Tobaccos Dunhill - Ye Olde Signe (Re-release)

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JimInks (3019)	2016-12-10		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

The lightly floral Virginias have a bit of hay and grass along with some tart and tangy citrus. There’s also a little tangy dark fruit, wood, vinegar, bread and earth, though these facets tend to act as supporting aspects. The sweetness has a rich fermented quality as well as some aspects of tea. These qualities existed in the original version in almost the same ratios, except the previous manufacture sported a touch more depth of flavor. The other differences are that this is just a little more grassy, and there’s a very slight hint of the kind of topping found in Royal Yacht which I believe is added in the casing, and not the topping. Otherwise, it would be hard to tell this version from the older one. The strength, taste and nicotine levels are medium. No chance of bite here, though there are a few small rough edges. Unlike the earlier YOS, which wouldn’t get harsh, this possibly may give you a note of that if you puff very fast. This thin ribbon cut borders on being a shag, so I recommend not smoking it dry, and puffing at a slow to moderate rate. Burns clean and fairly cool with a mostly consistent taste from start to finish as it easily burns to ash. Leaves virtually no moisture in the bowl, and requires few relights. Has a lightly lingering, pleasant after taste and room note. Packs the same kind of punch that the original did once you get to the half way point, and can be an all day smoke for an experienced smoker. Three and a half stars.

-JimInks

35 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	O'Confrère (40)	2016-10-31		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Although I have yet to be enamoured of any of the Dunhill remakes to date, that changed this week! I haven’t found a comparable Virginia blend to this new version of ‘Ye Olde Signe’ in years and can’t name a similar one on the market today. (If I’ve missed one, please, let me know!) Although I remember my shock and disappointment very well when this went out of production, I’m not too sure if my memory will serve to make any comparisons between the original and the remake. It’s been probably thirty years since I finished my last tin, but I’ll give it a brief shot.

I remember this to have been a very fine, long ribbon or shag cut of darker virginias. The new tin of the current batch touts the contents to be a dark Virginia blend, however it seems lighter to me. I’d guess it’s a mixture of red and mahogany Virginias with a good smattering of what appears to be lighter, maybe even lemon, Virginias. There is also a small portion of ribbon cut flake, which I do not recall in the earlier blend. The cut of the new version is, I think, not as long and maybe a bit wider, but that’s about all that memory allows. Did I like it then? Yes! Do I like it now? Yes! Is it the same? Unlikely.

The tobacco arrives with a humidity level of about 18%. It can be smoked immediately, but drying it a wee bit is worthwhile. Seems at its best to me at around 14-15%.

This tin was made in August of this year. The tin aroma is very subdued, slightly sweet with a hint of hay or bread. There’s bound to be some kind of casing, but I can’t pick it up in the tin or on the pallet. It takes well to the match and burns steadily. The flavour development seems to go as follows… At first light, toasty almost coffee-like tannins, a bit of (pleasant) tar, and cigar-like earthiness appear and begin developing immediately. The earthiness and depth increase as new elements appear which include both zest and nuttiness (burley?). Mid-bowl a cereal, slightly malty sweetness emerges as it becomes even deeper, richer, and hits its stride which it maintains until the last fleeting puff. This is a wonderful, very satisfying smoke, ‘old-timey,’ whatever that means, and, to this smoker, very much in an English tradition that has long been missing from the market. The aftertaste is delicious and leaves the mouth feeling clean and refreshed. It does pack a punch, but it’s not over the top.

Will definitely be putting this one back to see what it does with time.

Highly, highly recommended!

Pipe Used: Several, all reserved for Virginias

Age When Smoked: about three months

Similar Blends: The original and G,H&Co. Kendal Shag (unscented).

23 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Big Train (118)	2016-12-04		Extremely Mild	None Detected	Extremely Mild (Flat)	Unnoticeable

I simply cannot understand how anyone reviews this tobacco as favorable . This has totally nothing similar to the original Ye Olde Signe except the name . It consists only of the tasteless Scandanavian Virginias which have little age and no flavor at all . This tobacco simply has little character. They use these same Virginias in all of their Virginia mixtures and they are simply flat . Period . The original Ye Olde used matured Virginias that jumped off the match . It had a tea like quality that was always a treat . It seems difficult to get any taste out of this tobacco.The fact that they own the Dunhill name should not allow them to endow a tobacco with a famous name unless it , in some way , resembles it's namesake . I understand that the re-issues cannot ever be the same as the original . They should , however , be at least in the spirit of that blend .

22 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30124)	2017-02-01		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

Advance warning to anyone silly enough to read my reviews... I'll be comparing this mostly to its Dunhill-blended namesake and less to how it stacks up to other, more current blends. That may seem unfair. However, my position has always been that if a blend wants to be called or compared to something, it has to bring as much of those same goods to the table as the original, or come as close as possible. This one does not... not by a long shot.

Light brown ribbons with the old familiar tea scent along with basic tobacco. No fruit or artificial topping. Smells close to the original, which I still have on hand, but not as deep. In the pipe, this performs as a decent Virginia blend, with a light sweetness and tang, although not terribly deep or complex. The trouble is that this is named Ye Olde Signe. Granted the remainder of the tin I have is well aged but the Virginias in this version seem ordinary and bereft of any real jump factor... no depth. This is just not an exciting blend, although it tastes fine. It's something to smoke, but it doesn't do the name Dunhill proud. I may be in the minority when I state that I'm not going to miss Dunhill tobaccos when they are no longer made, as Dunhill hasn't really been "Dunhill" for a long time. This has very little in common with the original, although it is a very smokable blend in its own right. So if you buy this, hopefully you haven't smoked the original because you will likely be supremely disappointed. And yes, this review is biased, so take it for what little it is worth. 1 star for the name, a weak 3 stars overall, so 2 stars is the average. If it wasn't trying to be something it absolutely isn't, I'd have fewer issues with it. Overall this one just doesn't bring anything new to the table, and worse, it doesn't bring something old to the table that it's claiming to bring.

17 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	DeathMetal.org (231)	2017-04-22		Medium	Very Mild	Medium	Tolerable

That the Dunhill blends are going away within 12-18 months is sad enough, but after the re-release of this delicious Virginia mixture, it is doubly lugubrious. You might describe this as "Elizabethan Mixture" all grown up with a heavy press turning those bright Virginias into dark, rich ones. The dominant taste here is the hybrid of molasses and late season grain that gives the pressed Virginias, like "Full Virginia Flake," their beauty. But this mixture is a hybrid between the classic Virginia flakes and the smoked tobaccos that have become popular since then. While it does not appear on the Official Description, "Ye Olde Signe" seems to contain some Dark Fired leaf and some Burley, possibly one and the same, and only as condimental. The rest is what "Elizabethan Mixture" and "Royal Yacht" do best, which is high quality Virginias matured to potency and maximum flavor. You can draw gently -- puffing is NOT encouraged -- on this blend for hours, getting that honey-molasses-oatmeal flavor in full intensity, with just a tinge of the richness of the smoked flavor. It satisfies throughout the bowl, and makes me think that radical insurgent action to save the Dunhill blends might be a moderate rather than extremist position!

Similar Blends: Samuel Gawith - Full Virginia Flake, Peterson - Irish Flake.

10 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Greekpipesmoker (201)	2017-04-06		Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

My friend Maria donated me a tin when she saw i had it on my wishlist!i wanted to try this blend really bad.when you crack the tin you smell lots of virginia compoments like grass,tea ,citruses,dark fruits.comes out at a proper moisture and the ribbon cut packs and lights easy.while burning the flavours are grassy,bready,sweet tea notes, dark fruits in a very balanced way..the taste is deep and i also detected a plum casing.burns slow and cool no chance of biting.the nicotine level is medium.burns to total ash and leaves no dumbness.a really nice all day blend,totally recommended!

Age When Smoked: Straight from the tin

10 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Gentleman Zombie (729)	2017-02-21		Medium to Strong	Mild to Medium	Medium to Full	Pleasant

I like toppings of this nature. The kind that, for the most part, match and enhance the natural tobacco flavors. I get the distinct impression, in this case, that the topping contributes a fair amount of the overall flavor. Regardless, the flavor is very nice and somewhat rich. Sweet and fruity. A little tart and tangy with a very mild spice. Some very natural bready notes and some earth in the second half. Has a fair amount of body, but moderate in nicotine. Burns a little quick, but without too much heat. An enjoyable smoke.

Medium to strong in body. Medium to full in taste. Flavoring is mild to medium.

Pipe Used: MM Little Devil Cutty, Little Devil Acorn, Marcus

Age When Smoked: fresh

Purchased From: smokingpipes.com

9 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Jorge Soler (202)	2016-11-30		Very Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

The tin note has something citrusy about it, but nothing remarkable. Perhaps the tobacco it contains is just too fresh. The moist content is about right. I only let my tin breath for 8 hours and then packed my pipe with it. This is a straight Virginia, but it is very easy to smoke despite the fact it wants to be smoked at a very low pace. The flavour is citrusy and grassy. I really cannot detect any casing. No tongue bite either. As you progress with your smoke, it evolves into this nutty/toasty dimension as the red/brown Virginias come into the foreground. This is quite remarkable. I am impressed. This is gonna get 4 solid stars.

Edit1 (09/12/2016) I just want to drop a few lines to say this is a very strong blend in terms of nicotine. It really makes me sweat and will turn my stomach, so I decided to smoke it in small bowls for an hour or so and move on. This blend is so tasty and full of flavour, but it is as strong as it can get, so be advised.

9 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Tantric (321)	2016-12-23		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

Always wanted to try this blend. Unfortunately it went out of production before I was able to get my hands on it. Now I’m savouring the re-released Scandinavian version. This is a nice ribbon cut from dark brown Virginian leaf. It comes rather moist in the tin, but surprisingly it lit very easily. It has no bite at all. Alas, flavour wise, it’s very mild and slightly monochromatic, that is, unlike other straight Virginias it lacks that sweet and sour playfulness that make them so appealing. Many years ago, someone told me that the next best thing to this blend was G. Smith & Sons Old London 100% Virginia. That I did try and was absolutely hooked. A wonderful tobacco that, I believe, no longer exists. Indeed this new Dunhill has only a very slight resemblance to that classic and, I imagine, to the original Ye Olde Signe. None the less, this is a nice, easy going smoke. If anything, the tin artwork is very nice.

Pipe Used: French Bruyere

Age When Smoked: N/A

Purchased From: Joshua Ward

Similar Blends: Old London 100% Virginia, and Capstain blue.

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	StevieB (2075)	2016-11-26		Mild	Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Dunhill - Ye Olde Sign.

When I opened the tin something jumped out at me that could be looked at in both a positive and negative way: there was no rush of air when I cracked the seal, or supposed seal. This had resulted in perfect moisture for imminent smoking (the positive part) but I wouldn't fancy cellaring any for a long while (negative). The ribbons are slight in their build and mostly medium brown, with a few lighter and darker ribbons mixed in. The smell from the tin isn't particularly suggestive of any sort of flavouring, it's just one of Virginia hay and grass.

The lighting of Ye Olde Sign is extremely simple: just a quick touch does the job. Then the flavour that I get is a little different to most Va's: the smoke's very rich and has some bready qualities, but what's a little different is the taste of tea. It took me a while to identify it and when I did it wasn't my palate that was first to detect it, it was my nostrils: the room-note is very tea-like. The moment I identified that the flavour became clear to me! The burn's very good but what's not so good is the temperature; even though my technique often causes hot smoke I don't think I'm entirely to blame! And finally the nicotine's quite mild from Ye Olde Sign.

This isn't a 'bad' blend, but to be frank I'm a little disappointed. I was expecting an EXTRAORDINARY smoke, to me though this is a steadfast three star blend.

Recommended.

Pipe Used: Mastro Cascia

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: The Danish Pipe Shop

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Beer (345)	2018-04-30		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

I have never tried the original one, only this re-release, but from the description of the old version (shag cut dark virginias) and from how ALL the other historical Dunhill blends have been heavily changed, I would bet that this is a completely different beast. It's a decent Virginia, not as dark as I would have expected from the description: actually it's middle of the road in color, not exactly bright or red, but neither a well stoved one. Smell in the tin is great, very fruity, plummy and rich. At the light, it burns well thans to the nice ribbon cut (typical for Dunhill), and it has a taste which has a good balance of sourness, grassiness and sweetness. Overall a decent very average Virginia, but there's a thing that I don't like very much: some sort of "dirty" character, some heaviness on the palate. It has none of the finesse, clean sweetness of Dunhill's Flake, for example. Nor the stimulating acidity and crystal-clear purity of Dunhill's heavier Navy Rolls. It delivers flavour, yes, but somehow it remains "muddy". For me it's OK, but not a memorable blend.

Pipe Used: Dunhill, Castello, Le Nuvole, Spanu, Ashton

Age When Smoked: fresh

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Stan (178)	2016-12-27		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant

This tastes to me like Elizabethan without the spicy Perique. Durbar without the heavier Orientals. Royal Yacht with a lighter, different touch.

This seems to be lighter Virginias compared to some of the above examples, but nevertheless still has some body that moves it to the medium range. Instead of citrus it has more of a floral sweetness to me. Or perhaps some sugar water in the casing? Never tried the original, but this does not have a true string cut as originally described.

A ribbon cut that smokes pretty cool with no real bite unless pushed.

An excellent, milder Virginia smoke for one who wants their leaf straight.

Pipe Used: Upshall, Ferndown

Age When Smoked: new tin

Purchased From: Smoking Pipes

Similar Blends: The above Virginia blends, but this is more of a base mix that stands on its own. Germain/Esoterica's Brighton or Cardiff too, perhaps.

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30124)	2017-09-15		Medium to Strong	Mild	Medium	Pleasant

YOS is kind of like Royal Yacht and kind of like Elizabethan Mixture. And it's kind of its own beast at the same time. There is a topping that reminds me of RY and the Virginia does taste very similar to the one contained in EM. It's its own beast as I do feel there is some burley in there, maybe even a condimental quantity of dark fired Kentucky. The overall result is an uncomplicated, sweet and spicy, complex enough Virginia mixture that keeps me interested throughout the voyage. Being a shag cut, it burns very well. Nicotine is just right, medium to strong. The tobacco is not dark as the description affirms but with some years of aging, it will become darker.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Mr. Big (321)	2017-01-16		Medium to Strong	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Ye Old Sign- This isn't bad. It's got a sweet and sour flavor with more high notes than base. It holds its taste on cold relights and will not bite at any cadence. It's got that easy to work with Dunhill ribbon cut ,but this one doesn't seem to want to overheat or get bitter. Keeps my interest, no dull spots, easy to work with. However,,,,, I'm just not into the flavor, Tea???

I get the "Tea" taste that many talk about, I do get the bready taste and some faint Burley earthiness at times. It does remind me of a milder Royal Yacht without any topping. Now, is this as good as McClelland Virginias ? No, McClelland's Virginias are the best!

Pipe Used: cob

Age When Smoked: fresh tin open 2 weeks

Similar Blends: Closest to a mild Royal Yacht.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	GabrielCRT (115)	2017-01-12		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

The initial few smokes from a fresh tin of Ye Olde Signe were extraordinary. The tin note certainly shouts "strongly fermented rich Virginia tobaccos" with freshly baked bread. There is a semi-complex flavor profile though I taste more bright than red or stoved Virginias. Lots of citrus with some grass and bready notes upfront. Spice, tea, and some sweetness are in the background. The strength is at the low end of medium. This blend has become slightly mundane over a few weeks and is a little too much like a mix of Dunhill Flake, Elizabethan, and Royal Yacht. I think age may create a four star tobacco as the components marry but it is still recommended now.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pastor Puff (15)	2016-12-08		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

Tin Note: It's Spring, you're out on the mower cutting the grass and it starts to rain. That's the tin note. It's a very pleasant odor.

Flavour: A bready, yeasty, matured Virginia with an undertone I can't quite place. It is not complex but it is a straight Virginia.

Mechanics: It's an even ribbon cut that packs and lights well. It tends to smoke hot and bites.

My Thoughts: At the time of this review I've had several bowls, 3 or maybe 5. I'm not sure how I feel about this one. The flavour is good but it's nothing special and the harshness is a big turn off. Other than that there isn't much to say. It is a bit of a disappointment compared to any other Dunhill blends and even more so when compared to Virginias from other manufactures. I've heard recently that this is Elizabethan minus perique, and if that is the case this blend absolutely needs the perique.

Pipe Used: Cob

Age When Smoked: New Tin

Purchased From: P&C

Similar Blends: Samuel Gawith - Full Virginia Flake.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Briarwood0616 (1)	2021-08-07		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

Let it age people...there are a ton of smokers who give a quick review on a fresh tin and who quite frankly have no idea what they're talking about. Let it age. When I opened this tin this morning, it was sparkling...a pipe smoker will know what I mean. I haven't smoked a fresh tin in a decade...there is a reason for that. Fortunately I have 10 tins of this stuff. HIGHLY recommend at least 6 years on it.

Pipe Used: Ashton

Age When Smoked: 6 years

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	BriarBoyo (5)	2019-10-31		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

This is a perfect example of a straight no nonsense Virginia. It's clearly an unappreciated blend as I've seen it in plenty of tobacconists in the UK as the only Dunhill left.

Smells like your average Virginia in the tin, no mature sour smell just fresh cut grass and a hint of citrus.

Nicotine is medium leaning towards strong. If you puff it hard it will not bite but the strength will hit you like you're chewing nicotine gum!

If you like your straight Virginias you can't go wrong with this. If you whack some Latakia in it it's heavenly too.

Anyone who slates this blend clearly doesn't know a good Virginia when its right under their nose!

Pipe Used: Ellison (Norwich) and Dunhill Bark Briar, Zulu

Age When Smoked: 3 years

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30124)	2019-02-27		Strong	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable to Strong

Nothing wrong with Ye Olde Signe! It's just a simple, straight-up, no frills VA blend with some Vitamin N punch. This blend like all pure VAs is best served up in a deeper bowl to achieve maximum flavor & a tastier smoke. Was there a great deal of flavor? Not initially but like a VA blend, it gets a little sweeter & tastier after some has burned off.

Was it like the Ye Olde Signe of old? I wouldn't have a clue but have read it was one of the finest VAs on the market. Was this re-release VA blend sweet on the palate?... not much initially but the VA sweetness increased after about 1/3 had burned off. This subtle sweetness remained and I thought it had an appealing flavor. It satisfied my taste buds & left a light sweetness on my palate for a little while after finishing off the mix in a large Cavicchi Dublin. This is a pretty darn good, straight Virginia.

Pipe Used: Cavicchi Dublin & D. S. Huber Bent Dublin

Age When Smoked: fresh Tin

Purchased From: Smoking Pipes

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	the_german (309)	2018-10-22		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

Since this may well be my final review on a new-to-me Dunhill blend, this makes me doubly sad. Lots of "classic" blends having been revived over the last few years, only to give up after a short time--reliable sources tell me that the Dunhill brand has ceased marketing pipe tobacco earlier this year. Unfortunately, this particular blend may give the smoker an idea why.

This being a blend of several VAs, the tin note is according, nothing unexpected. Typical Dunhill ribbons, sporting bright and brown colours, the scent being a warm, fruity, somewhat hay-ish aroma. Which would be expected from a VA blend. Stuffing and lighting this kind of ribbon is easy, so no problems there. The burn is a little fast, but well within control.

The flavours are sweet, but with a very noticeable sour component which jars a little. Subdued at the start, the flavours build up until the end of the bowl, which typically contains little to no dottle. I don't need any relights.

In my personal preferences, this is something Dunhill could have done without resurrecting. It is not in any way particularly bad. It just gently fails in so many dimensions that is is sort of a slow-mo desaster, without ever putting the smoker totally off the blend--I will finish my final tin of this blend, knowing no new ones will be made, and be happy in the knowledge that there are other pure VA blends out there, which are less sour, less pricey, less... ah, let's leave it at that.

Dunhill had a few great blends out there, which I will miss. This is not one of them.

Pipe Used: MM cobs, Wessex

Age When Smoked: Fresh from new tin

Purchased From: cigarworld.de

Similar Blends: HU Tobacco - Sunset (United Passion), Timm - No Name Gold.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	canvas (337)	2018-06-19		Strong	None Detected	Mild	Tolerable

I'm attempting to try as many Dunhil products as I can before they stop being produced. This one was however, was not my cup of tea and was crossed of my need-to-know list. The tin had a sour odor that did dissipate after airing out a few days, which then opened up to a very light moist earth/hay smell (which is a good thing).

Any subtle sweetness that may of lurked within however, did immediately burn off once lit, leaving a harsh heavy smoke that left a choking nicotine punch. I wouldn't say it was bitter, just not something the Mike team found enjoyable. The one positive was the soft thin ribbon cut that made packing a breeze

Truth be known, I generally don't care for Virginia dominant blends, but there are a few out there I don't mind (Escudo Navy De Luxe being one of the better ones) as they do a better job of delivering a smoother performance. While my enjoyment was at about one star, it didn't seem like a cheap product, so I'm painting 2 stars onto this Olde Signe.

Purchased From: pipesandcigars.com

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Skando (203)	2018-06-18		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

During the last couple of weeks, I have smoked one tin each of these three blends.

At the end, I’m pretty torn about which is the correct rating they deserve. And will go for the two stars.

All of them have a beautiful cut and the most correct dampness. All of them smoke cool and I’ve not experienced any biting. All of them need a dose of attention, just because the rushed smoke cause some undistinct or even bitter flavour.

These three virginias form a sort of scale, where Ready Rubbed is the mild-to-medium step, TYMV the medium, YOS the medium-to-strong. RR shows a well behaved fruity character. TYMV shows a milder fruit counterbalanced by a spicy tone. YOS shows a drier and mildly woody/cigarish tone. This latter is the one I prefer over the other couple.

I have never smoked their predecessors, and don’t want to sing the same old song of how Dunhill’s were in the days of yore. In my opinion, today the basic elements are just average quality, sure no boutique baccy. If they were sold at average prices, I would for sure smoke them often, because they are easy and pleasant. But that is not, therefore my choice goes elsewhere (Gawiths, just to make one name).

Will the production of Dunhill’s tobaccos cease ? I don’t see what’s to mourn about, but the memory of my smoker’s youth.

Pipe Used: Castello

Age When Smoked: fresh from tin

Purchased From: Wolsdorff Tobacco, Mannheim DE

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	BingCrosby (161)	2018-02-23		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Another decent Virginia in my opinion (seems like a veritable plethora of choices right now lol).. I get a subtle almost bread and honey thing going on. It can smoke hot compared to flakes so I try and pace myself... rich and tasty. Might cellar some... but so many other options at the moment.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Wibblefishofdoom (139)	2017-05-31		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Unnoticeable

I only bought this one as I was in my local b&m for a recent top of baccy and didn't have a clue what to buy and this just happened to be new in. I was hoping for something on the lines of a good earthy virginia with a possible hint of kentucky but didn't want to stray over old ground. Thus my purchase of this.

The tin note is very mild, to be honest I struggled to pick anything but I was warmed by the nice mix of dark and medium browns. It packs and lights very easily. It took me over half a tin to discern anything proper in terms of flavour but I think I got there. Since then the smoke itself begins with something ever so slightly fruity and slowly begins to deepen into something earthy and oaky. It seems to develop a certain sweetness occasionally too, perhaps licquorice. It almost reminds of a milder, more consistent St Bruno RR.

On the whole, I've grown to thoroughly enjoy this baccy, it's flavour isn't a full assault on the sense, it begins mild and slowly grows into something medium. It is a fond reminder of St. Bruno RR but is less fuller flavoured, though, unlike SBRR, it is more consistent. SBRR, IMHO, is good with moments of greatness, this is consistently great. It's so good I bought another tin the moment the funds became available.

Pipe Used: My Smoking Shop billiard

Age When Smoked: Fresh from tin

Purchased From: Cuban Cigar Club

Similar Blends: St. Bruno RR.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	The Sunday Evening Pipe Smoker (54)	2017-03-07		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

I find this one a tough one to describe. The tin note is difficult to describe. It is less pronounced than most tin notes I've experienced. Tin note is mild, but not sweet or the usual hay note you'd associate with Virginia. Rather a dry tin note if that makes sense.

Flavour wise, my first impression is that it has some similarities to a blend like 965, but it is not quite as smooth as 965. This one has a bit more of a kick, and that includes a fairly substantial nic-kick. I also find it somewhat bitter.

Overall I'd say this: if you're after something akin to halfway between 965 and Old Dark Fired.

I ended up giving the rest of the tin away. The bitterness is just not my thing, nor the nic-kick.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	moniker (217)	2017-01-01		Medium	Very Mild	Medium	Tolerable

A newly popped tin of Ye Olde Signe redux is filled with “perfect moisture”, gold to medium-brown ribbons that smell like old, dry yard trimmings and bulk wheat. The marketers claim it also smells like tea, and I guess I get that, too, though it’s not fragrant tea. It handles, loads, and lights OK, then it goes downhill from there, kind of scruffy and stuffy, muddled and blunt, dust bunny dry, with smoldering weed scents and flavors, along with some intermittent spices. For me, it’s dry to the point of parching if I’m not careful, just plain unpleasant, and now I wonder if this is the same VA they use in the newest version of Nightcap. If so, that would explain a lot. Yes, YOS tastes like VA, and YMMV, of course; but by now you can see where I’m going with this. Setting aside the parching, strength is just about medium. Tastes are about medium. Room note is tolerable. Aftertaste is not bad, +/- a generic VA, rather sweeter than the smoke.

I worked with this for some time before I gave up on it. With all the great VAs available today, including the likes of Dunhill’s own Flake, I ‘m stumped by this putative Ye Olde Signe redux. I’ve no desire to smoke it, and no reason to recommend it.

Pipe Used: various briars

Age When Smoked: from tin and jar

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Antonius Blok (190)	2020-09-25		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I was lucky to find four Dunhill tobaccos in a Madrid tobacconist in September 2020: Dark Flake, Ye Olde Signe, Royal Yacht and Ready Rubbed, with the added fortune that they are some years old. In this way and being as I am a new pipe smoker, I will not stay without trying some tobacco from the mythical brand. Kind of like being able to drive a Rolls Royce for a car fanatic. On the right day and time I prepared one of my favorite Virginias pipes to smoke and opened a tin of Ye Olde Signe with the childish excitement you can imagine. I accompany it with a coffee without sugar.

The tin is a 2oz screw-tight closure, with a nice drawing of a vintage gentleman smoking a clay pipe. When I open it, I find myself with tight, uniform and thin strands but without becoming a shag cut. The tobacco comes pressed and a bit dry, perhaps I should say, more exactly, a bit lacking in moisture. Brown colors with a predominance of medium and light colors and a typical aroma of other Virginias, of bread and hay a little sweet. Once the pipe is started, as expected, it ignites well and burns even without it taking any effort to keep it lit and without itching the tongue. In the taste it has a certain acidity and is a bitter point, reminiscent of tea (as some user rightly says) but I am surprised that it costs me so much to find the sweet taste that hints of the cold aroma inside the tin. Next time I'll taste it in a corn pipe trying to find that sweetness. During the smoke it maintains its strength and flavor fairly constant. The smoke is quite thick and pleasant.

I feel that in this case one tin has not been enough for a more accurate review. I have another one in the cellar, that when it touches it will be opened and I will be able to complete this review.

Pipe Used: Soler Freehand

Age When Smoked: 3 years

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Tomcat (212)	2020-09-05		Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Unnoticeable

Dunhill Ye Old Signe - I like this better than Royal Yacht . It has less casings and you can taste the tobaccos more . It tastes like a red Virginia to me . Some hay and grass but more malty and oatmeal and bread notes . A little citrus and does have the tea like flavor probably from the casings . A little cinnamon spice . A mellow smoke perfect for summer with a big nic hit . No bite or harshness . I hope they bring this back under the Peterson name . 3 1/2 stars for me .

Age When Smoked: 3 years +

Similar Blends: Royal Yacht.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pseudo Nim (128)	2020-01-09		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Ok, so this has come and gone again, well I won't shed any years. Not the worst red Virginia I've ever come across, but not the best either, I'm just finishing the one and only tin I bought a couple of Christmasses ago. Had it been a bit stronger in the flavour dept, along with the vitamin N, then I would have stocked up a bit. As things are, I got the one tin, which I don't regret, but neither shall I lament it's passing.

Pipe Used: Various briars

Age When Smoked: New to 2 years

Purchased From: GQ

Similar Blends: A more feeble rendition of Solani Silver Flake.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Cleonides (21)	2019-10-27		Strong	None Detected	Full	Pleasant

A straight virginia that is earthy, spicy and only slightly sweet. In the tin it smells like tea, a little moldering leaves, and that standard fruity virginia sweetness. It is strong in nicotine. A little spicy on the tongue and very spicy in the nose. Even with three years of age it has not smoothed or mellowed out much. I imagine some would call it a little rough.

The flavor is earthy and tea like with just a touch of sweetness. No breadiness. Full tobacco flavor. Almost definitely has a propylene glycol and sugar casing like all Dunhill blends. Maybe there is an additional flavoring as some have mentioned but I cannot detect anything. Hard to imagine there is no perique given the amount of spiciness, but who knows. Maybe it's just not my style, or maybe it's the quality(or lack there of) of the leaves, but either way this is not a blend I enjoy.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	TW (38)	2019-10-24		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I never tried Ye Old Sign before Dunhill deleted it for the first time, so I can't compare this version with the original.

Dunhill called YOS a dark Virginia blend - my tins have a lot of lemon Virginia in the mix and overall I'd say this is about as "dark" if flavour and mouth feel as Samuel Gawith's Medium Flake/Golden Glow (which are the same thing, just named differently in different markets), which is a pretty light flake.

It also reminds me of Golden Glow in flavour and aroma, except YOS has much less inclination to bite and has a lemon/citrus component the Gawith doesn't. YOS also has a slightly sweet and sour taste and a hint of dry, tea-like tannins. It makes me think of Dunhill's Va cigarettes from many years ago. I can't detect any added flavourings. It's fairly mild in the nicotine department and might make a "light it and forget it" all day blend.

The moisture level in the tin is a little damp, but still fine for smoking it straight away.

Overall it's good but nothing marvellous. Neither Charatan nor Peterson have revived it at the time I write this, I'm curious see if they do. If they don't there are plenty of other Va blends that, if not quite the same, are similar.

Pipe Used: Various.

Age When Smoked: new tins from Dunhill's final batch.

Purchased From: mysmokingshop.co.uk

Similar Blends: Samuel Gawith - Golden Glow, Orlik Tobacco Company A/S - Golden Sliced (Red Tin), Peterson - Gold Blend, Ogden's Gold Block.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Falliver (42)	2019-10-16		Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I remember sampling a bowl of this at my last meeting with the local pipe club, and bought a tin, remember the fruity sour-sweetness and slightly spicy after taste. A sweet tin aroma.

However, as I opened my tin, I found the aroma to be rather dull, but with some incensiness and sweetness. The tobacco was dry as paper. Granted, this might have been the difference from the original and the reissue, or just an unusual batch.

The mild flavour of this no-more-than medium bodied smoke retained some incense, but at the ashy side of the spectrum. Somewhat similar to Royal Yacht, but also quite different. However, also some of the marzipan sweetness I’m so fond, which also remained on the tongue post-smoke, is present in the smoke. Moisture has the leaves did not vastly improve of these qualities, but made the smoke last longer in the bowl.

Despite all this, it is well-suited after a meal. It was not Ye Olde Signe I was looking for (or wrongly remembered), and though somewhat of a letdown, a decent smoke. I found it smoked best in a small, bent briar.

Pipe Used: Norrøna Lillehammer 1212

Age When Smoked: From the tin

Purchased From: Augusto Cigar Oslo

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	mark81253 (18)	2019-02-18		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

Marvelous classic Virginia flavor. If this somehow pales to the original I would give my right arm to have some of that "backy"!! This is a very tasteful blend with succulent sweetness and a nice tart characteristic which appeals to my nose upon exhaling. This is what tobacco should taste like. No frills or flavorings, just consistent smoking pleasure. Easy to light, burns evenly with few relights. Virginia's, Vapers and Latakia blends are my smorgasbord of tobaccos and this blend has found it's permanent place in the Virginia category of my pallette. Try some, if you like Virginia's you will not be disappointed. Very much recommended.

Pipe Used: Carey's

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Pipes and Cigars

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	CarlC (18)	2018-10-26		Strong	None Detected	Full	Tolerable to Strong

I thought I was a veteran smoker until I tried this tobacco.Several times. Found it to smoke bitter.The nicotine component is not the issue.Royal Yacht that I smoked a tin of two years ago was FAR better.I think this could use some aging,say two to five years.So,that is what I am doing.I’ll give it a chance.Maybe it’s just me and the PH level in my mouth,but a newer tin of Standard Mixture Medium was bitter,also.

Pipe Used: Ropp new/old stock billiard

Age When Smoked: New,off the shelf

Purchased From: Smokingpipes.con

Similar Blends: No other.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Virginia lover (218)	2018-05-02		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

The smell in the tin reminds me of J. F. Germain & Son - Royal Jersey Perique Mixture somehow. The fermented Virginias are musty, chocolaty and have a definite black tea like smell or is it the cut that reminds more of tea?

Oddly enough, when smoked it has a lot of hay, earth and a spicy cigarlike taste, not much sweetness but some oats round up the flavor profile. Nicotine is on the full medium level making it a good after lunch or dinner tobacco. Could be an all day smoke for experienced Virginia smokers.

Virginia lover

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Antihero (17)	2017-11-12		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Tolerable

(Un?)fortunately I haven't had the luck to taste the old version. Apparently it was better and if Ihad known it I would possibly miss it. As it is, I'm quite happy with the new version. The overall handling is easy. The Ribbon Cut makes it easy to ignite and keep lit. The taste is that of moderately fermented Virginias, lighter and slightly darker ones, BUT with a VERY pleasant undertone (casing?) the like I've never tasted before and which makes this tobacco very unique imo. I will definitely buy it again. It burns dry and steady. Tongue bite is possible, also the taste will decline a little towards the end which is why I withhold the fourth star. But definitely worth a try for all Va-lovers!

Pipe Used: Several Briars, small and medium-sized

Age When Smoked: Fresh from tin

Purchased From: www.tabak-kontor.de

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	krg1000 (183)	2017-10-05		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

Since I was still smoking Marlboros back when this was last produced, I cannot compare that to what I recently purchased at my local B&M. I surely wish they wouldn't charge nearly twice as much for Dunhill as they do for Peterson here, simply because it is a "premium" brand, but i digress.

On the opening of the tin, your get that lovely Virginia smell right off and it definitely translates to the room note as well. Just a nice quality Virginia stuffed into my pipe for a very satisfying smoke. it behaves well and produces a fair amount of smoke and nicotine. All in all a good tobacco. It may not be close to the original, but again I cannot offer any insight into comparing this to its original back some 3 decades or so. I would say this is recommended for what it is.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	the_dalai_lama_himself (43)	2017-04-16		Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

I like virginias a lot usually, this blend isnt bad but it's pretty straightforward tho. Not much to rave about it, although very balanced and natural tasting.. very little moisture in the tin and no drying time necessary. The brown virginias dominate with Breads, nuts, earth and a little fruit and sugar and the light virginia adds some hay and citrus however very midrange.. probably won't be purchasing again anytime soon and storing it pressed in hopes it might meld into something better. Burns well. Might be good for an outdoor smoke while the suns out or on the porch. Could be an all day smoke if you enjoy it. 3 stars because it's basic and people will like it and has a decent fullness to it.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	NobbyR (79)	2017-01-24		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

To me this is the most interesting of the latest Dunhill re-releases. Described as " A Dark Virginia Blend" on the lid, this is supposed to be a classic English pipe tobacco.

It's a loose ribbon cut of medium to dark brown color. Suprising for a straight Virginia blend, the delicious, sweetish tin note has hints of nuts, chocolate, aniseed, cloves and dried fruits, which makes me wonder if there's a light casing involved. However, the scent doesn't seem synthetic to me.

I prefer the Frank method for filling the bowl. Even though the tobacco seems a little moist in a fresh tin, so you might want to let it dry a little, a god charring and true light will usually do the job.

Right from the start, it's clear that this is rather a full-boddied smoke as far as taste and niccotine content are concerned. There's a complex, deep nutty, chocolaty, malty sweetness combined with dark, flowery, earthy notes that become more pronounced towards the end. Tamped down occasionally, it'll burn down evenly leaving some grayish ash.

The room note is not a crowd pleaser, but tolerable.

Pipe Used: Parker Prince

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: Local Tobacconist

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Brunello (125)	2023-02-26		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Tolerable

Never had the original, never even saw it, and I’ve been smoking a pipe since 1979. When the re-release was presented with full fanfare I bought two tins, “one for now, one for later” as they say. The first tin I opened right away and was quite underwhelmed. I ended up using that in a tweaked version I called “Ye Olde Tavern” which was quite good (I simply drizzled on 8 mg honey mead and baked on low heat until dry). That fresh tin (pre-tweak) would have received two stars.

Fast forward as I waited five years to crack the second tin (IPSD 2022). Better: any rough edges were softened, and the flavors deeper. Jarred and waited another year (IPSD 2023). Now it’s starting to get somewhere. Maybe three and a half stars at this point. I’ll probably let it rest undisturbed a couple more years because I have a feeling it hasn’t reached peak yet. Could very well hit the four star mark.

For now, this is what I get: enticing jar note of fresh baked light brown bread with a fair amount of malted yeast, somewhat sweet green tea, a tickle of some faint baking spice. Once lit it burned cool and steady, and did not have any of the negative attributes that I dislike in Virginias (grassy chlorophyll or boring white bread taste). There is also a woody spice (almost a cumin spice I’d say) and background of molasses. I’d say the casing formula and fermentation process combine to give this blend its primary distinctive character, which I like. So, for now, more of a like than a love, but it keeps getting better. If you’ve got tins in your cellar, wait a couple more years!

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Ocelot (31)	2022-08-03		Very Strong	Very Mild	Mild	Tolerable

Oh my...this blend is pretty strong. It always shock me how this straight Virginia can be so strong. Flavor is natural with some hints of tea-like aroma. I cannot enjoy it. My tin goes to the friend of mine. He will enjoy it better. :)

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	The Harbor Seal (12)	2020-02-15		Strong	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

Kinda sucks to write a review about a blend currently unavailable. But perhaps there will be a comeback in the future, many of the Dunhill blends have had quite a rough past with being on and off the market.

Beautiful tin art: to be honest, this was among one of my first nonaromatic blends and the tin design was one of the points for picking the blend, just like Elizabethan Mixture.

Tin note: typically dark virginia with some hints of lighter grassy and hay notes.

Taste: initially some sweet and light notes that compliment the more darker bready and yeasty notes. Towards the middle of the bowl, the lighter notes disappear and are replaced by a nutty aroma reminiscent of burley.

Overall, a pretty good blend but I recommend using a small bowl. This is a high nicotine blend that fits after a generous dinner.

Pipe Used: Stanwell Zebrano w/ 9 mm charcoal filter

Age When Smoked: 2016

Purchased From: pfeifen-shop-online.de

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30124)	2019-04-20		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

Why do we smoke a pipe? Is it because we enjoy the flavor of the many varied blends of pipe tobaccos produced? That's the only reason I smoke a pipe... because I enjoy the flavor of many pipe tobacco blends... some are wimpy, worthless, bland, lacking any, or in some "cases" too much flavor & bite you like a hungry Grizzly. Some are strong with good flavor that smoke mildly which is my preference. At the charring light, I didn't think I was going to like this due to a little bite. Using the DGT method, that issue was resolved.

Ye Olde Signe is just a simple, straight-up, no frills VA blend with some Vitamin N punch. This blend like all pure VAs is best served up in a deeper bowl to achieve maximum flavor & a tastier smoke. Was there a great deal of flavor? Not initially but like a VA blend, it gets a little sweeter & tastier after some has burned off. Was it like the Ye Olde Signe of old? I wouldn't have a clue but have read it was one of the finest VAs on the market. Was this re-release VA blend sweet on the palate?... not much initially but the VA sweetness increased after about 1/3 had burned off. Still, not a great deal of sweetness compared to some but enough to satisfy my taste buds toward the end & left a lingering sweetness on my palate for a little while after finishing off the mix in a large Cavicchi Dublin.

Also, this blend isn't that moist to begin with & has a fairly fast burn rate. I just dry out enough to get a little crispy & fill a bowl using the 1,2,3 method. In that respect, it required only one relight after picking & tamping. There was hardly any condensation produced but the dottle was a little moist. Now, as I have spent this much time writing this review, I can still taste a slight, lingering sweetness. I can't comment much on the strength because I don't inhale but I believe it would most likely rise above the medium & closer to the strong category.

As stated earlier, I'm just into pipe smoking for the sheer pleasure of a fine tobacco flavor with a little punch that will absorb into membranes rather than pave my lungs with nicotine asphalt. YOS surprised me as I wasn't expecting it to be as strong & that was a plus for me. I wanted to rate this a four but just couldn't bring myself to rate it that high. This was not a total bell ringer for me but it's a pretty good VA blend... not quite sweet enough to suit me as a superior quality VA blend might. However, I feel like a little aging will work magic on this blend. Coming from a fresh tin, its semi-sweet character wasn't bad at all. It deserves at least three stars.

Pipe Used: Cavicchi (C) Dublin, 6" Meerschaum Billiard

Age When Smoked: Fresh Tin

Purchased From: Smoking Pipes

Similar Blends: Royal Yacht but not as strong, maybe a little like Best Brown Flake...

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30124)	2018-12-13		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Mild	Overwhelming

Why do we smoke a pipe? Is it because we enjoy the flavor of the many varied blends of pipe tobaccos produced? That's the only reason I smoke a pipe... because I enjoy the flavor of many pipe tobacco blends... some are wimpy, worthless, bland, lacking any, or in some "cases" too much flavor & bite you like a hungry Grizzly. Some are strong with good flavor that smoke mildly which is my preference. At the charring light, I didn't think I was going to like this due to a little bite. Using the DGT method, that issue was resolved.

Ye Olde Signe is just a simple, straight-up, no frills VA blend with some Vitamin N punch. This blend like all pure VAs is best served up in a deeper bowl to achieve maximum flavor & a tastier smoke. Was there a great deal of flavor? Not initially but like a VA blend, it gets a little sweeter & tastier after some has burned off. Was it like the Ye Olde Signe of old? I wouldn't have a clue but have read it was one of the finest VAs on the market. Was this re-release VA blend sweet on the palate?... not much initially but the VA sweetness increased after about 1/3 had burned off. Still, not a great deal of sweetness compared to some but enough to satisfy my taste buds toward the end & left a lingering sweetness on my palate for a little while after finishing off the mix in a large Cavicchi Dublin.

Also, this blend isn't that moist to begin with & has a fairly fast burn rate. I just dry out enough to get a little crispy & fill a bowl using the 1,2,3 method. In that respect, it required only one relight after picking & tamping. There was hardly any condensation produced but the dottle was a little moist. Now, as I have spent this much time writing this review, I can still taste a slight, lingering sweetness. I can't comment much on the strength because I don't inhale but I believe it would most likely rise above the medium & closer to the strong category.

As stated earlier, I'm just into pipe smoking for the sheer pleasure of a fine tobacco flavor with a little punch that will absorb into membranes rather than pave my lungs with nicotine asphalt. YOS surprised me as I wasn't expecting it to be as strong & that was a plus for me. I wanted to rate this a four but just couldn't bring myself to rate it that high. This was not a total bell ringer for me but it's a pretty good VA blend... not quite sweet enough to suit me as a superior quality VA blend might. However, I feel like a little aging will work magic on this blend. Coming from a fresh tin, its semi-sweet character wasn't bad at all. It deserves at least three stars.

Pipe Used: Cavicchi (C) Dublin / 6" Meerschaum Billiard

Age When Smoked: Fresh Tin

Purchased From: Smoking Pipes

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	DrumsAndBeer (217)	2018-10-01		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

A blend that I would simply categorize as a decent, somewhat easy-going ribbon cut Virginia. The tin note is raisin-like with a mellow fermented tobacco aroma to go along with the typical grassy Virginia notes. Ye Olde Signe is labeled as “A Dark Virginia Blend.” However, visually it’s more of an equal-portion blend of brown and light tan ribbons with a few reddish strands present in the mix.

The general flavor is crisp, dry & brighter than I expected. I couldn't pick up on the natural tea-like scent in the tin aroma suggested by the manufacturer, however the smoke finishes with a pleasant astringency which is reminiscent of strong black tea. The flavors do deepen as the bowl warms, giving hints of citrus, toasted grain and a few subtle woodsy notes.

What I enjoyed most about smoking Ye Olde Signe is that the light astringency remains throughout the bowl but it never presses. And while the finish does become a bit spicy the smoke remains fresh tasting and slightly effervescent. The room note is that of pure tobacco, which may or may not be appreciated by the non-smoker.

Altogether a no-frills straight Virginia mixture that burns even with no bite, moderate strength and a consistent flavor profile.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30124)	2018-09-24		Strong	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Why do we smoke a pipe? Is it because we enjoy the flavor of the many varied blends of pipe tobaccos produced? That's the only reason I smoke a pipe... because I enjoy the flavor of many pipe tobacco blends... some are wimpy, worthless, bland, lacking any, or in some "cases" too much flavor & bite you like a hungry Grizzly. Some are strong with good flavor that smoke mildly which is my preference. At the charring light, I didn't think I was going to like this due to a little bite. Using the DGT method, that issue was resolved. Ye Olde Signe is just a simple, straight-up, no frills VA blend with some Vitamin N punch. This blend like all pure VAs is best served up in a deeper bowl to achieve maximum flavor & a tastier smoke.

Was there a great deal of flavor? Not initially but like a VA blend, it gets a little sweeter & tastier after some has burned off. Was it like the Ye Olde Signe of old? I wouldn't have a clue but have read it was one of the finest VAs on the market. Was this re-release VA blend sweet on the palate?... not much initially but the VA sweetness increased after about 1/3 had burned off. Still, not a great deal of sweetness compared to some but enough to satisfy my taste buds toward the end & left a lingering sweetness on my palate for a little while after finishing off the mix in a large Cavicchi Dublin. Also, this blend isn't that moist to begin with & has a fairly fast burn rate. I just dry out enough to get a little crispy & fill a bowl using the 1,2,3 method. In that respect, it required only one relight after picking & tamping. There was hardly any condensation produced but the dottle was a little moist. Now, as I have spent this much time writing this review, I can still taste a slight, lingering sweetness. I can't comment much on the strength because I don't inhale but I believe it would most likely rise above the medium & closer to the strong category.

As stated earlier, I'm just into pipe smoking for the sheer pleasure of a fine tobacco flavor with a little punch that will absorb into membranes rather than pave my lungs with nicotine asphalt. YOS surprised me as I wasn't expecting it to be as strong & that was a plus for me. I wanted to rate this a four but just couldn't bring myself to rate it that high. This was not a total bell ringer for me but it's a pretty good VA blend... not quite sweet enough to suit me as a superior quality VA blend might. However, I feel like a little aging will work magic on this blend. Coming from a fresh tin, its semi-sweet character wasn't bad at all. It deserves at least three stars.

Pipe Used: Large Cavicchi (C) Canted Dublin

Age When Smoked: Fresh Tin

Purchased From: Pipes & Cigars

Similar Blends: Will get back to you all on this. I haven't smoked a pipe in a few years. Have been smoking Cuban seed, Dominican cigars for the past few years but missed the flavor of pipe tobacco. "We're back".

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	steppx (186)	2017-06-26		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild	Pleasant

nothing at all to do with the original. I guess its an average sort of virginia blend. But is irritating that the Dunhill people think pipe smokers are morons. This is not at all like the original Ye Olde Signe , which was, it should be said, fantastic. The scandi tobacco group seems to use the same lightly stoved virginia in all their dunhill copies. And it must be said, these are rather boring virginia (a bit like stokkebye in fact, which has the virtue of being a price bargain). Its simply not the old Dunhill version.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Stefanos (222)	2017-06-07		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

Tin note is very interesting and quite intense. It is yeasty/bready and nutty with a stewed fruit note. It comes in a nice narrow ribbon cut, typical Dunhill style and needs maybe just a few minutes of drying. Behaves very well as all Dunhill blends and smokes at a decent pace.

It has a nice natural tobacco taste, not very sweet, mildly tangy, yeasty and bready with a touch of smokiness and wood. It leaves a mildly bitter aftertaste. Strength is medium and flavor intensity is past medium, so it is flavorful, and when you smoke it you know you are smoking. Nicotine-wise while not strong it contains a healthy dose.

A very nice uncomplicated smoke - but never dull - of dark yeasty Virginia flavours. It reminds me a little of Robert McConnels Scottish Cake though in a drier and toned down manner, after all Scottish Cake is a Vaper. Quite good actually. An excellent everyday tobacco with a nice and simple tobacco taste when nothing extraordinary is needed.

Similar Blends: Robert McConnels Scottish Cake.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Christrom (34)	2017-05-30		Medium to Strong	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Not bad at all. It is yeasty, bready and does remind me of a strong pg tips. It packed and lit without any effort and smoked easily. Even with a charcoal filter the nicotine content was pretty weighty. It won't set your world on fire, but does give you a very dependable 'put that in your pipe and smoke it' experience.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Raizel_234 (8)	2016-12-11		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

I've never had the original (to young for that). Taken on its own merits this is a good blend. I don't get any of the citrus notes I associate with some VA blends, but there is that grassy/hay essence here. Mostly what I got out of this was a mild sweet smoke. I'll definitely be ordering a few more tins of this stuff!

Pipe Used: Cobs and one Edwards briar

Age When Smoked: Fresb

Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	dixcreek (182)	2016-12-09		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Have waited for this one to come around. Description is of fermented straight Virginia, believe that is true from the tea like tin note. That Note to be more specific puts me in mind of Elmwood teas Kentucky Blend. I don't know but it would be my guess that leaves from the entire stalk were used in this one. Red tips golden lug leaf and lemon colored trash or flying. All have a bit of a different profile but do work well. Taste is semi sweet fresh hay and maybe a hint of citrus. The fermentation process causes my mouth to tingle a bit such as with strong tea. The cut allows for easy packing and light and few relights are required. Smokes to god fine light to medium grey ash. From the content and initial reaction I feel this will cellar well. Solid 3 to 3-1/2 with potential for a 4. Good straight Va.

Pipe Used: MM morgan

Age When Smoked: Right off the boat

Purchased From: Smoking pipes

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JaWiBr (430)	2023-02-07		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Tin note of fermented sour, vegetation, and bread. Tobacco is a Ribbon cut of orangish brown, tan and a little dark brown mixed in. Moisture content is great. Burns fast with few relights. The strength is medium and nic is mild. No flavoring detected. Taste is medium and mostly consistent, with notes of zesty, fermented sour, floral, leather, very wood, spice, bread, orange peel, bitter, hay/vegetation, dry earth, mildly savory, a tart and tangy citrus background note, and a peppery retro. Room note is pleasant to tolerable, and aftertaste is good.

Pipe Used: 1992 Ashton Sovereign XX Billard

Age When Smoked: 5 years

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	HWM (11)	2022-07-07		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I nice VA blend that has a full taste and bit of spice. A good Nic content and a really pleasant smell. Not terribly complex but good for pairing with something brown in a glass and a lively conversation. After buying one tin from my local tobacconist I got another to age. Recommended.

Pipe Used: Peterson System Pipe

Age When Smoked: Unknown

Purchased From: Piedmont Tobacconist

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	DrT999 (317)	2021-10-21		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This blend is . . . ok. There is just a hint of 'flavoring', mostly in the aftertaste. The VAs are solid, but unremarkable. Like all Dunhill-style ribbons, it burns a tad on the fast side. Like others, I can see why Peterson didn't bother bringing this out; for what it is, it is a solid, easy-smoking, unremarkable, C+/B- blend.

Pipe Used: cobs & meers

Age When Smoked: 4 years, 7 months

Purchased From: pipes & cigars

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	ATW (110)	2021-10-12		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

I just purchased my first tin of Ye Ole Signe. Date code is September 2016, so it has a good 5 years of age. I purchased Ye Ole Signe based off a tin of Robert McConnell Shakespeare (formerly The Old Sign) I had a couple of years ago. I never did a review on it but I know I wasn't a fan of it. This won't be a direct comparison but I will mention a thing or two about Shakespeare.

The aroma from the tin is plumb/stewed fruit but I did fade away after a few minutes. Looking at the tobacco, it's mostly dark and light brown ribbons with a few faded yellow ribbons. 5 years of age does show well in the tin due to a light sugar crystal sheen. Moisture is a little on the dry side but not bad.

From beginning to end, ye ole signe is very consistent is the dody building up the further down the bowl it goes. Flavor wise its nutty, dark, and very bready with hardly no sweetness at all. It does get a little harsh and more robust as the bowl goes down.

Overall this isn't a very exciting Virginia blend. Shakespeare does have more sweetness of YOS but has a obvious topping that kind of ruins it. YOS is pretty plain. I find Elizabethan Mixture much more flavorful, sweeter, and smoother then YOS. I can see why YOS didn't make the cut under the Peterson name. Not bad but not great.

Age When Smoked: 5 years

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Viscfab (36)	2020-08-19		Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

A fine ribbon cut bright and red - not dark as the tin says VA blend that has a bready and tea note from the tin. Moisture content is ready to pack in the pipe and burns a bit fast. Better enjoyed in small puffs, enjoying the nostril haling and retrohaling. Delivers medium depth flavours of bread and earth.... I get no citrus nor tanginess found on richer VA blends... It is for me very similar to Elizabethan Mixture, except it has no perique so less nose spice. I assume that this blend would benefit from aging but it would really benefit if it was hot pressed into flakes. Overall an OK VA blend, not one of my faves. Medium nic hit.

Pipe Used: Several 9mm

Age When Smoked: 1-2 years

Purchased From: Brick and mortar in a trip to USA

Similar Blends: Dunhill Elizabethan Mixture.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	AshenWanderer (7)	2019-10-12		Medium	Medium	Medium to Full	Pleasant

What a tobacco!

It has a very full taste and a relatively strong nicotine hit. The Virginia has a powerful and rich taste which is fantastic for an all day smoke. Additionally it has a very earthy undertone.

My only slight issue is that it burns pretty hot and fast, but at least it stays moist ready to smoke.

Overall I would definitely recommend it as it has a very classic and fine taste.

Pipe Used: Peterson 31, Barling Londoner

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: My Smoking Shop

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