James Fox Dorisco Mixture

This can be a temperamental mixture. High quality tobacco's. Not one to smoke while banging out emails or working around the house. If smoked slowly it has no match for the true Va/Per lover. Take it for what it is - a rich full mixture meant to be enjoyed slowly. I love this stuff in the morning or anytime I'm not rushed. Sweet and spicy, I like to smoke Dorisco in a medium bowl - Bjarne Viking 1/2 bent. 3 stars.

UPATE 6/26/09 Blend: 1/2 Dorisco, 1/4 Burley, and 1/4 Latakia = Outstanding Smoke!! Rich/Sweet/Campfire. You will love this!

I'm new to pipe smoking and my taste leans to Virginas and Va/Per, I love this tabacco. Upon opening I see a marriage of dark and light tabacco, this is visibility stunning. The smell is remarkably spicy, almost pepper tasting to my nose. I prefer flakes but this tobacco; I just notice the tin says 'mixture' not 'tobacco' is there a difference? I need to look in to that, is a ribbon cut and packed my pie nicely, it also took a lite like a dream. I ordered three tins of this mixture and smoke one and an half.

My review is based on about 8 grams of tobacco left sleeping on a tin I bought in 1998 at Fox's Shop in London. The tin shows "Manufactured withing the E.E.C." which may mean it was produced in Ireland, but even in Denmark or Germany, who knows ?

The tobacco has been patiently rehydrated to the minimum extent.

I don't know what happened from 2000 onward... I really cannot say since was unable to get for me further tins even from a friend went in Dublin. Sure at the time of mine, Dorisco was a VaPer, absolutely no Latakia inside.

Of course the seasoning has produced a darker and melted tin colour, while a clearly remember it was bright and medium with black flecks.

Eulenburg's main statements in 2002 are finding me with him, so I'm cutting my story short, and particularly I would quote his:

"DORISCO has a stoic simplicity"

"The Périque is very discreetly ladled in: the memorable element is the scrumptious mélange of bright red and mahoganny Virginias, as mellow and pithy a combination as any I know"

"Both in-the-tin, and sidestream aromas are deelish, and as a medium-strength, "smokes itself" blend"

I also have smoked this in mediums Billiard (a long tapered Parker Super Bruyere group 4, non filtered; and a Savinelli Professor, filtered with 6mm balsawood, Liverpool shape ... which is variation of Billiard, having longer stem and shorter bit) devoted to Va and VaPer tobaccos.

I have no doubts this would be my all-day smoke, if I just could get some (I don't know if this is going to be discontinued even in Europe, but it was not available in Dublin at one of the main tobacconists... this speaks itself).

I'm planning to revisit Broder Pedersen by Dan, which seems the only tobacco going to same direction, but it has some rhum casing...

You want Perique? Here ya go. If there was ever any doubt that the devil needs a delicate touch this is all the confirmation you'll ever need. There is a fine line between gimme more (Dane's anyone?) and OMFG. This stuff dances over that line.

I'm glad I tried it... with scarcely a bowl to finish the tin, but never again.

As others have noticed, there is a pinch of Latakia in this mixture, but it always stay in the background and it's low enough to put this baccy in the VaPers section rather than English.

As for a VaPer, this is top quality, although a little unbalanced (hence the three stars). This is a Perique bomb (Escudo is light on Perique compared to this), which is fine with me, but the natural bitterness of Perique isn't counteracted by dark Virginias, but mostly lemon/orange leaves. The result is rather on the tangy/bitter side. That doesn't prevent a great smoking experience, but I guess a bit of stoved leaf would have made Dorisco a heavenly smoke. I have tried adding 10% Blending Perique to Capstan Medium and the result is similar, although Dorisco is a bit more tasty.

In conclusion, a great VaPer to change pace from regular sweet Virginias.

My tastes in tobacco normally mirror Pipestud's pretty closely but he and Dubinthedam were well wide of the mark on this blend, IMO. This isn't a four-star Va/Per like Laurel Flake or even a 2015 but certainly is a solid "Recommended." I experienced none of detractors cited by those two gents.

I am unquestionably in the camp that this is one of the greats! ... and a classic that will be referred to in years to come. I will be sure to cellar plenty, as I would imagine aging it will only add to its magnificence.

Chocolate mousse in a world filled with Yodels and Ring Dings.

Each draw of the pipe presents a high quality VA flavor to the tongue, followed by the black pepper zing of the Perique. If this is what you're looking for in a smoke, you'll probably like this blend. I like this experience once in a while, but it's not really my cup of tea - this is the only reason I gave it a "somewhat" recommendation.

This is one fine Va/P that I find myself reaching for quite often during the warmer months. At takeoff, you receive a nice kick but, this baccy reaches cruise altitude swiftly, and settles in for a nice journey. Mr Perique visits the cockpit occasionally, but, would be welcomed more often! All in all a good tobacco that packs and burns well in any size pipe. Should be excellent for the cellar.