Dunhill Three Year Matured Virginia

A really beautiful blend! Have it always in my turn-around series of tobaccoes, not an all day blend --also for it's high price-- but at least once a day puffing. On the sweet-side, very light aroma, good quality virginias, cool without bite, it's a really relaxing,easy to pack, light and smoke tobacco.

There are some years since I met it and I feel tight to it. Always filino with this tobacco Dunhill pipes, I feel they can give me the max of taste of it.

This blend is also recommended at newbies, with nic-hit, taste and odour at medium range, no tongue bite, enough cool and dry.

THREE YEAR MATURED VIRGINIA: This blend should be straight Virginia but it isn’t. I don’t know why STG has changed the recipe, but this change made the product much worse. A Virginia mixture matured for three years certainly does not need oriental tobaccos and least of all fruit essence. Bad job by STG which probably employs poor quality Virginia and for this reason the change of recipe. Dunhill deserves more. Now this mixture is gone, but I will not miss it. So, in my personal rating system (from 1 to 10) my score is 7 and two stars.

From 2006:

Here ends my search for an everyday, go-to Virginia. OK, even the tin description indicates that it's not a straight VA, but I'll not quibble about that. What I will do is load this very satisfying blend into a small bowled Peterson and enjoy a rich, flavorful smoke. This is a dark, heady VA --- not light and sweet like 5100 but not quite as stout as Royal Yacht (my only other Dunhill regular). Some place the casing as berry-like and the tin description on this very site says "mixed fruit" but I myself can't taste anything fruity about it. Thumbs up to Dunhill/Murray on whatever this casing is, because it is pleasant and unique without overtaking the taste of the tobaccos themselves. Doesn't bite. May be a tad too strong for all day and does get a little unwieldy towards the very bottom of the bowl. For me, it's the perfect VA blend --- one or two bowls a day interspersed with my regular burley blends and flakes. The Murray's version of 3 Year Matured recently replaced Royal Yacht as my preferred tinned VA, and this review is based on the Murray's product. Recent reviews of other Orlik-produced Dunhill products have got me discouraged about my prospects for liking the Orlik version of 3 Year Matured. I'll post that review when I have tried some. Till then, 4 stars for 3 YMV!

I guess I am the odd man out here. I first smoked this blend about a year ago (in fairness, a full tin of course) before reading any reviews. I tied it exclusively in an unsmoked Dunhill Shell No. 5 I had bought (lumberman or small canadian) to give it a real test.

I have read in the 1960's it was introduced as a straight virginia, but it is obviously being re-introduced to be different now.

I did not know for sure it was aromatic until I had opened a tin a year ago, but it did smell sweeter or more fruity in the tin than a straight virginia. My memory is that it was slightly sweet, but a much more pleasant blend, to me, than Dunhill's Royal Yacht, which is stronger, etc. I've read since then the three year matured virginia tobacco is sauced with a bit of rasberry. Toward the end of the tin, about two weeks worth of smoking, it started to dry out, so that shows it was not too wet with anything. But if you take more than two weeks to smoke it, you need to preserve it better than just screwing the lid back on. I seldom smoke more than two bowls a day of it (or any blend).

Upon reading these reviews, I opened up another tin (I have two cellared now for about a year). I also read the quite brief review of one gentleman from a fairly recent Ephemeris issue, which was fairly nice, and from the most recent Winter 2001/2002 issue of Pipes and Tobaccos. Their reviewer is harsh on most aromatics, as you know, but his review is most fair to this unusual but sweet blend.

I have recently smoked nearly another tin of this blend in the same Dunhill pipe. This pipe remained unsmoked in the interim (from the last tin). It is a good pipe and most receptive of this sweet blend again. It has over 30 bowls of this blend in the cake now. It will continue to be enhanced with smoking, but I feel I can certainly give a true evaluation of this blend in such a pipe.

To me, it is mild and quite nice, and definitely on the sweet side. But not heavy. A light type of wine-like or fruity sweetness persists. There is a quality virginia underneath. It is very cool, biteless, and though not a real dry smoke, it takes little effort to run a pipe cleaner through my straight stem pipe once or twice in the last half of the smoke. Much dryer than St. Bruno's flake. It is also much better to me still than Royal Yacht, which I know does not say much, but the emphasis is on the word "much".

If you only like straight english, heavy scottish, balkan, or straight virginia/perique blend types, or do not like aromatics at all, this blend is not for you. If you're more flexible and have a sweet tooth at times (and I like the foregoing blend types myself), give it a full tin try in a good pipe. Don't jump to a conclusion by a sniff, a puff, a touch, or by imagination. If it doesn't sound like your cup of tea, don't bother with it at all. A bowl won't convince you in that case. But if you want to try a smoke on the sweet side, something suitable for an occasional smoke over a few weeks of different experience and pleasure, give it a try.

I know I'm going to finish up the last few bowls from my tin before I let this Dunhill hibernate again for a while. This is a special, not everyday treat. I hope Dunhill keeps up this blend in small quantities for us few in the U.S. who will continue to partake.

UPDATE: The 2015 reintroduction is probably closer to the older 1960-70 vintage -- not rasberry flavor but tangy, tart, and rich. (I reduced the flavoring rating from medium to mild to medium.)

Seems closer to a Red Ribbon or Red Cake blend, but more body. Fruit may be cherry-like but lite. SPC may have it right -- between Elizabethan and Royal Yacht. Pretty much for a straight Virginia smoker, but with a flavor enhancer.

This blend never disappoints me and always impresses me. It simply matured mellow Virginia that is accentuated by nice Orientals and a very subtle fruit essence. Piquant tartness weaves with the earthy dark fruit, molasses and hay. Straightforward easy burning tobacco down to a fine white ash. Truly a refined mellow smoke with a moderate nic hit. Does burn hot but won't bite. Consistent flavor that deepens down the bowl. Obviously gets better with age.

Sidenote: sweet lemon tea pairs well with this one

Like Eulenburg says English Aromatics are like English cuisine, however I'd suggest misunderstood and underappreciated. Like a consumé (invented in Yorkshire) this tobacco takes a person with patiences and refined palate to appreciate the work thats gone into it.

The Virginias are beautifully sweet and sour with a hint of that grassy taste we all know and love but mostly a cane sugar note. The orientals play a fantastic supporting role. Unlike in most English blends they do not give a spicy tingle but an old classic clean cigarette taste.

The flavouring is subtle and pleasant and a joy to decipher. It almost reminds me of the "plum" topping of Royal Yacht, though it's more white plum then dark.

A wonderful smoke indeed, it goes well with sparkling wine or IPA and some mature Cheddar (some of many English culinary inventions).

Happy Smokes.

Grassy hay and citrus from the tin and quite moist . One hour drying needed . Semi sweet and a wee bit sour and a little spice . I think Jim Inks is spot on with the apricot and orange. Burns a little fast . No bite . Nice change of pace and I believe you can still buy this online even though it is no longer in production. My tin is 2 yrs old . The low ratings is probably the reason it is still available. I like it . Very mild in taste and strength. All day smoke if you love it I reckon. Recommend

---

update 10/28/19 I am on my third tin of this in the last 2 months or so .I got two more tins and they were 4 years old , so it must be down to very few left? I have to say I love this tobacco ! The red Virginias are very dark fruity and I get the orientals sourness and very noticeable! I am upgrading from 3 to 4 stars . I will get more if it’s still available. Also , this is not by any means an aromatic!!!!

I really looked forward to this. Three year matured etc. It was a bit disappointing. Took flame OK and burned OK and tasted OK. Usually for me blends improve as I smoke down the bowl. With virginias a sweetness develops. With Burleys a sort of nuttyness. But here it was just meh!

Maybe if you usually smoke aromatics it might be a step up(?)

Could be a replacement for Royal Yacht from time to time, but, in comparison, Royal Yacht would remain unbeatable. For aromatic smokers, switching to this blend is certainly recommended and would be even considered a very wise and clever move, although this blend can hardly be considered aromatic.

What may escape some's attention is the fact that this blend is very good to be blended with other purely Virginia based blends, where the result would ensure ample satisfaction for the experienced smoker. When aged more, I give this blend three stars.