http://www.iwanries.com/dunhill_C1533.cfm

Anyway, a very nice mixture. Smokey and sweet. It just becomes a bit bland after a week, so smoke it quickly now!

If you're looking for a well-informed review, keep looking. I don't know what the hell I'm talking about, but I like this.

This is Orlik stuff, and I won't try to pretend this is better or worse than what came before it; my frame of reference doesn't include Murray's or pre-Murray's Dunhill blends. Codgers and curmudgeons will find no fodder for their argument here.

This is tobacco, pure and simple, expertly blended to form something perfectly pleasant, light, creamy, and cool-burning. Where's the Latakia others speak of? I suspect it probably only imparts a certain mellow coolness to the smoke.

It's a tobacco with a light and balanced touch. The smoke is bright and fresh, and has an agreeable creaminess and tartness. No flavor dominates, but all contribute to a subdued but satisfying smoke.

So it was that early this morning (well, actually it was more like 10.30) I broke the seal on the sole tin of Dunhill EMP in my possession and decided to put this assertion to the test.

The tin is marked 'Made in the UK' rather than 'Made in the EU', so I assume this means it is from the Murray's production, in other words, it is the good stuff and has at least 6 years of age on it.

Moisture level was a little dryer than I expected, but pefectly acceptable for firing up the briar straight away. Light brown and tan coloured strands of tobacco predominated and loaded into my sandblasted Stanwell Rhodesian with minimal fuss.

Inital puffs yielded a good volume of light, slightly tangy and slightly spicy smoke. Vitamin N levels were more satisfying than I expected.

By the halfway mark the Virginias were showing their sweetness and the spicy flavours from the orientals had gently given way to creamy, buttery deliciousness.

Great burning properties and gave every impression of being a sophisticated, balanced and high quality blend. I am not sure it would work as an after dinner smoke, but I could happily enjoy it at any other time of day.

Given the kind of prices that remaining tins of this blend are going for online I doubt that I'll pick up more unless I stumble across some dusty tins on the shelf of a backwater tobacconist. Nevertheless, I can understand why it has the following it does and I might consider ordering some of the more recent production from the continent to see if it matches up.

EMP is certainly the nicest tobacco I have smoked in the 'light english/oriental' category. Looks like sometimes the old timers are right!

Update: After a few more days getting to know this tobacco a couple of additional comments are called for. Firstly, it is quite pipe sensitive and bigger bowls seem to work better for me, not least because they prolong the pleasure. Secondly, smoke this in a Latakia soaked pipe and a lot of the nuances will be lost. I reserve a couple of pipes for light English blends only and these will be my pipes of choice for the remainder of the tin. Thirdly, this is one seriously moreish blend...I think another star is called for!

What I can remember is that this stuff reminded me of the smell of a freshly polished (Mr Sheen) living room sideboard cabinet. A woody, burnt leathery/tyre rubber taste which, if I'm honest at the time thought was awful. Though I do remember a certain creaminess about it..

Again this was a 2004 experience, and I'm sure if I tried it now this would be a 3 star reward. I've moved on since then and acclimatised to the different blends of tobacco available. (VA, VAPER, English, etc..)

As I have no means to sample it nowadays without paying over the odd's etc.. I'll give EMP the benefit of the doubt and give it 2 stars. This being purely based on memory and how I believe I'd respond to it nowadays. Which is kind of impossible, so it's a two star job..

RIP Dunhill...

I've switched almost completely to English tobaccos, and still have some of this around. I go back to EMP occasionally, but my impression now is similar to what it was when I first broke into it: this tobacco tastes like cigarettes. It tastes like Dunhill or even American Spirit loose cigarette tobacco.

Obviously a lot of people like this taste, but knowing what's available for pipes (Westminster, Penzance, Squadron Leader, even Shortcut To Mushrooms) I just don't know why anyone would want to smoke this stuff.

Also, the nicotine in this really drops me. After the first really woozy experience I've only smoked smaller pipes of this stuff, but it still gets me occasionally. I've got a pipe with a monster bowl that I can burn three flakes of Penzance in and feel a nice buzz, but not break into cold sweats.

Is it possible that the tin I got in Vienna is a different blend than what is being reviewed here? Either way, I only have a little left and am really considering pitching it out of my glass jar to make room for something tastier.

Tinnote: sweet, mellow and goood!

Taste maybe middle of the road but then in such a way that this is where I want to stay most of the time...

Good any time of day, an absolute classic must try!

Oh.., and Nikko, if you still have the surplus tins, please send them to me! I gladly reimburse you what you paid for them!

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