Aging Dunhill Tins?

[BarrelProof]

I have several of each of these and wanted to practice aging them. I’ve been told Murray’s, but the more I read, the less I know.

From what I can tell, the “UK,” the “in association,” and the painted tin point towards mid/late 90’s Murray’s.

Can anyone provide a definitive answer?

 

[logs]

Pipestud could tell you

 

[Jwebb90]

I wish tins still looked this nice. At one point in time, they were painted and now most of them have a sticker poorly thrown on them...

 

[beefeater33]

They've got 20 or so years on them already............... Smoke-em!

 

[virginialover]

Smoke them, I have the same tins of Nightcap and 965. When I open one tin, it's a celebration of a gone era. The incense smell, the melding of the flavors transport me, through my imagination, to a 19th century British Empire.

 

[BarrelProof]

Oh they’ll get smoked. Just trying to figure out a close age so I can figure out what to do next.

I think I have about 15 of the 965, probably 10 of the Nightcap, about 6-7 of the Early Morning Pipe, 2 either Standard Mixture Mellow or Medium, can’t remember which, and 1 of Aperitif, all from the same era. Not sure about diminishing returns, but I’d like to come up with some type of schedule for when they’ll each be opened and smoked.

 

[SpookedPiper]

Wow, that's pretty cool! Enjoy!

 

[seanv]

Not sure about diminishing returns, but I’d like to come up with some type of schedule for when they’ll each be opened and smoked.

When one tin is empty you open another.

 

[BarrelProof]

When one tin is empty you open another.

At the rate I smoke, everything else I own would be 20+ years old by the time I finished these.

 

[guylesss]

As it happens, I went on a serious Dunhill tin buying spree in May 2005, at just about the moment the new Orlik produced stock was reaching B&M shops. I also bought around the same time quite a few tins that had been bought and cellared between 1998 and 2000 (with date of purchase written in magic marker on the bottom). Based on the 70 or so tins I have all three of your tins are definitely Murray's (who took over Dunhill's "factory" blends in 1980). And since they have a CA warning sticker, they should also have a small white oblong Lane Ltd import label on the bottom of the tin.

Some CA stickers are white and others are yellow. And I lean toward the theory that the yellow ones came later. There was speculation in the mid-1990s that Orlik used up a supply of Murray painted tops (before the printed labels) but that these all had the new big EU label on the bottom of the tin. In sum, you can be certain that what you have cannot be later than 2003-2005 but might be a few years earlier.

 

[BarrelProof]

As it happens, I went on a serious Dunhill tin buying spree in May 2005, at just about the moment the new Orlik produced stock was reaching B&M shops. I also bought around the same time quite a few tins that had been bought and cellared between 1998 and 2000 (with date of purchase written in magic marker on the bottom). Based on the 70 or so tins I have all three of your tins are definitely Murray's (who took over Dunhill's "factory" blends in 1980). And since they have a CA warning sticker, they should also have a small white oblong Lane Ltd import label on the bottom of the tin.

They do have this Lane Ltd. import sticker. Does mid/late 90’s seem accurate?

 

[smokey789]

When was the last year that Dunhill actually produced their own products? Must have been before '80.

 

[BarrelProof]

When was the last year that Dunhill actually produced their own products? Must have been before '80.

I think I read somewhere that 1981 is the magic year.

 

[3rdguy]

On 9 January of 1981, the tobacco manufacturing section was moved to Murray Sons & Company Ltd in Northern Ireland and Alfred Dunhill’s investment in Dunhill Tobacco Ltd was sold on to Rothmans International Limited, for a profit of £500,000. The only exception to the Murray transition was the My Mixture blends (other than 965). Available only from the London Duke Street shop.

 

[guylesss]

The London store continued to sell a variety of tobacco blended in house (sometimes referred to as "Duke Street blends") till at least the early 2000s--including Baby's Bottom and White Spot and even an alternative version of Aperitif, as well as nearly 30 others (some with fanciful names, for instance "Bowled Out," "October 89," "New World," "Rum Truffle" a few others, like "My Mixture 73" were intended to be hand blended versions of favorites (this one of Nightcap). A few were known only by five-digit numbers ("My Mixture 3667"--"a full bodied flake with no added "casing""). But you had to go in person--although they did discreetly take orders over the phone.

 

[guylesss]

As it happens, I went on a serious Dunhill tin buying spree in May 2005, at just about the moment the new Orlik produced stock was reaching B&M shops. I also bought around the same time quite a few tins that had been bought and cellared between 1998 and 2000 (with date of purchase written in magic marker on the bottom). Based on the 70 or so tins I have all three of your tins are definitely Murray's (who took over Dunhill's "factory" blends in 1980). And since they have a CA warning sticker, they should also have a small white oblong Lane Ltd import label on the bottom of the tin.

Some CA stickers are white and others are yellow. And I lean toward the theory that the yellow ones came later. There was speculation in the mid-1990s that Orlik used up a supply of Murray painted tops (before the printed labels) but that these all had the new big EU label on the bottom of the tin. In sum, you can be certain that what you have cannot be later than 2003-2005 but might be a few years earlier.

NB the "speculation" took place circa 2005 (NOT the mid-90s! proofreading/scriveners error. Apologies.)

 

[saltedplug]

The danger with aged tobacco is that you focus on aging but not smoking it.

 

[BarrelProof]

The danger with aged tobacco is that you focus on aging but not smoking it.

That's why I'm trying to figure out what I've got and where I might start experiencing diminishing returns so I can make sure to get it all smoked before then. If I keep all of these, they'll definitely be smoked. I'm far too impatient to try to age anything. If I hadn't gotten them at this age, they never would have made it.

 

[rushx9]

That's why I'm trying to figure out what I've got and where I might start experiencing diminishing returns so I can make sure to get it all smoked before then. If I keep all of these, they'll definitely be smoked. I'm far too impatient to try to age anything. If I hadn't gotten them at this age, they never would have made it.

VA ages best, and latakia and orientals start to lose intensity after a decade. By that logic the EMP should age the best for the longest but the Nightcap is past its prime and should be smoked (it may still be fantastic, but the lat will have lost some edge). 965 may also be a bit past its prime as well, but the VA Cavendish should be extremely delicious and the orientals may add a lot to the fruity bouquet, especially when a tin is first opened. The lat may have eased up, but I would think it would be the best of the bunch because of the Cavendish. Still though, they are all likely pretty close to a "peak" in flavor. Years from now they will still be interesting and valuable relics, and they'll still be smokable, but I doubt they'll get any better than they are right now.

 

[BarrelProof]

Excellent information. Thank you!