Peretti Pride of Loch Lomond

This blend starts off with the taste of the Orientals dominating, then a wonderful complexity kicks in. The beauty in the blend is that after the first light you can never pick out exactly which component (Latakia, Orientals, Virginias, Perique) is orchestrating the smoke, they just all play together in glorious harmony. P.O.L.L. shines in several other departments, too. It's short cut packs easily and stays lit. It encourages slow smoking to maximize enjoyment of this wondrous weed. It burns clean down to the bottom of the bowl and leaves no dottle. I'm kind of guesstimating on the room note, my wife recently quit smoking and doesn't like for me to smoke while she's in the house. Considering the quality of tobacco you are getting, I think the price is very reasonable, too. This and Peretti's British Blend are on my short list of favorite tobaccos. Bravo, Robert Peretti!

Pride of Loch Lomond presents as the typical Peretti array of light to medium brown ribbons. Somewhat damper than other Peretti offerings of this style, POLL is still ready to smoke immediately upon opening the pouch or can. The delicious tin note is spicy, vaguely sweet, floral in the Oriental tobacco sense, with a small pungent note in the background. Overall, as some other reviewers have noted, the nose is definitely Oriental forward.

POLL is a delicious change of pace for both frequent Scottish smokers, who will find this blend dryer and heavier on the Oriental component, as well as frequent Oriental smokers who will find this a more palatable blend than the typical Scottish fare, offering a bit more moisture and sweetness from the Virginias without sacrificing a molecule of Oriental flavor, and just a nip of Perique. That nip adds great flavor and is blended just right - nice surprise for me, not usually being fond of Scottish blends / English + Perique. The Perique here is just enough to tingle your nostrils without detracting from the harmony of the overall blend. The Latakia is as Latakia does, adding a smoky, leathery flavor and texture to the smoke.

Having been to Loch Lomond, I can't say this is the tobacco I would associate with the place. Instead, I would choose Istanbul: a city where East meets West. There's something here for everyone - a depth of complexity where no single flavor profile is dominant. While not my favorite Peretti blend, POLL is a tribute to the blender's art and highlights just what this small-batch blending house is capable of. The burn is a bit damper and the smoke a bit sharper only as compared to Peretti's very dry Oriental offerings. Outstanding.

I have been going to this tobacconist in Boston for over twenty years now and this is just one of those blends I never got around to trying...until this afternoon that is. Wow, what a delightfully smooth, full-tasting, refreshing blend. It was explained to me that the blend is comprised of: Virginia, Oriental, Latakia and Perique. The proportions are Superb. The appearace is black and darker brown, short english-cut tobacco. The scent is a faint earthy one with a hinting of the latakia and perique. It packs easily and did not need a re-light. As I progressed down the bowl all the flavor melded together with a slight increase in a clean, citrus-like note. The latakia and perique are quite appparent, but in a complimentary manner rather than an overpowering presence. This blend burned all the way to the bottom and left a fine grey/white ash. No wet-heel from this blend. A really "Nice" Blend.

**It keeps getting better everytime I smoke it!**

The mildly buttery sweet and sour, dry, woody, earthy, herbal, floral, vegetative Orientals have a moderate spiciness, and are the lead components. The smoky, woody, earthy, floral, musty sweet Cyprian Latakia varies between being a supporting player, and a secondary star. The Virginia provides some tart and tangy citrus, grass/hay, sugar, toast, light dark fruit, and earth, wood, and floralness. It is a step less obvious than the Latakia when the latter is most noticeable. The aspects of the perique are earth, wood, plums and some tingly spice. It is a condiment. The strength and nic-hit are a notch past the medium mark. The taste level is a couple of steps beyond that. No chance of bite or harshness, and sports very few rough edges. Mildly complex, it burns cool and clean at a reasonable rate with a little inconsistency in its mildly sweet and more savory, spicy campfire flavor that extends to the pleasantly lingering after taste. The room note is much more pungent. Barely leaves any dampness in the bowl, and requires an average number of relights. Not an all day smoke, but the veteran piper may consider it close to being one. Three and a half stars out of four with a half star deducted due to the variance of the effect of the Latakia.

-JimInks

Another great smoke from Peretti's. I live in Boston and started smoking through their catalogue several years ago. I really enjoyed this smoke but have to say it is not one of my favorites. All the reviews are correct when they say the balance of the various tobaccos is excellent. The flavor is strong, smooth and rich. Just when you thought you have smoked every variation of oriental/latkia/ perique this mix comes along. The Orientals are the main taste. The latakia and perique are very subtle and save the blend from becoming dulled by the rich orietal flavor. The taste of the latakia and perique are very light and the blend is interesting because those flavors come and go in the smoke. I notice the latakia more in the room note than in the actual smoking of the bowl flavor.

Because I really like a stronger latakia presence, I will give POLL a highly subjective "three stars" instead of four. The blend will easily get 4 if it hits your sweet spot. A solid performing all day, every day smoke.

Pride Of Loch Lomond is an excellent smoke. I recommend that those who enjoy a full, tasty tobacco try this one. Through this website I learned about Peretti's in Boston and have been trying many of their blends,

This is my favorite so far. Big and Bold. A great smoke. Try it, you will enjoy it. My complements.

Another winner from Peretti. Very rich Scottish mix, very sweet and smoky. At first light the latakia smoky hits, then the sweet from the Virginia quickly moves in to join. Shortly thereafter, the Orientals rear their aromatic heads, and pretty much through the rest of the bowl, you get an opulent, multifaceted smoke.

What can I say. BIG, BOLD, BEAUTIFUL. Everything I like about smoking. A tobacco I keep on hand at all times. Peretti, you have made me a very happy man.

Based on a 1 oz sample. Speckled brown and black with a bag aroma of orientals. Tough one to rate because it's not a strong blend to me, nor is it full in flavor. I found this one to be full in body which made it seem richer than it really tasted. It's a very satisfying smoke, which very well might mean it's high in nicotine, but I didn't notice any overabundance. But it struck me as being as easy to smoke in the morning (as I am now!) as in the evening, which to me signifies a blend that is neither full flavored nor overly strong. But still rich in body, if that makes any sense.

The orientals are front and center throughout the smoke, as they are in most Scottish blends. Very aromatic orientals, too, as the room note in this one is absolutely mouth-watering. The Virginias ride shotgun and provide their tang and slight sweetness throughout the journey, while the latakia and perique are lightly applied and just sort of keep the whole thing together. There are wisps of both (or one or the other) from time to time and they keep things interesting. I liked this one but for my personal taste I would have preferred more sweetness. A little dark Cavendish would probably have helped me, or some sweeter Virginias. I may get more of this and doctor it a bit. But on its own, it struck me as a very nice example of traditional Scottish blending from an excellent blending house. I bought several Peretti blends, as I'd like to get to know this blender better. I recommend this one for those who like dark tasting, non sweet oriental blends. Not destined for my rotation but it has an excellent base I can build upon.

This blend, being Scottish, reminded me of the old SNL skit where Michael Myers, as proprietor of the store, ?All Things Scottish,? would bark at his customers, ?If it ain?t Scottish, it?s CRAP!? I don?t think Michael Myers ever smoked Pride of Loch Lomond. This is one Scottish blend where ?moor? was less. My experience with the ?Loch? was strange and unique. I thoroughly enjoyed its subtle complexity?.for the first half of several bowls I smoked. But once I reached the second half of the bowl in different pipes on different days, this blend turned south on me. It grew a bit harsh, somewhat bitter, became bland and the ?nip? creeped in. This is also one of the few blends I had to toss out before I could finish my two-ounce sample. Maybe it?s just me but I?ll stick with Peretti?s ?British Blend.? Although an English, it is far superior to the Loch.

A cigarette is to be smoked. A cigar is to be enjoyed. A pipe is to be savored.

I rate this tobacco 6.5 out of 10.