Dunhill Standard Mixture Mellow

My journey through orientals with light latakia officially comes to an end with this one. I've learned a lot, mostly that if a blend is going to contain any latakia, it needs to have enough to drive the blend. Squadron Leader is about as light as I can smoke.

This is certainly the most limp-wristed of the bunch, wimpier even than EMP. There was a dash of flavor but not nearly enough to keep me interested. I believe this is an Orlik-era tin. As someone else wrote, this might be a good blend for someone who just wants to smoke a pipe but doesn't particularly care what goes in it, as long as the tobacco isn't noticeable. Still, it might be a nice sample for someone who is nervous about trying a latakia blend and doesn't want to be overwhelmed by it. Then again, there are other blends more suitable.

As for me, I'll pass. Life's too short to be bored.

I just finished a tin of “Standard Mixture Mellow” and I've decided to not be a slacker and actually post the review pronto. Or at least the morning after! This is an excellent blend which shouldn't come as a surprise coming from the latest iteration of Dunhill. That it just missed my sweet spot because it is a very light latakia blend. English/latakia blends are my favorite. SMM had a touch of smoky latakia but not enough for me to buy again. I found this markedly lighter than EMP, 965, Nightcap and London Mixture. An excellent blend but a tad too light in Vitamin L for me! Enjoy!

Dunhill-Standard Mixture Mellow.

It's been a while since I smoked any of the other Dunhill Standard Mixtures so regretfully I am unable to comment on any similarities/differences in flavour, strength or anything else so this will be a review simply on the merits/failings of this blend.

The smell from the tin is a rich tobacco one. It's quite deep and full but the biggest aroma to jump out is a leathery one. It smells really traditional and old fashioned.

I find the flavours from the different tobaccos are blended together at a lovely weight. I find it interesting as the Latakia's smoky note is no where near as strong or acrid as I can often find it can be. The Lat' is easily the lightest addition to the mix. With that in mind it would be a perfect blend to enter into the field of Latakia blends with.

The other two tobaccos are balanced harmoniously with one another. The grassiness of the Virginia is complimented brilliantly by the quirkiness of the Orientals!

I find that this gives one of the best burns I have had in my pipe. The best for a few reasons. Firstly the initiation: it gets lit easy peasy! Then we have the consistency: the burn is even and requires only the odd tamp unless it's neglected. Onto the temperature: this gives a pleasing smoke on the palate in that department. Whilst on the subject of comfort to the palate that brings me onto bite: it's very mitigating in that department.

Nicotine next. I find it to be mild to medium with N. I think most people would enjoy it albeit N lovers would probably have to gulp down a larger amount of smoke to aid satisfaction.

This makes a perfect evening/after dinner smoke . A very laid back blend to unwind with.

At the beginning I said this was going to be a review on the merits/failings of this blend but as it transpires that was a lie; there are ONLY merits with Standard Mixture Mellow for me! Highly recommended.

Opening the can, I found the sweet, dried fruit aroma quite appealing. I then wondered if this was indeed an English blend. It was reminiscent of the esoterica blend, Dorchester, which is a Virginia and perique blend. I could barely detect the aroma of latakia, but I packed my L.J. Peretti "Rodney" prince, which is designated for English blends, and said "here goes nothing." This blend is anything but mellow. The Virginia and the Turkish are at the forefront and flavorful, with the Latakia just slightly on the finish, but seemingly absent from the room note. The small bowl of my beloved Peretti prince had me wanting more, so I switched pipes. I filled my Savinelli 906 EX Baronet Bruyere, a much larger pipe, and the experience was intensified. This pipe is also designated for English blends, and the 3 inch tall bowl allowed the very faint condiment of Latakia to reveal itself marvelously, without minimizing the richness of the Virginia and Turkish. A larger bowl certainly allows this blend to develop, and it is very satisfying. For those who require a heavy English, this might not be your blend, but with pipe smoking, as you all know, patience and contemplation are key. The Latakia is there. Seek and yes shall find.

If Dunhill Standard Mixture Mild were a wine it would be a something along the lines of a Pinot Grigio or Orvieto. Light, dry and exceedingly subtle, in the bowl it offers a mix of mild, semi-sweet Virginias and snappy Orientals with just the faintest hint of smokiness. Light in body, the short finish is dry and vapid.

Drawn from a tin produced by Murray's shortly prior to their closing in 2004, the sample on which this review is based is composed of tobaccos of obvious quality which have been carefully prepared. At the same time, however, within the continuum of the original 'Standard Mixture' line (i.e., mild - medium - full) it should come as no surprise that Standard Mixture Mild is what it is: mild. One imagines, perhaps nostalgically, that in the context of Dunhill's long since defunct marketing scheme this would be a mixture delivered to the new, occasional, or trend conscious customer who laid out a substantial sum for a pipe not for the purposes of smoking tobacco but rather for the purposes of being seen smoking a Dunhill pipe which, of course, must be duly filled with Dunhill tobacco, ignited with a Dunhill lighter, tamped with a Dunhill tamper, kept clean with a Dunhill pipe care kit, and placed in a fine Dunhill leather pouch. Style, flair, elegance - the actual smoke is immaterial, being rather a potential source of irritation. There is, of course, nothing wrong with such and it was equally the case the Dunhill also marketed smoking mixtures of rare and stunning quality to an informed and demanding clientele who cared differently about the marque as such. Here one imagines gentlemen whose intentions were focused more on the mixture itself rather than the marque. While adding to the experience, in contradistinction to the former for such connoisseurs it was accoutrement which was immaterial. Rather, it was the actual smoke which was of importance. And thus Durbar, My Mixture 965, Nightcap, London Mixture, Baby's Bottom, Ye Olde Signe, and the other fine smoking mixtures which made it into regular production quite early on. While everyone is a gentlemen some are more gentile than others, yet all are welcome to contribute to the bottom line. Alfred and company well knew what they were doing.

Flash forward to the early 21st-century, where the pleasures of the pipe - perceived or otherwise - are defined by a rather different ethos. Here, Standard Mixture Mild seems to have little place, with its persistence (currently as 'Standard Mixture Mellow' in select European markets) being more of a testament to what the Dunhill marque (for Alfred Dunhill Ltd. died long, long ago) has been able to maintain on cultural inertia alone rather than the intrinsic characteristics of currently produced pipes, smoking mixtures, and accoutrements. While admittedly the continental scene is a bit different than that which has obtained in recent years in North America, in the absence of a ready 'pipe-smoker' lifestyle market it is actually quite amazing that a mixture such as Standard Mixture Mild lasted beyond the 1980s - on both sides of the pond. Whether or not it will return as part of the current Danish-produced Dunhill portfolio once a US distributor steps up to take responsibility for the line is ultimately unclear, but this reviewer cannot imagine that it would do well at all - in fact, does anyone recall it ever doing well amongst those who actually pay attention to what they are smoking (rather than those who pay attention to that in which it is being smoked)?

At the same time, however, an open tin is an open tin and for those interested, perhaps more as obsessive enthusiasts than anything else, it demands comment. While perhaps ultimately unfair to the mixture itself, while not an altogether unpleasant smoking mixture for this reviewer Standard Mixture Mild is a dud. As an open tin presents limited options, however, it must be dealt with. Barring dumping its contents into a flower bed, I would say that it is best smoked in larger pipes which have been heavily ghosted by Latakia. Alternatively, a judicious dash of blending Latakia (Cyprian) and a pinch of Perique added to what remains in said tin does the job even better, with whatever remains of unopened tins in the cellar being turned out to collectors. Given what is available nowadays by way of truly excellent smoking mixtures, beyond acquiring a tin or two for collectible value there seems to be little reason to seek it out, and even less of a reason to open one which might have made it into the cellar when it can easily be exchanged, many times over by weight, for something actually worth smoking.

This is just a classy classic all day English tobacco. It burns well, smokes clean. It has a nice diversity with all the notable parts coming through save the Latakia. The latakia just hides and makes this a delicious blend. The burn is quite kind to the pipe bowl and shank too. No glop!

I smoke it every day.

10/21/2013 Well, something has happened. From 1997 to 2005 I smoked Dunhill Standard Mild Mixture and I loved it. Something has changed. They call it Mellow Mixture now and over the past 8 years I have dodged it as you couldn't get it and then they come out with Mellow. I don't know why this happens, but someone else is making AGAIN and it is not the same. I will finish this can, but no more. Too many other great tobaccos to smoke.

Similar in cut and composition to the Medium version, with a strong (and to me rather unplesant) sweet/pungent tin aroma: a clear hint of the domination of the red toasted Virginias and of the spicy orientals. Luckily this strong smell (which reminds somewhat of CAO's Midnight Ride) disappears after a couple of days after opening the tin. The main difference between this and Medium is that here there's very little Latakia! Burning qualities are excellent as usual with Dunhill, but I really don't like this tobacco: in truth, it has a bit more taste than most other light English mixtures, but it is very "empty" in body and ultimately unsatisfactory. When you first open the tin, it is sharp and pungent and taste, spicy like the tin aroma, but it leaves the mouth dry: a very unpleasant feeling. As soon as the tin aroma vanishes (1-2 days), also the taste becomes blander: luckily also the mouth drying effect disappears. Pipestud was right in saying that it is almost like smoking cardboard: I often disagree with his reviews, but this time he may have been right (this tobacco has more taste than other light english mixtures, but it is a very grey and unpleasant taste). Really, Standard Mixture Medium is MUCH superior, with a full spicy sweetness that isn't found in this lighter brother! Overall, it's Dunhill's EM that I enjoy less, and the only one I will never try again: all their other offerings are good (even if I consider EMP a bit too mild and I don't appreciate too much Durbar's harshness, but they are good tobaccos anyway), but this one lacks distinction. It isn't completely bad (there are lots of worse EMs out there), but it isn't worthy of the Dunhill name. If I wanted a light, smooth English mixture for the whole day, I'd pick Frog Morton instead.

Another superb mixture from Dunhill. Its perfect for starting off a nice quiet Saturday morning. Doesn't hit you over the head with boldness. And that's what I find so enjoyable about it. Just a subtle sweetness that will keep you puffing gently to bring forth the delicious flavor.

Burns easily and provides a nice lengthy pipe. Perfect for a tranquil, yet, very enjoyable beginning of the day.

It's one of the obscure Dunhill blends that are so good. Yet, thankfully, never received the notoriety of EMP, 965 and Nightcap. Therefore, still obtainable for the time being.

Get some whilst you can still lay your hands on it.

Next up on my taste-em-before-they-are-gone trip is Mellow Mixture. This English blend was in fact quite mellow in intensity, seeming to spend more time in the state of Virginia. The tin aroma did have noticeable Latakia, a tiny bit of Oriental, and plenty of sour grassy notes to tame things down.

The cut is very fine with a perfect moisture level fresh from the tin, making a product that lit instantly. The smoke was very dry and fell between mild and medium on the harshness spectrum (low nicotine as well). It certainly was English, just not very pronounced.

The blend isn't bad, certainly mellow, just kinda boring.