Peretti Blend D-7485

Peretti's description of D-7485 on their website does not include a list of ingredients, but judging by the appearance and smoking qualities I would say it has bright and dark VAs, burley, and latakia. It's appearance in the pouch is medium to dark brown with some bright leaf and a small quantity of black latakia. The pouch aroma is inviting, with notes of apples and a slight musty aroma from the latakia. It arrives fairly dry, not unlike a C&D blend. Loading and packing are easy due to the cut of the leaf.

Touching match to leaf, the first impression is of a mild VA tang and a bit of burley nuttiness. After a second light, the latakia looms in the background, with its' creamy notes. Mid-bowl, the same tastes are apparent and I find this to be a very good mild English. As the bowl winds down, the VAs take over until the smoke ends with a fine gray ash.

D-7485 requires minimal relights, as is the case with most Peretti blends. I find them to be very good in the lighting and burn departments. It burns cool in the bowl, and does not exhibit a tendency to bite.

Scores for D-7485: taste-17 out of 20; lighting and burn- 9 of 10; value- 8 of 10. 34 points equals another **** winner for Robert Peretti.

The awkwardly named 7485 blend presents as an array of mid to light brown ribbon. The charring light brings sweet wisps of that signature Peretti secret ingredient (deer tongue? Unflavored Cavendish?) somewhat akin, though not as sweet, to Wilke’s Royal Scott, but dryer. And like that other fabled American/English blending house, Peretti applies it with a gentle hand. Like all Peretti blends, 7485 arrives at an optimal moisture level and is ready to smoke immediately. The true light, like rest of the smoke, is incredibly cool and dry.

This is definitely an American English: burley forward with a slight kiss of sweeter Virginia, that subtle secret Peretti ingredient, with a pinch of Latakia to give it body and depth. The Orientals provide a bit of spice to keep things interesting, and manifest themselves more fully by mid-bowl. The final third dispenses with that subtle sweetness entirely and showcases the burley and oriental components exclusively, but for that condimental Latakia in the background. You may find a hint of damp in the finished pipe, relative to other Peretti offerings, but that’s probably just you over-puffing this mouthwatering blend. There’s simply no heat or bite here to remind you to slow down.

Rich in flavor, both sweet and savory, cool and dry smoking, zero bite. Overall a masterpiece of a blend from a national treasure of a boutique blending house. One of the best American/English blends on the market.

Peretti's Blend D-7485 was blended in 1933 by Joseph "The Major" Peretti (father of Robert Peretti and son of the founder, Libero Joseph Peretti) especially for the Honorable Ramsey MacDonald, Prime Minister of England. While the numerical name may be prosaic, the number indicates where it falls in Peretti's books containing blend recipies--in this instance, the "D Book." The fact that it wasn't named something obvious like "Prime Minster" strikes me as evidence of enduring Yankee pride and defiance.

The mixture is comprised of Peretti's signature burley, along with Virginias, Orientals, and Latakia. Accordingly, the mixture's color runs the spectrum from yellow, through shades of brown, to black. It comes in a rough cut, from granular to ribbon, so it packs easily and burns without any fuss. The moisture level is perfect directly from the paint-can (a hallmark of Peretti blends that holds true across the range).

Burley dominates the flavor and aroma. There is a mild top note that defines Peretti's burley--it enhances rather than sublimates the burley's native nuttiness. Peretti's burley blends are legendary for good reasons. The Virginia plays a supporting role, adding sweetness. The Orientals contribute a faint floral quality; and while subtly applied, the Latakia exerts a discernible, smoky influence and marries the mixture into a blend.

Blend D-7485 could easily be a "perfect 'all day' smoke" for fans of American-English blends--easy going enough for all-day puffing, but with a complexity that gradually reveals itself.

A classic blend and one of the best I have ever smoked. Top quality leaf, expertly blended and unique.

I think Peretti has a casing/top note that they apply to every blend, it is an elusive flavor that boosts and compliments every blend. D-7485 is not exception and it works beautifully.

I detect mint but it is more a suggestion than a flavor. The flavor is nutty and woody. The Burley’s are ever present but never the star of the show. They provide a nutty and slightly chocolate bracer for the blend. The sweet and somewhat grassy Virginias are the base of the blend and the Latakia is lightly applied but provide a creamy sweetness and a smokey hint. This is a nice complex smoke and teasing out the flavors is very enjoyable. The Orientals become more spicy as the bowl progresses and become strongest presence from the half way point on.

Top notch tobacco and a real pleasure to smoke

Great blend in the morning with coffee as well as all day. It has a very nice natural sweetness and fullness to it while smoking. Other Peretti English’s I’ve tried British, Omega, Tashkent, Royal, 500, strictly based on the popularity of those on YouTube reviews and on this site. So I finally tried D-7485 based on the story of how it came to be on the Peretti site and wanted to see what the Primeminister enjoyed (HEAR,HEAR!) and I personally thought it was the best Peretti English blend I ever tried it was so perfectly balanced with a slight touch of that naturally sweet high quality Burley LJ uses but it was not dominant, again it’s perfectly Balanced.

D-7485 is not an English in the current [Dunhill Standard Mixture] sense, rather it's an older style of American English. The main base tobacco is Burley rather than Virginia which is reserved and this provides an altogether different smoke. This is a light-medium heft smoke, perfect for all day long. The Burley doesn't try to compete with the Latakia so much as it softens it, the various Orientals are allowed to shine and they provide an almost incence-like spice at various times during the bowl. I was intrigued at the first bowl and absolutely hooked by the third bowl. D-7485 will provide you with an alternative to the hundreds of English blends that dominate the market, not that I don't enjoy them, it's just that they are all variations on the same theme, mixing the same ingredients in different proportions to produce a slightly different result. D-7485 and it's close cousin D-9575 are a welcome change of pace to the palate of the English blend smoker.

I bought this when I went to the L.J. Peretti shop over my birthday weekend. The customer service experience was outstanding and the tobacco samples flowed like water. I’m trying not to let that get in the way of my thoughts on this.

The cut is interesting. It’s mostly ribbons, but not entirely. It has an inviting tin aroma, of sweet tobacco goodness, light Latakia and something I can’t place. I notice some say it’s deer tongue, but I haven’t smoked anything with that in it in so long I can’t say. It’s not topped, but there is something intriguingly aromatic suggested in it. It packs and burns well, and finishes nearly dry in the bowl. The best description of the flavor is round. It’s earthy, smokey, sweet and yet also sort of smooth to my taste. There is also this little note of something “green” to it. Sort of herbal, but just a hint. The orientals are very subdued. It’s got a bit of something for everyone. When I sampled this, I actually said “that’s quite good”. It’s middle of the road on flavor intensity and nic strength. I can, and have smoked this all day.

Anybody who smokes Latakia would probably like this, and maybe some who don’t too. I’d definitely recommend this to a new smoker, as well as an experienced one. Thumbs up.

I was introduced to this tobacco seven years ago or more by a fellow pipeman I worked with and I've had it in my rotation ever since. Opening the package from Peretti one is greeted with a nutty aroma and followed quickly by the smoky Latakia. Tobacco colors are mostly browns speckled with yellow and black. Tobacco packs well and does better with a brief drying out period. Lights easily, sometimes not requiring much effort after the charring light. Aroma is of really good quality tobacco. Enjoying this blend seems to put me in a relaxed and contemplative state. When ordering from Peretti I would recommend allowing the tobacco to rest a few weeks before enjoying - seems to improve the marriage of the flavors. Will keep this one around all the time.

Another great blend from the House of Peretti. This tobacco has a delicious aroma of spicey latakia, turkish and orientals with a helping of lemon Virginia. In the tin it is visually pleasing, the cut and humidification are perfect for packing in any size pipe. Once lit you are off on an exotic journey to wherever your imagination will take you. Highly recommended.