Dunhill Aperitif

Undoubtedly the best of the Dunhill line of tobaccos in my opinion. Mild enough for an all day smoke, yet full of smokey, delicious flavor that is so satisfying. I am referring to the version tinned by Murray's. The Orlik version may or may not differ in quality. Four stars for this magnificent smoking tobacco.

**UPDATE**

Dunhill has ceased production of this blend along with Elizabethan Mixture and Three Year Matured Virginia. I highly recommend stocking up on this blend as it will be sorely missed.

I have three tins of the Murray's version and just finished the first one. I LOVE this tobacco. It's dark, smoky, a little sweet and burns very cool. It hasn't scorched my tongue like so many blend do, and it must be all the dark tobaccos which cool the smoke down.

I have not tried the Orlick version (but will open one soon) yet and I hope that it's not been ruined, because this is a great English/Balkan blend.

Update: 2007

Oh...I've tried the Orlick blend and it's lighter and sweeter. Good tobacco, very Danish. Not English, though. It's far away from the UK version, it looks different and smells different in the tin. Well. I'll never buy this one again. We have enough fake classic old English blends and I don't buy them any more.

like most dunhill blends, this is a well-crafted, dependable blend that should be in the collection of every british blend afficionado. though a bit strong, the latakia lover will find that this can be smoked throughout the day without suffering tongue bite or boredom. i love the spicy notes and the pretty blend of dark and yellow tobaccos in the tin. the room note is actually more pleasant than the tin note, which is not always the case with some blends. after smoking, the aroma dissipates quickly, leaving non-smokers unoffended. i even enjoy the art deco tin art, replete with suave lettering and ubiquitous waiter standing nearby with drinks in hand; a bit of haughty fun. aperitif has more kick than standard medium and royal yacht. this is probably my favorite daytime tobacco, and the happy medium between durbar and nightcap. i frequently mix this with a little elizabethan to give the virginias and perique of that blend more finish and spice. those who enjoy liz but find her a bit on the bland side might want to consider adding some aperitif to the mix. it's sort of like a splash of dry vermouth to gin. overall, this is a staple among tinned tobaccos that i hope will always be around for us smokers to enjoy.

If Durbar is an alternative to 965, this would be something the London Mix smoker might enjoy. It's very polite in its

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manner and very smooth, with hints of spicyness and character appearing here and there... kind of like the ideal waiter, really. This would

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make a good all-day smoke, and I'd also recommend it to anyone curious to try English blends, especially to a new pipe smoker.

(October, 2003) The aroma of this when first opening a tin is a real tease. I pick up a distinct semi-sweetness but there is also pungent, musty & smokey odors in the mix. This is a thin ribbon cut tobacco with equal amount of brown, tan and black in the mixture. Moisture content is near perfect but I still allow a fresh tin to air out and dry for a few hours before smoking. This tobaccy packs easily and fires up easily as well. Upon firing up this stuff, you are immediately rewarded with a burst of complexity. The flavor profile is that of Orientals, Latakia and Cavandish. I do not pick up on the Virginias but most certainly they are playing a supportive role. This is really hard to define and as a result, I find this blend very interesting! My thinking is that the Cavandish and Latakia tend to dominate the first 2/3 of the bowl, with the Turkish/Orientals and Virginias laying back. However, in the final third, the Turkish/Orientals come forward and take the leading role, with the Cavandish & Latakia second and the Virginas somewhere in the back. The flavor profile in the final third becomes very pungent, musty, spicy and semi-sweet, all at the same time, and there is a more than average amount of nicotine present as well. This is a delicious, complex tobacco and I really love it. In my opinon this blend needs to smoked at a slightly faster pace than normal to bring out it flavors. If smoked too slowly, the Cavandish seems to dominate. 5 out of 5 Flakes - Highly Recommended!!!

Being a great fan of Early Morning Pipe and Nightcap my next foray into Dunhill English blends has been Aperitif. I find it a beautiful midway point between EMP and Nightcap. Medium in strength with a pleasing tin aroma and a gorgeously smooth mildy smoky taste. The Cavendish and Virginias add a pleasing sweetness that enhances the Latakia rather than getting in the way. Some people believe there's a flavoring apparently and perhaps there is from the Cavendish but it blends right in wonderfully. I get the impression more of sweet Virginias than of cased Cavendish. The smoke is very cool down to the bottom of the bowl. I love Frog Morton, but Aperitif is a whole different class. First class all around.

As a beginning pipe smoker and college student, I purchased a tin of this on a whim as a break from my regular tobacconist-mixed blends, and I must say I was impressed. Opening the tin, a rich aroma emanated from the tobacco with hints of smoke, peat and a certain transient sweetnes. As somewhat of a novice to many kinds of tobacco, it seems more fit to compare this to Laphroaig scotch in heady strength.

This particular blend packs extremely well, burns surprisingly evenly, and leaves a marvellous white fluffy ash as if to say "job well done". The taste is full and rich with an uncommon smoothness very well complemented by the pipe's burning aroma making for a most pleasurable experience from start to finish.

This is one tricky smoke! When I first opened up the tin I was greeted with a low key odor that was easily identifiable as latakia. More apparent as I continued to sniff, was the sweet smell of slightly cased cavendish. Very Interesting! Unlike other cavedish/latakia hybrids that I have sampled this one was definitely subtle and imbued with a wonderful complexity. Upon first lighting I was immediately aware of the sweetness of the cavendish. This is where it gets hard to describe. The first thing most people think of when they hear "the sweet smell of cavendish" is an overwhelming dose of casing. This is not the case at all(pun intended). This cavendish has a very natural sweetness to it not unlike the taste you get sometimes from a straight virginia, only magnified a bit. As the bowl progressed there were other surprises in store. Although the latakia was very subtle throughout- it remained a positive presence and made a very welcome contrast to the sweetness mentioned earlier. About 2/3rds of the bowl in, a taste emerged that sent this blend right into the amazing category- turkish tobacco! The addition of this has somehow turned this sweet, smoky experience into something truly unique and added the essence of a fine havanna to the mix! Again-keep in mind that none of these flavors were ever anything but subtle! Although this tobbaco provided a wonderful experience I would not want to smoke it everyday for fear of becoming to familiar with it. For the same reason I would not recommend it to a new smoker as the complexities will probably be lost on them. Truly a unique smoke- everyone should try this once! P.S.- I made no friends with the room aroma!