Tobaccos McClelland - Virginia Woods (Craftsbury Series)

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JimInks (3025)	2013-12-30		Mild to Medium	Mild	Medium	Pleasant

The tangy dark fruit sweetness, wood, bread and earth from the red Virginia is well complimented by the mild tart and tangy citrus and hay/grass from the lemon Virginia, along with fermented dark stewed fruit, sugar, wood, bread and earth from the stoved Virginia. The stoved is a little more obvious than the lemon. There's a mild spice from the red Virginia, and I believe a part of that comes from the punchy lemon Virginia as well. There's a light creaminess to the smoke, which I attribute to nougat and possibly caramel toppings. They mildly sublimate the Virginias. It could use a little more deepness of Virginia and complexity, but I don't think that was the intent of this mixture. The familiar "vinegar" present in so many McClelland blends is here, too, but fades quickly. Overall, the taste is mostly consistent. The strength is a couple of steps past the center of mild to medium. The taste just reaches the medium mark. The nic-hit is a slot behind the strength level. Won't bite or get harsh, and has few rough edges. Burns cool and clean to the finish. Leaves a little dampness in the bowl, but not enough to bother you. Requires some relights as it burns slow. Has a lightly lingering, pleasant after taste and room note. Not quite an all day smoke.

-JimInks

18 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2009-07-01		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

Virginia Woods, like all the McClelland Virginias, is an extraordinary tobacco. It is as sweet as honey, and has a bold, spicy flavor. By spicy I don't mean peppery, like Perique, but like the brown spices: cloves, allspice and cinnamon. Its sweetness comes from the natural sugars in the leaf, not from any top flavoring or casing. I like its soft, fluffy texture. It also ages wonderfully.

Besides enjoying it on its own, I use it as a blending tobacco. I like English blends, but I prefer those with a bit of sweetness. If I try a new English blend and I like it, but it isn't at all sweet, I can usually make it more to my liking by adding a little Virginia Woods. I also use it whenever I break in a new pipe. The sugars really season the briar quickly.

The only negative for me about this blend is the same drawback I find with all straight Virginias: they don't have the richness or body of a good English blend. They're like eating sorbet instead of ice cream.

I have posted the identical review for Deep Hollow. To me, Virginia Woods and Deep Hollow taste almost exactly the same. Both are great, but virtually indistinguishable from each other.

18 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pipestud (1829)	2002-11-10		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Wow! McClelland really hit a home run with this terrific blend. It is deep and rich in flavor, and for us long-time puffers the added wallop of nicotine was of particular delight. I can see, however, where the neophytes might swoon and drool if they don't keep down their puffing cadence.

I have tasted many McClelland blends over the years, and this one ranks with the best. Give it a try!

16 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	scottbtdmb (4)	2009-03-17		Medium to Strong	Medium	Medium to Full	Pleasant

First of all, this is my first review here on tobaccoreviews.com Having only smoked a pipe for a couple months now, I was started to tire of aromatics and wanted to branch out and experiment. My local tobbaconist recommended VA Woods to me and was able to secure a three year old tin for me. Upon opening the tin, I was greeted with a rich, woodsy aroma, and was also able to detect the supposed "ketchup/vinegary" staple smell of McClleland tobacco blends (which I found most pleasant. All I can say regarding the taste of VA Woods is that I was in pure bliss from the first puff! I smoked the first bowl of VW out of a newly bought Savinelli Estella rustic pipe and it was just plain magic. I actually had to shake my tobacconist's hand on his suggestion. The room note was a rich woodsy aroma, reminding me of the camping trip I went on last summer to Harpers Ferry, West Virginia. The taste was every bit as rich and wonderful as the aroma. Pure bliss I tell you! Since the first smoke of this fine blend, I have made several additional revelations. 1.) I recently purchased a nice big Butz Choquin calabash pipe which seems to be the perfect companion for VA Woods (hence I have designated the BC for VA Woods 2.) For beer drinkers on here, VA Woods goes really well with a Dogfish Head 90 min IPA. The tangy, hoppy bitterness of the 90 min compliment the tangy, woodsy, richness of the VA Woods. I plan on buying a Dogfish 120 this weekend in hopes of finding an even better compliment! All in all, this is the first Virginia blend I ever smoked and thus far it has remained my staple! Highly recommended!

10 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	LV9 (85)	2013-12-27		Very Mild	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

If you like the sweetness of red virginia and stove Virginias and no nicotine this is the blend for you, easy to light somewhat easy to keep lit, the cut is mostly ribbon, the flavoring mention by others reviewers was undetectable by me, what you got here is sweetness and spicyness from the Virginias if you are a novice and is looking for their first Virginia blend you could do worse this blend is very forgiving when you over puff, would I buy it again most likely no, I like more nicotine from my smoke, but kudos to McClleland for creating a no fuss virginia blend.

Pipe Used: Beraldi

Age When Smoked: 7 years

Purchased From: Pipesandcigars.com

9 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Gentleman Zombie (729)	2015-06-15		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

Starts with a wonderful candy-like flavor and sweetness. As the bowl progresses the Stoved Virginias increase their influence lending deeper, darker flavors and a nice toasty note. Remains this way for the duration. An outstanding smoke in both cob and briar. A bit dull and one dimensional in a clay for some unknown reason. Mostly Stoved and very little else. Highly recommended in cob or briar.

Mild to medium in body. Medium in flavor. Burns well after some drying time.

Pipe Used: MM Country Gentleman, Markus Fohr #9, Rossi Pot

Age When Smoked: fresh

Purchased From: smokingpipes.com

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2016-06-14		Mild	Extremely Mild	Mild	Pleasant

Mixed ribbon and choppy cut of tan to black with a beautiful light spice tin aroma. Seems like a variation on a theme, as the lemon/red/stoved seems to be a popular recipe for McClellands. On the other hand, this one has been out longer, so this one would be the theme. I smoked a bowl of this when it first came out in the early-mid 1990's but wasn't sufficiently impressed to pursue further.

As for the aro vs non debate, this one leaned decisively to the non-aro side but with a noticeable top dressing (and as usual, I can't tell what it is). The dominant flavor at the beginning was the deep rich red tang melded with the very light lemon zing. As the bowl progressed, the stoved took center stage and lent a nice spiciness - not like chili powder but more like a mellow herbal spice. Reminded me of a ginger ale-type spice when compared to 7-up. The topping was sparingly evident but drying the tobacco out for smoking quelled it quite nicely. This one preferred to be quite a bit drier than tin moisture but not crispy (typically flakes like crispiness, ribbons not so much). At tin moisture, this one became a bit befuddled in its presentation, as I've found most Virginia-based blends to do. Sufficiently dried out, this one was quite good, if not the last word in jump factor nor complexity. It seemed to shift gradually around mid-bowl but then remained stable to the end. Far from my favorite McClellands VA, but worth a try if you're a Virginia lover.

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	MJG (17)	2015-05-18		Medium	Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Leaf : A mix of wide cut medium brown and reddish ribbons mainly, with scattered golden and light brown ribbons throughout. Mine was a new tin, recently opened and jarred. It had the ideal moisture content for me.

Tin Aroma: Delicious. The tin note is fairly strong, it definitely smells of a rich ketchup with barbecue sauce mixed in.It almost has a faint hint of Worcestershire sauce about it. There is a certain spiciness there, not peppery like perique but cooking spices, like in the Worcestershire. I am a big sauce fan so it was very appealing to me. You do get a HINT of the sweet tobacco hiding inside but for the most part it is like smelling a jar of nice sauce. I Didn't notice any "woodsy aroma", but maybe it smells like the woods in America? I live in the rain forest area in tropical Australia so it may have been lost on me.

Taste: On first light you get a nice mouthful of the rich sauciness from the tin aroma, although it is slightly subdued, and accompanied by a nice sweet puff of VA smoke. This is how the first 1/3 of my bowls seemed to go. The sauciness seemed to burn off a good deal and remain in the mid-to-background, while the VA's made their way to the forefront. From there the flavour profile stayed similar, with the only change being the sweetness of the VA increasing as you burned towards the bottom of the bowl. It is a very sweet VA blend, but not sickeningly so. There is debate if it is aromatic or not, personally I think there is something on or in the blend that is changing its flavour a bit, although whether it is a flavouring or a tobacco product I'm not sure. All I know is it hasn't affected the smoke in a negative way in my opinion. I enjoyed it for it's flavour and uniqueness. Very rich smoke,sweet, and smooth, with that little touch of spices dancing around in there waiting to be identified.

Smokeability: Mine packed easily without any extra drying out of the tin. I used the Frank Method, and smoked from my VA pipe, a tall bowled Brebbia Boss Canadian that is great for flake and ribbon cut VA. The leaf took to the flame well, lit quickly and easily and stayed alight with minimal tamping and only one relight. The smoke was smooth and cool, and flavourful throughout,even when I gave it a little bit of a tease it didn't bite, although it felt as if it would get hold of your tongue if you were silly with it. Sip it for maximum flavour. Burnt down to a slightly chunky ash, left my bowl smelling saucy.

Room Note: I smoke outside, 100% off the time, so no room note, but my wife and her friend commenting "Holy f!!k you smell like pipe, go away", while I was on the other side of the room may be an indication. I thought it smelled nice....... Bloody Women.

Summary : I really enjoyed this blend, though not as an "Ultimate Virginia experience" as the label implies, nor as an aromatic as some people see it. I enjoyed it as a sweet and flavoursome smoke, with good quality tobacco, that has a unique and interesting flavour profile. It was a nice journey for a VA, and those who normally find VA blends too one dimensional, or Aromatic smokers looking to branch out, may find this an ideal smoke. I wouldn't hesitate to buy it again, but Its not on the top of my list. If it sounds like something you may enjoy, and you are looking for a reason to put money over the counter for a tin, then go for it. Rich flavour, smooth smoke, minimum fuss.

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Uban (60)	2013-04-14		Medium to Strong	Extremely Mild	Full	Pleasant

Just cracked a tin marked 00 & lit up straightaway to break in a new pipe - Hilson Jr Extra, NOS, 14 mm long, 40 mm high, 17 mm bowl, 30 mm outside (thick wall). Great Va flavor, slight grassiness, rich base notes, mildly sweet & cool. Has aged superbly & has absolutely no bite. Delightful. Update: 12/20/13. I had jarred this & lost track of it 'til now. The tin was actually marked '03, so I was off on the age. Upon opening the tin had almost no humectant odor, but now it is absolutely the smoothest, coolest Va I have had. Still moist, it took 2 lights & then cruised like a liner. Top third is creamy, sweet and mild in body. Second part grows in flavor to a near chocolate malted tang. Finish never bites and all those intertwining flavors meld to a cool dry end. Ten stars

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2008-10-11		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

I'll keep it short:

I usually do not do aromatics...but this stuff...I'll make an exception.

It is well done. The small amount of sugar is justified. It really helps to round out and intensify the natural VA sweetness. The flavor is completely unique and, without trying to sound obvious, really does tastes great while walking through the woods.

VA Woods is manageable and behaves well and better yet does not stink up my pipes.

I smoke coming from work and when my pipe is packed with this blend I plan on taking the long way home.

-Z

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Eulenburg (193)	2003-03-01		Mild	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Opening the tin of this beautifully-named blend, I detect a background note of something like burnt rubber, a note that is present during the actual smoking. I assume this to be some humectant or other, which will evaporate after a while. This review is based on that assumption. If the smell does NOT go away, I will lower the recommendation and throw the tobacco away. Many are the comments that have been made about McClelland's odious use of humectants. I feel it is high time the company did something about it.

I don't know that the other premium tobaccos are: I suspect some cavendish muffler. For a pure Virginia blend this bites very little, and one gets to enjoy the zip of the lemon Bright without the penalties: quite an accomplishment.

Otherwise this is more of the nutty Red grassiness kind of taste than the maple sugar kind of taste: very agreeable and sec, with an occasional, almost-Périque pungency.

If it weren't for the gaminess of the [glycol?] dingitude, this would be an excellent product. Get with it, McC. Leave that stuff for antifreeze, damn it!

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	VBBill (7)	2018-02-01		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant

This tobacco is full matured Virginia, with a very creamy natural aroma. The cut is perfect of easy packing, the moisture is just right after opening for my taste. The smell is is dried tomatoes and ketchup with natural Virginia tobacco in the background, which is typical for McClelland. For me igniting this tobacco requires a bit more attention, but it stays lit nice. No bite, very slow burning, producing cool smoke through the bowl. Highly recommended after a spicy meal with an IPA.

Pipe Used: Dagner corn cob

Age When Smoked: 3 years

Purchased From: www.smokingpipes.com

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	gladi8tor96 (143)	2016-05-18		Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

I have to revise my review based upon a comparison between this tobacco and Grey Havens, and Deep Hollow.

Upon opening the tin one can see lots of red and medium brown ribbons mixed with a smattering of black ribbons. The smell is red virginia for sure, with a slight hint of the McClelland scent (vinegar), but ever so slight. I like the typical McClelland Va scent, but to each his own. The tobacco in the tin smells woodsy, sweet, earthy, with a hint of tang. There is a sweet scent to the blend that seems to allude to some kind of topping (maybe this is the 'other' tobacco mentioned in the tin description?).

Loads and lights beautifully. Keeps lit with minimal tamping. Moisture content from the tin is fine, though some would think it needs some dry time. I find either way works great.

The smoke is very creamy and sweet. The flavor is definitely red va., with it's tones of bread, natural sweetness, wood, and bits of tang and dark fruit here and there. The first time I smoked it there was a slight chemical taste that has to be some kind of topping. However, upon smoking it a few more times, and in comparison to the other blends listed above, it has greatly, if not completely, dissipated. It's good nevertheless. The smoke is enjoyable, cool, soft, and not in the least spicy or bitey. It reminds me slightly of other Red Va. blends such as Hal-o-the-wynd, but not as deep, a bit sweeter, and less round. The flavor is still rich in it's own right, but maybe a step down from some of the other blends mentioned.

As a comparison from the other Craftsbury blends listed above (Deep Hollow, Grey Havens), I would say this is the most natural of the three. This is a good blend and is quite enjoyable from beginning to end.

I have tried mixing this blend, as another reviewer has mentioned, with other 'dryer' blends, or blends that need a bit of a sweet pick-me-up. This works WONDERS!!! One combination in particular was a dry English blend that is on the verge of being salty. By mixing in a ratio of 1:3 (Virginia Woods:Dry English) I ended up with something that was slightly reminiscent of Frog Morton.

Pipe Used: Outdoorsman Series (Bent) Bones

Age When Smoked: 1 Year

Purchased From: Pipesandcigars.com

Similar Blends: Rattray - Hal O' the Wynd (British Collection), McClelland - No. 5100 Red Cake.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	TattooGuy (9)	2014-06-14		Mild	Mild to Medium	Mild	Tolerable to Strong

I know it is a matter of personal tastes and here's just my opinion about that blend. When opening the tin you smell only ketchup, vinegar and barbecue sauce... I was a bit confused but curious. The tobaccos is for sure of great quality. Packs well but needs few relights along the way. It really tastes what it smells; a tobacco taste completely overwhelmed by ketchup, vinegar and barbecue sauce. This is definitely not for me. 1 star.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	strongirish (249)	2010-06-16		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Well, this will be a review of two Virginia Woods! Why you ask, well because I came into a can of this from 1998 and to be fair in reviewing it, i also bought a can of fresh VW. It has to be two because with 13 years of age on it, this blend matures into a sweet mana that will just melt onto your taste buds. Wonderful stuff it is. But in smoking a new tin, it is still a great, non biting, smooth and creamy Va smoke with a touch of the woodsy aroma claimed on the can. So many other reviews of this blend they are calling it an aromatic, but I don't get that at all. What i get is the ketchup/vinegar typical of this brand and maybe, just maybe a sweet topping I can't place, but no more than a lot of other VA tobaccos, with only a few exceptions, all of them are cased.

This tobacco has the MC aroma upon opening the tin, perhaps stronger than a lot of them. The tobacco is a wide ribbon cut in a reddish dark mix and it is somewhat moist. Even my tin of 13 year old is still moist. After letting it dry a few hours set out, I packed it into my pipe which it does easily, and lit it up. It took several tries to get it lit, but once lit it stayed that way only requiring one relight until the bottom of my pipe. It smokes nice and slow and smooth with no bite, and the taste is a sweet dark VA flavor with a pretty nice room note. It burns clean all the way down to a fine grey ash with almost no dottle at the bowls bottom. I find this to be a very pleasant smoke fresh, but aged, it really is fantastic. I am going to buy some more and put it into long term storage in my cellar. I highly recommend this aged, and still recommend it fresh as it's a very nice smoke.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Young Piper (304)	2004-09-01		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Very Pleasant

5/21/2015 - My girlfriend and I had tasted several different Virginia blends to add to C&D's Shandygaff to give it a little more sweetness (she prefers her blends much sweeter) and we settled on McClelland's Virginia Woods. While McClelland's has the best Virginia's on the market (IMHO), they have almost no nicotine, C&D has all the nicotine and great Burleys but their Virginia's are not as rich as MCC. So we tried several variants and settled on 4oz of Shandygaff mixed with 2oz of Virginia Woods. Man the VW elevates Shandy to a whole nother level! We both really love this mix and she has started labeling the Ball jars as "Summer Woods". We wish C&D and MCC would combine forces on a blend or two, C&D Burley with MCC Virginia making a Two Friends type deal. I think it would be a huge hit...

5/1/2015 - I have been smoking Virginia Woods on and off for over ten years and after the first tin, I have searched high and low for aged tins. I will not purchase a fresh tin of VW. My current tin is dated 2006 so it has 9 years on it and is divine, sugar crystals are abundant and being all Virginia, the blend has mellowed and although lost some of its tanginess, the sweetness has increased tenfold. If this is not your thing place it in a ball jar and forget about it for 3+ years, as complex as an English blend what with the yellow, brown, orange and red leafs all doing their tasty jobs here. Add some 5 Bros or any other strong Burley to get some Nicotine since VW does not have much (if any). What a great name, its all Virginias and its also very "Woodsy", I plan on opening an aged tin every autumn as a pre-Christmas Cheer smoke since it goes amazingly well with falling leaves, fireplaces and cool fall air! :-)

6/3/2014 - Just finished another 8 year old tin of Virginia Woods. This time most of the tin was mixed with Uhle's Blend #44. The mix of sweet Virginia Woods and Uhle's amazing Burley was simply divine. I highly recommend Virginia Woods as a blender for a personal Half & Half blend!!! One of the best mixtures I have created to date :-)

Update a decade later. Today is 5/24/2014 and I opened another aged tin I had and it was delightful. This blend really needs 3 or more years to age to really develop. Now the interesting thing is I purchased some McClelland blending Perique and mixed a small pinch with a bowl worth of Virginia Woods, wow what a Virginia Perique blend!! This really shines when mixed with some spice as the Perique makes the sweetness of the Virginia explode! So two stars when new, three with 5 years of age or a pinch of Perique.

Had to change my rating, its 9/1/2004 and i do not have any aged tins left. The new tins are not as great and have much more moisture and along with that more tongue bite. I will smoke it if offered, but most likely will not purchase another.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	The Sunday Evening Pipe Smoker (54)	2017-05-16		Mild	Mild	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

I'm really not sure why this is classified as an aromatic. Seems entirely incorrect to me. It's a Virginia blend and as people like GL Pease note, pretty much every pipe tobacco on the market has some kind of topping or another, just not so much as to make it an aromatic proper.

This tastes exactly like what you'd expect it to taste like: a Virginia. It has the citrusy notes that one comes to expect from many Virginias.

There is nothing particularly exotic about this blend, in fact what I'd say of it is that it's what you want if you don't want something quite so Virginia strong as a say a Virginia Flake like F&T CVP or Gawith's FVF, Capstan Blue, etc. It's much milder, but in the same flavour family.

Now as for the description I often read that "it really does taste and smell like the woods" -- I don't know. I think that's overstated and somewhat psycho-somatic based upon the name of the blend. It tastes and smells like a mild Virginia is what it tastes and smells like, and only tastes or smells like the woods insofar as one might be able to stretch the imagination to see any pipe tobacco as falling into that category. (What does a woods taste like anyway? I grew up in and around the woods, and they generally smell damp; the not unpleasant scent of decomposing wood and leaf. Or they smell like pine if another kind of woods).

One thing I found interesting about this blend is that it actually became better as the bowl progressed, gaining its strongest flavour by the end of the bowl. The flavour is primarily that of a mild Virginia, though there is something else to it which is hard to describe. I'm not sure I'd describe it as "woodsy" per se, but it was pleasant.

Overall though, this is not a strong blend. This is for that time when you want something a little more "meat and potatoes" but that still has that citrusy profile that goes with Virginia leaf.

I don't see myself reaching for this alot, and I much prefer something like Frog Morton Cellar to this, but I likely won't give away the tin and it will be interesting to see how it ages.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Stinkypipe (155)	2017-02-25		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

McClelland can really mix some outstanding blends and this one is no exception. It is called an aromatic but I simply can't believe there is much in the way of flavoring in this blend. They don't say but there has to be a bit of Lat and perhaps some orientals albeit in small amounts. On opening the tin all you really get is the aroma of wonderful sweet and sour Virginias. Light up was easy but burns a bit on the hot side. Flavor at the start is sweet hay, straw and some earthy vinagery tones with a hint of peppery flavor. This continues throughout the smoke with the addition of some smoky flavor on and off through the bowl. Now this blend can certainly bite you if your not careful to sip this blend. Puffers beware! Burns really slow and you get creamy smoke throughout the bowl. Room aroma is smoky hay and not unpleasant at all. This is another outstanding blend. You can also mix about 15% of Scottish Woods with Virginia Woods to get an even more smoky flavor with the sweet hay. It is a really delicious mixture with tons of flavor. This is a very pleasing all day smoke.

Pipe Used: Boswell xl pot

Age When Smoked: Fresh with some drying time

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Jacinto Cupboard (209)	2016-09-22		Mild to Medium	Mild	Medium	Pleasant

A mix of Va and stoved Va with a peculiar, almost lakeland type flavouring. I don't know what these additives are, rose or geranium perhaps, maybe even something like hickory. It is subtle and discreet enough for it not to be an actual aromatic in my book, but potential purchasers should be aware this isn't a straight Va.

Burns well and produces a great deal of soft creamy smoke. I enjoyed it a lot and would personally rate it three stars, but would have reservations giving it an unqualified recommendation because of its additives, which I am sure will not please some people.

Pipe Used: Lepeltier

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Alhaji (33)	2015-11-20		Mild	Extremely Mild	Mild	Pleasant

An Aromatic? Hmmm! Not so sure. Seems some classifications are subjective.

But not to worry. This is a nice, simple, uncomplicated tobacco that can be an all day smoke for new and experienced pipers. It smokes right out of the tin, requires no fanfare, either for drying or rubbing out, and delivers fair and square without any pretext of complexity. However, I don't find it as sweet as some reviewers have stated. I find both McClelland's HoneyDew and Stave-Aged Virginia 35 Ribbon sweeter than this guy.

Pipe Used: 20yr old Brown Rusticated Dr Hardy (no name)

Age When Smoked: New

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	RyinMD (27)	2015-01-07		Mild	Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

The tin says Virginia Woods is "... blended from Matured Red Virginias, Stoved Virginia, wide-cut Lemon Virginia and other premium tobaccos. One of the untimates in Matured Virginia blend smoking" Aside from quibbling as to whether there can be more than one ultimate in Matured Virginia blend smoking - at least in standard English, I like just about everything about this blend. The blend has a sweetness that goes beyond the Virginias, and I detect a hint of some sort of topping - something that smells a bit sweet. I suspect one of he other premium tobaccos is a black cav.

I started smoking it several years ago when I tried it and Deep Hollow at my local tobacconist. Deep Hollow bit my tongue; Virginia Woods does not. I devote 5 large pipes to it - two Canadians and three straight billiards, including the first pipe I purchased back in 1988. I smoke Virginia Woods when I want to savor the smoke, and it's always a welcome change-of-pace. This isn't al all-day smoke unless you're willing to smoke slowly. Like many Virginia blends, this can get a bit hot if you puff too quickly.

Pipe Used: Grenci, Jobeys, A. Garfinkel, Inc. pvt labels

Age When Smoked: Various

Purchased From: Various

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	BurleyTwirp (11)	2013-03-12		Very Mild	Strong	Very Mild	Tolerable

very disappointed and confused. it has an overly-artificial top flavor. Similar to a captain black offering. Not quite as prevalent, but present enough to be an absolute turnoff to anyone who dislikes the artificial and chemically taste of that style of aromatic. BE WARNED! check out some of the older reviews of this blend, and you'll find several others who feel the same way. One reviewer mentions a very wet bowl post-smoke. Another clear indication of too much chemical additive. You'd think McClelland knows their audience. I don't know what they were thinking with this one.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Denevei (58)	2011-01-08		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

Upon opening a tin of this, you immediately notice the typical McClelland acetic acid smell. As I've often said, don't let it sway you! This tobacco is worth the time to smoke! Virginia Woods is a ribbon-cut darker blend of stoved Virginia, red Virginia, and bright Virginia tobaccos. There may be some sort of slight topping to it, because it is so sweet a smoke, though I can't say for certain. I think it is a good tobacco to introduce the pleasures of Virginias to an aromatic smoker.

Like a lot of Virginias, Virginia Woods is a little shy. But with patience, the real nuances and undertones of the flavor will come through after a few minutes. Puff gently, because it also can probably bite, as most any Virginia is likely to do. The tobacco lights easily, but the charring light will only act as that – to char the surface so that after a tamping the second match will really ignite the tobaccos. The burn is relatively clean, though I found I need a pipe cleaner a couple of times during a bowl. The further you smoke, the sweeter the flavor.

The tobacco is a good one to DGT, and upon relight the flavor comes through rich and dark. There's a good hint of the spiciness of Dark Star or 2035 here, but also the creamy smoothness of lighter Virginia tobaccos.

Overall, this is a nice, mild smoke for a Virginia, with the good sweetness typical of the variety. I don't keep it around all of the time, but if in a tobacco shop and I spot a tin I'm likely to buy it.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Davetopay (43)	2010-04-08		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Good stuff. Just not what I had hoped for. I wasn't expecting this nougat/maple/caramel candy coating. It reminded me of that Benjamin Hartwell Evening Stroll that Altadis makes, but with MUCH better tobacco to hold up the casing/flavoring. It smokes reasonably cool for a mostly VA ribbon cut blend, the VA notes are in there, just WAAAAYYYY down in there. The sweet spot for me has been just past the halfway point in the bowl. I am not going to swap it away, but I don't know if I'll seek it out again. Spring may just be the wrong time of year for me to smoke this as the flavor package makes me think of cooler weather. I will continue to revisit this as curiosity warrants and see what develops. I would certainly tell all the aromatic lovers who are looking for a more tobacco-y experience to check this out.

...for reference, this was a tin dated 2007. Your results may vary.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Hemlock (65)	2006-04-01		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Tolerable

Let me preface this by stating that my review is based on a sample of an 1/4 oz, so about 4 bowls. I found this to be not a straight viginia by any means. Almost seems like a crossover blend, and it didn't have the typical McClelland tang in my sample. Nice smoke, fragrant, burns well and has a real woodsy flavour, without the rich cigarette-like aroma that some VA blends can have if not done well. I don't know if this has casing or not, but it sure tastes like does. I would almost say that I sensed an incense-like flavour. A dash of myrrh maybe? For those who like non-aromatics, it sure is worth a try. Would I buy a tin after the sample I had? Sure. Does it stand out in the world of great blends? Not really. Note I must recommend that this be smoked in a larger bowl to get the best out of it.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2005-09-17		Medium	None Detected	Full	Pleasant

Notes: I have smoked quite a bit of this now, and I must admit it suits my personal tastes, although I try to write reviews that are objective. I can't stop smoking this one, though! I find it best in a tall thin chimney briar. Amazingly, it didn't burn my tongue, either, and I always get bit by Virginias.

Appearance: Reddish brown wide cut ribbon mostly; with brown, black and a few golden strands completing the mixture. Fully rubbed out.

Aroma: Strong smell of concentrated tomato paste, white vinegar, brown sugar, dried figs, pencil eraser.

Taste: Walnuts, brown sugar, sweet-sour Virginia tobacco flavor, nutty, oily deep flavor (from the stoved leaf), heavy on the tongue, juicy with flavor (i.e., tasty; it was a dry smoke). Well-composed; good flavor balance from to to bottom. Not over the top at all.

Comparisons: Some richer blends can be a bit much, but not this one. McClelland here is aphrodisiacal, in contrast to GL Pease's concupiscent blends. Not as nutty as Samuel Gawith's flakes, even a hair less nutty than the well-balanced Dunhill Light Flake. A hair less naturally sweet than Rattray's Marlin Flake. It comes across as a magnified, slightly sweeter Dunhill Light Flake with a helping of stoved leaf mixed in. Take just that stoved leaf alone, and you would have McClelland's Dark Star.

Bottom Line: For those who are seeking a natural Virginia blend that is in the middle of the nutty-sweet spectrum with a backbone of stoved leaf to provide fullness, this may be your blend.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	tillmanj (73)	2001-05-27		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

Tin Aroma: Vinegar, ketchup, whatever you call it, this is most definately a McClelland blend.

Physical Characteristics: dark brown ribbon cut, mottled with some blackish ribbon, and very moist. It has always amazed me how long a McClelland ribbon will keep moisture. However, it is easy to fill and pack with, and it takes the charring light well.

Notes: I like to char this one, and then let it sit for a while to dry out a tad more before smoking. I suppose that means that almost every bowl I have smoked of this has been DGT'd to some extent. I do love the 'burnt marshmallow' aroma that this blend gives off. Very thick smoke, good for coloring a meerschaum, if you are the type to blow smoke at the pipe while smoking. The flavors become darker and richer as the bowl progresses. This blend tends to start off a bit spicy and disjointed, but by the midway point, it has settled down into a very nice rich smoke. The flavor/aroma I am most reminded of by this blend is caramel, burnt caramel.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2001-03-26		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Tolerable

When I open a tin of Virginia Woods it strikes me as being very similar to McClellands Blackwoods Flake in smell. Virginia Woods is finely cut into ribbons that pack easily into all but the smallest pipes. It is hard to tell if there is any topping on this tobacco. My opinion leans towards there not being a topping because of its simularities to Blackwoods Flake and Dark Star - just good stoved Virginia tobaccos. Virginia Woods burns clean after easily lighting. The flavour is red and stoved Virginias. This tobacco could almost be called a crossover blend - a nice change for those accustomed to aromatic tobaccos.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	runswithdogs (41)	2021-01-31		Mild	Mild	Mild	Pleasant

Like so many pipe smokers, I started off smoking exclusively aromatic blends, then moved on to Latakia and straight Virginia’s. I now find myself longing for mild aromatics. This blend, should you be able to snag a tin, fits the bill perfectly. My tin is from 1994, so an incredible 27 years of aging. The topping is mild and really compliments the Virginias. The ribbon cut is mostly dark and medium dark Virginias, and the sweet topping is noticeable in the tin, as well as during the smoke. But it’s not a heavy topping, and that’s the beauty of this blend. A nice, clean, pleasurable smoke. Easily an all day blend. Light nic hit. Burns to a fine grey and white ash. Little if any moisture. Just a really enjoyable light aromatic. But smoke it slowly....it’s still a Virginia with all its inherent sweetness and tendency to bite when puffed rapidly.

Pipe Used: Anne Julie Billiard

Age When Smoked: 1994

Similar Blends: Deep Hollow. No surprise if you are familiar with that blend..

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	John Handlr (2)	2017-01-17		Very Mild	Very Mild	Very Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

So I just finished off a bowl of this. It's very spicy still, even after a year of "cellaring". This is my first experience with a straight Virginia blend, and I was expecting a bit more sweetness and a stronger flavor. Aside from the spice, this is a very mild blend. I definitely get the lightly sweet, grassy flavors everyone associates with Virginia blends. The room note was barely detectable as well, but two ladies sitting with me said it was pleasant. I grew up in the woods of Virginia, so I think the very little bit of disappointment I have with this blend comes from my expectations that it would be bold-flavored and have more smoky leather notes. They're there, just not as loud as I anticipated. There's absolutely nothing wrong with this blend, and I'll happily finish the tin, but the jury's out on if I'll take another ride on this train.

Pipe Used: Spitfire

Age When Smoked: 1yr

Purchased From: Pipes Ultd. - Asheville, NC

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Michael N. (10)	2014-11-28		Mild	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

I'm still becoming a VA fan: At this point I'd say yummy, sweet, easy to smoke. I did get tongue bite. Tin dated 08/14. I'm jarring and planning to let it sit for some time. A friend entered, shortly after I'd finished my first bowl, and he commented how wonderful the room smelled. He'd never tasted so he took a bowl, before I sealed for storage. I do enjoy a ribbon cut. I'm not too fond of rubbing-out slices. Go ahead ( he did ) and laugh but I've started using a cheese grater to break-down slices into large flakes ! I have high hopes here.

Pipe Used: Brebbia Pura

Age When Smoked: 3 months

Purchased From: P&C, on net

Similar Blends: I'm too new, to VA's, to know..

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	mnadz (69)	2014-08-30		Mild	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I am someone who typically finds straight Virginias to mild and tasteless..for instance, I bombed Blackwoods when everyone loves it. Saying all that, I actually found this one was pleasant and enjoyable to smoke. For an easy, all day smoke where I just want to sit in the yard and watch the world go by, I go do this tobacco. Also, coming from a heavy puffer, I experienced no tngue bite.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2009-09-26		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

A very tasty tobacco as I expected from McClelland's Virginia blends. It has a natural sweet-sour (spicy?) tobacco flavor.

I chared it and results were great. Burns very well, slow and cool. Smokes dry with a nice flavor balance. It is fruity tasty on the tongue and you can detect also the deep flavor of the stoved Virginia.

Even if it has a long lasting smoke, which I like to enjoy a lot, my nicotine needs weren't satisfied. But no problem, I'll prepare another bowl with this sweet cookie quickly!

An all day creamy smoke for me. I warmly recommend it for those who like enjoying natural tobacco flavor.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2009-04-13		Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

Smoked an entire pipe straight out of a brand-new tin. Smells good, tastes good, smoked cool and dry right out of the tin. A high-quality light aromatic. Reminds me of Two Friends "Heritage" in flavor and how easy it is to smoke.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2009-02-01		Mild	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant

I have to change alot about what I had originally posted concerning this blend. Although I do believe it contains alot of the same red va in 5100, this blend has little in common with it. My taste buds let me down on my original reviewe. There is a very sweet and artificial element that abounds in this blend. Its not really my thing, way to aromatic. extremely high sugar content. almost desert like in nature.

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

VA woods strikes me as being very similar to 5100 by McClelland. Although it is an exceptional concoction, I actually prefer 5100. Moisture content is very high. There was no shortage of PG in this smoke, as well. Rich nutty textures abound from this blend. Very pleasing and mild, when exhaled through the nose. This blend requires a fair amount of relights, when not dried in advance. This tobacco will certainly age well and I have several tins in the cellar. I really refined mixture.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	SmokeKing David (134)	2009-01-01		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

QMechanics hit the nail on the head with his review; this tobacco is sublime, sweet, complex, and it holds its flavor all the way through the bowl. A notable Virginia from the blenders who excel in this leaf.

I plan on buying a few extra tins to age, in the hopes that a great smoke somehow becomes greater still.

Govern Yourself Accordingly,

SmokeKing David

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pipe4ever (204)	2008-08-18		Very Mild	Mild	Medium	Pleasant

This blend is unique by its class, one can not compare it to any other aromatic blend.

If you are looking for an aromatic blend that enhance and give 100% of the virginia tobacco flavor, this is the one.

The taste is perfectly reviewed by DrDNA Below.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	qmechanics (7)	2008-07-18		Medium	Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant

This is a good Virginia like blend for those who are making the change from typical aromatics. It is sweet. The bite is manageable. The blend has a pleasant room note. I found this to be a nice smoke to go back to now and again.

The flavor is richer and more complex than I expected. It is worth a try. If it is not for you, put it aside for a while. The tobacco will mature as you do.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2007-08-19		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant

Not only does Virginia Woods have a woodsy aroma as described by the blender, it has woodsy taste as well. In fact the flavor of VW is unlike anything else by McClelland, or for that matter, of any other blender.

The tobacco in unlike any other aromatics I have smoked. I'm not really a fan of aromatics and picked up a can on a whim since I'm very impressed with many of McClelland's blends.

This is one of only 3 aromatics in my rotation.

Even if you are not inclined towards aromatics, you might want to give this one a try.

----

For whatever it's worth, the stoved Black Virginia in this blend may well be McClelland's 2035 (which on it's own is an exceptionally fine blend).

UPDATE 8/19/07 As my tastes are moving away from aromatics almost entirely, I need to downgrade this one to two stars. Add one or even two stars if you are really into aromatics.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2007-06-28		Mild	Medium	Medium	Pleasant

I was born with a green apple now'or'later on my mouth, so I LOVE the sourness of the lemon va's in this blend. This blend literally makes my mouth water when I think about smoking it. Goes well with a pale ale or mixed drink. This blend is a good summer smoke. I try to let this air out for awhile.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2005-11-28		Medium to Strong	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant

This is a very good tobacco. Very similar to Deep Hollow but much better. A little sweeter and a little nuttier flavor. Burns a little better too. I'm anxious to see what it is like with some age on it. This is one I'm going to keep around.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2005-10-27		Medium	Mild to Medium	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

I don't like this blend as I do all of the other McClelland VA's that I have gotten to know. It has the usual McClelland Catsup tin note- the ribbons are beautiful, easy to pack, and keep lit, and though the first third of the bowl is enjoyable enough I did find that this blend gives off too much moisture for me. In fact- and MUCH to my surprise- the bottom of the bowl of my pipe was wet???? I'm not a wet smoker, and I do not over heat my pipes; what causes this? Could it be a casing or a topping laid with a heavy hand?

This came as a surprise to me as this blend is the only blend by McClelland that I have had such an experience- and it wasn't from just one bowl, I smoked several different bowls of this blend in several different pipes.

There are many of my counterparts that would disagree with my recommendation for this blend, I hope they excuse me, however it is not for me- but try it and see what it does for you.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Spike (296)	2005-08-05		Mild	Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

If you are an Aromatic fan, add one star. Not one I liked much. Good topping flavor, just a bit too much. Quite similar to Mellow Mack and that type. Not what I expected from something with the word Virginia in the title. Will smoke some more when the summer heat subsides.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Danno (106)	2004-09-07		Mild	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Seductive, this. A friend passed a tin over to me which had been coagulating for six years or better, a gift of rare proportions. Tin aroma is muted but still retains the tendrills of well prepared virginias. Initial flavor is VERY subtle, you will not taste any of the nuances if you've smoked an English prior to. Around bowl three, likely due to palate and pipe adjustments, revelations slink in. Now the true depth and mysteriously velvet-like flavors begin to show up. I found that this smoke did not lend itself well to enthused puffing, as it will bite but of greater import, the dynamics disappear when coerced instead of beseeched. I am not a patient man by virtue and have left many mild and subtle tabaks in my wake, abandoned in the quest for more forceful experiences, hence my suprise at enjoying this offering, it being exceptionally mild and deviously subtle. Those who crave an experience when smoking, one requiring total devotion to briar and technique would do well to have a go here.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Beer (345)	2004-09-01		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

Like the Mc C Aromatics in appearance (same ribbon cut and colors), but without the sticky casing. There is some typical Cavendish sweetness in the nice alternance of sour and candy sweet (in a monodimensional way). Sometimes a bit boring and not on a par with the best virginias from this brand, but good.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2004-06-20		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

June 2004. Virginia Woods. I have just opened an aged tin of V/Woods and I feel compelled to say the ageing process is remarable.Very little ketchup smell at all with this aged tin. What a diiference age makes to this tobacco,not a sign of a bite,very smooth and absolutely delicious. I'm far more impressed now,than even in my first review.Thumbs-up. 8 out of 10.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Jaybee (77)	2004-01-23		Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is obviously a quality tobacco. Considerable drying time is required and there is very little bite. Although I enjoy a number of the McClelland virginias, there's something about this one that I just can't get my head around. It tastes like 5100 (I like 5100), it tastes like Dark Star (I like Dark Star), but somehow the combination of the 2 just doesn't work for me. The sweetness of the blend is too distracting for me. Still it's a quality product and worth a try....tastes being subjective.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Gae (46)	2003-03-26		Mild	Mild	Mild	Pleasant

Virginia Woods is one of the nicest tobacco's I have tried.It light's easily & behave's very well. Plenty of Virginia flavour in varying degree's,& strength.But 'never' overpowering at all. The virginia's are mixed well,offering a good all round taste, that stop's it from being dull & boring,that make's for a very pleasant change. The flavour's were consistant right to the bottom of the bowl.I didn't detect any tongue bite at all,even when I puffed a little faster.I could smoke this very easily all day.Very Pleasant! Highly recomend Four & half star's out of Five,in it's class.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2001-03-13		Mild	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Tin aroma is light and slightly sweet, and flavor is much the same when lit. Smoke it slowly and there's plenty of that light Virginia sweetness. Try to hurry it and it'll scald your tounge. Overall, a nice mild smoke.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Mijnnif (127)	2022-06-09		Mild	Extremely Mild	Mild	Pleasant

I was lucky enough to have a pipe smoking friend that provided a small sample of this for me to try. Bag note is spicy, and sweet fine ribbon cut. My sample was quite aged and just a bit on the dry side. Initial light brings mild spiciness a bit tart citrus and slightly sweet from the tobacco. Very nice as you smoke through the bowl. Some of the Initial spiciness subsides a bit and the VA becomes the prominent flavor but the citrus and the spice is still there just not the main flavor. If there is a topping it is extremely light. I am thinking as my sample was a bit dry and aged so that the topping is perhaps a bit less noticeable. At the 1/2 point of the bowl I started to get just a hint of vanilla or caramel . Wonderful blend. Nic hit is very mild. No bite whatsoever. Easley an all day smoke. Light puffing will allow you to enjoy this one better. Goodbye McClelland even though our meeting was brief it was nice knowing you.

Pipe Used: Dr. Grabow duke tasting pipe

Age When Smoked: gift not sure but aged a bit

Purchased From: friend gift

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	TallPuffO'Burley (632)	2019-09-30		Mild	Extremely Mild	Medium	Tolerable

Somewhere in my cellaring frenzy when McClelland was broadly available, I managed to put up a tin of this that managed to age nearly five years before I popped it. It was all but forgotten until I seen someone singing its praises on a forum to which I replied that I also enjoyed the blend.

I popped onto TR, where I review every tobacco that I have smoked enough to form an opinion. It was then that I discovered I was talking out my ass, and in fact, had never tried this. Needing to remedy the same I popped my sole tin immediately.

I was indeed talking out my ass, as this struck me as kind of ordinary and boring for a McClelland VA. This puts to rest a weird feeling I have been having lately when I smoke McClelland blends. It seems the last few that I have had as repeat smokes have tasted better to me than the first time around. I was starting to theorize that the fact that the tobacco was no longer made and heavily sought after was, in fact, influencing my tastebuds.

I can say that I will not miss this one. It is a rather eclectic Virginia as it contains many different varieties of the leaf, but still manages to be boring to my tastes. It does have the same McClelland aroma as all of the other MC Vas. "ketchuppy"; this does lift as you work your way to half bowl.

I guess the description let the cat out of the bag on a topping, but I did not notice one. I will take their word for it. The blend is just kind of boring, and with the different varieties of Virginia, it still manages to maintain a rather monochromatic taste, that is rather dull. YMMV It is also pretty weak in the Nic strength category, which is something I come to expect with MC blends in general, but usually the taste makes up for this weakness; not with this one.

If you seen this tin at a B&M at the price it sold for when it was available, I would recommend buying this, but in no way, would I recommend paying Christmas Cheer prices for this. You will be disappointed.

Age When Smoked: 4 yrs 10 months

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pryhosm (248)	2019-05-24		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is a very nice blend (shock of shocks, a great VA from McClelland). The topping on this evident from the tin note: classic McC VA and a wisp of vanilla/whiskey. This one is quite different than other McC VA's and it is the melange if the topping and the superior VA leaf used. In a word creamy is how I would describe this blend, not something you expect from a straight VA. The earthy and rich sweetness of the VA leaf and the subtle topping create a creamy flavor and mouth feel I have never experienced in a smoke. There are bready, toasty and flavors along with sweetness, hints of grass and hay. No real citrus here but. The layers of flavor come across as Virginia but also a transcendence to another plane of VA flavor. I will make the analogy that this blends use of topping is like adding a splash of cream to a nice cup of coffee. Highly recommended if you ever can come across it.

Pipe Used: Briar's, meerschaum, clay's and cob's

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2012-10-09		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Wonderful and pleasant tobacco. Very light body in the mouth but full of flavor in the nose! Fruity, lightly sweet, lightly barbeque, lightly vinegar/sweet&sour. Suprisingly complex for such a mild blend. Behaves perfect. If you enjoy Orlik Golden or red virginia dominated blends, you will almost certainly like this. If you like latakia or stoved tobacco in your virginia blends, you will like this. If you only enjoy perique heavy virginia blends, this will probably not be your favorite. If you can't stand McClelland's standard 'topping', then you will not enjoy this. Fantastic recommendation as a first tobacco as well!

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Virginia lover (218)	2012-02-05		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Tin marked 07. The preservative smell is light and the tobacco is quite moist upon opening. Another variation on matured Virginia tobacco ribbon cut. A very good winter smoke, burns well from the newly opened tin. I will dry the tin for a few weeks to see how this works out.

Update After some drying, this tobacco delivers a nice flavor that is malty with some fig finishing. It is one smooth smoke that is not overly sweet. As for the woodsy aroma, I might be confusing it for the malty taste, of course I am a Latakia smoker as well so that would play tricks on my taste buds.

Virginia lover

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2011-10-08		Mild	Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

This is a nice smoke. I could see me buying more of it for the winter. I kind of taste the ketchup steak sauce taste lightly in the first half of the bowl. only get the slightest woods aroma every once in while. i have changed this from 3 to 4 stars. i have grown to really appreciate virginia woods

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2011-08-02		Very Mild	Extremely Mild	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

The tin I will rate is dated 06 on the bottom and it had turned almost brown from the smoke in my local tobaccnist's shop. I had tried Virginia Woods back in the late 1990's and was not to impressed, so I thought I would revisit the blend and see if my taste buds had changed.

Opening the tin I did not smell the McClelland humidfier scent that some refer to as a Kethcup smell. I have smelled it in many other McClelland blends, but not this one. The smell is of mown hay and mellowing slightly fermented Virginia leaf.

Lighting the blend was easy but it took a while to really get the taste going. After I let it settle down, the nice billowy smoke tasted of sweet murky Virginia and the nico was quite stimulating. Take it easy with this, don't rush it. This blend is delicious but I don't get the "woodys" aroma that is suppose to be there. Well done McClelland.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2011-07-24		Mild	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

This is my first straight virgina, and I'm still not too sure about it. When I opened the tin I got the tomato sauce smell, and could taste it a little in the first few puffs. The strength of the tobacco builds the more I smoke it, the last bit is the best. I would describe this tobacco as high frequency, none of the earthy flavours here, just sweet and sharp. This could easily burn your toungue if you're not careful.

I'm not sure if its this tobacco, or virginias in general, but although its good quality, this one is not for me.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	TK Pipe (101)	2011-04-21		Mild	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Virginia woods … Yet another fantastic Va. Smoke from McClelland, the likes of which few others seem to be able to match. No anise, harshness or soap here, just smooth, satisfying slightly sweet Virginias. One of my all time favorites. Four stars for sure.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	RyeWhiskey (43)	2011-02-08		Mild to Medium	Mild	Medium	Very Pleasant

This is one of my favorites. When you open the tin, there is a very nice spicey type scent. Packing is easy, the tobacco was a bit damp out of the tin and it seems like it wouldn't stay lit but oddly enough it does. Tamping takes it to the bottom nicely, but for me it usually takes a one time stir to finish the rest. The room note lingers, and does indeed remind me of the some forgotten woods somewhere. It has a sweetness on the tongue and the tobacco taste is in the medium range compared to my stronger blends. I didn't get any tongue bite from the pipe and I puff in a fairly quick pace since I like a large amount of smoke wafting about. I could literally smoke Virginia Woods all day.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2011-01-14		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Opening the tin took me back to younger days as a child around Thanksgiving or Christams time when homemade Minced meat pies were comming out of the oven. A tad bit of sweet & spicey and the tang of currant raisins , fruit and all those wonderful things they put in that pie came out of this tin and into my nose without McClelland intetntion to do so.

As you can imagine that Minced meat is a very complex old fashioned pie so this smoke may seem complex but its not. Its sweet and mildly acidic (when compared to the acid of #27) at the same time and the two blend very well together to become one. Then theirs this nice mellow smokey quality to it that wraps this well bodied toby up nicely.

Its definately worth trying to see if its for you.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2010-10-13		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

I wasn't sure what to expect with this one. It seems to occupy an area between a really nice aromatic and a high quality VA. It displays qualities of both but neither overpowers the other. Pleasantly balanced. I think I will buy some to lay down for a few years to see how it changes.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2010-04-09		Mild	None Detected	Mild	Very Pleasant

I have a 2007 tin that had been opened a month. Let some dry out on a napkin for 3 hours. This is very tasty stuff. I loved this. Very good smell, lots of smoke, totally dry, no gurgles, no ash left in bowl. What a clean smoke ! This just vaulted into my top 3 favorites.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	DeadMensPipes (38)	2009-09-16		Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

The appearance of Virginia Woods in the tin, and the tin note, reminded me of the blend, "Reserve 1928," which is private-label produced by McClelland for the Tinder Box stores (and retails for slightly less). The leaf and cut appear to be identical. I cannot quite describe what the scent is (caramel-like?), but it is very unique and not as pronounced in Virginia Woods as in 1928, but I'll bet it is the identical chemical, cure, or topping. And, it comes through in the smoke as well. You can still taste it in your mouth the next day, although it is a pleasant aftertaste.

Although Virginia Woods does not require more than minimal relighting, the blend out of the tin is decidedly too moist. It starts out tasting sweet. No bite. But then started burning hot, and even when I was not puffing, the stuff made a "snap, crackle, pop" hissing sound in the bowl. I never was able to smoke it all the way to the end, as the last fifth of the bowl was soggy - not the fine grey ash associated with typical gourmet English blends.

The batch of Virginia Woods I tried did not have that smooth, sweet taste I have enjoyed from other English blends, which I attribute to whatever flavoring or aroma has been infused in the curing process. It's not bad, mind you, just not the greatest. It's an okay smoke - way better than any drugstore blend. But, I would not go out of my way to order some again. Two-stars.

UPDATE 04/09/2010: Put the snap-on plastic lid on the tin and let it sit for a few months on a bookshelf. The contents dried out a little. It made a big difference. Smokes much better. Whatever flavoring was added seemed to have disappeared. Mostly just tobacco taste/aroma. 06/09/2011: Sat in the tin for another year. Smoked clean, cool and dry to the bottom of the bowl. Not bad at all. I have to agree with Bob Smith: "It ages wonderfully." Very good with a cup of coffee. I might actually buy another tin if the price is right. Bump to three stars.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2009-08-29		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

McClelland do it again...This is very good stuff...I ve smoked with my Porsche Design pipe then use several different pipes...I like this blend...

Ketchup is always around (not like blackwoods)...Moisture perfect for me...Easy to pack and lit...

Creamy taste and cool smoke...No bite ofcourse...Nicotine level is low...Smoke slowly and feel light Virginia sweetness...

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2007-11-09		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Tolerable

This tobacco is great for a late fall day. It has the aroma of smoke and woodiness without having the overwhelming taste of latakia. I wish that the blend did not have that ketchup smell when opening the tin. A day or so on a newspaper takes care of it. You do have to be a bit careful when smoking it can get a bit hot. The tobacco does have a bit of sweetness to it and does blend well with MacBaren Honey and Chocolate.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2007-08-30		Medium	Medium	Medium	Tolerable

I was more disappointed in this blend than any other I can think of. It has a wonderful name, description and label.

It tasted like it had a strange topping. I could not put my finger on it.

For a lightly aromatic english, go with Deep Hollow.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2006-04-21		Very Mild	Medium to Strong	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I found a 50g tin of this which was six years old. The tin aroma was a strange combination of the McCleland's acidic additive and a vanilla (or some aromatic sweetner) casing. Bizarre, I think. Sweet and sour additives? None of these "flavorings" are mentioned on the tin, which leads one to believe that this is a natural virginia blend, which it is not.

The room note is that of a mildly sweetened aromatic. It would be nice for the non-smoking crowd.

A good quality tobacco with a mild taste and nice burning qualities, but I don't like sweetend aromatics and wouldn't have purchased it had I known what it was. After smoking my third bowl of this, I tossed it in the trash because I simply had no use for it.

If you like aromatics, this might be a good choice.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2005-10-23		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

I recently opened a tin of this that had been cellared for 3 years. I was expecting something similar to Hal o' the Wynd, but was suprised and pleased. This tobacco doesn't have the sweet taste that I normally associate with matured Virginias, but rather a deep, layered flavour. I didn't see any stems in the blend as mentioned in a review below, but it does smoke hot, hotter than most VA blends I have encountered.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Mr. Dottle (162)	2005-10-12		Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

If you like matured Virginias and other of McClelland?s matured VA blends, you will probably enjoy Virginia Woods. This is a nice mild to medium smoke that is sweet and flavorful in the classic VA sense. It has excellent burning qualities although you may want to air it out a bit. I experienced no bite. In short, I found Virginia Woods to be an ?easy smoke? that will satisfy without having to give it undue attention. I especially enjoyed it when DGT?ed overnight.

A cigarette is to be smoked. A cigar is to be enjoyed. A pipe is to be savored.

I rate this tobacco 9.5 out of 10.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	SopwithCamel (255)	2005-10-04		Mild	None Detected	Very Mild	Tolerable

A beautiful name for a tobacco. Nice label.

My tin is three years old. Upon opening I detect only the faintest trace of the infamous McClelland aroma.

The moisture level is perfect. Packs great. Lights very easily, producing voluminous clouds of pale grey smoke. There is a citrus like tang to the aroma. The smoke has very little body. The flavor is grassy, dry, and bright, with hints of lemon. The flavor is quite thin. The smoke is very consistent. The blend burns cool and dry.

I could see this as a blend to puff on while reading, or otherwise distracted, or perhaps as a warm weather smoke for those who don't like burley. Nothing here to bring me back.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2005-03-07		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

A really good virdinia tobacco .I buy a tin of this every time I put a tobacco order in .A wonderfull aroma in the tin and a nice looking quality tobacco .It lites and stays lit with ease A rich natuaral flavour with no bite ,this is a tobacco I can smoke all day and never tire of

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2005-01-19		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

As a McClelland Virginia lover, I expected this to be wonderful. BIG disappointment. I found this to have a cigarette-like quality, with a cloying, almost-MacBarenish note that gave me a headache and made me vaguely nauseated. Well, guess I'll just have to be satisfied with the other 8 Mc VAs that I love!

With the exception of the flavors mentioned above, this has very little flavor. There is a winey note that doesn't go away, and while it could potentially meld well with other stronger flavors, here it just stands alone.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Jakob Kiilerich (120)	2005-01-17		Mild	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This my first blend in the McClelland line, and I must say I am disappointed. For a Dane like me, the vinegar smell is very strange, and something I do not fancy at all. The tobacco is beautiful in the tin, but there are so many stems in it. I had to go through the whole tin and remove them.

As Eulenburg said, the moisture-level (artificial I believe) is too high, and even when dried out, this tobacco is almost incendiary. There is some weird topping added; very discreet, and very foul. I am sure this does not go for all McClellands blends, and it has not scared me from trying more of them. The leaf is of very high quality, but it burns like a sunny day in hell. Nicotine content is too low for me also.

Jakob Kiilerich, Denmark

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2005-01-17		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

I have been blessed with a 10 year aged sample of this weed. It makes for a truly smooth, quiet and "woodsy" smoke. Perhaps due to age, this comes off as being one of the nicest straight VA smoke experiences I have had. There is sweet and sour notes through the entire first 3rd of the bowl. After that the tobacco flavor kicks up and a hint of spice (very perique like) enters the smoke. At points I agree with those who list this blend as mildly topped, at other points I think I am tasting just the trademark McClelland aging process. By the end of the bowl a bit of refinement is lost and the taste is very cigar like - musky woodsy and spicey. While I still rarely reach for straight VA tobacco - this one is certainly at the top of the heap.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2004-02-16		Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

This is a good virginia blend that does not realy stand out to me but does not realy lack in a bad way either. I feel it is a good middle of the road virginia blend. I will say that this does get alot better with aging. Worth a try.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	RCUSElder (244)	2003-09-12		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Strong

This is another foray into the unchartered territory of Virginia blends for me and I have to say that this is another pleasant surprise. Upon opening the tin, yes there is that famous "catsup" odor which I find pleasant. Medium to long red, lemon, and brown leaf abounds. packing is easy, lighting is easy. The name "Virgina Woods" is appropiate because that is exactly what I think of when smoking this blend. It is deliciously woodsy with those sweet virginia undertones. All in all this is a good medium to full strength blend that you can smoke all day. I did find that it works better for me in smaller pipes. Enjoy... 4 out of 5 points.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2003-07-27		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Not a bad tobacco, the tin aroma is the usual McClelland aroma, the cut is rather coarse with some stem.

I found when packing the pipe I had to remove some of the tree limbs, other than that it packed very well. The tobacco was not too hard to lite which did surprize me it was such a coarse cut of tobacco.

This was not a harsh tongue biting tobacco and somked very smoothly. I dected no wheezing or gurgling and the tobacco did take on a sweetness as it neared the bottom of the bowl.

This will join my occasional tobacco shelf.

Smoke it slow, enjoy it longer

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2003-06-16		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

It's both smooth and rich as stated in the decription. I enjoy the flavor and aroma. Virginia Woods tastes a little like 5100, but I taste a stoved VA as well. There is a another tobacco besides VA in this blend, maybe an unflavored cavendish. Whatever it is, it's a nice touch. There is lots of high sugar content VA present, but it doesn't burn the tongue; that might be due to the cavendish.

I recommend this blend, but I also recommend that you let it dry quite a bit before smoking. For some reason, Virginia Woods comes loaded with PG. I pour out all of the 100g tin on a magazine and let it dry for 36 hours. After that, it's really a nice blend.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2003-02-06		Mild	Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

The name is so right, because the tobacco is comprised of so many stems I nearly sent it back to the manufactuer to ask,"what the hell". I mean really, its like somebody sat down to strip the leaves and put the stems in this can. The tobacco that is present here is ribbon red virginia,and maybe some burley there too.It does have some broken black stoved cake Va also. The taste (if you can find one) is bland and you'll burn your tounge so bad you'll be looking for the number to the Shriner's burn center in Galveston,Texas!

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Kilmarnock Piper (250)	2022-11-27		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Medium	Pleasant

Bit of a sad review to type; my two ounces or so in a jar is the last of my McClelland Virginias. I have some Nording Fox Hound and some Oriental Mixtures left. Put off reviewing it, and finally decided I don't have too much to say. Different cut than those broken flakes, McClelland "vinegar" is there, but less so, and there may be a slight, mild topping. It's great, anyway, and enough has been said by others. I will miss McClelland Virginias when this is gone.

All for now, but I'm sure I will update with random thoughts as I finish my sad last jar, like how the bowl I'm smoking right now as I type is giving me wonderful, complex sweetness even from tiny sips on the dregs...

Age When Smoked: 11 years

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	KDudley (1)	2020-05-08		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

I realize there's not much point reviewing this tobacco for anyone who doesn't have it cellared. That said, I recently opened a 1999 tin of this and it was lovely. Mostly medium dark to dark ribbons with maybe twenty percent lighter content. Plenty of natural Virginia sweetness and warm spice notes with a touch of floral in the nose. Perhaps a hint of soapiness, but pleasant soapiness. If there is in fact a topping here, I'm not noticing it. Thick, billowy cool smoke as well. I certainly am sad McLelland is gone - I find their tobaccos, particularly the virginias, were great for long-term cellaring.

Age When Smoked: 20 years

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	CoolPilot (69)	2012-12-01		Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

A spicey blend, with a sour taste, quite particular. Maybe too sour for my own preferences, but a nice smoking all the way. I would rate it 2 and a half stars..

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