HS Flue Cured (HA at diyvs)

Setup: mtl STNG 0.8 Ohm 2.0 ID 28/40 clapton 28.5W

nose: faint tobacco and AP dryness. It smells dry and golden.

Description: 3% - At a week, this presents as a dry yet sweet plain tobacco. The flavor here is fairly present which can sometimes be hit or miss with the Hangsens and there is a faint note of AP that I can imagine getting bolder at higher percents, maybe without being offensive. Overall, it's a decent tobacco flavor but the sweetness just really got to me. at this percentage, I'm getting a slight off-note I cant seem to identify and, without pushing this flavor up higher to find out, I'm unwilling to try it any higher than at the 3% I have it at here. It's an almost but not quite floral note. There's a hint of smokiness, but not like an ashy type, more like a woodsy one but even not quite there and it's kinda hard to pin down with all that sugariness which just ruins it for me. My mind wants to associate it with desserty type things and I just cant see using this in anything other than a sweeter blend.

Suggested percent: main note 2-4%, in a mix: 1-2%

Pairing ideas: I'd use this for dry and/or nutty plain bacco blends. I could see this being good in a simple mix with a proper pairing like HS FC 4% + FLV Virginia 1.5% (and maybe 0.5-1 of anything else for variety). Could be a perfect rotating Pod Mix. A little gold ducat here, a little 555 there, a bit of burley today, some sweet and smoky tomorrow

As for me, I think I would boost that nut note and maybe even add a little bit of a less sweet vanilla cream or custard notes like WF Ruyan Custard, since it is already sweet. Or just use it low with an ry4 and get your sweet tooth on. Or, you can combine both these ideas and go full send like this recipe: Dapper(A Django Clone by 13th Floor Elevapors).

I think that pairing with INW Vanilla for pipe being a real smart pairing. With that in mind, I might just be tempted to add this to one of the darker SC baccos and some FLV Virginia to fill it out and soak up some sugar and maybe something for a bit of body. My play off the Dapper would look like this:

Well Dressed (A Dapper: Django Clone Remixxx)

This is my remixxx of the recipe Dapper that was originally a Django clone. I made it more for my tastes with the Dapper as an inspiration.

| % | Vendor | Flavor | |---|--------|--------| |0.5|FLV|Cured Tobacco| |2|HS|Flue Cured Tobacco| |1.25|SC|Old Captain| |1.5|INW|Vanilla For Pipe| |2|FLV|Virginia Tobacco|

In the first week or so, the flavor wasn't full as after a substantial steep but it was better balanced than after. Clearly there is a discrepancy in steep times between all these flavors. I feel the Cured/Virginia is strongest off the shake and mellows a bit over time. The SC is good to go at around 7 days but that Vanilla for Pipe just grew and grew after even two weeks until it was too much. Next version will need the VfP kicked down to maybe 1.2 or even one and a legit steep. Maybe even lower (or not at all) and a bit of vanilla if needed to balance out all the steep times.

Second Opinions: Noted Episode 91

ELR User Leisuretime writes:

> Authentic flue cured pipe tobacco
1.2% in mix
5% for standalone
Smoky, woody, mellow, balanced sweetness, low floral notes
Pairings: Ry4, acetyl Pyrazine, , EM, Graham Cracker Clear, Cream fresh, Vanilla Swirl, honey?

ELR User The Lost Notes writes:

> This certainly has a bite to it, even a little harsh & just a right good tobacco bite leaving you with no question of it's profile intentions, it's rather lacking in any real definition though but leans more to a cigarette type of impression than a loose tobacco, it's ok but nothing dazzling IMO, though I can't take away from it being a good solid tobacco base flavour, no ash no other things going on here that I can make out in terms of musky/woody/earthy/caramel etc notes, it's got a tiny bit of sweetness to it but just straight mild sweetness no nods to butterscotch or caramel or even sugar for that matter, sort of reminds me of silk cut cigarette flavour but intensified & with bite?

Final Thoughts

A little sweet for my tastes but I appreciate the dryness of the mix. Kind of unusual to me. My Dapper Remix still needs a bit of work. After a longer steep, I had to admit the vanilla note was way too prominent so I'd have to adjust that vanilla for pipe in it down a bit for longer steep times. It way overpowered most everything else. In the end, I think Flue Cured is a decent enough flavor that doesn't fall prey to the need for higher percentage like some other Hangsen's I'm discovering, yet there's a range still possible for this and most of them. Overall, too sweet to be a main note for me over say 4% but still a useful enough flavor for someone who maybe wants to deep dive, likes their baccos sweet, or just likes to pay at least $4 per 10 mL used at 4-5%. I kid. As far as baccos go, I'd say this is mid range and maybe a little boring, which I suspect will appeal to someone out there. That said, the dryness would definitely have its usefulness and be a nice mellow add for when a neutral bacco flavor is needed that brings dryness and a bit of sweet. That sweet and dry combo is a bit of a rarity ime so that bumps this flavor up a bit in my mind, if also making it a bit more niche, especially combined with how more or less mild it appears to be overall.

-i