From tobaccoreviews.com
2003:
"This is not the original Red Va. of the 70's and 80's that I loved so well, but is still a formidable tobacco. The original did not have Perique, nor any topping, and was similar to Hal O' The Wynd of the same era. The new blend has a very light topping,"
2005:
"This is indeed a lovely VA blend, smooth and buttery. My tin was from '92 and it is way better than K&K's version. I could not detect much Périque, and I suspect some Virginia Cavendish has been added."
I'm sure I read somewhere that the recipe had changed over the years and that it didn't used to have a chocolate topping but I searched and couldn't find it.