Robert McConnell Maduro

Whenever I see a review on the kinds of Maduro, they never seem to score really high. I believe the reason is that people are a bit puzzled.
First, no, there’s no cigar leaf. MADURO in the Spanish/Latin sense means RIPE or MATURE. And yes, it also is dark.
I believe Maduro and its relatives are the quintessential pipe stuff – not a cigarette type (like many pipe mixtures in fact are) and not cigar. They are usually made by skillful steaming/stoving/slow-baking ripe and matured/aged Virginia until they are almost black (in the case of Maduro there’s also some Burley involved). Other examples of that are Rattray’s Dark Fragrant, Rattray’s Black Virginia, Butera’s Dark Stoved, McClelland’s Dark Star or McClelland’s 5105.
This treatment has a taming affect, and also slows the burn, in addition it develops a specific, naturally sweet aroma and room note, which is reminiscent of raisins and fermented fruit. Once you have experienced it, you will recognize that most classic mixtures are built around it. Which also means, they make an excellent starting point for your own blends.
Robert McConnell’s Maduro is, like Rattray’s Dark Fragrant, in so far unusual in this class, as there is also some Perique.
I got a 50g tin some years ago, and bought several 100g tins afterwards. After almost 3 years of aging I opened one now.
The colour is a dark chocolate brown (Rattray’s Dark Fragrant comparably is coal black). One is immediately greeted by the aroma of sweet rum, and the cold draw is like that. The burn is perfect now, very slow and steady (it burns better than Dark Fragrant, no relights needed). The sweetness is in the middle between Dark Fragrant and Savinelli’s Black Cavendish. (They all share the same base notes.) 3 years of aging have made it really round, the raisin aroma and sweetness last till the bottom of the bowl, while it gets more cigarish with time, until it’s all turned into fine and very white ashes. It’s mild, but not bland, stronger than one would think initially, there’s no bite, the bowl stays absolutely cool, the burn can be regulated very well, there’s no condensation or goopiness, and strong wind is not a problem. Very nice. It mixes well withy aromatics (try 50/50) or 1/3+2/3). A touch of sweet Oriental on top and some cigar leaf for the base notes are also possible, with a light hand one can create a lot of pleasing mixtures around Maduro.