Peterson Standard Mixture

Well, this is the last of my aged Dunhill Murray-era tins. As is my custom, I smoked this with varying degrees of moisture content... moist straight out of the tin, partially dried and extremely dry. Unlike McClellands Latakia Flake, this one did best straight out of the tin. That's not surprising for a latakia blend.

There's nothing really wrong with this one... ok, it'll never be the classic that 965 is, but it obviously pleases a lot of smokers. I just prefer more body and complexity in my bowl. This one starts off ok, is ok in the middle and ends ok. I should state that that phenomenon speaks of high quality to me, but it just isn't my cup of tea. I found this one boring, and I wish I had seen the review below by the 30 year smoker of this stuff, as I would have passed on it and sent it to him. It's gotta suck to wake up one day and find your favorite tobacco no longer available. My hope is that an American distributor picks up Dunhill, as I too have a stake... but in 965 and Elizabethan.

The last I smoked this blend it was a Dunhill mixture.

Peterson has used the original recipe and it is just as I remembered, superb, intoxicating and sublime.

The orientals are forward and a blessing to enjoy. Latakia is only in the background with the Virginias rounding out this almost perfect blend.

If you haven't, try it. You'll thank me later.

I haven't had a nice English blend in a while, and seeing as how it's winter, I decided to dive into the cellar and pick up an English I have never tried before - Dunhill Standard Mixture.

Still going through as many Dunhill blends as possible. As always, the moisture out of the tin is absolutely perfect. Every tin of Dunhill has been flawless in the moisture department, not quite sure how they pull it off but it's really impressive. The cut is the wonderful Dunhill ribbon cut we are all familiar with. Packs and lights with no problem.

The tin note was a bit strange for me. Smelled fermented and even a bit rancid - but not unpleasant. You get the Latakia up front, and you can also get the toasted Virginia's. Overall it smells weird but the "funk" doesn't translate into the actual smoke, which is the most important thing.

This is a full bodied English in my opinion, and it's quite excellent. Not death-like on the nicotine, though it does have a fair dose. It smokes and burns cool, and produces nice thick clouds of smoke. I enjoy this with a cup of strong black tea, and it works wonderfully. It's perfect for just reading and relaxing, as its not a blend you have to worry or mess around with at all. You just light it and it's there for you.

I've had better English blends than this, but this is also right up there. Another very high quality, enjoyable smoke from Dunhill.

Standard Medium has the typical Dunhill signature taste and it never bores me. However with that said it is not as complex as some other English blends and lacks the slight sweetness of 965. It is very balanced without any particular dominate player. Beware that this can be quite strong in the nicotine department. Hopefully Dunhill will reappear soon as it would be a crime to see these blends gone forever.

Dunhill Standard Mixture presents as a ribbon of light, medium and dark browns at just the right moisture level. Tin note is delicious: herbal, mildly woody, with the occasional floral note and hints of both smoke and sweet.

The charring and true lights bring more sweetness than I would have anticipated, but it quickly yields to wood, herb, parchment and mild spice that persist as the dominant flavor profiles in the first third of the bowl, with the herbal and slightly spicy Orientals teased by the slightest hint of damp Virginia sweetness. By the middle of the bowl, a slow cadence will bring an array of classic Oriental flavors with a foundation of subdued Virginias that bring just enough background sweet with the slightest hint of grass. The condimental Latakia adds some smoke and some damp, musty notes to the blend.

This is a subtle blend, with plenty of flavor complexity, but it's not "in-your-face". A sippers blend, the best approach here is to let the flavors come to you. If pushed, Standard Mixture will nip. Smokes a good bit damper than the average Oriental blend (my main criticism of English vs Balkan or Oriental blends) and the final third of the bowl is a bit damp compared to Standard Mixture's direct competitors - to the point where you'll want to run a pipe cleaner through the stem at about the 70% mark. The first half of the bowl was outstanding, but simply too much damp left in the pipe for this style of tobacco. Despite a glorious tin note, Standard couldn't quite take the fourth star. Nonetheless, a fine tobacco and one worth trying. Its big brother, London Mixture, is the superior blend for my taste.

Edit: It should be noted: Despite my critique, I really do like this blend. A very solid three stars.

Edit 2020: track down the discontinued London Mixture if you can. Very similar to this blend, but more vivid and flavorful.

So, I was hunting for Dunhill tins here since they are rare in Egypt. And I found this one in a local B&M storage, so I got it and to my surprise it was stamped 2006..So, I kept it for a good day. And finally popped it open. Out of the tin, there is a dominant, fruity smell. Which seemed awkward for an English/Oriental blend. It is at perfect moisture and cut perfectly as per the normal from Dunhill. The first third of the bowl tastes a lot like MM965 which was a surprise, since it is described as Oriental. But afterwards, it starts to open up.. The Virginias are sweet and mild. The Orientals are spicy and gives a nice aroma. It tastes a bit like Frog Morton on the town but without the vinegary taste..And the latakia is smoky like it should. My only gripe with this is that it has no character. It's just good tobacco, but nothing special. I like it, but if I have to pick, I'll go with MM965 or FM on the town. But I'll pick it up If they are not available as a good alternative

An English blend containing Latakia, Oriental tobacco and Virginia from East Carolina and Georgia. A classic blend of Dunhill, very good quality tobaccos and it's aromatic pallet on which the oriental tobacco taste with their "shades" is the main leader with Latakia to follow with its unique aroma and Virginia to accompany and sweeten the whole fumigants result. However, there is a harmony of flavors in the mix and this is even more obvious if the tobacco has been aged.

Nicely cut tobacco smoke comes in a good "wet" condition when you first open the tin. By opening the tin the smell of fragrant Latakia is here but without dominate the other tobaccos of the blend. Easy to fill a pipe. It burns relatively slowly and so, leaving this "pure white ash" at the bottom of the bowl. As soon as we open new tin it is appropriate to air for about an hour before we smoke it. It performs and smokes better.

Moderate nicotine strength, no artificial flavors. No cough or dizziness. Certainly it is desirable not to be with an empty stomach when you smoke it. A smoke that does not bite at all (always with a calm smoking style). It get's little messy in the filter of the pipe pipe.

The aroma in the room is pleasant and acceptable and not particularly heavy or annoying for those "unfortunate" not like Latakia ...In my opinion, and with my little experience in pipe smoking, and having smoked and Early Morning Pipe and My Mixture 965, the other "brothers" of Dunhill, Standard Mixture Medium is a very good English blend, honest and concise.

It's now my beloved Dunhill tobacco. With the aging of the tobacco it wins in a very tasteful harmony and fullness! When I spend my day by smoking tobaccos by Dunhill I divide my day fumigants as follows:

Breakfast bowl: Early Morning Pipe. Afternoon bowl: Standard Mixture Medium. Dinner bowl: My Mixture 965.

The Dunhill Standard Mixture Medium can be smoked all day long. It can also be an all day smoke tobacco.

For me Dunhill Standard Mixture Medium is a constant quality, a very good quality tobacco, a constant value in English blends. A classic, historic tobacco would not ever disappoint me. It will always be in my tobacco cellar.

Now, I will also smoke for the first time Dunhill London Mixture. I am sure this will also be a great pipe tobacco!

Its kind of odd isn't it when you think about the tobacco world on a more deeper level isn't it? It is well known that there is a minority with a deeply held and also deeply unpleasant snobbery against aromatic blends while holding on a heavily gilted pedestal any blend with the words "English" "Balkan" and "latakia". Like aromatics, latakia mixtures are ten a penny and while yes they are a number of good latakia mixtures out there, they are deffinitely a good number out there that don't deserve the hype and cult status that they have built up for themselves either due to availability so scarce that it seems the planets have to align in certain astrological rarity for a drop to hit retailers or that some floppy haired hipster type with no real knowledge of tobacco has built up such a hype on an obscure YouTube channel because its a tobacco his grandfathers friends uncles sisters cousins best friends next door neighbour smoked so it must be the best thing since slice bread, so his equally sheepish friends have joined various forums talking up said blend and now because its always out of stock it must be good.

However they are some latakia blends that although they have hype and following are genuinely a pipemans oasis. Peterson (dunhill) standard mixture is one of them mixtures. When I first tried a dunhill blend, nightcap, I was inexperienced, and went at the pipe like a bellows and didn't enjoy it much and I was one thag thought the dunhill brand was just another over rated brand that was kept going by its greatness of yesteryear and wasn't at all sad when they dissapeared a short time later.

However.

Recently I have learned to enjoy latakia mixtures and now peterson has took over the marque it was only natural that standard mixture came onto my radar.

Opening the tin, you are greeted with the usual yellows, browns and almost black and the typical latakia mixture aroma. Sweet freshly mown grass from the Virginia's, a slight spice from the oriental and the typical dickensian squalor, tarry slightly salty campfire aroma, nothing at all different from the usual latakia mixtures, however when packed and added to flame this is where the magic happens.

The Virginia adds its taste and provides the building blocks for the oriente, which in turn do the same for the latakia. This is an utterly harmonious blend where everything works in perfect synchronisation, a whisper of sweetness weaves in and out which underscores and enhances the spicy Orientals which in turn does the same for the incense like, smokey latakia, it is a magical symphony which forces you to sit down and take notice and enjoy each and every aspect of this mixture, each time you smoke there is always a new little dimension to discover, toasted nuts, freshly baked bread and and a smoke ability almost unlike any other. A smoothness and coolness that you wouldn't believe would come from a mixture that isn't laced with Cavendish. A beautifully smooth experience that bares no rough spots nor harshness nor tongue bite. This truly is a fantastic blend and one that should be savoured propperly, in a comfortable chair with a beverage of choice and to truly savour every sip. Utterly sublime and one that makes smoking an absolute delight.

This is a mixture that doesn't need all the fancy advertising blurb of university masters graduate in bullshit. It takes latakia and uses it exactly as it should be a condiment to other fine leaf. To allow all the leaf to shine individually but allow them all to enhance each other.

The taste on this one is quite full, so maybe not one for the absolute novice, much like the room note this won't win you many friends, but a mixture this good is best enjoyed alone without distraction so it can be savoured propperly, after all they are plenty of mixtures out there you can smoke with friends that given any distraction won't ruin the experience.

Fantastic and one that will be staying in the rotation.

This is an extremely balanced blend. The orientals are slightly forward with the latakia present, and close behind. They work together adding a floral, herbal, musty, earthy, smoky, spice. The Virginias form the base, and add a slightly sweet, grassy tartness. It burns evenly, and a lot quicker than I expected. I found myself tamping more than usual, but it was satisfying. It has a smoky campfire aroma, but it isn't strong, thick, or lingering. If pushed It can become a bit bitter and sour, so I'd recommend a slow and steadier cadence.

This is a goldilocks english for sure, and medium across the board. Love it