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

I like Sam Gawith, but there are a few.
http://pipesmagazine.com/forums/topic/who-is-the-best-virginia-blender-with-mcclelland-now-gone

On a side note, my kitchen smells fantastic at the moment just from the closed bags.

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I love that smell!

Samuel Gawith, Gawith and Hoggarth, C&D, GL Pease, HU, Rattray's, Hearth & Home, Motzek, Peter Heinrichs, MacBaran, Wessex, etc. These aren't like McClelland Virginias, but they're just fine in their own way.
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.

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.

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

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

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Ain't that the truth! Note that I didn't list Esoterica, not because all the blends suck, though some do, but because they're such a pain in the fundament to find.

Good observation, Jesse.
A while back, I mentioned that I was cellering five pounds of each of McClelland's flakes. Barely a word was said by the herd here. There was a bit of awe expressed over the fact that you can fit five pounds of flake into a dozen pint jars, but that was the extent of the excitement.

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

Barely a word was said by the herd here

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That's because there are a fair number of fisherman and hunters here and we know better than to open our fat mouths!

Hey woods, you feel like sellin' any of those bulks?!
Seriously though, doing exactly what you did had always been on my radar but life happened and the funds never presented themselves. I was a late bird, and I got no worms. C'est la vie!

The Frog's, when they got mentioned at all, got mentioned mostly as a "crossover" blend, something to smoke on your way from smoking aros to getting accustomed to "real" English blends.
This isn't to disparage McClelland tobaccos. I love their reds and I could smoke 2015 all day any day, but they weren't for everybody and there are a lot of experienced smokers who didn't care for them. McClelland was never the only game in town. Go explore what others are doing with Virginias.

Exactly...thats what I always heard about the frogs...great crossover blends. It's a crazy crazy world.

Troutface, I opened my fat mouth a year ago, but nobody took the bait.

Very jealous, woods. Very jealous.

Wessex Red, Gold, and even Brown, plus Campaign Brigade. I haven't found anything better than that, except some of the McClelland blends.

I don't think there is a replacement for McClelland Virginia blends. They had a unique flavor I've tasted with no other blend. Best or not? That is like arguing over whether, Michael, Kobe or LeBron is the all time greatest. Each were different and unique. Many excellent alternatives have been mentioned. I managed to inventory a considerable amount of McClelland product before it was gone. I'll savor it for a long time. But I'll also enjoy many others as I smoke on. Harris's list is a pretty good starting point for sure. Now that he says he's done buying, some should be available for the rest of us. ::

Seems a lot of people like their blends, but I never got into them. Gawith and Hoggarth makes a good flake in Bright CR. Slight lakeland, even when it's unscented, but I enjoy it. Same for the Perique flake they have. I get pretty consistent enjoyment out of GL Pease blends as well. Unfortunately, my bet is that these things will just get more expensive or outright disappear.
Still loads of choice. I too find it interesting that they're only getting a huge bump in popularity now that they're gone. Not that they weren't good (they obviously had a following), but I suspect you'll have little trouble finding blends you enjoy in this moment. It's a matter of taste, I think. For me, I never gave them a third look after I tried a few. Other blenders just spoke to me more, and there is still an unbelievable range to choose from... especially for you Americans. And the price! Some people just don't know how good they have it.
However, my sympathies to anyone who fell in love with them. It is always sad to lose something you have been enjoying... and also sad that such a large blender is no more.
I have generally been against it -for my own personal taste of enjoying most blends fresh- but if you find something you truly can't live without... you had better consider the future, which might be coming sooner than you think. It is uncertain, and honestly, the writing is on the wall with tobacco. Cigarettes are even becoming a niche activity in most countries. Doesn't bode well for long term pipe enjoyment, which is even more rarified.