| Century is NOT your ordinary English blend. The "usual suspects" are there...Virginia, Latakia, and Turkish...but not in the ordinary proportions or types. For that, one should smoke Peretti's British Blend or the Royal.
While it is true that Century can be puffed into the "hot" zone, this caution is attributable to the Turkish component, not to the Virginia. Any domestic weed is far in the background. The Turkish comes to the fore at once and stays there. The matured Virginia is there to add sweetness...sometimes.
The first bowl of Century I smoked was in a small Sasieni "Ashford" shape, a quarter-bent author. The second was in a Comoy's "Blue Riband" billiard. The third was in a 1940's-vintage GBD apple. As they say, the third time is the charm.
Century is a marvelous smoke for those who appreciate variety, spice, and subtlety in a tobacco; one might, however, have to experiment to find it; Sasienis do not do this wonderful blend justice, and an old Comoy's does little more. An Algerian briar GBD, conversely, allows it to sing.
There is only ONE blend I would compare with Peretti's Century Blend...and that is Friedman & Pease's "Kismet," which is no longer available. The primary difference is that Kismet used SYRIAN Latakia, while Century incorporates Cyprian.
That makes a world of difference. For those who never tasted Kismet, it was a less-nuanced version of Greg Pease's "Bohemian Scandal." Syrian Latakia is less smoky than Cyprian, contains MUCH more nicotine, and has a winey, sweeter taste that mixes well with the Turkish used in Kismet, Bohemian Scandal...and (probably) Century. Also, if one ever smoked P & W's "High Hat" with Syrian Latakia...it was as stout a smoke as I ever had and was able to tolerate--simply because it was delicious. The same mixture with Cyprian Latakia is just another American English, albeit a good one.
Happily, Peretti's Century is NOT just another blend. It is smooth, bite-free, and delicious. Highest accolades!
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