Dunhill's Dunbar, A Well-Aged Tin For Christmas

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mso489

Lifer
Feb 21, 2013
41,210
60,433
I received a well-aged unopened tin of Dunhill Dunbar for Christmas that was recommended to a family member by a tobacconist. Is this one that has been picked up by Peterson, or is this a blend still in the commercial wilderness? Anyone smoked it? How is it? What are the constituent tobacco's? It doesn't have ingredients on the tin but says it is for "experienced smokers." I guess that would be me.
 

blues4goose

Starting to Get Obsessed
May 15, 2019
243
720
30
Bethlehem, PA
From tobacco reviews:
"This blend contains a high proportion of Oriental leaf, Virginia and latakia."
Sounds tasty, will you be smoking it or stashing it?
 

mso489

Lifer
Feb 21, 2013
41,210
60,433
Likely I'll be opening it soon, for me, this winter anyway. I see it h as been discontinued, at least for now, so I will smoke with proper reverence. Like a bottle of good aged wine. I'd guess this is, at the least, five years old, maybe more like ten, shelf worn. It's Latakia, Oriental, and Virginia leaf.
 

Casual

Lifer
Oct 3, 2019
2,577
9,420
NL, CA
Someone just has to make a blend named “Durban” and I’ll never be able to tell what’s going on.
 

mso489

Lifer
Feb 21, 2013
41,210
60,433
Jesse, craig', thank you. Durbar it is. Dunbar was a high school in Chicago. Maybe I'd better slow down. I did make a little tag for the bottom of the tin, printed out in extra small type, with the ingredients. I think I'll enjoy it.
 

mso489

Lifer
Feb 21, 2013
41,210
60,433
I can find so many ways to be wrong! Well, five years perhaps. When was it last produced before 2014? This tin looks more than five years old. Some serious shelf wear, a spot of rust or two, not much, and a ding and fading of the paint.
 

mingc

Lifer
Jun 20, 2019
3,976
11,065
The Big Rock Candy Mountains
Here's some interesting history from the GQ Tobaccos product description for Durbar, which was written for the STG product. (I have both the STG and Murray's version on hand and they are close enough I cannot tell them apart (I might be able to if I tried, but I won't). I dearly hope STG will bring it back):

"Durbar is considered as one of Alfred Dunhill’s finest creations, we were not lucky enough to smoke this before Murrays wound up and we lost the Dunhill tobaccos. Originally created in 1912 with a quantity of “eastern tobaccos”, the blend did change a few times over the years and eventually consisted of more “contemporary orientals”. With these changes the name changed too, from Durbar to #1066-store and then back to Durbar again.
The Murrays version, which we expect the new Orlik creation to carry on the tradition. Was a rich and complex blend, based on those who remember it well. The latakia brings the typical smoky woody flavours and the Virginia adds a delicate sweetness and grassy side. The main player in this blend is the Orientals, these bring a delightful spicy and woody core to the smoke. A rich and powerful tobacco, think of Nightcap and add some extra dimensions of complexity and we have something like Durbar (or so we have been told, we have not smoked any of the previous incarnations or had sample of these yet!)

"Extracts from Catalogues**
  • 1917 : The rare Eastern tobaccos of which this mixture is composed impart a subtle charm which soothes, mystifies and fascinates, extremely mild, extremely cool, qualities rarely found in combination
  • 1920: Entirely free from strong tobaccos
  • 1970: high proportion of Oriental leaf, Virginia and Latakia, now known as #1066-Store
  • 1980 : Sold as Durbar again, with #1066 remaining as the in-house reference for this blend only
"All tasting notes and information on the blend has been taken from speaking to smokers, old catalogues and details of the Old Murrays and Dunhill (original) versions. We have no concise details and will update as we get the information.
Composition
Blend - Virginia, Latakia & Turkish
Casings - None
Cut - Ribbon
Blended in - Denmark
Ratings from TobaccoReviews.com
Strength - Medium - Strong
Added Flavours - None
Taste - Medium - Full
Overall - 3.2/4
Read the reviews.
** When Alfred Dunhill opened his shop on Duke Street in 1907 it was not a pipe shop, to be sure a scattering of pipes were offer - http://loringpage.com/pipearticles/duntob2chart.htm"
 

grumpyoltroll

Starting to Get Obsessed
Feb 14, 2018
100
152
I happened upon some Murray's era Durbar recently. Have only had one bowl but find it intriguing with a nice spiciness along with a background of that musty old book shop taste. It also provide a nice full smoke . . . I think I will go have another bowl now.
 

mso489

Lifer
Feb 21, 2013
41,210
60,433
mingc, thank you for the history-rich post. From the sounds of all the posts, I might have to open the tin sooner rather than later. Along with Haddo's and Potlatch, among others, it sounds like it needs to be in the rotation. I'm more impressed now that before, even.
 
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danimalia

Lifer
Sep 2, 2015
4,385
26,440
41
San Francisco Bay Area, USA
I didn't start smoking a pipe until 2015, so my only knowledge of Dunhill was the STG products. I wasn't overly impressed with what i did try, though my tastes were far more into extreme latakia blends at the time. Certainly nothing objectionable about them either.

Now that my tastes have become a bit more refined, Durbar is one I'd love to try. I'm just crazy about the effect you get from combining Oriental leaf with Latakia. I hope they bring this one back, along with the dark flake.

I hope you'll share your thoughts when you do open it, Mso!
 
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mingc

Lifer
Jun 20, 2019
3,976
11,065
The Big Rock Candy Mountains
mingc, thank you for the history-rich post. From the sounds of all the posts, I might have to open the tin sooner rather than later. Along with Haddo's and Potlatch, among others, it sounds like it needs to be in the rotation. I'm more impressed now that before, even.
You're welcome! I'm not a super taster like some folks here, but I know what I like and I love Durbar.
 
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3rdguy

Lifer
Aug 29, 2017
3,472
7,293
Iowa
Likely I'll be opening it soon, for me, this winter anyway. I see it h as been discontinued, at least for now, so I will smoke with proper reverence. Like a bottle of good aged wine. I'd guess this is, at the least, five years old, maybe more like ten, shelf worn. It's Latakia, Oriental, and Virginia leaf.
Let us know how it is, I have a 2011 tin sitting in the wings.
 

sasquatch

Lifer
Jul 16, 2012
1,683
2,862
Durbar is magic. I've smoked many oriental blends over the years, and enjoyed most of them. Durbar is a special animal in the family. Mild, but crazy full flavored, perfumey, spicy, leathery, it's just amazing. It's a smoke worthy of concentrating on.
 
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