Buffleheads and McClellands

A post from Douglas over at pipes.org from 2004 that I hope will help educate new and old smokers alike about the signature tin aroma of McClelland Virginias and if you ever go to a pipe show and have the opportunity to meet and talk with Mike or Mary McNeil of McClelland Tobacco Company you will learn a lot about the craftsmanship and quality that is McClelland Matured Virginias.



The ketchup odor associated with McClellands is a perennial topic. There have been many threads devoted to it on ASP. Sensitivity to it seems to vary and almost all agree that the tobacco does not taste of ‘ketchup’. Some have suggested that some additive is responsible for the odor. McClellands has denied this. I personally find the scent interesting – definitely not ketchup, but it often makes my mouth water (I'm a big fan of McClellands tobaccos esp their Va flakes). The odor does seem to be reported only with McClellands and most usually with their Va tobaccos. There are two threads on ASP (which you can google for) – 2001 “Does Ketchup ruin the blend”, 2003 “The source of all ketchup”. Both make for interesting reading. In the 2001 thread Dave Windsor of Bufflehead (McClelland mfg Dave’s tobaccos) asked McClelland to respond. Bottom line: McClelland says the odor is a natural by-product of leaf fermentation. Here is the snipped text that occurs in both threads referenced:



“The posting "Does the ketchup ruin the blend" just jumped out at me. One is entitled to express their viewpoint be it a question or a statement, this is good. However this one is just misinformed and I feel that it should be addressed.



I picked up the phone and suggested to the McClelland folks that we address this Posting. It did not take much encouragement. If you prefer bottom lines, there is no ketchup used in any of their blends what so ever.



McClelland buys and ages their leaf in their storage building in the state of North Carolina for three to five years. During this period of time there occurs a natural "sweating" of the high sugar content leaf.



The next step is to ship the aged leaf to their factory in Kansas City where it is pressed and further aged in cake form for a period of time. Than it is further aged, in their tins, for one to two years before shipping to retailers.



The aroma, or imagined taste, is in reality a natural fermentation that takes place during this entire ageing process. Their tobaccos are of the best of high grade and quality with a very high sugar content, which enables this "natural" process to occur.



Having smoked, selling and enjoying their tobaccos since their inception as a tobacco company, I would find it hard to believe after selecting and buying the best of tobacco leaf available each year, than aging, storing, pressing and packaging that they would use "ketchup" or any other flavoring. Thus my call for clarification and enlightment for myself and hopefully for the reader of this posting.