Peterson Irish Cask

Mottled tan to mahogany brown ribbons with an on-the-light-side tin aroma of wet hay. Interestingly, I got the best results with very minimal drying time, although the results were far from dramatic going from tin moisture to very dry. This suffers no real flavor degradation when smoked on the wet side, which is antithetical to most of the Virginias I've smoked.

Confounding tobacco! There seems to be some question as to whether this contains burley (the description here says there is, the tin does not), but the first 10 minutes of each bowl presented burley's characteristic nuttiness, which thereafter was not heard from again until the next bowl. The cavendish was top-noted a bit with what Peterson says is sherry or citronella, but i'm not familiar with those flavors so my tastebuds couldn't confirm or deny. The African strains of virginia mostly ran the show, although there was more than a hint of lemon citrus that I associate with U.S varietals. There was also a wisp of perfume that was fleeting (perhaps the sherry/citronella). Perique is another tobacco that the description here claims the blend contains but the tin does not. I didn't get much in the way of perique spice and no tingle when I snorked but there was a slight fruitiness that could certainly have been perique. Pretty high on the nicotine scale and overpuffing didn't cause this one to bite at all, but it did make the concoction lose what focus it had and give me a pretty good case of niccups. Puffed gently, this one was mostly middle of the road with a few complexities thrown in that didn't hang around long. After smoking the entire tin, I'm still not sure I grasped this one's full measure, but I award 2.5 stars for this. It's interesting enough that I may try another tin, but I hear no calling to pursue this one with much determination. Definitely something I'd recommend everyone try, however.

Peterson Irish Oak is a peculiar tobacco with a coterie of fans as well as a considerable number of smokers who are less enthusiastic. The constituent tobaccos (Virginia, burley, cavendish, and perique) meld together through aging in oaken sherry barrels. The touch of sherry makes this a semi-aromatic.

Open the tin and you find brown and gold ribbons of varied length and thickness. The variance in size means that you must pack it carefully in order to get an easy light and a smoke not requiring frequent relights. A well tamped pipefull smokes nicely. The smell of the tobacco in the tin is unremarkable--a slightly woody tobacco odor with a whiff of figginess from the perique. You do not note the sherry when sniffing the tin.

I prefer to let Irish Oak dry ten or fifteen minutes before smoking, but it is quite possible to smoke it just as you find it. As noted before, when you have a firmly packed pipe there is no problem in getting the smoke going.

The taste comes across quite fully. The Virginias provide a base, the burleys add a bit of nuttiness, and the perique is noticeable but not strong. (I would guess that perique is at most 5% of the blend.) The cavendish seems to be sweetened, for the degree of sweetness in the smoke is greater that what Virginia alone would provide. While smoking, the sherry taste comes through as barely noticeable. It burns down to a white ash, with no goop in the pipe.

The room note has no particular merit, but it would not elicit derogatory comments from any but the anti-tobacco nazis, I have no problem with tongue bite while smoking Irish Oak. The nicotine hit is a bit above medium.

When smoking this mixture, I have no problems with it. Yet it fails to ring my bell, and I have thus rewarded only two stars. However, smokers especially fond of Virginia/perique blends would do well to try this tobacco. The fervent fans of Irish Oak almost surely come from this group.

I use pipes dedicated to Virginias, or Virginia/perique to smoke this one. The wisp of sherry flavor is not enough to ghost a pipe.

I'm a relatively new pipe smoker, so please bear that in mind. When I smoke my pipe I'm looking for a period of relaxation and contentment - a enjoyable experience. This pipe tobacco doesn't give me that. For newer smokers not aware of different pipe tobaccos, please be warned that this Irish Oak contains a lot of Perique tobacco which has a peppery, spicy flavor. Smoking Irish Oak is rather like trying to smoke a pepper pot - a fair amount of hot, spicy, fiery and peppery smoke mingled with other flavors. I don't particularly like it - to me, it's like going through a slow drawn out torture - so much spice that my tongue becomes hot (not tongue bite - spice bite) and there's an astringency that can be felt in inner cheeks.

I feel the name of this tobacco is misleading. It should be called Petersons Hot Spicy Peppery Tobacco - Irish Oaks doesn't describe it and nowhere on the tin is there any warning of its peppery flavor. I mean, why is it called Irish Oaks at all? Okay, apparently it's aged in oak casks or something, but the more important aspect is the peppery overtone to the taste.

I'm aware that there are many pipe smokers who love this peppery Perique tobacco, and for them this might be a 'go to' smoke. But for me it's only a one star rating for being overly spicy and peppery, which for my taste amounts to an unpleasant experience.

This is one of the first blends I tried, and so may be a bit biased. Regardless, it's still one of my favorites. It took a little over a year of developing a discerning palate before I could taste the oakiness, but there is no mistaking it now. This is one of those that I can smoke before work, and occasionally taste or smell throughout the day. I first smoked it outside on an early Spring day from a MM Country Gentleman, and it remains a blend that I enjoy best when smoked outside on a cool day from one of my cobs.

I really tried to like this blend but it seems entirely lacking in broader flavor balance.

What it does have is a load of very bright flavors. You have the upper-register spiciness of the perique, quality cigarette like flavors coming from the Burley and Virginia, a citrusy top note along with a subtle dry woody flavor that I do enjoy. It also performs really well, very little tamping or relighting was needed.

However, this blend is so devoid of sweetness and any amount of warmth, that the flavors never seem to establish any semblance of harmony or very much depth for that matter. Irish Oak does have a pretty good punch to it, and it does go nicely with a sweeter, malty dark beer. But by itself as a stand-alone smoke, it doesn’t captivate.

I personally really enjoy the blend. I usually smoke a lot of stronger flakes and latakia-heavy English blends. Irish Oak is a great alternative. The Virginias and Cavendish are prominent up front, but the Perique sneaks its way through as the bowl progresses. The first few bowls were not quite as good as they were after I let it sit for a few weeks after opening the first tin. Now, I recommend letting it sit for 4-6 weeks depending on your available humidity.

This blend is great smoked by itself in a bowl dedicated to tobaccos with a similar profile. However, I must say that it gets really interesting when blended with a little latakia. I used some McClelland latakia (tastes same as stuff in Frog Morton) to make some blends. I personally like it with 2/3 Irish Oak and 1/3 latakia, but I sometimes take it 3/4 Irish Oak and 1/4 Latakia. If you blend it and leave it in a jar for a few weeks before smoking, I would recommend only the 1/4 latakia blend. My overall rating, room note, strength and flavor ratings are just for the blend by itself. I would give it 3.5 stars if that was an option.

Very smooth and harmonic blend! U can definitely taste the maturing in the oak sherry barrels. Nice woodsy nutty flavors and the perique harmonize very well. When you like Dunhills De luxe Navy Rolls or escudo, you'll probably like this one too.

Give it a try...

IRISH OAK (a.k.a. Irish Cask due to the new EU laws) is an extraordinary blend. Who would have thought that Peterson made a perfect Virginia/Perique blend? It is the triumph of Perique and it is the perfect marriage between the sweet Virginia and the peppery Perique. I agree with Pipestud review: in this mixture there is a great amount of Perique but unlike him I taste it from the beginning to the end of the bowl. Mouth, tongue, nose, Perique is always there. Peppery and spicy Perique, not fruity. Virginia is of an excellent quality. Cavendish (fortunately not Black Cavendish but brown Cavendish) and sherry flavoring (matured in oak sherry barrels) are minor components, almost irrelevant (IMHO of course). I do not detect Citronella. Strength is perfect: from medium to strong. If you are looking for an old-style blend where Perique is leading here it is, without any doubt. So, in conclusion, not a flavored blend, but one of the best Va/Per you can find in the market. A natural aromatic. Don’t you have a clear taste perception of Perique? Try this one and you will realize! My compliments to the blenders and to Scandinavian Tobacco Group. In my personal rating system (from 1 to 10) my score is 9 and three and a half stars.

Curiosity paid out this time, especially since my expectations of VaPers is pretty low since my bad experience with Elisabethan's by Dunhill. I must admit that the tin note was one of the most intriguing ... earthy is the first thing that comes to mind, a wee wet grassy and finished by a scent of somewhat raisin. The latter doesn't particularly hit you when smoking, unlike for example the plum in the Royal Yacht, which is definitely there with you throughout the smoke. They say black cavendish ... sure there is some, as one can observe with the naked eye, but in quite a low proportion and it also doesn't impact the smoking experience as much in as far as taste. I suppose that the black cavendish mellows down the other components, tones down the sweetness of the virginia and the pepperiness in the perique. Overall I would say that this is a fantastically balanced blend. Sweet, but not too sweet, peppery but subtle - unlike other blends that I shall not name, which in my experience were so peppery that they burst you in tears. I truly appreciate the fact that when you draw you have that single level sweetness in the forefront, and a few seconds after a bit of peperiness tickles your tongue. It's an every day smoke for me. I tried it in several pipes, no bite, and interesting enough it yields a legendary gray ash in the end with no major effort. A satisfying experience I would say ...