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 years after its demise that McClelland still casts a long shadow over the pipe tobacco “zeitgeist” proves that they were a unique and quality operation. But this post is about the new kid on the block.
One of the things that always piqued my interest about the McClelland Virginia blends was references to a “ketchup” tin-note. I am a certified ketchup addict, and in fact as I grew up and started paying attention to my eating habits I realized that this more of a love of vinegar. Salt and Vinegar has always been my favourite flavour of chips, and I love pickled foods of all types.
I had been on the lookout for a Virginia “all-day smoke” that came in bulk to save some cash and cellar in large amounts relatively cheaply. So when I read some reviews saying that 515 RC-1 was a good replacement for 5100 and that it had a “vinegar” tin-note, I knew I needed to try it. I pulled the trigger on 8 ounces to start.
As soon as I opened the bag upon arrival, I was immediately struck by a very powerful vinegar scent. This is not a “ketchupy” tin note, rather, it is very reminiscent of white vinegar. This is right up my alley, but if you are not a fan of vinegar you may find the sheer strength offputting. The tobacco itself is a very nice even ribbon cut, very similar to the STG/Dunhill/Peterson mixtures. I have never found any stray sticks and stems, it seems to be all leaf. The ribbons themselves are a light khaki to deep maroon, and its clear by looking that this is not a single leaf blend.
When you light this tobacco up, you immediately get a vinegary tang that blasts your senses but quickly settles down. The tang remains throughout the bowl, and for those like me, this is a welcome background. There is a sweetness to this blend that also creeps behind the tang as you smoke it, and that flavour builds throughout the bowl. I am not one that really subscribes to the hay vs. grass vs. bread debate with Virginias because I generally don’t get those types of flavours. That having been said, this blend does have an almost oaty/toasty tinge to it that variously fades in and out as you make your way down. There is a bit of zesty citrus that also tends to fade in and out for me, all supported by a base of tangy, earthy true tobacco taste.
Although this is a straight Virginia tobacco, in my opinion it is not a simple blend; the flavours that come and go while the sweetness develops reminds me in a way of Mac Baren Mixture: Scottish Blend. Not that they taste at all similar, but in that the various flavours tend to wax and wane as you smoke, and no two bowls have quite the same progress. This is in my opinion as complex as a straight Virginia can get, and as a former cigarette smoker I can say that the nicotine is adequate unlike many of the other Virginia blends I’ve smoked.
All told, this has become one of my all-time favourite blends, and I’ve just recently purchased another pound during the 20% off sale at SP.com. I intend to order a pound or two whenever it goes on sale to make sure that I never run out. I have also put aside some to age to see what happens – I relish the vinegar tang so if it tones down from aging I may just forget the aging part.
I am also well aware that Sutliff gets some backlash for what is perceived as producing cheap product. They may sell a lot of goopy PG laden aromatics, but as a few who are far wiser than me have pointed out on occasion on this site, the buyers of these blends are what keep our hobby alive. Even if they are not as outspoken as the rest of us, they are speaking with their dollars. I would encourage anyone who thinks this sounds like it could be a blend for you to ignore the Sutliff biases – this is a delicious tobacco that is clearly as high in quality as any other that can be purchased. The fact that its bulk makes it even more of a gem in my opinion.
McClelland may be gone forever, but for pipe smokers like me who never had the opportunity, nothing has truly been lost. Ignorance is bliss as they say. For me, I am not going to spend time trying to hunt down these ever scarcer blends, though I’m sure that I would have loved them. I’ll stick with 515 RC-1. As one of my favourite authors Terry Pratchett would say, “it could have been a lot worse”.
One of the things that always piqued my interest about the McClelland Virginia blends was references to a “ketchup” tin-note. I am a certified ketchup addict, and in fact as I grew up and started paying attention to my eating habits I realized that this more of a love of vinegar. Salt and Vinegar has always been my favourite flavour of chips, and I love pickled foods of all types.
I had been on the lookout for a Virginia “all-day smoke” that came in bulk to save some cash and cellar in large amounts relatively cheaply. So when I read some reviews saying that 515 RC-1 was a good replacement for 5100 and that it had a “vinegar” tin-note, I knew I needed to try it. I pulled the trigger on 8 ounces to start.
As soon as I opened the bag upon arrival, I was immediately struck by a very powerful vinegar scent. This is not a “ketchupy” tin note, rather, it is very reminiscent of white vinegar. This is right up my alley, but if you are not a fan of vinegar you may find the sheer strength offputting. The tobacco itself is a very nice even ribbon cut, very similar to the STG/Dunhill/Peterson mixtures. I have never found any stray sticks and stems, it seems to be all leaf. The ribbons themselves are a light khaki to deep maroon, and its clear by looking that this is not a single leaf blend.
When you light this tobacco up, you immediately get a vinegary tang that blasts your senses but quickly settles down. The tang remains throughout the bowl, and for those like me, this is a welcome background. There is a sweetness to this blend that also creeps behind the tang as you smoke it, and that flavour builds throughout the bowl. I am not one that really subscribes to the hay vs. grass vs. bread debate with Virginias because I generally don’t get those types of flavours. That having been said, this blend does have an almost oaty/toasty tinge to it that variously fades in and out as you make your way down. There is a bit of zesty citrus that also tends to fade in and out for me, all supported by a base of tangy, earthy true tobacco taste.
Although this is a straight Virginia tobacco, in my opinion it is not a simple blend; the flavours that come and go while the sweetness develops reminds me in a way of Mac Baren Mixture: Scottish Blend. Not that they taste at all similar, but in that the various flavours tend to wax and wane as you smoke, and no two bowls have quite the same progress. This is in my opinion as complex as a straight Virginia can get, and as a former cigarette smoker I can say that the nicotine is adequate unlike many of the other Virginia blends I’ve smoked.
All told, this has become one of my all-time favourite blends, and I’ve just recently purchased another pound during the 20% off sale at SP.com. I intend to order a pound or two whenever it goes on sale to make sure that I never run out. I have also put aside some to age to see what happens – I relish the vinegar tang so if it tones down from aging I may just forget the aging part.
I am also well aware that Sutliff gets some backlash for what is perceived as producing cheap product. They may sell a lot of goopy PG laden aromatics, but as a few who are far wiser than me have pointed out on occasion on this site, the buyers of these blends are what keep our hobby alive. Even if they are not as outspoken as the rest of us, they are speaking with their dollars. I would encourage anyone who thinks this sounds like it could be a blend for you to ignore the Sutliff biases – this is a delicious tobacco that is clearly as high in quality as any other that can be purchased. The fact that its bulk makes it even more of a gem in my opinion.
McClelland may be gone forever, but for pipe smokers like me who never had the opportunity, nothing has truly been lost. Ignorance is bliss as they say. For me, I am not going to spend time trying to hunt down these ever scarcer blends, though I’m sure that I would have loved them. I’ll stick with 515 RC-1. As one of my favourite authors Terry Pratchett would say, “it could have been a lot worse”.