Dunhill Durbar

I was pretty curious to taste this new incarnation of the Durbar, just come at the italian tobacconists at very premium price. Although I’ve never smoked the “old” one.

Nice tin aroma, Oriental forward I would say.

It comes in a ribbon cut on the slender side of the scale, in all similar to the other Dunhill’s blends. Easy lighting and burning maintenance without turning hot. No bite whatsoever.

The smoke is cool and solid. Oriental tobaccos are the main player, well back-boned by non-sweet Virginias and spiced up by the Latakia in perfect measure. Medium in strenght, full in body.

All in all a nice Balkan blend, which is only missing to hit me completely since it delivers a sort of “monolithic” experience from the beginning to the end. Seems to me it’s more similar to a Tashkent than a Skiff, which are the blends I would compare.

All the Best !

Don't like this one at all. The tin smells like green olives....... And it tastes like them too. Nothing else here. Just a hot sour ashy smoke. If I want olives then I would just eat them and not smoke them.

Just like The Apéritif, this recreation of a legendary blend is a huge succes. I have had the chance to try the Murray version in the '90s and, besides the cut being less coarse in Orlik's version, the composition and aroma look very similar. The ORs dominate completely; rich and spicy, almost sweet, they are creamy; the LA and VAs play in the background, contributing some smokiness and sweetness. Orlik's version burns much better than Murray's and Orlik's ORs, in my memory, seem to be better balanced than Murray's. The Vitamin N is just right. For those considering venturing into "English" blends dominated by ORs but are afraid of LAs, Durbar is a perfect introduction to the genre. Durbar is probably one of the top VA/OR I've smoked so far.

I bought it after a smal taste from a friend of mine. And I was very impressed, it's an heavy smoky latakia english, and it really kick your nicotine level up. It's a little bit too strong for my taste but very pleasant.

DURBAR: certainly an excellent English blend, but not the best, and not the best among Dunhill’s blends. From a quality point of view Dunhill is always the top and therefore congratulations to STG. Great balance, excellent tobaccos, this is the classic English taste, never over the top, but always delicate and balanced. Suitable for those who love English blends, for those who love English taste, for those who love Dunhill. Not suitable for those who can't stand Latakia and for those who prefer flavored blends. So, in my opinion and in my personal rating system (from 1 to 10), my score is 7/8 and three stars.

I don't see the attraction here unless you want a Latakia blast, which I think dominates the aroma profile. All its other tobacco components take a back seat.

Not a bad smoke, just a very one dimensional "Latakia heavy" blend.

Another great Dunhill mixture.

Everything here melds together into a wonderful, bold collection of spicey, full flavored deliciousness. With just a touch of sweetness to keep you wanting the next puff.

Burns well and steadily without having to work at it.

A perfect companion to enjoy by the fire on a cold and snowy day.

Received a sample with my tinsociety.com box.

I'm a fan of Apertif and found Durbar an interesting smoke also.

The oriental shine in my opinion and are well supported by the Virginia's. More nicotine than I expected and the room note was not a winner with the wife.

Easy to pack and smoke and burned down to ash with no relights. Last 1/3 of the bowl seemed to have less flavor each time.

Back when Andrew Lipiansky used to smoke, this was the finer tobacco he and his friends splurged on from time to time. He certainly didn't smoke it all the time, but that was, if anything, a trick to add to what a treat it was when he did buy it. Full flavored, tasteful, and tied to great memories and special occasions, anyone who appreciates tobacco should give this classic a shot.