Jim's Carolina Red Flake with Perique 2025 Review.

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JimInks

Sultan of Smoke
Aug 31, 2012
70,151
802,145
This goes on sale this Tuesday, September 23 at 6 p..m. EST.

The 31 Farms St. James perique offers an abundance of dried sour fruit (plums, figs, raisins), floralness, spice, earth, wood, bread, mild sweetness and light smoke as it takes a small lead. Its inherent floral, spicy, sour qualities are a tad more obvious than the fruity flavors of the red Va.s. The perique gets a little more potent by the half way mark. The years 2017 and 2019 North Carolina red Virginias, the North Carolina 2022 orange-red Virginia tips, 2019 orange Virginia, and 2013 Mahogany Virginia provide a wealth of tart and tangy citrus, bread, grass, floralness, some sugar, earth, wood, darker fruit, mild spice, vegetation, and light wine-like vinegar notes. The strength is in the center of medium to strong. The taste is a slot past that mark. The nic-hit is a notch below the overall strength level. Won’t bite or get harsh. Has a few rough notes due to the absence of toppings. The easily broken part flakes are mildly moist, and I saw no reason to dry them. Burns clean, cool, and slightly slow with a very consistent fruity, sour, spicy, floral, savory, zesty flavor that extends to the pleasantly lasting after taste. The sour, floral, spicy, mildly fruity room notes are a tad pungent. Leaves little dampness in the bowl. Requires a couple more than an average number of relights. Not an all day smoke, but it is repeatable. I don’t recommend more than a medium size bowl for this production. Four stars out of four.
©Jim Amash 2025.
 
Last edited by a moderator:

Pipeandapencil

Starting to Get Obsessed
Sep 18, 2024
128
349
Mobile, Alabama
I might actually try and get this one. I have never done the small batch thing before at C&D, but this seems a good place to start. Little chance I wont like it based on it's reputation and a good solid review above.
 
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Mrs. Pickles

Can't Leave
May 8, 2022
381
1,674
AZ, USA
Thank you for the excellent review, Jim. I noticed you called out some 2023 Canadian brights but I didn’t see this component listed in the description per smokingpipes.com product listing:

  • Mahogany Virginia from Virginia, United States. (Crop year 2013, 12.00% sugar.)
  • Red Virginia from North Carolina, United States. (Crop year 2017, 12.40% sugar.)
  • Orange Virginia from Georgia, United States. (Crop year 2019, 17.72% sugar.)
  • Red Virginia from North Carolina, United States. (Crop year 2019, 10% sugar.)
  • Orange-Red Virginia Tips from North Carolina, United States (Crop Year 2022, 13.53% sugar.)
  • Genuine Louisiana Perique from C&D's exclusive Perique farm (31 Farms) in St. James Parish.

Was the Canadian brights a typo or an undisclosed component maybe?

The review is still very helpful in any case. I am just curious. Thank you!
 

JimInks

Sultan of Smoke
Aug 31, 2012
70,151
802,145
Thank you for the excellent review, Jim. I noticed you called out some 2023 Canadian brights but I didn’t see this component listed in the description per smokingpipes.com product listing:



Was the Canadian brights a typo or an undisclosed component maybe?

The review is still very helpful in any case. I am just curious. Thank you!
It was a typo, indeed. Thank you for pointing that out. I'll have a mod fix it.