Am I the ONLY fellow who simply cannot abide Perique?

Allergic? Doubtful.
Is it possible that it "just doesn't work for you"? Absolutely. There are others here who have mentioned intolerances to perique, or red virginia, or what have you. Its a bummer that you would have it to Perique because....yummy.
I was going to suggest you try a Perique that is more on the "fruity" end of the spectrum than the "peppery" end....but I think you have done so in Haddos. If you were going to try just one more time, I just steer you toward H&H Anniversary Kake.
IF you've mostly smoked Drugstore Tobaccos....these are heavy toward burley blends. Most of these "good" perique blends you mention will be heavier on the Virginia, which most be smoked much more slow and delicate or they just taste bitter and burn your tongue. Are you absolutely sure you aren't just "over smoking" Virginia leaf? Most these blends must be sipped gently to be appreciated.
But, that said, you could just plain and simple not be compatible with Perique.

I'm not a freak for the stuff, but I've never come up against the adverse effects you describe (thankfully!). I've been told that perique is what gives Nightcap its distinctive zing, which I like, and is what gives dimension to OGS. Escudo, I can't coax flavor out of in the first place, let alone parse out what perique may be doing for it.
If there's an allergen in it, I don't know what it would be. I'm guessing your system (pH again?) just does not like the stuff.

Yeah, I know when I find a blend I don't really like it's a bummer. Not like there's not a million more to try, but each one seems like "one less" for me to enjoy!

A couple years ago I wasn't quite where you are, but was indifferent. Couldn't understand all the fuss and didn't get the tastes I'd heard other reporting. I just got a tingling tongue. As of late though, I can't get enough! OJK, Chenet's, Sam's St. James, Bayou Morning are all favorites now. I got a deal on the P&C's mix your own blend recently - 4 parts Red VA, 3 parts Loosiana Leaf and 1 part White Burley - not bad at all!

/shrug

Give it another go down the road - things change!

Tslex
You are not alone
I do not get ill from Perique, but I find that that 'spicy' taste is a bit too much for me. Strange, because I do enjoy spicy food.
Early on when joining the forum, I was directed to all manner of flakes and I stocked up on them, many with Perique.
I still smoke them, but I find my love is toward the Lat blends, with maybe just a touch of perique as an accent.

@tslex it sounds like you're well acquainted with your pipe. I guess Perique won't be your Huckleberry :lol:

Do you handle other fermented products without such problems?

It could be a micro-organism thats causing the allergy reaction.

This is too bad.
The reference to OGS is odd though - I still don't believe that blend has any perique, but I don't want to pick at that tired old scab again.
The fact that you love strong cigars is also surprising to me. As someone who started smoking cigars long before I ever picked up a pipe, I have always found that many perique blends are the closest thing I can find to that of a good hand-rolled maduro cigar in terms of taste.
Still, sometimes we just have body chemistry issues that make some blends unpalatable for us. Luckily for you there are plent of great blends without perique.

Pure Perique has always smelled like "dog poop" to me. But recently I bought some Peter Stokkebye 311 Perique for the price and its strength in nicotine for blending. I am trying it with different tobaccos and finding a liking to its addition. The nic hit is its real attraction but I have to use it sparingly or the "dog poop" rears its head. My taste buds have always enjoyed Latakia and I keep some pure blending Latakia on hand to doctor up tobaccos I try which aren't quite to my liking. This makes them smokable. I am now adding a little perique mostly for the strength and finding its growing on me. I enjoy its homemade mixtures before bedtime. Also for a quick bowl when I don't have time for the full ritual it fits the occasion quite well.

Look, tslex, we've known each other for awhile now and I would have thought of you had a problem with me you would send a pm. Taking this to a public forum is really in poor taste.

Seriously though, I think it's like hot peppers. I love hot peppers. Many people do. But some folks who I find to be otherwise intelligent and interesting people simply don't care for them. It's just a preference. Heck, some people like mayonnaise. So there's no accounting for taste.

I seem to get bit smoking VA/Per blends.

@Peck- keep in mind the "I've been told" part. I could have have been misled, and could not swear that there is or isn't perique in OGS. P&C seems convinced, because they list the ingredients as being Perique and Va. There is something added to the Va in OGS, whether it is perique or not, to alter the flavor profile.

I love King Crab. About 20 years ago I apparently became allergic to it. It is the only shell fish I can no longer eat. Some things just do not work for some people.

Although I love a hefty Balkan/English/Perique blend, after about 20 minutes I start getting a peppery burn in my sinuses. I've restored to small doses in small pipes to keep it at bay but still enjoy it.

This is too bad.

The reference to OGS is odd though - I still don't believe that blend has any perique, but I don't want to pick at that tired old scab again.

The fact that you love strong cigars is also surprising to me. As someone who started smoking cigars long before I ever picked up a pipe, I have always found that many perique blends are the closest thing I can find to that of a good hand-rolled maduro cigar in terms of taste.

Still, sometimes we just have body chemistry issues that make some blends unpalatable for us. Luckily for you there are plent of great blends without perique.

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I hear you about opening up the scab on OGS, but to this day it still has me bugged. The Scandinavian Tobacco Group of Denmark, which produces OGS states on its site:

TOBACCO SELECTION: A touch of Perique adds zesty new life to the flavor of Flue-cured Virginia tobacco.

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However, to this day it still only states on the tin: ‘A mixture of golden , mature Virginia tobaccos from the traditional districts in eastern USA.’
If by chance it does contain any Perique I would have to compare it to an extra dry Vodka Martini (the way I like them) in so much that the bottle of Vermouth is simply passed over the glass. OK, enough of beating that dead horse.
I seriously doubt that it’s an allergic reaction to Perique as it doesn’t fit the symptoms of an allergen. However, and just to make a crazy comparison, I can’t tolerate fried liver as it actually gives me a gag reflex. My mother used to make it on occasion when I was a child fried in onions and it always looked delicious, but after one bite, no matter how hard I tried to eat it I would gag. Luckily my mother and father never forced me to eat it, but when it was served for dinner I had to simply go without eating except for whatever side dish she made. A few years ago I went to a Christmas party and they had an assortment of Hors d'oeuvres and one in particular looked scrumptious because it was wrapped in bacon, and I’ll never refuse my chance to eat pig candy. I simply popped the whole damn thing into my mouth, chewed and swallowed it. I then realized that it was fried chicken livers and I was honestly sick for about a half hour by the mere taste! Could possibly be that your aversion to Perique is simply the aversion and reaction I have to liver. Hey... I’m stretching things here, but what the hell.
Perique wrote:

Look, tslex, we've known each other for awhile now and I would have thought of you had a problem with me you would send a pm. Taking this to a public forum is really in poor taste.

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Good one Perique, and thank God you didn’t choose the username of Liver as you would then end up on my shit list! :wink: