McClelland No. 24

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.

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...

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.

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 ...

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.

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.

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.

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.

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