A & C Petersen Caledonian Melange No.499 Original Navy Cut

Caledonian 499 was the second tobacco containing Perique that I tried. Because of the unfamiliarity with the peculiar qualities of Perique, it took me a long while to truly appreciate this blend. The obvious thing is the quality of its elements, the beautiful packing (I got in the 100g tin), and the scrumptious, slightly sweet aroma that greets you upon opening the tin. After lightening, I felt it burned hot and it tickled my nostrils. Eventually, drawing very slowly (as one should always do), the richness and depth of this blend made a perfect statement. I find it elegant, sparkling, diverse in flavours and notes, with a light acerbic undertone. It is, in many ways, a different tobacco, at least to the more traditional Virginia blends I have tried. I do not know if I will smoke it often, but it is certainly a high quality product, and for those familiar with the taste of Perique it is definitely a must.

I tried this blend after becoming acquainted with Orlik's Golden Sliced. This, I'm afraid, did not bode well for Caledonian 499. The flakes resemble each other somewhat in appearance, but are markedly different in the pipe. Caledonian 499 is hotter, harsher, and stronger than Orlik's venerable favourite. If it's a Virginia flake that I crave, I'll look elsewhere. This is a good tobacco, well worth a try, but better tobaccos can be found quite easily.

Tin Aroma: Figs & Dates, meaning to me that the Perique and the Virginia are present in roughly the proportions I most enjoy. Nothing special or noteworthy about this blends tin aroma, just honest tobacco smells.

Physical Characteristics: A very pretty sliced plug, which seperates into individual flakes much easier than some blends I have smoked. Darn near the exact amount of moisture I prefer. Rubs out easily and packs nicely. Swells a bit more on the charring light than I expected, but that is such a minor thing, really. Burns very slowly for such a sugar-rich Virginia, and leaves behind a nice helping of dark grey ash.

Notes: This may be the first tobacco blend that I have smoked exclusively in a meerschaum, so keep that in mind during the rest of the review. I chose this tin from the cellar to color a new meerschaum because I prefer the golden hue that Virginia tobaccos impart during the coloring process to the more pinkish tone engendered by Latakia and Oriental rich blends. Lucky for me I did, as this is really a spectacular blend, in my opinion. The tin boasts of six grades of Virginias in the blend, and though I do not doubt them, it is awful hard to pick out individual expressions in the overall round and soft character of the flake. The Perique provides a nicely spicy edge to the flake, and keeps me from becoming bored with the monotony that is so many Virginia flake tobaccos. I have enjoyed this best with a nice glass of Iced Tea, both outside and inside, where it has been remarked that this has perhaps the nicest room aroma of anything I have smoked on a regular basis, which really isn't too hard to accomplish, seeing as most of my favorite blends are a little heavy on the Latakia.

Verdict: A keeper! This goes right to the top of my (very short) list of good Virginia flake tobaccos, with Orlik's Golden Sliced, and Reiner's Long Golden FLake.

An interesting flake tobacco . I need to take care with this one and not let it get too hot . It's a bit sweet , in a tobacco kind of way . Worth a try for sure .