Dunhill Durbar

i have just bought a 50g tin of this tobacco and i have had a couple of bowls and wow..its just up my street,cool smoking and a great aroma smashing tin aroma as well,great to relax to and letting the world go by wonderful tobacco and i will be buying more of this for sure.

Well I really like oriental based tobaccos, kind of feeling the natural touch, leathery notes etc. durbar is one of my favorites. the first few sips grabs you and you can not leave it untill the bowl finishes. great one really.

I have initially underestimated this fantastic blend. After thoroughly experiencing several tins of this, I came to a conclusion that, when aged, this produces a bitter sweetness rivaling even Sobranie.

The Latakia in Durbar is never offensive, yet appropriately complements the very delicate harmony between the Virginias and the Orientals. Better enjoyed in big-sized bowls of briar pipes.

This blend I came to really enjoy till the very last ash. A Dunhill masterpiece. Stock up before it is too late.

I really enjoy this Durbar. For Latakia lovers, this tobacco has a very fulfilling smoke. The smoke is quite thick, from the beginning, and the taste is very rich. At the middle of the smoke, I realized some flavours that remind me of a cigar. This tobacco is easy to smoke, and you will smoke the entire bowl without getting saturated of it. I use to smoke EMP and NightCap, but I find this more satisfying. Definitively it's worth a try.

Sunday morning sitting on the quarterdeck of the Black Pearl here on the South Texas Gulf coast I am enjoying my coffee and several bowls of Dunhill Durbar in my old M/M cob....the breeze rustling the palm trees reminds me of how young girls pettie coat's sounded when thy walked by...that was a way back in the day...back to tha Durbar...I have smoked most all of the Dunhills, Pease, Lane, and a multitude of the other luxury tobaccos...but Durbar is at the top of the list in my rotation....jUS sAIN....!!!

Today I sat in my barbershop with 4 buddies that were pipe smokers. Today I opened 2 tins of Dunbar. One old and one new remake. This is what followed: As the original tin was opened everyone was hooting and hollering for the tobacco code to be enforced. The smell of Dunbar was still strong. God I love that smell. I stood enough to load my pipe and passed it on. Each person followed and smell commented and loaded up as well. I was the first to light and a short quite moment followed. Smoke was strong. Taste was still the same. Just as it was in days of old. Thank god for having a great cellar of tobacco. As we smoked we swapped stories of blends past. With over 200 years of pipe smoking in the room it was deep. Taste a flavor lasted to the end. Room note was strong. Very strong with for all loaded up. Coffee was reloaded and the new tin was then opened up. On first opening you really could smell a different type of tobacco. Orders were different. The blend was different. The smell was different. All agreed the smell was not even close. New tin was loaded and lit. Char came quick. Smoke was lighter as was the flavor. Not as strong. Felt the smoke was more harsh in a odd way. Settling into the middle of the bowl the flavor changed to more of the real Dunbar. After sampling both side by side I still prefer the old. The rest felt the new was milder and more smokeable. I was encouraged to bring more but it was left that I was out voted 3 to 1.

What a shame that Durbar is discontinued. In short, Durbar is one of my all-time favorite Oriental blends. I do not find it to be particularly strong, just balanced between the Orientals, Virginias and Latakia, and quite "smooth." Durbar's the rare tobacco that never fails to please me and doesn't depend upon a particular pipe to excel, although large bowls probably bring out its best qualities. Just a terrific blend to me. 4 stars. The foregoing review was of the Murray version.

Update: I also recently finished an Orlik tin before it was discontinued. Pretty close, to my taste buds, to the Murray version, perhaps just a little less rich. Good, nonethless.

Balkan/English isn't my favorite, but this was pretty interesting. There were some intense smoky flavors. I would recommend it to those who like this style. As for me, I will save what I have left for a change of pace. That is what I usually use Balkans and Englishes for.

1-1-10 update: Well, dragged this out after a year or so, and have decided to upgrade. I smoked a bowl in a Marxman Jumbo for all of 50 minutes, accompanied by a tot of dark rum (Cruzan Black Strap). Made it taste a bit like Gawith Navy Flake! Maybe I am starting to appreciate the Englishes more. I'm sure my tin is the Orlik version-maybe I'll get to try the Murray's some day...

This stuff is manna as far as I am concerned. Along with Balkan Sasieni, this one has upped my appreciation for Orientals. By appreciation, I mean I understand a little more their role in making a good blend whole. In a lot of English blends the latakia walks all over the Orientals, and that's not to say that I dislike Latakia, for I would eat it if it were feasible and it remains my single favorite leaf. In Durbar, however, the Oriental leaf really gets its chance to solo at certain points.

Durbar is also one of the coolest burning smokes I've encountered, though it seems to burn rather quickly, which is something I've noticed consistantly over the course of several tins.