Peterson Elizabethan Mixture

A middle of the road VaPer blend. It comes off a bit harsh compared to Buteras' Esoterica VaPers like Dunbar or Dorchester. I believe the proper moisture content is critical for enjoyment of this blend.

***I've upgraded my rating on this blend, which I've gone back to after a number of years away. Perhaps my palate and technique have changed, but properly dried, loaded (fairly tightly) and smoked (slowly), this is an excellent savory and refreshing blend, more suitable for the middle of the day (if you like to start with a kick) as opposed to day's end.

Strong but not rich and with a very perky (but not sweet) bright Va taste and aroma, with the Perique very pleasantly in the background. This is one of the two Dunill blends I've hoarded recently. Reccomended but only to those with a taste for natural, straightforward flavors and strength. ***

A couple of years ago, this was a reliable smoke of mine, and I've probably gone through about 8 tins or so all in all. However, I've dropped it almost entirely. There's simply not enough flavor to make this worthwhile for me anymore. What little flavor there is, is delightful, scrumptious, piquant, but too distant. Good as a palate cleanser.

I read all of the reviews on this tobacco and was suprised by all of the marginal reviews. I tried this blend just as a change of pace and absolutely loved it. I dont think it is fair to compare it to Haddos as this is a different tobacco. (granted Haddos and this are both Virginia/Perique blends). I found this to pack and light very well and burning qualities were exceptional. It was slightly sweet and had the wonderful Perique tanginess. the room aroma was good and the overall smoking experience is always consistantly good every time. I will buy more to stash away in the cellar and will always have some of this on hand. Highly recommended!!

Simply put, this is one of the classics!

When you read the description on the tin, you'll notice that it says LOUISIANA PERIQUE.. not simply "perique", which means that it's the real product. No, this is not laced with some twisted burley, handled/processed like perique. This is the real deal.

Richness.. The first light of the bowl, the LOUISIANA perique makes it's presence known, not unlike the tangy bite of pepper. As the bowl gets it's second light, after tamping, you start to taste the finely aged va's.

When I prepare this tobacco for smoking, I rub it out into small, small pieces and let it dry a bit.

Down into 1/4 bowl, the perique is still standing above the va's but they're beginning to meld. The fullness of this blend keeps me from puffing too hard and not many re-lights are needed.

At half bowl, the tobacco is burning well and the VA catches up to the perique and the strength picks up a bit... sublime!

And for the rest of the way, nothing but full, rich flavor and no bite nor gurgle.

Highly underrated, for those who like their LOUISIANA perique and VA blends, this is one of the best.

FWIW, I never cared for Three Nuns - I found it to be a bit mild and bland. This is THE Va/LOUISIANA Perique that I measure all others against. Highest recommendation.

***addendum 05.23.05*** The first tin of this that I opened smoked like *!*!. Instead of donating this to the local pipe club, I put the tin aside. A month or so later I found the tin and thought "what the heck" and filled a VA/Perique pipe that I was breaking in... Excellent! I'm convinced that some VA blends need to breathe in the tin before consumption. By breathing I mean that you open the tin, let the air get to the tobacco and then seal the tin back up. Go back a month later and BADA BING, it's magic.

I had never tried this Dunhill offering but knew I should as I am somewhat enamored of V and P offerings. Moisture level is top notch, the ribbon cut is as per Dunhill and the blend is wildly colorfull, albeit not showing much in the way of the physical presence of the enigmatic perique...Aroma in the tin is muted, not nearly as sharp as 2015 or Cut Plug, softer rather like Navy Rolls. Honestly, I feel the flavor at lightup seems mostly absent, only really taking its coat off to stay near the halfway mark. Then, good reviewers, this concotion sings. Someone made mention of the "perique zone" he hits with Elizabethan. I concur heartily, I only wish the first half were nearly as scrumptious as the latter. I will smoke up the other 2 tins I purchased, but would not have Escudo or Navy Rolls replaced with Lizzie.

As Randy Jackson says on American Idol, this one is "just alright." It burns well, and there is certainly enough top flavor from the perique, but I wish the Virginias used in the blend were more flavorful and distinctive, because I frequently miss the contribution they would make to the whole. Instead, the Virginias tend to recede far into the background, leaving me in limbo. Do I puff vigorously to taste the Va and get a harsh kick from the perique, or do I keep smoking gently and end up with too little flavor? I have successfully mixed this blend with straight Va's such as Marlin Flake to approximate the balance I prefer, but as a blend in its own right this one falls a bit short. 6 out of 10.

Though some find it tacky, I was attracted by the tin art as well as the price. Elizabethan is a delightful flame of browns and yellows in the tin with a subtle nose of moist spring grass. The room note is earthy, though when I?ve smoked it with others, they said it made them ill. The smoke is full Virginia with Perique running in the background, though pronounced enough to make you dizzy and queasy if you?re not careful. It definitely caught me off guard. I was driving during heavy rush hour traffic and almost had to pull off to the side of the road. I must?ve been puffing too frantically as I braced the awful evening snarl.

Because I am a Latakia and Oriental lover, this lacks spice and depth for me. Thus, I found myself adding pinches of Aperitif to give the mixture some color and added zest. This is a fine tobacco if you?re a true V/P aficionado. This might be a once in a while blend for when the need strikes, though with so many great things out there, and so many others I?m eager to try, I doubt if that will occur very often. I?m glad I had the opportunity to try it. Another refined, if unspectacular offering from the House of Dunhill.

Two and a half of five stars

I am a big fan of Virginia/Perique blends, and will take such a blend over anything with Latakia in it anyday. That being the case, I am familiar with many of the VA/P blends on the market and was looking forward to this particular blend as another one to conquer.

That being said, I opened the tin and didn't think much of the tin aroma. On first light, followed by tamp and re-light, I continued not to think much of the blend. After about four bowls, I was contemplating turning this blend into compost for the plants outdoors. However, the frugal side of me insisted that I keep smoking this blend because it wasn't that bad. Sure enough, the blend has grown on me and I do enjoy it. It has the right amount of VA/P tartness to keep me wanting more. However, its overall flavor is thin, and as other reviewers have mentioned, if smoked fast/hot, it will impart an everlasting reminder as it turns your stomach and leaves you nausiated.

While I eventually enjoyed this tobacco, I would encourage the reader to pick up some Haddos or Escudo instead.

October 2004

This tobacco is extremely dry. The flavor is front-loaded, with very little sweetness and an unusual, flat aftertaste. Also, the Perique seemed non-existent until the very end of the bowl. If Pease's Haddo's is a White Burgundy or complex California Chard, then this is a straightforward $10 Pinot Grigio. Of course, the lighting and burning characteristics are all top of the line, per Dunhill's standard. It just doesn't work for me.

I'd add that this IS a strong tobacco. I am almost immune to nicotine, partially because I do not inhale my pipes and partially because I smoked cigarettes for so many years. EM, though, almost made ME dizzy. That's quite a feat for a pipe tobacco.