Hello all, I thought I would post a few thoughts about each blend as I make my way through my samples.
My package arrived fairly quickly, with each 1 oz sample sealed in a plastic bag emblazoned with the L.J. Peretti logo. I decided to work my way through each blend in turn to fully appreciate each blend in its own right.
I started with Blend #100. The supplied description reads: "A medium strength, slow burning, cool and aromatic blend of delightful flavor and aroma". This doesn't tell you much about the blend, but I read elsewhere it's one of their oldest mixtures, and is distinctly in the "old-time aromatic" genre.
In the bag, it appears to be an all burley mixture of mostly cubed or plug-cut leaf. The smell in the bag was...different. Floral notes intermixed with spices and maybe a little vanilla? I've never knowingly smoked a blend containing deer tongue, but I wonder if there's some in here.
The blend lights and burns very well. Taking the first few puffs, I was taken aback - I had tasted these flavors before, both in the ghosts of old estate pipes, and later in some of the Iwan Ries house blends. The burley tobacco flavor is clear, but a distinct, cool, "floral vanilla" note is present throughout. At times, the aroma of fresh-cut roses seems to emerge, only to disappear after a few puffs. At other times, I get a distinct vanilla note from the tobacco. Frankly, it's difficult to describe, but if you've ever tasted it, you know exactly what I'm talking about. Though I've never tried it, I'm reminded to descriptions of Wilke's "Royal Scot" and other aromatics that dominated before the Cavendish Craze.
I like blend 100. It's unique, and from another time - evocative of old-fashioned barbershops, front parlors, and soda counters. Will I be ordering an 8 oz. paint-can? Probably not, but I'm enjoying the sample while it lasts.