Dunhill Aperitif

(3.28)
A complex blend of Virginias, cavendish, Latakia and Oriental Leaf. The name 'Aperitif' suggests this well balanced medium mixture should be enjoyed prior to dinner.

Where to Buy

SmokingPipes.com

Details

Brand Dunhill
Blended By Dunhill
Manufactured By  
Blend Type Scottish
Contents Cavendish, Latakia, Oriental/Turkish, Virginia
Flavoring
Cut Ribbon
Packaging 50 grams tin
Country United Kingdom
Production No longer in production

Profile

Strength
Medium
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Extremely Mild -> Overwhelming
Flavoring
None Detected
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
None Detected -> Extra Strong
Room Note
Tolerable
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Unnoticeable -> Overwhelming
Taste
Medium
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Extremely Mild (Flat) -> Overwhelming

Average Rating

3.28 / 4
69

52

20

4

Reviews

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Displaying 21 - 40 of 145 Reviews
Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Nov 29, 2017 Mild to Medium Extremely Mild Medium Pleasant to Tolerable
Surprisingly dry in the tin, even for a Dunhill, which usually aren't too moist to begin with. Good to go from the moment I first opened the tin (but do keep in mind that a week or so of "decanting" opens it up further). Short and thin ribbons in a melange of bright, brown, olive tinted orientals and a little thicker black latakia ensures packing the pipe is the least of your problems. The tin aroma is pleasantly delightful and dominated by sweet fermented fruit and earthy notes. There may be a topping of some sort present, but my nose may be deceiving me, or it's ever so lightly applied.

In the pipe it is equally delightful. Mild, and smooth with a lot of flavour. The main player to my palate is smoky and faintly leathery latakia on a herbal bed of turkish. The cavendish and virginia are noticeably present as well, but of the two the cavendish comes through the most clearly (tastes identical to the one used in 965). The virginia shows itself mainly in the side stream, but unfortunately remains largely anonymous for the most part, or perhaps I should say it melds well with the larger composition and doesn't come through fully until the final third of the bowl. I suppose I wouldn't have minded a little sweeter edge to it either on the whole, but on the other hand, the VA "nip" is nowhere to be found here, something I'm sure will appeal to a lot of smokers prone to bite.

True, it is an obvious variation on the 965 theme, but with enough differences in balance to set it apart. I guess it ultimately comes down to personal preference. As for me, I reach more often for 965 than I do for Aperitif, but it's entirely possible that's because 965 happened to become a staple in my rotation long before Aperitif found its way into my pipes many years later.

Both blends scratch much of the same itch for me, but 965 has the edge when it comes to overall satisfaction after a smoke. As far as recommendations go, I would say try them both and see which one you like the best, or, if you liked a lot of what 965 has to offer, but not everything, you may find what you were looking for in Aperitif, which to me is a little more mellow and perhaps a bit more subdued in contrast to the former. Oh, and the room note is definitely more agreeable as well. Not at all obtrusive or overstaying its welcome. Compared to many english-type blends it's downright pleasant. Overall I give this a solid recommendation.
Pipe Used: Davidoff 109, Parker Super Bruyere
PurchasedFrom:
Age When Smoked: > 3 years
5 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Nov 06, 2017 Mild to Medium None Detected Medium Tolerable to Strong
This is like an adventurous youth who has matured in middle age. It has the characteristics of a full English blend, woodsy smoke and honey sweetness upfront. However everything is softened and refined by the cavendish. It has no rough edges, meaning no components overpower the others. The blend is not intense but it is delicious and full flavored. I sometimes find myself missing the strong herbal and spicy oriental notes one finds in Dunhill’s other English blends, but this is not that kind of tobacco. Those have been done and this softness is unique in a blend so full flavored. That’s not to say the blend lacks complexity. Oriental is in there, just without the punch. Another reviewer used the word “velvety”, and that is spot on. Aperitif does bitter a bit halfway through the bowl but never becomes unpleasant. It burns clean and consistently. If it sounds like something that appeals to you it is definitely worth checking out. I really enjoy it.
5 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Jul 23, 2015 Medium None Detected Medium Pleasant to Tolerable
I had this pegged at three stars the first couple of times I smoked it. It has grown on me and now I find myself reaching for it regularly. It hasn't become a favorite, but it might eventually. The Latakia is somewhat light, but always discernible. The Orientals are of the woody variety and compliment the Latakia very well. The Virginias and the Cavendish provide a wonderful smooth sweetness with just a hint of fruit. This really has great flavors. Not overly complex, but complex enough to keep my interest. Like all Dunhill ribbons it burns perfectly. Medium in body and flavor.
Pipe Used: MM Country Gentleman, Diplomat Apple, Mark Twain
PurchasedFrom: smokingpipes.com
Age When Smoked: fresh
5 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
May 07, 2015 Medium None Detected Medium to Full Pleasant
no! no! no! I can not remain silent before a tobacco like that!

         if the tone of an English mixture is latakia, forget it because this is not the case! here he is just one of the stars of this exelente mix! and you have to share the stage with other celebrities!

         The aroma cold this more bittersweet, although the initial impact is the latakia. cut into thin ribbon makes it burn well! two rekindled a lot; no, there is no bite, and a rich, creamy smoke.

         the flavor is sophisticated (I suspect that Eastern has something to do with it), it has a slight sweetness that goes throughout the smoked (certainly pruduzida by this English cavendish) this sweetness that acts as a base, as the stage where the other stars shine in a very well orchestrated relay.

        It is not a nicotine pump as nigthcap has just the right amount to make us happy and waiting for the next smoked.

         in short, it is a great tobacco!.........

5 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Aug 19, 2014 Mild to Medium None Detected Mild to Medium Pleasant
My tins have been bought from a fellow member on pipesmagazine.com and are dated 2007; they are thus an Orlik production. Considering The Apéritif have not been produced since, probably, early to mid 2005, it's probably 9 rather than 7 years old. The thing that stroke me the most when I opened the tin was how much the tobacco stinked. Very smoky, almost too much; and almost sickening. But that quickly vanished. The Apéritif stands apart from the other offerings from Dunhill as it's a Scottish blend. I like to think of it as in between EMP and 965 when it comes to nicotine input; creamier and less sweet than EMP despite the Cavendish; and less spicy than 965. There seems to be more Cavendish than Latakia in The Apéritif and that's ok, as it's a Scottish blend. My educated guess for the Latakia is Syrian as the tin note was not characteristic of the Cyprien. Definitively not a Latakia dominant tobacco, it stands out with its own merits. The cavendish is definitively unsweetened and brings that creamy foundation that characterizes The Apéritif. Then the Turkish unveils slightly spicy notes and the virginia, some sweetness. The latakia will manifest itself occasionnally by adding some smokiness. A very good blend, that is not high in nicotine but remains tasteful and rich from beginning to end. I would certainly recommend it for anyone seeking an introduction to Latakia blends or for anyone seeking a mild Scottish blend. I wonder if STG have Syrian Latakia in reserve if Apéritif contains it; if not, I certainly wonder how it will do with Cyprian instead? I will rebuy when it's available in the USA, as it's been released in the UK a few months ago. To summarize, The Apéritif is a Scottish Blend like none other. Highly recommended. I am very happy to see that Orlik resurrected this one as well as Durbar!
Pipe Used: Stanwell; Rattray; Dunhill
PurchasedFrom: Private sale
Age When Smoked: Between 7 and 9 years
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Jan 02, 2017 Mild to Medium None Detected Mild to Medium Pleasant to Tolerable
Aperitif is to My Mixture 965 what Frog Morton original is to Frog Morton's Cellar.

Smokey with only a touch of sweetness. It's another of what I tend to call the "meat and potatoes" type of blends, though this one is better than most I put in that category.

I wouldn't say it is the kind of blend that is going to "wow" you, nor is it one that you're liable to sit and necessarily savour for its own sake (though I could imagine there could be circumstances where you might), but probably more the sort that you will sip away at while you work on something else or have your focus otherwise on other things.

It's not a bad little blend, though My Mixture 965 or Frog Morton's Cellar are far more interesting to me, probably because I like a bit more sweetness to sit alongside the smokey characteristics. This has sweetness, just not as much as I'd personally prefer, or which tends to capture my attention.

To be honest, the most alluring thing about this particular blend is the name and the tin art, but here again if I'm going to smoke a blend like this I'd prefer to just stick with Frog Morton's Cellar or My Mixture 965.

But if you find those two a bit sweeter than you'd like, this might be one for you.

UPDATE 07/2017:

I'm not sure if its the age of the tin or my age now, but this blend has completely changed for me, becoming far more interesting and with that interesting incense like quality to it.

It's become a favourite and I'm cellaring it up.
4 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Feb 16, 2016 Medium Medium Medium Tolerable
Bought this because I enjoy Dunhill tobacco, N.Cap, R.Yacht, and other English blends especially Artisan's Blend, and I enjoy S.Leader from my Meerschaum. I have tried it in a few different pipes and the result is the same. It is a bit like an overly peppery version on S.Leader. I did not enjoy this at all, it burns well, and smells ok'ish but that's about it. Constant same flavour all the way through, like smoking the remains of an old ash tray.
Pipe Used: Savinelli, Clay, MM Corn Cob, Meerschaum
PurchasedFrom: Turmeaus Liverpool.
Age When Smoked: Fresh from tin.
4 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
r
Nov 10, 2015 Medium to Strong None Detected Medium to Full Strong
Apéritif presents a similar premise to its sibling My Mixture 965: a spicy sweet Scottish blend. It distinguishes itself by over-pronouncing the spice at the expense of the Latakia, which yields and conforms by simply reminding you it is there.

Well presented and easy to pack and smoke. True to its name, it left me hungry, albeit not for a second bowl - this blend gets close to overwhelming if one enjoys more than a group 3 bowl.
4 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Jan 23, 2014 Mild to Medium None Detected Mild to Medium Very Pleasant
I found this recipe on the web. My Own Blend recipe for Aperitif: 55% Latakia G019 20% Light virginia shortcut G003 10% Oriental G001 10% Black cavendish G010 5% Kentucky G028

The "G000" codes refer to the numbers MOB use for the different tobaccos
4 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Nov 30, 2009 Mild to Medium None Detected Mild Pleasant to Tolerable
Aperitif????? I could smoke this all day!!!!

This is very subtle and nice. An unmistakable Dunhill taste. I'm loving this blend more and more each day.

Got my favorite Winslow full bent out and sorry to cut this review short, but I'm going out for another bowl.......
4 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Sep 16, 2005 Medium None Detected Medium Tolerable
My 200th Review!!!!

Appearance and Tin Aroma: a good mixture of dark, mahogany, brown, and ocassional light leaf. Smells deliciously pungent. Almost a sweet and sour aroma. Makes my mouth water...

Packing and Lighting: I usually leave the tin open in a nice dark place for about 2 hours upon initial opening of the tin. The medium ribbon cut packs fairly easily. 2-3 Lights max.

Initial Flavor: Mana! This is a delicious Scottish/English/Oriental Mixture.

Mid-Bowl: Delicious round flavor, gets into the zone easily. Does not need much puffing to get flavor. I love the room note.

Bottom of the Bowl: Ends too quickly! Leaves a fine, dry grey ash when done. Does not build too much strength or a nicotine blast.

Overall: This is by far my favorite blend from the Dunhill line. Not as rich as LM, not bloated and cloying like 965, no blast like Nightcap. IMO this is one of the best all-day blends you can get. Not as soft as Exotique by Smokers Haven, not as rough as Red Raparee. I can smoke bowls of this back to back with nary a tongue-bite or nicotine headaches like some blends can give. Since this will not be blended in the U.K. anymore, I have since stashed a lot of this blend. No telling what the Orlick version will be like. Go and get some now! A truly refined blend worthy of the staunchest Calvinist! Enjoy...
4 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Dec 24, 2020 Mild to Medium None Detected Medium to Full Tolerable
Wow!! What-A-Blend!!!! This baby right here is one piece of paradise, especially for english/scottish lovers. And thus, goes on my favorites list.

Tin note: Smoky latakia, spicy and leathery orientals, wood and a bit of hay.

Presents itself with lots of black and brown leaves, completed with some dark yellow and only a few golden ribbons. The perfect “Dunhill cut” with short to medium ribbons. Perfect moisture.

The taste is sublime, delivering a creamy, velvety, buttery, smoky and sweet latakia, leathery and just a bit spicy orientals of the best quality. It’s like a soft cloud on your tongue. Latakia is in the front, followed by the orientals.

Amazing smoke, complex, full of taste, a dance of flavors. Reminds me of Margate and Baby’s Bottom, and the orientals are similar to those in HU Tobacco’s Soraya with complex notes. Top quality leafs.

Burns absolutely excellent, you can light a single match and smoke the whole bowl without going out. It doesn’t get hot, it doesn’t burn/bite, it always delivers a cold smoke, doesn’t go off, no matter how hard you puff. The only problem would be that it burns a little too fast.

Delivers a very cool, cold, smooth, thick smoke, like a cloud.

The room note is full of latakia, so I don’t think a non smoker would appreciate it, but for me, this smells like Heaven.

3 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Aug 01, 2020 Mild to Medium None Detected Medium Unnoticeable
About two years ago, I stocked up on Dunhill’s big three, EMP, 965, and Nightcap as they were closing production once again. I also ordered one tin of this. In hindsight I wish I had ordered more as I cannot find this one carried under the Peterson banner. The tin note on this one is sweet, slightly sour-ish and densely packed like most Dunhill blends seem to be. This is a Scottish blend as it has Cavendish. The ribbons are fairly moist but with my expertise lights up like a champ. I have been smoking this on and off most of the past week, first in my 1947 Dunhill, and later in my 4 dot Sasieni Kensington Dublin, (1949-1979) which makes this pipe at least 41 years old. Wow, two real antiques, just like the smoker. This is an excellent light medium smoke and is very well blended and produces a nice thick white cloud of smoke. As a stickler this is named “The Aperitif” not Aperitif. As if it matters. 🙂 I had to look up the definition of Aperitif and is as follows: an alcoholic drink taken before a meal to stimulate the appetite. Well this smokes great anytime, especially with my drink of choice, coffee. If you find some, buy it.
3 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Dec 02, 2017 Medium to Strong None Detected Medium Pleasant to Tolerable
Similar to MM965 lights and packs well. Stays lit. Slightly spicy but mellow in now is Smoky sweet with a nutty/molasses undertones. Taste is very Latakia heavy with a very blended creamy/ mildly sweet woodyness. Wonderful blend. Definitely gets better with age. No bite and medium to strong on the “N”.
Pipe Used: AKB meerschaum
PurchasedFrom:
Age When Smoked: 3 years
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Oct 21, 2017 Mild to Medium None Detected Medium Pleasant to Tolerable
This is a medium Latakia-forward blend, well-tempered by the Cavendish and mild Orientals. Like many of the current Dunhills, it's mostly thin ribbons which catch easily and burn a bit on the fast side. Those who want blends with a really strong Latakia presence would be a bit disappointed. Smokers who like the approach of most 'Scottish'-type blends would likely consider it a solid but not outstanding example.
Pipe Used: briars, cobs, and meers
PurchasedFrom: 4 noggins
Age When Smoked: opened 26 months after purchase
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Sep 08, 2017 Medium None Detected Medium to Full Tolerable
I cannot help but review Apéritif as compared to MM965. In the tin, Apéritif is rather messy for a Dunhill blend, the ribbons seem less even than usual, and overall a bit thinner. It takes a light quite well, and stays lit easily. It is less forgiving than some other Dunhill blends i've tried, even though it is a rather robust blend, i find that it is at its best when sipped slowly, while MM965 can be puffed quite vehemently. Apéritif can easily become harsh if pushed too hard, it will burn hotter and faster than other Dunhill offerings, on the other hand it seems to leave a bit less moisture in the bowl. On to the taste. On first light, there is an oriental bouquet which is delightful; savory, spicy. I like the opening better than MM965. It is overall dryer, sharper, i feel that the latakia is less present and the orientals more to the fore. It is more lively and edgy than MM965, has more high notes, but a thinner ''body''. The cavendish may be there, but i get no ''milky'' taste from it. As the bowl progresses, there is a yeasty / bready quality that develops, and by the end of the bowl though, the flavours are quite muted. I think MM965 is more consistent throughout, while Apéritif has moments where it really shines and others when it falls a bit short... I prefer Apéritif's flavour profile, but i feel that MM965 is better at what it is trying to do. Tied at 3 stars !
Pipe Used: Peterson Kinsale, Cobs
PurchasedFrom: Tabagie Giguère
Age When Smoked:
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Jan 21, 2017 Medium None Detected Medium Pleasant to Tolerable
This is a solid medium English, more savory than sweet, and somewhat similar to H&H's Black House, which is an homage to an aged tin of Balkan Sobranie 759. It delivers a good dose of nicotine, and like most Dunhills, the ribbons are cut beautifully and the moisture out of the tin is just right.

Aptly named, I think this is a solid early evening or afternoon smoke -- perhaps an all-day blend for English lovers. I am somewhat perplexed by the offering, given other choices in the Dunhill line, but I suppose Dunhill wanted to craft a blend for each day part.

Regardless, it's good, not great, and a bit redundant.
Pipe Used: Dunhill Group 3, Ashton XXX
PurchasedFrom:
Age When Smoked: Fresh Tin
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Nov 02, 2016 Medium None Detected Medium Pleasant
Currently my favourite EM, together with Balkan Sasieni. I'm not a heavy smoker, so I tend to prefer tobaccos with a low amount of nicotine. This is probably the exception in my rotation. I love every aspect of it. The tin label, classy and reminiscent of an ancient time, the tin aroma, which says "Latakia!" from the first moment, the fact it's easy to pack and to keep lighted. I agree with the reviewer who said all the various tobaccos are recognisable during the smoke. Plus, it never bites your tongue. Highly recommended!
Pipe Used: Peterson Wicklow
PurchasedFrom: Local Tobacconist, Italy
Age When Smoked: Fresh Tin
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Aug 11, 2016 Mild to Medium None Detected Mild to Medium Unnoticeable
This blend seems to fit nicely in between Early Morning Pipe and MM 965. As has been stated in reviews here below, I agree that it comes across as having that component / blend ratio that isn't quite there in 965 to set it apart from NightCap. This could be an anathema of sorts, as MM 965 is a Hall of Fame toby here. Aperitif does have a fantastic cut, very thinly cut ribbon that I find to lend itself to great burning characteristics. I have never seen a cut this thin but I now question why other blends of Dunhill don't follow this template. Dunhill can always be counted on for a great tin presentation. This blend is an improvement in my tastes to both EMP and MM 965, giving you more strength then the former, better flavor than the latter.

It kept my attention, and I would recommend it, good lat mixture but allows the Vas to shine nicely. I think the Cav is the key here.
Pipe Used: Meers and Briars
PurchasedFrom: Pipes and Cigars
Age When Smoked: 18 months
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
May 15, 2016 Mild to Medium Mild to Medium Medium Pleasant to Tolerable
Upon first light I must say it did remind me of a lighter 965 but many puffs later it has taken on a distinction all its own. I don't get a spiceness at all. I get a wonderfully light Latakia and slight sweetness.

It's really a nice burning, non biting, well balanced blend in my opinion. I can see smoking it after a hard days work when night cap may be a bit much. It does have a slight woodsy-ness to it but imho it is not overbearing. I'm glad I tried it. I will restock to have in my cellar.
Pipe Used: Moonshine Pipe co. Deviled Egg
PurchasedFrom: pipes and cigars. com
Age When Smoked: Fresh Tin
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