Dunhill Ye Olde Signe (Re-release)

This tastes to me like Elizabethan without the spicy Perique. Durbar without the heavier Orientals. Royal Yacht with a lighter, different touch.

This seems to be lighter Virginias compared to some of the above examples, but nevertheless still has some body that moves it to the medium range. Instead of citrus it has more of a floral sweetness to me. Or perhaps some sugar water in the casing? Never tried the original, but this does not have a true string cut as originally described.

A ribbon cut that smokes pretty cool with no real bite unless pushed.

An excellent, milder Virginia smoke for one who wants their leaf straight.

YOS is kind of like Royal Yacht and kind of like Elizabethan Mixture. And it's kind of its own beast at the same time. There is a topping that reminds me of RY and the Virginia does taste very similar to the one contained in EM. It's its own beast as I do feel there is some burley in there, maybe even a condimental quantity of dark fired Kentucky. The overall result is an uncomplicated, sweet and spicy, complex enough Virginia mixture that keeps me interested throughout the voyage. Being a shag cut, it burns very well. Nicotine is just right, medium to strong. The tobacco is not dark as the description affirms but with some years of aging, it will become darker.

Tin Note: It's Spring, you're out on the mower cutting the grass and it starts to rain. That's the tin note. It's a very pleasant odor.

Flavour: A bready, yeasty, matured Virginia with an undertone I can't quite place. It is not complex but it is a straight Virginia.

Mechanics: It's an even ribbon cut that packs and lights well. It tends to smoke hot and bites.

My Thoughts: At the time of this review I've had several bowls, 3 or maybe 5. I'm not sure how I feel about this one. The flavour is good but it's nothing special and the harshness is a big turn off. Other than that there isn't much to say. It is a bit of a disappointment compared to any other Dunhill blends and even more so when compared to Virginias from other manufactures. I've heard recently that this is Elizabethan minus perique, and if that is the case this blend absolutely needs the perique.

Let it age people...there are a ton of smokers who give a quick review on a fresh tin and who quite frankly have no idea what they're talking about. Let it age. When I opened this tin this morning, it was sparkling...a pipe smoker will know what I mean. I haven't smoked a fresh tin in a decade...there is a reason for that. Fortunately I have 10 tins of this stuff. HIGHLY recommend at least 6 years on it.

This is a perfect example of a straight no nonsense Virginia. It's clearly an unappreciated blend as I've seen it in plenty of tobacconists in the UK as the only Dunhill left.

Smells like your average Virginia in the tin, no mature sour smell just fresh cut grass and a hint of citrus.

Nicotine is medium leaning towards strong. If you puff it hard it will not bite but the strength will hit you like you're chewing nicotine gum!

If you like your straight Virginias you can't go wrong with this. If you whack some Latakia in it it's heavenly too.

Anyone who slates this blend clearly doesn't know a good Virginia when its right under their nose!

Nothing wrong with Ye Olde Signe! It's just a simple, straight-up, no frills VA blend with some Vitamin N punch. This blend like all pure VAs is best served up in a deeper bowl to achieve maximum flavor & a tastier smoke. Was there a great deal of flavor? Not initially but like a VA blend, it gets a little sweeter & tastier after some has burned off.

Was it like the Ye Olde Signe of old? I wouldn't have a clue but have read it was one of the finest VAs on the market. Was this re-release VA blend sweet on the palate?... not much initially but the VA sweetness increased after about 1/3 had burned off. This subtle sweetness remained and I thought it had an appealing flavor. It satisfied my taste buds & left a light sweetness on my palate for a little while after finishing off the mix in a large Cavicchi Dublin. This is a pretty darn good, straight Virginia.

I'm attempting to try as many Dunhil products as I can before they stop being produced. This one was however, was not my cup of tea and was crossed of my need-to-know list. The tin had a sour odor that did dissipate after airing out a few days, which then opened up to a very light moist earth/hay smell (which is a good thing).

Any subtle sweetness that may of lurked within however, did immediately burn off once lit, leaving a harsh heavy smoke that left a choking nicotine punch. I wouldn't say it was bitter, just not something the Mike team found enjoyable. The one positive was the soft thin ribbon cut that made packing a breeze

Truth be known, I generally don't care for Virginia dominant blends, but there are a few out there I don't mind (Escudo Navy De Luxe being one of the better ones) as they do a better job of delivering a smoother performance. While my enjoyment was at about one star, it didn't seem like a cheap product, so I'm painting 2 stars onto this Olde Signe.

During the last couple of weeks, I have smoked one tin each of these three blends.

At the end, I’m pretty torn about which is the correct rating they deserve. And will go for the two stars.

All of them have a beautiful cut and the most correct dampness. All of them smoke cool and I’ve not experienced any biting. All of them need a dose of attention, just because the rushed smoke cause some undistinct or even bitter flavour.

These three virginias form a sort of scale, where Ready Rubbed is the mild-to-medium step, TYMV the medium, YOS the medium-to-strong. RR shows a well behaved fruity character. TYMV shows a milder fruit counterbalanced by a spicy tone. YOS shows a drier and mildly woody/cigarish tone. This latter is the one I prefer over the other couple.

I have never smoked their predecessors, and don’t want to sing the same old song of how Dunhill’s were in the days of yore. In my opinion, today the basic elements are just average quality, sure no boutique baccy. If they were sold at average prices, I would for sure smoke them often, because they are easy and pleasant. But that is not, therefore my choice goes elsewhere (Gawiths, just to make one name).

Will the production of Dunhill’s tobaccos cease ? I don’t see what’s to mourn about, but the memory of my smoker’s youth.

Another decent Virginia in my opinion (seems like a veritable plethora of choices right now lol).. I get a subtle almost bread and honey thing going on. It can smoke hot compared to flakes so I try and pace myself... rich and tasty. Might cellar some... but so many other options at the moment.