Tobaccos Dan Tobacco - Midnight Ride (American History Mixtures)

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Gentleman Zombie (729)	2014-03-01		Medium	None Detected	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is a spicy little bugger. Starts smoky, sour and sweet, and spicy. Ends about the same, but with more intensity in the sweetness and spiciness. A lovely smoke. Medium bodied and full in flavor. A real treat.

Pipe Used: MM General, MM Country Gentleman, MM Freehand

Age When Smoked: fresh

Purchased From: smokingpipes.com

14 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	panduji68 (28)	2013-09-19		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

I must say that this is a really really good tobacco. The Latakia and Orientals are in just the right proportion and shine at the beginning of the bowl, then fade to the background as the slightly sweet Virginia leaf makes an appearance tapered by the spicy Perique. The last third of the bowl is an absolutely glorious symphony on the palate. So many instruments playing their part, yet blending together so smoothly as to be almost inseparable and melded.

This is a multi-dimensional treat that I intend to savor on occasion, as I would not want to belittle it's character by being a glutton and making it an every day smoke.

Highly recommended this!!!

11 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2008-12-26		Medium	Medium to Strong	Full	Pleasant

This is my very first review (and possibly my ONLY one) but I just had to get on here and let my feelings be known about the demise of my VERY FAVORITE tobacco. I have been smoking pipes most of my life (I am 73 years old) and this blend has given me everything I ever wanted in a blend.

I first started out at eighteen years of age smoking Mixture #79 in the usual Dr. Grabow or Medico pipes purchased at the local Rexall drug store. Over the years, I was given a beautiful GBD Virgin pipe from Smoker's Haven in the mid sixties and so discovered the joys of a higher quality pipe. I smoked the original Blend Eleven from Larus Bros. for several years and was quite satisfied.

Then for some reason I decided to try the higher quality non-aromatics and after quite a bit of experimentation finally settled on Dunhill #965. I smoked this regularly for many years until it seemed to me that it had changed, and was no longer the 'great' blend it used to be. About seven or eight years ago I discovered Midnight Ride. From the first taste, I was in heaven! This blend IMHO beats al others and I have gone through many others including Rattray's offerings, McClelland's, and several from Greg Pease among others including Solani, Friborg and Treyer, Reiner, etc.

Sadly, I have only a few tins of Midnight Ride left and will have to find a suitable substitute (probably Abingdon.) Is there someting better that would be more similar to Midnight Ride, Greg? If anyone knows, please give me a shout at artlo@netscape.com. Also, if anyone has any ot this delightful stuff that they don't particulary care for, let me know.

My highest recommendation=

11 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	quantumboy (130)	2012-06-11		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

The first time I had a hoppy beer many, many moons ago, it tasted very bitter to my senses. But I couldn't stop drinking it. It grows on you. Now I'm a certified hop head, and the higher the IBUs the better. That is, of course, if it also tastes good. I don't want bitter for the sake of bitter. It's like hot sauces: I like 'em hot, but not just for the sake of hot. They gotta taste good too!

So a few days ago I cracked this tin of Midnight Ride (Dan Tobacco version - no idea if this is the same as the CAO version) and...it was bitter!

But I think I really like this stuff. At the first couple draws I was a bit disappointed, probably because my expectations were set for something different, i.e., just another interesting English blend. But this stuff has some real character once you start paying attention to it.

The smoke seems quite astringent to me. Reluctant to give up its goods. It's got a very earthy kind of smoke, not rich like campfire smoke but strong and austere. Kind of old school. Although discernable, there is precious little VA sweetness. It is quite unlike many other English blends in that it's more "spicy" than "rich." Which makes it a very welcome change when one is in the mood for a change-up.

Consistent from pipe to pipe, and with that trademark sour smell upon opening which I believe portends a significant Oriental-forward experience.

8 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	beaupipe (102)	2010-01-06		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Medium	Tolerable

Though the lament for the passing (if that's what it is) of Dunhill's blends is sung by a bigger chorus, some of us have also felt a great sense of loss over the demise of DAN/CAO's Midnight Ride. I'm down to a handful of bowls of this excellent blend and I don't want to hold out hope that I'll encounter a dusty tin or two of this in some out of the way tobacco shop, so now is the time to let go.

Midnight Ride is a rich, full flavored night smoke in the English/Balkan family. The blend notes perhaps suggest an affinity with Dunhill's Nightcap, but Midnight Ride is altogether softer, sweeter, gentler. The tin nose is dominated by smoky Latakia (and why some reviewers seem to feel there is none present here is beyond me) with a dried fruit note in the background. In the pipe, the sugar-rich Virginias come out strong and by mid-bowl manage to bind together a beautifully complex, richly smoky tobacco. Though Paul Revere's midnight ride was frenetic, CAO's Midnight Ride is more designed for star watching and (given its absence from the marketplace) meditations on time, impermanence, death. It is, so they say, better to get those thoughts out before sleep, so that they won't poison your dreams and make you fodder for monsters.

It is unfortunate that DAN tobacco no longer prepares this or its big brother in the Revolutionary War series - the Latakia-heavy Old Ironsides. These were excellent and unique blends. DAN's current offerings under its own label are also fine (London Blend 1000, Bill Bailey's Balkan Blend) but none are copies of the defunct CAO blends. Pity that.

If you're lucky enough to chance upon a tin of Midnight Ride and you have the taste for a rich, sweetish, harmonious English blend, snap it up.

8 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	StevieB (2080)	2018-04-01		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Pleasant

Dan Tobacco - Midnight Ride.

Rather large ribbons make up the blend, most of which are medium and light brown. Black pieces account for far less. It's quite tightly packed into the tin and a little dry.

This has a lot of flavour. Easily, the Virginia gives the least character, only a very mild sweetness. But the Perique, Orientals, and Latakia make this into more of a 'heavy weight' smoke. Don't ready yourself for a Lat-Bomb, though, this isn't one; the Lat' doesn't hog the smoke anywhere near enough. It's a spicy, fragrant, woody and buttery smoke. It burns nicely, neither too quick nor too hot, producing a thick smoke.

Nicotine: above medium. Room-note: I don't find it too bad.

Midnight Ride? Recommended:

Three stars.

Pipe Used: Peterson Founders Edition

Age When Smoked: Two months

Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Madox07 (43)	2020-01-03		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

I don't want to send the wrong message across, this is some quality tobacco, except that my expectations were simply totally different than what this delivered. As subjective as it may sound here goes: this starts as what appears to be a balanced english, with even amounts of oriental and latakia. It starts out smokey just a bit, and spicy the same bit. As it evolves though, this definetly turns into a Balkan blend, as the smokiness fades away into the background and a strong spicy taste takes over the whole experience. Virginia? None detected as I have smoked several bowls of this concoction. If there is any (sure, there must be some, otherwise the latakia and orientals would kill you) it sure is mute to my buds. Perique? Sure, plenty of it, not the nice raisin type one but the peppery type that adds to the orientals, making it overwhelmingly/strong spicy, almost peppermint like. It's bearable, except that the peppery taste lingers on and on with you. I had my first bowl with a couple of glasses of water, and roughly an hour after finishing my bowl I could still feel that oriental taste in my mouth and in my nostrils. One more fact, it's pretty moist out of the tin. I almost always start out a new English blend in an unfiltered, and on my first smoke I did drain the pipe quite a lot. After my second bowl I switched to filtered, and that not only seemed to take away from the moisture, but also toned down the spiciness. Again, this is against my personal preference, as I do prefer my English blend on the moist side, as I feel it enriches the latakia. This here ... well unless filtered or dried, will sting you with that astringent spicy touch.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Knightsmoker (218)	2013-12-30		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

The tin is just about 1 yr. old. I have to say that I was rather impressed. A very nice change of pace from by usual straight VA's, burley's and Lat. blends. This has Lat. but it is not a Lat. bomb. Rather the Lat. and Orientals balance out with the Orientals leading the way just a little. The VA's are soft and just a little sweet, which is nice as the Orientals add that great bitter finish so the sweet and bitter play with each other throughout the bowl. The perique is noticeable but only so. It provides a nice bit of spice that moves forward sometimes and at others stays in the background but is always present. This one is not one for thinking. I needed to concentrate on the blend to pick up all the flavors. I will be picking some up for cellaring.

Update 2nd and last tin opened (1 bag in the cellar now, however) this with now nearly 2 yrs on it. Simply outstanding the notes above stand but there is a harmony starting to merge that was not as unified before. I will be picking up the bags from this point on. It is fast becoming a favorite.

Age When Smoked: Tin was 1 yr old

Purchased From: pipesandcigars.com

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	KahveDelisi (73)	2010-09-05		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

I have to confess. The only reason I bought Midnight Ride was tobacco shop owner's persistent insistence, that was 2 months ago. After I came home and read 2 mortifying reviews, I decided to take it back and tell him... oh wait! I was looking at Dan Tobaco's midnight ride! There's another one labelled CAO midnight ride? And it seems people can't recommend enough. What da?!?

Now, my tin didn't have CAO labeling on it. It simply says "An exotic blend of Oriental, Virginia & Perique tobaccos - Manufactured in Germany by Dan Tobacco" and where CAO version had yellow ring, this one has orange ring. That got me interested, I searched a bit and found this http://pipesmagazine.com/python/pipe-and-tobacco-news/dan-tobacco-re-introduces-old-cao-blends/

So now it's manufactured by Dan Tobacco for Dan Tobacco, no more CAO. Well, I have no idea how it tasted before but the one I have in my possession is one of the best English mixtures. Midnight Ride is creamy, nutty, spicy and very well balanced, you don't want to do anything else not to affect that balance but to concentrate on flavors, then concentrate on life and everything about lost and found.. that reminded me I had something else very similar to this description. Brazil Carmo Fazenda Kaquend Cup Of Excellence coffee!! A sweet, chocolaty, caramel-like coffee with a creamy mouthfeel which starts with lemon, berry, grape-like notes. Eh I was clever enough to combine both which turned out to be explosive! Ride Paul Revere, ride!

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pipestud (1829)	2006-12-24		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Midnight Ride is very similar to Presbyterian Mixture in a lot of respects. For one, both fool many smokers into thinking there is Latakia present..... Neither contains Latakia but Midnight Ride does include Perique which is not found in Presby.

The tobacco is well conceived and burns clean with no harshness or bite. Perique fans will rejoice, particularly at mid-bowl. The Orientals have been revved up and will present an almost "English" taste to the overall effect.

I personally did not find Midnight Ride to be as impressive as I had hoped. Too little clout and too "smokey" tasting for my palate.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Katharsis (39)	2012-06-08		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Midnight Ride -- an interesting name for a blend I find to be an amazing morning smoke almost on part with Pease's Chelsea Morning, a favorite.

MR is a more VA/Oriental forward blend. The VAs are definitely a brighter one, so you can get tongue bite with this blend if you're not careful. Then again, I'm pretty susceptible to tongue bite, even with proper smoking technique. There's enough latakia to notice, but not as much as your average latakia mixture. The perique I don't notice as much as Chelsea Morning, but in this case, it's actually to this blend's credit. That's because the orientals in this are so marvelous! Very musky and yet creamy, the orientals stay prominent through the entire bowl. In the last half to third, they leave an almost stinky (but enjoyable stinky) nasal note. I think that that part is when I notice they meld with the VAs nicely.

This was one of the first tobaccos I purchased, based on the reviews here, but I waited a little over a year until I opened it. It's just great, and I'm debating adding it to my short favorites list.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Tripjoker (65)	2011-01-22		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I can't believe I haven't reviewed this blend yet! I've smoked 3-4 tins of this the past 3 years or so. I think the main reason for the neglect of a review is based on the overall experience for me.

The tobacco has a nice tin smell and does tend to give the impression of sweetness. The perique is hidden in the nose and doesn't really come out strongly. The appearence is of a dark melange. The oriental is apparent in the nose. The moisture content is not over the top, but as with all tobaccos, open the tin and let it rest with the lid secured on it for a day or two to let the oxygen open up the leaf. The flavor will be much better.

The packing is easy, as it's a rather thin-medium ribbon cut. It takes to the match readily and will stay lit well. I have not tried DGT on this blend, but think that the addition of the orientals would make it a less than optimum candidate. But, there is significant virginia here so... give it a try, who knows?

The flavor of the orientals comes through well and the perique stays in the background for me. The virginias are in good proportion, and play well with the other components. The sweetness in the smell comes through in the flavor as well. The virginias have a sigificant amount of sugar casing, most all va. does to some degree or another, but this one is on the edge of being overdone. Not quite, but close. Overall, the flavor is nice, but doesn't really progress much and the complexities are subtle at best. Not a bad thing. It just is what it is.

I think if I were to have one single reason for putting my four remaining tins of this in the back of my cellar, it would be that the strength of this blend was a bit wimpy. It just couldn't hold my attention and I didn't really look forward to another bowl anytime soon. That generally is the sign of death for a blend in my opinion. If I don't immediately start planning my next bowl, it just isn't going to stick with me long.

I have four tins left of and 8 tin order bought in 2007. I smoked what I believe to be 3 and gave away one. The remaining tins will sit in the cellar until I get the time to put them on e-bay with some other tins that I just don't have interest in and are taking up valuable space. If you like this blend, as so many of my pipe brothers do, keep an eye out and when I list them, take a crack at them.

With the non-smoking community getting it's way in almost every endeavor, I need the room to stock away things I do love for the day when all tobacco will be lost forever. I plan on having enough tobacco in the next year or so to smoke for the rest of my life if need be. Yes that's a tall order, but who knows what will happen next?

If you are into lighter style english blends like this, you will be very happy. Try some. They are re-releasing these and you will get the chance to try a new tin soon. Cheers.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Noorrmm (192)	2006-08-30		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Appearance: Nice mixture of light to dark, with everything in between. The ribbon cut is fairly long and of medium width.

Aroma: Great Oriental spicy/nutty aroma with Virginia sweetness and a hint of fermented fruit. (Perique?) Almost smells like some Latakia present.

Packing: Packs easily into any pipe, just don?t over-pack the small ones.

Lighting: Lights easily, just tamp and relight.

Initial flavor: Wow, really rich. Great interplay of Virginia and Oriental. The Perique merely adds some fruitiness to the Va.

Mid-bowl: Great complexity, marvelous nuances in the smoke when puffed slowly. Can get hot if over-puffed, but this is not a work day blend. It shines when you can relax with it. Finish: Ends on a great note, no noticeable change until it?s gone. Pipe is clean and dry always.

Summary: I wasn?t sure about the Latakia, so I waved a can in front of Greg Pease. He confirmed that there wasn?t any present. My only complaint about this blend is that Dan doesn?t put it up in larger cans or bags.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	FilipPruncu (89)	2021-11-15		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is a great blend, but it’s definitely not beginner pipe smokers. It’s a blend that you must know how to smoke, how to tame, how to enjoy, how to understand.

From the moment I opened the tin and had my first bowl to the last bowls of the tin, it changed quite a bit. So I’ll present the phases of this smoking experience below.

Tin note: Fermented tobacco, leather, a bit smoky, quite powerful.

Aspect: Beautiful ribbons with mostly golden leaves, some brown and black leaves. Came dry!

First smoking experiences: An interesting blend, but not what I expected it to be. It was mostly an oriental blend with a lot of perique. Initially, you find the natural sweetness of the virginia and some spicy notes from the perique, then some other spicy notes, condiment-like from the oriental, and the latakia can barely be detected. Sweet and spicy, orientals and virginia in the front with some floral notes. the perique is there with its spicy, fruity and vinegary taste. but where’s the latakia? If I were to list the tobaccos from the most prominent to the less prominent it would be: A good amount of perique, orientals, virginia, and latakia behind. An interesting taste, from sweet to spicy. Not great, not terrible. So far! That was after my first three bowls.

Middle smoking experiences: After I opened the tin, I put the tobacco in a hermetically sealed jar like I do with most of my tobaccos so that they do not get dry. What happens is that, when you open a tin and put it in a jar, it also helps the tobacco to “breathe” and “bloom”, and after a while it will taste better. Same thing happened to this baby. After a week in the jar, the latakia started to make its appearance and the blend was more balanced. But there was another “problem”. The big amount of perique, or the intensity that it had, overlapping the other tobaccos. Well, I solved this by using meerschaum filters. When I first smoked the blend, I smoked it in unfiltered pipes. After deciding to go for some meer filters, it took a bit off from the spiciness, allowing me to concentrate on the other components of the blend. Surprisingly, there’s a little flowery oriental that I didn’t detect before. The smoky characteristcs are there too, but still shy. The virginia however, can be easy to detect with some hay and bready notes, as if they just tossed in some Golden Slice in there. Now, with the meer filter, the flavors dance in this very interesting and somewhat complex blend.

Ending smoking experiences: As I was getting near the last bowls of the tin, the smoky characteristics of the latakia became more prominent, the spicy perique was still there, but at a tolerable intensity, the orientals were flowery and the virginia got sweeter. It’s like a different blend compared to the first bowls I’ve smoked without a filter.

Conclusion:

One thing is for sure, this is not a blend for beginners. Not for beginners in Oriental or English Blends and not for the new pipe smokers. It’s tough and hard to understand. Will take you at least one full tin to understand it and appreciate it.

My advice: Let it ‘bloom’ in a jar and smoke it with a filter if you want to get the best of out it. If you wanna be tough, go ahead and smoke it without a filter, but the perique will almost overlap all the other tobaccos and you won’t get all from this blend.

Strength: Medium Flavoring: None Taste: Medium to Full Room note: Pleasant or Pleasant to Tolerable

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	moniker (220)	2018-11-05		Mild	Medium	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

Most of the tobaccos I’ve tried since joining TR have been chosen from the highest rated blends on the board. Why not, right? And this approach has certainly worked out for me… by and large. At the same time, spoiled camp follower that I am, I get disappointed when I can’t get a touted blend to work for me. Such is the case with Dan’s Midnight Ride. Sorry to be the lone dissenter, but I was put off the instant I opened the tin and was met with the scent of Liquid Smoke, which seems to be more popular now than ever, and is here used, apparently, in lieu of actual Latakia, which is present but barely so in the tin. The tobacco that is present is cut into long, thin, wide ribbons ranging from gold, to toast, to black. The tobacco scents are melded into mildly spicy silage under the Liquid Smoke and mostly subsumed by this chemical, at least until the LS scent fades some, over time, after the tin is opened. Moisture appears to be optimal, but there is enough propylene glycol added to impede combustion, and it also joins the Liquid Smoke in oiling my mouth before I get very far down the bowl. The dominant VAs are wet hay-ish, and the vegetal Orientals are muddled with the VAs and what little Perique there might be, and all of it is shaded and confused by the Liquid Smoke. For me, MR is neither balanced nor complex, nor is there "interplay" between the varietals, but I find it fairly insipid and muddled. Strength is mild. Tastes are more mild than medium. Room note is fairly innocuous. Aftertaste starts with burnt Liquid Smoke and trails off “VA sweet”, mostly from the propylene glycol.

Here’s a blend I really wanted to like, but it just frustrates and confuses me. While I can’t really say it’s bad, it’s not good, either, and I simply can’t recommend it, especially in view of all the great, available blends that use the “same” tobaccos, eg., Chelsea Morning, on and on, another case of the “competition” blowing a so-so blend off the Board. One sad star.

Pipe Used: various Briars

Age When Smoked: from tin, to 1 mo.

Purchased From: Liberty Tobacco

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Theocharis (38)	2018-09-14		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

Dan tobacco is known for some good tobaccos. This is one of them. Packs easily, no relights and and above all no tongue bite. I usually smoke with a 9mm filter, but this one is pretty easy on tongue! The first three bowls were simply amazing tastewise. Then, i left it to age for one year, smoking different blends from my cellar. But, when I came back something strange happened. Instead of a mellower smoke, I got bittetness at the second half of the bowl and a more harsh smoke overall. Still good though. I recommend to smoke it fresh out of the tin as the moisture level is ideal and leave aging for other blends, preferably virginia.

Pipe Used: Briar

Age When Smoked: Aged for one year

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Wilhelm Joharsányi (33)	2017-12-07		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

I order all my tobacco from DanPipe: a great tobacco company that is just 2 country’s over. Always reliable, orderly and efficient; yep sounds German alright. Aside from ordering a few tins of MyMixture965 and Irish Flake to provide me with a lasting warmth to survive the winter; I asked for a couple samples of Midnight Ride and Ascanian No. 2, and they gave me a generous sample of both. Time to get out the corncob…

Midnight Ride is an English blend without the Latakia. It is similar to Hamburger Veermaster, but the additional Perique and Orientals make things interesting and really spices up the blend, taking the forefront and never relenting throughout. I smoke my pipe indoors with the window open (even now during winter) and this blend definitely gave me an all-around warm feeling from the Perique spiciness, similar to drinking a Whiskey straight. Now there is an idea for a fun night: Midnight Ride and Whiskey paired together!

The Latakia is MIA here, even though it is listed. With Presbyterian, I could at least get a slight Latakia taste, even if it was just an illusion form the blending process. However, I couldn’t taste anything resembling Latakia in Midnight Ride and I am very sensitive to Latakia; can smell and taste it from a mile away.

Midnight Ride is still a high quality blend, with the Perique and Orientals making you come back for more and never gets boring. A really nice blend for a cold winter’s night or galloping through town warning your townsmen of the imminent Redcoat invasion.

=Update 12/9/17=

I can now taste the Latakia, really gives it that well-balanced and smokey taste I love in English Blends. I'm boosting my rating up to 4 out of 4.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Mr. Big (321)	2011-03-22		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Revised 11/13/2015- I've had an unopened tin in the cellar for 3 years, that I just opened and let breath for a month. It is wonderful. Some sweetness, some Latakia, but most of all, Orientals done with a touch of spice and a wonderful marriage of flavor. I like this better than Rattray's Red Rap.

Pipe Used: maple

Age When Smoked: 3 years

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JackSparrow (16)	2021-09-11		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Wow, this is a very well done, creamy and round taste mixture! Opening you can find a well done ribbon cut, at the right moisture level (I just let it dry a few mins before loading, but that's why I prefer minimizing relights and in this way smokes a little bit cooler); it has wonderful round, creamy, slighlty smoky / pepperly aroma... wow!!! Quite easy to keep lit, dosn't burn too fast and you can enjoy a cool, relaxing, round taste smoke: the VAs provide sweetness, with some grass and figs taste, the orientals bring a grassy sourcy touch, the PE adds a hint of spiciness and finally the LAT gives the smoky background (not too much): a very well orchestastrated blend!!! The N factor is mild to medium. This blend is a loyal friend you can always rely on, a great all morning and afternoon smoke (in the evening I prefer a little bit more of N load). Absolutely highly recommended and to keep as regular player in my rotation!

Pipe Used: Various

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Ocelot (33)	2021-07-13		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium to Full	Tolerable

Nice English blend. Not always brings the desired satisfaction. But when the constallation is good, this tobacco becomes a star. Anthem of this tobacco: Moonspell - Midnight Ride

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Rob73 (77)	2016-10-23		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Tolerable

I loved C.A.O. American History Mixtures series, unfortunately no longer available here in Italy. My last tins are ten years old, now. Midnight Ride is a very rich, intense, spicy, meditative blend. Perique is there to gives it an edge. Great tobacco! 4,5/5 in my personal rating system.

Purchased From: Hobby Fumo, Milano (Italy)

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Cumarinophil (108)	2015-03-09		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Midnight Ride is a well done classical English mixture. Natural sweetness with some smokiness underneath, just a tad lighter than EMP. Pick this one, if you like the VAs upfront in the taste and the condimental tobaccos seriously utilized as such, getting a bit more intense when you reach the end of the bowl. Very pleasing in the nose (of the smoker that is).

Pipe Used: Various with and without filter

Age When Smoked: fresh

Purchased From: danpipe.de

Similar Blends: Dunhill Early Morning Pipe.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	bteddy (23)	2015-01-11		Medium	Medium	Medium	Tolerable

First, I must admit that many others have a finer palate whereas I find it hard to distinguish each and every tobacco. I am a fan of Latakia and Orientals and this tobacco balances them perfectly. I don't know the percentage of Latakia but it's just enough to know it's there, the Orientals dominate in my opinion. I tend to smoke too fast and end up with a raw tongue, but this smoke was less aggressive and had plenty of flavor, enough so that I had two bowls in a row, something I never do. There are many many other "full" English blends in my opinion so I am not sure of some of the reviews. To me, this reminds my of Nightcap but with more flavor. You can smoke this anytime.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2012-07-02		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

I think that quantumboy's review is spot on. Instead of the usual Guinness Stout like English this is indeed like a hoppy ale. Midnight Ride is currently pretty hard to find but if you can find a tin pick it up and give this tobacco a try.

Soli Deo gloria!

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Skando (203)	2009-01-13		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

After Noorm?s punctual and complete review, which I completely agree, I should waive to add anything sounding kinda obvious? I apologize with the TR community. Nevertheless MR has not been reviewed so often, moreover seems we have to do with a product going to disappear soon. My further comments are based on 1/3 tin which has been left sleeping approx. two years. The tobacco is not so dry, in perfect conditions for smoking. A Savinelli Riviera, filtered with 9mm balsawood, large bent was used. From char to 1/3 of the bowl the strength is mild to medium, the flavour slightly sweet/piquant/musty and tingles the tongue with occasional sharp notes. The smoke is fresh, the pipe too. To the nose a pleasant biscuity/ spicy/flowery note, to the palate a faint metallic note. In the second third the strength reaches the medium, the bouquet remains unchanged but rounder. The sharper notes disappear replaced by a faintly bitter note. In the last third everything melts in a very round way, and strength remains medium. No gurgles, no bite. Yes: MR smells like some Latakia is present (? and Latakia is an oriental, so maybe the tin description is hiding some ?), or it?s the interplay between the Orientals and Perique, I don?t know. Sure it?s a beautiful medium English mixture to be enjoyed in the leisure time. The quality of the leaves looks beautiful both to the eye and the fingers. The smoke qualities are one-of-a-kind, a true pleasure, the Orientals having the main role. Seems to me that it keeps the properties of the English mixtures of old. Even, I should agree with Sasha and Beer, it?s a bit weak in the body. Four stars, no doubt.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2007-07-17		Medium	Extremely Mild	Full	Tolerable to Strong

This tobacco is made for those nights on the deck reading a book or just relaxing. The intermingling of the VA's and Orientals are superbly balanced and there is just enough Perique to make this blend, well for a lack of a better term awesome. There is a noticeable amount of Parique in the tin note, I smelled fermented fruit and woody notes along with just a but of Oriental spice. Once lit the tobacco had more of the woody (dark wood) taste along with sweetness from the VA. tobacco. As the bowl progressed the tobacco became more rich and complex with the different tobaccos each taking the stage and bowing out as an other took the spotlight. This is not easily done without becoming overwhelming, but CAO seems to have mastered it with this blend. The Perique never becomes too strong but is always in the background providing good body and one of the finest blends I have had in a long time.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	TheOtter (70)	2023-02-14		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

A solid blend. The latakia is present in just the right amount to compliment the Va/Per. The Orientals reveal themselves towards the bottom of the bowl with a floral compliment to the spice of the perique. While this is not my favorite Va/Per (I really cannot consider it an English blend, its more of a Va/Per with a dash of latakia) it does offer something unique and I don’t mind keeping an extra tin in my cellar. Give it a try.

Note: This blend needs a little time to settle in a jar. Don’t smoke it straight from the tin.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Bubbamorris (16)	2022-06-16		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Tolerable

I chose this to be my first review on here due to some strange qualities I saw a couple other reviewers mention. I purchased this based off of many favorable reviews on this site as well as various forums. I thought I had a good idea of what this would taste like, but I was completely wrong. I saw many on here describing this as a Balkan, and some even describing it as a Lat bomb. It’s neither of those things. It’s a light English somewhat similar to EMP or Skiff Mixture. However, while I really enjoy those blends, something is off about this blend.

One of the first things I noticed was that the tin says “Oriental, Virginia & Perique” with no mention of Latakia. While Latakia is technically an Oriental, tin descriptions will usually just outright say it has Latakia. I found this curious, and I think it’s a clue to what this blend really is.

When I opened the tin for the first time, I was hit with an off-putting smell. As a disclaimer, let me say that I love Latakia. I love the smokiness, the leatheriness, the woodiness. I’ve never been put off by any Latakia blend, whether it be a Lat bomb, a Balkan, a light English, a heavy English, etc. The smell I got when I opened the tin was not Latakia. It was smoky, yes, but it wasn’t Latakia. I saw that another reviewer mentioned a “liquid smoke” smell, and I’d say that’s probably what this smell was. It smelled like a cheap smoky scotch dumped over Orientals and Virginia. The smokiness you smell in this blend appears to be almost entirely artificial, considering I see very little Latakia in the blend. But even despite this weird aroma, I wanted to see what it tasted like.

Upon lighting, the first thing I tasted was the Orientals and Virginias, with a spiciness from the Perique. Unfortunately, something was off with the Virginias for me as well. They tasted metallic and also slightly artificially sweet. The Orientals and Perique tasted great, but the Virginias threw me off. After those initial flavors subsided, I was hit with an aftertaste that tasted just like that artificial smokiness I smelled upon opening the tin. Every once in awhile I did pick up some actual Latakia, and when that came into the mix it tasted great. Unfortunately, those times were few and far between.

Having smoked this several times now, I think I’m gonna have to give up on it. That artificial smokiness is actually nauseating for me after awhile. I have yet to smoke a whole bowl of this because I have to put it down half way through. If you’re okay with the artificial smokiness, the Orientals and Perique in this blend are quite good and flavorful, which is why I’m confused as to why they’d mask it with flavoring. The Virginias are meh though. For me, I won’t be buying this again. I’ll cellar what I have left and see if the topping diminishes.

1 MONTH UPDATE: Now that this tin has been opened for over a month, the topping has almost disappeared. The strange Virginias have gotten less offensive as well. The orientals and perique stand out more, which in my original review I said were my favorite part of this blend. It is now a spicy, fragrant, woody, earthy mixture. I do sometimes still get a funny aftertaste of the lingering topping and strange Virginias, but only occasionally. The tobacco is pretty dry and almost crunchy as expected, but it tastes better. While I still prefer Skiff Mixture, Squadron Leader, EMP, etc., this is an alright light English blend if you let it sit for a month, at the expense of drying it out pretty harshly and letting it get crunchy. I still wouldn’t buy this again, even after the slight improvement.

Pipe Used: Savinelli 802

Similar Blends: Peterson - Early Morning Pipe, Samuel Gawith - Skiff Mixture.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Ondraash (13)	2022-03-01		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

This one is a bit of an oxymoron. The tin note is quite sharp-ish but pleasant. A little smoky quite citrus fruits and "sweet". When lit it gives nice semisweet smoke with more zesty tangy citrusy flavor. The perique is more on the spicy peppery side then the dried fruits, which by me is a little downside because the smoke can be a little bit more sharp than I wish too. I am currious what it would taste like if theres more sweet-ish dried fruits perique used. The latakia is just for the aroma here and definitelly more of a guide than a leader. The overall feeling is interresting but I cant put this one to an "english" type. It is really an oxymoron. I can say that this tobacco is the type you need to be in a mood for it. Unlike the Old Ironsides, which provides anytime, this one is much more an occasional stuff. So I am left right between three and four stars. With some awareness to what being said I think I should go with the four stars because when I am in the mood this baccy merrits full score.

Smoke and drive: A pleasant friend if you are in the mood for something unusual.

Pipe Used: cob, Krška

Age When Smoked: from fresh to 1 year old

Purchased From: etrafika.cz

Similar Blends: Kinda reminds me of OO by McConnell.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	pipesnuffscience (10)	2022-01-23		Mild to Medium	Medium	Very Full	Tolerable

Notes: Citrus, Bergamot, Pepper, Grass, Honey

Real good tobacco. Today it is one of my favorites. A perfect cut, perfect humidity. It is spice since the beginning, evolving to a more sugary sweet smoke. The orientals provide a good balance with the perique, which aggregates some notes of honey, sometimes remembering some floral. Perfect for VaPer smokers. All tobacco is burned, only ashes are left at the end of the smoke. It burns well from start to finish, requiring few (if any) relighting. If I can suggest some pipe, I should say that this is perfect tobacco to be smoked on corn cobs. If you told me this is a English Mixture I will not believe. To me tastes more like VaPer, but I think it you please the English smokers but not the Latakia fans.

- Germano @pipesnuffscience

Pipe Used: Savinelli antica 702, Chacon, CornCob

Age When Smoked: Not new

Purchased From: https://www.tobaccopipes.com/

Similar Blends: Not similar, but remembers the Escudo Navy de Luxe..

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	PresbyPiper (2)	2016-02-03		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Very Pleasant

I purchased a single tin of Midnight Ride to try almost a year ago and after several months of this sitting in my cellar I decided to crack it open a few months ago. The first bowl was outstanding and almost prompted me to immediately go out and add more tins to my cellar. Due to the number of blends in my current rotation I didn't circle back around to smoke the rest of the tin (since jarred) until about two weeks ago. This evening I finished off the tin.

This is a really solid English style blend in my opinion. The orientals and latakia are high quality and I found the blend to be pretty spicy perhaps due to the added Perique, not quite sure. I tend to puff at a rapid pace and found it could get a little bitey on the tongue. Midnight Ride is a pretty full bodied and rather strong in the nicotine department. I smoked this a few times in a briar, but mostly in an IMP meerschaum. I recommend this blend; however, the price of the tin (>$12) makes me think there are other blends out there that are a better over all value (bang for the buck). If I were to purchase this again I would definitely try and seek out the 16oz bag for the better price point.

If you like English blends on the stronger side then give this a try!

Age When Smoked: 9-12 months old

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Cumarinophil (108)	2015-03-09		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Midnight Ride is a well done classical English mixture. Natural sweetness with some smokiness underneath, just a tad lighter than EMP. Pick this one, if you like the VAs upfront in the taste and the condimental tobaccos seriously utilized as such, getting a bit more intense when you reach the end of the bowl. Very pleasing in the nose (of the smoker that is).

Pipe Used: Various with and without filter

Age When Smoked: fresh

Purchased From: danpipe.de

Similar Blends: Dunhill Early Morning Pipe.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	PipePuffin'Finn (2)	2014-09-14		Medium	None Detected	Full	Tolerable

Disclaimer: I am very much a novice piper still, so please take this review with a grain of salt.

i purchased a tin of Midnight Ride as an introduction to orientals, perique and latakia. I have only smoked Virginia/Black Cavendish/Burley blends before this.

Upon opening the tin it was immediately evident that this would be something completely different. Contrary to the rich, sweet and nutty flavours I was used to with the Danish-type blends, MR was not at all rich and sweet, but instead stingy, sour and pungent. I was drawn to this new aroma and kept sniffing the tin for five minutes, trying to figure out what I would be in for.

Upon lighting I was first greeted by a familiar Virginia sweetness, but almost instantly a completely new tingy, spicy, earthy pungency -- to the point of almost being acrid -- pushed through. I was surprised, as I instantly recognized the taste and scent:

When I served my time in the army nearly twenty years ago, we were sent to put out a ground fire in the forest. Upon arrival at the site, the acrid scent of burning moss was everywhere, as the wet, marshy ground slowly and smokily burned away. The scent was very strong, and the smell lingered in the forest as we kept watch through the night.

The strong, acrid smell and the experience of keeping watch in that dark forest has stuck with me through all this time, and this is where Midnight Ride instantly carried me back to.

Pipe Used: Butz-Choquin Manoir

Age When Smoked: 1 mo

Purchased From: Dan Tobacco, Germany

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Sailorjack (57)	2011-11-01		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Tolerable

I don't know how I forgot to review Midnight Ride long before this but I will rectify that oversight now. I believe my reason for neglecting this blend in my reviews is because I don't smoke any blends with Latakia in it anymore although thankfully it only plays a supporting role in Midnight Ride. Obviously made with only the highest quality tobaccos by expert master blenders. If you like Oriental blends than this is good as it gets. I don't smoke blends containing Latakia anymore but this blend is so good that I can't help but light up a bowl of Midnight Ride every now and again.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Kilmarnock Piper (251)	2011-06-04		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Some are saying, no Latakia. Others, gobs of Latakia. I think it's there, at least in my sample from 2005. The Perique and orientals are also very noticable, against a backdrop of fine Virginias. Whether or not the Latakia is a figment of my imagination, at any rate it is light to my tastes. This is not the sort of thing I would stock up on or rave too much about, but I am enjoying the few bowls in the sample I traded for with Chaplikc. I prefer Virginias and VAPERS in all forms, and especially flake for an everyday smoke, but love to try all sorts of things. There are all sorts of things in here, like multiple Virginias, probably multiple orientals, Perique and (I believe) Latakia, and if they threw one more strain of tobacco in this blend, such as Burley, it might be over the top. As it is, I wouldn't say I would not buy another tin, especially an aged one, but this blend won't be one I cellar a lot of. To its credit, I will say Midnight Ride is a nice puffin' tobacco; I can play with the smoking rate and not worry about bite, blow it out my nose without sneezing from Perique overload, and generally have fun smoking it. It's just that I will probably reach for a VAPER or Lakeland flake next.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2010-01-17		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

I'm smoking my last two tins of this wonderful blend. Similar to mild English blends, other than the fact it actually has no Latakia in it, it is deep and soothing. I would recommend it as a crossover for those desiring to change to English blends, but like most great tobacco's this is no longer produced. Sad times, sad times.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	LondoMollari (11)	2008-06-01		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

It has been a while since I smoked this but I will always try to keep a tin around because of the wonderful flavor. The perique tobacco adds some good spice to this blend. After it's all lit up, I experience hints of orange and a creamy, nutty flavor that continues throughout the bowl. A good flavor especially if you like un-cased blends.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2008-01-25		Strong	None Detected	Full	Extra Strong

[update, Jan. 25 2008. As a few others have been, I was 'fooled' into thinking that this was an 'English' blend and have recently learned/realized that there is indeed zero Latakia in this mixture. It does, however, have scads of Perique, which I've sadly developed an intolerance for (irritation, sinus reaction)--which his too bad, since I do enjoy Perique blends and even got a kick out of the small batch of plain perique I'd once sampled. That being said, not being a 'revisionist', here's what I wrote a few years back:]

One of the first English/Latakia-based blends that I tried, when I began exploring the joys and mysteries of pipe tobaccos in earnest 5 years ago.

Lacking the accrid intensity of, say, The Balkan Sobranie (I've only tried the last, pouched offerings of that revered blend), this is nonetheless not a meek smoke. There is a poetic sweetness about it without even a twinge of caramelized, cavendishy sugar essence. Midnight Ride was my first experience of just how rich and complex an English can be while retaining a sweetness and a lightness that simply can't be appreciated or understood by the uninitiated who pass by and sneer at its smokiness. Which, by the way, I've never understood, since I love it when I get whisps of Latakia and full VAs from another smoker. It's like a campfire or other intoxicating smells of nature.

By the way, isn't this tabak produced BY Dan FOR CAO, or are there actually 2 different MRs available (tobaccoreviews.com features 2 different tabaks with this name, one made by "Dan Tobaccos" and the other by "CAO") ... somebody help me out here ...

Highly reccomended for the Latakia lover who enjoys strength without the severity of the strongest English/Oriental smokes. Ride on, man!

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2007-11-07		Strong	None Detected	Full	Strong

This is truly a first class blend. It is a cool, full bodied smoke. Midnight Ride smokes brilliantly two minutes after you buy the tin, which is pleasantly surprising; it seems every smoke these days requires a few hours of drying time in the air before it is tolerable.

The ribbon cut burns very well and I would give this blend four stars if it were not quite as heavy. It is just a bit too smoky. I like the lighter English blends; I like tobaccos where I can smoke three or four bowls consecutively. This is not a light blend, but for those who like the heavier tobaccos, this is much more interesting than Dunhill 965, which is as much a standard as 'night and day'.

In every category I find that Dunhill is excellent, but someone else is better. If you like full bodied English blends, Midnight Ride is an excellent choice, perhaps the best because of its interesting, rich flavor that does not rely solely on brute strength.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2007-08-08		Medium to Strong	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

This blend was a pleasant suprize ! I smoked to the bottom of my pipe and with each puff the flavor became better and a mild change throught the smoke. Wife does not like the room note. So this is an outside smoke for me which makes it better (more relaxing smoke) I love the Perique and will put this blend into my rotation. I highly recommend this Blend.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	haredawg (47)	2007-01-06		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

I?m a product of public schooling alas and alack a day, I always thought Paul Reveres ride was through Boston. The folks at CAO seem to differ with that misguided notion; Paul Revere clearly rode through St. James Parish. This is some Perique serious smoke. I?m guessing the fellow with this regularly in his front pocket has a back pocket with a bottle of hot sauce in it. I am not panning this, I liked it a lot, just as I like to put some habaneras sauce on crawdaddys; just not every day and never for breakfast.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2006-12-17		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

I have little to add to Noorrmm's excellent review except to say that I suspect the confusion that have about the latakia which is NOT in this blend is due to the fact that for some, the interplay between the orientals and perique may be the source of said confusion.

Highly recommended.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2006-11-22		Medium	None Detected	Full	Tolerable

I like this blend for the reasons stated by others. It is a great combination of tangy, sweet, and smoky. It reminds of a barbecue on the vinegary side, and that is a good thing. There is a great confluence of flavors in this blend. In a lot of ways it reminds me of Caledonian Grand Reserve no. 466, which was an all-time favorite.

Really unique blend, a favorite.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Spike (296)	2006-11-17		Medium	Very Mild	Medium	Tolerable

10/02/2004:I gave this four stars even though G.L Pease Blackpoint is one star ahead of Midnight Ride. This one is on a par with Dunhill Medium English, Squadron Leader, Presbyterian Mix and many other fine tobaccos. Here's the problem, once you use a large enough portion of quality Latakia, these English and Balkans to some extent are hard to tell apart. The Latakia sort of overwhelms the tastebuds and all the other tobaccos and flavors become hard to find in the blend. I think it would be nearly impossible to judge this type of tobacco in a double-blind test for that reason.

11/17/2006 Update: Too much Latakia for me. Three stars if you love Latakia.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2006-11-12		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

EDIT:

Removed review, as I mis-clicked...original review was intended for "Midnight Smoke" by Altadis.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	geocritter (21)	2006-11-07		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Tolerable

I've not sampled much of this blend, but from what I tasted, I liked it. Full bodied without too heavy of a latakia hit, but enough for enjoying. Room note wasn't all the outstanding, however, and resident room-note expert gave it one thumbs down.

I'll revisit my review after getting a full tin. For now, 3 stars.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2006-01-18		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

The first thing I noticed with this blend was the perique. I enjoy perique so this didn't bother me. The latakia & orientals shine here, with the spicey perique coming in subtly as you smoke your bowl. A wonderful smoke can be found by taking it easy. Go too fast and you will end up with tongue bite. Smokes consistent in any size bowl. TASTEY!

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2005-12-07		Medium to Strong	Extremely Mild	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Oh, Mr. Revere, I didn't know your midnight ride could inspire such tobacco greatness! I made the mistake of smoking this at the end of the day after my mouth was seasoned from soul food and latakia; big mistake. This is the first smoke of the day or early afternoon blend. You need a clean palate to taste the myriad of subtle yet sublime flavors in this contemplative mixture. This is the perfect VA/Oriental/Perique with hints of latakia for spice. CAO blended these consummately without one overcrowding the other. I hope all the batches are consistent because if they are, this will be counted among my regulars. The aroma is very similar to Germain's Royal Jersey or 1820, with that sour apple tanginess. As Old Ironsides is CAO's signature latakia chorus, Midnight Ride is its VA/O/P counter melody. My pipe pal indicates to me that he much prefers European VA/Perique blends to American. Though I don't favor one over the other, I must admit, European VAs are different and less forward than their American counterpart. Should you choose to smoke this at night, make sure you haven't smoked heavy blends or eaten spicy foods, as you'll never taste all of MR's delightful subtleties. Hats off to CAO/Dan!

Five of five stars ----------- Update - 12/7/05

Something happened. As with a number of European tobaccos I've revisited, Dan, Dunhill & Rattray among them, these blends they are a changing. This stuff is strong & juicy. It lacks the depth of aroma & flavor it once had. It's not terrible, but compared to my glowing review above, it has changed. It's less smokey; less apple flavored; less Germainy. Or maybe I'm getting so much pleasure from American English blends by C & D, that this stuff doesn't do it for me any longer. Old Ironsides, also by Dan, was a big disappointment when I tried it the second time. Another tobacco which will live in infamy.

Two and a half of five stars

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2005-11-14		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

Suprisingly bitey for an English, Midnight Ride starts out with a big perique blast, and then settles down to a nice, full English in the second half of the bowl. I care for the first half of the bowl--nippy and pungent--less and less the more I smoke of this tobacco. The second half is uniformly good, although it can run to some bitterness in some pipes. I've smoked a full tin of this blend in a variety of pipes: clays, large and small briars, pyrolitics, cobs. Midnight Ride is pretty consistent across all types of pipes, although the full experience, such as it is, is muted somewhat in smaller-bored pipes. This is the badger of English tobaccos.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	sasha (228)	2005-07-08		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Tolerable

I was told by some friends about how great this blend was, but I have been a little disapponted. Not that I mean this is a foul mixture, but it lacks something in body. To me, such a good taste evolution along the bowl simply has to be supported by some "guts" that are missed here. However, this to me is more of a perique-oriental blend than an English Mixture: it's cool, dry, with sometimes a pleasant bitterish taste and a "winey" flavour throughout the bowl I could have sincerely done without. I suggest you a medium to large pipe, to enhance the flavour evolution that would be missed if you don't leave it some room.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2005-05-24		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant

OH, so sweet is this leaf!I rarely give 5 of 4 stars to anything ,but this truly deserves it!I will tell you exactly what this tastes like.Take Presbyterian Mixture have it wed Germain's Royal Jersey Latakia Mixture and you have their child-Midnight Ride. This is by far the best Oriental/Virginia/Perique mixture on the market.There are so many layers of flavor that it would take pages to describe them.Nutty,sweet,and slightly sour with a wisp of Latakia in the background. All English blend smokers should try this and some natural aromatic smokers should also.A little expensive,but well worth the price. Stunning!

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Young Piper (304)	2005-05-07		Medium	None Detected	Full	Strong

I recently decided to splurge on a tin of this from Mars Cigars and Pipes for $8.25 which is not too bad for a tin of truly high quality tobacco. The tin art got me again, beautiful image of Paul Revere riding through a dark town and the contents are packed ala Macbaren with a round flap of paper with a compass to remove, all around gorgeous packaging. MR has thin ribbon cuts of all colors like autumn leaves and has a wonderful tin aroma. Smokey and spicy with alot of smoke volume and no bite regardless of my puffing cadence. I packed a fresh bowl right from the tin and there was no gurgling or relights so this came at the right humidity for me. Smoked two more bowls last night watching the movie "The Fog" a great 1981 horror flick about ghost pirates that attack in the fog and each bowl of midnight ride was better than the last and although I lost the complexity due to watching the movie it was still a delicious bowl. Smooth and tasty until it burned down to a nice fluffy ash. Recommended to Ashton Artisan and Nightcap lovers.

Similar Blends: Ashton - Artisan's Blend, Dunhill - Nightcap.

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	Emeritus Account (30167)	2005-01-22		Medium	Medium to Strong	Full	Tolerable

This blend is very unique. The tin aroma is sweet, tangy and slightly musty. The oriental tobaccos, virginias and perique blend well. The Latakia stays in the background for the most part, but its always subtly present. The flavor, while quite full, is not overwhelming and this makes for a very pleasurable smoke. It burns cool, dry and with clean ash all the way to the bottom of the bowl. This is an excellent blend I give 4 stars, however it's one star behind Blackpoint.

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	Emeritus Account (30167)	2004-11-30		Medium	Extremely Mild	Full	Very Pleasant

I am so cheap you have to pry my hands open to get a quarter from me. I hate spending too much on my tobacco but this blend is worth every penny. This is a wonderful smoke I like everything about this tobacco, it has a great aroma and taste. Like many people who reviewed this I was originally drawn to the tin art. I also read the reviews on this site which made me even more eager to try it. This is a real treat for me since I often smoke cheap burley blends while on the go or working. The rich flavor, which might be the perique, makes this so relaxing to smoke. Upon smoking the first tin, Midnight Ride, became my favorite for those rare quiet times that I can sit back and enjoy a really good smoke.

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	Emeritus Account (30167)	2004-11-07		Medium	Very Mild	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

I guess the reviewer "Memlapse" and I share a similar capriciousness when it comes to selecting tobaccos scientifically. I couldn't resist Midnight Ride" simply because I'm an American Revolution and Civil War buff. But, as with "Memlapse", Midnight Ride took me captive without firing a shot. I can easily echo every positive comment made by the others about Midnight Ride. In fact, I seem to always be "almost out" of it even though I buy 7 or 8 tins at a time. Every pipe smoker should give Midnight Ride a try regardless of what their "usual" preferences are. If nothing else, it should be a delightful "change-up" smoke for almost anyone. It's that good! Four Stars,... and a hearty Hi-Ho Silver to Midnight Ride!

Tiger

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	Emeritus Account (30167)	2004-10-15		Medium to Strong	Medium to Strong	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Based on the previous reviews I bought a tin. The tin aroma was strong and not pleasant to me. The cut is rough but the moisture content seemed good and packed well. The taste was not like the tin smell would make you believe. It was smooth and fantastic and if smoked hard had some tongue. Really nice blend, will continue to smoke this one.

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	Beer (345)	2004-09-01		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Tolerable to Strong

Frankly I expected more from this tobacco, at least after reading the enthusiastic reviews here. Old Ironsides is a favorite of mine, but this other CAO offering suits my taste a bit less... It is a good tobacco, but it's not my favorite kind. The tin aroma is very pungent and spicy: lots of red/brownish leaves, and a good dose of black ones (latakia and perique). The cut is rather rough, not as even and fine as in Dunhill's blends. The smoke has a very distinct flavour, just as spicy and pungent as the tin aroma: the problem with me is that while it is pungent, in contrast it sometimes lacks in fullness. A big first moment impact, but then little "meat"... In a similar vein, I prefer Dunhill's Standard Mixture Medium: sweeter and much more balanced, probably due to a stronger Virginia presence in comparison to Midnight Ride. I don't mean that I don't like MR, but it doesn't end up as one of the tobaccos that I'd choose blindly any time for a completely satisfying smoke: I still prefer straight Virginias (especially in flake form) and high-Latakia English mixtures. Anyway, after almost finishing the tin, I must say that it is slowly growing on me (or maybe having left the tin open for a while improved its qualities), especially because of the very pleasant nutty taste, but just falls a bit short of the mark. To end the review, a note on the burning qualities: perfect. Midnight Ride leaves one of the cleanest, driest and whitest ashes I have ever witnessed! This as a consequence of a very cool and dry smoke: a quality that must not be quickly dismissed.

2021 UPDATE: After many years, I have tried the current version made by Dan Tobacco. Well, it doesn't seem to have changed that much, from memory. Still a fine Virginias + Orientals mixture with a good body and a healthy spiciness, overall well behaved and "low maintenance". Still that fermented/fruity/sour tin note (quite unique if I may say) probably due to the Perique, still a "medium" smoking experience, still not enough Latakia for me, still a bit "middle of the road". But it's a well made mixture that has its charm, and it might very well fit your bill.

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	Emeritus Account (30167)	2004-06-17		Medium	Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant

i bought this because it had a 4 star rating and i like cao cigars. very good choice. thanks to all for the high rating. i will be smoking this often.

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	Mr. Dottle (162)	2004-05-10		Medium	Mild	Medium to Full	Tolerable

I do not have the time to describe the attributes of this tobacco in detail as others do. However, as I do wish to contribute some feedback, I will simply rate this tobacco on a scale of 1 ?10, including tenths.

I no longer smoke English blends but when I did this was one of my favorites. I rate this tobacco 9.9 out of 10.

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	Emeritus Account (30167)	2004-04-22		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

This one is a winner! I liked this one the first time I tried it (and it generally takes a few bowls for me to warm up to a new blend). The Orientals make it a sweet experience; The Perique makes it a full and spicy experience with an interesting finish. To top it all off, it burns excellent! (The first C.A.O. Blend that I've tried that impressed me.) It even looks good on my shelf! This is also the first C.A.O. blend that I found worthy of the price tag.

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	Emeritus Account (30167)	2004-02-24		Medium to Strong	Medium to Strong	Medium to Full	Tolerable

As other reviewers have mentioned the tin art prompted me to try this blend.I purchased it at the historic shop of L.J.Peretti in Boston,MA.Believe it or not I bought it on the Anniversary of Revere's faithful ride.It smells delicious in the tin.It smokes cool in my pipe.I believe it's a real stand-out among tobaccos.When I'm tired of everything else it's a welcome change from the norm of the thick english blends I usually smoke.I also bought a tin to cellar.I'll try it in a few years... Recommended! prep

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	Emeritus Account (30167)	2004-02-12		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is by far the best cao blend i've had. It is wonderfully complex, smooth, round and unique in that I don't know much to compare it to. There is a vortex of flavor here that swirls through out the bowl and keeps my attention. Just an excellant blend that has many high points and very few if any flaws in my opinion. Smokes cool and the aroma is very approvable to those who love turkish or english blends. Highly recomended to turkish or english lovers or any one that wants to try a unique, savory blend. Edit: 5-18-11 - I have noticed many reviewers State that there is no latakia in this blend. ALL of the tins I have smoked contain latakia with out a doubt. All of the tins I have smoked are CAO versions. Is there a difference between the CAO and Dan blend Midnight Ride?

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	Emeritus Account (30167)	2003-09-09		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Tolerable

Black Dog thank you for this one! Got a sample and bought a few tins the next day! Good flavors and complexity, an all around hit as far as taste goes. The wife will most likely hate the room note, but it is tolerable to mine even though it is note her favorite! A must try baccy this one.

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	Emeritus Account (30167)	2003-06-29		Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I've smoked several bowls of Midnight Ride, and I love this stuff. It's got a great sweet/sour flavor that I have not found in any other tobacco. At first the tin aroma put me off, sort of a musty sour smell, but the flavor is wonderful. I'd liken it to gently fermented raisins, with latakia for an undertone spice,and the perique for the high notes. They all work together wonderfully. Highly recommended!!

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	Fazby (66)	2003-06-07		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

Will try this again, once I burn up some other tobacco...

This is a nice blend. My initial impression was Dunhill's Elizabethan, but with flavor.

Virginia with a few other additions to add some depth. English/Virginia smokers should enjoy this one.

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	RCUSElder (244)	2003-04-10		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

This is my favorite from the folks at Dan Tobacco and CAO. This blend is very well balanced and is the only blend that contains Perique and does not trigger an allegic reaction in me.I can't really call it a "English" blend but rather find it to be in a class all by itself. It can be smoked all day and is not sensitive to bowl size. After three tins, the consistency is still the same. This blend is so unique, that I usually smoke it on special occassions. No dottle is left in the pipe and leaves a fine white ash.

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	Emeritus Account (30167)	2003-04-07		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is a very nice smoke. It starts out mild and very well blended with no one tobacco taking charge. The Latakia stays in the background, but not silent. The Perique offers a nice offset to the Virginia and Oriental mixture. As the smoke progresses, the flavors integrate well to provide a very harmonious taste.

I enjoyed this smoke but was left feeling that it needed something to make it standout. maybe next time.

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	Emeritus Account (30167)	2003-01-21		Medium	Medium to Strong	Medium	Tolerable to Strong

I grabbed a tin because I liked the picture on the lid. Proabably not the best reason, but I've done ignorant things for worse reasons.

The tin aroma actually gives you an indication of what you're going to taste. The oriental jumps out of the tin. The same thing happened upon firing it up. The oriental and perique starting yelling at me right from the start. They started quieting down once I was about a third of the way through the bowl. That's when the virginia started talking to me. The latakia stayed pretty quiet. Every once in a while it would make a comment or mummur in the background.

This smoke makes for a nice break from the english blends I'm so fond of. I refrain from comparing it to those blends since it has it's own distinction.

I bought an extra tin for aging. I'll let you know what some shelf-time does for this pleasant bit of tobac.

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	Emeritus Account (30167)	2002-04-18		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Very Pleasant

This is only my second Dan tobacco I have ever tried. London Blend 1000 was certainly a lovely and inspiring introduction to Dan products. On opening the tin of Midnight Ride(which I decided to try next based on reviews read here) I could not help but be reminded of the aroma of And So To Bed by Esoterica. The flavor however is not the same as the Esoterica blend. I really enjoyed this tobacco and find it most flavorful in a way that requires attention to appreciate the complexity of the experience. This is an English blend that contains some perique. It is a very well balanced blend and I look forward to having another bowl as soon as I get home from work. Four and a half stars.

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	Emeritus Account (30167)	2002-04-04		Medium	Medium	Full	Pleasant

Midnight Ride from C.A.O. has rapidly become one of my favorite tobaccos. From the moment I opened the tin and smelled that pungent aroma, I knew that this was going to be a special treat. Upon lighting my first bowl, I was not disappointed. This blend has a "sweet and sour" quality that?s hard to describe. Both sensations are well-balanced and occasionally I get a hint of a citrus-like flavor. This is the first blend I?ve tried that contains Perique, and it?s obviously responsible for the quality described above. The pungency may not appeal to some, but I think it is well-done. The flavor, while quite full, is not overwhelming and this blend makes for a very pleasurable smoke. I burned cool and dry with clean ash all the way to the bottom of the bowl with minimum relighting. I would recommend this as an after-dinner, relax-on-the-porch smoke. Masterfully done. A big 4 stars.

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	Emeritus Account (30167)	2001-09-22		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Very Pleasant

I am a sucker for interesting ads or compelling pictures, and amongst all the tins at the Tobacconist this one really caught my eye. Anxious rider, sleeping town with dark windows, the bare branches on the trees and shadows cast from moonlight...nice!

The tin says it has Orientals (my pref) Virginia's (another favorite) and ...Perique!?

I tried it anyway, being my first experience with Perique. In the tin, it has a good tobacco odor, with just a hint of "sour" which has to be the Perique. The Tobacco inside is golden, chocolate and deep brown, with a few big "chunks" but not a lot of moisture.

Became my favorite blend on the top part of the first bowl. Lights nice, smells great (slightly exotic) and has a pleasing flavor all its own. The Orientals and Virginias where not really remarkable (still great) and the Perique politely introduces itself at random moments, lingers and then lurks in the back for a bit, like a waiter in a 5 star restaraunt.

If you are looking for a first go with Perique, I would highly recommend this blend.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2001-03-28		Medium	Medium to Strong	Medium to Full	Tolerable

If Paul Revere was smoking Midnight ride, he may not have been in such a hurry. I know I wouldn't have been. Even the tin aroma, sweet, tangy and slightly earthy or musty. This is a tobacco I savor from first light to the last appreciated puff (fortunately it usually burns to a clean ash). I have a silver spigot Peterson which has seen nothign else - usually only special virginias or certain unique tobaccos are 'deedicated' in my pipes. The oriental tobaccos have a heavy presence but there are two other heavy hitters in this blend; virginias and a healthy dose of perique. Neither dominates the blend to the extent that it overshadows the other components- though the orientals seem to have the first run, followed by the virginias and finally the perique towards the end of the bowl. It is a very satisfying blend to smoke anytime, though I usually enjoy a pipeful most after dinner when I'm in no hurry smokin

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