Why the name The Untouchables Special Mixture was chosen for this blend is unknown to me but maybe they should have named it “Unfindable.” I only found it by painstakingly going through every blend available on the Estervals Pipe House website (http://www.tecon-gmbh.de/index.php?language=en) in May 2021. While it is widely available in Europe. Don’t bother searching U.S. retailers for The Untouchables (or any other HU Tobacco blends).
Don’t ask why I ordered two tins of a blend flavored with cedar and rose essence, but I did. It may be that two brands I’m familiar with collaborated to manufacture the blend: Dan Tobacco Manufacturing (DTM), HU Tobacco. Michael Apitz is the third name on the label. To be honest, I don’t know who Michael Apitz is, but he has blended a lot of tobacco for DTM. HU Tobacco is listed as the brand name on tobaccoreviews.com while DTM is listed as the manufacturer. Hans Weidemann and Michael Apitz are the blenders of record.
Yes, It Has A Cedar Essence
To be honest, I have heard rumors of pipe tobacco with a hint of cedar flavor but until now, I’ve never seen any. On the other hand, there are a lot of blends with rose/geranium/floral essence. (Gawith, Hoggarth & Co. especially like to use floral essences in their Lakeland blends.) I’ve smoked a lot of Lakelands and was expecting the floral or rose essence to be the predominant flavor. I was wrong.
From the moment I first opened The Untouchables Special Mixture, I smelled the cedar. Not a hint of cedar, not a whiff of cedar, but the strong scent of cedar. It reminded me of the first smell of a newly opened, cedar lined humidor or fresh cut cedar. I would say it was just a little stronger than the aroma of good quality cedar chest.
The cedar was so predominant that I was wondering where the rose/floral essence was at first. Then I realized it was propping the cedar notes up with a subtle sweetness and scent that reminded me of a rose potpourri. It wasn’t as strong as a Lakeland blend, but it was there.
Low Moisture/Good Smoking
I like the moisture level. The Untouchables Special Mixture is close to being ready to smoke and it leaves very little moisture or dottle in the bowl. I wasn’t surprised though because I’ve come to expect this from aromatics made by European tobacco companies like Dan Tobacco and Kohlhase & Kopp. Since I started exploring European aromatics, I have come to believe they have a softer touch with aromatic flavors and polyglycol than U.S. manufacturers.
The Untouchables is a Black Cavendish/Virginia blend made from high quality tobacco. I find that despite the cedar/floral essence, the grassy, hay like notes of the Virginias are still present. The Black Cavendish seems to add a little more sweetness and reduces the bitterness of the cedar. If you really want to enjoy the full flavors of this blend, then smoke a straight Virginia first and then light up a bowl of The Untouchables.
To me, this aromatic just works as a good smoke. It may not be an all-day smoke, but I find myself reaching for the tin at least once a day if I have more than one pipe. I liked it enough that I recently purchased five more 50g tins.
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© J. Gibson Creative Services. October 14, 2021
Comments
Hi. You ask who Michael Apitz is: I know him from frequent visits to the pipe shop and tobacco manufacturer “Dan Pipe Dr. Behrens KG” about ten years ago, look for the address on a map of your choice: Hafenstraße 30, 21481 Lauenburg/Elbe, Germany. They mix dozens of tobaccos there, sending them to smokers all over the world. When you enter that legendary shop, Mr. Apitz is likely to be there, he is a very nice man who wears a little bow tie made from bruyère wood all the time, lol. He prefers aromatic tobaccos (he is famous for that) while I just hate aromatic tobaccos, sorry!, while it was always nice to have a conversation with him.
Best wishes!, be well.
Author
Thanks for the information. I appreciate learning more about who Michael Apits is. I don’t know which who first had the idea for a cedar/floral essence but I definitely like The Untouchables.
I was first introduced to European aromatics about seven years ago. I became a fan of anything manufactured by Kohlhase & Kopp. In my humble opinion, aromatics made by K&K and Dan Tobacco are better than most of what is made in the U.S. because they seem to have a lighter hand on the topping. This includes blends bearing the Rattray’s and HU brand names.