I was reading some well-informed opinions posted here a while ago about how Dunhill Elizabethan Mixture is an inferior substitute for the original, or at least the most recent last version of the original from Murray's. I remembered it fondly, and dug out a tin, just to see for myself how true the rumors are.
Since I am inordinately fond of a similar tobacco, Peterson Irish Oak, I pulled some from a handy container to see how it stacked up. The answer is interesting: Elizabethan Mixture is sweeter and thinner in flavor, while Irish Oak has a reedy, vinegar taste but more body.
I will not speak ill of Elizabethan Mixture because I think, like many Dunhill tobaccos, it is designed for the non-fanatical smoker. It is put together so that it will be easy to smoke, inoffensive and offer a distinct flavor profile. Of all the tobaccos, the Dunhills strike me as perfect recommendations for new pipers, especially those "movin' on up" from Aros.
However... I can see how this blend once may have had more intense flavor and body of smoke. Everything about it is a bit thin. The Virginias are not cloyingly sweet like those in OGS, but they are sweet like Cavendish or whisky with a little maple syrup in it. The perique plays a second fiddle, fleshing out that flavor more than contrasting it. It has moderate Nicotine, but smokes easily in gentle sips. I admit this may be a fallen angel of the original, but I still thoroughly enjoy this.
On the other hand, Irish Oak has been more of a go-to all-day smoke for me, and I can see why. It is a shade or two over medium Nicotine, and has a full flavor despite its somewhat acidic turn. As a bowl matures, it hits the middle notes of Cavendish and Burley, which give it a darker and richer taste. It would be hard to get bored of this, and I can see where it is a more intense take on the middle notes of the Virginias too.
I can't claim I ended up knocking either out of rotation. I'd still go hog wild for a tin of either of these. But, I hope someday Dunhill considers making its mixture a bit more intense, like the Irish Oak, for the sake of all of us all-day pipers who like a full bodied smoke.
Since I am inordinately fond of a similar tobacco, Peterson Irish Oak, I pulled some from a handy container to see how it stacked up. The answer is interesting: Elizabethan Mixture is sweeter and thinner in flavor, while Irish Oak has a reedy, vinegar taste but more body.
I will not speak ill of Elizabethan Mixture because I think, like many Dunhill tobaccos, it is designed for the non-fanatical smoker. It is put together so that it will be easy to smoke, inoffensive and offer a distinct flavor profile. Of all the tobaccos, the Dunhills strike me as perfect recommendations for new pipers, especially those "movin' on up" from Aros.
However... I can see how this blend once may have had more intense flavor and body of smoke. Everything about it is a bit thin. The Virginias are not cloyingly sweet like those in OGS, but they are sweet like Cavendish or whisky with a little maple syrup in it. The perique plays a second fiddle, fleshing out that flavor more than contrasting it. It has moderate Nicotine, but smokes easily in gentle sips. I admit this may be a fallen angel of the original, but I still thoroughly enjoy this.
On the other hand, Irish Oak has been more of a go-to all-day smoke for me, and I can see why. It is a shade or two over medium Nicotine, and has a full flavor despite its somewhat acidic turn. As a bowl matures, it hits the middle notes of Cavendish and Burley, which give it a darker and richer taste. It would be hard to get bored of this, and I can see where it is a more intense take on the middle notes of the Virginias too.
I can't claim I ended up knocking either out of rotation. I'd still go hog wild for a tin of either of these. But, I hope someday Dunhill considers making its mixture a bit more intense, like the Irish Oak, for the sake of all of us all-day pipers who like a full bodied smoke.
