HU Director's Cut

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mikefu

Lifer
Mar 28, 2018
1,976
10,506
Green Bay
One of our fine members included a sample of HU Director's Cut in some toby he sold me. I had never heard of it, much less smoked it. I gave it a go this morning. It's quite tasty, sweet and tangy, not too spicy. Definitely a worthy smoke.
I agree. It's great stuff, particularly if you can get your hands on some from a few years ago. The last batch I got in 2020 wasn't as good, and seemed to have more Dark Fired and less Perique. Still good, but not as good. I'm glad I snagged a couple kilos when I did.
 
Jan 28, 2018
12,952
134,578
66
Sarasota, FL
Jesse believes and has reported several times the formula for Directors Cut changed a few years back. I've smoked both the old and new. Couldn't tell if the difference was ingredients or aging but there's a distinct difference. That leads me to believe the ingredients have in fact changed.
 

JimInks

Sultan of Smoke
Aug 31, 2012
60,846
553,692
I agree. It's great stuff, particularly if you can get your hands on some from a few years ago. The last batch I got in 2020 wasn't as good, and seemed to have more Dark Fired and less Perique. Still good, but not as good. I'm glad I snagged a couple kilos when I did.
It was changed by K&K, not Hans. When I discovered the change, I contacted Hans about it. He said he'd look into it as he didn't know it had been changed. Jesse and I ordered DC around the same time, and when I smoked a couple of bowls, and found that the DFK mostly buried the perique, I called Jesse. He smoked some and agreed. We were both very unhappy about the change. Neither of us would have bought it had we known. Hopefully, age will tone down the DFK.

Not long ago, I smoked some 2015 DC, and it had more perique than DFK. By 2019, it did not. K&K did this to save money, which is unfortunate. They've made changes to other blends by other companies they supply, too.
 

lawdawg

Lifer
Aug 25, 2016
1,792
3,801
It was changed by K&K, not Hans. When I discovered the change, I contacted Hans about it. He said he'd look into it as he didn't know it had been changed. Jesse and I ordered DC around the same time, and when I smoked a couple of bowls, and found that the DFK mostly buried the perique, I called Jesse. He smoked some and agreed. We were both very unhappy about the change. Neither of us would have bought it had we known. Hopefully, age will tone down the DFK.

Not long ago, I smoked some 2015 DC, and it had more perique than DFK. By 2019, it did not. K&K did this to save money, which is unfortunate. They've made changes to other blends by other companies they supply, too.

I don't even get how anyone could come up with the idea that dark fired could be a suitable substitute for perique. They are both pretty spicy, but that's where the similarity ends. It's kind of like saying "it's okay that we ran out of pico salsa for the tacos, we've got some barbeque sauce, which is pretty much the same thing."
 

karam

Lifer
Feb 2, 2019
2,341
9,010
Basel, Switzerland
I don't even get how anyone could come up with the idea that dark fired could be a suitable substitute for perique. They are both pretty spicy, but that's where the similarity ends. It's kind of like saying "it's okay that we ran out of pico salsa for the tacos, we've got some barbeque sauce, which is pretty much the same thing."
I wondered the same. It is a boutique brand, likely known mostly to people who really care about pipe smoking, and who will call out a change very fast. In any case, Director’s Cut is pleasant for my tastes, but no more than that. I frankly can’t really see it jumping to something mind blowing with more perique, but happy to prove myself wrong.
 

JimInks

Sultan of Smoke
Aug 31, 2012
60,846
553,692
I don't even get how anyone could come up with the idea that dark fired could be a suitable substitute for perique. They are both pretty spicy, but that's where the similarity ends. It's kind of like saying "it's okay that we ran out of pico salsa for the tacos, we've got some barbeque sauce, which is pretty much the same thing."
You might be surprised at how many companies have done this with blends. DFK is about one tenth the price of perique, and with declining sales and/or greed, DFK has replacing perique more often. I truly think some manufacturers believe we won't notice the difference, and if they do think we will, they don't care.
 

lawdawg

Lifer
Aug 25, 2016
1,792
3,801
You might be surprised at how many companies have done this with blends. DFK is about one tenth the price of perique, and with declining sales and/or greed, DFK has replacing perique more often. I truly think some manufacturers believe we won't notice the difference, and if they do think we will, they don't care.

That's surprising and disconcerting. I hope that it's not an availability or production type of issue, or that this trend will lead to a decline in production of perique. We do not want to see perique go the way of Syrian latakia. Hopefully I am needlessly speculating and entirely wrong.
 

JimInks

Sultan of Smoke
Aug 31, 2012
60,846
553,692
That's surprising and disconcerting. I hope that it's not an availability or production type of issue, or that this trend will lead to a decline in production of perique. We do not want to see perique go the way of Syrian latakia. Hopefully I am needlessly speculating and entirely wrong.
The last time I spoke with Mark Ryan about this, which was this past spring, he said his over seas perique sales had not diminished.

Btw, Savinelli Doblone D'Oro has more DFK and less perique than it did on its initial 2014 launch.
 

lawdawg

Lifer
Aug 25, 2016
1,792
3,801
The last time I spoke with Mark Ryan about this, which was this past spring, he said his over seas perique sales had not diminished.

Btw, Savinelli Doblone D'Oro has more DFK and less perique than it did on its initial 2014 launch.
Great to know! And thank you for the information.

Seems like a very silly cost saving measure. I have a hard time imagining that very many pipe smokers would mind paying an extra buck or two per tin if that’s what it would take to make up the difference in profit margin. Hopefully for our sakes the manufacturers come to a similar conclusion.
 

JimInks

Sultan of Smoke
Aug 31, 2012
60,846
553,692
Great to know! And thank you for the information.

Seems like a very silly cost saving measure. I have a hard time imagining that very many pipe smokers would mind paying an extra buck or two per tin if that’s what it would take to make up the difference in profit margin. Hopefully for our sakes the manufacturers come to a similar conclusion.
@jguss made the same comment. I agree with both of you, and so do a great many of smokers who have burned out on DFK when they really want their perique.
 

anotherbob

Lifer
Mar 30, 2019
15,675
29,391
45
In the semi-rural NorthEastern USA
@jguss made the same comment. I agree with both of you, and so do a great many of smokers who have burned out on DFK when they really want their perique.
love DFK and really like perique but I couldn't sub one for the other. And my two cents is I expect soon for blends cost to be determined in a larger part by the condiments then the main body. Which ironically will probably lead to thee impression that blends with DFK or Perique are just fancier higher quality blends. Less then farmers have to eat too.
 

sablebrush52

The Bard Of Barlings
Jun 15, 2013
19,621
44,832
Southern Oregon
jrs457.wixsite.com
I bough a couple kilos of HU Directors Cut in 2019. The DFK has diminished somewhat; I blend in 15-20% PS 311 Perique, and I love the taste. I bought a 5 lb bag of PS 311 in 2017 and stashed it away, along with several lbs of whole leaf Perique.
I've got a couple of tubs of the now 18 or 19 year old Perique that Mark output. Grabbed it before it disappeared forever. Adds a wonderfully fruity quality to a blend.
 

shanez

Lifer
Jul 10, 2018
5,188
24,080
49
Las Vegas
I'll never understand why companies simply don't produce 2 blends and let the consumer decide.

Ernie at WCC does this (Old Dominion and Flake #558) and it's absolutely brilliant! I see a lot of people here have their personal preference of the two (I love Old Dominion) but order both on occasion just to change things up.

Companies that change things and mess over their customers have a hard time earning my business at all even if they do change things back.