Savinelli Doblone d'Oro
(3.61)
The choicest Virginias, burleys and dark fired Kenyan leaf are enhanced with an impeccable addition of spicy perique, then aged to perfection before being spun into enticingly beautiful, zesty coins. A delightfully vivacious and flavorful smoke.
Details
Profile
Strength
Medium to Strong
Extremely Mild -> Overwhelming
Flavoring
None Detected
None Detected -> Extra Strong
Room Note
Tolerable
Unnoticeable -> Overwhelming
Taste
Medium to Full
Extremely Mild (Flat) -> Overwhelming
Average Rating
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3.61 / 4
|
Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 Reviews
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 24, 2018 | Medium | Very Mild | Mild to Medium | Tolerable |
This is one of those blends that turns out quite different than anticipated based on it's description. With a name like "Gold Coins" I was expecting more of a virginia based twist and in fact the virginia turns out to be a minor player that is moderately cased sweeter. These spun discs/coins have a "Dutch" character where a touch of dark-fired leaf adds an underlying note of smokiness. My first impression was how reminiscent it was to a cigar maybe from Honduras. After being open a while more of the burley dominates the blend and smokes more like a dryer dutch cavendish. I never seem to get a strong hit of perique despite adding some fruitiness to the tin aroma so, it must be blended in small amounts very uniformly. Despite the listed ingredients it's not very high in nicotine, below medium. This blend is sort of between the current Three Nuns and Amphora brown. If you like Amphora or any other more natural dutch cavendish and want something more bold give this a try. Burley flake fanciers of the likes of Solani, Wessex and the long gone Edgeworth Slices may well appreciate this blend also. If the burley is a little too gritty for someone's preference which dominates the blend then Three Nuns is the far more smoother alternative. Not great but I think it could have been composed better.
Pipe Used:
Stanwell Brushed Brown 29
Age When Smoked:
09/2015
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 25, 2017 | Medium | None Detected | Medium to Full | Tolerable |
I am going to go against the crowd on this one. The tobacco is excellent, and the dryness level means no prep is required to load and smoke a bowl. I just don't love this. It lacks anything resembling sweetness. It's absolutely a savory version of this blend of tobaccos. Whereas JKP and OJK would be on the savory end of a VaBurPer, this takes it even farther and makes those two seem like dessert in comparison. It's good tobacco, and if you're inclined to a blend completely lacking in any bright and sweet notes, you may love it. It's not what I was looking for out of this mix of tobaccos.
update 12Nov2019: this tobacco is improved by treating it like GH made it and smoking it in a small pipe, say a Prince. I like it better than initially, but still don't go along with the crowd.
update 12Nov2019: this tobacco is improved by treating it like GH made it and smoking it in a small pipe, say a Prince. I like it better than initially, but still don't go along with the crowd.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 15, 2021 | Medium to Strong | None Detected | Medium | Tolerable |
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.
Pipe Used:
Bones Oom Paul, Charatan Egg
PurchasedFrom:
Smoking Pipes
Age When Smoked:
Fresh
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| May 04, 2020 | Medium to Strong | Very Mild | Medium to Full | Tolerable |
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.
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.
Pipe Used:
Various Dunhills
Age When Smoked:
Jun 2014 (updated review)
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Mar 01, 2024 | Mild to Medium | None Detected | Very Mild | Pleasant to Tolerable |
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.
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.
Age When Smoked:
14 months
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