Peretti Oriental No. 40

The tin aroma is chock-full of pungent orientals and a bit of smokiness from the Latakia. The cut is short-to-medium, a mixture of tan to medium brown ribbons, and the tobacco is at the perfect moisture level. (They're definately not selling water.) Oriental #40 packs easily into a bowl of any size and lights without fuss. The initial flavor is a full-on blast of Orientals...a very strong, musty flavor. Things settle down quickly, and the smoke is both spicy and salty on the tongue. Along with the expected mustiness from the Orientals and smokiness from the Latakia, there are minor notes of sour fruit and leather here, along with something like nutmeg. (These are just impressions, not actual flavorings.) The smoke feels dry, and the tobacco smokes dry in the pipe. Oriental #40 requires less attention than any other tobacco I know, rarely needing a re-light and never causing a gurgle in the pipe. This tobacco cannot bite, and tastes good throughout the bowl. When it's gone, I always want more.

First off, Lustra hit the nail on the head; if you like Orientals then this is for you. My taste buds like bitter, cloves and black pepper. Ding, ding ding, this is it. If you have read any of my other reviews then you will see I enjoy a lot of varied tobaccos but for me Orientals are king. Sadly a lot of Oriental blends tend to be lame but the folks at Peretti have found the mark with #40. They took the time to assist me in my quest and for that I am in their debt. I smoke this several times per week in a Peterson system full bent to get the total treatment. If you desire a nicotine buzz move on, that ain't what 100% Oriental blends are about, but what a strange and interesting aftertaste they do impart. No bite, but don't rush it, it just becomes too bitter. For me a 4 star. Thanks, Peretti.

Appearance: A ribbon cut of mostly medium shades, with some darker leaf showing.

Aroma: Rich Oriental aroma with some Cyprian Latakia nose. No Va. sweetness detected.

Packing: Packs easily into any size pipe.

Lighting: Lights with relative ease, occasionally one match, but usually needs two.

Initial flavor: Hello, this is different. All I get at the beginning is a rich spicy flavor and some smokiness. Truly a beguiling flavor here.

Mid-bowl: This is a blend totally devoid of Virginias. Since the base is Oriental, this is a true Balkan. It isn?t Balkan Sobranie, which had more Latakia and used Yenidje, but something much more subtle. The flavors interplay nicely, and always have a little surprise for you. Definitely a blend to savor slowly.

Finish: Burns down calmly to the bottom, without a gurgle. Leaves a nice dry white ash. It does not fatigue the palate at all, making it, IMHO, a light/medium Balkan in the range of GLP Kensington

Summary: A blend smooth enough to smoke all day, yet rewarding enough to relax with.

Brown to black ribbon with some messy long cuts and a sweet and tangy oriental with a bit of latakia in the background. Smelled heavenly.

Loads and lights easily and immediately shows off its bitter side. Bitter isn't necessarily bad but I found myself wishing for more sweetness of flavor - more of a Virginia presence. If you think of oriental tobaccos as incense-y and sort of herbal, this is the darker side of oriental a la Tashkent. And I had the same issue with this as with Tashkent... interesting but lacking the sweetness and tang I prefer. As predominantly a Virginia smoker, that natural sweetness is my thing. This has almost none. The flavor was musty and dry on the finish with tons of character, but alone it's not something I care to smoke much of. As with Tashkent, I added a bit of red Virginia and got the tangy sweetness I crave. But I also wished that it had no latakia, as that pushed this blend further away from where I wanted it to be. But the point is where Peretti's wants it to be! So if you're into exotic middle eastern flavors that continuously evolve and you won't mind the lack of sweetness, give this one a shot.

It's difficult for me to decide which tobacco I liked better, Tashkent, or this one. O40 is slightly sweeter, and smoother. It has a deeper, perfume-like scent than does Tashkent. Peretti's English Blends remind me of the older Balkan Sobranie blends, the one that was around in the 1970's. This tobacco lit well, one char, one full light, and no dottle. Highly enjoyable blend!

Keep on Pipin'

First off, I would like to note this may be the best burning tobacco I've ever put in a pipe. One light, a handful of tamps, and you can smoke this down to fine white ash. All the Peretti blends burn just beautifully, and they burn perfectly right out of the paint can...

This is an Oriental for the piper that enjoys mild VaPers and is looking for a change of pace, or an aromatic devotee looking to branch out. Peretti's Tashkent is pretty much the gold standard for full Orientals, but like Lapsang Souchong, Tashkent may not be everybody's cup of tea. The only reason I haven't given this one the full four stars is I find it's a bit too mild for my tastes. I am not an all day smoker, so when I sit down with a pipe I want a fairly complex experience. Oriental No. 40 might fit the bill though if you're the kind of person that's a "set it and forget it" kind of all day puffer. Not much in terms of nicotine, and the room note is basically inoffensive. I have to assume that straight Oriental tobaccos are a fairly niche market (with pipe smoking itself being a fairly niche market) as there are just so few out there that I think really fit the Oriental profile. I also realized that these terms like Oriental and Balkan and English are all fairly vague and fluid, I think of the English tobacco is being a very full experience, with a Balkan following behind, making up in complexity for the fullness of an English, and Orientals being rather distinctive in their sweet and sour and piquant qualities. Oriental No. 40 is such a quality tobacco that I'm torn between having a can around all the time or just picking up another can of Tashkent... it really is like Tashkent dialed way back on the richness scale. I smoke a bowl, I enjoy it, and with my own personal taste I think "it's just a little too mild for me". That's the same way I feel about some very high quality VaPers too, I appreciate the quality, but I'm less than satisfied with the smoke. Obviously everybody's got different tastes, and if you lean towards the more mild varieties of pipe tobacco, by all means give this one a try, dip a toe into the world of straight Oriental tobacco.

UPDATE 10/19/2021.... just finished off the last bowl, burned straight down to the bottom with a few tamps and no relights. This is possibly the best behaved tobacco I've ever had in terms of burn quality. The verdict is still the same though, I find this a little too mild for my personal tastes. Very obviously a quality tobacco, but like a number of quality Va/Pers I have had, this Oriental just does not fulfill me. If you prefer a mellow, mild smoke and want to branch out into Oriental varietals, certainly give this one a try. if you're looking for something strong and full-bodied, try Peretti's Tashkent.

Very nice subtle blend. Tin note is slightly sour and earthy with latakia barely detectable.

The flavors are woody, creamy slightly sweet and floral. I really enjoyed this blend. Every time I smoke it I am trying to puzzle out flavors. The Orientals are clearly center stage and fluctuate from woody to spicy and the Virginia’s and Latakia’s are just there to enhance the great blend of Turkish/Orientals. Buttery comes in and out...I am not sure I have ever used that descriptor for a pipe tobacco. Just really good stuff and great for warm weather might I add.

I got this along with their Royal Blend, which is fantastic. This is indeed an oriental powerhouse, yet not overbearing. It doesn't get hot and if smoked slowly, is a really pleasant smoke and burns to a complete ash. This is one of those blends to have once in a while, like in the morning during a camping trip.