D & R Tobacco Picayune "The Pride of New Orleans"
(3.10)
A full bodied blend of exceptional dark air-cured and the finest flue-cured Gold Leaf tobaccos. Combined with rare and flavorful perique tobacco and Samsun Oriental tobacco.
Notes: This is, ostensibly, a re-creation of the blend found in the very old, regional, cult cigarette of the same name that was discontinued some time ago.
Details
| Brand | D & R Tobacco |
| Blended By | Mark Ryan |
| Manufactured By | Daughters & Ryan |
| Blend Type | Other |
| Contents | Burley, Oriental/Turkish, Perique, Virginia |
| Flavoring | |
| Cut | Coarse Cut |
| Packaging | 1.42 ounce tin, 16 ounce bag |
| Country | United States |
| Production | No longer in production |
Profile
Strength
Extremely Strong
Extremely Mild -> Overwhelming
Flavoring
None Detected
None Detected -> Extra Strong
Room Note
Tolerable
Unnoticeable -> Overwhelming
Taste
Very Full
Extremely Mild (Flat) -> Overwhelming
Average Rating
|
3.10 / 4
|
Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 Reviews
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 27, 2016 | Extremely Strong | Extremely Mild | Very Full | Pleasant |
D&R Tobacco Picayune pipe tobacco presumably recreates a regional brand of cigarette (also named Picayune) which faded away sometime in the 1960's. When I started college more than a half century ago I also started smoking. Initially I smoked both pipe and cigarettes, but eventually went over to the pipe exclusively. In the mid 60's I happened to be living in a town in West Tennessee which had a store that sold Picayune cigarettes. Although by that time I seldom smoked cigarettes, I bought a pack out of curiosity. The pack proclaimed both "Extra Mild" and "Pride of New Orleans." Extra mild? The Pride of New Orleans was by far the strongest thing that I had ever smoked! I'm not sure where it was produced. This regional brand was manufactored in its final years by Liggett and Myers.
Does this D&R product recreate the now long defunct cigarette? I'm not sure. They both are strong and have a distinct perique wallop. The D&R recipe of burley, oriental, perique and Virginia may or may not be the same. But the D&R offering certainly offers a unique pipe smoking experience.
Open the tin (or bag, I tried the tin) and the tobacco does not have a very distinct aroma, partly because it is unusually dry. It is a shag cut, ribbons of orange and brown with a few dark strands. A blend so dry lights easily. It also burns way too fast, so it demands a very subtle puffing regimen to prevent uncomfortable hotness. The room note presents no problem. It is very much akin to that of the pleasant smell of an unfiltered cigarette (as opposed to the obnoxious bitterness of filter cigarettes).
The taste is full, and the perique is obviously there. Pay attention to your smoking and you can also detect the burly, oriental, and Virginia. It is a full taste albeit not one of outstanding nature. What you note most is the nicotine. The Vitamin N blast of this mixture is awesome! (The only other smoke I have encountered that can match the strength of the nicotine is the French Gauloises cigarette, which I tried several years later out of curiosity.) I am not sensitive to nicotine, but I do not think I could possibly handle back to back bowls of Picayune.
Can I recommend Picayune to other pipe smokers? Yes, but only to that segment that enjoys perique. Those who do not care for the Louisiana weed will find Picayune an abomination.
But what about the potent nicotine wallop? Picayune is not a smoke intended for regular use. It is a change of pace. For those who are sensitive to nicotine, try mixing it with Prince Albert in a 50-50 basis. The taste remains remarkably the same, but the heart palpitation diminishes greatly. Or you could use a Virginia such as McClelland 5100. This provides a reasonably toned down blend, but the Virginia changes the taste somewhat, although not in a bad way.
I have smoked this both in my pipes dedicated to burley and those dedicated to Virginias without ghosting problems.
Does this D&R product recreate the now long defunct cigarette? I'm not sure. They both are strong and have a distinct perique wallop. The D&R recipe of burley, oriental, perique and Virginia may or may not be the same. But the D&R offering certainly offers a unique pipe smoking experience.
Open the tin (or bag, I tried the tin) and the tobacco does not have a very distinct aroma, partly because it is unusually dry. It is a shag cut, ribbons of orange and brown with a few dark strands. A blend so dry lights easily. It also burns way too fast, so it demands a very subtle puffing regimen to prevent uncomfortable hotness. The room note presents no problem. It is very much akin to that of the pleasant smell of an unfiltered cigarette (as opposed to the obnoxious bitterness of filter cigarettes).
The taste is full, and the perique is obviously there. Pay attention to your smoking and you can also detect the burly, oriental, and Virginia. It is a full taste albeit not one of outstanding nature. What you note most is the nicotine. The Vitamin N blast of this mixture is awesome! (The only other smoke I have encountered that can match the strength of the nicotine is the French Gauloises cigarette, which I tried several years later out of curiosity.) I am not sensitive to nicotine, but I do not think I could possibly handle back to back bowls of Picayune.
Can I recommend Picayune to other pipe smokers? Yes, but only to that segment that enjoys perique. Those who do not care for the Louisiana weed will find Picayune an abomination.
But what about the potent nicotine wallop? Picayune is not a smoke intended for regular use. It is a change of pace. For those who are sensitive to nicotine, try mixing it with Prince Albert in a 50-50 basis. The taste remains remarkably the same, but the heart palpitation diminishes greatly. Or you could use a Virginia such as McClelland 5100. This provides a reasonably toned down blend, but the Virginia changes the taste somewhat, although not in a bad way.
I have smoked this both in my pipes dedicated to burley and those dedicated to Virginias without ghosting problems.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 26, 2016 | Overwhelming | None Detected | Overwhelming | Tolerable to Strong |
I bought a two ounce sample of this one and I'm sure it'll last me a very long time. I enjoy it, but man does it punch me in the face. It's like a Mike Tyson knockout in strength and taste. The Perique is VERY spicy and VERY peppery. This makes it rather harsh but it's manageable. If you can taste anything past that initial assault there is a vague sweetness from the Virginia in the background and some woody spice from the orientals. The retrohale is pretty painful. Make sure to have your tamper ready because this one burns very fast. Personally, I like this blend but it's not easy to recommend. If you're looking for a quick smoke at the end of the day that will really give you an overdose of nicotine, give Picayune a try.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Nov 04, 2012 | Strong | None Detected | Medium to Full | Tolerable |
UPDATE: I have to say, as I've been smoking through my tin of this, I am starting to like it better. I'm getting used to the harshness; and it's kind of fun picking the other characterisitics out between bouts of harshness. I'm getting to where I kind of look forward to smoking this- may have to up it to 3 stars soon.
Now here's my original review:
I've been trying all the "strong" tobaccos. In my opinion, this one is not the strongest- but it does possess some harshness; and the shag cut, with it's hot, fast burn tends to accentuate that aspect of it- which, I believe fools a lot of people into thinking that this is stronger than it actually is.
It's not a bad smoke- it's rather hard to classify- as sometimes the harshness is obvious...then you take another puff, and it seems more "English". There's a lot going on in this tobacco....but that harshness manifests itself a little too often and sort of ruins it.
You have to pack this one tight to have any chance of keeping it under control (and tamp it frequently and deeply). There are things I like about it...and things I don't- seems to vary with every puff or two- but overall, I'd say that a rather raw burley seems to pervade.
Would seem more like a cheap old strong drug-store tobacco, were it not for the intermittent kaleidoscope of more refined flavors that alternate through it.
Definitely interesting- I'll smoke my tin, but won't be buying it again. I can get more strength and a much more consistent quality flavor without the harshness from my GH&C ropes or from Irish Flake- but it was interesting to try.
I remember as a teenager I had tried piping- and I had some cheap strong shag tobacco in a can which was harsh and tasted like raw crumbled-up burley leaves...this reminds me of that...only with an overlay of some nicer traits. Too rough around the edges for me.
Now here's my original review:
I've been trying all the "strong" tobaccos. In my opinion, this one is not the strongest- but it does possess some harshness; and the shag cut, with it's hot, fast burn tends to accentuate that aspect of it- which, I believe fools a lot of people into thinking that this is stronger than it actually is.
It's not a bad smoke- it's rather hard to classify- as sometimes the harshness is obvious...then you take another puff, and it seems more "English". There's a lot going on in this tobacco....but that harshness manifests itself a little too often and sort of ruins it.
You have to pack this one tight to have any chance of keeping it under control (and tamp it frequently and deeply). There are things I like about it...and things I don't- seems to vary with every puff or two- but overall, I'd say that a rather raw burley seems to pervade.
Would seem more like a cheap old strong drug-store tobacco, were it not for the intermittent kaleidoscope of more refined flavors that alternate through it.
Definitely interesting- I'll smoke my tin, but won't be buying it again. I can get more strength and a much more consistent quality flavor without the harshness from my GH&C ropes or from Irish Flake- but it was interesting to try.
I remember as a teenager I had tried piping- and I had some cheap strong shag tobacco in a can which was harsh and tasted like raw crumbled-up burley leaves...this reminds me of that...only with an overlay of some nicer traits. Too rough around the edges for me.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 15, 2020 | Very Mild | None Detected | Very Mild | Pleasant to Tolerable |
3rdguy
Finally finished a full tin of this. Comes dry so you are hot paying for moisture but considering the offset that it is a 40 gram tin makes it a wash.
I could not get into this blend. Cigarette in open form is the Genesis of this and if that is your thing then you will love this blend. Not my cup of tea and ended up using it as a blending agent to finish the tin. Did not seem strong to me in nicotine, or flavor. It was not a bad smoke by any means just offered nothing interesting to make me want to reach for it.
Finally finished a full tin of this. Comes dry so you are hot paying for moisture but considering the offset that it is a 40 gram tin makes it a wash.
I could not get into this blend. Cigarette in open form is the Genesis of this and if that is your thing then you will love this blend. Not my cup of tea and ended up using it as a blending agent to finish the tin. Did not seem strong to me in nicotine, or flavor. It was not a bad smoke by any means just offered nothing interesting to make me want to reach for it.
Pipe Used:
Cobs
Age When Smoked:
4/15/2020 tin date
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