What can I say? This is my favorite pipe tobacco. I remember stopping at my favorite coffee shop, picking up a nice cup of coffee and going next door to the Stogie Stop and lighting up a bowl of this. Just heaven!

I can say I'm enjoying this bowl of 965 from a tin I opened two days ago, just as much as then. A great cup of freshly roasted Costa Rica La Manita Tarrazu and some lovely tobacco. This is a match made in heaven!

IMHO, I feel like 965 is a good baseline from which other english blends are judged. I know a lot of folks may scoff at this, but I've always had a place in my heart for this blend! It's like that first english love, there is no love like the first.

I am thinking about ordering some Pensance in the near future. Bill recommended I get some Star of the East too. I think that's a good idea!

This is bowl number 2. I set this on a clean paper towel for about 45 minutes. I rubbed it out a little bit and packed the pipe with M'Moo's suggested 1-2-3 method (thanks Dan). I find this method works great!

I've had to relight a few times. It's nothing out of the ordinary. I'm still getting my pipe chops back! About half way down the bowl I ran a pipe cleaner through. There was minimum gurgle.

I have one pipe I use exclusively for latakia blends. This is the only pipe I use for these blends except for my churchwarden. I need to get me another pipe sometime this winter. I've been looking at some Stanwells and Petersons. I'm looking for a bent apple with a medium finish. Also, I've always wanted to buy a Nording freehand with a natural finish. I haven't made up my mind which of these I'll buy first.

Anyway, enough blathering on and time for a serious question,.....

Has the 965 blend changed recently? I remember hearing that it is being blended in a new factory and has changed slightly. My taste memory isn't too refined, but it seems like this is darned close to what I remember.
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965 is in my top 2 tobaccos :-)

I especially like it when I am doing any kind of wood work, the aromas of the wood and the tobacco just blend so well together.
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I am a huge fan of 965. it is one of my top five
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Thanks for posting your review. There are so many selections out there reviews like yours help to narrow them down. Time to add the 965 to the list. :-)
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Where are you guys finding 965? I'm a pipe newbie, and I've been trying to track down a tin, but it seems that everyone is out of stock.
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Bringing this thread back from the dead, I went to the tobacconist on 5th avenue (and..44th street?) Looks like they're related to J&R, for my first pipe and such. (Cigars have been burning me out lately.)

I picked up a pipe and talked with a woman behind the counter about what cigars I smoked, and she handed me a tin of 965 and ... one of something else.

I've since bought a couple 3 tin samplers of other stuff, but nothing comes close to this.

I'm wary of early successes. I love the flavor, though I'd bias towards something a little spicier (but not more peppery.)

Is there a good description/classification of the Dunhill 965 I can use as a launching point for finding other stuff I might like?

I certainly don't mind smoking this all the time, but I'm keen to explore and see if there's something out there I might like even better.
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Hello Michael, and you can peruse some further reviews regarding the 965 here:

http://www.tobaccoreviews.com/blend_detail.cfm?ALPHA=M&TID=458

Hope this helps you...
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I'd classify 965 as a medium English. There's literally thousands of them out there, and everyone has their favorites.

"Peppery" is normally a taste that comes mainly from Perique, although several orientals can mimic the flavor as well. If by "spicy" you mean smokey. That particular profile comes from Latakia. The easiest way of finding out if you're a "Lat head" is to order a small amount of Cornell & Diehl's Pirate Kake. If you like that, look for other Lat bombs for your smoking pleasure. If you;re repulsed by Pirate Kake as many are, search for light and medium english blends, preferably without Perique (although the absence of Perique in 965 leads me to believe you're averse to a particular oriental leaf contained therein).

As a branch out. I would suggest looking at G.L Pease tobaccos. To me and many others, he is the king of english blends. Chelsea Morning is a wonderful light english IMO. Quiet Nights and Lagonda are two of my favorite heavy english's.

Welcome to the wonderful world of pipe tobacco. If you decide the hobby is a keeper, branch out and try some Virginias, Virginia/Periques (Vapers) and Burley's as well. I could recommend lot's of things, but I've already been afflicted by hopeless rambling.

Good luck. If you have any questions, just ask. :-)
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Just smoked this last night, My first non-drugstore pipe tobac. Very different than anything I have tasted prior but I really like my first impressions... Perhaps Sat after the PA grouse opener this will fill my bowl again ...
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