Tobaccos Dan Tobacco - Hamborger Veermaster

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pipestud (1829)	2002-05-14		Mild	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant

If you want a toned down dose of Orlik Golden Slices with more flavor, then this is the flake for you! It is very mild, yet tasty. A slow burn is necessary to fully appreciate the flavor, which is unrelenting in variance. The leaf is of good quality, and the flake rubs out easily, but, is too moist at first. I let mine air dry for a few hours before plowing into a second bowl.

If you want a bit more punch to your puff, go elsewhere young man. If, on the other hand, you enjoy smoking a Virginia as laid back as an old Bassett Hound, well, here you go.

47 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JimInks (3022)	2013-12-30		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

The quality golden Virginias provide some tart and tangy citrus, tart lemon, a little honey, wood, earth and bread, a lot of hay/grass, and a touch of tangy dark fruit. The strength and taste levels are around the center of mild to medium. The nicotine is just past the mild mark. Won't bite or get harsh, but has some roughness and acidity. May need a little dry time. Burns at a slightly slow pace, cool and clean with a very consistent fruity, grassy, lightly sour, acidic flavor. Requires a few relights, and leaves little dampness in the bowl. Has an unattractive lightly sour and sweet, acidic after taste. Has a pleasant room note. An all day one dimensional, unobtrusive smoke that suffers from depth of flavor. May make a decent starter Va. product for those trying this genre for the first time.

I have found that a few years makes a world of difference with this blend. The hay/grass and acidity calms down, and the sweetness level rises a bit. Age it if you can. I give the aged version three and a half stars, and my current rating reflects that.

-JimInks

29 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	the_german (309)	2009-04-26		Mild	Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant

I bought this on the strength of previous reviews, and find that I have to join in with the praise. The people at Dan Tobacco really have hit the spot marked "X" with Hamborger Veermaster. Plus, I love the pun in the name ("De Hamborger Veermaster" is a sea shanty about a dilapidated and run-down four-master during the time of the California gold rush of 1849 -- not the sort of ship one would want to sail on!)

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.

20 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2005-09-17		Mild	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Notes: The stylized Germanic font on the tin leads some to mistakenly call this blend "Beer Master." The name refers instead to one of a class of four-masted German sailing ships, which in a once popular German song headed for America for the Gold Rush to strike it rich. I have smoked several ounces of this in various pipes and found I liked it best in a very tall thin Danish chimney pipe with a narrow bowl I can barely get my pinky finger into to tamp the tobacco down.

Appearance: It used to come, as Marlin flake (another nautically named blend), as a one-foot flake folded in a can. Lately, I have received it in tins where it is cut into 2-inch squares of medium to darkish nut brown tobacco, which rubs out to a thinnish ribbon. It is not very moist in the tin and ready to smoke right away.

Aroma: Fresh hay and tobacco, honey, malt, milk chocolate, vanilla, plums, pineapple upside-down cake!

Flavor: A pronounced rough-hewn flavor of woodchips and sawdust. Nuts, walnut shells, a hint of sweetness, woolen blanket, clean linen, chocolate wafers, homemade marshmallow.

Comparisons: If Hal O' The Wind epitomizes a refined nutty Virginia blend, then Hamborger Veermaster is the acme of the honest blue-collar end of the spectrum. Woodsier than most nutty-style Virginia blends, like Gawith's Best Brown Flake, and more savory but also less delectable.

Bottom Line: For those who favor the nutty Virginia blends, perhaps the ultimate "working man's" flake.

13 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	StevieB (2076)	2017-09-09		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Mild	Pleasant

Dan Tobacco - Hamburger Veermaster.

I'd expected to open the tin to be met by two or three rows of flakes, as is customary with a lot of blends. But, H.V. is presented as the widest flake I've seen: one singular, wide, stack. The flakes are a darker brown than a lot of straight Va's, with a good hydration to them.

The smoke: It gives a care-free, nonchalant, flavour: rich, sweet, and not at all harsh. The sweetness seems a touch high to be emanating from just the tobacco: there's a honey, almost caramel like, character. Whatever it is, it tastes lovely! H.V. burns well, slowly and consistently, giving a cool temperature smoke. To me, the taste is steady throughout a bowl, without much variation in the weight of the few ingredients.

Nicotine: quite mild. Room-note: pleasant enough.

Hamburger Veermaster? A four star Virginia:

Highly recommended.

Pipe Used: Atinok Meerschaum

Age When Smoked: Five months

Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com

12 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	TallPuffO'Burley (632)	2014-08-01		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

Original Review 8/1/2014 Update follows

This is a very solid Virginia. I was given a healthy sample of this from a friend of mine. I had wanted to try it for some time. Based on all the reviews I had read, I was sure I would like it. I was not let down in the least bit.

My favorite Virginia is Dunhill Flake and I still prefer Dunhill Flake to this, but it is close. They are also very similar in flavor profile. This, like DF, has that citrusy sweetness to it that compliments the natural hay taste of the abundant bright leaf. I had thought of giving this three stars as I definitely recommend it, but it is so close in flavor to my favorite va and favorite blend, that I will add another star.

As another bonus to this, it is available in bulk. A bad point is, it is hardly ever available, which is saying something as well.

Update April 29, 2021

I just finished a tin of this that was about 5.5 years old and then followed it up with a tin of Dunhill Flake that I am presently working my way through. And I have to say that while it has the depth of flavor and body of Dunhill Flake, it lacks the sweetness and citrus I get from Dunhill Flake.

I still feel that HV is a solid Virginia, but in the 7 years since I first reviewed that blend I have had the opportunity of smoking so many great virginias and awarding the same with four stars that I feel, for sake of consistency, I need to pull down a star on this one. So while I still recommend it, there are many others I prefer to it.

Purchased From: gifted from friend

12 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	DrumsAndBeer (217)	2017-12-20		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

The more I smoke Virginia tobacco, the more I seem to be drawn to blends of this type. Delicate, yet substantial with a clean, crisp understated taste that doesn’t leave my palate feeling spent. This is how I would categorize Hamborger Veermaster, a bright, lightly pressed Virginia flake that is a perfect candidate for the fold and stuff method, as it takes to flame with ease. The flavors are toasty & grassy with some tangy citrus peel high notes. As the bowl progresses, a deeper tobacco flavor does develop and the finish becomes a bit spicy, lending credence to the idea of a there being a touch of perique in this. The side stream is pleasant and has a tart fruit quality to it that echoes the plum and dried-apricot scent of the tin note. Altogether I found no big crescendos or amazing complexities while smoking this, but in my books Hamborger Veermaster is a fine Virginia flake tobacco. Any piper looking for a mild, non-temperamental, high quality Virginia flake might very well enjoy this blend. Ages very well but it's also quite good fresh.

Age When Smoked: 5

11 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Eulenburg (193)	2002-05-26		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium	Very Pleasant

Because I found this somewhat heady, I classified it in the "medium-to-strong" range of strength; the taste, though, is somewhere between the mild FERNDOWN Mild Brown and the more robust RATTRAY Marlin Flake. Meaning that HAMBORGER is a delightfully supple and savoury Virginia, without a hint of the bloated quality of some stoved flakes, yet flavourful and very present.

This is much better than Limerick (with its unnoticeable ghost Périque, bah!), has more personality than WESSEX Brigade, and is less predictable than Tordenskjold Virginia Slices. All told, one of the best pure-Virginia flakes I have ever smoked.

Its room redolence is delectable.

[P.S.: longer familiarity with this utterly delicious tobacco has only enhanced my affection for it. Highest recommendation. 5/'02]

11 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2012-10-08		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I hear about this one a lot on various pipe forums but I don't see the numbers of reviews I expected. Only one other review this year - interesting. At any rate, this came to me at almost perfect tin moisture and I did not have to dry it out any further. Thin flakes running the VA color gamut and a nice sweet hay tin aroma.

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!

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	BrokenRecord (124)	2019-05-23		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

Hamborger Veermaster: Meh for a Straight Virginia Flake

The flake is a good mixture of bright and dark-brown Virginia varieties. The smoke is pleasantly grassy and a little sweet. However, the smoke lacks body and fails to keep my interest. There is nothing inherently wrong about this flake, but nothing helps it stand out in a sea—or harbor—of solid Virginia flakes.

Similar Blends: A soulless version of Capstan Blue.

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	steppx (186)	2018-05-18		Mild	None Detected	Mild	Pleasant

A mild yet very tasty straight virginia flake. No casing, no added flavoring. There might be a extremely slight sugar added....thats often the case. But you dont really taste it. You taste just tobacco. Medium stoved, or lightly stoved maybe, dark and light virginias. Mostly orange Im guessing. Its a very good smoke. These days such pure high quality virginias are hard to come by. Burns fairly slow and cool. Loses a bit of taste toward the end, but i really rate this very high. Nic hit is mild. 3 and a half stars./

Purchased From: 4 noggins

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Jorge Soler (202)	2017-01-08		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Very Pleasant

My tin must be 2 or 3 years old. I had it laying around the house for some time and only decided to crack it open as it caught my attention. I left my tin open for one day before packing my pipe, but the moist content seems about right. Upon inspection, I noticed microscopic sugar crystals all over. Not that there is no casing, but I cannot detect any. This tobacco smokes like a straight Virginia and feels like a straight Virginia. I am surprised a "Danish" manufacturer has produced something down these lines. I can detect sweet undertones with grassy/citrusy qualities. I am not sure if they added any stoved Virginias here, but the taste is borderline medium to full. It is not as complex and demanding as other virginias I have smoked in the past, but it wants to be sipped anyway. Highly recommended to all Virginia lovers.

Age When Smoked: 2 or 3 years

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Jakob Kiilerich (120)	2014-03-01		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Pungent and "winous". Dark and red VA with quite alot of perique. I find this one very similar to Murray's version of Dunhill's Elizabethan (although inferior to), and quite reminiscent of nowadays version of Three Nuns by Orlik (but way better).

At first light, kind of sweet VA, but then perique rears its head, and Hamborger goes peppery and strong!

Quality! Indeed quality, but too much perique for me.

If you fancy Three Nuns, this might ring your bell: It is superior quality-wise.

If you fancy Elizabethan (Murray era): whiffs of ghostly memories will sometimes appear.

------------------------Jakob Kiilerich, Denmark ---------------------

Pipe Used: Briar, Cob

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: 4noggins.com

Similar Blends: Dunhill - Elizabethan Mixture.

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Tin Man Jay (7)	2018-10-04		Mild	None Detected	Mild	Pleasant

I agree with some other reviewers that there maybe a touch of Perique added to the Virginias. I get mostly a touch of pepper on top of bread and hay. On some puffs I taste a little citrus and on others a slight chocolate flavor. Puff slowly on this and the flavor opens up.

The burn was fantastic. I was in the mood for something that didn’t need babysitting and this fit the bill. I usually smoke stronger blends, but I really liked this one and will smoke again.

Pipe Used: Savinelli 320 KS Oceano

Age When Smoked: 5

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Italo Svevo (26)	2018-05-27		Mild	Very Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Lots of natural sweetness in this earnest dark-golden Virginia flake. Dried fruits more than citrus. Mild on the nicotine front. Needs some drying time. Black tea with honey and Sunday morning newspaper reading is the ideal setting. Recommended.

Pipe Used: Bari Wiking

Purchased From: Sample from cigarworld.de

Similar Blends: Orlik Tobacco Company A/S - Golden Sliced (Red Tin).

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	renwardhoop (177)	2018-04-18		Extremely Mild	None Detected	Very Mild	Unnoticeable

Here's another plain virginia flake from Dan Pipe's seemingly endless supply of plain virginia flakes.

It's not awful, oh no, on the contrary. It's a good sound blend with an interesting tin aroma, with all the good qualities you'd expect from Dan Pipes auspicious cellars in Lauenberg.

But it's just so boring. There's nothing here that sets it apart from the others in this field, like Bjarne's flake, for example. It just fades from the memory like a Spurs academy player that didn't quite make it.

It's just one of those blends that sit in the back of your tobacco cabinet getting dryer and dryer as the seasons pass with nothing to commend it or to detract from it. It seems to be quite highly rated in here, and I don't really see why. There's no taste, no aroma, no redeeming qualities of any kind other than the fact that it isn't horrid.

Pipe Used: All large briars

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: DanPipe, Germany.

Similar Blends: Most plain virginias..

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Wilhelm Joharsányi (33)	2017-10-22		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

A few weeks ago, I received a free sample of Hamburger Veermaster after ordering a package from Dan Pipe, and decided to try it out with my spare corncob pipe.

The aroma had a pleasant, honey-like scent, with hay and grass undertones. It required quite a few relights, since I was too lazy to dry it out from the plastic free sample bag. It had tolerable room note and burns rather slowly.

My first impression of Veermaster’s was a distinct spice coming from the Red Virginia’s, but I can swear there is some Perique added in somewhere. The spiciness is then followed by a balancing sweetness from the Dark Virginias with a slight honey and fruit taste. It can definitely be an all-day smoke, the spiciness of the Red Virginia’s waking you up in the morning, with the Dark Virginia’s putting you to bed for the night.

Overall, a nice blend and I appreciate the free sample they gave me. I am not sure if it will make it into my regular rotation, but I am looking forward to a few other Dan Tobacco blends in the near future.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Greekpipesmoker (201)	2017-08-24		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

As a virginia flakes lover once i spoted it i instantly purchased a tin.the tin appearance prepares you for a blend smoked by admirals haha.once cracked the brihht/brown flakes have a tense sour smell,some might thing perique might be added.the moisture is a bit high and the flakes are pressed all together and tearing them apart might be difficult.the flakes are manageable and i recommend some drying time.the lighting is tricky if not dried and some relights are needed.while smoking the flavours are simple,clear and natural.citruses,dark fruits,bread notes,figs and sour notes are combined very balanced and simple.burns cool and slow with some moisture being created.i recommend not to puff hard because of the moisture it might create.no chance of tongue bite.the room note is tolerable.the nicotine level is low wich makes it a good blend for a morning smoke or for a beginner smoker.it can be an all day smoke and also a good blend to burn a new pipe.

Age When Smoked: Rubbed and left to dry for 1/2 hour

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Gentleman Zombie (729)	2016-09-27		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant

Nice notes of various fruits with a grassy tang. Mildly sweet and spicy. The spice and tang get a little stronger as the bowl progresses. Has an extremely mild sweet topping. Fairly well rounded, could use a little more help at the deep end of the spectrum. Maintains it's flavor very well throughout the bowl. Has a nice smoothness under the tang and spice. A very pleasurable smoke.

Mild to medium in body. Flavoring is extremely mild. Taste is medium. Burns very well.

Pipe Used: MM Little Devil Cutty, Little Devil Acorn

Age When Smoked: fresh

Purchased From: Mars cigars and pipes

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Virginia lover (218)	2016-04-29		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I like the tin sticker but I would have preferred a square tin. The golden to light brown flakes are on the thin side and they smell sweet and citrusy.

On first light, there's an extremely mild sweet/citrus topping that is smoker friendly. I get the classic golden Virginia taste of hay and dried figs in a creamy smoke that burns very nicely even on windy days. The citrus flavoring appears from time to time but vanishes towards the end of the bowl.

As with all Virginias, dedicate a pipe to it and smoke it slowly so that in the end you'll be rewarded with a fuller flavor.

Virginia lover

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	CharatansMake (18)	2016-04-02		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

A very nice and delicious Virginia Flake!

Hamborger Veermaster is a very pleasant Tobacco with a nice amount of natural sweetness. Due to this sweetness the typical taste of grass/hay is quite in the backround and a subtle note of vanilla instead of citrus appears. Give this tobacco the patience it needs and deserves and puff it slow and it will reward you with a creamy smoke. It is neither a weak nor a strong tobacco but quite in the middle and according to this a excellent companion at all times of the day.

4stars!

adjustment: actually the very subtle note is less vanilla but more caramel/molasses.

Pipe Used: Charatan Special 4651x

Age When Smoked: fresh

Purchased From: Dan Pipe

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	oldcodger (74)	2015-05-04		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Dan Tobacco's Hamburger Veermaster is a mild Virginia flake lacking in complexity which nevertheless offers a very satisfying smoke.

The flakes are beautifully formed and lend themselves both to rubbing out or folding and cramming in. I have had success both ways. I personally find the flakes a tad moist upon opening the tin, but I suspect most can manage well without a drying out time.

The smell upon opening is nice but not attention getting, a mild Virginia aroma with a hint of citrus to it. I find no difficulty in getting an even light nor in keeping the pipe going through the smoke. The room note is pleasant. It does not have the attention getting effect of an aromatic, but it has a very nice natural tobacco quality that is not likely to draw objection from non smokers.

There is no notable flavoring component to HV, although I suspect is has just a tad of sweetening which enhances the citrus note. The nicotine content is low, and whether that is a plus or a minus depends upon the individual smoker. The tongue bite factor is quite moderate for a Virginia offering. This tobacco burns to a dry, light gray ash.

The taste is quite mild and the tobacco (completely Virginia so far as I can determine) has no complexity; it tastes the same from the beginning of the bowl until the end. The monochromatic nature of HV might be a drawback for some smokers. As for me, although while smoking I am not thinking how great this tobacco is, at the end of the bowl I always find myself well satisfied.

I normally smoke Virginia or Virginia forward mixtures in a variety of mid priced pipes which I do not use for aromatics or latakia laden blends.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	TattooGuy (9)	2014-06-14		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I heard so much about that blend I had to try it. It is a one of a kind to me. When I opened the tin I must say I was surprised. Beautiful almost shag flakes with white chocolate, vanilla cake aromas and the nice fragrance of Virginias. Easy to rub, pack and light. The smoke translate the same aromas with something like burnt sugar or toffee added to it but never overpowering. Great VA taste. HV leaves a nice dryness in the mouth I really like. One of my favorites. I can't wait to try more of Dan Tobacco's offerings. 4 stars.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	PatrickBarkman (7)	2023-01-16		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

A very nice, mellow, sweet and nutty Virginia. I am able to detect both citrus on the front of my tongue, and a deep, nutty brown sugary sweetness on the back. Particularly on the retro. Smokes nicely in a deep, narrow chambered pipe.

Pipe Used: Radiator Stack

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Watch City Cigars

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	WorkingClassChap (192)	2022-01-22		Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Smoking now.

Ah yes Hamburger Beermaster.

I jest. Wonderful tin art, smells slightly Virginia. Not a lot of aroma. Faint tart citrus, honey, grass smell. Packs and lights perfect from tin as expected with German tobacco. Smoked fresh.

The taste is mild. It’s rather unremarkable but in a way that is welcome. The definition of an all day Virginia flake. Little harshness and complexity. Puff along with whatever else you’re doing and she’ll be a welcome companion. Slight tart, citrus, grass, hay, a very small amount of bread. A bright and light Virginia flake. No bite for me. Very pleasing and mellow by design. Be warned I found the nicotine in this to be higher then the mildness of its flavor. A solid medium at least. Definitely eat a breakfast first, although I am a nic light weight. Even when smoked in a clay pipe I did not get much more flavor out of it than I did from a Peterson system. In fact the system smoothed it out more then the clay.

The only thing stopping this from being a higher rating IMO is the after taste. It’s not the best so wash it down with a beverage of choice.

update

What I found helped this blend is stoving it with a drop of whiskey. 88c for 3 hours right in the tin. Flakes are a dark brown. Sweeter hay flavor. Very good.

Age When Smoked: Fresh.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	KahveDelisi (73)	2021-06-07		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I used to like this flake but that was before I tried superior and much versatile VA offerings. My review based on the most recent tin I purchased (and probably will be the last). Right out of the tin, Hamborger Veermaster looks very nice, just like every other flake manufactured by DTM. I prefer it broken, so I rub a little, and it dismantles nicely. However, it's not the easiest to catch flame. Definitely needs more than a couple matches to start going, but once lit it smokes slow & steady without getting hot. Though I get cigarette taste at first third, through the second half there's this dried plum-like sour taste and funky scent to it, very similar to earthy fermented Sumatra coffees, which I hardly tolerate.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Ticktocker (9)	2020-09-07		Mild to Medium	Mild	Medium	Pleasant

I've been a piper for nearly 35 years and this is one of my favorite tobaccos ever. It's fantastic albeit a bit wet right out of a new tin but if you let the tin age after the first smoke for at least a few months you will find an incredibly smooth, delicate and mild smoke with plenty of taste and satisfaction. Don't let the "mild" fool you. Yes, it's mild but it does not disappoint when it comes to taste.

Pipe Used: Many different sized pipes and bowls

Age When Smoked: 6-7 months

Purchased From: 4Noggins

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Stefanos (222)	2020-05-26		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Hamburger Veermaster is an excellent pressed and aged Virignia flake. Flavoring is minimal, I can only discern at most a sweetening and no additional flavor. The flakes are at the right moisture and are easy to break. Easy to light and to keep lit, it offers a juicy, sweet and slow burning experience of considerable strength and body. Aromas are akin to stewed dark fruit with maybe a hint of molasses and some deep damp hay notes. Best experienced when sipped. On par with the best dark Viriginia flakes.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pipers' Domain (16)	2019-08-13		Medium	Mild to Medium	Very Full	Pleasant

As almost every virginia flake blend, you should give it some time to dry, but if you can't wait, be my guest. A very tasty, yeasty, sweet and everyday blend. It burns slowly until the end, and personally cannot wait to try an aged tin. Highly recommended.

Pipe Used: briar, corn cobs.

Age When Smoked: fresh from the tin

Similar Blends: Orlik, golden sliced..

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	BingCrosby (161)	2018-12-15		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is kind of your prototypical euro style virginia flake.. very cool smoking.. very light .. not necessarily in terms of flavor.. but maybe dynamics.. it is more of that hay citrus profile.. but what separates this from orlik, capstan, dunhil.. etc. is that it kinda has a rougher tang to it.. closer to astley 109.. but unique in its way. Almost a sourness (but not at all in a bad way). Pleasant smoke that is kind of 'ordinary ' but interesting at the same time.. certainly could be an all day.. I don't like rating this kind of tobacco because to me it's kind of something I would want in my rotation but really hard to judge.. certainly a good candidate to age.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	zbawn (1)	2018-04-09		Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium to Full	Tolerable

The tobacco waited in the jar for about six months. I did not think you could be that good. I do not like very sweet and light virginia tobacco. This tobacco decision is moderately severe and consumes at all hours of the day.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	orka (66)	2014-10-19		Mild	Very Mild	Medium	Pleasant

Now this was a nice surprise. Dan Tobacco blends has been a bit of a hit and miss thing for me in the past, but I'm glad I eventually got around to trying this one.

Tin note is really nice - I'm pretty sure there's something added here, and not necessarily something completely natural; it's a little hard to describe, but it makes me think of the vanilla sugar you can find on some store bought pastries, with hints of raisin, something citrusy and something a little bit like tinned apricot, if that makes sense.

The flakes themselves are uniformly cut with a little more width than what I've previously seen from DT flakes. Quite dry and actually just about right for packing and get going straight away.

The tin note is also carried over a bit into the smoke itself, which is mild, but still sweet and tasty. It's also very gentle on the tongue with absolutely no bite.

The sugary vanilla component is also a little more evident in the smoke, but I find myself liking it quite a bit, the way it intermingles with the grassy VA notes is really quite nice. It finishes with a tiny bit of spice at the heel of the pipe, but otherwise it's very consistent as far as the taste goes. No real surprises or much complexity to be found here, but you know what, sometimes that's not a bad thing.

Indeed, like someone before me suggested, this is a good blend for doing mindless work, or just mucking about - which is exactly what I found myself doing for the last hour or so before I figured I would sit down and write this review.

The room note seems quite nice to me and I imagine it wouldn't offend anyone all that much.

If there's anything negative to be said, it's that it is a little bit too mild for me. It's got the flavour, but I wouldn't have minded a bit more nicotine. But I suppose that's just fine for some people.

Overall this is just great. Consistent and easy going, sweet and pleasant, behaves well in the pipe and with a rather cool burn. Rubbed out or just stuffed really doesn't matter, it's good no matter how you prefer to do it. So my advice would be to go ahead and try a tin, I don't think you'll be disappointed. I think it will appeal to those who simply want something uncomplicated and tasty, perhaps also as an introduction to flakes if you're not quite sure where to start.

As for similar blends... not sure, really. Slightly similar to Mac Baren's Navy Flake, perhaps, but a little stronger and without the blisters and rabid pitbulls chewing on your tongue.

Pipe Used: Comoy Pebble Grain.

Age When Smoked: 4 years.

Purchased From: danpipe.de

Similar Blends: Mac Baren Navy Flake.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Davetopay (43)	2010-02-12		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is a nice clean, light tasting VA, which I might suggest for those who want to sit in the quiet and really think about what is burning in their bowl. I don't get to do that often enough. Most of my pipe smoking is on the road, and not in a comfy chair by the fire. It doesn't bite, the moisture is on the border in the tin. It could stand a TINY bit of drying for most folks. I just pack up a flake or two after a little bit of crumbling, not rubbing to ribbons, and DGT it. Smokes clean and dry, but not as potent in the flavor or nic department as I would like. I might revisit it in the near future, but there are other unopened tins in the cellar which are calling to me.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2007-05-10		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Hamborger Veermaster is nice, quiet Virginia Flake for those times when only a nice, quiet smoke will do. The real treat with this tobac comes in the second half of the bowl, where a grassy sweetness comes to the fore.

This is not a "me, too" VA flake, and not suited to heavy puffing. It won't replace Samuel Gawith's Best Brown Flake in my rotation, but it's place there is assured.

Highly Recommended for the Virginia lover.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2002-02-26		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

I have been smoking Hamborger Veermaster for many years. I have enjoyed it so much that it is well stocked on the shelves of my cellar. I love the tin art of the clipper ship, but I should probably say something about the what's inside the tin. The tobacco is a medium brown in color, cut into flakes that break up easily into smaller pieces for packing into the pipe. I am not sure what to say about the aroma, but there is an almost licorice sent to it. The moisture level is just a tad more than I like as I prefer my tobacco dry. At this amount of moisture most smokers would probably say it is just right. It lights easily and stays lit pretty well. The first draw has a nice mild flavor. It is sweet, but not overly sweet. The taste is what I consider to be a true Virginia. No extra fruity topping, but the taste of tobacco. The flavor gets better as you go so that by mid bowl the taste is very nice. It finishes with still a nice sweetness without any bitterness. This blend is in the light Virginia category such as Orlik Golden Sliced. HV is just a bit smoother, a little more refined than the Orlik that I consider a fine blend.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Ondraash (13)	2022-11-09		Mild	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

This one is nice. I tend to like more sweet, dried fruit, honey type VA than the sharp grasslike ones. But I know from experience now that most VA's will get mellow-ish thru time (Some doesn't, for example Patriot fake). So fresh this one is a little too sharp for me but with age added it starts to shine. It is really interesting VA flake taste-wise to my palate. It resembles a chocolate wood! Maybe sounds weird but thats what I can describe it best, sorry. I could not to get that tobacco to right humidity I guess because it is always unpossible to stay lit. Or maybe it is just the way I used to sip this weed. IDK. Even now, as I'm typin this pathetic review, which probably noone would read (there is a lot of reviews for this one already), I'm sipping the mana from my small pony cob and it had been relighted several time already. But maybe it's just my poor pipe kung fu. Anyway this is easy four star "blend" for me because it has the little special something that adds the fourth star to the consistent quality three star blend.

Smoke and Drive: Could be fine tastewise and the experience but since it does need some (often) relights I'd rather stick to F&T Vintage while driving.

Pipe Used: Jirsa, cob

Age When Smoked: from fresh to 1 year old

Purchased From: etrafika.cz

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	DrHoo (17)	2022-10-13		Mild to Medium	Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I don't have much to add to those reviews that have given it 3 or 4 stars. It's a fine Va, comparable to Peterson Flake or Capstan Mild. To my very nonprofessional eye, it seems mixed bright and red. I don't believe it contains perique because my body chemistry and perique don't get along. I think it has a wee bit of flavouring and maybe that's what everyone is getting. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this to a friend who was already a Va lover or to one who wanted to try Va's out. 3.5 stars but I'll give it 4 below.

Pipe Used: All sorts of smallish briars

Age When Smoked: Unknown

Purchased From: Jon's Pipe Shop, St Louis MO

Similar Blends: Capstan yellow, Peterson Flake.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Ferrigno (7)	2022-10-10		Mild	Medium	Medium	Pleasant

Unflavoured straight Virginia? Not at all.

This blend is described as a straight Virginia without any added flavour on the Dan Tobacco website but I'm pretty sure it is flavoured. I'm smoking this tobacco in the context of a straight-Virginia-only rotation, including GL Pease's Union Square, Gawith's Full Virginia Flake, Gawith's Bright CR Flake, Peterson's Flake, Amphora's Virginia and Mac Baren's HH Pure Virginia. The blend from Dan's is the only one with a fruity smell strongly reminding me of other aromatics, such as Amphora Black Cavendish, Dan's Blue Note and Mac Baren's Black Ambrosia. It's dried red fruits with a hint of vanilla. It's more subtle, but it's noticeable and it lasts until the last puff. Under the topping, there is some hay and figs from the Virginias, but it's difficult to concentrate on the natural flavour with a fruity casing/topping/whatever on top of it. A bit harsh, it needs drying, and it definitely needs more than 2 matches to start burning. It gets a bit bitter at the end.

Recommended if you like aros.

Pipe Used: Missouri Meerschaum; Butz-Choquin Lumbermann

Age When Smoked: 12 months

Purchased From: German shop

Similar Blends: Amphora Black Cavendish, Dan Tobacco's Blue Note, Mac Baren's Black Ambrosia.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	FilipPruncu (85)	2021-03-15		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant

Tin note: Sweet and citrus with some fruity notes.

Sweet with just a little hay. Very, very smooth, with some fruity notes. As you smoke, you will get a hint of citrus, but only on the background of the sugary sweetness. I don’t know if it has anything added to it, but it tends to deliver some pineapple hints, lemon, honey. By the end of the bowl the sweetness starts to fade and comes a bready taste, good nonetheless.

I wouldn’t say it’s mild, it’s actually medium in taste, even though the nicotine is quite low.

Burns very good, doesn’t get hot, doesn’t bite and doesn’t need relights.

Lovely, sweet room note.

Top quality virginia here, perfect for lazy summer days when drinking.. whatever you want to drink, because this goes great with any drink!

Purchased From: hacico.de

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Sangagor (77)	2020-08-19		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Unnoticeable

Typical sweet aroma of virgina after opening sample hit your nose. Very sweet and mellow smoke with hint of spicy taste (no idea where it comes from) Sometimes I have feeling the sweetness comes from topping. Burns well, no many relights needed. I did not notice any of moisture.

Overall very gentle smoke with mild to medium nic hint. One of the better VA out there.

Pipe Used: Stanislaw, MM cob

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: etrafika.com

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	WillBrown (137)	2019-01-18		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

A much more well-rounded blend than I expected. This, at least to my palate, was not a light baccy, it has plenty of body and a great toasty taste to it, slightly sharp. The flakes are generous, relatively easy to light, and last a long time. I really enjoyed sipping this one. Another good flake.

Keep on piping!

Pipe Used: Viprati Big Bowl

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2018-11-09		Mild	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Veermaster is a mild straight Virginia flake. The Virginas are grassy with little-to-no fruit or citrus notes. The flake rubs out easily and there is no bite. All in all, Veermaster smokes pleasantly, but it is kind of bland. There are plenty of other straight Virginias to choose from with more body and/or complexity.

. __.

Similar Blends: Hay mixed with a little tobacco.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	RoundTwo (38)	2017-09-24		Mild	None Detected	Mild	Pleasant

This is a straightforward Virginia light in color and full of flavor with no discernable additive flavoring. The flavor is deep enough to be interesting and light enough to be something which occurs naturally. I can taste some sugar and what can only be described as some type of naturally occurring woodsy and light citrus type. Another well-balanced offering from Dan Tobacco. I would be willing to bet that this could age into something amazing. Definitely my favorite straight Virginia to date.

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: Iwan Ries

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	DenizBeck (323)	2017-04-05		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

A pure Virginia usually isn't my type of tobacco I prefer. Even tho I like the taste, they are always a bit "flat" tastewise to me. I guess I'm just more the Kentucky and Perique type.

But wow, this is a damn good smoke. Very natural and gentle sweetness. A bit citrusish, hay-like aroma. Very refined taste. Just a honest and simple Virginia. Presentation is lovely and appetizing.

3+/4 Stars - even tho I'm not really a fan of straight Virginias, I'd buy this again. Perfect companion if youre looking for a smooth, uncomplicated and honest smoke that doesn't require that much of attention.

Pipe Used: Bellini Straight Billiard (Briar)

Purchased From: Dan Pipe (DTM)

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Alper.e (12)	2016-12-04		Mild	None Detected	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

First I saw this tin on the internet, I said myself "this probably tastes like Dunhill Elizabethan Mixture". When I bought and smoked some puffs I said I was not mistaken. The humidity of flakes is adequate, ready to smoke. Absolutely no gurgling. the smell of tin is like citrus and hay. don't wait a complex taste but the straight virginia taste absolutely enough. the only con of this baccy is the price. for my humle opinion this tobacco is little bit over priced but it worths.

Pipe Used: large bowled block meerschaum

Age When Smoked: new

Purchased From: smokingpipes.com

Similar Blends: Dunhill - Elizabethan Mixture.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Das German (2)	2015-04-07		Mild	None Detected	Mild	Pleasant

I bought a tin to go with my new pete system. Gave it a run, and boy, was this a good choice. Bready, grassy, with some citrus/tangy fruit and a bit of a floral note. Not very sweet, but I'm not much of a "sweet" guy. No noticeable nicotine hit, mild but flavorful (a bit muted depending on weather, surprisingly) and has a nice room note. Best smoked in a deeper bowl as it does burn quicker than most Va flakes I've had. Ick heff mol een Hamborger Veermaster sehn...

Pipe Used: Peterson System Standard XL315

Age When Smoked: New-3 weeks

Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com

Similar Blends: Capstan (somewhat).

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Cal (1)	2014-07-04		Mild	Mild	Mild	Unnoticeable

I found this a good candidate for an every day smoke. Very mild, so it doesn't overwhelm if smoked a lot. I found it had a very grassy, hey flavor, with maybe a hint of bitterness. The only bad thing I found about it, is it does have a bit of bite if you power smoke it, like I do. I recommend smoking it out of a long stemmed pipe.

Pipe Used: antique german hunters pipe

Age When Smoked: new

Purchased From: pipes and cigars

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	panduji68 (28)	2014-03-14		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Medium	Pleasant

This lovely flake is very similar to DAN Tobacco's offering of Patriot Flake, albeit slightly more mild in the nicotine department. An absolutely wonderful flake of different Virginia tobaccos, a great milder smoke to start your day in a good mood and do battle with the nonsense that every day life tosses at you.

Excellent Virginia tin aroma (hay, straw, slight molasses sweetness) with the room note and taste to match. A perfect all day smoke whilst doing tasks, mindless yard mowing, etc... Nothing complex about this one folks, just a great, mellow, very tasty and enjoyable smoke with no tongue bite.

I do detect a very slight topping as I do in Patriot Flake. Not so much a flavor as a sweetness. Not a pure tobacco Virginia sweetness, but whatever it is, it pairs perfectly with the otherwise pure Virginia smoking flavor. I also get a very slight spiciness, especially toward the end of the bowl. A little hint of Perique splashed in the mix? I am uncertain, but it works perfectly...

I'd give it 3.5 stars if I had the option. For now it has to get 3 as it is slightly too mild for my taste. Although I did just purchase a 9oz bag to cellar :-)

Pipe Used: Cassano Milano

Age When Smoked: 2 years

Purchased From: Pipes and Cigars

Similar Blends: DAN Tobacco's Patriot Flake.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Steve Lewis (5)	2013-11-30		Mild	Mild to Medium	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I have smoked and enjoyed Hamborger Veermaster for some time. This is a basic Virginia with a very pleasant and consistent smoking qualities. It is a flake and rubs out very well. Out of the tin this blend is perfect (not too moist and not dry). Haborger Veermaster has a sweet taste but not too sweet. The vitamin N is very slight and I would classify this blend as a light tobacco with a very pleasant room note.

Purchased From: smokingpipes.com

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Antihero (17)	2013-11-11		Mild	Extremely Mild	Medium	Tolerable

Well, this has to be one of the smoothest straight virginia flakes i've ever smoked. Moisture is on the spot (I assume some drying would do no harm, though), it packs and lights easily, stays lit easily as well and produces no harsh tones or tongue bites whatsoever even when puffed quite hard.

The aroma is there right after lighting and stays over the full bowl with a little pleasant tangyness towards the end. It's sweet and mellow (as is said on the tin: "Seut un sacht"). Mellow, mellow, mellow indeed! Round, rich and soft and very delightful.

The only reason for not giving 4 stars is that it's a wee bit too sweet for my liking (hence I put "Extremely mild" in flavouring, because I've never had a virginia THAT sweet. It's not that I can put my finger on a specific flavouring). But that's personal preference, so 3 and a half stars for that one.

Smokers who prefer some edges in their virginias may find it a little boring.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2013-10-29		Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Taste like they sprayed sugar water on this great looking flake burns hot and is like running razor blades acrosss my tounge

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Knightsmoker (216)	2013-02-26		Mild	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

THis is a good straight VA. When I think about what tobacco in general should taste like I would think of this. However, the taste is a little thin for lack of a better term. This was a tin ROTT so some age might help it. I have smoked a little over half of the tin and placed the rest in to storage for a few years. Maybe 3 yrs or so will change my opinion on it. Again a good smoke, one that could be smoked all day except for the tongue bite. I have to smoke this in a small bowl and pay attention or it will bite. There are other VA's that I like better, SG's BBF and FVF would be a better option for my palate right now.

Update 2022-10-12 I have smoked 6 tins of this since the review above, it has been hard to find at times. This is my last tin and it has 10 yrs of age on it. The taste is exactly as I described above but the flakes are a little darker and a little sweeter. That said, I still prefer other blends to this one and since it is so sought after will likely not pick it up again but the rating is the same, a solid 3 stars.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	derlict311 (71)	2012-12-04		Mild	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

Tin dated 10/2006

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 recommended for all lighter Virginia lovers.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Lyle (32)	2012-10-08		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

I find this to be a very "bright" Virginia tobacco.

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.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2012-02-23		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

Hamburger Beermaster is one of my favorite Virginia's. Highly recommended!

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Dr. Scott (82)	2011-08-12		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

From start to finish, one long case of tongue bite.

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.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2011-08-07		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

For those of you who remember how good Capstan Blue was and it was so good, HV reminds me most of it. Mellow Virginia, with a great wheat straw smell in the tin. Rub it out and be gentle in puffing. Outstanding!!!

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2010-06-06		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

I bought a tin of Hamborger Veermaster almost a year ago and never opened it until about a month ago. The flakes were not too moist and not too dry. I crumbled them and packed them in a brand new Viprati pipe with a fairly small to medium bowl.

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! :-)

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2010-03-18		Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

The tins I've received from Dan Tobacco had a very low moisture level. The flakes were easily turning into dust. So I carefully put the containing into my tobacco humidifier. After a couple of days they were ready to smoke.

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.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2009-10-18		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Very Pleasant

I stopped in to my local tobacco shop to pick up a new pipe and decided to buy a tin as well. I have a fanny pack that I use to carry around all my smoking stuff and wanted a small reusable tin to refill with my bulk tobaccos. I liked the ship on this tin and the fact that it's pretty small, small enough to fit in my pack, and the fact that it had a screw top on it. It was a bit beat up on the shelf, only two cans left, so I picked one up and asked the shop owner what was in it. He replied, 'Tobacco of course'. Not what I wanted to hear LOL, he had to go in back and look it up. 'Pure Virginia with no casing' he said, so I decided to try it, my first ever pure virginia. I popped the tin right in the shop and smelled it, WOW it was amazing. The shop owner pulled out a little and showed me how to rub it out, I guess he assumed I was new to this LOL. About an hour later I drove up to a nice spot on the nature trail and hunkered down by a small stream under a cottonwood tree next to the ducks and squirrels and tried this out in my new bowl. The taste and smell was just wonderful, and it packed a punch (nicotine) that surprised me for a straight virginia. Several hours later I didn't smell like smoke, but rather had a sweet smell and aftertaste, not at all like the english blends I am used to. Man I love this stuff! If only I could find it in bulk....Hmmmmmm.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	strongirish (249)	2009-07-15		Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Pleasant

I love the tin artistry of this one and upon opening it I was greeted with a very sweet, fresh and somewhat musty fragrance. The flakes are on the thin side and they are a little wetter than I like. Rolled up in my Verona Rustica bent apple well enough and after a few lights, it burned well and the first taste was delicious. As I smoked it down the bowl, the taste went from a sweet VA to a strong and musty flavor. Not that this is bad, but I would rather had better balance. I did notice that the blend becomes stronger the more it was smoked and towards the end, it was very strong with just a little tongue bite. This one has to be sipped.

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.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2009-01-21		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

first: THIS IS NOT AIR CURED BUT FLUE CURED!!!!

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.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pseudo Nim (128)	2008-10-15		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Nice size of tin and cut of flake, a little on the dry side but rubs out well and you just know it will burn the same.

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

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	jankoez (69)	2008-09-28		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant

It is fair mixture which burns very well although it is quite dry when tin is opened. Anyway, for pure Virginia blend it is surprisingly good for smoking.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	flaminbill' (57)	2008-07-16		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

What a delight! No bite and a very neutral and natural taste, which I appreciate. To me, this is a well-above-average straight Virginia blend.

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

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	PipePaladin (78)	2008-04-23		Medium to Strong	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Tolerable

This is a nice VA flake with natural taste and good burning properties. A tobacco for long enjoyment!

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2008-02-20		Very Mild	None Detected	Mild	Pleasant

First off let me start by saying that when I review a cigar or tobacco I don?t go as deep as ?tasted nutty? or ?had a leathery finish?. Maybe my palate isn?t as sensitive or refined as others but I have yet to taste ?leather? in anything I smoke. In fact I?m not sure I want to. If I wanted to taste leather I?d go lick my couch. My reviews are always my gut feeling of what I thought.

With that being said I have to admit, at the risk of angering some, that Dan tobacco?s is just about last on my favorite blendes list HOWEVER in their defense I have only tried a handful of their blends. Veermaster on the other hand has me take a second look. I received a tin of this as a trade with an online buddy. When I saw ?Made by Dan Tobacco? on the label I thought, here we go again, however upon opening the tin I was greeted by a wonderful ?clean natural? tobacco smell. This sparked my interest but I have enjoyed the tin smell of many blends before just to be disappointed by the results. This was not the case here. This is an extremely mild Virginian blend which in itself will make any seasoned smoker say ?did he use the words Virginian blend and extremely mild in the same sentence?? Both very mild and clean burning I would highly recommend this blend to any new pipe smoker making the transition from aromatics to Virginians. I experienced no ?Virginian bite? like most have and no mater how calmly or aggressively I puffed away it remained very cool and enjoyable. I also feel that this would be a great blend to break in new pipes with due to the neutral flavor and clean burning characteristics. Good job on this one guys?

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2007-10-19		Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This was my first time with either a straight Virginia or a flake tobacco. All in all I was satisfied with this blend.

Rather than rub this tobacco out, to get its fullest flavor as some have recommended I just stuffed it straight into the pipe. This method required frequent relights, but as a contemplative, unhurried smoker this was fine by me.

The tin aroma is a lovely fruity, figgy smell. The taste in the pipe is sweet if not particularly complex.

This is the meat and three veg of pipe tobacco: simple, unseasoned and to the point. I would definitely smoke this tobacco again.

The price of the tin is a bit on the steep side, though, so I might give Best Brown Flake a try first to see how it compares.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Philo Beddoe (221)	2007-02-03		Medium	None Detected	Very Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

Based on the previous reviews I was hoping for a mellow Virginia to relax with. What I tasted was a shallow Va. with too little going on, to keep me interested. I agree with those who say this is a mellower version of Orlik's Golden Slices. I do not demand robust flavors from my Va. tobaccos, but I want a certain heft and general feel that I am smoking something of substance. Hamborger Veermaster fails to keep my palette satisfied.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2007-01-31		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Just finished my first tin of this fine tobacco. This seems to be a bit milder than several other Virginias I've had. Has a very pleasant smell upon opening the tin. Rather small flake as compared to AStley's 109 which I consider a rather large flake.

Very little rubbing out was required and the moisture content seemed just about perfect right from the tin. I use the three step packing method and Veermaster required nothing special in the way of packing. One light after charring seemed the norm. Smoked down to a clean ash with only a tamp or two. I tend to smoke VA's in a group 3 pipe.

Taste is very smooth with just a touch of sweetness. One of the more pleasant room aromas in my experience for a VA. Easy to keep cool and very consistent through the bowl. On occasion I've had Va's that give a little bite towards the end, but not so here. All in all, a very pleasant Va.

I give it only 3 stars because it's been my experience that VA's improve with age. I'll try this again and give a report in one year. I expect this will be a 4 star VA. At least I hope so, I just bought 10 tins! :)

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Spike (296)	2006-12-13		Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This tin has been waiting for a least a year in my cellar. My first impression is pleasant if not the best of the virginia flakes. Well behaved and consistent it may rate an upgrade later on. At this point I can say there are many virginia flakes that are more flavorful than Veermaster. If you enjoy your tobacco on the mild side this may be just what you desire.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2006-10-16		Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

I have to say right up front that I really wanted to like this tobacco. Everything I've heard was very positive. Many people claim Hamborger Veermaster to be one of their favorite Virginia tobaccos. Unfortunately, I cannot say the same.

Upon opening the tin the aroma of Hamborger Veermaster is wonderful, very figgy, like fruitcake, with a background hint of chocolate. Very enticing. The flakes were moister than I like, but after a day of the tin being left open, they were perfect for my liking. The flakes did not lift out of the tin uniformly, so I treated the tobacco as a broken flake, roughly rubbing them out, and loading the bowl with small "chunks." I rubbed out a little bit very thoroughly as tinder for the top.

The tobacco lit easily, and the flavor of the top 1/4 of the pipe was terrific. Very sweet and flavorful. However, I found that as I smoked further into the bowl the tobacco changed flavor and became very cigar-like. The sweetness departed, and I never got the rich depth of Virginia flavor that I look forward to when I smoke Virginias. I can say without ambiguity that I did not enjoy the second half of the pipes I smoked of Hamborger Veermaster. I tried a variety of pipes dedicated to Virginias, from a Bosi with a tapered tobacco chamber, to a small Connoisseur I use for flakes, a small bowled Stanwell bamboo, Ferndown bulldog, a couple different McCranie pipes (made by Tonino Jacono) and a large Pipa Croci. I found that the sweet Virginia flavor lasted longest in a wide-bowled McCranie pot/chubby billiard and the Ferndown. Perhaps this tobacco needs a broad bowl to achieve it's best flavor.

I should add my tin is 2+ years old, and I experienced no tongue bite whatsoever. I did find the end of the pipe, especially in tapered bowls, to have a bit of a nicotene punch. Not a lot, but noticeable.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pipepundit (168)	2006-10-08		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Hamborger Veermaster is an exceedingly well-behaved flake. Easy to pack in its broken flake form or rubbed out. It burns steadily down to the bottom, leaving no dottle, just fine grey ash. It is the kindest virginia on the tongue, in my experience.

The taste and the aroma are pure tobacco. In the course of the bowl a variety of subtle, but entirely natural flavours appear. This is almost the perfect all-day smoke, though in the evenings I turn to latakia/oriental mixtures. It does not reveal its charms immediately, but deeper acquaintance is highly engaging. Perhaps not for the novice - its attractions are understated and grow on you with each bowl. Highly recommended to all lovers of pure tobacco.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2006-09-23		Medium	Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is by far the best virginia smoke I have had yet. Smooth, sweet and great natural aroma. I find this much better than Fribourg & Treyer, Cut Virginia Plug. Smoking this tobacco before bed will give you dreams of manning the helm of a four mast at full sail. "Aye Aye Captain!, Steady on course three six zero!"

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	kylepoet (18)	2006-05-22		Mild	Mild	Mild	Pleasant

This is a nice, clean Virginia blend that smokes evenly, slowly, and with that sweet Virginia kick I enjoy for a change of pace. I picked up 50g tin (his last) on the recommendation of my tobacconist, and I'm glad I did. It needed a little drying after I opened it, but after that, it rubs out well, lights up without any fuss, and stays lit after the char. It starts out in an unassuming manner, although you know it's a Virginia, but really picks up and rounds out mid-bowl. It has a soft, mild finish. You can almost hear it asking you to smoke just one more bowl. No bite, nothing fancy, and it gets a place in my rotation as a good Virginia blend to fall on when the mood strikes. Three stars hits the spot.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2006-05-01		Mild	None Detected	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

I'm with pipestud on this one, mild, bland...interesting flavors now and then. I have an old Bassett Hound and he is not laid back...this tobacco is.

UPDATE! Tried this a day later in another pipe and what a difference! Either I had a fouled pipe/ mouth the first go around or the Tobacco Taste Fairy hit my tin with her wand overnight. Rich, full, sweet flavor right to the bottom and has gone to the head of my Va. class.

dunhill grp 3.... Second time: dunhill grp 5

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	ruffinogold (112)	2006-04-18		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

A cool smoking ,long lasting ,and clean tasting killer smoke ! would make an easy all day smoke . It hits all the spots for a virginia and doesnt go too far in any direction

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Moe (46)	2006-02-17		Mild	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

I really enjoy this virginia, I dont smoke it every day but when I do pick up a tin, I burn through it pretty quickly.

Like all virginia tobaccos, smoke it slowly, and you will be rewarded with a sweet satisfying smoke. What else do you need to know?

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2006-01-18		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

This is a pretty good natural virginia flake. It's not particularly sweet or bitey, but has a nice natural tobacco flavor. This tobacco is somewhat expensive and there are some bulk virginias that I like a bit better, but I wouldn't hesitate to grab a tin of this if I were travelling and needed to restock.

Overall, a pleasant and satisfying tobacco.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	dualkarnain (75)	2006-01-10		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

I enjoy this monochromatic tobacco because it makes me introspective. It doesn't change over the course of the bowl too much and sometimes, when I'm focused on a project or working at home, it's exactly what I need.

The tinge of sweetness is reminiscent of kissing a striptease dancer after she'd sipped a chablis of white wine.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	zulujerk (146)	2005-11-01		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

I've been on a Virginia binge lately, and this one was on the list. Interesting thin cut flakes with an almost string like look when broken apart. Nice moisture level. Flavor's a bit moderate, not too sweet. First half of the bowl fairly insignificant. Picks up mid to bottom of the bowl.

A little above average in my book. Wouldn't pick it up again.

2.5 of 4.0

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2005-10-27		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Nice sturdy round tin with a rubber seal to ensure freshness. Very similar to other premium blends. The leaf comes in pressed flake form and is easy to manage practically disintegrating into perfect shreads if too heavy a hand is used-all one needs to do is pull a bit out and pack it directly into the pipe. The leaf lights very easily and burns cool without any excessive moisture. The flavor is thoroughly Virginia. Smooth with the perfect toasty bottom that I look for in a Virginia leaf. This is a wonderful flake, and I highly recommend it to any lover of Virginia pureblends. It is a remarkable, and honest leaf that I hold in high esteem along with Marlin Flake, Stonehaven, and Escudo.

It lacks the depth of some of the dark stoved VA's that I enjoy, though there is a zesty light flavor that is remarkably not unlike Dunhill's Light Flake, and Tordenskjold Virginia Slices.

Highly recommended to the VA smokers interested in a tobacco with no bite and a hankering for a straight VA profile.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2005-07-03		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

The flake crumbles easily, lights easily and burns cool, slow and even without any bitterness, steam or excessive moisture. The flavor is a smooth VA with a slight hint of chocolaty top notes and toasty base notes. This is of the same quality as Marlin Flake and Orlik Golden Slices, maybe even better. Overall this is just a super smooth and tasty VA that is a constant in my rotation.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2005-06-25		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Ah, Veermaster. This is what i think of when Virginia flake is uttered. It's the polar opposite of marlin flake. Air cured, light, undertones of honey and hay, absolutely delicious. The flakes are very thin and pliable, gorgeous threads of golden virginia. Upon popping the tin and loading a pipe, the moisture level is perfect. Every shread is consigned to fluffy pure white ash, making the experience ever more perfect. End bowl gets a little spicy, and reveals blasts of the carmelized sugar/honey notes. This, along with Tordenskjold Slices, are highly underrated masterpieces of Dan Tobacco. Highest recommendations.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2005-04-19		Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I think that the other reviewers have represented my thoughts rather well. The hamburger beermaster is really pretty good. I actually find myself agreeing with the pros (tasty if smoked properly) and the cons (can become bitter through the bowl), and even the comparison (to Orlick GS). OGS seems more consistent to me, personally, but I do like this tobacco as well. It will work its way into the rotation with pleasure.

Update: The cons seem more pronounced, and this one is finding less time in the rotation.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	OSR (78)	2005-03-05		Medium	Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant

This is nice tobacco - but it must contain Burley and I definitely smell chocolate after rubbing the flakes out.

The middle/roundness of this blend is far too robust for a pure virginia. Now, the added leaf may be another varietal but to my sense of taste it's burley.

The chocolate? This is subtle but I promise that if you'll rub the flakes out and immediately smell what you've just rubbed.. it's chocolate. Pure VA reminds my nose of orange pekoe tea.. not Ghiradelli!

Nice flake tobacco but this doesn't have the usual "woody and bright" flavor of the types of virginia flakes that I prefer. About halfway through the bowl the virginia started to peek it's head through the mix but it never developed much sweetness or sourness.. that doesn't make this a bad blend but it certainly isn't what I expected.

From the first light I waited for the Virginia taste and this never really happened. Some compare this to Orlik Golden Sliced but frankly, I don't see it at all. OGS has that woody VA taste even though the burley is there. HV doesn't. Is it the chocolate? Could be. Is there more burley in HV? Could be. I believe it's a combination of both.

The chocolate (or, what my smeller detects to be chocolate) is subtle yet once you look/smell for it, you'll find it - like Heinz Ketchup in McClellands blends.

A good smoke, middle-weighted and rather monochromatic. This doesn't bite and provides the smoker with a nice experience. But, it's not a classic pure virginia flake, IMO. HV gains strength as you get into the meat of the bowl but at no time does it get strong.

I'll smoke this on occasion but recommend Freiborg & Treyor "Cut Virginia Plug" as a weighty virginia with no bite.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Fazby (66)	2004-12-21		Medium	Mild	Medium	Tolerable

I like this Virginia. Whatever, if any, flavoring has been added is slight. I like the smell in the tin and the flavor when smoking it. This is one I keep on hand.

Assuming Dan still sells a 250g tin, it is an interesting way to purchase this. The flakes were a good foot long as they didn't have to be cut to fit a 50g tin. They just folded them up to fit the larger tin.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2004-11-23		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Tolerable

I was pleasantly surprised when first tried this tobacco. After smoking some F&T Cut Virginia Plug, I loaded up my Charatan expecting a light citrusy grassy virginian but, however, an earthy plain tobacco flavor was detected. I loved it. Some people may disagree but there are similarities between the flavor of Hamborger Veermaster and my old favorite, Samuel Gawith's Brown Rope #4. HV is not as strong as the rope but has a certain natural plain taste that's enjoyable. It is also slightly sweeter and smoother. Now, I know the description is virginian, but I swear there is a substantial amount of burley in HV. This is not a pure virginian tobacco. The smoke is wonderful, especially when you are outside grilling a steak and drinking a beer. A good solid no-nonsense tobacco.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2004-10-25		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Simply put, this is one of the finest virginia blends available. It burns extremely clean and the taste is remarkable. It seems to become even more flavorful further into the bowl.

Similar to Orlik Golden Sliced, but with better flavor.

4 stars!

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Beer (345)	2004-09-03		Medium to Strong	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

A soft flake which rubs out with no effort, with a sweet natural honeyish smell in the tin. It burns well, slow and even no matter if you smoke it whole or fully rubbed out. A bit wet just after opening, but dries easily (if you don't, expect to have to pass a cleaner during smoke). It's a rather mild (taste-wise, not in nicotine) bright Virginia flake, with a taste that can have some similarities to Orlick Golden Sliced, but slightly richer and better. It has some sweetness, and some toasty notes, but there are tastier Virginias, and the second half of the bowl can be a bit "watery" (especially without drying the tobacco a bit) or slightly bitter, especially after some relights. Maybe there's some burley? A positive note is that this tobacco does not bite at all. If you like Limerick or MacBaren Navy Flake, try this one too: you should like it!

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2004-08-12		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

Without a doubt, this is a "holy grail" smoke. VA at it's ultimate finest. Slow-burning, cool-smoking, nice, and sweet. VA's in my opinion is a tobacco for the experienced pipe smoker. Not because it is particularly dangerous, or hazardous, but because a neophyte most likely wouldn't have the ability to appreciate it until they've had at least 20 or 30 different pipe tobaccos.

This is a fine, fine blend, and will be an integral staple in my collection. One of the absolute best VA's that I have ever been privileged to smoke. Hamborger Veermaster should be an award winning tobacco.

Cheers!

Daniel

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2004-07-07		Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild	Pleasant

A good Virginia flake, mild and smells like good hay in the tin. Not the best Virginia I've ever puffed, but this one is worth a try. It seems to have an aged taste and puffed slow the good Virginia flavour sweetly rolls out.Not bad at all.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Mr. Dottle (162)	2004-06-24		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Make no mistake. Hamborger Veermaster is a great Virginia blend! It has no bite and I found it to be sweet and mild as described on the tin. Slow and sipped puffs, as recommended for all Virginias, especially enhanced the qualities of this tobacco. HV has good burn qualities and relights, although few, were very pleasurable. HV is/would be a great all day smoke.

I rate this tobacco 9.9 out of 10.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2004-06-12		Medium	None Detected	Full	Pleasant

This is great stuff. Because of the tin, some people think this blend is called "Beermaster", which I think is amusingly appropiate because this is an excellent companion to a pint of lager.

The predominant aroma is a delicious, mild Virginia. This tobacco also has a slightly sharp edge to the aftertaste, it reminds me of the cigarettes I used to smoke before. At first I didnt like it, but now I've grown used to it and even enjoy it.

Flake purists might be distressed by the fact that this looks a bit messy in the tin, and it's a bit hard to extract a single intact flake. I don't mind, however. Usually I simply fold a couple of flakes, stick them in a Vauen Classic and rub some tobacco out on top for igniting. Once this gets going, it burns smoothly and evenly and doesn't need any relights. It leaves a clean and dry grey-white ash, and won't bite even an impatient, greedy smoker such as myself.

An excellent tobacco, try it!

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2004-02-08		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

This is a wonderful looking classic Virginia flake. It comes in beautiful golden brown flakes and has a wonderful tin aroma. It just smells delicious, and it is. It burns quite well either rubbed out or when packed 'sausage style' and, perhaps most importantly, it doesn't bite, even when smoked too fast. It smokes cool from first light to ash. Like most Virginias, Veermaster has a very naturally sweet flavor which intensifies as it creeps towards the end of the bowl, yet it doesn't become overwhelming at all. It's not a terribly complex tobacco, but that's OK because it is delicious through and through. Very sweet & very pleasant, this tobacco would be a wonderful introduction to the world of Virginias for any neophyte. I definitely recommend the Beermaster.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2003-08-17		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Very Pleasant

This is a really beautiful flake. Opening a fresh tin you notice striations varying from a medium brown thru some lighter shades like a dark cream. Opening an aged tin, as I have just done, all the colors appear to be a few shades darker. The tin aroma is light and airy without any hint of the pequency which portends the dreaded "Devourer of Tongues". The strips are fairly pliable, making for an easy "pack". I tend to roll some up and gently load my pipe then rub up a bit for the top as an aid to getting a good light. After a few minutes of gentle puffing, it settles down to an extremely soft, creamy, smoke. It tastes sweet as a good virginia should but not in the way of any artificial flavors or toppings. No uncomfortable heat, no bite. True, it is a bit one dimentional but who cares as long as that dimention resides well into "The Zone"! I think it is a good start for those who want to get into Virginia Flakes without worryin' about suckin' on a blowtorch. As far as the "Wife Rating" (room note), my wife has never complained. Course I ain't seen her in 30 years. But while I sometimes miss the steady companionship, I am in the envyable position of smokeing my pipe to please myself. And I like it!!! In conclusion, don't be put off by my "smoke this on occasion" rating. I like my tobaccos aged and I've only got 4 six year old tins left, so I'm tryin' to make it stretch. Rating - 85 out of 100!

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2003-07-13		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This blend is just too easy, and I can't think of a better recommendation for the first time VA flake smoker. Pack and burn are a complete no-brainer. Poor technique can cause any VA to nip at the tongue, but you would practically have to try to make this one bite. It looks dark and fairly imposing in the tin, but it's as smooth and carefree a flake as I can think of, marred only by an occasional hashness towards the end. The taste is a model of pure Virginia tocacco, if not particularly complex, sort of along the lines of an Old Gowrie- straight, simple, and proper. Nothing huge or ornery here. It is only modestly sweet, and completely devoid of the excessive tang that accompanies so many other flakes.

Some may find this boring, and I can't rightly argue the point. Still, whenever I revisit this blend I am reminded of how satisfying a smooth, natural smoke can be.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Tantric (321)	2003-01-15		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

First impression: a mellow blend, very well done, but nothing more. Yet as you keep on smoking it, the blend gradually reveals itself as a rich, plentiful Virginia, oscillating in between the naturally sweet and the tangy-sour registers, exceedingly smooth, very well behaved and easy to smoke. As you progress down the bowl the undertones of this tobacco are enticing and absorbing. There are red wine notes, a bit of a toasted nuance, a trace of wooded aromas and, of course, a rounded Virginia tobacco flavor that captivates as well as sooths.

I have been smoking this in a brand new Savinelli "Bing's favorite" smooth. There is such an understanding between pipe and tobaco, that I get the feeling that I am just participant (nay, an instrument)of a secret ritual.

The flakes in HB come indeed moist, but IME (in my experience) they are perfectly smokable. I was amazed at the ease with which you can roll them into the bowl. They took to the light with no problem and the burning qualities were excellent. Equally interesting is the fact that there is no tongue bite whatsoever, and the aftertaste is mild and zesty (quite similar to Bjarne?s Flake de Luxe, though the latter is sweeter). A wonderful tobacco, rich in flavor, mild to medium in strength, that can be enjoyed any time, any where. IMO, a real Virginia winner. It should not be missed!

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2002-11-26		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Pleasant

This is a tobacco that I found needed to be aired out in order to be smokable. Smoking a bowl immediately upon opening delivered a significant nasal burn. This was substantially reduced by letting the tobacco sit. In my case that was about two months, but I suspect that a week or two would be sufficient. My tin was unaged.

This tobacco is packed as a thick flake, about two inches long. It rubs out nicely. My practice is generally to rub flakes out to the point that they are soft strands, which may not be to everyone?s taste.

Initial flavor is fairly bright, but with a slightly nutty character. After a short DGT, the middle of the bowl grows in the intensity of flavor, but also startsto get slightly bitter/tarry. The bottom of the bowl continues this trend and becomes somewhat distracting.

It is possible that some of the problems that I experienced had to do with smoking too quickly as a result of the full rubbing. I plan to give this another try less rubbed out to reduce the burning speed to see if this makes any difference. I will add to this review at that point.

November 2002

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2002-08-31		Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild	Pleasant

Until Hamborger Veermaster, I have never enjoyed any tobacco with a sailing ship on the label. But having been fortified by the reliable delights of this smoke, I am ready to tackle more ship-, airplane-, and even dog-tobaccos.

More seriously, I agree with the esteemed Eulenberg and the other reviewers concerning the excellence of this offering. It is fast becoming a go-to smoke for me and is particularly good in the summer heat.

Thanks to Joshua Rosenblatt for his recommendation.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2002-03-06		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is a thick cut flake composed of medium brown color with some black strips and a very little bit of bright yellow birdseye. I keep it on the moist side in the tin. I break off what I need and let it dry out before smoking it. The tin aroma is definitely pressed Virginia with its typical citrus overtones. This is similar to Orlick Golden Sliced. The latter being a thinner, longer, and more yellow flake with a brighter and stronger citrus aroma. On any given day, I may prefer one over the other

This can be smoked rolled or rubbed out. I prefer to rub it out. It can be rubbed out to a coarse cut all the way down to a cigarette cut. Smoking flavor is a medium Virgina with a mild but sweet lemon flavor with just a bit of peppery moments. If careful, easy puffing will avoid tongue bite. Even if rushed, the bite is minimal as compared to other Virginias. There is nothing extra ordinary during the smoke, but a good straight forward tobacco. Nicotine content is medium. There is no zing when blown out through the nose. Taste is consistent throughout the bowl gaining a bit of strength near the end. If kept on the dry side, it burns clean to the bottom of the bowl, with no dottle, to a whitish gray ash. Room aroma is cigarette like. It is part of my regular tobacco rotation. I would turn to it more often if there was a bit of Perique in it. Still, I plan to always have some on hand.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2002-03-03		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

As a predominantly English-Oriental smoker, this website has inspired me to explore the world of high quality VA blends which is why I decided to pick this one up off the shelf and give it a try. The aroma in the tin is that of a pretty sweet aromatic and it's amazing that this blend has no casings and all the sweetness is derived from the high quality VAs. It was easy to light and stay lit and burned completely cool. No tongue bite whatsoever. The end of the smoke in my oversized Savinelli Deluxe left absolutely no dottle or moisture which further lends credence to the thought that there are no casings here to speak of. This was a great smoke. I was pretty surprised at the mild buzz I received after a large bowlful. Perhaps the nicotine content is on the high side. The room note was terrific. This is a great change of pace smoke for me, and I'll be sure to always have some Veermaster on hand.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	NEWMAN (305)	2002-03-02		Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

This is a winner from the sweet aroma that greets you when opening the tin thru the last puff. One of the naturally sweeter straight VAs that I enjoy and can smoke all day smoke without loosing interest or scorching my tongue. Smooth, cool and consistent taste without any hint of bite. Give it a try.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2001-06-01		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Tolerable to Strong

This a very easy-smoking virginia! It comes in loose slices that are very tolerant of packing technique. I generally just grab a bit, fold it in half, and shove it in the bowl. Burns fairly cool and consistent all the way down, with no hint of tongue bite. Good solid virginia sweetness and flavor with just a hint of fruit casing (peach?) if I puff it just right, but not enough to be distracting or for me to be really certain if it is indeed cased. The sweetness seems pretty naturally virginia to me.

It's not a particularly complex or powerful tobacco like some of the McClellands blends, but its low-hassle smokability and lack of catsup aroma more than compensates in my opinion. It possesses a medium body and flavor, although the flavor does intensify a bit towards the bottom of the bowl.

This is a very nice all-day virginia, definitely recommended. If you're one of those persons who are prone to tongue-bite (like me), it's highly recommended.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	RK_Oz (15)	2022-12-16		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Age: not more than a month old

First 10 mins: Grass, Hay, light citrus, wood and bread. It does leave some vinegar notes on the palate Retrohale: mild to medium pepper

10-25 mins: citrus notes are more profound combined with earthy woody notes. Mild acidic/vinegary taste persists on the palate Retrohale: medium pepper with slight vinegar

25+ mins: citrus notes, more acidic with persistent woody notes Retrohale: Retrohale: medium pepper with slight vinegar

Burns slow and cool. Left a little bit of moisture and dottle for me.

Will definitely improve with age. Current rating 3.0/4

Pipe Used: Various briars, cobs, meerschaum

Age When Smoked: 1 month

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Antonius Blok (190)	2020-08-26		Mild	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I bought a can of this tobacco by mistake and when I first smoked it I discovered that it had actually been a success. A smooth Virginia, ideal to be smoked as the first pipe of the day, perhaps in the morning, but tasty enough to be smoked with pleasure the rest of the day as well. In my ignorance, I would compare it to a Tordenskjold Virginia Slices devoid of Perique, with the same touch that is vaguely reminiscent of a hint of chocolate. It comes in stacked flakes and with a level of humidity that allows it to smoke immediately after removing it from the can and rubbing it, although it can also be left to dry a little.

An interesting tobacco for a novice to start with Virginias...

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	CDM Jr. (19)	2020-08-20		Mild	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

A great Virginia that's on the sweet side. Burns, smokes and behaves with excellence. Quality you should expect from Dan Tobacco. My only complaint with this tobacco is the difficulty in it's availability. That should tell you about it's popularity. Four stars!

Pipe Used: Don Florian Fan

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: Iwan Ries, Chicago

Similar Blends: K&K Virginia's.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Tomcat (212)	2020-01-26		Very Mild	Very Mild	Medium	Unnoticeable

Fairly similar to Orlik Golden Sliced in tin aroma and taste . HV has more of a lemon taste as OGS has more orange to my tastebuds . I get some hay and grass and a lot of baked bread and a little spice . I get some red Virginia spice and fruit also and some deeper brown Bass notes . Full of great flavor . Low in nicotine, an all day smoke . No bite whatsoever. Should age well . Highly recommend for Virginia lovers . 4 stars ⭐️ 🌟 🌟 🌟

Similar Blends: Orlik Golden sliced.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	cargohold (14)	2020-01-04		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Extremely Mild (Flat)	Tolerable

I have mixed feelings about this blend of light and dark Virginias. The first time I smoke this was about 10 years ago and my reaction was much like Pipestud's review, very positive, full Virginia sweetness etc. Due to the unavailability of the blend for what seemed like an interminable amount of time I was finally able to get hold of the stuff about 6 months ago and eagerly fired it up expecting to have the same experience. Well I can tell you that like Jiminks, I found to airy to the point of being bland and very disappointing. I guess I will cellar the two tins I have left for awhile and hope for a better tomorrow. Meanwhile, I will stick with Sam Gawiths Best Brown flake which I find just about perfect for my palate.

Pipe Used: Peterson spigot

Age When Smoked: 2018

Purchased From: Cargohold

Similar Blends: none.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	cakeanddottle (105)	2017-04-06		Mild	Mild to Medium	Mild	Pleasant

This was my intro to citrus cased golden Va flake. Firmly in the Dunhill Flake and F&T Cut Va Plug genre.

I like Dan Va flakes. Their Va is drier, not C&D dry, but almost ready to smoke. The flavor is good, on the sunny hayloft side. Here, the citrus is a little too strong, and to me it tastes slightly off with an artificial sweetener twang. I'm hoping age mellows that citrus and am sitting on mine til it gets 10 years on it. 5 down, 5 to go.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	crazy owl (74)	2016-08-22		Mild to Medium	Medium to Strong	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is NOT straight Virginia,this is a full aromatic.Certainly the Va. base is of first quality but the heavy casing spoil it.Of course from the point of view of a non aro smoker.I can understand that many reviewers like this blend,but it´s unconceivable for me that so many people don´t detect the added perfum.

Age When Smoked: fresh

Purchased From: local tobacconist

Similar Blends: any other aromatic.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Darth 69 (117)	2015-04-25		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

This blend has a subtle sweet flavor similar to the same manufacturer's Mellow Mallard which I tried first. I initially thought it was the unique character of the African virginia's common to both. These blends are described as being naturally processed virginia blends but I have come to believe they share a similar light sweet casing. The flavor is simple, straightforward and lighter than average with a more pronounced sweet aroma of brown sugar, figs, honey, malt, oxidized bruised apple, sweet fresh cut grass and something darker like richer chocolate. It finanlly dawned on me that it may be Tonka beans/Coumarin. Despite this possible casing, I consider this blend natural enough and don't have much of a problem in augmenting blends in this way to make them more palatable. Contrast them with the harsher character of some of the Cornell & Diehl/GL Pease blends of purer tobacco. A very good, straight forward and uniform golden virginia flake with a touch of added sweetness.

Age When Smoked: one year

Similar Blends: DTM's Mellow Mallard, G&H Scotch Flake.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2013-11-08		Medium	None Detected	Extremely Mild (Flat)	Unnoticeable

I've heard for years, how great this tobacco is, so finally decided to pick up a tin. I don't know, maybe I got a bad batch, but I was severely disappointed. The only taste I could detect when smoked, was a slight peppery taste on my tongue....other then that, absolutely devoid of any taste related to tobacco. A total waste of money, as far as I'm concerned.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2013-02-24		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This tobacco was a disappointment.

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.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Duke (41)	2011-08-12		Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

Last week as the unbearable summer heat and stifling humidity pressed on, I found my favorite English blend was just too much, and my vaper wasn't delivering any great enjoyment. So I rummaged around my stock of tinned tobacco and chose Hamborger Veermaster. I recalled finding favor in this tobacco, but obviously not enough to have substantial back-stock. Because it is a flake, I cracked the tin open to flash off the moisture normally afforded to flake tobaccos, as well as, placed an estimated two day supply on the dash of my car for rapid de-humidification. I like my Virginians' dry. Well the result was my two day supply barely lasted a half day. I'm sure there's some rum and fruit topping on this weed but it didn't trump the tobacco taste. This isn't a tobacco of many subtleties, but rather just a light bodied smoke with ample strength. An inhale or two reminded I'm smoking tobacco. There may be a splash of Burley or even Kentucky- heck I don't care it just hit the spot. It didn't have the tang of say Hal O' The Wynd, but I wasn't looking for that component either. What a great break of pace- what a great tobacco, when I dry it out.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2011-04-10		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

HV was among the first three or four tins I ever bought. And though I have since discovered that I prefer the English styles and LatBombs more often than not, this is the Virginia I reach for when I want to switch it up.

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.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2002-03-29		Medium	None Detected	Mild	Unnoticeable

I tried this tobacco after reading all of the positive reviews about it here. First off I have never tried a Dan tobacco that knocked my socks off. They have been ok, but not anything I would go out and purchase again. The best way I can describe this tobacco is bland. Not bad, just not rememberable Maybe I have been smoking too much Cairo and Haddos Delight. Also I find the price of Dan tobaccos to be a little pricey. In its defense, I do have to say that this is the first flake I have smoked that had no bite to it.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Brunello (140)	2023-02-20		Mild	Extremely Mild	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

This review is not for those of you who are avowed Virginia aficionados. This is aimed more at those who, like me, need a little extra convincing. In my case, I enjoy an occasional high-quality Virginia, but it’s got to have enough going on that I will willingly forego my favored Balkans and Burleys. A very few do that: Reiner Gold, Solani Silver, which both get four-stars by me, or even something like Astley’s 44, which is a strong 3-star dark Virginia. Veermaster doesn’t quite hit that level for me, but I don’t regret the time I’ve spent with it as a mostly mild and mellow Virginia.

My tin had three years of age on it when opened, and then another 18 months as I checked it out every now and then. From the very first I enjoyed this more than Esoterica Tilbury which tastes like boring white bread to me. But I don’t really see the comparisons to Dunhill Flake, which is darker, richer and nuttier.

I’m fairly certain that I detect some honey ginger in the casing. Remember, casing formulas aren’t declared as “added flavorings,” and it is an easy flavor-steering trick to just add a teaspoon of honey-ginger crystals per liter of water, or use the drop form with some bee pollen granules. It’s done all the time, and I’ve done it myself. If taken too far, as in C&D’s Shandygaff then you get an extreme flavor profile. But here it is subtle, and other than the slightest hint of honey on the palate, you notice the spicy tickle of ginger (and coriander from this type of Virginia) if you retrohale vigorously. That’s why I release the smoke slowly, otherwise I begin to get some nasal irritation. But don’t mistake this as a flaw, it adds to the pleasure once you recognize what you’re dealing with.

So, as for the debate as to whether this improves with age or not. Some say once the subtle top note is gone there’s not much left, others say it develops nicely with age. Yes, the subtle top note eventually faded, though even when the tin was first opened I never did get “upside down cake” as some have suggested. I would simply say that it was an exceedingly mild creamy fruit nuance. Then it seems to go through a hollow or dormant phase when the top note has faded but before any real depth from aging has developed. Finally, with a good amount of age the base tobacco does take on a nice round and satisfying maturity. So my best advice would be to enjoy a tin when it’s quite young, and have another tin sitting in the cupboard for 3-5 years down the road.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	PaPiper (35)	2023-02-01		Mild	None Detected	Mild	Pleasant

Veermaster is a mild Virginia with hints of natural sweetness and citrus. No bite, delicious sweet citrus retrohale, and great flake for beginners and experience alike. What I like is that it is mild yet still has good flavor representing a fine Virginia leaf.

Pipe Used: Various

Age When Smoked: 6 months

Purchased From: Smoking Pipes

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