The Early Morning Pipe (EMP) is good stuff, but it's very very different from Nightcap. Nightcap is big and deep-tasting and a very evening-smoke sort of thing, whereas the EMP is full of fantastically tasty Orientals and really is a fantastic first pipe of the day. I smoke it every morning when I've got it, and when I don't, I smoke McClelland's AM Pipe, which is a damn good match. I strongly prefer the Dunhill, though, because it has a little more of a kick to it, and I like a little kick in the pants in the morning, but a very gentle kick in the pants. EMP delivers big time in that department. Really, I could do a two-page writeup about pretty much every single Dunhill tobacco out there. I've smoked them all very extensively, and I keep four or five of them on hand at all times, money permitting. Dunhill just does things right, and that includes everything from the perfect ribbon cut to the moisture level to the taste to the burn and everything else in between. I know I sound like an advertisement right now, but I just love their stuff! If you're putting in an order, do yourself a favor and get both, if you want my opinion. I bought Nightcap, EMP, and London Mixture the first time I bought Dunhill, and I love them all. Honestly, I can't think of one of theirs that I dislike, but Nightcap and EMP would be the ones I would buy if I were putting in an order right now. They're the perfect introduction into Dunhill's line of tobacco.
I agree that Dunhill does it right. The ribbon cut that they have is the "Gold Standard" in my opinion because it just burns so well. EMP and NC are two really different tobaccos. I really do like to smoke EMP in the morning, it is a light english that goes well with a nice cup of coffee or tea. Nightcap is the indulgent mixture that you want to enjoy all the time, but is better kept in moderation to enhance the anticipation of the next bowl. Dunhill is the standard upon which I judge all other tobacco. Nightcap also will have a different flavor profile depending on the size/shape of the pipe used. It can be crisp and pronounced with the perique in a Grabow Lark, more rounded in a Cob, and almost creamy in a 1" bore Hackert or Boswell. Keep Nightcap to a slow simmer. Too hot/fast and it will lose some of its magic. But kept at a low broil, when the toby is just barely evenly lit and burning evenly but slowly, it is a moment that pipe smokers strive for. I try not to DGT Nightcap, or relight too many times. Snorking once or twice per bowl helps to get a full flavor as well.
Alright, I opened my tin of Nightcap last night and had a nice bowl of it. Much smoother than I would have thought, very pleasant and about as calming as I could hope an evening pipe could be. I enjoyed the bowl down to the last few minutes, and then realized that it was over(I hate when that happens). Maybe I need to get a bigger pipe.
Nightcap always confused me, as I preferred it in the morning....EMP never moved me in the least, I never got enough out of it.
You know, I don't think you're the first person I've heard say that. I seem to recall a friend of mine saying he liked his Nightcap in the morning. I am not even close to being a nicotine wimp, but Nightcap has enough of a punch to it that I wouldn't want it first thing in the morning, at least not without eating something first. For me, it's the Orientals in EMP that I love, very smooth and almost buttery-tasting. I do wish Dunhill would make a Balkan of some sort. I guess London Mixture could be considered a halfway-Balkan since it's Oriental-based, but a true Balkan from Dunhill would be great. My very favorite Balkan is Larry's Blend by Hearth and Home, so a Dunhill interpretation of that would be interesting to try. I would like to see if they could beat out Russ, because he really is a master, in my opinion.
I think I went on the same rant on this board when I was finally able to get the new orlik tins, I actually went through the same experience you did when I first started out. My first tin was sweet vanilla honeydew, which I didnt like and went straight back to my tobacconist and bought a tin each of emp and nightcap knowing nothing about the Dunhill name. I actually bought them because I liked the tin artwork lol anyways when I first tried emp I was completely blown away by the flavor and the fact that the tobacco would stay lit and the smoke didn't get hot! Nightcap was the same experience but much deeper taste and noticeable nicotine kick. Those two blends were pretty much all I smoked in the military, I would by them in rolls from jrcigars and found myself going through them rather quickly. I always get a special feeling every time I light up either of them and would be very upset if they ever disappeared. I'm actually smoking a 2 year old tin of emp now and can't tell if I'm on earth or in heaven
Nightcap was the one that really drew me in as well. I was talked out of buying what would have probably been some bad bulk at a tobacconist. The guy there always walked around with a meer in his mouth and had strong opinions that he offered freely. He also offered to fill your pipe with whatever tins he had open, so I always tried to get a chat in. I like everything by Dunhill that I've tried, and three of my favorites came from visits to that shop: LM (my staple to this day), NC, and EMP.
That's what a good tobacconist should be doing, most of the ones I have gone to just shove their jarred up house blends in your face and every time I have given in thinking maybe it will be good, I'm always sadly disappointed. I forgot to mention Durbar, that was also a spectacular smoke when it was available, and I'm still kicking myself for not ever trying Elizabethan mixture as I didn't get into va's/vapers until a few years ago, I heard that one was delicious. I guess I'm just thankful Orlik decided to carry on the torch from Murrays, I mean who knows what would have happened to the blends or if they would have been faithfully recreated by another company.
This morning I was cleaning all the empty jars I had laying around and discovered three of them were Dunhills. EMP, 965, and Nightcap. This tells me that when I open a Dunhill it doesn't stick around very long! Good stuff indeed.
