Peterson Standard Mixture

I found a tin of Standard mixture from my local tobacco retailer--it's probably over 10 years old--what a treat. Opened the sealed tin , the aromas are incredibly varied , but it doesn't smell like fresh tobacco , since it's obviously more than 10 years old....

What a spectacular taste...of all the English I have tried certainly one of the best . Strong, but less banal than Nightcap, distinctive and not monotonous with a perfect blend of latakia and orientals...mmmm

excellent. 3.5 stars.

Revised 7/3/23: I have narrowed my favorites to two tobaccos: Nightcap and 965. Standard Mixture is excellent, and if you like English tobaccos, you should try it. My preference for 965 is only slightly greater than my preference for Standard Mixture. 965 and Standard Mixture are good smokes for any time of day. Nightcap has more nicotine and is a bit relaxing, so I agree that it is best in the evening.

Previous review:

Very well named. It is a good standard. Good savory flavor. This is a favorite that can enjoy almost every time I smoke. My favorite blends are Standard Mixture, Elizabethan, Presbyterian, and Nightcap. These mixtures have in common that I like them best when the tobacco is dried on a plate for one or two hours before packing the pipe.

A bit moist in the tin, but lit well and stayed lit without too much bother. Great flavor; nutty and toasty, with hints of plum and citrus in the background. None of the tobaccos really dominates in this blend; they really work together well. A good, solid English blend. Recommended.

a good introduction to English blends for those wanting to venture. a good value for a tin of name brand. i keep all my tins for a year before cracking open. this one in a milder English with that leather note. a hint of sweetness and a touch of sour. not bad at all but not a go to smoke for me. I do recommend anyone to try all the Peterson blends to get a taste for what they may like because of the value. taste is subjective and that's why there are so many of the same type of blends.

This is not a "Standard" English by contemporary standards in any sense and if you're expecting such you may be a little disappointed by this blend. I know I was.

The good news is that it's ready to smoke out of the tin (almost dry) and the typical "Dunhill" fine ribbon cut packs and smokes extremely well. It also has a nice, powdery white ash.

If you are expecting some Medium amount of Latakia, however, you will be sorely disappointed. There is some Latakia, yes, but it's a small amount (by today's standards).

Here we have the standard Dunhill "VA forwardness" ala EMP closely followed and possibly exceeded by Orientals while the Latakia is in the background.

This is a mild VA/Oriental forward English blend so it's much, much closer to EMP than say, Nightcap.

(Did Dunhill ever have any true medium to strong readily available Latakia blends?! Even Nightcap strikes me as somewhat underwhelming on the Latakia front.)

What prevails is very perfume-y (floral?) notes - almost a Lakeland soap essence. (Perhaps it's exotic Orientals, but I really don't know.) At any rate, there's a distinct, almost cloying perfumey/soapy/floral taste that dominates this blend and it may not be natural.

Again, there's minimal Latakia in the smoke (but it does exist in the tin note).

This is not to say that I find this a bad mixture (because it's rather unique!) but it is definitely NOT a medium or Standard English blend.

UPDATE - July 2022. Well, after some months in the jar, there has been a substantial improvement in the character of this blend. The Latakia is more noticeable and the heavy floral notes I initially experienced have pretty much faded. The VA and Orientals still prevail but the blend is much more balanced now. Some slight sweetness noted. Upgrading to 3 stars!

I found an actual Dunhill tin of Standard Mixture at a local Tinder box and thought I would give it a try. It's several years old at this point, and I've never tried it under the Peterson label either.

I was surprised at how strong the tin note is when I first opened it. Very leathery / woody smell. Upon lighting I get the orientals but they're only slightly floral; more spicy and leathery. That may be due to it's age. It's a decent smoke overall, but at times I do detect a harsh cigarette flavor here. Not mild by any means, but not really strong either. Had no issues keeping it lit. Somewhat recommended as many English pipers may enjoy it more, but will only be an every so often smoke for me.

First time smoking standard mix medium since I don’t know when. I remember preferring Dunhills London Mixture as I was hunting for more Latakia dominant blends back then. It seems that with the takeover of Peterson’s some Dunhill blends won’t be re-introduced to the market and London mix is one of them. So, when I was visiting my tobacconist recently I was willing to give the Standard Mixture (which is still on my mind as Standard Mix Medium) another try.

Look in the pouch is as nice as an English mix cut could be. Bright to darker brown Leaf, sprinkles of black ribbons and dark pressed, matured tobaccos. The cold smell reminds me a bit of spicy ketchup at first impression but then turns into a mild campfire fruit jam mix almost a bit like sour dough.

Left it open for an hour as it seemed a bit too moist for smoking it right away and packed it in a medium sized bowl for the first retrying. Packs wonderful and lights like you’d expect it from a thing called standard. I think it was not blended to set a new standard but to get a tobacco suiting for many situations and different kinds of smokers. Phrases could be ‘so back into the armchair, I’m packing my evening Standard.’

First lighting did not surprise me much I was awaiting a Va forward English (that’s what I remembered) and for the first toke there was only sweetness with a hint of hay. With the next few puffs the character of this blend completely changes. Spices take the lead. Roasting flavors as well as a bit of camp fire smokiness appears and both combine great with the mentioned sweet undertone. I’ve never tried a toasted tobacco that actually tasted like toast. This one does and it’s roasting is warm and deep. Sometimes almost a bit like cocoa almond and nuts. (but very different from burley f.e.) Sweet and spicy are switching dominance as the smoke continues but in whole the character stays the same until the end. There are some bitter compounds in the spicy area of the taste spectrum wich can surely be pushed by smoking hot but if carefully puffed they never get too strong. Leaving a pleasant aftertaste of smoky Virginia with a bit of sourness on the tongue this one is screaming for another bowl

Could have a bit more Latakia for my taste, nevertheless, this one is beautifully blended and pretty unique in roasting flavors. Guess I wasn’t ready for that one when first trying it. As a conclusion I’d say that some blends may deserve a second chance maybe.

You know it is a shame that tobacco companies such as Dunhill and Mc Clelland have gone out of business. I recently picked up a tin of the Standard Mixture and I was pleasantly surprised. This is a very well balanced English blend, that will not whack you over the head with the latakia. Some people like copious amounts of Latakia, I, however, do not. And, that is why this blend is very nicely balanced in my opinion. As mentioned Standard has the right amount of Latakia, adding to the smokiness of the blend in addition to the Turkish leaf that is also added in just the right amount. The Virginia in this blend adds a really nice sweetness overall to the blend which really balances it out. Right out of the tin it comes a little moist, more so than your typical English and will leave some moisture in the bowl if puffed to fast. I did not get any bite or harsh spots but will leave a little dottle in the bowl if you tend to puff too quickly. If you are looking for a true English (and if you could find it) this is an exceptional blend, one of many made by Dunhill.

An excellent middle-of-the-road English mixture, in which none of the elements overpower, but all are very harmoniously balanced. The Latakia is just the right amount to add character and depth, but doesn’t dominate. The sweetness of the Virginias melts evenly into the spice of the Orientals, and the whole is a nearly homogeneous effect - the epitome of a basic English mixture. Forgiving and cool, it doesn’t bite hard when puffed too eagerly and yet lends itself nicely to gentle, slow savoring. It’s the latter that reveals the complexity beneath the balance. When inhaled it’s a bit harsh, and when passed through the nose tends to be a bit sharp.

Compared to Mixture 965 or Stokkebye Oriental Supreme, it’s lighter on Latakia and sharper to the nose.