Escudo vs. Dunhill Deluxe Navy Rolls.

petes03:
You might be interested in Kevin's side-by-side comparison of these two blends, if you haven't already found this:
http://pipesmagazine.com/blog/pipe-tobacco-reviews/dunhill-escudo-navy-de-luxe-the-same/

http://pipesmagazine.com/blog/kevins-blog/dunhill-escudo-navy-de-luxe-the-verdict/
Bob

I think it is too close to call. To me it seems like they are the same blend. I can't really tell any difference between them, and Escudo is about $2 cheaper a tin. If they ARE different in some way, I don't think there is enough of a difference to justify the difference in price. So for me it's Escudo all the way.

I enjoy and have cellared many at a two for one leaning towards Escudo. Most of the time its all about the sales that have taken place. I've smoked both with five years on them and have no plans to open cellared tins for a few years. If you peal off the VA on the aged you'll find them about the same. When smoked whole the DNR is a little sweeter and that works out great. Sometimes you want a little more pepper and sometimes a little sweet. Age though is very important, as with all VA.
Craig

They may come from the same plant, but there is a difference, and I can taste it, too. Rather than type the differences (because I'm lazy), I'll cut and paste my review of the Navy Rolls from TR.com:
I spent a few days comparing the new version of this to the Murray's, in addition to comparing both with old and new Escudo, and the following is my opinion on the differences. The Murray's version is better than the current version. It was richer and fuller in taste with a natural dark Virginia sweetness and earthy notes that wonderfully complimented the plum and peppery perique. It was a darn near perfect blend.
The new version is still very good, but less sweeter than before (though still more so than Escudo), a little less richer in taste, and maybe slightly less peppery than the Murray's version. And there are hay/grass notes in the current rendition that were barely present before, though I still get some of the fig accents. It looks and tastes more like Escudo than the Murray's did, too. Many say - and some have gone to great lengths to prove - that the new Navy Rolls and Escudo are one and same, as both are apparently produced in the same factory. They are more similar than they had been in past times, and the basic tobaccos used may well be similar or the same, but there is a taste difference. Navy Rolls is a little sweeter, still a little earthier, still slightly stronger, even with the now lightly noticeable hay/grass flavor that is more prominent in the drier tasting Escudo. Maybe there is something in the Virginias used in Navy Rolls that provides the difference, or perhaps it's a light casing of some kind that isn't obvious to the touch or tongue, but it's not exactly like the current Escudo in my estimation.
It's still a four star mixture, though not as good as before. It may cost a little more than Escudo, but I think it's worth the difference. Some may disagree with me, and perhaps they'll notice or ignore some of the flavors I get from the new Navy Rolls. It's all a judgement call. The important thing for the current smoker to know is whether or not he/she likes it, and is willing to buy it. For myself, I know the answer is "yes."

In deference to a few true pipe sages posting on this thread, my personal and very humble opinion is they are the same blend, created as they are from the same tobaccos on the same equipment in the same factory. Differences in flavor may come down to age of the particular tin, processing of the finished product, aging or factory pre-aging of the finished product, or even one's taste and preconceptions on a given day. But I'm completely open to the fact that I may very well be wrong here. That's just my opinion. And there are some other pipe sages that share it. The important thing is what tastes good to you at this or any future moment.

I've directly compared fresh to aged. I've directly compared fresh Navy Rolls to fresh Escudo. I still say there's a difference, even when both are fresh. But everyone's mileage varies when it comes to tobacco.

My experiences have been that they are different. I prefer DNR because it is sweeter to my tastes. Not sure why but it is.

Here's another question, are Comoy's Cask No. 7, PS Luxury Bullseye Flake, and Davidoff Flake Medallions all the same?

Click to expand...

I was just reading about how according to the Orlik plant manager LBF is just Davidoff flake in bulk, don't know about the comoy's though.