Some folks think tomato is a vegetable. McClelland made a lot of really good reds, including the McCranie's stuff, which is vastly better than the 40th. Vastly. Even the red in "Red and Black" has a lot more flavor imho. I thought the 40th Anniversary red was pretty mediocre (for McClelland). I just found the 40th to have none of the sweetness or piquancy that the McCranie's Red Flakes had over the years. Pretty flat and uninspiring stuff. Is there currently anything "better" on the market? Probably not, but that maybe speaks to part of the problem - the supply end of things wasn't getting better for any of these blenders as time went on. But I'd challenge anyone who has 40th anniversary on a pedestal to smoke it against, say, the Sutliff bulk red virginia. I think they are of comparable quality in the pipe.