Savinelli Doblone d'Oro

I think I'm going to break with the crowd in not venerating this blend. That isn't to say this is a bad blend; I see both the comparisons and the contrasts with Three Nuns, and I can appreciate it for it's own merits. What knocks this out of 4-star territory for me is what seems to elevate it for others: the burley. I don't care for "unaltered" burley. I live on perique, and I like a good punch of dark-fired sometimes, but straight burley just makes it bitey and muted for me. Not to say this is bad; I'd just like to taste it without the burley. Out of the tin, the moisture level is perfect for immediate smoking. The room note is a bit more cigarette-like than most of the VA/Per/Ky's I favor; that's the burley again. There is a nice background of sweet tanginess, but it seems muted. I seem to fall to the "New School" Va/Pers in terms of my preferences; I don't value subtlety, but big, assertive flavor profiles. A more mature, gentle palate would appreciate this. The bite potential (for most people) would be quite low, but some quirk of my body chemistry makes me overly sensitive to alkaline mixtures. A standard Va/Per/Ky is perfect for me, but adding more burley tips the pH scale out of my favor. Strength is another factor that I am ill-suited to judge; Lady N has very little influence on me, unless in weaponized quantities. Based on its components, I would wager this is a "medium-strong" blend, more in the realm of Ten Russians and University Flake than the skull-splitters like Mad Fiddler, 1792 Flake, and ropes. I picked up two tins of this on a sale; while the freshly opened one may be condemned to the incinerator, I'll shove the sealed one to the back of my aging cabinet to reassess in a few years. Maybe it will improve, or maybe I will.

I love the funky sour tin note and the loose mini coins are fun. Very full flavored and spicy tobacco. I like dark fired leaf but prefer it used more sparingly like in Pease’s Montgomery or McConnell’s Folded Flake or even McB’s Dark Twist. Recommended for those who enjoy more than condimental portions of dark fired and/or Perique.

Updated Review (2022-02-02)

I opened another tin bearing the Mac Baren dating of Jun 2014. The first one dated from about the time I had tried it. Now, even though the tobacco is still on the dry side, but not bone dry, things have gone much better overall. The burning qualities have significantly improved. The taste is very similar to HH Acadian Perique, which is not surprising and I sense there might be a bit more Perique. Doblone d'Oro is a very decent mixture that is spicy, yields fine natural tasting tobacco and offers a touch (barely) of sweetness at times. Roomnote is probably not the most pleasant but is far from offensive to the nose nor overwhelming. In summary, my second experience is much, much better and I can say I am enjoying this offering more than last time but it would be much better (and thus, recommendable) if the coins were less dry as it loses some of the flavors. There is much better out there in the genre but there are many worse offerings as well. I would recommend you wait for the tin to be at least 5 or 6 years before opening, which would allow for the PG to evaporate, leaving a manageable tobacco.

Original Review (2020-05-04)

Considering this is a Mac Baren product, I am not impressed with the overall quality of this blend. Which, to top it, is not exactly inexpensive. Despite the seal being intact, the tobacco coins were very dry. Too dry, in fact. There was the typical Mac Baren coin aroma of molasses combined with a definitive smokiness from the Kentucky. Without any surprise, the coins broke up easily. Globally, I had an almost flavorless smoking experience. At the same time, the burning rate was fairly slow, which indicates a healthy amount of PG added to the leaf and which generated, of course, some oral discomfort. I hope my other tins will have an acceptable moisture level; otherwise, I will have lost some good money.

This is only my second review so I made an idiotic mistake and had to erase an entire, extremely well thought out review on the damn wrong Savinelli blend. Pretty tragic. Ugh! Ok, we'll I have had this one as well and it was a fairly impressive tobacco all around. It may be slightly on the strong side for some, but for those of you who enjoy dark fired and some intensity it should be a good one. I would suggest trying it, if nothing else, because of how unusual it is. There are blends in the same general ballpark, such as Mac Baren Stockton and three nuns, but this is not a blend that made me say 'oh yeah, that's just like so n so to me'. Its got something about it that sets it apart and I enjoyed that about it. Its a coin cut blend that stays dark fired smoky and stout throughout with some underlying Virginia notes poking through. All in all great smoke, especially for later in the evening.

Although the vacuum seal on my tin was intact, I felt this tobacco was too dry right from the tin. Many of the coins had separated, perhaps in transit, resulting in fine ribbons that burned much quicker that my normal flakes. Overall, a well balanced smoke but I prefer I bigger influence of Perique. Burned evenly with no relights and smoked cool without condensation or bite.

I have long been a disciple of Italian pipes with Moretti and Castello being by two favorite artisan pipes and Savinelli’s of all kinds being my favorite. Oddly enough this is my first Savinelli tobacco to go into any pipe.

The tin note greets you with the DFK, Smokey and sweet with some faint dark fruit from the perique.

The DFK is the star of the show and slightly overpowers the other flavors but in a good way. The distinct savory smoky flavor of the DFK greets you at first puff and lasts throughout the bowl. It is rounded out by the dark, sweet Virginia’s. In between puffs you also get a very nice bready flavor. The perique becomes known in mouth feel at first, a tingle in the throat and on the tongue but develops into a white pepper spice note. The other Burley’s are barely noticeable but do add some body to the smoke and I do get a faint cocoa flavor on the finish. This is a unique smoke in a sea of “me too” blends.

It may be the coins that make me think that this may be closer to what the original Three Nuns may have tasted like, I am sure it isn’t but it does add a nostalgic aspect to this smoke. Not a regular rotation for me but may be my go to in warm weather when my craving for Latakia all but disappears.

The irregular cut coins, mixed with loose strands in the style of Cabbie’s Mixture, appear highly compressed in their tin and quite dry. The cold aroma already points to the presence of smoked Kentucky.

After lighting the tobacco, the first thing that comes out is a Kentucky variety that reminds me a lot of Mac Baren's HH Old Dark Fired, which is not so strange, since Doblone d'Oro is also manufactured by the Mac Baren house. If there is a reason why I have not been to that ODF more often, it is precisely because of its homogeneity in flavor and because of the excessive robustness of Kentucky. However, in Doblone d'Oro that same flavor is nuanced and softened by the other components, allowing me to enjoy that same Kentucky flavor combined with the other ingredients without feeling overwhelming. Is also some extra sweetness that seems to come from some kind of topping, but I can't be sure. As a curiosity, I will say that I find in this mixture a slight flavor similar to that of banana, which I have not found in any other mixture.

Towards the last third of the bowl, the burley appears by surprise holding the reins and taking a turn to the smoke that makes me think that this is several mixtures in one. A very rich tobacco that enters my daily rotation without any doubt.

Savinelli Doblone d'Oro is a spicy Virginia Perique blend with enough Dark Fired Kentucky to make this a very interesting blend. It is spun cut, much like Three Nuns, however in the sample I was given it was fairly broken up. The tin note is sweet hay like Virginia, while the perique is spicey, peppery, and plum like. The Kentucky shines through very well with its woody and smokey notes. I also pick up on a honey like topping.

Upon lighting I am greeted with a lot of flavors. The Virginias are full flavored with notes of hay and a bit of grass. I would associate the VAs as being on the darker side. They are tied with the Kentucky which is smokey, tangy, and woodsy with BBQ notes of smoked brisket. The perique is very full as well, and is almost tied with the previously mentioned components. It is very peppery, with a lot of dark fruit notes. The perique leaves a light tingle on the tongue much in the way spicy food will. It was nice, and I have only experienced this previously with C&D Bayou Morning. There is a brown sugar note that I believe is brought forth by the Burleys, and a light touch of nuttiness as well. There is a light top note that plays well with the flavors of the tobacco and would be easy to miss. I noticed it as honey, Jiminks states that it is rum and anise, and I believe this to be true. It is sweet an does support the blend.

Doblone d'Oro smoked very cool and burned very slow, however it did require more relights than what I am used to. This did not bother me though and should not put anyone off who is considering trying this blend. In summary, the best way I can describe this blend is sweet, spicy, and zesty. A very full flavored VaPerBur. 3.5 stars.

To me, this is the best VaPer I've had so far, by some margin.

The tin note consists of zesty Virginia and a sweet, earthy smell that brings Kenya to mind.

The Perique spices things up, in proportion to how hard you draw. There is enough of it to playfully tickle your nose on the retrohale.

The flavor is full-bodied, slightly sweet, and blends together a gamut of earthy, grassy notes. The flavor is very consistent throughout.

The Burley and and Kenyan tobacco add body to both the flavor profile and the texture of the smoke, having a velvet thick smoke.

This is a bit too strong for me to be an all-day smoke, but will definitely be my go-to when I want a VaPer at the end of the day or during a relaxing weekend.

Highly recommended.