McClelland Club & Collector Series Straight Virginias

escioe · Sep 3, 2014

Continuing my exploration of Virginias . . .
I'm finding that what I like in straight Viriginas are the zesty and earthy notes rather than sweetness. I've got my latakia and perique needs covered, and don't really care for burley for the most part.
So far, I've smoked lots of Gawith Full Virginia Flake and Best Brown Flake, Pease Union Square, McClelland Dark Star, and McCranie's Red Flake. I've also smoked small amounts of various vintages of Christmas Cheer and some original PCCA Boston 1776. Definitely on my next order will be McClelland No 24 and Blackwoods Flake.
I'm also looking at other McClelland straight Virginias, and I'm a little lost. The blends I'm most interested in are, in alphabetical order:
Aurora

Brindle Flake

Epitome

Quantum

Rich Virginia Ribbon

Sophisticate
Brindle Flake and especially Rich Virginia Ribbon come with very high marks. Can anyone talk about these blends at all?

mikestanley · Sep 3, 2014

I have fond memories of The Sophisticate when it was originally released back int early 1990's(?). I have been meaning to pick up a couple of tins but I remember the second release wasn't quite as rich to me as the original. Rich is the word I use to describe it. The stoved Viginias really sing and it's a ready rubbed, almost a shag cut in the sense of Black Shag from what I remember. Well worth a try IMHO.
Mike S.

jon11 · Sep 3, 2014

McClelland makes the best Va in the world. Great list. I recommend Aurora, Brindle Flake, Epitome, and Rich Virginia Ribbon. All favorites of mine!

ravkesef · Sep 3, 2014

I'm a big fan of McCranie's Red Ribbon, but I'm not sure that it's going to be spicy enough to suit your taste. FWIW, it's my ideal of what a Virginia ought to taste like.

ruscho · Sep 3, 2014

Try the 27, too.

cosmicfolklore · Sep 3, 2014

You might really like Esoterica's Tilbury. I found it too earthy for my tastes. I prefer a natural zesty sweet Virginia myself.

cosmicfolklore · Sep 3, 2014

Which periques did you settle with? Just curious.

escioe · Sep 4, 2014

Perique blends I've got: lots of Fillmore and a little bit of Stratford. I find I'm losing my taste for perique lately.

mikestanley · Sep 4, 2014

Telegraph Hill should be explored before eschewing

Perique IMHO . Much like baby near's portage

The mix is just right. And, as mentioned, the

Virginias numbered 22 25 and 27 age wonderfully.

Mike S.

cosmicfolklore · Sep 4, 2014

Oops, I think my question took us off topic. I also realized that you were looking at McC's collections of straight Virginias. My Tillbury suggestion wasn't on target either.
I didn't see bulk 5100 Red Cake on your list. It is not super sweet, but has hints of cinnamon and zest, but with something that gives it a hearty aroma, similar to baked bread or beans. When I am out and about smoking RC, people will come up and give me stories of pipe smokers they once knew. It has a definite "pipe" smell to it that people love. And, the taste is comforting, like a favorite shirt or really well worn bluejeans. You will most likely love it.
Aurora!! If it weren't only found in tins, I would have enough of that stuff to make me a bed to sleep in out of it. I really need to stock back up on this stuff.

escioe · Sep 4, 2014

5100 is one of those blends that's so common that I've always passed over it. It's on my next order for sure. I tend to like red VAs with the McClelland process, like Christmas Cheer and McCranie's Red Flake, so I'd expect this to be approximating those. I've wanted to order a half pound of that and do some experimenting with stoving and aging. Time to stop putting that off.
I wish they packaged these in 100g tins.
So far, my next order is going to include 5100, Rich Virginia Ribbon, No 24, Blackwoods Flake, Aurora, and maybe one more. I also want to stock up on Gawith's Full Virginia Flake, for those times that I'm not in the mood for McVirginia.

escioe · Jan 29, 2015

As an update, I've now tried Rich Virginia Ribbon and No 24 Virginia.
Rich Virginia Ribbon has this nougat flavor that just hasn't sat right with me. It's good, but that note is strange. I almost wonder if it's got a subtle flavoring. I'm going to experiment with drying it out more to see if that improves things.
Just had my first bowl of No 24, and it was everything I hoped it'd be.
Those were the only McClelland tins I've ordered since my original post here, as I stocked up on Full Virginia Flake and also a small cache of McCranie's 1983 Red Flake and Ribbon.

clickklick · Jan 29, 2015

have you tried darkstar? Or their old world classic bulk?

escioe · Jan 30, 2015

I burned through 100g of Dark Star last summer. I liked it, but I wasn't awed by it. I'll order it again, but it's not a top priority.

cobguy · Jan 30, 2015

a small cache of McCranie's 1983 Red Flake and Ribbon.

:worship:
FYI ... P&C has McClelland 10% off all next month.
This, along with IPSD offers, will make for a heavy TAD month! : puffy

:

andrew · Jan 30, 2015

Or their old world classic bulk?

This is a great bulk Va that flies under the radar. There's some kind of topping they use but it's not very apparent, I had no idea there was a topping until I read about it. I love it.

delro · Jan 30, 2015

check out their 5100 blend. Great for mixing - and nice on its own. Smooth sweet and sort of a citrus flavor to it. A solid VA that won't disappoint you, also its inexpensive and available in bulk

bulldogbriar89 · Jan 30, 2015

I would also recomend trying Orlik Golden slice

briarfanatic · Jan 31, 2015

@ Mikestanley:
Shhhh.....please don't mention the Virginia #22. :crying:

saltedplug · Feb 3, 2015

McClelland's offerings include a number of straight VAs touted by those who smoke them as best in class. That's saying something as all the blending houses make straight VA, and of those made there are also more stars: Astley's 109, FVF, Best Brown, GH Curly Cut and DeLuxe Curly Cut, Union Square, Heinrich Special Selection Curly, Wessex Curly, Golden Sliced, Old Gowrie, Hal O'the Wynd, Marlin Flake, Brown Clunee, etc., etc. Now I know someone will want to point out that these blends also contain Perique; and to that I would add that they probably also contain burley, and that this double dilution of what was formerly straight VA happened about 5 years ago. Perhaps they have always contained these other tobaccos and the information just came out at that time. But my point is that finding a straight VA that lives up to its name has become harder to find.
Back to McClellands. Perhaps their VA fame can be ascribed to the fact that they not only make grand straight VA but that they make so many. They also make McCranie's famed straight VA, as ribbon and flake.

McClelland Club & Collector Series Straight Virginias

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