Dunhill Fine Cut — Rebranded

Our sample package design matches the pre-rebranding version of 2018. Remember? This is when the “red” Dunhill was taken off the market, and the Dunhill crest disappeared from the design of the remaining varieties — with the remnants of the once prestigious Royal Warrant.

The back side of the pack still has the trademark “legend”, which explains why the series is called “Fine Cut”. And this design also mentions the blend of the branded pack consisting of Virginia and Orientals called “Swiss Blend”.

The technological packaging of cigarettes inspires confidence — the cigarettes are enclosed in a plastic sheath with an adhesive tab. More experts from Marlboro argued that this technology allows you to maximize the preservation of cigarette aroma.

The main differences of the updated Dunhill consisted in the “removal” of the traditional symbols for the brand — from the Royal Order to the branded “button” with the letter “D”. The technological difference between cigarettes is hidden under the thick filter paper — in today’s version the filter is solid, made of acetate fiber, but in the Russian version it already has two sections, where one of the “drums” was saturated with coal crumbs.

Moving on to the most interesting thing — let’s compare the contents of the casings. The same very conventional “fine cut” and the abundance of vein cuts. And the blend itself is light, without serious color “anomalies”. The cutting of the blend is also identical — different-sized ribbons, equally varied flakes and an abundance of ‘blown’ vein cuts. Vein volume, purely visually, is represented here by almost a quarter of the entire mixture.

Another, although conditional, difference lies in the declared tar-characteristics of cigarettes. So, the Dunhill sample of 2019 had 10 mg “on board”, resin and 0.9 mg. nicotine. But the new Dunhill has already noticeably “improved” — resin 7 mg., Nicotine 0.7 mg.

But the most important thing is, of course, the taste characteristics of the smoke. And here the main disappointment awaits. Of course, there is a flavour, and it is even tobacco, the hay-woody notes characteristic of the Virginia blend is quite distinguishable. But there is no trace of the “prune” of Dunhill’s previous version. Although there was not a lot of it, it somehow diversified the bouquet, because this version also gives off the feeling that the taste is “diluted with water”.

In the end, I can’t say that I liked them. Flat taste, poor bouquet, low strength and satiety — all this excludes this brand from my favorites.

Do you know these cigarettes? And what impressions did they leave on you? I look forward to your comments!