My McClelland Haul / Who Is the Best Producer of Virginias Now?

[Briar Baron]

I nearly hate to ask how many lbs are in there!

 

[unkleyoda]

6.66 oz. per jar. He’s a warlock!
Might we burn him? Or build a bridge out of ‘im?

 

[tobaccojoe]

Good score! I decided to take two months off from all social media and internet stuff in general. Easy to do because I work on a farm and rarely *NEED* to be online. It may have been great for my overall mental health, but it was heartbreaking to come back to the news about McClelland. They are my most favorite tobacco house and I was much too late to grab anything I may have needed. I will truly miss one of my Top Three: CPCC Rich Virginia Ribbon.
Congrats on your purchase, phreon, and happy smoking!

 

[gkr1]

It's funny how in the years I've been on this forum, McClelland rarely got a mention, with the exception of Christmas Cheer. Now that they've closed their doors, everyone is gnashing their teeth and rending sack cloth over it.

The "Esoterica Effect." A product's desirability increases linearly with its difficulty to obtain. This function exists independently of its objective quality

There are more McCelland threads and reviews than any other blender on the net, so there is less to talk about and since they were always avaliable folks actually tried out the blends.The notion that people did not talk about is not true, please do a quick search and you will be blown away by the number of threads here and other forums!
The Esoterica effect is now rightfully belong to one of the greatest blending house ever! McCelland.
Don't know what you got till its gone!

 

[phreon]

@Anthony416
There's 24 oz. of #402 "Chocolate Creme - A satisfying, creamy blend of our best Virginias and smooth Black Cavendish flavored with chocolate." and 40 oz. of #110 "Just Plain Nut - A delightful combination of Virginias and soft, cut cake Burley Cavendish. Nutty flavor" per tobacco review. I hate 110's name... Some of the 110 is in quart jars - perspective distortion is messing with the apparent size in that picture.
They were my "everyday, much better than Lane" smokes. Oh well, I'll enjoy them until they're gone. I'm sure there's something out there I'll like even more - just need to find it. Given my, "frugal nature", I like the value of quality bulks.

 

[sablebrush52]

There are more McCelland threads and reviews than any other blender on the net, so there is less to talk about and since they were always avaliable folks actually tried out the blends.The notion that people did not talk about is not true, please do a quick search and you will be blown away by the number of threads here and other forums!

Well, you got me curious, so I did a search and you know? You're sorta correct and sorta not. My statement, which you quoted, specifically had to do with McClelland as a topic of this forum, not everywhere in the known universe.
So I did my search based McClelland in pipes magazine and there were a lot of hits. I narrowed down the range from Mid 2013 to mid last year, before anyone had an inkling that they would be gone. Still a lot of mentions, but not so much as the topic of a thread, but as one option among many options listed. Compared to Penzance and Esoterica mania, they are a distant second as a subject. And when discussed, or mentioned it's primarily the Cheers, the Frogs, and 5100. They get props for their Grand Orientals as well.
I am grateful for all of these McClelland threads as they are a welcome relief from all of the Penzance/Esoterica threads.

 

[perdurabo]

I'll never say. The only way to avoid the hoarders and scalpers.

 

[phreon]

All this begs the question, "What is special about McClelland's Virginias"? I've tried others but they seem... thinner, more one dimensional. Was it their process bringing out the sugars and complexity?
I'm smoking Stokkebye Black Coffee right now. It's alright, but...eh. Perhaps it's the Burley / Cavendish in my favorite McClellands?

 

[phreon]

FWIW, I found another seller that had some McClelland bulk in stock - Payless Cigars and Pipes. After a couple more great bowls of #110, I regretted not getting more, so I snagged another pound. It was a little on the dry side upon arrival, but acceptable.
That puts me up to 56 oz of #110, not including what's in the bail-top jar for "daily smokin'". That should do me 'till the zombies come tollin'.

 

[sablebrush52]

McClelland did their thing and it was a good thing, by not by any means the only thing. It's nice to have options and I'm sorry that McClelland closed, but there were great Virginias before McClelland and there are great Virginias after McClelland. Fortunately I like a wide range of blends, so the loss, though sad, isn't a tragedy for me.
People will move on and find gold elsewhere. Speaking of gold, if I occasionally miss anything it's Klondike Gold. I'm glad I bought some when it was available, but it's sudden disappearance sure caught me off guard.

 

[phreon]

I need to frequent tobacconists more often. Sampling via deliveries is fraught with hazards.
I'm not trying to say McClelland is the end all, be all. Rather, I found a couple blends I enjoy quite a bit - bummed to see them go, and stocked up a good amount, but this will not stop me from seeking out others. Quite the opposite, really. I've got this tin of W.O. Larsen Old Fashioned staring at me, begging for another chance.
They threw in a tin of "Captain Black Red Sky". I quite literally could not delete the offer from my cart while ordering. Anybody want a free doorstop?

 

[cigrmaster]

Jesse, when I came back from my hiatus and found out that Brigham Klondike Gold was discontinued, I was very surprised. Did you have any inkling that Brigham was going out of the tobacco business? I would think that since R.Will from Solani was the blender of Klondike Gold he could reproduce it under his own brand Solani. He doesn't have any straight Virginia flakes as part of his lineup and he should, as he clearly knows how to make a good one.
As much as I really enjoy my MC made Butera Dark Stoved, I wouldn't choose it over many of my favorite VA flakes. Now granted I have not smoked it aged so maybe in 10 years I will feel differently. Does anyone have any experience with aged Butera or MC Dark Star. Does it get all crystaly with plume or does it just stay jet black? Do the flavors change a lot or do they stay kind of the same because it has been stoved?

 

[sablebrush52]

Harris, it caught me completely by surprise. I had no idea. I'm just glad that I had bought some tins just before the news broke. Klondike Gold was gone in the wink of an eye. So I will ration what I have as an occasional treat.

 

[kola]

Perdurabo quote: [I'll never say. The only way to avoid the hoarders and scalpers.]
Agreed.

 

[spugni]

I am partial to Samuel Gawith's Virginias but G.L. Pease will also be one of my go to's in the future.