Hamburger veermaster revisited

[trucha]

When I originally cracked a new tin of this I wasn't a huge fan. I jarred it and now have come back to it a year later. It has mellowed and deepened in flavor at the same time. It is a beautiful tobacco tasting like caramel now. Not sweet in a bright virginia way but much deeper and subtle.

 

[daytonsean]

This is my favorite VA. I've bought and tried just about everything that's out there. Veermaster is the absolute tops for me. Glad you like it!

 

[foggymountain]

I love it too, but it bites, and I smoke a lot. So I put it away to age and hope there will be a mellowing in a few more years.

 

[dottiewarden]

I love it too, but it bites, and I smoke a lot. So I put it away to age and hope there will be a mellowing in a few more years.

Personally I'm unclear on the whole tongue biting issue: it all seems so subjective, based on such differing opinions. In my case, I tend to blame it on me rather than the tobacco, but I'm surprised such an experienced piper like foggy would experience tongue bite at all: especially with a non-aro!

 

[peckinpahhombre]

I forgot about HV. I have never smoked it but have 80 tins set aside. All of my tins have been cellared for more than a year from the time I bought them (not sure when they were tinned). When do you guys think this stuff improves to the point that it is worth smoking? Should I give it another year and try some at the 2 year mark? Harris had some 10 year old HV and raved about it.

 

[jon11]

Well Peck, considering you have 80 tins. I think now might be a good time to crack one open. If you think it needs more age, well you have 79 left to fall back on.

 

[grouchydog]

80 tins and you don't even know if you like it? You, sir, have my admiration and envy.

 

[woodsroad]

I thought that hamburgers were sandwiches.

 

[woodsroad]

Your humor leaves me chili, and it's bean like that for awhile.

 

[stbruno70]

Hamborger Veeermaster is great stuff. It does calm down after two years so have a go at it. Slow and steady is how I smoke it.
I also like the history behind it. It is a Low German sea shanty, with some Californian English thrown in.
Read about it here.
Here is the melody.

 

[sajgre]

It is one of the best virginias out there. It has never bitten me and I have smoked it a lot but like someone already said before, bite has more to do with personal chemistry than anything else.

 

[damnyak]

@Peck, what @Jon11 says man, Crack one! let us know! I picked up a tin in Chicago, haven't opened it yet, but cannot wait.

 

[cortezattic]

HV is good, but even at bulk pricing, it's not $92/lb. good.

Same thing with Tordenskjold Virginia Slices, which is even more expensive, approaching $100/lb. because it is only tinned.

 

[rmbittner]

I recently picked up a couple of tins to try this for the first time. I love SG's Full Virginia Flake and Dunhill Flake -- as well as the Rattray's Virginias -- so I figured I needed to know this one too.
I was underwhelmed. It struck me as the lightest VA -- by far -- of all the flakes I'd tried. I knew it was a good tobacco, with good leaf, but there just wasn't much flavor/substance to it. (And I wasn't looking for nicotine here; I don't like medium-to-high nic blends.)
Someone here mentioned that it changes dramatically with age, taking on the characteristics that the OP noted in this thread. I'll have to see.
Bob

 

[cigrmaster]

I recently cracked a tin that was over a year old and it is definitely better than fresh. It is now a decent smoke but no where near as good as it will be after ten years. After ten years it turns black and has a ton of fig and raisin flavors, totally sublime smoke. I have one pound of bulk but after seeing how much shake was in it I only bought tins after that.

 

[mrjerke]

I have a tin from 2005 that I look forward cracking at the 10 year mark. I'll be sure to post pics when that happens.