HU Tobacco Director's Cut

Director's Cut has everything to please but I have been disappointed by it. As the format was the can paint, which involves the tobacco has not been vacuum sealed, the consequence is, I am quite sure, that DC is layered with PG or an equivalent product. This also involves that, despite being fairly dry to the touch, the tobacco constantly proved to be hard to light and mostly very hard to keep going, necessitating constant (and frustrating) relights. The result, invariably, has consistently been hot and harsh smokes for me, combined with significant tongue bite. This is very sad as this mixture has everything, once more, to not only please but be a winner.

Aromas of clover honey and wheat malt from the tin.

This blend begins with a light Virginia flavor of straw and chaff. A very subtle sweetness just reveals itself.

This blend crescendos consistently throughout the bowl, revealing incredible complexity of flavor and aroma. A biscuit-like sweetness builds in intensity, as do subtle fig, cinnamon and clove notes.

There is no bite or aftertaste whatsoever, which reflects the apparent superlative quality of the leaf, and a relative absence of chemicals and adjuvants.

Easily an all-day smoke, although I would recommend smoking this blend indoors or somewhere equally shielded from the wind, as the delicate intricacies of this blend are best appreciated in still air.

Top marks. My guess is that this blend will age exceptionally (underscore "exceptionally"), although I probably lack the self-restraint to let a tin of this heavenly stuff sit undisturbed.

I really like this one. A very good VaBurPer, and perhaps, my favorite of this genre at the moment. Between this and Strang, it seems the Germans are leading the way with these components. The balance between Sweet, Earth and spice in this blend is perfect to my tastes.

Hans may be the best blender out there right now. I wish his stuff was more readily available to us in the states. I was lucky enough to secure two 100 g cans of this in a trade that I will try to age. But this one is a no brainer at four stars.

I agree with JimInks and the other reviewers who have talked about the similarity of this blend (DC) to the re-released Bell's Three Nuns, including it's 'curly, coin-like' looks. The tin notes though are dissimilar. While Three Nuns (TN) has a plum and fruity fragrance in the tin, DC seems to have an aroma suggestive of some flavouring, some additive which I can't place a finger on.

It is ready to smoke right out of the tin like TN but has a stronger, spicier taste that lends itself to the conclusion that there is more Perique in it than in TN. IMO, it seems also to have a higher Vitamin 'N' content than TN. For those who love a stronger Perique content to TN, DC makes that 'cut'.

Here goes my initial review of Director's Cut:

It comes in a 100g tin with an interesting pop lid feature which is recloseable. I don't believe this is vacuum sealed but it is airtight so far as I can tell.

The tin aroma is a little sweet/fruity, a little spice with an afternote of smoke. The smoke note is most interesting, it is different than latakia leaf aroma, very light but noticeable right at the end of a sniff, perhaps contributed by the fire cured Virginia.

The cut is one of a kind. As noted from the description, the base is the curly cut, which are quite small, perhaps 1/2"-3/4" diameter. Also mixed in is the Virginia loose cut as well as some broken flake, which I imagine is the fire cured virginia. This will make for perhaps some flavor variation depending on which parts you pack more of in a bowl.

It does not come very moist but the fresh smoke revealed it did need a bit more drying time. I dried it for a couple hours, occasionally stirring the cuts to expose them to the air.

I packed up a Grant's Tanshell straight bulldog, which has a wide open draw and has been a good smoker for me. I grabbed a couple random pinches with the different cuts mixed in and finished off the top with some of the loose cut. The tobacco lights easily with an initial sweet flavor, one good char and then a true light. Gee, I packed the Virginia loose cut on top and that is what I tasted first. The virginias are very good quality, sweet and more to the golden color that I like. In the first third, I'm tasting mostly the loose cut virginia sweetness with perhaps a little citrus, and then a background flavor begins to come into play. Must be my first coin burning! In the second third, there is a richer deeper flavor developing. I get my first sneeze, which is an indicator of perique for me. The up front sweetness is dwindling while the deep notes are growing. I begin to notice the nicotine a little. In the last third, the burley starts to impart it's typical nuttiness, which I quite enjoy in this case. I don't particularly enjoy a whole bowl of nuttiness but it melds well in this, coming in the last third and mingling with the deep/rich notes that started in the second third. I don't have a complete grasp on the nuance flavors yet, without enough experience with the blend yet. Just to re-emphasize, due to the different cuts, this will vary from bowl to bowl depending on how you pack it. I did really enjoy it with a little of the ribbon on top which kickstarted the bowl with the Va sweetness and made it easy to light. I give it a medium/medium on the flavor/nic scale. Excellent burn characteristics, and easy on the tongue. This blend is every bit as good as the initial reviews have promised. I give it 3 stars, although it is probably worth 4 but I don't give 4 stars until I've had enough experience to merit a 4 star blend.

This is one of the best VA blends I have smoked in recent years. It just has this mellow and slightly sweet and nutty Virginia flavor I love, which used to be the standard for any good VA blend until 5-10 years ago, and is almost impossible to find these days. On top of that, is reveals the piquant notes of a lovely, spicy Perique and a hint of very fine Kentuckey. No tongue bite here, just a full and mellow aroma of good tobacco. Highly recommended!

After I heard about the new blends of Hans, I bought 2 tins of Edward G. and of the Director`s Cut.I opened the Director`s Cut a few days ago and I`m really happy with my purchase. The looking of the DC is really great. The tobacco contains parts of different flakes and really nice looking curlies. The tin smell is light sweet and a bit sour. I think this is the smell of the perique. The tobacco is easy to pack and burns very well.The taste is not easy to discribe because the taste is constantly changing. One puff I taste the Vaper and the next puff I feel the burley and the kentucky.It is really an interesting smoke because the various flavour nuances are always creamy and round. I don´t know if the DC is comparable with the old Three Nuns. But it dosn`t matter. I think the DC is an independent high class tobacco. In my opinion the DC is the best blended tobacco of Hans. And that is not easy to say if I think of the quality of the tobaccos from Hans. Let me say it in a short way: The DC is my Christmas surprise.

The Director`s Cut is one of the new blends of HU Tobacco. This blend contains a very characterfully VAPER Curly Cut mixed with Burley, Kentucky, Virginia and a touch of a firecured strong Virginia. The smell and the looking of this blend is very nice and makes loss to fill the pipe. The taste is a mix between the sweetness of the Virginia a bit spiciness of the Kentucky and the sweet - sour Perique. But you can`t taste the individual components, no the taste is a genial balance of all components. The taste is very subtle and exciting and this blend reminds me to the old Three Nuns. The tobacco burns very well and the DC is no lightweight of nicotine, but a very nice blend for the afternoon or evening. In the meantime I smoked one tin and I must say - the DC is for me the tobacco of the year. I think I store a few tins in the cellar to age them. In the future I don´t want to miss this blend in my house. The DC has the making a classic. Two thumbs up ! Highly recommended

HU Tobaccos
Director’s Cut

Blend notes: “Director's Cut … In former times, tobacco was spun into an endless roll and then cut in order to increase durability. Nowadays this special production process only plays a significant role with regard to taste. The traditional Virginia/Perique Curly Cut forms its basis, being in prime condition as a rope, before cut into curlies. The very expressive and sweet Virginia grades in connection with a strong Perique core of the Curly Cuts make an interesting blend, together with the Burley grades and the sugary Virginia Loose Cut. Underlining the robust and elemental character of this Director's Cut, a whiff of fire-cured Virginia renders the final touch to this blend. The result is a slightly sweet and spicy blend, surprising with tremendous varieties in taste. The Director's Cut is attractive for those who are looking for the very special taste adventure. …strong, spicy, multi-layered
Although it includes a touch of burley and matured Kentucky (instead of the more common 'bullseye' core of cavendish in similar brands), this is primarily a VaPer blend in character.”

Director’s Cut is an excellent blend for the discriminating pipe smoker. I’d suggest a wide and deep bowl as the flavors shift a bit as you work it down.

This is a VaPer with dark fired Kentucky. On my palate it’s at times hard to distinguish the Kentucky from the Perique — though the figgy, raisin Perique shows up frequently. The KY is not super smoky, more woodsy and earthy. In the background is the Virginia team bringing a sweetness and chewy dark fruit.

There is a distinct flavor that I find delicious. It’s more complex than most of the classic Virginia/Perique blends. Or I suppose it’s a VaPerKy but at points in the bowl this shifts to a VaKyPer.

Many thanks to my dear friend Alvin for gifting me a tin of this amazing blend! Sadly HU tobacco is currently difficult to source in the USA. I find myself looking at this tin and wishing I lived in Europe.

4 out of 4 stars. Highly recommended.