Butera Matured Ribbon

Very nice mottled looking ribbon with each of the VA's cut uniformly, and color ranging from mostly darker brown to black with a hint of bright. Tin aroma was of spice racks and was missing McClellands signature aroma...call it ketchup or silage or whatever floats your boat, it was replaced by this pleasant spicy scent. Rather nice but I missed the typical McClellands aroma, as it always promises an excellent Virginia tobacco.

The flavors are easy to pick out and typical for the constituent tobaccos... the red was tangy and mellow, the stoved spicy and cool, the lemon sweet and on the hay side but not too heavily. But blended together, this was a very interesting stew where the flavors both melded together and stood out alone. Extra sweetness from the stoved, which took center stage at various times, but this is mostly Red's show. The black and lemon were in supporting roles. Overall, however, this is a true Blend, with all parties contributing. It smoked very cool as well, with no hint of bite unless well overdriven. It even stood up to some fairly vigorous puffing without losing too much of its cool. This is a luxurious blend that can be smoked absentmindedly or under close scrutiny. Moderately complex, this one's main focus is one great taste, excellent balance and mellowness. 3 1/2 stars, missing greatness by the thinnest of hairs. Recommended to all VA smokers but especially those that favor dark stoved blends, as a nice change of pace.

I received an ounce of this from a friend. It had been jarred in 2011 so the review reflects an aged version. The tobacco was fairly dark with a few tan bits. It would appear to be mostly red and stoved Virginias. The cut was a medium chopped ribbon with a few hunks of mostly rubbed out pressed tobacco. Mine was delivered slightly dry, and I smoked it this way.

This has been a good smoke, and I have tried it in a number of pipes, looking for the perfect combo. I am about to finish the sample, and I have not found it yet. It is smooth and slightly tangy. There is a mellow sweet to the smoke and the snork gives a little tickle and spice. The flavor intensifies a little in the last 1/3 of the bowl.

This was enjoyable, and I would smoke it again. It is easy to recommend.

When I opened this tin I thought well there is a lot of stoved black VA's here and I thought they would completely dominate the blend. They did not. The Red VA in fact is the dominate flavor in this blend. They are sweet, tangy, notes of dark fruit and a note or two of earthiness. The stoved black follows below this but occasionally rises to compete with the reds. The stoved has a slightly spicy note along with some dried dark fruits (think dried dates/figs/prunes) and was rather sweet. The bright VA had brief notes of hay but very little citrus and were usually far in the background only occasionally coming forward. Overall, a good blend that will not bite and smokes slow. The finish is very short on this one making it perfect for the first pipe in the morning or for when you want something in between fuller blends. Great in the afternoon summer heat as the nic is light. The room note is outstanding; smells like a tobacco burning should. It just missed being outstanding 3.5 stars.

My tin was five years old at the time of opening.

I have had mixed feelings about this Royal Vintage line: I highly recommend Dark Stoved, really liked Latakia #1, but thought Latakia #2 was a flavorless failure. To be brief, I think Matured Ribbon is a success, falling just below Dark Stoved in my rankings.

The blend is a very nice, rich blend of Virginias that burns quite well and never poses a threat to the tongue. Well worth seeking out.

This is a nice tobacco but nothing special. It smoked very nice and has nice flavors but nothing to get excited about. I could see this becoming a all day smoke for some people. Worth trying but don't have high expiations.

The description above indicates a crumble cake for this respectable blend. The tin I purchased contained medium wide and faily long ribbons that were moist and obviously from the McClelland clan of vinegar-wafted Virginian blends.

This packs and burns acceptably, offering those not fancying flake tobacco a chance to experience a complex blend of matured American tobaccos without the Scandia suger shock.

The flavor does not change appreciably from the beginning to the end of the bowl. This slow burning and pleasant offering is a fine distraction from my regular English/Balkan quest. Remember to puff slow and steady, lest your tongue regrets the experience.