Davidoff English Mixture

There was no indication of a production date on the tin, but the excise stamp indicated Q3 2017, and the look of the smoking hazard stickers matched the period to 2018. So I'm guiding for the second half of 2017.

Appearance: a mixture of very thin ribbons of almost monochromatic light brown shades with occasional flecks of darker color. Moisture from the can - a little dry, perhaps, but the consistency was not affected, the tobacco is of sufficient quality. Despite the claim to be an English blend, there is very little latakia in the tobacco.

Flavor: a distinctive coffee note framed by oak bark, sour plum, pepper and nut, plus a subtle smoky, tannic accent. No halftones, no complex flavors, everything is quite simply decomposed into component parts - here's the burley, here's the virginia, here's the perique. And the traces of latakia flavor correspond to the tiny amount of it which I have found while examining the tobacco.

Taste: The ingredients are almost the same as the flavor. There is the taste of coffee, prevailing on the general background, a fair amount of spicy perique (which would be more suitable for some Va/Per, and which, however, does not overlap the coffee note), plum sourness, a little sugar, a little nut, there is even a bit of tar and smokiness from the latakia... There is only one "but" - all this absolutely does not expression. The taste is straight, but doesn't add up to a nice overall bouquet. I have tried this blend in several different pipes, but the result was always the same. The first comparison that came to my mind was "someone dipped a smoldering oak log in a liquid weak sour Americano with pepper and a drop of nut syrup". Certainly a bit rude, but there was no other in my mind at the time. Over time, the peppery note degenerates, the tobacco gets a little more sweet - and turns into a completely faceless mixture, vaguely reminiscent of English. This blend smokes evenly, moderately hot, burns quickly enough into a light gray ash with some darker fractions, and leaves no moisture in the pipe. The strength is somewhat below average, nicotine hit is not threatening even in a large pipe. The aftertaste has a sweet and grassy undertone.

The smoke is woody and nutty, with no hint of smoky latakia, easily dispersed.

What's the result? A second blend from Davidoff - and seemingly a second blank shot. But what's interesting: the manufacturer's website describes the tobacco as a "subtle English blend," and I find that description quite accurate. The blend cannot be called "bad". It just doesn't have its character. It is nothing. Perhaps it would suit a newcomer to the world of English blends, so he would not be scared by the force of the latakia. But a person who really likes English blends is likely to pass it by.

Out of the tin smells like a campfifre. Once in the pipe I can detect some spicy flavours, probably from the latakia. Nicotine for me is quite high. Does not bite. Although is a nice blend as all Davidoff's blends, is by no means, one of my favourites.

This one is not for me. All I got was a tobacco that I found to be bland and tasteless except for a rather nasty sour flavor. I won't be buying this again.

Go ahead, I am amused by the name of this mixture, a sample of fine irony on the part of the person who baptized it. Beyond labels and the greater or lesser fortune of its name, it is a pleasant tobacco to smoke. Latakia is far less noticeable than, say, in the Early Morning Pipe, to name a tobacco it has been compared to, but the ingredient is there. You won't find it all the time, but it won't be absent either. Labeling it is difficult: I don't think it can be qualified as a va / per or as a va / bur, nor ... It's just English Mixture.

To be honest, I don't know what's meant by "English" when it comes to pipe tobacco, my studies in the matter are yet to take me that far into the subject. However, considering my 50g tin cost me almost half as much again as my favourite smokes, I was hoping for a smoke good enough to blow my gentlemans bits off (sorry to be so crude). However, like the sordid little grief hole that is their Green Mixture, Davidoff have dropped the ball once again.

Don't get me wrong, this is a nice tobacco, the slightly sweet, fruity, sultana scent from the tin is a pleasant one. Even the feel of the ribbon on the fingers is nice. Smoking the stuff follows on in a similar vein, giving hints of a half decent port on top. The room note isn't fantastic, but is pleasant enough, so is the general lack of tongue bite.

On the whole then, not a bad smoke, I just wonder how on earth Davidoff can justify the extra price. It's like paying for Bolinger and getting a decent Chardonnay, what you get is good, but you deserve so much better for your money.

More "hint of latakia" than typically English mixture, but I have learnt that Davidoff blends can be subtle/conservative.

This blend might be a good choice if you are curious about latakia, but not ready to commit to something where latakia is dominant.

This is all good, because this blend offers more than just a hint of latakia. There are tastes and nuances to be discovered here, and this tobacco might grow on you unexpectedly.

Although this is a very well-balanced blend, I don't find myself getting excited about it. It has a lot to offer, and I certainly recommend it, but I don't see myself smoking it that often.

A mild, easy smoking blend. The taste is simple, balanced, and neither requires nor benefits from much attention. A good choice for a car ride, as the room note is quite pleasant. Overall, a good tobacco. Not a great tobacco, but worth trying if you can find it at a decent price.

I purchased this blend from Cigar Emporium it stated being the Traditional English mixture. Now me being from California and never setting a foot in England I wouldn't know what a Traditonal English blend is like but this one wasn't....too bad. The perique kind of got in the way for me and the latakia is rather slim. My twin brother likes this blend a lot but for me it needs a little more of something.

It's not a bad tobacco; I really wanted to enjoy this one But the truth is I like GL Pease Maltese Falcon and Westminster better. Perhaps if they switched the amount of latakia and perique that would do the trick. I would recommend this blend for fans of VaPers. It might be a little too full for new smokers.

Update; against my better judgement I notice that I quit often grab this a a first smoke of the day. Maybe I'll buy some again 🙂 bumped up to 3 stars...

I bought a tin in december 2009 and opened it straight away. I love Royalty, rate it 4 stars and could not believe Davidoff offering a tobacco as bad as English Mixture was being reviewed on this forum.

The tinnote was so sickeningly sweet and the taste so bad I put this tin in my "Not-Box". Now, in the middle of march I have experienced that several tobacco's I initially did not like became much better after they stood around opened and unsmoked for some weeks. So I decided to give English Mixture another chance.

The horrible tinnote has disappeared and now I smell almost pure tobacco with still a slightly sweet overtone I cannot recognise. Almost ok by my standards.

The tobacco looks great but is a bit sticky to the touch. Smoking it however is quite enjoyable and a good morning smoke.

Would I buy it again? Yes, but only if my favourites are unavailable... It is good to know a back-up tobacco exists.