As DNR apparently is not available in the US, I ended up ordering a tin from a British tobacco house. Cost: About 12 British Pounds after shipping and handling. I think this is somewhere in the neighborhood of $20 US or more--I'll find out for sure when I get the credit card statement . . .

I agree with the earlier reviewers who feel that this blend may be slightly more refined and less Perique-heavy than the new Escudo. Since I like to rub out the discs, the Perique was pronounced for me in both blends. Thr DNR burned a bit better, but that could be a function of moisture levels. Anyway, I'll probably stick with the Escudo, as I can get it locally and for less than half the price of DNR. I still give Pease's Haddo's Delight a slight edge over DNR and Escudo as far as Virginia Perique blends go--but not too much of an edge!

It has plenty of nicotene, but it is not overwhelming. Rather than being a kick like St Bruno, this just builds steadily, leaving me with a warm glow of relaxation.

Sadly, its quite expensive, so I usually only smoke it on Sundays, it goes down a treat after a huge Sunday breakfast. An excellent way to begin a day of enjoyable and repleted idleness.

Rich, sweet, sublime.

I never tried the old Escudo, which DNR is advertised to approximate better. Indeed both DLN and aged new Escudo give me an experience close to what I hear the old Escudo created. The new unaged Escudo tin just seems lighter to me. I think new Escudo needs to be aged for quite a while to achieve that old Escudo punch, while DLN is probably closer to the original off the shelf. (However, I have ben told by some, but not all, experienced old Escudo buffs that there is no detectable difference between the old and new. Opinions do differ here (e.g., Ephermis articles) in these subtle evaluations.)

I compared the two (DLN with new but aged Escudo).

Tin aroma: DLN - plum cake, ketchup, rich; aged new Escudo - more sour like. DLN smells better. I don't think a new tin of Escudo smells as strong (or bad) as the aged one. I don't think either has any or much scenting; just aged, matured virginia.

Visual: DLN - 24 large thick rounds of brown and bright tobacco with some darkness. Aged new Escudo - similar if not identical disks but after two plus years of aging, very dark and black, almost like mostly dark flake. A newer tin of Escudo has a similar disk color appearance as DLN. I found the Escudo rounds rolled better (the way I pack it is to roll and stop down with my thumb); DLN's broke up a wee bit more, but o.k.

Room aroma: DLN - light presence but "hit and run" ((probably from the scent of the perique). Aged Escudo - ashy; similar to a cigarette to an untrained nose. But not a heavy room aroma.

Taste: DLN - flavor quickly builds to a melancholy red virginina type ("fruity") sweetness with a dark spicy side. The more split up the coins, the deeper the perique presence and less sweetness from the virginia. Not as heavy or sweet as St. Bruno or as strong (or bitey) as Esoterica's Dorchester. Still cool and biteless, unless you break it up too much or smoke to quickly, then the perique will get you. Aged Escudo - similar but a slightly darker flavor. (I recall a new tin of Escudo being lighter in color, taste, and complexity. You didn't taste the perique much except as a slightly pepperly note toward the finish.) Still fairly cool; a quality smoke.

Overall, I think DLN wins by a nose (no pun intended), but both DLN and new aged Escudo are quality curly cut smokes. Matured virginia sweetness with a dark note if you roll the coins in the bowl lengthwise and plug or stop them down. Neither is difficult to light or to keep lit. Neither is a wet smoke. Neither is heavy (unless you break them up too much or just don't like perique at all). Both are cool. But again it takes new Escudo a while in the tin, in my opinion, to approach DLN. Similar is all other respects.

Maybe someone scientist/reviewer can do a more detailed scientific comparison.

This tobacco is obviously trying to emulate Escudo in all but name, not only does it succeed in doing this, it goes one better. Escudo used to be my favourite virginia/perique blend, having tried Dunhill's version I don't think Escudeo will be making much of an appearnce in my cellar.

This tobacco comes in coin form and depending on how you use it, it can take on two completely different personalities.

You can roll the coins and fill the bowl with them standing vertically (2-3 rolls per bowl), this fill method gives you a wonderfull cool smoke that burns slowly. The virginia predominates, with the Periquqe coming through as a soft undertone. Although it takes a bit of effort to get going, once lit it stays lit with very little effort. Filling the bowl this way makes it great for outdoor smoking.

The other method is to rub out the coins, they rub out very easily in to a fairly course cut. Smoking the tobacco this way is completely different from the previous method. This time the Perique is much more noticeable, yet it is still well banaced with the virginia. Smoooth, very smooth is how I would describe it, perfect for restfull comtemplation.

The strength of this tobacco is quite mild and it burns slowly, leaving a fairly coarse grey ash. It is also one of the easiest tobbacos to keep lit of all the tobaccos I've ever tried. It manages to produce no tongue bite even if smoked hard, which is a quality I feel is lacking in many Perique blends.

All in all a top knotch tobacco, which I love.

The Rolls are a dead-ringer for Escudo; they look, smell, and rub out exactly the way Escudo does. But upon lighting up, the difference becomes obvious. DNR is considerably more refined and smooth than its predecessor. The quality of the Virginias is first rate. The Perique presents itself and does its work well, without overwhelming the smoker as Escudo often does. Not as sweet as Three Nuns, nor as woodsy as McClelland 2015, DNR shoots straight down the middle with a robust, flavorful smoke with just enough spice to keep it from ever becoming uninteresting. (And I'm a guy who generally doesn't care for Dunhill Virginias.)

If you're a fan of Escudo, you should seek DNR out and try it. If you've smoked Escudo and come away either overwhelmed or underwhelmed, you should _definitely_ try DNR. It's a crime that this stuff isn't available in the U.S.!

The discs are easily crumbled, and the packing is also very easy. This particular blend comes a bit drier than many of the Dunhill tobaccos.

I think this is better by far than Three Nuns or Escudo. Those two blends have way too much perique for me. And Three Nuns just plain stinks! As is typical of Dunhill, the virginia base is top notch, and I did not detect any added flavoring in the leaf. Perique, if very subdued, can be tolerated by my palate, and I detected just a smidgen of the Louisiana goo in this particular blend.

If you fancy laid-back perique blends, then join Dunhill's Navy, otherwise, ship out on a different boat.