Dan Tobacco Midnight Ride

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.

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.

[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!

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.

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.

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.

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!

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!

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.