Real Perique?

[karam]

How would that work? Perique is a process of using pressure on carefully prepared and rotated leaves over a period of time.

Perhaps it has to do with the microflora from the commercial Perique. I am not too convinced though because I don't see how whatever microflora would permeate throughout the leaves and barrel, even with a lot of mixing, to catalyze something in the raw leaf.

@cosmicfolklore you mention wine and sourdough, the difference is that in both there is a lot of mixing done to spread the starter throughout the mix, I don't see how this could happen in pressed tobacco leaves. Perhaps mixing redistributes the juices which would carry whatever microbes are doing part of the work. There could be something to it.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

How would that work? Perique is a process of using pressure on carefully prepared and rotated leaves over a period of time.

I only mentioned it because some were concerned about microbes from St James. But, having seen the process, the leaves aren’t carefully rotated, they are jammed in a barrel and put under enough pressure to squeeze all of the juices out and left for an indeterminate amount if time. The juices will froth into what looks like tar and as pressure is released the leaves reabsorb these fermented juices. A started of sorts could be added to the first batch… although, I don’t think jitterbugdude worried about using St James microbes. Most would just allow the wild ferment to happen. Most likely. But, I was appeasing the terroir folks. This discussion is all hypothetical anyways.

 

[Egg Shen]

To address another issue that was raised - Perique is classically and most frequently made using burley.

Virginia has been used before, to very interesting and tasty result.
RO Acadian Gold implemented bright Virginia from Canada and it was very good.

Sorry, but who is RO?

edit: nevermind. I deduce from other comments it must be Russ O

 

[pylorns]

I only smoke my perique straight from the source:

 

[cosmicfolklore]

I only smoke my perique straight from the source:

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Was this the field trip from the New Orleans Pipe Show? If so, I was there also.
Edit... crap, that may be my gut in the plaid shirt, ha ha.

 

[sablebrush52]

Skip the first 9:40 to start with Marks discussion of the processing:

 

[cosmicfolklore]

That's me at La Poche again.

 

[pylorns]

Yeah, I did the drone footage there as well.

 

[Zeno Marx]

The fact it smells like something foul, I'll say there's a bit of burley in it. Perique and burley mix gives that "barnyard" note. Otherwise known as horse shit smell.

Perique is a burley, so ya gots two burleys.

 

[bullet08]

Perique is a burley, so ya gots two burleys.

Perique is processed to give specific characters. Burley, but with a kick. That's like saying Carolina BBQ is just a pork. Pork, but damned different from Texas BBQ.

 

[PipeIT]

@itsnotuitsme this is a good article about Perique.

A Closer Look at Perique | Smokingpipes.com

Perique is an incredibly versatile blending component and one of the most interesting and complex types of tobacco.

www.smokingpipes.com

 

[pepperandjack]

You can have a definition of the type of tobacco you use, the terroir, the variations you use for fermentation, etc. There are the factors that produce the type of perique you favor. But these are my factors that produce this type of perique. And that's all there is. Obviously there is no real perique.

 

[pipingfool]

I was always under the impression that the main identifying attribute for "real" St. James Perique was not the fact that it was processed in St. James Parish, but the fact that the plants were grown in St. James Parish. That it was the leaves themselves that give St. James Perique its unique characteristics.

Similar to wine whereas you can grow Pinot Noir in Sonoma/Carneros and in Burgundy, France and process the grapes exactly the same, but you will get vastly different wines due to where they were grown.

I could be way off.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

I was always under the impression that the main identifying attribute for "real" St. James Perique was not the fact that it was processed in St. James Parish, but the fact that the plants were grown in St. James Parish. That it was the leaves themselves that give St. James Perique its unique characteristics.

Similar to wine whereas you can grow Pinot Noir in Sonoma/Carneros and in Burgundy, France and process the grapes exactly the same, but you will get vastly different wines due to where they were grown.

I could be way off.

Mark told us that he imports a lot of leaf that he uses to make perique, because there is just not enough farmland left in St James. There was a tobacco field across the street from La Poche, but it was barely ten acres.
I think most of us think of St James Perique as being processed at La Poche.
With such an aggressive process as perique, I am not sure how much terroir applies. The juices are literally squeezed out, aged to a black tar and it is reabsorbed as pressure is released. I'm sure the taste of the leaf is important, but he also told us that all of the perique he produces is blended down, with Greg Pease doing the tasting to keep it tasting like perique.
It may be on that video above.

 

[pipingfool]

Mark told us that he imports a lot of leaf that he uses to make perique, because there is just not enough farmland left in St James. There was a tobacco field across the street from La Poche, but it was barely ten acres.
I think most of us think of St James Perique as being processed at La Poche.
With such an aggressive process as perique, I am not sure how much terroir applies. The juices are literally squeezed out, aged to a black tar and it is reabsorbed as pressure is released. I'm sure the taste of the leaf is important, but he also told us that all of the perique he produces is blended down, with Greg Pease doing the tasting to keep it tasting like perique.
It may be on that video above.

Thanks. Regardless the specifics, I love the stuff and I love what it contributes to a blend.

Kudos for those that are carrying the torch and keeping the process alive.

 

[Zeno Marx]

I suspect it is like sourdough and yeast cultures in NYC. Bagel nuts say no other bagel tastes like a true NYC bagel. Could be in the water. Probably literally in the air. Whatever bioorganisms are in St.James are unique to there. After all, it's a fermenting process. Eating, expelling, changing.

 

[MattRVA]

I suspect it is like sourdough and yeast cultures in NYC. Bagel nuts say no other bagel tastes like a true NYC bagel. Could be in the water. Probably literally in the air. Whatever bioorganisms are in St.James are unique to there. After all, it's a fermenting process. Eating, expelling, changing.

I’ve heard that many in NY believe it’s the water that’s responsible for their bagels being so good but unfortunately I’ve never had one.

 

[sablebrush52]

I was always under the impression that the main identifying attribute for "real" St. James Perique was not the fact that it was processed in St. James Parish, but the fact that the plants were grown in St. James Parish. That it was the leaves themselves that give St. James Perique its unique characteristics.

Similar to wine whereas you can grow Pinot Noir in Sonoma/Carneros and in Burgundy, France and process the grapes exactly the same, but you will get vastly different wines due to where they were grown.

I could be way off.

This "real" Perique thing is one person's opinion, nothing more, nothing less and maybe a lot of "one person's opinions", nothing more, nothing less. As far as the reviewer, whose statement started this thread, knows, he's been smoking Acadien without even knowing it. Few people know that "St James" Perique gets blended to produce a consistent flavor that can be used in commercial blends to provide a consistent product.
Perique is Perique to me, even with it's many subtle and not so subtle differences. Some of it is pure St James, that's been gifted to me from LA Poché, some of it is what's in my Va/Pers, or in the blending Perique that you can buy on line. There is a characteristic set of flavors that comes with the processing, regardless of source.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Jus kid'n

 

[itsnotuitsme]

I have been away for a few days and have been indulging in this fantastic thread just now. Thanks everyone for your knowledge and participation, i've learned quite a lot.