McClelland's St James Woods

[Trout Bum]

Howdy, fellow imbibers! Just working through my first tin... a most excellent va/per, IMHO. Spicy but smooth, nice sweet finish. Lots of subtlety and nuance in this one. I am starting to think it just might be "the one!"

Question: is 2015 the bulk version? I have not tried it, but I seem to remember reading that they are probably one and the same. If not, how do they differ?

Thanks in advance,

TB

 

[onabullit]

Hey Bum,
I've been itching to get my mitts on a tin of st. james. I have enjoyed all the mclelland dark stoved virginia's that I've tried and I'm sure this will be no exception. With regard to the typical Heinz 57/Vinergary smell of Mcclelland's Virginia's, it seems this trait turns a lot of people off before they fully get to experience the tobacco. Some drying time will cut back on the intensity of that flavor translating through to the bowl and make for less steam. I always tell people to experiment with different levels of dryness and flake/rubbed out forms to find what works best for them with that tobacco. Enjoy Trout Bum! Let us know how it measures up to the other Mcclelland virginias that you try (I recommend Blackwoods flake, Dark Star, and the personal reserve series 22,24, and 27)

 

[old_salt]

They are not the same, but they do come from the same family tree. I've burned thru a fair amount of each. have a Quart of 2015 & a couple of 100 gr. tins of SJW
left. Making up an analogy, it's like the tobacco for both comes from the same field.
But the smaller softer leaves are hand picked for SJW & the older tougher leaves go into 2015. The tastes are very close, but SJW seems { for me at least }a bit smoother.

Another one to throw into the mix is PCCA BEACON, try to get a tin from 2006 or 2007.. Same family tree, even better than St. James Woods.

 

[nate560]

I like them all but agree with old_salt beacon is very good. But to your question they are close but I like SJW a bit more smoother deeper flavor.

 

[DoverPipes]

They are not the same, but they do come from the same family tree. I've burned thru a fair amount of each. have a Quart of 2015 & a couple of 100 gr. tins of SJW
left. Making up an analogy, it's like the tobacco for both comes from the same field.
But the smaller softer leaves are hand picked for SJW & the older tougher leaves go into 2015. The tastes are very close, but SJW seems { for me at least }a bit smoother.

Another one to throw into the mix is PCCA BEACON, try to get a tin from 2006 or 2007.. Same family tree, even better than St. James Woods.

Spot on O Salty One!!!!
PCCA Beacon is fantastic. I have bought quite a few aged tins over the last few years. Far and away my favorite VaPer! The new "Beacon Extra" (with more Perique) is my next quest. I'll have to cellar a bunch of this and pray that it turns out as well as the original PCCA version.

 

[Trout Bum]

Thanks for the input, guys! Dag nabit, now I will have to get some Beacon. It's been on my radar for some time; next TAD purchase I will have to get some. Thanks for the heads up on that one!

onabullit -- SJW is certainly a cousin of Blackwoods Flake (one of my faves) -- basically, to me, it's like Blackwoods but with perique. I do not find it quite as balanced as, say, Escudo, as the perique is more than just a condiment -- it's pretty spicy! That said, I really like McClelland stoved va's, the toasted marshmellow/kind of vinegary taste. SJW is quite excellent; go for it, I say!

Regarding Dark Star: Man, this one is an enigma wrapped inside a riddle for me. I just popped a tin not long ago, my first taste of this one. The broken flakes are jet black, and HARD as nails, just as many have stated in reviews on TR and such. I have yet to figure this one out, so to speak... though there certainly appears to be a great deal of potential. It is mos def a fussy one! I am, at this point, giving it some jar time to see if it settles down.

TB over and out!!

 

[Jack Straw]

Personally I prefer 2015 to SJW. I had a 4 year aged tin of the latter, and while it was certainly smooth it just seemed like the flavors were a little too subdued for me.

 

[chevy5759]

Santa brought me can of each Beacon and St. James Woods. I'm gonna pop em and give them a try.

 

[Sasquatch]

Just working on some SJW right now.... I like things a little sweeter if they are gonna be this punchy (Club Blend hits that spot). From McC, I think I'd rather run a bowl of Tudor Castle than SJW but I'll report back further through the tin.

 

[hobie1dog]

The SJW is nice, but I prefer the Beacon Extra as I'm a Perique Ferique. :affraid:

 

[Hunter5117]

Personally I prefer 2015 to SJW. I had a 4 year aged tin of the latter, and while it was certainly smooth it just seemed like the flavors were a little too subdued for me.

Dittos. As mentioned, the two are very similar. 2015 is great stuff once it had been cellared for a few years. I am currently smoking from some I put down in 2005 and it is really fine stuff. I always order a couple tins of SJW with my Christmas Cheer and pop the top on one from time to time, but aged 2015 is still one of my 2 or 3 goto Vapers (used to be my only one until the da@#$d busybodies here on BoB kept suggesting new ones to try! ).

 

[Zeno Marx]

I love the dry grass, resiny, oaky, almost-harsh, unrefined flavor of 2015. I've never cellared any, so I don't know how it ages. I almost don't want to find out because of how much I do enjoy that young flavor aspect of the blend. I just jarred a pound, so I guess I'm going to find out how it ages.

*a complimentary whiskey is Wild Turkey Russell's Reserve. It shares some of these characteristics. Chew on dusty saddle leather with a robust, but quick, finish.

 

[user 2027]

So I am just finishing off a tin and noticed that the bottom was better then first opening. Guess I need to rub this out when I open and let it dry out more then I have. The last bowl was sublime!

 

[Dave_In_Philly]

So I am just finishing off a tin and noticed that the bottom was better then first opening. Guess I need to rub this out when I open and let it dry out more then I have. The last bowl was sublime!

I have found that McClelland tinned blends really start to pick up once they have been opened for a little while. Two weeks or so seems about right. Not sure if its a moisture thing or an exposure to air thing, but I have gotten into the habit of popping a new tin as soon as it comes in the mail and letting it sit in the cupboard a few weeks before I even think about smoking it.