HU Tobacco Janneman Flake

The main tobacco is the fire cured red Virginia, which is very tangy, ripe fruit sweet with a bit of earth, wood, and some spice. In a support role is the earthy, dark fruity, pressed brown Virginia, which also has a few blades of grass, some wood, and a touch of floral vegetation. A pinch of raisiny, figgy, plumy, spicy perique lurks the background in most every puff, though I think it’s just a little more than a “pinch” as the description claims. The nic-hit is just past the mild level. The strength is a step past the center of mild to medium, and the taste falls just shy of the medium threshold. Won’t bite, and has no harsh or dull spots. Well blended, you’ll notice every nuance most of the time. The long flake is a little moist, but needs no dry time, and easily breaks apart to suit your packing preference. Burns at a moderate pace, cool, clean, and smooth with a consistent flavor from start to finish. Requires a minimum number of relights for a flake, and leaves very little dampness in the bowl. The after taste and room note are pleasantly sweet with some spice. An all day smoke which will hold the interest of the experienced smoker, and makes a good starter blend for those interested in trying a VaPer for the first time.

-JimInks

The smoker is greeted with a long coil of tobacco that takes up the whole can , similar to Marlin Flake . The tobacco is light brown and the tin note is pleasant much like a usual virginia flake . The moisture level is near perfect . This is what I would refer to as a crossover tobacco , that being the junction of virginia and perique , not a perique bomb. . The virginia is the major player , haylike and slightly citrusy.The perique is a very lite hit and you must smoke patiently and slowly to engage it . HU seems to make a range of vapers all excellent , this being the mildest in terms of perique . I might compare this to Astley#2 which is also a mild perique hit but that is a ribbon and this is a flake . Sitting on my deck , in the evening , with a brandy , puffing slowly , a whisper of perique began to drift up from the pipe , slight at first , a little more pronounced after a few puffs . A moment for comtemplation a chance to review events and make plans …. or just appreciate the evening . Yes , this is a vaper , and a great one , but only for those willing to slow down and make the evening last .

It is very zesty and tangy. Almost like citrus peel at time but it is NOT a citrusy Virginia if that makes any sense. No vinegar. There are bready and woody notes developing once you reach past the middle of the bowl. There's a whiff of spice coming through. The flake is made up of primarily red Virginia, brown fire cured, and Perique, I do believe this has a pinch or Perique as described, and no more. @jiminks says "a little more than a pinch" and I believe it, I don't have anywhere near the sophistication his palate has. The magic happens as the bowl develops, the tang and zest is always there but there's an underlining intense sweetness developing, real candy sweet, which doesn't let go. It is natural too, like smoking and sipping a very light fruit syrup at the same time, not heavy and not artificial. Maybe that's what Jim means when he says "ripe fruit sweet", it could be the juice of a peach - not fig, raisin or date though, that'd be too heavy, maybe my brain is making this up but it doesn't matter because once tasted it can't be missed, it is wonderful.

So ever since my preparation is to fold and corkscrew a piece of this flake in a big bowl - I used my biggest home made pipe to get a nice long 2+ hour smoke of this wonderful tobacco - then carefully pull it out and let it dry for at least 5-6 hours or overnight. It doesn't matter it retains just the slightest moisture to be able to stuff back in without crumbling and has given me a great smoke every time. It's my Sunday night smoke for a few months now.

HU Janneman Flake - Wonderful fruity vaper smell from the tin . You have the fruity spicy Red Virginia tanginess and the Brown Virginia malty bready earthiness and barnyard hay . The Perique is there in the background. What a great combination. Expertly blended . Ready to smoke right from the tin bit I like it best slightly dried a bit . No bite . I suspect a tiny bit of casing of something that tastes like oranges . I consider this a plus . Just an outstanding Vaper that I would stock up on for the cellar . 4