Douwe Egberts Amphora Extra Mild Cavendish

The nutty, earthy, mildly cocoa sweet burleys were the lead component. The lightly spicy and floral, woody, earthy, dry and mildly buttery sweet Orientals played a secondary role. The sugary black cavendish was mostly a condiment. I’m not sure about the toppings as time has likely affected their potency, but there was a light mint note, light caramel and a touch of something fruity that I couldn’t identify. The strength was mild while the taste level was a step past that. The nic-hit was mild. Didn’t bite, but burned a tad warm and clean with a consistent flavor to the finish. Left very little dampness in the bowl, and needed an average number of relights. The after taste was pleasant and short lived. An all day smoke.

-JimInks

I found an old pack of this - unopened - and decided to try it. It don't know how old it was - it was quite dry to the touch - but damn was it pleasant! the taste was mild and sweet, the smoke was warm and rich. I was bummed out as hell when i discovered that it was out of production. I thought I wouldn't even bother with trying out other tobaccos, by how much I enjoyed it.

I purchased a few tubs of these on ebay and just recently cracked one to try. The tins appear to date back to the 70's. In the past I had not had such good experience with tobacco with this kind of age on it, but this was in pretty good shape. The tin did not offer a very tight seal and the tobacco inside was within a plastic bag with a twist tie sealing the top.

I believe some of the topping may have flashed off this as it was very lightly detectable. It was a sort of fruity/whiskey type topping from what I could detect. I did rehydrate the whole tub before smoking as it was a little on the dry side, but not crispy, crumbly dry. The leaf smoked great and was definitely mostly burley nutty sweet. There is an oriental presence that I seem to pick up more in the side stream than I do in the firsthand smoke. The sidestream is quite pleasant.

It was an easy smoking blend, Mild, as the name suggests. I don't think it is something I will lament once my supply is gone and, since I have four of the tins, I may even trade some out in the future. Two stars for me.

Again I tell you, I'm not the biggest fan of plain-tasting blends lacking natural sweetness, but I'll try my best. I've got to taste a bowl of nearly 30 years old blend, and I have mixed feelings. For one, burns sweet and light, no relights needed. The smoke is mild, and in any case never gets hot, the taste is extraordinarily pure plain tobacco, the burley's earthy, clean taste gets us to remember how real tobacco does taste. But, in my case, that's also the downfall of the blend. I somewhat miss the sweetness of Cavendish lingering around or the capturing uniquness of Orientals or Latakia as it is. For me, who got to grow up between sweet Stanwells, Petersons and McBs, it is just too plain. Like if I was having some cigarette rolling tobacco in my pipe. But objectivity is the key, so summa summarum: a nice blend, one of those rare few in which burley straightforward dominates the taste, in a very pleasant way.

Unopened metal tin from probably the mid to late 60s or early 70s per an expert friend of mine. The tobacco was rehydrated using a boveda pack and distilled water. The smell is good. Sweet honey, molasses, hay, wood. Rich dark brown in color. The cut is like the modern Amphora original that comes in the pouch.

The taste is mild. It’s slightly sweet, honey, hay, some cereal grains. If pushed there’s some floral clove honey flavor. The burley is noticeable, wood, vegetative, grains but can be bitter if smoked too fast. I’m hoping further rehydration will bring out more flavors but so far this is a pleasant mild and slightly sweet tobacco flavored experience.

*update* it did. After a few weeks of sitting in the jar it seems to have stabilized and turned into a nice mild natural tobacco flavored smoke.

After all that’s what it’s suppose to be, “Extra Mild” cavendish. It’s easy on my tongue and in my nose. Nic hit is also mild. Not bad at alll.

90's Douwe Egberts - Amphora Mild Aroma (Amphora Blue), package states "It takes first-grade tobaccos, like this selection of Burley, Kentuckey, Oriental and Virginia to compose the gentle blend of Amphora Mild Aroma. But we also added a touch of balm and mint and applied our unique cavendish process to unfold the elegance of this blend: its beautiful light, cool taste, and its slow burning properties. Amphora Mild Aroma. The quality of over two centuries of craftsmanship and experience. Established 1753."

Package note of spices, musty vegetation and sweet ketchup like sauce. Tobacco is a Ready Rubbed of brown and dark brown with a little light brown and tan. Moisture content is ok, some pipe smokers will want to humidify it a bit. Burns fast with few relights. The strength is mild and nic is mild. Flavoring is mild, with notes of mint and balm. Flavors become more evident as the smoke progressed, but never stronger than background flavor. Taste is mild to medium and mostly consistent, with notes of herbal mild mint, fermented sour vegetation, wood, dry bitter cocoa, musty earthy, savory, mild molasses, nuts, spicy, floral, mild lemon grass, orange peel/zest, a balm and semi-sweet hay background note, and a mildly peppery, almost smooth retro. Burley is leading with Kentucky, Oriental/Turkish, Virginia and Flavoring supporting. Cavendish is the process they put all the tobacco through. Room note is pleasant to tolerable, and aftertaste is ok.