Robert McConnell Special London Mature

Edit: Dec 08

This blend smokes right on the edge of rough, as I find certain Burleys do (MacB Burley London). There is also a characteristic bitterness all the way through which I suppose might go with a cup of coffee.... but really, I would like a bit more sweetness either in the leaf or in the casing, a la Dark Twist.

Currently preferring Scottish Flake as a smoother, sweeter smoke. Still suspect similar base tobaccos but there is something burley-ish about this weed that I don't especially like.

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Nov 08 I agree with a lot of Pseudonym's comments. There are a lot of very subtly flavors here, carried on a full-bodied, fairly gentle smoke. There's something old-timey about this for me - I got to thinking of living in the woods.

Room note is neither nutty nor spicy - I was expecting something a little more like a glass of egg nog from the tin description. The room note has almost a burley sweetness to it, similar to Navy Flake, for instance.

I suspect I have a very recent tin - no mottling of the paper wrapper evident.

A decent if none too challenging smoke.

The more I think about it, the more I suspect this is Scottish Flake with a tiny bit of top dressing on it. Not a bad thing.

UPDATE 22 August 2008

After three days of the damp tissue and twenty four hours "Recovery" time, this tobacco now smokes splendidly, even though many would consider it "very moist", I must admit, it is on the very edge of what even I would call "worth putting a match too", it still burned well with no bite all the way down to the bottom, no dottle, when it stops smoking, it's gone !!! no need for a relight and a nice dry bowl. This is joining the ranks of "Must have in rotation" a well earned fourth star.

I recently bought several tins of tobacco which I have not tried before, some I have read about here, others, because they took my fancy and were to hand.

That said, SLM was one and this was the first one I looked at on tobacco reviews as I opened the tin, I was greeted with wax paper that had a motled effect, similar to the foxing one finds on some very old fine books. This rang a warning bell that the tobacco might be to dry.

The tobacco came in a brick and as I teased off sufficient to load my pipe I noted that the moisture content of this was minimal. It was then that I tried to savour the tobacco aroma, and beleive me, tried is the operative word, for at this point in reading the reviews, I had arrived (all to late) at Tantric's obeservation, who graciuosly suggested that the aroma may not appeal to the English nose.

Ye gods, how right you are Sir, were I to be asked for an opinion, I could only describe it in a most soldierly manner and as this sight is also used by ladies, I shall refrain, other than to say "I am blessed with a poor sense of smell"

During the course of the bowl the tobacco both delighted and changed in character for me, at first I knew I had a good, well behaved smoke that was going to be mild to medium with no bad habits, I wasn't quite sure of the pleasant flavours I was experiencing, and just as I thought I knew what they were, the whole character seemed to change again, in the end I gave up trying to fathom exact flavours and simply enjoyed the smoke.

Later that evening, I again fired up and thouroughly enjoyed.

However, today, third bowl, I noticed that the tobacco was realy dry as I went further into the brick. I can only assume that the moisture had long ago evaporated as it permeated to the surface and stained the wax paper, thus the foxing effect, (I am most careful to gently squeeze the edges of the tin lid to ensure I can hear the tin sanp shut when closing) for this bowl, unlike the others, which had burned slow and cool, was as noted by pixi 106, "Burned like a house on fire" and hot at initial light up, this I put down to my puffing but even with a serious slow down of smoking, the effect diminished little and within a very short time, I was left with just ash, no dottle which I hate.

I have now applied the damp tissue to the tobacco in order to re-hydrate and hopefully will be updating to a fourth star in the not to distant future.

Tin: Sweet, oats, and dull natural syrup scent, perhaps molasses-sorhgum. Brown-mahogany. The tobacco is a rubbed out flake, leaving a thick ribbon product. It comes wrapped in a neat paper package. When rolled into a ball, if slowly falls back apart.

Packing & Lighting: Packed without too much trouble, and stayed lit, with one relight.

Aroma & Taste: Nice, pleasant, unoffensive; not sharp, harsh, or tangy. Faintly sweet. Not much character. The bowl has a sweet scent. Light gurgle.

Nicotine: mild

Romm Note: light, pleasant VA scent, almost nonexistant.

Overall: The main feature was that this tobacco had no unpleasant qualities, but also lacked much of any distinct qualities. This compares to Samuel Gawith's Full VA Flake but does not have as much depth. 3 stars for being unoffensive.

First, if you hadn't noticed the tin or a previous reviewer - this is actually Special London Mature (not mixture) and further the tin label states Fine Cut Tobacco. That is to say it is a fine (size) slice rubbed out, as opposed to a shag or medium or broad.

Second, with no offense intended, the name hasn't changed for a long time and it is most definitely a Virginia Cavendish. All VA and prepared in the English Cavendish style of stoving with some casing, but I don't believe anything more than some naturally derived 'simple syrup.' For this reason I believe O'Connell originated the term 'London' as not to confuse it with an 'English' blend that would presumably contain latakia, but at the same time pay homage to its English VA Cavendish roots.

I find this tobacco a delightful change of pace when something mild but not insipid is my choice. Then its a coin toss between this and Rattray's Brown Clunee. While Clunee is broad cut broken flake, they strike very similar chords for my palate.

Chords, in the sense that this may not be complex in that it is a singular varietal, but there is a richness in this mature VA that is very satisfying and all the while ... mild. Also, the sweet nuttiness that others have observed is my opinion as well, however, I do think it is the something special about the processing, because it doesn't taste like flavoring. Just an assertive sweetness that does not linger on the palate or in the pipe. I've enjoyed this tobacco for a long time and was surprised that I hadn't reviewed it. Very nice indeed.

Cheers,VC

This is a delicious straight Virginia. Pure, natural, dark Virginia this is the ideal tobacco for straight Virginia lovers. What can I say… This tobacco is superb, the crowning moment of Virginia. Great. You can also use it as a blending tobacco, to produce (by yourself) luxury mixtures, but I prefer it straight, to enjoy the excellent sweet taste of this tobacco. In my personal rating (from 1 to 10) my score is more than nine and four stars.

A good quality matured virginia, with a pleasant nutty taste. This is a flavored tobacco--but if I wasn't told that by the label I would never have guessed. I would have just thought that the creamy nuttiness was just a characteristic of the maturing process.

A pleasant, well behaved tobacco requiring just a bit of rubbing-out prior to packing. Lights easily, burns like a house afire, but doesn't bite at all. It's most likeable quality is its inoffensiveness: if you are looking for a pleasant "public" tobacco, give this a try.

When i open the tin for the 1st time i think this blend is for handrolled cigarette, the cut is very smooth and small like others handrolled tobacco and i dont read the notes at the tin if this blend is shag cut. I really like the nut flavor and a very light citrus smell at this blend. Is really good to make my pipe chamber smells better.