HU Tobacco Nyala

The very nutty, chocolaty, earthy, mildly woody, lightly toasty Malawi burley is the lead component. A slight chocolate topping adds to it as well. The tangy, ripe dark fruity, earthy, woody red Virginia is almost a supporting player. The Brazilian cigar leaf provides some wood, earth, leather, coffee, a touch of floralness, and a light, pungent sweetness in a condimental role. The rather creamy, earthy, woody, vegetative, lightly spicy and floral, tea-like Havana cigar leaf plays just below the level that the Brazilian does. Unlike many blends with cigar leaf, it doesn’t scream out “cigar”, but you’ll certainly know that’s what it is. I get more raisin, fig and plum from the perique than I do spice, which underscores the blend. The strength and taste levels sit squarely on the medium level. The nic-hit is just past the center of mild to medium. No chance of bite or harshness, and there are no rough edges. Nyala has a well balanced complexity with nuances that are evident in every puff from start to finish. Burns cool and clean at a reasonable pace with a rich sweet flavor that also sports a hint of savoriness. Hardly leaves any dampness in the bowl, and requires an average number of relights. Has a pleasant, lightly lingering after taste and room note. This blend has a fair amount of depth and body, yet can be an all day smoke. One of the few products with cigar leaf that still tastes like pipe tobacco. I suggest a wide bowl for best effect.

-JimInks

Truly an artistic piece of pipe tobacco blending! I first got to try this on Lohmar Pipe-Show in May 2016 and loved it, yet I really never order at HU-Tobacco, as this is the only tobacco appealing to me. Recently I got lucky to get a sample for 3-4 bowls of it.

The aroma from the sample baggie is of dark chocolate, some minor sweetness, as well as a hint of cigar and lots of spice. Quite some depth, appealing to the smokers who prefers a spicy leaf.

In the pipe Nyala is just as intriguing as the unburnt aroma. Dark chocolate, maybe some hints of coffee are contributed by the cube-cut Malawi Burley. A slight, yet always noticeable cigar-note is lurking and seasoning the blend in the background, as well as adding some creaminess to the smoke. The Virginias add some fruit notes and in interplay with the Perique result in a stoved-fruit dimension that's always present. There's also some of the Periques typical pepper-note, yet very mildly. All in all there's plenty of spice, without being too much! I'd also guess there's a hint of chocolate and/or coffee aroma to it, which makes it very palatable.

Yummie... this blend is a 4-star one, no doubts! Well blendend, with thought and very refined. All the components harmonize damn well, and while the Burley is the lead, the other components are always present and contribute a very unique, charming spiciness.

The tobacco is a mix of browns and tans. It is mostly chopped medium and narrow ribbon with some cube cut in there as well. The pouch note is earthy with a hint of fruit and cocoa.

Smoked, this is a very good burley, and the Virginia is in support mode. It is full flavored and slightly nutty with just a hint of sweet from the Virginia. There is a slightly bitter spicy edge that I attribute to the cigar leaf. The perique is a light touch and provides a little plum. It is a great combo.

It took a match well and burned without incident. It was a slightly slower smoking blend than usual.

This one is a tobacco you can't easily get in the US, but if you get a chance you should try it. It is very good.

Nyala, the latest creation by Masterblender Hans Wiedemann, is a cuvée that contains 2 different varieties of Cigar Leaf. But it's not a dominant cigar mix. It sounds crazy, but it's just awesome. The main role in this mix is played by the chocolaty burleys he uses. Burley in the form of cube cuts, flakes and a bit ribbon cut. That brings a really nice and harmonious chocolaty taste. The other components like Red Virginia and Perique playing an important role, but not the main role. They perfectly complement the grandiose Burley. Also the Havana and Brasil cigar leaf . Both components are always present and give this mixture its great and beautiful spice. In sum, I have to say that the composition of this mixture is really great. All components show their personal character. Everything together forms a perfect balanced mix. The technical points of this mixture are easy to handle. The tobacco burns cool and dry and I have had never any problems enjoying the great taste. I think it's good to use not the smallest pipes. In larger pipes the taste is stronger and more different. Nyala is really a powerhouse in taste. Highly recommended, 4 stars and in my opinion at the moment the reference in Burley based blends.

This is a beautiful blend of Red Virginia, very small cube cut Burley, a touch of Perique and just enough Brazil and Havanna leaf to give it extra spice.. It has a very delicate chocolate and perhaps nuts flavouring. The cigar leaf is never overpowering but suits the base blend very well and adds layers of extra taste. This one is highly recommended.

Same constituent tobaccos as Makhuwa, and a lesson in how small deviations amount to huge differences.

Nyala is better than just about any Burley you ever smoked, and I'm giving it 3 stars compared to 4 star Makhuwa. The addition of Brazilian cigar leaf makes this less sweet than Makhuwa, and for me it drowns out the cocoa notes. What I get from Nyala is a very good, no extraordinarily good, Burley blend. It just suffers in comparison to Makhuwa, which is my all time favorite tobacco.

Ordering HU isn't easy for Americans, so when you get some you want to order a certain quantity to make it worthwhile. My suggestion is to order as many tins of Flanagan and Makhuwa as you feel like, you won't regret either. Order a tin apiece of Dockworker and Nyala. If you like them enough that you want more, you can put them in your next order in quantity. And there most likely will be a next order. If not, you won't regret not spending that tin weight on more Makhuwa.

An outstanding Burley that suffers in comparison to its brother Makhuwa.

A very complex blend, highly worth to be tried once in life. Tan ready rubbed at appearance, it develops a very nice smell of chocolate and fruit, which melt and chase each other into a delicous feeling and prepare you to the following and ineluctable, delicate and harmonious though multilayered and complex taste, revealing its wonderful and enormous potential: describing it may need lots of word but I will use just one: TRY IT. Nyala is completely different from all the other (10) Foundations and other HU's tobaccos, keeps features all along the smoke, never faints nor bores nor becomes harsh or bitter... still good even if/when you relight your pipe. Its greatest value is simply to be much different from (I expect) what you've smoked till now ... and if not, I'm glad for you ! Compare it to Director's Cut, another masterpiece from Hans (Wiedemann). Use a medium to large bowl. 4 stars and more ... BRAVO Hans (Wiedemann). Lord, now I wonder what he may blend next !

Nyala is one of the new blends from Hu Tobacco. I smoked it first at Lohmar Pipeshow and I`m really enthusiastic. It`s a mixture made of Virginia, Burley, Perique, Havanna and Brasil tobaccos. It`s a medium bodied blend of ready rubbed flakes, cube cut and ribbon cut. The color is deep brown and it burns very well and not hot. Nyala gives you a great and powerful taste of chocolate tones from the Burley mixed with a little fruitness of the Perique and nice sweet tones of the Red Virginias. The Havanna and Brasil leaf are playing a main role but in perfect balance to the other components They are not dominant but striking and gives the blend the special character. But Nyala is never a cigar taste blend. It´s absolutly refined and on the other side also powerful. In my opinion one of the best blends in that genre. Thanks Hu Tobacco for another high-class blend

4 of 4 stars no question.

Excellent flavor-rich, dark, earthy, hearty tobacco for those who want something different. Perfect for the colder season. Sweet, nutty earthiness that's consistent throughout the bowl. Complex and very pleasant profile without being overbearing. Not much going on on retrohales, the spiciness is much more apparent in the mouth than the nose. The cigar leaf isn't more than a nuance. Not a smoke for every day but for special occasions, cold nights and after hearty meals.

I strongly prefer it to Night Owl that takes all of the above to another level which to me is overkill.

Upon opening the vase I get that chocolate and cream hint of the blend.It smokes splendid and can be regularly in my rotation. As a pipe and cigar lover, I find this blend a very nice combination of burley and cigar leaf.Sweet smoke and creamy taste. Highly recommended.