Tobaccos Holland House - Holland House Aromatic

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pipestud (1829)	2016-02-27		Mild	Mild	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

I smoked a lot of the Holland House Mild back in the 1980s when it was produced in the Netherlands. That one contained Virginia, Burley and golden Cavendish that was cured with real Heather Honey. I actually smoked this one semi-regularly in the 1980s as I loved the true tobacco taste as well as the barely naturally sweet taste of the Heather. I found it to be a wonderful blend and not at all like the stuff that the Scandinavian Tobacco Group is putting out now which tastes nothing like the original. My caveat to this review is that if you find a tin of the original, grab it.

Pipestud

8 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JimInks (3025)	2019-07-15		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

The grassy, tangy citrusy Virginia is the lead component. The nutty, earthy, woody, slightly spicy, lightly molasses sweet burleys have an important support role. A pinch of dark fired seems to be present. The tobaccos have been processed in the cavendish style. The scotch topping is a touch more obvious than the honey and citrus. The Scotch has an alcohol note that some may find a tad distracting. The toppings sublimate the tobaccos to a fair degree, though they don’t drown out the varietals. The strength is a hair past the mild mark. The taste is a step past that level. The nic-hit is extremely light. Won’t bite or get harsh. Burns fairly cool at a reasonable rate with a mostly consistent sweet and slightly savory flavor from beginning to end. Leaves little dampness in the bowl, and requires an average number of relights. Has a pleasant, short lived after taste. An all day smoke.

-JimInks

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	StevieB (2076)	2014-10-11		Mild	Very Mild	Mild	Pleasant

Holland House - Aromatic.

When I saw this was classed as a 'thick ribbon' I was intrigued, it's a cut that I am fairly new to, that said personally I would say it's more like a broken flake, there are indeed some thick ribbons dominating the mix but there is also a decent amount of larger flake sections in there. The aroma is a touch incongruous: not bad at all, just slightly messy making it hard for one smell to be more conspicuous and noticeable than the rest. A low point is found in the fact I think mine is too dry in places, the bigger broken flake pieces are spot on, sadly the more prevalent part, the thick ribbons are too dry, some are actually brittle.

Once lit (a very quick flame touch due to the dryness) I try to weigh up the taste. For me it is a little too nebulous with the flavouring, I can get only a slight hint of the additives, the most pre-eminent is the alcoholic addition, but even though that is the most prominent added flavour it is still relatively mild! The tobacco are well balanced, a fair split between the them all. On to tongue bite: this one can issue a big kick if smoked with too much zeal, for me gentle sips are a really expedient method to use but even then it still nips me. Nicotine now: a lesser amount than most blends so it would suit a "flavour ONLY" smoker nicely. The room-note is more gentle than some blends, not a particularly aromatic smell, more of a basic tobacco only note.

I think that Holland House Aromatic is possibly the apotheosis example of a blend for beginners, but sadly I find it a little too insipid and boring with too much bite: ouch! Two stars.

Pipe Used: Peterson Sandblast Sherlock Homes Baskerville

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: G.Q Tobaccos

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	renwardhoop (177)	2014-08-09		Very Mild	Very Mild	Very Mild	Pleasant

I had wanted to try this tobacco for years and just never got round to it. In fact I am sure I remember this stuff OTC in England in the 70's and 80's, alongside Clan, St Bruno and Erinmore.

Indeed another reviewer said something similar, although they could have been from the US, where as we all know going to a supermarket store must be like going into a sweet shop for us poor British, who have to order from the internet, or find that rarity ; a tobacconist when in a big city.

This is a pretty ordinary blend, has no real taste as such, and certainly isn't like the old crap we get in British supermarkets (all hidden behind metal shutters) like mellow Virginia or the godawful Condor.

Yes, this is friendly enough, reasonably easy to pack, doesn't need drying out and stays lit mostly. It just doesn't taste of anything. Reminds me of some of Peterson's tasteless offerings.

Inoffensive pouch aroma, inoffensive room note. All inoffensive really.

If you could still buy this at the supermarket I'd buy it, sure I would. But if they had Cravens I'd think twice.

Pipe Used: CC

Age When Smoked: fresh

Purchased From: GK Tobaccos Nottingham UK

Similar Blends: Peterson's blends.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	albfneto (184)	2013-12-08		Medium	Medium	Medium	Tolerable to Strong

This is antique recipe, from Holland, now produced by Orlik, Denmark.

It have notes of Maple and Apple, aromatic, but not sweet. Instead, is Bite, Bitter, even irritative. Seems Black Pepper...

It is not slow burning, burns hot and fast, despite their low Nicotine ammount.

May be good, it has good quality, but it is not a blend for me, for my preferences, my choice.

Pipe Used: 3, Bertoldi, Brazil

Age When Smoked: recently Purchased

Purchased From: Tabacaria Virtual, Brazil

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	DrDyson (148)	2009-12-16		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Mild	Pleasant

Holland House is a sort of cousin to Clan (qv), with the same Dutch pedigree: both are (or were) made by the same company, Theodorus Niemeyer. If memory serves, they both came onto the UK market at about the same time - in the mid-1960s. I imagine that they were both aimed at the same sort of customer: the young pipe-smoker who wanted something a little new and trendy and different from what the old timers were smoking.

HH is a much classier tobacco than the lamentable Clan. It's an aromatic, but a civilised and restrained one. The flavour is full and natural: one doesn't get the kind of chemical, artificial impression that so many aromatics give. I think the previous reviewer captures its qualities nicely: leather, scotch, honey, liquorice. I'm not completely sure about the liquorice; but there's nothing bizarre or overstated here, and the flavour of the tobacco is not swamped or distorted by the casing. HH is a fine-cut and dryish tobacco that can be loaded into the pipe without any preparation or fuss. As such, it lights and burns easily, though the down side of this (in my experience) is that it burns away quickly and tends to be rather a hot smoke. It's not ferociously hot, but 'slow-burning' is rather an optimistic description of it. It will dry out quickly, also. It's fairly strong in terms of nicotine content – surprisingly so, actually - and has a pleasant and natural-seeming room note.

Not being a lover of aromatics, I can't say that I positively like Holland House, but I can see its virtues – especially as a tobacco for the newcomer to the pipe. It needs to be smoked carefully and with restraint, though, or it'll bite your tongue. Recommended, then – with a few reservations, but recommended nonetheless. To say the least of it, Holland House is a country mile ahead of Clan. I think it's fair to say that it succeeds in being what Clan tries to be. If you like Clan, you'll like Holland House more.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Darmech (2)	2020-10-15		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Strong

I bought many packets of HH in the 70s and 80s and was looking forward to a mild cool pipe-full. But I was disappointed with the result. When I received the packets I quickly open one up and was met with a faint smell (which was pleasant) of what I remembered, it was dryer than what I had remembered. With a cleaned out pipe and bowl I filled my Falcon up a sat back and lit the tobacco...................What. It burnt quick and hot and within seconds I tasted what seemed to be ash on my tongue. I emptied the bowl and thought perhaps there was something else I had put in it. So I tried it again yuck, just the same. closed the packet and decided to open the other packet. Again I encountered the same mild aromatic smell with a dry broken flake. The smoke was just the same. Very upset with outcome I emptied my pipe and picked up another tobacco to get over my loss. I have sent a pouch to the Old Man to see what he makes of it. But I'm not hopeful he will find anything different.

Pipe Used: Falcon Bent with Standard Rustic Bowl

Age When Smoked: Fresh from the Packet

Purchased From: My Smoking Shop

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	CornCob (94)	2014-04-20		Mild	Mild	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

Reminds me of Troost Special Cavendsh. Depending on who is reading, that could be a good or a bad thing. Im not a huge fan of Dutch Cavendishes with the exception of Sail Yellow (which this is nothing like) To me this was just another aromatic blend that was neither overwhelming nor underwhelming, i doubt id buy it again.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Upon (15)	2012-01-02		Mild	Mild	Mild	Pleasant

For once, the souvenir proved a pleasant surprise. Smell of almonds, caramel and liquor, not Amaretto though. Seems to consist mostly of ribbon cut quality Virginia. Both the tobacco and the topping taste perfectly natural and there is no chemical aftertaste. Furthermore, the nicotine level has thankfully not been manipulated as so often is case with drugstore blends. HH Mellow Golden Cavendish preserves the natural mildness of the processed tobacco. Will certainly buy this again.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Xeneize (275)	2011-10-31		Mild to Medium	Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Nice aromatic. Almost no tongue bite, mildly flavored, a good all- day blend at a great price.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	John Frum (19)	2011-01-12		Medium	Medium	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

I first bought a pouch of Holland House in the late 60's on the basis of its aroma, which I found irresistible. I recall it wasn't a bad smoke back in those days, certainly better than Clan. Coming back to pipe-smoking recently, I revisited HH fairly swiftly and still absolutely love the aroma, and find it smokes as well as I recall. As suggested by the other reviewers here, it will bite and turn bitter if provoked, but the key seems to be in drying, and in smoking technique. It can be smoked straight from the pouch, but my experience is that it needs a little time to dry out, maybe sitting in the pipe before sparking up. Am finishing a 6-month old pouch and it is now dry enough to smoke straight away. But it always benefits from sipping, as do many other fine weeds. I'd say give this one a try if you are sympathetic to aromatics at all. I particularly enjoy HH as a "walking" tobacco, as am a keen hill rambler. I can't understand why there are so few reviews of this tobacco! To summarise, I find the taste and aroma very pleasant, the latter hinting at chocolate and liquorice. The only down side is it seems to burn relatively quickly no matter how restrained the technique. Definitely a firm favourite with this smoker.

(Incidentally I used to like Zephyr, which, along with Clan and Holland House were the main three Dutch blends on tobacconists' shelves in times past. If anyone knows how I can get hold of some Zephyr without leaving the UK, please get in touch! Have tried in vain.)

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Room Note Professor (44)	2009-08-16		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Pleasant

I tried this so-called drugstore blend just for the heck of it, firmly expecting to hate it. Well, after a few bowls I loved it so much that I rushed out and bought several pouches to cellar just in case this tasty treat were to suddenly disappear! Holland House is not widely available globally, although in some countries - like South Africa - it can be bought at most convenience stores and hence would qualify as a drugstore blend. It is currently also available from a few online dealers.

The blend is dominated by Virginia. It also contains dark Burley, dark fired Kentucky and a touch of Oriental. The tobacco is medium to dark brown in appearance. It is a fine ribbon cut, almost tending towards shag cut. It lights and burns very easily.

The pouch smell is divine. Leather, leather and more leather! Add a fine single malt scotch, a touch of honey and a hint of liquorice and you are done. This is not a sweet, confectionary type of aromatic. One doesn't think of food when smelling this. It has a delicious, masculine aroma!

In the beginning I experienced quite a tang after lighting up. At first I thought it was tongue bite in the making but then realized that it was simply the Virginia's zest  like that of a good salsa. The leather, scotch, honey and liquorice prevent this zest from ever becoming too sharp. This tobacco is flavourful and provides a lovely full mouthfeel. It is no lightweight in the strength department either. Simply a wonderful smoke! It has never hurt my mouth any more than, say, the aforementioned salsa, although I suspect it will bite when overpuffed.

The room note is lovely but not in the same way as, say, a vanilla or cherry aromatic. I recently asked a lady friend, just after I had lit up, what she smelled. She closed her eyes and let her head drop back as a gesture of enjoyment and said, "Wood. Exotic wood." I still smell leather and scotch and honey and liquorice, but I guess exotic wood is good too!

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Steerpike (150)	2020-07-13		Mild	Mild to Medium	Mild	Pleasant

I've just found some notes I made when I smoked this 15 years ago. I've not had it again since so can't have been that impressed. Still, these have reminded me of it a bit so I'll share my thoughts.

The tobacco was provided as a rubbed out thick sliced pressed tobacco, in fairly large pieces like broken flake. It smelt similar to Clan, and had a smoother character, although slightly less sweet. The chunky cut made for slower burning, although a little more effort to light.

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Rohann (16)	2020-01-09		Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

I am in no way disappointed with this blend, just somewhat underwhelmed.

This tobacco has nearly no prevalent pouch note. I personally get a distinct rum taste from it. Nothing else at all. The room note is pure and not offensive at all. Tastes very much like burley.

A real surprise, this tobacco burns perfectly. Not hot at all and would for the life of it not go out. It packs conveniently lights just as well.

If I weren't such an aromatic fan, I would definitely make this an all day, light smoke .

Pipe Used: Peterson 306

Age When Smoked: 1 year

Purchased From: Spar

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	HastingsPiper (9)	2019-01-19		Mild	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

Actually, this stuff is very pleasant! I was quite surprised but the quality of the tobacco used seems to be above average. It's quite rough cut, like a broken flake, but that's ok. It packs well and burns well and doesn't torch your tongue. This is a very popular aromatic and it's easy to see why. It's very sweet, tasty and has a lovely room note. Yes it's a bit of an 'old man's' sort of tobacco but so what? If you need a smoke around non-smokers chances are you'll get away with it with this. Far,far better than the ghastly Clan. I couldn't smoke it all day as it gets a bit sickly but I will always have a pouch around. Not bad at all.

Pipe Used: Falcon International.With and without filter.

Age When Smoked: Straight from packet

Purchased From: My Smoking Shop

Similar Blends: Clan..

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Philo (1)	2018-11-07		Mild	Mild	Medium	Very Pleasant

This tobacco reminded me of the pipe tobaccos I used to smell as a child growing up in the 1980’s. As a cigar smoker I prefer aromatic pipe tobaccos to give a clear differentiation between pipes and cigars, as I want a different experience when I smoke a pipe. Holland house fits the bill perfectly - while I’m still exploring pipe tobacco I always have Holland house as my ‘go to’ blend. It’s a pipe tobacco which tastes exactly how I imagined pipe tobacco did when I was a child.

Pipe Used: Stanwell

Age When Smoked: New

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Jjgerv (20)	2018-06-21		Mild	Medium	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

This type of tobacco has been among the favorites of my country for decades and it is a pity that the Dutch cavendish classics seem to be in danger of extinction.

Returning to the farewell to this recently discontinued classic, I must admit that it is certainly not the best of its kind, but not remotely the worst.

It is an aromatic of good quality, relatively easy to approach by the beginners, but with caution. Can bite? yes. Can it tire? yes. Can it be cloying? yes. Let's say it's an acquired taste and it's a pity that it disappears from the shelves, even for those of us who enjoy it occasionally

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	SamH (31)	2015-10-29		Mild	Mild	Mild	Pleasant

Bought a pack of this a while back, wasn't expecting much. The aromatics are a little light usually, this wasn't strong. I found it to be a lot more of a pleasant smoke than I was anticipating. Nowadays it's really not my kind of thing, but might be worth a try if you like an aromatic light smoke. What I would call an indoor type of tobacco. Smoke it in the shed and the shed'll smell nice!

Pipe Used: Straight Biliards.

Age When Smoked: Straight from the pack.

Purchased From: Saw it on the shelf in a random shop in Lewes.

Similar Blends: ??.

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2013-05-19		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I have been smoking pipe since 2007, have tried multiple blends but Holland House Cherry Cavendish is without a doubt the best blend. Where can one purchase this in the UK as I have recently arrived from South Africa where it is quite common but having difficulty in purchasing it here...........

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2013-02-23		Medium	Mild	Mild	Pleasant

This was the second tobacco i've tried since i got back into pipe smoking.

At first i felt some tong bite, it surely is stronger than Clan, the one i was smoking before.

After a few bowls, i guess its taste came at last, having i got into the correct timing of puffing. The taste is somewhat sweet, and liquorish. I got myself a new pipe, a cheap one, to try out some of the many tricks around pipe smoking: I cleaned my new cheap pipe with a portuguese liquor called "Licor Beirão". I pulled a nice and sweet flavor out of it. I've enjoyed it in several contexts, either by the riverside, or at home with some coffee, reading a book, it truly is a pleasant tobacco. It leaves a pleasant room note, quite woman friendly indeed, as mentioned before by others.

I'll buy some more packs in the future for sure.

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2012-04-05		Mild	Extremely Mild	Mild	Pleasant

My boss is a huge fan of this tobacco and its his everyday smoke, after some cajoling he got me to try a pack. I was very pleasantly surprised.

The tin-note is of nuts, leather, and creamy caramel giving a sugestion of heavy topping. The cut is a shred or broad ribbon and only sligtly moist giving the impression of a fast burning blend. Both Impressions were false.

The pipe fills well but is a devil to light and keep lit. Once lit it is a cool, smooth, fairly slow burning smoke with just the right amount of sweetness and a clean tobacco taste coming through afterward. it scarcely bites even when drawn on hard and is a full smoke to the end of the bowl.

The room note is of light tobacco and slight cream.

The irritation of lighting and the frequent tamping needed for a long smoke can be removed by filling the top of the pipe with something bland and inoffensive (I use Clan); which kindles well and gets the pipe burning fiercely. It then smokes evenly with little re-lighting needed.

A very fine blend with just a hint of topping on a quality tobacco tasting cavandish base. It is also very good value for money at about £5.25 for 25g. A must for those looking for a wife-friendly smoke.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2011-10-04		Mild to Medium	Mild	Very Mild	Pleasant

2 (Black Cavendish version, Highly Recommended 4)

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2011-07-10		Mild to Medium	Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

This is another pipe tobacco that I have tried in the later 90's. A dutch version of heavily cased cavendish types. I would compare it with Captain Black Royal. Good but not worth a regular puff. Try it only if u are into heavy aromatix.

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2011-06-12		Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild	Strong

Thirty years ago this was OTC alongside Clan and Zephyr, and similarly packaged. I didn't like Clan, so never tried the other two, assuming they would be similar. Well, Holland House is nothing like Clan. And in its modern form it's no longer a ribbon cut (was it ever?) but has the appearance of a well-broken flake. It's a light aromatic, with every suggestion there's decent tobacco underlying.

I had a 25g pouch jarred for over a year: it was fairly dry, and for me it burned warm (not hot) at a medium rate, no bite, no pepperiness, and with just enough nicotine to notice it's there. One curious thing - the after smell from only a single bowl lingers much longer than normal, and may not be entirely agreeable to all.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2011-06-07		Mild	Mild	Very Mild	Pleasant

I used to really enjoy this blend when I first started smoking a pipe but over the years my tastes have matured and I dont really think it is anything special now. Pleasant packaging - looks very continental european. Pretty mild pouch aroma with no discernable unique flavour- simple ribbon cut . Straight forward packing . I find this does better in a large bowl - the extra air allows for smooth burning although it can sometimes burn hot . Pleasant room note . Taste is best around the mid point- I get a nice caramel flavour. Little complexity but not an unpleasant smoke . Probably a good tobacco to start smoking pipes with but this wont make my regular rotation . A definate 2 star blend.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2011-02-20		Mild	None Detected	Extremely Mild (Flat)	Strong

This was my first time smoking a pipe and so I think a lot of this is to do with how I smoked it ect.

The tobacco itself just in the pouch has a very nice aroma to it, very sweet. I found that it was quite dry in the pouch, although a lot of people have said it has a much better taste if you leave it to dry for a month or so I was smoking straight out of the pouch. It was quite strong smelling and there wasn't too much flavour (In my opinion). I smoked two bowls and they both smelt very strongly of just general cigarette tobacco. The smoke itself was very smooth, it was easy to get lit and stayed lit which was very good. Some people have said about issues with tongue bite, when I was smoking the blend I could feel a tingling on my tongue, but I had no issues with tongue bite, some people may be more inclined to get tongue bite from this so be warned. Although I wasn't a huge fan of this blend, I think I will buy it again for when I go walking or camping.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2010-09-28		Medium	Mild	Medium	Pleasant

i first tried this blend over 20 years ago.......on visiting my local tobacconist (one of the few remaining in scotland) i saw this tobacco an though i would give it another try. on opening the pouch the tobacco smelt much as i remember it, very little "artificial" flavouring, just a wonderful aromatic sweet and nutty smell. Easy to pack into the pipe and very easy to keep alight. The first bowlful however was a bit of a letdown.....the first few puffs and i tasted that wonderful, almost nutty flavour, but after that the tobacco burned very hot and bitter. On subsequent bowls, and i have now finished the pouch,i employed a less hurried rate of smoking, the taste of the tobacco was there right through the smoke, nutty and full of flavour. i must admit that like other reviewers of this tobacco, i have to agree it packs a fairly high punch in the nicotine stakes..! Overall a very enjoyable smoke with a wonderful natural aromatic room note, worth trying if you can find some......good Dutch style tobacco.....now made in Denmark...!!

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