Jim's HU Reviews (by JimInks)

( originally posted by @JimInks )

Here are my reviews for HU blends I have tried.

Bahia Orange:
The orange flavor immediately presents itself at first light in a mild to medium way. It's always noticeable, but never dominates the show.After a few puffs, the dark chocolate called out to my taste buds in a very pleasing, but delicately mild whisper. The chocolate gets even more subtle as you go along, but you always feel it's there. Burns slowly, even and leaves no dottle.

Balkan Passion:
The latakia is sweet, woodsy, smokey and doesn’t overwhelm the other components. The Virginia is sweet and slightly tangy. The Louisiana perique is peppery as are the Orientals, which add a little spice and wood, too. Mildly sweet with some tartness and a few dry notes, I do detect an extremely mild topping that I can’t identify, but it doesn’t detract from the natural flavors of the ingredients in any way. Well balanced in its complexity, you taste nearly all the varieties of the tobaccos in every puff. Burns well with no dottle. It has enough strength to satisfy, and is smooth and creamy enough to repeat during your smoking day.

Director's Cut:
I'm not comparing this to the Vaper Bell's Three Nuns, but there have been times as I've smoked a bowl that I got a sense of that flavor. I think there's a little more perique and certainly more burley here than either the old or new Three Nuns. This is also a stronger smoke with more variety of flavors, all of which are amazingly wonderful. The perique is spicy and raisin/fig-like, so it's very complimentary without dominating the other tobaccos. The Kentucky is a tasty presence, at just the right amount to notice. Depending on how you stack the tobacco in the bowl, the flavor will change as you smoke it down. Sweet, spicy and a little sour at various times from puff to puff, there's not a weak or bad puff ever. Because it is very complex, the bigger the bowl you smoke it in, the more you will value the experience. One of the many things I really enjoy is that this has a full rounded smoke and doesn't overwhelm you any. I sure wish it was available for sale in the US. One of the best tobacco mixtures I've ever smoked.

Dockworker:
The spicy Malawi burley is top notch, and is chocolatey and slightly nutty with some earthiness. There's more spice from the Orientals that amps up the flavor with a touch of Turkish lingering in the back ground. The Virginia plays a back up role, but I get a hint of citrus and grass from it. The description say there's no topping, but I taste berries and fruit along with the chocolate. The flake breaks apart rather easily, burns slow, even and well with hardly a relight, and as is the case with most HU blends, leave almost no moisture. Almost sweet enough to be an aromatic, but it never crosses the line, and has enough going for it to please almost any smoker.

Edward G.:
This is a coin cut and loose broken flake mixture. I think it does taste a lot like Director's Cut, and agree with Steel Cowboy that the coins are the same as DC's coins. If there's any flavoring added, I sure don't notice it. This is a little more sweet and sour than DC is, with maybe a little more tartness and malt, too. The perique is noticeable is a good way, and adds nice spice and plum/raisin notes to the Kentucky and Virginias. Depending upon how you break up the coins (if you do), and add the broken flake, the flavors can change as you smoke down the bowl. I like that very much, though I prefer to stack the coins with some loose broken flake at the top and bottom.
I don't know why they named this after Edward G. Robinson, but it's nothing like the American version, which is mildly aromatic. It doesn't matter. This is a great mixture with enough strength to please without over taxing your senses.

( originally posted by @JimInks )

Fayyum Kake:
A rich, full bodied English, creamy and smooth from start to finish. The Cyprian latakia is smokey sweet, and boldly takes the lead without turning this blend into a latakia-bomb. The black cavendish adds a mellow sweetness with no vanilla. The Kentucky is slightly spicy, and full of the flavors you expect as it plays back up with a hint of cocoa. The Virginia is naturally sweet and earthy, setting the stage for the other ingredients. The cake itself is a little moist and breaks apart with ease. Not a harsh note to be found, it burns well and smoother than your average English. It does leave a slight moisture in the bottom at the finish if you don't dry it just a little, but it's not goopy or unpleasant. A perfect evening blend that even less experienced smokers in this genre will enjoy.

Flanagan:
The boldness of the dark fired Kentucky merges with the spicy Orientals and a light addition of perique to create a tasty, tingly, mildly sweet, fairly earthy flavor. The earthy sweetness comes from the various Virginias, which is also naturally sweet. The Kentucky is woodsy and a bit smokey with spice. I get a hint of nuttiness at times, too. It's fairly consistent in taste, though at times, the spice is more prominent than other times. Burns even, slow and dry with no harshness. If you like spicy blends that have strength and some complexity, but won't knock you off your feet, you'll find this an enjoyable experience. Goes exceptionally well with coffee or tea, and if it fits your flavor profile, you'll smoke it more than once a day.

Haymaker:
A flake comprised of several varieties of Virginia with no topping. The natural sweetness of the Virginias create a mild citrus flavor which is complimented by some grass, hay, and earth notes. It reminds me of a more natural, little stronger version of Dunhill Flake. The flake is easy to rub out if you aren’t a “fold and stuff” smoker, but either way you pack it gives you a perfectly burn rate with a consistent taste and no dottle. Not much nicotine here as it is designed to an excellent all day smoke that doesn’t wear out your taste buds. As good as it is fresh, I imagine with age, it’ll be even better. Well worth cellaring.

Imagine:
The Virginias offer citrus, grass, and a few earth notes, along with a slight tangy hit. The perique is sweetly plumy and lightly spicy, and is a minor player in the game. I notice a very light sweet topping, though it does not detract from the natural flavors of the ingredients. The Virginias are slightly fermented, indicating they have a little age on them. It’s a little moist in the tin, so you may want to dry it a mite, but not so much that you’ll lose some flavor. As with all of the HU blends I have tried, it’s smooth, burns slow, well and even and cool with virtually no dottle.

Indaba:
The Virginias are richly earthy with a touch of grass and natural citrusy sweetness. There’s a little spiciness from the dark-fired Virginia that blends well with the mild spice and sweet nuttiness from the Kentucky. Overall, the spice content is a little short of medium, so it doesn’t overtake the other flavors. At times, I get a very subtle cocoa note from the Kentucky. While there are more Virginias here than Kentucky, the presence of the latter is obvious in every puff, adding a pleasing complexity. It’s a medium strength broken flake that burns well and cool with a creamy smoothness.

Joschi's Oriental Sunrise:
I've had to smoke a bit of this before deciding how to rate and describe it. Only high quality tobaccos were used here. The Kentucky burley has a slight pistachio flavor and light, light sweetness with a very slight earthiness to it. It's as light a Kentucky burley flavor as can be and yet, it compliments the other flavors nicely. Without it, the mixture would be very boring. The perique is very mild, and plays almost at the same level as the burley does. The Orientals are tasty and medium; this is not an Oriental-bomb. I like the natural medium sweetness of the Virginia which sets the base for the other ingredients. It's an all day, tasty, creamy smoke that especially goes well with tea and coffee. I prefer to smoke it in a big bowl to get the nuance of the varying flavors. Well worth smoking for anyone who wants a mild to medium tobacco blend.

Khoisaan:
The tingly spice from the perique and fired cured Virginia hits you from the first puffs to the very last as it perfectly melded with an ample amount of smokey, woodsy Syrian latakia. There’s some plumy sweetness from the perique and a natural citrusy, earthy sweetness from the Virginias. The full bodied complexity of the blend never weakens, and the nic-hit is filling without blowing out your senses. It’s an exceptionally well balanced spicy ribbon cut Balkan with a smooth creaminess that burns well with very little moisture at the finish. Not an all day smoke, but if you are dedicated to this genre of tobaccos or new to English mixtures, you’ll enjoy the experience.

Louisiana Broken:
The natural sweetness of the high quality Virginia works very well with the peppery perique. The Kentucky is just noticeable and adds a slight tartness for contrast. It's a creamy smoke with enough power to keep you interested, but it's not a perique-bomb. And the Virginia smokes cool with a medium nic-hit. It's not that complex a blend, but it doesn't have to be. There's enough going to on to appreciate the variety of flavors present without complicating matters. Like all the HU tobaccos I have tried, it burns very well and evenly right to the very bottom of the bowl. A well thought out combination of ingredients make this a filling smoke that doesn't make you dizzy, and makes you look forward to smoking it again.

Makhuwa:
The description says this is “a robust, nutty and spicy mixture for fans of individuated blends.” I’m half tempted to leave it at that because it’s true, though I’d say it’s robust in flavor, not in strength. The chocolate flavor is mild, but rich, and well compliments the strong nuttiness of the burleys. I should point out that the chocolate naturally comes from the burleys. I detect no topping. The red Virginia is a minor player, offering a slight tangy sweetness that contrasts well with a sharp note or two from the white burley. The plum and spice from the Louisiana perique is mild, but important for the complexity of the blend. The cut is broken flake and cube, creating an even burn rate. Smooth, and mild to mediumly sweet, it’s creamy from start to finish and leaves no moisture at the end. It’s an all day smoke that will keep you endlessly interest for its taste and variety of flavors, some of which are subtle and some of which stand out in a most pleasing fashion.

My Special One:
A appropriately named ready rubbed flake. The Virginias are mildly, naturally sweet and fairy earthy, and provides a solid base for the other components to bond. The perique is not strong, but its spice and dried fruit taste is often noticeable, and plays well with the meaty, spicy, woodsy dark fired Kentucky. The combined spice hit from perique and Kentucky is moderate, but you'll get it in every puff. The latakia is a minor addition, but it pushes a little smokey base note. There's no topping, so you have the pleasure of smoking a pure tobacco mixture with a bit of complexity.

Nashville County:
The sweet, nutty, earthy burleys are well complimented by the tangy sweet red Virginia. There’s a hint of cocoa and molasses from the burleys, too. The licorice topping is extremely light, and does not detract from the natural flavors of the tobaccos. The Virginia and burley meld together for a well balanced smoke that gives you every flavor in every puff from start to finish. Burns well, slow, cool with no dottle. Though it’s medium in strength, it has a punchy rich flavor that perks you up without wearing you down. It has a nice room note and aftertaste with no sharpness, and a creamy smoothness that doesn’t diminish at the bottom of the bowl like some burley blends will.

Old Fredder's:
A medium bodied VaPer with light and red Virginias that offers entrancingly inherent tangy citrus and grass with a hint of straw. The perique is mildly spicy with a dried fruit taste that really makes this flake burst with savory goodness. There'll be a few instances where the perique steps up here and there with the spice, but basically, this product is consistent in flavor from first puff to last. No harshness, no dull spots, burns well and dry, and leaves a pleasant after taste and room note. It can be an all day smoke if you wish, and will appeal to experienced VaPer smokers as well as aromatic smokers. It's not an aromatic by any means, but the sweetness might hook an aro smoker before he realizes what happened to him.

( 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.

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.

Thanks for the primer! Director's Cut, Edward G., and Dockworker have been on my wishlist, but all of these blends sound really well put-together.

HU English Breakfast:
The red Virginia is a little tangy, dark fruit sweet with some earth and a hint of spice, and is the most noticeable Va, though it’s really a team player rather than a dominant ingredient. The bright Virginia is citrus sweet with a little grassiness. The black stoved Virginia is stewed fruit sweet with minor earth notes as a back up player. The Orientals are a little woody and smoky, with some sweetness in a supporting role. The Syrian latakia is very smoky, woody, and comprises twenty percent of the product. While it’s always obvious, it doesn’t distract from the inherent properties of the other components, which I found surprising considering the amount of latakia blended into the mix. The strength and taste is mild to medium. The nic-hit is mild. Expertly blended, you will notice all the flavors to varying degrees in virtually every puff. Ribbon cut for easy burning, it requires few relights, and barely leaves a drop of moisture in the bowl. Won’t bite, and has no harsh or dull moments. The room note is fairly pleasant. The after taste nicely lingers. An all day smoke, it makes a good starter English blend as well as an enjoyable change from stronger mixtures in this genre.


HU JU 52:
The dark pressed Virginia is very earthy, deeply dark stewed fruit sweet, and is the major tobacco component. The Kentucky is fairly earthy, woody, smoky, and a little nutty sweet as a secondary player. The perique has a mild spiciness with raisin, date and fig overtones, adding a little complexity in its back up status. The floral essences as well as the lightly applied, rich raspberry are obvious in every puff, but they do not sublimate the tobaccos so much as they compliment them to form a well balanced medium strength, medium tasting aromatic. A broken flake mixture that burns fairly easily as a moderate pace with a consistent flavor to the finish. It doesn’t take much to burn it to ash, and leaves just a little moisture in the bowl. No bite, no dull or hot spots. The room note is fairly pleasant, and so is the after taste.


HU Masai:
The low key honeydew Virginia is mild, subtly sweet with a touch of citrus, and a little grassy as it forms the base for the other tobaccos. The Malawi burley is nutty, earthy, and very chocolatey in a support role, though at times it will take a more primary position due to its natural strength, which is deeper than that of the honeydew Virginia. Also playing back up is the lightly spicy, woody sweet dark fired Kentucky, which is mostly a condimental addition. The Syrian latakia is smoky and woody, and though it is eighteen percent of the blend, it mostly serves to add its intrinsic qualities as a flavor push in a subordinate role. A cool and smooth easy burning ready rubbed mixture that has some well balanced complexity, no harsh or dull moments, and will burn to an ashy finish with very little moisture in the bowl. No bite, which seems to be a hallmark of HU products. The strength is just a shade past being mild while the taste is right in-between mild and medium. The nic-hit is mild. The after taste is as pleasant as the room note, the latter being fairly mild.


HU Out of Africa:
The burley has a near-medium strength; nutty with some molasses, earth, and a hint of cocoa. The dark, pressed Virginia is earthy, mildly tangy, richly dark stewed fruit sweet with some citrus and a touch of grass. The perique is a minor player, mildly spicy with a few raisin, fig, and date notes, adding some complexity to the blend. The spice is more noticeable once you’re part way into the smoke. I’m not sure about the toppings, but they are sweet, mildly floral, smoky and woody. Among the fruit notes are tones of pineapple and perhaps apricot. The toppings don’t sublimate the ready rubbed tobaccos that much as the burley and Virginias work well together as the major components. The flavor is at the medium level, and is consistent to the end. No bite or harsh spots to be found; burns smooth and cool with few relights. The nic-hit is just a fraction over being mild. The strength is mild to medium, and could be an all day smoke for the experienced smoker. Leaves very little moisture in the bowl, and will burn to ash. Has a sweet room note and after taste.


HU Sissinghurst:
The ready rubbed Virginia flake is tangy dark fruit sweet with a drop of sugar and a fair dollop of earth. The bright Virginia is fruit and citrus with grass and hay notes. The brown Kentucky is smoky, woody and spicy sweet as a potent back up player. The floral, flowery topping is very mildly noticeable in every puff without distracting from the inherent properties of the tobaccos, and is a little less obvious by the time you get to the last third of the bowl. I think there’s a light fruit topping or casing, too. Well balanced, you’ll taste the complexity of creamy flavors in every puff all the way through. Burns smooth, and cool at an even rate with very few relights. Leaves just a trace of moisture in the bowl, and won’t bite. The strength and nic-hit are mild, while the taste is medium. An aromatic that works well without being boring for an pleasing all day experience as well as a dessert smoke. Has a delicious after taste and sweet room note.


HU White Dog:
The various ribbon cut Virginias offer a fair range of what you expect from those varietals: a fair amount of earth, light grass and hay, a lot of citrus and deep dark stewed tangy fruitiness, and a minor spice hit from the bright Virginia. I also get a very light sugar hit. The “discreet spicy wood casing” has a mild to medium spiciness while the wood taste is lightly cedarish, and perhaps birch and an essence of pine needles, along with some smokiness. Burns at a moderate rate, though it does require a few relights, and I recommend a sipping pace for best effect. The nic-hit is mild to medium. The strength is mild to medium, and taste is just past medium. The complex taste is very consistent with a little creaminess from start to finish with no dull or harsh spots. Leaves very little moisture in the bowl, and the after taste lingers in pleasant fashion, as does the spicy room note. The sweetness level is also medium to full, and would appeal to smokers who like light aromatics, though White Dog is closer to being a semi-aro without touching that demarcation line. Fans of sweet straight Virginias who like blends like Dunhill Flake and Capstan Yellow may find this to be a different twist in the same genre due to the spice level.

Tnx for all the reviews, Jim, but it's pure voyeurism for me at this point. I could never afford to buy all those blends (w/o radically altering the family finances) let alone have time to smoke them :)