Dunhill Durbar

I got this as part of a multi tin sale from P@C. I tried it when I first got it and again 3 weeks later with the same results both times. The tin note was not bad however once I began smoking it all was not good. It packed and lit fine but as far as I could tell the only flavor was burning trash that left a nasty after taste. I didn't find it particularly strong or heavy on nicotine. I would not buy this again.

At this point, I have to say that Dunhill flat out gets english/balkan blends. Durbar does not disappoint from a flavor profile. Easy to pack, light and smoke throughout. What never amazes me about all Dunhill blends is how smooth they are! I would give this four stars, but I do think some of their others blends are bit more tastey. Nevertheless, any fan of Latakia will enjoy this.

Disappointing! Strong, full taste, but thats all about it. Like a bottle of second choice blended whiskey. Something not good in the orinetals, I would describe as "tobacco liefs where some rats did sleep for a night or more". Worst tin so far tasted from Dunhill. Cannot recommend it.

I am reviewing Durbar here since I believe what I smoked was manufactured by STG. This tobacco is similar to London Mixture but creamier and fuller. It is also sweeter, delivers more incense notes, and more nicotine that satisfies but does not overwhelm. Burns clean to white ash and leaves a pleasant after taste.

A luxurious evening treat. Highly recommended if you manage to get your hand on a tin.

I bought a brand-new estate Mauro Armellini that was a good 10 to 15 years old. I decided to break it in with Durbar. The tin had a very nice Oriental/Turkish fragrant smell with maybe a hint of Latakia. It smokes smooth and lights easily. To me it is more of a medium Balkan. If you like blends predominantly Oriental/Turkish this is a good smoke. Some of the bowls I smoked did lose a little flavor toward the end of the bowl but nothing out of the ordinary. I bought some because it is going to be discontinued again. Definitely worth a try.

I'm a fan of the Dunhill English mixtures, been smoking then on and off for over a decade now. I think what I like the best is the ones with that yeasty, leaf mouldy aroma when you crack a new tin open, Nightcap being the best example of this. Durbar does it a bit, so I know I'm in for a treat!

So, what have we here? A tin of relatively fine, even ribbon cut tobacco, in medium brown hues with some darker leaf. Tin aroma is the aforementioned yeasty leaf mould smell, with smells of rotting wood and a hint of campfire. smoke. Delicious! I'm drooling by the time I've filled my pipe...

It takes the flame easily, and when it's getting a bit dry toward the end of the tin, only one march is required. Orientals are the stars of this show, with their mysterious spicy, woody flavours. I keep smelling the smoke, getting nice toasty bready aromas with a hint of cedarwood. The flavour is a shade short of medium for an English, if I use EMP as the benchmark for light, and Nightcap for full. Very satisfying. Its a dry smoke, in the sense of no moisture and not much sweetness, and can have a slightly dusty quality when the leaf is getting dry. You can smoke it to the last morsel with perhaps a single relight. It doesn't really bite, although when it's getting a bit dry, it can get a little harsh towards the end in my eagles claw meer, which is a bit of a nose warmer. Slow sips are key here, or smoking it in a Calabash, as I am now with the last of a tin...

Summary: medium strength English mixture in which luxurious Orientals are the star of the show, supported by bready Virginias and a reasonable hint of Latakia in the background. An opulent smoke.

One quibble which applies to all Dunhill tobaccos now, why is it supplied loosely packed in giant tins? The tobacco dries out faster than I would like, and you need a rucksack to carry it around! Hope this isn't a permanent change.

Upon hearing that Dunhill stopped production (on the re-release to?), I ordered up some of the blends I've yet to try. Durbar is the second Balkan I have ever smoked since tasting STG's Sasieni, and I would say they were each a 2 star for me, though for different reasons. Both command nicotine respect and will knock you down if not careful. Sasieni had more depth from the virginia coming through (there was more of that wet hay taste), while Durbar was more aligned with it's English sister blends (more of that charcoal taste).

I guess I'm not entirely sure what a Balkan blend is, but as far as my nose can tell, Durbar smelled something English with a peppery Oriental mixed in. Comprised of a thin cut with enough thickness and moisture to pack and fire hassle free.

The smoke became a bit one note as I soldiered on to the bottom of the heart-palpitating bowl, the act - reminding me of the addicting power of smoking.

I find it difficult to find much nuance between Dunhill products, as they all perform much the same. They are a great reminder of why a pipe can take you to heights a cigarette can never achieve, but lack the browsing excitement of an aromatic.

The Virginia's are medium in flavor adding a rich butter taste. The Latakia adds the expected smokiness. The Orientals are sweet and spicey with just a bit of sour. They show the smoker that this is indeed a Balkan as the name suggests. They are still very well balanced with the Virginia and the Latakia. This balanced taste seems a lot like the smokey sweet and spicey taste of Early Morning Pipe, only perhaps a bit more rich and buttery.

The new incarnation of Durbar offers the sour scent in the tin that I love and almost always associate with Dunhill blends. Dunhill makes up the largest segment of my tobacco cellar and mainly out of curiosity; I try to smoke the Orlik blends side by side with Murray’s era tins whenever possible knowing full well that the previous era will have the benefit of time in the tin. The tin note of the newest version offers up more Latakia scent than the Murray’s although time may have muted the Murray’s era blend. The Orientals lead the way in both versions. In the pipe the Latakia component is more prominent in the Orlik version. The savory, sour flavor of the Orientals isn’t quite as dominate in the newer incarnation. The Orlik era offers up a full and somewhat complex taste. There isn’t any harshness or bite in this well done blend. The Virginia’s are only lightly sweet and seem to be in great proportion to the other components. I think that all but the most devout fans of the Murray’s era blend with be satisfied with the new Durbar. It will be interesting to see how this blend reacts to some time in the cellar and I suspect it will be quite favorable. Three and a half stars.