Manufactured in a century-old brick building in picturesque Lauenburg, Germany, Dan Pipe Tobacco has gained quite a worldwide reputation among smokers, with a wide variety of blends and cuts offered. Andreas Mund became the successor in charge of production when Master Blender Jürgen Westphal retired, and is assisted by Heiko Behrens as well as Michael Apitz of Dan Pipe.
The Mallard from Dan Tobacco is a pure Virginia ribbon-cut mixture featuring Virginias from Zambia, all carefully fermented and aged. With no added flavorings, it highlights the natural sweetness and richness of Virginia tobaccos. In the The Mallard Flake Plus Perique version, that base of Virginias is complemented by a touch of Perique before being pressed and cut into flakes.
The Perique is moderately spicy, with a touch of dates and prune. The Virginias bring a fair amount of honey, hay, some citrus sweetness and minor earth and wood notes. They also have a tangy aspect, but it is rather constrained. I also get some sort of herb, probably thyme. Overall the taste is somewhat tangy with a consistent medium strength. The Perique is in the background, always noticeable, playing off the sweetness brought by the Virginias. It is not complex, but it has no dull or boring.
TYPE: Non-Aromatic
CUT: Flake
CONTAINER SIZE: 50 gram Tins
STRENGTH: Medium
ROOM NOTE: Medium
FLAVORING: None
TASTE: Medium
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