Haven't try too many kinds of pipe tobacco yet, so my evaluation might be due to lack of choices.

Please, Please, PLEASE join me and contact British American Tobaco (BAT) and demand that they either manufacture all of Dunhill Pipe Tobaccos or sell the rights to someone who will. It is insanity to let this and other Dunhill pipe tobacco blends die out. Shame on you BAT!!!!

First tried it in a meer and was completely unimpressed. The Orientals came through too strongly for my tastes. I more prefer smoky Latakia flavors. But in my broken-in Nording freehand it shines! The tang is mellowed, the flavors meld more smoothly, and the slight smokiness provides some lip-smacking goodness.

To me, this is a sipping tobacco. Unlike some English blends that require a bit more heat, this one responds well to some slow and gentle TLC. But why do I keep calling it English? By definition this is supposed to be a Balkan, I guess, due to its high Oriental content.

Looking forward to taste testing this as it ages. Ought to be mighty fine in a year or three...

Overall, this beccy burns evenly with no tongue bite. Sweetness is nice and not too overwhelming.

*update* 9/24/2009 this stuff is getting better and better with every bowl i smoke. Fantastic. I enjoy it in the morning as much as i do enjoy it in the evening. Every puff reveals a different taste...sweet, oriental, mystic, subtle smokiness of latakia in the background. i like this blend...case closed.

It may well be that absense makes the heart grow fonder. Hopefully rumors are true, and I'll have an opportunity to test this tobacco again later in the year.

For many years I didn't omit to buy a few tins. And consumed all of them with great pleasure.

If you wish to smoke an elegant English mixture this would be a perfect choice.

Ok, another bias - I'm no huge fan of Dunhill tobaccos as a rule. If they came back only with Elizabethan and 965, I would not miss the others at all. There's nothing really wrong with them but there's not much to recommend them, either. This one appears an afterthought - as though they decided they simply HAD to offset the heaviness of Nightcap (another uninspiring blend) with something wimpy and bland. There's red virginia in here??? They covered it up nicely, but how and with what?? Nothing asserts itself here.

Finally, some objectivity! My biases aren't necessarily yours. A lot of people like this and if you enjoy light, mild balkan blends, you should definitely give this a spin. Hopefully you like it more than I did. I'm packaging up what's left of my tin and shipping it off to a friend who enjoys it.

I'm still to smoke it on the cold days, but so far it's a great balkan/oriental smoke under the hot sun.

(some british online stores refer Erinmore Balkan Mixture as a good replacement for EMP... I disagree. Erinmore BM is much fuller and spicier. Although I find EBM a great blend, it is not a close match to EMP)

Update: I bought two more tins, but did not get the same pleasure smoking them. They were noticeably drier and even re- humidifying them did not restore the flavor. Seems a bit of a lottery, so I am downgrading this to two stars from four.

By the way, does anyone know what the heck is happening with Dunhill? Is their stuff still available in the UK or the EU?

It smokes well, burns evenly, smoke is cool, arome is fragrent. My Personal notes give this a 10.0 for a real morning smoking pleasure.

First: the Orlik version just needed long seasoning. I'm smoking the second half of a tin bought a couple of years ago. I clearly remember I found EMP very flat smoking upon opening, and thinking what the hell was happening to the Dunhill line ... going completely lost; now it's round and has a medium tang and strength, which I just enjoy.

Second: EMP has quite little to do with first bowl in the early morning... it's an all-day english smoke. This is what I'm thinking now, as I did with the pre-Murray EMP.

As always with my experience with Dunhill Tobaccos, opening the tin reveals well prepared, high quality tobacco with no stems to be found. A newly opened tin might have a slightly higher moisture content but it still packs and lights well even at first and as I smoke through a tin this balances out rather quickly without having to purposefully dry it.

Early Morning Pipe, as the name implies, is a good tobacco to start the day with as it is relatively mellow and mild compared to some other English tobaccos I have tried. It is flavorful with a slight tanginess such as you see in Dunhill's My Mixture 965 but not nearly as strong. It burns cool with no bite which is as you would expect with a non-flavored tobacco but again this is another good reason it has merits as a tobacco to start the day with. Even though it is on the milder side, it still packs enough of a punch to be satisfying on the nicotine side of things.

The room note is also as you would expect with an English tobacco in that it will probably only be appreciated by a smoker. That said, the room note is not as strong as seen with some other, more robust, English tobaccos.

EMP is one of my "go to" tobaccos, and I do not restrict it only to the early AM! It is a nice tobacco to switch in if you have been smoking an aromatic and want to go to something without any bite and also want to keep things on the mild side.

-----------------

Bottom line: An English on the mild side; no bite; still packs a good kick; a very pleasant smoke

One reviewer mentioned Samuel Gawith's Skiff as being in the same genre and I agree. I would rate Skiff a little higher, as it seems a little less bitter-although EMP was by no means unpleasently bitter.

Recently I purchased 2 oz of Early Morning Pipe-Dunhill Match from pipesandcigars.com This seems fairly close to the original-although I do not intend on breaking the seal on my last tin of Murray's vintage to experiment with it quite yet. I will upate this review with continued smoking of the substitute and of the original when I can get my hands on more.

Early Morning Pipe presents as a very mild, smooth Oriental and Latakia blend. It smokes extremely cool with no tongue bite noted. The thing I like best about this tobacco is how it pairs with coffee...the flavors of the tobacco are subtle and soft, and the palate is not overwhelmed at the start of the day. The tin aroma is nice and crisp, suggestive of things to come. I always noted an earthy note in the smoke that I attribute to the Latakias, which are present without being too forward in the mouth and nose. The room note is everything a good pipe tobacco should be, not too strong but letting one know that a pipe and not another form of tobacco has been smoked. I highly recommend that anybody who finds a dusty old tin in the back of his local tobacconist's shop (since it's not made in tins anymore) crack this one open and smoke it post haste. Or, simply send it to me instead.

i'll leave the 2 tins in my cellar to age for a couple years, as that will almost certainly make for an even better experience than the baked tin. as it is: upped to 4 stars.

original review, 04/09/2008:

this is the orlik version.

a very clean tasting, and a very mild blend, bordering on bland. it must indeed be for those who wake up very slowly, and it could be smoked while you're asleep. there's almost nothing in the taste to note, just some virginia sweetness, a little more oriental, and, let's be fair, a teeny amount of latakia.

nice quality, but boring. wonder how i'll get through my two tins. perhaps adding a dose of perique, some full virginia flake and a healthy amount of syrian latakia can do the trick. or perhaps i'll use it for ryo.

So this review is based on the EU offering which is a light Latakia blend with a reasonable amount of flavour for an early morning smoke, I say reasonable as my taste still leans towards a more straight virginia for the first pipe, usually a Sam Gawith Golden Glow or Astley's 55 Elizabethen.

For the Latakia lover, who for whatever reason, has not had a long and loving afair with the real EMP, this may yet suffice to start the day before moving on to something like Squadron Leader. Alas, IMHO, this is just a mild Latakia blend, may pick up another tin in a few months time, wouldn't refuse a bowl if offered (assuming I didn't have any tobacco on me) but certainly not enough to write home about. Two Stars

UPDATE January 6th 2009

I have to upgrade this, even though no longer available here in England, due to the fact that IMHO, Sam Gawith's Skiff Mixture is about as close as you can get to EMP, and with the colder weather (it's about -4C right now) I tend to be smoking a lot more Latakia's and as I'm tending to start the day with Skiff, which I rated as 4 Stars, it seems only fair that due respect should be paid to EMP

Among oriental-forward English blends EMP stands out as mild with a tangy and sometimes earthy core of musty orientals supported, although not consistently, by understated virginias. The finish, while tending towards the alkaline, is short and crisp. Blindly tasted, beyond the expected effects of tin age this reviewer noted no discernible difference between the recent Danish production (Orlik) and the older Irish production (Murray's).

EMP is a standard oriental-forward English which is dependable, predictable, and nothing special - this being, perhaps, its most charming quality.

This smoke is delightful, Tasty and mild. Inexpensive (I buy it in bulk), easy to smoke and maintenance-free. The perfect all-day smoke.

Simply; if you like oriental blend, buy some Early Morning Pipe!

Came a little too dry, Packed and lit easily, but doesn't stay lit well. Taste seemed a little fruity to start out, went bland by the half way mark and got a little nippy close to the bottom with a slight bitterness creeping in. The Virginias were there until about half way down and then there was no obvious distinction of any particular tobacco.

My overall impression is of blandness. According to some of the glowing reviews below, maybe I had a bad batch but, I can't really recommend this above 2 stars.

I found this blend to be utterly flat and boring. The problem is that nothing here blends at all. There's no interplay of flavors, no point-counterpoint balance. It seems to be just a bunch of weed thrown together and sold in a pretty tin.

I'm not done with Dunhill yet, but I'll never buy another Dunhill blended in the EU. There's some UK still to be found in the odd tobacco shop in your nearest mid-sized town.

Current version doesn't follow the recipe, doesn't use the same ingredients, or even quality substitute ingredients.

Presbyterian is a better Virginia/Oriental eye-opener, or the pressed VA offerings of Stokkebye for unseasoned virginia.

Another good blend bites the dust.

If this was the first of the kind I had tasted, I would have written a better review. It contains a good dose of nicotine. It has a honey, mild taste of Virginia, which is enriched with a good quality oriental. There is no way I can smoke it in the morning. Maybe late in the evening.

I have written enough about the last Dunhill (I will not try another after De Luxe Navy Roll DUNHILL) I have bought.

***UPDATE*** I recently picked up a new tin of EMP. The only thing that I need to change in my review is to echo previous comments about the nicotine content being markedly higher. Due to this I have to downgrade my recommendation from 4 stars to 3. I will only be smoking this in smaller bowls and on a full stomach.

****UPDATE**** I went back to EMP after a long absence. I have to say that the new stuff is definitely not as good as EMP of yesterday. It starts off OK, but then the tast and room note reminds me off strong cigarettes or, even worse, bad cigars. I have to downgrade this further to 2 stars, maybe even 1 1/2.

When I tried only the old or the new version, I describe and rate it as I tasted it, making it clear which version I refer to.

When I tried both, I rate the new one, but in the comments I try to compare them. So the one star rating refers in this case to the new one.

Now the comments for both versions:

Murray: It was very good. Collect if you find.

Orlik: Low grade, almost disgusting. Avoid.

EMP is a cool-burning blend that I enjoy immensely. It has little bite when smoked at even a moderate pace, and has a nice nicotine level that is not overpowering, but not absent. The smoke is rich and smooth, and it is very easy to light and then keep lit. It burns to a fine ash, evenly and consistently.

The flavor is mildly sweet, but not aromatic, making it a nice change of pace from my usual straight VA and English blends. The light use of Orientals gives it a tasty, slightly peppery flavor that rolls off the tongue.

Whether you are used to Drug Store blends or high quality English blends, there is something for everyone to enjoy in this tobacco.

UPDATE: I apparently have a tin of EMP that dates back before Dunhill began using Orlik as their blender. By all accounts, the newer version (which says made in EU, not UK) is somewhat worse than the pre-Orlik version, perhaps 3 stars instead of 4.

Note: Latakia is mainly a late in the day experience for me...how people have this for breakfast is beyond me!

There's nothing particularly bad about this blend. The Virginia and oriental leaf seem to be of good quality, and it's fairly unobtrusive. Somehow it just leaves me flat and still wanting....I have a similar feeling when I drink de-caffeinated coffee. Great for some I'm sure, just marginal for me.

EMP is a unique smoking experience as it contains all of the elements of what should be a strong blend, yet Murray's was able to pull back on the throttle just enough to give the smoker an "English" experience without being obtrusive.

EMP is mellow, mild, stays lit well, and delivers a sweet and unique taste seldom found (if ever), in any other blend of this type.

Anyway, there's just a big nothing-there-ness about this particular blend that kills me. There seems to be a hole in the mix. It really lacks body and definition and is too sweet, too flat for me to start the day with. It's nothing but limp-wristed virginias and a watery oriental section. A one legged paper-hanger of a tobacco. Wow, this stuff is so uninspiring I can't even come up with a bad analogy for it, nor complete my sentences. Green Sugar water

It is a bad day when I run out of favorites and have to wake up to this. Dunhill! aye carumba! (Thank buddha for online tobacco sources!)

Doesn't bite like a cheap aromatic

Smokes VERY VERY slow. I have had a medium bowl last an hour and a half or longer.

It's got a medium-strength flavor with just a hint of (what I think) is a natural sweetness in the tobacco. This and the moderate nicotine content make EMP an excellent choice for the beginner.

It is claimed that some supermodels get paid £20,000 to get out of bed, I rely on this to draw me from the sheets. One, for its refreshing qualities that refresh the palate as well as the mind and two, due to my distinct lack of stunning looks.

This is not as soft and light as some may think. Though For fans of stronger tobaccos [e.g. Brown Pigtail] there's no better way to start the day.

A permanent fixture on my rotation.

I have a tin blended in the UK, so I can't comment on the batches by Orlik (although the tin itself is the same shape as the Orlik tins, so perhaps it was blended by Orlik). Whoever mixed it, I'm very satisfied. In my stash I have a really old tin of it, I cant wait to get into that stuff...

Highly recomended.

-----------------UPDATE----------------------------------------

I just broke into the old tin of it, I presume blended by Dunhill: it's one of the old ones with a painted lid. LOVELY! Much the same as the newer tin I'd had, but seems somehow more balanced, the flavours are better integrated. I don't want to bash whoever produced the other tin, this stuff could just be better off for ageing, but this is rather more elegant, more refined. All of those flavours I'd enjoyed are still there, but it's harder to pick the smells of different components apart. Smokes smooth, very smooth, and it is indeed a delicate tasting mixture. Perfect smoke to start the day with.

First impressions are the attractive packaging - ruffled paper inside the tin with a cardboard cover. Bit disappointed that the tin label was just a sticker and not printed on like back in the day but I guess it's for cost purposes.

Tobacco has a nice aroma in the tin but on lighting has a distinctly musty taste that I find hard to describe. In all honesty the first three bowlfuls of this didn't impress me at all but something just then seemed to click and now I love this tobacco - great taste, good burn and no bite - but only if smoked with respect I find.

I think the name is a bit irrelevant however. Maybe this was an "early morning" mild blend in the 1950s when everyone was smoking Capstan untipped cigarettes but nowadays it surely must be seen as a proper full strength tobacco. With that in mind it is plenty sufficient for me, I was going to also try Dunhill 965 and Light Flake but if they're stronger than EMP I won't be bothering.

The one bad point is the room note. Nothing remarkable when you're actually smoking it but, even worse - when you come back to it 10 minutes later it smells of stale fags ie the pub after a heavy night! Still, I smoke in the garage so no big deal.

This tobacco is very much a "slow burner" in that it grows on you. Recommended if you like virginias.

This was my first English blend, and I wasn't awfully impressed. Some time has elapsed now, and I find that it is much "flatter" than the bright tastes and casings on some of the aromatics that I've smoked, and not nearly as rich and complex as the Virginia blends I prefer...at times it tasted "dirty."

The smoke itself is cool, slow, and managable. Very easy to control this tobacco and to puff at the temperature and pace of one's particular choosing. This is what makes it a good intro tobacco.

As far as aroma, its less offending than many of the stronger Englishes out there, although does come off as a bit "stale" to those non-smokers who are used to associating pipe smoking with their grandfather's aromatics.

As far as flavor is concerned, it is quite mild. This is your basic English stripped of all the "extras." Its light, you can taste the oriental tobaccos, but they definitely don't stand out like one might hope. In once sense, its a good thing that neither the VAs or the Orientals stand out, because it means that they blend into a cohesive smoke. In another sense, it means the smoke can be boring and monotonous, with no high points popping out at times.

As the name implies, its a good first smoke to ease into one's day, or a good last smoke if you're looking to wind down with something mild. If you're not looking for something special, sweet, rich, bold, or complex this will get you though (although there are better smokes for that job...squadron leader, for example).

I guess one way to put it is that its a good smoke for those who would smoke it...I wouldn't consider myself one who would smoke it. Reading some other reviews, it doesn't seem like a *bad* blend, but one that in no way suits my taste. In light of its simple nature, and the fact that there are a number of similar blends that are yet a bit better, I don't think that I'd recommend this blend.

I was given a tin of this and now understand why it has lasted so many years. On the plus side it will not bite so puff away. It looks nice in the tin. It packs and light easy and is consistant to the last puff. As I've heard the earlier versions were much better, as I never had the pleasure, I cannot comment except to say , Wish I had! This blend Is named appropiately as it is An Early Morning brew for me. The Rooster has something to crow about! Cause 3 out of 4 is not bad!

hoo-boy

Early Morning Pipe was never the light weight blend that its name might have suggested. It was a medium strength blend suitable for all day smoking, with the Dunhill virtues of impeccable ingredients expertly blended for a rich taste and a rich aroma. The Orlik made blend smells the same as the Murray version on opening the tin. In the pipe it lacks some of the roundness and the fullness of the original. There is a certain raw edge to the smoke which detracts from the usual Dunhill finesse. It may be a function of age, because the blend does promise much to the nose.

I have kept tins of EMP, NC, SMMedium and MM 965 for revisiting in six months or so in the hope they will improve.

Most disappointed.

It's time like this I wonder reading the other comments if I just don't get something ???

Dunhill's quality is shown here! A great mild, cool, blend. A great introduction to Dunhill- English style. I am sure some might be bored, but for all day use it fits the bill.If you are not stuck on having a good 'presentation', you can save some money and buy an all american blend like revelation. Its smooth, with potency. If you like this- you likely will like House Of Windsors Revelation as well.

There is *just* enough Oriental in it to artistically weave a very pleasant cardamom / cumin flavor into the smoke, but it's emphatically not dominant, not on-top. This blend comes by this subtle flavor naturally. It is not a cased or aromatic tobacco. This tobacco is delicious, smooth, and very satisfying.

This could very easily be an all day smoke. It's definitely an everyday smoke for me. I like heavy English blends and the various VA incarnations very much, but I don't think that every smoke needs to be an epic encounter with a big, dramatic flavor. EMP is my go-to blend and I expect it always will be.

EMP is delightful. It is not as strong as some other latakia blends, making it a pleasure to smoke prior to the day beginning. It has a slightly sweet aftertaste, but not so sweet as to unfavourably colour my appreciation of the pipe. I do not like aromatics, favouring instead the enjoyable strength of real tobacco flavouring. I was not disappointed.

The pipe required very few relights, which was surprising considering the size of the bowl that I was smoking. As the pipe burned the taste became stronger, leaving me wanting more once the final third was smoked. I would recommend this to anybody who appreciates a stronger tobacco but who is nonetheless looking for something a little milder to start their day.

The latakia is slightly understated. The Virginias come through in a balanced way.

Overall, a very good smoke, but it really isn't a blend to get excited about. Just a good, stable smoke.

It burns well if allowed to dry some. Slight bite.

This is a great blend for a new pipe smoker in my opinion as well as deserving of its status as a favorite by so many seasoned veterans. Because I enjoyed this so much as my first tobacco, I bypassed the usual early indoctrination through aromatics and postponed my enjoyment of that type of blend until much later in my hobby when I could appreciate them. I think one of the main reasons people are predjudiced against aromatics is that's what they burn their mouth on when they take up the pipe so they associate them with pain and/or categorize them for the beginner only.

In any case, a more natural English type blend like EMP lets a new pipe smoker know what tobacco tastes like, and does so in a gentle way. I wouldn't introduce someone who's never had an adult beverage to whiskey by serving them some rotgut cheap immitation, or even worse, something disasterous like Southern Comfort, nor would I introduce them to wine with a 4 pack of Bartles and James - they'd get a nice single malt or a Pinot Noir, with a little coaching on how to make the most of it. But I digress.

What Cragganmore is to single malts, EMP is to pipe tobacco. The stoved Virginias provide a slightly sweet and full base while the orientals provide just enough spice. The result is a smooth rich satisfying smoke without any rough edges that packs and burns nicely. If you light this up looking for a latakia bomb you'll be disappointed. I think of it more as a Virginia blend with a little oriental leaf to add fullness and complexity. The condimental leaf is just that. Don't let the name fool you into thinking this is some sort of sawed-off or diluted immitation of something else. It's a fine blend in its own right that meets all reasonable expectations. Highly Recommended - four stars.

There is not much that I can add to discussions of its flavor or strength, besides that I would consider this a good "bridge" blend for those trying to get into English style blends. It made a good transition blend for me, and at the time I was a pretty strong aromatics smoker.

I will probably finish off what little I have left in the tin and then move on to slightly stronger fair. But I think that everyone who hasn't given it a chance should. Its quite good.

How someone would wanna want it in the early morning is beyond me, but it was after work, so I packed the only pipe I had available right then (a chacom neat prince) even though I'd been smoking aromatics in it earlier...

I stuffed my pipe using the "Frank" method (for the first time, it was interesting - and good) with Dunhill Early Morning Pipe. Had a brisk walk outdoors while smoking it. Far from optimal circumstances to judge a new tobacco I gather...

First charring, tamping, recharring, retamping, and then the tobacco was lit and stayed lit all the way down. First impression was a leathery, almost oily smoke but this soon disappearred as I provoked the pipe with some fast puffs. It burnt easy enough(which was one of my concerns about the "Frank" method) and gave a cool dry smoke. The taste was a bit sour, all the way through but at the same time sweet and remarcably dry almost woolen. "Like sucking slightly sweetened lemonade powder and single malt through a woolen blanket sitting by the fireplace in an elegant leather chair".

To be honest, I haven't smoked this in quite a while, and was only seeking to delete my previous review, which I felt was somewhat ignorant, having been writen shortly after taking up the pipe.

I'll get around to picking this up sometime again in the future, though that may be a while. From what I remember, this is a particularly light blend.

Perhaps I am never again to be fully satisfied with an English blend, but even the more restrained approach taken with Early Morning Pipe, for me, fails to deliver. Upon lighting up one is titillated with the musky tang found in so many other fine Dunhill English blends. This is not to be the lasting or predominate flavor, however. The smoke very soon gives way to a mundane note of bland, hollow blonde Virginia that tastes like poplar wood smells like when it is burning. Perhaps one or two more times that true English flavor will reassert itself, but again it is not to last.

For my part, I will always reach for a far stouter and heavier tobacco to have with my tea in the morning, and do not generally understand the sentiment that lead to the formulation of Early Morning Pipe. It would seem that the experience I have had smoking this is similar to what others have described when experiencing what they perceive as the uninspired blandness of Dunhill's Elizabethan Mixture. Elizabethan happens to be among my favorites and I will be sure to take it over Early Morning Pipe any day.

Regards,

A. Morley Jaques

ser jocopo bent bulldog

Has a fairly mild taste, and it almost seems a little bland to me. Kind of just a generic virginia/smoky taste. In this type of mixture, I much prefer Red Rapparee.

Will smoke the rest of the tin, but will probably not do so at a rapid pace as there is not really anything about this tobacco that makes me reach for it.

I will try this again, many have suggested a second smoke will help me appreciate it more. I would not discourage anyone from smoking this, but if you are a first time pipe smoker, or one that is expecting an aromatic I would not introduce this to you as a first of the day.

After smoking EMP a few times it begins to irritate ones tounge, and seems to be rather bitter. This did not occur in smoking the same pipe continually. The bitter taste was detected in four different pipes.

While EMP is not the best, it certainly is not the worst. A few more tins will be cellared and in a few years, there may be a few changes to this review.

EMP isn't simply a bland cousin to 965; I am able to detect more subtle and interesting notes in EMP while I find that 965 can almost blast the senses out of register at times.

Moisture content is perfect out of the tin, and to be honest, drying out too much has never been a problem as I cannot leave a tin unfinished for very long. I usually buy EMP two tins at a time, and they never last as long as they should.

And no clue as to why Alfred thought this should be an "early morning" blend; I sometimes smoke this all day and enjoy the first, last, and every bowl in between.

Don't let the name discourage you from trying this blend----this may be the Dunhill you've been looking for.

So I was cautious even with this mild blend. But It's been okay, I'm taking it slow, day by day, puff by puff. As I'm starting to settle down I'm beginning to appreciate the some of the nuances of the smoke, the fine blend of the tobaccos, the slow burn. It's getting better. I think we'll make it.

If your a relitivly new smoker I would reccomned this blend because of is sensabilty in strenth and flavor.

Update 5/05: "Favorite Dunhill" it may remain, but the quality of them all has dropped precipitously to mediocre; I've demoted by two stars. If there is some kind of dating method, buy only old tins. So much for a grand old name.

I hope the infection doesn't spread to Gawith.

This is quite simply a delicious, un-pretentious and satisfying smoke at any time in the day.

I often find myself sitting out under the stars, with a pipeful and chuckling to myself about what time exactly in the morning they were aiming at (Perhaps 1 or 2am?) :).

I find this an interesting and tasty blend, that seems to smoke well, but Is a little moist when the tin is new - but this is a good thing. Better too moist than too dry - just leave a pipeful on a plate for ten minutes prior to indulging.

The Latakia is smoky and rich, but blended in a manner that is not overpowering (This was actually the first english I tried whilst smoking aromatics exclusively).

The finished product is well rounded, tasty and interesting, with a satisfying and mild smoke. In my opinion, its a little low on nicotine, but certainly not to the level where I would consider it weak.

All in all, one of my favorites for many reasons.

I began pipe smoking with a few local blends that I found in the jars at my local smoke shop. They were defiantly aromatics, not to say that they were all that bad. When I finally got around to doing some Internet research, I read on "The Professor's Pipe Page and Tobacco Bar" this little ditty, "I finally tried a couple of natural, English-style blends, despite warnings that these were for more serious, seasoned pipe smokers only. Surprisingly, these tobaccos provided the kind of taste experience I was somehow hoping for."

I knew the moment I read this, that I needed to start smoking English-style blends immediately. Unfortunately I was out of town when I read this, so it wasn't a few days till I could get my hands on some tobacco. When I finally got home, I rushed to the tobacco man and asked for some guidance on picking an introductory English blend. He gave me Early Morning Pipe and said, "Study this, when you're done, come back and talk to me again." The second I laid my eye's on what I still believe to be the greatest of tin art (along with it's darker more serious brother nightcap), I knew I was in for a lifetime of enjoyment!

I marched home eagerly awaiting the treat that lay in the small brown bag I was holding. I popped the tin, this was the first tin of tobacco I had ever popped, and marveled at the esthetic quality of the packaging. So naturally I loaded up the bowl of my cheapo Dr. Grabow and fired it up.

I can remember the first puff, oh the joy! From then on, that puff is the benchmark flavor that I associate with English-style tobacco. I've been in love ever since. Out of all the tobaccos I smoke, this is the only tin that I keep when I am finished. I don't know why, all they do is lie in the corner collecting dust. I do, however, enjoy looking at the stack and remembering all the varied memories associated with smoking this beautiful blend.

Most mornings, it is EMP that I start the day with. However, I often return to it a few times throughout the day. This is certainly one of my favorite blends, I owe a lot to my friend at the smoke shop. In just the same manner, I would recommend this blend to anyone wanting to journey into the wonderful world of English-style tobacco smoking!

I can certainly see this being an excellent introduction to English style blends. I don't see this as a wake up for any Latakia lover, as it will leave them wanting. I will certainly buy more.

Tiger

This is not nearly so intense as Nightcap, but a pleasant smoke nonetheless. Unlike Nightcap, this wouldn't suffice in past years when I was looking for a suitable replacement/companion for cigars, but now I am able to discern the sweetness of the orientals. I don't smoke this regularly, but it is nice for a change of pace. One of many quality Dunhill English style offerings.

The Tabaccos used give it a strong natural flavour with different kind of nuances:

In the beginning I always get the automn breeze, I'm reminded of smoking leaves. There's a whole bunch of exotic flavours to discover accompanied by a smooth sweetness which is close to licorice.

It's best to let it dry out a little and than go to the cool early morning experience.

With a clean mouth and a refreshed pipe, I can taste a burst of tangy citrus orientals, musky turkish, hints of sweet VA and a tiny bit of Latakia. All billowing out through out the bowl. Fairly complex yet not overwhelming in flavor. As I had hoped and suspected, I classify this as "Durbar Light". Less power, harshness. Still plenty of taste. As others have noted, this is NOT light as far as nicotine goes. Expect a VERY high nicotine kick. Nightcap usually gives me little trouble, this made my head spin.

Similar to Pease Samarra, though a bit fuller in a cigar like flavor. While I enjoy it, I believe there are other tobaccos in this category (Orient Express, Baalbek, Samarra) that are a bit more interesting. Though I believe the strength in this tobacco, like many of the Dunhill line I've been recently working on, comes in the pedigree and reliability. And at the price (if you hunt around), you likely won't be disappointed by a bowl of EMP if you like Oriental blends on the lighter flavor side.

The flavor changes between two main stages for me: REALLY TASTY, and 'sortof bland'. Unlike most reviewers, I actually get the best flavor out of my bowls from the first third, midway the flavor dies down, and then occasionally comes back at the bottom. 'Really Tasty' is awesome; it's a mix between spicy and nutty, with a hint of virginia sweetness added in. Some people have said there's Latakia present, but I'm not so sure. If there's latakia, it's in a negligible amount. I didn't detect it at all.

I could see, flavor wise, why people would want to smoke this in the morning. But I definetely wouldn't. I'm not a morning pipesmoker anyways, but my sample has nuclear tongue bite. It does smoke pretty hot too. All these wifes out there that hate pipesmoke will probably not appreciate the aroma, but I liked it, it's the first blend I've had that actually smelled like pipesmoke to me.

It's getting towards my perfect blend, but because of the bite, heat and often dissapearance of taste, I have to give it a 3. Maybe I should try some non-latakia oriental blends and see if I like that.

I no longer smoke English blends but my notes indicate I found EMP lacking 'oomph." - I like more body. I rate this tobacco 7.5 out of 10.

The tin has a great smell, but when smoked it is rather bland.

Not as mild as someone might expect, but I prefer stronger and tastier stuff like Nightcap.

As a whole, a well-balanced, pleasant tobacco: sometimes I like to smoke it. It is simple, never boring, and in some moments of the day it is just what I need, but not usually the kind of taste I am looking for.

UPDATE February 2004: With some more experience, and some slower puffing, it's actually quite a tasty blend. It's quite stout and "heavy" on the throat and palate, and quite nicotine-laden. Its toasted/oriental taste reminds a bit of Gawith's Squadron Leader. It can get a bit bitter towards the end of the bowl.

One of the most stable Dunhill products, quality wise.

The flavors are rustic and dynamic at once. It is a fine way to spoil yourself so early in the morning, if that's how you begin your day. I like to ease myself into the day, however, so it's not something I'd smoke in the morning--too much too soon. BUT, this is a great mid day or evening smoke. Wonderful flavors abound, just like with 965. A great smoke--my #3 for English blends behind 965 and Peterson's Old Dublin.

Perhaps it?s a side effect of the marketing, perhaps the nature of the blend, but I generally do smoke this in the morning with a cup of strong, black coffee. The bitterness of the coffee and the sweetness of the Virginia play off each other nicely, but not so pleasantly that I smoke this even close to daily. For me, once every two or three weeks is perfect. A diehard 965 fan, I find that blend much more satisfying in the morning (afternoon or evening, for that matter).

After arriving at my house that night I set the tin on my kitchen table and seemed to stare at it for a long while. I wasn?t sure what was going to happen but I was full of excitement. I cracked the tin and stuck my nose right in it. Is that Ketchup I smell? or perhaps an old musty leather bag or jacket left in someone?s closet only to be discovered years later? You either like this smell or hate it. I was completely taken in by it!! Wonderful.

The tobacco consisted 60% light and 40% dark ribbon cut strands. It comes firmly packed in the tin and requires one to loosen up with fingers before packing. Packs and lights easily.

With this my first English blend I wasn?t sure what to expect, although I very much liked the tin aroma. Upon lighting a very nice and light ?nutty? flavor comes through. The smoke was very cool and I enjoyed it with no tongue bite at all. I tasted all kinds of different flavors but for some reason was constantly reminded of the crisp autumn and the burning of a fireplace or leaves. This made me toke the tobacco with pleasure. I did find that if I provoked this tobacco to much, it produced a tiny bit of harshness on the back of my throat, so I took more care in smoking the rest of the bowl. The tobacco seems to get heavier and a bit darker towards the bottom. It did require a pipe cleaner in the stem before finishing and produced a small bit of moisture. The tobacco burs to a thin gray ash and leaves little moisture in the bottom of the bowl. But why the name Early Morning Pipe? It is a great smoke any time of day, but if you like to start your mornings with a little kick, then EMP it is!! Being a fairly new smoker myself, I would highly recommend this to someone wanting to experiment with English blends. Its very mild, the mix of tobaccos is smooth and not overpowering, and full of wonderful flavors. I will always keep a tin of this on hand.

I?m looking forward to moving on to some other tasty treats, but I?m very glad I started here. Thank you Early Morning Pipe.

Now I've tried EMP which seems richer in Latakia than FM, not to mention un-topped. This is a keeper. Smooth juicy smoke, musty but at the same time tastefully sweet

Those who think they don't like Latakia and do like Virginia blends, may find that EMP is a good smoke, certainly worth trying.

It is, as advertized, a quite good first pipe, especially with coffee.

Well... reality isn't always what it seems.

After a few smokes of this fine blend I have concluded the following:

This is not a mild mix of light tobaccos, rather a nice, easy English blend with a touch of Latakia to compliment the Virginias and Orientals. It is mellow and cool to smoke. The blend has enough body to remain interesting throughout and to entice you to another when done.

Finally, I find this smokes extremely well at the end of the day when you are reday to settle down for one last puff and head off to bed. Perhaps it is meant to settle the mind for sleep so as to anticipate tomorrow's Early Morning.

Even though this is supposedly mild I found it stronger in flavor than the last mild english I smoked (Valle Crucis) so I'm rating it medium on that. Valle Crucis was a bit too mild for me and EMP is about as mild as I think I can stand in an English blend without getting annoyed at the lack of latakia flavor.

I detect a slight soapy flavor so I'm assuming that there is a little bit of casing involved in this somewhere.

Overall I think this is quality stuff but to me it's nothing special. Maybe if I were more of an "Early morning" or all-day smoker, and i smoked more 965, I'd see more point to this stuff, but to me theres no special appeal. If you find yourself craving a milder 956 at times though then give this a try.

I only smoke a few English blends and this is the one I probably smoke more then the rest. When I do seem to want EMP is on the weekends. Where I can just sit back drink my black coffee and unwind. From there, I'll smoke it most of the day.

Upon tasting, I receive the VA but not strongly. There is no sweetness at all. It's enhanced with Latakia & Oriental but none of the above are overpowering. They are well balanced and even. Dry woodsy to sometimes slightly bitter (but in a positive way).

Aroma wise, my wife is not fond of it but she lives with it. She says it smells like "Burning Leaves" (when she's in a good mood) and "Just Smoke" (when she's in a bad one). Apparently, It's not for mixed gatherings.

And last, I have a habit of inhaling Early Morning more then most of my other tobaccos. Maybe it satisfies the old cigerette smoker in me.

A good English.

A difference I find with many of its stronger relatives, is that EMP has a sharper effect on the palate immediately after lighting up. Not sweet, not dense, but almost thrifty, its components seem to incessantly compete with one another, as if seeking to desperately assert themselves before being gobbled up by the others. Mid bowl, however, the flavour settles down, achieving some nuttiness and strength but without entirely leaving the mild zone. Mild in this case is not equivalent to smoothness, and that is one of the paradoxes that quizzes me about EMP, for that initial sharpness seems to remain the only constant effect throughout the smoke and, by the end of the bowl, it can reach a certain degree of harshness on the bitter side. I also find it tends to burn a tad drier than other Latakia/Oriental blends, and in spite of the respectable amount of Latakia I find it difficult to reach the ?zone?.

Otherwise, it is a very lively and enjoyable smoke; a good change of pace when seeking to drift slightly from the more conventional blends of this type, and a recommendable overture to fuller English compositions. Maybe Dunhill?s idea was to create a smoking continuum, in which EMP opens the day, followed either by Apertiff or Standard Mixture Medium, finishing with My Mixture 965 or Nightcap. Nowadays I find that the transition from EMP to any other Dunhill Latakia blend has become too steep and radical for me. IMO, London Mixture is by far a better starting point, and virtually an all day symphony.

EMP smells great in the tin and I decided to take the advice of previous users and left the lid off for a week or so to try and dry it out. It lights well with a good charring and doesn't require above average attention to keep it going. The flavour starts smoothly, more 'Virginia' than anything else but as you smoke down the bowl so the presence of the Orientals and the Latakia grows and so does its strength and power. I found the smoke increasingly harsh, especially on the back of my throat and as I neared the bottom of the bowl got a slight feeling of light-headedness. The advice from a previous reviewer to take a breather midway through is probably wise.

EMP is a 'clean' smoke, just a fine grey ash is all that is left from a satisfying session.

But overall I would say EMP is disappointingly bland and without the smoothness of other Dunhill blends like London Mixture. However, I have several tins of EMP and will return to it now and again as an alternative or 'resting' tobacco from my usual favourites.

Physical Characteristics: A standard Dunhill wide cut ribbon, comprised of almost exclusively dark brown and black pieces. Packs easily and burns evenly and slowly, to a gray, grainy ash.

Notes:I am not sure exactly what this blend is flavored with, but it most definately is flavored with something. Something vaguely sweet, and perhaps vegetal. Heck, even the tin says so "mildly flavoured", which is about as apt a description as I could give it, unfortunately. The flavoring is very light at first, but becomes more noticeable as the bowl progresses. It is a mild and pleasant blend, and probably, as it's name suggest, appropriate in the morning. I never really took to this blend though, probably for the nagging wonder about what exactly was used to case this. This reminds me of what My Mixture 965 would be like if it were cased. Tongue bite is a rarity with this blend, but also, for me, so is enjoying the last few puffs, as whatever flavoring agent is used seems to concentrate in the bottom of the bowl as the smoke progresses, amking the last few puffs unpleasant.

Verdict: A nice blend, I suppose, but nothing that really grabs me.

There was no tongue bite and it certainly did not overwhelm the palate. Tasty and complex for a light latakia blend. Highly recommended.

I do have to mention that this tin had aged for 7-8 years. I have also recently tried the bulk version of this, which I find to be sweeter and less complex in the nutty tones that I enjoy in the tin. I hope more recent tins are not reduced in their complexity and overall flavor. (4/02)

Early Morning Pipe is indeed a mild blend so far as its "kick", that is the nicotine content. It will not shock the nervous system into overdrive as some blends will. That being said, this is not a blend that will induce nausea at 6 a.m.

The tobacco, cut, and packaging are all vintage Dunhill (read:Benchmark). The tobacco packs and lights very well, and stays lit. As another review noted, it is a low maintainence tobacco.

This is one English mixture that I can tolerate to some degree despite my aversion to Turkish tobaccos. The Virginias dominate early on and the Oriental factor is lighter and later than in 965. It is in fact a good smoke for any time of the day when you want something that is clean, fresh, but not overly contemplative.

I would try to like it much more, but in the end, that little Oriental chap has me put out.

I smoked this in a long, svelte Dunhill prince, whilst sipping very dry, very cold champagne, and felt præternaturally suave. But why does elegance no longer excite us?

Aroma: The Virginias seem to be on the sharrp side, rather than sweet and mellow. There is a fairly good Latakia and urkish presence.

Packing: Packs easily into medium and large pipes.

Lighting: Again, typical Dunhill. Always needs a full charring light. Slow, steady burn rae follows immediately.

Initial flavor: First taste is slightly harsh, not as gentle as I expected. There is more strength of flavor here than in Std. Mild Mixture.

Mid-bowl: This is not my wake up pipe tobacco. It seems to be more of a medium blend, but harsher than most other Dunhill?s. There is nice complexiy from the condiments, but the sharp edge keeps me from enjoying it. It also causes me to produce more saliva as a reaction to the flavor.

Finish: Even harsher at the end.

Summary: Not a nice tobacco at all, IMHO. It needs more mellow red Va. to smooth it down. It?s hard for me to imagine why this is as popular as it is.

I have never had toung bite with this tobacco and it is a tobacco which you can go on smoking for quite a while, but the blandness of it can become boring after smoking it for 15 minutes, so I say it is best smoked in a smaller bowl. Overall I'd reccomend this as a wake up smoke or as something to wind down with after a day of smoking stronger tobacco's.

The visual appearance is an equal mixture of dark and light ribbon cut tobaccos. The predominant odor is Latakia. Although it isn't listed on the tin, Latakia is definitely present.

EMP lights and smokes fine. It's mildly sweet, but I would definitely say it's a Latakia blend. Many people say it's a mild English. I think with the amount of Latakia it's more in the medium range. It's milder than Nightcap and 965 but still stands up and it's less harsh than Standard Medium with very little to no bite. The balance between Latakia and the Orientals gives this an easier room note than tobaccos heavier in Latakia.

Overall a very good English and one of my standard Dunhill blends along with Nightcap.