My Perique Experiment

I realize that perique sensitivity is a pretty unusual trait. But I've said here a lot that it actually causes physical pain when I smoke perique. I've been trying to condition myself to it, though -- I don't like it that there's a whole category of pipe tobacco I can't smoke! -- and I've had some really good results.
Thanks to some very generous folks here, I got samples of three spun-cut blends containing perique. I've also got a very old tin of a discontinued VA/perique spun-cut that I've been trying. Here's what I've found for myself (but others' mileage may vary!):
For the last two weeks, I've been smoking these blends. Most began as additions to other blends -- Larsen's Signature (aromatic) and McClelland's Honeydew (non).
Stokkebye Luxury Bullseye Flake - The lightest in perique of all these blends, and one of only two that I can now smoke comfortably all by itself.

MacBaren Roll Cake - A definite step up in perique levels. But after an initial burley/perique burst, it settles down and, midway, becomes quite sweet, thanks to the cavendish. Stronger yes, but I can now smoke this one by itself.

Peter Heinrich Curly Special - The next step up. So far, this is still uncomfortable to smoke on its own. I'm placing a single dime-size coin on top of the Signature or Honeydew, and that's workable.

Petersen Caledonian Curly-Cut Melange #410 - Equal to -- or perhaps a bit more periquey than -- the Heinrich, this one still has to be combined with other blends to be smokable for me.
I've learned that I actually can train myself to handle perique now, which is quite an accomplishment. I'm nowhere near ready yet to smoke a straight bowl of Escudo, but I think the results so far are really promising.
What's amazing to me is that I have smoked straight Escudo -- and other perique-forward blends -- in the past, as a fairly new pipe smoker. I simply attributed the pain I was experiencing to tongue bite. I now know that's not the case. But it will be nice to finally be able to revisit these blends at some point in the future.
Bob

sam:
The tin description for Roll Cake no longer mentions perique, but I'm smoking a three-year-old sample and I can guarantee you that it contains perique. One of the "benefits" of being so sensitive to it is that I can detect it in even the tiniest amounts! And it's present in three-year-old Roll Cake in more than tiny amounts.
Bob

ravkesef:
"I really don't understand why you'd want to train yourself to enjoy something that gives you pain."
You know, I'm not entirely understanding it either! But I actually love what perique does for a blend, adding a depth and, yes, spice unlike any other leaf. I also pride myself on being experienced with a very wide variety of blends, and I didn't love the idea that there was an entire range of tobaccos I was not as knowledgeable about as I should be. (That's also why I'm starting to explore Lakelands, which I hated as a young pipe smoker.)
I wanted to see if I could train myself not to like the pain -- I'm no masochist! -- but to actually get familiar enough with the experience to not experience the pain at all. And so far that seems to be working. But it's the "training wheel" approach I'm taking that seems to be making that possible, starting with very lightly periqued blends and working my way up in strength. (The frustrating thing is that so many blenders seem to be very coy about whether a blend contains perique and in what quantities.)
Bob

I once was in a fantastic B&M that mixed their own very expensive English mixture. I asked if it contained perique. They kind of winked and shrugged. When I explained my sensitivity, they finally admitted it was in there. When I asked how much, they would absolutely not say. So I bought some. Couldn't finish even one bowl. And we're talking about a loose, house blend that they only made when they could get the very best ingredients and which sold for $10/ounce.
But even Greg Pease -- whom I have nothing but the highest respect for -- was coy when I asked him if there was any perique in Gaslight. When I reminded him of my sensitivity, he still declined to say whether or not there was perique in the blend. But he did tell me that I "should probably avoid Gaslight." He could have been referring to perique, or he could simply have been referring to the high nicotine content, which I also don't care for. I don't know.
Some blenders, of course, put "Bayou" and "St. James" and other such giveaways right in the blend name. But I've learned that others use perique without ever acknowledging it. I'm guessing it's simply to guard their blend recipes. Because we all know that there are blend thieves out there who are just dying to jump on these recipes and make millions of dollars. . .
Bob

Peter:
Oh, I absolutely agree. Some folks love it and would actively seek out blends if they knew they contained perique. But it's also rare -- or at least it was a few years ago -- and I'd think blenders would want to shout about its presence.
Maybe, because of the limited availability, some blenders don't put it on the label in case they need to change their blend at some point. Some might argue that its scarcity led to the recipe change in Three Nuns. But at the same time, we hear from MacBaren how they are continuing to make blends containing burley leaf they acquired in the 1970s. . . so even if there were "down" years for perique in Louisiana, you'd think there'd still be supplies in warehouses. (Unless no one's ever been able to buy much quantity.)
Tis a mystery. . .
Bob

Andrew:
Not actual tongue bite at all. The sensation is -- or was -- like needles piercing every corner of my mouth.
Bob

Pitchfork:
HH Old Dark Fired includes burley from the 1970s. This was mentioned by a MacBaren representative who was interviewed on the Radio Show a while back. The supply of burley is also mentioned on the MacBaren factory tour video that's posted here.
Bob

Spartan:
Not at all. You don't get tongue bite from the very first puff on the very first light.
Bob

Okay, so when did I suddenly become "dear Bob" to everybody?!
Bob