McClelland 2015 Holiday Spirit

Wow was all i could say when i popped the tin in my car! My local B&M only orders pipe tobacco once or at most twice a year and mostly stocks up on McClelland, Peterson and Dunhill. No C&D which is a shame but in this recent order he got all of the newest McClelland Aromatcs, i had just had their Chocolate Silk which i loved and thought couldn't be topped and then i buy Holiday Spirit which takes the chocolate flavor (toned down a bit) and adds the Rum and Pecan making this a delicious tasting and smelling blend. I haven't been this enamored with a new blend in years. I taste Pipeworks and WIlke's RumCake but with added chocolate, really magnificent and very appropriate for Holidays! Everyone i walk past turns their head to catch a whiff and inside the Casino's here in Vegas (where we can still smoke) i have been complimented numerous times this last week. Rum and tobacco are a match made in heaven, add a little chocolate with a hint of nutty pecan and this is what Santa smokes as he's making his rounds. Thank heavens he shared the recipe with McClelland so we can enjoy it in front of the fire on Christmas Morning,,,

The Virginia is slightly grassy, and there's a minor nuttiness from the burley. The black cavendish adds a very mild vanilla note and there's a touch of honey from the gold cavendish. The toppings are not strong, and the rum loses a little of its impact after the half way point. The pecan is more noticeable then, being a little less obvious in the first half of the smoke. The cocoa notes are also very mild. The tobaccos and toppings complimentary meld fairly well together, and as pleasant as it is to smoke - decent burn rate, little moisture in the bowl and no dottle, silky smooth with no bite or harshness - it lacks depth of flavor to be any more than a work about all day mixture. If you like mild aromatics, this may suit you, but if you want a deeper tasting one, it may not satisfy you. Has little nicotine. Two and a half stars.

Apparently, this blend is the same every year, so my reviews for the other versions are the same as this one. I can't tell any differences. Amazingly consistent year after year.

-JimInks

Opening the tin the huge smell of dark rum, cocoa and pecans is amazing. I tried to attach the tin to my beard so I could walk around smelling this for the 1st hour. Super mellow and cool smoke with a good creamy texture. All the flavors you smell are present in flavor but stay subtle and doesn't overpower the tobacco.

I usually sit in front of the baccy cabinet for at least a few minutes to figure out what to smoke but this holiday season it has just been this that I grab. Try it. This stuff would put a smile even on the face of Krampus.

Mcclelland 2015 Holiday Spirit is certainly one of the most interesting aromatics I have smoked. I was initially attracted to this blend with the rum/cocoa combo listed, but what I have found most enjoyable a is the role of pecan in relation to the rum. I can't say I have experienced anything remotely close to this flavoring. The flavoring nuance is there for each and every draw keeping interest in the smoke. The rum let's you know it's present and balances out nicely. Any chocolate/cocoa to me, remains in the background. Certainly a departure from the norm and is so in a good way. A very nicely done blend.

Wow. Just wow. I am a relatively new pipe smoker, starting earlier this year, and this is the blend to finally get me to write a review.

Though it says the flavoring is of Rum, Pecan, and Cocoa, I definately get a much more dried fruit vibe. VERY delicious aroma. VERY sweet, but burns well and stays lit. An influx of deserty flavors as soon as you light.

Very very tasty blend. If you're an aro fan, you owe it to yourself to get this. Supposedly they decreased the cocoa amount from the 2014 blend, but I have not tried that blend so I can't comment on that.

It's my favorite blend I've tried so far and I plan on getting this every year. Smells like pure concentrated holiday cheer. This is what Santa smokes!

As soon as i opened the tin, i was amazed at the scent of rum! Very light cocoa. Just the tin smell was enough to make my mouth water. The cut is thicker than most, and is a very stable smoker, with few relights needed. Incredibly mild as far as smoke goes, very low nicotine, but the room note! Wow! The 2015 tastes of sweet rum with a more noticable pecan, and touches of cocoa powder, a must try.

Happy piping

I was quite sad to see that this tobacco line will be going away with the new regulations. I looked forward to it every Holiday season. This is a great tobacco, complex taste, wonderful room note, and a high-quality tobacco that is consistent with McCelland standards.

I wish McClelland sold this flavouring as an air freshener - honestly, you could open a tin and use it a potpourri. I found it had a mild to medium strength with a pretty solid medium flavour. Be careful - since it tastes so good, I wind up smoking it too fast and it become hot very quickly. Will start trying to take it slow and now wish I bought a few tins instead of only one. Shame there isn't a category beyond very pleasant for the room note. I can't think of another blend where I've been *requested* to smoke it inside.

McClellan does it again, this blend is one of the reasons I feel they are one of the best, if not the finest producer of quality tobaccos today. When the tin is opened, the room fills with the scent of spiced rum christmas cake. This is an extremely sweet blend of Virginias and they take center stage throughout the entire bowl. Upon lighting you get some serious sweet tang from the Virginias and a rolling presence of candied praline and rum as get through the bowl. It is a tobacco that I wish I could bite down into the whole year round. Limited quantities so get it while you can find it. I bought half a dozen tins to cellar in case of an apocalypse 😉

I am a pretty new pipe smoker and mainly enjoy english blends. This is one of two aromatics I've tried and I hated the other one. This on the other hand was amazing. Not something I would smoke too often but definitely was great for the holiday season and would definitely be something to have on hand. Tastes wonderful and smells even better, burned great and was a cool smoke. Will definitely be sure to pick up mclellands annual holiday blends from here on out.