I've decided to give red vas a go and am lookong for recommendations. I've got GL Pease Embarcadero and Sutliff Crumble Kake coming. Ever had those? I read the Kake has a ketchup taste that I know McClelland had. What else might I try in general, and also to get a hint of what Mcclelland was known for?
Hunting Red VAs and McClelland Wannabes
- Thread starter dcicero
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TRY THIS:
www.tobaccoreviews.com
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updating via yoast
www.tobaccoreviews.com
HERE'S A GOOD THREAD:
Sutliff 515 RC-1 Matured Red Virginia :: Pipe Tobacco Reviews
I will preface this review by stating that I’ve never tried any McClelland blend, so this is not a comparison. At the same time, it was reading posts lamenting the demise of 5100, and that 515 RC-1 was the closest substitute that made me pull the trigger. I think the fact that even several...
pipesmagazine.com
F&T Blackjack, Rattrays Old Gowrie, C&D Carolina Red Va Flake Small Batch, Peretti 150th, WCC Simply Red to name a few. To me at least, the Sutliff Crumble Kake is like someone who took inferior tobacco and tried to make it taste like 5100 by adding a bunch of toppings and vinegar to replicate the tin note. Kind of like a Hooker wearing too much perfume to hide the smell of stale sardines.
Watch City Cigar - Old Dominion and 558 ring that bell for me.
Watch City Cigars "Simply Red" and "Rouxgaroux".
Sutliff Crumble Kake Red Virginia fills in for McClelland Red Va's. At least for me.
Red virginia by itself is pretty dull IMO. F&T Blackjack was disappointing as was Dunhill Ready Rubbed. McConnell's Red Virginia tries to make up for it with a little perique and a raspberry topping but fails.
It's good in a well executed va/per like Cabbies Mixture and the Rattray offerings Hal o' The Wynd and Old Gowrie where it is merely an ingredient and not the dominating flavor.
It's good in a well executed va/per like Cabbies Mixture and the Rattray offerings Hal o' The Wynd and Old Gowrie where it is merely an ingredient and not the dominating flavor.
I find that red Virginias have a slight hint of something that reminds me of cigars, not just like a cigar, but just a touch of je ne sais quoi. It is a Virginia that has been color cured with the same principles that cigar leaf is color cured, except in a flue, instead of a stack. It hits the bass notes in a blend with more high end flavors, like lemony Canadians or the casual oranges. Yeh, by itself, without anything else, it can be monochromatic, but it definitely isn't flat, and it does shift in sweetness as the bowl progresses.
There is a bit of fermentation that takes place in aging, and i've pulled some acetic acid flavors in aging my own homegrown tobaccos, which comes from bacteria that takes hold in the fermentation process. But, I'm not privy to exactly how McClelland did it, but I have never associated The McClelland Virginias with actual vinegar. Their latakias have more of that ketchupyness, along with a barbecue aroma. I had assumed it was their process.
I am still setting on a pretty pile of Red Cake, but there is nothing else out there like it. If you haven't had it, just chase something else. It will just be much easier for you to run down something available. Personally, I would never send someone to try the Sutliff faux-Clellands. It's like sending someone to ride a Kawasaki Vulcan to see what riding a Harley is like. Maybe one day, the McClellands will reveal their secrets, but till then, maybe try to enjoy a Honda Goldwing for what a Goldwing is like.
There is a bit of fermentation that takes place in aging, and i've pulled some acetic acid flavors in aging my own homegrown tobaccos, which comes from bacteria that takes hold in the fermentation process. But, I'm not privy to exactly how McClelland did it, but I have never associated The McClelland Virginias with actual vinegar. Their latakias have more of that ketchupyness, along with a barbecue aroma. I had assumed it was their process.
I am still setting on a pretty pile of Red Cake, but there is nothing else out there like it. If you haven't had it, just chase something else. It will just be much easier for you to run down something available. Personally, I would never send someone to try the Sutliff faux-Clellands. It's like sending someone to ride a Kawasaki Vulcan to see what riding a Harley is like. Maybe one day, the McClellands will reveal their secrets, but till then, maybe try to enjoy a Honda Goldwing for what a Goldwing is like.
Ha, guess I should have posted this before buying! Thanks for the advice!
Good reads, thank you! And its in bulk, even better!TRY THIS:
updating via yoast
HERE'S A GOOD THREAD:
Sutliff 515 RC-1 Matured Red Virginia :: Pipe Tobacco Reviews
I will preface this review by stating that I’ve never tried any McClelland blend, so this is not a comparison. At the same time, it was reading posts lamenting the demise of 5100, and that 515 RC-1 was the closest substitute that made me pull the trigger. I think the fact that even several...pipesmagazine.com
C&D Carolina Red Flake, sorta. Sutliff 515, sorta, KBV Byronic Slices, sorta. Other than that, the only thing that tastes like McClelland reds are McClelland reds.
I would say the closest contemporary approximation of a McC red would be a Va/Per blend that's light on the Perique.
Someone already mentioned WCC's Old Dominion - a blend I really enjoy.
Someone already mentioned WCC's Old Dominion - a blend I really enjoy.
I personally though the C&D was god awful and the Byronic a worthy contender with it for last place.
I just pulled out some 5 year old cabbies and it’s vinegary as hell.
I just received the 4oz of 515-RC1 today (haven't tried it before). I think I need to wait a week before trying it to allow for removing the sardine
Don't worry about it. No need to apologize. You're entitled to have your lapses in judgement from time to time.
This is a true statement. Unfortunately, the frequency of the lapses is far too high.
McClelland going out of business was the best thing that ever happened to the popularity of McClelland blends
I kid (sort of), but really, aside from the Froggies and Christmas Cheer, McClelland was always a bit controversial for the ketchupy / vinegar thing. Back when they were readily available, most of the McClelland blends were treated as being something pretty run-of-the-mill compared to other (still) readily available blends. Basically, I wouldn't worry too much about having missed out, but if you're curious, just buy a tin one of the popular McC Virginias on the secondary market just for educational purposes
I kid (sort of), but really, aside from the Froggies and Christmas Cheer, McClelland was always a bit controversial for the ketchupy / vinegar thing. Back when they were readily available, most of the McClelland blends were treated as being something pretty run-of-the-mill compared to other (still) readily available blends. Basically, I wouldn't worry too much about having missed out, but if you're curious, just buy a tin one of the popular McC Virginias on the secondary market just for educational purposes
C&D Interlude is a nice Red Va. blend, not *the* best but worth trying
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