a decent amount of sharp spiciness that is no doubt due to the added Drama leaf. Midway through the burn, the flakes? take on a pleasant creamy dimension while the initial spiciness subsides somewhat. The overall flavor becomes more balanced as the burn proceeds. The bite can be substantial if this blend is smoked rapidly. Full, steady draws are required to avoid the bite. The bite of Virginia No.24 tends to diminish as the smoke progresses. The smoke given off by the burning of this blend is medium/full and seems to take on a blue/gray tint.

McClelland?s Virginia No.24 is a fantastic Virginia flake variation that only becomes a better smoke with age.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pryhosm (248)	2020-04-29		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is a weird one. I have had 2 tins of this that I never touched. I finally got around to popping one and after half a tin, I am not sure if I have this one figured out.

Tin note is fruity, reminds me of the Esoterica/Germain Virginia's (Brighton, Medium Flake, Dunbar, etc.). I am not sure if it is the leaf or a topping but it smells to me of apricots mixed with good VA tobacco. The flavor is bready, and spicy. This is unlike any other McClelland VA I have ever had. If I was given this in a baggie I wouldn't think it was McClelland. Kind of like a McConnel VA. There is some nice dry spice from the Drama a bit of wood. Stewed fruits, toast with marmalade. A really nice aftertaste that I cannot define.

Pipe Used: Briar's, meerschaum and cobs

Age When Smoked: 4 years

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Aurorasofautumn (38)	2020-04-17		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Very Pleasant

For a while I thought that McC's #24 is king when it comes to the Matured Virginias Series. If you read my other reviews, you might know that it's been dethroned by my all time favorite Virginia tobacco by any producer - McC's #22.

This still makes McC's #24 the second best Virginia of all time in my book. I am considering this a Virginia and not a Va/Or despite the inclusion of the Drama leaf. IMHO the Drama even though it is certainly there, is only so in minute quantities.

As with #22, it is a big plus for me that this blend has been produced using tobacco that has actually been grown on American soil (I know I am Swiss but I still love the U.S.)

This tobacco smells heavenly in the tin (even better than #22), and the taste can be described as an astonishing balance of sweet, tangy, full, herbaceous as well as faint earthy notes. It definitely is a winner and age only improves it. But as with #22, there is something more going on here in terms of taste which I can't seem to pin down and which ultimately constitutes the magic and allure of this blend.

If you manage to still get a few tins of this, don't hesitate a minute. If not, just drop me a line if you ever pass through Switzerland and I'll be happy to share a bowl or two.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	steppx (186)	2016-11-05		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

McClelland is noted for their Virginia flakes. Everything from the pugent Dark Star to the smooth pleasures of the various Xmas Cheers, to the near perfection of Blackwoods Flake. The matured virginia series is very good, but most smokers I know think #24 is the best. And that's likely the effect of the added oriental leaf. The Drama leaf is a very strong oriental...a little goes a long ways for most people. Its not unlike Deer Tongue in a sense. You either love it or hate it. I pretty much love it, at least here. The Virginias are rich and earthy, a darker sort of flavor, a bit closer to dark star than 22 or 27 in this series. Perhaps it is close to the 1776 blend they make up, but with the added Drama. Now, even if there were no Drama in here it would be a rich earthy Virginia flake. Another flake it resembles (sans the Oriental) is Germain's Brown flake. The same fermented quality. The Germain is, like all english flakes, cased a tiny bit. This isnt as far as I can tell. The dry time is minimal compared to dark star or, really, most McClellands. Rub it out a bit and let it sit ten minutes. A few relights at the start and you should be able to smoke it right to the bottom of the bowl. And boy its a long slow rich smoke. An absolute top flight virginia flake. The Drama is noticable, to be sure, and an occasional puff will really hit you .....pure Drama....but thats part of the experience with this. Id give it more than four stars if I could.

Purchased From: 4noggins

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	crazy owl (74)	2016-03-13		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

From a Va lover but quite sensitive to biting I can only say that,carefully smoked of course,is tongue friendly in a briar and splendid in a cob Fine stuff as a true Mc Clelland but I prefer in similar range the glorious Yenidje Supreme on both sides,Va & Oriental with the famous sour-sweet ketchup aroma.This No.24 has in the good way more vinegar touch,less sweet.IMHO the before said YS is more ripe and desn´t need aging.Anyway worth to try and perfect for cellaring.I must explore more Va forest to give more accurate reviews.In short don´t be so afraid of biting but slowly sip and enjoy it.Absolutely needed some hours of airing before first smoking. UPDATE I give the fourth star considering that this is almost a pure Va with just a magical pinch of Macedonia and not a straight oriental blend and because it´s one of the very few blends that I´m not get tired of smoking bowl after bowl.By the way only a few months after rubbed and jarred is yet better.

Pipe Used: cobs and Peterson´s system

Age When Smoked: current production

Purchased From: smokingpipes

Similar Blends: grand orientals but less intense.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2016-01-19		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

No. 24 is a McClelland broken flake, so mechanically it's flawless ... just stuff some loosely in your pipe and break up a tiny bit to go on top to help light it.

I want to give this one a 4th star, but for the first 5 or 10 minutes of an hourlong bowl there is more Drama than a telenovela. It's kinda overwhelming. After that, this settles down into a very good VA/Or. The last 1/3 gets super sweet. I almost called it a smooth Turkish and domestic blend, except Drama is in Greece and totally ruins that joke.

Smoke it like a straight Virginia, there's not enough sun-cured in here to keep it cool if you smoke it wrong.

Update: 🙄

Pipe Used: basket pipe

Age When Smoked: freshies!

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Big Train (118)	2015-12-29		Mild	Extremely Mild	Mild	Pleasant

This was one of the original 10 tobaccos that Mc Clelland came out with over 30 years ago . It has not changed in any way in those 30 years . This is one of the Mc Clelland hallmarks ; the consistency of the blends . If you like it you can depend on it years after year being the same . Like their other blends , #24 is totally unique , you will never taste another blend like this one . Using Drama as a compliment to the really fine Virginias is at once a master stroke and an innovation . #24 has a depth not often associated with Virginias because of the high quality Virginias and the best drama that I have ever encountered in any blend . This is a later in the day blend which goes with afternoon tea , very British you know . Now , not everyone likes Drama . If you are one of those this blend is not for you . But if you are willing to give orientals a chance #24 will reward you with some really fine smoking .

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Cloud (11)	2015-06-17		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

This stuff is awesome. I never thought I would take to a virginia like I have with 24. It happens twenty-four is a lucky number for me. I only enjoy smoking aromatics but that all changed recently with this nice blend from McClelland. It's simply a good smoke. This tobacco comes highly recommended.

Pipe Used: briar

Age When Smoked: stored for 2 weeks

Purchased From: tobaccopipes.com

Similar Blends: Matured Flake(?).

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	speaknott (4)	2014-05-17		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Very Pleasant

Appearance: medium sized flakes, a bit trickier to rub out than normal. Mixed coloration.

Scent: rich, slightly acidic, almost olive oily type of smell. Very pleasant.

Taste: bright and spicy. A touch of citrus and olive oil.

Smoke level: not overwhelming.

Overall, a very unique style of red Virginia with the inclusion of the Drama leaf. Highly recommended.

Pipe Used: Whitehall Oom Paul, Kaywoodie Standard Billiard

Age When Smoked: 2011

Purchased From: Cigar Jacks

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2011-08-19		Mild	None Detected	Extremely Mild (Flat)	Pleasant to Tolerable

Despite the obvious quality of the product it did not agree with me. The addition of some OR leaf made things interesting so I was looking forward to try No 24. Unfortunately, the taste was too bland for me and it quickly bite my tongue. It would probably do weel in a blending of some sort with some LA.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2011-02-26		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

As of late this has been one of my go to blends. I absolutely love this blend. I am a big fan of Virginia blends with orientals in them and this one does not disappoint. The virginia's in this blend are of the darker and red variety and it contains a little bit of drama leaf. The combination in this blend produces a wonderful subtle yet complex smoking experience. The blend starts of sweet and then for me the oriental starts to show more pronounced about a third into the bowl. The sweetness wears off a little bit and then you get a nice interplay between darker virginia flavors and the drama leaf. The drama leaf is a nice addition to this blend and has a unique flavor that is slightly pungent and a little bit assertive. If you love virgina / oriental blends this is a must try. If you can cellar this up as it ages very well. I have been smoking tins of this from 2007 and am going to continue to stock and cellar this. Very, Very good and highly recommended!

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Denevei (58)	2011-01-08		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Tolerable

McClelland's Virginia #24 is my first experience with the tobacco Drama, which is a strong Macedonian condimental tobacco. The blend comes as a small flake, cut fairly thick but easily rubbed out; it is fairly consistently medium brown in color and has a pleasant pouch aroma. The charring light strikes me as basically Virginia. Once lit the Virginia is still the primary flavor, coming through as sweet and slightly fruity, but there is an interesting undertone which reminded me somewhat of the taste of Orientals, but which certainly is not a typical Oriental flavor. The early part of the bowl needs to be smoked quite carefully. This blend could potentially burn the smoker's tongue more than most blends I can think of. Deeper into the bowl the flavor remains sweet and creamy, while the bite-inducing nature dissipates, making the mid-bowl extremely pleasant. The undertone previously noted has picked up a bit at this point, but the Virginia sweetness is really enjoyable. The somewhat spicy underflavor of the Drama is quite pleasant now. If the entire smoke was what it is at mid-bowl, I'd run out and buy a couple of pounds of the blend. The end of the smoke, unfortunately, lets off on flavor. To me, the taste of the Drama adds a somewhat metallic flavor along with the musty spiciness. With each bowl I smoked, the last quarter or so was quite a letdown after the exciting, almost brilliant mid-bowl pleasure. It could be that Drama is a tobacco I simply need to get used to in order to enjoy. However, the blend is sold as a Virginia, and so my expectations in smoking it are naturally going to be based on what I know of this type of tobacco. As Virginias go there are many better. Coming from McClelland, I was disappointed with #24.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2010-12-15		Mild	Medium	Medium to Full	Tolerable

Today, I officially moved away from aromatics and thanks to 'tobaccoreviews' had decided to give VA 24. a shot!

Upon opening the tin, I was greeted visually with rectangular flakes that were dark, lined with a few bright leaves. They looked like small pieces of chocolate lined with thin slivers of almonds.

The aroma was a little sour. Now that I think of it, when I opened the tin it did smell like ketchup. So, as some reviewers suggested, I rubbed out the flakes and left them on my table for a good 10-15 minutes to let them breathe. After the sitting time, I came back to what smelled like rich, leathery tobacco leaves. Being an aromatics smoker, I didn't expect much in terms of taste because I was accustomed to just getting a whiff of the aromas while I puffed (yeah...'smoker's pride, captain black, macbarens, etc.)

I lightly packed my Stanwell colonial pipe 3/4 not knowing what to expect. After lighting the baccy and 'gently' tamping the charred flakes, I didn't get much with my first few puffs. However, after the leaves smoked themselves a bit, I started to notice sweetness at the tip of my tongue. Then, the flavors started to orchestrate themselves and I was pleasantly surprised by the sweet, nutty, and spicy notes. I'm a 'sipper' of tobacco so naturally, I experienced no bite. Being that this is my first with VAs, I decided to really draw some smoke. NO BITE! Wow...

I vow never to touch aromatics again! My next level will be Dunhill EMP and 965. I'm nervous as heck but soon...

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2010-10-22		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

My first, and still my favorite Virginia. Very flavorful, not at all subtle, and incredibly good. Sweet, smoky, absolutely unlike anything else I've smoked and I love it. Tin note? Who cares? Nothing tastes like it smells in the tin anyway. I've always had aged tins of this, by the way, which I understand has a great impact on my perception of the tobacco.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2010-02-08		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

1999 tin, decanted into a glass jar perhaps 2 months ago. Radice medium sized straight pipe. Flakes are dark and richly coloured with a variety of different hues. On closer inspection I notice what appears to be bloom on the flakes. I certainly hope it isnt mold!! I`ve seen this before, particularly on some of G&H and SG`s offerings. There are also a multitude of sparkling sparkly bits. Glistening in the light as I turn the flake one way and another...they twinkle like stars. Dried out just this side of crispy, I loaded the flakes in a broken almost cube cut into the bowl. Upon lighting I notice sweetness with a slight spicyness in the background. It is similar to a VA with a small dose of perique, but slightly different. Unique. I notice a pronounced creaminess too. Taking a sip on my beer I notice some bite across the tongue, but nowhere near the agony a typical beer/VA experience usually produces. Putting down the pipe and picking it up again several minutes later, I am pleased to find it smoking gently. Puff, puff....thar she blows. No problems smoking this flake, with a bit of drying its burns superbly. As I make my way down the bowl I taste darkness more. Less sweet VA and a headier, thicker darker noted smoke. Really quite nice. I am surprised how smooth it feels too. As carefully as I smoke, most VA`s far too often give my mouth pain. Not this one, not tonight...not in this pipe. Having a tin/jar of this tobacco which has aged since 1999 is a treat for sure. This is the kind of stuff probably not that great straight from the store. With a bit of aging tho...quite delicious in very subtle and interesting ways. Smoke it slow, sip.... breath-smoke it gently...and it is a rewarding VA flake with a little more depth than a pure virginia. Put some of this away for a decade if you can. Nice.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	MDP (39)	2010-02-08		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Overall impressions: Dark and deeply flavorful Virginia flake made the more complex with a varietal Oriental dappled in the layers. Very cool, slightly sweet and without the sourness associated with some Virginia/Oriental attempts (cf. Embarcadero or even Blended Flake made by McClelland). Perhaps my favorite McClelland Virginia presently, having tried all their brown and reserve tins. I can find no fault.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	mo (81)	2010-01-23		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

I must say, this blend caught me by surprise, a very pleasant one if i may add. I love the cut, the tin aroma, the perfect moisture level from the tin. The taste is deliciously tangy, sweet and natural. It is a great virginia blend that i really enjoy.

If you are a lover of virginia blends you cannot go wrong with this one, please bear in mind that it is a bit light on nicotine

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	doc'spipe (242)	2010-01-23		Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

An ammonia-like smell is what greets you after opening the tin. The only drawback is that it can taint the room note, hence the "pleasant to tolerable" rating. Some have noted the smell of urine while I smoked it (a similar experience with McClelland Navy Cavendish), but don't worry as none of this translates into the smoke.

In spite of all this, I enjoyed Virginia No. 24 very much. It was pleasantly sweet, and I am sure some of that extra sweetness was due to the addition of the Drama leaf. There was no bite or moisture while smoking, the end result a clean medium-gray ash.

If you favor Virginias, you should try this blend at least once. Not in my regular Virginia line-up, but a nice smoke for when the mood strikes. 3 solid stars.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2009-12-01		Mild	Mild	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

This can had been cellared by an expert for years before he handed it to me, so your mileage may vary.

On opening the can, I didn't get any of the ketchupy aroma that people seem to associate with MacClellan. It was sweet, but not at all tangy or pungent.

The cut packs wonderfully, lights easily and stays lit once you get it lit.

The aroma is also very nice. It makes me think "pipe tobacco" in a pleasant way (as opposed to an old socks on a campfire way).

It will burn hot if you let it get too dry. I find just moist enough to hold together after a pinch is just right.

I'll be buying more of this to put in my own cellar for a few years.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2009-11-28		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This blend offers all the great tastes of a true Virginia smoke. If you puff it slowly you'll have a great pleasure with some real and sweet tobacco taste and a nice nicotine dose. It is rubbed easily. However I choose to smoke it unrubbed for a slower smoking. The little flakes are hard to keep lit if you don't air them as they have a higher humidity level. Highly recommended for Virginia lovers.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2009-11-07		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

What an excellent tobacco.

As tastefull as a Virginia can be, it progresses admirably down the bowl, changing notes and ending perfectly. I can´t really discern the role played by the drama leaf, but this is a winner.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2009-05-02		Mild	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

this is the best of the brown label series IMO. a little too wet out of the can like most McC stuff i hate to say but that's my only complaint. after a few charring lights your rewarded with a slow burning sweet and sometimes spicy (drama leaf?)smoke.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	t-rexxx (5)	2009-03-27		Mild to Medium	Medium	Medium	Tolerable

I love the the smell needs to be ground up in a leaf grinder to pack properly.Takes a while to light drying out first helps.Pack loose in a large bowel for best results.the taste is very smooth and sweet halfway down to end.can't pinpoint a flavor.just a mild sweetness.Not bad,but I'm still a Mccranies ribb,flake fan.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2008-09-17		Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

The virginias in this blend are typical McClelland fare: sweet, grassy, with a ketchupy aroma that fades in a week or so. The drama imparts a subtle oriental flavour with floral and citrous notes, as well as a weird sweet taste that strengthens with age. Give this some time--it tastes like hot air until it gets at least a year on it.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2007-09-30		Medium	Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant

I recently purchased a 100 gram can of McClelland's Virginia #24 from jrcigars.com along with several other tobaccos. This has a similar aroma to McClelland's Virginia #27 when you open the can (a wonderful tobacco that has a hint of an All Spice like smell). The flake breaks up nicely and the tobacco burns smooth. This stuff has a beautiful color (reddish-brown with a bit of white). I guess if I knew more about tobacco I could identify the white - I guess that's the Drama?

I like this stuff but I must say that even though I Highly Recommend it, I like the #27 a bit more. This seems to have a drier taste in the mouth. I will continue to sample this an update my review as the tobacco "breaths".

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2007-09-28		Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

McClelland takes their art seriously. You can pick any tin and you will be satisfied. So many to try! This is another fine blend, I can only say, grab any tin and then refine the blends to better suit your individual taste.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Buster Bluth (56)	2007-04-14		Mild	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This McClelland blend typifies what I love about this hobby. By 'hobby', I mean that us pipe smokers are on the quest for that magic experience that takes us to the next level. Cigarette and Cigar smokers aren't after that grail, IMHO. The 'high' or the 'status' dominate. As an ex' cigarette smoker, I smoked to cope. Cigar guys say..."This is a good smoke at $17 a stick". Well, pipes aren't about need or price, its about the personal experience that matters.

So where does #24 take you? To an ethereal place if you can do the pre-flight chscklist. First off, way too wet outta the can. I let a pinch of flakes dry on a paper plate 48hrs before light-up. Currently, I'm popping cans 2 and 4 yrs old. A previous reviewer mentioned a size 4 pipe. This is the best size for this weed.

Smoke this stuff fast and you lose and get burnt!!! Do a subtle breath smoke, and you'll be rewarded. The flavor will awe you, and the nicotene will floor you.

Don't rush this tobacco. Waste your matches, it's a small price to pay. Unlike Mc's Dark Star, this stuff is worth the time.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2006-10-26		Mild	Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Another quality VA from McClelland. Almost too many to try. I cannot recognize 'Drama' Overall it was sweet, flavorfull, smoky, grasslike, ashy aftertaste, with steak sauce spice much less than Dark Star, yet similar and transient.

You Cannot Go Wrong With McClelland!!!

I use CUPOJOES.com Its half as much as the local shop. -sorry pipeshop!

BETTER PICK: MCCLELLAND CHRISTMAS CHEER 05' OR 06

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Satc001 (67)	2006-07-31		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

I opened the tin of No. 24 and took a sniff. I immediately detected the scent of fine matured Virginia. For those of you not used to the scent, do not let the pungent odor deter you, it is not even similar to its smoking qualities.

I love the flakes, easy to rub out and easy to pack. I found that it took a couple more matches to get going well, but that was a minor inconvience. The first puff provided me with what I suspected: smooth, mellow VA flavor. Not tangy or sour but sweet. As I was enjoying an incredible VA experience I began to notice the Drama, which added a nice smokiness and spice to the flavor. If puffed slowly, this tobacco has no bite. The entire experience was a treat. To top it off, it has a great aroma that is friendly to the smoker and to friends.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2006-05-26		Medium	Very Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant

I ve been having great luck with McClelland lately. The can says robust, I would say a nice Virginia with greater flavors. A good buy.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2006-02-21		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Virginia No.24 huh so this is why people enjoy Virginia's. No.24 was really a pleasant surprise for me for I wasn't expecting to enjoy it very much...but did...a lot. I'm thinking what made this a good experience was that No.24 was richer and fuller than I expect this type of VA to be. This will easly replace my tin of Mac Barens Virginia Flake...hands down! McCelland sure creates some yummy stuff. I will be keeping this in supply.

Goes well after a bowl of Frog Morton or On The Town,

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2006-02-01		Mild	Extremely Mild	Very Mild	Pleasant

1 February 2006

Well, firstly I'm a new pipe smoker. Have only been at it a few months and have been thoroughly enjoying it. I'm a big fan (as are many if not most fledgling pipesmokers) of mild aromatics.

Anyway, I decided to take a foray into a non-aromatic and thought a Virginia would be nice. So yesterday I went out and purchased McClelland's Virginia No. 24 for my first try. Bought a new pipe as well.

I was truly, truly put off (NOTE: this is all subjective. Many people love this tobacco and love Virginias. Tastes vary. I recognize my experience is unique and in no way is my review meant to put down any of my fellow briarfolk who love this or any other Virginias). Here are the details:

TIN AROMA: This was the first thing that put me off, and to me tin aroma is really important. It's just how I am. If I can't get beyond it, I'm not going to like it. Although I had read about the typical "ketchupy" tin aroma of McClelland tobaccos, I was really unprepared for the pungency. It smelled of an unfinished glass of really cheap red wine that had been left to sit for a week, whereby all the flavorful characteristics had evaporated and all that was left was the odor of vinegarized fermented grape.

APPEARANCE: The thick flakes actually looked rather nice, slightly difficult to rub but not too bad.

LIGHTING: Took forever to light. I killed several matches. Maybe it was my packing.

FLAVOR: This is the second thing that put me off. Firstly, the flavor was very mild, smooth and buttery, and it exhibited characteristics of grass and hay. But then the flavor quickly became unpleasurable to me. Not bad, just unpleasurable. I totally did not care for the aftertaste it left me.

BITE: No noticeable tongue bite.

ROOM NOTE: This is the third thing that put me off. The room note was mild. Imagine the smell of a freshly mowed lawn. We all love it. Now imagine setting fire to that freshly mowed lawn. That's what the aroma was like to me. Totally didn't care for it. And after all was done and smoked, the aroma lingered and lingered and lingered. It was annoying. In fact, I recall sensing the slightest reminiscense of cat urine.

Overall, I recognize that my new pipe palate may not be ready for non-aromatics. Perhaps one day down the road when I feel I am ready, I will try again. Until then, my Virginia No. 24 will be put away unattended and ignored.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2006-01-18		Medium	Mild	Medium	Pleasant

November-2003.Virginia No 24. One very enjoyable tobacco for many reason's,such as,easy lighting,only requiring a couple of tamp's.Plus,superb delicious virginia flavour with something extra,that I can't quiet pin down,maybe it's the Drama? Wonderful and consistant all the way to the bottom of the bowl,it didn't bite,but pack's a superb punch in a most suttle and gentle way.Leaves a very nice white clean ash and nothing goopy,or annoying.I smoked and enjoyed back to back bowl's all day long,without boredom or problem's.Taste is great without being overly done in anyway.

======================================== Update January 2006.After returning for another visit to this wonderful blend,I've raised it's level from three,to four stars.

Now,Very Highly Recommended!

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2005-12-08		Medium	Medium	Very Full	Pleasant

Pipe: Savinelli 677 Red Rustic conditions: cold, around 45F

This is about the fullest and richest VA I've had. Very wonderful almost creamy flavor. Love it.

Con: bites like a son-of-a-gun to get it going. Relights are ok but that first light after false is a killer. Worth it, as you can see my rating. I'll try to take it easy, but, that warm, sweet "nectar" taste is very tempting!

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2005-11-28		Medium	Extremely Mild	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is a very nice tobacco. Very full bodied and flavorful tobacco without being overwhelming. This is a sit and smoke kind of tobacco a little to complex to be doing to much. If you want a real treat drink some hot chocolate with a shot of Myers's dark rum in it. The flavors of the dark rum and chocolate match the flavors of the tobacco perfectly.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2005-08-12		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

"Typical" Mc initial flavor with the pleasant virginia sweetness and tang. But, there's something extra; a yes, the gentle hint smokiness from the drama. Nice! The drama intensifies gradually through the bowl but does not overpower the experience. I give it three stars only because I get an enjoyable smoke about 75% of the time. Something odd happens every now and then in that the smoke is ashy and somewhat bitter, but I think it's me (body chemistry) and not the tobacco.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	RCUSElder (244)	2005-07-16		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This review based on a tin from 99'

Appearance and Tin Aroma: Nice 1" squares of flake that are mostly dark brown. Due to the age, there are alot sugar crystals on the flakes. The familiar MC tang is subdued and that is typical of aged tins. The aroma reminds one of red VA and hay, delicious!

Packing and Lighting: I had a lot of fun while reviewing this blend and settled on rolling a "burrito" of flakes lengthwise and stuffing it in my pipes. The age also made lighting relatively easy, 3-4 lights.

Initial Flavor: yumm! Red Va is prominent with the matured and golden leaves as support.

Mid-Bowl: This is delightful mid-strength VA with a nice roundness and sweetness. The turkish really adds a nice flavor.

Bottom of Bowl: This is over too quickly. There is a slight increase in strength, DGT works awesome with this blend. This is definitely an all-day blend.

Overall: If you are looking for a tasty all day VA blend, age a few tins and enjoy. This blend has grown on me lately and I have upgraded from 3 stars to 4. A delicious VA with turkish added! Yummmmm!

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Spike (296)	2005-06-20		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

A very full dark Virginia partly broken flake. A bit moist fresh from the can. Crumbles fairly easily. The vinegar smell was quite subdued for a fresh tinned McClelland. About one-half star below Best Brown Flake. Should improve nicely with age.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Beer (345)	2004-09-10		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

Typical McClelland flake! The difference here lies in the presence of some oriental leaf, which makes the sweetness of the virginias less evident and adds some pungency. The thick flakes are difficult to fully rub out, so this is a perfect blend for smoking outside. My tin was 3 and a half years old, and the flakes were covered with sugar crystals: this may have helped in creating a very nice, complex smoke. It certainly is a flake which requires your attention and which after a while can actually grow on you. A bit bitey, though, but nothing that a seasoned Virginia smoker won't be able to handle!

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2003-06-19		Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I should preface this review by saying that the tin of VA 24 I am reviewing has some age on it, at least 3 years.

This is really wonderful tobacco. I have smoked it in several pipes, all of which smoked it well. It is broken flake, dark in color, and I let the tobacco dry well. I rub it out roughly before packing my pipe. The flavor is exquisite, sweet but not cloying, with a spicy undertone. Something of a sweet and sour flavor. It can bite your tongue, but with a modicum of care you will smoke a full pipe without indicent. The tobacco burns well from start to end, with the normal number of relights required for a "go slow" VA.

I love this stuff. Highest recommendation.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	NEWMAN (305)	2002-03-10		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

This was my first experience with Drama, a Turkish tobacco which proved enjoyable. The tin aroma is pretty typical of the McClelland 'vinegar' although not as intense as others. Nicely formed chestnut colored flakes that are easy to pack without rubbing them out and result in a cool, rich smoke. Although tasty thruout, this blend is spicier, even @ a slow burn, than I prefer for an all day smoke. However, after meals or for a change, it's a mellow smoke.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Noorrmm (192)	2001-04-17		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

The tin aroma is typical McClelland, slightly vinegary and fermented. The small flakes are mostly red with a trace of yellow leaf, and rub out easily. The flakes are slightly thicker than the offerings of S. Gawith, and so I finf them the resulting rubout to be a bit coarser. The result is a tobacco that burns slowly, and often requires a relight. The flavor is zesty with a trace of spiciness (probably the Drama), and is best at a slow burn. It burns quite cool, but if puffed agressively loses some of the flavor nuances. It lights easily, starting out with a medium intensity of flavor, develops a more pronounced richness in the middle of the bowl, and ends just a bit tingly on the palate. I find that it needs to be dried a bit before it smokes properly, this seems to be a McClelland trait. It leaves a clean, white ash.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2001-03-26		Medium	Mild	Medium to Full	Tolerable

The odor from this can is a bit different than that of No. 22; I would define it as being from a RED vinegar. (See my comments on VA No. 22 as to this odor in general.) It comes in medium-sized, reddish flakes with veins of lighter color running through them. Somewhat on the moist side, they rub out easily into strands that pack well. This tobacco burns similarly to VA No. 22 - lights easily when rubbed out, but needs an above average number of relights. As with No. 22, I generally smoke this in my large Savinelli estate billiard; going back to a partially finished bowl later on doesn't seem to hurt the flavor. While SLIGHTLY less tongue-biting than No. 22, this blend still required a very slow and careful smoker, with some time on his or her hands. The first third of the bowl is sweet, but slightly richer and more complex than VA No. 22. Getting into the second third, the taste becomes even richer, but with a bit less sweetness. Again, as with No. 22, the most flavorful part of the bowl is in the last third. The tendency to bite and smoke wet at the bottom is still there; I would recommend drying the tin for a couple weeks or so. Overall, I enjoy this more than VA No. 22: it has a bit less bite and a slightly richer, more mature flavor. The only Virginia I'd reach for before this would be McClelland's Dark Star.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Fly ticky (26)	2010-02-13		Strong	Very Strong	Medium	Very Strong

As you may see I am not thrilled with this tobacco.Will update and change my call if things change.

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2006-05-26		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Tolerable

This is a fine blend from a fine blender. It's flavor is somewhat similar to McClellands 2015. I cannot recommend it however because 1. It bites, even with careful smoking and 2. While it is reasonably priced, it is twice the price of 2015, which after some ageing will produce an outstanding blend.

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2005-06-25		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

A full flavor dark Virginia flake. Easy to rub out. Nice smoke.

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2005-06-21		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Very Pleasant

Sorry for not placing a review!I will as soon my parcell comes! Dear RCUSEIder:Drama is a Greek state(and Town),at THRAKI,very famous for their Domestic-Oriental tobaccos.Drama and Xanthi prodouces exetional Tobaccos!(Like BASMA)

Nobody has rated this review yet.