Tobaccos McClelland - Blending Perique

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	KinnScience (30)	2014-01-24		Strong	Very Strong	Overwhelming	Tolerable to Strong

If this is indeed pure 100% St James Perique, then it is the best there is to be had, anywhere. I am a bit confused by the ratings on this. If it is, indeed, St James Perique. There are perhaps other "perique" imitations out there, and of course there is the Acadian, which is a blend.

Note: There are only two types of actual perique: Acadian, and St James. Acadian is not made using 100% St James Perique tobacco, but a blend using other tobaccos along with St James perique, St James is made from 100% perique tobacco from St James La.

McClellands seems to be the only entity that currently sells 100% St James perique to the general public (unless the wording is designed to connote pure St James and they are really selling Acadia which was, as it says, simply sent from St James). Most tobacco blenders buy and use the Acadian because it is consistent and so they can produce more accurate blends year after year (e.g. C & D). I've also heard opinions that some years the Acadian is simply wonderful. All of this is subjective I suppose. One is going to spend more for St James Perique than they would Acadian. At any rate, if you like real 100% Perique, which is St James (there are no others), then this should be 4 stars. If, on the other hand, you prefer Acadian (I'd wager most people can't even tell the difference when it is in a blend unless they are actual blenders), then ok ... but there is no way to compare this with "another" perique ... unless of course you are talking about a different year. It only comes from one source.

That said, I need to contact McClelland to see if this is indeed Acadian, or pure St James. If the latter, do they blend the St James Multi year (or plan to) .. or if this is from a large lot that they purchased from a single year, or if it is different every year (if so, they should advertise the years as they do with CC).

I have smoked both Acadian and St James straight. I did not like either experience, as both left a strong shitake like mushroom flavor on my palate for about an hour. I did notice a difference between the two (basically the St James offered a slightly more grotesque experience having been smoked alone without any other tobacco. However, I love both if blended properly with a VA, or a VA Lat, and frankly, both were delicious with all types of VA's I had tried. I don't like it with Burley, but some may. I want to add that the Acadia was in bulk form when I bought it, and the St James was of the Jewel Jars that one can find from time to time if they know the right folk. The marked difference I noted might also be in part to the age of what was in the jar, or something else. These were two different tobaccos. When I smoked this tobacco (that I am reviewing now) I did not have opportunity to compare it to the Jewel St. James nor did I take the time to compare it to the bulk I had purchased several years ago. As for what I remember, it would be impossible to tell. I only tried it "raw" once again, because I wanted to see if my tastes had changed and also for the purposes of reviewing VA/Per blends and determining Perique levels. This particular tobacco gets 4 stars, since it is either a St James, or an Acadian, there really is no other current standard.

Pipe Used: cob

Age When Smoked: Unknown

Similar Blends: nothing.

15 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pagercat (40)	2005-04-10		Overwhelming	None Detected	Overwhelming	Overwhelming

For those of you who have never tried to smoke Perique straight, I can tell you that it's like smoking a maduro cigar dipped in pure Habanero pepper extract with a few hits of LSD dropped in. After being able to hear colors for an hour while my tounge was sizzling and popping like overcooked bacon I stuck to using this solely as a blending ingredient.

Moisture content remains intact in the tin, the leaves are shredded and a bit sticky. There is a very strong smell of fruity wine upon opening the tin.

When using this perique in your blend always use it sparingly as it is extremely strong. A large percentage in a blend will provide a strong, peppery, bitter cigar-like flavor that will bite you harder than a pitbull terrier.

When used properly it can create a wonderful adventure in smoking...a whole exciting chapter in the complete story of the perfect smoke.

15 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2009-01-24		Extremely Strong	None Detected	Extra Full	Very Strong

Yeah, ok, this is a blending tobacco. But if you're gonna blend with it, you should at least know what it tastes like straight. Right? Right... but just once... and not too much!

I managed about a dozen puffs of this straight before I was overwhelmed. Even that little bit ghosted my pipe to the point where I need to alcohol-cure it to get the taste out, to say nothing of how much my palate was ghosted. But I did get the gist of the tobacco. I found it both peppery and salty - almost briny. It's clear that a little goes a long way with this stuff. Smoking even 12 puffs of this straight is akin to eating a 12 oz bowl of mustard.

Case in point: I put about 3 grams of it in with 3 oz of Rattray's Black Virginia and the perique taste completed overwhelmed the BV's stoved virginia tang (which is very light, to be fair). Cutting back to 2 grams in 4 oz of BV proved to be the right mix, as the two jet black tobaccos then merged seamlessly after a week. I've also put a pinch in with a couple oz of Cornell & Diehl's Haunted Bookshop but it was pretty bad, which I think says more about the C&D than the perique. If you have a blend lying about that is dull and needs some spice, try this in a small batch. I'd experiment with 1/8 gram of this to 1/2 oz of other tobacco to start, and you can even break that down further. Maybe I'll never be a blender like McClellands but it's fun to experiment and sometimes it'll keep you from throwing those boring blends away... and sometimes it'll force you to throw 'em away sooner! If at first you don't succeed....

13 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JimInks (3046)	2014-07-27		Extremely Strong	None Detected	Very Full	Very Strong

Tried one small bowl, and survived. It's not meant to smoked straight, of course. As a blender, it's very good, giving you the spice (a bit of it), and deep raisin, fig and date sweetness you want from perique, though it's not plumy like the kind used by several other companies such as Hearth&Home. When experimenting, remember that it's easier to add than to subtract from whatever mixture you are designing, so start with less than you think you'll want to use, and work your way up as your flavor profile indicates. In my opinion, it's the best way to discover what percentage works and which doesn't.

-JimInks

10 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	beaupipe (102)	2008-12-05		Very Strong	None Detected	Full	Tolerable to Strong

I'm something of a Perique junkie. Even if admitting so is kind of like shouting, I LIKE TO BE SPANKED while waiting for the teller...I don't care.

A wise man once counseled, "All things in moderation" but what we often forget is that he added, "Including moderation." In the spirit of that wise man, I occasionally load up a small bowl of the stuff on its own and puff away. It is, as others have said, a pain in the a$$ to keep lit, but it's a sure cure for tongue bite, depression, constipation, indigestion, butt zits and fungal nails. Really.

As a blending tobacco, I think it's a stupendous gift. I put it in all kinds of things, especially anything that I've had bite me in the past. It's the muzzle on the pit bulls of the tobacco world.

Even though I haven't gotten around to trying anyone else's pure Perique blender, and so I have no real frame of reference, I have to give this the highest recommendation. It's dark as a swamp night in the tin and tastes like two-hours-on-the-turlet-Teddy's prune breakfast, but it does amazing things in the mouth and in the mind.

8 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Paddy (127)	2003-02-14		Overwhelming	Extra Strong	Overwhelming	Strong

I use this regularly to boost McClelland's #5100 Red Cake. Red Cake is a pleasant smoke that offers a straight, natural sweet Va. flavor, but is one dimensional. I mix ten pinches of Red Cake to one pinch of McClelland's blending Perique in an old McClelland tin and give it a good shake. The ribbon cut of both tobaccos marries well and produces an even blend. The end product is a unique and excellent smoke, just enough sweet Va. and just enough Perique tang. Paddy.

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Gentleman Zombie (729)	2015-04-03		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

On it's own: Tastes a bit like stewed figs to me. Fairly rich in flavor. Spicy, but not as spicy as I had expected. I don't inhale, but I can tell this has a substantial nicotine kick. My nasal passages absorb enough for me to really feel it.

As a blender: I've used it to beef up some VaPers that I thought were too mild in Perique. Works perfectly. Really adds some nice flavor. Can't ask for more.

Medium in body. Medium to full in flavor. Needs drying time for a good burn.

Pipe Used: MM Morgan

Age When Smoked: fresh bulk

Purchased From: smokingpipes.com

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Jacinto Cupboard (209)	2014-08-21		Strong	None Detected	Very Full	Very Strong

I am not any kind of tobacco blender, and this is the first 'straight' perique I have tried. So I cannot comment on whether this is 'good' perique for that purpose or not.

Like DK I wanted to know what this legendary tobacco tasted like by itself. Well, now I know...sort of. Sort of because this tobacco is ineffable. It is as much sensation as taste. Many of the descriptors already used: mushroom, pepper, plums- they all apply. There is something of the beef tea about this tobacco. I can only assume it is oozing with umami.

Can it be smoked straight? In my opinion: yes. It is imo no more extreme an experience than a huge lat bomb or some of the more wretched aromatics. In my cigarette days I smoked tobacco harsher than this. (White Ox comes to mind.) It is a bugger to keep alight tho and will command all of your attention the whole time. It will also make your head spin. The effect on the tongue is also worth noting, rather like black pepper, the effect of which endures beyond the smoke itself.

Pipe Used: Lepeltier

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Darth Vader (110)	2011-11-22		Overwhelming	None Detected	Overwhelming	Pleasant

Good for blending and very strong so little is needed. Like Sir Thomas Beecham once siad “Try everything once except folk dancing and incest.” so i put some in a pipe and got an education on Perique. Some days later my tongue is starting to heal but i now know what Perique tastes like.

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2006-04-07		Overwhelming	None Detected	Overwhelming	Strong

I've called up McClelland directly to ask them about the source of this tobacco. It is indeed manufactured in St. James Parish, LA by a family there. But there's not enough of the genuine perique leaf grown locally to meet demand so only a portion is used in the actual product. The rest, oddly enough, is brought into St. James from other areas. McClelland says the resulting blend is as close to the original as possible, and has performed very well.

My calls to Nichols & Brown, LLC, the outfit that rescued the last true perique farmer a few years ago, have brought up a disconnected signal. They were based in NOLA and I dont know if they survived. This throws into question whether there is any true Lousiana perique at all anymore.

But in the mean time, I can't knock McClelland's product. It's perhaps as close as you can get now.

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2004-12-12		Very Strong	Very Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This tobacco is made in very limited production in St. James Parish, in the great state of Louisiana. This tobacco was originally prepared under great pressure while marinating in its own juices. As most smokers know, tobacco does have a certain sugar content that lends a bit of sweetness to its final state, unless it has been leeched out through fermintation. Perique tobacco was traditionally packed into hollow logs while still green. It was then put under pressure and alowed to ferment to a certain extent, yet not fully. Fermentation is stopped before the sugar in the leaf is used up, leaving us with a spicy-sweet tobacco that is great for blending. I believe that there is but one farm that produces the entire supply of perique for the world, and believe it or not this type almost became extinct due to the fact that that single farm was struck by blue mold from heavy rains. But enough of the darn history lesson. This tobacco is ment for blending when smoked, and those who are familiar with frog morton on the bayou and nightcap know how well this stuff complaments latakia. I love Perique and always keep this stuff around for blending.

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2004-07-31		Overwhelming	Medium	Overwhelming	Strong

To anyone who is capable of smoking a whole bowl of this: You are invincible. Join the elite special forces.

I don't know how high my stud rating is, but I gave this thirty puffs before I coughed, gagged, and lay there in a fetal position crying like a girly man with the hiccups.

Fell just short of crying for my mother. I had a TINY TINY TINY meerschaum bowl full of this stuff, and it took my breath away. This stuff is EXTREMELY spicy, and I think is more meant to be added to some other tobacco.

Come to think of it... When you look at the name: BLENDING PERIQUE, that's most likely what they meant!

This stuff makes seventeen ninety two look like gummi bears. Oh, Gosh, the inside of my mouth has a rough texture... The whole inside of my mouth...

To the guys with leather tongues... You must be immortal.

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	onetrackmind (2)	2009-01-26		Medium to Strong	Medium	Medium to Full	Very Strong

To bad this is not even real perique. If you want the real thing it can be had from the only one left farming it. Percy martin in Grand Pointe Ridge Louisiana. This stuff is actually whats known as green river burley. It's fermented in the same manner leading to perique like qualities, but it's not perique. In fact every blend on the market today claiming to have perique in it actually uses this stuff instead. That's right even the holy grail of vapers. Escudo. It's cheaper and far more abundant. Please do your research before you review.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pipestud (1829)	2017-03-18		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

I've actually smoked this one straight just for adventure. And it was an adventure; I darn near singed off my nose hairs when I exhaled (just once), through the snout. True St. James Parish Perique that is bold, dark, spicy and perks up just about any blend I want it to. Spice up some of your favorites with the real deal right here!

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2010-02-18		Strong	Strong	Extra Full	Tolerable

[EDITED]

I wanted to revisit this review, having been away from the pipe for awhile and recently come back to it with a vengeance.

I recently picked up some blending tobaccos to experiment a little and see what sort of blend I could come up with for myself. Among these is a pound of this Perique, and though I've smoked it many times in the past, I think everybody's opinion of a tobacco changes over time.

I've read in many places that "Perique is used as a spice tobacco and is too strong to smoke by itself"...horsecrap. Is it a very strong tobacco? Yeppers. Too strong? Maybe if you're not a regular smoker, but if you pick up the pipe a few times a day the higher than normal nicotine shouldn't bother you. The flavor of Perique is stunning. You can smoke it several times in a row and still notice something new with each bowl. Yes, it will add spice and a beautiful, peppery, pungent depth to any blend, but this tobacco should never be regarded as something that can't be smoked alone. I thoroughly enjoy it (am doing so right now) and will for as long as I smoke a pipe. A word of warning, though: Do not try to smoke it as it arrives in the post. In the bag, it is literally sopping wet and had to be spread on a large stainless tray to be dried for almost a full day, and even then is just a tad more moist than I'd personally prefer. If you light the stuff up wet, it'll roast your tongue (like almost any tobacco would), is nearly impossible to keep lit, and will gunk up the bottom of your pipe bowl.

Not recommended for anyone brand new to the pipe, certainly.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2009-02-03		Extremely Strong	None Detected	Very Full	Very Strong

The recent review by "onetrackmind" cracked me up. OneTrack, surely you must be aware that 99 - point something % of the folks who read these reviews know all about "true" Perique, and how that what we can buy today isn't like it once was. But, Perique is as much about the fermentation process as it is about the leaf, if not more. Even the more jaded experts agree that the Green River Burley (or SJP) version is quite excellent, and likely the best we'll see again in our lifetime. And, every year, the quality is improving. McClelland's Blending Perique is good stuff. I have some pounds aging that begins with 10 ounces of their 5100, 4 ounces of 5105, and 2 ounces of this Perique. Sometimes I'll change the 5100 and 5105 amounts around a bit, but I always stick with 2 ounces of this. Pretty good stuff, I have to say. Even just one year of aging yields a nice mild VaPer. Having said this, yeah, I still long for the day when some more farmers down in St. James Parish decide to grow the real deal again, and sell it to PT manufacturers! Hope springs eternal.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2008-03-07		Overwhelming	Extremely Mild	Very Full	Extra Strong

Tin: Light black, ribbon cut. Sweet perfumy dried fruit smell. Slightly stickly.

Lighting & Nicotine: Took two matches to get it lit, then immediately produced moisture. Very difficult to keep lit. Took a relight every few puffs. This allowed me to take break and recover from the nicotine, before each relight. I got woosy after a few puffs, but it is still smokable by itself, if you are a hardened character and inured to nicotine poisoning(Nicotine is a rodenticide.). After 1/5 of a bowl, I got knocked to the floor by Nick O'Tine and made my nose run.

Taste & Aroma: Smoky, pungent, dried fruit; peppery, overpowering blast to the nostrum. Not sweet.

Overall: The subtler qualities of McClelland Latakia and Perique are not well-displayed when smoked straight. This Perique is way too frustratingly difficult to keep lit; heavy in nicotine; some wicked, wicked stuff.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Mesh (51)	2013-06-22		Very Strong	None Detected	Full	Tolerable

I love the VaPers and found 15 per cent of this mixed with 85 per cent SG's Golden Glow (a low-nicotine, 'sipping' Virginia) to be right up my alley - robust, stout and bursting with flavour. A lot of the VaPer blends out on the market will have as little as five per cent perique, so one should initially proceed with caution.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2009-01-30		Strong	None Detected	Full	Strong

While Percy Martin does still grow and supply perique, his entire production goes to the company making American Spirit cigarettes for their use. However, there is another SJP perique producer.

According to "Pipes and Tobaccos" magazine, there is a company (owned by Coley Ryan) producing 100% St. James Parish perique in limited supply. The limited supply of SJP for the open market requires combining the real deal with Green River burley processed ala perique. These two are blended into what is called perique today, in most cases.

Not sure if anyone is using 100% SJP perique, but several blenders say they are using SJP perique in their blends (meaning, there's some SJP perique in their blends, but not strictly SJP).

As for using MBP, try adding a few strands to a bowlful, smoke it and then smoke the blend again without the perique. Increase the perique and repeat. Such a process will help one learn to taste the leaf and even help you tell when a blender is using it, but not listing it as an ingredient.

For many, the magic of perique is in it's "there but not there" apparitional character, not in its flavor domination or fully constituting the blend. But when it comes to taste, to each his own.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2004-01-17		Extremely Strong	None Detected	Very Full	Strong

The "stats" don't tell the story here, since this is not a tobacco to be smoked straight. I heartily concur with Paddy on adding this to McClelland 5100 Red Cake. By itself, I find the blend somewhat tasteless though sweet. The addition of this Perique (though I find 5 to 7% to be preferable) raises it to "very tasty" status. Other uses include boosting the tobacco flavor in flavor-challenged aromatics, adding variation to Latakia-overwhelmed brands, and cooling/darkening hot smoking bright Virginia blends. A must-have in the blend-perfection workshop.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2017-12-08		Strong	None Detected	Extra Full	Strong

Honestly to my surprise, it wasn't as strong as I expected it is going to be based on everything one can read about it.

Smell: Exactly as it is written on the tin. I usually take tin descriptions with a grain of salt, this was spot on, cooked fruits and mushrooms. I took my trusty cob, as I didnt want to ruin any briar with it. Just a small pinch to be on the safe side.

Taste: The taste however was quite different from the semll for me. In the mouth what hit me first was a meat or umami taste (I refer to smoked+spiced salami in my youtube video review) with some mushrooms. I couldnt find any cooked fruits like from the tin aroma. There was a good amount of spice, even some that I would image an incense-burner that they use in the east would taste like. Around 45% umami+mushroom taste, 45% spices and 10% acidic/fruity/earthy quality. The experience changes when you take this to retrohaling. Pushing it out through your nose the spices take over. You get what most people talk about, the strong spicy notes and the umami/meat taste goes to the background.

It's a beautiful addition to pipe tobaccos, a really interesting mix of flavours and smells. I highly recommend to try it smoking straight for anyone who loves blends with perique in them. You'll understand and appreciate them even more. Just me careful and prepare some sizzling water to the side, so you can rinse out yoru mouth regularly... :)

My video review on it:

Pipe Used: Corn Cob

Age When Smoked: ~1 month

Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Stefanos (222)	2016-11-05		Extremely Strong	None Detected	Full	Strong

Bought it out of curiosity at a time when I knew very little about Perique. Opening the tin you are greeted by pitch black ribbons. I wouldn’t say sticky but they are very moist. Tin note is pungent but elusive, very difficult to pin down. It seems tar-like [swamp gas and] combined with a mushroomy smell with something sweeter: licorice, molasses, bitter chocolate and possibly oatmeal biscuits. After drying a small sample the smell of mushrooms is much clearer and more dominant. Some reviewers mention the shitake kind. I am not sure about that, but shitake are known to smell “shrimplike” or even “vaginal” which is close to what I get…

Now I HAD to smoke a bit by itself. I took my small Petersen pipe and loaded it. I used the dried bit because directly out of the tin it wouldn’t even light. First puff… Ok, it’s strong. And what is more, it is a very strong smoke without much flavor, smoky is the best description I can come up with. It is felt almost tactilely leaving a burning sensation on the tip of the tongue and especially on the nose akin to what you get when you eat very hot chili peppers. Yes, it’s actually experienced as a form of PAIN… After a few puffs it produces hiccups. Happily my Petersen is very small… So, on its own it’s not pleasant to smoke and I did not detect many aromas. It would have been nice to smoke something mushroomy, but the tin note does not translate to the smoke. What can I make of the experiment of having it alone, what does Perique contribute to a blend. It obviously must add strength but what about aromas? Is it smokiness?

I tried to add some to a few tobaccos I feel confident I know, just a little bit to see what becomes of them.

I started playing with no.24 McClelland’s Virginia flake. I rubbed it and added a small amount (around 10%) of the black fermented leaf. What did I get? It became smokier, more charcoal-like. On the one hand it toned down the sweetness of the Virginia and the elusive note of the Drama leaf no.24 contains, is eclipsed. I also get a bitter note after the first half of the bowl. Surprisingly I find it has enhanced its burning qualities. Maybe I added more than I should, but the addition of the Perique masked some of the qualities of no.24 which I so much like. It was not a bad smoke but I won’t use it again with no.24. Next I tried a healthy dose of Perique around 30% with a mix of one third each Basma, Smyrna and bright Virginia, a mix which I do at home and also know well. Now this blend has some high aromatic notes from the Virginia and Basma and lower sweeter notes from the Smyrna, it is mild and without much body. The addition of Perique to this blend I think cut – without obliterating - both the highs and lows, added weight, strength and a dark smoky aroma. Do I like my mix with Perique? Yes, it’s not bad, it makes it bolder and since this is a smoke I usually have early in the day, the addition of Perique might make it potent enough for use at later hours.

I’ m not going to bore you further with my experiments, I’m just going to say that if you enjoy micro-blending, having a tin of pure perique is a must. I haven’t tried other pure Periques, so I cannot compare McClelland’s to any other. Yet, as a general observation it added smokiness to all the tobaccos I used it in and a black peppery tactile tingling sensation as well. It also reduced tongue bite in some burleys. It affects burning qualities. But overall for me it’s not easy to imagine the result as sometimes the fact contradicted my intuitions. Happy that I bought it once but it’s not as indispensable to my ‘microblends’ as my precious oriental leafs…

Pipe Used: MM corn cobs, small Peterson

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JustinCarcerated (99)	2014-02-16		Strong	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant

I dont know how else to rate this than 3-4 stars-I have worked a 2 oz. tin for months now, mkxing very small ratios to Dunhill flake and/or Solani ABF. This has greatly improved my appreciation of this unique toby.

Kept with a wet disc in mason it keeps well. Dont attempt to smoke it as is....its a great condiment rather than the sandwich.

Age When Smoked: 12 months

Purchased From: Pipes Cigars.com

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2014-02-16		Very Strong	None Detected	Full	Strong

Perique is the reason I smoke a pipe. This perique is great. I add to straight virginia blends. I add to rubbed out dark star and navy cavendish and let sit in a mason jar for a couple weeks. Adds a wonderful spice and fermented depth to blends that I love but miss perique flavor.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Bill Porter (2)	2012-12-31		Strong	Very Mild	Full	Tolerable

I just smoked a bowl of a mixture of this Perique mixed with equal parts of Carter Hall and McClelland's blending Latakia. It was a VERY good smoke! I imagine that most would prefer using a much smaller portion of the Perique, but I loved the "zing" of Perique I got with using about 40% Carter Hall with 25% Perique and 35% Latakia. It burned very well, right through the bowl. It was so much better than smoking Carter Hall straight and I can see this mixture being the way that I smoke through the tub of Carter Hall I recently purchased.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2012-04-07		Extremely Strong	None Detected	Extra Full	Strong

This is an excellent tobacco for what it is meant to be used for, which is to be used in very small amounts as an enhancement to other blends. I have tried adding this to several blends with mostly positive results (the negative ones were due to poor judgement on my part). I have yet to ever try this tobacco straight in any of my pipes for fear of both ruining my day, and possibly tainting one of my pipes, but I suspect that at some point my curiosity will get the best of me...

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	hiatus67 (6)	2011-05-06		Very Strong	Mild	Very Full	Tolerable to Strong

Excellent blending tobacco that I use to make my mixtures. In Virginia, Latakia and Oriental mixtures do not use more than 5% because it is overwhelming. Only with Virgina it can be added more to 10-12%. Smoked alone it was not very peppery how that I expected, but more than a medical drug.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2010-08-09		Extremely Strong	Mild to Medium	Extra Full	Very Strong

Although I have used this for blending for some time now, I've always listened to those who have said not to smoke it straight. I finally worked up the nerve to try a straight bowl and I was kncked back by it's fullness and strentgh. Although it was overwhelming I'll probably smoke it straight again in the future.

But not very often.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2009-02-19		Overwhelming	Extremely Mild	Overwhelming	Strong

Gotta try it once by itself, right? Haha... the tobacconist tried to tell me off of it, but I had to know what pure perique tasted like to differentiate it in other blends... and wow. I lasted about 5 minutes and I had to dump the pipe out. The strange thing is, the taste is extremely minimal with this perique (unlike the perique used in Pease's blends which has a distinct brandy taste). McClelland applies vinegar to all their blends, including this. I suppose it's to offset alkaline tongue bite with an acid, but for goodness sakes, this stuff is so naturally acidic that to add any more is insane! You light it up, and immediately your nostrils and the back of your mouth flare up. This stuff is literally like eating a habanero pepper.

After I dumped out the pipe, about two hours later, I got an entirely different pipe and lit up Cornell and Diehl's 'Opening Night'. Now I know what perique tastes like, I can detect it in various blends. As I got down the pipe, I noticed that there was apparently a ton of perique in 'Opening Night'... but there isn't. We are all familiar with certain things ghosting your pipe and marring the taste of later blends, but this stuff is so darned powerful it ghosted my mouth for the rest of the day. I had to wash my mouth out with listerine!

I'm sure that there are better blending periques out there, since I have had them in several different blends, but this does make a nice addition to a ribbon cut Virginia to offset some of the tongue bite and offer a unique taste.

But only use a tiny bit! I stuck about five ribbons in a relatively large bowl with some Embarcadero and it was a full-blown VaPer.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	drewsmokes (4)	2019-10-06		Strong	None Detected	Extra Full	Strong

Honestly to my surprise, it wasn't as strong as I expected it is going to be based on everything one can read about it.

Smell: Exactly as it is written on the tin. I usually take tin descriptions with a grain of salt, this was spot on, cooked fruits and mushrooms. I took my trusty cob, as I didnt want to ruin any briar with it. Just a small pinch to be on the safe side.

Taste: The taste however was quite different from the semll for me. In the mouth what hit me first was a meat or umami taste (I refer to smoked+spiced salami in my youtube video review) with some mushrooms. I couldnt find any cooked fruits like from the tin aroma. There was a good amount of spice, even some that I would image an incense-burner that they use in the east would taste like. Around 45% umami+mushroom taste, 45% spices and 10% acidic/fruity/earthy quality. The experience changes when you take this to retrohaling. Pushing it out through your nose the spices take over. You get what most people talk about, the strong spicy notes and the umami/meat taste goes to the background.

It's a beautiful addition to pipe tobaccos, a really interesting mix of flavours and smells. I highly recommend to try it smoking straight for anyone who loves blends with perique in them. You'll understand and appreciate them even more. Just me careful and prepare some sizzling water to the side, so you can rinse out yoru mouth regularly... :)

My video review on it:

Pipe Used: Corn Cob

Age When Smoked: ~1 month

Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	tpatriarche (43)	2015-05-15		Very Strong	None Detected	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

<update> Just had to revisit this review, while smoking a pipe of pure Perique, to say, this is surely one one of the top 10 tobaccos in the world. It's smooth, tasty, with a unique aroma and fearsomely strong—what more could one want? </update> I have always wanted to try straight Perique, having enjoyed its contribution to blends such as McClelland's St. James Woods. WOW!

Received as bulk, rather damp but smokeable. Odour in the bag reminded me of strong apple cider, tasting sweet/sour (another reviewer comments that McC generally adds vinegar to their tobaccos, perhaps cider vinegar). Highly recommend airing the tobacco out for a day or two both to rid it of the vinegar to reveal the real Perique musky aroma, and to improve smokeability.

Smoking it was a very different experience. Despite its dampness, my first pipe smoked smoothly with few relights until the bottom of the bowl (must have loaded it just right, as later pipes required frequent relights). Flavour musky rather than fruity, a little like an exotic mushroom such as shiitake; umami flavour, or should that be "Ooooh - Mammy!" STRONG - after half a small pipe, I felt like I'd smoked a Maduro Cigar, and had to pause to take a Valium & draft this review.

Later pipes revealed a light sweet aroma, a little like floral incense. I found the room note quite pleasant, but I have yet to hear from my housemates.

Surprisingly little tongue bite or mouth burn, but I did experience some brief heartburn - probably from the nicotine itself.

Of course, Perique is also the consummate blender; it even goes with Cavendish. I'm experimenting with a blend of Black Cavendish, Perique and a balanced English mix...mmm!

Don't be afraid to smoke this straight - just try a small quantity first. Not for the neophyte, but a real treat for the experienced smoker, especially one in search of a truly strong tobacco of unique character.

Pipe Used: Carey System, cherrywood churchwarden

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: 4noggins.com, goodfellascigarshop.com

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Young Piper (304)	2014-10-31		Very Strong	None Detected	Very Full	Very Strong

This blending perique is wonderful when used to spice up a boring blend or one that you wish had a shot of tabasco. I use it in Macbaren's mixture flake, I take a flake and holding it in my palm I make a burrito with the perique, filling the flake like a hand rolled cig or a doobie. Then I roll it, fold it in half and stuff into my pipe. Very delicious when used in this burrito fashion, remember a little bit goes a long way! Use sparingly!

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2014-10-28		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

I am no expert at Périque. I have not packed a pipe with only this offering. I have used it as a condiment in various personal blends and I think this is top of the notch, genuine Périque. The tin aroma is very pungent, almost woodsy and definitively fermented. It really adds some backbone to the tobaccos which, on their own, do not fulfill my need for Vitamin N. I have another tin and I will buy more in the future and let it age so it gets even better.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2013-09-30		Strong	Medium to Strong	Very Full	Tolerable

I blend this with 50% Dunhill Standard, and 25% Ennerdale. I add a few drops of Essence of Rose Attar. It's a tremendous vape that is most satisfying. I tried it with American Kentucky Nougat and it killed it stone dead . I'm not sure if it was the Perique or the wrong Kentucky I'm open to suggestions if anyone can recommend a Kentucky/ Burley mix that carries it well.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2013-09-28		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is a great blending tobacco. Perfect moisture level and quite tasty on some of my VA and Lat/Or/Va blends. Very nice...Highly recommended!

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Kilmarnock Piper (251)	2011-03-20		Strong	None Detected	Very Full	Strong

I had reviewed this under "Just For Him," just a brief review stating that I like to keep some around to sprinkle in my Virginia from time to time. Seems it is the McClelland bulk I have been using. I suppose it's not the real thing, but still good.

Actually, the first review of this product is very informative, now that I have read it, and answers a couple of my questions about this one. Called McClelland, good for you!

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2011-03-19		Strong	Strong	Full	Very Pleasant

perique was orginally was designed to deliver your words to the great spirit

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2010-05-22		Strong	Extra Strong	Overwhelming	Tolerable

The main guy that handles this stuff from St. James Parish is in our pipe club, Triangle Area Pipe Smokers (TAPS) and he is a great guy and has a superior product. It is of course to be used for blending but I like a few others have tried it straight and it was indeed more than I could handle and I have been smoking a pipe for 40 years. Perique is great for its intended purpose.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2009-09-01		Strong	None Detected	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

A great blending tobacco that really adds some nice kick to whatever you wish to season. It burns long and slow so just a little will go a long way. I might try a pipeful just out of curiousity and to say I did it...maybe. :) This seems to be the real stuff and much better than the other McC that sells "perique." 4 stars for blending.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	½ bowl (103)	2009-07-31		Overwhelming	None Detected	Overwhelming	Tolerable

In a review of Prince Albert some time ago I opined that there is nothing in life much better than the morning paper, a cup of fresh coffee, and a bowl of P.A. To that, add 2% of this ambrosian leaf. That's not much -- but it makes everything much better!

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	haredawg (47)	2009-03-20		Very Strong	None Detected	Very Full	Tolerable

My four stars is of course for blending purposes. I have to agree with puffdaddy being cracked up by onetrackmind. It's not a secret, anyone with internet access or a tobacconist knows the modern perique story, I'm not sure why that'd give this stuff one star. The idea is to add it as a condiment the way you might use A1 on a skirt steak. I personally never eat A1 by itself nor would I criticize Heinz 57 for not being A1 (it's still a steak sauce). My favoirte experiment with this so far was three parts Marlin Flake, two parts Solani Silver Flake and one part McClellands perique. It worked well, though I'm suggesting anyone use such expensive tobaccos to experiment, I just happened to have all around and I didn't mix up a big batch or anything, maybe three bowls in a group 4. The perique made the blend, the solani, a burley, kept the whole mess from getting out of hand. It's a great condiment to have around, though honestly It's the only straight perique I've ever bought so I don't know how it compares to other companies blending perique. In general what bothers me about McClelland blends is the ketchup scent in their Va's. No ketchup to the perique.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2008-01-14		Strong	None Detected	Overwhelming	Unnoticeable

I would never smoke this by its self but love it with some other blends(meant for mixing)LOL

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2007-05-28		Very Strong	Very Mild	Very Full	Extra Strong

My friend at the tobacco shop has a running bet that you can have the pipe of your choice in the store if you can smoke 4 grams straight without complaining, coughing or throwing up.

To more serious things, this is great tobacco blended with other weaker English, Virgina, Balkan or anything that needs zing. One ounce of Perique is enough to change the entire nature of a pound of your favorite blend. Very nice way to spice up your boring blends.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2006-12-22		Extremely Strong	Medium	Very Full	Very Strong

For what it is designed to do, this tobacco is superb! It is the perfect addition to any Virginia which needs a little lift or to a too-sweet tobacco which needs a bit more substance and less sweetness.

I would not presume, however, to smoke it by itself. This stuff is just too powerful.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2006-11-07		Very Strong	Strong	Very Full	Strong

This is a high quality St. James Perique and perfect for adding the it's unique flavor to other blends. Mixed with McClelland 5100 Red Cake, creates a classic VA/Perique blend. Added to aromatic blends, it helps tone down the sweetness and boost the tobacco flavor. This is a must have for blending!

Highly Recommended

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2006-04-30		Strong	Medium to Strong	Very Full	Strong

I like to put a pinch of this with prince albert, but be careful, dont use to much, I would recommend this tobacco to be used for it is intended for, I enjoy it very much with Prince Albert, and other cheap va tobaccos,

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2005-08-04		Extremely Strong	Very Strong	Extra Full	Extra Strong

This is a little tough, because Perique is a spice tobacco. But I love using a little in some lower grade "working" tobaccos.

As far as periqug goes, this stuff is a must addition to any serious smoker.

I have never (and would not) ever smoke this by itself. Even more then a tiny pinch is sometimes too much.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2005-06-01		Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

This is a blending tobacco not meant for straight consumption. I can't imagine anyone being dumb enough to try it straight. LOL!

I have tried many blending perique's including C&D's and this one is by far my favorite.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2002-11-22		Strong	Strong	Full	Tolerable

I chose to blend this with MacBaren?s Virginia No.1. This was my first feeble attempt at blending on my own. At the first crack, I went to heavy on the Perique, and it totally over shadowed the Virginia. My next attempt was an 80/20. Personally I enjoyed this very much. (Just be sure to rub out the Virginia well beforehand!!). I felt the Perique at this level married very well. Please bear in mind I am a novice in attempting to blend on my own, and I intend to try some Perique / Virginia blends done by folks who know what they are doing. However, if you?re so inclined to blend on your own, I felt this went very well for me. I am ageing some of my ?custom? blend now, I?ll be curious to see what happens after a year or so.

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