HU Tobacco Director's Cut

Disappointed with this one. The components promise something delicious and strong, but I got a weak-flavoured, low in character smoke that left me indifferent. Maybe it can benefit from more kentucky or darker virginias. If you like lots of flavour in your tobacco, better look elsewhere. It did benefit, though, from toasting it on a folded piece of aluminium foil, on my ceramic stove. It developed some nuttier, more complex flavours.

Like most HU blends, this one comes in a paint-like tin, identical to that contained in Reiner's popular Blend 71: Long Golden Flake blend. I believe that this allows its conservation, once opened, without the need to transfer it to another container. Although I have also seen reviews that advise transferring these tobaccos to a glass jar. Time and experience will tell me which is the best solution. At the moment, after three months of opening the tin, it holds its moisture well.

The cut is a nice mix between ribbon and curly cut that can be loaded if you need to rub it. It is a tasty, full-bodied tobacco, slightly sweet and a bit spicy, where the presence of Kentucky is clearly noticeable to the detriment of the perique, which I hardly notice, although in general it is quite balanced. If you are looking for the burley, you will also find it in the background, but only occasionally. If I had not read that it contains burley it is very likely that I would go unnoticed.

Perhaps a comparison could be made and say that in terms of flavor and strength, this blend has struck me as a middle ground between Savinelli D’Oro and Three Nuns, to name similar blends. If you are interested in this type of mix, you can also try the famous Old Gowrie, by Rattray’s, with the difference that the latter comes with a ribbon cut. Let's say that the order of my preferences among the Tobaccos cited is, first Old Gowrie, followed by Savinelli D’Oro, Director’s Cut and lastly Three Nuns.

DC has one of the most enticing tin note and a marvelous combination of cuts which made me very excited to try it. Being the first HU I purchased, I was glad to notice the coins and other were on the dry side. Everything, as with the other HU, went down hill when I tried to light up and keep the tobacco lit. I have been a pipe smoker for 33 years and have never seen the like of this. Too bad as DC has great potential under different circumstances.

At first smell in of a newly opened tin,I thought that the Lakeland folks had perhaps gotten their hands on it, but Smoking it is a different experience,altogeather.(don't get me wrong,I like lakeland tobaccos)Stronger in flavor, and more pungent than Saint James Mixture.Not much in the way of nicotine as compared to other VAPERs out there,but still, I found contentment.Good flavor.To me,the dirty socks odor(which I like) of perique was somewhat less, but a recommended smoke.I think you might benefit from using a dedicated pipe for this one.

I need to borrow from countryman Stefanos's review as my experience/expectations have been identical, he says:

"I was slightly disappointed with Director’s Cut because I was expecting ... a Va/Per with the added dimension of Kentucky and Burley’s which to some extent it is, but not wholly."

I echo this 100% so there is no point to add anything to it.

The smell from the tin is delicious, quite unlike what I think of as the typical VaPer smell of hay and apricots, it is sweet, honeyish, a hint of spice, and perhaps a hint of some fruit.

Packing and lighting was easy, so far I've chosen not to play around with the tobacco I pinch from the tin, so I didn't try to get more or less coins vs ribbon.

Initial taste is sweet, to the point I think there is something added to it, and this sweetness remains and underlines the smoke from start to finish. The general taste, for me, is that of sweet Virginia spiced with dark-fired Kentucky. I cannot detect Perique but I am not very sensitive to it, and actually love when there is a lot of Perique in a blend (see my Cornel and Diehl Bayou Morning Flake review). I can fully believe that depending on how you pack this tobacco you get a different profile, as tastes play with each other during the bowl with the Virginia dominating some puffs and dark-fired Kentucky dominating others. The spicyness of the Kentucky along with the sweetness of the Virginia and the topping - there is definitely a topping - is what makes the blend, in my opinion. Overall it is very enjoyable, quite light without being very weak or bland, and benefits from being smoked in as large a bowl as you can get to get more taste and nuance out of it, and smoke it for longer.

So why did I put 3 stars when I clearly enjoy the blend a lot, and so many others consider it among the best tobaccos on the market at the moment? Because I was expecting a VaPer, with the added dimension of Kentucky, which it is not. It is a Virginia blend with the added dimension of Kentucky and a sweetening topping. I am sure that the Perique is somewhere in there, and does its magic, but my blunt tastebuds cannot detect it. The second reason is that I gravitate towards strong and heavy tobaccos, both in taste and in nicotine, which it is not. This is also not a criticism to the blend, it is a fact related to my personal tastes. For those who are experienced enough to appreciate Virginia it is probably a powerhouse of flavour and nuance, for me it is an aperitif to be had in the middle of the day, while the morning and evening are dominated by rougher and stronger blends.

A very good Virginia with perique, delivering a mild to medium nicotine dose. The inclusion of other leaf and various cuts allows for a pleasant change of pace in this genre. However, I was expecting more complexity from DC, considering its components. I believe this little downfall is probably due to its tinning format; which is not vaccum sealed like, say, Old Fredder's, preventing it from aging appropriately. I find this puzzling as DC has great potential for aging! I am not sure, under these conditions that I would buy regularly as I fancy cellaring my tobaccos. Nonetheless, I am truly enjoying my current tin.