This week we are reviewing one of the most iconic of non-aromatic tobacco blends… Dunhill Early Morning Pipe. When Alfred Dunhill’s shop in London was up and running in the early years of the 20th Century, customers would come in and ask him to mix custom blends specifically to their liking. Names like “Night Cap” and “My Mixture 965” (as well as “Early Morning Pipe”) have withstood the test of time and there’s a good reason for that: the quality and taste of the blends themselves (I know, that’s two reasons).
I won’t wax poetic on the virtues of this blend, which was never meant to be received as anything more than a workaday pipe mixture. EMP is a blend that is mild enough (along with a delicate, sweet nuttiness) that it can truly be smoked in the wee hours of morning – or all day long, if you so desire. The recipe consists mostly of Turkish, Virginias and Orientals, with just a whiff of Latakia. There are those who will argue that there IS no Latakia in EMP, but I’m not one of them. I believe that there’s just enough tucked in there to establish some balance.
EMP appears in a beautiful ribbon cut that’s packaged in the old way if you like your tobacco in tin form. It is also available in bulk, and I’ve smoked it both ways with zero difference. Your first light will bring out the fine Orientals and mild Virginias, and as you work through the bowl, take notice of the very subtle development of the nutty and sweet flavors which seem to alternate throughout.
I’m rating Dunhill’s EMP at 4.5 pipes and I hope you have a great Early Morning Pipe yourself! Puff On!
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