Jim's HU Reviews (by JimInks)

[Tobias Lutz]

( originally posted by @JimInks )

Scotney:
The Virginias are earthy, tangy sweet (indicating red Va. is one of them) with a touch of citrus, and very slightly grassy. The perique is plum, fig and dried fruit with some pepper. The amount of perique is ten percent of the components. The lightly applied topping is tomato sweet, but it doesn't taste ketchupy. Somehow, it seems to meld well with the tobaccos as the flavor is consistent all the way to the finish. Not as complex as some of Hans' other blends, it is a medium strength lightly aromatic broken flake that is easily rubbed out. It has a mild to medium nic-hit, and is more than a once a day pleasure. It burns smooth, slow, cool, and dry, requiring only a few relights, and leaving no dottle.

Sunset:
A variety of light, dark, and red Virginias work together to create a super smooth, creamy medium bodied flake with a little complexity. Minor grass notes intermingled with earth, honey, citrus and tangy sweetness with a slight tartness. All natural flavors with no topping, it burns slow, cool, and even with no dottle, which seems to be a trademark of HU products. There are many good flakes in this genre, but few match the elegance of taste inherent in this one. Should age exceptionally well, but is wonderful right out of a newly bought tin.

Tillerman:
The choice Virginias have a little earthiness and grass to them though the sweetness is somewhat sublimated by the added flavorings, one of which has an alcohol base. There's an occasional mild spice note that helps prevent this from being a one dimensional aromatic, though this isn't the most complex blend made by this company. The chocolate is light as is the nuttiness from one of the toppings. Smooth and creamy with a nice after taste and room note, but it's not a flavor bomb. The nic-hit is very mild. A mild to medium flake designed to offer an all day pleasantness.

Zulu:
Zulu is consistently smokey, woodsy, and earthy, with the latakia being the major player, though this is not a one dimensional lat-bomb. Smooth and creamy with tasty spice from the perique, dark fired Kentucky, and Oriental Djebel, there's also room for a slight nutty, brown sugar sweetness from the burley. I also get a slight plum note which must be coming from the perique. It's so well proportioned that I don't miss the absence of Virginia, which is usually a staple ingredient in English bends. Burns perfectly with almost no relights, and virtually no moisture at the finish. Not a harsh note to be found either. I recommend a wide bowl for the total experience of what this has to offer.

[JimInks]

Asmara:
The mildly spicy, woody, creamy Orientals hit you as soon as you light up and are noticeable in every puff to the finish, though the other tobaccos show up more often before the half way point. While it does dominate the other components a little, it doesn’t drown them out. The bright and red Virginias add a light touch of citrus and sweet, dark, dried ripe fruit with a mild earth note. I notice the latter flavors from the red Virginia more than I notice the characteristics from the bright. The perique offers a little spice, plum, fig, and raisins in a supporting role. The latakia is a minor addition, but it shows up here and there for a smoky, woody push with the taste you expect it to have, though you won’t detect much of it. The various flavors work well together with some subtleness as some tobaccos take a little more prominence than others at different times, but not enough to upset the overall complex balance of the product. Burns well, cool, clean, and even, requiring very few relights. Leaves virtually no moisture in the bowl, and has a nice after taste. The nic-hit and strength is mild, and the taste is just above that, making for a pleasant all day smoke.


RaiKo ChocoLat:
The very smokey, woody sweet latakia is the dominant component by almost fifty percent, though this is no lat-bomb. The bright and stoved Virginias are stewed fruit sweet with some citrus, earth, and a touch of grass, and are evident in every puff. The burley is a supporting player: nutty sweet, and it may have some cocoa, though that is hard to tell because of the mild chocolate topping, which is rich in flavor and sweetness. The unsweetened black cavendish provides a creaminess that helps tone down any potential rough edges. The sweetness is not over done, and is amply complimented by the smokiness of the latakia. The nic-hit is a step past the mild mark. The strength is a shade past mild, and the taste is mild to medium. Burns well, cool and clean with a well balanced, consistent taste that never weakens, and is devoid of both harsh and dull notes. An all day smoke that burns to the last shred of tobacco with a pleasantly lingering after taste.