Old Tin Of London Dock

markus · Mar 28, 2016

I was recently perusing a local antique store and found this old tin of London Dock tobacco. I'm not exactly sure how old the tin is, but it has a copy write on it for 1941. The tin was sealed pretty well and is almost full, with what looks to be only a few smokes taken from it. The tobacco is in pretty good shape, definitely still smoke-able. I have already smoked 2 bowls of it. The tin note smells a little like rum... maybe? Not sure. It smokes good and has a bit of a flowery essence to it, not bad really, is this a lakeland type blend? I have not tried the Daughters and Ryan version/recreation of it and I'm just wondering if they would be similar. I would also be curious about a date on this old tin if anyone has an idea. I have already jarred it all up to keep it fresh.

papipeguy · Mar 28, 2016

Wow, that is a very cool find. London Dock was a popular "drug store" blend many years ago. I smoked it in the 1970's. It's an American/English blend and does have a bit of rum. My guess is your tin is from the 1950's. I used to by in foil pouches. Enjoy and savor it.

rigmedic1 · Mar 28, 2016

I am so envious! I found a 10 year old tin of Peterson Old Dublin, which had been open and was dried out. I successfully rehydrated the stuff, and have it in a bail top jar that I pull from every now and then. Age does wonders for a lot of tobaccos. Enjoy!

pitchfork · Mar 28, 2016

Very interesting. I've heard the name before, but didn't know anything about it. Is the D&R version also called "London Dock"? This reminds me that they make some pretty interesting tobaccos -- looking forward to trying more of them in the future.

michiganlover · Mar 28, 2016

D and R owns the rights to the London Dock name, so it is called London Dock. I've got a tin of the D and R it tastes of rum, and cherry with floral notes. Strange blend, but not terrible.

pitchfork · Mar 28, 2016

Strange blend, but not terrible.

Not exactly a ringing endorsement. :D

markus · Mar 28, 2016

Actually, I think pitchfork is correct. It is a bit of a strange blend, not bad, just different. You can taste the rum a little, with a light floral background and it smokes pretty cool. It's not my favorite, but it's not terrible either. I'm not sure I care for the floral notes in it. I'm wondering if age has mellowed the rum and maybe brought the floral notes forward. I'm going to order a tin of the D&R version to see how close they are, maybe it will give me a better idea of how age has changed it.
I just smoked a 3rd bowl of it and it may be one of those things that grows on you over time. I smoke a lot of English blends and I think that the latakia might make my palate somewhat insensitive to the more subtler nuances of non-lat tobaccos. Any of the veteran smokers have an opinion about this? I have only been smoking a pipe for about 3 years (1-2 bowls a day), so maybe my palate is still a little immature.

aristokles · Mar 28, 2016

I just smoked the last of my London Dock late last year. I am envious. Enjoy your find.
Yes, rum.

docspipe · Mar 28, 2016

London Dock was the first tobacco I ever purchased when I started piping in 1976. Smoked it in one of my father's Dr Grabow billiards. I smoked it regularly until it was no longer available. I never noticed the cherry. It was a mixture of burleys, virginia, perique and rum topped - no latakia as far as the packaging stated. Yes, it was slightly floral and not in a Lakeland way at all. It was a very enjoyable, comfort type smoke for me. Many remarked the room note reminded them of their father or grandfather's pipe tobacco. I was very disappointed after it was discontinued. About a year ago I purchased from an ebay seller a promotional 1 ounce tin. Content was still smokeable and as aromatic as I remembered it to be in tin note. I smoked two small bowls and kept the rest in the tin to sniff from time to time; bringing me back to those early days of piping some 40 years ago. Haven't tried the Milan Tobacco copy nor the D & R version as of yet.

markus · Mar 28, 2016

The TobaccoReviews.com website says that this incarnation of London Dock has latakia in it, but I don't taste any latakia in this tin. I know that they say that latakia gets muted over time. Maybe this tin is just so old that the latakia is muted to the point of being undetectable. I read on the review of the D&R version that the older version had a rose essence applied to it and also deer tongue. That must be the floral note that I'm getting. In the D&R version, they use coumarin... whatever that is.

Kentucky Club London Dock

D&R Version of London Dock

michiganlover · Mar 28, 2016

Coumarin aka tonka bean

markus · Mar 28, 2016

Hmmmm... not so good.

drwatson · Mar 28, 2016

Really cool find. I've tried the Milan version and love it. The D&R version...Well I'll just say mixture 79 is better.

drrock · Mar 28, 2016

I really really love the Milan version of London Dock. If you haven't tried any of the pipe tobaccos from Milan Tobacconists they're definitely worth a try - haven't had a bad one yet. I picked up an old sampler of Middleton pipe tobaccos on eBay a while back that included one of their old London Dock sampler tins similar to the one you got but haven't tried it yet. Also picked up a vintage 7 oz. tin of London Dock made by General Cigar on eBay that's bulging & obviously ready to go but haven't tried that either. And for my third strike, I picked up a box version of London Dock with a pouch inside I haven't tried either. Your post/review makes my start to think I better get going on those...

markus · Mar 28, 2016

Drwatson, sorry to hear that... I just ordered a tin of the D&R London Dock earlier today.
Drrock, your suggestion fot the Milan Tobacconists version of London Dock sounds really good, I might have to try it in the not to distant future, thanks.

Old Tin Of London Dock

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