McClelland No. 25

Glad I got this blend, im a big Virginia smoker so this is right up my alley. The tin note is pretty nasty but when its lit it smells pretty nice. Taste is great and sweet just like a good VA should be. The only down side is that it could bite if not smoked slow, it did bite me alittle. Otherwise great blend i loved it. If your a Virginia smoker go for it.

Actually this blend deserves a four star rating in comparation with the most other VA blends rated with three stars by me. However I compare this fine blend with the other VA blends of McClelland. It is a fine ribbon cut tobacco. The tin content smells just like a McClelland blend and it is well moistened. It dries out fast because of the fine cut. Packs well and burns well. The first puffs are rich in cigarette like taste and well known McClelland sourness. After the 1/3 of the first bowls I've smoked I cought the nice sweetness of the blend with a satisfying matured and stoved VA flavor. The nicotine dosage is less than I've expected. As the most other McClelland blends just char it and leave a while. Then you'll catch the real fun of it. A pleasant, tasty smoke yet less satisfying nicotine dosage.

This is a very tasty, if somewhat montonous smoke. Actually, I adore it blended with a few things- one of my favorite concoctions is to blend this with GLP's Falcon and even a little 965. then it's downright delicious and more balanced, like honey roasted-smoked peanuts or something.

I have been meaning to try this for a while. I generally do not have good luck with the tongue bite from McClelland Virginia blends. However, a number of reviewers had mentioned that this did not have this problem to such a degree.

This is a primarily dark brown to black tobacco cut very fine. Not as fine as Dark Birdseye or Forte, but still very thin. The only relief in terms of light colored material that I see here is tan stems.

As others have mentioned, the pronounced McClelland smell is significanly reduced in this blend. However, it is still there to a limited degree.

Early bowl: Initial light is deep and sweet. A single relight is often not enough. The flavor on these relights is very sweet The sharp, citrus-like tongue bite that I associate with McClelland is still present in this blend, although reduced. This is assuaged significantly by a short (30-60 minute) DGT.

Mid Bowl: Light puffing with a lot of air from around the stem, rather than through the stem, works nicely after the DGT. The sweetness is accompanied by a sourness that alternately moves from the background to the front of the flavor range. Deeper into the bowl, the citrus flavors retreat in favor of a very full and rich flavor without bite

Late Bowl: Like many Virginias, this really shines in the last part of the bowl. If care has been taken during the earlier portions of the bowl to keep the mouth comfortable, this is a truly memorable bowl with lingering aftertastes that are quite tastey.

The room note is pleasant, somewhat like baked cookies. I suspect this is from the high sugar content.

Overall, this is a very tasty smoke, but still requires extensive care and attention to fully enjoy without tongue bite. I find that I cannot smoke it without at least a light to moderate bite, but the flavor is very nice. As a result, I cannot smoke this as much as I would like. Flavor: 85/100 with the latter portion of the bowl being exceptional. Smoking characteristics: 60/100 for bite, but still much better than most from this manufacturer for me. Overall: 75/100 a solid quality smoke with some issues that prevent it from being a regular smoke.

March 2004

I'm with lustra....this one did little for me, and it's a three year old tin. It behaves well in all technical respects, but doesn't show up flavour-wise to warrant the price tag. If you want a good non-invasive all-day Va to smoke, try the McC's bulks. If you want an amazing Virginia epiphany, smoke some McC's Va #27...but don't be in a hurry to have high expectations met with this one. Again, while this tobacco is quite tasty (you will not hesitate to finish the tin) it does not attain to the levels of complexity or flavour I seek in premium tobaccos with premium prices.

A cooly-burning Virginia that underwhelms me to the point of boredom. See the previous reviews for the typology.

Tin Aroma: Decidely less of the signature McClelland 'ketchup' aroma than some of the Virginias in this series, though that may have something to do with the ribbon cut, as opposed to the broken flake of most of the rest of them.



Physical Characteristics: a very fine ribbon cut, almost like a cigarette shag cut. Mostly dark, a bit of light brown, probably stoved in some manner. Packs solidly, and with not too much spring to it. Takes a charring light easily, in only a puff or two. Pleasant amount of moisture, not too soft, not too dry.



First Light: Sharp virgina flavor/aroma on the first light. Tickles the nose even when not exhaled that way.



Notes: Burns easily, and stays lit with nary a hassle. The most intriguing thing about this blend is that it seemed to not bite me nearly as easily as many of the McClelland virginias do. As a matter of fact, even with the way I smoke (sometimes a bit fast and furious), you almost have to be trying to get it to bite you before it will.

My tin, when opened, was only about 1/4 of the way full. Not sure if this was a 'rip-off' from the seller or if the tobacco had shrunk with age. The smell from the tin is quite sweet and pungent with a hint of tang. It looked almost like dust and shag dark brown and black.

Loads and lights easy, but is a bit testy to keep lit, as sipping is the best to get all the flavor from this tobacco.

The smoke is soft and light and has a nice tobacco flavor that is slightly woody with lots of sweet and, as someone already mentioned, toasted marshmellow. It's a nice blend and am sad that I won't have the ability to purchase more or stock up on it.

Virginia No. 25 is ready rubbed; loading the pipe is a simple matter. The blend consists of dark ready rubbed bits of tobacco.

This is flavorful; it is not really bitey. However it can bite if one puffs on the pipe. This reason keeps it from being a 4-star tobacco. If you are an experienced virginia tobacco smoker, there are many aged tins that a available at without inflated prices; you should give No. 25 a try.