McClelland No. 22

No. 22 is a cake tobacco in McClelland's "Matured Virginias" series. Records indicate Eastern and Middle Belt Virginias are rested as a cake to develop their natural sugars; within the series, blends numbered 22 and 24 take a bit of Oriental alongside red and yellow Virginias. The cut is coarsely prepared and can be rubbed out by hand to the desired fineness. In the flavor profile, Virginia's tangy-sweet, sharp side stands out; the Oriental addition adds spiced depth to that tang. Smoked slowly, it's a blend close to pure Virginia character that leaves no harshness on the tongue. Production ended when McClelland closed in 2018.