B&B Tobacconists, llc Beck's Ol' Limey Bastard

Let me preface my remarks by saying that I smoked Murray's 965 for nearly 15 years, it was my "go to" smoke and I smoked it 90% of the time. I literally smoked hundreds of pounds of it (preferring the tins) and indeed I found it to be the perfect tobacco. Sadly, I have been on a 5 year search for something/anything that satisfied like that blend did. Further, and pardon my strong opinion here, but I am a little disgusted with those who have smoked the Murray blend and now smoke the Orlik junk, and dare mention the two in the same breath. While I am sure some might enjoy Ice Milk, please leave Haagen-Dazs out of the discussion!

That being said, I wish to offer my opinion as to the differences and similarities between Becks new contribution and Murray's 965. First, Murrays had a sweeter taste that I believe might have been captured, in part, by the unique use of a high quality Cyprian Latakia (I seem to recall 965's description always mentioning the use of a young or small Latakia plant). Becks I assume, uses standard Latakia (and precious little of it), and what sweetness there is in the blend is from the Virginias. Too, Murrays had a smoothness and nuttiness about the smoke. Again another assumption is that the feature came from a distinctive use of some Burley tobacco in that Cavendish mix. I believe Beck's to be the more typical Virginia Cavendish (and a cheaper tobacco too). None of this would matter if Beck's could have captured the overall taste of the Murray blend since that is what we seek/desire. Those of us who loved the Murray blend were appreciative of the lack of Orientals in the blend, as I believe that is part of what made 965 quite distinctive from many other English types. Beck's seems to use very little oriental tobacco (perhaps none) which should make it an appealing choice for many. However, Beck's uses precious little Latakia too. Overall, there is no rich creamy smoke to the Beck blend. I find a little stringent flavor too. Further I consider OLB to be more akin to "Early Morning Pipe", rather than "965" - and some of you may indeed like it for that quality. While I am not saying this is bad tobacco, it tastes like cheaper tobacco is used, and it's just not worthy for this 965 lover to keep around. However I will attempt to add some age to this blend and together with a little more Latakia, will see if I can improve it. My rating gives the Beck version a half star bump just for the admirable attempt at recreating such a superlative lost blend.

Footnote: I don't hold much hope of ever finding anything I enjoyed like 965 and it is said that Sir Alfred Dunhill himself preferred the older version of this classic (pre Murray). I find that I only smoke a bowl or so a day now (mostly Pease tobaccos) and rotate between several mixtures. In one pipe smoker's forum, I practically begged Greg Pease to turn his attention to recreating 965, and although he mentioned that it had indeed crossed his mind, he had many projects he wished to pusue as well being conflicted as to which 965 might garner the most appeal, the original Dunhill or the Murray blend. Lord how I wish he would just pick either one!

I'll add my kudos to the others posted here. I can only compare Beck's 'Ol Limey Bastard to the Orlik version of Dunhill MM 965, but the smell from the bag is very different. Orlik's 965 has a stronger Cavendish smell to it, whereas Beck's has a dominant Latakia scent. I don't smell Cavendish at all.

The real issue, however, is how it smokes and while it's not exactly the same as the Orlik 965 I know and love, it's similar and a great blend in its own right. Beck's helps fill the 965 void for me and I recommend it to people looking for a replacement or to those who are simply looking for a very smooth medium English tobacco.

Wow. This is great stuff. Never having tried the new Peterson 965, this only makes me more excited to try the “original” blend. But based on its own merit, Becks OLB is a wonderfully blended smoke.

This mixture is delightfully balanced between the smoky, earthy Latakia and the sweet, full-mouthfeel cavendish in a supporting role. It’s perfect for early morning or late night smokes and will become a part of my regular rotation.

Burns clean through with very little to no moisture left in the bowl, consistent taste throughout.

I would recommend this blend to those who want to explore Latakia and need a little sweetness to help along the way. Or those who enjoy English blends that are not Oriental forward.

The strength of this blend is certainly its price point and availability (since I live in Asheville)

The only weak point may be the cut. Big chunks of latakia in the mix sometimes require a bit of crumbling to get into the chamber. Besides that, no complaints here!

I bought this Bulk from 4Noggins about 6 months ago, the price was right. Upon reading many of the other reviews , there seems to be a consensus that this is a match for Dunhill's 965. I've never been a fan of D's 965, find it harsh, this is smooth and mild. Do I really like it enough to buy again ? No, it's got a top note of mild Vanilla , that's not for me. I think it reminds me of one of the "Frogs" . I really think many would like this if you're looking for a mild English.

First of all, let me state that I am very happy to have been turned on to this tobacco by others. I do not feel that this is a direct substitute for Dunhill's MM 965; of course, it is said to be a good remake of the "earlier" 965, so perhaps that's why I feel so, as I have never smoked the early version. This blend reminds me more of the modern BS 759 version(s), from its "tin note" (bag note, actually, since it's sold in bulk only) and how it tastes as it's smoked. Two of my favorite blends are Dunhill 965 and BS 759 (modern versions), BTW. I can't wait to age some of this a bit and see what happens.

Many have compared this to Dunhill 965 but I did not think this to be nearly as smooth. As a matter of fact, I would say that Sutliff match 965 is a much smoother smoke and closer to Dunhill. Overall I thought that it was just Latakia overkill. I purchased the minimum of 2 ounces and may smoke it gone but will not go out of my way to obtain more. Recognizing that there are many who "seek" Latakia bombs I am going to rate it as Recommended.

A top shelf all-day smoke in a bulk bag? Heresy. (See Arango Balkan Supreme for more of this heresy.) There’s a nice nutty sweetness coming off the Cavendish, and some perfumed, not overwhelmingly smokey flavor from the Latakia. The Virginias are deep and earthy, not too bright, but there’s plenty of balance between tangy and rich flavors.

It’s been blended with an eye toward smoothness, and that comes through in style. It is sheet-of-glass smooth, makes Baby’s Bottom feel like 40-grit sandpaper. It is approved by the members of the Pipe Club of London because it is very good pipe tobacco. I shudder to think how much it would sell for if it came in a fancy tin.

It is almost a 4-star blend. There are better blends in this category but OLB will never disappoint.

When I bought this from 4-noggings for the first time I was attractive to it's name. Back then I did not even know there are so many differences among English blends. It tastes wonderful and flavorful. Definitely better than present MM965. Great English blend!

I started pipe smoking with 965, and this excellent blend reminds me much more of 965 from 15 years ago than the current Orlik version. Irrespective of Dunhill comparisons, though, it's a great smoke in its own right. By turns creamy, spicy, chocolately, leathery, smoky, it burns cool and is really very pleasant. Full marks to the blenders!