Dunhill - Aperitif pipe tobacco reviews

Review

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Reviewed By:	Date:	Strength:	Flavoring:	Taste:	Room Note:	Recommendation:
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Philo Beddoe	02/18/2007	Mild to Medium	Mild	Medium to Full	Tolerable
Odd, I was unsure of what to expect when I opened the tin, but not the sweet aroma Apertif produced. The Dunhill blends I have tried have usually been quite proper, as far as English tobaccos are concerned, this is a definate sweet change of pace. Upon lighting, I tasted baking spices, perhaps allspice, cinnamon or clover. Such a strange taste, I was put off at once. I continued through half a bowl and that was all I could stand, so I put the tin away for several days, thinking that my taste buds were being affected by outside influences. When I tried another bowl the taste was the same, baking spices, I will not return to Apertif, but it was an interesting blend. Not awful, but not what I would expect from Dunhill.
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Camus	02/14/2007	Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Tolerable
I have never had the Murray's version but the current Orlik one is a real let down. If it were a loudspeaker it would be all mid-range - no treble or bass. Added to which it has a sickly sweetness that I find nauseous. I find that is a Danish tobacco character that I cannot stand; it's not a sharp sweetness like you have in a Virginia, which I quite like. Luckily I rescued it by mixing it 50/50 with Nat Sherman's 536 where it serves to "fill in" the "mid-range hole" that 536 has. The excellent latakia in 536 tones the sweetness down a bit and makes a reasonable smoke in the end.
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JazzSmoke	01/16/2007	Medium	None detected	Full	Tolerable to Strong
I have three tins of the Murray's version and just finished the first one. I LOVE this tobacco. It's dark, smoky, a little sweet and burns very cool. It hasn't scorched my tongue like so many blend do, and it must be all the dark tobaccos which cool the smoke down. I have not tried the Orlick version (but will open one soon) yet and I hope that it's not been ruined, because this is a great English/Balkan blend. Update: 2007 Oh...I've tried the Orlick blend and it's lighter and sweeter. Good tobacco, very Danish. Not English, though. It's far away from the UK version, it looks different and smells different in the tin. Well. I'll never buy this one again. We have enough fake classic old English blends and I don't buy them any more.
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Maimonides	10/26/2006	Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Mild	Pleasant
CITRUS,SOUR,SWEET A mild English. Dry, cool- sweet and sour if you are attentive. Weak leathery/citrus..Dunhill is quality. Early Morning Pipe I suggest over this to the new to 'English' folk.
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Mitland	09/21/2006	Medium to Strong	Mild to Medium	Medium	Tolerable
This companion to Dunhill's EMP only deepens the flavors of what is a rather ordinary smoke. Darker colors, fuller flavors of burnt marshmello, campfire and now a fully cigarish overtone from top to bottom. No more or less heavy a nicotine hit than EMP. I find this bitter, acrid and filled with leather flavors. Not at all my cup o coffee.
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peakbagger	08/22/2006	Mild	None detected	Mild to Medium	Tolerable
This is a fine, dry and cool smoke. The tin aroma is pungent, it smells of fermented fruit. This is a visually attractive mix of mostly dark, short cut leaf. Packing and lighting is a simple, one match affair in my IMP Meer bent pickaxe; puffing gently allows all the components to be savored individually. This starts out mild in flavor but builds nicely towards the middle of the bowl, neither sweet nor bitter; smooth is a good description of what I taste. Latakia, VAs (conditioned) and Orientals; I am happy to have this in my cellar for an occasional change of pace. 7 out of 10 stars.
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tonyg	07/20/2006	Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Tolerable
Forty-seven years ago, as a college freshman, I was introduced to Dunhill blends. I smoked them on those rare occassions when I could afford the dollar to buy a two ounce tin. I continued to smoke Aperitif and virtually every other Dunhill tobacco more and more as my budget would allow. Of all the blenders in those days, Dunhill was peerless. Whenever I was in New York City, I would make it a point to stop at the Dunhill store at Rockefeller Center and pick up a few tins of the exclusive tobaccos blended there. There wasn't one blend that I didn't like although I did have my favorites. Well, those days are long gone. Even the store is long gone. The quality of the Dunhill blends have deminished over the years. Just a few years ago, one could pick up a decent tin but now their (they're really not Dunhill's) tobaccos bear only the slightest resemblance to what once was. The resemblance is superficial at best. The current blend does not live up to the standards found in today's finer tobaccos. Do yourself a favor and skip this one, unless of course, you can find and afford a vintage tin.
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D'Jullius	05/27/2006	Mild	Extremely Mild	Very Mild	Pleasant
strong, leathery. like almost every other dunhill.
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afi6to8	02/10/2006	Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant
The aroma of this weed was pleasant, though not really notable among other english blends I have smoked. It lit easily, and required no relights. The first half of the bowl was rather sharp, but it toned down to a very nice mellow flavor in the end stretch. It burned cool throughout its entire duration, and gave no tongue bite. Overall I thought it was an enjoyable smoke, but nothing to write home about. For a smoke right before or after a good rich meal, I think Dunhill's Nightcap actually provides a more robust, and better suited flavor. Two stars.
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RCUSElder	09/16/2005	Medium	None detected	Medium	Tolerable
My 200th Review!!!! Appearance and Tin Aroma: a good mixture of dark, mahogany, brown, and ocassional light leaf. Smells deliciously pungent. Almost a sweet and sour aroma. Makes my mouth water... Packing and Lighting: I usually leave the tin open in a nice dark place for about 2 hours upon initial opening of the tin. The medium ribbon cut packs fairly easily. 2-3 Lights max. Initial Flavor: Mana! This is a delicious Scottish/English/Oriental Mixture. Mid-Bowl: Delicious round flavor, gets into the zone easily. Does not need much puffing to get flavor. I love the room note. Bottom of the Bowl: Ends too quickly! Leaves a fine, dry grey ash when done. Does not build too much strength or a nicotine blast. Overall: This is by far my favorite blend from the Dunhill line. Not as rich as LM, not bloated and cloying like 965, no blast like Nightcap. IMO this is one of the best all-day blends you can get. Not as soft as Exotique by Smokers Haven, not as rough as Red Raparee. I can smoke bowls of this back to back with nary a tongue-bite or nicotine headaches like some blends can give. Since this will not be blended in the U.K. anymore, I have since stashed a lot of this blend. No telling what the Orlick version will be like. Go and get some now! A truly refined blend worthy of the staunchest Calvinist! Enjoy...
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Spike	09/16/2005	Medium	None detected	Medium	Tolerable to Strong
More interesting than Durbar, tasty Latakia. Three and one-half stars.
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Wolfpaw	06/07/2005	Medium to Strong	None detected	Full	Tolerable
I've admitted elsewhere that I'm partial to the Dunhill mixtures in general. I recently tried The Aperitif for the first time, and it was pretty much "love at first pipe." Its tin aroma is the typically English full, smoky scent (which I like). The tobacco is of the customary Dunhill quality and not excessively moist. It burns smoothly and requires few relights, and the room aroma is not unpleasant. The Aperitif's flavor reminds me a bit of Early Morning Pipe, but it's stronger and the flavor is fuller and more complex, and a bit spicier too. The Aperitif has become a particular favorite, though contrarian that I am, I prefer it after dinner or for my last pipe of the day. I recently heard a rumor that The Aperitif won't be available in the U.S. much longer; I sincerely hope that's not true. If you enjoy a good complex English blend, this one's definitely worth a try. Laying in a supply of a few extra tins might not be a bad idea too.
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emmbee	12/09/2004	Medium	None detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant
like most dunhill blends, this is a well-crafted, dependable blend that should be in the collection of every british blend afficionado. though a bit strong, the latakia lover will find that this can be smoked throughout the day without suffering tongue bite or boredom. i love the spicy notes and the pretty blend of dark and yellow tobaccos in the tin. the room note is actually more pleasant than the tin note, which is not always the case with some blends. after smoking, the aroma dissipates quickly, leaving non-smokers unoffended. i even enjoy the art deco tin art, replete with suave lettering and ubiquitous waiter standing nearby with drinks in hand; a bit of haughty fun. aperitif has more kick than standard medium and royal yacht. this is probably my favorite daytime tobacco, and the happy medium between durbar and nightcap. i frequently mix this with a little elizabethan to give the virginias and perique of that blend more finish and spice. those who enjoy liz but find her a bit on the bland side might want to consider adding some aperitif to the mix. it's sort of like a splash of dry vermouth to gin. overall, this is a staple among tinned tobaccos that i hope will always be around for us smokers to enjoy.
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Le2	11/14/2004	Medium to Strong	None detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable
A very nice mixture
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Esoxhunter	09/27/2004	Medium to Strong	None detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable
September 2004 I like really this blend, although anyone doing a blind taste test could tell you right out of the box that this is a Dunhill English mixture. It has a very pleasant pure tobacco sweetness, undetectable in Nightcap or Durbar, that works really well with the latakias and orientals. I couldn't quite identify the sweet flavor, and I knew that I couldn't detect any burley in the blend, so I assumed it wasn't from the cavendish. Then I read Eulenburg's review, and things became clear: this blend uses English Cavendish, which Eulenburg teaches is manufactured with Virginia leaf and not Burley (thank God, from my perspective). This may be my favorite Dunhill English blend, at least on a par with 965 and Durbar. It get three stars from me, and not four, only because I prefer the more multi-dimensional Pease blends.
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CaptnDan	09/02/2004	Medium	None detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable
Aperitif is a nicely balanced blend, though is you are of a mind that Latakia and Cavendish should never meet, you won?t like it. In fact, I would say that if you don?t like 965, you aren?t going to like this one either. As you would expect from Dunhill, the quality of the leaf is very good, and the cut and flavor is consistent throughout the tin. It can become harsh if you get a bit overanxious, especially at the ?tinned? moisture level. Some drying is a fine idea. I could, and I have, smoked this throughout the day. I tend not to address nicotine content, as I rarely find anything that I actually consider strong in that way. It has a moderately full flavor, predominantly Turkish with Cavendish and Latakia undertones as a rule, though the Latakia does assert from time to time. It?s a dry smoke, in respect to both the pipe and the taste. If you like your smoke a bit on the Oriental/Turkish side, this could be for you. If you?re looking for a Latakia powerhouse, such as GLP Raven?s Wing, you?ll find this one a bit too light.
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Beer	08/31/2004	Medium	None detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong
This Dunhill blend is not available in Italy, and it's a shame. It's a lighter cousin to My Mixture 965 and London Mixture, but sufficiently different to justify its existance. It also bears some similarities to Durbar (the oriental tones are rather pronounced), but I find it much more pleasant, as Durbar can be exceedingly spicy and with a cigar-like tone that I don't like very much. Aperitif has a delicious bitterness/spicyness/sweetness that is a bit dominant over the Latakia, but not too much: it is a very dry (and with dry I mean like in wine) tasting smoke, rather tickling to the tongue, with an almost metallic note. The Virginias sweetness is more subdued than in other Dunhill english mixtures, and the result is a smoke that is perfect before dinner (as the name suggests), but also after. I still prefer London Mixture, which is fuller, rounder and more complex, but I love this one too enormously, particularly when smoked in the right pipe (in my case, a large bent group 6 shell Dunhill). I'd almost say that this mixture has some Balkan overtones, which is great. A different english mixture than, let's say, GLPease offerings: less subdued, thicker, more in-your-face (not overwhelming, mind) and very satisfying. Packing and burning qualities are similar to Dunhill's other EMs: great. Only shame of this tobacco is that I finished my first tin in a matter of days! It is also one of the Dunhill blends that has suffered very little from their recent decline!
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Joe Patterson	07/01/2004	Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Tolerable to Strong
This is my third venture into Dunhill tobacco land. I must say, all I've tasted so far, this included strikes me with the same characteristics: refined leaves, subtle flavor, lightly sweet, latakia laden, and needs to be dried a bit before smoking. This is a "nice" blend. It won't bite, unless puffed to excess. I found that the flavor right out of the tin is a bit harsh and it does need a bit of drying time. The sweetness is at the lower levels, in that one can taste the Va/Oriental sweetness, but the smoky latakia is the dominant player. I have smoked this in several pipes, I will buy more to cellar, but I've really gotta be in the mood for something light and doing something that allows me to enjoy this slowly. If you want to read a book, sip some coffee (or strong tea) and sit on the porch relaxing in the morning, then this is for you. Else, you may go for something with a bit more flavor and/or a bit more strength.
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DeltaSnake	05/21/2004	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable
I've found this to be one of Dunhill's more average blends, although mainly due to my preference for the stronger stuff. When smoked carefully (not to avoid bite, this stuff burns pretty well), it does have a character of it's own, a bit of spice does come out and one could envision it as a good prelude to a fine meal. Better yet, something that saves the experience of a mediocre meal perhaps. It has a different enough flavor, and a mild-medium character that will appeal to more than a few, and I could hardly say it would be a bad choice. Personally, Balkan Sobranie would have been my choice in this range, but you can't do too wrong here.
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Eulenburg	05/09/2004	Mild to Medium	None detected	Medium	Pleasant
Like 965, and unlike DURBAR or NIGHTCAP, this has some Cavendish leaf in it. English Cavendish is not like American Cavendish. American cavendish is made out of Burley, cased. English cavendish is made out of Virginia, pressed, steamed, uncased. It lends a mixture a buffering, velvety element which marries smoothly with the Orientals. Smootheness is of the essence. 965 being a "lotsa latakia" blend, I find the cavendish there a little diconcerting, like putting a bit of sugar into oolong tea. On the other hand, it certainly buffers the possible astringency of some Oriental leaf. This blend has considerably less latakia than 965, and so the cavendish is less surprising. For me, smoothness is not of the essence. Since I love the natural astringency of NIGHTCAP and DURBAR, I have always tended to leave 965 and APERITIF alone. But they form a very significant flowerbed in the Dunhill garden, and people who like a cushiony, lush latakia~oriental experience will enjoy Apéritif.
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