Peterson 3P's Peterson Perfect Plug

Peterson - Perfect Plug.

Delicious! It has a splendid aroma emanating from the unlit product, with a raisin/plum touch to it. Being a plug be prepared for a little extra time in filling the bowl, but it more than pays off!

The smoke has a really good Virginia and Burley taste to it, being well balanced with a very slight raisin note, also. Nicotine level is neither too much nor too little, medium. It gives a beautiful room note (IMO) that is very traditional and pleases all around. I don't smoke many plug blends but this is a belter!

Four stars.

Update: 14/01/17, after 3 years this is still my favourite plug blend, especially in a cob!

It took a bit of learning with this one, but in the end this is so far the best tobacco I have experienced. First, the presentation in the tin was so wonderful, it looked like dessert. Once I unwrapped the little plug I was hit with fermenting plums and raisins. Basically it smelled exactly like I'd expect it to based on appearance. Next, shaving down the little slices with a fillet knife made me realize just how dense this plug is. The tobacco is literally packed so tight it felt like slicing through a block of cheddar cheese. I first tried it cubed, and for smoking purposes I recommend this method as it seems to make for a cooler and more lasting smoke than rubbing it out. However, I find rubbing it helps me gauge the moisture content more than cubing. So, maybe the answer is half and half. Either way, this stuff needs drying time in my opinion.

I pack it looser than I would say, Sherlock Holmes. The smoke is thick and creamy, like custard, and has no bite. The flavor is layered first by the nutty burley, then the sweetness grass flavor of quality Virginia.

I find that with this tobacco in particular, the pipe matters. I use the thinnest bowl I have: a 1910 peterson straight pipe. Since I like to smoke it cool (it burns cool to begin with), I can feel if it is getting too hot before it even happens; that's why I reach for the thinner walled pipe with this one.

Summary: A dark, full tobacco flavor lightly cased in citrus and licorice. More easily cut and smoked than most sources would have you believe.

The Plug comes in a plastic bag like a confection, inside of a tin and wrapped in frilly paper. Before removing it from the plastic, a tin note of a -- well, there's no euphemistic way to say this -- manure or old musty sewer scent rises, as one finds with some Gawith Hoggarth blends. The smoker feels momentary dismay. When the plastic comes off, this gives way to a light citrus essence with undertones of anise or something similar that is hard to pin down. Slicing the plug is easy: place it on a piece of cardboard, whip out your trusty pocketknife and place it 1/16" -- about the thickness of the cover of your favorite notebook -- and push down firmly until you hit bottom. Roll that flake in your hand, then fold it and give it a few quick rubs between your hands, then stuff the resulting wad in your pipe. Maybe put the dishes away or check your email, then come back and light up. For me, this needed no charring light, but took thirstily to the flame.

"Perfect Plug" bears a rich and dense flavor with increasing nicotine strength throughout the bowl. The light fruit flavor, more like bergamot or berries than an apple or orange, fades to the background and the taste of stoved tobacco mixed with strong Virginia emerges. Similar to Peterson "Irish Flake," the dark flavors meld to form a low note to which the topping serves as contrast and complement. As the bowl burns down to an ember and then to ash, this flavor matures into a full flavor like one might get from nuts, meat or a dark ale.

Probably this blend best serves experienced smokers not because of its nicotine hit, which is lower than Samuel Gawith "1792 Flake" but stronger than most Medium-to-Strong tobaccos, but because these flavors -- like many of the best tobaccos -- start simple and then internal harmonies emerge, first as individual notes and then as sliding combinations of those. It takes some experience tasting to notice these. As far as strength and the perceived difficulty of the plug, those are minor obstacles; one can smoke smaller bowls at first, and slicing it is no harder than making drip coffee.

Plug looks just like the plug tobacco that "Jose Wale's" cuts a chaw off. Very dark a bit sticky and a deep rich depth of aroma that is followed through in its taste. No tongue bite, smooth cool smoke that anyone can enjoy. In my experience even aromatic only smokers enjoy this at least on occation. Keep it as a main stay or as a treat like a very nice bold burbon.

An excellent tobacco. It looks like a piece of candy, smells like something from 1001 Arabian Nights. I have cut off two thin slices, rolled the flake, and loaded it into my pipe. The layers need to be enjoyed together as a whole. I let it dry for 3-4 hours, then lit it. It had a cool, Virginia taste to it, that matured until the end of the bowl into something like a dessert, however it was never overwhelming, more many and earthly in character. It smoked like a good quality cigar, yielding the properties of the pressed leafs gradually. The room note is quite pleasant, I had a nice Chianti while smoking, it's a real reward. For the second bowl I rubbed two thin slices of tobacco from the same batch, used a different pipe, it gave off its Virginia character even better, that matured over time. It burns slow, you need to take care of it, however it is indeed worth the patience. One of my favorites so far. I find it interesting, that there was a difference when I smoked it as a flake. Perfect indeed.

Peterson's 3P is the most dense plug I've ever come across. You have to cut it pretty thin if you want any chance of it burning normally. If you cut it too thick or peel layers off the top, then it's very difficult or impossible to rub it out properly. You really need to take your time preparing this one if you want to enjoy it fully... otherwise you'll need dozens of re-lights and it just won't smoke right. But if you take your time preparing it and smoking it... this is an outstanding tobacco.

Although you may read about a "fruity" flavoring, with plum or raisin - don't expect a "typical" fruity flavor. This one is much more subtle and old fashioned. It's a deep, rich Burley/Virginia, with the taste of quality Burley first, followed up by lighter, sweeter Virginias. The fruit is there only mildly, it's a complex fruitiness, but not overpowering or super sweet.

Bottom line: I'm guessing that most of the one star reviews were from smokers who didn't prepare this one right... because when cut thin and rubbed out thoroughly, this is a beautifully complex, dense, flavorful smoke that I can't imagine anyone disliking.

Perfect Plug? A perfect smoke, indeed!

Lovely tin note, of something raisin-ish that transponates to the smoke and spoils you with its fruity, mildly sweet and somewhat "warm" aroma. The Burleys lend a lot of body to the mixture, with some cigar-ish notes here and there, rich earthiness and some nutty notes underneath. Virginias rounding things off with its mellow sweetness and freshness, but the Burley is lead here for me.

The flavoring never overshadows the tobaccos, in fact I feel like they are in perfect balance and both take each half of the flavors I perceive. I also wanna mention that it ages wonderfully, I had 2 tins from 2013 and they are even more smooth and at the same time very rich in flavors. Smokes best for me in a cob!

Pack a bowl, play some music.. perfect smoking moment - 3P's! Ps.: I'm starting to belive the flavorings are raisins and/or dark fruits, along with some creamy-nutty flavor.. not in the natural burley's nutty quality, but moreso like a "nut-cream" flavoring alongside the raisin/darkfruit flavoring that's also mentioned in the descript. Anyways... I super love the aroma of this blend!

Update: This really only has a mild flavouring, but no other additives! https://service.bmel.de/tabakerzeugnisse/index2.php?detail_id=104605&site_key=153&stichw_suche=perfect+plug&zeilenzahl_zaehler=1

A perfect plug indeed. Beautifully presented plug of tobacco. Dark and chewy, the aroma has soft wafts of sweet tobacco and fig. It’s dense as can be. I cut against the grain using a a sharp blade. I cut it into small ribbons. I packed it loosely. The charring light gave a hint at the journey to come. The pipe flavor started light. The taste reminded me of a pistachio confectionary. As it progressed, the warmth of the flame melted the flavor of this blend into a beautiful chewy delectable smoke. The fruit topping accentuates the tobacco wonderfully. It is a very light topnote that tastes like its part of the tobacco, and not something artificially applied. Midway, it gives a nice nicotine hit thats a tad past medium in strength, but the flavor is full of refined, billowy wafts of perfection. I was really surprised how much I liked this pipe weed. It’s a bit of effort to prepare, but well worth it. I just ordered another tin. I like natural tobaccos, but I appreciate a good aromatic as well. This, and Irish Whiskey are the perfect synthesis of the two. Don’t let negative reviews deceive you. Try this blend!

There are two Peterson's blends that Peterson considers necessary to distinguish as "experienced smoker's blends": Irish Flake ("recommended for the experienced pipe smoker", they said) and Peterson's Perfect Plug ("sure to appeal to the experienced pipe smoker", they said).

Well, I understand easily why Irish Flake needs such a disclaimer: after all, it's quite a high-octane stuff and is capable to send the faint-hearted into a nicotine-induced psychedelic trip. The reasons for a similar disclaimer are less obvious to me in the case of Perfect Plug, which is not as much strong as Irish Flake.

If Peterson really wanted to create something perfect I must admit they reached not too far from successfully accomplishing the mission. The blend which combines a perfect balance of good Virginias and Burley with subtle natural flavour of dried fruits and a healthy dose of nicotine is indeed a triple win. I believe it will appeal to inexperienced smokers as well. The only important skill they might need to master to fully enjoy the PPP is Preparing the Plug Properly. Fortunately, cube-cutting and gravity-filling (which I found the best way to go) are incredibly easy to learn. I need no relights when I prepare PPP this way.

Nearly Perfect. Highly Recommended.

Actually, all three Peterson's pressed tobacco blends (Peterson's Perfect Plug, Irish Flake and University Flake) are true masterpieces. It's pity they don't produce more varieties.