Perique Fatigue

[nwohioan]

Purely subjective take inbound. Not sure if this is just my taste buds evolving overtime, getting more selective about what I enjoy versus what I don't enjoy, or just bemoaning an otherwise fine tobacco type in which I could just not purchase - but I think I'm getting fatigued on perique being added to blends to "spice them up," particularly English blends.

Not sure if anyone else discovered they may not enjoy English blends with perique, but I'm finding blends starting to taste the same with the zest and slight stewed fruit nodes lingering to the point of being overwhelming. It was something I enjoyed at first (like C&D Byzantium) but for me, I think it now really detracts from an otherwise clean, woodsy, smokey, spiced smoke from the other components. It's starting to seem like too strong of an ingredient to toss into blends with the anticipation of supporting other ingredients only to muddy the waters - like blending oil paints where it's a delicate act of achieving a desired color with a vibrant hue, versus blending and turning the mix grey.

Anyways, my next few purchases will be Englishes with no perique, after all it is only a matter of taste. Embarcadero has become a steady favorite along with Captain Earls Diamond Head. Maybe I'll give GLP Ashbury or Caravan a go next time.

 

[Servant King]

There are a handful of things on this forum that are generally agreed upon by basically everyone. One of them is how to handle the quandary you find yourself in, because it seems as though it happens more or less to every pipe smoker at some point. It appears that perique burnout is not as common as latakia burnout, but the way to handle any kind of burnout is pretty simple; just jar it and put it away for some time and focus on smoking other types of blends. If there's one thing about a given smoker's tastes, it's that they are fickle beyond belief, and can change with the direction of the wind. Too many pipe smokers overreact to a newfound burnout, and trade away (or, God forbid, discard) all their leaf in that blend category, only to regret it further on down the line. Best to just jar your perique-heavy English blends and come back to them months or even years later, and try blends without, or with much less of it.

For me, it was goopy aromatic burnout. This is a little bit of a different beast than latakia burnout, but still, I kept a couple around, like CAO Moontrance for example. I never went through lat or perique burnout, but then again, most of my cellared Englishes and VaPers are relatively low in latakia and perique respectively.

In regards to perique burnout, something like Lane 125th Anniversary, for example, has so little perique in it, that it's not the kind of blend to instigate an ongoing fatigue. Whereas if I smoked GLP Windjammer all the damn time, that might just result in souring me to perique if I really overdid it. So don't throw in the towel with perique just yet, because there are blends like OGS that barely have any in it (I realize you're talking about Englishes w/perique as opposed to VaPers, but the concept is the same). Also, I find @JimInks to be an excellent resource by way of his tobacco reviews. In reading them, you can really narrow down flavor profiles, making it relatively easy to predetermine the desired proportions of blends you seek.

Hope this helps! Good luck de-fatigue-ing. ?

 

[nwohioan]

Great - thanks Servant King for the feedback and highlighting that it's not uncommon. I think you're right. - I realized I do mainly find myself smoking Englishes from GLP and C&D, and that alone is probably like smoking some of the same blends just in different ratios. Maybe I'll reach for a Peterson blend next time.

 

[runscott]

There are a handful of things on this forum that are generally agreed upon by basically everyone. One of them is how to handle the quandary you find yourself in, because it seems as though it happens more or less to every pipe smoker at some point. It appears that perique burnout is not as common as latakia burnout, but the way to handle any kind of burnout is pretty simple; just jar it and put it away for some time and focus on smoking other types of blends. If there's one thing about a given smoker's tastes, it's that they are fickle beyond belief, and can change with the direction of the wind. Too many pipe smokers overreact to a newfound burnout, and trade away (or, God forbid, discard) all their leaf in that blend category, only to regret it further on down the line. Best to just jar your perique-heavy English blends and come back to them months or even years later, and try blends without, or with much less of it.

For me, it was goopy aromatic burnout. This is a little bit of a different beast than latakia burnout, but still, I kept a couple around, like CAO Moontrance for example. I never went through lat or perique burnout, but then again, most of my cellared Englishes and VaPers are relatively low in latakia and perique respectively.

In regards to perique burnout, something like Lane 125th Anniversary, for example, has so little perique in it, that it's not the kind of blend to instigate an ongoing fatigue. Whereas if I smoked GLP Windjammer all the damn time, that might just result in souring me to perique if I really overdid it. So don't throw in the towel with perique just yet, because there are blends like OGS that barely have any in it (I realize you're talking about Englishes w/perique as opposed to VaPers, but the concept is the same). Also, I find @JimInks to be an excellent resource by way of his tobacco reviews. In reading them, you can really narrow down flavor profiles, making it relatively easy to predetermine the desired proportions of blends you seek.

Hope this helps! Good luck de-fatigue-ing. ?

I ran into the same thing, but only with heavier perique blends.

I still love Louisiana Flake and Salty Dogs.

 

[kcghost]

Well to quote Michalean O'Flynn, " When I drink whiskey I drink whiskey and when I drink water I drink water".

 

[runscott]

Well to quote Michalean O'Flynn, " When I drink whiskey I drink whiskey and when I drink water I drink water".

So you smoke your perique straight?

 

[Servant King]

So you smoke your perique straight?

I'd look like this if I did that:

 

[nwohioan]

Well to quote Michalean O'Flynn, " When I drink whiskey I drink whiskey and when I drink water I drink water".

Yeah - admittedly my thoughts on perique warrant the advice of "just smoke a different blend." Taking my own advice..

 

[runscott]

I'd look like this if I did that:

View attachment 146921

I once smoked a half bowl of 'Jewel of St. James', and it wasn't bad. I was careful. I figured if the Indians could do if for centuries, then I could do it just once.

 

[sablebrush52]

I once smoked a half bowl of 'Jewel of St. James', and it wasn't bad. I was careful. I figured if the Indians could do if for centuries, then I could do it just once.

I've smoked straight Perique a few times, usually when I've bought an amount of pure blending Perique. It's not half bad!

 

[Chasing Embers]

So you smoke your perique straight?

I do. Either by itself or lightly misted with rum.

 

[runscott]

I do. Either by itself or lightly misted with rum.

Okay, thanks. I will give this a try today.

 

[Chasing Embers]

Okay, thanks. I will give this a try today.

I use C&D granulated perique.

 

[runscott]

I use C&D granulated perique.

Excellent, I have some of that. I was on a perique rampage for a while, and I think I have examples of everything that's been around 'recently' except for a few Louisiana region-specific ones sold by Daughters & Ryan. Most are sealed tins, so I haven't tried that many yet.

 

[Morrison Jeremiah]

It happens.

 

[Hillcrest]

I rotate pipes and tobaccos to avoid that. I initially thought this thread was about fatigue from a certain blend. I have been smoking country squire's rivendell, northwest trek and old toby in rotation. I usually don't have a problem but the other day i had a particularly large strong bowl of Northwest Trek and got a little intoxicated from the latakia and perique. A quick nap sorted things out. I'm not as young as I used to be ! ?

 

[J-Evverrett]

I think it can happen with anything, really. I usually smoke C&D poplar camp daily. However I do switch my tobacco up every 4 or 5 days no matter what. Sometimes English, or a solid burley. Recently it was Dutch masters whiskey. I figure, this way I’ll never get flavor fatigue from a blend. It’s part of the reason I buy new blends in smaller amounts every order.

 

[edger]

I’ll be no damn help. I smoke lots of C&D Bayou Morning which is 25% perique. I just love the stuff. Good luck in your journey.

 

[mortonbriar]

I react to perique quite badly, so all the english blends I smoke are without. I would recommend smoking through some of the blends that are more oriental leaf forward, rattrays red rapparree springs to mind.

 

[mso489]

I've been okay with Latakia and Perique over the years because I also smoke other blends without them on a regular basis. I think they have both been much overused in English blends, as if they are default condiments. Other condiments have come to the fore, like black Cavendish, dark-fired, various Orientals, cigar leaf, among others.