Is Perique Overused?

mso489

Lifer

Feb 21, 2013

41,210

60,459

• Jun 4, 2016

• #1

Hey, I love love Perique. The best friend Virginia leaf ever had, and the twinkle in so many English blends. Appearing everywhere and often, and in good proportion. But does using Perique in so many different blends diminish its surprising presence and render it a kind of default flavoring, like putting hot sauce on everything? There are many potential flavoring tobaccos besides Perique and Latakia, like cigar leaf, Turkish Izmur, other Orientals, Cavendishes black and gold unflavored and otherwise, and others. When shopping tobacco blends, when I get to the part where it says, "and Perique in good proportion," or "and a pleasing dash of Perique," first that sounds good, but then I wonder. Does its overuse diminish Perique? Compare and discuss, explain and contrast. What do you think?

 

pitchfork

Lifer

May 25, 2012

4,030

606

• Jun 4, 2016

• #2

I don't think so. Most of the tobaccos I smoke don't have Perique in them, so I definitely notice when it's there. Is there Perique in most of the blends you smoke?

 

beefeater33

Lifer

Apr 14, 2014

4,090

6,196

Central Ohio

• Jun 4, 2016

• #3

I don't think it is. I put black pepper on just about anything savory.......soups, burgers, eggs, steak, potatoes, salads, etc, etc..... I feel that a little pepper enhances my food. If it tastes good, to me, why not? But I think I get the jist of your question...... What if you don't like pepper on everything? If its forced on you?.... That changes everything I guess.........interesting question mso............. ::

 

jefff

Lifer

May 28, 2015

1,915

6

Chicago

• Jun 4, 2016

• #4

Perique is my condimental leaf of choice. As a primarily Va smoker, varieing additions of perique can change a blend greatly. It goes from spicey to figgy to a dash of sour. Unlike Latakia which I like only when used very lightly, I can handle as

Much perique as a blender uses.
Also it changes character depending on the other tobacco used and how that tobacco was prepared.

 

griffonwing

Can't Leave

Nov 12, 2014

498

21

Omaha AR

• Jun 4, 2016

• #5

I dont think its overused. If you ever get a mood where you dont want perique, then simply choose another virginia blend.

 

deathmetal

Lifer

Jul 21, 2015

7,714

32

• Jun 4, 2016

• #6

It seems to me it depends on how it is used, and that its condimental use is on par with Latakia at this point.
What is more interesting to me is its use as a primary ingredient... it makes for a truly eye-opening smoke.
Praise to The Beast for opening up this path!

 

pipesmokingtom

Lifer

May 4, 2015

3,210

16

• Jun 4, 2016

• #7

I appreciate the spirit of the question. I don't think it's overused and there certainly seems to be the demand in place to justify its widespread use. (For now) there are so many options available that if you wanted something without perique, you could probably find it.

 

hawky454

Lifer

Feb 11, 2016

5,338

10,221

Austin, TX

• Jun 4, 2016

• #8

I actually am one that doesn't really "taste" Perique, I get more of a "nose feeling" from it and would compare it to horseradish rather than hot sauce. I love that feeling I get from Perique and personally don't feel that it's over used.

 

mso489

Lifer

Feb 21, 2013

41,210

60,459

• Jun 4, 2016

• #9

McClellands has a wide array of Virginia blends with all different accompanying tobacco, for example, and many without Perique. But I have noticed, when you get around to non-aromatics with Virginia and one or two other leafs, Perique pops up a little too routinely to my mind. In maybe 2/3rds of blends like this, it is a good choice, but in 1/3rd, to throw out a fraction, I feel like it could have been left out and/or replaced with a different leaf. This is intuitive, and may be more the experience of shopping for tobaccos rather than smoking. But it does occur to me. That good proportion or touch of Perique gets to be a little repetitious in the blend texts. I'm just floating this. I do love the stuff, just used as a delight, not a routine. Am I just being cranky? What do you think, about Perique I mean?

 

perdurabo

Lifer

Jun 3, 2015

3,305

1,575

• Jun 4, 2016

• #10

Never enough perique.

 

jerwynn

Lifer

Dec 7, 2011

1,033

13

• Jun 4, 2016

• #11

Do we get tired of sex?

 

drwatson

Lifer

Aug 3, 2010

1,721

5

toledo

• Jun 4, 2016

• #12

Well I'm going to be the odd man out on this and say yes.. Only because me and that vial weed do not get along, something about it makes my mouth feel like I swallowed a jellyfish...So that being said yes! So many times I see a blend that I would like to try and there it is!

But then again there are just so many tobaccos out there, and most of it is just different proportions and topping or lack there of.

But I'm a burley fan, and someone could say the same about too many burley blends.

 

D

danhester

Starting to Get Obsessed

Jan 17, 2016

249

1

• Jun 5, 2016

• #13

I haven't been a pipe smoker long enough to know the historical trends, but I do have a decent knowledge of recent cigar industry history, and I know that industry is very prone to trends. For example, 10 years ago, Connecticut shade wrappers went out of fashion for a while, and now they're getting popular again. Likewise with CT and PA broadleaf. Ring sizes exploded (seriously, for a while I was wondering if a cigar was no longer just a cigar), but now we're seeing more cigar makers showcase corona and panatela/lancero sizes. Given that I understand perique as in danger of going away entirely, I wonder if maybe it's just in fashion right now.

 

B

bigpond

Lifer

Oct 14, 2014

2,019

13

• Jun 5, 2016

• #14

No. The boards might be awash with enthusiastic threads but I don't think this trend carries over to production. Outside of "the beast", which is gone for the present, what other new perique blends are you reading about?

 

deathmetal

Lifer

Jul 21, 2015

7,714

32

• Jun 5, 2016

• #15

I know that industry is very prone to trends.

Click to expand...

Good point. In fact, all human activities seem prone to trends.
I wonder if the topic we are edging toward is "Have we reached peak Va/Per yet?"
...at which point, the Age of Rum/Per is upon us.

 

andrew

Lifer

Feb 13, 2013

3,043

402

• Jun 5, 2016

• #16

Do we get tired of sex?

Click to expand...

I do

 

lordofthepiperings

Lifer

May 3, 2010

6,442

1,493

Las Vegas, NV

• Jun 5, 2016

• #17

I love it so I'd say it's not used enough!

 

cosmicfolklore

Lifer

Aug 9, 2013

33,999

75,761

Between the Heart of Alabama and Hot Springs NC

• Jun 5, 2016

• #18

Heck, I smoke perique, and if these companies want to add other stuff to it, it give me a variety of different perique mixtures, more power to them. It just gives me a selection when I smoke.

 

mso489

Lifer

Feb 21, 2013

41,210

60,459

• Jun 5, 2016

• #19

There are different trends and shifts in trends. I think dark fired has been around for a very long time, but has recently emerged as a flavoring tobacco in a more prominent way, and I like it a lot. I would certainly miss Perique if it became little-used or rare. Heaven forbid the supply be reduced. The non-aromatic array of blends is somewhat smaller than aromatics, a more narrow market, so when one leaf crops up a lot (pardon the pun) it is noticeable. I do notice and appreciate it when one of the lesser flavoring tobaccos like cigar leaf or Turkish Izmur is successfully used to give a bright new angle to a new blend. Now that new blends might become rare.

 

jerwynn

Lifer

Dec 7, 2011

1,033

13

• Jun 5, 2016

• #20

Do we get tired of sex?

@Andy "I do".
I apologize Andy... I was just being a smartass with the perique question. I actually can't remember what it is anymore. But Perry-Q!!! THAT I remember right now!