Very similar to Patriot Flake and Former's Straight Grain Flake, a plain, almost bland tasting Golden VA which slightly bites the tongue from beginning to end of the bowl.

There is a sweet and citrus - like taste here and there. The remainder is hay.

My apologies, but I do not see the "buzz" created around this below average mixture.

There are much better offerings out there: Dunhill's Flake, for example.

I wasn't really sure what to expect with this HV. My expectation after reading several reviews was that it was a mild Virginia that didn't have too many new twists or turns to the classic Virginia blend. I cracked the tin only after my Christmas Cheer spot in my rotation opened up due to a tiring of that blend (and empty tin). Yes, Hamborger Veermaster is mild, but mild doesn't mean bland or tasteless. There is a lot of nice Virginia flavor here that is soft enough to smoke several bowls in a row but hearty enough to enjoy it no matter what one is doing. HV is the "Whirling Dervish" of the mild Virginias, it dances like no other. It's hard to ignore and is one of my favorites right now.

The taste is of light Virginia tobacco with hay/straw notes. The tin I have displays some glittering crystals of sugar on the flakes, which is very nice to see.

While my preference leans toward VAs that are a little darker, this is an excellent example of a light Virginia flake.

I can't decide if this one is flavored or not but I'm leaning towards a very mild sweet topping. It didn't inpede the virginia flavor, however. This one did lean towards the high notes and middle register without providing much in the way of bass range. This was clean and refreshing without overdoing the citrus notes. Not much in the way of complexity here but not exactly a one-trick pony, either. It didn't really live up to the hype but it was a very fine smoke. I'd like a little more spice and darkness but this one is certainly recommended to those who enjoy the lighter virginias. I'm really happy I got to experience it, as it's been tough to find lately!

It is probably just my own personal chemistry. MacBaren Virginia blends affect me the same way. HV was harsh and burning, even when smoked very slowly in a churchwarden.

There is both a casing and a top dressing that are very evident. The pouch aroma is fruity and strong, but pleasant, and it does not come through in the smoke. The casing is somewhat lighter and simpler, likely honey or just plain sugar water.

I know this blend has many fans, but I can't recommend it. In addition to the harsh, burning tongue bite with almost every puff, there are simply dozens of better Virginia flakes to choose from.

Again, I'm not deep into VA's - Hal O the Wind and McBaren Dark Twist are the only other two pure VA's I've tried - but both of those suffered from a too-tangy sweetness that turned me off before I could finish the tins. But Hamborger Veermaster keeps me coming back. This is a clean, easy smoke with a complexity that unfolds as you work through a bowl. Fun to play with too.

3 Stars - a solid smoke that I will continue to keep on hand.

The tobacco packed easily, lit easily, and burned to the bottom without a relight. I'd never smoked a flake before, nor anything with quite the same taste. I really enjoyed it and smoke it once or twice per week after lunch and sometimes on the weekends. It is now one of my favorites.

I've noticed this tobacco is sometimes hard to find. CAO imports this from Germany and after searching all over the internet and local shops, have not found another tin. I did finally find a shop this week that ordered 4 tins for me due in at the end of the month.

If you know German and want to buy 70 Euro's worth of goods, you can order straight from Dan Tobacco in Germany! :-)

It packed and light well and it is easy to keep it lit. Burns even and cool offering a quite long smoke. The taste of the true tobacco is present, however it is not enough. Also the sweetness of fine Virginia is not satisfactory. It has a nice dosage of nicotine.

This is a fine all day tobacco. But not enough to satisfy a fastidious Virginia smoker.

I did enjoy this blend and it burned down to a no dottle, dry dark grey ash which is a big plus. My tin was rather new and I think this blend will do much better with age. I think it would smooth the edges and will become a rich creamy smoke. I cannot give it four stars as I think there are better blends of this type out there, such as Irish Flake.

Edit-I was given another tin of this with about a year one it and I really think my first tin was another blend in the wrong tin. This blend does not bite and it is simply delicious and a great example of a VA. It is sweet, with the haylike taste and arom of a good VA and burns sweet all the way down. Of course a years time makes a lot of difference in a VA blend. I think with age on it, this blend becomes a really great blend.

Upon opening the tin, the aroma is very gentle and mellow, with a creamish-fruity note in it which seems to hint at a flavouring. The tin is filled up to the brim with edge-on flakes that are quite a bit less moist than most other flakes I have smoked so far; the tobacco is perfect to smoke and the flakes are brittle enough to be just stuffed in the pipe with a little rub between thumb and forefinger; it behaves just like a ready-rubbed.

With a little bit of rubbed-out tobacco topping off the bowl, this blend lights up nicely, burns cool even outdoors and won't bite if you keep in mind that you're not supposed to do a vacuum cleaner impression on your pipe. Also, as with most flakes, a small bowl may be a wise choice.

The smoke is gentle and sweet, definitely VA with nothing artifical to it at all. The room note, however, again suggests some sort of fruity aroma may have been added. Bit of a conundrum. It's pleasant, anyway, and not as sugary sweet as some other VA blends. In a wine, I'd describe it as "dry."

The pipe burns down to the very last embers without having to relight, leaving an even, light grey ash and extremely little in the way of moisture. Overall, Hamborger Veermaster is a very nice smoke and will find its way into my tobacco cabinet on a regular basis.

Update, 20-10-2010: Chocolate and VA. VA and chocolate. The more I smoke this blend, the more I notice the chocolate flavour. In a very good way, as it does not intrude in any way. Up-rating to four stars. This is one of those rare, unique aromatics that manage to improve on Mother Nature.

Oh, and @hagen: STOP SHOUTING!!! If you find fault with the description of a tobacco, just quietly correct it like the rest of us. And frankly, who gives a rat's arse whether a tobacco this good has been flue cured, air cured or cured of 'flu?

and the review:

tin aroma is pretty nice and clean, without being in the same league as bbf or escudo.

a bit too dry in the tin. might explain the lack of fermentational notes? lights easily, of course. very mild, woodsy/vanilla-ish flavour, with only the faintest whiff of berries. slightly sweet. the vanilla notes just might be an added flavour.

burns well, of course. relights add a bit of strength to the taste without being unpleasant in any way.

i think this one will be absolutely splendid for aging in jars if humidified a bit, but when new it lacks some depth.

baking it helps a lot, too.

Once lit, which is very easy, I get a sudden burst of Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce !!! Meaty Beefy flavour, this now settles down to a "rich to medium" flavour, subtle, not overpowering, most certainly interesting, which in itself is a releif as I've just bought three tins based on the reviewers below !!!

This tobacco makes me tend to think on the lines of Marlin flake, but only on those lines, the Veermaster makes a mark of it's own with a sort of sweet and sour taste, but never bitter. Requiring minimum of attention and burning down to a fine ash, no dottle, no waste and a pleasant aftertaste.

A tobacco I could smoke in the late afternoon to early evening, this is not a tobacco that requires a full stomach, on the contrary, I could smoke this as an apertife before a good dinner as this never leaves me with a full or bloated feeling.

Final thoughts, I will smoke the three tins I have and decide then to replace them or not. An excellent quality virginia, have a tin around, yes. Rush out to buy, no. Therefore only three stars

I see the similarities with Orlik Golden Slices that some reviewers mention. I concur, but I prefer Veermaster.