Dunhill Apertif Clone

Maiking a Latakia blend whole leaf plug. Worked on de-stemming the red Virginia and cased it with the plum casing I used for the Virginia/burley plug.

Thumbed through Goff’s book since it was full of English/Balken blends and settled on this recipe called Cajun Muse. Modified it by casing the Bright and Red Virginia with plum casing.   Plum casing is made from 100g sugar to 100g water by weight.  Add in a tablespoon of Brewer's Best Plum Extract and a cap full of white vinegar.  Bring to a boil and let cool down.  Spray 2oz on 1 lb of whole leaf Red Virginia after de-stemming and the same for Bright Virginia.  No need to case Latakia, Izmir or Perique.

Latakia 37.5% (6 of 16 parts)
Oriental 12.5% (2 of 16 parts) (I used Izmir)
Virginia Bright 12.5% (2 of 16 parts) (plum casing)
Virginia Red 25% (4 of 16 parts) (plum casing)
Perique 12.5% (2 of 16 parts)

Dropped it in the frame press two weeks ago and then moved it to a C-Clamp the next morning. I have to say I am impressed on how this plug looks. With the summer plugs I would keep them clamped and stored in the hot truck as a poor man’s stoving. The plug was slightly sticky, likely from the perique and sliced up nice but almost like a broken flake.

This is very enjoyable right out of the press. After slicing up with an antique plug cutter with a blade made by Bingham Knifeworks I loaded up the Savinelli 605. Initial light was wow and immediately thought of Nightcap. After about a minute it occurred to me this is a Dunhill Apertif clone. Back when I first started smoking a pipe I use to smoke Dunhill London Mixture, Nightcap and Apertif pretty much exclusively.

Dunhill Apertif is a Scottish blend with Cavendish, Latakia, Oriental/Turkish, Virginia. This plug I made does not have Cavendish but it is real close.

You cannot buy Dunhill Apertif anymore and even the release under Peterson does not offer it (yet?). You can get a close from Robert McConnell called St. James Park.

This one was a winner and I have already blended up another plug and put it in the press. Here are pictures of the second plug.

And made a third plug is made