Dunhill London Mixture

The smokey, woody, earthy, sweet and lightly musty Cyprian Latakia is the star component, though this is not a lat-bomb. The Oriental/Turkish offer a dry, sweet and slight sour, earthy, herbal, floral, vegetative, woodiness along with a pinch of spice in a support role. The Virginias offer some tart and tangy citrus, grass, and a hint of earth as the base of the blend. The strength and taste levels just reach the medium mark. The nic-hit is in the center of mild to medium. Won’t bite, and has no harsh or dull spots. Burns at a moderate pace, cool and clean with a little smoothness, and a very consistent, mildly sweet and savory, campfire flavor from start to finish. Requires few relights, and barely leaves any dampness in the bowl. The pleasant after taste lingers just a little. The room note has a little pungency. Can be an all day smoke if you choose. The current version is minutely grassier than the Murray’s production, which also had a touch more Latakia. Three and a half stars.

-JimInks

Dunhill London mixture. Like a walk around whitechapel or Holborn in the late Victorian period topped off by a visit to a back street pub for a pint and a serious conversation!

From opening the tin I knew I would like this. Like Squadron leader, you are greeted with a spicy oaky peaty smell tinged with freshly laid tar. The tobacco is in my opinion, finer cut than Squaddy leader but is perfect to smoke fresh from the tin.

Packing was simple and after a few lights the first impressions were able to be made. Disappointment! It didnt taste like Squadron Leader. A few bowls later, this tobacco worked upon me and the subtleties of the blend were apparent. Spicy, sweet and like seasoned oak and tanned leather with a pleasant bite free smoke burning all the way down to a greyish white ash with little dottle. It is a dry smoke, a little too dry as after a bowl or 3 my throat feels crackly due to the oriental/Latakia mix. It is a strong, less refined taste compared to SL but one that oozes quality and the need to grab a read of Sherlock Holmes or some H.G Wells. It is a firm fave of mine but one I smoke only on occasion to savour the taste.

Go get!

In taking over the Dunhill brand from Murray's, Orlik has done a very good (sometimes better) job with some of the blends and they have punted badly on others, especially MM965. London Mixture is one of those blends that Orlik really has done a wonderful job with and IMHO it's even better than Murray's. I collect Dunhill tins and I have been smoking both for some time, but decided to do this review with a tin of Murray's from 2003 and a new tin from Orlik smoked side by side.. Keeping in mind that the age of the Murray's has the benefit of a few years, it is not an exact apple to apples review. Both the Murray's version and the Orlik version are very good. The ribbons in the Murray's are a bit wider. The tin scent has been altered by the age of the Murray's tin, but the tin smell is better in the Murray's. The scent of the Murray's is sweet and smoky, while the new Orlik, without the aged Virginia's is just plain smoky. The moisture level of each tin is such that it will not require dry time for most pipers. I like tobacco dry so ten minutes of dry time was enough for me. Keeping with the standard of Dunhill tobacco, each tin contains high quality leaf. After the charring light, I was surprised to find the Orlik tin to be nearly as sweet as the aged tin. I prefer to rub the ribbons down a little bit and I only find small differences in different bowl sizes. Both blends are balanced and the Orientals and Virginia's just sing. The Latakia makes itself known, but doesn't dominate. Like many Dunhill tobaccos, there is a visit from Lady N, but she doesn't move in. The bowls grew in strength as they progressed and the flavors become richer all the way to the end leaving a nice ash. If you are unhappy, as I am, with the new 965, LM is a great second choice. I am so pleased with the Orlik London Mixture that there will be no need to seek out the ever more expensive Murray's. Highly Recommended

Another great blend from Dunhill/Orlik.

Once again before I begin let me state I have no experience with earlier versions of this blend, be they Murray or any other. This review will be based on this tin of Orlik production London Mixture.

I really like this one. I think it fits very well into the Dunhill line, right between EMP and nightcap/965. This blend is a middling English-esque production. The Turkish is very nice in this one. Sometimes I feel that Turkish leaf gets buried in some lat heavy blends, but this one is balanced nicely. I would say that the quality of leaf is excellent, and the moisture level from the tin is perfect. The burn is great and this one just performs well.

This may not be the most complex and puzzling blend I have smoked but it definitely delivers quality and I can see some people choosing this is their all day go to blend.

Highly Recommended.

This is a fairly stout Latakia mixture that is very traditional in that smooth, yet heady, English sort of way. I like to use a blender on the long stranded leaf before packing as it is difficult to pack evenly otherwise due to the long strings of the varying leaf, and lastly, the smoke delivers volumes of smoke which I think is kind of cool. There are many fine English blends out there for you to spend your money on, but plopping down the coin for this rich and deeply satisfying blend is a wise investment in my opinion. Latakia and Virginia with a touch of Oriental components make this a true classic.

When I first starting smoking pipes on a regular basis in 1974 this was one of the first tobaccos I tried and being young and impetuous I of course puffed way too hard and fried my tongue. However after years of practice and having smoked many Virginia Flakes which, of course require a lot of care in puffing I learned to smoke slowly and the Dunhill London Mixture has become my favorite Latakia mixture. After being pummelled by excessively latakia forward blends which smother the light Turkish and Virginias this blend is a wonderfuly balanced experience. It allows the lighter tobaccos to announce their presence with a nice complimentary taste of the smokier latakia. For me, it is the perfect Enlglish mixture.

From Buenos Aires to Sankt-Petersburg, from Kioto to Vienna, and in the moon, too, this is the OFFICIAL English mixture. As standard and unimpeachable a smoking choice for gentlemen of any school or regiment as ever came from a blender's bowl.

I love the manly strength of this Latakia blend, the utter pedigree of its finish, the sound balance of its æsthetic makeup (the Orientals, like well-ordered sepoy troops, adding colour without crowding out the real stars of the affair) as well as the fact that it has been smoked, for untold decades, by the best. Is the word breeding still in the dictionary?

This is not the blend for bumpkins.

Appearance: A slighly broad ribbon cut, about equal parts medium and dark colors. Ribbons are quite uniform, typical Dunhill attention to detail.

Aroma: Lots of Virginia base, with Latakia, Turkish and a perhaps a bit of Perique in the background. The aroma leads you to believe that the Va is the star.

Packing: Packs easily in most pipes, group 3 and up.

Lighting: Typical lighting procedure, not too quick or too slow.

Initial flavor: The Va comes across first, with authority and some strength. The Turkish and Latakia add their flavors soon after, and the Perique stays discreetly in the background.

Mid-bowl: A classic English/Oriental blend. I would classify it as slightly milder than medium (4.5 on a scale of 10, not 5 or 5.5), but a gentle beguiling flavor. No gurgles noted. The Va, Turkish and Latakia continue to be the key players.

Finish: Well behaved right to the end

Summary: Not as complex as some of the newer blends, but not as challenging to get into the zone with. A real classic with unique charm, probably as old as some of the S. Gawith blends.

A great English-Oriental blend, with emphasis on spicy Orientals, which play a major role in this mixture. The varieties of Orientals unfold a fan of interesting spices and flavours you will appreciate even more after a few bowls. No bites and peaks, though. The generously added Virginia contributes tastes of a little hay, ample wood notes and a discreet layer of sweetness. Latakia is always present, accompanying the smoke, never dominant, delivering some leathery smokiness.

As a whole it remains a moderate but still very tasteful, appreciative mixture. It has been among my favourites for decades. As far as I remember, it was stronger and smokier (more Latakia) in the 80s, when it was blended by Murray, what made the blend more English than Oriental. Both ways delicious and perfect for my needs.

You will most certainly enjoy this mixture, if you are an Oriental enthusiast. If you prefer more balanced than spicy varieties of Orientals, go for its sibling, the Dunhill DURBAR mixture.

London Mixture is a landmark blend, a daily smoke, and an archetype of the English mixture category for me. I can't help but classify all the other English blends I try in terms of London Mixture.

If I were to say that, to me, an English mixture consists of four basic flavor elements present in some particular character, strength, and proportion to one another (coffee stout, campfire, cinnamon/spice, and incense), then I would also say that London mixture has those four flavors in precisely equal proportion, and, just like the persons of the Trinity, each one is totally distinct, although they are inseparable in nature. In other words, the blend is a really great...mixture. It contains very bold and diverse flavors that mingle and contrast one another without any dulling or muddling of detail.

The "incense", mostly, is what I miss in every other English blend I try. I assume this flavor is due to the orientals, but who knows? I would also describe it as "nutty," "bitter" (think almonds), "tart," and "creamy."

The fine ribbon cut is the best. The best. Easy to pack, burn, and control moisture level and draw. I can't abide coarse or uneven ribbons, even in a blend that tastes good otherwise! (I'm looking in your direction, GLP.)

I have never tried anything but the current (Scandinavian) version. If the Murray's really was that much better, it's really a shame to have missed out.