McClelland No. 27

This smoked best in a cob. It really brings out the flavors. Hard to find the right words to describe the flavor. The closest I can come is saying it's similar to raisin bread. Not exactly, but that's the best I can do. I can say very easily that the flavor is downright delicious. Has a wonderful sweetness as well.

I recommend smoking this folded and stuffed. It rubs out into a fine shag which can burn hot if you fail to be slow and gentle. Left in flake form helps it to burn slower and cooler. Some caution is still required, but it is more forgiving that way.

Mild to medium in body and flavor. I got no bite smoking it in any form or in any type of pipe.

This is a mild and Unpretentious virginia. A wonderful smoke, it is very tolerant of being smoked at different speeds and conditions. While this is not exactly my cup of tea, I do find it enjoyable.

This is the third of the McClelland Mature Virginias that I have tried, and it is the one I have enjoyed the most so far. The tin aroma was not as ketchupy as Nos. 22 and 25, but it was still present enough. I have to say this particular smell does nothing for me. It did not carry over into the smoke, however.

The broken flakes were very nice in quality, and they rubbed out perfectly. The moisture content of this year-old tin was just right. In flavor, this one was a bit stronger than the others, but in a good way. There was a deep, almost bold flavor to the smoke which lasted to the bottom of the bowl. Interestingly, this blend seemed to come alive in a briar billiard, while being more subdued in a cob. The room note, while not as offensive as MV No. 25, was still too much for others. While I would smoke it again, I wouldn't go out of my way to acquire another tin.

(1.75oz tin smoked over 20 days in December.)

UPDATE 7-31-15

I just finished up another 100g tin of this and must say, it is just another fantastic Virginia from McClelland. The sweetness of this blend is just spot on. It is very similar to my tastes to Blackwoods Flake and several other McClelland Virginias, but it is a great tasting and performing Virginia nonetheless. I have another tin that I plan on aging, but I did not notice a whole lot of difference from the last tin I smoked which had about 6 years of age on it. That is a good sign I think.

I am not changing my star rating on this one as I think three stars is good and there isn't enough setting it apart from other McC Vas to push into the "you have got to try this" category for a fourth star. If you like MCC vas, you will like this.

ORIGINAL REVIEW 12-11-12

Just finisehed a 100g tin of this from 2006. The taste was incredible, but the only thing holding me back from a four star rating is that their are just too many others I choose to grab before this. This can only be for one reason and that comes down to nicotine content.

If you find the nicotine in this adequate for your needs then this would indeed be a four star blend.

This review pertains to a ten-year-old tin, so it represents a well-aged tobacco.

The tin aroma is slightly tart, sweet, and acetic (vinegar). It's like a delicious barbecue sauce, with a bit of fermented character. The flakes sparkle with sugar crystals. If you smoke a lot of McClelland Virginias, it is instantly recognizable in every way.

I usually rub out pressed tobaccos completely, but this one seemed more conducive to smoking rolled up, balled up, or just stuffed in the bowl. It comes in the tin fairly stringy, not neat flakes or barely broken ones. It smoked easily and deliciously whatever the preparation method.

The flavor of the bowl is delicious and complex. Sometimes I felt like this blend was more savory than I expected, and sometimes it was sweet. It was always a bit tangy. Like all Virginias, it is a balancing act to keep the ember as small and the bowl as cool as possible to maximize the flavors and aromas, without letting it go out too much to be annoying.

I found this blend easier than most to find that balance and keep it going. Probably related, I also found this blend to smoke dry as a bone, even on humid summer days. The body was heavier than expected for a straight Virginia.

Overall this is a fantastic tobacco, and and excellent example of what McClelland does with Virginia tobacco.

Bowl starts out sweet and tangy with a good touch of McVinegar and a lot of high notes. After about 1/4 bowl, the high notes fade and the darker flavors develop , more in the style of " Sammy's" "FVF". Less tangy, richer, but still a subtle sweetness. No real bite, but some spice and something that says , "This could be even better with a few more years of age" , ( although, tin indicted it was 2 years old). The last 1/4, you get the burnt marshmallow with some slight bitterness . All in all, I find this keeps my interest.

I feel the blend is much closer to an English style Virginia ( Samuel Gawith, FVF, Best Brown) vs. a MacBarens that says, grass, honey and hay. A word about the cut, it's a very fine delicate flake. I like to give it the minimum of rubbing, or you'll turn this to dust, allow it to dry for a half hour, and "ball and stuff" the loading. The tin description says," an all day, indoor smoke", I agree with that and can see where the fine cut would turn into a "blast furnace" with an outdoor breeze.

I can't disagree with any reviewers that give this 4 stars, but I like other Virginias just as much, at bulk prices and cuts I like better. So, this gets 3 stars

a good VA blend, quite full flavored but mild in strength. Still too much vinegar though and not quite sweet enough.

Tin: Abundant, tangy, sweet, fragrant apricot/currant and bread aroma. Black-brown to medium brown striated with a small amount of blonde. Broken flake.

Incredibly soft and supple for a flake and has a clean feel to it.

Six-digit code on bottom: 272206, meaning product 27, batch 22 tinned in 2006.

Packing & Lighting: Very readily rubs out into small ribbons. One of the easiest to deal with flakes. The suppleness of No. 27 makes for a delight to pack. Unlike many flakes, this one can be, should be, moderately tightly packed. Right out of the tin, it does take a couple of matches to burn a small bowl.

Taste & Aroma: Top of bowl: Bland, No. 27 takes a little while for the flavor to develop and concentrate.

Mid bowl: This is where the soft, subtle taste becomes accentuated, a nice bread and fruit taste and aroma; from time to time, getting varying hints of orange peel, cinnamon or allspice, and bayleaf or clove.

Letting the tobacco dry for 30 minutes helps the flavor. Al1's comments on drying seem to make a difference, there being less moisture to compete with the subtle flavor.

Nicotine: At least medium

Room Note: About as pleasant as it gets for a VA-based blend.

Overall: No. 27 could be an all-day smoke, if you want a moderate amount of nicotine. I really like everything about it, but it's too lightweight in flavor. For this, No. 27 deserves 3 stars, but it is so easy to work with, it should get 4. I really wanted to give this 4 stars, but the taste and aroma are just too subtle.

Compare this to C&D Briar Fox, most any Wessex blend, or Orliks Golden Sliced. Some of the VA-based GLP Fog City Selections will satisfy a VA craving.

I recently recieved a 4 year old tin from a good friend in the states. When cracking open the tin the smell that came from it was delightful. I have to say that the smell of McClellald tobaccos really annoys me, in this case it had settled down significantly and was most pleasant.

I find the taste to be very subtle. I honestly did not appreciate this tobacco until I sat quietly in my garage one night with a beautiful Design Berlin staight grain billiard, filled to the brim with this tobacco. The experience was wonderful. Slighly sweet, little savoury, nice volume of smoke, this is certainly not tiring as some blends can be and developes very discretely.

I only gave this blend 3 stars for 1 reason and that is that 4 year old tins are not freely available.