Robert McConnell Maduro

This one is GREAT! Taste of molasseses dominate in this pitch-black blend which is the BEST tobacco ever for breaking in a new pipe and developing a good cake!!! Don't be fooled though! This is not a typical artificial aromatic blend! Its sweetness resembles good and strong rum!

William Serad reviewed this tobacco in the Winter 2001 issue of Pipes & Tobaccos. The above tin description is how he described it. I purchased a 100 gram tin soon afterwards & it lived up to his description; "dark...sweet though restrained, with the raisin influence of the Perique,...rum being a definite enhancement, having been laid in with retraint and delicacy." I found it an enjoyable mild smoke. But there was one thing puzzling then. The 100 gram tin had a different description on the side; "THE ORIGINAL BLEND OF 1848, Rich Dark Virginia and Carolina Matured Leaf blended and pressed in steam ovens produce this unique dark mature tobacco. suprisingly mild and very slow burning. No Latakia." No mention of Rum or Perique though. I've openned a 50 gram tin recently, & now I'm puzzled again. The appearance & aroma from the tin resembled one of my favorites, MacBaren's Burley. It was a medium/dark brown ready rubbed flake with a very light sweet aroma(honey?), not the almost black tobacco of the previous 100 gram tin. Smoking it wasn't the same as MacBaren's Burley though. It was a mild slightly sweet pleasant Virginia, enjoyable, but no Burley flavor. Actually, if you read William Serad's next review in the Winter 2001 issue of Pipes & Tobaccos, his description of Robert McConnell's Ripe Honeydew; "...flue-cured leaf with a touch of honey." seems to described what I'm smoking from this 50 gram tin of Maduro. Is it possible I've obtained a mislabled tin? Oh the mysteries we pipe smokers must ponder while we blissfully puff away. Anyway, I find this tin an enjoyable mild smoke. I'll have no trouble finishing it. If I buy more though, what will I get? Added note: both tins had stickers on the bottom stating they were made in Germany & distributed by XYZ Direct LTD, so I assume they came from the same blender.

It has a wonderful aroma out of the tin, but that's about where it stops. Hardly the 'full strength' blend advertised. I could barely sense the presence of a rum topping, let alone Perique. It is a mild, innocuous smoke that one could puff away at all day. Unfortunately, it is unremarkable and, for that reason, not worth the price.

Note: The tin I purchased is labeled "The Original Maduro".

Years ago, I loved this blend, and smoked it regularly. This is not anything like the original McConnell Maduro, which was a fairly strong, stoved Virginia (similar to original Rattray Dark Fragrant). The new blend claims to be full strenght with Rum and Perique. IMHO, they are 0 for 3.

The blend is dark and short cut, with some unidentified sweet aroma. I don't get Rum, and I can't find thee Perique "stewed fig" aroma. In the pipe, it lights slowly, burns cool and well, but very little flavor. There are better mild Virginias out there, some of them from Kohlhase, Kopp. Don't waste time and money on this tragic travesty.

Pouch Aroma: Yum! A lovely spicy-sweet aroma which makes my mouth water. It doesn't smell like a sticky-sweet black cavendish, and it has more of a Virginia tone than Burley; it reminds me of Rattray's Black Virginia or Dark Fragrant.

Appearance: This is about 95% deep brown/black, with a few light flashes of medium brown - no golden pieces at all. The cut is mostly what looks like broken up cavendish cut with most of the tobacco being in 2mm x 3mm pieces.

Packing and Lighting: Due to the cut, this packed quite well into an old Charatan 'blast straight Dublin which also has a nice wide draft hole - I may have to be careful to avoid a little bite.

The initial light gives me a surprisingly un-sweet flavor - there is a smooth creaminess like semi-sweet chocolate (not tasting LIKE chocolate though) and the smoke is rather thin-tasting at first. It was a little difficult to get a full burn on the top as it wants to light primarily in the middle, but three lights got it going to my satisfaction

Exposition: Now, underneath the initial flavor I'm getting a very light musty and spicy flavor and aroma that promises to be interesting. It's similar to the undertone that I get from Rattray's Hal o'the Wynd, but not as sharp or pronounced. This isn't a good tobacco for inattentive smoking though - I find myself having to pay more attention to tamping and keeping the burn even that I would prefer. This isn't necessarily a /bad/ thing though - there are times when I want to concentrate on the act of smoking. This tobacco is a little one-dimensional for that kind of treatment though - it tastes good, but there's not much going on.

The Story: I'm thinking this might be best smoked outdoors in the fall when I take my evening walks. The burn will be helped along subtly by the wind, the flavor enhanced by the fall humidity and the aroma would mix well with that of damp leaves and the smell of rain. Sitting here at my computer on a warm summer morning, it's just not a wonderful experience. It's not bad, but I know it could be better.

The flavor is deepening some as I approach the halfway mark, and that certainly helps with my enjoyment some - but I keep looking for other flavors to peek out and mingle with the sweetness and the advancing musky molasses taste. Even a smidgen of Perique would be a nice addition!

Denouement: I've found myself having to work hard to avoid a tendency of this tobacco to bite my tongue, as I think I'm unconsciously trying to pull more smoke volume and flavor from this. I think it'd go better after dinner as a dessert smoke, perhaps with a cup of Darjeeling tea. As my first bowl of the day with strong black coffee it's just not working for me.

The complexity never increased very much, and the flavors remained basically the same - only deepening as the bowl burns down. The nose, or smoke emanating from the bowl, is nice and leathery but that's the only really compelling aspect. I'll try it next in a wider bowl, as this Charatan has a rather tall thin chamber and that may be keeping it so one-dimensional.

Pros: Mild, easy to smoke once you get a good burn going (which takes a while), and a rather innocuous and ephemeral room note. This would go well with light, astringent drinks and after a flavorful meal as a nice rest for my palate.

Cons: Lacking in complexity, very light flavor, and not an attention-getting smoke. I'd smoke this more out of respect for those around me than for my own enjoyment.

It is a tricky tobacco. You have to work on it all the time.

Cavendish base provides a gentle foundation, accompanied by subtle burley undertones that lingered in the background. Around a quarter of the way through, the perique stepped forward, its almost harsh notes adding a surprising richness to the composition.
The flavour of the tobacco was akin to a dance between smokiness, nuttiness, fleeting impressions of pepper, and intermittent waves of rum. Maduro greeted me with its smoky aroma, it revealed its interesting character, heavy and bursting with spice, its texture was velvety and comforting, yet there was a sense of something missing—a special touch that would elevate it beyond the ordinary.

After the fourth bowl, and almost two months after opening, the taste becomes more pronounced, so it seems that the blend benefits greatly from time after opening, when the air slightly permeates the tobacco and thereby defines the aroma.

I would love to give this tobacco two and a half stars, but better three then.

The name Maduro is slightly misleading. While the tobacco is nearly black, the thought of Maduro cigar wrapper leaf is very remote and only if you think about it can you catch that essence. The tin note is pleasant with fig, plum, hay and rum present. The charring light is inviting with a light and mildly complex flavors immediately soundi out. As you progress through the bowl the rum topping plays with the light peppery perique and balances the VA. All in all, this is a nice smoke that I have enjoyed periodically, but it is one that I seek as a change of pace and not an everyday tobacco.

A comfort blend that smokes well and doesn't demand much. Unlike other rum cased blends this one is subtle and smooth. Good interplay between the Perique and Virginia. Meant for relaxation rather than an all day type. Great after dinner go to blend. In In comparison to Rich Dark Virginia, its not overly sweet or as strong. Pleasant room note and didn't overheat. I usually don't smoke straight or heavily based Virginias, but Maduro is an exception to the rule. Darker Virginia/Perique mixtures work best for me, so RMM is a nice addition to my rotation. Smoking this and Rich Dark Virginia, I'm starting to see where Robert McConnell ranks all together. Very few in their line up might earn fours stars, but all in all they are solid and dependable and never sour or bite. The trick to enjoying RM is not to smoke a full bowl in one setting. I got better results by smoking a bowl down over time. Enjoy.

Nice good quality tobacco and a easy going all day smoke.