McClelland 5100 Replacement

[jabomano]

Now that my favorite tobacco is in limbo what can I substitute for it? Red Cake 5100 was my favorite Virginia and I was floored when I found out that McC was suspending production until a key ingredient was found and that could take quite some time...if ever. I also smoke Dark Star, Blackwoods Flake, St. James Woods and a couple of Stokkebye's.
Any suggestions for a similar Virginia would be appreciated.
Thanks.

 

[cortezattic]

McClelland Aurora.
And altho not as close, it may scratch the same itch:

4noggins' Prairie Wind.

P&C's Lousiana Red.
I also heard McCranie's red ribbon -- but I've never had it.
BTW, this is from olfactory memory, so maybe others can confirm these suggestions.

 

[sasquatch]

5100 is soft and sweet, a very gentle red va. I like reds and McC seems to have a hell of a nice touch on them. So, assume that there's gonna be a pile of people buying the things mentioned (aurora et al) which are McC products, it might be wise to branch out.
Black Jack from Fribourg and Treyer is pretty nice.
Silver Flake from Solani is good, has a little perique, it's more stout than 5100.
Robert McConnell has a similar blend called Red Virginia I think.
I might recommend Rattray's but that stuff seems impossible to get right now. Wonder if we are going to go through a rough patch on red va in general here....

 

[Chasing Embers]

McClelland 40th Anniversary.

 

[cortezattic]

You might try C&D's Red Virginia Ribbon, on sale at SPC in bulk form, 15% off.

 

[weedsnager]

Jabomano- I can get 5100 if interested and ship it to you, they want $79 a pound though

 

[thomasw]

McClelland 40th Anniversary.

+1 ... Put that in your Cavicchi and you'll be very pleased!

 

[snoopy311]

Many have said that McCranie’s “First Light” is the very same as Red Cake 5100. I cannot vouch for that as I have not tried First Light. Here is a link to tobaccoreivews.com.
http://www.tobaccoreviews.com/blend/795/mccranies-first-light

 

[pianopuffer]

+1 for the 40th Anmiversaey.

 

[mso489]

I'm not dependent on 5100, so I may be a little glib on this subject. However, here would be my priorities for substitute: The best (to your taste) other blend that claims to feature Red Virgina; a wide range of other Virginia blends that you can sample in small quantities (bulk, pouch, or other sample size quantities); and/or use this as an opportunity to explore other genres with or without Virginia leaf. There are good blends with Oriental, Cavendish, Turkish, blended burley, and others, that might take you down a whole new road. Now I sound like some self-righteous old uncle. I think good Red Cake Virginia will be back, but it may take a year or several to process through the harvest and into the tin/or bulk format.

 

[daveinlax]

5100 is probably the base for most of the McClelland substitutions listed and countless other house VA blends. I don't get it, I've head for years that McClelland keeps years worth of tobacco on hand to prevent this and to keep a consistent taste from year to year. As far as I know 5100 was never a single crop tobacco like McCranies Red Ribbon. 8O

 

[dmcmtk]

Dave, what you are saying about 5100 being a component for many other blends may be why they are not selling it in bulk...

 

[jabomano]

Thanks for the great suggestions. I'll be buying most of them. I do smoke McCranie's Red Ribbon and their flake as well as McClelland's 40th anniversary. All three great tobacco.
Any other suggusions?

 

[oldgeezersmoker]

@daveinlax, I would speculate that sales for this and their bulk flakes have, since the deeming rules,grown to such an extent that their "rainy day" reserves have been used up.

 

[renfield]

Try McClelland Red and Black or 2010 Classic Virginia. These have more of the 5100 tang than the (excellent) 40th Anniversary.

 

[thomasw]

McClelland's Red & Black contains excellent quality VA tobacco and offers versatility.

 

[sablebrush52]

There is no replacement for 5100. Just face it. Get on with your lives.
Look to the horizon with hope.
Someday...

 

[thomasw]

Hope is found also in Mac Baren's HH Pure Virginia; the flakes are high quality.

 

[krizzose]

I felt lucky to get 1/2 lb from a B&M last week