Elizabethan Mixture

[swhipple]

I just picked up a tin of Dunhill's Elizabethan Mixture after its rerelease in
the US. I have to admit, I was enticed to buy it based on the cool label art as
much as anything else, but I generally like VaPer's so I figured it would
probably agree with me.

Tin note - When I cracked the seal a was rewarded with what I consider a classic
VaPer aroma. Sweet spices, stewed apples, raisins, and figs.



I packed in my no name meerschaum billiard using the 3 pinch method a stepped
out to the back deck to enjoy the morning air and this new tobacco.



Top half - there is a subtle sweetness from the Virginias with a mild background
of spice. The flavor and aroma reminds me of walking through the
dried bulk fruit section at our local Fresh Market. Hints of apricot, apple,
cinnamon, and star anise are present but mildly so.

Out of tin I found the moisture content to be a touch high, but consistent with
other Dunhill's tins. I decided to smoke it without any drying time to see what
the results were. I did get some moisture build up while smoking, partially due
to my smoking pace and somewhat because of the moisture in to tin.

Bottom half - The soft fruitiness tends to fade into the background and a more
savory spice note takes over. A slight smokiness also starts coming through as
the ember gets closer to the heel.

Overall impression - In my opinion Elizabethan Mixture is an early morning,
version of a VaPer, there is flavor there but it's all subtle. I'm not sure I'll be buying more of it. I prefer a little more body in my VaPers.

 

[monbla256]

Thanks for the nice complete review! Sounds like they might have lightened up on the Perique from the older mixture. Back in the 70's when I would smoke it, it was a very peppery, Perique forward blend. But it sounds like they have kept the nuanced element of the Dunhill blends in this one as well. I'm not  nor was a heavy VaPer smoker but do appreciate a good one once in awhile so I might have to pick up a tin of this "new" mixture . :twisted:

 

[JimInks]

Lots less perique and hardly any lemon Virginia, which the Murray's version had. And greener than the Incredible Hulk. Try the DE Match from P&C. It's not quite the Murray's version either, but it's better than this Orlik production.

 

[woodLeavesNfire]

Nice review!
I opened a tin of Elizabethan last week from my most recent order. I found EM to be absolutely delicious. I was on my 3rd bowl when I cought a cold, this was last week monday. I thought I was over the cold on sunday but my taste is not in working order yet. I found the very same tobacco to be bland with very subdued flavor. Needless to say I had the same results with Cairo and 965. -the interesting thing is that my taste and smell are fine (or so it seems) when it comes to food but when I smoke the pipe and exhale through the nose (which I do 50% of the time) don't detect the full flavor. This phenomenom occured about 3 or 4 times lasy year lasting up to two weeks. Being that I was a new pipe smoker I didn't know what was wrong. I almost gave up untill the flavor returned. Does this happen to anyone else? My apoligies for going of topic.
Eyal

 

[Brewdude]

Great reviews on this. Looks like I'll have to check it out as I'm a big VaPer kinda guy.

While it might be on the lighter side of the spectrum there's nothing wrong with that. I appreciate subtle approaches, and
have heavier VaPers to choose from as well.


Cheers,

RR

 

[Anonymous]

I smoke HOs and VA/D.Fired for the most part, but when I want to try something else, it's usually a VA/Perique, which just now means Escudo and St. James Flake.

The SJF is delicious, BTW, vindicating my "never smoked any" buy of ~7 pounds. It is bold and better integrated than Escudo, which delivers an in your face VA/Per. In SJF they are united as if they always have been. Once again SG delivers. I'm not nuts about all their blends but they seem to deliver at good to excellent.

 

[Brewdude]

I smoke HOs and VA/D.Fired for the most part, but when I want to try something else, it's usually a VA/Perique, which just now means Escudo and St. James Flake.

The SJF is delicious, BTW, vindicating my "never smoked any" buy of ~7 pounds. It is bold and better integrated than Escudo, which delivers an in your face VA/Per. In SJF they are united as if they always have been. Once again SG delivers. I'm not nuts about all their blends but they seem to deliver at good to excellent.

Mike, always felt that SJF was an "elegant" representation of the VaPer style. Not in your face, nothing out of balance, just a great combination of weeds.

FWIW


Cheers,

RR