Peterson 3P's Peterson Perfect Plug

Preparation & Burn: 6/10 Requires some work but easier to manage than thick flakes like Irish flake.

Taste: 11/20 Decent but not worth the effort.

Mildness: 4/10 My idea of a good smoke is a relaxing, low nicotine session. Therefore, the milder the better. More than I prefer.

Total: 21/40

This tobacco makes me think two things when I smoke it. One, this is a neutered Irish/Stirling Flake with a little fruity topping. Two, this is remarkably similar to Stonehaven and if people knew it you'd never see a tin of this again.

Earthy English style VaBur. Nice dense plug. It seems a little wet when you shave off some flakes, but it smokes fine without drying. It is not as full in strength of flavor or nicotine as Stirling Flake. It's not as heavily flavored as Stonehaven. The fruit topping is not as blatantly raisin-y as Stonehaven. My appraisal is that 3P is kind of an everyman's version of GH Dark Flake or Stirling Flake, because those two are not for every man.

I would like it a little fuller and stronger, but I like stout tobaccos. I think 3P has its place. You could literally smoke it any time of day and multiple bowls if you were so inclined. Those of you who have chased Stonehaven and been unsuccessful, 3P gets you about 3/4 of the way there. If you can't tolerate nicotine this will give you a chance to see why so many of us like these nicotine heavy smokes without making yourself sick. 3 stars, the world needs more tobacco like this.

Recently I’m all on va/burs, so I’m going to give my 2 cents on this blend. Presentation is stunning, a black brick that will take your time to prepare a good bowl. I’ve tried slicing it in both ways, leaf by leaf and cut it in strips, or cutting it vertically and rub it. No big differences in loading and tasting it. Pack it loose, or it will jam your pipe. Lighting is medium easy, if you previously rubbed it properly. The first half is very satisfying, creamy, earthy, dark virginia makes an excellent base for the burleys which lead the dance. Flavours added are well present, and help for a creamy smoke. Unfortunately, there is an unpleasant change of pace at half bowl, and this happened with different pipes in different moments, so it must be organic to this mixture. I just couldn’t stand this, I think that the second half is the truth of a blend, when vapors of toppings and flavours have gone. This is why 3P is a two stars for me, I find these blends tricky and somehow disguised with too much chemistry on top. Still a great toy to play with.

I purchased a tin of Peterson's Perfect Plug in 2014. For the past 5 years it has been aging on my shelves along with a million other tins. So I decided to try it. Over the last week, I have smoked the entire tin. To start, I found 3P smokes best when cut and dried for about 45 minutes to an hour before packing it into my pipe (Brebbia bent billiard). The Virginias are definitely prominent. There is an essence of a slightly sweet fruit topping, but it is subtle. It complements the Virginias well. It requires a few relights. The flavor is consistent through out the bowl from beginning to end. 3P was a pleasure to smoke. I experienced no bite no matter how hard I pushed. I can see it being an all day smoke. Although not among my "go to" blends, 3P is a pleasant change of pace. Well done.

A nice way into plug tobacco. Nice flavour all the way from the top of the bowl to the bottom. Cool smoke and easy to prepare for packing.

This plug is a straight up brick in the tin. Initially I got a dark chocolate kind of note from smelling the plug. After a bit, the tin note is like a sweet tobacco and it reminds me of that of Erinmore Flake.

There's some time needed for preparation since you need to slice it followed by getting it in a state to pack. I tried cutting into flakes and then cubes, thick flakes and rubbing them out, and thin flakes and rubbing them out. I didn't care for the cube method at all; the plug is so dense I was relighting every couple minutes. The thin flakes beat the thick ones.

Once you're packed and lit, the burley is the main element I taste. I get a nuttiness with some citrus overtones, though they are rather vague. It reminds me of a milder Peterson's Irish Flake.

You can see my video review of this blend here:

https://youtu.be/R6LkRPz1Mg4

First, there is a cellophane wrapper around this plug, so if you want to age this you need to remove it and then place it in a jar. Wrappers like this have pros and cons but it will slow the aging process. The tobacco is of good quality and old fashioned I get but it is far from complex. The VA's have some grass and citrus notes and the burley has some nutty, earthiness about it. The fruit toppings are citrus and slightly sweet. The nic is really closer to the med. level but the overall body is med. full. However, I find that the topping really mutes the overall flavor profile of the VA's. It is a nice smoke overall but not a favorite for me. The room note I found to be almost too strong. I smoke outside only and after finishing and going back out 20 minutes later it was still very prevalent. It will bite if it is pushed but there is no reason to push this one what you get with the first few puffs is all that is there.

The only plug avaiblable at my local B&M, i thought i'd give it a try. I was surprised by how dense the plug was. Cut a thin slice, rubbed it, let it dry for a few hours, the preparation is fun and somehow, all the effort and anticipation build up to a greater smoking expercience. Hard to light, hard to keep lit. I'd compare this mixture to coffee, or strong tea with milk. It is robust, slightly bitter, creamy, has some herbal/resinous undertones, and a somewhat sweet finish. I think i detect more burley than virginia in the taste. The topping, if there is one, mostly comes through the finish, giving the blend a sweetness similar to that of sugar added to coffee, that is, unnatural but pleasant. The room note probably wont offend and is rather sweet. Even if pushed, it wont bite. Depending on smoking cadence, i like how this blend can go from sweet/fruity to nutty/herbal, without ever becoming harsh. Leaves a lot of moisture in the pipe, even on subsequent smokes where i left the leaf to dry a little longer. Overall, very very satisfying, but quite a hassle.

I 've never tried a plug tobacco so this blend was a challenge to me..the description is clear...promises dark fruits and nuts.when you open the tin you get dark fruits earth and citruses.you need time to manipulate the plug ,first to cut it into small cubes and then to rub it.some drying time is needed also.lights easier than i though burns cool and slow.the moisture level is ok while burning.the flavours are very pleasant between dark fruits and earth.a nuttyness with some citruses comes out too.biting doesn't exist .the room note is not something unique rather than flat.the nicotine level is medium.the moisture level at the end of the bowl is medium.to me it's a worthy blend but not an all day because of the nicotine level and the flavours wich are very rich to start your day...i prefer it after launch.