Peterson Elizabethan Mixture

History records that tobacco smoking flourished in the civilized world during England’s Elizabethan era. The Golden Age of revival in the arts, music, sciences, and mostly importantly personal liberties. Pursuant to the movement, the custom of pipe smoking afforded to the massed primarily came in the venues of refined Shakespearian-based theaters or the common man’s ale houses where “drinking tobacco” was the charm of the day.

The anti-smoking rabble began not shortly thereafter. The present day mainstream narrative finds origin with King James (early 1700’s) who characterized the act of partaking pipe tobacco as a loathsome custom, carrying a black stinking fume equal to the ghastly stench of Stygian smoke from a bottomless pit. Despite all his defamatory anti-Indian weed bombast, good King James loved to tax the hell out of its importation, thereby enriching his personal coiffures. Uh-huh. It seems like politicians were politician even back in the days of the goofy trousers.

So, showing my posture on this debate, see that I raise my Baraccini Raffinnato 413 to the good sires of the era with a cheery bowl of, what else, Peterson’s Elizabethan Mixture on this fine Friday. Not loathsome nor stinking but in fact a delicious indulgence made from choice Virginias and Louisiana Perique. Being one of my preferred VaPers, EM brings a true renaissance of flavor that vitalizes a peppered fruitiness layered upon the native splendors of assorted Virginian strains. A blend fit for a Queen but crafted to be enjoyed by us, the proletarian class. Huzzah pied pipers!

This is quickly becoming one of my favorite tobaccos, because it hits all the right notes: lightly sweet, earthy and tangy with just a touch of pepper and good body. It also delivers a pleasant dose of nicotine.

I wouldn't say this is mild or a beginner's blend. Although it looks bright in the tin, it carries some heft and is very satisfying and complex. Like all Dunhills, the ribbons are perfectly cut, moisture is just right and it burns evenly with few relights. While sipping is recommended, EM is very forgiving.

I prefer this to Escudo and find it less ashy with more of a natural, sweet/tart dried-fruit flavor. With foundational VAs this tasty, it's easy to see why Dunhill's English mixtures are also so good.

What else is there to say about this lovely blend that has not been said before. A pleasantly mild Virginia forward mixture with a cloying hint of spice from the perique. A daily favorite of mine that has its on dedicated canister on my sideboard. Sometimes I will add the remainder of a tin of strong English to it. This adds a lovely body to the blend. Once again an excellent blend that I quite enjoy with my morning and noon tea.

I will jump to the conclusion: I love this stuff.

Upon opening my first tin of this, the moisture was perfect enough to smoke. I smoked this in a number of pipes and this blend worked in all of them. Throughout the smoke, it tends towards a perfect blend of sweet with the right amount of spice right through the whole bowl. This (like other VaPers) work well with a cold pilsner; the flavours go hand-in-hand. What makes this stand out specifically is that balance; the quality of the leaf shows right through.

Some bowls of Elizabethan seemed to have a bit more of a nicotine kick than others for me, but it doesn't detract much from the experience. As I write this, I am finishing a bowl of this and enjoyed every moment of it without a heavy dose of dizziness involved.

Where I am, tins are really expensive, but I think when I want more of this, it justified its purchase by being so good.

If this is what the Elizabethans smoked, I can fully understand why tobacco smoking caught on in Europe! However, being a historian, I'm not sure how the Elizabethans could have smoked Perique since it only grows in Louisiana, In any case, it provides a very lovely smoking experience. The Perique is pronounced but is not over-bearing. It's a bit like a good sturdy cup of tea. I could definitely taste the high quality Virginias, and there was a certain creaminess to the blend. The Virginias are really tasty (some Virginias--personally, I'm not a big fan of Orlik Golden--can have almost a stale beer flavor to me), and mellow in a good way. I think it's quite excellent and I recommend it highly to those who like mellow Virginias with Perique in moderation.

Elizabethan Mixture is a very potent Périque/VA blend. Although being very similar to GLPease's Tribute, this one is a bit better in many ways. First of all, the VA is a wee brighter than in Tribute which makes the contrast between VA and Périque somewhat more high and therefore also more transparent in the top-notes. Second; the overall quality of the leaf is a wee bit better than in Tribute (less stems, more even cut etc.) Actually, this tobacco is, in every aspects, just a wee bit better than Tribute. Try them both and compare.

The tin aroma is quite subtle but the sight is probably one of the most colurful I have seen. I guess this would qualify as a flagship in the VA/Périque-line, and I will recommend this to anyone who loves this Louisiana product. Oh yeah by the way, the tin is probably one of the most beautiful ever made; IMHO...

Spicy and delicious: Nectar from the Gods

Jakob Kiilerich, Denmark

Elizabethan Mixture offers the quintessential Va/Per that is readily smoked from the tin, and enjoyable as an all day blend. The Virginias are light and grassy combined with a decidedly flavourful amount of perique that leans more towards fig than spice, but the zest develops as it is smoked. I enjoy being able to detect fruity flavours in perique instead of a having a pure spice bomb. I have nothing negative to say about this blend. There are plenty of mediocre offerings in this corner of the Va/Per market, and this is a cut above most of them.

Thoughtfully blended, quality ingredients, light but packed with flavour, and well worth stocking for daily smoking 4/4

Now I may be a bit biased, because this was the first VaPer I had ever tried, but having gone through dozens of others, this is still the one I come back to.

When you open the tin, you get hit with the citrusy, bready, grassy Virginias with a hint of the perique. There’s also a slight tinge of vinegar in the background if you smell long enough.

Lighting it up, the flavors are generally the same as the aroma. It’s like sipping a lemon iced tea, slightly sweetened. I would characterize this blend as being more tangy and grassy/earthy than sweet, but there is sweetness there. The perique comes through more in flavor than in spice. You can taste it in the background, but it isn’t super spicy, at least to me. The spice does pick up a little bit in the second half, but still not super spicy. The aftertaste is really nice on this as well.

Overall, this is my favorite VaPer. Yeah there are sweeter ones, spicier ones, more complex ones, but I think the bright citrusy notes are what do it for me. It’s refreshing, and great for the warmer months. It’s also great in the morning with a cup of blonde coffee. Highly recommended for beginners and veterans alike.

I first bought this blend four months ago, I tried it in one of my briars and it was kinda meh. It tasted like Virginia’s coated in a heavy dose of Tony chacheres, okay but didn’t blow my socks off. So I kept it locked in a jar over the winter in the back of my cellar, with no plan on any future repurchases. Well I decided to give it another go the other day since the weather is changing, and I loaded a bowl in a different pipe. Man I gotta tell you I had a dang near religious experience that second bowl of this stuff. I don’t know if it was the aging, the different pipe, or my palate changing, but it was one of the best smokes ive ever had. Funny how that kinda thing can happen with piping, along with growing tired of a blend you once liked. Anyway, when I say this do not think of it in a sense of goopy, sweet, topped aromatic, but more of a subtle sense, it was like someone baked a bready yeasty cinnamon roll, but mixed in was a little dash of cayenne, and some fig. Delicious. It can get a little acrid towards the bottom, but if you sip you can still pick up bits and pieces of the goodness. The fine ribbons pack very well, and I’ve smoked several bowls without having to relight and burns mostly to a fine white ash. Ever since that day all I’ve thought about was Elizabethan Mixture, and when I’m going to smoke it again. I’ve already almost smoked the whole tin. So with that, final thoughts: It’s not the most complex blend, and certainly not the most flavorful, but it is warm and comforting. To someone whose been into non aromatics for a couple years like myself I would even say it could be an all day smoke. So, give it a try, and if your like me and that first smoke didn’t get you, then put up in a jar for a little while and come back to it, or give her a try in another pipe.

Edit-08/27/21 I have fallen for this lady hook, line, sinker, and it has become my go to blend. I find myself sometimes smoking something different only find myself thinking about Mistress Elizabeth, and how I would rather sail away with her. It really is such a simple blend done perfect. I know that there are more prestigious VaPers out there.. Perhaps if Escudo were Marilyn Monroe, then Elizabethan would be Liz Taylor, 1950s smoke show Taylor at that. Classic Beautiful.