Dunhill London Mixture

When I had my pipe collection cleaned and restored in August, 2008, my first purchase was Dunhill mixture mild. I liked it a lot, but could not get any more, so I got Dunhill London Mixture next. I really liked it, but could not find it locally after my initial purchase. Then in October, 2008 I found out why when at J&R in Washington, D.C. So, I substituted by purchasing Samueth Gawith Squadron Leader. Just before Christmas, 2008, I was able to get two tins from Iwan Reis. Last month I found a local shop had hoarded some London Mixture before Dunhill lost the USA distributor, so I decided a tin each payday would be fine. Yesterday I found out another customer bought almost the entire stock at $16.47 per tin. Enough history. I can only hope Dunhill will get back into the USA and I will be able to get London Mixture again. This is the pick of the litter to me for English blends. Of all the tobaccos I have smoked recently, this is the only one I can really sense the aroma myself. The other morning when I was walking Lara, our Borzoi, a fellow walking behind me said he loved the odor of my pipe smoke. The taste is wonderful. No tounge bite. A pleasant aftertaste. Fine white ash to the bottom of the bowl. I recommend London Mixture highly and hope it can return to the USA market.

I picked up a tin of this while i was in Berlin about 3 years ago. the somewhat arrogant tobacconist was pretty reluctant to sell it to me as it was the last tin that he had, and was kind of hidden on a shelf under some other dunhill tobaccos. He informed me that this blend was no longer produced and that it had been in stock for a year or so just sitting there...

I was on the hunt for Dorisco Mixture, as that is the only pipe tobacco that i have found that is truly my cup of tea. Had i known these two were so similar I would have opened the tin immediately.

so this weekend, i was vising a friend who lives some 700kms from my house, who is the only pipe smoker that i know. The strange thing is that he also loves dorisco and has been guzzling it ever since i sent him a tin from my cellar. I say strange as Dorisco isnt everyones favorite as it has so much perique in it.

This London mixture that i am smoking, could just as well be Dorisco. They are so sililar in taste, that i honestly dont know if i could tell them apart in a blind test.

Smooth, rich, spicy and delicious are all words that i would use to descrive this mixture. It is absolutely masterful in its blending and exicution. Its pretty broad cut and the virginias are matured to perfection.

Pretty strange considering that Dorisco says it doesnt have latakia, neither does london mixture. I am assuming that london mixture also has perique, however the label doesnt say anything about it.

I reckon a group 4 is about perfect for mixtures like this.

My cavicchi is perfoming like a pro with this delicious leaf. 10/10- highly recommended!

I found 3 tins of 1980's production and cracked one open, and my God! All I can say is WOW. I love this, I may try smoking the whole tin in two days. What else can be said that has not been said already. Too bad the new production is just a mere shadow of what this blend used to be. Smoking this, I feel the foggy streets of London, and the prestige of stolling while smoking this fine blend.

London Mixture is a misnomer. This is actually a perfect Scottish blend, consisting of medium strength Virginias played off against a generous dollop of Oriental, augmented by Latakia. It veers towards full English, with a Turkish edge. It must be dried out a bit before smoking, and tin-aging it for a while is a very good idea.

Once opened, the tin-aroma is definitely Turkish, with a solid Virginia undercurrent. But if you seldom smoke blends with much Latakia, that is probably one of the first things you will notice. It is a profoundly old-fashioned tobacco.

Less Virginia than Early Morning Pipe, more Oriental, and not at all as brash as 965. London Mixture is a rich and well-balanced blend, both elegant and full. A tobacco that lights easily and a satisfying all-day smoke, especially in cooler weather. The Latakia is not overpowering, and sometimes fades into the background. Burns clean and leaves a soft grey ash. A tweedy smoke. Both the steak and the caramel custard of English blends.

Sherry, oolong tea. Not brandy, not Assam.

This is in my regular rotation, along with Durbar, Westminster, and a few other fine wife-repellants.

Another winner from Dunhill. I enjoy tobaccos with a heavy Latakia content and a bold taste (GL Pease's "Odyssey" and C&D "Star of the East" for example). LM is a great companion that can be smoked throughout the day when I want something a little quieter. The nicotine content is pleasant and the interplay of the tangy Virginia tobaccos along with the Turkish and Latakia insure that this blend never becomes boring. If you enjoy Dunhill's "My Mixture 965" or Lane's "Crown Achievement," you'll enjoy this one. The perfect English/Balkan.

01/31/05 I am updating my review of this wonderful tobacco owing to the fact that I have had the opportunity to age a few tins. While the tobacco is a great choice at any time, aging brings forth a deeper sweetness and greater prominence of the interplay between the Turkish and Latakia elements. The effect overall is a richer, earthier flavor with what I can only describe as a more sophisticated pungency. Turkish/Oriental tobaccos are an acquired taste, due to the astringency they can add to a blend. Once the taste is acquired, "London Mixture" fits it admirably. Smoking this blend slowly brings great rewards.

If you're a seasoned English smoker and haven't tried this blend, you'll do yourself a great favor by trying this one. If you've never had this blend with at least a year of age on it, buy some to put away.

10/05/05 I'm updating once again because I have now received my first tin of Orlik-blended London Mixture. It has the ridge around the bottom and the "made in EU" sticker.

What will these new people have done to my darling? I opened the tin with some trepidation. At the same time, I opened a tin of Murray-blended LM that I got two months ago. (I wanted the Murray-blended stuff to be as fresh as possible to ensure a side-by-side review.)

The tin smell of LM is one of my favorite aromas in the world, not just a favorite tobacco smell. The Murray tin smells delicious and familiar. The Orlik tin smells...the SAME! As per usual, my mouth begins to water. (No other tobac has this affect on me.)

The pasteboard round covering the tobacco doesn't have a finger notch cut out like the Murrays blend does.

The Orlik tin's contents appears to contain more lighter-colored leaf than the Murrays tin. The mosture content appears to be the same in both tins.

I load my LM-dedicated Aldo Velani Oom-paul with the standard child/woman/man packing. And the flame hits the weed.

The first taste is a little lighter than I expect, and I tamp and re-light. The gentle introduction continues.

First third: As I suspected, the lighter-colored leaf in the Orlik tin shows itself in the smoking to be Turkish rather than Virginia, astringent and pungent while remaining fairly quiet. (This is one of the things that I find so pleasant about this blend.) The Latakia weaves its way through the smoke, complementing the Turkish and never overtaking it. The Virgina stays in the background, hitting a tangy high note here and there.

Second third: The Virginia becomes more prominent at the half-way mark, and the Latakia receds to provide a leathery undertone. The Turkish leaf remains the star of the show, now providing a subtle sweetness that plays well with the more tangy sweetness of the Virginia. The overall effect continues to be quiet and refined.

Final third: The final third brings the same interplay of the three players that mid-bowl brought, with the sweetness becoming more pronounced and the tanginess attenuating. The Latakia remains in the background, providing an even, smoky foundation.

All in all, I think that Orlik has done a splendid job of maintaining the character of this time-honored blend. It may still be called the standard of English tobaccos. Long-time smokeres of this blend will not be disappointed. As ever, then, highly reccommended.

I really enjoyed this blend,as I do many of the Dunhill blends. The latakia is very noticeable but now overpowering. It has a nice slightly sweet taste. If you enjoy "My Mixture" I think you will enjoy this one as well if nothing as as a nice change of pace smoke. I reccomend this blend.

I've been told I am a man of basic tastes; black coffee, meat and potatoes, etc. So, for me, LM is a perfect blend. Just a basic English, but very full in flavor, and satisfying, without the knock-around strength of it's cousin 965. Though it can develop a bite if smoked too hot or too fast, I find its flavor and feel to be wonderful through the whole bowl when smoked properly. The strands are a bit long (I've taken to cutting them prior to packing), and it does usually require a few more relights than I would like, a great blend for someone who likes pure tobacco, without the filler or perfume of some other blends

As everybody noticed typical English mixture. Very nice. Latakia is less noticed for me than in My mixture or Early Morning Pipe.

London Mixture from Dunhill for me is the ultimate english blend. It is my favorite Dunhill blend and I think my desert island blend. It is pleasing to look at and easy to fill my pipe with. Lights easily and stays lit. The flavor becomes richer at about the half way point, but the whole way through is glorious and very satisfying. I love the nose of this tobacco and find it very easy to smoke and definitely not overpowering. It is exceptionally balanced with orientals, latakia and virginia tobaccos, with none overpowering the others but with one being more prominent than the others at different times during the smoke, or with different bowls providing a different experience. four stars.