McClelland No. 24

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.