Peterson Nightcap

Dunhill - Nightcap.

Perfect size ribbons: on the slimmer side, and even in proportions. Although it's called Nightcap it's a brilliant first smoke of the day too: It's a fuller tasting English rather than one of the over-smoky Latakia laden ones. I find the flavour profile's raised and enriched by the Perique, this gives a lovely dark fruit/plum quality to the smoke. Another thing to make it a good starting point to the day is the lack of bite; soft bite free smoke throughout! And the burn's perfect: clean, even, steady, and leaves no dottle.

The nicotine's medium to strong and the room-note's not too heavy.

Highly recommended.

Spoiler alert: I’ve smoked enough Nightcap over the years to know I don’t like it, however – because it’s “Nightcap” , and because it keeps changing - I’ve re-confirmed my findings periodically, not to miss some sort of epiphany with the stuff, such as others have apparently had. This review is only for the current, STG version, which is far less strong and concentrated than previous iterations, but it is no more palitable to me for that. FWIW, I do like "English" blends, and Perique, but NC puts me off my feed, and less is not more here, IMO. Perhaps it is personal chemistry, but to me this STG NC is nothing special in any terms I can muster for its description, being fairly light and insipid in the tin and off the match, and going from there straight to harsh and dry - as ever - as it develops, down the bowl. Tin note is Latakia and semi-musty/dusty Orientals way over aged VAs, along with some peat. The lot reminds me of old, stale coffee grounds with dry lawn clippings. It handles, lights and burns well. Tastes today hew to a balance of plain-ish, mildly soapy Latakia and dusty Orientals well over mild, aged VAs, and not much else. The Perique is AWOL until NC is smoked, and then I think it is not a good example of Perique, being more harsh than spicy or fruity. Strength these days is mild to medium. Tastes these days are mild to medium. Room note now is altogether tolerable. Aftertaste is better than average for a mild-medium English.

I wrestled with my rating here, but the way I do this I can’t recommend what I don’t understand, so 1 star from me. I realize NC is a very popular blend, but I still don’t get the appeal vs. readily available options.

Nightcap is one of the most reviewed tobaccos on this site. It is also a favorite of many and held in high esteem of most. It is easy to see why so many enjoy this dark delight. It is a full smoke with complex flavor and and deep rich notes. The strong aroma from the tin was intimidating at first but soon after lighting the first bowl it became apparent why Nightcap is enjoyed by so many. It is strong in many ways but somehow smooth and delightful to its finish.

After going through my armload of newly purchased tins of hit and miss, I finally hit one flavor that is EXACTLY what I was looking for in my steady rotation. Nightcap is the full bodied English blend taste I've been craving and searching for. However, in my excitement of rapid draws for more of that tasty treat the nicotine promptly settled over me and sang me a lullaby. Thirty minutes later I found my self hugging my pillow for a well to do nap. I don't care who made this blend before and who makes it now. Grandma could be cranking this out like meth in the basement… just keep it coming. (I've now taken to calling it "NightCrack"). It's great and a reminder of good ole fashioned pipe smoking pleasure good anytime of the day.

Addition: 7/24/14 After reviewing my past notes I see I only gave it 3 stars. WTH? This is easliy 4 stars... I just added the last star.

I think this will be review number 233 for Dunhill Nightcap, so it's hard to say anything that hasn't been said several times before.

This is my benchmark English blend. I love the rich velvety Latakia taste and, as I am a slow and gentle smoker, I've never been bothered by the high nicotine content of Nightcap. I'm down to the last quarter of my last Murray's tin (a gift from a fellow pipe smoking friend and savouring it because, sadly, there will be no more.

An all time classic.

Today I've finished my last tin of Nightcap. That was not just my last tin of NC, that was the very last Dunhill I had had in my cellar. I loved them all: Royal Yacht, Elizabethan Mixture, Durbar, Navy Rolls and, yeah, Nightcap. Oh that Nightcap... there was nothing like it (not even Peterson Balkan Delight although vaguely similar, stood close to it).

I'm still feeling the aftertaste. It's been the last Dunhill in my smoking career. Cause I won't spend ridiculous sums on vintage tins: I prefer my money to fund not greedy ebay resellers but the good guys who are still making real tobaccos, like the Gawithes.

Well, I know, Peterson now owns a blend under the same name and produces it after the same recipe. I know also about two clones by McConnell marketed as "Nightclub" and "Covent Garden". I have little doubt that the Peterson's version won't technically differ from the Dunhill's. Nevertheless, however successful the clones could be, they are just clones - and the real thing has gone forever. Because flavour and aroma, as much as they're important, still wasn't all on which the magic of Dunhill blends was built. A huge part of the appeal was the brand itself: Dunhill Pipe Tobacco belonged to the realm of luxury goods. May I ask how many luxury goods you can afford to use daily? For me, through years, it's been the one and only: Dunhill Tobaccos. From now on, when my last Dunhill is over, I use none. Peterson is a masterpiece in its own right, but it's never pretended to be a luxury brand.

Nightcap was dark, deep, velvety and spicy. Just like the black nightsky speckled with sharp-edged stars. Good night, old fellow.

I know this is a long review. But, for such an important blend, it has to be. It has to be complete, it has to be precise, it has to be carefully wrote. I’ve smoked enough tins of Nightcap in order to write this full review, and below you will read about the Dunhill Nightcap that I smoked back when it was available, the Dunhill from Europe versus the Dunhill from the US, but also a comparison between Dunhill Nightcap and Peterson Nightcap. I hope this will be useful and you’ll enjoy.

---

Original review:

I wrote and rewrote this review at least 5 times. It’s the most complex and difficult tobacco review I’ve done so far (that’s why it’s so long). I chose to do this review late, after I smoked enough tins of Nightcap and after I’ve compared them, after I tested in different pipes, etc.

Not only that it’s my all time favorite tobacco, but it’s also one of the most famous and appreciated tobaccos, so I tried not to be too subjective, I tried to test it carefully, not to rush things, not to let myself influenced by what others say about it and not to make a conclusion after few bowls. I considered that this blend deserves a complex review, and that’s what I’ve tried to do here, and whoever has the interest and patience to read it will learn about the differences and the complexity of this blend.

Practically, this review is based on two tins of European Nightcap that I’ve smoked "fresh" (not aged) in the past, on 7 bowls of European Nightcap from a 2 year old tin and over 8 bowls of American Nightcap from a 2 year old tin.

So, we already have some differences, first of all because of the age of the tobacco when it was smoked and second of all because of the country of origin where it was bought from. Many people say there is no difference between the tobaccos in America and those from Europe, but I don’t think they ever smoked the same blend from America and from Europe. Yes, there is a difference. There is also a difference when tobaccos are aged or fresh. And I will try to describe them in this review. So, lets start!

THE FIRST TINS I’VE SMOKED (FRESH EUROPEAN TINS)

I want to start talking a bit about the fresh tins that I’ve smoked in 2017 and 2018, from what I remember about them, because there are differences (more or less) between “fresh” and “aged” tobaccos.

First time I’ve tried Nightcap was at a pipers meeting, when a member of the group suggested I try this blend from his tin. It was love at first smoke! I simply fell in love with it and quickly bought myself the first tin of Nightcap, and then the second tin, and then.... Dunhill closed its doors and I couldn’t get my hands on it for some time until recently.

From what I remember, it had a strong tin note, a strong latakia smell but not only. Although I was still a fresh initiate in pipe smoking (I think I only had few months since I started pipe smoking) and I didn’t even have a fancy pipe back then (it was a cheap Angelo pipe, billiard shape, but which smoked and still smokes great after so many years and so many bowls) I never had a problem with this tobacco. I don’t recall ever having a tongue bite, I don’t remember having problems lighting it, I don’t remember having any issues with it, only pleasure. Everything was perfect!

I was smoking a lot at home, at any time of the day. I remember it had a very strong latakia taste but also a strong perique taste (although, not like in a VaPer), it was smoky and a bit spicy, but with a great taste which remained in my mouth for quite a while after I finished smoking. My girlfriend from back then and just about everybody who was around me when I smoked this blend said it smells bad, but I personally loved it. The tin note, the room note, the taste, the burn, everything was great. Now I really regret not buying more tins, because today I find myself in the situation of spending a lot of money for a tin, but also searching for one is a difficult task.

Now, with the help of a friend, I managed to get my hands on another tin and taste it again. He offered me his Nightcap in order to make this review, and he also gave me the Nightcap from Wellauer & Co to make a comparison, but I will write that in another review, of course. And, in the meantime, I also bought myself a tin from Pipestud (he’s been writing many reviews here and he’s a great tobacco dealer and great guy), which is of course an American tin from 2017.

EUROPEAN TIN FROM 2017

Now, lets talk a bit about the tobacco from my friend, the European tin from 2017 (2 years old).

The first bowl I smoked was weird. I haven’t tasted this blend in over a year and it seemed quite different from what I remembered about Nightcap. It seemed it didn’t have the same taste, that strong taste, and the perique was almost absent. It was still pleasant, but I felt like it wasn’t the same.

Then, after smoking the second bowl, and the third and so on, I realized that yes, this is the Nightcap I remember. I don’t know why the first bowl seemed different, but after the second bowl and the next it was exactly how I remembered it.

I can’t say much about the tin note because I didn’t receive it in the tin, I received it in a small hermetic jar, completely filled with the tobacco, and there was no space between the cap and the tobacco, so it was difficult to detect the smell. I tried to smell it from the jar but I couldn’t sense much. So, I’ve put it on the table to dry and tried to smell it. Only then it started to show its olfactory qualities. It has a latakia smell but milder than I remember it, it was more smell of oriental/turkish, with its leathery smell. Actually, the smell wasn’t so strong as I remember it.

It remained quite moist, so in order to smoke it I had to take out for a bowl and let it dry for about 8-10 minutes.

It’s a ribbon cut with short ribbons, a lot of black tobacco, even the virginia is darker, brownish, only a few bits are brighter.

Now lets get to the important stage: Lighting and smoking!

The taste can be felt from the first draws, it burns well but if you don’t pay attention to it it might go out and will need some relights, but if you smoke it carefully, it burns well.......

... * after a few more smokes * Oh God! YES!!!!! How much I missed this taste! Although milder in latakia than the older (fresh) tins I had in the past, it is very balanced. Of course, the first taste you will notice will be latakia, with its smoky, sweet and creamy taste. It’s also more smoky than in other blends, that’s for sure. The orientals can also be tasted easily, and the perique, unlike the previous (fresh) tins in which I really tasted it, here I barely detect it.

Weird, now my pipe got hot, and we’re not talking about a blend full of virginia. Maybe I missed it so much that I puffed too greedy and got it too hot. I apologize, it’s hard for me not to devour this. It’s too good! I’ll let the pipe rest for a bit...

...I’m back! I relight my pipe and now the perique started to get noticed too, which gives the blend an extra flavor, something extra. It’s not spicy as in a VaPer, it’s like a special ingredient, like you’d add pepper in a food to give an extra taste. At it goes great! The whole combination of tobaccos is perfect! And it is, indeed, FULL BODIED.

It also has a pleasant aftertaste, it stays with you for some time after you smoke it, unless you drink something too aromatic, or even a coffee. The smoky, woody, leathery taste lingers after you finish smoking your pipe.

The room note is quite the same, as I remember it, full of latakia which would hit any poor non-smoker or someone who is not used to this tobacco or latakia in general. But I personally love the smell! Actually, I fell in love with latakia because of Nightcap. The tin note, the taste, the room note... they are all great! And I admit, it’s a strong room note. I don’t have a girlfriend right now to bother her with questions about the smell, but my ex used to say it “stinks” a lot. It may be so, but I love the way it “stinks”!

AMERICAN TIN FROM 2017

Now I’ll try to describe the tin from our good friend Pipestud (remember, he posted many reviews here, and good reviews too. has a great knowledge of pipe and pipe tobacco. a lot to learn from this man)

Many times I’ve had the discussion about the differences between American tobacco and European tobacco. I’m Romanian, I’m from Europe, I’m used to the tobacco here, I’m very familiar with it, but I also smoked many tins from America. The people who insisted that there’s no difference were always Americans, and I believe that they never actually compared a blend from both ‘sides’. But I’ll tell you.... there’s a difference! My personal opinion is that the American version, even if it doesn’t have a casing or topping, it still has something added. I don’t have clear proof, but I have my personal experiences and the information I’ve gathered in time from many experienced pipe smokers. At the last meeting of Pipe & Cigar Club Romania that I went to there was an employer from SmokingPipes at our table and he confirmed that in American tobaccos there’s something extra added that is not in the European tins. Take that into consideration, please.

Ok, so... when I opened the tin I had many surprises. First of all, unlike the European tin that I got from my friend, this one had a brighter tobacco, the virginia was golden, unlike the virginia from the European tin, which was brownish. Then, there were two things that kinda scared me...

I found some white spots on the tobacco, and the tin smell was very odd, slightly sour, fermented. It was like a smell of vinegar and ketchup. I thought, maybe the sour smell comes from the perique, but I don’t think it can be so strong. In any case, very little latakia smell compared to the European tin.

There’s been almost two years since I last smoked Nightcap and I kinda forgot how the tin note was, but I’m very sure it had a strong latakia smell, which I can’t really detect in this tin, only on a subtle note. I took the tobacco from the European tin and the tobacco from the American tin and started comparing their smell, and it’s a little different, and the major difference is that this one has a sour, fermented smell and a bit of ketchup smell.

It’s odd, because this year I also smoked My Mixture 965, London Mixture and Early Morning pipe, and they were all 2 years old, they all had white spots but none of them smelled weird and they were great. These being the English/Oriental blends, because I also smoked Royal Yacht, also from 2017, which actually didn’t even have any spots on it.

When I opened the tin, there was that hiss, which theoretically means it was well sealed. But somehow I panicked, I thought it was fermented and decayed, so I took pictures of the white spots and sent them to many pipe smokers and explained to them the smell, asking them what they think, and I got different answers. I took a magnifying glass to look better at those spots and they looked more like sugar crystals instead of mold, but then I took a piece and rubbed it between my fingers and the white spots where gone... which is not good, because if it’s mold it goes away, but if it crystals it stays there.

I left the tin opened and scattered the tobacco a bit, then I closed the tin and reopened it 2 days later. The smell was changed. It was no longer as weird as in the beginning. I sensed a smell of leather, as from the oriental tobacco, with some sour notes. Unlike the European tobacco I got from my friend, this one had a vapid smell, milder and with sour notes. They both smell like leather, but the tobacco from the American tin wasn’t so smoky. And the biggest difference is that this tin from USA also has a fermented smell and a.... ketchup smell.

But anyway, lets move on!

The tobacco is partially moist, I think it can be smoked directly from the tin, but I prefer to take out enough for a bowl and let it dry for 4-5 minutes. The cut is like any Dunhill ribbon cut, meaning perfectly cut. Has a lot of black tobacco, some brown and some golden parts as well. It’s brighter than the European version.

Now lets fill the pipe and light it up! Curious, very curious...

The first smokes: A leathery taste with something spicy... very spicy. Perique, is that you? Could this be the reason why the tin smell was sour? It has more perique than the European version? I don’t know, lets smoke further....

It’s some smoky taste on the background, but shy. Instead, the perique taste continues, especially when I retrohale. And a very, very weird thing is that I sense a weird sweetness, as if it’s some ketchup taste, similar to the Frog Morton taste. The perique is still strong, it’s like having a mix of oriental and perique.

The taste at this Nightcap is strange, so I’ll make an experiment. I put some European Nightcap in a pipe and some American Nightcap in another pipe. Both pipes have the same shape, Prince Shape. I need to make a comparison, because what I’m smoking right now from this American Nightcap is very different from what I remember and know about the European Nightcap.

While the bowl with the American Nightcap stayed a bit to cool down, I light up my bowl with the European Nightcap. Then I light the other one. Well, now imagine how i’m smoking from two similar pipes at the same time.

Yeah, I really did this. And it was helpful. Yes, there is a difference. The European Nightcap is smokier, as I remember it, while the American Nightcap has a more leathery taste, a lot of perique taste and a weird taste of... ketchup (like I said, similar to Frog Morton on the log). Why this difference?

The old tins of Nightcap which I smoked (also European) had the same strong perique taste (well, maybe not this strong) but they were smokier and didn’t have this ketchup taste.

In any case, this one (the american) also has a strong taste, it is Full Bodied, and while it’s different from the European, it’s still very good. Why it’s different, I don’t know, I just say what I taste and detect.

Is it bad? Nope. I’d personally preferred if it was smokier and not having that weird ketchup taste. Only after half of the bowl the ketchup taste starts to go out and begins to get a bit smokier. The latakia taste starts to make its presence known, very nicely, with the smell of a smoked wood and something smooth, which is completed by the peppery taste of the perique and the leathery taste of the orientals. The virginia is hard to detect here, I think it was used only for burning purposes. Only if you pay attention and search for it, you will sense a subtle virginia taste. So, after you get to the half of the bowl it starts to get close to the Nightcap that I know and love.

While I was smoking, I put the pipe away for a few minutes and went to another room to do something. When I came back I was hit by a strong smoke, which i can’t really compare to anything. It has the smell of latakia, but it’s combined with something else which I can’t figure out what it is. Personally, I like the smell, I always liked the smell of latakia, but everyone who had the occasion of being around me when I smoked Nightcap said it smells bad. In other words, it’s not a tobacco you would go smoke with other non-smokers, not inside or outside at a terrace, because you will bother everyone. You will probably be the only one enjoying it, and that’s a bit selfish.

FINAL CONCLUSION:

It’s an amazing blend. It was and still is my favorite tobacco. For me, it is the perfect tobacco. At the question that goes around on the forums “what tobacco would you take with you on a deserted island” I would easily say Nightcap. If I were to smoke a single tobacco for all my life, it would be Nightcap. I don’t know if and when I will be able to find a better blend for me that would dethrone Nightcap, but you never know. But until then, this remains my favorite blend.

It’s rich in strong flavors, full bodied, where everything is balanced perfectly, offering a heavy, complex and delicious smoke. Latakia, oriental/turkish, perique, virginia... you can detect them all, but they are so well combined that the final result is just amazing.

Burns well, but it might need a few relights. The tin smell is weird (although I remember it very pleasant in the past). The taste is excellent. None of them is strong in vitamin N, I’d say the strength is medium. The room note for me is pleasant, but for others might not be so pleasant, especially non-smokers.

I personally prefer and recommend to everyone the European Nightcap, but in its absence the American Nightcap can also offer enough pleasure to fall in love with it. Finally, if you like full bodied blends with a lot of latakia and oriental, if you also like perique, then you will most probably love this blend. Pipes used: Savinelli Trevi 320 KS (Author shape), Savinelli Tevere 315 KS (Prince shape), Jean Claude unknown model (Prince shape), Peterson Aran B7 (quarter bent Rhodesian shape), Butz Choquin Castel 1009 (pot shape) Age When Smoked: fresh & 2 years

EDIT FEBRUARY & April 2022: COMPARING DUNHILL AND PETERSON

Dunhill Nightcap, December 27th, 2017 Aspect: The Dunhill cut, excellent ribbons. Darker in color than the Peterson, which is normal considering that this is 5 years old and the Virginia gets darker. Tin note: Smoky and leathery. Medium in intensity. Taste: Perfection! Smoky, leathery and a bit spicy. It’s dark and deep in taste, being a medium to full bodied smoke. The latakia is very present, even though it’s not as smoky as it was in the fresh Dunhill tins that I smoked back in the day. Also, the latakia dances beautifully with this excellent quality oriental and the perique is exactly like a pinch of salt that you put in a dish: only a pinch can give great taste, if you put too much it might unbalance everything. Not the case here, everything is perfectly balanced. Room note: Dark, smoky… very serious! This is a room note that will hit you. Good thing for me is that I love it. I simply love it! Others: Burns perfect! Every pipe I load with it needs only one match and it’s going, without needing any relight. Doesn’t get hot at all. Delivers a very thick smoke.

Peterson Nightcap, November 7th, 2019 Aspect: Has the same Dunhill cut, excellent ribbons. Lighter in color than the Dunhill, probably because it didn’t age too much and the Virginia is still young. Tin note: Vinegary, not as strong as the Dunhill. Also smoky and a bit leathery, but not as intense. Room note: Also very strong in smell, very serious, very smoky. Taste : Perfection! Smoky, leathery and a bit spicy. A bit different from the Dunhill tin, but it’s closer to what I remember Nightcap to taste. A very rich taste of smoked wood and leather, with some peppery notes. It’s medium to full.

CONCLUSION OF DUNHILL VS. PETERSON:

Initially, when I first popped open the tins and tried them side by side, both in price shaped pipes, this is what I declared in the following video review (see the video for full details) – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDC3GLnMMFQ

The Dunhill tin note was “definitely smoky, with some spice… like a campfire, but it’s not a lot of wood in it… like a raisin or something.. not very, very powerful, at least for me, because I’m used to it, but I remember the first time I smelled a tin of Dunhill and it was mindblowing.” The Dunhill taste was “not as full bodied as I remembered it. Tasted like smoked oak barrel, if that makes any sense. Smoky, definitely smoky. A bit of spice when you retrohale, but if I remember the first Nightcap, it had a decent amount of perique and I could definitely taste that one. This is even different from what I remember Nightcap to be. Not as full bodied as I remember it. Maybe because this tin is from 2017, we’re in 2022 now, so the smokiness of the latakia faded in time, so this could be a possible reason. It has some leathery notes which I remember detecting a lot in London Mixture, but also in Standard Mixture from Dunhill. It’s that leathery oriental very specific to the Dunhill blends, unlike other orientals which are more spicier or flowery. Getting back, it has a charred wood taste, and leather and a lot of smokiness and a bit of spice, just a bit. Medium to full in body. Now I remember why I love Nightcap so much. For me this is the Holy Grail of English blends. People talk about Penzance being the Holy Grail. No, for me, this is just on top [of everything]. Last thing to say, it has a very strong aftertaste.”

The Peterson tin note was “very similar, but more vinegary and stronger in smell [than the Dunhill tin, which is smokier]. Similar, but a bit different. Smoky, but not as smoky as the Dunhill tin.” The Peterson taste was “spicier [than in the Dunhill tin I had]. Is it different? It is. Is it very different? No. They are pretty much the same. Maybe this one [the Peterson] is not as smoky as the Dunhill, but it is definitely smoky. It is also medium to full bodied. They taste similar, but they are not identical. I know the story that they’re from the same producer, with the same leaves, the same recipe. Why is it not identical? I don’t know. Maybe it’s the age [difference]. Could be! We also seen the color of the tobacco. This one [the Peterson] doesn’t have much of that leathery taste that the Dunhill has. Is this the Nightcap that I know [and remember]? It’s very close but it’s not the same. There are differences that I’m trying to find. Like I said, it’s spicier than the Dunhill but it doesn’t have that leathery taste that Dunhill has, and it’s also not as smoky as the Dunhill. But it’s a difference. This is my conclusion. I know people say “oh, no, it’s the same”. For me it’s not. And I just compared both of them.”

The cut is identical, the colors differ most probably due to the difference of age. Moisture was perfect at both of them. Ignition and burning is perfect.

Now, what I wrote above was the first conclusion when I compared them side by side. After smoking both of them for a while, this is the FINAL conclusion about Dunhill vs. Peterson Nightcap:

The Dunhill is the same, but due to the age it has lost some of it’s original taste. The Peterson on the other hand, even though it first seemed a bit different, it’s actually closer to the Dunhill taste that I remember. So, that said, Peterson Nightcap IS the same Nightcap that we had from STG under the brand name of Dunhill. It’s full bodied, it’s smoky, it’s spicy, it’s leathery, it’s all you can expect from Nightcap. Amazing blend! Just amazing! Still my favorite after all these years!

Also a video of the final conclusion, smoking them both in author shaped pipes, this is what I declared in the following video review (see the video for full details) – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QK45U1hsjY0

Thanks to STG and Peterson for not letting these blends go away. Treasures!

---

So, I reviewed Nightcap from Europe and Nightcap from the US, I reviewed Nightcap from Dunhill and Nightcap from Peterson. I hope that one day I’ll be able to get my hands on a Murray tin and complete this review. But until then…. I’ll just keep puffin on the available Peterson Nightcap and enjoy it to the fullest!

Best blend for me, an absolute favorite.

This is my favorite tobacco. The smell is so complex and rich. Taste is even and perfect. Nice slow burn, and easy to keep lit.

Its difficult to add to the body of reviews compiled on here for this outstanding tobacco. But, this one deserves another 4 star review. This has become far and away my favorite smoke. I was never a cig smoker, so I have an aversion to most tobaccos that "feel" and leave the room smelling like an ashtray. My wife would love it if I only smoked aromatics, (which I also enjoy) but there are times when I really want something with more flavor and a nice vitamin N hit. This always hits the spot. I love the spicy kick to it, but its not overpowering. I haven't been around long enough to have tried the original, but I really don't care. This is a masterpiece in my opinion. From the smell in the tin, to the room note to the coolest tin on the market. This is the one I think about all day and crave at night. Wish I could smoke it all day long at work! If you haven't tried this, you really need to. Its a gem and it will always be in my rotation. Have a few tins stashed away to cellar, but it may be hard not to get into them early. Cheers! 12-10-19 Update: A while back I discovered that one of the tins I was cellaring had somehow popped open. I was upset at first, as that's never happened to me before. So I transferred the very dry tobacco to a jar. No idea how long the tin had been open to atmosphere. Well, guess what? IT'S STILL AMAZING! You can't beat this blend. I have not tried every tobacco in the world, not by a longshot, but this one is still my all time favorite, nearly 25 years into this affliction.