Dunhill Durbar

The tin that I'm smoking from is several years old and was blended by Murray. It is no longer produced and hasn't been for some time. The orientals play a significant part of this smoke while the latakia and other tobaccos stay well in the background. It has a buttery, sweet flavor with a touch of spice. Not my preferred Balkan blend but pretty tasty if you can find some.

Sorry to see this one gone.(again) Hope it comes back someday. A real staple and benchmark balkan. If you ever see this one on a pipeshow table, and your a balkan fan who has never tried it, drop the coin and enjoy!

My first experience with Durbar was this 1999 tin (so, Murray's), opened in 2009.

This is a delicious, full-strength oriental blend, with occasional cigar overtones and an enveloping richness. At moments, it veers into harshness, given the strength of its oriental tobaccos and its fairly high nicotine level (for an oriental/English).

At 10 years old, this stuff doesn't show any signs of fading.

Highly recommended if you prefer stronger blends; for those who prefer something a bit less forceful, it is still recommended.

Side by side comparison of Murray's and Orlik. Age difference aside, this is pretty dang close. Either Orlik didn't screw this one up or they inherited some bulk inventory along with the rest of the deal.

Very good Virginia base and quality Orientals. Latakia a bit light, but that's what the blend is aiming for, IMHO. Something to smoke in the tropical heat and humidity. I wonder if Kipling was smoking this when he wrote Gunga Din?

The Orientals do dry the palate somewhat, so care must be exercised during beverage selection, and time of day factored in as well. On a hot afternoon, something sweet and citrusy does it for me. On a sultry evening, something Speyside with a wee drop o' water to open up the pores so-to-speak.

For me a large, wide bowl works best, and at one sitting. DGT brought out some unpleasant sourness and an ashy, burnt toast bitterness that had to be smoked through to reach the pleasant Virginias underneath.

Dang glad I have 20 tins in the cellar.

I got 1 of the last tins available and loved it! A very classic mixture relying heavily on orientals. slightly bitter and very bold. I will be sad when I finish the last of this. 3 of 4 stars.

Because I favor VA/Oriental blends that are more oriental and less latakia, e.g. Old Perth, Red Rapparee, Aperitif, I gave this a whirl. The tin was made in the U.K. without EU markings, so I believe this to be the original, non-Orlik blend.

Tin notes are rich with orientals and supporting latakia. First 1/3 bowl is mostly medium-bodied virginia, with hints of the orientals and latakia. By mid-bowl the orientals and lat become much more prominent, but never drown the virginia. Bottom of the bowl is mildly sweet and smoky with a fine, powdery grey ash.

The orientals in these blends can be either herbal/woody in or cigar-like in character. Durbar takes the latter route.

The smoke is rich in body with well-integrated flavors and smooth, maybe too much so for my tastes. I like a little spice and texture. None of the varietals stand out in character. It is a good smoke and tasty, but not one which requires a lot of attention to nuances. It's like a meal at a fancy, but staid restaurant. the ingredients are top-notch,the food excellently prepared and tasty, but you can get others like it elsewhere.

I would consider including this in my rotation as a very competent alternative. Too bad it has gone the way of the dodo. I'll have to pick up a few more tins for later smoking or trade.

Smoked out of an Ardor Ninfea briar calabash and an Andreas Bauer gourd calabash.

It's been a while since I've lit this one up, but I remember it well. One of the best Dunhill blends. Stronger than Nightcap or Royal Yacht in nicotine. That may have been a fluke since I only smoked 50 grams of it and there's no telling who the blender was.

Anyway, the oriental tilt of this blend is great. It's got a lot going on as the bowl burns. This blend does require careful attention, just because, as far a Dunhill blends go, it's very active. (is there a better word than 'complex'?) good stuff.

Very nice flavor. Room note is very strong, best to smoke this on hunting trips with Dick Cheyney.

smoking a dunhill grp three in an air tight room...

A very nice change of pace smoke from Dunhill. As a long time fan of 965 and EMP, there are times when I want the Dunhill taste but a little different. Durbar fills the bill. There are lots of orientals to give it a pleasant bitterness. I enjoy the incense-like aroma of them, but I doubt a non-smoker would. It has the trademark Dunhill cut for easy packing and lighting and burns to a fine grey ash. It's nicotine content lies between 965 and Nightcap, so smoke it slowly and on a full stomach. I wouldn't want to smoke it every day, but again, when I want something different than usual, this is a great choice.