The tin was mixed poorly, with large clumps of virginia, missing the dark spicy flecks promised, and other patches mixed properly, but the spices were stalky, too dry and almost twig-like in cases. Hmmmm... Not impressed for $50 New Zealand per tin!

Its not that this isnt an enjoyable smoke, or that all of the leaf is of poor quality, its just that this tobacco is sort of, well, ho-hum.

Don't get me wrong, I would probably buy it again, but only if I was strapped for decent English blends at the crunch time.

Lovers of virginia tasting mixtures will be happy here, but I prefer a little more Latakia frankly, and a bit o Perique too Me Hearties! Davidoff Royalty - its no Dorisco, but can be an enjoyable pipe - get EMP or the above over this and you'll feel more satisfied and less scammed!

Come on Davidoff - you can do better!!!!!

3.5 out of 10 without meaning to be harsh!!! Honesty is the best policy in my book!!!

All in all this is not a terrible smoke, but it is a cheap mixture.

Appearance: 40% each of bright golden and reddish brown leaf with the remainder comprising light to dark brown leaf with a few black strands mixed in; all this as a medium to thick ribbon, ready rubbed and not overly moist in the tin.

Aroma: Spice cake, cream custard, corriander, mace, cloves, honey, smoke, boysenberry, fig.

Taste: Mild tendency to dry the mouth. Very smooth. Creamy mouthfeel on the palate. Nutty Virginia flavors, mildly sweet but never honeyed or cloying. Figs, smoke, strawberry shortcake, olive oil, patchouli, pecans.

Comparisons: Smooth, like Dunhill's Baby's Bottom, but with more pronounced English flavors. Like Dunhill's Early Morning Pipe but far fuller on the palate and a shade less sweet. Not nearly the latakia fest that Dunhill's Durbar is, though.

Bottom Line: For those who seek an English blend, full on the palate but mild in flavor, extremely smooth and restrained.

I have found that this tobacco is one of my favorite anchor blends. It is a wonderfully spicy and smokey english blend. Yes, it is a little light on the Latakia, but it offers a wonderful campfire, smoke-lodge pleasure with its mature Virginia base. I have found that this blend shines in my large Brigham half-bent.

The blend is easy packing ribbon cut with lovely contrasting darks and bright Virginia with a balanced dash of Latakia and Oriental. It has a rounded, dense, mildly warm solace, regardless of its somewhat piquante room note. Sheer briar bliss, but not for the novice.

Last notes.... lichen-covered granite and fresh morning woods. This is a timeless blend, and is most definitly a recipe from a the early 1900's as it purports to be.

In my oppinion it has it all: packs simply, lights well and burns really cooool (the proof of great quality).

It's got a nutty + woody taste which is always present. The top virginas give it a wonderful creamy taste - somehow you might think of something earthy....

In many ways it reminds me of smoking a good quality cigar, since many flavours of Royalty also exist in a "hand rolled" cigar.

It's top ranked in my English bar (I only smoke English tabaccos) and it has the stuff to become an all day smoke.

This is a passable English, but unless someone offers me a bowlful, I see absolutely no reason why I shouldn't stick with my Dunhills and Petersons, who offer great Englishes for a little more than half the price.

So why don't I give this blend the highest rating you might ask ? Simply put....the enormous price!!! With so many premium blends on the market today.....this one just does not warrant double the cost of all the others. I will however splurge and buy a tin on rare occasions to indulge myself, but beyond that....no way Jose.

Give it a try though and judge its merits based upon your discriminations. I think you'll be quite pleased with the product, but a wee bit turned off by the price.

Royalty is mostly sweet Virginias with some orientals and a smidge of latakia. The Virginia element in this tobacco reminds me of McCranies Red Ribbon in its natural sweetness. The tobacco comes at just the right moisture level for me. Burning qualities are excellent if you smoke slowly, but it can get hot if you overpuff. I find that Royalty leaves my palate a little dry, causing me to take a sip more often than most blends. This blend qualifies as English only because of the addition of some latakia, but as English mixtures go, the latakia is hardly there. The room note is dominated by the Virginias and leaves a nice woodsy aroma that lingers to the next day.

If you like Virginias with some spicy Orientals, try Royalty. If you are looking for strong latakia, go elsewhere.

Royalty is a very good tobacco, but for me will always be an occasional smoke. Royalty is not cheap. My 50g tin was priced at $11.50.

Upon lighting, the tobacco tastes basically of Virginias, undoubtedly the stars of the mixture. But the Turkish/Oriental elements play their role very well, every now and then coming to the fore to make themselves felt. The Latakia remains in the background, but by mid-bowl its musky presence creeps up to contribute to a the final, satisfying flavour.

I don?t think this could be thought of as an entirely English mixture, in the sense that it is not a full bodied tobacco. It differs even from milder Latakia mixtures, such as Early Morning or London Mixture (it may be closer to Apertif, which I have not yet tried), in that it has a drier, woody flavour. It does not gurgle, and it leaves both the pipe bowl and the smoker?s palate clean.

If you are looking for an all day smoke with some Latakia and Orientals, this is an excellent choice. In so far as its strength is not overwhelming, one does not grow tired (or numb) after several bowls, but it is savoury enough to enjoy.