HU Tobacco Flanagan
(3.71)
Ethereal Orient grades from the best growing regions of Bulgaria and strong dark fired Kentucky tobaccos characterize the Flanagan flake. Sweet Zambia Virginia, a touch of perique and hand-stripped Virginias from India round out this powerful and superbly blend. A full-bodied, but elegant flake for friends of spicy and natural tobaccos.
No added flavour!
Details
Brand | HU Tobacco |
Series | United Passion |
Blended By | Hans Wiedemann |
Manufactured By | |
Blend Type | Oriental |
Contents | Kentucky, Oriental/Turkish, Perique, Virginia |
Flavoring | |
Cut | Flake |
Packaging | 50 grams tin |
Country | Germany |
Production | Currently available |
Profile
Strength
Medium
Extremely Mild -> Overwhelming
Flavoring
None Detected
None Detected -> Extra Strong
Room Note
Pleasant to Tolerable
Unnoticeable -> Overwhelming
Taste
Medium
Extremely Mild (Flat) -> Overwhelming
Average Rating
3.71 / 4
|
Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 17 Reviews
Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 26, 2021 | Medium | None Detected | Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
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.
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.
Pipe Used:
Different medium to large bowls
PurchasedFrom:
Tabak Heinrich Nuremberg
Age When Smoked:
Fresh from tin
Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 11, 2014 | Medium | None Detected | Medium | Tolerable |
The boldness of the spicy, woody, floral, nutty, earthy, dry and lightly sour dark fired Kentucky merges with the more prominent (not by much) spicy, woody, floral, herbal, earthy, lightly dry, sour and sweet Orientals, and a gentle addition of spicy, raisiny, plumy perique to create a tingly, mildly sweet, fairly earthy, spicy, rich flavor. The Kentucky plays an important secondary role. The earthy, dark fruity, woody, citrusy sweetness comes from the various Virginias, which have a little more ripe dark fruit than citrus. The blend is fairly consistent in taste, though at times, the spice is more prominent than other times. The strength and taste levels are medium. The nic-hit is close to medium. Burns even, cool, slow and dry with no harshness or dull spots with a mostly consistent taste from top to bottom. Requires a few relights, and leaves virtually no moisture in the bowl. The pleasant after taste lingers a little. Not an all day smoke, but experienced smokers may find it to be one.
-JimInks
-JimInks
Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 16, 2018 | Medium to Strong | None Detected | Full | Pleasant to Tolerable |
Attractive looking flakes with a most natural tobacco taste. The flakes are "striped" with a beautiful play of colors: Bright and beige, red and brown, as well as black - really an intriguing appearance and coloration!
Unburnt aroma is natural tobacco, somewhat vinegar-ish, flowery, spicy with only a hint of sweetness.
First light strikes me with herbal and flowery notes, as well as a pleasant earthiness and smoky-wood. Progressing through the bowl an impressive taste-profile builds up. The Orientals and Kentucky intensify and melt throughout the bowl, playing out all of their charme.. somewhat nutty, sour, flowery, ethereal and dry Turkish, paired with the boldness of the dark fired Kentucky with its rich notes of earth, wood and a decent smokiness. The two (Orient+KY) are very diferent, yet harmonize excellently! A very mild sweetness balances out the bold, slightly peppery spice and tart aroma, and a mild fruitiness joins in.
The Flanagan starts out with a quite "easy", yet rich taste-profile and slowly builds up a feast of most natural tobacco flavours and pleasant complexity. To me the Orientals and dark fired Kentucky are the stars here and are balanced out by the Virginias, as well as an extra serving of spice and depth by the Perique. A "Orientucky-Flake" if you will... 😉
A lovely, and very unique flake with a taste-profile I haven't tasted before! I'd think this would appeal to the Oriental lover, as well as to (dark fired) Kentucky enthusiasts and any aficionado of a spicy and tart blend with a pleasant boldness. A spicier, bolder brother to the Dockworker Flake by HU!
If you speak german and are interested in the creation of the label design, you may read this: http://pfeifenblog.de/hu-tobacco-der-neue-flanagan/
|| Personal rating: 4-stars | Attempt of an 'obective rating' : 4-stars ||
Unburnt aroma is natural tobacco, somewhat vinegar-ish, flowery, spicy with only a hint of sweetness.
First light strikes me with herbal and flowery notes, as well as a pleasant earthiness and smoky-wood. Progressing through the bowl an impressive taste-profile builds up. The Orientals and Kentucky intensify and melt throughout the bowl, playing out all of their charme.. somewhat nutty, sour, flowery, ethereal and dry Turkish, paired with the boldness of the dark fired Kentucky with its rich notes of earth, wood and a decent smokiness. The two (Orient+KY) are very diferent, yet harmonize excellently! A very mild sweetness balances out the bold, slightly peppery spice and tart aroma, and a mild fruitiness joins in.
The Flanagan starts out with a quite "easy", yet rich taste-profile and slowly builds up a feast of most natural tobacco flavours and pleasant complexity. To me the Orientals and dark fired Kentucky are the stars here and are balanced out by the Virginias, as well as an extra serving of spice and depth by the Perique. A "Orientucky-Flake" if you will... 😉
A lovely, and very unique flake with a taste-profile I haven't tasted before! I'd think this would appeal to the Oriental lover, as well as to (dark fired) Kentucky enthusiasts and any aficionado of a spicy and tart blend with a pleasant boldness. A spicier, bolder brother to the Dockworker Flake by HU!
If you speak german and are interested in the creation of the label design, you may read this: http://pfeifenblog.de/hu-tobacco-der-neue-flanagan/
|| Personal rating: 4-stars | Attempt of an 'obective rating' : 4-stars ||
Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 09, 2012 | Medium | Extremely Mild | Full | Pleasant to Tolerable |
I think that HU-Tobacco/Hans Wiedemann acted rather courageously when composing this blend, a Virginia with significant footprints of Orient and Kentucky. The outcome is both innovative and surprising!
The tin aroma is pleasantly mild, sweetish, a bit flowery with hints of hay flower.
The taste is little sweetish, with varying pleasant taste notes in a nice play of caramel, mildly spicy, fruity reminiscent to tomato, earthy, creamy... simply manifold elements which makes this blend shine. Further down the bowl, the Kentucky plays somewhat into the foreground.
In conclusion an absolutely pleasant and innovative blend, showing its full talent in medium sized to larger bowls. Go to get it !
The tin aroma is pleasantly mild, sweetish, a bit flowery with hints of hay flower.
The taste is little sweetish, with varying pleasant taste notes in a nice play of caramel, mildly spicy, fruity reminiscent to tomato, earthy, creamy... simply manifold elements which makes this blend shine. Further down the bowl, the Kentucky plays somewhat into the foreground.
In conclusion an absolutely pleasant and innovative blend, showing its full talent in medium sized to larger bowls. Go to get it !
Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 03, 2016 | Medium to Strong | None Detected | Medium to Full | Tolerable |
The flakes are medium sized, well cut at medium thickness, neatly packed and kept together with a round paper with a compass-like design. Overall they are rather bright in color but not uniform as they contain brighter, darker brown and black parts interspersed with bright ‘bird’s eye’ spots.
Tin note is quite intense with earthy, grassy and hay-like notes with just a hint of floral honey. All completely natural, there seems to be no added flavor whatsoever.
Moisture level was just right; the flakes even felt a little dry to the touch. Once rubbed they pack neatly, light easily and stay lit almost with no relight and burn to a very fine white ash. Taste is rather unique owing to the interesting combination of the tobaccos. Overall I found the taste to be earthy. Very pleasing and very natural tasting. I found the blend quite complex and the opposite of monochromatic. It combines earthy and nutty Kentucky notes which come up at times with hay-like Virginias, sour Orientals and a figgy, raisiny Perique spiciness. All these flavors take turns but never disappear. I also sensed a tea-like tart sensation as an aftertaste. It is a dry earthy smoke with a relative low perceived sweetness as it is kept in check by the above mentioned tartness (from the Perique or possibly from the Dark Fired Kentucky? I wonder).
As I mentioned already, this blend has a unique character and is difficult to place within any category (VaPer with Kentucky and Orientals?). Nicotine level is not very high and strength is medium+.
A very interesting flake tobacco, highly recommended to those who like natural tasting tobacco with a healthy oriental dose.
Tin note is quite intense with earthy, grassy and hay-like notes with just a hint of floral honey. All completely natural, there seems to be no added flavor whatsoever.
Moisture level was just right; the flakes even felt a little dry to the touch. Once rubbed they pack neatly, light easily and stay lit almost with no relight and burn to a very fine white ash. Taste is rather unique owing to the interesting combination of the tobaccos. Overall I found the taste to be earthy. Very pleasing and very natural tasting. I found the blend quite complex and the opposite of monochromatic. It combines earthy and nutty Kentucky notes which come up at times with hay-like Virginias, sour Orientals and a figgy, raisiny Perique spiciness. All these flavors take turns but never disappear. I also sensed a tea-like tart sensation as an aftertaste. It is a dry earthy smoke with a relative low perceived sweetness as it is kept in check by the above mentioned tartness (from the Perique or possibly from the Dark Fired Kentucky? I wonder).
As I mentioned already, this blend has a unique character and is difficult to place within any category (VaPer with Kentucky and Orientals?). Nicotine level is not very high and strength is medium+.
A very interesting flake tobacco, highly recommended to those who like natural tasting tobacco with a healthy oriental dose.
Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 03, 2019 | Medium | None Detected | Medium | Tolerable |
Hoo boy is this a blend. You'd think this is a VaPer with added Oriental and Kentucky. Ok, Tudor Castle and Dan Ascanian No. 2 have everything but the Kentucky. Watch City Flake 558 has everything but the Oriental. This is another VaPer with a twist, like those are.
Wrong.
The Kentucky is barely identifiable as a distinct component, which allows this blend to be very complex. I don't think it'd be the same at all without it, but here it isn't allowed to overwhelm the other components.
Separate the rest of this blend into what it is, a VaPerOr, like Dan Ascanian No. 2 and McClelland Tudor Castle. Except here the Va used is from India, which to my palate already has an Oriental-like sourdough twang to it. Add more of that mysterious sour body with the Oriental used, and then throw in sweet fruit-y spice from the perique. This is truly a blend. It's genius. It'd be so easy to make something confused from these components. Here, it's bread-y, yeast-y, fruit sweet, an astringent sourness, and some wood spice from the Kentucky. The flavor notes don't war with each other. They sing harmony and drift in and out of the forefront.
This is an incredible, joyous smoke. One of the best things I've ever smoked. Based on what I've smoked of his, Hans Wiedemann is the world's greatest living tobacco blender. Flanagan is for Va blends what his Makhuwa is for Burley.
Amazing. Can't overstate how good this is.
Wrong.
The Kentucky is barely identifiable as a distinct component, which allows this blend to be very complex. I don't think it'd be the same at all without it, but here it isn't allowed to overwhelm the other components.
Separate the rest of this blend into what it is, a VaPerOr, like Dan Ascanian No. 2 and McClelland Tudor Castle. Except here the Va used is from India, which to my palate already has an Oriental-like sourdough twang to it. Add more of that mysterious sour body with the Oriental used, and then throw in sweet fruit-y spice from the perique. This is truly a blend. It's genius. It'd be so easy to make something confused from these components. Here, it's bread-y, yeast-y, fruit sweet, an astringent sourness, and some wood spice from the Kentucky. The flavor notes don't war with each other. They sing harmony and drift in and out of the forefront.
This is an incredible, joyous smoke. One of the best things I've ever smoked. Based on what I've smoked of his, Hans Wiedemann is the world's greatest living tobacco blender. Flanagan is for Va blends what his Makhuwa is for Burley.
Amazing. Can't overstate how good this is.
Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 30, 2018 | Medium | None Detected | Medium | Tolerable |
Back in the day , starting 1962 for me , there were few orientals available . There were Dunhill Standard and Durbar and Mc Connels oriental if you could score some . In 1977 Mc Clelland came out with their green oriental tins . #1 through #14 but they were mixed with latakia in varying amounts .Finally , we got Mc Clellands Grand orientals which were great to mix and blend but not often good to smoke solo . I became a blender , using 5100 or virginia woods as my base and adding a pinch of one oriental and a hand full of another . Too bad I could never exactly duplicate what I thought was a master blend . Robert Lewis Orcilla was , however , a nicely blenfed oriental-virginia that yielded that oriental experience .
Now along comes this guy Hans from Germany who really knows how to blend tobacco . A beautifully prepared blend with an interesting tin note , it is ready to smoke right away . Flanagan uses Virginias , orientals , Kentucky and some perique . What makes this great is none of the components overwhelm .They work together to create a unique taste . Although the oriental component has the strongest presence the blender uses the other three players to bring the best in the oriental . Great to smoke in an enclosed space like your car so the aroma kicks in and improves the smoke . This might be the best oriental mixture I have smoked . Best in the afternoon when the taste buds are awakened , to sharp for an early morning smoke and not strong enough for after dinner . Long about tea time is best , will enhance your tea and pastry for high tea .
Now along comes this guy Hans from Germany who really knows how to blend tobacco . A beautifully prepared blend with an interesting tin note , it is ready to smoke right away . Flanagan uses Virginias , orientals , Kentucky and some perique . What makes this great is none of the components overwhelm .They work together to create a unique taste . Although the oriental component has the strongest presence the blender uses the other three players to bring the best in the oriental . Great to smoke in an enclosed space like your car so the aroma kicks in and improves the smoke . This might be the best oriental mixture I have smoked . Best in the afternoon when the taste buds are awakened , to sharp for an early morning smoke and not strong enough for after dinner . Long about tea time is best , will enhance your tea and pastry for high tea .
Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 02, 2015 | Medium | None Detected | Medium | Tolerable |
This one is fantastic. A friend from Germany sent me most of a tin of this and I really enjoyed it. It is different than many other blends in both taste and composition which makes it very unique. This can be both good and bad, and in this case, it is good.
I found the Hay sweet Virginias and tangy orientals kind of lead the way with this one. I found the perique to be pretty light and merely added a touch of spice. The dark fired kentucy combined with the orientals is what really sets this one apart. I thought the earthiness of the Kentucky helped temper the sour orientals. The DFK was not overwhelming as it can tend to be in some blends. It has more of a condimental purpose in this blend.
Likewise, this one does not deliver the nicotine hammer one may expect when they see DFK and Perique as ingredients in a blend. This one is another winner from Hans. I just wish I could get his stuff easier (and Cheaper).
I found the Hay sweet Virginias and tangy orientals kind of lead the way with this one. I found the perique to be pretty light and merely added a touch of spice. The dark fired kentucy combined with the orientals is what really sets this one apart. I thought the earthiness of the Kentucky helped temper the sour orientals. The DFK was not overwhelming as it can tend to be in some blends. It has more of a condimental purpose in this blend.
Likewise, this one does not deliver the nicotine hammer one may expect when they see DFK and Perique as ingredients in a blend. This one is another winner from Hans. I just wish I could get his stuff easier (and Cheaper).
Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 15, 2020 | Medium | None Detected | Medium | Tolerable to Strong |
I could swear I detected Turkish tobacco in this blend, but to my surprise, I learned that was Bulgarian orientals. Ten years ago, I was able to distinguish one from another easily because usually, Bulgarian orientals tasted harsher to my palate. They always left a bad aftertaste, dominated by bitter notes.
Flannagan is not my first choice or ever will be. However, it's a beautiful, oriental dominated blend. Sour, spicy notes of orientals combined with woody & dry Kentucky, Virginias bind everything together with the spirit of perique hovering on top. The only letdown of Flannagan is the scent. The odor of Orientals stinks and sticks on you for a long time. I was able to smell the stench on my clothes after a bowl.
Flannagan is not my first choice or ever will be. However, it's a beautiful, oriental dominated blend. Sour, spicy notes of orientals combined with woody & dry Kentucky, Virginias bind everything together with the spirit of perique hovering on top. The only letdown of Flannagan is the scent. The odor of Orientals stinks and sticks on you for a long time. I was able to smell the stench on my clothes after a bowl.
Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 29, 2019 | Medium to Strong | None Detected | Full | Tolerable |
First of all, I would like to give a short abstract of the tobacco before I go in detail, because this is going to be a longer review.
Tin note: Sweet, chocolate, earth, nuts, hay
Taste: Earth, wood, nuts, chocolate, dry, sour, spicy, sweet, floral, grass, hay, smokey, citrus, dark fruits, raisins, pepper
If you see this vast flavor profile you can expect that this is a complex tobacco. After opening the tin, you will find some good looking flakes which are perfectly moist to be smoked directly. The tin note is natural tobacco. The smell is sweet, but there is earth and hay as well. More in the background I can smell nuts and chocolate.
The tobacco can be lighted easily. In the first half of the pipe the tobacco tastes sweeter and easier. The longer it’s lit the stronger it gets for me. From the start to the end the tobacco changes its flavors all the time. The leading flavors are earth, wood and hay. But there is a sweetness as well. Then the taste gets floral and grassy. Often, I get the taste of the Orientals with their dry, sour spiciness. There are nuts and chocolate too. And fruits could be noted. There are citrus fruits, dark fruits and raisins. The last flavors I tasted are pepper and a little bit of smoke. Both getting more notable at the second half of the pipe. All these flavors mix during the pipe smoking in different variations which makes the tobacco all the time exciting. I need to focus on the pipe smoking to enjoy this tobacco fully, but if I do so, it’s perfect.
A smoky and strong Islay whisky (e.g. Laphroaig Quater Cask) goes perfectly well with this tobacco. First, the whisky is stronger than the tobacco and later it’s the other way around. During both phases, I found completely new flavors in both, the whisky and the tobacco.
Tin note: Sweet, chocolate, earth, nuts, hay
Taste: Earth, wood, nuts, chocolate, dry, sour, spicy, sweet, floral, grass, hay, smokey, citrus, dark fruits, raisins, pepper
If you see this vast flavor profile you can expect that this is a complex tobacco. After opening the tin, you will find some good looking flakes which are perfectly moist to be smoked directly. The tin note is natural tobacco. The smell is sweet, but there is earth and hay as well. More in the background I can smell nuts and chocolate.
The tobacco can be lighted easily. In the first half of the pipe the tobacco tastes sweeter and easier. The longer it’s lit the stronger it gets for me. From the start to the end the tobacco changes its flavors all the time. The leading flavors are earth, wood and hay. But there is a sweetness as well. Then the taste gets floral and grassy. Often, I get the taste of the Orientals with their dry, sour spiciness. There are nuts and chocolate too. And fruits could be noted. There are citrus fruits, dark fruits and raisins. The last flavors I tasted are pepper and a little bit of smoke. Both getting more notable at the second half of the pipe. All these flavors mix during the pipe smoking in different variations which makes the tobacco all the time exciting. I need to focus on the pipe smoking to enjoy this tobacco fully, but if I do so, it’s perfect.
A smoky and strong Islay whisky (e.g. Laphroaig Quater Cask) goes perfectly well with this tobacco. First, the whisky is stronger than the tobacco and later it’s the other way around. During both phases, I found completely new flavors in both, the whisky and the tobacco.
Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 28, 2015 | Medium | Mild | Medium | Pleasant |
I just don't believe that there's no flavour added in this tobacco. If I rely on the tobaccos making this one, there has to be a light topnote; the tin aroma is strongly indicative of one. It also translates into the smoking. Not that it matters, quite the contrary. Whatever they added is just great for my liking. Flanagan comes in the format of 9 wide flakes, neatly stashed one on top of the other. The tin aroma is just great. I can't detect the aroma of the Périque nor the DFK. Colours are light to medium brown. As it's still a bit moist i let the tobacco dry for 30 minutes before rubbing out and packing. It lights very well, has that top note flavour I suspect which is very light. I can't say, after 4 bowls, that I really detect the DFK or Périque as playing a significant role. No, here the VAs and ORs are leading the show. But there is some backbone provided that could not emanate only from the leading roles. It is very pleasant to smoke, it burns remarkably well and it hits the spot for my nicotine need. I find the various ingredients combine very well together for a one of a kind flake. I have another tin in the cellar and will revisit in 4 or 5 years.
Pipe Used:
Luciano; Meerschaum and Falcon