McClelland Red and Black
(3.81)
Distinctive Virginia Flakes - the finest matured red and stoved Virginias processed separately, tinned together to marry. The Red and the Black, pipe tobaccos to mix to your personal taste...satisfying the fancy of the moment...each bowl a new adventure.
Notes: McClelland's Red and Black was created for the 30th anniversary of the Conclave of Richmond Pipe Smokers (CORPS).
Details
| Brand | McClelland |
| Series | Club Blends |
| Blended By | McClelland Tobacco Company |
| Manufactured By | McClelland Tobacco Company |
| Blend Type | Straight Virginia |
| Contents | Virginia |
| Flavoring | |
| Cut | Flake |
| Packaging | 50 grams tin |
| Country | United States |
| Production | No longer in production |
Profile
Strength
Mild to Medium
Extremely Mild -> Overwhelming
Flavoring
None Detected
None Detected -> Extra Strong
Room Note
Tolerable
Unnoticeable -> Overwhelming
Taste
Medium
Extremely Mild (Flat) -> Overwhelming
Average Rating
|
3.81 / 4
|
Reviews
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Displaying 11 - 20 of 21 Reviews
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 23, 2015 | Medium | Very Mild | Medium | Tolerable |
I won't go into descriptive detail here, yammering on about this or that nuance dancing in and out and all that silliness. I'm not writing this to see myself in print, so to speak, but to give a personal vote...cast yea or nay. For me, like Pipestud, this blend warrants a rousing YEA! So far, I've only smoked it 'together' and I've been rewarded significantly. It comes at just a perfect dryness for manipulation, rubbing, stuffing, lighting and smoking. It is a willing partner and doesn't fight...so there's that. I used a trusty Pete B5 Harp Bulldog which turned out to be a good partner. Puffed lightly (sipped) but steadily it was very easy to control the burn and heat so I believe I was getting a good flavor profile. And yes, the red and the black did each have their respective moments of dominance. But all in all it was a blended experience...one of the best pure VA smokes I can recall. Very fine flavors, very agreeable in management, one couldn't ask for more. I'll close by saying that over the years I've collected a lot of tobacco and have pretty much centered on a dozen blends that I most favor. When I do order some latest and greatest blend I'm almost always disappointed in some aspect where it falls down...for me...cause all this is very personal. My grail isn't yours, and vice versa, etc. But this is one that I'll never regret dropping a dime on. Absolutely excellent quality and performance along with rich and rewarding VA flavors. Five star...and that's for a 2015 TIN. What will it be like in 2020? Etc. Oh Mama!
Pipe Used:
Peterson Harp B5
PurchasedFrom:
Pipes & Cigars
Age When Smoked:
Pretty fresh - tinned 2015
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 16, 2018 | Medium | None Detected | Medium | Pleasant |
Pipestud described this best. I'm not great with words so I'll keep this short. If you like virginia blend tobacco, look no further. Between this and a couple others from McClelland, I don't need any other blends. This concoction deserves more stars than I'm able to rate. I can only imagine what a couple years age will do to this blend. Absolutely the highest quality tobacco out there.
Pipe Used:
Savinelli, cob and Roush
Age When Smoked:
Fresh
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 18, 2016 | Mild to Medium | None Detected | Medium | Pleasant |
just got through a half a tin. wow. one of the best virginia flakes i've ever had, and by FAAAAR the coolest presentation. half the flakes are red and half black (duh -- that's the name). i smoked a red first, a black second and then mixed them for the third. it's like getting 3 great flakes in one tin. and no doubt, the two "marry" a bit in the tinning and aging process. sweet, deep, highest quality, beautiful flavors to the bottom (in all 3 iterations). if you like pure virginia flakes (stoved, matured and the rest) do yourself a favor, go get it.
Pipe Used:
medium-bowled flake pipes
PurchasedFrom:
on-line
Age When Smoked:
new, but some age prior to tinning
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Feb 01, 2016 | Medium | None Detected | Medium | Pleasant |
Original review ( read revised also)
I never experimented with different blending proportions of the flakes in the R&B . I just rubbed out the entire tin.
I found the resulting tobacco to smoke like a 60/40 blend of McC's Beacon Extra and Dark Star ( both 4 star blends in my book). Yes , I do taste a touch of Perique ( Beacon Extra) but the combination of these two fine blends presented a problem with burn rates for me. I've always felt that the Dark Star had to be smoked at a smolder, or it turned bitter, where as the BE I smoke at a more aggressive cadence , bringing out the perique and high notes. I could never get this right as I smoked the R&B. The blend was either bitter or hot with only brief moments of greatness.
On another point , the R&B was noticeably hard to rub out ( think “ Dark Star”) and was way to moist to smoke. When I returned the tobacco to its tin , I noticed that the R&B only half filled the tin. Coincidentally, I was also rubbing out a new tin of a GLP blend, this filled its tin. Hmmm, half the smokes for the money , Is McC taking lessons from Samuel Gawith ?
Revised 2016-03-16- After about 7 weeks of breathing, drying and rubbing this blend has gotten very special, tasty, tangy and sweet. Nothing but good and the Perique note is gone. YOU HAVE TO RUB THIS OUT AND LET IT DRY. Also, reviewer "Sasquatch" nailed the taste with MacBarens Dark Twist. I always liked the taste of dark twist, with it's spice, but it ALWAYS bit like a dog. This blend, Red & Black, is spicy yet smooth.
I never experimented with different blending proportions of the flakes in the R&B . I just rubbed out the entire tin.
I found the resulting tobacco to smoke like a 60/40 blend of McC's Beacon Extra and Dark Star ( both 4 star blends in my book). Yes , I do taste a touch of Perique ( Beacon Extra) but the combination of these two fine blends presented a problem with burn rates for me. I've always felt that the Dark Star had to be smoked at a smolder, or it turned bitter, where as the BE I smoke at a more aggressive cadence , bringing out the perique and high notes. I could never get this right as I smoked the R&B. The blend was either bitter or hot with only brief moments of greatness.
On another point , the R&B was noticeably hard to rub out ( think “ Dark Star”) and was way to moist to smoke. When I returned the tobacco to its tin , I noticed that the R&B only half filled the tin. Coincidentally, I was also rubbing out a new tin of a GLP blend, this filled its tin. Hmmm, half the smokes for the money , Is McC taking lessons from Samuel Gawith ?
Revised 2016-03-16- After about 7 weeks of breathing, drying and rubbing this blend has gotten very special, tasty, tangy and sweet. Nothing but good and the Perique note is gone. YOU HAVE TO RUB THIS OUT AND LET IT DRY. Also, reviewer "Sasquatch" nailed the taste with MacBarens Dark Twist. I always liked the taste of dark twist, with it's spice, but it ALWAYS bit like a dog. This blend, Red & Black, is spicy yet smooth.
Pipe Used:
cob
Age When Smoked:
new? revised 7 weeks
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Oct 27, 2015 | Mild | Very Mild | Medium | Tolerable |
The flakes are somewhat broken and of mostly leathery consistency. The stoved Virginia is almost black and the red Virginia is fairly dark as well, but the tobacco can be told apart easily enough. The Red smells like vinegar. The Black smells like dried fruits.
This is a review of the two types of flakes smoked together 50/50.
This is a mild, sweet and somewhat spicy tobacco. It burns fine with a little care and is very gentle. There is a soapy/musty character to this as the bowl progresses that I did not find pleasant but is unobtrusive enough not to mar the experience for me. Still, it was enough for me to think something was not quite right with this tobacco for me. I also thought the room note was somewhat cigarette like.
Really, somewhere between a 2 and 3 stars, but points to McC for thinking outside the square with this one.
This is a review of the two types of flakes smoked together 50/50.
This is a mild, sweet and somewhat spicy tobacco. It burns fine with a little care and is very gentle. There is a soapy/musty character to this as the bowl progresses that I did not find pleasant but is unobtrusive enough not to mar the experience for me. Still, it was enough for me to think something was not quite right with this tobacco for me. I also thought the room note was somewhat cigarette like.
Really, somewhere between a 2 and 3 stars, but points to McC for thinking outside the square with this one.
Pipe Used:
Lepeltier
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 06, 2018 | Mild to Medium | Extremely Mild | Mild to Medium | Tolerable |
Beautiful tin note, sweet and intensely acetic, tell-tale McClelland’s with both red and stoved Virginias making their presence felt to the nose. Flakes are broken. The blacks are thicker and less pliable than the reds. They need some drying time and some effort to rub out.
Once mixed the Red and Black produce a very civilized Virginia of medium strength with rather light nicotine content and medium body, very smooth but somewhat lacking in taste and I also sense a slight metallic flavor which I do not very much appreciate. Somehow for me it’s like the smoke lacks a backbone, a fuller, sweeter base upon which it could shine. Also in the beginning I can sense the acetic flavor much more than in any other McClelland blend.
Smoked on their own, I find the Black to be more satisfying. Extremely smooth, considerably sweet and quintessentially McClelland, it also has a higher nicotine content to make it more appealing than the Red. The Red on its own is juicier but nowehere near as flavorful as 5100 let’s say. Now, one can play with differing proportions but one tin was not enough for me to experiment sufficiently.
While the concept and presentation is very enticing, I cannot say that I enjoyed Red & Black as much as I thought I would. It’s a glossy tobacco but I feel it is overprocessed and the edges which have thereby been trimmed take away much of the naturalness and some of the complexity and flavor. I have no idea how it will age, nor will I find out…
Once mixed the Red and Black produce a very civilized Virginia of medium strength with rather light nicotine content and medium body, very smooth but somewhat lacking in taste and I also sense a slight metallic flavor which I do not very much appreciate. Somehow for me it’s like the smoke lacks a backbone, a fuller, sweeter base upon which it could shine. Also in the beginning I can sense the acetic flavor much more than in any other McClelland blend.
Smoked on their own, I find the Black to be more satisfying. Extremely smooth, considerably sweet and quintessentially McClelland, it also has a higher nicotine content to make it more appealing than the Red. The Red on its own is juicier but nowehere near as flavorful as 5100 let’s say. Now, one can play with differing proportions but one tin was not enough for me to experiment sufficiently.
While the concept and presentation is very enticing, I cannot say that I enjoyed Red & Black as much as I thought I would. It’s a glossy tobacco but I feel it is overprocessed and the edges which have thereby been trimmed take away much of the naturalness and some of the complexity and flavor. I have no idea how it will age, nor will I find out…
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 27, 2017 | Medium | None Detected | Medium | Pleasant |
McClelland virginias are the best. Its hard not to give four stars to their straight virginia flakes. Blackwoods Flake, 1776, Dark Star, and then those with Perique like Bayou Slices and Beacon Extra, or with oriental like Pebblecut. And they make the Butera line that includes the exceptional Golden Cake. They are the masters of virginia flake tobacco and this is a perfect example. The tin has black stoved virginia and stoved lighter virginia...I take it to be Red, or mostly Red virginia. (hence the name). In any case it is just a wonderful old school virginia flake treat. Slow and cool, delicious and complex. The nic hit is below medium, but above mild.
PurchasedFrom:
4noggins
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Mar 19, 2017 | Medium | None Detected | Medium to Full | Pleasant to Tolerable |
The first time I popped a tin I was met with the typical mouthwatering Mcclelland aroma. The red virginia flakes and stoved virginia flakes are 50/50 as promised. I try to rub out the same ratio for every bowl. Having smoked most of Mike Mcniels offerings I thought I knew what to expect... I was pleasantly surprised however. Both flakes exhibit lovely flavors by themselves of course, but combining themy in a bowl is a treat. Having smoked several tins I feel I've come to know the blend well. In my opinion the red Virgina flakes here serve the purpose of a canvas for the stoved flakes to spread out on. The stoved flakes carry a subtle, unique taste character unlike DarkStar or other similar looking stoved flakes from Mcclelland. It's a savory, semi-sweet flavor that entices you to puff vigorously.
All in all its one of my favorite blends. A good idea, executed perfectly.
All in all its one of my favorite blends. A good idea, executed perfectly.
Pipe Used:
Il Duca billiard
PurchasedFrom:
Smokingpipes.com
Age When Smoked:
1 year
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Dec 10, 2015 | Mild to Medium | None Detected | Mild to Medium | Tolerable |
I saw this as a new arrival at my local B&M and picked up a tin. They said the tins were flying off the shelf and I can see why. This is one of the finest blends that McClelland has put out. The components used are obviously high quality. Like a lot of the other reviewers here I mixed things up with smoking the flakes separately and together. Pipestud hit the nail on the head with his review, so I will simply say I am of the same opinion. What a great idea that McClelland has come up with here. The only thing for me was that the nicotine was a bit low for me or perhaps I was just wanting another bowl straight away, since its that good. Very much indeed recommended.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 31, 2022 | Mild to Medium | None Detected | Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
Although it will have been said here many times, it does not hurt to inform those who are unfamiliar with this tobacco, which is made up of flakes of two different types of virginias, red and stoved, something that would not be remarkable if it were not for the fact that these virginias come separated in their tin, in such a way that they can be smoked singly or mixed. This suggests to me that perhaps three revisions should be made, but hey, you don't have to go too far, among other reasons because pipestud has already done it...
In any case, any of the options you choose to load your pipe will be a success, with the proportion you want to put in each one, since virginias are very rich and of high quality.
One of McClelland's best virginias
Happy New Year to all you pipe smokers out there! (to those who change the year)
In any case, any of the options you choose to load your pipe will be a success, with the proportion you want to put in each one, since virginias are very rich and of high quality.
One of McClelland's best virginias
Happy New Year to all you pipe smokers out there! (to those who change the year)
Age When Smoked:
7 years
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