Peretti No.8 Slice

Original Review 1/11/2016

Well, this is the second review of the five Peretti samples given to me by my nephew from the order of samples he received from Peretti. So far this has also been the favorite of a very enjoyable tasting experience.

My main knock on Park Square was a lack of nicotine; well that was certainly not the case with this one. This blend was fantastic and I must say I enjoyed every bowl that I smoked. There were about 8 or so as the sample was of good size. A good solid Vaburper. The Virginias are pretty gold by color and are also pretty earthy. The Burley is there with nutty sweetness, but the nutty sweetness seems to be a little too strong to come from Burley alone.

One should not suppose this to be an overly strong blend in this genre either, but I did find it to have more heft than other similar Virginia/Burley/Perique blends like LBF or DDNR. But I also found it to be right behind the more Burley Heavy creations like OJK and BF3.

The contents list a cocoa/chocolate flavoring added. I do not doubt this to be the case, but this topping, whatever it is, is very light. If it is chocolate and was anything but light, I am sure I would not be able to stand it as that flavor note on tobacco repulses me. It is not too much unlike Sam Gawith's chocolate flake in this regard and the fact that the Virginias are the dominant leaf in both blends, but where that one has a touch of Latakia, this has some perique and a decent amount that works very well with the topping.

As I said, I really enjoyed this one and intend to buy more of it when I finish up these samples and am ready to put my own order in.

Update 11/21/2019

I purchased an 8 ounce tin of this on my feelings from the above sample and I smoked through all 8 ounces in a relatively quick time, so I really must say that it is worth all three of the stars and maybe then some.

It is always a little odd when you go back to a review and find out the description in TR has changed since said review was written. When I reviewed this earlier the description spoke of both chocolate and cocoa which I really did not buy as I am not a fan of either topping and I was a fan of this. So after smoking through 8 ounces and returning to review, I not only have now identified what flavoring has been added, but now the description lists no flavoring. smh

Suffice to say the description is still wrong. I don't know whether it is a casing or topping or whether it is just been applied to the Kentucky leaf (which is quite common), but molasses has definitely been used in this blend. This makes a lot of sense, since molasses + Burley = all kinds of tasty.

It is funny because I just finished this up while deer hunting and it was just heavenly, but I also smoked some over the summer and it was not as wonderful. I really think that this is a cold weather blend. Think Orlik Dark Strong Kentucky with some perique.

The thought of that might make some feel this is a steamroller of nicotine. While it won't be considered weak by any means, I found it quite tolerable. I never felt even the slightest bit of queasiness. The nicotine, at least as far as my preferences go, was perfect.

Another misperception from my previous review was that this was a Virginia dominant blend. I would have to say that Burley is every bit as prominent as the Virginia if not more so.

If I were to base my rating on the last two ounces I smoked this would be a four star review, but I am holding it to three stars as I would still prefer to smoke Orlik DSK to this one and I would save money in the process. Also, Orlik DSK is delicious no matter the weather or time of year.

Nicotine is in the rear passenger seat,maybe even in the trunk.Flavor is slightly stronger than #333,or #52.The whole thing seems to meld together pretty well.Please know that I normally smoke stronger Perique mixtures.This would in my opinion be an ideal crossover blend for smokers wishing to enter the world of Perique,but who have been intimidated by the reputation that this condiment tobacco seems to have.I prefer drying openly in the air for an hour,if rubbed out,or even overnight if you’re going to smoke the individual flakes.This is not to say that it’s soggy out of the tin,just my preference.This should age really wellin a year or so if aging is your thing,even though it’s quite smokable as is.As my pallet is pretty hammered,and spoiled,please draw your own conclusions,and take this as guidance only.I recommend this high quality Mixture.

I had never been to Boston before so I was very excited to check out Peretti's. I took my picture with the statue of Edgar Allen Poe and went in to a much smaller shop than I was expecting. I picked out a English estate prince and explained to the clerk I wanted a VaPer heavy on the Per. Their selection is so vast that it is hard to actually find a blend your self. He even explained to me they will custom blend for their customer. I didn't even know this kind of tobaconist still existed.

I was handed a bag that contained a few pieces of beef jerky that smelled of dried fruits, raisins, prunes, and earthy Virginias. He said I was going to love it. I bought a pound. It is a bit damp and could probably use some drying time which I have never done. I'm too lazy to care. It is a pretty special blend that I will always have some in the cellar. It is a bit one dimensional but in a good VaPer kind of way. I get a little enthusiastic when I smoke and the fact that it is probably a little damper than ideal it does steam my tounge so that's not great but that perique kick and pepper gets me what I am looking for. Great stuff less a bit of a bite. I'm sure this will be amazing with some age.

Light woody tin note with hints of prunes, and day old cut grass. The flavor is woody and earthy with hints of nuttiness from the Burley. There is a bready quality to the smoke from start to end. The perique is lightly applied an I get dark stewed fruits and only a hint of pepper. The VA's provide a citrusy background and a hint of vegetal grassiness. I am a big fan of this blend, the description I provided may not really do the actual experience justice. I have also noticed that this tobacco can vary greatly from pipe to pipe, all have been good but cobs seem to be the sweet spot for me. I would also recommend some dry time, particularly in a briar.

1/4 inch thick, crosscut, rough, crumble flake (if there is such a thing). Ruggedly good looking, easy to prepare. Moisture is perfect for immediate smoking in mind.

Pouch aroma is nutty, earthy, woody, musty and sour.

Upon lighting, initial flavors of hay and grass stand out the most. Its sour with bright citrus. While I detect a slight topping, I don't think its cocoa. It possesses a sorghum molasses sweet tanginess. Burns clean and cool, leaves very little moisture. It does leave a spicy feeling on the palate, but it's not tongue bite. Probably one of the better Peretti blends I have smoked to date.

A reasonably complex VaPerBur blend with a greater concentration of Burley supporting the Virginia. The Perique adds a spicy element but not heavily.

Every hobby has traditions. Tobacco for pipes has this flake thing. I’ve seen demonstrations of how the tobacco is pressed them cut. I’d prefer to have it cut up and not have this extra step but not so strong a preference that I won’t purchase.

I was in a jewelry store s few years beck. I was looking at a watch. The sales guy was there. He said you had to wind this watch every so often. I asked why. He said because you need to have a relationship with your watch. I nodded and smiled and wandered out of crazy town. Just saying.