McClelland No. 27

I found No.27 to be exceptionally mild. I have noticed that when a blend is described as an all day smoke then it means it is on the lighter end of the strength and taste range. I have not met a McClelland I did not like but think I will try another blend. Good, but not my cup of tea at this time.

Well, I cannot speak to the "effervesant (sic) of the open tin" either. Not a clue what that translates to.

I've never encountered the tin-described "shag-cut cake" before, but I like it. It's a millimeter thick broken flake that instantly rubs out to, yes, shag. Don't pack tightly. It lights readily and is easily kept lit even when moderately moist.

It is certainly the most sourly pungent of any McClelland blend I've ever sniffed in the tin. It carries forth into the smoke. Presumably the top dressing is added to neutralize alkaline smoke, but geez! Perique normally serves this purpose; this blend has none. The result is a unique sweet/sour taste that I rather enjoyed. Once dried of the topping half way through the bowl, the taste goes away with little remaining. At that point it is vaguely ashy and bland. As such, I'd compare this blend to a cheap aromatic.

Many finer Virgina blends are available. Keep looking.

Yet another McClelland blend that greets you with a vinegar aroma upon tin opening. Nicely prepared reddish to brownish flakes are partially rubbed out and I smoked them as received. Easy to light and keep lit. However, contrary to the tin claims, this is not an all day or indoor smoke for me. Although I had much better success with large bowled pipes, @ the pace that I sometimes smoke @ work, by the end of the day, my tongue was scorched. I've experienced similar results with other red VA flakes. You must smoke them slowly to allow the natural sweetness to develop and save your tongue. McClelland blends in general are not my wife's favorite aromas and #27 is near the bottom of her list. Within McClelland's portfolio, I'd pick Blackwoods or bulk 2015 flakes far before this blend.

This is a straight Virginia, pure, natural, but not excellent. Good yes, but not really good. In my opinion a little bit disappointing. There are a lot of straight Virginia in the market and this one does not stand out. McClelland can do much better. The taste is pure Virginia, but I believe it has an extremely mild flavoring, almost imperceptible. In my personal rating system (from 1 to 10) my score is 7 and two and a half stars.

Virginia 27 is a fragrant, well-made tobacco that burns very well and, for me anyway, smokes cool with very little tongue bite. I have recently smoked a 100-gram tin in a wide variety of pipes and regret that I can't rate this tobacco any better than average. Why? First of all, it seems to lose flavor once the tin has been opened. (To be fair, this is a problem for a number of Virginias). Second, I just can't maintain interest in this tobacco for more than a single, short smoke. If I smoke it often during the day, or in a large bowl, I always wind up just putting the pipe down and walking away. In a word, for any sort of extended smoking, this tobacco is simply dull. As an occasional smoke, it's OK, but I doubt I will buy any more. Much better, in my book are tobaccos like Old Gowrie, or even Astley's 109, which, although mild, have enough dynamic range to keep me interested. I even prefer 5100 with some age to this stuff.

For comparison's sake, my tin was two years old. I have no doubt that well-aged tins are great, but I'll be aging other tobaccos that I like better.

Mcllelland virginia flakes are of excellent leaf quality. I cannot get away from the vinegary, aroma and flavor to the tobaccos. #27 is definitely smooth and rich. However I cannot, even though I have tried to really like these flakes, I cannot really enjoy them as much as some other virginia flakes. Maybe I am allergic to something they use. The only flake I really enjoy is Dark Star and it is very good. I will leave #27 for some others to enjoy.