Savinelli Doblone d'Oro

I concur with everything JimInks (the Sherlock Holmes of Tobacco Reviews) wrote in his review on Doblone d'Oro. Like Bond... James Bond, with a "License to Savor," shaken or stirred. He should have his taste buds & olfactory glands insured. I couldn't have said it better myself. After more sampling... three tins down, I believe the elusive flavor he was trying to ID might have been a light touch of Ouzo, a type of Greek Rum but that is only conjecture on my part.

Further research might also indicate a flavoring of brown sugar or molasses & maybe some Curry. The Kenyan leaf is akin to a dark fired Kentucky Burley. Whatever the flavor additives were, it produced a similarity to the old Bell's Three Nuns. JimInks's review, among other experienced pipers, is the reason I chose to sample this blend. The fermented aroma from the tin in itself was a salivating treat. This will most likely be the closest any blend will ever come to the original Bell's Three Nuns. Moreover, we know not what happens & who converses in the procurement & blending craft. They all retain their secrets in code.

The flavor improved after a little had burned off... a delicious semi-sweet flavor with some punch to it. The Perique also produces some fruity sweetness that is complimented by the VA sweetness & enhanced by the nutty, earthy flavor of the Kenyan Burley. It seemed to smoke just as cool toward the end but about halfway through the bowl is when this mixture really starts to shine. This is a fairly strong blend that won't bite & provides abundant, creamy smoke with a perfect burn rate. I think this will become sweeter with a little more aging. After sampling just one tin, I purchased three extra rolls to cellar. Needless to say, I really crave this relatively recent offering from Savinelli.

I don't inhale any form of tobacco but still received a decent Vitamin N blast from this blend. Got my head right & it will be an all day smoke for me as long as I'm above ground. Right now, the way I feel about this mixture is that it's a blending masterpiece. These coins are about the size of a quarter and the tin also contains some loose strands... you might say partially mixed. There are no stems & the tobacco is well behaved & requires little maintenance. It's not too moist which makes it a relatively good value & can be smoked right from the opening & produces very little, if any condensation.

I noticed that the tin aroma from this and the MacBaren Three Nuns is different... similar but not the same animal. Doblone d'Oro smells well cured & more enticing. I feel confident that this blend will go from excellent into the nirvana stage as time flies & will become as legendary as the original Bell's Three Nuns. If this were the only pipe tobacco in the world, I would still be a happy camper. This might possibly reach the epitome of a classic blend. Anyway, this was just as enjoyable to me as the original Bell's Three Nuns blend & I will rate Doblone d'Oro off the chart... four stars plus!

This stuff has been jarred for six months, and it exudes a Burley bouquet upon opening. The crinkled, curly cut coin is a newly bedraggled arrangement for me – disheveled and different – but not altogether disagreeable. Had this for breakfast with a strong cup of coffee – a good morning wake-up blend, perfectly suited for this cold and rainy weather: bold Burely/Kenthucky giving a smoky, nutty flavor, tinged with tangy Virginia and Perique fig notes. Wonderful stuff – 4-stars.

This blend is better than Peterson De Luxe Navy Rolls by a mile, as it adds a bit more perique and the tobaccos have a bit more age and complexity.

The perique comes forward, but not too much so that it becomes the star. It leaves room for the Virginias, burleys, and dark-fired Kenyans to make their presence known. Different leaves hit the taste buds throughout the bowl, but the perique holds the blend together with that zesty embrace in every puff.

4/4 A wonderful complex coin that is perfect for an afternoon smoke to take a break from everything.

Love this blend. Hits the mark from many angles. The burleys provide a bass note that is lacking in most VaPers. Bready sweetness that is a combination of the virginias and dark fired. Light spiciness dancing in the background. Ready right out of the tin with no drying time. If I'm not sure what I'm in the mood for, this is a go-to. An absolute pleasure to smoke.

Ok - going to make my first attempt at a review. As a new pipe smoker I've held off a bit, but I might have a few comments that could be of use to some people out there. Since, I started my pipe smoking journey with English/Balkan blends, I wanted to expand my palette and explore some other blends - Virginia & Perique in particular. I think what drew me to this blend as well was hearing that it more closely resembled the original Three Nuns, a favourite of C.S. Lewis. I've been working on a few month old 100 gram tin. Box notes - a bit dark - some fruit - figs or raisins. A stronger note of molasses and maybe some dark brown sugar in there. Broken curly cut opening the tin, many scattered pieces of the small discs although as I get down into the tin they seem to be more "complete" I used the fold and stuff method - folding the discs and packing them into the pipe. Seems a bit on the dry side, but when lit it smokes slowly. Maybe a couple of relights as I get farther down into the bowl, but easily smoked two thirds before it required this. A really nice smoke - mouth feel - cool with a bit of spice that I can't pinpoint, (from the Perique?) as well as a noticeable citrus - lemon/lime peel taste that remains unchanged through the smoke. As well, I got some lemongrass in there which I wasn't expecting. Not sweet at all. I can't comment on the room note as I smoke outside. But with my wife present, she noticed it, and it didn't bother her. Very nice smoke overall. I'm not sure how to rate it. I recommend it for sure, I always have in the back of my head - is this a "high recommendation" or am I just marking extremes? Since it's my first review, I'll leave it at recommended. Will I buy another tin when I've finished it? I'm pretty sure I will be buying another one.

hmm. I was underwhelmed by this smoke. A subtle smoke that is hard to discern.

The tin note is faint. It has a mild hint of the dried fig that i associate with vapers. A little bit of acidic hay. Some viniger

On the palate. A touch of leather. a touch a pepper. maybe some cloves.

The tin text says "zesty" and "vivacious". I do not detect zest. I would argue with vivacious but it does seem to develop as you work through the bowl. A little sharp around the edges and they round off a bit as the varietals mingle.

Reminds me a bit of EMP, though I find EMP to be more complex and more flavorful.

Not a bad smoke, and might fit that sweet spot when wanting a smoke but not craving something spacific.

Savinelli’s
Doblone d’Oro

Tin dated January 2033. This is a delicious, easily 4 star VaPer but … it’s more of a VaPerKy. In my view way more tasty than, say, Orlik Golden Sliced, or any version of Three Nuns. Closer to Royal Twist Deluxe but less potent. Stronger than Windjammer. But then some comparisons are unfair because this is not a classic VaPer with the very present addition of the dark fired Kentucky.

The Virginia is in the background. The Kentucky is a strong player and dances with the Perique. Frankly this combination makes the blend a step ahead of the standard VaPer.

Don’t get me wrong. I love Escudo and am especially fond of Haddo’s Delight. There are also excellent ESF blends like Connemara and Fairbourne.

Yummy. Chewy. Strong but not in your face. Thoughtful. A sweetness but not the cloying kind you’d get from an Aro.

4 out of 4 stars.

What I actually got was a broken MAC BAREN: DARK TWIST, which is easier to load and doesn't require more lighting in the middle if you take care of it.
Except for the first few sips of light, I detect a trace of Perique, which is barely there through to the end, and the nicotine meets my needs.

I love the BBQ flavor of Dark Fired Kentucky, and Mac Baren Dark Twist is my recipe, so it's nice to meet a deductible version of it coming up!