Finaly understand Dunhill Nightcap

mymixture77

Lurker

May 25, 2015

45

0

Sweden

• Dec 21, 2015

• #1

I kind of "gave up" on Nightcap. Never got much out of it and could not really understand all the very good reviews of this legendary tobacco. I allways smoked it out of the tin. I wanted to give it "one last try" and followed an advise i got; empty the tin, put the tobacco in a mason jar and wait a few weeks. Never really believed it would work. But I was wrong; Dunhill Nightcap really changed to the better after a few weeks in a large jar. The "sour" and "tangy" smell / taste faded away.
Hope this will be usefull for some of You fellows!
Best regards Frode

 

warren

Lifer

Sep 13, 2013

11,729

16,321

Foothills of the Chugach Range, AK

• Dec 21, 2015

• #2

I find it very good from the freshly opened tin. One of my favorites. It's a matter of differing palates.

 

mso489

Lifer

Feb 21, 2013

41,210

60,459

• Dec 21, 2015

• #3

mymixture', welcome aboard. I got quite a nicotine jag from my first bowl about five years ago. I dove right in with a big bowl pipe and really enjoyed the flavor, but it caught up with me. I think that vintage may have been especially high in nicotine as well. However, as with your experience, after the tin had been open a few days, and I went back knowing what it was, the flavors unfolded nicely. I think for many pipe smokers, it is our first experience with fuller strength tobaccos after some aromatics and milder non-aros. Once you get its measure, it isn't just a nicotine delivery blend; Nightcap has a lot of nuance and a nice harmonizing of different leaf. It's always a pleasure to go back for more.

 

easterntraveler

Part of the Furniture Now

Dec 29, 2012

805

11

• Dec 21, 2015

• #4

I am curious as to why this changed the taste. Wonder if putting it in a mason jar had the same effect as aerating wine. I have 20 tin of Nightcap and have yet to try it. Anyway next time I open an aged tin I will see what happens after I put it in a mason jar. Hell I will probably do this with aged jars as well.

 

iamn8

Lifer

Sep 8, 2014

4,248

14

Moody, AL

• Dec 21, 2015

• #5

20 tins and haven't tried it?!?! That's my kinda tobacco purchase!!

 

mustanggt

Part of the Furniture Now

Dec 6, 2012

819

4

• Dec 21, 2015

• #6

I had the very same problem when I first started smoking cigars 20+ years ago. I had smoked mild cigars only till I chose a Hoyo de Monterey Excalibur #1. Wow was that too powerful for my pallet at that time. I paid $5 for it and wasn't going to waste it so I came back to it the next day(I put it in a baggie) and boy did it taste good. So from then on no more mild cigars for me. I have found that some tobaccos respond well to being cracked and aired out for awhile so maybe that is the thing with that tin of Nightcap.

 

foggymountain

Lifer

Aug 14, 2012

2,872

123

• Dec 21, 2015

• #7

Some blends need to be exposed to the air for a while before smoking. MacBaren's Syrian Latakia is another. Good out of the can, great if you let it breathe a while. Like wine.

 

oldtoby

Part of the Furniture Now

Dec 7, 2011

798

341

• Dec 21, 2015

• #8

I agree, Foggy. Words of wisdom.

 

andrew

Lifer

Feb 13, 2013

3,043

402

• Dec 21, 2015

• #9

I actually prefer it fresh out of the tin, try it again out of a fresh tin, maybe your taste buds have developed to liking a full english blend.

 

carver

Part of the Furniture Now

Mar 29, 2015

625

3

Belgium

• Dec 21, 2015

• #10

Some tins I have purchased recently have a quite acrid smell when just opened and all turned out to be a very nice mellow desired smell after a day or two in their jars.

I had that with Dunhil NC, EMP, EM. I wondered how that was because with some tins, it didn't happen.

Anyway, let it get some good air in a good thing. I often read that even when put in jars or any other containers it's better to give it a good scramble instead of packing it tight and air-seal it.

Just my 2 cents.

 

jvnshr

Moderator

Staff member

Sep 4, 2015

4,616

3,868

Baku, Azerbaijan

• Dec 22, 2015

• #11

Whenever I buy a new single tin (not 20 ) to smoke:
First Smoke: Right after opening it I pack and smoke it.

Second Smoke: I leave some tobacco to dry for 30 minutes.

Third Smoke: I leave some tobacco to dry for overnight.

Fourth Smoke: I move the whole tobacco to a jar (not mason jar) which dries tobacco gradually in a few weeks.
When the most can be obtained from a tobacco it doesn't go to the next stage. For example, if it smokes well after drying it for 30 minutes, I won't leave it out to dry for overnight.

 

carver

Part of the Furniture Now

Mar 29, 2015

625

3

Belgium

• Dec 22, 2015

• #12

Has anyone tried baking a tin of NC and see how it goes?

Fr. Hanna talks about it at length in his book "The perfect smoke" and apparently, it does wonders for many tobaccos.

 

perdurabo

Lifer

Jun 3, 2015

3,305

1,575

• Dec 22, 2015

• #13

Nightcap is good, the perique makes it what it is, IMHO.

 

hextor

Part of the Furniture Now

Sep 20, 2015

642

6

• Dec 22, 2015

• #14

I like my blends a little moist the flavor is more prominent, although I have to smoke it slow or ill get bad tongue bite.

 

jazz

Part of the Furniture Now

Feb 17, 2014

813

65

UK

• Dec 22, 2015

• #15

I have not had a tin of this for some time and am debating which to buy tomorrow out of Mac Baren Plumcake or Nightcap. I know I like Nightcap. It was actually the first pipe tobacco I smoked years ago and have always liked it. I have never tried Plumcake though and Mac Baren weed tends to bite me for some reason.

 

cmclark

Lurker

Mar 15, 2014

43

0

• Dec 22, 2015

• #16

I haven't tried Nightcap yet but will soon. With most of my tinned tobacco when I open I try a bowl right from it and also take half into a jar for later. Like a short age I can smoke after the finished tin. I like it this way cause I can get the full range and variety of each tobacco.

 

B

bigpond

Lifer

Oct 14, 2014

2,019

13

• Dec 22, 2015

• #17

Quiet nights...Go.

 

captainprophesy

Lifer

Sep 27, 2012

1,779

0

Upland, CA.

• Dec 22, 2015

• #18

Nightcap is the one blend I always have on hand... I too smoke it from the tin. When I run out I buy a new tin, open, smoke till gone then repeat.

 

R

royodhner

Lurker

Dec 28, 2015

34

2

• Dec 28, 2015

• #19

I always found it to be a so-so blend. However, I recently tried it in a Pete 999 St. Paddy pipe and hit tobacco Nirvana. Not quite a moment of pipe Zen, but not far from it. I still generally prefer MM965, but come the end of the day Nightcap and my little Pete 999 is a hard to beat combo.

 

stickframer

Part of the Furniture Now

Apr 11, 2015

875

8

• Dec 28, 2015

• #20

With most blends I smoke, I leave it in the unsealed tin for a couple weeks before I jar it. I find it dries out pretty slowly while still in the tin, and when the baccy approaches optimum moisture imo, in the jar she goes. Many of the blends I like really seem to improve after sitting opened for a few days at least.