Dunhill Durbar

The dry, floral, woody, herbal, earthy, lightly spicy and buttery sweet, and more sour Orientals takes the lead, though it doesn’t drown out the other components. The tangy ripe dark fruity, earthy, woody dark Virginia is the base of the blend. The smoky, woody, earthy, musty sweet Cyprian Latakia is mostly a background player, though there are times it does a little more than that. The yellow Virginia is in the background, and offers some tart citrus, a touch of spice, and a little grass. The strength and nic-hit are medium. The taste level is a step past that mark. Won’t bite, or get harsh even when pushed. Has no dull or weak spots, but there are a few rough notes. Burns cool and clean at a moderate pace with a mostly consistent, mildly sweet, floral, savory campfire flavor that translates to the pleasantly lingering after taste and stronger room note. Leaves little dampness in the bowl, and requires an average number of relights. Not quite an all day smoke.

In comparison to the Murray’s version, I found this a little less potent with a little less spice.

-JimInks

As I was commenting onto to a friend my new purchase, he replied "...and yet, another Balkan mixture." They don't tell you what's in the tin-it just reads "blended for the more experienced and mature pipe tobacco smoker," but I can tell this is blend of Turkish and Virginia tobaccos-not to mention the Latakia bit in it. As I went past the first quarter of the bowl, a hint of perique hit me, if ever so more slightly, so perhaps this is due to the pipe I am smoking it in (I am a regular with VaPers) and not so more because of the blend itself. Very nutty and leathery, indeed. As I opened the tin I was surprised by the gold and black ribbons, finely cut (I guess I was expecting something somewhat coarser) and the lack of that pungent Latakia aroma which is so overwhelmingly present in other blends of this sort, but once I lit up my first bowl all my doubts dissipated. You cannot smoke this mixture straight out of the tin. Instead, open it up and let it dry for 24 hours inside of a wooden cabinet (a drawer will do the trick too). Just make sure it is not too dry before filling up your pipe.

This mixture really builds up in strength and aroma as you go past every quarter of the bowl, but it does not get sour in the end. It hasn't got the nicotine kick of, let's say Royal Yacht, but it is a late afternoon blend anyway. Balkan Sobranie is still my favourite in this range, but I'll choose it any time over Standard Mixture or The Early Morning Pipe. I don't know anything about the former Durbar as I have only tried the 2014 remake, but this mixture does it for me. I am not sure this tobacco will only satisfy the more mature and experienced smoker, for it is a very easy smoke. I guess this blend will smoke best outdoors because of its room note, but I have only tried it indoors so far. It does not seem to condensate that much, so you can smoke it in any regular pipe (with or without a filter).

Kind of a darker mix overall, and nicely ribboned for easy packing. One of the things I enjoy about Dunhill oriental blends is their tin aroma. This was like EMP in that the orientals are some of the juiciest, most pungent around and emit a kind of sour but tantalizing aroma. Unlike EMP, this delivered more in the taste department. This blend wasn't around when I first started smoking. Apparently, Murrays hadn't picked it up or The Aperatif, either. In their places were Gold Blend and Golden Hours, two pseudo-aromatic affronts to a pipesmokers sensibilities. Glad those are gone and these are back!

Probably a mid-point blend between EMP and Nightcap. The orientals were front and center with the Virginia and latakia to the rear. Sounds like a recipe for success to my tastebuds, and it mostly was. The orientals had a nice incense quality but were more robust than wispy and aromatic. The Virginias were sweet but not so sweet as to upset the balance, and the latakia lent its usual smokiness and color. All good so far. Except there was a strange bitter quality that came along somewhere around mid-bowl. Now, bitter isn't always a bad thing - some of my favorite Balkans have bitter and even sour notes. But in this one, I found it just a bit offputting. Not sure what caused it but it appeared consistently throughout the tin. Still, I find this a better blend than EMP, which is too wimpy and Nightcap which is too inelegant. But as with most Dunhill blends not named 965 these days, they fall short of the best available in their respective genres. Worth a try for anyone interested in oriental-forward blends, but definitely not destined for another spin in my bowl.

Durbar is an interesting tobacco. I smoked my first bowl and maybe I was just confused with what it was supposed to be. I then kicked nomenclature to the curb and just tried to enjoy it for what it is, and what it is, is a damn good blend. Others note how well Dunhill blends pack and light, this is no exception. Tin note is Oriental with a touch of Latakia. The smoke is woody, nutty and toasty. Like toasted hazlenuts. There is some smokiness from the Latakia and just enough sweetness from the Virginia to round out the experience. Moderate in nicotine, so not a pipe with coffee first thing in the a.m. for me. Burns to ash and if smoked with attention won't need a relight. If you are looking for an Oriental experience this is a good go to tobacco.

Had a good experience with this blend. Familiar with the Murray's version. Likely will improve with 2-3 years aging. I'll keep working through the tin, see if it opens up a bit.

Not that I am a 40 year veteran but I see nothing wrong with this tobacco

Durbar reminds me of Mixture 965 with it's deep fruit and earth displayed by the dark Virginias. The light addition of yellow Virginia adds a bit of citrus and hay. The blend of fragrant Orientals add spicy tang and deliver a balancing quality that harmonizes with the moderate smokey touch of sweet woodsy Cyprian Latakia. Rich and smooth as it burns to a white ash I notice a violet-like floral note at times from the orientals. Medium in strength. Leaves little moisture in the bowl and may not need a relight. A pleasant room note and satisfying aftertaste. Improves well with jar time.

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.

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.

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.