By that I mean none of the tobaccos used in the blend stand out too far ahead of any of the others. The result is a perfect symphony of smoking pleasure.

VA keeps it sweet, Latakia keeps it creamy, Turkish adds an element of depth and Perique adds a bit of spice that you can detect if you exhale through your nose. And the ribbon cut is easy for packing and keeping lit.

I don't think this is that heavy in nicotine. Maybe it has more than blends like 1Q that have almost no nicotine, but it is not as strong as Dunhill Royal Yacht. I actually think Half and Half has more nicotine, but that is just me.

The mouth feel is full but never bites.

The room note is not favored by my better half, but it is actually better than most traditional english blends.

I would actually recommend this to beginners before Early Morning Pipe or MM965. It smokes easier and is more forgiving than the two other popular Dunhill blends.

a few weeks later ...

A short update. Being of the curious mind, I smoked a few others that are of the "night" blends and have decided to upgrade this a bit. Quiet Nights is what I have in mind when closing out the day and PM Pipe is not close. While I originally stated I would wait a a few months I decided that after a couple of comparisons, and probably the extra weeks added to the maturing process, Nightcap has hit my taste buds.

I did change pipes from two Pete's to two 1950'ish Dunhills, hey, their toby! With that beginning and the extra time in the jar this was a different tobac from the first two tries.

I will give some more time and a few other night time blends a try and will see where this goes. Nightcap is a good 2nd to Quiet Nights and gets another star. Okay, not really a short update but worthwhile.

I can happily smoke this all day, but it is certainly at it's best when enjoyed in the evening as a long, contemplative smoke accompanied by a peaty Islay whisky and a good book ('An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding' by David Hume springs to mind).

Highly recommended.

Taste: Very robust. It is full flavor in the fullest sense. Smokey, complex, very tasty. One thing about this blend is that it seems to get better as the bowl progresses. And it gets stronger. I like a good strong smoke from time to time and I'm glad to discover this blend. So far, it's the strongest smoke I've had.

Room note: No complaints yet. Not an aromatic, but not upsetting for anyone. Family is neutral in regards to this one.

Final thoughts: This is where I have to really brag about the merits of this smoke. I picked up the pipe as a means to ditch cigarettes. The most difficult part of that transition is the lack of nicotine that most pipe smokes provide in comparison to cigarettes. This blend provides the "N" in a big way. I never inhale my pipe. And the temptation does not even cross my mind with this one. I think I've finally smoked my last cigarette.

I never keep many tins of Latakia blends open at any time and will discard any that does not make the cut. I do not smoke them often so i will only smoke the very best.

Well Dunhill Nightcap....are you the best Latakia blend currenly available??? Im afraid i do not know cause i have not smoked them all but i will say that it is about the best Latakia Blend i have ever smoked.

The trick to this blend is the proportion of Latakia. There is just enough to let you know its there yet perfectly blended to give you that creamy, sometimes salty taste. Absolutely delicious. The Perique, although there, remains in the background and supports the delicious Virginias and Latakia perfectly. Of all the blends i have ever smoked, this is by far and away the most well rounded blend considering the powerfull component tobaccos. This was blended by a Master.

Tin presentation was impressive as one would expect from Dunhill and Petersons for that matter.

I will stock up.

South African Pipers, Dunhill blends are available from Sturks in Cape Town.

Mo, South Africa

A very clean tasting, relaxing tobacco, which changes with every puff as you work your way down the bowl. Fairly fast but cool burning with no bite, and a good, clean tobacco taste with ever-changing tones of chocolate, cocoa, leather, coffee and spice without the heaviness that many English blends have.

The only thing making it a less than perfect last-thing-at-night blend is (as others have said) the huge nicotine hit, which can last hours - I certainly wouldn't want to drive after a pipe or three of this.

Perhaps not an introductory tobacco to brand new pipe smokers, partly because the nicotine hits hard and fast enough to make unwary heads spin, partly because the flavour is very full. Everyone else owes it to themselves to at least give it a try. It's proof that modern blends can be the equal of the blends of days gone by.

My first observation was that in aging the tobacco had darkened some. Moisture level in tact, it lit easily and smoked down to a fine ash.

It still had that famous Nightcap flavor, but it was apparent that the aging smooths out the blend and provides a pleasant smoke with no harshness commonly associated with younger blends. The latakia was not as pronounced as in the earlier Murray version, which could be attributed to the age of the tobacco.

Overall, I found it to be a good smoke and would not hesitate to purchase it again.

If I would be Moses, I would add 11-th commandment: "You shall smoke Nightcup every evening".

This little review is up after smoking Nightcap only 8-10 times with the same little bent Jarl pinch pipe, and I doubt I’ll try this tobacco in any other of my pipes because at this point, I am completely satisfied with the results of both pipe and blend. I cannot give Nightcap a full 4 star review due to the bit, but no drying time; even packing; slow burning and wonderful flavor prompts me to give it a solid 3 stars.

Update 8/3/2012: I've been adding my personal mixes to the mix at the end of my reviews that I think folks might enjoy. Here's one now: It is half Nightcap and half McClelland Bulk MC 2040 Cyprian Mixture from pipesandcigars.com. 4 stars because it completely mellows out any bite from the Nightcap and stays clean and smooth to the last sip. Too me it is literally Nightcap without the bite. Give it a shot.