HU Tobacco Hadde's Best Irish

I anxiously awaited the arrival of Hadde's Best Irsih...10 days from order to USA doorstep. A beautiful dark brown rubbed out broken flake at a perfect moisture content. Very subtle honey/vanilla/almond tin note with the slightest of floral hint (not Lakeland at all). Loading and lighting were without effort as was keeping the tobacco lit. The Kentucky and Perique presence really lent some oomph to the smoking experience. I've never been a fan of Perique but it was certainly complementary here. I really enjoyed the subtleness of the flavoring agents and for those put off by anything floral, if I didn't read that beforehand I'm sure I would have missed it. Whatever it is added to the overall experience. For my tastes, I'm finding subtle is better - especially where high quality tobacco leaf is used as is the case here. I must say that I find the honey addition to be the best handled I've ever experienced in a tobacco. A highly satisfying smoke that garners 5 stars.

This tobacco reminds me a lot of Sir William Special Blend with a very similar casing and overall fullness. But here Perique is easily discernable whereas in "Special Blend" it might, or might not, be present (the recipe is a secret). Anyway, on its own this is a very aromatic (predominantly almond flavour) but also a very full tobacco flavoured broken flake, a process that is favoured by its blender Hans Wiedemann and myself as well. Pressing the tobacco brings out the flavour of Virginia, Perique and Kentucky and marries them together. When lit, you are rewarded with a sweet, pungent smoke that is mild, easy on the tongue but one that packs a real punch. I find it immensely satisfying! Hans is a new force to be reckoned with and up there, if not above, the other established micro-blenders. Enjoy, Rob

The Hadde`s Best Irish is a middle to dark brown ready rubbed flake. The tin note is a fruity and spicy. It makes appetite to smoke this blend. The handling is easy and after three times to light the tobacco burns very well. The smoke is cool and dry and absolutly uncomplicated. The taste is between an aromatic an a natural tobacco. It means the fruity, light soapy aromatisation is a teamplayer with the Virginias, Perique and the Kentucky. The taste is complex and interesting. From time to time the Kentucky is is more present and the taste is wonderful spicy with fruity notes in the background. This makes this blend absolutly interesting and it`s far away from an danish aromatic blend. I can recommend this blend all natural lovers and all aromatic lovers who like a flavor in the irish style. The taste is not harsh and without tongue bite till the end of the bowl.Very well made and of course 4 stars . This blend shows me again why I`m a fan of HU Tobacco.

Yet another excellent tobacco from Hans Wiedeman. It is supposedly an aromatic of sorts but I do not sense much more flavouring in Hadde’s Best Irish than in your average “non-aromatic” tobacco. It has a considerable sweetness which may be coming not only from the tobacco itself, but nothing here smells or tastes artificial. This means it should appeal to smokers of non aromatic tobaccos mainly.

It comes in a mixed cut of ribbons and broken flakes of different hues of brown. The tobacco seems well aged. Tin note smells of natural tobacco and if I try hard I can also smell a slight perfume, floral and honeyed possibly. I do not know if it is my tin but to me this is not an aromatic.

It lights easily and has a perfect mechanical behaviour, it smokes dry and burns slow and completely to the end leaving only fine ash.

The taste is quite complex but not on your face, rather nuanced I’d say with Burleys and Kentucky being more prominent. It is nutty, at times cigar-like but honeyed/sweet at the same time and smooth and also mildly spicy. Do I taste almonds? I am not sure, but everything in Hadde’s Irish tastes natural. Hadde’s is a wonderful tobacco mixture.

This one really hit home. I got the recommendation for this tobacco from mister lowercase and after he turned me on to some of my now favorite tobacco blends it was a no brainer that I had to try this one too.

The top note just perfectly works with the underlying tobacco and is an excellent choice for the warmer months. This is by no means similar to the Lakeland style blends but it does have a subtle floral note that really enhances and brings the tobaccos to life. I am not a fan of American aromatics mainly because they seem to use inferior leaf and drown out the flavor with some cheap tasting aro-chemicals and they're usually void of any real tobacco character. You won't find that here, no, this is in line with the best of the traditionally scented European classic tobaccos that are unfortunately hard to find in the US. This one has character, not just from the top note but from the top quality tobaccos used. Unfortunately this one is not available in the States either but I would highly suggest seeking this one out, along with all the other blends in the HU line up.

Essential

My sample bag came very dry. It smelled like honey, hay, grains, dried grass. It was quite amazing and one of the nicest smelling non American aromatic tobaccos I’ve smelled. Rehydrated some, packed a pipe straight away to smoke. Dry, so packed and lite like a dream.

The first few puffs of this and I can tell this here is a winner. Is it an aromatic? If you’re used to sweet wet American aromatics than no. This tastes like barn yard hay and wood. Fresh summer cut grass, more hay, honey, nuts, some sourness, some honey sweetness. There’s a floral element but NOT a Lakeland style. I want to say there’s whiskey in this too? Or something that reminds me of it. It’s slightly sharp on the nose but I enjoy it.


HU makes some of the best blends I have ever had and this one here is no exception. Tobacco forward taste with added flavors that do not take away from the natural tobacco taste. The retrohale is sharp but flavorful, no harshness, easy nutty aftertaste. Nic hit is medium on a full stomach.