Piqued by Perique

[sallow]

Peter Stokkebye Luxury Navy Flake. Good fresh. Great with age

I have to agree. I am beginning to believe that most vapers need at least some time in the tin or the jar before the perique flavor ripens, for lack of a better word. In particular, in my experience Escudo and Fillmore greatly benefit from a year or so of sitting time. This is not to say that they are bad fresh, just different, less distinct.
Although not technically a straight vaper, I have to recommend GL Pease Haddo's Delight. It is the Bill Gates of tobaccos.

 

[Perique]

Sallow, yes- I wasn't going to bring up Haddo's since it's not strictly a VaPer but it's an extraordinary blend. In my top five and a treat for Perique lovers.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

+1 Perique Preffered. Ahhh, Haddos, my mind whirls with perique induced delight, just at its mention. I think I just drooled... where's my pipe and the Haddos tin?

 

[dryseason91]

Craig, now that you have a tin of each, what's your take on whether Escudo and DNR are actually the same blend?

 

[cigrmaster]

Who carries this stuff in bulk at a reasonable price?

Craig, neither of those two blends are sold in bulk. I wait for a sale by either Smokingpipes( 20% off Escudo and Dunhill tins) or PC( buy 3 get one free on Dunhill blends) and then load up. The last time PC had their buy 3 get one free, I grabbed 24 tins of the Deluxe navy Rolls which brought my cost to 7.99 a tin which is a great deal.
If you are looking for a bulk Vaper then my favorite is Samuel Gawith St James Flake. I have bought it for as little as 55.00 a pound when I bought 5 pounds from one specific vendor, not one of the big three( 4noggins, Sp and PC). The normal going rate for a pound is about 65.00. That works out to be about .15 a gram so for a 4 gram bowl, it will cost you .60 cents. Now in comparison to a tin of Escudo at 9.50 a tin that is .19 per gram so .80 cents for a 4 gram bowl. 80 cents for an hour and a half to 2 hours of smoking pleasure is tough to beat.

 

[nobail]

When most say that VaPer need a little time to age, is the consensus at least a year?

 

[edgreen]

Add one for Haddo's. I love that pepper-plum-raisin thing. I also love FM on the Bayou and F & K's Black Bayou Mist.

The use of perique in the F&K seems to change and balance the latakia differently than some of the others and is certainly different than the straight Vapers I've smoked.

 

[craig94yj]

Craig, now that you have a tin of each, what's your take on whether Escudo and DNR are actually the same blend?

Dryseason, I have had a few bowls of each now. As a matter of fact these four have been my only rotation since I received them. (Thanks Fred) In my opinion for what it's worth, I would say that they are not the same blend. To my palate the Dunhill has a little more peppery back note than the Escudo. I actually appreciate the subtle difference between the two. I also think that the Frog Morton on the Bayou is a little "sweeter" than the two previously mentioned, but to me the Escudo has the most flavor of the three. I am in no way qualified to make an official review, but these are my opinions. The other tin received was the Frog Morton Cellar and I can see why this blend has been recommended in other posts as a blend for aro fans who are interested in trying an English blend. In my short time as a pipe smoker I have made a good effort at trying samples of the different "categories" of pipe tobaccos. Although there are so many blends I have yet to try there is not one I have had that I wouldn't smoke again if given to me. There are some that I won't spend my money on again because of the ones that I enjoy so much more, but none that I would rather toss out than pack in my bowl. I have a saying that I say when people ask stuff like "how was your weekend?", my reply is "they are all good, but some are better than others". I think this applies well to my limited smoking experience so far. Thanks to all who have contributed to my experience and this site has been an invaluable source of education.

 

[craig94yj]

@ cigarmaster; I am a huge fan of economic advantage. When I was smoking cigars my goal was not to buy the best tasting cigar, but rather to buy the best tasting cigar at a reasonable price. If I could find a stick for four dollars that tasted really good and was three dollars cheaper than one that tasted better, I would buy the four dollar stick because it was still an enjoyable experience and the cold hard economic advantage allowed for more quantity. That is a no brainer to me. My friend, however does not subscribe to this theory and that is why some cigars sell for much higher prices. I refuse to spend more than $15.00 on a one time smoking experience that does not result in unassisted ejaculation. I will be looking into Samuel Gawith St. James Flake. Thanks for the recommendation.

 

[sallow]

When most say that VaPer need a little time to age, is the consensus at least a year?

I can't speak for everyone, this is my opinion: To me Escudo tastes more like Escudo after it sits for a year. It is not bad fresh, it just seems like the perique develops better flavors. I have had it fresh and at six months, and it is not the same tobacco to me.
I also noticed a nice difference in Fillmore and Luxury Navy Flake after some sitting time.