Dunhill Durbar

Dunhill Durbar.

The first thing I'll comment on is the sensational pre-light aroma of the mix, a sort of smoky and leathery combination that is very intriguing. The ribbons are mainly medium brown in colour, all about 3 quarters of a centimeter in length with a superb moisture amount.

It takes to the flame brilliantly , not necessitating many re-lights and giving an even burn which is steady in its speed, leaving a white ash. The tobacco flavours are nicely balanced without any being too prominent in the mix or un-noticeable . The Virginia provides a good base flavour with the Smokiness from the Latakia and the sourness of the Orientals being equally discernible. The nicotine level is also a good one, enough to satisfy yet not unrecognizable. The room note is fairly pleasant with this one as it is very classic but not one you would call heavy so it's a smoke that can be enjoyed without impeding upon other people too much.

This one would be a great tobacco to keep in stock for regular use!

Wow, this stuff certainly sorts the men from the boys.

I wanted to try an English mixture (coming from an aro background), and saw this at my local tobacconist. Knowing that Dunhill produce some of the best pipe tobacco on the planet, I thought I'd give this a go.

This is very good tobacco; lovely rich, oaky, smokey and leathery flavour from the tin. Smoking it, I imagined that this is the sort of stuff people used to smoke in Georgian times. It's strong ... pretty strong! You can tell this has been expertly blended and is of high quality, so no TB or any of that nonsense. However, personally it's not my cup of tea.

Tobacco (as many other things as well) is a matter of taste and personal preference: either you like it or you don't, and I'm not all that keen on this one. I find it difficult to enjoy it, largely because of its strength. Nonetheless, it's very good tobacco and therefore most definitely recommended!

First I must admit that I have a love of Dunhill tobaccos. I love the musty smell of a freshly opened tin. Durbar, one of the mass produced Dunhill blends, was an Oriental forward English blend that was briefly attempted by Orlik before being discontinued several years ago. I recently opened one of my last six tins of Durbar (Murray's) and filled one of my best smoking pipes with a generous bowl. Even with ten years of age, the blend still tastes more savory than sweet. Although through a somewhat clouded memory, I think Orlik's version may have been a little sweeter. Like many blends, it is best sipped slowly to get the full flavor of this creamy blend. As I puffed away my stash, I realized that I like it, but don't love it. If given the choice of seeing Durbar or Aperitif return to the market, my vote would go to Aperitif. Being a quality tobacco, I would recommend paying the auction price for those that have never tried it and for those that really loved it. For me, I can't see paying the ever rising price for another tin once my stash is gone as there are a lot of great Oriental blends on the market today.

Well, I finally came round this much talked about blend. I am glad I did. To begin with it lives up to the Dunhill name or, if you so wish, Dunhill seems to have kept the quality of the blend (something that lately, as the esteemed Eulenburg points out, has not been entirely the case with other Dunhill tobaccos). Secondly it is a wonderful, rich, deeply Oriental mixture, that smokes very well and has a long lasting flavor. I wouldn't compare it to My Mixture 965. For me this is more a Balkan type of smoke than an English (i.e. London Mixture, Standard Mixture) or Scottish type (965). In this context I am more inclined to draw a comparison with Balkan Sobranie or some of Rattray's Orientals. IMO Durbar surpasses both. It has that "mystical" depth that leads to a long, silent, contemplative smoke.

Medium to full, the tobacco is not as pungent in the tin as, say, London Mixture. After the first light, the peculiar flavors present in Oriental mixtures settle down to play their particular roles to perfection. I don't get too much of the Turkish taste. Rather, a bit like Black Mallory, I get the bitter sweet incense like richness of Latakia, a touch of Macedonian leaf (?) and the structural stability of the matured, unsweetened Virginias. It burns quite cool and produces a sense of density and plenitude that satisfies without becoming overwhelming or heady.

Though this is a type of tobacco I don't smoke constantly fro persona reasons, Durbar undoubtedly is a 5 star tobacco that should be smoked with care and attention to fully perceive all its wealth and dimension.

This is a nice smooth smoke. I found myself wanting more Latakia and reaching for some nightcap. I preferred this to 965 as less harsh however for me it could get a little bland and lacking in flavor. Its a quality tobacco that is expected from Dunhill and a must to try as it could be the one that hits the spot out of their vast range.

A pleasant English that features a decent serve of Turkish to give it that distinctive Dunhill taste. To me this is like sibling of 965 and a nice change of pace. Quaility tobacco but not significantly interesting to entice me to buy more. I was much more impressed with Aperitif which was re-released at the same time.

A blustery night it was, and the storm seemed to wage war on the high coast line. The waves crashing into the rocky shore. That is where this tobacco belongs, with a good book on a long stormy night. It be not for the faint of heart. Sad indeed that we'll never see the sails of this great ship again.

This is a pretty plain, no-bullshit, in your face, earthy, one dimensional smoke. Puff too hard and you won't be able to stand up. There's a slight harshness to it and leaves my throat a bit on a dry side. Smokes beautifully, I wish other blends smoked as easy and smooth as this one, almost no relights are necessary and it burns evenly all the way down leaving nice powdery gray ash. Beware that after smoking a few bowls, your wife may file for divorce.

Probably not an all day smoke, recommended as a change of pace, if you want a simple, strong, good tobacco with a kick.

FYI, this review is based on a tin labeled "Made in the UK with association with Dunhill" -- whether it's Murray's or Orlik's I don't really care.

UPDATE: after smoking it in a few different pipes, I now find it more appealing and interesting. To the point that I'm looking forward to the next bowl! There's a certain earthy, musky sweetness that comes to life by mid bowl that I can't quite explain but enjoy it very much. Upgraded to 3 starts.

Durbar is quite brilliant! Here is the lead: It was a rainy night in New York. The cold dripping water begged for a rich mixture to take some chill out of the air (and the bones). England may have rain, but never the bitter cold that is a New York winter--it makes icicles wish for warm Scottish wool mufflers. It was time to try Dunhill?s Durbar indeed. It took a moment to open the tin (struggling first to open then frantically looking for a screwdriver to pry the top off). After opening, my hands were almost too numb to pack my pipe after the struggle with the impregnable metal casing, but I managed (with a now slight carpal tunnel feeling). Perhaps I should have found a coin instead. My straight Stanwell was easily filled and lit with this pleasant ribbon tobacco (dark with spots of tan--lovely). And the flavour was splendid. And curiously sweet. Although, it was preceded with a piece of dark chocolate that certainly enhanced the nuances of this prime tobacco. This is the kind of mixture that makes you feel good to be alive. In fact, it makes you want to live longer and begs that one quits smoking to lengthen life for the very reason of adding a few more years to enjoy more of this weed. Catch 22 there if there ever was one. Like another reviewer, the only problem that I found was that Durbar caused harshness in my throat and that will prevent it from becoming as regular as I would like. The tobacco burned extremely well and warmed the pipe's bowl to the perfect temperature. It did pack a nicotine punch that reminded me of the days of smoking great Dominican cigars too quickly. I will keep this on hand for special occasions. It was followed with scotch and water (a sherry matured version of The Glendronach). I recommend this with the reservation that is be saved for special occasions due to that harsh side affect that prevents it from becoming an all-day regular. More to come.