Peretti Tashkent

It isn't often that one finds and English blend without any Virginia's. (The TR contents line says that there is some at the time of this writing, but Peretti's says no). Lacking a Virginia component, the blending needs be done with skill and Tashkent is well done. Smokey, somewhat sour with a touch of sweetness is how I would describe Tashkent. The tobacco arrives with a moisture content that is ready to smoke. It's cut a little rough and I prefer to rub it out just a bit. I enjoy Tashkent most in a wider bowl.

It's nice to see one of America's few true pipe shops creating such interesting blends. It would be nice to be able to order on line rather than calling the order in. Recommended.

Peretti's - Tashkent

I was a little taken aback to see that this highly regarded mixture is simply a combination of latakia and izmir per the descriptive.

Now for some semi-useless trivia.  Izmir is a modern day city in western Turkey, but in antiquity it was known as Smyrna.  As an aside, Smyrna is the addressee of one of the seven letters in the Book of Revelation.  As the cities Izmir and Smyrna are one in the same it stands to reason the respectively so named tobacco varieties are also.

I've always viewed izmir as being the most "normal" of the oriental varietals, kind of like how The Eagles are "normal" within the genre of classic rock...they're good musicians, good songwriters, but not really known for being daring or revolutionary.  And so Tashkent has caused me to rethink my viewpoint of izmir as a "filler" oriental.

So what about Tashkent?  It's a bit leathery, kind of cedary, a touch spicy, and a little to the sweet side.  I'm not finding it to be highly nuanced but its virtues are many: the latakia portion is well done and well balanced, the mixture is flavorful, has nice body, and smokes smoothly, a fair hit of nicotine, always burns completely to the heel and if I did okay on loading it never needs a relight. Another good, solid blend from Peretti's, simple but very nicely done.

I really, really liked this one. To my palate this was a somewhat different English Blend. Mind you, all the taste profiles of your typical English blends were present, but this one had something extra, something I couldn't put my finger on. The baccy burned nicely, maybe slightly fast, but the taste held throughout the bowl—no dottle. I would consider this a great English blend, and may increase it's rating later on, but, for now, 3 solid stars!

As for Peretti, the shop itself, I've been told it's the second oldest ongoing pipe shop in the USA—second to only Iwan Riess. It's obviously a Mecca for anyone living in the NE corridor, I hope this shop goes for another century! Peretti is definitely a feather in Boston's cap, to be sure.

Keep on pipin'

I just finished up the one ounce sample of this I bought about four years ago and I am surprised to report that I liked it. This is not the type of blend I would normally gravitate to as The ingredients billed out in the description include only oriental and Latakia. This brings to my mind an image of a sour smoky mess lacking in sweetness. I only purchased it because I have seen so many wonderful things said about it in the various social media groups/forums of which I frequent.

I tend to like my lat blends with a healthy amount of virginia to offset the sour and smoke. Unless the blender is not being completely transparent with the ingredients listed in the description (I am not sure any of the blenders actually are), this blend is certainly the exception to that preference as it has enough inherent sweetness to ease in the sour and smoke of the orientals.

This blend is also very smooth and creamy which is another surprise to me as I was also expecting alot of sharp edges. It almost goes without saying that this does not bite and that it is pretty low in nicotine as that is a guarantee with the ingredients listed. I am glad that I ended up buying this as my preconceived notions would have prevented it otherwise. If I did not already have too many latakia blends in my cellar, I would certainly buy more of this. Three solid stars.

Another gorgeous English blend from Peretti. If you are a fan of English blends then you really owe it to yourself to try this one. Like all of the Peretti blends I have smoked this is the perfect moisture level right from the package and high quality leaf indeed. Where do they find these perfect tobaccos to blend with in this day and age? Seems like they must have found a way to travel back in time. My personal tastes long for a little more sweetness (as in Royal Blend) or roundness (as in Omega), but this is an excellent and flavorful blend and just might be the perfect match for you as it is for my son Christopher. 3.5 stars.

Well if anything is going to pull me away from Cambridge Flake, it's Tashkent. No Virginia, seems to be mostly Oriental but with I'm guessing about a third Latakia.

This is tangy and sour and it's cheaper than Cambridge Flake, it burns cool and smokes great to the heel. Just enough Latakia to keep it from being one dimensional, and it's probably better than Cambridge Flake in this respect.

This and Omega make a killer one-two punch. What'll it be tonight, smoky Cyprian campfire or tangy Orientals? Omega's more meaty, Tashkent really pleases your taste buds with it's sour tang. Don't worry about picking one, they're both worth stocking up on.

Finally got around to ordering some Peretti blends and have been test driving them this week. Several reviews will follow this one in the next couple of days.

I was so excited to open my can and see a beautiful blend that smells so balanced with Latakia and Turkish richness. I have never tried a blend of just these components and it is the reason for my order. Plain old curiosity to experience what I had not. And boy howdy! What a flavor profile this blend has!

The tobacco is a fairly even mix of Latakia and Turkish to the eye. Easy packing. Two false lights. Off to the races with a full Latakia smokiness and the immediate hit of astringency from the Turkish. That slight numbing sensation on the tongue. Only slightly. Just lets you know without a doubt that there is turkish here and high quality at that. The latakia is of the highest quality and melds with the Turkish to produce a creamy flavor with caramel, slightly burnt marshmallow, some coffee hints, and the spiciness of desert culture spices. Smokey in a good and reasonable way. Not a Latakia bomb by definition, but you won't worry about having enough.

The smoke is cool and rich. No sign of sweetness at all, even with the before mentioned flavors. They are all conveyed in such a way as to remain sec or brut in presentation. Just amazing to get those flavors in a satisfying way without a hint of sweetness. Just awesome.

Smokes clean and dry to the bottom of the bowl. If you keep an eye on your cadence this will not show bitterness in any way. Pushed, you will get a little. No bite at all. The less experienced may tend to confuse the astringency effect on the tongue as the beginnings of bite, but it is not.

I'm very pleased overall with this blend. I would recommend anyone at least try it. English smokers should give it a run particularly if they are partial to the drier tasting blends.

Not something that will make my regular lineup, but I will always keep a supply for the occasional three or four bowls. Just for that reason, I can give only 3 stars. Although I totally agree with the 4 star reviewers, it just didn't hit that mark for me. Missed by just a tad.

Cheers!

UPDATE : 01/29/10

The thing that I like best about tobacco shop blends is you can have them tweaked just to your liking. I called the Peretti folks, visited a bit and one week later I had a 1# can of Tashkent "made my way" sitting safely in my smoke locker. Sure, it's not exactly the same but boy it hits the sweet spot for me. Four stars. Thank you Peretti. I miss the old days of pipeshops on many street corners.

Ok, so beat me for not giving this 4 stars. I'm betting it is 4 stars but I haven't found the correct pipe to puff this in as of yet. It is very good, it is a smooth fullfilling smoke, it leaves a great after taste and my angel of of wife tells me she likes the "leathery" room note. So what is my problem anyway? Perhaps I just like Orential #40 a bit more, who knows? If this type of tobacco blend is something you lean towards you will want to order a pound.

UPDATED April 2020: Now that I have had more time with this I think I am going from 3-4 stars. I will start by saying that the blend hasn't changed, I have. I have noticed that pipe smoking is an evolution. What you enjoyed when you started doesn't seem to stay the same over time. Some is maturity and experience, some is taste changing and frankly, it appears that some blends appeal to certain seasons. For me, the appreciation of Burley and Oriental forward blends came with experience. I now LOVE Oriental forward blends and they are my first smoke of the day almost everyday I have a pipe. Tashkent and Coffee in the morning is a winner every time., The subtle, more subdued flavors of the Turkish/Orientals along with their spice are easy on the palate and although a "dry" smoke there is sweetness to it. I cannot pin down the source, I would normally say a Virginia like sweetness, but there is no Virginia and it really isn't quite that type of sweetness. Cyprian Latakia also has a sweetness, but this doesn't quite seem like that either, but that is what it must be. Fantastic complex blend. Top to bottom consistent, burns extremely well. 1st class.

ORIGINAL: Have you ever run into a blend and after smoking the equivalent of a tin still not know what to make of it? Well for me that is Tashkent. Let me start by saying that like all Peretti blends this is a true work of seasoned, master tobacco blenders. The tough part for me is that this has no equal (at least in my smoking experience) in flavor profile. At the risk of making a bad comparison, this to me is like the LaCroix (sparkling soda with essence) of the tobacco world. The flavor is bright, even effervescent, with woody, spicy flavors with hints of smoke and hints of cream without the creaminess. It is both complex and flavorful. Where I struggle is that it feels like a great sauce with no pasta. The lack of a Virginia or Burley base, well, basically confuses the sh*t out of me. I keep getting these great flavors of the Orient but they seem to beg for something else...except when they don't. Let me try it another way...do you know how after mowing the lawn on a hot day how even a PBR tastes like the best beer you ever had? Well Tashkent hits the spot when you are "in that kind of mood", when I am not I am finding myself enjoying the flavors but wondering where the rest of it is. I have never smoked this and not enjoyed it, I want to be very clear there, but it seems that this could be a transcendental smoke if it had a bit of Virginia...or Burley...or both.

The flavors are really fresh and this to me defines "spicy" in the tobacco sense. It has both an element of pepper spice but also spices yet unnamed (like a hybrid of sage, tarragon, paprika and rosemary). The Oriental/Turkish also bring a woody and vegetal quality to the smoke. The Latakia is a minor supporting element and does add some smoke and cream to the experience. If you are a hardcore Oriental/Turkish lover, this is a must try. I am glad I bought the 8 oz paint can of this as I am guessing that 2 oz was not quite enough for me....I also see some Orlik Golden Slices or Dunhill Flake finding it's way into this on my alchemy days (maybe even Uhle's Precision Plug Burley). I will add that if you puff too fast past the mid bowl point this has a tendency to get a tad harsh, the spice becomes overbearing, so keep to a moderate cadence. Bravo Peretti