D & R Tobacco Picayune "The Pride of New Orleans"

This is wonderful stuff. I buy it by the pound, and it has taken over my pipe smoking from 5 p.m. to dinner time. When the sun gets low, and it's time for an adult beverage, this is the tobacco that stands up to a wee dram and sings. Smooth flavorful tobacco taste in the mouth with just a hint of perique and oriental spice, plus a long, zingy finish in the nose. This tobacco does work best for me with something to cleanse the palate after almost each puff. I find this tobacco very similar to Cockstrong, but a bit more robust with the added zip of perique. In the bag it does have the aroma of some type of essence added, but no flavoring comes through in the smoke. It is a flavorful tobacco with power.

I sure do love me some Picayune. You'd never know that from seeing how much of it I go through - two 3.5oz tubs have lasted me over a year. Yet I smoke it nearly every day. I'm the kind of guy who likes to splash habanero hot sauce all over various foodstuffs, and Picayune has come to serve the same purpose in my tobacco rotation. It's a perfect little shot of hot sauce that goes with anything, in a pipe or a tube.

On its own, Picayune is a beast. The day the first tub arrived I tried it solo in a paper tube. I got about 1/3rd way into it and had to set it down. I felt like I had just had 3 or 4 whole tubes of something else in just a couple of drags, nicotine-wise. (Now, the only time I ever stuff straight Picayune in a tube is when I'm going out someplace where I expect a lot of bumming. I make 4 or 5 Picayunes and when hit up I say "here, if you can finish this you can have another one". A second one has never been requested.) Every once in a while I'll load up one of my small cobs with straight Picayune when I'm in the mood to get shot with the flavor cannon. If one can handle the onslaught, there are a lot of wonderful flavors lurking in there. But I mainly use it to add spice to other blends. Just a tiny little half pinch goes a long way. It goes especially well with Bob's Chocolate Flake.

In a tube I blend it with D&R Three Sails at anywhere from 10-50% of the blend, depending on how much strength I want.

I just purchased my first 1lb bag and plan to age it in Mason jars. I'm very interested to see what a few years does to this stuff.

Strong?... extremely! Could this contain the pure St. James Parish, Louisiana Perique? Possibly. Most of what is used today in our pipe tobacco blends is Acadian Perique which is basically the same thing... just comes from different regions to supplement the meager St. James supply but the fermentation process is the same. After a few puffs, I finally found the way to my lounge chair without aid from anyone. Wow! this is the strongest blend I've ever stoked into a pipe bowl. Has a slight cigar aroma to it & is shag cut... somewhat on the dry side and could be used to RYO. It has a good flavor for such a strong blend. I'll keep a tin of this on hand at all times to top off any wimpy blends should the need arise.

However, this blend is good to smoke by itself, if you dare, or can be used to add extra strength to a wimpy or a PG aromatic blend you've been wanting to finish off without changing their flavor all that much. The moisture content is just right for smoking right out of the tin or to RYO. If you like extremely strong blends & think you're tough, give Picayune a try. If you roll your own, you might want to sample some on a full stomach. A couple of king sized RYO cigarettes might last you all day long... it's that strong & I wouldn't try to inhale this stuff... there's no need to.

If you do choose to inhale, you'll only be able to do a very small toke. Either rolled or stoked in a bowl, this is undoubtedly one of the strongest blends on Planet Earth... if that's where it came from. I'd advise a smaller bowl. OK... this one merits four stars for flavor and strength. I simply loved this blend and keep it on hand at all times because a little goes a long way & will quickly accommodate your craving in short order. A word of advice to the wise... It would be a good idea to rest your pipe before you think you've had enough... it'll sneak up on you if you're not careful.

OK. This stuff has its place, but it isn't straight into the bowl of a pipe. I tried it the first night it arrived in a cob and managed to make it through a quarter bowl before having to go lie down. It tastes fine, burns well, and generally behaves itself, but the nicotine is overwhelming.

I have since been using this to add to some of my milder burley blends (Uhle's #300, Uhle's #00, H&H's Classic Burley Kake) to give them some strength. This only requires a half pinch, but does require some significant preparation as Picayune arrives in a shag cut and is difficult to break up.

Bottom line is that this is a fine blend but its nicotine content demand it be either smoked sparingly on a full stomach or blended in minute quantities into other blends.

OK, do not ask me how to pronounce it, but this tobacco seems to be quite good. I am testing now as many DR samples as I can get my hands on, and this particular one seems rather complex and quite full-bodied. As you open the bag the tin note is nothing out of the ordinary, that is, it smells like tobacco, but it is quite dark and the cut is probably the coarser I have tried from DR so far, which is something that I appreciate as it burns slow and cool. If you are used to this tobacco company, you will probably recognize the virginia they use, which is high grade, citrusy, and sweet. I think they use the same grade in their whole range but in different ratios. I cannot detect any red virginia though. The spiciness is not quite apparent as you light up and start smoking, but it evolves deeper and deeper the more you progress with your smoke. This tobacco has a very distinct caramelized note to it similar to Christmas pudding. I would recommend this tobacco to all of you who do enjoy burley blends, which seems to be the primary component. I detect a spiciness similar to cumin, but I am not sure if it comes from the perique or the oriental leaf. The amount of burley leaf it contains means it is quite forgiving and easy to approach, but it has many layers of enjoyment and, in its simplicity, I am finding it quite complex. Because of the fact this tobacco is not an aromatic blend, the room-note can be a little bit overpowering to those who do not smoke, so be advised. And one more thing, beware of the nicotine kick, it is going to knock your socks off. I am chuffed to bits by this DR presentation, so 4 stars this time.

I love this tobacco as smoke for when I need to wind down. The flavors of the tobaccos used demand you pay attention to them. The strength demands you focus on your rhythm, as trying to mindlessly puff this blend will end poorly. And finally, the potency of the nicotine rewards you with a full body unwind. For me, this is my "meditation smoke" when the day has been a bit too much.

I should add at least one review for 2020, and this might as well be it!

Cruising through the entries for Daughters and Ryan Tobacco, and for Picayune, you get the sense that both are polarizing. This is my first experience with either.

I was recently gifted two goodly samples of Picayune, with the one being fresh, and the other having reposed for about 14 months. I haven’t detected much difference in smell or taste between them, and have been consuming both over the past week or so.

Other reviewers have noted that Picayune hasn’t much of a nose, and they are largely right: a bit of sour mixed with something like potting soil. Probably not gonna peg the olfactory senses meter for many, but if you are familiar with fuller tobaccos, this shows its promise. The cut is long, stringy ribbons, very thin. Not really a shag cut, a la my favoured G&H blends, but close. It’s on the dry side, but with some sponginess. Tobacco is brown and blonde in colour.

Picayune favours a tight pack, and lights well. Initial tastes are ‘earthy’, and the Perique makes itself known straight off. There are a good deal of cigar-like notes, and I expect this is due to the Samsun leaf. The overall flavour is a bit thin, but full, if that makes sense. Lots of nicotine, but not unreasonable. I find Picayune works best smoked at a crawl, gently sipped, which negates the tendency to turn acrid. The flavours spread out with slow consumption, and while not delicate or complex, are savoury and rich.

This blend seems a bit misunderstood. Or it may be that people are looking for things that simply aren’t there. Yes, it is strong, but in no wise overwhelming, if smoked reasonably. It does burn a bit quick, but the smoker can exert a measure of control there, too. It puts me in mind of a higher quality riff on the C&D standards, such as Bayou Morning. I’m pleased with it, and will seek out more.

Recommended for those who like full, natural tasting tobaccos, and those with a bit of restraint.

I was curious to try a samling from the company, as well as attempt a "cigarette" tobacco in my pipe. I must admit the contents smelled good. The burley gave off a golden no nonsense aroma with a mild bloody meat tone and a faint sprinkle of spice. It's listed as coarse cut, which makes no sense to me. If this is considered coarse, then I need to reexamine my notion of shag, which I felt it was closer to. Like other shag cuts I've tried, this was pretty dry, and rightly so if you intend to roll a grit with it.

Ignition was immediate, and the strength caught me off guard (likely due to an old desire to inhale); I actually let out a cough on the first puff. I soon came back to my senses and cautiously sipped this nicotine beast. For once I was not in a hurry to puff quickly. I tasted a lot of ash, perhaps due to the bowl needing to be relit several times and the untamped contents produced a fine black ash. There was nothing tasty about this for me (I recorded a very strong taste only to reflect it's acrid nature).

Those walking in the room will be surprised to find a pipe being smoked rather than a cigar, so most folks won't be a fan. If I knew ahead of time this emulated a cigar more than a nostalgic cigarette (I quit them years ago), I never would of bought it. This made unfiltered Lucky Strikes look like kids candy.

This is a very strong tobacco not for the beginner. I smoked the cigarette version of this and this definitely does not have the same aroma or taste of the cigarette version. The last time I smoked a cigarette version was a 1988 until I could not find it anymore. The cigarette version was non filter upon opening the pack it had the smell of my favorite plug tobacco which was bloodhound chewing tobacco. The cigarette version was very strong even though it said extra mild, ha what a joke. It would choke a mule it was that strong.it was the only cigarette in my opinion that actually had a smell and a full taste to it. The cigarette version did not have the same exhale through the nose that the pipe version has. The pipe tobacco version definitely has the perique retro Hale a very strong pepper. Upon opening my 8 oz bag of the pipe version the only smell that I get is straight unadulterated pipe tobacco with no topping at all. I get the same results that almost everybody that I've read about in these reviews get ,it's very dry. It burns fast. It burns all the way to the bottom with a clean white ash with no moisture at all for me. I smoke this with a cup of black coffee and the Burley nuttiness really shines also if you're a perique fan you will definitely get that flavor there's no way around that.I'm not really tasting any of the other tobacco that's mixed in with this as the other reviewers get maybe it's just my palate being different. The exhale through the nose is oh my goodness nothing but pepper pepper pepper. I like this tobacco it has a great flavor to me and there's no doubt that the tobacco used in this blend is top quality unadulterated with no hint at all of a top note, just pure tobacco flavor.the only other tobacco that I find similar to this is five brothers.this daughters and Ryan's Picayune to me has a better flavor profile than five brothers. I do not recommend this for a beginning pipe smoker it will be harsh. If you're looking for a full-flavored nicotine hitting pure tobacco flavor this is going to be right up your alley.I'm ordered two or three bags in bulk of this and every time it comes dry with about 16% moisture according to Mark Ryan. Mark Ryan videos makes it clear this brand does not have antimicrobial additives at all, anyone who wanted to add water to this blend should do so in very small batches as there is absolutely no additives to prevent mold or any microbes. This is a straight tobacco blend with no additives of any kind,thus the reason for having 16% moisture level. This tobacco does blend well with other tobacco's for someone who wants to add it as a flavoring agent. as far as the difference between the cigarettes and the pipe tobacco this pipe tobacco is good and has great flavor with a cup of black coffee. but it's definitely not the same profile or flavor as the original cigarettes which in my opinion had a lot more flavor.those that did smoke the cigarette version and the pipe version can testify to this, both versions kick like a mule if smoked fast.