Real Perique?

[itsnotuitsme]

A few days ago I finally openened my tin of Robert McConnell Pure Perique. Fantastic Stuff. Love it for mixing. Im on my first pure bowl right now (dare I say, it took quite a bit of courage, as the tin smells as if I cured my old underpants in a dung heap for a few days - fantastic stuff non the less).

Now, if I am to believe tobaccoreviews, it's not "real" perique. So i have to ask: What is? And to add, is it worth going for another "real" perique or are they rather similar in taste (pure or mixed)?

Edit: While we're on it, another thing i can't quite figure out: Is perique purely a process, or is there a special sort of tobacco used exclusively? i read that it's supposed to be a variety of red burley, but somewhere else i saw virginias mentioned etc. etc.

 

[Chasing Embers]

What is?

Perique made in St. James Parish, Louisiana.

 

[itsnotuitsme]

Perique made in St. James Parish, Louisiana.

so the mcconnell perique isn't? i thought to call it perique it had to? excuse my confusion....

so is the mcconnell perique merely not made there, or is it a different recipe? or both?

 

[ThermionicScott]

What evidence is there that K&K isn't using Perique from St James Parish?

 

[anotherbob]

so the mcconnell perique isn't? i thought to call it perique it had to? excuse my confusion....

so is the mcconnell perique merely not made there, or is it a different recipe? or both?

I wouldn't trust explicitly what people say online. I wouldn't discount it out of hand either. But I'd ask who said it and what says they know what they're talking about. Certain rumors get started and then keep going.

 

[Chasing Embers]

so the mcconnell perique isn't?

Either that or it's blended.

i thought to call it perique it had to?

It's just a process. Much like how latakia doesn't have to be produced in Latakia.

 

[Chasing Embers]

What evidence is there that K&K isn't using Perique from St James Parish?

Take this however you may. It comes from a blog on SPC.

"Acadian is a blended variation that utilizes some portion of tobacco grown in St. James Parish in addition to similar leaves grown elsewhere and is the most common type of Perique."

 

[bluegrassbrian]

To address another issue that was raised - Perique is classically and most frequently made using burley.

Virginia has been used before, to very interesting and tasty result.
RO Acadian Gold implemented bright Virginia from Canada and it was very good.

 

[Chasing Embers]

Virginia has been used before

As has Katerini.

 

[itsnotuitsme]

i think the dark corners of my missing knowledge have seen quite a bit of light here - thanks!

what about the comparison of McConnell Perique with other periques tastewise?

 

[bullet08]

The fact it smells like something foul, I'll say there's a bit of burley in it. Perique and burley mix gives that "barnyard" note. Otherwise known as horse shit smell.

 

[ThermionicScott]

Take this however you may. It comes from a blog on SPC.

"Acadian is a blended variation that utilizes some portion of tobacco grown in St. James Parish in addition to similar leaves grown elsewhere and is the most common type of Perique."

Is McConnell Pure Perique known to use Acadian? Just seems like there’s a lot of speculation in all directions.

 

[Chasing Embers]

Is McConnell Pure Perique known to use Acadian?

Blends that use St. James claim it early in their descriptions.

 

[Auxsender]

Folks on TR swear that neither the McConnell “pure perique” offering or the Torben Dansk “pure perique” offering are, in fact, perique.
I have both napping in the stash but haven’t tried em yet.

 

[sablebrush52]

Check out the interview with Mark Ryan that’s part of the Wikipedia page on Perique. It’s informative and enlightening. Most Va/Pers use Acadien Perique, Which blends other Perique processed leaf with St James to produce a more reliable result. It would seem that to producers, it’s ALL “real” Perique.

 

[OzPiper]

It would seem that to producers, it’s ALL “real” Perique.

A bit like Darjeeling tea - the amount labelled as “Darjeeling” exceeds the total production by ten thousand-fold

 

[sablebrush52]

A bit like Darjeeling tea - the amount labelled as “Darjeeling” exceeds the total production by ten thousand-fold

It’s not quite as debased as that. Pure St James quality can vary quite a bit. The addition creates a high quality consistent result, according to Mark Ryan.
When I started smoking the D&R Rimboche blends, Mark recommended the Acadian over the St James version to me.
I have several different pure St James Periques from L. A. Poche that were gifts from Mark. They’re different from the tobacco that’s sold on line as blending Perique. I wouldn’t say that they are better, with the possible exception of the 15 year barrel aged stuff, just different.

 

[kcghost]

If it doesn't St. James Parish it's not the real stuff. That said it is a process and can be duplicated in any number of ways. Some ways are not so good and other ways it can be very good.

 

[coys]

This is an interesting discussion. I did not know that so much of the perique many of us enjoy is actually Acadian perique.

 

[JJ_JJ_JJ_JJ]

I'm almost positive its like like Champaign. It cant be called Champaign unless its from the Champaign region of France .