Peretti Tashkent

Fairly experienced in the pleasures of pipe and cigar smoking, I found Peretti's shop to be a one of a kind treasure. Entering the door a wonderful aroma pleasantly greats you tickling the senses, one's eyes dart back and forth as the mind searches back in blissful anticipation of what is to come. Shelves filled with a great selection of tobaccos and pipes are placed on either side as an old fashioned balance sits at the shop's end to weight out your pipe tobacco pleasure. This is simply classic and makes me long for shops like this closer to home. I requested three of their English blends (one ounce each for starters).

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This tobacco was one of those blends and the best of the three (the other British and Royal). Latakia is ever present, however I have never tasted an English(or perhaps more properly Oriental) blend quite like this one. It is a bit sweat (though no Virginian tobaccos are present),a note of burley, and has a consistent complex flavor (interplay of orientals and latakia with no casing detected) throughout the bowl. It is a must try especially for consistent great taste. Seriously no matter what I eat, drink etc. the flavor appears to always be there and does not disappear or change to any great degree;A rare commodity with many other blends....

Based on reviews from this page I decided to order Peretti’s Oriental Nr.40 and Peretti’s Tashkent. I love the tobaccos grown in the area of the former Ottoman Empire. The problem is that I don’t very much like the Virginias with which they are most often paired. I began searching this site for recommendations for blends that feature the “oriental” tobaccos sans the Virginias and I stumbled onto the reviews for two all “oriental” blends by L.J. Peretti. They are just the blends for which I’ve been searching. The quality of the tobaccos used is exceptional. And both blends have unique flavor and aroma characteristics. Of the two, Oriental Nr.40 is the lighter in flavor and is more complex in its fragrance and taste. Though it’s lighter in flavor it’s still jam packed with complex, though more delicate, flavors. As I was smoking my first bowl my wife remarked, “It smells like we're in church”. There is indeed a fragrance similar to frankincense when you fire this blend up. The light use of latakia never overwhelms the delicate taste and fragrances of the more mild leaves used in the blend. I’ve never tasted anything quite like this, I love this blend. The Tashkent is more bold and less delicate due to its being heavier handed in its use of latakia. It also has a much more spicy taste and the frankincense aroma is much less pronounced as the latakia tends to dominate quite a bit more. I am totally enamored of both blends and thank those that have posted here for steering me in the right direction.

Full of flavor,yet not heavy or overbearing.I like it very much.Humidity level Out of the tin was perfect,with no pre smoke drying needed.That’s not to say That an hour’s drying time won’t produce great results,too.In fact,I will try drying it a little,just for fun.Lighting up just filled my room with smoke.This cut packs,ignites,and burns well.Better than Dunhill 965,which isn’t bad,either.Not heavy like Nightcap.Well Worth your money.

Other descriptions here have very accurately outlined the looks, smell and taste of this stuff. So it will only take a few words for me to easily describe this unique blend from the master blenders at Peretti - This stuff is the pinnacle of perfection.

A very interesting blend. No Virginia. On first light a little sweet. I wrote in my notes that it reminds me of leaves burning in the fall but in a pleasant way. Has floral note as well. The Turkish and Orientals are the stars of this blend. Latakia has a playing role. A great change from the basic English blend.

A strange blend, certainly, for the lack of Virginias, but you'd never notice. Delicious leathery flavor throughout the very cool burning smoke. No bite whatsoever, little drying time required, despite a cut that's chunkier than you'd expect. A nice subtle sweetness despite the lack of Virginia leaf. Milder than I prefer, but tasty enough that it still occupies a regular space in my rotation.

When I think of a Turkish blend, this is it. There is a sensation of dryness and the smell of leather. It is really delicious...IF you like the taste of Turkish tobacco with a base of Latakia. Personally, I think this blend is wonderful.

If you order 8 oz. of any Peretti blend, you get it in a sealed tin...great for cellaring.

12/15/2014 Tashkent has become one of my top five favorite blends of any kind. If you love orientals, this is the go-to blend IMO. It is a coarse cut which may turn off some folks, but it doesn't bother me a bit. The taste and the nose feel are perfectly on point. So many of the great oriental blends of the past have disappeared...this is one to get and enjoy now, as well as years from now.

What a unique totally satifying blend this is! A little bit different in character and most definitely less sweet than many "medium" English blends, most probably due to the fact there's no Virginia in this one, but it has a really beautiful, almost salty "tang" to it which I'm really enjoying. A great combination of Turkish and Latakia. Slight family resemblance to Omega, but less sweet and perhaps more Balkan- great with some strong black tea! Love it!

Rich in the mouth, full of flavor from the orientals and latakia, spicy hit on the tongue and the back of the mouth. Gets more concentrated as you get to the bottom of the bowl. Love it.