I hesitate to use the word, but the smoking of Virginias has become a bit of a trend lately. It can do this because it takes on lifestyle dimensions, much like Houston rap artists who dropped the BPM in order to capture the feeling of drinking Actavis and Mountain Dew while driving around the interminable freeways of a quasi-dystopian mega-city. "I sip my Virginias real slow, like the way I roll all night..." -- one can imagine this kind of authenticity, or at least self-justifying lifestyle, behind the fetishism for Virginias that has gripped the pipe community. They tend to favor the brighter, sweeter flavors and, when questioned, defend themselves by saying that you just smoked the tobacco too fast if you have noticed any one-dimensionality to its flavor. Indeed, one wonders if the Virginia/Perique mixture commonly known as "vaper" exists only to break up that sweetness so that it can continue to be enjoyed, not to create an entirely different flavor as some might argue. Clearly Virginias have their fans, and for those who want a sweet smoke that is not a McTobacco soaked in glycol and artificial flavor, they are the go-to. Into that market Dunhill drops Ready Rubbed, which has Cavendish and Orientals to support a whole lot of sweet, bright Virginia. This describes the newer version, which is lighter in color than the tins of ten years ago and probably even less distinctive in character. The reason for this is, in my conjecture, the changing market. This year, we have a lot of people who like Virginia-based ready rubbed mixtures like Villiger After Dinner or even sweet flakes like the Newminster 403. The Dunhill market entrant is in my view entirely not bad, but if you are not geared toward this niche of tobacco, it will not excite you. That is because the point of this sub-market is to be sweet, not to be particularly exciting. They've put some kind of fruity salad dressing on top, but basically you taste the sweet Virginia and the vinegar-y Orientals. It has about the same amount of Nicotine as their Early Morning Pipe which means it is designed for all-day smoking. It is a pleasant but not particularly vivid experience. I would not call it "characterless" as one review did, but would point out that the purpose of this niche in tobaccoland is to give that smell of freshly cut hay, but as a smoking experience, which serving as a substitute for junk food by piping constant piquant sweetness into the mouth. I have enjoyed this tobacco. I will not seek it again because this niche is really not for me, but there is nothing wrong with this blend. Dunhill Ready Rubbed is a fierce competitor in a niche that most have not noticed yet, and while it may seem like a pale spirit next to other Dunhill blends, that is because of their vivid characters when its goal is to be pleasantly as close to invisible as possible.
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