Dan Tobacco Hamborger Veermaster

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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./