Latakia and Perique

[colcolt]

OK, I'll admit I'm not the most knowledgeable one there is about baccy so I have to ask this. I've ran across the additives Latakia and Perique many times and don't know if I like either or not. I have an assortment of tins of 1.5 to 2.0g of each and don't know if either of those are in the ones I have listed without doing research on what's in them. I have learned I don't care for C&D Bayou Night much or 1762 Flake but most others are pretty good and a few are outstanding. What am I looking to taste for in a Latakia blend or ditto for one with Perique?...hope this made sense. These are the ones I currently have...
C&D Autumn Evening(most liked)

C&D Bayou Night(no like)

C&D Burley Flake #3(no like)

Dunhill 965 (good stuff)

Royal Yacht( good stuff)

Quiet Nights(not sure yet)

Haddo's Delight (oh, yeah!)

Sutliff's Blue Danube(pretty good)

Halfling's Leaf(Superb)

7 Seas Royal(very good)

London Mixture(haven't smoked enough to tell yet)

Dominican Glory(same as London Mixture)

 

[uberam3rica]

Latakia and Perique aren't additives. They are types of tobaccco

 

[barkar]

Latakia is a smokey flavour tobacco and perique tobacco tastes a bit like black pepper. Sometimes on tin it says whats in it. Or if you go to tobaccoreviews.com you can see what is in it as well. Hope this helps.

 

[uberam3rica]

Typically there isn't a lot of perique in blends as it is expensive and very strong. the amount of latakia can vary. Latakia give an almost campfire smokiness, sometimes a bit of a bbq flavor. Perique has a fruity spiciness If you want more information research it on wikipedia

 

[photoman13]

You might be able to trade the ones you don't like for a blend with the tobaccos Latakia and Perique in them.

 

[baronsamedi]

Latakia and Perique are often called condiment tobaccos. Latakia can ne leathery and smoky and in English blends it can be 5% or more of the mix. Perique is peppery and often smells of plums or raisins. It usually is used sparingly both because of expense and the fact that it will dominate the hell out of a blend if over used. Since you're a fan of Haddos (it is Dan good) try some VaPers like Escudo and H&H Louisiana Red.

 

[mluyckx]

Let me try to help you out bass on what you like
Autumn evening (I agree good stuff) is a Virginia with maple

Royal yacht is a Virginia

965 is a mild Latakia

Haddo's delight is a blend of burley, Virginia and Perique. Interesting you like this if you don't like the burley flake #3. Although it is considered a VIrginia Perique by most.
My guess, based on what you're liking up there,is that you lean towards

1) Virginia's, with some Perique

2) mild Latakia blends
Escudo, Louisiana Red, Aj's VA/Per, Hal o'The Wynd would be my recommendations. I'll let others speak on the Lat blends since that's not my forte.
Hope this helps,.. And the more you try different tobaccos, the more you'll figure out what you like.

 

[zanthal]

From my experience, too much Latakia in a blend can make the taste more potent than I like. Perique also has to be kept as a smaller part of a blend or I find it fairly unpleasant tasting.
That being said, I enjoy English blends (i.e., latakia based) more so than those with Perique. Like Mick said, this is where you'll have to test the waters yourself, so to speak.
I'm actually pretty pressed to recommend a Perique blend, I can't think of one I would prefer to smoke over my other choices. I've tried some from quality blenders (including GL Pease) and they just don't agree with me, so I'm sure it's just a matter of preference.
But for Latakia, I recommend justforhim.com's Shortcut to Mushrooms, Seattle Pipe Club Plum Pudding, Sherlock Holmes Pipe Club's Great Hiatus, and McClelland's Legends. If/when I get around to writing a review on tobaccoreviews.com on these, they would get 4/4 stars.
Turning to aromatics, Autumn Evening is a great choice, I've ordered it twice now. 7 Seas Royal is one of the very first aromatics I tried, and I find it fairly comparable to Lane 1Q, just slightly less sweet. Peter Stokkebye also does several mild pleasant aromatics, my current favorite being PS-24 Nougat.
I've been attempting to remind myself to pick up and try CAO Cherry Bomb ... if the reviewer says it's like getting punched in the face by the Kool-Aid man, then it's got to be worth a shot. ::

 

[barkar]

To add to what the fellows said above...a mild entry level english I would recommend FROG MORTON the original. If you like that then there are many stronger ones to choose from. If you don't like it, no worries it is very popular and will be easy to sell or trade.
I can also pretty much agree with you liking virginia's because if I was to rate your list it would be the exact opposite as I don't like virginia's....lol

 

[judcole]

And just to help keep matters interesting: there is Syrian latakia (the original) and Cyprian latakia. MacBaren uses Syrian latakia exclusively. HH Vintage Syrian has a ton of it. McClelland also has some Syrian latakia blends. Syrian latakia is a sweeter smokey, if that makes sense.

 

[zanthal]

Educational, Jud.
I can also agree, Frog Morton does an english blend well ... I have Across the Pond and On the Town.

 

[colcolt]

A gracious thanks to all for your recommendations and knowledge. I've found you can really go overboard with the sundry of tobaccos today compared to yesteryear when there wasn't near the choices as today; primarily because there was no Internet and no one knew of other countries and what they made.
I will be trying FM soon as I ordered a sampler from them yesterday that includes all FM blends. I can't recall right off anything I have tasting like pepper but I'll be on the lookout more carefully. I may have smoked C&D Burley Flake #3 a bit hastily and that could account for not liking it as it tasted more like smoking ashes and smelled the same.
I've read in quite a few posts and threads about Lane's IQ and need to try that one. Having found out from Jud about Syrian Latakia being sweeter I'll be looking for that since I have a tendency to like the aromatics.
About the Escudo-does it matter whether it's A&C Peterson or Peter Stokkebye?

 

[judcole]

Haddo's Delight has lots of Perique, which is why I have stayed away from it. :P
And Syrian latakia is not aromatic sweet - it's just got some notes in there. HH Vintage Syrian is the way to try it.

 

[dhizzy]

^^^^ I agree. HH Vintage Syrian is great.

 

[Perique]

A good taste comparison is to try Frog Morton (mild English, ie Latakia) followed by Frog Morton on the Bayou (touch or Perique added). These two are mild blends seemingly enjoyed by all that will give you a good taste as to what Perique can add to a blend.
If you like Haddo's, try Cairo and see what the addition of Orientals and a slight decrease in Perique does to the blend. Less sweet and, while I rate Haddo's as my all time favorite, I probably smoke Cairo more often. You can't eat lobster at every meal....

 

[cortezattic]

You may be interested in these two PipesMagazine.com articles by Russ Ouelette:

Lovin' Latakia and Passionate About Perique; and a related article, The Mystique Of Perique.
As barkar says, Perique is renowned for its peppery tingle, but it has a musty stewed fruit taste also.

For an example of just how fruity Perique can be try 4noggins' Prairie Wind -- a must try for anyone sampling VaPer blends.

 

[colcolt]

It looks like I've a few more to try. I'll get a tin of HH Vintage Syrian, Cairo and Prairie Wind along with a few others. This never ends, does it?
Cortez-thanks for those informative articles...learned a bit more about these two today. I'm sort of chomping at the bits to tr the Frog Morton sampler.

 

[colcolt]

Well, you guys talked me into it. I just ordered some Louisiana Red, Escudo and HH Vintage Syrian. It's a good start.

 

[judcole]

Super. Vintage Syrian is lovely stuff. It's got subtle flavors. it is just the sort of blend I enjoy for my first pipe of the day.