Dunhill - Durbar pipe tobacco reviews

Review

Please log in to add or edit a review. If you do not have an account yet, you can sign up for one here.

Reviewed By:	Date:	Strength:	Flavoring:	Taste:	Room Note:	Recommendation:
< PREVIOUS Showing reviews 41 through 60 of 89 reviews of this tobacco NEXT >
emmbee	04/19/2005	Medium to Strong	None detected	Full	Very Pleasant
Cut/Appearance: Pressed, ribbon cut, moist Latakia, Orientals and strands of lovely yellow exotics. Casing/Aromatics: very little if any detected. Pure tobacco pleasure for which Dunhill is justly famous. Tin notes: Deep and rich. More aggressive and smoky than Aperitif. A latakia lover?s delight. Stronger than Aperitif, milder & more complex than Nightcap. Best sniffed a few inches away from the nose. Room/Burn notes: A great English standby that fills the room with rich, spicy aromas quickly dissipating soon after smoking. Taste: If Aperitif is the appetizer, this is the entrée. Taste is immense and powerful. High quality latakias are most pronounced, with hints of spicy Balkan. One of the greats. Best in a small bent briar or a meerschaum, which bring out the natural flavors and aromas. Comments: This is an evening, after dinner or bedtime blend. It?s more complex and well rounded than Nightcap. The nicotine doesn?t knock me over like Elizabethan or Royal Yacht, which is a good thing. This shouldn?t be smoked all day due to its fullness, but rather, enjoyed after other tobaccos, such as Aperitif has been taken to prepare the palate. Musically speaking, Aperitif may serve as the crescendo to the fortissimo arrived at in this exuberant blend. After two to three weeks of the tin vacuum being broken, the flavors take on greater depth and complexity. The bowl is left clean and dry. Easy to smoke right down to the end until all that?s left is a fine, gray ash. Four and a half of five stars ------------------------------------------------ update 4/19 - Sorry to say, but after the 3rd tin of this stuff, i'm downgrading, and big time. Dunhill has taken a turn for the worse. Durbar is largely flat, insipid and tar-laden. There's no complexity to the blend; it's merely hot and smokey. Were it not for the dunhill name on the tin, you probably wouldn't buy it. I heard that their factory has been relocated once again, and obviously, signs of decline are starkly evident. Nightcap and 957 are also big disappointments. I have an unopened tin of Apertif that I'm aging. If that turns out to be a bust, I'm finished with Dunhill. There's too many other wonderful products out there to waste time and money with what used to be the most venerable name in pipes & tobacciana. I hate dramatic changes, and I hate seeing great institutions fall by the wayside, but I suppose, as with all things, it's inevitable. too bad! Two of five stars
Reviewed By:	Date:	Strength:	Flavoring:	Taste:	Room Note:	Recommendation:
Professor	02/15/2005	Extremely Strong	None detected	Extra Full	Pleasant to Tolerable
Durbar is quite brilliant! Here is the lead: It was a rainy night in New York. The cold dripping water begged for a rich mixture to take some chill out of the air (and the bones). England may have rain, but never the bitter cold that is a New York winter--it makes icicles wish for warm Scottish wool mufflers. It was time to try Dunhill?s Durbar indeed. It took a moment to open the tin (struggling first to open then frantically looking for a screwdriver to pry the top off). After opening, my hands were almost too numb to pack my pipe after the struggle with the impregnable metal casing, but I managed (with a now slight carpal tunnel feeling). Perhaps I should have found a coin instead. My straight Stanwell was easily filled and lit with this pleasant ribbon tobacco (dark with spots of tan--lovely). And the flavour was splendid. And curiously sweet. Although, it was preceded with a piece of dark chocolate that certainly enhanced the nuances of this prime tobacco. This is the kind of mixture that makes you feel good to be alive. In fact, it makes you want to live longer and begs that one quits smoking to lengthen life for the very reason of adding a few more years to enjoy more of this weed. Catch 22 there if there ever was one. Like another reviewer, the only problem that I found was that Durbar caused harshness in my throat and that will prevent it from becoming as regular as I would like. The tobacco burned extremely well and warmed the pipe's bowl to the perfect temperature. It did pack a nicotine punch that reminded me of the days of smoking great Dominican cigars too quickly. I will keep this on hand for special occasions. It was followed with scotch and water (a sherry matured version of The Glendronach). I recommend this with the reservation that is be saved for special occasions due to that harsh side affect that prevents it from becoming an all-day regular. More to come.
Reviewed By:	Date:	Strength:	Flavoring:	Taste:	Room Note:	Recommendation:
Winter pipe fan	01/16/2005	Medium to Strong	None detected	Full	Strong
To date, this is one of my favorite Dunhill tobaccos. Very different from 965, another favorite Dunhill blend. Durbar is very earthy, with a deep smokey flavor likened to that of your favorite pure malt scotch. Not as complex as 965, yet it has never disappointed. It's quite an enjoyable late night smoke, the kind where you park yourself in front of the fireplace and just relax. The taste doesn't take any real turns - the flavor stays relatively the same to the bottom of the bowl other than to deepen slightly at the halfway point. I like to sit back in the recliner with my favorite pipe, and a snort of Johnnie Walker Green Label and spend the next hour or two watching a great movie on the tube, or listen to Miles Davis playing "Kind of Blue". Pure relaxation, and easy to manage in the bowl. You just can't argue with this kind of quality, especially if rich full flavored taste is to your liking. Durbar is very satisfying - but smoke it slow like all of the Dunhill english blends and savor the flavor. Grab a tin of this one!
Reviewed By:	Date:	Strength:	Flavoring:	Taste:	Room Note:	Recommendation:
FiveRings	01/03/2005	Medium to Strong	None detected	Full	Tolerable to Strong
Durbar sits at the very top of the Dunhill family tree. Very rich, complex, exotic and intoxicating with a lingering sweetness that stays to the very end of the bowl. Quite strong for all day smoking, but reserved for special moments can lead you to places that very few blends can.
Reviewed By:	Date:	Strength:	Flavoring:	Taste:	Room Note:	Recommendation:
DevilDog	12/22/2004	Medium to Strong	None detected	Full	Very Strong
Durbar is unique among Dunhill's English blends as a full-flavored, old-fashioned Balkan type tobacco--strong, satisfying and a little rough around the edges at first lightup. In fact, in many respects it reminds me a lot of the original (white tin) Balkan Sobranie, which I formerly smoked for many years and which regrettably is no longer available. Durbar has that complexity and fullness of flavor that is just a little bit lacking somehow from Balkan Sobranie's modern reincarnation, Balkan Sasieni. While I also like and regularly smoke Dunhill's other mid-to-full strength English blends (Standard Mixture Medium, London Mixture, My Mixture 965, and Nightcap), they are more refined and English in character than Durbar, which is more Balkan and exotic but yet can still be classified as an everyday, all-day smoke. To my jaded taste buds, Durbar strikes a delicious balance between the Latakia, Oriental, Turkish, and Virginia tobaccos that enables each to be savored without overpowering one another. It also packs just enough nicotine punch to provide satiety at the end of a bowl. Other reviewers have already commented on Durbar's room note, which is quite strong even for full-flavored non-aromatics and evokes memories of the smell of Russian and Eastern European cigarettes. There's no disguising the fact that this is a strong, uncased, all-tobacco blend, but that's fine by me. When I only have time to smoke one bowl and want to make the most of it, Durbar will always be on my short list of "go to" blends. Very satisfying & highly recommended!
Reviewed By:	Date:	Strength:	Flavoring:	Taste:	Room Note:	Recommendation:
jedsen	11/08/2004	Overwhelming	Medium to Strong	Overwhelming	Overwhelming
The most prominent flavor here is nicotine. You'll get the smell on your fingers when packing your bowl and in your clothes when smoking this low-grade. The nicotine knocked me out, I got a serious head rush after smoking a bowl. It's clear Dunhill values additives over any sort of consideration of quality. I bought this blend because I like mild mixes of mostly cavendish with some lighter flakes like latakia, but it's hard to tell one type of tabacco from another in this blend, it's almost like smoking reconstituted tobacco, which I would recommend over this abomination. I almost sure this toxic smoke has given me some sort of cancer. Contact a toxicologist before consuming.
Reviewed By:	Date:	Strength:	Flavoring:	Taste:	Room Note:	Recommendation:
Paddy	10/11/2004	Medium to Strong	None detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable
This is an long time favorite I smoke regularly but not daily. When I am in the mood for a blend with a judicious application of latakia and the distinctive flavor of what I take to be Turkish, Durbar is one of those I turn to. It is smooth, spicy, interesting and the orientals will not sting your lips or tongue. This is for a late night smoke in the big chair just before finishing up with Nightcap or 1792. Highly recommended to the Balkan lover.
Reviewed By:	Date:	Strength:	Flavoring:	Taste:	Room Note:	Recommendation:
Esoxhunter	09/27/2004	Medium to Strong	None detected	Full	Tolerable
Comparing the reviews of this blend points up the hugely divergent tastes of the folks who have smoked it. It is incredible to me that some find it harsh, unpalatable and nicotine-intensive, while others, like me, find it rich, smooth and complex. I should preface all this by saying that I am an accomplished cigar smoker and a former cigarette smoker of 20 years, so the fullness of the smoke is right up my alley and the nicotine does not bother me in the least (keeping in mind that I do not inhale either my pipies or cigars). I enjoy both English and Virginia-based blends, so it is no surprise that I like this blend as well as I like 965, and even more than I like Nightcap and Early Morning, all of which IMHO are top-notch tobaccos. I can't help but wonder whether the English smokers who conferred unfavorable reviews were unfortunate enough to have purchased a bad tin. Given Dunhill's stringent quality control standards, this seems unlikely. Anyhow, this is my favorite Dunhill English blend, and I highly recommend it to those who like a full bodied smoke.
Reviewed By:	Date:	Strength:	Flavoring:	Taste:	Room Note:	Recommendation:
chaplikc	09/25/2004	Medium to Strong	None detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong
This is good stuff. The orientals in this blend realy shine through. The leaf is of good quality as is most of the dunhill blends Ive tried. This is not my favorite dunhill blend but I do enjoy it on occasion. Others have mentioned how some people may be put off by the room note of this blend, I can personally testify to this in that one day I was smoking this outside on a lunch break and one of the employees who smokes cigarettes put out his cigarette and said , " That stuff smells horrible, I am getting a head ache from it. It smells like sh##!" I laughed after he went back inside. I recommend this blend to oriental lovers. It also may be a good repellant to clear an area of annoying or irritating people.
Reviewed By:	Date:	Strength:	Flavoring:	Taste:	Room Note:	Recommendation:
thedigger	09/11/2004	Medium to Strong	None detected	Full	Tolerable to Strong
I love this blend. It's thick and rich, full flavored, and moderately strong. I prefer this one's strength over (most people's choice of) My Mixture 965 for an all day smoking blend from the Dunhill line. This one is a solid performer and one of my go-to blends. I rarely find this one boring and recommend it to everyone who likes thick, strong English blends.
Reviewed By:	Date:	Strength:	Flavoring:	Taste:	Room Note:	Recommendation:
Beer	08/31/2004	Medium to Strong	None detected	Medium to Full	Strong
As a fan of London Mixture and My Mixture 965, this was an obvious choice when I decided to order some tobaccos from abroad! Many of the considerations made in my reviews for those two blends (and for Standard Mixture Medium) still apply, especially about the care of the leaves choice, the long ribbon cutting (rougher than in the above mentioned blends, though) and the burning qualities. In comparison to other Dunhill's English mixtures, this has a clearly lesser amount of Latakia. Think of it as a cross between the three I mentioned above, but with a higher percentage of spicy Orientals and a less-intense smokiness, and also some cigar-like hints. The result is a blend with less body, but brisk and pungent, rather overwhelming to the palate: the typical impression of (huge) shock effect vs. real meat (little, given the reduced presence of Latakia) that I get from other Oriental/Latakia blends which are geared towards the orientals. A good smoke, nice for a change of pace and full of subtle nuances that require dedication for being fully savored, but not as completely memorable (for me, at least) and "filling" as London Mixture or 965, and sometimes a bit "empty" (meaning that the lack of deep Virginia notes is sorely missed, in comparison to London Mixture). Probably I am not a fan of tobaccos with a dominating "oriental" presence. Room note is rather weird and unpleasant: some times I see people wondering what the smell is, until they realise that it's my pipe! ADDITION December 2003: This new tin has an emptier, more undefined, taste. It has become "heavy" in mouthfeel (not "tasty", just "heavy") like almost all the other Dunhill latakia blends have become in the last months. Strong in nicotine and a bit nauseating, but weak in taste: same thing happened to Nightcap in particular. A sign of a decreasing quality, or my tastebuds are changing?
Reviewed By:	Date:	Strength:	Flavoring:	Taste:	Room Note:	Recommendation:
Spike	08/01/2004	Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Strong
Another fine English from Dunhill. I like it better than 965. Not a crowd pleaser however. Smoke it away from the non-smokers please. If you are a hyper-active puffer avoid this one.
Reviewed By:	Date:	Strength:	Flavoring:	Taste:	Room Note:	Recommendation:
The Keeper	07/27/2004	Medium to Strong	None detected	Full	Strong
Update 7/27/04 One year later I got up the nerve to try this tough guy out again. I was drawn back to it, no matter how harsh my initial experience with it was. HOW TASTES CHANGE. It is still a manly man weed simmering with bold and musky tastes. But now it is quite smooth in taste compared to how I recall it. Of course I think my current tin is about 3 years old. And that could account for some differences. Or perhaps my palate has sufficiently matured and acclimated to the more astringent weeds. The rating goes up. Next to Nightcap, my favorite Dunhill blend to date... ---- I rarely walk into shops that vend an interest of mine. I know my own impulsive streak too well. So when I walked into one of the first real-world smoke shops that I've managed to locate in my area, under the auspice of buying my girlfriend some clove cigarettes, I resigned myself to being in trouble. Fortunately they had few pipe tobaccos. They did have some Dunhill though, and I had been meaning to sample this brand. One of which, highly recommended by the store owner, was Durbar. My first bowl went unfinished and literally flung out of the pipe from my car window. I thought...boy... overly strong, smelly and tasteless. Who the $*&@ can I pawn this stuff off to? It had been a long day, I thought. Maybe it was me. Subsequent bowls were much better. Still strong, and the tastes had improved. A sparkle of citrus-like orientals to begin with. I think of lightning bugs with little torches. This begins melding to an even, mellow nearly flat tasting, blend of VA and musty Latakia with a cigar overtone. Manly, musky, good at least for the smoker who enjoys this bent in their pipe. Towards the end of the bowl a nuttiness and some more fiery, fruity dances of yellow and red on the tastebuds. A nice pay off after a fairly challenging smoke (for me at least). The light Indo-Anglo Empire fusion of the pipe world? Such as the odd Indian fusion foods I sampled at trendy pubs while in England? I've come to appreciate this blend and it could be a regular except for two things: it is still a bit strong for me nicotine wise, and the smell lingers to the point of bordering on stench. After a quarter bowl of this in an air-conditioned house, the place smelled like the dog had gotten into the Thai leftovers and was expressing his love of seasoned cuisine. As someone else said, you won't make any new friends smoking this leaf. On the positive note - very clean and good burning, top quality tobacco. Absolutely no trouble keeping this tough guy lit. It is also a very complex smoke which can keep you interested if you can withstand the few drawbacks. I've found after a couple of weeks open the blend definitely seems to "settle in" to a more palatable and relaxing smoke. I did experience the harshness on the tongue, throat, and nasal passages I've heard about resulting from Durbar. I can only take a bit of this leaf every now and again; I likely won't rush to reorder it. On an off thought I decided to combine 1/4 of this with 3/4 of Frog Morton. The result was a fairly fun and exciting combination with Durbar adding the gusto and strength that F.M. tends to lack, and F.M. mellowing out the room note and adding some flavor to the mid portion of the bowl. The orientals still take over The Frog towards the bowl's end however and I still managed a fairly hearty nicotine kick even with this relatively small amount. I have smoked this in a dedicated English briar and a briar I keep for light aromatic or mellower natural blends. No remaining ghost of Durbar, it seems to leave the pipe fairly clean and neutral.
Reviewed By:	Date:	Strength:	Flavoring:	Taste:	Room Note:	Recommendation:
Briarabbit	07/07/2004	Medium to Strong	None detected	Mild to Medium	Tolerable to Strong
This high quality hand blended English tobacco is most satisfying in both taste and nicotene strength. A real mellowy savory smokey kind of taste. It's broad cut insures a slow burn,and an easy light. I well prefer Durbar over 965. Sorry to agree with another but I too believe this to be Dunhill's best pipe tobacco.
Reviewed By:	Date:	Strength:	Flavoring:	Taste:	Room Note:	Recommendation:
cruelraoul	06/09/2004	Medium	None detected	Medium to Full	Strong
This tobacco was a bit of a disappointment for me. I had high hopes after reading some of the reviews, and have been on a bit of a quest to find an English blend that I could work into a semi-regular rotation. I will be brief. First half of bowl = boring and unimaginative. Second half = much more deep and flavorful. The virginia and oriental really didnt assert themselves until the latter parts of the bowl. Yawn. Sigh. Shrug.
Reviewed By:	Date:	Strength:	Flavoring:	Taste:	Room Note:	Recommendation:
Pounder 5000	03/12/2004	Mild to Medium	None detected	Mild to Medium	Tolerable
I found this to be a passable English, but not much else. This is comparable to 965, with more oriental and no frou frou. After trying London Blend and EMP recently, there is just no reason to buy more. But still, it is a Dunhill tobac, which means high quality.
Reviewed By:	Date:	Strength:	Flavoring:	Taste:	Room Note:	Recommendation:
preppypipe	02/24/2004	Strong	None detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong
Essentially this is 965 without the brown cavendish.It's the dictionary definition of what an English tobacco is.Rich and full with a nutty undertone.It's never left a bad taste in my mouth as was suggested above.latakia fans rejoice and enjoy this classic blend.*Highly Recomended* prep
Reviewed By:	Date:	Strength:	Flavoring:	Taste:	Room Note:	Recommendation:
Willy	02/24/2004	Medium	None detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable
I'll just ante up tuppence worth on this stuff by saying that this must be the best Dunhill tobac they offer, at least what us folks over here can get our hands on. Quality leaf, nice flavors in the lightly sweet & nutty categories with a subtle sharpness from the VA's. Just good woodsy, leathery, rich English flavor. A refined blend, I, too, prefer this to 965. I have a fondness for many of the Schurch English blends, but Durbar is most assuredly a "gotta keep a tin of this around" kinda tobacco. Personally, I think I could do this all day, but not every day. I like a bit o' variety. Works for me.
Reviewed By:	Date:	Strength:	Flavoring:	Taste:	Room Note:	Recommendation:
Butch	11/22/2003	Medium to Strong	None detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong
I have yet to try a Dunhill blend that was not satisfying and I find Durbar is my favorite. From cracking open the can to dumping out the ash this blend is a pleasure! I concur with my esteemed colleagues above in their most lavish praise. However, Durbar is a challenge for those with a sweet tooth. If you love aromatics, but want to develop a taste for drier fare I suggest the following: Slice an apple in a few chunks and bite into a piece every once in a while while smoking. The sugar in the palate will take away some of the harshness without actually changing the tobacco's flavor. As you become more accustomed to the blend, fade out the apple. I also like the idea of mixing in a little Frog Morton as someone mentioned above. A can of Durbar will always have a spot on my shelf!
Reviewed By:	Date:	Strength:	Flavoring:	Taste:	Room Note:	Recommendation:
Minz	11/18/2003	Strong	None detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable
You know, I thought I was crazy until I read the description of this blend. I kept smoking it and all I could taste, well the most significant thing I could tast was orientals. I kept looking in my jar and seeing what I thought was bunches of dark latakia. Whew! I was really beginning to question whether I had any business posting here. Well I'm about half-way through my tin, and think its about time I chimed in. Very yummy stuff. The orientals really jump out at you. Occasionally I get a nice taste of Virgina or a bit of latakia. Smokes well all the way down the bowl. I puff fast, and have never had even a hint of bite. Good stuff.
< PREVIOUS Showing reviews 41 through 60 of 89 reviews of this tobacco NEXT >