Review - McClelland #22, 1998

Thanks to sucol I had the opportunity to try some 7 year old Virginia flake today.

The aroma upon opening the tin was pronounced and acidic. Clearly the tobacco had matured. The pressed flakes were greyed and dull. It reminded me of some leftover beef jerkey I once found under the truck seat a year after hunting season.

I rubbed out a good portion and pressed it into my favorite Don Carlos. After the charring light I settled back into the chair to let the pipe do its thing. Very nice flavor - just on the edge of biting, a careful and measured sip kept it burning. I liked the taste. Being used to the English blends it was a nice change. the Virginia was sharper, sweeter, and more aggressive and it left a longer pleasant finish.

The tobacco was a bit moister than I'm used to, and I got some gurgling after about 10 minutes, but it was never annoying and the small plug of dottle at the end was inconsequential. It's impressive what a good tobacco can deliver in terms of the flavor spectrum. I liked the way the flavor built and then receded. At the end the flavor was much smoother than when I began.

Thanks, Chris, for the opportunity to try an aged Virgina. I loved it and I'm sure it will become part of the normal rotation.