Peretti Blend No.333

Walnut brown cube cut with some choppy pieces. I picked up a sort of maple-y cocoa top note in the tin aroma that did not translate to the taste. As with most cubes, this took me awhile to get cooking but once it found its groove, it burned easily and completely.

Very natural burley flavor with roasted nuts and dark wheat flavors. It was only when comparing this to BPC that I noticed a casing in the taste. BPC is so tobacco-y and this has some flavoring or other but I couldn't make it out. Smoked without BPC as a guide, I would have said this was essentially unflavored. No matter - this is still a very worthy burley from a blender that respects that leaf. Almost zero complexity, which is fine because the great flavor of this one is its purpose. And of all the burleys I've smoked, this one is probably the most unique. Probably the flavoring is why. A quality burley blend for those who are tired of the chemicals in OTC burleys. 3.5 stars, only because I prefer this blenders BPC.

This is a chopped cut that I would not call cubed. There are irregular bits and a few pieces of chopped flake.

The smoking experience reminds me a little of a SWR that has been working out. Strength and taste have a little more muscle, but it is still a solid burley base with a mild topping. The taste is similar to SWR - nuts and molasses. 333 is slightly less sweet and is more earthy. It is very enjoyable and I would probably smoke a lot of this if it were readily available and came at a better price point.

This was an especially easy blend to smoke slowly. It burned cool and did not have any quirky properties. This could easily be an old school all day blend for the right smoker. It is easy to recommend.

For whatever reason, this was an especially good smoke in a Kaywoodie pot.

Upon opening the tin you are met with a fine scent of nuts. Typical for a burley. They say this is not an aromatic, but it sure smells like one. This blends loads easily due to the cube cut. It lights up easily and only requires gentle tamping as you smoke it. A taste of nuts was the first thing I noticed (again, typical of burleys). This is not an overly complicated blend. The taste remained the same through almost all the bowl. Towards the end, I noticed an almost toasty flavor, not unlike toasted bread. Odd, but in an enjoyable way. NOTE: This blend should be smoked very slowly and deliberately. If you are a hard puffer, this blend is not for you. The slower you smoke this blend, the more the flavor comes out. This would be a nice all-day blend, leaving the more complicated blends for the evening hours.

I was the lucky recipient of a generous sample of this fine tobacco. It was gifted by a nice man from whom I was purchasing a tub of Edgeworth Ready Rubbed. I think he was letting me know that all hope would not be lost once I'd burned through the Edgeworth. Peretti's 333 would still be there to satisfy my Burley needs.

It's not Edgeworth, of course. Nor is it intended to be. It is cube cut Burley, like Edgeworth. (Really though, the cut of Edgeworth was only occasionally cubed. I'd be more inclined to describe it as “haphazard”). And, like Edgeworth, it's got a little added flavoring. But it's not the same flavoring. Peretti's 333 is its own beast.

I've never been an especially big fan of cube cut tobaccos because, more often than not, I find them to be more trouble than they're worth. I usually find them difficult to light and keep lit. But I have to say that this is a first rate and thoroughly delicious Burley. It's also the most scoopable tobacco I know: scoop out the cubes and then garnish with some fine dust for kindling. The challenge with any cube cut blend, is achieving and then maintaining a suitable burn rate, and because of this challenge, I find my experience with 333 to vacillate between sublime and enervating. It's not a very good tobacco while I'm working because who wants to fuss while working? But it's a fine thing to smoke when it can receive appropriate attention.

Once I do get a got burn going, I'm treated to a high quality Burley topped with a mild aromatic agent (someone here suggests deer tongue, which I can buy, since I was thinking vanilla). It's a moderately sweet smoke, and that's impressive given that straight Burley can occasionally be a little astringent on the palate. Whatever adornments are in 333, however, in no way compromise the experience of a subtle, delicious, high quality, throw-back Burley. When my Edgeworth is gone, this may well be its different, but equally enjoyable, replacement.

Another from the brothers of briar bombing.

It smells good in the jar, but is pretty ugly looking. Not exactly a cube cut, more of a rough broken cake maybe. Rubbing the bigger chunks out a bit in your fingers as you go is advised. It reminds me a lot of SWR, However it is more like what that should be.

The taste is full and round if a bit one dimensional. It has some sweet molasses and floral notes to it that give it a little complexity. I don't think the floral is a topping, so it shouldn't ghost your pipe. It burns very slowly if you don't rub it out. If you do, you get a good volume of smoke from it. It's definitely better than the burley cut plug they make although it is similar.

Try this one if you like burley blends, it worth your time.

I got this tobacco on a blind trade, and smoked it resignedly in anticipation of a low-flavor aromatic. I was mistaken. As a prior reviewer mentioned, Peretti has a good handle on Burleys, and I am enjoying this. Medium in body, there is a pleasant back-of-the-throat edge to this. No bite, and a spicy note pervades. Very subtle toasty flavors indicate that this may contain a small amount of Virginia. While this is not an aromatic, there is a nice, light room note that compliments but does not overshadow the natural tobacco flavors. It doesn't get the ashy burley curse. Decent but not overwhelming nicotine level.

Peretti really has a nice touch with burleys and Blend 333 is one I enjoy regularly. As the description states, it's a full burley that burns slow and cool.

Blend 333 is a rich brown tobacco that is composed of cubes that appear to be cut from a thick flake or plug. The flavor is rich and nutty. For the purpose of this review, I'm smoking 333 in an Ashton, but I think it really comes to life in a medium-sized or larger cob. Its smoking characteristics remind me of a Virginia flake, because it burns so slow.

This would be a great alternative for the all-day burley smoker who wants to get away from those cheap drugstore blends and step up to a real high quality tobacco. There is little or no added flavoring; it's a real tobacco taste that I enjoy. Blend 333 is easy on the tongue and doesn't have a bitter taste near the end of the bowl like cheap burleys. Along with Peretti's 101, 102, 111, 33, and BPC, I smoke 333 regularly. Next to Wilke's Nut Brown Burley, Peretti blends the very best burleys.

Burley is not my tobacco of choice but I’m trying to experience some to get a better idea. LJ Peretti is know for making some of the best burley blends and 333 appears to be their most popular.

Smoking now:

The bag note was a vegetative, musty, grain, oat, barley, woody, cocoa aroma. The pieces are cube cut and a little bit of everything thrown together. I threw it all in a wider bowl without rubbing anything out. Perfect moisture ready to go.

Lights alright without trouble. The flavor is a lot like the smell. Vegetative, oat, cereal grain, barley. Definitely a hint of cocoa in there but I get more of the oats, cereal grains, and barley. As a Virginia smoker I would not rate this on the sweet side. A dry flavorful smoke indeed. There’s a slight woody spice on the retrohale. The nicotine hit is past medium to strong for me. Smoked in a pipe that tends to gurgle with Virginias however not with 333. The tobacco behaved well and the moisture was perfect. The flavor was totally consistent start to finish.

Now the following has nothing to do with L.J.P and everything to do with my biology. Burley tends to bite me and this did give me the slightest bite and dry mouth feel but not as bad as others and I am able to slowly finish the entire bowl.

It’s hard to put my burley bias aside but this is definitely a 3-4 star blend. If burley is your cup of tea give this a try for sure.

Still has that floral taste of 111 but not nearly as strong. Very lite with more of the Burley coming thru. I like this better then 111. No aftertaste like in 111. A strong Burley base.