HU Tobacco Flanagan

The Flanagan Flake is a highly vowed tobacco over here with an interesting list of components like Kentucky and Zimbabwean Virginia. Received a generous sample from a friend and really was eager to try it.

The look of the flakes is very nice - so many brown tones from really dark almost black to beige and golden waves creating a nice Van Gogh like overall look. Flakes are a bit larger than the ones from Mac Baren so that one flake rubbed out fills a medium bowl but they are also stuck together a bit so that it is hard to remove a whole flake in one piece. Cold smell is decent sweet with some very restrained notes of flowers. Packs well after rubbing out and a short drying and burns incredibly slow and steady with a bit of attention needed at some time.

First taste that hit my tongue is really spicy and Kentucky predominant but also with a certain taste of cigarettes. When puffing slow and steady there’s some nice oriental spicy top notes showing from time to time and very little and subtle sweetness when the ember almost goes out. When puffed a bit faster there’s only spicy Kentucky that tends to get boring as the taste stays the same all the time. No Perique detectable in the smoke but only in the aftertaste when I stop smoking for a minute - wishing for that taste while puffing! But with a relight the cigarette taste comes back. After half of the bowl (almost an hour of smoking time) I get a sore, scratchy feeling in the back of my throat that won’t go away if I don’t let the pipe rest and even then comes back after some puffs. Makes me want to drink all the time. Also the variety of tastes gets lesser as I’m reaching the bottom of the bowl.

Can’t say this is a bad blend! Maybe just not my taste - had to force myself a bit to smoke the whole bowls after almost 2 hours. Could use bit more sweetness for me and less of that Kentucky that’s alway in the foreground.

Flanagan. Kentucky and Oriental, backed by some Perique and Virginia leaf. This one sounds like it was made especially for me.

So, cracking the small tin it comes in, you're greeted by the sight of some fairly fragile, slightly messy flakes and a buttery, floral tin note. Pleasant, if a bit unusual.

It comes slightly more moist than i'd normally smoke my tobacco, but i wouldn't recommend drying it much, if at all. It burns alright as is, and i've found that this stuff quickly loses it's flavour and becomes harsh if smoked on the dry side.

It packs and lights just like you'd expect from a flake, and once you get it going, it won't need many relights. The flavour is interesting. It's got some depth, but it doesn't get overly complex. You've got the satisfying, earthy spice of the Kentucky, the buttery, herbal notes of the Oriental leaf, some additional, dry spiciness from the Perique, and the occasional sweet, mellow note from the Virginia. It all blends together into a rather enjoyable melange of flavours, all without artificial toppings. I'd say this blend is the result of properly good craftsmanship.

Careful though, this blend wants to be smoked slow. Otherwise, it quickly gets rough and bitey.

Towards the bottom of the bowl, the smoke becomes less pleasant and more harsh, so you'll probably end up with some dottle, as well as a little moisture, but nothing catastrophic.

Overall, this is a rather nice blend for the lover of real, unadulterated tobaccos.

The flakes of this tobacco are beautiful. Neatly stacked and ribbons of varying colors from bright yellows to burgundy browns. Tin odor is super enticing- the kind of odor that makes your mouth water in anticipation of smoking some. And there is absolutely no disappointment when you light up. The blend is unique with differing flavors from the high quality tobaccos used. This to me is like a souped up Vaper with added tangs from the orientals. Spicy, sour, sweet all at the same time. A very interesting and enjoyable smoking experience. This will be one of my favorites.

Unique smoke from HU. Cold dry smoke, zero tongue bite, few relights needed. Personally for me Kentucky & Perique dominating, Orientals & Virginia support role. Pure pleasure from beginning till the end. Highly reccomended.

This turned out to be the same as Dockworker but the flakes were moist upon opening the tin. I just don't know if this was a better thing or not. Which is also disappointing as this flake's composition, tin note and taste make Flanagan an original offering.