Mac Baren HH Acadian Perique

UPDATE:

I tried this tobacco in a 9 mm filtered Stanwell pipe with a bowl of a comfortable size.

Really at the same time smooth and spiced.

I now love this tobacco.

So, with a matching pipe, really worth a try.

Wow, this is a blend to stock up on. Like the blender states on the tin, this has no top note but is equally flavourful from every angle. The Perique builds towards the end. The burley's and virnginias nuttyness are set off by the Cavendishes bitter-sweetness. It has no tongue bite, but is rich in taste. A rare combination. It comes moist so keeping it that way will help maintain the falvour of it's carefully measured ingredients.

It can be puffed all day, the Nicotine kick is evident but not overly powering to me. I like strong Cavendishes spinkled with Perique when I'm not trying top blends however.

A Drinkless or Peterson type pipe will help you to distinguish the four main notes. But a well caked billiard will give a rich warm smoke that is not unlike rich dark coffee, or a dark Beer. Both of which go with this blend well also.

Burns to a fine ash, carefull or you may get ashes or ash taste in your mouth near the end. It does smoke nice with no tongue bite and only slight bitterness all the way down. Does tend to build moisture so running a pipe cleaner or two during your puff will help keep that at bay. A good blend to rotate through a couple pipes at least because of the moisture that can build up. I'm again used to this due to me liking Cavendish which is moist and acrid but sweet.

This blend should age very well. The tins I have are about a year old and are only getting better. It is a limited run blend.

Overall very fine blend. Did fine some tobacco veins/sticks. Unussual with a high end blend. Most likely from the Virginia they are using in the blend.

This blend has unique composition, with no top flavour and only minimal casing. It does smoke mild and bite free but is full-bodied as well. The Perique stands out in a moderate way way but is well integrated with the Virginia's, Burleys, dark-fired Kentucky, Cavendish and a touch of Orientals. Admirers of a natural blend spiced with Perique ought to give this a try real soon! I certainly will buy more!

To my palette, this Perique blend adds some richness, similar to warm fruit. It combines with the Virginia and Burley to make a memorable smoke. HHAP isn't the strongest tobacco I've had but it does give you a full-bodied smoke.

For people that want a natural tasting blend spiced with Perique should try HHAP at the earliest opportunity.

The tin note is plums and raisins and a bit of molasses; delightful. The ribbon cut is mainly dark with a few lighter strands. The moisture level is perfect. I'm glad I waited 7 years to open this tin. I recommend you lightly pack this tobacco. It is going to burn fast, so slow down your puffing cadence. The taste is plums, raisins, figs, campfire smoke, sweet and sour with a little bit of dry spice mixed in. Smokes to the bottom of the bowl with a tad of moisture left. If this is a problem for you, let it dry for 20 minutes before packing and lighting. Definitely an all-day smoke for a VaPer lover.

We are in a golden age of pipe tobacco right now folks, and the easy availability of L.A. Poche Perique Tobacco company's Acadian Perique is one of the reasons why.

Leave it to Henrik Halberg to make a blend that shows off Perique so well. Like everything else in the HH line, it is worth having a tin or two of this around.

Very nice tobacco, great tin note, easily lit and easy to keep lit. No problems with this one at all. Has a consistent flavor throughout the bowl. The variety of tobaccos blend well together and the perique is noticeable but not too domineering as to hide the others. The strength of this blend may be too much for some but i found it to my liking. Excellent overall appeal, a need to try blend!

This is mostly a Burley/Perique (the Burley tastes like Kentucky) blend with the other leafs making everything work , cool smoking and dry , the smoke is flavorfull and with good nicotine! Fantastic smoke for the Burley lovers that wants a good dose of Spice!!!

Mac Baren's HH Acadian Perique is a must try for any Perique enthusiast. The Perique content is quite high, perhaps greater than 15%, as apposed to the usual less than 5% in most Ver / Per blends. But HHAP also has a lot of things in the can other than Perique, viz. Cavendish, Burleys, Orientals and most notably Dark Fired Kentucky. As such it is a complex smoke, but with a strong Perique presence. As mentioned earlier, Perique is not only the truffle of tobaccos, but is also extremely limited in its production. See the following two links to learn more about this fine tobacco and its history in St. James Parish, Louisiana:

http://pipesmagazine.com/blog/put-that-in-your-pipe/the-mystique- of-perique/

http://www.theitalianpipe.com/infowell/articles/perique.htm

Obviously, due to its limited acreage and highly labor intensive production involving a type of anaerobic pressed fermentation and aging, there is always a danger that it may go "extinct" or that at some point prices may really soar.

But Mac Baren's HHAP really is a good showcase for what Perique can do when in high presence and mixed with a number of different tobacco types. I have gone through several tins and recently bought several of the 16oz. for transfer to Mason jars for cellaring.

Although HHAP is not a flake tobacco, I treat it as such, and generally use it in smaller bowls (e.g., Dunhill Group 3 & 4s) in billiards and chimney shapes. These narrower bowls seem to enhance the "curing" or "resinating" process of Perique, as the smoke proceeds down to the second half of the bowl.

Also, Perique, in such high percentages as found here in HHAP, often can produce a wet smoke if hurried through, necessitating a pipe cleaner in mid-smoke to tone down the humidity of the burn. So sipping is required.

HHAP, introduced during the 2009 Chicagoland Pipe Show, seems to be in limited production and my current can says 191/500 and is signed by the blender, one J. Jensen, so stock up on the 16oz. for cellaring. Happy smoking!